Hydrogen combustion enhancement for refuse and waste fleets.
A collection round is hundreds of stops, long stationary periods while the body cycles, PTO load at standstill and short low-speed moves between lifts. That is a heavy idle and part-load duty cycle, and it is the duty cycle our existing idle and part-load evidence page addresses directly. HydroHub PEM units fit compactor trucks as a reversible, bolt-on retrofit with no ECU calibration change.
Can hydrogen combustion enhancement be fitted to refuse collection trucks?
Yes. A PEM unit generates hydrogen and oxygen on demand from deionised water and feeds it into the engine's intake path, so it fits a compactor truck as a bolt-on, fully reversible retrofit with no ECU calibration change and no emissions hardware altered. The HydroHub DH-Power covers 7.0 to 16.0 litre engines for rear-loader, side-loader and front-lift trucks; the HydroHub H-Power covers up to 7.0 litres. Because so much fuel is burnt at idle and under stationary PTO load, baseline whole collection rounds — litres per round on the same route — rather than comparing kilometres or hours.
- Rear-loader, side-loader and front-lift compactors: HydroHub™ DH-Power (7.0–16.0 L)
- Smaller collection and hook-lift trucks: HydroHub™ H-Power (up to 7.0 L)
- Heavy idle and stationary PTO load — measure litres per round, not per kilometre
- Compatible with DPF, SCR, EGR and AdBlue after-treatment
- 12 / 24 V DC from the vehicle; gas generated on demand, nothing stored
- Consumables: deionised water and a resin filter every 6–9 months
- Primary unit
- HydroHub™ DH-Power
- Smaller bodies
- HydroHub™ H-Power
- Supply
- 12 / 24 V DC
- Consumable
- Resin filter 6–9 mo
The evidence and sector pages this vertical builds on.
Idle & part-load duty cycles →
The primary evidence basis for this vertical — per-study findings for idle-heavy and low-load operation, with method and variability disclosed.
Visible smoke reduction →
Relevant to kerbside operation in residential streets; smoke opacity findings per study, with the NOx trade-off disclosed.
Fleet trials →
How to structure a round-based trial across a collection fleet before a wider rollout.
Unit selection by equipment class.
| Equipment class | Typical displacement | Recommended unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rear-loader compactor | 7 – 11 L | HydroHub™ DH-Power | Very high stop count; capture full rounds including body cycling in the baseline. |
| Side-loader (automated arm) | 7 – 13 L | HydroHub™ DH-Power | Continuous low-speed creep plus PTO load at each lift. |
| Front-lift commercial collection | 9 – 13 L | HydroHub™ DH-Power | Fewer stops, heavier lifts; longer stationary hydraulic load periods. |
| Roll-on / roll-off & hook-lift | 9 – 13 L | HydroHub™ DH-Power | Mixed duty: transfer-station runs plus stationary bin handling. |
| Small collection & council light trucks | 3.0 – 7.0 L | HydroHub™ H-Power | Compact behind-cab cabinet mounting. |
| Transfer-station plant & gensets | 2.5 – 16 L | H-Power or D-900 | Steady-state stationary duty; fed from the set's starting battery. |
PEM units suited to this duty.
HydroHub™ DH-Power Heavy-Duty PEM Enhancement System
- Application
- Up to 16.0 L
- Output
- 900 ml/min max
- Voltage
- 12 / 24 V DC
- Power
- 160 W
Free worldwide delivery, DDP
Duties & taxes are included on most destinations. Select your country for the exact arrangement.
HydroHub™ H-Power Heavy-Duty PEM Enhancement System
- Application
- Up to 7.0 L
- Output
- 900 ml/min
- Voltage
- 12 / 24 V DC
- Power
- 160 W
Free worldwide delivery, DDP
Duties & taxes are included on most destinations. Select your country for the exact arrangement.
HydroHub™ A-900 PEM Engine Enhancement System
- Application
- 2.7 – 7.0 L
- Output
- 900 ml/min
- Voltage
- 12 – 24 V DC
- Power
- 170 W
Free worldwide delivery, DDP
Duties & taxes are included on most destinations. Select your country for the exact arrangement.
What this environment does to the hardware.
Idle and part-load dominate
Most of a collection shift is not cruise load. Our idle and part-load duty cycles page sets out what the published literature reports for exactly this kind of operation, including where it reports least.
Measure per round, not per kilometre
Kilometres and hours both understate a round's real work. Litres per completed round, on the same route with the same body configuration, is the comparison that holds up.
Stationary PTO load
Body hydraulics burn fuel with the vehicle stopped. Include full body cycling in both the baseline and the fitted period, or the two periods are not comparable.
Dust, grit and wash-down
The cabinet is a sealed industrial enclosure. Mount clear of the body's wash-down zone and treat it with the same inspection interval as the rest of the engine bay.
After-treatment intact
Nothing is removed or defeated. DPF, SCR, EGR and AdBlue systems continue to operate as designed, which matters for council and contractor compliance reporting.
Reversibility for contract changes
The retrofit is reversible, so a unit can be returned to standard configuration at contract handover or moved to another vehicle in the fleet.
Recommended trial sequence.
- 01Select one representative truck per body type on a fixed collection route
- 02Baseline litres per completed round, including all body cycling and PTO time
- 03Hold route, bin count, driver roster and body configuration constant
- 04Fit one unit and record the installation against the fleet number
- 05Compare the same rounds over an equivalent period
- 06Only extend to further trucks once the measured result meets your threshold
Model your own numbers.
Enter your fuel burn, hours and the reduction you want to model. Scenario only — not a savings prediction.
Fuel Cost Scenario Calculator
Scenario modelling, not a savings prediction. You choose the assumed reduction — we never suggest a figure is typical or expected.
Remote diesel costs what it cost to deliver, not bowser price. Landed cost vs pump price →
Scenario modelling — pick a reduction to evaluate. Not a prediction.
Recommended: D-900 for this application. Payback is calculated against vehicles × system delivered price.
Results are illustrative only. Actual performance depends on engine condition, duty cycle, fuel quality, installation and operating conditions.
Field evaluation is required before any commercial decision. Fleet Trial Programme →
How we report performance.
No projected, typical or expected fuel-saving figure is published. Actual results vary materially with engine condition, duty cycle, load profile, fuel quality, installation and operating conditions. A controlled field evaluation on your own equipment, with baseline data captured before installation, is required before any commercial projection.
These are combustion-enhancement devices. No emissions-compliance or fuel-saving guarantee is expressed or implied. Professional installation and controlled field evaluation are recommended.
Free worldwide delivery. Duties & taxes included on most destinations; where pre-payment isn't permitted, the carrier collects them on arrival. 12-month manufacturer warranty. See Shipping & duties by country for the exact arrangement for your destination.
- · Remote-site fuel logistics cost — landed cost versus pump price, and why the same honest percentage moves more money.
- · Idle & part-load duty cycles — where the published literature reports the most room, and where it reports least.
- · Hydrogen with biodiesel blends — per-study findings on blended fuels, with the NOx trade-off disclosed.
- · Visible smoke reduction — smoke opacity findings per study.
Questions.
Which HydroHub unit suits a refuse collection vehicle?
- Displacement decides it. The HydroHub DH-Power covers 7.0 to 16.0 litre engines, which is where most rear-loader, side-loader and front-lift compactor trucks sit. The HydroHub H-Power covers engines up to 7.0 litres for smaller collection bodies, hook-lift trucks and light waste vehicles.
Why is refuse collection a distinct duty cycle?
- A collection round is one of the harshest stop-start cycles in road transport: hundreds of stops per shift, long periods at idle while the body cycles, PTO load with the vehicle stationary, and short low-speed movements between lifts. Very little of the shift is spent at steady cruise load, which is why hours or kilometres alone are a poor way to compare before and after. Litres per collection round, on the same route and body configuration, is the useful measure.
Is there published evidence relevant to this duty cycle?
- The idle and part-load literature is the relevant body of work, and we set it out — per study, with method and variability — on our idle and part-load duty cycles page rather than restating it here. Read that page for the evidence basis; this page is about how it applies to a collection fleet.
Does the PTO and body-cycling load matter?
- It matters for measurement, not for fitment. The unit feeds the engine intake and runs off the vehicle's own 12 or 24 V DC supply, so body hydraulics are unaffected. But because a large share of fuel is burnt stationary under PTO load, your baseline must capture full rounds including body cycling, not just driving.
Will it work with the truck's DPF, SCR and AdBlue system?
- Yes. Nothing is removed or defeated. Gas is introduced into the intake path, and existing after-treatment continues to operate as designed. No ECU calibration, fuel-system component or emissions device is altered.
What servicing does a waste depot need to plan?
- Deionised water and a replacement resin filter every 6 to 9 months. Both are workshop store items with the same handling class as coolant, folded into the existing service schedule.
Continue reading.
Hydrogen combustion enhancement
What it is, how PEM gas reaches the cylinder, and what it does not do.
Engine performance improvement
Flame speed, burn completeness and load response on diesel engines.
Fuel efficiency
How to baseline and measure litres per 100 km or litres per hour.
Emissions reduction
Soot, particulate and unburnt-fuel behaviour, and how to test it.
Visible smoke reduction
Smoke opacity findings per study, with the NOx trade-off disclosed.
Remote-site fuel logistics cost
Landed cost versus pump price, and why the same percentage moves more money.
Generator-set classes
Camp, prime, standby, rental, telecom, irrigation and ship's service sets compared.
Idle & part-load duty cycles
Reefers, camp gensets and high-idle plant — where the literature reports most room.
Hydrogen with biodiesel blends
Per-study findings for hydrogen enrichment on biodiesel, NOx disclosed.
Installation guide
Nine-step fitting sequence: mounting, wiring, gas line, commissioning.
Safety & compliance
On-demand gas, no storage, alarms, shutdowns and reversibility.
Troubleshooting
Alarms, low gas output, water quality and no-start diagnostics.
Case studies & field results
Published operator data and trial methodology.
Compare PEM systems
A-450 to DH-Power side by side: displacement, output, current draw.
Does it actually work? Evidence review
The published literature, the FTC/EPA history and the ACL context.
How it works
Gas path and established physics, explained with diagrams.
PEM vs alkaline
Membrane on water versus caustic KOH: servicing, purity, cost.
Sizing combined gas
Why PEM and alkaline gas-volume benchmarks are not interchangeable for ICE sizing.
Four hydrogen technologies
Enhancement vs H2ICE vs fuel cell vs chemical generation.
Compared with Hydrogen Fuel Systems
Honest comparison with the Perth-based Gen alkaline range.
Compared with H2i Technology
Hardware, pricing and evidence transparency versus the Victorian supplier.
Compared with dynaCERT HydraGEN
PEM versus alkaline, published price versus dealer quote, Verra versus ACCU.
Compared with HYDI
The South Australian manufacturer: UniSA testing, field history and quote path.
AU installation, warranty & safety
VSB 14 and VSB 6, ACL guarantees and documentation to keep.
Mining fleets
Haul trucks, dozers, drill rigs and site gensets: unit selection and dust.
Marine
Workboats, charter, fishing and ship's service gensets — no gas stored aboard.
Agriculture
Tractors, headers, pump sets and farm trucks across seasonal duty.
FAQ
Answers on fitment, water, warranty, freight and duty cycles.