Effect of the Addition of Hydrogen – Synthesis Gas Blends on Combustion Characteristics and Emission in a Genset Fueled with Natural Gas

The current research addresses the effect of different ratios of hydrogen and syngas blends in a spark ignition engine, mainly fueled with natural gas. Three blend combinations have been defined: NG + 20% HS, NG + 30% HS, and NG + 40% HS, along with seven spark advance settings: 5, 10, 15, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °BTDC. The study focuses on evaluating combustion, performance parameters, and pollutant emissions (HC, NOx, CO, and CO2). The results obtained show that the blends NG + 20%HS, NG + 30%HS, and NG + 40% HS cause an increase of 5.60%, 11.68%, and 18.57% in the maximum peak pressure, and an increase of 3.79%, 8.91% and 15.14% in the heat release rate. In the case of the NG + 40% HS blend, a 10.12% reduction in BSFC and an 11.33% increase in engine BTE are achieved. Additionally, the hydrogen-syngas blends cause a decrease of 22.16%, 14.84%, and 18.34% in HC, CO, and CO2 emissions compared to purely natural gas. However, a 37.66% increase in NOx emissions is reported. In general, the research carried out shows that the blend of hydrogen with syngas is an alternative to improve the performance parameters and reduce the environmental impact of natural gas-fueled spark ignition engines.