HyDriven: Student Innovations in Zero-Emission Racing
HyDriven – Hydrogen Racingteam Twente
HyDriven is a student team dedicated to developing hydrogen-powered racing cars. Our team consists of over 30 enthusiastic students from diverse fields of study at the University of Twente and Saxion University of Applied Sciences. Each year, we build a new car to compete in the international Formula Student competition. In the 2024 season, we will be racing in Germany, France, and Austria.
We are currently the only team in the Formula Student competition building and racing hydrogen-powered vehicles. Our mission is to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen technology and accelerate the transition to emission-free mobility. In the short term, we aim to inspire other teams to join us in adopting hydrogen and to establish a dedicated hydrogen class within the Formula Student competition. Our long-term goal is to set an example for other industries and contribute meaningfully to the global energy transition.
Custom Control Electronics
Last year, HyDriven Twente achieved a major milestone: we successfully drove on hydrogen for the first time. This was made possible using custom-designed PCB’s manufactured by Eurocircuits. These PCBs are essential to the operation of our racecar, forming the backbone of both the control and safety systems.
This year, we’ve designed new iterations of these PCBs to further improve the performance of our car, comply with updated hydrogen safety regulations, and increase our competitiveness against electric and combustion-powered teams.
Battery Management System
A significant innovation this year is the development of our own custom Battery Management System (BMS). Previously, we relied on a commercial off-the-shelf solution. By creating our own, we gain full control over both the hardware and software, enabling advanced features tailored to our specific needs.
Our BMS is responsible for monitoring all cell voltages and temperatures in the car’s high-voltage battery pack. This is achieved through eight distributed BMS slave boards, which measure the individual cells and communicate their data to the central BMS Master over the TPL protocol. Using this data, our software determines the state of charge of each cell and makes real-time decisions to optimize performance and safety.
Thanks to the possibility to make a custom design, we can integrate a precharge functionality, an important safety feature. When the high-voltage system is first powered on, it experiences a large inrush current that can damage components. A precharge circuit gradually ramps up the voltage to prevent this. Previously, this required a separate PCB, but now it’s integrated directly into the BMS Master, another example of how Eurocircuits helps us to push boundaries.
Power Distribution Board
Another of HyDriven her PCBs that received a major upgrade this year is the Power Distribution Board (PDB). This board is responsible for distributing 24V power supplied by the car’s low-voltage battery, to all components that require it. A significant portion of this power goes to our custom-built hydrogen control system, which requires up to 1.3 kW of peak power for operation and cooling.
To safely handle this high demand, the new PDB design features large internal power planes and thermal vias, which significantly improve heat dissipation. The board includes connectors for various pumps, solenoids, and fans, all of which are essential for managing the hydrogen system. Integrated PWM drivers and current sensors allow us to precisely control and monitor each actuator real-time.
The PDB has an integrated programmable microcontroller, enabling the PDB to communicate with the rest of the car via the CAN protocol. This enhances system integration and allows for better diagnostics and control from the main vehicle software.
Thanks to the rapid review and feedback provided by the engineers at Eurocircuits, we were able to finalize and order the PDB just days after completing the design. We look forward to placing additional PCB orders throughout the season as we continue developing and refining the first Formula Student race car powered by a fully student-built hydrogen system.
A big thanks to Eurocircuits for supporting us throughout our journey towards zero emissions!
For more information please visit the Hydriven website.
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