H-DUAL: the Department of Energy of the Politecnico di Milano contributes to the development of an innovative solution for the decarbonization of heavy-duty transport
Within the initiative, the Department of Energy of the Politecnico di Milano plays a central role in the scientific validation of system performance and in emissions analysis, providing advanced expertise in modeling and simulating combustion processes in internal combustion engines.
The contribution of the research group coordinated by Professor Tommaso Lucchini, professor of Internal Combustion Engines, is based on over twenty years of experience in developing numerical models for simulating the thermodynamic and fluid-dynamic phenomena occurring inside engines. Using these tools, it has been possible to predict and analyze combustion behavior in the H-DUAL configuration, assessing its impact on performance, fuel consumption, and emissions.
Simulations conducted by the Department’s team show that, under certain operating conditions, the engine can replace up to 30% of the energy demand normally covered by HVO or diesel with hydrogen, while keeping the original combustion system architecture substantially unchanged. The results highlight a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter, with additional benefits for the exhaust after-treatment system.
“The use of advanced simulation models developed by our research group has made it possible to assess the potential benefits of H-Dual combustion, which enables up to a 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions while keeping both the original combustion system and pollutant emissions largely unchanged,” explains Tommaso Lucchini. “Future activities will focus on identifying innovative combustion strategies capable of further improving efficiency and reducing emissions.”
According to the professor, the value of the project also lies in its ability to represent a concrete retrofit solution to accelerate the introduction of hydrogen in heavy-duty transport. Future work will further explore the technology’s potential, evaluating dedicated configurations that could increase the share of fossil or renewable fuel replaced by hydrogen.
H-DUAL represents a concrete example of collaboration between universities, industry, and logistics operators, demonstrating how applied research can contribute to the development of innovative technologies for the decarbonization of one of the most difficult sectors to electrify.
