Waiting for the bus

Hybrid-electric transit bus will be tested in Columbia later this year

When a hybrid-electric fuel cell transit bus begins rolling through the streets of Columbia, S.C., this fall, Tom Davis will be ready to climb on board and start collecting data.

The chemical engineering research professor is looking forward to seeing how the new bus—part of the Federal Transit Administration’s Fuel Cell Bus Program—performs on Columbia’s hilly streets.

“Columbia was chosen for this demonstration project because of its heat, humidity, and hills,” said Davis, who conducts research on several aspects of hydrogen energy. “It’s not because we’re an easy site—quite the opposite.”

The 37-passenger bus body is built of fiber composites and is five tons lighter than a regular transit bus. Powered by two 16kW fuel cells that will continuously charge a battery pack, the bus’ performance will be measured for acceleration, braking, and operating range during its one year of operation in Columbia.

“We’ll have a GPS system on board, so we can determine within a few feet exactly how it was performing going up and down hills and all along the route,” Davis said. “The bus will run on two routes for the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority and on one route for the University of South Carolina.”

The demonstration project is aimed at proving the capability of a hybrid-electric fuel cell bus and stimulating economic competitiveness in fuel cell bus technologies. The goal is to develop a bus that will double the fuel efficiency of a comparable diesel-powered transit bus while achieving the same or better performance measures.

Davis and other University researchers have consulted with the S.C. Research Authority, which is managing a project to build a $2.4 million hydrogen fueling station in Columbia for the demonstration bus. The station will also serve hydrogen-powered vehicles that will visit the city in April 2009 when the National Hydrogen Association holds its annual meeting in Columbia. The cost of the fueling station is being funded by the State Hydrogen Infrastructure Fund.