The Potential for a High Efficiency Hydrogen Engine Using Westport Fuel Systems' Commercially Available HPDI Fuel System

Authors

Dr. S. Munshi, Dr. J. Huang, Westport Fuel Systems Inc., Vancouver, Canada:

Year

2021

Print Info

Production/Publication ÖVK

Summary

The transportation sector is currently undergoing rapid transformation driven by a need for finding suitable low or zero carbon energy solutions and further mitigate regulated ambient air pollutants. This rapid transformation has been partly enabled by technological breakthroughs in battery and hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells. Recently there has been a resurgence of global interest in hydrogen as a zero-carbon fuel for powering PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel-cell based mobility solutions initially aimed at light and medium duty vehicles. Lately there has also been some interest in applying PEM fuel cells for heavy duty applications. These recent trends raise an obvious question regarding what role ICEs are to play in the coming decades. Internal combustion engines (ICEs) power almost all vehicles globally and have attained a high degree of maturity over the last 100+ years through sustained technological and manufacturing improvements and breakthroughs. The medium and heavy-duty sectors have been typically dominated by the diesel engine due to its superior attributes in terms of power output, efficiency, reliability, and total cost of ownership. A highly integrated and optimized development, manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem currently exists for internal combustion engines. ICEs have been adapted to utilize gaseous fuels (e.g. natural gas) both for premixed or partly premixed fuel-air engines (using low pressure port fuel injection with spark ignition) and for nonpremixed engines (using low pressure dual fuel combustion or high pressure direct injection with pilot ignition). Hence it is imperative to understand whether hydrogen as a fuel can be adapted to take advantage of these developments in ICE technology and which combustion technology would be the most suited to fully leverage the properties of hydrogen as a fuel. A combustion modeling analysis was carried out to evaluate impact of hydrogen on engine performance and efficiency for heavy-duty applications. The modelling study indicates that high pressure direct injection of hydrogen with pilot ignition is the most promising method and has the potential to deliver highest engine performance (torque/power) and efficiency. Preliminary engine test results support model-based prediction of the benefits of high pressure direct injection of hydrogen.

Number of pages

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