Investigation is aimed at prolonging the life of internal combustion engines, providing whole life cost benefits, whilst improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.
DB ESG, a leading provider of rolling stock engineering solutions, is delighted to announce that it has received funding from InnovateUK towards a project looking at the effect of the addition of hydrogen and carbon capture on the exhaust emissions on an engine. This funding has been provided by the Department for Business and Trade through the competition ‘Contracts for Innovation: International Rail Innovation Challenges’ delivered by InnovateUK.
DB ESG is collaborating with cleantech leader Advanced Hydrogen Technologies (AHT) for this trial. AHT will supply the device, which will be trialled on a Class 66 locomotive. DB ESG will handle the testing of the AHT equipment on the assigned locomotive.
“We hope this investigation will bring both economic and environmental benefits” said James Hornsby, Projects Director of DB ESG. “With more than 5,000 diesel engines currently active in the UK alone, decarbonising the rail sector is imperative to meet carbon emission targets.”
Ben Kattenhorn, CEO for AHT, added: “This pioneering system reduces carbon footprint and fuel costs and is already proven on road. We are looking forward to further establishing this technology in the rail sector. As James references, helping businesses and the rail industry meet their Net Zero targets, has never been more timely.”
Initial testing will measure the fuel economy and exhaust emissions when the locomotive engine runs at different speeds when connected to a load bank. Further tests will then be conducted to review the effect that supplying hydrogen to the air intake of the engine and adding a carbon capture device to the exhaust outlet has on emissions and the sustainability benefits for the rail sector.