Scientists retrofit diesel engines to use hydrogen as fuel, increasing efficiency 26%

[SheltieLover]

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/retrofit-diesel-engines-hydrogen-fuel

Engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have successfully retrofitted a diesel engine to use hydrogen as a fuel to reduce carbon emissions, TechXplore reported. The team spent 18 months developing the dual-fuel injection system that uses 90 percent hydrogen as fuel but is confident that future retrofits could be completed in a matter of months.

Electrified transport has been getting a greater push in recent months, with states and countries banning the sales of internal combustion engine-powered vehicles in the next decade. While this is a step in the right direction, there is also a need to rapidly advance technologies that could replace the larger and long-haul vehicles that do the heavy lifting across industries.

Last week, Interesting Engineering reported that Tesla Semi Trucks would roll off the production line before the end of the year, and other electric truck makers could also follow suit. However, a complete overhaul of heavy vehicles to zero emissions could take years, perhaps even decades.

Retrofitting existing vehicles:
This is why the effort of the UNSW engineers is commendable. Retrofitting existing diesel engines would be a much faster way to transition to a cleaner fuel-burning system to get the job done.

More at link.

[BComplex]

1. Maybe those big long-haul trucks could put solar panels on the top of the trailers and hook them

into the electric batteries. That way, they can charge while they're going cross country!

Until the hydrogen engines are totally accessible, this might help reduce emissions PLUS take the sting out of oil prices!

[SheltieLover]

2. Great idea, imo!

[BComplex]

3. Thanks!

[Caribbeans]

4. Imagine if all that equipment didn't have to be thrown away

This is huge. Thx for posting.

Here's someone who converted his regular ICE Corvette to use H2

Hydrogen = energy independence on personal, local, state and national levels.

Toyota is perfecting H2 ICE

[SheltieLover]

5. I saw the Toyota article.

Ty for sharing!

[NNadir]

6. What they are not remarking on is the efficiency of making hydrogen.

Last edited Sun Oct 16, 2022, 07:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Nor are they referring to the materials science implications which are very serious.

It's a bit of a shell game. Hydrogen is made overwhelmingly from steam reforming dangerous fossil fuels.

Diesel engines run best on DME which actually has a cetane number higher than petroleum diesel albeit at a lower volumetric energy density.