The "baby number two" is a brand-new hydrogen-diesel hybrid engine that can potentially assist some of Australia's largest businesses in reducing their carbon footprint. The test rig has its room next to the laboratory and resembles many other large motors at first glance.
On the other hand, beneath its metallic exterior may lie revolutionary technology. Using their patented technology, engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) claim to have successfully modified a conventional diesel engine to run on a mixture of hydrogen and diesel. Additionally, they assert that their technology has reduced CO2 emissions by over 85%.
Baby Number Two
The university's School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering's Prof. Shawn Kook and his team are in charge of this. At his laboratory in Sydney, Prof. Kook tells the BBC that the interest in converting an existing diesel engine into a clean-burning hydrogen engine is extremely high. Germany, South Africa, Brazil, Japan, and China have all inquired.
He says his team mounts the hydrogen direct injection system into existing diesel engines, which can be used on any conventional engine. Prof. Kook claims that the way their system introduces hydrogen and diesel into the engine cylinder for combustion is what sets it apart.
Since hydrogen does not emit CO2 when burned, it has long been regarded as a more environmentally friendly fuel source. Hydrogen accounts for approximately 90% of the fuel in the UNSW hybrid diesel engine, but its application must be carefully calibrated. Prof. Kook added that the innovation would create something explosive that would burn out the whole system if the hydrogen is not added to the fuel mix correctly.
According to him, research has demonstrated that controlling the ratio of hydrogen to air in the engine's cylinder can help eliminate harmful nitrogen oxide emissions, which have stymied the commercialization of hydrogen motors. As per the Sydney research team, the new hybrid system could be installed on any diesel trucks and power equipment used in agriculture, mining, and transportation in just a few months.
Converting mining industry vehicles to hydrogen could mean big savings in CO2 emissions.
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Diesel-Powered Generators
However, Prof. Kook is skeptical that the hybrid would attract much interest from the automobile industry, where electric and hybrid vehicles are already advancing and replacing diesel vehicles. Moreover, he asserts that Australia's multibillion-dollar mining industry requires an immediate solution for all diesel-powered equipment.
Their fleet has several well-established diesel-powered generators, enormous trucks, and underground machines. It will take decades to introduce new technology, so he claims one option is to shut down everything. The hybrid could run solely on diesel in the absence of hydrogen or on a mixture of hydrogen and diesel.
Within the next two years, Prof. Kook anticipates that his brand-new engine will become a commercial product. According to Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, a Sydney public interest think tank, the technology has the potential to transform the Australian mining industry dramatically.
He emphasized that in his work, he always evaluates what is hype and hope in contrast to reality with skepticism. This breakthrough from the University of New South Wales appears important. It's a huge opportunity if they can pull it off, he concludes.
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