HYDROGEN: PRIMARY OR SUPPLEMENTARY FUEL FOR AUTOMOTIVE ENGINES

Hydrogen, gasoline, and mixtures thereof were compared as fuels for learn-burn engines. Hydrogen for the mixed fuels tests was generated by partial oxidation of gasoline. Hydrogen combustion yielded the highest thermal efficiency at any NO sub x level. Gasoline yielded the second highest thermal efficiency for NO sub x levels greater than or approximately equal to two gm/mi. For lower NO sub x levels and high vehicle inertia weights, progressively more hydrogen supplementation was the second most efficient system. For vehicle inertia weights below 5000 lbm (2300 kg), the statutory NO sub x standard (0.4 gm/mi) could be met with one lb/hr (0.13 g/s) hydrogen supplementation.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by NASA and prepared for the West Coast Meeting of the Society of Automotive Engineers, August 9-12, 1976, San Francisco, California.
• Corporate Authors:

  California Institute of Technology

  Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  Pasadena, CA  United States 
• Authors:
  • Finegold, J G
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 13 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Energy; Fuel air mixtures; Fuels; Hydrogen; Thermal efficiency; Vehicle power plants
• Old TRIS Terms: Automobile engines
• Subject Areas: Energy; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00145095
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE #760609
• Contract Numbers: NAS-7-100
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 30 1977 12:00AM