The Ukrainian military created a bomb using a fuel cell from a Toyota Mirai hydrogen car. This made it possible to strike the enemy with a very small hydrogen bomb. This happened during the July counteroffensive in Vovchansk, Kharkiv region.
The enemy was retreating after an unsuccessful attack and was entrenched in a factory near the city. The Armed Forces of Ukraine almost surrounded the invaders, but did not have enough firepower to directly assault the plant. The available UAVs could not carry the required payload. The solution to the problem was to use improvised explosive devices – electrically powered vehicles. In fact, Ukrainian soldiers chose ground transportation to place explosives weighing more than 200 kg, which were made from a Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell.
The Mirai runs on hydrogen and obtains its energy by transferring H2 from a high-pressure container to a fuel cell. This cell generates electricity to run the car’s electric motors. The tank weighs approximately 52 kg and can hold just over 5 kg of hydrogen at a pressure of 4536 kg per square inch.
The tank has to be strong, as it must withstand a pressure equivalent to 10206 kg under water. This is because the hydrogen inside has a high potential energy of 33.6 Wh/kg or approximately 677.6 MJ for the entire tank. This is equivalent to approximately 162 kg of TNT. In combination with an unknown amount of plastic explosives (probably tens of kilograms), the Ukrainian fighters created a very effective, inexpensive bomb capable of penetrating the bunker.
The bomb was planted in a robot-controlled car that was driving across a partially damaged bridge. It was hidden from the Russians by trees and managed to reach the eastern part of the plant. There, a homemade bomb had already detonated, causing a mushroom cloud and a large fire. It is believed that the bomb hit a Russian ammunition depot.
The explosion penetrated Russian fortifications and created vulnerabilities in their defense. This allowed Ukrainian forces to seize positions and jeopardized supply lines that support Russian forces at the aggregate plant.
Source: interestingengineering
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