U-Michigan, UC Riverside launch alliance to promote hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines

(Press-News.org) March 3, 2025

Contact: Jim Lynch, 313-727-5045, lynchja@umich.edu, Katherine McAlpine, 734-647-7087, kmca@umich.edu 

 

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  ANN ARBOR—Hydrogen has the potential to power internal combustion engines, including on-road and off-road vehicles and equipment, and large marine engines. Despite its promise to reduce climate change emissions such as carbon dioxide and harmful pollutants, hydrogen has largely remained underutilized in the United States.

Officials at the University of Michigan and University of California, Riverside, along with several industry partners, are working to change that with the launch of the Hydrogen Engine Alliance of North America, or H2EA-NA. The alliance will promote hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel that can complement internal combustion engine, or ICE, vehicles while supporting the transition to electric and other zero emission technologies.

"Using hydrogen in internal combustion engines offers a low-carbon, long-term solution for transportation, particularly in applications where battery electric or fuel cell vehicles may not meet consumer performance requirements," said André Boehman, the U-M Vennema Professor of Engineering, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Walter E. Lay Automotive Engineering Laboratory.

A recent demonstration by Southwest Research Institute of hydrogen ICE technology in a heavy-duty truck showed ultra-low emissions of nitrogen oxides, or NOx, which react in the atmosphere with other pollutants to form lung irritating ozone. The NOx levels were far below those achievable with conventional diesel-powered trucks. This reinforces the potential for hydrogen to help achieve meaningful reductions in transportation-related emissions.

Boehman will serve as a co-director of H2EA-NA alongside Georgios Karavalakis, a UCR professor of chemical and environmental engineering. Karavalakis' work focuses on combustion engines, low- and zero-carbon fuels, and transportation emissions, while Boehman specializes in alternative fuels, fuel production and energy conversion system thermodynamics.

"Hydrogen is a powerful fuel option when used in internal combustion engines, and opens an effective pathway to a cleaner energy future," said principal investigator Wayne Miller, a founding scientist of the alliance whose expertise spans zero-carbon fuels, transportation emissions and marine systems. 

Boehman said the alliance will promote the advantages of hydrogen-powered ICE vehicles.

"By fostering innovation and collaboration across sectors, H2EA-NA will ensure that ICEs contribute meaningfully to North America's hydrogen ecosystem and transportation goals," he said.

H2EA-NA aims to help the U.S. catch up to countries such as China, Germany and Japan, which are at the forefront of hydrogen fuel development. For example, Germany's Allianz Wasserstoffmotor, created in 2021, and the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, launched a year earlier, serve roles similar to H2EA-NA. 

"The U.S. has immense potential to lead in hydrogen fuel innovation, but significant barriers in infrastructure, policy, and public awareness have slowed progress," Karavalakis said. "While the technologies exist, they are costly due to complexity and the need for expensive raw materials."

As part of its mission to foster collaboration and education, H2EA-NA will host the 2025 Hydrogen Engine Alliance Conference May 1-2, 2025, at the California Air Resources Board headquarters in Riverside, California. 

The event will feature a networking dinner May 1, providing an opportunity for attendees to connect with industry leaders, researchers and policymakers. The full-day conference May 2 will include discussions on advancements in hydrogen engine technology, emissions reduction strategies, infrastructure development and policy initiatives critical to the growth of the hydrogen ecosystem.

H2EA-NA will be funded through annual membership fees from participating companies, with funds directed to the nonprofit U.C. Riverside Foundation. The fees will be split equally between UCR and U-M to support alliance operations.

By bringing together leaders from the automotive, energy and government sectors, H2EA-NA aims to educate the public about hydrogen's potential in the U.S. and build support for hydrogen infrastructure development. Other founding members of the alliance include industry partners with expertise in building efficient engines to operate with hydrogen. 

Membership provides access to the latest technologies, market trends and evolving industry standards. For more information or to inquire about membership, visit the H2EA-NA website.

 

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