Truckers eye combustion engine future by burning hydrogen

[Caribbeans]

Truckers eye combustion engine future by burning hydrogen

Bloomberg via Seattle Times | Stefan Nicola | July 24, 2023

Daimler Truck Holding is pushing a fringe technology as an alternative to batteries and fuel cells in the shift to zero-emission rigs. The advantage? It combusts hydrogen and would be based on the truck-maker’s well-honed diesel engines.

The world’s biggest commercial-vehicle producer is working on a potential partnership to develop hydrogen combustion engines — a technology long targeting only niche vehicles with heavy payloads in mining, construction or agriculture. Last week, the German company said it’s ready to apply it to heavy-duty trucks once authorities classify it as zero-emission.

The move, essentially prolonging the life of a technology headed for the exit, comes as incumbent truck makers face developing battery trucks that require (as of yet nonexistent) fast-charging points with energy needs akin to small towns, and complex fuel-cell technology. Suppliers are also jumping on. Germany’s Robert Bosch, the world’s biggest vehicle supplier and diesel technology leader, is working on a hydrogen engine and expects to launch a related product next year. Cummins Inc. last year showed off a hydrogen combustion concept truck at a transportation show in Hanover, Germany, and parts maker Mahle also is backing the technology.

Because hydrogen combustion is similar to the traditional gasoline engine, a shift could happen “much faster than anything else we have to do with electrification,” Michael Brecht, deputy chair of Daimler Truck’s supervisory board and the company’s top employee representative, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. He added that any cost cuts the company is planning to bolster returns should not affect investments in new technologies that could safeguard the truckmaker’s future...more
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/truckers-eye-combustion-engine-future-by-burning-hydrogen/

Please try to remember that Combustion is NOT the enemy, Carbon is.

Daimler Truck using Liquid H2

[2naSalit]

1. Interesting.

[Think. Again.]

2. And we can still use existing diesel equipment for it's full lifespan....

Retrofit system converts existing diesel engines to run on 90% hydrogen
By Loz Blain October 13, 2022

Full article: https://newatlas.com/automotive/unsw-hydrogen-diesel-retrofit/

Retrofitting existing diesel engines to run mainly on hydrogen may be a fast way for large fleets to rapidly reduce their carbon footprint without junking existing assets

-snip-

The retrofit system keeps the diesel injection system, but adds hydrogen injection directly to the cylinder, as well as independent control of injection timing for both the hydrogen and diesel systems. It doesn't require particularly high-purity hydrogen, and the team has demonstrated that its "stratified" hydrogen injection technique, which creates pockets of higher and lower hydrogen concentrations in the cylinder, reduces the incidence of nitrous oxide emissions below that of a straight diesel.

The overall carbon dioxide emissions drop by some 85%, to around 90 grams/kWh of energy – that would certainly represent a solid intermediate step towards total decarbonization for many operations using large fleets of diesel vehicles.

-snip-

[Beachnutt]

3. Coolidge Arizona

https://www.nikolamotor.com/press_releases/nikola-and-fortescue-future-industries-commit-to-creating-american-green-energy-jobs-with-acquisition-of-nikolas-phoenix-hydrogen-hub/

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. Yes, you can use hydrogen in an internal combustion engine...

…it’s just a whole lot more efficient to use a fuel cell.

Of more interest, you can mix hydrogen with “natural gas” for uses like gas furnaces.