Myth and Reality about Hydrogen and Internal Combustion Engines ICE
Critics claim the laws of energy conservation prevent this technology from ever working.
One of the most popular reason stated by sceptics’ ihat this technology does not work, is that it breaks the laws of energy conservation. One of the basic laws of thermodynamics says any time one energy form is converted to another there is a loss of energy. In some cases these energy losses are quite large. The sceptic tell us that the On-Demand Hydrogen System go through the following energy changes and with
all these losses this technology could never work.
Mechanic--->Electrical (Alternator)----->Chemical (Electrolysis)----->Thermal (Combustion)------>Mechanical (Pistons)
If this was the entire picture I would have to agree with the sceptic but it is not! The claim was never that there wasn’t any cost to produce the Hydrogen. The claim was that the Hydrogen once added to the Air/Fuel mixture enhanced the combustion of the fuel improving MPG. We know we have about 18% unconsumed fuel in our exhaust. That is why our vehicles have catalytic covert on them.
The addition of Hydrogen improve the combustion of these fuels. This fact is supported by numerous studies including ones from NASA and US DOT.
The energy from the Hydrogen increases flame speed and total combustion of Hydrocarbons.
It has been well documented that adding Hydrogen to the air/fuel mixture considerably increases the flame speed and also extends the lean burn limit of the petroleum mixture. (See NASA Report) In Fact the time for this technology has come!
People new to this subject automatically think that if some Hydrogen is good, more is even better however, too much hydrogen causes the fuel to
combust too quickly and creates many problems for the engine and the ECU. Keep in mind you timing was set for a slow burning Hydrogcarbon fuel (opposed to hydrogen which burns more rapidly). If you were only running exclusively on Hydrogen you would have to retard your timing closer to top dead center.
If you have a carbuated car you are in luck. You will simply have to adjust your idle speed and retard your timing a little.
If you have a fuel injected car then you will need adjust the Hydrogen generator production based on your fuel consumption (a vehicle getting 10 mpg will require about 3 X as much Hydrogen as a vehicle getting 30 mpg). Note: you will want to use an electrolyte that does not break down (Sodium Hydroxide) over time and effect you hydrogen production.
You can also us O2 Sensor Extender to adjust the location of O2 sensors. If you remember from grade school if you are ever caught in a fire you should crawl because the vapors rise to the top of the room. The same is true about unconsumed fuel in the exhaust manifold. There is more fuel and Oxygen (Vapor Density) at the top of the exhaust manifold. Meaning a higher voltage output.
The best way to be able to adjust your timing is though Hydrogen tuning. Hydrogen Tuning involves updating of a 3-dimensional table of values inside your cars ECU called a map.
This map table tells your fuel injectors exactly how much fuel to deliver given current air temperature, air density, engine speed, throttle position. This chip is programmed for you vehicle with new values based on O2 sensor output.
By updating these reference tables in your car ECU so it recognizes lean burn condition when Hydrogen is introduced into the engine and adjust timing and amount of fuel being delivered to the engine you can maximize your engines efficiency.
Solution to this problem
Interesting Facts
Technical Information
These stainless finished
adaptor adjust the front O2 sensors to the top of the exhaust manifold where there is more Oxygen and Fuel. This give a higher voltage output from the O2 sensor to the ECU causing it to reduce the amount of fuel being delivered by the injectors.
Problems with too much or too little Hydrogen
With the advent of the computer, fuel injection, oxygen sensors, and other sensors used to control the air/fuel ratio, a problem is created by introducing Hydrogen into your engine. The problem starts like this. When hydrogen is introduced the oxygen sensor has a lower voltage output typically indicating more Oxygen. But we know oxygen is being consumed not produced in a combustion equation. A stociometrically balanced equation the combustion of Ethane (but this could be any Hydrocarbon) is as follows 2C2H6 + 7O2---> 4C02 + 6H2O if you add Hydrogen and Oxygen then you would get 2C2H6 + 8O2 + 2H2---> 4C02 + 8H2O and the additional oxygen introduced is converted back to water when the Hydrogen is ignited with no net gain in Oxygen but an increase in the BTU. This increase in BTU will help combust other hydrocarbons. If your system only delivers Hydrogen (some chemical Hydrogen Generators) then even more oxygen would be consumed in this reaction. The same principles apply to even more complex hydrocarbons.
So why does this sensor have a lower voltage output? Contrary to it's name this sensor actually measures the air/fuel ratio not the amount of O2. The sensor is actually a catalytic converter with a thermocouple so the sensor generates voltage based on the heat from the conversion of unburned fuel and available Oxygen to CO2. Since Hydrogen extends the lean operating range less fuel and less oxygen are available to be converted by the O2 sensor to heat resulting in a lower voltage output.
Too little Hydrogen and it isn’t enough to improve combustion.
Hydrogen Tuning
O2 Sensor Extender
Flash Drive updates the 3-dimensional table of values inside your cars ECU called map. This chip is programmed for you vehicle with new values based on O2 sensor output. Based on O2 sensor output current air temperature, air density, engine speed, throttle position new table will adjust fuel being sent to the engine.