Free translation by: Franyi Sarmiento, Ph.D., Inspenet, October 12, 2022
Engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, managed to adapt a diesel engine to work as a hydrogen-diesel hybrid engine, reducing CO 2 emissions by more 85% in the process.
The team developed the hydrogen and diesel direct injection system, which allows existing diesel engines to run on 90% hydrogen as fuel.
The researchers say that any diesel engine used in trucks and power equipment in the transport, agriculture and mining sectors could be adapted to the new hybrid system in just a couple of months.
The team shows that the use of its patented hydrogen injection system reduces CO 2 emissions to just 90 g/kWh, 85.9% less than those produced by the diesel engine. The UNSW team’s solution maintains the original diesel fuel injection into the engine, but adds hydrogen fuel injection directly into the cylinder.
The team found that specifically timed direct injection of hydrogen controls the state of the mixture inside the engine’s cylinder, solving the harmful nitrogen oxide emissions that have been a major obstacle to the commercialization of hydrogen engines. The diesel-hydrogen hybrid engine also showed an efficiency increase of more than 26% compared to existing diesel engines.
The team hopes to be able to commercialize the hydrogen and diesel direct injection system in the next 12 to 24 months and is willing to consult with potential investors. Engineers say the most immediate potential use for the new technology is in industrial locations where permanent hydrogen fuel supply lines already exist, including mining operations.
This material from the valoraanalitik.com portal was edited for clarity, style and length.
Photos : Prof. Shawn Kook (UNSW)
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