China's GAC presents world's first ammonia-powered car engine

BEIJING: Ammonia is a highly caustic and hazardous substance but that did not stop Chinese carmaker GAC from coming up with what is billed as the world's first ammonia engine for passenger cars.

The state-owned Guangzhou Automotive Group Co. (GAC) says it has overcome the problem of ammonia burning too slowly so that the technology can now debut in passenger cars.

The prototype 2.0-litre engine can burn liquid ammonia safely and efficiently and GAC says it "is excited about the value this development brings to society and the potential commercial uses."

According to Bloomberg, GAC claims a 120 kW (161hp) peak power output, and a 90%-reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional fuels.

Inflammable petrol, diesel and hydrogen fuels are dangerous as well but the difficulty of handling ammonia has so far seen it proposed only as a potentially clean power source for ships, airliners, trucks and trains.

Ammonia is produced and distributed worldwide in huge quantities and is mainly known for its use as a fertiliser in agriculture.

Hydrogen has long been touted as a fuel of the future, but as an ultralight gas that ruins steel, it still poses some practicality issues.

The Chinese automaker is now looking to use hydrogen in an altogether different way, by using ammonia as a liquid fuel.

As covered by Bloomberg, GAC has been developing a combustion engine capable of running on ammonia. The foul-smelling liquid found in urine is seen as an attractive fuel by the company for both environmental and practical reasons. Containing hydrogen but no carbon, it offers tantalising benefits for combustion with less greenhouse gas emissions.

Ammonia is readily transportable in liquid form at ambient temperatures under mild pressure, unlike hydrogen, and is far less flammable than existing fuels, making it easier to store.

And, by virtue of its chemical composition, burning it produces fewer emissions than conventional fossil fuels like gasoline or diesel. It also bears noting that pure ammonia is unlike the ammonia used as a cleaning fluid in the home, which is in solution with water.

At a recent presentation, GAC revealed a 2.0-litre engine that burns liquid ammonia, with a peak power output of 161 horsepower. It claims the engine cuts carbon emissions by 90% compared to conventional engines.

That's a curious number, as ammonia itself is made up solely of hydrogen and nitrogen atoms. It suggests that GAC may be running the engine on a mixture of ammonia with some level of hydrocarbon content.

GAC refers to the engine as being a "world first."

South Korean researchers had experimented with engines running on a 70:30 ammonia-gasoline blend in the early 2010s.

In diesel engines, ammonia can be successfully used in dual-fuel mode with diesel fuel although an increase in NOx and the unburned ammonia at the exhaust require the installation of after-treatment systems.

Experts said GAC will face an uphill struggle to introduce ammonia to the automotive world since no fuelling infrastructure exists.

The ammonia engine was revealed at a GAC tech day along with a flying car called Gove that looks like a large drone and a Trumpchi minivan powered by a hybrid-hydrogen platform.

This alternative fuel system is being promoted by GAC's Japanese partner Toyota.