DCHT Completes Installation of Hydrogen System for Hydrogen/Electric Bus

DCH Technology Inc. (DCHT, Valencia, CA) announced that it has completed the installation of a five-sensor hydrogen-monitoring safety system, based on their Robust Hydrogen Sensor, for the first hydrogen/electric bus to be demonstrated in Las Vegas, NV.Dr. Robert F. Boehm, director of the energy research center and professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), heads the project to develop a modified bus into a test-bed for advanced hybrid concepts under a contract with the Nevada Operations Office of the US Department of Energy. UNLV has reengineered the propulsion, energy storage and braking system. UNLV's hydrogen engine was exhibited at the Global Energy Conference in Las Vegas, NV, on July 25, 2000. "Work is taking place related to control strategies for several systems ranging from batteries, safety sensors and their operation, hydrogen-fueled engine development, and several other aspects," stated Boehm. "It is extremely important to obtain a reliable hydrogen-monitoring system, and we felt that DCHT's monitoring system would more than meet our requirements at a cost reasonable to our overall project budget. We have also contracted with DCHT to perform a complete safety analysis of the entire bus." Dennis Reid, director of sales for DCHT, added, "This installation will aid in confirming the market potential for monitoring passenger and vehicle safety to support the implementation of a hydrogen transportation system. Our monitoring system is designed to detect any hydrogen leak-and assess the level of safety-from the storage area underneath the bus, as well as detecting any hydrogen buildup in the engine and passenger compartments." In addition to the UNLV bus, DCHT has commitments from three automotive manufacturers to supply hydrogen monitoring and safety systems for fuel cell vehicles to be delivered by September 30, 2000, according to Reid.