Development of a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine for a hybrid electric bus

摘要

The development of a hydrogen-fueled engine for an electric hybrid bus is described. This bus was originally developed for the US Department of Energy by the Georgia Tech Research Institute and the Savannah River Project. The current project is an attempt to increase the operational performance of the bus and its various systems. One of the primary areas of concern is in increasing the efficiency of the prime energy supply, the hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine. Several issues are addressed in the paper, including the method of introducing hydrogen gas to the engine, the elements of timing and control, and the intake and exhaust aspects. These considerations are described in some detail. The second major concern (after net power output) related to the engine design is the exhaust emissions. In the initial engine, not only was NO_x control of concern, but also the amount of carbon-derivative gases present (presumably from combustion of engine oil). When the design of the new engine took place, we were especially concerned about detailed control of the various elements of the engine operation and their effect on exhaust emissions. This strategy is described in the paper.