At Agritechnica, Cummins Inc. confirmed its commitment to the hydrogen economy as part of its Destination Zero strategy.

"Cummins has developed leading power solutions for over a hundred years, and we continue to demonstrate our leadership in developing a broad range of sustainable drivetrains looking to the future - with hydrogen playing a key role," said Antonio Leitao, Cummins VP Off-Highway Engine Business. "Our strategy is to focus on the complete hydrogen value chain to drive sustainability and enable faster adoption."

Following recent acquisitions and investment, Cummins’ focus is on three key areas for hydrogen: the production of green hydrogen, the management and transportation of hydrogen, and the application of hydrogen in engines and fuel cells. 

Green Hydrogen Production

Green hydrogen the only variety produced with zero greenhouse gas emissions, is produced using electrolysis to turn sustainable power (wind, solar, hydro) into hydrogen. Hydrogen already used in some processes on the farm, such as grain drying, cooling, and fertilizer production. 

The key tool to do this is an electrolyzer.  Accelera™ by Cummins, the zero-emissions business segment of Cummins, is establishing a new electrolyzer plan in La Mancha, Spain, reaffirming the company's commitment to expanding the green hydrogen economy in Europe and globally. Accelera™ also recently celebrated the start of operations at its first US-based electrolyzer production site in Minnesota, USA, expanded PEM electrolyzer manufacturing capacity at its Belgium factory to 1GW, and added space to its site in Mississauga, Canada.

Hydrogen Storage and Supply

On-board storage is a critical component of hydrogen power. Hydrogen needs to be compressed into the available space to store enough to meet vehicle duty cycle requirements. Cummins has a joint venture with NPROXX, a world leader in high pressure hydrogen storage for both stationary and mobile applications, to support the OEM integration process.  Storage tanks will have up to 700-bar pressure capability to maximise capacity and operating range. 

Motores de hidrógeno

Cummins is developing hydrogen powered combustion engines which will provide sustainable solutions that are more aligned with current vehicle designs to reduce complexity for OEMs and their customers. The reuse of appropriate components drives economies of scale while also providing reliability and durability equal to diesel.  

Farmers will be familiar with the use of hydrogen in the production of ammonia fertilizer; however, they may not have considered what benefits hydrogen engines could bring to agricultural equipment. Hydrogen ICE can meet the demands of the most challenging applications. Hydrogen ICE is robust to extreme operating and environmental conditions witnessed in agriculture applications.

Visitors to Agritechnica were able to see Cummins' B6.7H hydrogen engine aimed at agricultural tractors and machinery, with a top rating of 290 hp (216 kW) and an impressive peak torque of 1200 Nm.  This is one of Cummins next generation engine platforms targeted for Stage VI/Tier 5.  The agnostic engine design enables consistent mounting/space claim for clean diesel, natural gas, and hydrogen. The main engine block below the cylinder heads remains the same, the head and the fuel system are the key changes.  

Cummins hydrogen ICE engines can be installed in the same equipment as a diesel engine while also using the same transmission, cooling systems, and hydraulic systems. Maintenance practices and costs are also comparable to diesel engines. The major difference to consider is the on-board hydrogen storage system, which Cummins can support through the NPROXX joint venture. 

“A hydrogen combustion engine fits in today's machines, works with today's transmissions, and integrates seamlessly into the industry's existing service networks and practices,” added Leitao.

Las pilas de hidrógeno

Hydrogen fuel cell technology can offer an efficient power solution for heavy-duty applications with high utilization and energy demands, while meeting zero-emission needs.  Fuel cells generate convert energy from hydrogen into electricity. They work alongside battery technology - ultra-capacitors, lithium-ion, or lead-acid - in a parallel hybrid set-up to deliver instantaneous response.
 
"We see hydrogen engines and fuel cells as complementary power sources offering different options to customers depending on where they are on their path to zero carbon. Introducing hydrogen engines in the market will also accelerate the growth of hydrogen infrastructure to support the widespread adoption of fuel cell powertrains," concluded Leitao.