Transforming mobility power by dedicated high-efficiency and zero emission hydrogen combustion engines

The UK Government has set out ambitious net zero target by 2050. Though battery electric vehicles (BEV) can achieve zero carbon emissions locally, there are concerns around high capital cost, limited charging infrastructure, range anxiety, weight, size, and durability of batteries. In particular, they are not suited for heavy vehicles, marine vessels and aviation, as well as non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) for agriculture, mining and construction. To achieve the ambitious net zero targets, alternative net-zero technologies need to be researched, developed, and implemented. The need for green fuels is widely accepted for such applications, with policy efforts in this direction driven by both national and international organisations, for mitigating climate change as well as building energy security. Among green fuels, hydrogen (H2) is recognised by the IEA as the most appropriate energy storage and energy carrier for long-term energy storage and transport.  Therefore, many countries, including UK, Europe, US, and Japan, have been exploring the potential of hydrogen and have taken steps towards developing a hydrogen economy. The UK plans to meet an estimated 20—35% of its energy needs through hydrogen.
As a zero-carbon fuel, hydrogen can be used in combustion engines. Over the last few years, significant interest and effort have been invested in demonstrating the use of hydrogen in combustion engines for various applications. This Prosperity Partnership provides excellent opportunity to further collaborations between Brunel, AIE and MAHLE Powertrain on developing dedicated ultra-high efficiency and zero emission hydrogen engines. The proposed collaboration will make use of the comprehensive experimental and modelling facilities and capabilities for hydrogen combustion engine research at Brunel University London. It will build on the existing successful collaborations between the University and the two industrial partners. Through this partnership, Brunel will...