Hydrogen Fuel - Is It For You?

Hydrogen-On-Demand
The systems we are talking about in this article use the hydrogen-on-demand approach versus a high-pressure hydrogen-storage scheme. A hydrogen-on-demand system stores hydrogen gas compactly and safely as water until it is needed. One gallon of water equals about 1,800 gallons of HHO gas-this means you don't need a lot of water to make a lot of hydrogen. In most kits, the electricity used to power the cell that converts water into hydrogen comes from the vehicle's alternator and batteries.

Does it Really Work?
Skeptics argue that the energy needed to separate water into hydrogen equals (or exceeds) the energy given off by burning HHO in the engine. There is also concern that enthusiasts and companies looking to sell hydrogen conversion kits oversimplify the process and do not take into account the advanced tuning needed to see results (especially with computer-controlled diesel vehicles). A quick search on Wikipedia nets different results depending on how you word it. For example, type in "water-fueled car" and it will say it doesn't work. Type in "hydrogen fuel enhancement" and the prospects brighten. The truth is, your results will depend on the efficiency of the HHO cell generator you use, and the efficiency of your engine. If our engines were more efficient, HHO wouldn't be needed in order to burn the primary fuel more completely. Remember, only about one third of the fuel you burn and convert into heat actually goes to powering the wheels, the rest is dissipated by the cooling system and exhaust. A good cell produces 3 liters of HHO gas a minute, which is still only enough hydrogen to run a lawn mower. This being the case, hydrogen-on-demand systems do not fuel the vehicle, instead the hydrogen is thought to speed up the combustion process. According to the guys at Hydrogen Hybrid Fuel Cell Corporation, as a rule of thumb, a hydrogen producing cell needs to produce half a liter per minute of H2 gas for each liter of displacement your diesel engine has.

Increasing Efficiency
An acid, base, or salt can be added to the cell's water supply in order to drop the electrical resistance of the water. With a catalyst in the water, it takes fewer amps of electricity to produce the desired amount of HHO gas, since the ions in the water are able to move more freely. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) is a base and a popular catalyst for HHO-producing cells. It is important to make sure the catalyst you're using isn't highly concentrated, because it could damage your intercooler. This is an important aspect where more research is needed. Keep in mind, a properly designed cell will not need large doses of electrolyte. Varying amounts are added to the mixture in order to tune the onboard-hydrogen system. Heat, pressure, and electromagnetic fields are also employed to help break down the water, although this technology is not very mainstream.

HYDROGEN-ON-DEMAND DIRECTORY
Canadian Hydrogen Energy Company LTD www.chechfi.com
Diamond Eye Performance www.diamondeyeperformance.com
EnergyBuilders.net www.energybuilders.net
Evergreen Hydrogen www.evergreenhydrogen.com
HHO Kit Store www.hhokitstore.com

The system comes with the...        read full caption The system comes with the cell, computer control module, water reservoir, tubing, and all the hardware needed to install the unit. Also included, to help break down the fuel before it goes into the engine, is a cylinder filled with magnets. It is spliced into the fuel line. Hydrogen Hybrid Group guarantees its system will improve fuel mileage by 50%.

This system's hydrogen dry-cell...        read full caption This system's hydrogen dry-cell unit, safely positioned behind the front bumper, produces HHO gas, which is consumed by the engine as fast as it is made. This cell is designed to make HHO gas at a constant rate of 3 liters per minute. It does this by running 10-15 amps of electricity (produced by the alternator) into the hydrogen cell. Some of the claimed benefits include a 50hp gain, less frequent oil changes, less emissions, and a guaranteed 50% increase in fuel mileage.

Alberto Aschidamini and his...        read full caption Alberto Aschidamini and his son have a website where they sell different products. His cell uses an electromagnetic field and nitrogen from the air to make large amounts of HHO gas. This type of cell is called an Australian cell.