Both Toyota and Porsche, as well as Bosch Engineering and AVL, are working on the use of hydrogen in motorsport. Are H2 engines and synthetic fuels the future of racing?
Ligier JS2 RH2: The vehicle has a V6 hydrogen engine and a carbon monocoque with three 700 bar Type IV hydrogen cylinders integrated into it.
Bosch Engineering GmbH
It is not only on the road that we are currently experiencing a diversification of drive concepts. The variety of drive solutions is also increasing on the race track. More than ten years ago, the electrification of the powertrain found its way into professional motorsport. Formula 1 was the first racing series to introduce a hybridized powertrain for the 2009 season, known as KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). Since 2012, the regulations of the 24-hour race in Le Mans have allowed the use of hybrid racing cars. Two years later, the FIA Formula E followed as the first purely electrically powered motorsport series in the world. But that's not all: Engineers have also been working on the use of hydrogen in motorsport for some time.
Potential of Hydrogen as a Clean Energy Carrier
Hydrogen (H2) produced from renewable sources is being discussed as a possible future energy source for the transformation to climate neutrality. This green hydrogen is considered CO2-free and is used in electric vehicles powered by fuel cells. One alternative is the thermal conversion of hydrogen in the combustion engine, referred to as the H2 combustion engine. Another possibility is to use e-fuels in the combustion engine, a synthetic fuel produced from renewable hydrogen and carbon dioxide from the air using renewable energy.
For special applications, especially in motor sports and high-performance sports cars, both H2 combustion engines and synthetic fuels offer alternatives to classic combustion engine and battery-electric drives. There are several reasons for their use in motor sports. In addition to the ecological advantage, H2 engines have technological advantages. They use proven technology and promise a long range, short refueling times and almost pollutant-free combustion. E-fuels are climate-neutral during their use phase. Especially for Formula 1, the use of climate-neutral synthetic hydrocarbons plays an important role in their considerations to become climate-neutral by 2030, as Karl-Friedrich Ziegahn explains in the German book chapter Environmental Protection and Sustainability in Motorsports.
Ligier JS2 RH2: Bosch Race Car with Hydrogen
To analyze the potential of a high-performance gasoline engine converted to run on H2, Bosch Engineering and Ligier Automotive have built a race car prototype with a corresponding powertrain system in a joint development project. The Ligier JS2 RH 2 made its debut in June 2023 as part of the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the partners explain in the article Development of a High-performance Hydrogen Engine from MTZworldwide 6-2024.
As part of the project, Bosch Engineering led the engine and overall vehicle design and was largely responsible for the development of the storage and multi-level H2 safety systems. "The 3.0 l V6 H2 engine with biturbo-charging is based on a volume-production gasoline unit, which was adapted to include a special ignition system, combined direct and port fuel injection as well as a water injection system", the article explains. The application is designed to ensure very lean combustion even at high loads, very high specific power and spontaneous engine response in transient operation. The know-how gained in the project will be the starting point for the implementation of future hydrogen projects in both motorsport and high-performance sports cars.
"The results show that our hydrogen concept could meet the extreme requirements of a long-distance race and provide an excellent development basis for future use in racing cars and high-performance sports cars,", says Dr. Johannes-Jörg Rüger, managing director of Bosch Engineering GmbH. The experience gained with the Ligier JS2 RH2, for example in the design of the high-pressure tanks and the complex hydrogen safety concept with active and passive measures, will be incorporated into future customer projects of both companies, as the partners explain in the article High-performance Vehicle with Hydrogen Engine from ATZworldwide 10-2024.
410 hp from 2-liter Displacement: H2 Racing Engine from AVL Racetech
The idea that hydrogen combustion engines are associated with low power and lean operation is one that AVL Racetech would also like to dispel. Together with the Hungarian Humda Lab, AVL's motorsports department has developed an H2 racing engine. On one of the engine test stands converted for hydrogen operation at the AVL headquarters in Graz, a prototype of the hydrogen-powered 2-liter turbo engine is said to have reached a peak power of 410 hp (301.7 kW) at a speed of 6,500 (rpm). The engine's torque is 500 Nm at 3000 - 4000 rpm, which corresponds to a mean effective pressure (MEP) of 32 bar.
According to AVL, the special features of the unit include an intelligent PFI water injection system that injects additional water into the engine's intake air to prevent unwanted pre-ignition, which could cause damage to the engine. The next milestone in the further development is to test the new engine concept in a vehicle on the racetrack.
AVL Racetech is developing an H2 combustion engine for racing.
AVL Racetech
Toyota's GR H2 Racing Concept and Alpine's Alpenglow Hy4
In addition to Bosch Engineering and AVL, Toyota is also working on the H2 engine. In the summer of 2023, Toyota Gazoo Racing unveiled the prototype of the hydrogen vehicle "GR H2 Racing Concept" for the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Toyota has been actively developing hydrogen powertrains for motorsport since 2021. In the Japanese Super Taikyu series, the Japanese carmaker has been competing with a Corolla with a hydrogen engine since the 2021 season.
Meanwhile, Renault subsidiary Alpine has developed the Alpenglow Hy4. The test vehicle is based on an LMP3 race car chassis made of carbon fiber. The Alpenglow Hy4 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 250 kW (340 hp). It features hydrogen direct injection at 40 bar pressure and water injection to reduce NOX emissions. The maximum speed is 7,000 rpm. "As part of our commitment to carbon-free motorsport, we see the hydrogen combustion engine as an extremely promising solution. Hydrogen will be an important step in the decarbonization of the next generations of long-distance cars and perhaps also F1", predicts Bruno Famin, Vice President Alpine Motorsports.
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Races with E-Fuels
Porsche is also concerned with the decarbonization of motorsport, but the sports car manufacturer is opting for the use of synthetic fuels. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has been using e-fuels since the 2024 season. The raw fuel comes from the Haru Oni pilot plant in Chile and is to be made ready for use through a process known as blending. The final product makes it possible to operate the 375 kW (510 hp) 911 GT3 Cup cars in a way that is virtually carbon-neutral. In the three previous years, a second-generation bio-based, partially synthetic fuel blend was used in the sports car manufacturer's top one-make cup series.
And efforts to use renewable fuels in racing are continuing to gain momentum. Engineering service provider Bertrandt is supporting the DeCarTrans initiative in testing a BMW M4 GT4 from the Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport team with renewable fuels. The tests showed that the alternative fuel can be used directly and without technical modifications (drop-in capability). In addition, the number of particles and particulate mass emitted was reduced by about half compared to conventional fuel.
This is a partly automated translation of this German article.
