Hydrogen retro fit and semi retro fit diesel motors

[lvmci]

From ars technica:
 Mixing diesel and hydrogen provides big cuts in emissions
 Ars Contributors  12/7/2022 3:15 pm  Categories:Cars, Science
View non-AMP version at arstechnica.com

Diesel engines can be modified to burn a diesel-hydrogen mix.

A team of engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney has figured out a way to run a diesel engine on a mix of diesel and hydrogen, dramatically lowering its emissions.

Why do we even need a diesel-hydrogen hybrid engine when there are already many great electric vehicles available? EVs are definitely great for households, but they still don’t match heavy diesel engines’ performance in some contexts, such as mining, long-distance transportation, power generation, and agriculture.

At present, there are 26,000 trains in the US that run on diesel, and there are potentially millions of trucks, generators, and other industry-grade equipment that require diesel to deliver optimum performance. It might take decades for EV technology to replace diesel engines in such industries. While it’s easy for a normal person to sell an old car and buy a new EV, such changes come at a high cost to industries.

So we’re likely to be stuck with diesel engines for a while. But what if there was a way to reduce the CO2 emissions from their existing equipment by 85 percent?

This is what UNSW’s hydrogen-diesel hybrid engine technology promises. The researchers claim that their modified diesel engine can run on 90 percent hydrogen with an improved efficiency of over 26 percent. In a press release, Shawn Kook, one of the authors of the study
professor at UNSW, said, “We have shown that we can take those existing diesel engines and convert them into cleaner engines that burn hydrogen fuel.”

He added, “This new technology significantly reduces CO2 emissions from existing diesel engines, so it could play a big part in making our carbon footprint much smaller, especially in Australia with all our mining, agriculture, and other heavy industries where diesel engines are widely used.”

A dual-fuel system
A vehicle powered by diesel has a diesel-injection unit that releases fuel into the combustion chamber. The engine’s piston compresses the fuel-air mix to high pressure and temperature, which causes it to ignite. This creates the pressure that powers the engine.

During this process, a diesel engine produces carbon dioxide and NOx (nitrogen oxides), which are harmful to our environment. The researchers say that directly mixing hydrogen with diesel in the combustion chamber would increase NOx pollution. In order to overcome this problem, they developed a hydrogen-diesel dual-fuel system that uses a timed, high-pressure hydrogen direct-injection unit inside a diesel engine that was already equipped with a diesel-injection unit...

[lvmci]

 INVERSE, GEAR,  Jackson Chen
DEC. 1, 2022
WHY HONDA THINKS HYDROGEN CARS COULD DETHRONE BATTERY-POWERED EVS
Honda thinks the tech is worth the investment.
the tech is winning support from automakers like Honda, which recently announced plans to make a hydrogen version of the Honda CR-V starting in 2024.

That’s big news considering the CR-V is one of the best-selling compact SUVs in the U.S. So, what makes Honda so keen on getting its hydrogen alternatives out in the real world? Here’s what you need to know.

WHY HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS MIGHT BE BETTER THAN BATTERY EVS
...A vehicle that runs on hydrogen fuel cells is still fully electric like its battery-powered counterparts, but the mechanism that powers them is different. Instead of a bulky battery pack providing electricity to power the EV, a fuel cell EV (FCEV) uses its hydrogen-filled cells to produce electricity to run the car.
The hydrogen fuel cells don’t act like power storage like what’s seen with battery cells, using a chemical reaction to generate electricity instead. That method provides a few upsides, like not having to rely on a bulky battery pack that weighs the EV down and reduces range.

...You’ll get less range anxiety with FCEVs since they usually travel for longer distances due to hydrogen fuel cells being able to store more energy than batteries. You also won’t have to wait a half-hour to fuel up your FCEV since you can fill up on hydrogen in just a few minutes.

...existing FCEVs have their hydrogen fuel tanks rigorously tested. For example, the Toyota Mirai’s fuel tanks can absorb five times the crash energy of steel and have sensors that can stop the flow of hydrogen.

...automakers pursuing hydrogen cars are making big bets, and with great investment can come great success.


Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) are about twice as efficient as a conventional gasoline fueled vehicle – an FCEV will go about twice as far on a kg of hydrogen (the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline). So on a per mile basis, $10/kg is the same as $5/gallon compared to a gasoline fueled internal combustion vehicle. As the commercial market grows, it is expected this number will come down. The DOE FCTO has a cost per kg goal of $3-$5 per kg for commercial hydrogen. If these numbers can be achieved the cost per mile for FCEV will be less than a contemporary gasoline fueled vehicle...
...Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. However, naturally occurring atomic hydrogen is rare on earth since it readily combines with other elements to form molecules such as water, methane (natural gas) and methanol. Hydrogen is “produced” by breaking the chemical bonds in the molecules that form these substances. Today, most hydrogen is made from natural gas, some from electrolysis of water and some from bio-methane. Since Hydrogen can be made from many different sources, every region of the world has the potential to produce its own fuel, which ultimately benefits the environment and the local economy.

CALIFORNIA HYDROGEN BUSINESS COUNCIL
...Historically, NASA has been the primary user of hydrogen resources for its space program—it fueled the shuttles using liquid hydrogen and employs backup hydrogen fuel cells for electricity. In recent years, the focus has turned to Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), which have lower green house gas emissions than their gasoline counterparts. Hydrogen also has the potential to be used as stationary power (for buildings), backup power, storage of energy harvested through wind and solar processes, and as battery-like portable power (most commonly used in forklifts today).

[Iceni John]

From ars technica:
 Mixing diesel and hydrogen provides big cuts in emissions
 Ars Contributors  12/7/2022 3:15 pm  Categories:Cars, Science
View non-AMP version at arstechnica.com

A dual-fuel system
A vehicle powered by diesel has a diesel-injection unit that releases fuel into the combustion chamber. The engine’s piston compresses the fuel-air mix to high pressure and temperature, which causes it to ignite. This creates the pressure that powers the engine.

Er, no!   Only a spark-ignition (gasoline) engine does that, but a compression-ignition (diesel) engine compresses only air, then injects fuel into the heated air.   But we all know that.   Who wrote this article?!   Oh dear...

John

[Iceni John]

INVERSE, GEAR,  Jackson Chen
DEC. 1, 2022
WHY HONDA THINKS HYDROGEN CARS COULD DETHRONE BATTERY-POWERED EVS

...Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. However, naturally occurring atomic hydrogen is rare on earth since it readily combines with other elements to form molecules such as water, methane (natural gas) and methanol. Hydrogen is “produced” by breaking the chemical bonds in the molecules that form these substances. Today, most hydrogen is made from natural gas, some from electrolysis of water and some from bio-methane. Since Hydrogen can be made from many different sources, every region of the world has the potential to produce its own fuel, which ultimately benefits the environment and the local economy.

When hydrogen is produced from natural gas (methane) or biomethane, what happens to all the leftover carbon?   Just wondering...

How much energy is needed to produce hydrogen, versus how much energy that the hydrogen itself has?   If it takes more energy to make it than it can give out, i.e. it's a net energy loss, then what's the point?   And how is the energy derived that makes hydrogen?  It would be ironic if electricity generated by a polluting coal-fired carbon-producing power station were used to make hydrogen...

As is so often the case, people lose sight of the big picture and have a tendency to focus on only one part of the process, conveniently ignoring the messy rest of the picture.   Hydrogen, however much that Honda wants it to be the Next Big Thing, poses more questions than it answers, at least for now.

John   

[lvmci]

The goal as reported in some of the articles, is to have wind, solar or hydropower on small a scale, as in one small solar field, or windmill, dedicated to produce power to separate water by electrolysis  and that water can be stream, ocean or even dirty water as some scientists have been working on to produce hydrogen. All of this is having a tremendous impact on the scientific community and in turn on the financial community. The promise of clean energy seems within reach, to the producers and the consumers. More importantly to us, is the retrofitting of all diesel engines, with partial or complete retro fit with hydrogen, allowing us to keep or hobby or nomad homes for many years to come.

[windtrader]

hydrogen fuel cells is not a new idea. There are likely a number of makor hurdles that prevent it from mass adoption.


https://www.fuelcellpartnership.net/resources
One of the "benefits" of living in Sacramento, the hub of the global environmental extremists, is being at the doorstep of the capitol where all funding flows for all this alternative energy initiatives.'California Fuel Cell Partnership

On I80 in West Sac, there has been a hydrogen fuel cell building for many years (twenty years) with the major auto brand badges on the wall.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Fuel_Cell_Partnership

It shows still active California Fuel Cell Partnership 3300 Industrial BlvdWest Sacramento CA 95691

[freds]

Maybe another approach would be yank the diesel engine and switch over to electric.

There's a company that is creating a tag along single axle semi-trucks that seems to have components that we need.

Here's a YouTube video on it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSB3WaeolcU

And the company that is going to make it.

https://drivetandem.com/

[lvmci]

INTERESTINGengineering.com
Toyota is getting ready to test its hydrogen combustion engine on the streets
Toyota's hydrogen combustion engine has already made a name for itself in the Super Taikyu endurance race.
Can Emir
| Dec 09, 2022 08:21 AM EST

...Toyota created a Corolla Cross H2 hydrogen prototype that can carry five passengers and their luggage by fitting the 1.6l 3-cylinder turbo engine from the GR Corolla with high-pressure hydrogen direct injection engine technology from motorsport activity and adding the hydrogen tank packaging know-how from Mirai.

In addition to continued digital development, real-world evaluation is presently being done for the vehicle and will soon start winter testing in northern Japan.

The flexibility to utilize current internal combustion engine technologies, rapid refueling times, and a pronounced decrease in the use and requirement of materials with finite supplies like lithium and nickel are some of the main advantages of hydrogen combustion. Hydrogen combustion could result in broad, affordable carbon-reduction solutions more quickly by modifying current technologies and maximizing current investments...

[Jim Blackwood]

I applaud the use of the word "could".
It's all still HIGHLY speculative.

Jim

[Nova Eona]

I am glad that hydrogen research continues, but what I cannot stand is when people act like it's a sure thing in an effort to either A) glean money to support its development (or questionable related inventions) via misinformation or B) retard the development of electric vehicles as if only one of the two can succeed.

EVs are at this point proven tech.  They're not without flaws or limits, but without major advancements in today's technology they could continue to fulfill their niche and still help reduce overall environmental impact and reliance on nonrenewable resources at the end of the day.  Given the ever-changing pace of technology and the absolute convenience of being able to charge them from a multitude of sources, they are virtually guaranteed a place in our vehicular future.

HVs however are still waiting on that big leap to viability, and while I do hope that happens, at this point it's disingenuous to pretend otherwise.

[lvmci]

The more kinds of vehicular power plant fuels the better. If the country finds itself in a position where one kind of fuel shortage dictates mass problems for Americans, like seem to happen with gasoline periodically, multiple kinds of fuel will lessen the impact of any one kind of fuel shortage. I bought a CNG fuel powered Ford pickup, during one of those times and it allowed me to commute 300 miles for work when the roads seemed pretty empty compared to non shortage times of gasoline...

[lvmci]

The Unbearable Lightness ofHydrogen
December 12, 2022
By Michael Liebreich
Senior Contributor
BloombergNEF

...The US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides a ten-year tax rebate per kilogram of green hydrogen worth $3, which will soon be more than the production cost itself. Free hydrogen anyone?...

[lvmci]

Toyota Hilux hydrogen fuel cell pickup gets funding in UK
        This is from 2018
May 18, 2018 0 By TAMI HOOD
Toyota begins selling its new hydrogen-powered bus in Japan
Japanese automaker Toyota has begun the production and sale of its new hydrogen-powered bus, called Sora. The bus has only been launched in Japan and there are just over 100 units currently available. Sora buses are expected to operate primarily within Tokyo and may even see significant use during the 2020 Olympic Games, which will be held in the city. The Toyota Sora uses the same fuel cell technology that is currently being used to power the automaker’s Mirai model.

Bus is equipped with an external energy system that can supply electricity in an emergency
The Toyota Sora has been equipped with an external power device that can supply some 235 kilowatt-hours of electrical power. This energy device could be useful in emergency situations when access to electricity is needed but disrupted in some way. This has become somewhat popular with Toyota’s clean vehicles, partly due to the impact of the 2011 Fukushima earthquake. During that time, hydrogen fuel cells were used to provide emergency power to those that had no access to electricity.

Toyota Sora aims to offer a comfortable ride for passengers
The bus is designed with comfort and efficiency in mind, and its use of fuel cell technology allows it to accomplish this. The fuel cell system makes no noise, allowing the bus to operate in relative silence. The bus’ seats are also programmed to store themselves while not in use, creating more room for standing passengers. No gear shifting significantly reduces the lurching that is associated with more conventional buses. The Toyota Sora is also equipped with acceleration control, which allows for smooth acceleration to make for an easier ride..

[lvmci]

Buses are next!...

Fuel cell electric truck performance matches diesel in Toyota, Kenworth test

December 15, 2022 1 By JULIE CAMPBELL
The ZANZEFF “Shore to Store” project showed the vehicles can be used the same way, emission-free.
Toyota Motor North America and the Kenworth Truck Company recently announced that they have used testing to show that fuel cell electric truck performance can match that of equivalent diesel-powered vehicles.

Their test involved the capabilities of jointly designed zero carbon emission heavy-duty Class 8 FCEVs.
The companies jointly designed the fuel cell electric truck and tested it as a zero-emission replacement for diesel-powered trucks. The vehicles were used as a part of the operations at the Zero- and Near-Zero Emissions Freight Facilities (ZANZEFF) “Shore to Shore” project which took place at the Port of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Basin and the Inland Empire.

Fuel Cell Electric Truck - Toyota Kenworth Fuel Cell Electric Hydrogen ZANZEFF - 02b
Toyota Kenworth Fuel Cell Electric Hydrogen ZANZEFF

The companies’ main reason for collaborating in this project had to do with finding ways to replace diesel-powered drayage trucks with zero-emission, sustainable alternative solutions in heavy-duty transportation. The Toyota-Kenworth T680 FCEF vehicle’s baseline – which was operated under the codename “Ocean” – was a 2017 diesel engine which required approximately 200 miles of daily operation...

[Jim Blackwood]

But is it really zero emissions? What about all that carbon produced in creating the hydrogen in the first place?

Jim