For decades, manufacturers have been striving to develop an engine that is both environmentally sustainable, efficient, and affordable. While electric-powered engines have been the most common solution, we now present the engine of the future that will operate on this innovative fuel.
Starting with engines running on 25 % hydrogen concentration
Norway, through Bergen Engines, a key researcher, developer, and manufacturer of engines for land and marine vehicles, has announced that its natural gas-powered engines are already capable of running on a fuel mixture containing 25% hydrogen at full capacity.
This marks a significant step forward in creating cleaner, more energy-efficient machines. It’s worth noting that this new development builds on the commercial introduction of a 15% hydrogen blend, which was launched in 2022.
Now Norway goes for machinery that will use 100 % pure hydrogen as fuel
Bergen Engines claims to be the first manufacturer with a fully functional and tested machine operating on a 40 % hydrogen blend. Field tests were completed in 2023 and were carried out in Cáseda, a town in Spain.
Viscofan assisted in these tests. This is well on the way to building the ideal engine: one that uses 100 % hydrogen fuel. Studies carried out by the company show that hydrogen has some advantages when combined with natural gas.
And it is used as a fuel in machines classified as “medium speed”. Among them is that it produces very low greenhouse gas emissions, as well as very high performance and efficiency. It is a substantial improvement in a smooth energy transition process.
The construction of the machine running on a 100 % hydrogen fuel mix is expected to be completed in the last months of this year. This will be followed by tests on functionality, performance, durability, cost-effectiveness and other aspects.
In contrast to other countries, Norway is opting for a hydrogen internal combustion engine by injecting the gas directly into the cylinder. This saves the energy lost and reduces performance, compared to injection into a combustion antechamber as is traditional.
The lost power is added to the useful power generated by the machine. This performance increases with increasing power, speed and load requirements until it reaches its maximum values. It also does not require downstream catalytic converters to eliminate emissions.
One of the main challenges in manufacturing this engine relates to its size and weight, as hydrogen, being a high-pressure gas, requires a more robust structure and more tightly sealed joints to prevent accidental leaks.
What other environmentally friendly alternative fuels could be used?
In addition to developing machines that run on 100 % hydrogen by volume, Norway is also considering the use of other environmentally friendly fuels. These include ammonia and methane, thus expanding its offer of environmentally friendly solutions.
Established an industrial alliance with FME Mar Trans. The purpose of the partnership is to work together in the purely maritime sector to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption, as well as to promote the use of environmentally friendly alternative fuels such as hydrogen.
In conclusion, Norway with the company Bergen Engines surprises the world with the development of the engine of the future that does not use electricity as fuel, but 100% pure hydrogen. In fact, it is a pioneer in achieving this goal and will probably be available by the middle of next year.