How does a natural gas injector work?

Natural gas engines function similarly to gasoline engines in that their combustion process utilizes a spark plug (unlike diesel engines). Natural gas is compressed and stored in a fuel tank, typically located in the back of the vehicle. The high-pressure gas is routed through a pressure regulator that reduces the pressure of the incoming fuel to an appropriate level to ensure accurate fueling from the injector. An electrical signal opens the injector and ensures the correct volume of fuel is delivered into the intake air stream. That air-fuel mixture is delivered to the combustion chamber where it is ignited by the spark plug, creating power.

Natural gas is a lower carbon-intensity fuel compared to diesel and is considered a critical technology to help fleets reduce carbon emissions today. Natural gas can be leveraged for immediate reduction, and, in the case of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), it can even possess negative carbon-intensity

How does a hydrogen ICE injector work?

Hydrogen engines have a high degree of components common with natural gas and diesel engines. Cummins’ hydrogen engines are built on the cutting-edge fuel agnostic engine platform. Though they share common components, hydrogen engines have specific requirements for regulating and injecting fuel. This is because hydrogen is more flammable than diesel and is easier to ignite in a combustion chamber. Because of this, hydrogen engines can have “pre-ignition” issues, which may cause backfiring. One way to overcome pre-ignition issues is for an engine to use a direct injection system. Direct injection systems introduce hydrogen directly into the cylinders. Cummins is currently developing a 15-liter hydrogen engine that uses direct injection.