Hydrogen Power Blog

Levi Quinn


With the introduction of such things as the air car or biodiesel, it should not be all that surprising that hydrogen is also something that many believe to be a viable fuel source. Hydrogen is familiar to many people as one of the periodic table elements. It is also a natural resource that is a positive alternative to fossil fuel combustion for energy production. Though hydrogen is still not a main source of fuel currently, there is promising study and results proving its efficiency. With further investigation, perhaps hydrogen will be a means of living greener in the future.

There are actually two different ways that hydrogen can be used as fuel. One of these methods involves combining the hydrogen with oxygen in order to create water. Water cars are a whole field of promising study all on their own. Water cars are emission free and fully functional, though not without their drawbacks. The other method of using hydrogen is by combustion. This means that it is combusted within the engine much the same as the combustion that currently takes place with fossil fuels inside an engine. Of course because hydrogen is not a toxic fossil fuel, the emissions are not at all the same.

For awhile the Ford Motor Company had been debating on whether or not to launch a car that ran on hydrogen. They had planned to do so but that plan was later dropped. They decided that it wasn’t a risk worth taking at this time. Hydrogen may not be quite ready for the mass market. However, Ford did go on to develop their own hybrid and flex fuel vehicles which have been rather successful. Like many other auto makers, those currently remain the two leading fossil fuel alternatives when it comes to green cars.

At this time it would cost too much to mass produce hydrogen fueled cars. It is unlikely that it would be a worthy investment for either manufacturers or consumers, especially when other options are available at a lower cost. Perhaps some of the problem is that there are so many fuel alternatives being tossed around that it can be difficult to isolate which is truly the best. The fact that hydrogen has to be made also makes it more difficult to obtain. Fossil fuels come straight out of the earth. There is also plenty more research that still needs to be done on hydrogen before we can take full advantage of it globally.

Some experts believe that it will take up to 40 years before hydrogen is ready for the public. Hydrogen is very hard to store in its natural form and instead has to be converted to a liquid form which requires a lot of energy. Also, making it accessible to the public everywhere is a real challenge that will not be overcome in the near future. Hydrogen certainly has its advantages which should be explored further. However, for now it seems that hybrids and flex fuel are the best earth friendly options that are readily available.

John DeLellis


Business executives in other major oil and automobile companies scrambled to create crash programs to drastically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and fit into the plan.  The plan was to accelerate breakthroughs in how homes and businesses used energy, and how automobiles were powered. Within the next few weeks there will be some companies offering business opportunities in this new, exciting and profitable field of hydrogen conversion kits for cars and trucks.

Fuel cells are very high efficiencies in converting chemical energy to electrical energy since they not constrained by the maximum Carnot cycle efficiency as combustion engines are.  Hydrogen cars use a chemical reaction rather than a burning process for motive power Conventional cars burn fossil fuel and Hybrid Cars use smaller amounts of the same fuel to charge their batteries.  Using hydrogen as a supplemental fuel like use in hydrogen for cars concept is a safe and sound and efficient alternative that’s offered right now.  General Motors will also continue to invest in hydrogen fuel cell technology, which — when commercially deployed — will reduce automobile emissions to non-polluting water vapor.

Hydrogen cars do however; have the potential to be better cars than Hybrid Cars in several ways so we need to compare their known characteristics.  Hydrogen fuel burns both hotter and faster than fossil based fuel and is therefore much more efficient.  Hydrogen car fuel is not just a subject for exploring new energy horizons it opens up new possibilities in our mode of travel.  Hydrogen fuel generates lower engine operating temperature and there is no emission of hazardous fumes by its use.  Hydrogen fuel cells attract more attention because hydrogen is supposed to be pollution free.  Hydrogen fuel cell cars, water power cars, whatever you call them it all comes down to the same thing and that’s cheap clean fuel.

Hydrogen for cars is not a new concept, in fact it has been around for a long time, but due to pressure from the big oil companies it has been suppressed and kept out of the public eye.  The hydrogen for cars is later used by the fuel cell to transform its chemical energy into electric and mechanic energy to drive the car.  In the past people have been reluctant to use hydrogen technology, but now because of the unstable oil and gasoline prices and the poor state of the economy it seems that everyone is looking for alternative energy and cheaper fuels, and hydrogen for cars is gaining in popularity as a way to cut the high cost of motoring.

Arthur Maxwell


There is no doubt you have noticed rising gas prices. Chances are you have been hoping that they would go back down sometime soon. Considering the world’s geopolitical situation, it is highly improbable that petroleum prices will fall. This means that you must either suffer, or become proactive. Amongst the options for saving on energy costs are buying hybrid vehicles or taking public transportation. The problem is that hybrid vehicles are exceedingly expensive, and public transportation is not an option for many of us. So is there another solution? Enter hydrogen generators for cars.

Chances are you are scratching your head wondering what an on board hydrogen generator is, how it could possibly help you save on fuel prices, and where you can buy one.

An on board hydrogen generator is a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen on demand as opposed to it being stored. Stored hydrogen is relatively dangerous, but generating it as needed decreases the danger associated with long term storage. A hydrogen generator is essentially a small device which generates hydrogen from water via electrolysis, which is installable right beneath your hood.

Hydrogen generators for cars work by running electricity through water and then collecting the released hydrogen and oxygen gas. Then, it feeds this gas into the engine via the air intake, thus allowing you to save on fuel expenditure. The laws of thermodynamic state that any system is inherently inefficient and therefore the amount of energy derived from the oxygen and hydrogen gas has to be less than the amount of energy expended to create it. The secret lies in the fact that the increased fuel efficiency enjoyed by the user of an on board hydrogen generator is due to the presence of hydrogen or oxygen gas itself, rather it is from allowing the engine to run at a more optimum efficiency, extracting more energy from the fuel than is possible without the addition of hydrogen to the fuel mix.

A simplified version of how the on board hydrogen generator works is essentially a water reservoir which holds the water. Within this water is a coil of wire that conducts electricity. Electricity is supplied via the alternator or battery and then tubes are attached to the top of the water reservoir which, in turn leads to the air intake. It is through these tubes that the oxygen and hydrogen mixture is conducted to the engine via the air intake, thus enriching the fuel mixture and changing the internal burn pattern of the cylinders themselves. It is through these optimized burn patterns that more of the energy from the fuel is conserved and extracted, thereby doing useful work instead of leaving with the exhaust.

If you are interested in hydrogen generators for cars, the first step is to get informed. Once your have a basic understanding of how it works and what it takes to build one, there are a number of plans available online which can help you build your own and start saving gas today. Only you can become more efficient and less dependent on foreign oil, so take action today!

Arthur Maxwell


No one has to be told that the economy is in trouble and that the price of fuel is rising uncontrollably. People are scrambling for ways to save money like working two jobs and they still have no money left on payday. Gasoline was once the substance that represented freedom but now is the bane of our existence. What if there was an alternative fuel that you did not have to wait ten years for? How would it feel to drive on by the gas station and laugh all the way to the bank? If this sounds good to you, then you should consider building a hydrogen fuel generator for your car.

Hydrogen

For quite some time, hydrogen has been considered to be the ideal candidate for alternative fuel. Understanding how it works is as important as understanding how your car uses gasoline. Fuel travels into the combustion chamber in liquid form and mixes with oxygen before it is ignited by sparks from the plugs. Problem number one is that fuel is expensive; problem number two is that not all of the fuel is being used. A certain amount of fuel is evaporated through the exhaust because the ignition does not burn it all.

We can break water down into its base parts, hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is a gas and when introduced into an internal combustion engine it will burn like gasoline. Therefore reducing the amount of gasoline you will have to purchase. Plus your vehicle may get an immediate explosion of extra power.

How the Generator Works

People all over the country are building their own hydrogen generators for their cars. The great thing is that so can you. To break down water into its constituent parts you have to use a process called electrolysis. Electrolysis is achieved by sending an electrical current through a specially designed piece of metal suspended in water. This causes the water molecules to shear apart and produces pure oxygen and hydrogen.

Hydrogen bubbles then rise into a collection chamber that is connected to the air breather. The hydrogen is then introduced into the combustion chamber where it is ignited. In addition, remember the oxygen required from above? You have produced that as well. Your car is now running on a renewable clean energy source that is produced right under your hood!

Additional Benefit

Users have reported increased power during take off. It has been described as being like giving your vehicle a shot of NOS! Acceleration was also markedly better. There is also an additional benefit that no one expected – the exhaust is steam.

When a car burns gasoline, there are carbon particles that are ****** through the car’s exhaust system. This carbon begins to build in the exhaust and EGR system. Anyone who has owned a car knows that you will be replacing the EGR valve and components after 100,000 miles. These parts can run into hundreds of dollars. The reason they fail is the above-mentioned carbon build up. Everyone knows the best cleaning agent on the planet is steam or hot water. Guess what? You are producing steam with your hydrogen generator and it is flowing straight through your EGR and exhaust.

A hydrogen fuel generator will provide you with clean renewable energy produced under your hood that will assist you in preventative maintenance for your car. What in the world, are you waiting for?

Todd Ash


The largest blockade to hydrogen cars is no longer the technology. Sure, it isn’t 100 percent perfect yet, but advancements are being made steadily that should see hydrogen become a perfectly viable alternative to gasoline in the next few years. Rather, the problem is infrastructure, and therefore dollars and cents from a business perspective.

Since a hydrogen car requires hydrogen refueling stations, just like a gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicle does, the introduction of these clean-burning machines much be accompanied by the introduction of hydrogen filling stations; and vice versa. This reality has led to a number of pairings between manufacturers and oil companies, the latest of which is a new strategic partnership between BMW and European petroleum giant TOTAL.

It isn’t exactly a new pairing, as BMW and TOTAL have both been working with one another in Berlin on the practical testing of hydrogen as a source of energy. TOTAL itself opened a public gas station that incorporated both gasoline and hydrogen in March of this year, which takes the place of the pilot test station that had been operating in Berlin since 2002. Before the end of this year, TOTAL will finish construction on another hydrogen station in Munich near the BMW testing grounds, with a third station at an undecided location to come later.

As a leading company in processing and marketing petroleum products in Europe, TOTAL also wishes to play a leading role in the industrial and technical development of hydrogen as a fuel. As a source of energy and from the perspective of environmental care, hydrogen offers clear benefits already proven and substantiated in practice, emphasizes Michel Bzit, TOTALs Director General for Refinery Operations and Marketing.

The other half of this dynamic duo; BMW, isn’t resting on its laurels either. After years of testing a fleet of hydrogen-powered MINIs and 7-Series sedans, Professor Burkhard Gaschel, a board member at BMW AG claims that in less than two years BMW will debut a production-ready hydrogen-powered 7-series. That’s somewhat behind other manufacturers, such as Ford, which introduced a hydrogen-powered Ford Focus last year and has since distributed them in small quantities to municipalities around the USA and Canada.

Even farther ahead is German competitor Mercedes-Benz which recently celebrated its hydrogen test fleet of more than 100 cars passing the cumulative two million kilometer milestone. The vehicles, which are a varied array of hydrogen powered Europe-only A-class passenger cars, buses, and Sprinter cargo vans make up the largest real-life test of hydrogen fueled vehicles in the world, and Mercedes is looking to expand that even further by taking more hydrogen test cars to Japan, Australia, China, America, and Singapore for everyday use.

Our world-wide fleet trial is running at full steam, and after two million kilometers covered, we are gaining valuable results and findings for the further development of the emission-free fuel cell powertrain, said Prof. Dr. Herbert Kohler, Vice President Group Research and Advanced Engineering Vehicle and Powertrain and DaimlerChrysler Chief Environmental Officer.

Conversely, the third German luxury car manufacturer, Audi, seems to be lagging behind, with no news or rumours of a hydrogen test fleet or potential hydrogen cars since showing its A2H2 Fuel Cell Concept car at the World Environment Day in San Francisco during the summer of last year.

Ben Franklin


With the ever-rising price of fossil fuels, it’s no wonder alternative sources of transportation, such as the hydrogen powered car are getting new look. Cars that run off hydrogen, rather than gasoline, are cleaner for the environment, don’t deplete a precious resource and they are not a far off invention.

The hydrogen car’s potential implications for the environment, economy and even politics make it an interesting idea. These cars just might be the answer to getting around without wasting a precious, limited resource. And, they just might help stave off environmental issues as well. But, what are hydrogen cars and how do they work?

A hydrogen car is simply one that relies on hydrogen rather than gasoline for power. There are two basic types: combustion and fuel-cell conversion. Both are currently in existence, but neither have been moved into full-scale production for a number of reasons.

The combustion engine is similar to what is used in most automobiles now. It simply burns fuel to create power. Combustion engines already in existence can be modified for hydrogen burning.

Fuel-cell conversion, on the other hand, uses the hydrogen and turns it into electricity. This electricity provides the power for the engine’s electric motor.

No matter the process, though, the byproduct of combustion or fuel-cell conversion is simply water. Rather than ozone depleting fuel, what’s left behind is nothing more than good, old fashion H2O.

Adding to its environmental friendly stance, hydrogen is more or less a renewable source. It comes from the decomposition of methane or can be gleaned from water. Inasmuch, its only byproduct is water vapor. And, unlike fossil fuels it is fully renewable.

Despite its potential, hydrogen cars have not been moved into full-scale production for a number of reasons. The world’s dependence on oil is a strong one and it will be hard to break. Entire economies depend on its production, processing and sale, so making the switch to hydrogen will be difficult at best.

In addition to a resistance from oil producers, auto manufacturers, too, must get on the bandwagon before this will become a reality. They are, however, beginning more and more to research and develop cars that run on hydrogen. The engines involved in modern cars can in fact be converted to burn hydrogen.

One of the biggest problems with switching to all hydrogen is a problem with storage. Car fuel tanks need to be better developed for this as would “hydrogen stations” where drivers can refuel. In addition, more study needs to be done to increase the miles per gallon hydrogen vehicles can muster.

Although much work still needs to be done to replace gasoline-based cars with hydrogen models, the idea is more than feasible. In fact, with gas prices soaring, it’s looking more and more like a real possibility these cars will someday rule the roads. Already there are cars, buses, trucks and even rockets that use hydrogen for their power to some extent.

Peter Johnson


Everybody has heard of hydrogen fueled cars. The price of gasoline keeps getting higher these days and most believe that the days of cheap gasoline are dead and gone. Everybody is looking for a viable alternative and hydrogen seems like it may be the most logical choice. Since about 70% of the planet is covered in ocean, it looks like we have enough hydrogen to go around.

You probably first think of hydrogen cell vehicles when you think of hydrogen fueled cars, but actually hydrogen cell technology is still far from perfected and not available on the market as of yet. Sure, the ads are on TV and you may have even seen a hydrogen cell car on the road, but these are not yet available to the general public and even if they were they would not be anywhere near affordable. In the meantime, there is an old patent that has recently been dug up that may give you a short cut to saving money on gas.

The hydrogen car kit is an old patent that actually turns your car into a water hybrid. All you need to do is add a few small components (essentially, some baking soda, electrical wiring, a fuse, a vacuum hose, and a sealed, quart-sized glass jar) to your vehicle to enable it to run on both gasoline and water and possibly even double your gas mileage. Here’s how it works: first, you build a device that you can put together with items you can buy at a local hardware store and add water. Then, you attach this device to your cars battery and engine. The device uses a little bit of energy from your battery to transform the water inside the device into a gas called ‘HHO’ which is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. This gas, also known as Water-Fuel, Brown’s Gas, or Hydroxy, provides a lot of power, burns clean, and it’s only byproduct is water.

The easiest way to figure out how to convert your car yourself is look online. A quick search will turn up dozens of websites that can show you how to convert your car. Though there are a few that want to charge you extravagant amounts for the information, you can get just as good information for much cheaper and the parts you need to pick up at a hardware store will only cost you about $20. Some mechanics out there know how to convert cars into hydrogen fueled cars, but they’ll probably charge you about $300 or more to do it and it’s also very hard to find a mechanic that knows how to do the conversion.

Conclusion

Who isn’t interested in saving money on gas? The increase in the cost of fuel affects every facet of the economy and we’re all feeling the pinch from every angle. By converting your car, you’re steering yourself in the right direction towards the future. Hydrogen fueled cars are a great way to save money and help preserve the environment in one fell swoop.

Aaron Vaughn


Gasoline comes from a natural resource that might be renewable, but not during our lifetimes. With this in mind and the ever increasing cost for oil added into the mix, the need for alternative fuel sources is quite evident to many.

There are other options out there, but not all are being as aggressively explored as they perhaps should be. The hydrogen car, however, is one possibility that’s on the horizon that might serve as a viable alternative.

Unlike a hybrid car or an electric one, many hydrogen car prototypes operate on a similar principle to the gasoline combustion engine of today. Hydrogen stations would take over gas stations if this means of transportation developed.

The advantages to hydrogen are many, including its easier to obtain nature and its cleaner burning ability. However, since this is still in development, the costs can be high and fuel sources scarce.

Although it might sound like a science fiction solution to a real problem, the hydrogen car is a viable option that’s being explored by a number of major carmakers. In fact, hydrogen cars have been under development by major automakers and even some experimental ones for a very long time.

Colorado-based Hypercar, for example, has a functional model and some of the big carmakers like Ford, Mazda, BMW and Chrysler are also working in this vein.

Hydrogen cars are different from their gas-guzzling cousins in a number of ways. Rather than rely on the burning of gasoline to power a car, hydrogen vehicles use hydrogen, which is a renewable resource, to power the engine.

There are two basic ways to derive power from this method – fuel cell and combustion.

Combustion works pretty much like a gasoline engine does. The hydrogen is “burned” to power the vehicle and make it work correctly.

The hydrogen provides a cleaner burn that gasoline and it’s much easier to come by since it’s a natural gas that can be extracted from water and even methane, which of course is produced during the decomposition process of organic compounds.

Fuel-cell operation involves the use of a battery. The hydrogen powers the battery when it is turned into electricity through the fuel cells. This method is also much cleaner for the environment, but would require a lot of rethinking of how cars are made.

In addition to the fact hydrogen is easy to produce – it can come from methane gas or water – it is also much cleaner. Both methods of powering a car only create water as a byproduct.

When the byproducts of gasoline combustion are considered, hydrogen is a much smarter route for not only the environment, but also for people. The emissions from cars have been linked to everything from smog to global warming and the rise of asthma.

Cleaner burning, more renewable and easier on the environment, hydrogen powered cars are becoming more of a reality as time goes by. For whatever reason their development has been slow and their adoption is probably a long way away, but these cars are certainly worth some serious exploration.

Copyright (c) 2006

Arthur Maxwell


Can you make you own hydrogen car? Hydrogen cars are the answer that many hope will answer the growing fuel crisis in America. Most people think of hydrogen cars as being a really expensive new innovation that’s going to revolutionize the auto industry, but what most motorists need is a hydrogen generator, or an HHO. These are easy to build and install in your vehicle, thus allowing you to make you own hydrogen car. There are some hydrogen generator kits that are expensive, but you don’t need a particularly expensive kit to work with. Hydrogen generators offer a lot of benefit to your car’s performance and the surrounding environment.

HHO gets its name from the chemical compound for water, H2O. This is how a hydrogen generator really works. The kits use a process that was invented by a man called Yull Brown. The process, called electrolysis, works by using an electric current to split apart the molecules of water into their hydrogen and oxygen atoms to create the two individual gases. What happens next is that these gases are then sent through the air that’s already being pumped into your car’s engine through the air pump, adding to the fumes that are being burned in order to produce the heat needed to work the engine. In other words, if you switch partially to an HHO kit, you’re actually partially fuelling your car with water. Now, because of how much storage extra water tanks take, and how much weight it adds to the car’s total, you can’t switch completely to this method, but you can get a good boost in your performance and mileage – sometimes up to 50% in gas mileage. This means that you pay half as much at the pump, if that.

There are other benefits to using an HHO generator. For one, you can make your engine more efficient, because when you burn gasoline, residue builds up in the engine and causes it to become more inefficient over time. Water vapor leaves no such residue. Also, hydrogen and oxygen are two elements that naturally occur in the atmosphere, unlike carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which is what normal car exhaust is. Another benefit is that you may qualify for tax credits from the IRS. The government is currently encouraging green initiatives with fuel and other lifestyle elements, so they’re offering incentives such as tax credits to people who decide to pursue green options.

Anybody with a basic knowledge of cars and mechanical tools can build and install an HHO generator from a hydrogen generator kit. In fact, you can make your own, though it’s better to have one with a condenser. All you need is a container with distilled water, electrical wire, rubber hose and baking soda. These kits can be removed from your car just as easily as they’re added, with no danger to your warranty.

You too can make you own hydrogen car. Hydrogen generators have plenty of benefits to the environment, your car, and also your wallet, because you’re cutting down on both emissions and what you have to pay for at the pump. There are plenty of guides available online on how to build a hydrogen generator with the materials listed above, and they’re inexpensive to obtain.

hihowru2001 asked:


i mean we can get clean and cheap energy from water through chemical action by separating hydrogen and oxygen that exist in the water and can use this hydrogen and oxygen in cars and all kind of engines