The role of hydrogen for future internal combustion engines

Abstract

In order to successfully cope with the trend of mitigating climate change as outlined in the recommendations of Paris (COP21) and Glasgow (COP26) Climate Agreements, propulsion technologies must be able to achieve the highest CO2 reduction, within very short time scales. To achieve this challenging goal, electric powertrains powered by batteries charged using renewable energy represents not only a public mandate but also the focus of research efforts of the relevant academic and industrial communities. However, this technology cannot answer all the various needs concerning personal mobility, sustainability and feasibility. Hence, in parallel an important role will be played by internal combustion engines (ICE) fed with non-fossil hydrocarbons and hydrogen (H2).1 Today, internal combustion engines using fossil fuels generate about 25% of the world’s power and they are responsible for about 17% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,2 while producing other main pollutant emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) with strong negative impact on air quality in urban spaces.