Drive cycle simulation of light duty mild hybrid vehicles powered by hydrogen engine

In the ongoing efforts to reduce CO2 and pollutant emissions, hydrogen combustion engine can provide immediately available mature technology for carbon-free transportation. Hydrogen combustion does not produce on-site CO2 emissions, the principal pollutant is NOx (which can be minimized using appropriate combustion control and aftertreatment), and the available ICE technology can be readily modified to accommodate for hydrogen use. The paper provides a prediction of the performance of a hydrogen combustion engine in passenger vehicles, aiming at extending or updating the available research with the current powertrain trends, namely downsizing, turbocharging, and hybridization. Data gathered from a single-cylinder engine fueled by a lean hydrogen mixture are used as input into a mild hybrid vehicle model, which is used for quasi-static drive cycle simulations. The results show NOx emission around the EURO VI limit without the use of any after -treatment and fuel consumption as low as 1.1 kgH2/100 km in WLTC.(c) 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In the ongoing efforts to reduce CO2 and pollutant emissions, hydrogen combustion engine can provide immediately available mature technology for carbon-free transportation. The paper predicts the performance of a hydrogen combustion engine in passenger vehicles, taking into account the current powertrain trends.