AVL to Participate in Development of Advanced Integrated Multi-Fuel Powered H₂-Propulsion System

Together with the Research Center Jülich, the Institute CMT from Universitat Politècnica de València and the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ, UPV-CSIC), AVL is currently engaged in the development of a highly efficient integrated multi-fuel powered H₂-propulsion system for heavy-duty transport applications. The system will make clean-fuel technologies more accessible to consumers by facilitating the storage and transportation of the energy carrier. 

Valencia, Spain, May, 2023: In order to achieve the goal of climate neutrality, the EU Commission, among other things, intends to sharply reduce CO₂ emissions from heavy commercial vehicles. By 2040, new trucks and buses are to emit 90% less CO₂ compared to 2019, as the authority proposed. As an interim target, they should already emit 45% less CO₂ by 2030. Hydrogen and fuel fell propulsion systems have emerged as feasible solutions on the way to net-zero mobility. The Horizon Europe founded ALL-IN Zero project is supporting this goal. Within its framework, the Research Center Jülich, the Institute CMT, the Institute of Chemical Technology and AVL are currently developing a pioneering H₂-propulsion system that supports the decarbonization of the heavy-duty transport sector. 

The overall system consists of a Compact Membrane Reactor (CMR) that can be fed with any type of fuel, for example, ammonia, natural gas, biogas or alcohols and convert them temporarily into high purity pressurized H₂ to be used in either a fuel cell system or an internal combustion engine. Therefore, the resulting system will produce either low, zero, or even negative CO₂ emissions when in-situ coupled with carbon capture and storage technology. It removes the requirement for expensive high-pressure H₂ tanks, refueling and storage infrastructure. Moreover, it will provide an integrated clean propulsion system that will enable a significant increase in the range of hydrogen-fueled heavy-duty vehicles.

To evaluate the feasibility and potential of this concept, digital twins of the CMR, internal combustion engine (ICE), and fuel cell (FC) are being developed based on data from tests conducted in the project's second year. These digital twins will aid in identifying the optimal powertrain configuration, which will be further refined for emissions performance. Finally, the optimized powertrain concept will be compared to the current powertrain used in similar applications to evaluate its advantages and disadvantages.

Alberto Zumeta, Managing Director AVL Iberica SA, says: “The current global environmental roadmap has emphasized the need for alternative energies that can be generated and distributed locally more efficiently. Spain is leading the way in producing H₂ out of renewable energies such as solar or wind. AVL’s contribution to ALL-IN Zero project will support accelerating the road towards the Hydrogen Economy. We are proud to support local companies technically in H₂ generation, FC development, and testing to realize a net zero future for all.”

Professor Ricardo Novella, researcher at institute CMT and Project Coordinator, remarks: “It is evident how the environmental concern is encouraging the scientific and industrial communities to cooperate in the design and implementation of new power generation solutions. In this context, the EU-funded project ALL-IN Zero will significantly contribute to this target by investigating an advanced, beyond the state of the art, and fuel-flexible power generation concept based on using hydrogen as an in-situ energy vector for decarbonization of transportation easily transferable to other key economic sectors. Despite the evident scientific and technological challenges, the top-level research institutions and industrial partners integrated in the consortium make me very confident and enthusiastic about the future development of this concept.”