The Hydrogen Combustion Engine as Zero Impact Emission Powertrain Concept

Authors

V. Huth, L. Virnich, A. Pfortje, FEV Europe GmbH; S. Sterlepper, S. Pischinger, VKA, RWTH Aachen University; T. Wolff, A. Moreno, E. Georgiadis, Dinex A/S

Summary

Current and future CO2 targets pose major challenges for the automotive industry. In addition to battery-electric vehicles and fuel cell drives, carbon-free fuels also offer an opportunity to significantly reduce fleet CO2 emissions. Among these, hydrogen as a fuel is receiving special attention, as hydrogen is free of any carbon and produces zero CO2 emissions. Current studies show that the hydrogen engine can find useful application in the commercial vehicle and off-road machinery sector, as it can achieve similar performance levels and efficiencies compared to the diesel engine.

However, with regard to emissions, not only the carbon contained in the fuel and the resulting CO2 emissions (not applicant for hydrogen) need to be considered, but special attention should be paid to the reduction of nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions and the substances such as ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) that may result from them, when developing a zero-impact emissions concept. The design of the combustion process, the choice of exhaust gas aftertreatment and the configuration are decisive for the emissions...