Considering the EU environmental standards for non-road mobile machinery (NRMM), reducing pollutant emissions from inland waterway vessels is becoming increasingly important. The RIVER research project aims to find solutions to achieve nitrogen-free combustion in waterways transportation systems while also emitting zero CO2 emission. RIVER addresses these issues using Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology and Oxy-fuel combustion (OFC). The project is co-financed by the European Union, as part of the Interreg North-West Europe program. There are ten partners involved in this project (FR, UK, GE, NL, LU). In OFC technology, pure oxygen is used instead of air. Due to the absence of N2 in the intake charge, NOx emissions will be eliminated. Consequently, the only products of combustion are CO2 and water vapor. To have a stable combustion process and avoid overheating problems caused by using pure oxygen, some part of the exhaust CO2 will be recirculated to the engine to create an oxygen-CO2 mixture for being fed into the engine. A detailed CFD simulation carried out in this project has revealed that 21% oxygen and 79% carbon dioxide is the ideal mixture for the engine to run at maximum efficiency. The remaining CO2 from the exhaust is collected. It is then condensed, compressed, and stored in a tank to be valorized later. It will be transformed into cosmetics, skincare products, and formic acid. These types of acids are used by the medical sector as an anti-rheumatic product. River's final demonstration will take place in Crewe, UK in July 2022.

This chapter introduces principles, mixing, ignition and combustion and controls processes of oxyfuel combustion which aims to achieve CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) in IC (Internal Combustion) engines. By replacing air with pure oxygen and using hot and/or cooled EGR as dilutant gas for controlling the combustion process and flame speed, the mixing and combustion process will be explained. Fuel delivery, pre-mixing arrangement between pure oxygen and dilutant gas and their influences on combustion performances will be discussed. HCCI (Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition), water injection, etc., technologies for enhancing the combustion efficiency will be demonstrated in detail. Finally, the emission characteristics and possible implementation of practical engine operation will be described.