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Tenneco's Powertrain Business adds hydrogen to its strong alternative fuels engine-testing capabilities

2/3/2023

Tenneco has established new test facilities for H₂-powered internal combustion engines (ICEs) at its Powertrain test centres in Burscheid, Germany, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. These two test cells specifically dedicated to H₂ ICEs enhance the company's globally integrated ICE test capabilities, supporting original equipment engine and vehicle manufacturers as they decarbonize the ICE. By adding H₂-engine testing, Tenneco is well-positioned to provide technology solutions that can help to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions of future combustion engine generations to achieve global climate goals faster.

"We support a pragmatic approach of complementary technologies that provide solutions for different transportation sectors," said Stefan Rittmann, Vice President, Engineering with Tenneco's Powertrain business group. "We contend it's not combustion-engine technology causing green-house gas emissions in the product-use phase; it is the fuel used in the ICE that defines the vehicle emissions. Therefore, green hydrogen, which is produced from renewable energies and carbon-free by nature, offers great potential for cleaner transportation, especially in sectors difficult to electrify, such as heavy-duty commercial vehicles, on- and off-highway applications, and the industrial and marine sectors."

As a leading supplier of engine components – including pistons, piston rings, bearings, seals and gaskets, valves, valve seats and guides, and ignition devices – Tenneco leverages its comprehensive ICE expertise in various hydrogen and alternative-fuel project partnerships with engine and vehicle manufacturers. Tenneco's new test cells support manufacturers in their H₂ ICE concepts, testing prototype engines and components for durability, wear, emissions, fuel-efficiency and performance.

"Using our knowledge about the influence of hydrogen on the combustion process and on the Powertrain Control Unit (PCU), we are able to address hydrogen-specific challenges like pre-ignition and H₂-slip into the crankcase as well as the influence on tribology and materials," said Dr. Steffen Hoppe, Powertrain's Director Technology Rings & Liners, Tenneco. "The R&D from our H₂ test benches, along with support from our simulation tools like PRiME3D, can accelerate the development process and help our customers go to market with highly efficient H₂ combustion engines faster."

"Tenneco is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen; you see it in our operations and in our products," said Troy Kantola, Powertrain's Engineering Director, Technical Services. "Our efforts to enhance our test sites reflect this in that now we are equipped to serve our customers' aspirations to reduce or eliminate entirely fuel-related CO₂ emissions as quickly as possible."

Tenneco's new H₂ ICE test facilities provide a broad bandwidth of high-accuracy engine measurement capabilities, including:

Light and heavy-duty engine testing up to 700 kW
Eddy current and AC dyno
ECU connectivity, calibration and tuning:
- dynamic engine operation, driving cycles/engine in the loop
H₂ supply up to 50bar and 90kg/h
H₂ concentration measurement (exhaust and blow-by path)
Combustion analysis
Emissions testing for HC, CO, CO₂, NO_X, FSN
- Gaseous emissions
- Particulate number (PN) count/PN size distribution, particulate matter
- Radioactive tracer for oil emissions
In-line oil consumption and oil emission analysis
Automated fuel map testing
Ignition parameter evaluation
Thermal shock testing
Precise overall real-time engine monitoring.