Analysis of the Application of Ammonia as a Fuel for a Compression-Ignition Engine

Wojciech Tutak () and Arkadiusz Jamrozik
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Wojciech Tutak: Department of Thermal Machinery, Czestochowa University of Technology, 42-201 Czestochowa, Poland
Arkadiusz Jamrozik: Department of Thermal Machinery, Czestochowa University of Technology, 42-201 Czestochowa, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-25

Abstract: Piston engines used for powering automobiles as well as machinery and equipment have traditionally relied on petroleum-derived fuels. Subsequently, renewable fuels began to be used in an effort to reduce the combustion of hydrocarbon-based fuels and the associated greenhouse effect. Researchers are currently developing technologies aimed at eliminating fuels containing carbon in their molecular structure, which would effectively minimize the emission of carbon oxides into the atmosphere. Ammonia is considered a highly promising carbon-free fuel with broad applicability in energy systems. It serves as an excellent hydrogen carrier (NH 3 ), free from many of the storage and transportation limitations associated with pure hydrogen. Safety concerns regarding the storage and transport of hydrogen make ammonia an increasingly important fuel also due to its larger hydrogen storage capacity. This manuscript investigates the use of ammonia for powering a dual-fuel engine. The results indicate that the addition of ammonia improves engine performance; however, it may also lead to an increase in NO x emissions. Due to the limitations of ammonia as a fuel, approximately 40% of the energy input must still be provided by diesel fuel to achieve optimal engine performance and acceptable NO x emission levels. The presented research findings highlight the significant potential of NH 3 as an alternative fuel for compression-ignition engines. Proper control of the injection strategy or the adoption of alternative combustion systems may offer a promising approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining satisfactory engine performance parameters.

Keywords: ammonia; diesel engine; co-combustion; combustion stages; emission (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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