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Hydrogreen is a team operating at the Department of Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics and Aviation Propulsion Systems of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, composed of students from various faculties of Lublin University of Technology. All members share a passion for new technologies and vehicles which are powered by alternative fuels. Their HYDROS vehicle competed in the prestigious international Shell Eco-marathon, taking place this year in Circuit Paul Armagnac, Nogaro, France.

The team members talked about the preparations, impressions and results of the competition at a meeting with the University authorities and journalists. The event was also an opportunity to present the capabilities of HYDROS.

It is a drop-shaped vehicle to offer as little resistance as possible. Its flow coefficient is 0.16. For comparison, flow coefficient of a modern car is 0.30-0.35. So it is more energy efficient. It weighs 34 kg and develops a maximum speed of 40 km/h.

This year's edition of the Shell Eco-marathon was attended by 120 teams from Europe and Africa, including only 4 from Poland. Their task was to create vehicles with the lowest possible energy consumption.

– Our team competed in one of the most difficult categories of the competition, i.e. prototype hydrogen-powered vehicles. Our Hydros passed a rigorous technical inspection and was allowed to compete. Meanwhile, nearly 20% of the teams dropped out of the qualifying rounds - informs Michał Borkowski, team manager.

The Lublin team set the best result so far - 400 km/m3 of hydrogen (which is the energy equivalent of 1093 km/liter of gasoline). It is also a Polish record in the entire history of the competition. Our team placed sixth in the region of Europe and Africa, slightly behind teams from Turkey and the Netherlands.

– We are glad that our work has been appreciated by experts and other participants of these prestigious competitions. Our success is the result of a tremendous effort by the entire team. Each member of the Hydrogreen Team brought their skills and passion, creating a harmonious team. It consists of talented students who have been working for many months on creating innovative technological solutions to improve our vehicle - notes Prof. Jacek Czarnigowski, supervisor of the Hydrogreen Aircraft Propulsion Research Club.

As Michał Borkowski admits, this year's results are only the beginning. – We are facing new challenges related to the improvement of HYDROS. We intend to improve electronics and energy flow management as well as streamline service processes. We will also work on sending data to the servers of the computer outside the vehicle, which will control the processes taking place inside the system and advise the driver, for example, to increase or decrease speed or to cut a corner.

Prof. Zbigniew Pater does not hide his satisfaction with the achievements of the Hydrogreen Team: – We are proud of the results achieved by our students at this year's Shell Eco-marathon. They testify to their exceptional scientific and organizational talents. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this success and wish the team more records in the next editions of the competition.

The rector addressed special words of appreciation to Professor Jacek Czarnigowski, supervisor of the Hydrogreen Aircraft Propulsion Research Club: – Thank you for constantly looking for creative ways to engage students and arousing their curiosity about science. Your work significantly contributes to the development of the student scientific movement at Lublin University of Technology.

The successes of the Hydrogreen Team would not be possible without the involvement of sponsors, partners and enthusiasts. – We would like to thank everyone for their support, which enabled us to participate in this prestigious event – says Prof. Czarnigowski.