Yamaha Sedang Membina Enjin Hidrogen V8 5L Untuk Toyota

Yamaha sedang mengusahakan V8 hidrogen yang besar untuk Toyota.

Toyota dan Yamaha sudah lama bekerjasama dalam projek-projek khas. Salah satu kereta sport klasik Jepun yang pertama, Toyota 2000GT, dibuat dengan Yamaha. Enjin VVTL-i 2ZZ yang masuk ke dalam kereta sport Toyota terakhir dari awal 2000-an adalah yang dibangunkan Yamaha. Yamaha turut membantu Lexus menala LFA legenda mereka. Enjin hidrogen ini ialah projek motor besar seterusnya yang kedua-dua syarikat bekerjasama dan ya, ia secara literalnya merupakan motor besar.

Toyota Motor Corporation telah menugaskan Yamaha Motor untuk membina enjin pembakaran dalaman V8 5 liter yang membakar bukan petrol, bukan diesel, tetapi hidrogen. Dan kenapa tidak. Toyota telah pun membuktikan bahawa ini berfungsi dalam bidang sukan permotoran dengan Corolla pembakaran hidrogen melengkapkan perlumbaan Super Taikyu selama 5 jam.

V8 baharu yang dibangunkan Yamaha ini berasaskan enjin petrol 5.0 liter dalam Lexus RC F. Yamaha merancang untuk membuat pengubahsuaian pada penyuntik, kepala silinder, manifold masuk dan banyak lagi. Apabila siap, ia akan membakar gas hidrogen dan menghantar sehingga 450 hp pada 6,800 rpm dan tork maksimum 540 Nm pada 3,600 rpm. Dalam RC F, motor petrol asal menghasilkan 467 hp pada 7,100 rpm dan 527 Nm tork antara 4,800 dan 5,600 rpm.

Berikut adalah beberapa petikan daripada siaran media Toyota denagn maklumat lanjut.

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“We are working toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050,” explained Yamaha Motor president Yoshihiro Hidaka. “At the same time, ‘Motor’ is in our company name and we accordingly have a strong passion for and level of commitment to the internal combustion engine.”

“Hydrogen engines house the potential to be carbon-neutral while keeping our passion for the internal combustion engine alive at the same time,” proclaimed President Hidaka at the venue. “Teaming up with companies with different corporate cultures and areas of expertise as well as growing the number of partners we have is how we want to lead the way into the future.”

The Merits of Hydrogen: Not a Stand-In for Gasoline

Yamaha began developing a hydrogen engine for automobiles about five years ago. Takeshi Yamada from the Technical Research & Development Center’s Automotive Development Section is a member of the hydrogen engine development team and he began to sense the depth of potential in the powerplant as the project progressed.

“I started to see that engines using only hydrogen for fuel actually had very fun, easy-to-use performance characteristics,” he explains. “Hydrogen engines have an innately friendly feel that makes them easy to use even without resorting to electronic driving aids. Everyone who came to test-drive the prototype car would start off somewhat skeptical, but emerged from the car with a big smile on their face at the end. As I watched this, I started to believe that there is actually enormous potential in the characteristics unique to hydrogen engines instead of simply treating it as a substitute for gasoline.”

Another thing that Yamada and the team value in the development process is Kanno Seino, meaning sensual or exhilarating performance. One example is the harmonic high-frequency exhaust note produced by the engine’s 8-into-1 exhaust manifold. “This is a challenge we can sink our teeth into as engineers and I personally want to pursue not just performance but also a new allure for the internal combustion engine that the world has yet to see,” declares Yamada.

What he and his fellow engineers believe in is the potential of a fully hydrogen-powered engine. Working together with his gradually expanding network of partners, Yamada undoubtedly feels they have one hand on the door to unlocking that potential.