December 5th, FAW Jiefang Automobile Co., Ltd. (FAW Jiefang), a member of the China Hydrogen Energy Alliance and a subsidiary of China First Automobile Group Corporation Limited, released its independently developed first CA6HV3 hydrogen engine. This engine is the first in-cylinder direct injection hydrogen engine for heavy-duty commercial vehicles in China, and it is currently the most powerful hydrogen engine in China. It boasts the highest thermal efficiency, a leading B10 life, and zero carbon emissions. 

The CA6HV3 hydrogen engine can produce a maximum power of 460 horsepower and a peak torque of 2100 Nm. It can efficiently burn gray hydrogen with a purity of 90% and achieve zero carbon emissions. To date, this engine has been installed in FAW Jiefang J6V tractors and has been verified by multiple users.

The next step is to continuously improve, and perfect relevant technical details based on user feedback. According to product design staff of FAW Jiefang Powertrain Development Department, the CA6HV3 hydrogen engine has a strong adaptability to hydrogen purity. When the hydrogen purity reaches 90% or more, it can produce a good combustion effect, which has a lower requirement for hydrogen production and thus reduces its operating cost.

At the same time, to overcome the technical difficulties of hydrogen penetrating into the metal and affecting the internal structure of the metal, causing the strength of the pipeline material to decrease and resulting in brittle fracture, the engine uses hydrogen-resistant wear-resistant materials and special coating technology for parts in contact with hydrogen to prevent hydrogen molecules from diffusing into the metal, causing "hydrogen embrittlement," thereby ensuring the reliability and safety of the engine. 

Image:FAW Jiefang

At the inauguration ceremony of the FAW Jiefang 6DV super factory and the release of the first hydrogen engine held on the same day, Jinpu New District of Dalian signed an investment agreement with FAW Jiefang Dalian Diesel Engine Co., Ltd. for the upgrade project of FAW Jiefang DaChai medium and heavy-duty engines. The total investment of the project is expected to reach 614 million yuan, covering the construction of 5-7 liter medium-sized engines, heavy-duty hydrogen engines, and production lines. Among them, the CA6HV3 production line is the world's first hydrogen engine production line.

FAW Jiefang was founded in 1953 and is one of the earliest automobile manufacturers in China. The company mainly engages in research, development, production, and sales of commercial vehicles, and its products cover a wide range of series, including heavy, medium, and light-duty trucks. In recent years, FAW Jiefang has actively implemented the national "dual carbon" goals.

In September 2021, it released the "15333" new energy strategy and simultaneously deployed two technical routes: "fuel cell" and "zero-carbon internal combustion engine.". 

June 8, 2022, FAW Jiefang's independently designed and developed China's first in-cylinder direct injection hydrogen engine for heavy-duty commercial vehicles was successfully ignited and operated stably.

June 28, 2024, the ignition ceremony of FAW Jiefang's ammonia-hydrogen fusion direct injection zero-carbon internal combustion engine was held in Changchun. Currently, FAW Jiefang has developed 17 models of fuel cell vehicles in six categories, including tractors, cargo, dump trucks, special vehicles, light logistics, and buses, which can meet the needs of all major application scenarios. The "three low and one high" competitive indicators of the whole vehicle lead the industry development.

At the same time, FAW Jiefang focuses on the "3+2" fuel cell demonstration city clusters and hydrogen-rich and electricity-rich regional markets and drives the development of product technology and industrial ecology through scenario demonstration. It has accumulated more than 1,200 vehicles put into the market, ranking at the forefront of the industry.

Source: ChinaHydrogenAlliance