Accompanying Investigative Activity in the Framework of the LH₂-Bus-Demonstration Activity in Bavaria (1995-1998)

In the course of the "LH₂ bus demonstration Bavaria" a MAN SL 202 city bus modified to liquid hydrogen (LH₂) operation by MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, Nuremberg, shall be tested in regular public passenger service in the Bavarian cities of Erlangen (10 months) and Munich (2x8 months) between April 1996 and July 1998 (at least 50,000 km, goal: 100,000 km). In these field tests a major goal is to evaluate the environmental compatibility of the hydrogen drive system and especially to determine the achievable emission reduction potential.

The potential for the reduction of exhaust pollutants valid for the LH₂ city bus shall be evaluated in comparison to existing conventional emission reduced propulsion technologies. These conventional propulsion technologies are buses operated with fossil fuels: a Euro II Diesel bus and an otto-cycle natural gas bus with three-way-catalyst. Besides the typically measured emission values (NO_x, C_xH_y, CO) also CO₂, aldehydes, aromatics and PAHs shall be measured. One goal, among others, is to demonstrate which of the usually existing pollutants can be avoided completely or which can be reduced significantly. Furthermore, energy consumption and power output shall be determined, in order to come to conclusions about the efficiency of the hydrogen propulsion system and about its entire CO₂ reduction potential compared to conventional propulsion systems. The exhaust emission and fuel consumption measurements for all three types of buses will be carried out by TÜV Bayern in Munich. Project monitoring for the Bavarian Ministry for State Planning and Environmental Affairs is being carried out by Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik.