Performance assessment and durability of piezoelectric actuators for hydrogen fuel injectors

交通运输和工业发电部门是加拿大最大的二氧化碳排放源。交通运输和工业发电造成的空气污染直接影响到人们的健康和生活质量。发展依靠氢和其他清洁燃料技术的可持续交通部门是减少有害排放和保护环境的长期答案。位于温哥华的Westport Power Inc.是加拿大领先的内燃机技术开发商，该技术基于天然气、氢气和富氢压缩天然气（HCNG）等清洁燃烧燃料。氢基清洁发动机技术的一个关键要素是喷油器。人们普遍认为，改进燃油喷射策略是实现发动机优化策略以实现高效率的关键。因此，氢基发动机技术的发展需要对先进的喷油器设计和喷油器技术在氢环境下的性能和耐久性进行研究。氢燃料喷射器面临的主要挑战是耐用性和喷射精度。作为其长期战略的一部分，Westport还将开发用于氢基清洁发动机的下一代燃油喷射器。基于压电致动器的氢气喷射器可以提供卓越的喷射精度和控制。目前，对氢环境下压电致动器的性能和耐久性的了解非常有限。因此，该项目旨在通过研究与暴露于氢的压电致动器的性能和耐久性以及健康监测技术发展相关的关键研究问题来填补这一知识空白。该项目的研究结果将为加拿大清洁发动机技术开发商（如Westport）提供改进氢经济技术开发的策略，并使其更具竞争力

Transportation and industrial power generation sectors are the largest CO2 emission sources in Canada. Air pollution caused by transportation and industrial power generation has a direct effect on the health of people and quality of life. The development of a sustainable transportation sector relying on hydrogen and other clean fuel technologies is the long-term answer for reducing harmful emissions and preserving the environment. Westport Power Inc. in Vancouver is the leading Canadian developer of internal combustion engine technology based on clean-burning fuels such as natural gas, hydrogen and Hydrogen enriched Compressed Natural Gas (HCNG). A key element of hydrogen-based clean engine technology is the fuel injector. It is widely accepted that improved fuel injection strategies are the key to implementing an optimized engine strategy to achieve high efficiency. The development of hydrogen-based engine technology therefore requires research on advanced fuel injector designs and performance and durability of injector technology in hydrogen environments. The main challenge with hydrogen fuel injectors is durability and injection accuracy. As a part of their long-term strategy, Westport will also be developing next generation fuel injectors for hydrogen-based clean engines. Piezo actuator-based hydrogen injectors can provide superior injection accuracy and control. At present, there is very limited understanding of the performance and durability of piezo actuators in hydrogen environments. This project is therefore aimed at filling this knowledge gap by examining the key research issues related to the performance and durability of and development of health monitoring technology for piezo actuators exposed to hydrogen. The findings of this project would provide Canadian clean engine technology developers such as Westport with strategies to improve their technology development for the hydrogen economy and become more