Optimization of a low-cost electrolytic cell for hydrogen production to be used in an internal combustion engine
International Journal of Development Research
Optimization of a low-cost electrolytic cell for hydrogen production to be used in an internal combustion engine
Received 10th February, 2022; Received in revised form 15th February, 2022; Accepted 18th February, 2022; Published online 20th February, 2022
Copyright © 2022, Paula Cordeiro Rodrigues da Cunha et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Hydrogen has important physicochemical and combustion properties that can be used to improve performance and reduce pollutant emissions by motor vehicles. However, storage difficulties can limit its use in internal combustion engines. So, in this research, hydrogen gas was produced and consumed immediately in order to eliminate the need for a storage device. First, a cell for alkaline water electrolysis was built to produce hydrogen and use it as a complementary fuel in an internal combustion engine. Aiming to investigate the energy efficiency and the capacity of this cell, three different electrolytes (LiOH, NaOH and KOH) were analyzed. The experimental tests occurred at concentrations of 1 to 10 mol/L of each electrolyte. The highest hydrogen flow rate was obtained using 7 mol/L of potassium hydroxide as electrolyte and a current of 23.5 A. Hydrogen produced under these conditions was introduced into the motor at three distinct rotation speeds (1573, 2692 and 3879 rpm). According to the results, the emissions of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide decreases with the addition of hydrogen. It can be concluded that the use of hydrogen as a supplementary fuel showed satisfactory results in reducing pollutant emissions.
