Technology Fuels a New Future for Internal Combustion Engine

August 02, 2023

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(Transport Topics) The Secret Lies in the Use of Greener Fuels -- According to fleet executives as well as fleet maintenance managers, the death of the internal combustion engine may prove to be greatly exaggerated in spite of the excitement about electric powertrains. Industry leaders have been working to give the basic piston engine an extended life.

The secret to this life extension for ICEs lies in the use of greener fuels as they allow reduced cost of fuel and maintenance for fleets while at the same time reducing greenhouse gases. These newer engines will also have a much easier time keeping up with stringent upcoming emission standards for primary pollutants like NOx, particulates and unburned hydrocarbons. Experts believe the likely final result of new fuel technology will be a far greener future that, at the same time, will often resemble the familiar present.

“The problems of the diesel engine are more related to the fuel than to the engine itself,” said BJ Johnson, co-founder and CEO of ClearFlame Engine Technologies.

The new engines will all use lower-carbon fuels, many of them derived from nonmineral sources that derive their energy directly from the sun, thus reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. Renewable natural gas will capture low-carbon methane from present sources like farming and landfills, and burn the fuel in engines. Although these engines release CO2, the amount is less than when running on diesel fuel, resulting in a “carbon-negative” result.

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Cummins will introduce the X15N in 2024, a spark-ignited natural gas engine that will be the first of the company’s engines based on their new fuel-agnostic platform that uses common parts below the cylinder head.

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Westport Fuel Systems CEO David Johnson describes a different type of natural gas engine based on Rudolf Diesel’s original theory. Powered via its high pressure direct injection system developed by Westport, the engine burns natural gas as its primary fuel with a tiny shot of diesel for ignition.

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Hyliion has created a hybrid model, ERX Powertrain, which runs on renewable natural gas.

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Charles Mueller, scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, led an effort to develop ducted fuel injection, which provides a small duct a short distance from each spray produced by a diesel’s injector for better fuel/air mixing. The system reduces particulate to the point where EGR can be used to kill NOx in the cylinder, eliminating the SCR system. When running on oxygen-containing biofuels, the system may make it possible to meet NOx standards without exhaust gas recirculation while also reducing net-carbon emissions by 70%.

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Johnson described ClearFlame’s system that capitalizes on all the heat already available in a diesel engine to support the combustion of green fuels. Engines modified via ClearFlame’s system run on low-cetane fuels like ethanol that won’t ignite in ordinary diesels.

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He ( Andre Boehman, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the W.E. Lay Automotive Laboratory) noted that DME is an ideal diesel fuel with a cetane rating just above what present diesel has and, containing oxygen, it burns without smoke. It can easily be made out of renewable fuels like ethanol and many others, even agricultural byproducts, and its smokeless character means a high tolerance for EGR to combat NOx emissions.

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A notable alternative fuel, hydrogen, is 100% green and easily created from green electricity. Westport’s Johnson points out that fuel cells are most efficient at low loads, while piston engines are more efficient as loads increase. Thus, an ICE may be the ideal way to use hydrogen in commercial hauling, as opposed to passenger cars where engines cruise at low loads.

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Cummins is developing a spark-ignited, hydrogen engine. READ MORE

A sustainable future for combustion engines (Rolls-Royce)

Can a diesel engine run on hydrogen? | The Future of Energy [simplified] (Cummins VIDEO)

The Minnesota Corn Podcast: ClearFlame decarbonizes diesel engines with ethanol (Minnesota Corn Growers Association/BuzzSprout)

Cummins Approves High Horsepower Diesel Engines for Use with Renewable Diesel (EnergyPortal.eu)

Excerpt from Rolls-Royce: At a new facility in Lake Constance, Germany, we are demonstrating a commitment to enabling the energy transition by investing in the future prospects of internal combustion engines.

“The internal combustion engine will play a central role in the future. Because it's the fuel that matters, not the engine,” explains Dr Jörg Stratmann, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

Enabling a sustainable future with the Series 2000

The modern and operationally advanced production facility in Kluftern will be used for the assembly of our mtu Series 2000 engines many of which are now compatible with sustainable fuels.

Sustainable fuels like hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) biofuel will be key to achieving carbon neutrality in the future. The investment signifies a vital step in enabling this transition, lowering our dependence on fossil fuels and significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions from our technologies.

Meeting demand for efficiency

Every aspect of the site has been considered to enhance energy efficiency, including solar panels, e-charging systems and an intelligent building control system to ensure energy-efficient operation.

Likewise, the site has provided the opportunity for numerous assembly line optimisations, from delivering a more ergonomic line layout to having all data available on workstation screens suspended from movable arms. Altogether, the new assembly line has enabled a production capacity of up to 2000 engines per year.

Creating an enabling environment for change

Many of our mtu engines have already been approved for use with sustainable fuels like HVO, which can enable up to 90 per cent CO2 reduction as well as lowering particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions. Unlike some other alternative fuels, HVO is widely available and can be produced on an industrial scale from hydrogenated vegetable oil and waste materials from the catering and food industries.

We’ve also launched hybrid systems for rail, shipping and energy which will enable us to provide climate-friendly propulsion technologies in the future for applications from commercial ships, yachts, land and rail vehicles to energy systems where complete electrification is not an optimal solution in the long-term.

This recent investment shows our commitment to creating an enabling environment for the increased use of sustainable fuels, including engaging with policymakers and the wider industry to accelerate availability. Jörg explains: “We are doing everything we can to make the internal combustion engine climate-neutral with sustainable fuels and in combination with new technologies. But this can only be achieved if the political framework conditions are set so that alternative fuel production can be successfully ramped up." READ MORE

Excerpt from EnergyPortal.eu: Cummins conducted extensive technical evaluations, including emissions cycle, performance, transient, fuel consumption testing, and field testing, to ensure the compatibility of its high-horsepower engines with renewable diesel. The trials demonstrated that exhaust emissions output remained comparable to engines operating on conventional diesel, with no changes to engine hardware and software required.

Cummins high-horsepower engine platforms now approved for unblended renewable diesel include the QSK19, K19, QSK23, QST30, QSK38, K38, QSK45, QSK50, K50, QSK60, QSK78, QSK95, V903, and ACE for various industrial applications.

Operators are encouraged to contact their local Cummins distributor for more information and the most recent fluids manual. READ MORE