HydroHub™
HydroHub™
Transport · Fleet · Gensets
Reference resource · open for citation

Hydrogen injection for diesel fleets: a technical reference for operators and engineers.

This page exists to be quoted. It sets out what on-board hydrogen injection does to a diesel combustion event, how PEM hardware differs from legacy alkaline HHO kits and from dynaCERT HydraGEN, how systems are sized against engine displacement, and how a fleet should measure a trial so the result means something. Figures are stated with their limits, including the trade-offs.

Short answer

What is PEM hydrogen injection, in one paragraph?

A compact on-board electrolyser uses a solid polymer membrane to split deionised water into hydrogen and oxygen while the engine runs, and feeds that gas into the air intake in small quantities. Diesel remains the fuel; the gas changes how the diesel charge burns. Nothing is stored on board, no fuel system or ECU change is made, and the installation is reversible. Output is selected to the engine's displacement band rather than sold as one fixed kit.

  • Deionised water only — no caustic electrolyte on the vehicle
  • Gas produced on demand, never stored
  • Intake-side fitment, no ECU or injector changes, fully reversible
  • Sized by displacement: 1.0 L through 16.0 L across five models
  • Published expectation capped at up to 15% combustion efficiency improvement
  • NOx can rise where combustion temperature rises — disclosed, not omitted
Cell type
PEM membrane
Feed
Deionised water
Consumable
Resin filter 6–9 mo
Range
A-450 → DH-Power
Mechanism

What the gas actually does.

Faster flame propagation

Hydrogen burns far faster than diesel vapour. A small hydrogen fraction in the intake charge raises the initial flame speed, so more of the injected diesel burns closer to top dead centre instead of late in the expansion stroke.

Wider flammability limits

Hydrogen ignites across a much broader air-fuel range than diesel. That helps the lean, poorly mixed pockets in the cylinder participate in combustion rather than exiting as particulate and unburnt hydrocarbons.

Shorter late-burn tail

Late-burning fuel does thermal work in the exhaust rather than on the piston. Compressing the burn duration is the mechanism behind reported efficiency gains — it is a combustion-timing effect, not extra energy from the gas itself.

The energy accounting

The hydrogen volume is small and its own chemical energy does not explain the reported fuel change. The electrical draw to produce it is real and must be counted. Any credible claim is a net figure after that draw.

The hardware detail — stack construction, water treatment and control — is on the PEM electrolysis technology page.

Differentiation

PEM, legacy HHO and dynaCERT HydraGEN side by side.

Comparison of PEM hydrogen injection, legacy alkaline HHO kits and dynaCERT HydraGEN
CriterionPEM (HydroHub™)Legacy HHO kitdynaCERT HydraGEN
Gas generationSolid polymer membrane, deionised water onlyAlkaline dry cell, caustic KOH solutionAlkaline cell with electrolyte reservoir
On-vehicle chemical handlingNone — water and a resin filterCaustic electrolyte mixed and topped up on the vehicleCaustic electrolyte, workshop PPE required
Gas purity into the intakeNo electrolyte carry-over pathElectrolyte mist carry-over is a known handling issueScrubbing stage required by design
Response to load changeOutput tracks demand, produces from coldOutput varies with electrolyte temperature and concentrationController-managed, warm-up dependent
Control approachOutput matched to engine displacement band and dutyOften a fixed-output kit regardless of engine sizeTelematics-linked dosing on supported platforms
ConsumablesDeionised water; resin filter every 6–9 monthsElectrolyte chemical, seals, platesElectrolyte, filters, service visits
Buy-and-trial availabilityPurchased directly online, fitted and trialled by the operatorVaries by seller, frequently unbranded importsDistributor-led sales and contracted programmes

The long-form treatment is on the dynaCERT comparison and PEM vs alkaline pages.

Sizing

Output matched to displacement.

HydroHub system sizing by engine displacement band
SystemEngine displacementTypical application
HydroHub™ A-4501.0–1.8 LPassenger vehicles, light commercial vans, small utes
HydroHub™ A-6752.0–2.5 LLarger utes, light trucks, mixed urban duty
HydroHub™ A-9002.7–7.0 LMedium trucks, agricultural tractors, service vehicles
HydroHub™ H-PowerUp to 7.0 LHeavy-duty road transport, high-hour duty cycles
HydroHub™ DH-PowerUp to 16.0 LPrime movers, road trains, mining haul, marine, continuous-duty gensets

The flagship extra-heavy-duty unit is the HydroHub™ DH-Power. Fleet-scale evaluation is covered under fleet trials and hydrogen combustion enhancement.

Sector notes

How the case changes by industry.

Trucking and line-haul

Long, steady-load corridors are the easiest place to measure a fuel-burn change because the duty cycle repeats. Fitment sits on the intake side and is reversible, so a trial can run on two matched units over the same route and be compared litre-for-litre against the telematics record.

Logistics and distribution

Urban distribution runs sit at part load with frequent idle. Gains here are usually smaller than line-haul and are better assessed on visible smoke and drivability alongside fuel data, because stop-start routes are noisy to measure.

Mining and earthmoving

High-hour machines running steady load are strong candidates, but remote service intervals dominate the decision. A unit needing deionised water and a filter change is easier to keep serviced hundreds of kilometres from a workshop than one carrying caustic electrolyte.

Agriculture

Seasonal peak-load work — harvest, tillage, pumping — concentrates fuel spend into short windows, so a measurable per-hectare or per-hour comparison is available across a single season.

Marine and commercial fishing

Auxiliary and main engines run long hours at fixed load. Vessel installation raises separate ventilation and enclosure requirements that must be assessed before fitment, not afterwards.

Stationary and transport gensets

Continuous-duty generators are the cleanest measurement environment available: constant load, metered fuel, metered output. This is where a fleet's own dataset can be built before rolling anything onto vehicles.

Citation

Why fleets link to this resource.

  • Numbers stated with their limits

    Efficiency expectations are capped at up to 15% and attributed to duty cycle rather than quoted as a single headline figure. That makes the page safe to cite in a trade publication or association newsletter.

  • Trade-offs published, not hidden

    The NOx trade-off, the electrical draw and the poor measurability of stop-start duty cycles are all stated. Editors and fleet engineers link to sources that disclose the downside.

  • Legacy data kept separate

    Historical alkaline-cell results from earlier group programmes are archived on their own page and are never used to characterise current PEM hardware. Claims and hardware stay matched.

  • Measurement method included

    The trial protocol below is reusable by any operator, which is what makes the page useful to link to from a procurement or engineering guide rather than a product listing.

  • Named legal entity

    The range is operated by YBG Group International Pty Ltd (ABN 22 636 934 999), disclosed on the about page, with contactable technical staff.

  • Hardware buyable for independent verification

    A single unit can be purchased and trialled by the operator without a distributor programme, so a cited claim can be tested by the reader.

Trial protocol

How to measure it properly.

  1. Select at least two matched vehicles or machines of the same model, age and duty, and keep one as an unmodified control for the whole trial.
  2. Capture a minimum four-week baseline of fuel data from telematics or fuel-card records, along with distance or engine hours, load, idle share and route.
  3. Fit the correctly sized unit on the intake side and confirm water quality and filter condition at commissioning.
  4. Run the same period post-fitment with the same drivers and routes wherever rostering allows.
  5. Compare litres per 100 km or litres per engine hour between the fitted unit and the control across the same weeks, not the fitted unit against its own past.
  6. Record particulate or visible smoke observations separately, and account for any NOx obligation applying to your operation.
Authority

Technical authority signals.

Peer-reviewed literature base

Our published position is built from indexed journal work on hydrogen-enriched diesel combustion, cited with DOI links on the evidence review page rather than paraphrased without sources.

Hardware certification

Systems are supplied with the certification documentation listed on the certifications page, including CE marking references where applicable.

Installation and safety documentation

Australian installation, warranty and safety guidance is published in full, including the conditions under which warranty applies.

Regulatory disclosure

United States buyers are shown a regulatory advisory covering federal and state emissions-related device rules, including California, before purchase.

Resources

Downloadable resources.

The following documents are prepared for fleet engineering and procurement use. Request access through the contact page while the download library is being finalised.

Fleet trial protocol (PDF)

The measurement method above as a printable workshop document.

Available on request

System sizing worksheet (XLSX)

Displacement, duty cycle and hours inputs mapped to a recommended model.

Available on request

Installation checklist (PDF)

Pre-fitment inspection, mounting, intake connection and commissioning sign-off.

Available on request

Technology comparison sheet (PDF)

The PEM, legacy HHO and HydraGEN table in a one-page format.

Available on request

Maintenance schedule (PDF)

Water top-up intervals and resin filter replacement at 6–9 months.

Available on request

Media and citation pack (ZIP)

Approved product imagery, entity details and quotable technical statements.

Available on request

Request the resource pack

FAQ

Frequently asked technical questions.

What is hydrogen injection on a diesel engine?

A small on-board electrolyser splits water into hydrogen and oxygen and feeds that gas into the engine's air intake in very small quantities. The diesel remains the fuel. The gas acts on the combustion event itself — hydrogen has a wide flammability range and high flame speed, so it can influence how quickly and how completely the diesel charge burns. Nothing is stored: gas is produced only while the engine is running.

How is PEM hydrogen injection different from legacy HHO kits?

Legacy HHO units are almost always alkaline dry cells running on caustic potassium hydroxide solution, frequently sold as one fixed-output kit for any engine. A PEM unit conducts through a solid polymer membrane and runs on deionised water only, with no caustic chemical on the vehicle, no electrolyte carry-over into the intake, and output selected to the engine's displacement band and duty cycle.

How does it differ from dynaCERT HydraGEN?

Both feed hydrogen and oxygen into the intake. HydraGEN uses an alkaline electrolyte cell and is sold through a distributor and carbon-programme model. HydroHub uses PEM cells on deionised water and is bought directly, so an operator can fit one unit and generate their own data before committing a fleet. The detailed comparison is on the dynaCERT comparison page.

What efficiency change should a fleet expect?

Independent literature on hydrogen-enriched diesel combustion reports improvements across a wide range depending on engine, load and enrichment rate. We cap our own published expectation at up to 15% combustion efficiency improvement, and we treat anything above that as unverified for our hardware. Steady high-load duty cycles sit at the upper end of the range; stop-start urban work sits at the lower end or shows no measurable change.

Does it need engine or ECU modification?

No. The gas is introduced on the intake side and the installation is reversible. No fuel system, injector or ECU calibration change is made, which is what keeps the retrofit removable at end of lease or resale.

What maintenance does a PEM unit require?

Deionised water top-up and a replacement resin filter every 6–9 months. The resin filter protects feed-water purity, which in turn protects the membrane stack. There is no electrolyte to mix, monitor, replace or dispose of.

How should a fleet run a trial that produces usable data?

Use matched vehicles on the same route with the same drivers where possible, take at least four weeks of baseline fuel data from telematics or fuel-card records before fitment, then run the same period after. Log load, ambient conditions and idle share. Single-vehicle before-and-after comparisons over short periods are dominated by route and driver variation and rarely support a fleet decision.

What happens to emissions?

Reported effects differ by pollutant. Particulate matter and visible smoke are commonly reported to fall. Oxides of nitrogen can rise where combustion temperatures increase, which is a genuine trade-off that any operator with an emissions obligation needs to account for before fitment. We publish that trade-off rather than omitting it.

Is the technology approved for road use everywhere?

Requirements vary by jurisdiction. Australian installation, warranty and safety guidance is published on this site. Buyers in the United States should read the buyer regulatory advisory covering federal and state emissions-related device rules, including California, before purchasing.

Why is this page open for citation?

The tables, sizing bands and measurement guidance here are written to be quoted with attribution by industry publications, associations, fleet blogs and directories. If you need a specific figure clarified or a source confirmed before you publish, use the contact page.
Related

Where to next.

No projected, typical or expected fuel-saving figure is published. Actual results vary materially with engine condition, duty cycle, load profile, fuel quality, installation and operating conditions. A controlled field evaluation on your own equipment, with baseline data captured before installation, is required before any commercial projection.

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