Feasibility of Supporting Diesel Engine Using Solar–Hydrogen Energy Cycle

This experimental study evaluates the feasibility of supporting compression ignition engine that primary run on diesel fuel with hydrogen gas that is produced by solar-hydrogen cycle. A photovoltaic panel is used to produce hydrogen through electrolysis from solar energy. Different mass ratio of hydrogen enrichment to liquid diesel fuel are tested on an engine operating under fixed torque of 14.7 N-m and engine rotational speed of 1100 rpm. Under same loading condition, the study shows that hydrogen can be used to reduce diesel fuel consumption and CO2 emission however this comes on the cost of increasing of NOx emission. The results show that beyond a maximum mass ratio of hydrogen-to-diesel of 9.7%, the engine starts knocking. The experiment shows that adding hydrogen to the air intake of a diesel requires a simple pluming operation in which hydrogen is allowed to enter the engine from the air intake manifold and hence the cost of retrofitting of current diesel engine is considered marginal