Development of 2-litre ammonia-fuelled engine. newswise

Newswise – A 2-litre engine using ammonia, a renewable and zero-carbon energy source, has been developed. This groundbreaking technology is expected to serve as a foundational platform for a variety of applications including vehicles, ships, aircraft, and industrial power generators.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (President Seong-hyeon Ryu, hereinafter referred to as KIMM), an institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and ICT, announced that it has developed the world’s first engine that can run on ammonia. Able to be injected directly. In collaboration with Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Electrification Engineering Center, the combustion chamber at high pressure.

The new engine uses high pressure liquid injection technology to address the challenges associated with gaseous ammonia fuel such as unstable power output and harmful emissions. This system ensures stable supply of ammonia fuel in large quantities. By using pure ammonia, the engine achieves world-class specific outputs without the need for additional combustion-enhancing devices or additives.

The research team enhanced the engine’s performance by improving the ignition system and optimizing the timing of fuel injection and valve operation. Additionally, they developed a dedicated aftertreatment system to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and unburned ammonia emissions. As a result, the engine showed significant improvements in thermal efficiency and power output while significantly reducing harmful emissions. These advances highlight the potential of ammonia as a practical and efficient fuel for a variety of applications.

Dr. Cheolwoong Park, lead researcher at KIMM, stressed, “This innovation represents an unprecedented improvement over traditional ammonia engine technologies, introducing a new concept in power systems.” He particularly highlighted its potential to transform mobility energy sources and industrial power generation in the area of ​​clean hydrogen energy. “This engine technology could serve as a breakthrough in solving the challenges of hydrogen transportation and green hydrogen production, turning ammonia into a new clean fuel-based power source,” said Dr. Seungwoo Lee, lead researcher at Hyundai Motor and Kia. Will establish as a solution.”

This research was supported by Hyundai Motor and Kia through a project titled “Evaluation of Direct Injection Ammonia Engines”.

,

Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) is a non-profit government funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Since its establishment in 1976, KIMM has been contributing to the economic growth of the country by conducting R&D on key technologies in machinery and materials, conducting reliability test evaluations and commercializing developed products and technologies.