Hydrogen for dual fuel engine operation

Abstract

In this investigation, an attempt was made to burn hydrogen in compression ignition engines that were operated on a dual fuel principle. Hydrogen was supplied along with intake air in small proportions and ignition was initiated by injecting diesel fuel in the conventional manner. A single cylinder compression ignition engine was operated throughout its load range inducting small proportions of hydrogen in intake air. Such an operation resulted in an increase of thermal efficiency at full load, a reduction in exhaust temperature and an increase in maximum pressure. Nitrogen oxides in the exhaust were observed to increase though the hydrocarbon emissions reduced as expected. Closed vessel explosions were conducted to study the effect of adding a hydrocarbon to a hydrogen-air mixture on the flame propagation velocities. The effect of increasing the proportion of hydrogen in the hydrogen-hydrocarbon-air mixture was observed to increase the flame propagation velocity. © 1983.