Illinois-based automotive parts manufacturer Tenneco is opening new facilities to test hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines.
The company has located the two new test cells at its Powertrain test centers in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Burscheid, Germany.
According to the company, the two test cells are aimed at supporting vehicle manufacturers in decarbonizing their engines and reducing carbon emissions. It adds that the test cells will help manufacturers in evaluating their H2 ICE concepts by testing prototype engines and components for wear, durability, fuel-efficiency, performance and emissions.
“We contend it’s not combustion-engine technology causing green-house gas emissions in the product-use phase; it is the fuel used in the ICE that defines the vehicle emissions,” said Stefan Rittmann, Vice President, Engineering with Tenneco’s Powertrain business group. “Therefore, green hydrogen, which is produced from renewable energies and carbon-free by nature, offers great potential for cleaner transportation, especially in sectors difficult to electrify, such as heavy-duty commercial vehicles, on- and off-highway applications, and the industrial and marine sectors.”
Hydrogen does not contain a carbon molecule and does not emit CO2 when combusted. It is the lightest gas in existence and has an energy density nearly three times that of gasoline or diesel. (continue story after links below)
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The facilities will also offer a wide range of engine measurement capabilities and enable it to address hydrogen-specific challenges like pre-ignition, H2-slip into the crankcase, as well as the impact on tribology and materials, Tenneco notes.
With the addition of H2-engine testing, the company says it now positioned to offer technology solutions that can help speed up the reduction of carbon emissions of future combustion engine generations to reach global climate goals faster.
“The R&D from our H2 test benches, along with support from our simulation tools like PRiME3D, can accelerate the development process and help our customers go to market with highly efficient H2 combustion engines faster,” Steffen Hoppe, Powertrain’s Director Technology Rings & Liners, Tenneco, said.
Tenneco says it new H2 ICE test facilities will provide engine measurement capabilities, including light and heavy-duty engine testing up to 700 kW; ECU connectivity, calibration and tuning; Eddy current and AC dyno; H2 supply up to 50 bar and 90 kg/h; H2 concentration measurement; and emissions testing for hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and filter smoke number. They will also provide thermal shock testing; real-time engine monitoring; ignition parameter evaluation; and automated fuel map testing.
