Development of Hydrogen Direct Injection System as Retrofit Solution for Diesel-Based Light Commercial Vehicles

Authors

R. Golisano, F. C. Pesce, S. Trimboli, Dumarey Automotive Italia SpA, Torino; G. De Paz Alcolado, Horse Powertrain Ltd, Valladolid; O. Coureau, Renault Group, Guyancourt; P. Gaillard, Aramco Overseas, Paris

Year

2025

Print Info

Production/Publication ÖVK

Summary

Hydrogen fueling represents one of the best options towards a full decarbonization of internal combustion engines. However, optimizing H₂ combustion to exploit fuel properties at the maximum potential is a challenging task due to the very peculiar features of H₂ once employed in an engine. 
To this end, a new lean-boosted Direct Injection-based combustion system is here presented, with the scope to retrofit a 2.3ℓ flat-deck Diesel engine and to operate in highly efficient lean Spark-Ignition mode. A new, peculiar tumble-based design is proposed, by keeping the flat-deck features mostly unchanged from the donor base engine. A deep investigation is here described in the virtual environment, in terms of performance, brake thermal efficiency and criteria pollutants, and focusing on the capability to reach ultra-lean and EGR-diluted conditions with no combustion anomalies, such as backfiring, pre-ignition and knock. The authors discuss the effects of the main key-drivers for the combustion improvement and deeply investigate via 1D tools how such a new combustion design behaves during transient maneuvers and several driving cycles, when a Diesel carry over aftertreatment system is adopted. 
The study revealed the high potential of Hydrogen fueling as retrofit solution for Diesel Light Commercial Vehicle applications, with diesel-equivalent performance and thermal efficiencies, and excellent emissionization capabilities. Moreover, the high design synergies with the original diesel engine allow a cost-effective reuse of many components, manufacturing processes and equipment.

ISBN

978-3-9504969-4-9

DOI

https://doi.org/10.62626/sr6c-thq8 Copy link

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