This Hydrogen Engine From Kia And Hyundai Heralds A New Dawn In Automotive – Everything Will Change – Lagrada
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Central.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Hyundai and Kia recently unveiled in Korea a zero-emission hydrogen engine that could disrupt the EV market. Both automakers are at the forefront of the development of hydrogen technology, focusing on both fuel cell systems and investigating the possibilities of sophisticated hydrogen engines.
The future of sustainable mobility is being shaped by Hyundai and Kia’s continuous research and dedication to hydrogen as a clean transportation solution. An increasing number of manufacturers are developing hydrogen engines as an alternative to electric cars and vehicles that use polluting combustion engines.
These three paragraphs outline more details of the engine.
What’s more remarkable about this new hydrogen engine presented in Korea is that it solves all the problems of durability and large-scale viability that hydrogen engines have presented until now.
The project team successfully ensured that the Hyundai-Kia hydrogen engine, designed to burn hydrogen, could sustain high thermal efficiency throughout its operation by infusing hydrogen into the combustion chamber at a pressure of 30 bar.
Although the device’s performance was enhanced by the use of a turbocharger, it was found that the enhanced performance and lower pollution emissions of this kind of “direct injection” eliminated the problems that most automakers have with hydrogen engines. As the emissions of carbon dioxide and fine particles were reduced by 99% and 90%, the Hyundai-Kia hydrogen engine would be considered to have zero emissions.
Thirty years ago, I was involved with a company called DMW.
- The company’s first product was an aerosol valve, that instead of using CFCs or HCFCs as a propellent used nitrogen. The patent was sold to Johnson and Johnson, after being shown during the discussions, that led to the Montreal Protocol and the phase out of CFCs.
- This led to a deal with Glaxo to investigate if DMW’s technology could be used in a metred-dose-inhaler for asthma drugs.
- The successful idea was eventual sold to Boehringer Ingelheim and is now marketed as Respimat.
I can compare the Hyundai-Kia hydrogen injector and the Respimat inhaler
- Hyundai-Kia appear to be using a high pressure of 30 bar to sustain high-thermal efficiency.
- I know that the Respimat inhaler uses high pressure to obtain a fine mist of the drug.
It sounds to me, that both companies are using the same properties of applying high pressure to a small hole, to disperse one fluid in another.
Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network
On my last stud farm, we had three regular fuel deliveries.
- Propane to heat the house and offices.
- Red diesel to power the tractor and farm machinery.
- Road diesel to power the horse box and a couple of diesel cars, that went on the roads.
Note.
- Like most farms in the UK, we didn’t have mains gas.
- The local low-life of whom you never speak their name, used to regularly steal the diesel.
- Stealing of diesel in rural areas of the UK is a big industry.
- The police did nothing to stop the thefts as the culprits are untouchable.
- We had two boilers, that both ran on the propane.
- Modern boilers can be converted from propane to use hydrogen.
- All cars, trucks, farm vehicles and machinery on the stud farm could in the future use hydrogen.
Propane and diesel would be replaced by clean hydrogen.
Delivering The Fuel
Consider.
- Propane and diesel are currently delivered in rural areas by truck.
- Hydrogen will be delivered the same way and stored in a tank designed for hydrogen, which could be similar in appearance to current propane tanks.
- Boilers would be directly piped to the hydrogen tank.
- The technology exists to fill hydrogen-powered vehicles and equipment from hydrogen tanks.
- I believe that a thief-proof hydrogen tank would be possible.
- The hydrogen will be delivered as needed in a hydrogen-powered truck.
I believe companies like Centrica, will develop the technology so that farms and businesses could have their own hydrogen system.
Supplying The Hydrogen
Electrolysers would be needed around the country.
Some could be based on nuclear sites, where others could be powered by offshore wind.
Hydrogen Safety
Hydrogen safety has its own Wikipedia entry.
The entry starts with a description of the Hindenberg Disaster, which has a detailed Wikipedia entry of its own.
I’ve spoken to someone, who was there; Dory Previn, who later wrote a song about it.
The Hydrogen safety Wikipedia entry has this paragraph.
There are many codes and standards regarding hydrogen safety in storage, transport, and use. These range from federal regulations, ANSI/AIAA, NFPA, and ISO standards. The Canadian Hydrogen Safety Program concluded that hydrogen fueling is as safe as, or safer than, compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling,
I’ve also talked to German schoolchildren about their hydrogen trains and as you are educated about hydrogen, the fear decreases and the safety increases.
Hydrogen-Powered Lawnmowers And Garden Tractors
Everybody likes a lush, green lawn.
Surely, yours is better, if your lawnmower emits no carbon dioxide!
Electric will work, but if you have a hydrogen-powered lawnmower, that can be filled from your central heating tank, that is better.
Collateral Benefits
These would be collateral benefits.
- One set of tankers would be replaced by a single zero-carbon hydrogen tanker, thus reducing road traffic.
- I believe there would be less fuel theft.
- Rural businesses, that needed gas like blacksmiths could be supplied.
- A lot of buildings with a propane-fuelled boiler could be converted to hydrogen.
It would be a path to decarbonisation of the rural economy.
How Big Is The Off-Grid Energy Market?
A document on the House of Commons web site says this.
An estimated 4.4 million households across Great Britain were not connected to the gas grid in 2021. This was 15.1% of domestic properties.
If the average gas bill is £100/month, then that is £1200/year, which works out at £5,280,000,000.
When you add in off-grid businesses, that would need fuel and hydrogen fuel for vehicles and agricultural equipment, the market can’t be much short of £10 billion.
Conclusion
As it is a multi-billion pound marketplace. someone will develop it.
Sizewell C And Hydrogen
The Sizewell C web site has a page with a title of Hydrogen and SZC.
The page asks this question.
Why Does Sizewell C Want To Produce Hydrogen?
It gives this answer.
Nuclear is a great way of producing hydrogen as it generates huge amounts of reliable, low-carbon energy. Nuclear and hydrogen are also two clean technologies that can help us make big reductions in carbon emissions. While both technologies are vital on their own, at Sizewell C we have an exciting vision to bring them together.
The page is worth a read about how they will use the hydrogen, which will include.
- Providing Wrightbus hydrogen-powered buses to link the main construction site with Park-and-Ride sites on the A 12 at Darsham and Wickham Market.
- Powering vehicles and machinery on the main construction site.
- Supplying hydrogen to Freeport East.
- Refuelling hydrogen vehicles.
I have a few thoughts.
Supplying Hydrogen To Users
On my last stud farm, we had three fuel deliveries.
- Propane to heat the house.
- Red diesel to power the farm machinery.
- Road diesel to power the horse box and a couple of diesel cars, that went on the roads.
Note.
- Like most farms in East Anglia, we didn’t have mains gas.
- The local low-life of whom you never speak their name, used to regularly steal the diesel.
- We had two boilers, that ran on the propane.
- All farm vehicles and machinery will in the future use hydrogen.
- Propane and diesel would be replaced by clean hydrogen.
I believe companies like Centrica, will develop the technology so that farms and businesses could have their own hydrogen system, that would be topped-up accordingly, by road tankers, which themselves would be fuelled by hydrogen.
One set of tankers would be replaced by another zero-carbon set.
Sizewell sits on the Suffolk Coast and it appears, there will be a new road link to the A 12, which connects to Suffolk’s main road system.
This map shows Sizewell C and East Suffolk.
Note.
- The Sizewell site is outlined in pink on the coast, about halfway up the map.
- The A 12 road and the East Suffolk Line run almost parallel to the coast between Ipswich in the South and Lowestoft and Yarmouth in the North.
Energy use in East Suffolk would be transformed and all because there will be a plentiful supply of zero-carbon hydrogen.
Hydrogen And The Arts
Suffolk has been an artistic county for hundreds of years and some works of art, like casting bronzes, firing pottery or working with glass or wrought iron need a lot of energy. Local hydrogen networks supplied by tanker, as propane is now could help to decarbonise one of the most difficult of professions.
Pink Hydrogen
This page on the National Grid web site explains the various hydrogen colours.
It describes pink hydrogen like this.
Pink hydrogen is generated through electrolysis powered by nuclear energy. Nuclear-produced hydrogen can also be referred to as purple hydrogen or red hydrogen.
In addition, the very high temperatures from nuclear reactors could be used in other hydrogen productions by producing steam for more efficient electrolysis or fossil gas-based steam methane reforming.
I also call it Barbie hydrogen.
Sizewell C would be an ideal place to create pink hydrogen.
Before Sizewell C is up and running, the electrolyser at Sizewell could be powered by Sizewell B or even offshore wind.
MAN Expands Its Zero-Emission Portfolio
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from MAN.
This is the first paragraph.
Commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus will be the first European truck producer to launch a small series with a hydrogen combustion engine. The initially planned small series of around 200 units is to be delivered to customers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland and selected non-European countries as early as 2025. The “MAN hTGX”, as the vehicle will be called, offers an alternative zero-emission drive variant for special applications, for example for transporting heavy goods – such as construction work, tank transport or timber transport. The hTGX can also be an environmentally friendly alternative to battery-electric trucks for use in areas without sufficient charging infrastructure or for markets where sufficient hydrogen is already available. MAN will hand over its battery-electric truck to customers for the first time in 2024 and scale it up from 2025. MAN has been the market leader for electric city buses in Europe since 2023.
Note.
- The hydrogen truck is based on the proven TG vehicles.
- The engine is a hydrogen version of one of their current diesel engines.
- The vehicle will satisfy the forthcoming EU regulations on carbon dioxide emissions.
- The maximum range is up to 600 kilometres, which would allow London and Edinburgh, provided there was a hydrogen supply at both ends.
- With hydrogen compressed to 700 bar (CG H2) and a tank capacity of 56 kg, the vehicle can be refuelled in less than 15 minutes.
This could be a very useful truck for the UK.
Hydrogen And Electric Propulsion Compared
Stadler have given us an interesting way of comparing the range and other properties of hydrogen-powered and battery-electric trains, as their Flirt H2 and Akku trains have both set Guinness World Records for distance travelled.
The Hydrogen-Powered Flirt-H2
In Stadler’s FLIRT H2 Sets World Record For Hydrogen Powered Train, I write about how a Stadler Flirt-H2 had set a record of 2803 kilometres, without refilling.
This page on the Stadler web site gives details of the Flirt-H2.
- Hydrogen Range – 460 km.
- Operating Speed – 127 kph
- Refuelling Time – < 30 minutes
- Seats – 116
This graphic clipped from the Stadler web site shows the Flirt-H2.
Like Greater Anglia’s Class 755 train, it has a PowerPack in the middle, which contains a fuel cell and the hydrogen tank, instead of the Class 755 train’s diesel engines.
The Battery-Electric Akku
In Flirt Akku And Class 755 Train Compared, I compare a Flirt Akku and Greater Anglia’s Class 755 train, after the battery-electric Akku had set a record of 224 kilometres, with recharging.
This page on the Stadler web site gives details of the Flirt Akku.
- Battery Range – 150 km
- Operating Speed – 160 kph
- Chrging Time – 15 minutes
- Seats – 120-180
This graphic clipped from the Stadler web site shows the Flirt Akku.
At a quick glance, the trains seem to be fairly similar, with the exception of the PowerPack.
- Both have regenerative braking.
- Both have the battery and the power converter on the roof.
- I would expect that the Flirt-H2 could be fitted with a pantograph and a transformer.
- Both trains have two passenger carriages.
I also suspect, both trains can be lengthened by adding extra coaches.
These are my thoughts.
Thoughts On The PowerPack In A Flirt-H2
This picture shows the PowerPark car of a Class 755 train.
Note.
- These PowerPacks have slots for up to four 480 Kw diesel engines.
- PowerPacks on a Class 788/4 train with four diesel engines weighs 27.9 tonnes.
- PowerPacks on a Class 788/3 train has two diesel engines.
- In the UK, trains with PowerPacks have up to four passenger cars.
- The PowerPack has a walkway from one end of the car to the other.
As customers, might like to replace their diesel PowerPacks, with something that was zero-carbon, I would expect, that the hydrogen PowerPack would have the following properties.
- Hydrogen and diesel PowerPacks would be interchangeable.
- The hydrogen PowerPack would come in two handy sizes of hydrogen fuel cell; 0ne and two MW.
- The weight of both hydrogen and diesel PowerPacks would be similar, as if power and weight were similar, then this could help certification.
- The Flirt-H2 for California, which would only have two passenger cars, would have the smaller hydrogen fuel cell.
I would expect that a conservative designer would use any spare space for hydrogen storage.
- Perhaps, there would be one tank either side of the walkway.
- The quoted range of 450 kilometres for the Flirt-H2 is just under 300 miles, so it would probably cover most regional round trips in Europe without refuelling.
- On many routes refuelling would only need to be done once-per-day.
- Refuelling can be some distance from operation.
- Large tanks would explain the thirty minutes refuelling time.
Obviously, large tanks have the collateral benefit of setting distance records.
The Kinetic Energy Of A Flirt-H2 Train
In My First Rides In A Class 755 Train, I calculated the kinetic energy of a Class 755/4 train.
I said this.
I will use my standard calculation.
The basic train weight is 114.3 tonnes.
If each of the 229 passengers weighs 90 kg with Baggage, bikes and buggies, this gives a passenger weight of 20.34 tonnes.
This gives a total weight of 134.64 tonnes.
Using Omni’s Kinetic Energy Calculator gives these figures for the Kinetic energy.
- 60 mph – 13.5 kWh
- 100 mph – 37.4 kWh
- 125 mph – 58.4 kWh
If we are talking about the Greater Anglia Class 755 train, which will be limited to 100 mph, this leads me to believe, that by replacing one diesel engine with a plug compatible battery of sufficient size, the following is possible.
- On all routes, regenerative braking will be available under both diesel and electric power.
- Some shorter routes could be run on battery power, with charging using existing electrification.
- Depot and other short movements could be performed under battery power.
The South Wales Metro has already ordered tri-mode Flirts, that look like Class 755 trains.
The calculation for a Flirt-H2 train is as follows.
Train Weight – 82.3 tonnes
Passenger Weight – 10.4 tonnes
Total Weight – 92.7 tonnes
This gives these kinetic energies
- 60 mph – 9.3 kWh
- 79 mph – 16.0 kWh
- 100 mph – 25.7 kWh
It looks like the 79 mph; Flirt-H2 would only need a 16 KWh battery.
It seems when a battery is not for traction and only handles the regenerative braking, it can be surprisingly small.
Mathematical Advantages Of Hydrogen
I do wonder that on balance, there may be mathematical advantages to hydrogen; long range, less frequent refuelling and small batteries.
But as I indicated in Zillertalbahn Hydrogen Plan Dropped In Favour Of Battery Traction, the decision doesn’t always go hydrogen’s way!
Conclusion
I feel Stadler have the right approach of a modular concept that incorporates both hydrogen-powered and battery-electric trains.
I also think, if you have a route, you want to decarbonise, Stadler have the train for you.
Zillertalbahn Hydrogen Plan Dropped In Favour Of Battery Traction
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
I wrote about this order in Zillertalbahn Orders Stadler Hydrogen-Powered Trains.
I didn’t blog about it but I remembered an article a few years ago about Stadler getting an order from the Zillertalbahn.
It appears the change is down to improvements in battery technology.
Narrow-gauge battery-electric multiple units must be right up Stadler’s street, as they built the new trains for the narrow gauge Glasgow Subway.
Fortescue Officially Opens Gladstone Electrolyser Facility
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Fortescue.
This is the sub-heading.
Fortescue has today officially opened its world-leading electrolyser manufacturing facility in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia – one of the first globally to house an automated assembly line.
The first two paragraphs add more detail.
Fortescue has today officially opened its world-leading electrolyser manufacturing facility in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia – one of the first globally to house an automated assembly line.
The 15,000sqm advanced manufacturing facility, constructed and fully commissioned in just over 2 years, will have capacity to produce over 2GW of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyser stacks annually.
This is a very large increase in electrolyser production.
Network Rail Prepares To Send Four Trains A Night Through Suffolk To Sizewell
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the East Anglian Daily Times.
These are the first two paragraphs.
There will be improvements to the East Suffolk Line between Ipswich and Saxmundham and to the little-used Leiston branch line which will become busier with up to four trains a night carrying construction materials to the Sizewell C site.
However there are no plans at present to create a new passing loop at Wickham Market which would be needed to allow construction trains to travel by day so most of these trains will have to use the line at night.
Note.
- Trains access the Sizewell site from Saxmundham junction on the East Suffolk Line.
- Between Saxmundham and Halesworth stations is double track.
- With the exception of a passing loop at Beccles station between Halesworth and Lowestoft stations is single track.
- Saxmundham junction and Lowestoft station is 26.2 miles.
- Between Saxmundham and Woodbridge stations is mainly single track.
- Between Woodbridge and Ipswich stations is double track.
- Saxmundham junction and Ipswich station is 22.8 miles.
It is a classic line, that was partly singled by British Rail to try and cut operating costs.
A passing loop at Wickham Market could make operation of the line easier.
- The last train in the evening leaves Saxmundham station at around 23:00 for Lowestoft.
- The first train in the morning leaves Saxmundham station at around 06:00 for Ipswich and Harwich International.
This would give a seven hour window in which to move four trains out of the Sizewell site and four trains in.
This OpenRailwayMap shows Ipswich Yard which is a set of freight sidings to the North of Ipswich station.
Note.
- The orange tracks are the Great Eastern Main Line.
- Ipswich station is just off the map to the South-East.
- The yellow track in the North-West corner is the East Suffolk Line to Saxmundham and Sizewell.
- The black lines diagonally across the map is Ipswich Yard, where wait if required, when coming out or going into the Port of Felixstowe.
I would expect that trains destined for Sizewell will wait in Ipswich Yard before being moved in at night.
These are my further thoughts.
Moving Trains Into And Out Of The Sizewell C Site
A map of the proposed rail layout in the Sizewell C site was published in the February 2019 Edition of Modern Railways showed at least four sidings in the site.
- We can assume that at the beginning of each night, there are.
- Up to four trains in the Sizewell C site, that need to come out of the site.
- Up to four trains in Ipswich Yard, that need to enter the site.
- As each train leaves the Sizewell C site, it creates a free siding for the next incoming train.
The process could be started by the four trains in the Sizewell C site, leaving nose-to-tail like a herd of elephants, but perhaps five minutes apart.
The outgoing trains would then park-up in Ipswich Yard or position themselves to get ready to bring in the next load.
Once all the outgoing trains, were clear of the Sizewell site, the four incoming trains, could trundle into the site.
Note.
- Effectively, there would be a night-time single-track railway exclusively handling freight trains into and out of the Sizewell C site, between the site and Ipswich Yard.
- With more sidings on the Sizewell C site, the limit could be higher than the currently proposed four trains per night in each direction.
- The number of and length of the trains could be adjusted, so that the deliveries of materials to the site, were in an optimal manner, which hopefully would increase the efficiency of the construction.
- There are twenty level crossings between Ipswich and Saxmundham junction and another five between Saxmundham junction.
Did poor delivery performance contribute to cost and time overruns at the more difficult-to-support, rail-isolated Hinckley Point C power station?
Conclusion
I am fairly certain, that it is possible to move four freight trains in and out of the Sizewell site during the night, without doing any major works to the East Suffolk Line between Ipswich and Saxmundham junction.
- Adding extra track at Wickham Market would probably cause major disruption.
- Some level crossings will probably be improved.
But without a full double track between Ipswich and Saxmundham junction, I doubt there could be any increase in passenger services.
State-of-the-Art Bradford Hydrogen Production Facility Approved
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Renewable Connections.
These two paragraphs outline the project.
Bradford Hydrogen Production Facility, a partnership project between Hygen and N-GEN, developed by Renewable Connections, has received consent from Bradford Council. It is anticipated once built, the groundbreaking hydrogen production facility will produce enough hydrogen to remove up to 800 diesel-fuelled buses a day from West Yorkshire roads.
The facility on the old Birkshall gas storage site on Bowling Back Lane in Bradford will produce low carbon hydrogen which can be used to decarbonise vehicles and industry. Businesses and other users in West Yorkshire will be able to use the refuelling facilities on site, with distribution experts Ryze delivering hydrogen to industrial users across the region.
This Google Map shows the area of Bowling Back Lane.
Note.
- The railway running East-West across the middle of the map.
- The red arrow indicates St. James Wholesale Market, which will be the site of the new station.
- Bowling Bank Lane runs East across the nap from the roundabout to the South of the market.
- There appear to be three gas storage tanks to the North of Bowling Back Lane, towards the East of the map.
I suspect that the electrolyser will be built to the West of the current gas storage tanks.
I have a few thoughts.
It Could Be A Large Site
This Google Map shows an enlargement of the area, between Birkshall Lane and the gas storage tanks.
Note.
- Birkshall Lane runs across the South-West corner of the map.
- Several of the businesses in the area seem to concern recycling.
- The site would appear to stretch from the railway in the North to the gas storage tanks in the East and Birkshall Lane in the West.
I can envisage the space around the electrolyser being developed into a business park for businesses that need hydrogen.
Could There Be A Refuelling Facility For Hydrogen Trains?
I believe that in the next ten years, that many freight trains will be hauled by hydrogen-hybrid locomotives.
As the railway through Bradford used to incorporate a third track, I believe that there could be space for a simple facility to fill up hydrogen-powered locomotives.
Are The Gas Tanks Still Used?
The reason I ask this question, is that if they are and still supply Bradford with natural gas, excess hydrogen could be blended up to a low percentage with natural gas to supply Bradford gas users.
It would certainly be a useful capability.
Conclusion
The electrolyser appears to be well-positioned.
Is A Small Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Possible?
By small car, I’m meaning something like a Ford Fiesta or a Vauxhall Astra.
Consider.
- The car will have a power unit of about 100 KW.
- With four passengers the car would probably weigh about 1500 Kg.
Does A 100 KW Fuel Cell Suitable For A Car Exist?
Intelligent Energy is a British company based in Loughborough.
This is their mission statement on their web site.
Focused on the development of lightweight, high efficiency, hydrogen fuel cell systems.
They also have this product page for a 110 KW fuel cell tailored for automotive use, that weighs 240 Kg.
I suspect if Ford asked for a fuel cell for a hydrogen Fiesta, that Intelligent Energy could provide one.
And I suspect other fuel cell companies could!
How Much Is The Kinetic Energy Of A Car Like This At 100 mph?
Using Omni’s Kinetic Energy Calculator, I get a figure of 422 Wh.
This figure means a battery of perhaps 2 KWh would handle regenerative braking and provide stationary power to get the car started.
Conclusion
From what I have written here, I believe that a hydrogen-powered small car is possible.
The Anonymous Widower 