Marelli and hydrogen @CTI Symposium

Marelli and hydrogen, to debunk any doubts about the exclusivity of the commitment to electrification. A complete fuel system, with injectors and control unit, is testimony to the fact that Marelli does not only decline decarbonisation when it comes to batteries.

Marelli explains how to manage hydrogen in ICE

Marelli, as the unique player in the world to have developed and produced a 700+ bar gasoline direct injection (GDI) system, has moved from its experience of the 1,000-bar system to develop, still in the Propulsion Solutions R&D center in Bologna, a solution specifically suited for hydrogen, that guarantees high durability and injection stability, with excellent performance. This allowed the company to develop reliable and low-noise direct injectors aimed for hydrogen, with the same dimensions as those used for traditional fuels, making it easier for carmakers to integrate them into existing platforms. Moreover, these injectors feature a double actuation, a specific magnetic circuit to control the speed of the needle and a high static flow that can meet the requirements of a variety of different vehicles. The patented design also allows to overcome uncontrolled hits between the injector’s dynamic components, to reduce performance drifts. Finally, the use of a standard command control contributes to reducing system costs and complexity. The fuel system also includes a pressure reducer with an integrated regulator, to reduce hydrogen pressure to the injection’s working pressure, and a specific manifold, tested for the most severe automotive applications. The whole functioning is controlled by an advanced Engine Control Unit, featuring software algorithms and specific strategies developed in-house by Marelli to manage the more complex hydrogen-based system.

Why, how and where

As hydrogen is a very light and reactive gas, a very precise fuel injection inside the combustion chamber is required, together with specific solutions to avoid pre-ignitions and backfire. It also needs a higher compression ratio than common gasoline engines to exploit the fuel efficiently. This makes the direct injection system a key enabler for this technology.

Marelli will present this new technology at the CTI Symposium 2023, one of the largest international industry events in Europe about sustainable automotive powertrain technologies for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, taking place in Berlin, Germany, on December 5-6, 2023.

At the event, Marelli will also showcase other advanced technologies for different kind of propulsions to support the mobility of the future. The display will include the 1,000-bar GDI fuel system, the Vehicle Domain Control Module for vehicles with different powertrains, as well as the full range of wired and wireless Battery Management Systems and the multipurpose smart actuators for transmission and thermal management aimed at electric vehicles.