Low carbon fuel blending and compression for low greenhouse gas emissions

To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the potential of alternative low carbon fuels, such as hydrogen and methane blends, is under investigation. Low-cost spark ignited (SI) engines can be easily modified; more advanced direct injection engines offer higher efficiency but have added challenges. This work investigates a commercial low-cost SI engine's performance with hydrogen and methane blends via modelling a commercial engine. It was found that controlling the equivalence ratio and adjusting the spark timing can offset some of the negative effects of adding hydrogen to the fuel. Higher efficiency options like high pressure direct injection (HPDI) technology are explored through a gas compression test rig is design, development, and characterization. Understanding the effect of fuel change in existing systems on combustion and greenhouse gas emissions and moving towards HPDI technology can provide insight on utilizing hydrogen and methane as the primary fuel in commercial engines.