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Hydrogen-enriched combustion has been studied by several institutions and companies over the last three decades. The purpose of adding hydrogen to conventional fuels is to extend the lean limit of combustion because hydrogen improves flame stability and allows a lower temperature combustion. Even with stoichiometric mixture, HCNG advantages had been demonstrated, since blends determine a reduction of noxious emissions. In the framework of an EU project called BONG-HY, bench tests with HCNG on a natural gas vehicle had been carried on at ENEA. Results of lab tests showed a fair improvement of the efficiency and CO2 emissions as well as an overall improvement regarding local pollutants.

Passenger vehicles are one of the most significant source of pollution in the cities. The emissions production of a vehicle is strictly dependent on how the vehicle is used. This paper has the objective to characterize a Euro IV vehicle so to understand in depth the behavior in its real usage on road in terms of fuel consumption and emissions. An Honda Civic 2.0 Euro4 vehicle has been tested and the experimental results are reported. The experiments have been carried out by means of two tools: a OBD2 interface to connect a laptop PC to the vehicle for collecting engine parameters (Alessandrini et al. 2006) and the HORIBA OBS1300 equipment to measure CO, NOx, HC emissions and the exhaust gas flow, pressure and temperature. Three types of experimental tests have been made: a set of them on a dynamometer chassis and a part on road.