PEM Hydrogen Injection for Generators

Technical explanation

On a genset the PEM unit is wall- or skid-mounted next to the enclosure and powered from the set's own DC supply or an auxiliary rectified feed. Gas is introduced into the air cleaner outlet ahead of the turbocharger, with the same non-invasive plumbing used on vehicles but without the vibration and thermal cycling of a chassis installation.

Because a prime-power set runs thousands of hours a year at a stable operating point, water consumption and resin-filter life can be predicted precisely and folded into the existing maintenance schedule. Continuous-duty installations should be specified with the larger reservoir option to keep refills on the service interval.

Combustion effects

At constant speed and steady load, the shortening of ignition delay and burn duration is repeatable cycle to cycle. Sets running at part load — a very common condition in standby and hybrid installations — benefit most, because low-load diesel combustion is where incomplete burn and wet stacking are worst.

Operators typically look for three indicators: exhaust opacity, specific fuel consumption in litres per kWh, and exhaust-gas temperature stability. Improvements in opacity and combustion stability are the most consistently observable; fuel figures require metered logging over matched load blocks.

Application-specific notes

• ▸20–30 kW sets: heavy-duty compact units; larger prime-power sets need the DH-Power class
• ▸Part-load and prime-power duty benefit more than infrequently exercised standby sets
• ▸Log kWh delivered against fuel used — never litres per hour alone
• ▸Enclosure ventilation and gas-line routing must follow the installation guide