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The company is working to convert General Motors' powerful 6,6L Duramax diesel combustion engine into a clean, hydrogen-burning engine.
The idea of using hydrogen as fuel enjoys growing support in the automotive industry because, among other advantages, it allows you to continue using properly adapted internal combustion engines. If a few days ago Yamaha presented the world with the first hydrogen-powered V8, today we will present the Punch Powertrain project, a regular partner of manufacturers such as BMW, General Motors or Stellantis, to convert diesel engines to use hydrogen.
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The battery-powered electric car is the future of the automotive industry, but unfortunately reality is showing that this statement is only applicable to light transport. In heavy transport, it is not possible to apply battery-powered electric propulsion, at least not with current technology, which is why the use of hydrogen has been found to be the best formula for reducing emissions in this sector. and even marine applications.
General Motors uses the powerful Duramax V8 engine, which delivers 445 hp and 910 lb-ft in its most powerful trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD
A Automotive News Europe recently spoke with Belgian engineer Guido Dumarey, founder and CEO of Punch Group. One such facility – a powertrain engineering complex in Turin, Italy, which Punch purchased from General Motors after its withdrawal from the European market – is working to convert GM's mighty 6,6L Duramax diesel engine into an engine. clean and with hydrogen burning.
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Remembering that General Motors uses the Duramax V8 engine, which offers 445 hp and 910 lb-ft in its most capable trucks, such as the Chevrolet Silverado HD and the GMC Sierra HD.
In addition to buying GM's Turin complex, Punch Group also gained the rights to manufacture and sell the 8-liter Duramax V6,6 in any market outside the US. Interestingly, however, once these engines are converted to burning hydrogen, they can be sold anywhere in the world, including America. Punch wants to go even further, announcing its intention to start converting diesel engines to hydrogen in 2024, with smaller offerings starting at 109 horsepower; the big dog Duramax, meanwhile, tops the heap with 544 hp.
Punch Group isn't the only one trying to convert combustion engines to run on hydrogen. The chemical element has practically become the only salvation for the traditional combustion engine, a technique in which Toyota and the Korean Hyundai are also working, struggling to come out ahead by presenting such an important novelty, which will mean an alternative to electric cars. powered by batteries and hydrogen fuel cells.
The technical challenges of converting a diesel combustion engine into a hydrogen one
The head of Punch Group admits there are many technical hurdles to overcome. For example, he says, "Hydrogen burns seven times faster than diesel, so you need to lower the temperature in the combustion chamber" for proper combustion. “Water injection is a proven technology to do this, but a negative side effect is that it creates corrosion.”
Then there's the lubrication issue, which is "another potential problem for an engine that tends to run too dry," says Dumarey. “Spray lubrication is the only solution.”
The rest of the GM Duramax diesel engine needs relatively little to effectively run out of hydrogen, according to Dumarey. This includes some minor changes to the cylinder head and, of course, an overhaul of the injection and control systems.
Punch Group is working on converting diesel engines instead of gasoline combustion engines to run hydrogen
As for why Punch Group is working on converting diesel engines instead of gasoline combustion engines to run hydrogen, there are two main reasons: affordability – because, as noted above, Punch already owns the right to sell the 6,6L Duramax diesel everywhere but the US – and durability. “Modern diesels are designed to last 350.000 km,” explains Dumarey, “whereas gasoline engines [are] designed to last around 250.000 km.” And Dumarey predicts that as more and more countries reduce transport emissions by limiting or banning the sale of new internal combustion vehicles, more diesel power plants across Europe will inevitably come up for sale.
So, will we see a hydrogen-powered Punch Duramax diesel engine in the North American market Chevrolet Silverado HD or GMC Sierra HD? It's a possibility; Punch Group doesn't have the rights to the 6.6L Duramax diesel in the US, but it does have the US rights to its hydrogen-powered version, and the presumably low fee could mean that it wouldn't make sense for GM to develop and manufacture its own Duramax powered V8 to different hydrogen.
None of Punch's hydrogen engines will land in light passenger vehicles anytime soon. Dumarey does not believe there is a compelling case as a light vehicle emissions solution because of the hydrogen fuel tank. Though lightweight, it is large enough that packing becomes a challenge. That's why so far we've seen a focus on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in large commercial trucks.
“Although the weight of the tank is a fraction of a battery – about 50 kg versus several hundred kg for batteries – the tank requires a space of approximately 100 liters,” says Dumarey. “This is a significant packaging challenge if you want to house the tank in the trunk of a sedan. It is even more problematic with hatchbacks.”
