THERMAL SCIENCE

International Scientific Journal

RECENT PROGRESS ON HYDROGEN-FUELED PORT FUEL INJECTION SPARK IGNITION ENGINE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

ABSTRACT
The performance of H2PFI is constrained by low volumetric efficiency and combustion anomalies including pre-ignition, backfire, and knock. The current study presents a systematic literature review of studies on the H2PFI spark ignition en¬gine sourced from the Scopus and WoS databases from 2014-2024. A flame arrestor can prevent flames from travelling back into the intake manifold. By reducing spark plug tip temperature, exhaust valve surface temperatures, retarding spark timing, delaying fuel injection, cooled exhaust gas re-circulation, water injection, increasing compression ratio, increasing injection pressure, retarding intake valve opening timing and lean burn, H2PFI spark ignition engine combustion anomalies and emissions can be mitigated. The combustion and performance of the engine can be enhanced through controlling the injection strategies. Water injection and exhaust gas re-circulation techniques are found effective in reducing NOx emissions. The use of zero-carbon fuels such as ammonia can be blended with hydrogen to increase the energy density of the mixture thereby increasing the volumetric efficiency. Ammonia can be blended with hydrogen to modulate flame speed, heat release rate, and mitigate engine knock. Similarly, the use of nanoadditives and catalysts to optimize hydrogen ignition properties and enable more controlled combustion is a promising research direction for H2PFI spark ignition engines.
KEYWORDS
PAPER SUBMITTED: 2024-09-30
PAPER REVISED: 2024-12-25
PAPER ACCEPTED: 2025-01-25
PUBLISHED ONLINE: 2025-05-10
DOI REFERENCE: https://doi.org/10.2298/TSCI240930081A
CITATION EXPORT: view in browser or download as text file
THERMAL SCIENCE YEAR 2025, VOLUME 29, ISSUE Issue 5, PAGES [3509 - 3528]
REFERENCES
  1. Nguyen, D., Turner, J. W., Effect of Nitric Oxide on the Performance and Emissions of a Hydrogen-Fueled HCCI Engine, Fuel, 349 (2023), 128611
  2. D'eguez, P. M., et al., Characterization of Combustion Anomalies in a Hydrogen-Fueled 1.4 L Commercial Spark-Ignition Engine by Means of in-Cylinder Pressure, Block-Engine Vibration, and Acoustic Measurements, Energy Convers Manag, 172 (2018), Sept., pp. 67-80
  3. ***, IRENA, Global Renewables Outlook: Energy Transformation 2050, International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2020
  4. Shinde, B. J., Karunamurthy, K., Effect of Excess Air Ratio and Ignition Timing on Performance, Emission and Combustion Characteristics of High Speed Hydrogen Engine, In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1161 (2023), 1, 012006
  5. Ortiz-Imedio, R., et al., Comparative Performance of Coke oven Gas, Hydrogen and Methane In A Spark Ignition Engine, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46 (2021), 33, pp. 17572-17586
  6. Gao, J., et al., Review of the Backfire Occurrences and Control Strategies for Port Hydrogen Injection Internal Combustion Engines, Fuel, 307 (2022), 121553
  7. Arbye, S., et al., An Overview of Green Hydrogen Production System Through Low Temperature Water Electrolysis Using Solar Energy, Thermal Science, 28 (2024), 5A, pp. 3657-3674
  8. Pal, A., Agarwal, A. K., Effect of Compression Ratio on Combustion, Performance and Emissions of a Laser Ignited Single Cylinder Hydrogen Engine, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 40 (2015), 36, pp. 12531-12540
  9. Li, S., et al., An Analytic Model for The Effects of Nitrogen Dilution and Premixing Characteristics on NOx Formation in Turbulent Premixed Hydrogen Flames, Int. J .Hydrogen Energy, 42 (2017), 7060e70
  10. Lee, B., et al., CFD Simulation of a Premixed Spark Injection Hydrogen Engine, Proceedings, Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2019, Vol. 59346, p. V001T06A008
  11. Lee, J., et al., High Power Performance with Zero NOx Emission in a Hydrogen-Fueled Spark Ignition Engine by Valve Timing and Lean Boosting, Fuel, 128 (2014), 381e9
  12. Sun, Z., et al., Hydrogen Engine Operation Strategies: Recent Progress, Industrialization Challenges, and Perspectives, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 48 (2023), 1, pp. 366-392
  13. Verhelst, S., et al., A critical Review of Experimental Research on Hydrogen Fueled SI engines, SAE Tech Paper, 2006- 01-0430, 2006
  14. Sterlepper, S., et al., Concepts for Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines and Their Implications on the Exhaust Gas Aftertreatment System, Energies, 14 (2021), 23, 8166
  15. Abubakar, S., et al., Hydrogen-fuelled Internal Combustion Engines-Bibliometric Analysis on Research Trends, Hotspots, and Challenges, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 61 (2024), Apr., pp. 623-638
  16. Purayil, S. T. P., et al., Review of Hydrogen-Gasoline SI Dual Fuel Engines: Engine Performance and Emission, Energy Reports, 9 (2023), Dec., pp. 4547-4573
  17. Musy, F., et al., Hydrogen-Fuelled Internal Combustion Engines: Direct Injection vs. Port-Fuel Injection, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 137 (2025), June, pp. 925-938
  18. Kalaskar, V., et al., Challenges and Opportunities with Direct-Injection Hydrogen Engines, SAE Technical paper, 2023-01-0287, 2023
  19. Zhang, S., et al., Energy and Exergy Analysis for a Turbocharged Direct-Injection Hydrogen Engine To Achieve Efficient and High-Economy Performances, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 54 (2024), Feb., pp. 601-612
  20. Maio, G., et al., Experimental and Numerical Investigation of a Direct Injection Spark Ignition Hydrogen Engine for Heavy-Duty Applications, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 47 (2022), 67, pp. 29069-29084
  21. Gammaidoni, T., et al., Hydrogen Mixing And Combustion in an SI Internal Combustion Engine: CFD Evaluation of Premixed and DI Strategies, Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 55 (2024), 104072
  22. Ma, D. S., Sun, Z. Y., Progress on the Studies about NOx Emission in PFI-H2ICE, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 45 (2020), 17, pp. 10580-10591
  23. Bekdemir, C., et al., The H2-ICE Technology Options of the Present and the Near Future, SAE Technical Paper, 2022-01-0472, 2022
  24. Onorati, A., et al., The role of hydrogen for future internal combustion engines, International Journal of Engine Research, 23 (2022), 4, pp. 529-540
  25. Urroz, J., C., et al., Gaseous Fueling of an Adapted Commercial Automotive Spark-Ignition Engine: Simplified Thermodynamic Modelling and Experimental Study Running on Hydrogen, Methane, Carbon Monoxide and Their Mixtures, Fuel, 337 (2023), 127178
  26. Shaari, M. F., et al., Optimization of Air-Fuel Ratio and Compression Ratio to Increase the Performance of Hydrogen Port Fuel Injection Engines, in: Engineering Applications for New Materials and Technologies, Springer Nature, New York, USA, 2018, pp. 425-437
  27. Salvi, B. L., Subramanian, K. A., Experimental Investigation on Effects of Compression Ratio and Exhaust Gas Re-Circulation on Backfire, Performance and Emission Characteristics in a Hydrogen Fuelled Spark Ignition Engine, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 41 (2016), 13, pp. 5842-5855
  28. Bai-Gang, S., et al., The NOx Emission Characteristics of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine, Journal of Beijing Institute of Technology, 23 (2014), 3, pp. 339-344
  29. Stępien, Z., Analysis of the Prospects for Hydrogen-Fuelled Internal Combustion Engines, Combustion Engines, 197 (2024), 2, pp. 32-41
  30. Kim, J., Exhaust Emissions and Aftertreatments of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines: A Review, International Journal of Automotive Technology, 24 (2023), 6,pp. 1681-1690
  31. Khalid, A. H., et al., Hydrogen port fuel injection: Review of fuel injection control strategies to mitigate Backfire in Internal Combustion Engine Fuelled With Hydrogen, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 66 (2024), May, pp. 571-581
  32. Stępien, Z., A Comprehensive Overview of Hydrogen-Fueled Internal Combustion Engines: Achievements and Future Challenges, Energies, 14 (2021), 20, 6504
  33. White, C. M., et al., The hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine: a technical review, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 31 (2006), 10, pp. 1292-1305
  34. McAllister, S., et al., Fundamentals of Combustion Processes, Springer, New York, USA, 2011, Vol. 302
  35. Duan, Y. H., et al., Combustion characteristics of a turbocharged direct-injection hydrogen engine, Energy Conversion and Management, 291 (2023), 117267
  36. Luo, Q. H., Sun, B. G., Experiments on the Effect of Engine Speed, Load, Equivalence Ratio, Spark Timing and Coolant Temperature on the Energy Balance of a Turbocharged Hydrogen Engine, Energy, Convers. Manag., 162 (2018), Apr., pp. 1-12
  37. Hosseini, S. E., Butler, B., An Overview of Development and Challenges in Hydrogen Powered Vehicles, International Journal of Green Energy, 17 (2020), 1, pp. 13-37
  38. Verhelst, S., Wallner, T., Hydrogen-Fueled Internal Combustion Engines, Prog. Energy Combust. Sci., 35 (2009), 6, pp. 490-527
  39. Xin, G., et al., Monitoring of hydrogen-fueled engine backfires using dual manifold absolute pressure sensors. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 47 (2022), 26, pp. 13134-13142
  40. Harris, J. D., et al., How to Write a Systematic Review, The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 42 (2014), 11, pp. 2761-2768
  41. Ozturk, O., et al., How to Design Bibliometric Research: An Overview and a Framework Proposal, Rev. Manag. Sci., 18 (2024), Mar., pp. 3333-3361
  42. Pino, A. F. S., et al., Systematic Literature Review on Mechanisms to Measure the Technological Maturity of the Internet of Things in Enterprises, Internet of Things, 25 (2024), 101082
  43. Page, M. J., et al., The PRISMA 2020 Statement: An Updated Guideline for Reporting Systematic Reviews, Int. J. Surg., 88 (2021), 105906
  44. Erdiaw-Kwasie, M. O., et al., A Systematic Review of The Factors-Barriers, Drivers, and Technologies-Affecting E-Waste Urban Mining: On the Circular Economy Future of Developing Countries, Journal of Cleaner Production, 436 (2024), 140645
  45. Wohlin, C., Guidelines for Snowballing in Systematic Literature Studies and A Replication in Software Engineering, Proceedings, 18th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering, London, UK, 2014, pp. 1-10
  46. Buzzi, L., et al., Experimental Investigation of Hydrogen Combustion in a Single Cylinder PFI Engine, International Journal of Engine Research, 25 (2024), 2, pp. 358-372
  47. Luo, Q., Lee, C. F., Controlling Strategy for the Performance and NOx Emissions of the Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines with a Turbocharger, SAE Technical Paper, 2020-01-0256, 2020
  48. Luo, Q., et al., A General Selection Method for the Compressor of the Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine with Turbocharger, SAE Technical Paper, 2017-01-1025, 2017
  49. Kim, J., Rajoo, S., A Numerical Study on Turbocharging System for PFI-SI Type Hydrogen Combustion Engine, SAE Technical Paper, 2021-24-0094, 2021
  50. Nguyen, D., et al., Effect of Supercharger System on Power Enhancement of Hydrogen-Fueled Spark-Ignition Engine under Low-Load Condition, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46 (2021), 9, pp. 6928-6936
  51. Lu, Y., et al., Study on Backfire Characteristics of Port Fuel Injection Single-Cylinder Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine, Applied Energy, 364 (2024), 123110
  52. Su, T., et al., Effect of Spark Timing on Performance of a Hydrogen-Gasoline Rotary Engine, Energy Convers Manage, 148 (2017), Sept., pp. 120-127
  53. Božić M., et al., Experimental Study on Knock Sources in Spark Ignition Engine with Exhaust Gas Re-Circulation, Energy Convers Manage, 165 (2018), June, pp. 35-44
  54. Faizal, M., et al., Review of Hydrogen Fuel for Internal Combustion Engines, J. Mech. Eng. Res. Dev., 42 (2019), 3, pp. 36-46
  55. Yang, Z., et al., Diagnosis and Control of Abnormal Combustion of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Based on the Hydrogen Injection Parameters, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 47 (2022), 35, pp. 15887-15895
  56. Chen, Y., et al., Correlation between Cycle-by-Cycle Variation, Burning Rate, and Knock: A Statistical Study from PFI and DISI Engines, Fuel, 206 (2017), Oct., pp. 210-218
  57. Dubouil, R., et al., Air Path Design, Technical Definition and Pre-Calibration of an Ultra-Lean Hydrogen Engine Based on OD/1D Simulation, SAE Technical Paper, 2023-24-0004, 2023
  58. Dhyani, V., Subramanian, K. A., Development of Online Control System for Elimination of Backfire in a Hydrogen Fuelled Spark Ignition Engine, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46 (2021), 27, pp. 14757-14763
  59. Gal, T., et al., Thermodynamics of Lean Hydrogen Combustion by Virtual Investigations on a Single-Cylinder Engine with Port Fuel Injection and Pre-Chamber Ignition, SAE Technical Paper, 2023-24-0063, 2023
  60. Duan, J., et al., Backfire Control and Power Enhancement of a Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 39 (2014), 9, pp. 4581-4589
  61. Dhyani, V., Subramanian, K. A., Fundamental Characterization of Backfire in a Hydrogen Fuelled Spark Ignition Engine Using CFD and Experiments, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 44 (2019), 60, pp. 32254-32270
  62. Park, C., et al., Effect of the Operation Strategy and Spark Plug Conditions on the Torque Output of a Hydrogen Port Fuel Injection Engine, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46 (2021), 74, pp. 37063-37070
  63. Dhyani, V., Subramanian, K. A., Control of Backfire and NOx Emission Reduction in a Hydrogen Fueled Multi-Cylinder Spark Ignition Engine Using Cooled EGR and Water Injection Strategies, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 44 (2019), 12, pp. 6287-6298
  64. Nzinga, M. A. K., et al., Experimental Observation of Flame Propagation Behavior of Hydrogen Enriched Flames Upstream of a Flame Arrester Housing with Parallel Plates as the Arrester Element, Combustion Science and Technology, 197 (2025), 9, pp. 2036-2059
  65. Dhyani, V., Subramanian, K. A., Experimental Investigation on Effects of Knocking on Backfire and Its Control in a Hydrogen Fueled Spark Ignition Engine, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 43 (2018), 14, pp. 7169-7178
  66. Luo, Q. H., Sun, B. G., Inducing Factors and Frequency of Combustion Knock in Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 41 (2016), 36, pp. 16296-16305
  67. Irimescu, A., et al., Conversion of a Small-Size Passenger Car to Hydrogen Fueling: Simulation of CCV and Evaluation of Cylinder Imbalance, Machines, 11 (2023), 2, 135
  68. Su, T., et al., Idle Performance of a Hydrogen Rotary Engine at Different Excess Air Ratios, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 43 (2018), 4, pp. 2443-2451
  69. Leite, C. R., et al., Combustion Cycle-to-Cycle Variation Analysis in Diesel Baseline Hydrogen-Fueled Spark-Ignition Engines, SAE Technical Papers, 2023-01-0290, 2023
  70. Kim, Y., et al., Effects of Varying Excess Air Ratios on a Hydrogen-fueled Spark Ignition Engine with PFI and DI Systems under Low-load Conditions, International Journal of Automotive Technology, 24 (2023), 6, pp. 1531-1542
  71. Fu, H., et al., Combustion Characteristics and Energy Distribution of Hydrogen Engine under High Oxy­gen Concentration, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 47 (2022), 89, pp. 38031-38042
  72. Bucherer, S., et al., Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Spark Plug and Passive Pre-Chamber Ignition on a Single-Cylinder Engine with Hydrogen Port Fuel Injection for Lean Operations, SAE Tech­nical Paper, 2023-01-1205, 2023
  73. Bunce, M., et al., Development of a High Power, Low Emissions Heavy Duty Hydrogen Engine, SAE Technical Paper, 2024-01-2610, 2024
  74. Franca, L. B. M., et al., Validation of a CFD Hydrogen Combustion Model on an PFI SI Engine under Lean Combustion, SAE Technical Paper, 2023-36-0125, 2024
  75. Mohamed, M., et al., Hydrogen Engine Insights: A Comprehensive Experimental Examination of Port Fuel Injection and Direct Injection, SAE Technical Paper, 2024-01-2611, 2024
  76. Hu, Z., et al., Effect of Timing Strategy on Mixture Formation, Performance and Emission of Inlet Injection Hydrogen Engine, SAE Technical Paper, 2024-01-2614, 2024
  77. Catapano, F., et al., A Complete Assessment of the Emission Performance of an SI Engine Fueled with Methanol, Methane and Hydrogen, Energies, 17 (2024), 5, 1026
  78. Jabbr, A. I., et al., . Multi-Objective Optimization of Operating Parameters for Hydrogen-Fueled Spark-Ignition Engines, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 41 (2016), 40, pp. 18291-18299
  79. Xu, X., et al., Numerical Simulation of Ammonia-Hydrogen Engine Using Low-Pressure Direct Injection (LP-DI), SAE Technical Paper, 2024-01-2118, 2024

2025 Society of Thermal Engineers of Serbia. Published by the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International licence