Hydrogen combustion enhancement.
On-demand hydrogen-oxygen gas, generated from purified water by a PEM stack and drawn into the engine air intake while the engine runs.
This is the hub page for the category. From here, read how the effect shows up in engine performance, how to baseline fuel efficiency, what it means for emissions reduction, and the measured numbers we publish in field results. To model the economics at an assumption you choose, use the fuel savings calculator.
What is hydrogen combustion enhancement?
Hydrogen combustion enhancement introduces a small hydrogen-oxygen gas stream into the air intake of a running engine. Hydrogen burns faster than diesel, so the flame front spreads more quickly and the fuel charge burns more completely within the same crank angle. The gas is produced on demand by a PEM electrolyser, is never stored, and the engine keeps running on its normal fuel.
- Gas source: proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) electrolysis of purified water
- No caustic electrolyte — no KOH or NaOH carry-over into the air path
- No onboard hydrogen storage; production stops when the engine stops
- Injection point: air intake upstream of combustion
- Fuel system, ECU and emissions after-treatment remain unmodified
- Installation is non-destructive and fully reversible
- Engine range
- 1.0 – 16.0 L
- Supply
- 12 / 24 V DC
- Water
- Purified, TDS ≤ 5 µS/cm
- Start / stop
- Vibration sensor
The terms, precisely.
PEM electrolysis
Splitting purified water into hydrogen and oxygen across a solid polymer membrane. No liquid alkaline electrolyte is used, so nothing corrosive can travel down the gas line.
Hydrogen-oxygen mixed gas
The combined output of the stack, delivered as a single low-pressure stream in litres per minute. It is consumed immediately; nothing is compressed or stored.
Combustion enhancement
Improving how completely and how quickly the existing fuel charge burns, rather than substituting the fuel. Diesel flow is still controlled entirely by the factory ECU.
Water to cylinder, step by step.
1 · Water
Purified water at TDS ≤ 5 µS/cm is held in the onboard reservoir and polished by a resin filter.
2 · Electrolysis
The PEM stack draws 12 / 24 V DC from the vehicle or genset battery and splits the water.
3 · Gas line
Hydrogen and oxygen leave as one low-pressure stream through the supplied line.
4 · Intake
The stream is teed into the air intake upstream of combustion and mixes with intake air.
5 · Combustion
The faster-burning hydrogen raises flame speed inside the cylinder during the normal burn.
Deeper detail on the stack itself is on PEM electrolysis and thermal efficiency.
Matching a unit to an engine.
| Unit | Displacement | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| A-450 | 1.0 – 1.8 L | Light commercial vehicles, vans |
| A-675 | 2.0 – 2.5 L | Utes, light trucks |
| A-900 | 2.7 – 7.0 L | Medium trucks, 20–30 kW gensets |
| H-Power | up to 7.0 L | Heavy-duty road transport |
| DH-Power | up to 16.0 L | Prime movers, road trains, large gensets |
Side-by-side current draw and gas output are on Compare PEM systems, and multi-vehicle trial write-ups are on fleet trials.
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.
Questions.
What is hydrogen combustion enhancement?
- It is the introduction of a small, continuously generated hydrogen-oxygen gas stream into the air intake of a running diesel or gas engine. The gas is produced on demand by a PEM electrolyser from purified water and is consumed immediately in the cylinder. It is a combustion aid, not a fuel replacement.
Does it replace diesel?
- No. The engine continues to run on its normal fuel and its factory fuel system is untouched. The hydrogen-oxygen stream is a combustion enhancer measured in litres per minute, not a substitute fuel.
Is hydrogen stored on the vehicle?
- No. There is no cylinder, tank or accumulator. Gas is generated only while the engine is running — the vibration sensor starts and stops the unit with the engine — and is drawn straight into the intake.
Does fitting a unit modify the engine?
- No. Installation is non-destructive and fully reversible: the unit is mounted, wired to 12 V or 24 V DC, and a gas line is teed into the air intake upstream of the turbo or throttle body. No changes are made to the fuel system, ECU or emissions after-treatment.
Continue reading.
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.