Large-bore natural gas two-stroke engines with lean-burn technology have been integral to the North American pipeline network for many years and will remain crucial for future gas transportation. As research focuses on achieving lower lean ignition limits, pre-combustion chambers have gained attention as a promising method to enhance combustion stability and engine reliability. However, retrofitting existing platforms with pre-combustion chambers may not always be financially viable, which calls for further exploration of alternative technologies that could reduce methane emissions from two-stroke...
Large-bore natural gas two-stroke engines with lean-burn technology have been integral to the North American pipeline network for many years and will remain crucial for future gas transportation. As research focuses on achieving lower lean ignition limits, pre-combustion chambers have gained attention as a promising method to enhance combustion stability and engine reliability. However, retrofitting existing platforms with pre-combustion chambers may not always be financially viable, which calls for further exploration of alternative technologies that could reduce methane emissions from two-stroke open-chamber (OC) engines. Hydrogen dithering in natural gas has demonstrated potential for methane emissions reduction, yet significant gaps in understanding persist, particularly in terms of its impact on other pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx). This study intends to further research on evaluating various concentrations of hydrogen gas blended into a natural gas fuel stream on an OC engine platform as a pathway to reduce methane emissions. The resulting effects were then thoroughly analyzed to assess the impact on general combustion performance, including main chamber pressure, temperature, heat release rate, emissions, power levels, and rate of pressure rise.