As a result of continuously rising CO2 emission in the transportation sector, and prominently in air travel, governments across the world introduced initiatives to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2050 and be completely carbon neutral in the decades thereafter. Hydrogen-based engines have emerged as a very promising technology for fulfilling this pledge.
Hydrogen can be generated completely from renewable sources and be used as a fuel source for combustion jet engines, emitting only steam and minor additions of nitrogen oxide, thus significantly reducing the amount of harmful combustion products. While current engines can already be modified to use these innovative fuels, there is currently no clear understanding how materials inside the engine are affected when changing from carbon-fuel to hydrogen-fuel.
A main cause of concern is the effect known as hydrogen embrittlement, where materials are known to fail significantly earlier when in a hydrogen environment compared to air. Current research within UCL Mechanical Engineering led by Dr Enrique Galindo-Nava is therefore focused on gaining insight into how materials behave when exposed to hydrogen flames. Combing combustion science with materials science, cutting edge technology allows researchers to test aerospace materials under real engine conditions. Techniques such thermal desorption analysis (TDA) then measure hydrogen absorption during exposure, while electron microscopy and mechanical testing assess changes in material properties.
By understanding the environment in which future engine materials operate, the transition to carbon-free transport and energy sectors can be significantly accelerated.
Dr Enrique Galindo-Nava
Principal Investigator
