some folks around here are making hydrogen generators for their cars, and yeilding pretty impressive improvements in fuel economy, and one guy is running the truck entirely on hydrogen. a guy that stops in at my store is getting 35+ mpg with a F-350 with a 460/C-6.

my coffee guy has a tiny one mocked up on his small suv, and it went from 14 to 21 mpg.

if I hadnt seen it I wouldnt believe it. http://www.water4gas.com/2books.htm
this is where he got his info.

I think it would be easier with a diesel, but I'm going to try it.

not trying to start anything, I am just curious what y'all think.

 

What? I'd call BS on this one if you didn't say you knew people that did it.. usually hydrogen generators end up costing more than they're worth.. last i heard it was a concept and/or a scam depending on whether someone was just showcasing it or trying to sell it, maybe it has changed.

and before people start, it's not about gaining more energy than putting out, that's not how it works.. it's a more efficient (apparently) way of producing energy. Converting gasoline to energy wastes a lot through combustion, the idea is that you can use the energy much more efficiently to produce hydrogen.

Like with ethanol, a distiller wastes less energy than a combustion engine (it's the heat being used without mechanical waste), using gasoline to make ethanol can net you energy, it's the same idea.

anyways, I'd love to find out about hydrogen generators, but like I said everything I've read (up until now?) has been bunk.

edit: I know you said you 'werent trying to start anything' but every time one of these things show up on the forums people attack the ideas like rabid dogs.

 

I seen this on Mythbusters. The guys got the setup, hooked it into the carb, it ran great for a minute, then died. The carb ran out of gas, generator could not keep up with the demand of the motor.

 

I've never seen anyone running on 100% hydrogen. My uncle built a contraption using a coffee can and second alternator that generates a small amount of hydrogen by running current through water. He did get 20 or 30 percent gain on an old ford van.

My son says that hydrogen molecules are smaller than the pores in cast iron and can make the metal brittle. He is smarter than I am, so I guess I believe him.

 

systm did a segment on hydrogenpower http://revision3.com/systm/waterpower/

 

my neighhbor just made one from SS rods and PVC pipe,sitting on his desk it took just under 5 amps to run a steady stream of HH0. he bumped the battery charger up to high, it took 9 amps, it spewed like a torch. I have to investigate the brittle iron thing.

 

Careful boys, or the government and the big 3 auto makers will have the mafia outfit you with a lead suit.

 

Hydrogen Enbrittlement would be a serious issue with our motors. Ruin your engine.

To pull it off right, you would need aluminum block and heads with Titanium valves. You will still have issues with hardened valve seats though.

Not worth it. We built one at work with the help of our PhD chemist and engineering staff as a side project/curiosity.

The anode/cathodes oxidize so fast that in a few hours they quit producing gas. We were going to try carbonized/graphite plates but ran out of interest when it turned into more hassle than it was worth.

 

I have to agree that this is bs, there is no way that (even if it worked) it could produce enough hydrogen to run on an engine, as for Hydrogen Embrittlement, that would be a serious problem, hydrogen is bad for iron, mainly any metal.

 

my coffee guy showed me his setup this morning, three weeks and almost no water used yet. the stainless probes are still shiny and it is still making gas.

gasoline has hydrogen in it, why does it not make iron brittle? not arguing, just asking.

even if I had to sleeve a block, and run stainless valves, the gains I'm hearing from people I know and see everyday would make it worth it.

 

If he hasn't used any water in three weeks then he isn't making squat for Hydrogen. Bust out your chemistry book. Conservation of Mass dictates that molar quantities of Hydrogen and Oxygen used must be converted from a molar quantity of water. To make enough hydrogen to do any good you neccessarily must consume quantities of water.

If he isn't using up any water, then I call Hoax and would recommend a good psychiatric eval of captain "coffee guy".

Also Hydrogen Embrittlement is usually significant on hardened steels that are bombarded by gaseous hydrogen. The hydrogen in gasoline is held in suspension (liquid) because it is bonded to another molecule.

 

I wanted this to wok as much as anybody. I would love to be able to afford to drive-driver my dentside. I was sorely dissapointed.

 

well, I'm gonna try it, coffee guy is making a bigger one, and neighbor put two in a dodge van yesterday, and on a regular route sees reduced gas usage already. the source says that a gallon of water produces 1700(17000?) "gallons" of HHO gas. I dont know, and thats why I'm posting here. the two cells he made produce a healthy sustainable flame with 7amps off a 12v battery charger.

I'm going to make one this weekend to see for myself.

 

whd, let us know.. im a skeptic with this kind of stuff but I sure as hell wont totally disregard it based on claims from other people.

 

ya keep us posted, if it works id consider doing it, post pics to if you can