AFLOAT - Ammonia Fuelled Combustion for Marine Applications - Test Campaigns

Promising results with ammonia/hydrogen mixture lay groundwork for scaling up

Recent experiments with our test engine have shown promising results in efficiently igniting a mixture of ammonia and hydrogen over a wide range of conditions. The main approach is to ignite a mixture of ammonia and hydrogen with a small injection of diesel. We are also exploring spark ignition, which could be a simpler option for smaller engines and would eliminate emissions related to diesel combustion.

In tests on single-cylinder engines, we have achieved stable combustion. This has involved directly injecting ammonia similar to how diesel is injected, with adjustments to timing and mixing, and adding hydrogen through the engine's intake. We have also seen good results with premixed combustion, where both hydrogen and ammonia are added through the intake manifold.

We are now working on scaling up these experiments by modifying the engine with new fuel systems. This will allow all cylinders to run on an ammonia and hydrogen mixture using the premixed Otto cycle, which is technically similar to existing Dual Fuel engines that use LNG.

Our goal is to conduct a full demonstration with an ammonia cracker supplying both ammonia and hydrogen to the engine. We also plan to test an SCR system designed to reduce NOx, nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia emissions from the combustion process.