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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering

Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, Volume 2, Issue 4, April 2012) 

52

Hydrogen Operated Internal Combustion Engines –  A New Generation Fuel

B.Rajendra Prasath1, E.Leelakrishnan2, N. Lokesh3, H. Suriyan4, E. Guru Prakash5,K. Omur Mustaq Ahmed 6

1,2,3,4,5,6  Department of Automobile Engineering, Sriram Engineering College, Anna University Chennai, India.

1br_prasath@rediffmail.com2leelakrishnane@gmail.com

3lokesh.srec@gmail.com4suriyanh10@gmail.com

5guruprakashcool@gmail.com6omurmustaq@hotmail.com 

Abstract - The present scenario of the automotive and

agricultural sectors is fairly scared with the depletion of fossil

fuel. The researchers are working towards to find out the

best replacement for the fossil fuel; if not at least to offset the

total fuel demand. In regards to emission, the fuel in the form

of gaseous state is much than liquid fuel. By considering the

various aspects of fuel, hydrogen is expected as a best option

when consider as a gaseous state fuel. It is identified as a best

alternate fuel for internal combustion engines as well as

power generation application, which can be produced easily

by means of various processes. The hydrogen in the form of

gas can be used in the both spark ignition and compression

ignition engines for propelling the vehicles. The selected fuel

is much cleaner and fuel efficient than conventional fuel. The

present study focusing the various aspects and usage ofhydrogen fuel in S.I engine and C.I engine.

Keywords-   Hydrogen, Spark ignition engine, compression

ignition engine, performance, Emission

I.  I NTRODUCTION 

Diesel engines are the main prime movers for transport,agricultural applications and stationary power generation.But diesel engines are emitting higher NOx and smokeemissions compared with gasoline operated vehicle.Hence it is necessary to find a suitable alternate fuel,which is capable of partial of complete replacement [1].

By accounting the various aspects of hydrogen fuel,considered as one of the suitable alternative source toreplace the fossil fuel [2]. Its clean burning characteristicsof hydrogen provide a strong incentive to study itsutilization as a possible alternate fuel. Fuel cell wasconsidered to be the cleanest and most efficient means ofusing hydrogen [3, 4]. Currently fuel cell technology isexpensive and bulky. Hence a low cost technology to

 produce hydrogen is necessary [5, 6]. Hydrogen can beused in spark ignition a (SI) as well as compressionignition (CI) engines.

In S.I engine hydrogen can be used as a sole fuel. Thehigher self ignition temperature of hydrogen (858 K)needs external source to initiate the combustion such asspark plug or glow plug. Hydrogen fuel can be used in C.Iengine such as Hydrogen enrichment in air Hydrogeninjection in the intake system In cylinder injection Inhydrogen fueled engine, the principal exhaust products arewater vapor and NOx. Emissions such as HC, CO, CO2,SOx and smoke are either not observed or are very muchlower than those of diesel engine [7]. Small amount ofhydrogen peroxide may be found in the exhaust of thehydrogen-operated engine [8]. Unburned hydrogen mayalso come out of the engine, but this is not a problem since

hydrogen is non-toxic and does not involve in any smog producing reaction. NOx are the most significant emissionof concern from a hydrogen engine [9].

II.  HYDROGEN I N I NDIA 

Hydrogen reduces the smoke, particulate and sootemissions to the considerable amount by the maximumreplacement of 20% in C.I engine without sacrificing theengine power output. The problems like pre-ignition and

 backfire could be eliminated compared to S.I engine thatmake the usage of hydrogen to be safer in CI mode. TheMinistry of Non-conventional Energy Sources with an

annual operating budget of US $ 100 million has beenextensively supporting hydrogen and fuel cell research inmany of the top universities and public researchlaboratories in India.

Researchers have been successful in the biological production of hydrogen from organic effluents and a large-scale bioreactor of 12.5 m3 capacity is being developed inIndia [10]. The US Department of Energy and US basedECD Ovonics, Inc has launched a hydrogen powered threewheeler with a grant of US $ 5, 00,000 from the USagency for international development.

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53

The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy is started to

work towards the development of national hydrogenenergy road map with the help of National HydrogenEnergy Board (NHEB). NHEB has also proposed tolaunch 1000 hydrogen vehicles by 2009 including 500small three wheelers, 300 heavy vehicles and 200 buses[11].

III.  CHARACTERISTICS OF HYDROGEN 

The significant characteristics of hydrogen fuel withrespect to fuel and combustion properties are summarizedand compared with the gasoline fuel in Table 1[15].

TABLE 1

COMPARISON OF PROPERTIES OF HYDROGEN WITHGASOLINE.

Properties H2  Gasoline

Limits of Flammability in air, vol %  4-75  1.0 -7.6 

Stoichiometric composition in air, vol % 29.53 1.76

Minimum energy for ignition in air, mJ 0.02 0.24

Auto ignition Temp, K 858 501-744

Flame Temperature in air, K 2318 2470

Burning Velocity in NTP air, cm/s 325 37-43

Quenching gap in NTP air, cm 0.064 0.2

 Normalized Flame Emissivity 1.0 1.7

Equivalence ratio flammability limit in NTP air

0.1-7.1

0.7-3.8

NTP denotes normal temperature (293.15 K) and pressure (1 atm)

  Hydrogen has a wide flammability range incomparison with all other fuels. As a result,hydrogen can be combusted in an internalcombustion engine over a wide range of fuel-airmixture and can run on a lean mixture. It can

 burn in air at a very wide range of concentrations between 4% and 75% by volume.

  Fuel economy is greater and the combustionreaction is more complete when a vehicle is runon a lean mixture. Additionally, the finalcombustion temperature is generally lower,

reducing the amount of pollutants, such asnitrogen oxides, emitted in the exhaust.

  Hydrogen has very low ignition energy. Theamount of energy needed to ignite hydrogen isabout one order of magnitude less than thatrequired for gasoline.

  Hydrogen has a relative high auto ignitiontemperature. The hydrogen as an auto ignitiontemperature of spontaneous ignition in air is 500°C (932 °F). This has important implication whena hydrogen-air mixture is compressed.

  High peak flame temperature due to higher

enthalpy of combustion, 286 kJ/mol energydensity.

IV.  SAFETY DEVICES A ND NECESSARY

I NSTRUMENTATION 

Figure 1 show the necessary instrumentation and safetyarrangements required to use hydrogen in spark ignitionengine or compression ignition engine [15].

Figure 1 Experimental setup with necessary instrumentation

1.Hydrogen cylinder2.Pressure regulator3.Hydrogen surge tank4.Filter5.Digital mass flow meter6.Flame trap

7.Flame arrester8.Test engine9.Dynamometer10. Pressure transducer11.IR sensor12. CRO with PC

Flame arrestor was used to suppress explosion insidethe hydrogen cylinder. The flame beyond the wire mesh.The flame also gets quenched while reaching the watersurface in case of any backfire.

A non-return line was provided to prevent the reverseflow of hydrogen into the system. Such a possibility ofreverse flow can occur sometimes in hydrogen  –   injectedengine, particularly in the later part of injection duration.Flow indicator was used to visualize the flow of hydrogenduring engine operations. As the hydrogen was allowed to

 pass through a glass tube containing water, bubbles wereformed during hydrogen flow, which clearly showed theflow of hydrogen.

A special, effective hydrogen sensor was used tomonitor the hydrogen gas in the operating environmentand also used to sense any leak of hydrogen through the

 pipeline during the operation of the engine. The sensorworks on the principle of electrochemical reaction.

Hydrogen has the highest diffusivity characteristics, ofabout 3-8 times faster in air. Any hydrogen leakage willresult in quicker dispersion in air compared to that ofhydrocarbon dispersion. Hence it will not form any cloudof hydrogen vapor in the working space [12].

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Blowers were also made available to disperse the

hydrogen gas if present in the environment and properventilation was provided during engine operation. Thehydrogen cylinders were also stored away from theworking environment.

Crank case ventilation is even more important forhydrogen engines than gasoline engines. As with gasolineengines; un-burnt fuel can seep by the piston rings andenter the crankcase. Since hydrogen has a lower energyignition limit than gasoline, any un-burnt hydrogenentering the crankcase has a greater chance of igniting.Hydrogen should be prevented from accumulating throughventilation. Ignition within the crankcase can be just astartling noise or result in engine fire. When hydrogen

ignites within the crankcase, a sudden pressure rise occurs.To relive this pressure, a pressure relief valve must beinstalled. Exhaust gases can also seep by the piston ringsinto the crank case. Since hydrogen exhaust is watervapor, water can condense in crankcase when properventilation is not provided. The mixing of water in to thecrankcase oil reduces its lubrication ability resulting in ahigher degree of engine wear [13].

V.  PERFORMANCE A ND EMISSION CHARACTERISTICS

 A. Brake Thermal Efficiency

The higher the compression ratio or the specific heatratio, is higher the indicated thermodynamic efficiency of

the engine. The compression ratio limit of an engine is based on the fuel’s resistance to knock. A lean hydrogen

mixture is less susceptible to knock than conventionalgasoline and therefore can tolerate higher compressionratios. The less complex the molecular structure, thehigher the specific-heat ratio. Hydrogen (γ=1.4) has a

much simpler molecular structure than gasoline andtherefore its specific-heat ratio is higher than that ofconventional gasoline (γ=1.2-1.3).

Haroun A.K. Shahad and Nabeel Abdul-Hadiconducted the experiment on a diesel engine withhydrogen manifold injection [14]. Figure 2 shows thevariation of brake thermal efficiency with load for DI

diesel engine with manifold injection. The thermalefficiency increases as the percentage of hydrogen

 blending increases for constant speed and load. This due tothe improvement of combustion process caused by the

 presence of hydrogen since the presence of hydrogenimproves mixing process of fuel mixture with air. Also the

 presence of hydrogen reduces the duration of combustion process. The thermal efficiency reaches its maximumvalve at about 80% load for all hydrogen blending ratios.At higher loads the efficiency drops due to incompletecombustion of richer mixture.

Figure 2 Variation of brake thermal efficiency with load for DI dieselengine with manifold injection 

Saravanan etal conducted the experiment on a singlecylinder with manifold and port injection with EGR [15].At 75% load manifold injection gives better efficiencythan port injection. The C.I engine are operating greatly at

 part load, the manifold injection is best suitable. Thevariation of brake thermal efficiency with load is shown infigure 3 for diesel engine with manifold injection, portinjection with EGR.

Figure 3 Variation of brake thermal efficiency with load for D.Idiesel engine with manifold injection, port injection with EGR  

 B. Engine Power Output  

The theoretical power output from a hydrogen enginedepends on the air/fuel ratio and fuel injection methodused. The stoichiometric air/fuel ratio for hydrogen is34:1. At this ratio, hydrogen will displace 29% of thecombustion chamber leaving only 71% for the air.

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As a result, the energy content of this mixture will be

less than it would be if the fuel were gasoline (sincegasoline is a liquid, it only occupies a very small volumeof the combustion chamber, and thus allows more air toenter).

Since both the carbureted and port injection methodsmix the fuel and air prior to it entering the combustionchamber, these system limit the maximum theoretical

 power obtainable to approximately 85% of that of gasolineengines. For direct injection system, which mix the fuelwith the air after the intake valve has closed (and thus thecombustion chamber has 100% air), the maximum outputof the engine can be approximately 15% higher than thatof gasoline engines.

Therefore, depending on how the fuel is metered, themaximum output for a hydrogen engine can be either 15%higher or lesser than that of gasoline if a stoichiometricair/fuel ratio is used. However, at a stoichiometric fuelratio, the combustion temperature is very high and as aresult it will form a large amount of nitrogen oxides(NOx), which is the criteria pollutant. Since one of thereasons for using hydrogen is low exhaust emission,hydrogen engines are not normally designed to run at astoichiometric air/fuel ratio. Typically hydrogen enginesare designed to use about twice as much air astheoretically required for complete combustion. At thisair/fuel ratio, the formation of NOx is reduced to near

zero. Unfortunately, this also reduces the power output toabout half of a similarly sized gasoline engine. To makeup for the power loss, hydrogen engines are usually largerthan gasoline engines, and/or are equipped withturbochargers or superchargers.

C. Air Fuel Ratio

M.M. Rahman et al studied the effect of air fuel ratio ondirect injection engine [16]. Figure 4 shows the variationof the brake thermal efficiency with the air fuel ratio forvarious speeds. It can be observed that the brake thermalefficiency is increases nearby the richest condition (AFR

≅  35) and then decreases with increases of AFR andspeed. The operation within a range of AFR from 38.144

to 42.91250 (φ = 0.9 to 0.8) gives the maximum values forall speeds. It is clear that the hydrogen stochiometric airfuel ratio is within the band. Hence it is capable of

 producing higher power out put invariably for all thespeeds and loads.

Figure 4 Variation of brake thermal efficiency with air fuel ratio for

DI diesel engine

 D. Oxides of Nitrogen

The combustion of hydrogen with oxygen produceswater at its only product: 

2 2 22 2 H O H O  

The combustion of hydrogen with air however can also produce oxides of nitrogen (NOx):

2 2 2 2 2   x H O N H O N NO  

The oxides of nitrogen are created due to the hightemperatures generated within the combustion chamberduring combustion. This high temperature causes some ofthe nitrogen in the air to combine with the oxygen in the

air. The amount of NOx depends on  Air/fuel ratio

  Engine compression ratio

  Engine speed

  Ignition timing

In addition to oxides of nitrogen, traces of carbonmonoxide and carbon dioxide can be present in theexhaust gas, due to seeped oil burning in the combustionchamber. Depending on the condition of the engine(burning of oil) and the separating strategy used (a richversus lean air/fuel ratio), a hydrogen engine can producealmost zero emission (as low as a few ppm) to high NOxand significant carbon  –   monoxide emissions. Saravanan

et al conducted the experiment on a single cylinder withmanifold and port injection with EGR. Figure 5 shows thevariation of Oxides of nitrogen with load for manifoldinjection, port injection with EGR. The trend shows thatmanifold injection of hydrogen gives lesser NOx than portinjection and engine operated with conventional dieselfuel alone.

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Figure 5 Variation of Oxides of nitrogen with load for manifold

injection, port injection with EGR.

J. B. Green et al conducted the Experimental study ona S.I engine operation supplemented with hydrogen RichGas [17] .Figure 6 shows the NOx emissions as a functionof the Coefficient of variation (COV) of IMEP. The plotsillustrate the reduction of NOx emissions withinacceptable levels of cycle-to-cycle combustion variations(3 to 5% COV of IMEP). The NOx concentrationdecreases with increase of COV of IMEP. At a COV of5%, NOx is reduced by a factor of about a hundred by theaddition of plasma boosted reformer generated hydrogen

at 1500 rpm engine operation.

Figure 6 Variation of Oxides of nitrogen as a function of the

Coefficient of variation (COV) of IMEP

VI.  CONCLUSION 

It is evident from the study, it is advantageous to usehydrogen enriched air as a fuel in internal combustionengines. Addition of hydrogen with air in SI engine or C.Iengine provides significant impact on engine brakethermal efficiency and brake power.

 NOx emission in both S.I engine and C.I engine also

reduces to the maximum considerable amount. This makesit possible to run the engine leaner, resulting in loweremissions of CO2, CO and HC. Finally it is concluded thathydrogen for both S.I engine and C.I engine provides thesignificant advantageous and play a major role to providecleaner environment.

 NOMENCLATURE

S.I - Spark ignitionC.I - Compression ignitionHC - HydrocarbonCO - Carbon monoxideCO2 - Carbon-di-oxide

 NOx  - Oxides of nitrogen

SOx  - Oxides of sulphurEGR - Exhaust gas recirculationAFR - Air fuel ratioCOV - Coefficient of variationIMEP - Indicated mean effective pressure

REFERENCE

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[2 ]   Naber.J.D. and Siebers.D.L, Hydrogen combustion under DieselEngine conditions, International Journal of Hydrogen energy, Vol23, No.5, pp. 363 – 371, 1998.

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[8 ]  Ladommatos N., Abdelhalim S.M., Zhao H. and Hu Z, Effects ofEGR on heat release in diesel combustion, SAE Transactions980184:pp. 1-15, 1998.

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 National hydrogen energy roadmap pathway for transition tohydrogen energy for India (2007), National hydrogen energy board,Ministry of new and renewable energy and Government of India,

 pp.1-70.

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[11 ] XIth plan proposals for new and renewable energy (2006), Ministryof new and renewable energy, Government of India, pp.1-64.

[12 ] Yi H.S., Min K. and Kim E.S. The optimized mixture formation forHydrogen fuelled engine, International Journal of HydrogenEnergy, Vol.25, pp.685-690.

[13 ] Verhelst S. and Sierens R, Aspects concerning the Optimisation ofa Hydrogen Fueled Engine, International Journal of Hydrogenenergy, 26: pp. 981-985, 2001.

[14 ] Haroun A.K. Shahad, Nabeel Abdul-Hadi, ExperimentalInvestigation of the Effect of Hydrogen Manifold Injection on thePerformance of Compression Ignition Engines, World Academy ofScience, Engineering and Technology 76 2011.

[15 ]  N.Saravanan, G.Nagarajan, An experimental investigation onhydrogen fuel injection in intake port and manifold with differentEGR rates, International Journal Of Energy And Environment,Volume 1, Issue 2, 2010 pp.221-248.

[16 ] M.M. Rahman, M. M. Noor, K. Kadirgama, M. R. M. Rejab, Studyof Air Fuel Ratio on Engine Performance of Direct InjectionHydrogen Fueled Engine, European Journal of Scientific Research,Vol.34 No.4 (2009), pp.506-513.

[17 ] J. B. Green, Jr., N. Domingo, J. M. E. Storey et al, ExperimentalEvaluation of SI Engine Operation Supplemented by HydrogenRich Gas from a Compact Plasma Boosted Reformer, SAE Paper

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