I've seen many sites and references to "technology" to convert existing engines to use hydrogen. Some devices/schemes are as simple as injecting hydrogen into the air intake to assist in combustion.
Anyone in this group familiar with these devices/schemes? Is it quackery? Much of it does make sense but does any work?
The hydrogen is extracted from water by means of electrolysis. It's a simple enough procedure. It's basic chemistry. From what I've read, it seems to be a way to inject hydrogen into the exiting fuel system via the air intake. This would in theory make the incoming air burnable and supposedly call for less fuel to burn. Claims are that such systems can improve mileage 20-50%. Components are simple and nothing is done to alter the existing gas engine.
These kits and other ideas can be found googling "hydrogen conversion kits".
I can see eventual kits for all vehicles to improve mileage. It's not so far fetched. One obstacle is proving new technology to the skeptics.
just check out Mythbusters. They tested the amazing hydrogen conversion kit.
Why they waste their time, I'm not sure. It's like airplane on a treadmill--some things they just shouldn't even acknowledge as being worthy.
You might be able to go to propane, but hydrogen is generally not available.
I don't think that using hydrogen is that simple and it is better used in a fuel cell battery instead of a combustion engine.
It's quackery for the most part. The feds are putting bales of straw above hydrogen test vehicles so that the flames can be seen if there is a fire.
-- Ron
When we kids were about 4 to 5 sometimes we'd put left-over food, twigs, leaves, etc. into an old wood stove out behind the houses in an attempt to change them into candy (we didn't need gold at the time). The only time it worked was when my Mom snuck some candy in when we were away (it still won't work for gold).
This scheme reminds me of that: Weak on science but strong on hope. Just be careful out there.
dennis in nca
Air won't burn, no mater what you inject into the existing fuel system. Hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water and gives off heat. In short, hydrogen is fuel.
First ask yourself why you want to do this. If you think burning hydrogen is cleaner than burning gasoline, think about were you get the hydrogen. There aren't any hydrogen wells or hydrogen trees, in fact there is NO free roaming hydrogen on earth. You have to break the chemical bonds of other fuels to release the hydrogen in it or, as you pointed out, use electrolysis to break it's chemical bond with oxygen in water.
All of these methods require an energy input to break these bonds. All of them require more energy input than the released hydrogen will supply.
Okay, lets say you are willing to accept that energy deficit. Where will you get the needed energy to free the hydrogen? Coal-fueled electric generator plants? Where's the advantage? Atomic plants? Not anywhere near enough of them.
What will you use for the hydrogen storage tank? Will you store it as pressurized hydrogen or liquid hydrogen? How big will it have to be in order to allow you to travel about the same distance as 15 gallons of gasoline?
This would be the same as injecting ethanol into the fuel system and saying that would increase mileage. It would, if you only measure the gasoline consumption.
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Now you're "cooking with helium..".. as an old chemistry prof of mine used to say.
The bales of straw didn't have any hay. (i.e. they weren't Canadian, eh). And they were suspended from the ceiling, not on the car itself.
A local entrepreneur was telling about his venture in Arkansas to make alcohol out of rice straw and use an substance in the straw for making solar cells.
-- Ron
Hydrogen isn't very explosive because it rises up, being less dense than air, but it is difficult to see a hydrogen flame.
It is difficult to compress, making vehicles based on it have a short driving range.
-- Ron
What? And ruin the fun?
The theory behind using hydrogen to improve fuel economy is valid, however, since hydrogen refueling stations are not common and the tanks necessary to store hydrogen are expensive, the conversion does not make economic sense.
As for those schemes that extract hydrogen from water, think about this: If the system worked that well, why wouldn't automakers include the technology in their vehicles instead of spending precious research funds on hybrid systems, fuel cells, variable valve timing technology, turbochargers, etc?
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