Fuel conversion analysis of a four-stroke marine diesel engine using combustion models
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Date
2025-07-07
Authors
Διδασκάλου, Σπυρίδων
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Abstract
Traditional marine diesel engines, while reliable and powerful, are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and local pollutants. The maritime industry faces increasing pressure to reduce emissions while maintaining high engine performance, especially in consideration of tightening global environmental regulations. Exploring alternative fuels such as hydrogen presents a promising avenue, but requires careful simulation and analysis to ensure feasibility, efficiency, and safety.
This study addresses the challenge of evaluating various hydrogen integration strategies into a conventional marine diesel engine platform. In this study, a baseline simulation model of the MAN 32/40 marine diesel engine was developed using ANSYS Forte. This model served as the foundation for investigating the effects of hydrogen integration through five additional fueling configurations. In all cases, hydrogen was introduced as a premixed fuel, while diesel was direct injected. The configurations included one model utilizing hydrogen autoignition under preheated intake conditions, one employing spark-ignited hydrogen, and three dual fuel models combining hydrogen and diesel, which were differentiated by the proportion of each fuel. Across all simulations, the aim was to maintain the engine power output at the range of the base model. The analysis focused on in-cylinder pressure profiles and emissions characteristics, offering insights into the combustion behavior and environmental impact of each fueling strategy.
The simulation results demonstrate that hydrogen, whether used as a primary fuel or in dual-fuel configurations with diesel, can substantially reduce emissions, particularly carbon-based pollutants, while maintaining the engine’s power output. However, the outcomes also reveal important complexities. Given the large displacement and high fuel demand of an engine like the one simulated, some results diverge from initial expectations. These deviations can be attributed to the engine’s scale and the high volumetric flow rates required, which influence combustion dynamics and fuel-air mixing differently than in smaller engines. The findings suggest that while hydrogen shows strong potential for decarbonizing marine propulsion, the behavior of alternative fuels must be interpreted in the context of engine size and operating conditions. Overall, the study underscores the feasibility of hydrogen integration and highlights the importance of engine-specific optimization when transitioning to cleaner fuel technologies.
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Keywords
Marine engine, Combustion model, Fuel conversion analysis, Hydrogen, Gas emissions