Experimental study: Impact of hydrogen on the operational performance and emission morphology of a mono-cylinder IC-Engine

Abstract

Abstract The escalating impact of fossil fuel emissions on global pollution levels has heightened the imperative to explore alternative solutions. Among numerous alternative fuels, hydrogen has emerged as the most promising option due to its characteristic of producing zero carbon emissions when compared to conventional petroleum-based fuel. The blending of hydrogen with diesel in a compression ignition (CI) engine is a concept that has been explored as a means to improve combustion efficiency, reduce emissions, and potentially enhance the overall performance of internal combustion engines. This combination is often referred to as hydrogen-diesel dual fuel or hydrogen-diesel co-fuel. Hydrogen has a high energy content per unit mass, and its combustion produces only water vapour as a by-product, making it a cleaner fuel compared to traditional hydrocarbons. High flame speed and wide flammability range lead to more efficient combustion when combined with diesel. This advantage positions hydrogen as a frontrunner in mitigating the environmental impact of transportation and energy production, offering a cleaner and more sustainable energy source for the future. In this paper, an experiment study was conducted on a single-cylinder diesel engine to compare the performance and emission parameters of plain diesel with that of diesel & hydrogen blend at a varying hydrogen concentration from 4 L/M to 24 L/M with multiples of four. From the experimental analysis, it is found that brake thermal efficiency increases by 30.825 % at a lower flow rate of hydrogen 4 l/min while the specific fuel consumption decreases as the hydrogen flow rate increases. Similarly, there is a decrease in CO, CO2 and UHC emissions compared to fossil fuel while the NOx emission is found to be increased.