New Retrofit System to Convert Diesel Engines to Hydrogen Fuel

A newly developed retrofit system is designed to allow existing diesel engines to run on a majority hydrogen fuel blend. This technological advancement, developed by UNSW researchers, supports the shift towards cleaner fuel technologies. It is capable of reducing carbon emissions and nitrous oxide emissions while increasing efficiency. The retrofit system replaces the diesel injection system with a design that injects hydrogen directly into the engine, with independent control over the timing of both hydrogen and diesel injection. The system can efficiently utilize low-quality hydrogen. The stratified hydrogen injection approach enables the system to create pockets of high and low hydrogen concentrations inside the cylinder, thus reducing nitrous oxide emissions below levels seen in conventional diesel engines. The developers are targeting commercialization, with an initial focus on fleet operators and industrial sites already using hydrogen.