Can liquid hydrogen finally keep the internal combustion engine relevant for the future?

Toyota recently completed the Fuji 24 Hour race using a liquid hydrogen combustion engine, a world-first for a manufacturer. This video explores the engineering hurdles of managing cryogenic fuel and whether this technology offers a viable path forward for high-performance vehicles.

Toyota's experimental engine uses liquid hydrogen, which offers superior storage density compared to gaseous hydrogen pressurized at 700 bar. However, this approach introduces significant engineering difficulties, primarily the requirement to maintain the fuel at a cryogenic temperature of -253ºC.

The project faced three core technical obstacles: insulating the fuel to maintain its extreme low temperature, engineering a fuel pump capable of handling the liquid, and managing the transition of the fuel from liquid to gas during combustion. While hydrogen has a high energy density by mass, it remains challenging due to its low energy density by volume compared to traditional gasoline.

Source: Toyota Developed A Liquid Hydrogen Combustion Engine!