BMW, ZF supplier aims to convert diesels into hydrogen-fueled powerplants

Why socially?

The automotive market, particularly in Europe, has created substantial investments in diesel technologies, ranging from the engines to the injection and manage methods and far more. All these investments – and most of the careers connected to diesels – are at chance of extinction if we will go to battery-electrical power only.

What are the greatest technological challenges in changing a diesel to melt away hydrogen?

Hydrogen burns 7 moments speedier than diesel, so you will need to reduce the temperature in the combustion chamber. Water injection is a confirmed technological innovation to do this, but a unfavorable aspect effect is that this creates corrosion. Lubrication is a different opportunity issue for an engine that tends to be extremely dry, so spray lubrication is the only alternative. The motor alone only needs minor variations to the cylinder head. The injection and command techniques also need to have to be reworked to manage hydrogen.

Is it much more challenging to convert a gasoline engine into a hydrogen-burning powertrain?

Not actually. The principal concern is toughness. Modern diesels are built to very last for 350,000 km whilst gasoline engines built to last for about 250,000 km.

Punch Team ideas to begin creating hydrogen-fueled engines by 2024. What will be in the portfolio?

We are doing work on CO2-absolutely free options ranging in power from 80 kilowatt hrs to 400 kWh (109 to 544 hp). At the major of the range, we are presently screening an evolution of the GM Duramax 6.6-liter V-8. (This unit was built by the Turin middle under GM. Punch has the legal rights to sell the hydrogen-powered variant of the engine around the globe, though the diesel edition can be sold everywhere you go except the U.S.) Then we are functioning on a 500 cc combustion chamber that can accommodate numerous displacements, from  a 3.-liter V-6 to a 2.-liter I-4. We also have the potential to make a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder, but it is not on our near-phrase options.

Hunting at Punch Group’s historical past, are you already targeting any likely diesel motor factories to include?

I can not say nearly anything distinct, but you can quickly visualize there will shortly be lots of “widow” diesel engine plants all over Europe.

Why do you expect a major down unfold of hydrogen-driven engines?

Mainly due to the fact of the limitation of the recharging infrastructure. By 2023-24, Europe need to start to have in place a major variety of hydrogen stations on major highways. (The EU Eco-friendly Deal proposes there must be hydrogen refueling stations each individual 150 km on Trans-European Transport Network corridors by 2030.) That will be more than enough for heavy trucks. Mild industrial motor vehicles up to the sizing of a Ford Transit will follow.

And what about passenger automobiles?

Here the problem is additional on the package deal than on the engineering. A motor vehicle demands a tank capable of storing about 4 kg of hydrogen. Whilst the weight of the tank is a portion of a battery pack – about 50 kg vs . a number of hundred kilograms for the batteries – the tank demands a space of roughly 100 liters. This is a important packaging problem if you want to residence the tank in the trunk of a sedan. It’s even far more problematic with hatchbacks. For passenger cars and trucks, we assume the a lot more promising resolution is an electrified flywheel, which we contact a Flybrid.

What is a Flybrid?

It is a mechanical flywheel that operates at speeds up to 42,000 rpm and offers kinetic electricity recuperated though braking again to the wheels. The kinetic power is used to minimize the motor load at get started and when accelerating. We have a next application where a generator is related to the flywheel to demand a small battery. Below the saved power is given again to the car or truck employing a motor inserted in the transmission, equivalent to what comes about with entire hybrids. We have been tests this remedy in some taxis in London, exactly where we have seen gas consumption savings of about 34 percent. We have also examined the Flybrid on a Jaguar XF diesel, offering a 22 percent reduction in gasoline intake.