Evaluation of the hydrogen-fueled rotary engine for hybrid vehicle applications
- Univ. of Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
The hydrogen-fueled engine has been identified as a viable power unit for ultra-low emission series-hybrid vehicles. The Wankel engine is particularly well suited to the use of hydrogen fuel, since its design minimizes most of the combustion difficulties. In order to evaluate the possibilities offered by the hydrogen fueled rotary engine, dynamometer tests were conducted with a small (2.2 kW) Wankel engine fueled with hydrogen. Preliminary results show an absence of the combustion difficulties present with hydrogen-fueled homogeneous charge piston engines. The engine was operated unthrottled and power output was controlled by quality governing, i.e. by varying the fuel-air equivalence ratio on the lean side of stoichiometric. The ability to operate with quality governing is made possible by the wide flammability limits of hydrogen-air mixtures. NO{sub x} emissions are on the order of 5 ppm for power outputs up to 70% of the maximum attainable on hydrogen fuel. Thus, by operating with very lean mixtures, which effectively derates the engine, very low NO{sub x} emissions can be achieved. Since the rotary engine has a characteristically high power to weight ratio and a small volume per unit power compared to the piston engine, operating a rotary engine on hydrogen and derating the power output could yield an engine with extremely low emissions which still has weight and volume characteristics comparable to a gasoline-fueled piston engine. Finally, since engine weight and volume affect vehicle design, and consequently in-use vehicle power requirements, those factors, as well as engine efficiency, must be taken into account in evaluating overall hybrid vehicle efficiency.
- OSTI ID:
- 276210
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960204-; ISBN 1-56091-786-5; TRN: IM9636%%49
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International congress and exposition of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Detroit, MI (United States), 26-29 Feb 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Strategies in electric and hybrid vehicle design; PB: 143 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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