H2-ICE Technology
SQT has been working on H2-ICE development for over a decade. SQT has been partnered in multiple Proof-of-Concept (POC) projects of H2-ICE, including:
The world’s first H2-ICE 3-wheeler vehicle
India’s first 4-cylinder hydrogen engine and bus for a leading OEM
H2-IC engine with 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder commercial vehicle engines
Harnessing Hydrogen for a Cleaner, Greener Future
H2-ICE stands for hydrogen-based internal combustion engines. These engines run on 100% hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen has been widely considered “the fuel of the future”. H2-IC engines have multiple benefits such as no greenhouse gas emissions, no CO and HC emissions, and higher engine efficiency.
However, there are challenges associated with H2-IC engines such as its requirement of large storage space for hydrogen tanks and issues related to backfire (pre-ignition) and knocking. Researchers have been working on H2-IC engine technology for over a century, but these engines could not make breakthroughs for commercial use due to multiple challenges related to safety, material compatibility, hydrogen infrastructure, and unavailability of H2-specific components.
H2-ICE with MPFI Technology
SQT offers a complete fuel system for the H2-IC engine working on MPFI technology. Our most of the H2-ICE components such as ECU, fuel rail, H2 port injectors, H2 pressure regulator, H2 filters, etc. are manufactured in-house. SQT has collaborated with multiple technical partners to get access to other H2-specific components such as ignition coils, H2 leak detection sensors, hydrogen storage tanks, on-tank valves, H2 filling nozzles (receptacles), tubing and fittings, etc.
Our H2-ICE ECU has all the major hydrogen-specific EMS logic and control features, which have been tested on multiple engine platforms.
MPFI in H2-ICE: Key Insights
MPFI stands for Multi-Point Fuel Injection. MPFI is also known as Port Fuel Injection (PFI) since the fuel is being injected in the intake manifold ports. MPFI is the most commonly used fuel injection technology in Spark Ignition (SI) engines in passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
For H2-ICE, MPFI technology has multiple benefits over Direct Injection (DI) such as:
- Relatively simple technology
- Higher component life
- Lower cost
- High knock resistance
- Lower NOx emissions
- Higher utilization of fuel available in H2 tank (as fuel injection is done at lower pressure 5-12 bar)
H2-ICE with DI Technology
DI in H2-ICE: Key Insights
DI stands for Direct Injection technology. Unlike MPFI, in a direct injection system, the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber. Direct injection has multiple benefits over MPFI such as very low possibility of backfire, higher volumetric efficiency, higher power & torque output, etc.
However, there are several challenges/limitations with DI such as high complexity, higher cost, high knocking tendency, material compatibility for injectors, higher NOx emissions, and poor utilization of fuel available in H2 tank (as fuel injection is done at higher pressure 40-100 bar).