A team of researchers from the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) says it has developed a hydrogen compressed natural gas (HCNG) engine that is compliant with Euro 6 emission regulations, reports the Korea Business Times.
HCNG is a blend of hydrogen and CNG that increases the combustion rate and reduces ignition delay, resulting in improved engine efficiency and lower emissions. Typically, hydrogen blends of 4% to 9% are used in HCNG engines.
According to the KIMM researchers, the HCNG engine is up to 8% more efficient than comparable CNG engines and produces 18% fewer emissions, and researchers claim to have reduced all criteria pollutant emissions by one-third of the current Euro 6 emissions standards. The researchers reportedly used a “high EGR technology” in order to ensure the HCNG engine met Euro 6 standards.
The HCNG engine technology is compatible with current CNG engines, and the KIMM researchers are planning on-road testing utilizing two intra-city buses in Olsan and Incheon, South Korea. South Korea’s finance minister recently announced plans to replace all of the country’s CNG buses with hydrogen fuel cell buses built by Hyundai.
