Hydrogen enriched combustion in a small spark-ignition engine using a NaOH-based alkaline electrolyzer: experimental evaluation at 0.5 kg/cm² brake load

Suci Rahmadhani Irawan; Ahmad Ilham Wicaksono; Annisa Wulan Sari; Awaludin Martin

doi:10.30811/jpl.v24i3.8784

Hydrogen enriched combustion in a small spark-ignition engine using a NaOH-based alkaline electrolyzer: experimental evaluation at 0.5 kg/cm² brake load

Suci Rahmadhani Irawan, Ahmad Ilham Wicaksono, Annisa Wulan Sari, Awaludin Martin

Abstract

The increasing concern over greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels has driven the exploration of hydrogen as a clean energy source. However, the practical application of hydrogen in internal combustion engines is still limited by the stability of on-demand hydrogen production systems and their integration with conventional engines. This study aims to design and evaluate a NaOH-based alkaline electrolyzer for on-demand hydrogen production and its application in a small spark-ignition engine. The electrolyzer was fabricated using 8 cell stacks with electrode dimensions of 16×16 cm, an inter-electrode gap of 2 mm, and a thickness of 1.2 mm. Experimental tests were conducted at currents of 40 A and 50 A with 30 wt.% NaOH solution. The produced hydrogen gas was directly supplied to a 97cc spark-ignition engine under a constant braking load of 0.5 kg/cm². The result showed that hydrogen production reached 0.9 L/min at 40 A and 1.25 L/min at 50 A. The addition of hydrogen significantly improved engine performance, with brake power increasing by up to 20.8%, brake thermal efficiency by 6.2%, and volumetric efficiency by 9.1%, while reducing brake specific energy consumption by 28%. These findings indicate that hydrogen generated from an alkaline electrolyzer can enhance combustion efficiency and improve overall engine performance, supporting the development of cleaner and more efficient energy systems.

Keywords

Alkaline Electrolyzer; Hydrogen; Internal Combustion Engine; Brake Power; Sustainable Energy.

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30811/jpl.v24i3.8784