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BigPickleKAM t1_j575cp0 wrote

Reply to comment by Schemen123 in The race to make diesel engines run on hydrogen by FDuquesne

This is my world.

And yes for a traditional diesel engine with a jerk pump you are right. Hydrogen wouldn't work.

However for newer larger diesel engines that operate on a common rail with electronic controlled injection switching to any compressed gas is quite simple.

Some changes to the injectors are about all that is required. Since gas can be injected at a much lower pressure to get a good flame front from the compression.

There are also changes to the fuel mapping for injection duration and timing.

If you're curious and have specific questions fire away.

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Schemen123 t1_j591wo7 wrote

Obviously its possible...my grandfather run tests on hydrogen combustion right after the second world war for Mercedes.

The question here is why...this doesn't increase range, makes handling easier, reduces cost or removes the issue with combustion and exhaust management. An ice engine also isn't all that great for a lot of big machinery simply because you need to power so many different things that only badly works with ice.

Plus.. its hilariously inefficiency to burn hydrogen.

You either go fuel cell to work with hydrogen or battery so you can get rid of that high pressure hydrogen or stay with synthetic fuels that will just like that run on any old engine and still are more or less co2 neutral.

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BigPickleKAM t1_j5ak26b wrote

The why comes down to inertia both in the flywheel and corporate thinking.

I can show you all sorts of cost benefit analysis done in industry and if you get the tech right you'll come out ahead. But no one wants to guess wrong and be left holding the HD-DVD bag. While high pressure storage and sourcing hydrogen in bulk can be an issue. The simple changes to run a diesel in hydrogen allows a safety blanket for the MBA types making the call. Since they can be reversed easily.

Also the amount of rotational momentum in a ICE is quite useful in starting large hydraulic pumps etc. Totally can be overcome as well but just a point.

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