HyEngine HyRacer

The HyRacer is a project that has been on the books for many years at HyEngine. They feel that there is a chance to make auto racing a sport that is more ecological responsible. They installed a hydrogen unit into a 1991 Honda Civic. It is hoped that even though the fuel source would be different, that the other aspects of racing could still be maintained, so that there will be a viable way to take the sport into the future.

HyEngine would like its H2 to be emblematic of their ambition to become the top supplier for engines that use converted hydrogen.

They have patented the technology, and the work is moving forward. They had promising results in the first tests that they ran, so that there is hope for hydrogen fueled combustion engines in the marketplace.

The ICE-H2 project has reached its first milestone, in using hydrogen for internal combustion engines for the sport of auto racing. The HyRacer will use this technology in attempts to achieve the best performance in the world for hydrogen-based internal combustion engines. They have shown from 80% to 120% of performance as far as power is concerned. Elsewhere, a single cylinder engine has also been run on hydrogen with exceptional results that prove you can have a better power output with H2 than you can with gasoline.

The prototype HyRacer was shown in 2011, showing that the HyEngine team of specialists was capable of building a hydrogen engine that could still compete in auto racing. The combination of existing technologies and clean power has resulted in a vehicle that has many characteristics that are the same as they are in conventional internal combustion engines. The features as they are used will help to fulfill the promise of hydrogen in a vehicle designed for racing.

Working 100% on hydrogen is a much stronger feat than simply creating hybrid cars that run on more than one power source. It is hoped that the HyRacer will not have the same issues as other alternative fuel race cars, which would have trouble in competition because they must be refilled or recharged too often. The engine is often referred to as a clean combustion engine, and the HyEngine company has laid the groundwork for future industrial hydrogen applications in Belgium. The team of experts is enthusiastic about the future of their HyRacer, with its initial success in testing.

Research and development on the HyEngine HyRacer has shown that their testing of an engine working off hydrogen has over 80% of gas engine capacity. They are working towards 100% as they develop and test the engine, and tune it to perform better when run off hydrogen. It is hoped that the HyRacer in particular will show the public the potential of the hydrogen-fueled vehicle.

As an aside, HyEngine also produces hydrogen engines for other applications, including boats, trucks, forklifts, indoor carts and generators. Their research has given their company and others a good chance to develop further the engines that will work fully on hydrogen without a significant loss of power over vehicles run on gasoline.

Written by Hydro Kevin Kantola