Kawasaki’s Supercharged Hydrogen-Fueled H2

[Admin]

No, those aren’t jet engines. Kawasaki’s hydrogen-powered H2 prototype packages the large tanks on the tailsection. (Kawasaki/)

Motorcycle makers all over the globe are on the horns of a dilemma right now. It’s becoming increasingly clear that fossil-fueled internal combustion engines are in their swan song. Like it or not there are growing global pressures to put a defined end date on their manufacture and sale for road vehicles—but currently no silver bullet technology is out there to replace them.

On the one hand there’s the electric option. Yes, it’s proven tech and, yes, there’s a fast-growing charging network to support EVs, and it’s no problem to bolt a few hundred pounds of batteries underneath an SUV and then blow away gas-powered rivals in terms of acceleration. However on two wheels, it’s currently next to impossible to match the weight, convenience, and then the practicality of filling up at the pump. Motorcycles need to be light and tightly packaged, and for the foreseeable future no battery technology offers anything close to the energy-density required to compete with the current status quo of internal combustion in terms of range and performance.

On the other hand, there’s hydrogen power, which offers some tempting positives but comes with its own array of downsides. In the plus column, hydrogen might be an easier way to store and move energy around than electricity is—there are already early attempts at hydrogen filling stations in some parts of the world, including California, and filling a hydrogen tank is much faster than recharging a battery. It also shares a huge positive with gasoline in that it’s only half the equation when it comes to powering a vehicle, as oxygen from the air around us is the other part, so you don’t have to carry an all-in-one power source everywhere you go. That applies whether you’re talking about hydrogen fuel cells for electric power or hydrogen combustion engines.

Kawasaki’s prototype will begin testing soon. (Kawasaki/)

It’s the latter that Kawasaki is focusing on here, as part of its role in Japan’s HySE (Hydrogen Small mobility and Engine) coalition, where it’s working alongside Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha in an effort to make hydrogen internal combustion engines for small vehicles a viable path for the future. Those companies’ interest in hydrogen isn’t just about saving the planet (burning hydrogen results in exhaust emissions that are almost entirely of water vapor). All of them have huge manufacturing bases and supply chains dedicated to making internal combustion engines, so the ability to adapt the decades of experience and billions of dollars’ worth of facilities built up around ICE to a new, green future is understandably tempting.

Under the HySE partnership Kawasaki Motors and Yamaha Motor are tasked with the actual development and manufacture of prototype hydrogen engines as well as the refueling systems, supply network, and hydrogen tanks, while Honda and Suzuki’s functions are on the R&D side. Kawasaki Heavy Industry, Kawasaki Motors’ parent and already a big player in the hydrogen economy worldwide, and Toyota are also involved. Initially, Kawasaki’s supercharged four-cylinder engine, as used in the H2 range of bikes, has become the focus of the project, and that’s what is fitted to the prototype seen here.

Why? Because forced induction, whether via turbocharging or supercharging, is all but essential if a hydrogen-fueled combustion engine is to come close to a normally aspirated gasoline one in terms of performance. That’s because you need to get a lot more air into the cylinder to get the hydrogen to burn properly. Gasoline requires an air-fuel ratio of about 14.7:1, while hydrogen needs at least 34 parts air to one part hydrogen by mass, and hydrogen combustion engines will usually run at even leaner mixtures than that. Kawasaki’s hydrogen engine uses the supercharger to compress the air before it enters the cylinder, getting more of it in there, and then uses direct fuel injection at very high pressure to get the hydrogen into the combustion chamber after the valves have closed.

A rear view of the large bulbous hydrogen tanks. (Kawasaki/)

Kawasaki’s prototype clearly illustrates that hydrogen isn’t a panacea to the problem of creating a clean combustion engine. While its emissions will be little more than water (there will probably also be some NOx as a byproduct), the big issue is storing the hydrogen, both at filling stations and on the bike itself. It’s clear to see how that translates to the bike’s design: Those panniers at the back aren’t for luggage, they’re the fuel tanks. While hydrogen has close to three times the energy of gasoline when compared mass-for-mass, the situation is reversed when the two are compared by volume. In fact, gasoline is four times as energy dense in terms of volume even when the hydrogen is in liquid form (requiring cryogenic storage), so to have a decent range a hydrogen-fueled bike needs huge tanks.

Kawasaki’s solution, as illustrated in earlier sketches for the bike released last year, is to use an array of swappable hydrogen cartridges. It’s an idea that Toyota is a proponent of, as it eliminates the problem of having members of the public refilling their own hydrogen tanks—something that involves extremely high pressures and low temperatures (automotive hydrogen fuel tanks can have pressures of up to 10,000 psi). These cartridges are simply slotted into place and then swapped for freshly refilled ones when the bike needs refueling. On the downside, though, it means there’s virtually no space for luggage and, despite the prototype appearing to be based on the H2 SX sport-tourer, no provision for a passenger either.

Although the prototype bike has yet to be seen in action, Kawasaki’s hydrogen-fueled H2 engine will be put to the test in January when the HySE-X1 side-by-side four-wheeler—developed by the HySE partnership to demonstrate and test its technology—competes in the Dakar Rally. The motorcycle seen here is expected to start to undergo tests soon after that, but it’s likely to be several years before a production version emerges, if it ever does.

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[Fiddlesticks]

If we all buy one of these it will change the weather. For the worse.

[fullscreenaging]

So every single filling station will have to stock these swappable fuel tanks?

Looks like they will take up a lot of space. 
I’m all for hydrogen fuelled vehicles and always have been, but they will have to eventually make those tanks a lot smaller to make this direction for bikes more viable…

Edited December 20, 2023 by fullscreenaging

[geofferz]

15 hours ago, fullscreenaging said:

So every single filling station will have to stock these swappable fuel tanks?

Looks like they will take up a lot of space. 
I’m all for hydrogen fuelled vehicles and always have been, but they will have to eventually make those tanks a lot smaller to make this direction for bikes more viable…

I mean, if it takes off eventually you'll get more stations. Like the early days of petrol, or electric. 

[fullscreenaging]

25 minutes ago, geofferz said:

I mean, if it takes off eventually you'll get more stations. Like the early days of petrol, or electric. 

We already have those stations, and maybe more will appear, but the amount of real estate they will need to store the tanks will be massive. 
There will be a high probability that you could get to a station and there are no full tanks ready to be swapped over. 
 

[RideWithStyles]

Yep.

for bikes these can make sense compared to batteries ( stupid amount of weight, charging problems of quantity and quality) but as motorcycles are in the minority a self fill would make alot more sense plus you have the liability of the tanks and who swaps and looks after these??? self filled woukd be better, and easy to alot a pump for it, shame theres not any cars out too as that would help.

people fill lpg without much issue...

 

problem is these tanks are already part alloy / carbon fibre wrapped wrapped as they are- think of dive tanks or paintball gun tanks that run in excess off 6000psi compressed air that was 20+years ago when i was last involved, so strong and lightweight compared to batteries, behave similarly to current IcE...

why not have lpg bikes and a intermediate until the other technologies get better for full ownership??

not sure how batteries long term will cope with being outside in winter, vibrations etc as they are really explosive, as videos of lithium batteries off phones, peddle and other modes of transport explode...

im not anti electric and both technologies have drawbacks, each do have a place in the biking world but they aint suitable for everyone/bike.
but for my preference id prefer LPG or hydrogen at the mo.

[Gerontious]

38 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said:

not sure how batteries long term will cope with being outside in winter, vibrations etc as they are really explosive, as videos of lithium batteries off phones, peddle and other modes of transport explode...

 

Is 6 years longe term?

 

Im now starting the 6th winter with a lithium battery. the original to the bike - bought November 2018. which is and has always been parked outside.

 

Its managed to resist blowing up thus far, and I am yet to hear of any owner suffering from such a disaster. Might be because our batteries are made in Japan and we tend to resist buying cheaply made copies coming out of random Chinese factories with little or no Quality Control. Nor, incredibly have I ever heard of a KTM exploding and they were the first to adopt Lithium a few years before Honda.

 

But I do enjoy these tales of exploding lithium batteries. Its a constant worry every time I put my phone in my pocket or place it on charge next to my bed. Same goes for the Original Japanese battery I picked up as an unused bargain. its on the floor just inches from my feet and the constant threat of it exploding and my losing a leg - does add some excitement to my otherwise rather unexciting life.

 

[Fiddlesticks]

 

[Gerontious]

30 minutes ago, Fiddlesticks said:

 

 

Obviously we can all now live in fear and terror. which will make life a little more interesting.

 

I shall be more attentive. see how many people I see out and about with wounds due to their phone exploding. Must be happening all the time. given the evidence of this random video. queuing outside A&E every night. causing crashes on the roads as cars go up in flames by the dozen - every day of the week.

 

or maybe not. seems rather more likely to me that these are all examples of the sorts of people who think saving money by buying stuff from Aliexpress is definitely a good idea. Darwin Award entrants every one.

[Bender]

3 hours ago, Gerontious said:

 

Is 6 years longe term?

 

Im now starting the 6th winter with a lithium battery. the original to the bike - bought November 2018. which is and has always been parked outside.

 

Its managed to resist blowing up thus far, and I am yet to hear of any owner suffering from such a disaster. Might be because our batteries are made in Japan and we tend to resist buying cheaply made copies coming out of random Chinese factories with little or no Quality Control. Nor, incredibly have I ever heard of a KTM exploding and they were the first to adopt Lithium a few years before Honda.

 

But I do enjoy these tales of exploding lithium batteries. Its a constant worry every time I put my phone in my pocket or place it on charge next to my bed. Same goes for the Original Japanese battery I picked up as an unused bargain. its on the floor just inches from my feet and the constant threat of it exploding and my losing a leg - does add some excitement to my otherwise rather unexciting life.

 

6 deaths this year so far I believe, quality of batteries and chargers will play a big part in it, but your comparing a relatively small battery that's not the main form of propulsion for your bike, to cheap Chinese tat.

 

Unfortunately cheap batteries do explode and recommendations are to charge them outside of your house.

 

A guy in Germany had his house blown up by his 30kw lithium battery store, it was an lithium iron phosphate battery store supposedly safe, it's believed the battery gave off fumes possibly hydrogen, badabing badabooom.

[Gerontious]

2 hours ago, Bender said:

6 deaths this year so far I believe, quality of batteries and chargers will play a big part in it, but your comparing a relatively small battery that's not the main form of propulsion for your bike, to cheap Chinese tat.

 

Unfortunately cheap batteries do explode and recommendations are to charge them outside of your house.

 

Actually. No. The entire thrust of my posts was to mock the idea that exploding batteries is a real thing for the VAST MAJORITY. 

 

And that when this happens. which I do not dispute. Its almost always due to the use of cheap knock-offs originating in unregulated factories in china with little or no quality control and then sold through these awful sites like Aliexpress.

 

Sadly there will always be people for whom saving a few quid is the most important factor of all.. and sod the consequences. OEM battery might be £45 (for example) a copy from Aliexpress?  £2.50 including post.  which should you choose?

 

Quote

seems rather more likely to me that these are all examples of the sorts of people who think saving money by buying stuff from Aliexpress is definitely a good idea. Darwin Award entrants every one.

 

The idea that Lithium batteries are a risk to everyone is laughable - which is the inference I was responding to and mocking.. because nearly everyone has at least one. And very likely many more than just one.

 

As for large lithium batteries in vehicles?

 

Quote

Today there are an estimated 950,000 electric cars on the road in the UK and 570,000 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Gerontious
I fiddled when I shoulda faddled.

[RideWithStyles]

nasty toxic when they go up.

Be actually interesting what the failure and damage rate (exploding, fires, toxic etc) to people and property rather than the deaths as they'll always be wuite low.

 

Yep bender is correct, Aluminium composites can do that under certain circumstances.

i know of a multi million pound company in Europe that even thou they didnt make batteries thay still used the odd chemical similar to make a different byproduct in smaller quantities as a small range in the chemical industry for mass production, they knew what they where doing over the years had prepared everything but the slightest leak in a small sealed container and oxygen which did a Hindenburg to the factory...it was no more.

Edited December 21, 2023 by RideWithStyles