Ohio State University engineering students and engineers at Ford Motor Company are working together to design hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that will challenge landspeed records in August in Utah.
Ohio State students have spent the past two years designing and building the Buckeye Bullet 2, a fuel-cell powered streamliner racing vehicle, which they will race during Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats next month. Ford announced that it will also take its 10 years of hydrogen research expertise when it races its hydrogen fuel cell powered Ford Fusion at Bonneville in an attempt to set the world land speed record.
Ford's fuel cell research team is preparing to set world land speed records with the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 fuel cell car - a collaboratively engineered racer with Ballard, Roush and Ohio State University. Ford researchers also are working with Ohio State student engineers on the Buckeye Bullet 2 that will compete for a similar world record in the unlimited class.
"The collaboration with Ohio State University also affords us an opportunity to work closely with a prestigious university, which provides out of the box thinking from student engineers and helps us recruit talented young people to work at Ford Motor Company," said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, Research & Advanced Engineering for Ford Motor Company.
The land speed record attempt will take place during Bonneville Speed Week from Aug. 10-17. The attempt will be sanctioned by the Southern California Timing Association®.
Ohio State students have designed their unlimited class vehicle, dubbed Buckeye Bullet 2, from the ground up. Ballard donated the hydrogen fuel cells for Ohio State's car, Roush contributed its engineering services, and Ford has provided overall project coordination and expertise in fuel cell drivetrains.
The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 land speed record vehicle was designed by Ford engineers and fabricated and built by Roush in Allen Park, Michigan. Ohio State students are providing the design of the 770 hp electric motor, while Ballard is supplying the hydrogen fuel cells.
In 2004, Ohio State students set the unlimited land speed record for an electric vehicle by running 315 mph in the first Buckeye Bullet, dubbed BB1.
Follow the Buckeye Bullet 2 at its Web site, www.buckeyebullet.com. Read more about the Ohio State/Ford hydrogen fuel cell vehicle partnership at http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=25641