Review of State of the Art and Future Options of Hydrogen Storage Systems for Internal Combustion Engines with Direct Fuel Injection for Use in Heavy Duty Vehicles

Currently there is an intensive discussion about the use of hydrogen for mobile applications in particular for heavy-duty vehicles. Here, the focus is also on the integration of internal combustion engines into road vehicles and construction machinery. For maximizing engine efficiency and power density direct injection is generally speaking the favorable option for hydrogen combustion engines, although direct hydrogen injection is in a relatively early development stage and it imposes the demand of high supply pressure on the supply system.

This paper focusses on possible supply system solutions that are suitable for supplying an ICE (internal combustion engine) with high gas pressures suitable for DI (direct injection). Gaseous and liquid hydrogen storage options that are relatively mature today as well as possible future innovative approaches are reviewed and necessary changes for supply of high pressure in all operational scenarios are presented. The additional efforts are evaluated and quantified in terms of package volume, weight, cost and impact of overall drivetrain efficiency.

The components used in each technical solution will be described regarding their functionality; the options of pressurization techniques mentioned above will be explained and finally an outlook on potentially beneficial combinations of hydrogen storage system for supply of high pressure and highly efficient hydrogen DI ICE is presented.