The performance of a spark ignition gasoline engine with hydrogen addition under low-load conditions

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) 2025-01, Vol.379, p.133091, Article 133091
• Main Authors: Duan, Xiongbo, Feng, Lining, Chu, Xianghe, Sun, Zhiqiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Combustion characteristics; Emissions; Fuel economy; Hydrogen addition; Spark ignition engine
• ISSN: 0016-2361
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2024.133091

•Effects of the hydrogen on gasoline SI engine are investigated under low-load conditions.•Combustion stability of the gasoline engine greatly improves with adding hydrogen.•The carbon emission is reduced with using carbon-free hydrogen in the engine. With continuously increasing populations and industrialization, more and more green consumers and stringent emission regulations promote low-carbon or zero-carbon alternative fuels in transportation sector. Hydrogen is considered carbon-free when produced using environmentally friendly methods, and could achieve zero carbon emission in the internal combustion engines. This study comprehensively explores the influences of the hydrogen addition on the performance of the gasoline spark ignition (SI) engine operated at low-load conditions. The experimental results showed that the abnormal combustion cycles of the test gasoline engine are greatly reduced with hydrogen enrichment. In addition, the coefficient of variation (COV) of the indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) of the gasoline engine is 2.66 % under the 1500 rpm and 0.2 Mpa (brake mean effective pressure: BMEP) condition, while the COV of IMEP of the engine fuelled with gasoline and hydrogen is 2.34 % at the same condition. Furthermore, the knocking intensity of the gasoline engine is strengthened by adding hydrogen because the averaged maximum pressure rise rate (MPRR) of the gasoline SI engine is slightly increased. Besides, the indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) of the gasoline engine is increased 0.9 % and its maximum increase rate of the ITE is 4.27 % with hydrogen addition at the 1300 rpm and 0.2 MPa condition. Last, unburned HC, CO, and CO2 of the gasoline engine are reduced while NOx emissions increase with adding hydrogen due to high combustion temperature.