JCB and Hydrogen engines, a significant investment announcement today.

[HMS_Dave]

It's occurred to me @gzoom also that you might be getting your wires crossed with the hydrogen fuel cell. It is not JCB's intention to use hydrogen this way, but instead to burn it in a internal combustion engine. Where it is cleaner than diesel with a by-product of water rather than a bunch of nasties...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-58969916

 

[mustang1]

IIRC, some years ago BMW produced one hundred 7-series cars running on hydrogen and gave them to european diplomats to run for a year but then nothing came of it. I think BMW put some effort into it but there was not much traction from policy makers so not much incentive for BMW to continue.

I hope JCB make a good go at this and the political climate seems right for this kind of advancement.

 

[figbat]

Another decarbonised fuel being mooted for heavy duty use is ammonia. Either directly as a combustion fuel or as a source of hydrogen for fuel cell use. It’s not especially nice stuff but is easily transported and there is already a massive global production and distribution infrastructure. On board a ship, for example, it could be used for fuel, as a reductant in the SCR (to reduce NOx emissions) and as a refrigerant.

 

[Pale Rider]

JCB already has engines running on hydrogen.

The block is the same as their diesel engine, but the head is different because it's spark ignition.

Lord Bamford says the engine is slightly cheaper than the diesel, but the overall installation is slightly dearer because the hydrogen fuel tank is more complex.

JCB has a range of battery mini diggers, but they are about £27,000 instead of £19,000.

A standard size battery digger needs seven tons of batteries to make it run long enough for a working day.

The expense and extra weight make it a non-starter for JCB.

The problem is more acute for the bigger stuff, because customers expect it to run for longer at a time.

A big quarry digger costs about £150,000.

The same thing powered by batteries is £325,000.

No wonder JCB is backing hydrogen.