Analysis of Full Torque Determination in a Diesel Engine Operating in Dual Fuel mode with Hydrogen and Diesel

A 15kW diesel engine is modified in the laboratory to operate in dual fuel combustion mode. The engine is a three-cylinder, displacement of 1 Liter, originally fueled with diesel in its baseline configuration. The engine is modified by installing three PFI injectors, positioned toward the intake valves within the intake manifold. Hydrogen injection is synchronized with valve opening during the engine cycle using controlled delay units. The standard diesel injection system, managed by the original ECU, initiates combustion of the premixed air/hydrogen charge. The dual fuel operation is tested at 2000 rpm maximum torque. To maintain this condition, both diesel quantity through accelerator input and hydrogen flow via injectors duration are adjusted. Constraints included reducing diesel fuel and avoiding knock caused by excessive hydrogen. The engine operated reliably under all tested conditions. A maximum hydrogen energy substitution HES of 70% is achieved at high load, though higher values increased PPRR. A premixed equivalence ratio of 0.40 is identified as the limit before self-ignition occurred. To prevent this and achieve maximum power, an alternative strategy is introduced. Starting from diesel-only maximum torque, diesel is gradually reduced while hydrogen is increased. Rated torque is successfully achieved with an HES up to 45%. These results demonstrate that dual fuel operation can significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption while maintaining performance. It provided combustion stability and knock limits carefully managed through appropriate control of mixture composition. Further optimization could enhance efficiency and emissions performance in future applications.