LiquidPiston, the developer of rotary diesel and multi-fuel internal combustion engine, has released a video in partnership with Warped Perception, announcing that its X-Engine, a next-generation rotary engine, can run on hydrogen gas. This marks the sixth type of fuel used to power the company’s engine.
For the demonstration, LiquidPiston’s team modified the 2kg X-Engine and then the powertrain was installed in a go-kart in a hybrid electric configuration, which also meant the kart was enabled for regenerative braking.
First tested at the company’s on-site dyno facility, the component make-up of the X-Engine enables the inefficiencies of traditional rotary engines to be overcome. “An X-Engine running on hydrogen gas could be a viable solution to a number of sustainable transportation challenges – from aviation to automotive,” said Alec Shkolnik, CEO and co-founder of LiquidPiston. “In the not-so-distant future, we could see an X-Engine taking hydrogen gas created using energy from solar panels and wind turbines to power electrified vehicles – creating a truly zero-emissions vehicle while minimizing battery size, weight and cost. We look forward to further exploring the possibilities of sustainable fuels with our X-Engine.”
The X-Engine is in further development for use in the US Army and Air Force.
