The effect of hydrogen on the premixed combustion of low calorific value gas in cylinder was carried out. The engine bench test system was built, and the effects of hydrogen on the pressure in cylinder, the characterization parameters of flame stability, flame shape, combustion cycle variation, flame surface structure and development were studied. The experimental results show that adding hydrogen to low calorific value gas fuels can increase laminar flame propagation rate, increase heat release rate, improve engine volumetric efficiency and reduce engine cycle variation. With the increase of hydrogen fraction, the maximum cylinder pressure of the engine rises, the corresponding crankshaft angle moves forward, and the flame development period and the rapid combustion period of the engine working cycle are reduced. The flame propagation rate of hydrogen blended low calorific value gas is larger, which enhances the strength of the vortex blob in cylinder to some extent. The increase of hydrogen fraction in mixture increases the flame propagation velocity, and enhances the effect of the combustion process on vortex intensity in cylinder, which increasing the effect of vortex blob on the flame surface structure. With the increase of hydrogen fraction, the vortices of the flow field in the cylinder increase, the time of which the flame surface reaches the same fold is in advance, and the flame development period is shortened. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.