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How: Tartakovsky developed an energy What’s next: “We’re working on a brand new From left to
conversion technology called high-pressure thermodynamic cycle with a combustion engine, right: Ph.D.
thermochemical recycling. This technology a fuel cell, and our residual energy utilization student Denis
does use methanol, but instead of burning it, technology, which will allow us to produce hydrogen Buntin, Assoc.
it uses the engine’s residual energy (which onboard the vehicle, inside the engine. Our Prof. Leonid
would have gone to waste otherwise) to calculations indicate we could potentially reach an Tartakovsky,
cause an endothermal chemical reaction energy conversion efficiency of over 70%! Everyone and Asst. Prof
that produces hydrogen, and that is what is talking about using hydrogen as fuel, but there Harikrishna
the engine burns and runs on. Hydrogen’s are more than a few problems with setting up the Yadav, a post-
physical characteristics make it ideal for necessary infrastructure, which is expensive and doctoral fellow
use in combustion engines. “This process requires new storage solutions (hydrogen must from India
has allowed us to improve our fuel energy be stored under high pressure and at a very low
conversion efficiency by 20-30% compared temperature). Onboard hydrogen production will
to just burning gasoline, lowering emissions solve these problems.”
by more than 90%,” Assoc. Prof. Tartakovsky
reveals. “We were surprised to discover that
burning hydrogen also causes pollutant
emissions, but we ran a long series of
experiments and managed to figure out why
this happens. We are now working on solving
this, and we have made significant progress.”
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering | MEgazine | 21
