M1009 Hydrogen generator

[eagle4g63]

Ok been toying with the idea for a few years and I have to say: I think it would cost the average Joe too much money to be worth it....BUT..... it is NOT B.S.!!!

This has been done and successfully:

Jesse James brings hydrogen land-speed record back to America - Autoweek

 

[glcaines]

Ok been toying with the idea for a few years and I have to say: I think it would cost the average Joe too much money to be worth it....BUT..... it is NOT B.S.!!!

This has been done and successfully:

Jesse James brings hydrogen land-speed record back to America - Autoweek

You are comparing apples and oranges here. The link you provided involves using hydrogen as a fuel. This is old technology. People have played around with hydrogen fueled vehicles for a very long time. It's great, the exhaust is water, almost non-polluting. Most of the pollution generated involves compounds of nitrogen due to nitrogen in the air oxidizing. The topic from the OP involves the electrolysis of water and generating miniscue amounts of hydrogen and oxygen in amounts so small that it is insignificant and additonally puts a drain on the alternator.

 

[idM1028]

I'm sure if snakes did produce oil, Wreckerman and some of the others would try and burn it in their deuce.

What about possums?
Either way, I'm sure it'd be better for the engine than used paint thinner...

 

[Takai13]

But can you get it up to 88 MPH?

Details. Details.

 

[eagle4g63]

I'm no chemist or what ever but I figured that if you are separating the hydrogen from the water than the hydrogen being used for fuel..?.?.? I guess I am missing something. Like I said most of it is above my head, just thought it was the same thing.

Anyway this is why I went with a deuce to begin with....alternative fuel!! Plus it is easy, it is already engineered.

 

[m16ty]

Eagle, The problem with cracking water into hydrogen is it takes more energy to make the hydrogen than in produces.

I just wish these so called "experts" would quit scamming people with this BS. This whole water into fuel deal has caused many,many people to waste their money.

Sure, you can convert almost any internal combustion engine to run on water. It's much more efficient and less costly to keep running it on gas or diesel though.

 

[tequilaiam]

If you are really interested in getting better mileage, look for other ways to recapture waste heat or energy. For example, if you put just the turbine part of a turbo-charger in and ran a generator to make the H2 and O2 you may be on to something. A better method would be to just use that generator to take load off the alternators.

Alternatively, a thermoelectric generator on the cooling system would also give you some "free" energy. Not that's its really free, it's just recapturing waste heat energy.

But the economics of any of those things is something else. Is it worth $500 to gain an extra 1mpg? What about $5000? The cheapest way to make any of these things more efficient is to buy another car and use the fuel savings on that to fill up your MV. The '98-'03 VW TDIs were the most efficient ones they ever made and you could probably buy one of those for the cost of messing around with any of the above options and it would be garaunteed to save you money!

 

[SnEakyFaRtz]

Just my $.02

Hydrogen generators vary quite a bit in efficiency due to design. Dry cells tend to be the most efficient atm, while the rest are usually way way behind in efficiency and prove the notion that its snake oil. A well designed dry cell will usually put out about 1 Lpm per minute per 10 amps while the others struggle to reach even half that.

When you are driving the alt is running no matter what so there is waste energy available as I see it, sure pulling and extra 25 amps from a 100 amp alt for a hho gen may create load, though many have had good results on other vehicles. Hydrogen mixed with o2 is very combustible and when added to fuel and air, well most view it as a positive thing making for more complete ignition. Cars and trucks that use 02 sensors and computers generally compensate for a lean condition due to the better burn and compensate with more gas, in effect lowering mpg's. Most folks who have success use a dry cell, and either electronics or chip to out smart the computer, an egt gauge, and pwm.

Most folks use lye to promote electrolysis, but there are better options that are safer for aluminum etc. I am not willing to write this off as snake oil just for the simple fact that this is where fuel cell technology comes from, maybe it's not mature yet (baby steps).

 

[m16ty]

It makes no difference what process you use to turn water into hho. It still takes more energy to produce the hho than it makes. It's simple physics. Sure, some systems do better than others but it's still a loosing battle. I do think it's pretty neat that you can take tap water and make a engine run on it but it is very, very inefficient.

It's also a common misconception that a engine alternator gets a "free" ride. If they are turning they are drawing hp. It will take more power to turn the alternator to make the hho than the hho will produce.

 

[redthegreendog]

More tinkering is required with a device like this. Remember it was a struggle to move from steam to gas and diesel. It may be old tech but old tech with a fresh look can go a long way. Plus I have detonated one of my prototypes whilst tinkering with it. With no risk comes no reward. Just my .

 

[plym49]

Just my $.02



When you are driving the alt is running no matter what so there is waste energy available as I see it, sure pulling and extra 25 amps from a 100 amp alt for a hho gen may create load,

Wrong wrong wrong. If you draw more power from the alternator then the engine that is spinning that alternator is burning more fuel. Due to the stacked inefficiences (the engine, the drivebelts, the alternator, the electrolysis process) you burn more in fuel to make the hydrogen than you get back.

It's Thermodynamics 101 and it is really very wearying reading about wild dreams of getting something for nothing.

 

[cpf240]

So far, this is about the best way to do this that I have seen, if you have the $$ to get it setup in the first place...

Solar hydrogen home Michael Strizki - YouTube

 

[m16ty]

Do research on the "law of thermodynamics". It's actually pretty comical hearing people talk about this like they are on the verge of being the next Albert Einstein or something but "big oil" is keeping them down.