Hydrogen gen.

[ezrollin]

Anyone building a water/ hydrogen generator ?

[ForcedFirebird]

I'm not personally, but a guy who comes in the buildings here for parts is.

He's using Drano (heavy alkaline) for a catalyst. With a small electrical charge and about 5gals of liquids - don't know the mixture - he has burning a flame for over a month through a venturi he made.

My neighbor is about to turn a bunch of 316SS parts for him so he can retro-fit it into his Chevy.

[ezrollin]

I'm building one of those basic cheap ones first and it definitely produces gas.I havent installed it in a vehicle yet but maybe by this weekend. There could be some tuning issues,something to do with the oxygen sensor and just wondered if anyone had tried it.

[ForcedFirebird]

I'm building one of those basic cheap ones first and it definitely produces gas.I havent installed it in a vehicle yet but maybe by this weekend. There could be some tuning issues,something to do with the oxygen sensor and just wondered if anyone had tried it.

He's claiming that there should be no o2 sensor issues when I brought the subject up to him. He's kind of right in saying that the o2 sensors will compensate for the added combustioning element - but as the race fuels degrade sensors at a rapid rate, you have to wonder if the hydrogen will do the same.

Bsically it ensures complete combustion, so your sensors should naturally lean out the engine to balance the mixture (in theory).

It's been done before, by how many and how well documented is another story.

You should also check out the bio-diesel conversions. There quite a few Mercedes' running around where you only use the pump diesel to start the car, and the rest of the time it runs on used vegetable oil.

[ezrollin]

I believe hydrogen is the most abundant gas and is high octane and clean burning.If people do start using fuel like vegetable oil the price of it will go up too. If hydrogen becomes feasible oil prices would drop like a rock.Honda just intro'd a hydrogen/elect vehicle so it's do able,but it doesn't make it's own hydrogen.

[ForcedFirebird]

I believe hydrogen is the most abundant gas and is high octane and clean burning.If people do start using fuel like vegetable oil the price of it will go up too. If hydrogen becomes feasible oil prices would drop like a rock.Honda just intro'd a hydrogen/elect vehicle so it's do able,but it doesn't make it's own hydrogen.

Mazda also has a hydrogen powered rotary.

The problem without making it's own hydrogen is that the gas is extremely explosive and can be dangerous in a vehicl -but- if you are making hydrogen from water, the risk is much lower depending on the catalyst. There are natural acids that can be used like vinegar or citric acid, but they produe a lot less hydrogen per volume than the more dangerous corrosives.

I'm curious to see results and long term testing, but hydrogen is plentiful and if burned properly has ultra low emmissions.

[geoffinbc]

The best way to run a bio diesel engine is to use old cooking oil and refine it at home to remove all the glycerin. That way the fuel is used and usually free so you wont be consuming any oil that is not already being used for another purpose and when your remove the glycerin you don't have to start and finish driving the engine on pump diesel.

[OldSkoolGP]

Mythbusters tried to run a car on pure hydrogen with no gasoline and proved a car wouldn't run, so they called it busted. They didn't try to run it with hydrogen introduced into the normal air/fuel mix. There has been a huge outcry on the fan forum for them to test it that way, and they won't do it. I'm skeptical as to whether or not it will work. On the one hand, I heard a guy who called into a talk show last week, lived in California, conveted his Astro van to run with hydrogen in the normal Air/Fuel mix, claiming he was getting mid 40s to the gallon. On the other hand, if this truly worked, being the viral web geek I am, I should have heard of this before now.

[geoffinbc]

Well a regular gas engine might not run on pure hydrogen because of the fuel system being designed to run on gasoline. But you can quite easily make an internal combustion engine run on hydrogen alone. BMW did it.

Now that MPG rating of 40 MPG, was that just the gasoline mileage or was that the new mileage with the gas and hydrogen mixture?

[ezrollin]

I don't think any of the bio fuels are the answer.I can't see them being produced in large enough quantities to have any affect on gas prices. The basic system I'm building does not store hydrogen so there is no danger of explosion.It produces hydrogen as you drive and is to supplement your gasoline.The guy I work with installed his and drove it over the weekend,claiming an 8 mile a gallon increase,but said the low grade stainless wire we're using started to corrode immediately.I want to see with my own eyes what the gains are and then I'll believe it.If this works I will build the more high tec version.Hydrogen from water is a reality and I dont know why it wouldnt work if properly applied.

[ForcedFirebird]

I don't think any of the bio fuels are the answer.I can't see them being produced in large enough quantities to have any affect on gas prices. The basic system I'm building does not store hydrogen so there is no danger of explosion.It produces hydrogen as you drive and is to supplement your gasoline.The guy I work with installed his and drove it over the weekend,claiming an 8 mile a gallon increase,but said the low grade stainless wire we're using started to corrode immediately.I want to see with my own eyes what the gains are and then I'll believe it.If this works I will build the more high tec version.Hydrogen from water is a reality and I dont know why it wouldnt work if properly applied.

The electrolosis that corrodes the stainless is the inherent problem. Combine that with the fact that you are using acid makes an easy repair even more of a problem.

I will be building one soon. With combined efforts of the above mentioned individual, I think we may have come up with a solution to make the unit itself affordable - along with the inexpensive replacement of the electrode to keep the cell running.

Even 316 stainless steel corrodes in a couple days of continued use. Platinum works good, but is far from cheap.

[OldSkoolGP]

I'm not saying it won't work. Hydrogen from water through the process of electrolysis was proven to me in 8th grade science class. What I question is whether or not you could make enough hydrogen from an elecrolysis device within the confines of a car that could produce enough hydrogen to actually make a difference.

[ForcedFirebird]

I'm not saying it won't work. Hydrogen from water through the process of electrolysis was proven to me in 8th grade science class. What I question is whether or not you could make enough hydrogen from an elecrolysis device within the confines of a car that could produce enough hydrogen to actually make a difference.

The average car uses about 1 quart to 1/2 gal to an entire tank of gas

Semi's are using gallon sized generators.

Electrical charge seems to work good at 12v DC ~10-30 amps.

[ezrollin]

I'm not saying it won't work. Hydrogen from water through the process of electrolysis was proven to me in 8th grade science class. What I question is whether or not you could make enough hydrogen from an electrolysis device within the confines of a car that could produce enough hydrogen to actually make a difference.

Yes,that was my thought also but remember this unit is to supplement not replace your gasoline.There are advanced units that supply more gas,or so I've read. The gist of the thing is to produce the gas at a lower cost than gasoline or it's a futile effort. There are serveral different methods of producing hydrogen from water,electrolysis seems to be feasible and there are variations of this method also. Anyway I will know more shortly.I've finished the two units and plan to install them after I establish a mpg baseline.

[ForcedFirebird]

ez, did you buy the unit or make it?