Fuel costs keep going up, and that means automakers are having to work extra
time to find techniques to make their cars more fuel-efficient. In the meantime, they cannot neglect
tough emission standards that are now in place for gasoline engines. One
encouraging way of increasing fuel efficiency for gasoline engines is to add
hydrogen into the current mixture of fuel and air.
Before now, no hydrogen boosted engine has existed given that hydrogen is not
on the market today at fueling stations. Nevertheless, this could change in the
future because the element of hydrogen could improve how well fuel works.
Hydrogen boosted gasoline engines work effectively due to small percentages of
NOX emission gas. Therefore, the necessity of controlling external NOX emissions
may be totally phased out. Diesel engines bear considerable expenses with NOX
emissions control since they must utilize high cost traps to satisfy emissions
standards. Particulate pollutants are discharged from diesel engines and must be
gathered using a filter that needs to be switched out regularly.
The main benefit of the hydrogen boosted engines is that they have no need
for either particulate or NOX control. Using just a cost-effective oxidation
catalyst, the engine is able to control the amount of exhaust that is released
while the car is starting and warming up. The engine has the ability to just use
the clean hydrogen enriched charge when starting up cold, and this is when
almost all of the emissions are generated during an emissions test, and that is
why additional cuts can be made in emissions control requirements.
By far the most up-to-date technology allows a functioning engine compartment
to have a reformer installed, and this basically gives the car a hydrogen boost
system. The price is considerably less than adding diesel, as per those who are
developing the system. Sport utility vehicles are currently being used to
examine prototype hydrogen boosted engines as they are large enough to house the
reformer system. It will likely be a while before the system can be developed
more as additional testing needs to be done in the areas of performance,
durability, and reliability. This technology will probably be designed toward
four-cylinder gasoline engines. Economy auto producers who want to be at the
leading edge with the best fuel efficiency will have to compete hard in order to
succeed.
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