Delhi to Introduce Hydrogen and Hydrogen-CNG Fuels in 2007
27 November 2006
Hindustan Times. India’s first commercial hydrogen fueling pumps will begin operation at an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)-owned station in Delhi in 2007.
The station will feature a dispenser for pure hydrogen and one for a hydrogen blend with compressed natural gas. The cost is being shared by the IOC and India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The station will be able to provide fuel to about 1,000 vehicles a day.
Only a few modifications are required for a CNG vehicle to start using CNG laced with 10 per cent hydrogen. But significant changes in the engine will be mandatory for those vehicles using fuel where the blending is over 10 per cent.
By early 2007, seven vehicle models—Tata Indica, a Tata bus, Bajaj three-wheelers, an Ashok Leyland mini bus, an Eicher mini bus, Mahindra three-wheelers and the Mahindra Utility—are expected to be ready with modified engines which can run on up to a maximum of 30 per cent hydrogen blend.
Duleep Chenoy, Director-General of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), said that engine optimization for those seven models has already begun, and that the vehicles will be ready for field trials by early next year.
In July, SIAM proposed a series of pilot tests to MNRE on vehicles running on a blend of CNG and 10% hydrogen. (Earlier post.)
Banaras Hindu University has already developed modified two-wheeler and three-wheeler engines that are compatible with a CNG-hydrogen mix. The Hosiarpur-based International Cars and Motors Limited has bought the right to use these engines in three-wheelers.
Greater Mumbai is home to some 40 million people. The explosion of vehicle traffic there and in other Indian cities over the past two decades has led to severe air quality problems. Many scooters and rickshaws are still powered by two-stroke engines, though rapid tightening of the emissions regulations should force the transition to four-strokes.
CNG plus three-way catalyst is a good way to cut down on pollution by city buses, taxis, delivery vans etc. Electric hybrids would be even better but may still be too expensive for India.
Hythane, a low blend of hydrogen in natural gas, permits more complete combustion at leaner mixtures, all of which is good for fuel economy. In addition, it reduces resistance to ignition and increases flame propagation speed, permitting greater control over the combustion process, incl. the formation of NOx. The downside is that you have to produce some hydrogen, e.g. via electrolysis powered by nuclear reactors and the waste they generate.
http://www.hythane.com/system.html
A more pressing problem for scaling up is the lack of domestic natural gas resources in India. There are plans for a pipeline from Iran, but the US is blocking efforts to get it built, to avoid funding Iran's nuclear ambitions and involvement in Iraq. It would quite like t o sell some nuclear reactor technology to India, though, as evidenced by the very special deal Ms. Rice negotiated for that country (afaik, it was ratified by Congress). This combination may be what is behind the option of pursuing pure hydrogen as an alternative to both CNG and hythane in India.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 27 November 2006 at 06:48 AM
The beauty of hythane fuel is that even small per cent of hydrogen suppresses generation of NOx at all air/fuel ratios, even at slightly lean mixtures. Considering that NMHC emissions from NG is very low too, hythane-fueled engine is very clean even without computer control and 3-way cat. But of course NG or hythane could not be employed on old two-strokes with lubrication oil added to gasoline.
Posted by: Andrey | 27 November 2006 at 09:48 AM
Fact is h2 and hythane is about the only way india can fuel its upper class past the point of oil being cheap.
As far as the pipeline to india from iran us can kiss indias ass india will make that pipeline no matter what us thinks.
Posted by: wintermane | 27 November 2006 at 01:52 PM
Onboard hydrogen generation is already a commercial reality on a growing number of diesel truck engines in North America. The small Canadian company Hy-Drive (http://www.hy-drive.com/main/default.asp)
sells electrolysis units that produce hydrogen on demand using the spare capacity of the alternator as the power source. (Most alternators are overbuilt for their normal day to day operations). The 'drag' is roughly equivalent to leaving the headlights on; but the benefits are much greater.
On its site is an interesting webcast from earlier in the year where they have some truckers available to give their real-world experience.
Full Disclosure: I don't own any stock in the company. Unfortunately.
Posted by: DP Huntsman | 27 November 2006 at 02:21 PM
Wintermane -
I used to work for a US supercomputer manufacturer. Anytime we wanted to export anything at all, we had to declare that the shipment in question met US export compliance laws, which among other restrictions ban most sales to Iran. This applied not only to the part of th business actually based in the US but also to factories and sales offices overseas. As far as US export compliance was concerned, these were considered to be on US soil (!). Sales to system integrators included clauses prohibiting secondary exports of restricted technology etc.
In other words, unless you build a pipeline without any US technology at all and, the country permitting the export is willing to suffer whatever trade backlash the US decides to impose, that pipeline isn't going to get built. Granted, you don't need a modern supercomputer to build one, but these days even a run-of-the-mill PC is powerful enough to run the software needed for basic nuclear weapons research.
On top of that, India currently enjoys improving relations with the US and would presumably tread carefully wrt a sensitive subject like energy.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 27 November 2006 at 03:35 PM
There is not going to be a pipeline because of the price of gas
that Iran wants without any guarantees and instability in Pakistan.
India tried to build a pipeline through
bangladesh. But bangladesh didn't want to do it for what ever reason so
India just bypassed them.
Posted by: argod | 27 November 2006 at 06:34 PM
If india needs the pipeline it will be made. The only way the us can stop it is to stop india from needing iy in the first place.
Posted by: wintermane | 28 November 2006 at 04:00 AM
our company is specializing in manufacturing composite CNG cylinders in china ,welcome to contact us!
we are permitted to produce seamless steel cylinders, wrapped cylinders and cylinders for NGV. At present the company mainly produces steel lined carbon fiber hoop-wrapped composite cylinders for NGV .
Posted by: ting hua | 25 February 2007 at 07:52 PM
DME developments in China:
Since DME has an advantage of decomposition at lower temperature than methane and LPG, R&D for hydrogen source for fuel cell has been carried out. DME has a potential of feedstock for chemicals. DME to olefins is under development in Japan.
If you would like to know more on the latest DME developments, join us at upcoming North Asia DME / Methanol conference in Beijing, 27-28 June 2007, St Regis Hotel. The conference covers key areas which include:
DME productivity can be much higher especially if
country energy policies makes an effort comparable to
that invested in increasing supply.
By:
National Development Reform Commission NDRC
Ministry of Energy for Mongolia
Production of DME/ Methanol through biomass
gasification could potentially be commercialized
By:
Shandong University completed Pilot plant in Jinan and
will be sharing their experience.
Advances in conversion technologies are readily
available and offer exciting potential of DME as a
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By: Kogas, Lurgi and Haldor Topsoe
Available project finance supports the investments
that DME/ Methanol can play a large energy supply role
By: International Finance Corporation
For more information: www.iceorganiser.com
Posted by: Cheryl Ho | 23 May 2007 at 10:14 PM
studies have been conducted for the evaluation of CNG and HCNG engines. with 20% hydrogen,engine trials have been carried out. when CNG engines could give more than 4 miles per unit of fuel, HCNG engines gave less than 4 miles per unit of fuel.the only advantage of HCNG engines is that there will be 50% reduction in oxides of nitrogen.On the contrary, DME engines either in pure or blended form is a good substitute of diesel.
Posted by: k.GOVINDARAJAN | 06 November 2007 at 05:12 AM
Hello, i am an boces student in an Auto tech class and my name is Rachel Miles, we are building a model that can rum of this car.... i am researching and trying to get as much information as possible, i go to the boces in Norwich NY, my teacher read about your project in a paper and was intruged to try and build it.... our class consists of 11th and 12th graders ready to build this thing, any infomation that you can give me on this project or its outline would be helpful....contact me at the boces or on my cell....(607)-316-4068
thank you,
Rachel Miles
Posted by: Rachel Miles | 16 September 2008 at 07:21 AM
Hello, i am an boces student in an Auto tech class, my teacher is Pete Benson, we are building a model that can rum of this car.... i am researching and trying to get as much information as possible, i go to the boces in Norwich NY, my teacher read about your project in a paper and was intruged to try and build it.... our class consists of 11th and 12th graders ready to build this thing, any infomation that you can give me on this project or its outline would be helpful....contact my teacher at boces
thank you,
boces student
Posted by: Rachel Miles | 16 September 2008 at 07:24 AM