A research on fuelling a truck diesel engine with hydrogen

The paper presents experimental and theoretical investigations results of a truck diesel engine fuelled with diesel fuel and hydrogen by diesel-gas method. The purpose of the paper is to reduce the level of the nitrogen oxides emission level and to improve the overall performances of the engine. The use of hydrogen represents a suitable method to reduce the classic fuels consumption, maintaining the energetic performances of the engine. The test bed situated in the Thermotechnics, Engines, Thermal Equipments and Refrigeration Instalations Department of University Politechnica of Bucharest was adapted for hydrogen fuelling of the truck diesel engine. The engine used for investigations is a turbocharged 10.2 l truck diesel engine which run at 1450 rpm and 40% engine load. By hydrogen fuelling if the investigated diesel engine a decrease has been achieved in the nitrogen oxides emission level and in the smoke emission level. Also the break energetic specific consumption decreased compared to the standard diesel engine. The theoretical investigations presented in tha paper are based on a semi-empirical corellation, used to simulate the nitrogen monoxide emission formation. The results of the experimental investigations confirm de viability of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for the diesel engine.