- Cummins Inc. and key technology partners have celebrated the completion of a joint project to develop hydrogen internal combustion engine technology.
- The project partners developed a hydrogen internal combustion engine concept based on Cummins’ proven spark-ignited engine platform.
Cummins Inc. and key technology partners have celebrated the completion of a joint project to develop hydrogen internal combustion engine technology for commercial vehicles.
Cummins led a consortium of technology companies, Johnson Matthey, PHINIA, and Zircotec, in ‘Project Brunel’ to successfully deliver a 6.7-litre hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) for medium-duty trucks and buses. The project was match-funded by the UK Government and facilitated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC).
The project partners developed a hydrogen internal combustion engine concept based on Cummins’ proven spark-ignited engine platform. Underpinned by new hydrogen fuel injection technology from PHINIA, after-treatment catalyst, advanced metals chemistry development from Johnson Matthey, and hydrogen barrier coatings from Zircotec, Project Brunel has significantly improved H2-ICE engine performance and durability.
Using zero-carbon hydrogen fuel and equipped with an after-treatment system, the 6.7-litre engine delivers a more than 99 per cent reduction in tailpipe carbon emissions and ultra-low NOx compared to the current diesel engine standard (Euro VI). Hydrogen internal combustion engine technology is widely seen as a viable path to reducing the impact of air quality on heavier-duty or longer-range applications.
Jonathan Atkinson, Executive Director – Product Strategy at Cummins, said, “Project Brunel highlights the power of collaboration between industry leaders and underscores our ongoing commitment to industry decarbonisation. This project has successfully delivered a viable, familiar power option that meets the operating requirements of today’s commercial vehicles – with zero-carbon fuel, and without the need for a complete vehicle redesign. This is a major achievement for Cummins Darlington and for the UK’s hydrogen technology leadership. We hope the Government recognises this technology’s potential for commercial vehicles beyond 2035 and 2040 to align regulation with other major global markets.”