Internal combustion engines aren’t lifeless. Aside from the chances of artificial fuels appropriate with present-day mills, improvement can be happening on hydrogen-powered combustion engines.
Last December we got an overview of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot presently in improvement with AVL Racetech. Now we have now an in-depth take a look at precisely how the corporate is utilizing hydrogen to make a strong, noisy, and sustainable combustion engine for the longer term.
Our colleagues with Autosport not too long ago toured AVL Racetech’s facility in Austria, the place the four-cylinder is being dyno-tested. A 13-minute video confirms it sounds each bit like a small, high-output engine ought to – howling its coronary heart out because the exhaust pipes glow cherry crimson from the managed explosions inside the cylinders. This explicit dyno session sees the engine attain a peak output of 405 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, with most torque reaching 375 pound-feet at 4,000 revs. Previously, the engine clocked 410 hp however with simply 368 lb-ft of torque.
As the video states, one would not essentially know this engine was burning hydrogen by sound alone. And it will take a eager eye to identify visible variations within the numerous engine parts. It is, nevertheless, a very completely different engine versus one you’d discover in your common passenger automotive.
“Hydrogen is a very reactive molecule,” mentioned Paul Kapus, supervisor of spark-ignited engines and idea automobiles at AVL Racetech. “It likes to ignite on every surface you can imagine – hot surfaces, hot oil droplets, too-hot spark plugs, hot valves. There is a big risk of preignition.”
Senior Development Engineer Nilton Dinaz additional explains the challenges the corporate faces. “Hydrogen is a really peculiar fuel. It needs to moderate the combustion process itself because it burns blazingly fast. That’s why we approach with water injection.”
High strain is a reality of life with hydrogen engines. The consumption manifold and gasoline rails are particularly designed to make use of the gasoline, and lest we overlook, it is a very dry gasoline versus regular pump fuel, which is a liquid. The gasoline injectors require lubrication, and there is even a hydrogen-specific turbocharger concerned. Pressures are very excessive, so the engine’s fundamental building must deal with that strain with out blowing aside.
But the system works properly. The video reveals the mill cranking out energy much like Mercedes-AMG’s heroic turbo-four, all whereas utilizing an plentiful gasoline supply. The subsequent part will see the engine examined on the monitor in racing circumstances. And if all goes properly, there may very well be hydrogen-engined vehicles racing at Le Mans in 2026.