HYDROGEN AS AN ENGINE FUEL SOME PROS AND CONS

Review is made of the positive features and the current limitations associated with the use of hydrogen as a spark ignition engine fuel. It is shown that hydrogen has excellent prospects to achieve very satisfactory performance in engine applications that may be superior in many aspects to those with conventional fuels. A number of design and operational changes needed to effect the full potential of hydrogen as an engine fuel is outlined. The question whether hydrogen can be manufactured abundantly and economically will remain the limiting factor to its widespread use as an S.I. engine fuel in the future. Hydrogen needs to be manufactured, hydrogen, storage, portability and transport, some relevant properties, hydrogen fuelled engine applications, hydrogen as an engine fuel, some positive features of hydrogen for engine applications, some limitations associated with hydrogen engine applications, measures for improving the operational features of SI hydrogen engines, and liquid hydrogen, comparative properties of hydrogen to methane and iso-octane, as well combustion properties are presented in the paper. The question of whether hydrogen can be obtained abundantly and economically remains yet to be answered satisfactorily.