Mobility does not stop innovating new solutions, but the latest of them is not exactly recent in time (paradoxical as it may sound). A engine has just traveled 80 years in time, with a futuristic fuel that has experts in suspense. What happened? It is almost as surprising as this country that has just dismantled its charging points, a decision that you may soon see in Spain.
World War II, precursor of an engine that we have only known how to use now
During World War II, fossil fuel shortages led engineers to explore new engine technologies as an alternative. One promising design was the hydrogen-powered opposed-piston engine, developed by a company called Junkers.
This revolutionary motor offered several advantages over traditional motors, including greater efficiency and less vibration. Junkers installed the engine in some experimental aircraft during the war that, 80 years later, are compatible with the structure of conventional vehicles.
However, after the war, when oil became widely available again, hydrogen engine development was abandoned. The innovative opposed piston design was forgotten for decades. But recently, this concept from the past has resurfaced in a modern context.
The hydrogen engine of World War II: it has traveled 80 years
During World War II, engineers developed an innovative internal combustion engine design with opposed pistons. This design used two pistons in each cylinderone at each end, moving in opposite directions.
Engineers chose this design for several reasons. First, it better balanced the internal forces of the engine, allowing turns at high revolutions per minute without excessive vibrations. Secondly, it did not need a complicated head on the cylinder block, which simplified manufacturing.
Lastly, I had fewer moving parts than a conventional engine, which also facilitated production. The fuel chosen for this novel engine was hydrogen. Hydrogen has a very high energy density and burns quickly, making it an efficient fuel.
Likewise, its combustion generates water vapor as the main byproduct, avoiding polluting emissions. However, hydrogen also presented challenges, such as the need for pressurized tanks for onboard storage.
A company finds this hydrogen engine and redesigns it: this is what it is now
Achates Power, an American company founded in 2004, rescued the original opposed piston design from World War II and has dramatically updated it with modern technology. Using computer modeling and simulation, Achates engineers redesigned and optimized the engine.
Achates’ new hydrogen engine design offers several key improvements compared to traditional internal combustion engines. One of the main advantages is efficiency. By eliminating the engine block and using opposing pistons, the Achates design dramatically reduces internal friction.
The purpose was to maximize the benefits of ultra-low efficiency and emissions. They replaced obsolete components with lighter, more durable parts, such as forged aluminum pistons and fiber-reinforced graphite engine heads.
Additionally, they added direct fuel injection, turbochargers, and a modern engine management system. This resulted in a radically improved engine design with 30% greater fuel efficiency compared to traditional engines.
This new hydrogen engine It could represent a historic turn in sustainable mobility, with a fuel that the entire planet is now looking for. In any case, it is a mystery that it will not take scientists too long to solve, just as is happening with this electric bus that has never stopped to recharge. Have you seen him on the streets? It is likely that it was so.
