Engine manufacturer Cummins has started testing a hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine (HICEV).

Most hydrogen vehicles in operation are electric vehicles powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. If Cummins were successful in commercialising the technology, then manufacturers would be able to offer low-carbon vehicles without having to radically redesign their models.

Following the proof-of-concept testing, Cummins plans to evaluate the engine in a variety of road applications. Technological advancements have allowed the company to avoid the performance limitations usually associated with converting diesel or natural gas engines to run on hydrogen.

 “We are using all new engine platforms equipped with the latest technologies to improve power density, reduce friction and improve thermal efficiency,” says Srikanth Padmanabhan, president of the engine segment at Cummins.

Increases in the energy density and efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells in recent years has meant that much research has focused in that area.

But Cummins believes a rollout of green hydrogen supply infrastructure—in which it is also involved—could support a range of hydrogen-based transport, including both hydrogen engines and fuel cells.

Heavy machinery maker JCB is also researching a HICEV model for its excavators and other vehicles, which it believes could be cheaper to manufacture than hydrogen fuel cells.

And vehicle manufacturer Toyota has developed an HICEV though it has yet to offer it in a commercial vehicle.

A recent European Road Transport Research Advisory Council study concluded that around half of transportation energy could come from hydrogen by 2050.

 

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Author: Tom Young