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<\/figure>\u201cThe potential for the hydrogen engine lies in experience with the traditional combustion engine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professor Eberhard Bock
Vice President Technology and Innovation<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Modification Of The \u00adInternal Combustion \u00adEngine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, the basis is being laid for something that, upon closer inspection, seems quite logical. After all, the foundations are already in place. \u201cThe potential for the hydrogen engine lies in experience with the traditional combustion engine,\u201d Prof. Bock said. It has been manufactured for more than a century and is considered mature technically. \u201cThere are enough experts and expertise to develop and optimize hydrogen engines with comparatively little effort,\u201d said Bock, who is an honorary professor at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern. In any case, engine manufacturers in Germany and the United States have recently introduced powerful models and are working toward series production. In the process, they are using components that they can readily take from conventional combustion technologies. Meanwhile, they were and still are required to adapt components such as cylinder heads, pistons, piston rings and the injection system to hydrogen. Among other things, they must consider that temperatures in certain areas of hydrogen engines can be higher than in diesels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Existing production facilities are another factor favoring the manufacture of hydrogen engines. They can be converted for H2<\/sub> combustion engines with reasonable investments. Supply chains and the availability of materials are also well-established, and rare materials are not required. Recently introduced hydrogen engines achieve about 300 kilowatts and more than 1,000 newton-meters of torque. That is sufficient for engines for farm and construction machinery. They are also under consideration for stationary equipment, in co-generation plants and as emergency power generators, for example. Engines with up to 1,000 kilowatts and 5,000 newton-meters are already under development. These 12-cylinder engines have displacements as high as 50 liters and are expected to be used in mining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compared to vehicles with battery-electric drives, hydrogen-fueled engines score high in several key categories. The price for hydrogen powertrains is expected to be less, even if their maintenance will cost more. Vehicles with H2<\/sub> combustion engines weigh less, they can be fueled more quickly, and their range is greater. And once a\u00a0large-scale hydrogen infrastructure including a\u00a0refueling station network has been established, the sales opportunities for passenger cars with hydrogen powertrains will expand as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, the efficiency of a hydrogen engine is comparatively low. Efficiency indicates how the amount of usable energy compares to the energy investment. It is as high as 85 percent for battery-electric vehicles. In contrast, diesels come in at nearly 50 percent, although a Chinese manufacturer recently created a stir with an efficiency rate of 53 percent. The hydrogen combustion engine achieves a bit more than 40 percent, with the potential for more. The efficiency of a hydrogen-powered fuel cell is more than 60 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether the subject for discussion is fuel cells or hydrogen engines, Bock recommends openness to the technologies. \u201cAny sustainable powertrain ought to be welcome.\u201d In the case of hydrogen drives, this requires the green production of hydrogen. The fuel cell has now become a highly developed technology. It also offers fast fill-ups and greater ranges. The technology has found a market in heavy-duty transport, logistical vehicles and buses. \u201cAt Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, we have long dealt with sealing solutions for various types of powertrains. We are helping manufacturers with the joint development of outstanding solutions and with standardized products,\u201d Bock said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well-known manufacturers and suppliers naturally turn to Freudenberg Sealing Technologies on questions relating to sealing technology. Not least of all, because success essentially comes down to using the right material along with process reliability and expertise in product design. \u201cWe have found sealing solutions for tricky situations again and again, whether for combustion engines or for fuel cells,\u201d Bock said. \u201cWe have patents for materials that are tried-and-tested and high-performing in equal measure, and that gives us an advantage.\u201d One example in the fuel cell field is Fuel Cell Polyolefin (FCPO), which has already found a home in series production. Unlike popular rubber compounds, it gives off no pollutants. That\u2019s good for the fuel cells as they are very sensitive to these influences, which tend to depress performance. There is another issue: Even tiny, volatile hydrogen molecules only migrate very slowly through this long-lasting, heat-resistant material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another FKM-based material that was developed in-house has surged onto the hydrogen-engine scene. It copes well with temperatures up to 200\u2009\u00b0C, which destines it for H2<\/sub> combustion engines. It is also as durable and resistant to permeation as FCPO, coupled with a\u00a0high resistance to fluids and acids. Each of these traits permits its use in components, like the injection system, that are expected to be modified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bock still sees a key role for political leaders \u2013 they can give hydrogen powertrains a critical mass. \u201cIt will be up to them to get the infrastructure for the hydrogen economy up-and-running quickly and decisively.\u201d This is especially important from an international standpoint: Many countries are taking on hydrogen projects and building up production and distribution systems. \u201cWhether in Australia, the Far East or North America, a lot of money is flowing into hydrogen projects in a range of locations. We in Germany have to make sure we don\u2019t miss the boat. We have a lot of good ideas, but we are still implementing them too slowly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It will be crucial to be ambitious\u00a0\u2013 and stay on track, all the more since people have underestimated the amount of effort and the time available for the implementation. It will come down to stamina. That is the only way the energy transition will succeed. The same is true for the decarbonization that will bring carbon-free transportation. \u201cOur climate consciousness must be our greatest engine,\u201d Bock said. \u201cThe government must provide incentives to make sure this happens in every field. Some examples are a\u00a0high CO2<\/sub> tax, subsidized green hydrogen and the promotion of a\u00a0comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Engine manufacturers and suppliers like Freudenberg Sealing Technologies are already developing viable solutions for hydrogen powertrains and are continuing to refine them. Because, as Prof. Bock put it, hydrogen combustion engines are on their way. After all, their advantages are obvious.<\/p>\nAdvantages Of Hydrogen Powertrains<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Openness To Sustainable Drive Technologies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sought-After, High-\u00adPerforming Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Companies Propose And The Politics Follow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n