Tuesday, April 1, 2008 - 2:40 PM
HCNG Engine Powered Transit Buses Operating on Waste Hydrogen
The HCNG transit bus technology project is a part of the Canadian federal government funded IWHUP (Integrated Waste Hydrogen Utilization Project) initiative currently underway in the Greater Vancouver region. The IWHUP initiative aims to demonstrate how by-product hydrogen available from a local sodium chlorate electrochemical plant can be: captured and purified; compressed and transported on roadways more effectively and utilized for customer applications. The highly developed and reliable internal combustion engine technology continues to become more sophisticated. Adapting such ICEs to utilize hydrogen/natural gas (HCNG) mixtures can result in cost effective power plants that can serve the needs of a long term hydrogen roadmap. Engine and field testing have shown that HCNG fuel (20 vol% H2) can reduce NOx emissions without affecting the performance and efficiency of a lean burn spark ignition natural gas engine. Obtaining hydrogen from an industrial waste stream or a renewable source results in significant reduction of GHG emissions. The HCNG bus program targeted development and field testing of a new calibration for a commercially available spark ignition natural gas engine for transit applications. The 8.3 Litre, turbocharged, lean burn engine was calibrated to operate on a mixture of 20% hydrogen and 80% CNG. Substantial reductions in NOx, unburned hydrocarbons and tailpipe CO2 emissions were observed both in the test cell and subsequently during vehicle testing. On-the-road testing also verified that the HCNG bus acceleration and drivability were on par with that of the CNG bus. Currently all four HCNG buses are undergoing demonstrations in regular passenger service. Valuable experience has been gained in implementing the HCNG bus project as part of a multi-partner project team. A procedure was developed and implemented to address issues related to compliance and permitting of the vehicles to allow introduction of the HCNG buses in regular service. This paper will report on the following topics including experience from field implementation phase of the project:
– Engine and vehicle emissions testing results,
– Upgrade and commissioning of the HCNG buses,
– Compliance review of engine and bus subsystems for HCNG operation,
– Codes &standards and permitting of HCNG buses for passenger service,
– Hydrogen supply and HCNG bus refuelling infrastructure,
– Experience and data from field testing,
– Implications for GHG reduction.
– Engine and vehicle emissions testing results,
– Upgrade and commissioning of the HCNG buses,
– Compliance review of engine and bus subsystems for HCNG operation,
– Codes &standards and permitting of HCNG buses for passenger service,
– Hydrogen supply and HCNG bus refuelling infrastructure,
– Experience and data from field testing,
– Implications for GHG reduction.
PDF file