Public Funding for Cambustion Limited

**Industry challenge** Decarbonisation of heavy-duty vehicles is challenging due to demands on powertrain cost-performance, operational availability, design life and reliability, which are yet to be wholly met by any existing low carbon powertrain approach, such as fuel cells, battery electric or hybrid architectures. Heavy-duty applications are much more sensitive to the specific operation-critical and cost-of-ownership characteristics of these technologies, creating uncertainty for UK-based OEMs trying to determine specific paths to zero-emissions. The risks for OEMs, in terms of long-term security-of-supply, contribute to a resistance to adopting new low carbon technologies into vehicle launch plans, with significant impacts on the UK's decarbonisation trajectory. Currently, UK supply chains for systems and ancillaries in these segments focus very much on diesel heavy-duty applications. **Opportunity** Whilst heavy-duty powertrain roadmaps ultimately culminate in zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric vehicles, long-term OEM strategies will remain critically-dependent on next-generation internal combustion engines (ICE) to meet OEM requirements, whilst reducing average fleet emissions in line with European CO2 legislation and meeting Euro VII levels of pollutant emissions. See appendix 3 Using hydrogen as a combustion fuel, so called H2-ICE, provides capability to meet heavy-duty/medium-duty requirements whilst delivering zero tank-to-tailpipe CO2 emissions. However, traditional approaches to conversion of this fuel have meant significant engine redesign and associated need for manufacturing and assembly investment in the supply chain, providing inertia against conversion to hydrogen. **Cavendish** **vision** In response, the PHINIA group -- Fuel Systems (PHINIA Delphi UK Ltd.) & Hartridge -- their partners in the supply chain -- BorgWarner, MAHLE Powertrain and Cambustion -- and with simulation support from Oxford Brookes University, are pursuing a novel H2-ICE concept based on optimisation of existing heavy-duty diesel platforms to accommodate hydrogen as a fuel source, underpinned by novel fuel injection (PFI and HPDI options) and supporting turbocharger technology. The consortium's approach therefore targets conversion (rather than replacement) of current heavy-duty engine platform designs -- incorporating novel injection technology options into standard perpendicular cylinder engine designs -- hence negating the need for significant supply chain manufacturing/assembly infrastructure investment (as would be required with a full engine redesign). Conditional on achieving acceptable power density and thermal efficiency, developments can accelerate the adoption of H2-ICE and the displacement of diesel ICEs whilst safeguarding UK partners' positions in mature ICE-based supply chains.

Hydrogen fuel cell propulsion is key in supporting UK Net Zero transport policies, as demonstrated by the Automotive Council roadmaps. Fuel-cell Commercial Vehicle Generation 2.0 (FCVGen2.0) is a Ford-led industrial research project that pilots the introduction of Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FCHEV) to the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sector, aiming to advance the UK capability for fuel-cell powertrain development and vehicle integration, and to validate the business case with a joined-up approach between OEM, energy company, supply chain, and fleet operator. Building on the success of the ARMD FCVGen1.0 project, which delivered the first Ford Transit FCHEV vehicle in Europe, this project aims to design, develop, and build a fleet of 9 fuel-cell Transits, that will benefit from the latest advances in fuel-cell supply chain technology. 8 of the vehicles will be piloted by strategic fleet operators and customers for six months, gathering subjective and objective feedback to assess their suitability for wider deployment. The fleet trial data will be used to inform a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis tailored to the specific segment, and to provide insights into the required attributes of a possible future product and hydrogen infrastructure. Even with the current high pace of advancement in battery technology, it is unlikely in coming years, that Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) will fulfil those LCV use-cases that require high daily energy, range, payload or have limited opportunities for charging. FCHEV is a zero-emissions alternative that can address this gap. Competitor FCHEVs have not demonstrated the anticipated benefits in range and payload that can be achieved with a fuel-cell powertrain. This project aims to employ a high-power fuel cell stack, in conjunction with significant hydrogen storage capability to achieve a vehicle specification that is a direct replacement for the equivalent diesel or gasoline LCV. The cost and packaging of the hydrogen storage system is critical in delivering the attributes required of a commercial vehicle, such as payload and loading space. The project will include a dedicated workstream on hydrogen storage, aiming to design and develop state of the art hydrogen pressure vessel(s), optimising for capacity, cost, and weight. The pressure vessel(s) will be built in the UK, and the design potentially adapted for volume manufacturing. A separate workstream will examine efficient and viable recycling methodologies at end of life, for the high value carbon composites used for pressure vessel reinforcement, and possibilities to re-introduce into the supply chain.

In the drive to Net Zero the use of Hydrogen can play an important role in future UK transport. Whilst the majority of work looking at using hydrogen as a fuel for vehicles has been focused on fuel cell there is the potential to use hydrogen as fuel within a conventional internal combustion engine as a means of ensuring rapid market penetration of a ZEV in the LCV market. There is a large infrastructure in the UK dedicated to producing, servicing and recycling Internal Combustion Engines. It would be of significant benefit to the UK if these facilities could be repurposed to produce net zero internal combustion engines powered by hydrogen. However, there are significant hydrogen infrastructure, engine and vehicle technical challenges which would also need to be overcome before this could become reality. This project cannot address all these issues but is targeting coming up with cost effective optimised solutions to some of the fundamental issues associated with adapting an internal combustion engine to run on Hydrogen and be a zero emission engine. The project brings together a consortium of academic institutions, small and medium enterprises, large engineering consultancies, tier 1 part suppliers and a large OEM who specialises in the manufacture of light commercial vehicles. The focus of the project will be demonstrating that a Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine can be a viable alternative to the existing diesel powertrain for use in a Light Commercial Vehicle. The project will run in two phases, the first building on Brunel University and Mahle Powertrain's experience in running hydrogen powered engines to define the likely challenges and issues associated with running Hydrogen in an Internal Combustion Engine. The data generated by Brunel University will be used by Oxford Brookes University to develop a CAE tool set which will allow the consortium to simulate in cylinder hydrogen combustion and emissions. In Phase 2 using the tools and knowledge developed in Phase 1 the consortium will then design and manufacture several options for of single cylinder engine which will then be tested at Brunel. It is hoped that these engines will address the majority of issues associated with Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines. It is hoped that this project will form the basis of a larger project to put the multi cylinder hydrogen powered combustion engine into production.

The DYNAMO project is a Ford led collaborative research and development project that aims to significantly improve the fuel efficiency of two high volume passenger vehicle powertrains. The research will be conducted with six other UK based partners, who will help develop and mature new and upgraded advanced engine technology ready for commercialisation. During the project the team aims to revolutionise the process and methodology currently used to design and develop complex powertrains. It will demonstrate an analytical approach which enables multiple engine systems to be optimised to multiple objectives in parallel and under transient conditions to improve legislated and real world fuel economy, whilst drastically reducing development time and costs. The new approach will form the basis of a Virtual Product Development capability that aims to half the cost and time taken to get new powertrains to market.

An innovative research project led by Jaguar Land Rover, HyPACE (Hybrid Petrol Advanced Combustion Engine) will investigate new petrol engine technologies. The collaboration will integrate UK expertise from JLR (Combustion and Development), Borg Warner UK (Advanced Boosting Systems), Johnson Matthey UK (Emissions Control Technology), Cambustion (Emissions Development), MAHLE Powertrain UK (Engineering Consulting Services) and the University of Oxford (Advanced Optical Combustion Diagnostics). The collaborative project will target 10% engine fuel economy improvement in combination with emissions reduction and enhanced drivability. The collaborative project is part of JLR's wider strategy for lower emissions and improved engine fuel efficiency. While developing technical innovations, the partners will increase UK automotive competitiveness and skills. The project is aligned with the continued JLR investment in powertrain research as shown by the £1bn investment in the Wolverhampton Engine Manufacturing Centre.

The ACTIVE project is a collaborative R&D project that accelerates the introduction of advanced low carbon technologies into main stream vehicle applications targeting very substantial CO2 savings. This is a UK centred project focused on the Engineering skills needed to develop and apply these technologies and aims at increasing the UK's capabilities in this area. The project will bring Ford's Global Advanced R&D and some of Europe's top Tier 1 suppliers to the UK to develop the technologies for this project alongside the engineers at Ford's Dagenham and Dunton Engineering Centres and four of the countries leading automotive research Universities. This will strengthen further Ford UK engineering as the "Centre of Powertrain Excellence" for the application of advanced inline powertrain technologies within Ford and increase the capabilities within the UK's Universities. A key aspect of the project is to engage with the UK supply chain and this project presents an excellent opportunity for several participating UK based component and equipment supplier partners.

CREO aims to improve and re-optimise the engine and after-treatment as a complete system, meeting legislative, customer and business requirements while minimising CO2 levels. This will be achieved through the use of novel after-treatment techniques, the on-board generation and use of hydrogen and the development and application of new optimisation tools.