Development of a Dual-Fuel Power Generation System for an Extended Range Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

In recent decades, there has been a growing global concern with regard to vehicle-generated greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting air pollution. In response, automotive original equipment manufacturers focus their efforts on developing "greener" propulsion solutions in order to meet the societal demand and ecological need for clean transportation. Hydrogen is an ideal vehicle fuel for use not only in fuel cells (FCs) but also in a spark-ignition internal combustion engines (ICEs). The combustion of hydrogen (H(2)) fuel offers vastly superior tail-pipe emissions when compared with gasoline and can offer improved performance. H(2) is ideally suited for use in an extended range plug-in hybrid electric vehicle architecture where engine efficiency can be optimized for a single engine speed. H(2) ICEs are significantly more cost effective then an equivalent-sized H(2) FC making them a better near-term solution. Before hydrogen can replace gasoline and diesel as the main source of automotive fuel, a number of hurdles must first be overcome. One such hurdle includes developing a suitable hydrogen infrastructure, which could take decades. As such, dual-fuel capabilities will help to create a transition between gasoline-and hydrogen-powered vehicles in the near term, while a full-service hydrogen infrastructure is developed.