Effect of partially premixed mixture and hydrogen addition on natural gas direct-injection lean combustion was studied experimentally using a constant volume vessel. Flame propagating photos and pressure derived combustion parameters were analysed at different premixed ratios (from 0% to 80%) and hydrogen fractions (from 0% to 40%) at overall equivalence ratio of 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0, respectively. The results show that the flame kernel is concentrated to the spark position with the increase of premixed ratio and/or hydrogen fraction. Flame propagating speed is decreased with the increase of premixed ratio while it increases as hydrogen is added to natural gas. Hydrogen addition has little effect on the partially direct-injection natural gas combustion at the stoichiometric fuel-air mixture condition and all premixed ratios. However, hydrogen addition significantly enhances the combustion rate of natural gas direct-injection combustion at lean mixture condition. Both the initial and main combustion durations are increased with the increase of premixed ratio, while they show the decreasing trend as hydrogen is added to natural gas at the lean mixture condition. Partially premixed direct-injection combustion combining with hydrogen addition can achieve the stable spark ignition and fast combustion at the lean mixture condition. (C) 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.