Development of a Hydrogen Fueled Land Speed Record Engine

The development of alternate fuels to power the internal combustion engine is a necessary challenge to meet the needs of the future. The development of the fuel handling and delivery systems that are necessary to utilize these alternate fuels are equally challenging. Hydrogen fuel, in particular, has become one of the fuels of choice for the future. As a way to expedite the engineering effort, a project was undertaken to develop a hydrogen fuel system and engine for use later in a vehicle intended to set a new land speed record. This project began by determining the requirements as far as power needed and resulting fuel flow rate and quantity to make that power for the time duration of the speed run. A mule test engine was used in the dynamometer to develop the necessary test cell apparatus, base calibration parameters, and engine content. From that, a special purpose engine was constructed, calibrated, and tested which was based on a GM 572 crate engine.