International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 4 Issue 5- May 2013
Hydrogen Fuelled VehicleTechnology
Nishit P. Upadhyay#1, Dhaval R. Joshi*2, Rachit M. Patel#3,Shreyansh S. Shah#4, Sonukumar B.Patel#5
#
Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, *Assistant professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Technology (SVIT), Vasad, Gujarat, India, 388306.
Abstract— Today world’s most critical issue is quickly depleting
Fossil Fuels. Hydrogen has been considered as the substitutes of
fossil fuels from beginning. It is clean and efficient fuel with
highest calorific value and highest octane number among all
fossil fuels and hydrocarbon fuels. Here we tried to study the use
of hydrogen as a combustible fuel for IC Engine.
I. INTRODUCTION
Hydrogen is considered as very efficient and
clean fuel from the beginning. Here we
experimented how we can use the Hydrogen as a
fuel for IC Engine. As handling of hydrogen is
quite hazardous, it has very high affinity to oxygen,
high escaptivity, Use of compressed liquid
hydrogen cylinder is not advisable from safety point
of view. Thus we shifted for Real time usage of
hydrogen using cheapest method of hydrogen
production “Electrolysis”. Solution for all safety
issues are developed and implemented successfully.
Hydrogen is useful as automobile in two manner,
as a combustible fuel and as the source of electricity
through Fuel Cell Technology for hybrid vehicles.
A combination of fossil fuel and Hydrogen fuel is
quite efficient and useful in many ways as alone
Hydrogen is very limitedly applicable due to its
instability.
Considering battery as a general power source for
DC supply in automobile, Efficiencies of whole
system is calculated and analysed. Changing of the
source is possible.Alternator or dynamo with the
combination of the load current circuit in series can
also be used for the automobiles
Hydrogen storage is very dangerous and risk
increases with increase in pressure and temperature.
Hydrogen has higher affinity towards Oxygen
and just with a very minor spark or any small flesh,
its combustion starts rapidly. Very rapid
combustion of hydrogen causes back fire issue.
This back fire can easily damage container as well
as people surrounded it. Even 1 litter of stored
hydrogen at atmospheric condition (0.085 grams
only) in container of Electrolysis cell can break
4mm thick plastic container wall which is shown in
fig. 1..
Fig. 1 Back fire Explosion
Hydrogen atom is the smallest atom and thus it
has higher tendency to escape from container. It
requires highly leakage proof container.
Solution of many issues listed above is the real
time usage of hydrogen. Hydrogen produced by
Electrolysis Cell is at atmospheric condition. This
reduces risk of high pressure and temperature.
II. HYDROGEN SAFETY ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS
As hydrogen is at normal atmospheric
Hydrogen has many safety issues. Without safety temperature, problem of escaptivity is reduced and
it might get exploded and it can cause accident. left amount of problem of escaptivity can easily be
Various safety issues and its solution in the case of overcome by using pressure tight joints of container.
In order to reduce the risk of back fire, two
Hydrogen Electrolysis Cell are discussed below.
devices are necessary,
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 4 Issue 5- May 2013
 Back Fire Arrester
 Nozzle
Both these devices are attached in series with
Electrolysis Cell in sequence ELECTROLYSIS
CELL BACK FIRE ARRESTER NOZZLE as
shown in fig. 2.
Adiabatic Hydrogen flame has flame velocity
around 3.35m/s. Here nozzle is used to increase the
velocity of the produced Hydrogen above the
3.35m/s. If in case due to very low production rate,
flame at nozzle tip comes inside the nozzle, back
fire will occur. But the Back Fire Arrester will stop
the back fire immediately.
Nozzle
III. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
Whole experimental setup is divided in main
three parts.
A. Electrolysis Cell
B. Carburettor
C. Power Supply Unit
A. Electrolysis Cell
Electrolysis
Cell
Back Fire
Arrester
Fig. 2Setup for Electrolysis Cell
It is advantageous to use electrodes with large
surface area and low space between them. Space
between electrodes must not be less than 3mm and
it should not be increased than 6mm in order to
reduce the resistance of Cell.
For a specific electrolysis cell, each electrode
having total 12.5* 10-3 m2 surface area
(0.1*0.05*0.01 m3) and 5mm spaced apart will
consume 33Amp current when 12V DC supply is
given.
It requires A Container, Two Electrodes of
graphite, wire capable to bear 50Amp. D.C.,
Flexible Tube, Back Fire Arrester and Nozzle.
As electrolyte, 0.5% of H2SO4 in water by
volume is used.
Important precaution during constructing
Electrolysis Cell is to leave very small amount of
air inside the cell in order to avoid Hydrogen
storage.
B. Carburettor
A little modification is required in the carburettor
in order to supply both hydrogen as well as petrol to
Engine.
The nozzle attached in the Electrolysis cell has its
outlet in carburettor at the place where atomized
petrol mixes with the air.
Thus this carburettor will have 3 inlet ports, for
air, hydrogen and petrol as shown in fig. 3.
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 4 Issue 5- May 2013
1. Energy method
2. Temperature method
Energy method deals with design limitations of
the Engine. Initial mass flow rate of petrol is
measured and from that combustion energy supply
to the engine is decided. Now keeping combustion
energy supply constant, h/p ratio and hydrogen
requirement is decided.
Temperature method deals with the metallurgical
limitation of the engine. Here maximum
temperature produced by combustion is decided by
the state of combustion. Now keeping that
Fig. 3 Carburettor Modification
temperature constant, h/p ratio and hydrogen
C. Power Supply Unit
production rate is decided.
This system requires a DC power supply having
Now considering both the requirements,lower
higher current capacity of around 50 Amp. As the requirement is selected for the system. For a 150cc
hydrogen production rate greatly depends upon 4 stroke, air cooled, OHV engine, value of
current, higher current will be helpful in higher hydrogen requirement is decided to be 5.027 * 10-7
saving of petrol. This supply should be provided kg/sec. which can be attained at 48.126 Amp.
with some controlling. A fuse of 40 Amp and a
V. RESULTS
toggle switch of 50 Amp must be provided in series
Calculations for the hydrogen production,
in order to control the current and the hydrogen
Electrolysis cell, power supply and system
production.
An additional load circuit is needed when taking efficiency are done results are obtained.
 Hydrogen production rate required
power from an alternator or dynamo attached with
= 5.027*10-7 kg/s
the IC Engine.
 Considering factor of safety 1.5,
Hydrogen production rate required
IV. PROCESS
=3.3499*10-7 kg/s
The working cycle of the entire system is quite
 Electrolysis cell and Power source
similar to the normal IC Engine system.
specification required
Initially switch on the power to electrolysis cell,
 Voltage available
= ~12V
production of hydrogen will start immediately.
 Cell resistance
= 0.365Ω
Instantly after, start the IC Engine. Depending upon
 Current drawn
=~32Amp
the resistance of the electrolysis cell, current will be
 Power source (DC) = 12 V 600 W
drawn from the power source as per applied voltage.
 Hydrogen Energy
There will not be any fixed ratio of the
Supplied
= 39.34 W
hydrogen/petrol supply to IC Engine. At lower
 Electrical Energy
engine speed, H/P ratio will be high, whereas at
Consumed
= 384 W
higher speed, H/P ratio will be low.
 System Efficiency = 10.25%
Whole system will work on real time
VI. CONCLUSION
consumption of Hydrogen inside the Engine
System uses Hydrogen as the fuel will have
Cylinder. As the hydrogen produces in Electrolysis
cell, it will be consumed by the engine and there higher efficient combustion process due to the
higher octane number (130+) but will have lower
will be no storage of the hydrogen.
Here hydrogen requirement inside the engine is system efficiency which will in further affect cost
and economic operation.
decided by two methods.
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 4 Issue 5- May 2013
Voltage for water electrolysis is decided 1.23V
lowest. Thus use of low voltage and high current
power source is more suitable and economical.
Reduction in pollutant at the exhaust is
advantageous to the environment. But use of
Hydrogen for combustion increases the wear and
tear of engine as combustion product of hydrogen is
water steam and it may corrode the engine material.
Starting of Engine can be done even only with the
hydrogen if delay of 90 second is provided after the
switching on the electrolysis power supply.
Overall high octane number of the h/p mixture
reduces the knocking from lower to higher range of
engine speed.
Frequently shifting of fuel from petrol to H/P
mixture decreases the engine capacity and increases
the knocking for use of only petrol.
Metallurgical changes are highly required for
making the IC Engine enable to use the Hydrogen
as efficient fuel.
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Michael Beliveau, James Rehberger, Jonathan Rowell, Alyssa Xarras,
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