how does a hydrogen car work?

Answer 1

hydrogen vehicle is an automobile which uses hydrogen as its primary source of power for locomotion. These cars generally use the hydrogen in one of two methods: combustion or fuel-cell conversion. In combustion, the hydrogen is "burned" in engines in fundamentally the same method as traditional gasoline cars. In fuel-cell conversion, the hydrogen is turned into electricity through fuel cells which then power electric motors.

Hydrogen can be obtained from decomposition of methane (natural gas), coal (by a process known as coal gasification), liquid petroleum products, biomass (biomass gasification), high heat sources (by a process called thermolysis), or from water using electricity (electrolysis). A primary benefit of using pure hydrogen as a power source would be that it uses oxygen from the air to produce water vapor as exhaust (and very little nitrogen oxides from the nitrogen in the air when burning at high temperatures). Another benefit is that, theoretically, the source of pollution created today by burning fossil fuels could be moved to centralized power plants, where the byproducts of burning fossil fuels can be better controlled. However, as explained below, the technical challenges required to realize this benefit may not be solved for many decades, if ever.

The main challenges in using hydrogen in cars are the very high costs and the low energy efficiencies; so far, there is not much likelihood of overcoming these challenges. Consequently, only a few demonstration vehicles have been made at high cost. See The Hype about Hydrogen and hydrogen economy

Answer 2

Take a primary fuel like oil, burn it to produce electric, use the electric to split water into hydrogen & oxygen.

Then try to store and transport the hydrogen without loosing to much (it escapes easily and has a high volume, unless cooled and presurised) to the pump and into the car's tank.

The hydrogen then feeds a fuel-cell where it is recombined with oxegen, producing water and electric again.

Electric cars are quiet, smooth & smell free, and powerful because they generate maximum torque at 0 rpm. see tZero.

The problem is they have been promising fuel-cell cars for >10 years and no-one has solved the distribution problem.

Overall it is much more efficient using current battery technology that can already meet 80% of our personal transport needs

But hydrogen has the benefit that you have to refuel from an oil company pump, (I don't think they will let you "home-brew"), so it can be centerally taxed and controlled, rather than just pluging into the grid or your own wind-turbine at home or work

Answer 3

Magic

Answer 4

see here. all youll ever need to know
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell

Answer 5

go to bmwusa.com