FEV's ICE Hydrogen Promotion Paves Way to Infrastructure Boost

Engineering service provider FEV is showcasing its latest developments in promoting internal-combustion-engine powertrains burning hydrogen.

While the company is currently focused on commercial-vehicle applications, advancing the solution opens up options for the private vehicle sector.

Not least because more combustion-driven hydrogen fuel vehicles will promote the early rollout of the infrastructure at service stations preparing the way for future hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains.

The big four Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki, are already developing the technology with their research entity, the Hydrogen Small Mobility & Engine Group (HySE), to create hydrogen ICE powertrains for zero-emission personal mobility.

However, the use of hydrogen in ICE poses technical challenges, including fast flame speed and a large region of ignition, which often result in unstable combustion and the limited fuel tank capacity in the case of small mobility vehicles. There also are storage issues requiring the compressed liquid to be held at -252.8 C (-423 F), colder than even for liquid petroleum gas.

Now FEV presents its 2.5L direct injection engine, developed with project partner Kohler Engines, claiming 74 hp power output with maximum torque of 232 lb.-ft. (315 Nm).

The supplier says it has carried out extensive simulation and performance tests showing the powerplant, originally designed as a diesel engine, produces no relevant pollutants.

Alongside this, FEV also displays its latest iteration of its hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain aimed at light-commercial vehicles but with obvious potential for passenger cars. The system, developed with Italy’s Iveco group, features a fuel-cell module that engineers have tailored for use in the existing Iveco Daily model range.

In this project, FEC is responsible for the mechanical, electrical and thermal integration of the fuel-cell system and its hydrogen tanks. It is also responsible for the gateway development and implementation of a specially developed energy management system for fuel-cell powertrains.

The Iveco Daily, weighing up to 7.2 tons when fully loaded, has a range of up to 350 km (217 miles) with its 188-hp drive with 12 kg (26.4 lbs.) of hydrogen in the 700 bar tanks. Refueling takes less than 15 minutes and, as an energy reserve, the vehicle has a 49-hp lithium-ion battery that recuperates braking energy and makes it available during peak loads.

CEO of the FEV Group, Dr Patrick Hupperich, says: “Cutting the CO2 emissions in the transportation sector can only be achieved through a sensible mix of different technologies. Hydrogen demonstrates its potential for reducing CO2 emissions in fuel cells and combustion engines for long-distance applications.

“In urban and regional environments, battery-powered drives are another effective solution for the emission-free mobility of tomorrow. Synthetic fuels should also not be underestimated when considering the total fleet of over 300 million vehicles in the EU alone.”