USC team demonstrates using multi-pulse transient plasma ignition enables stable combustion of ammonia

Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) have demonstrated that the use of nanosecond pulse transient plasma enables stable combustion of ammonia in an internal combustion engine (i.e., a modified natural gas engine) over a wide range of equivalence ratios from ϕ = 0.78 to ϕ = 1.23. A... Read more →


Yanmar Power Technology, a group company of Yanmar Holdings, successfully completed a land-based demonstration test of a pilot-ignition hydrogen 4-stroke high-speed engine for power generation in coastal vessels, achieving operation at a rated output of approximately 500kW. This trial was conducted as part of the Nippon Foundation’s zero emission ship... Read more →


Technology group Wärtsilä has introduced its innovative NextDF feature for the Wärtsilä 25DF dual-fuel engine. While operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), the NextDF feature reduces methane emissions to less than 2% of fuel use across all load points, achieving as low as 1.1% in a wide load range. The... Read more →


MAN Energy Solutions has received multiple orders for MAN B&W G95ME-LGIM Mk 10.5 methanol engines to power a series of Very Large Container Vessels (VLCVs). The order brings the cumulative number of G95ME-C10.5-LGIM methanol engine orders to 95 at various yards in South Korea, China and Japan since the engine’s... Read more →


Nissan’s e-POWER vehicle production passes 1.5M unit milestone; coming to US and Canada

Nissan announced that cumulative global production of its e-POWER vehicles surpassed 1.5 million units as of the end of October. At present, e-POWER vehicles are sold in 68 markets around the world. A unique Nissan technology, e-POWER uses a small capacity gasoline engine and lithium-ion battery to power an electric... Read more →


In a project that recently started at the Kanzelstein quarry in Gratkorn, Austrian construction company STRABAG is testing Liebherr’s large hydrogen-powered wheel loader over a period of two years. Energie Steiermark will supply green hydrogen for its own hydrogen filling station at the quarry. The L 566 H wheel loader... Read more →


WinGD introduces LPG ‘pre-fit’ option for operators aiming for ammonia trade

Swiss marine power company WinGD has introduced an option for its X-DF-A ammonia-fueled engines to be delivered capable of running on liquified petroleum gas (LPG). The ‘pre-fit’ solution will be of particular interest to vessels under construction for the anticipated global trade in ammonia, which will also be capable of... Read more →


Researchers 3D print new lightweight alloy for ultrahot gas turbines

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Energy Technology Laboratory have developed and 3D printed the lightest crack-free alloy capable of operating without melting at temperatures above 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit. This milestone could enable additively manufactured turbine blades to better handle extreme temperatures, reducing the carbon footprint of... Read more →


In the course of the market launch of the MAN D3872 (earlier post) for workboats, MAN Engines is expanding its portfolio with additional performance for heavy-duty applications. The new MAN D3872 in the LE427 variant for heavy-duty applications has an output of 920 kW (1,250 hp) at 1,800 rpm and... Read more →


Having designed and tested the first two-stroke ammonia engine (earlier post), MAN Energy Solutions has now launched the ‘AmmoniaMot 2’ research project. Initiated by MAN with partners from industry and research institutes, the project aims to develop a four-stroke, medium-speed, dual-fuel test engine that runs on ammonia. ­ Supported by... Read more →


The US Space Force is providing $35 million to a national research team led by the University of Michigan. It will be the first to bring fast chemical rockets together with efficient electric propulsion powered by a nuclear microreactor. The newly formed Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness and... Read more →


EPA awarding about $125M under Diesel Emissions Reduction Act

The US Environmental Protection Agency announced selections totaling nearly $125 million under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) National Grants Program which will incentivize and accelerate the upgrade or retirement of older diesel engines to cleaner and zero-emission solutions leading to significant emission reductions and air quality and public health... Read more →


With a higher battery capacity, DC charging at fast-charging stations, and an electric range of up to 143 kilometers (89 miles), the Audi A3 Sportback TFSI e is undergoing a comprehensive technology upgrade. Its intelligent drive management ensures outstanding efficiency, high recuperation performance, and locally emission-free driving over long distances... Read more →


OptiFuel Systems announced a new line of Total-Zero Diesel Hybrid and Total-Zero Diesel-RNG Dual Fuel Hybrid Series Locomotives. Production and delivery are expected in 2026 and either model can be retrofitted to any existing switcher or line haul platform. Engineered to deliver best-in-class continuous and peak power, fuel efficiency, and... Read more →


A team of researchers from University of California Riverside, BASF, Virginia Tech and Brookhaven National Laboratory have mixed platinum (Pt) catalyst with zeolites to improve significantly catalytic performance in the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with H2 (H2-SCR), a process aiming at NOx removal from internal combustion engines... Read more →


HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has developed a zero-carbon ammonia dual-fuel (DF) engine—the world’s first high-pressure ammonia direct injection engine. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has completed the model-based class approval testing for the “HiMSEN Ammonia Dual-Fuel Engine,” (model: H22CDF-LA) at its Engine Technology Center in the Ulsan Headquarters. The testing was... Read more →


Alfa Laval to supply first systems for ammonia-fueled marine vessels by end of 2025

Alfa Laval said it will be ready to supply its first fuel systems for ammonia-fuelled vessels by the end of 2025. Leveraging its extensive expertise with fuels such as LNG, LPG, and methanol, Alfa Laval is accelerating the development of new technologies for ammonia to ensure its safe and efficient... Read more →


Volkswagen unveiled the new Tayron SUV in Europe; the large Volkswagen SUV with five or optionally seven seats is positioned between the Touareg (premium class) and the Tiguan (mid-class). A total of seven drive systems will soon be available. The range includes two next-generation plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (eHybrid). They... Read more →


Toyota Alabama has assembled its 10-millionth engine, an i-Force MAX 2.4-liter, to power an all-new hybrid Tacoma. The engine plant, which first broke ground in 2001, assembles a third of all Toyota engines in North America. Toyota Alabama’s 2,000 team members assemble upwards of 777,000 engines a year. When the... Read more →


LiquidPiston, an innovator of efficient internal combustion engine technology and hybrid power systems, has begun testing its 10kW heavy-fueled generator prototype. The genset is powered by LiquidPiston’s 25hp heavy-fueled XTS-210 rotary engine, which itself entered its integrated engine testing phase in April 2024. The company has been awarded more than... Read more →


Clean Energy Fuels, the largest provider of renewable natural gas (RNG) for the transportation industry, is launching a program to allow heavy-duty fleets to operate a truck equipped with the new Cummins X15N engine (earlier post). The first company to participate in the program is industry leader J.B. Hunt Transport... Read more →


Allison Transmission equips SwRI hydrogen ICE demo truck showcased at COMVEC

Allison Transmission announced the integration of the Allison 4000 Series transmission with a Class 8 truck equipped with a Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2-ICE) displayed by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) at SAE International’s Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress (COMVEC) in Schaumburg, Illinois. The H2-ICE vehicle demonstrates emissions control capable of outperforming... Read more →


Allison Transmission and Cummins will integrate and certify a Cummins B-Series engine with the Allison eGen Flex electric hybrid propulsion system for the transit market. The integration will meet the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3 and provide a reliable low emission propulsion solution in... Read more →


3.0-liter Hurricane High Output straight-six turbo engine in 2025 Ram 1500 named to Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems list

The power-rich and versatile 3.0-liter Hurricane High Output (H/O) Straight-Six Turbo (SST) engine, as tested in a 2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten, has earned a 2024 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems award. This recognition marks the eighth consecutive year that a Stellantis propulsion system has earned a spot on... Read more →


MAN Energy Solutions has announced a new generation of its Common Rail injection system for its medium-speed, four-stroke portfolio. The CR 2.2 common-rail fuel-injection system will eventually completely replace its CR 1.6 predecessor and builds on its experience, allowing a very precise and flexible control of injection pressure, timing, and... Read more →


The Audi Q5 SUV has been one of the most popular SUVs in the midsize-segment in Germany and Europe for more than 15 years. Audi is now presenting the latest generation of the bestseller. The new Q5 is the first SUV based on the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) and is... Read more →


DOE awarding $8.8M to improve hydrogen turbine performance

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) recently announced $8.8 million for 11 university-based research and development projects to improve the performance of hydrogen-fueled turbines. The selected projects will develop advanced materials and components that can better manage and withstand the extreme environment... Read more →


Wärtsilä has signed a contract with Norwegian shipowner Eidesvik to supply the equipment for the conversion of an offshore platform supply vessel (PSV) to operate with ammonia fuel. The vessel, ‘Viking Energy’, which is on contract to energy major Equinor, is scheduled for conversion in early 2026 and is expected... Read more →


NYK Line and IHI Power Systems, in cooperation with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), have completed the world’s first ammonia-fueled vessel for commercial use—the tugboat Sakigake. The NYK Group company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha will employ the vessel in tugboat operations in Tokyo Bay over a three-month demonstration period. This vessel was a... Read more →


LiquidPiston selected for US Army SBIR CATALYST award

Ultra-Compact Mobile Command Post Auxiliary Power Unit would offer integrated power generation for increasingly critical mobile, dispersible, and survivable combat posts LiquidPiston, a developer of compact, efficient, heavy-fuel-capable rotary combustion engine technology and hybrid power systems, received notification of selection for a US Army SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) CATALYST... Read more →


MAN Engines is presenting the new and previously unreleased MAN D3872 V12 workboat engine with a displacement of 30 liters at SMM 2024. This offers a significant increase in displacement compared to the MAN D2862 series with 24 liters of displacement, which has been established for many years. MAN Engines... Read more →


MAN PrimeServ—the after-sales brand of MAN Energy Solutions—has announced that, from 2025, it will offer a retrofit package for the conversion of conventional MAN four-stroke engines already in the field to dual-fuel methanol operation. Customers will initially be able to convert existing MAN 48/60 engines to the latest MAN 51/60DF... Read more →


Since model year 2018, manufacturers have recommended or required premium gasoline for more than half of all light-duty vehicle configurations, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). In model year 1985, premium fuel was required/recommended for 6.5% of new vehicle model configurations. In pursuit of efficient performance, manufacturers have... Read more →


A team from Beijing University of Technology and Beijing Automobile Research Institute Company has used ammonia as a combustion inhibitor to mitigate or eliminate knock and to expand power in a direct-injection hydrogen engine. A paper on their work is published in the journal Fuel. Hong et al. Knock-free operation... Read more →


Researchers find combustion performance of ammonia in SI mode significantly worse than that of methane

A team from Tianjin University in China has expxlored the combustion and flame development characteristics of ammonia at different excess air ratios (λ) in an optical spark ignition (SI) engine employing high-speed natural flame luminosity (NFL) imaging, OH* chemiluminescence imaging and flame spectra measurement. The combustion performance and flame development... Read more →


Porsche plans a trio of powertrains for the Cayenne into the next decade

The fourth generation of the Porsche Cayenne will be all-electric. Porsche is simultaneously moving forward with the development of its hybrid and combustion engine third-generation models. Up to and beyond 2030, the successful SUV will be offered with three powertrain variants worldwide. The third generation of the Cayenne will be... Read more →


Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks and Mörtlbauer Baumaschinen Vertriebs GmbH jointly presented their two prototypes as part of the “WaVe” development project to research hydrogen combustion engines for special-purpose vehicles. The Unimog test vehicle and crawler demonstrated their performance in driving and working operation on the Mörtlbauer factory premises in Fürstenzell, Bavaria.... Read more →


Volvo Trucks North America announced the availability of an engine that meets California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2024 Omnibus regulation requirements for low nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions standards. The CARB Omnibus regulation mandates a 75% reduction in NOx emissions and a 50% reduction in particulate matter... Read more →


Rheinmetall secures two orders for exhaust technology for hybrid technology from Chinese manufacturers with a total value of around €20M

Rheinmetall has won two orders in the field of exhaust technology for hybrid vehicles with a total value of around €20 million. Both orders relate to the subsidiary Pierburg China. One order is for the supply of fuel tank shut-off valves (FTIV) by a well-known Chinese supplier of carbon canisters.... Read more →


Researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and State University of New York (SUNY) Polytechnic Institute have shown that superlubricity—a state with virtually no friction that was once believed to only be achievable at nanoscale—can now be maintained at macroscale for extended time periods under regular atmospheric conditions by employing sustainably... Read more →


A new study led by researchers from MIT finds that burning ammonia for maritime fuel could worsen air quality further and lead to devastating public health impacts, unless it is adopted alongside strengthened emissions regulations. It has been estimated that maritime shipping accounts for almost 3% of global carbon dioxide... Read more →


Engine wear risk as planes swallow more dust waiting to land

Planes flying into one of the world’s busiest airports are ingesting around 10kg of dust per 1,000 flights—with most of this dust ingested while they are waiting to land, new research has revealed. Scientists used 17 years of ECMWF atmospheric data and data from the CALIPSO satellite to calculate the... Read more →


MAHLE Powertrain expands dedicated hydrogen powertrain testing capabilities at Northampton

MAHLE Powertrain, the specialist engineering subsidiary of the MAHLE Group, is expanding its Northampton facility to include a dedicated hydrogen powertrain testing capability. The capacity to hold two tube-trailers on-site with rapid switch-over functionality between them will ensure a near-continuous supply of hydrogen. In addition, upgraded engine dynamometers with a... Read more →


Aramco to acquire 10% equity interest in HORSE Powertrain

Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has signed definitive agreements to acquire a 10% equity interest in HORSE Powertrain Limited, the new global powertrain solutions company, alongside Renault Group, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Geely Automobile Holdings Limited. HORSE Powertrain Limited was formed on 31... Read more →


Rolls-Royce collaborates with technology partners on highly efficient hydrogen engine for stationary power generation

Rolls-Royce has started, with a consortium of five companies and research institutes, to develop the necessary technologies for a highly efficient first-of-a-kind hydrogen combustion engine to drive combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Under the Phoenix (Performance Hydrogen Engine for Industrial and X) project, funded by the German Government, the... Read more →


Technology group Wärtsilä launched the world’s first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant. The IEA World Energy Outlook 2023 shows that hydrogen is an essential component of future power systems. According to the report, the pathway to reach net zero emissions by 2050 requires 17 Mt of hydrogen to be... Read more →


Aurobay to deliver powertrain solutions to Turkish industrial giant Habaş

Aurobay, a HORSE Powertrain company, signed a significant agreement with the Turkish industrial conglomerate Habaş Sınai ve Tıbbi Gazlar İstihsal Endüstrisi A.Ş. Under the agreement, Aurobay will supply complete powertrain solutions for Habaş’ new passenger cars, with production scheduled to start by the end of 2026. Aurobay will supply two... Read more →


Peterbilt announces CARB low NOx compliant PACCAR MX-13 engine availability in Models 579, 567 and 589

Peterbilt announced the availability of a new CARB low nitrogen oxide (NOx) compliant PACCAR MX-13 engine in the Models 579, 567 and 589. This engine meets the CARB Omnibus Regulation and features redesigns of internal hardware and the aftertreatment system to effectively reduce NOx emissions. The larger volume aftertreatment system... Read more →


The two classification societies, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Lloyd’s Register (LR), have awarded a new ship design of an ammonia-fueled 3,500 TEU container vessel Approval in Principle (AiP). A cross-industry taskforce including A. P. Møller-Mærsk, MAN Energy Solutions, Deltamarin, Eltronic FuelTech, ABS, and LR, and led by... Read more →


Westport and Volvo Group announce closing of the joint venture

Volvo Group and Westport Fuel Systems announced the closing and launch of their previously announced joint venture transaction. (Earlier post.) The joint venture is committed to accelerating the commercialization and global adoption of Westport’s HPDI fuel system technology for long-haul and off-road applications. The joint venture will be led, on... Read more →