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FUEL SYSTEMS
Liebherr’s new
direct injection
fuel systems aim
to deliver higher
power density in
heavy-duty engines.
iebherr Components AG, part of the
L Liebherr Group, has announced the
development of new direct fuel injection
systems for hydrogen combustion engines
in heavy-duty applications. The current
systems target engines with outputs up
to 100 hp (75 kW) per cylinder, but
the company is also in development on
versions designed for larger engines rated
up to 302 hp (225 kW) per cylinder.
Liebherr noted several challenges for
H2 combustion engines, including their
ability to operate in less than optimum
conditions while maintaining peak
power and accommodating dynamic
load changes. Being able to approach
diesel engines in terms of performance
and operating characteristics is perhaps
the biggest hurdle for H2 engines, the
company said.
To address such issues, Liebherr
has taken a system-oriented approach
to hydrogen injection that combines
various components to control pressure
and flow. This enables the same
operating characteristics as a diesel while
maintaining a sturdy system design, the
company said.
The aim of matching the performance
of an H2-DI engine to that of a diesel
engine requires the system to be capable
of ensuring high flow rates. Due to the
low density of hydrogen gas, the injector
needs large valve cross-sections. To enable
a precise control of even the smallest
quantities, the system pressure must
34 | DIESEL PROGRESS | NOVEMBER 2022
Liebherr has developed a range
of direct injection hydrogen
fuel injectors for engines with
outputs up to 100 hp per
cylinder.
be regulated with pinpoint accuracy.
In Liebherr’s H2 injection system, this
is achieved by means of a gas volume
control valve. Additional attention is
given to minimal nozzle leakage from the
injector, with an aim toward making the
injector gas tight.
“To achieve the same drivability
with a H2 system as with a diesel, the
hydrogen injection system must be
optimally aligned with the engine’s torque
and power,” explained Richard Pirkl,
managing director of Technology and
Development at Liebherr-Components
Deggendorf GmbH. “This means that
during the transition from idle to full
PHOTO: LIEBHERR
load, the necessary amount of fuel and
the corresponding system pressure must
be made available as quickly as possible.”
LOW PRESSURE
DIRECT INJECTION
Liebherr’s H2 injection system is designed
to provide extremely fast and accurate
pressure control, regardless of fuel storage
position, machine size, layout or engine
installation. The design incorporates a
two-stage pressure control. While the
first stage initially stabilizes the variable
pressure from the fuel storage, the second
stage fine tunes fuel pressure. Injection
pressure is controlled by activating the gas
metering valve via the electronic control
unit (ECU).
The ECU controls the gas metering
valve via a closed-loop feed-forward
controller. Custom-developed hydrogen-
specific software modules can be
integrated into third-party application
software and/or control units.
“The H2-DI system is designed to
operate without an electronic pressure
release valve,” Pirkl said. “The idea
behind it is to keep the system as simple
as possible, while avoiding the release of
any hydrogen gas into the atmosphere