Prospective Study of the Main Internal Combustion Engines Running on Hydrogen: State of the Art

Several studies have revealed the high GHG emissions of the road sector compared with other sectors. One alternative is to replace fossil fuels with others that are less harmful to the environment. Hydrogen is positioned as an adaptable solution for existing engines, especially internal combustion engines. This article presents an analysis of internal combustion engines and the different fuels used to date. In addition, the properties of hydrogen, and the current state of research into the use of hydrogen in internal combustion engines, are discussed. After a presentation of the properties of hydrogen, it goes on to describe the hydrogen combustion process, the possible anomalies caused by its properties, and a few possible modifications for adapting an internal-combustion engine to hydrogen, initially using either gasoline or diesel. Keywords: Hydrogen - Engine design - Combustion - Sustainable development - Vehicle