Building R&D capacities for zero carbon emission Internal Combustion Engines in the transport sector
March 6, 2023 2023-03-06 15:23Building R&D capacities for zero carbon emission Internal Combustion Engines in the transport sector
Building R&D capacities for zero carbon emission Internal Combustion Engines in the transport sector
Single Cylinder Research Engine at the FME ICED Lab’s testbed
Based on using vehicles powered by Internal Combustion Engines, the transport sector is responsible for significant Greenhouse Gasses (GHG) emissions. The problem of GHG reduction from the transport sector is mainly addressed through the powertrain electrification agenda (BEV) despite all its limitations, making this primarily feasible in the sector of personal vehicles in the forthcoming future. For light and heavy-duty vehicles, the backbone of the transport economy, the most promising zero GHG emission powertrain technology is based on the non-carbon fuels fuelled IC engines. Therefore, research in novel and innovative technologies for the new generation of green Hydrogen or ammonia-powered IC engines is intensively taking place worldwide.
The Internal Combustion Engines Department’s Lab of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Belgrade (FME ICED Lab) is a state-of-the-art equipped IC Engine testing Lab involved in R&D of novel ICE technologies for years. Being in exclusive partnership with one of the largest and most significant powertrain development companies – with the AVL List GmbH (Graz, Austria) ICED Lab has already been providing tests and results for various technologies of the ICE of the future.
Currently, ICED Lab is turning a new page in the ICE R&D history in Serbia with a cost-effective and efficient upgrade of the Lab capacities, enabling the introduction and usage of gaseous Hydrogen as a fuel for ICE R&D activities. The Project aims to build, in a short time, an R&D infrastructure for testing and developing novel technologies for future hydrogen-fuelled IC engines. It would be the first facility in Serbia with operational Hydrogen based ICE.
The Project will deliver significant benefits to the goals of Just Green Transition and Decarbonization in Serbia, by annual emissions reduction of 74.56 tCO2e. At the same time, it will enable new young researchers to be involved in the R&D activities of the zero CO2 emission ICE of the future and build a strong base of the Hydrogen ICE knowledge hub in Serbia.
Implementation of the project “Building R&D capacities for zero carbon emission IC engines (Internal Combustion Engines) in the transport sector” is supported by UNDP Serbia through the Project “Just Green Transition and Decarbonisation in Serbia” which is financed by the Government of Japan and is implemented by UNDP Serbia in cooperation with the Ministry of Mining and Energy and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia