Fill Your Gas Tank with Water Instead of Gasoline
June 19th, 2008We’ve all been experiencing pain at the pump. Gasoline prices have hit an all-time high and it’s likely the price of gas will continue to rise. Oil market experts have predicted that oil will hit $200 a barrel by 2010 and when that happens, we’ll remember the good old days when gasoline was still less than $5.00 a gallon.
Global warming, when coupled to vulnerable energy supplies means that we have to find alternatives to oil based fuels. Governments are committing millions of dollars to technologies that reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Emission regulations are becoming the norm, with initiatives such as California’s near-zero emissions vehicles(ZEVs) gaining strength.
 The Science of Hydrogen
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The technology of hydrogen production thru conventional water electrolysis is well established. Conventional electrolysis splits water into its components - hydrogen and oxygen - by charging water with an electrical current. The charge breaks down the chemical bond between the hydrogen and oxygen, splitting apart the atomic components. The resulting ions form at two poles - the anode, which is positively charged and the cathode, which is negatively charged. Hydrogen ions gather at the cathode and react with it to form hydrogen gas. Oxygen goes thru a similar process at the anode.
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The science behind hydrogen fuel has been well documented. Electrolysis, the process of extracting hydrogen from water is well understood. It has been known since 1974, when studies by the Jet Propulsion Lab of the California Institute of Technology for NASA, that the addition of hydrogen to fossil fuels, burned in internal combustion engines, will increase the efficiency of the engine.
This concept is valid with any fossil fuel - diesel, gasoline, propane, natural gas, biodiesel and ethanol.
The presence of hydrogen alters the initial stages of the combustion dynamic, altering the kinetic chemical pathway which the combustion follows. The net effect is to alter the time at which maximum heat energy is released relative to the power cycle, increasing the efficiency of the engine. A 10% increase in efficiency at this level typically results in up to a 30% decrease in fuel consumption.
The resulting decrease in fuel consumption is not simply caused by the displacement of a small amount of fossil fuel with an equivalent volume of hydrogen. The increase in efficiency is gained by getting more useful work out of the fossil fuel itself, resulting in less energy wasted in the form of heat.
Hydrogen Fuel Makes Sense
Rising fuel costs, limited supplies, and the politics of oil make convincing arguments for hydrogen. Market tests have proven a typical savings of up to 30% in fuel consumption with hydrogen. The resulting fuel savings make it possible to recover hydrogen conversion costs quickly.
Environmental Concerns
There is clearly emerging global consensus on reasons of climate change and urban health. Smog is a major health problem around the world, causing increased health costs and a reduction in quality of life.
Climate change poses a major threat to the on-going stability of our ecosystems and economies. Governments are increasingly willing to motivate the penetration of hydrogen fuel technology through emission regulations.
Energy Security
Fuel stocks are limited, and countries are looking to extend the life expectancy of their existing fossil fuel resources through the use of new technologies with emphasis on hydrogen.
Adding hydrogen significantly improves the efficiency of combustion in the engine with significant financial and environmental benefits.
The technology is based on electrolysis and splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, which is then introduced directly into the air intake of the engine. In the engine, the hydrogen acts to alter the combustion profile of the fossil fuel such that the chemical energy is released at a more auspicious point in the power cycle, resulting in greater efficiency and lower emissions.
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