As global energy demand has increased over the years, so too has the consumption of fossil fuels to meet these needs, resulting in substantial emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other pollutants. In response to the impact of these emissions on the climate crisis, there is a growing global consideration of alternative energy sources. Given that the transport sector is a major contributor to GHG emissions, it is imperative to implement changes to reduce its environmental impact.

One promising solution to this crisis is the use of hydrogen produced through electrolysis using renewable energy sources. This approach involves retrofitting combustion engines to use hydrogen gas as the primary fuel. While this method allows for the utilization of the efficiency of conventional engines with minimal modifications, it faces a challenge during cold starts: hydrogen's high autoignition temperature leads to ignition delays. A common solution to this issue is the introduction of a small amount of diesel to initiate ignition. However, this approach contradicts the primary goal of using hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions.

An alternative solution, which avoids such compromises, involves integrating a catalyst before the combustion chamber, through which a mixture of air and hydrogen flows. This process heats the surrounding air and the system itself during cold starts.

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of hydrogen combustion at subzero temperatures using a catalyst. For this experiment, a platinum-alumina (Pt/Al2O3) catalyst was selected, and a test rig capable of operating at subzero temperatures was designed. Experiments were conducted using two platinum-based catalysts with different platinum loadings (1% and 3% by weight), at three inlet temperatures (25 °C, -12 °C, and -20 °C), and with varying hydrogen concentrations (1%, 3%, and 4% by volume). The results indicate that hydrogen combustion at subzero temperatures is feasible, and the temperature differences achieved were sufficient to enable the effective operation of a hydrogen internal combustion engine. These findings suggest that the use of catalysts in hydrogen internal combustion engines could be a viable pathway for reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector.