Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) collaborates with Cummins and industry-leading suppliers to promote the development of hydrogen internal combustion engine technology to reduce emissions. At present, the vehicles equipped with hydrogen internal combustion engines in this project have been put into fleet application display, drawing on the actual operational experience of the fleet.
At the beginning of this year, SWRI announced a major breakthrough, with its modified hydrogen internal combustion engine almost completely eliminating nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust, significantly reducing emissions to only 0.008g/hp-hr. This value is far below the EPA 2027 emission standard in the United States, less than 1/4 of the standard limit, and lower than the ultra-low NOx emission standard of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). In the FTP cycle test, compared with diesel engines, the carbon dioxide emissions were reduced by 99.7%, demonstrating the enormous potential for reducing emissions of hydrogen internal combustion engines.
As an important participant in the H2-ICE Consortium, Cummins provided SWRI with its flagship multi fuel platform (HELM) product - the X15N natural gas engine, which SWRI converted into a hydrogen powered engine.
David King, Product Manager of Cummins North American Highway Natural Gas and Hydrogen Engines, introduced that we are very pleased to participate in this project. In this project, each partner contributes their unique expertise and resources to promote the development of hydrogen internal combustion engine technology.
Other members of the alliance include Bosch, Phinia, Super Turbo MAHLE, SEM, and others. This modified hydrogen internal combustion engine was installed on an International LT truck to provide power.
SWRI Spark Ignition R&D Manager Ryan Williams introduced that the core task of the first phase of the Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Alliance is to build vehicles equipped with hydrogen internal combustion engines and collect their main emission data. In the next phase, SWRI and its alliance members will focus more on vehicle performance, traction, and gear shifting.
The engine tested this time is different from the X15H that Cummins will launch. The purpose of this modification is to demonstrate that with the existing engine architecture, hydrogen power conversion can be quickly and conveniently achieved. It only took 18 months to transform the engine, install it on an 8-level long-distance truck, and achieve the desired emission effect.
The hydrogen internal combustion engine modified from X15N natural gas engine mostly uses the original engine components, and about 90% of the engine components can be used interchangeably. In the first phase, SWRI adopts a 30 kilogram hydrogen storage system provided by another member of the alliance, and the maximum driving range of the vehicle can reach 300 miles. The agency stated that in the second round of upgrades, larger capacity systems can be installed as needed to achieve a range of 600 to 700 miles.
Cummins plans to launch the 700 bar IV hydrogen storage tank (AH620-70) in 2024, providing a lightweight and cost-effective solution for heavy trucks in North America-- Derek Kiesler, Global Fuel Transfer System Manager at Cummins. It is expected that the X15H engine will be displayed in vehicles by 2025.