Performance Estimation of a Downsized SI Engine Running with Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a carbon-free fuel that can be produced in many ways starting from different sources. Its use as a fuel in internal combustion engines could be a method of significantly reducing their environmental impact. In spark-ignition (SI) engines, lean hydrogen–air mixtures can be burnt. When a gaseous fuel like hydrogen is port-injected in an SI engine, working with lean mixtures, supercharging becomes very useful in order not to excessively penalize the engine performance. In this work, the performance of a turbocharged PFI spark-ignition engine fueled by hydrogen has been investigated by means of 1-D numerical simulations. The analysis focused on the engine behavior both at full and partial load considering low and medium engine speeds (1500 and 3000 rpm). Equivalence ratios higher than 0.35 have been considered in order to ensure acceptable cycle-to-cycle variations. The constraints that ensure the safety of engine components have also been respected. The results of the analysis provide a guideline able to set up the load control strategy of a SI hydrogen engine based on the variation of the air to fuel ratio, boost pressure, and throttle opening. Furthermore, performance and efficiency of the hydrogen engine have been compared to those of the base gasoline engine. At 1500 and 3000 rpm, except for very low loads, the hydrogen engine load can be regulated by properly combining the equivalence ratio and the boost pressure. At 3000 rpm, the gasoline engine maximum power is not reached but, for each engine load, lean burning allows the hydrogen engine achieving much higher efficiencies than those of the gasoline engine. At full load, the maximum power output decreases from 120 kW to about 97 kW, but the engine efficiency of the hydrogen engine is higher than that of the gasoline one for each full load operating point.