Porsche's hydrogen engine tech reduces emissions at startup

Porsche has filed a patent for an unusual internal combustion engine technology. The system involves using hydrogen, which the car could produce independently from water.

According to the patent application found at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, the engine could run on gasoline, diesel, or hydrogen. However, hydrogen is not considered the primary fuel. Instead, it would be used to reduce emissions during engine startup.

Porsche engineers propose installing a hydrogen generator in the vehicle that would convert water into gas through electrolysis. The water source could be the windshield washer reservoir. The generated hydrogen would then be fed into the engine cylinder and used to heat the catalytic converter. This approach allows the catalyst to reach its operating temperature faster, enabling it to effectively clean exhaust gases sooner. This could significantly reduce harmful emissions that typically occur right after starting the engine.

The patent also mentions a special "hydrogen mode" that could activate automatically before engine startup.

The technology is currently in the development stage, and it's not confirmed whether it will appear in production models. Still, such solutions demonstrate that automakers continue to search for ways to preserve internal combustion engines while simultaneously lowering emission levels.