Water Engine - Untold Misteries

Another Proof in the Bag!

Engines running on pure Hydrogen on demmand via Catalysis (Producing Hydrogen via Chemical Reaction using a catalyst in the form of an electtrolyte solution/ compound/ alloy).

The future looks bright! I gotta wear shades.

Hydrogen Scooter Test Part 14: More Rev Testing 3

Probably the first scooter ever to successfully have an engine running purely on Hydroxy gas... wait for it to run on its own electrical charge.

Right now, the cell is still connected to the grid... however, the point of this video is achieved... Engines can run on pure hydrogen or hydroxy gas. - No doubt!

Knight Riders' KITT is a Hydrogen Electric Hybrid!

Written by Jerry James Stone
Published on November 21st, 2008

The latest installment of Knight Rider was greened up for NBC’s Green is Universal week. The eco-friendly run involves select NBC shows — like the current version of Knight Rider — getting a fresh coat of green paint. Low VOC, of course!

But like any highly advertised greenwashing campaign, there are always two sides it - a KITT side and a KARR side, if you will. Yes, buzzwords like composting and carbon-footprint were interjected into the show’s overly tepid dialogue. Focus is put on recycling, and the huge carbon deficit of the KITT cave is of concern (cue the Law & Order Dun Dun sound…oh wait, wrong show).

It’s all very predictable.

All of this builds up to KITT’s top secret propulsion system — how green is KITT? In the 80’s incarnation KITT used liquid hydrogen in a turbine engine that got 100 MPG. In this updated version, KITT is a combination hydrogen electric hybrid.

Of course, we are introduced to all these features in KITT 2.0, which is a 2010 Ford Mustang.

As much as I want to bag on this greenwashing, I cannot. Knight Rider, the 80’s David Hasselhoff version, inspired me. It was that show that took me from wanting to be a Mechanical Engineer to a career in computers. And it didn’t stop there. I spent eight years of my career involved in classified government work. I know it’s cheesy, but only because it’s true.

That’s my two cents. Well, and that Val Kilmer’s voice as KITT is like an aural enema. Please make him stop!

H2 Hummer with Hydrogen Kit

This is probably one of the best videos I find in youtube making a strong statement that Hydrogen Enhancement on demand WORKS!

I give 5 stars to the guy who owns it, for being brave enough to use a strong SUV for his own tests.

Note: He didn't use any MAP or MAF or O2 enhancers here.

:-) I likd this one.

How Nitrous Works

I just thought everyone should have an idea how Nitrous Oxide system works in comparison to Hydrogen Inducement.

Enjoy...

An early concept application of the Super 777 Hydroxy gen,

This is one of my early conceptual approach for inducing HHO into an engine. Hoping that there will be enough hydroxy gas production to meet BTU equivalents of Gasoline or the like. I am still planning to do this later... or more probably sooner than later.

Any body interested in the project?...

Amazing HHO Hybrid

The Best HHO Science Presentation I have came uncross the internet which does not conflict what I know about hydroxy. Listen to the presenter - I give it 5 stars!.

Impact of Pollution to Health

Children unwilling victims of air pollution

November 23, 2001. Inquirer News Service

ROLLY D., age 5, has been in-and-out of the hospital for recurrent respiratory tract infections. Jun S., 11 years old, has the intelligence quotient (IQ) of a seven-year old. Dina G., born 11 months ago, is presently fighting for her young life in the intensive care unit of a Manila hospital, hooked to a respirator to help her breathe.

The three children have one thing in common. They all live in polluted areas in Metro Manila.

Health experts are sounding the alarm that a special population at risk with the alarming problem of air pollution are children, especially those under six years of age. Many are falling ill and dying from the effects of this worsening problem.

In Metro Manila, allergy specialists noted a significant increase in cases of asthma among children under 13 years of age.

"We have to seriously address the problem of air pollution, if only for our children's sake. It is our self-inflicted big-terrorism, posing a more real and imminent threat than anthrax or other forms of biological warfare," warns Dr. Benigno Agbayani, Sr., a professor emeritus of the UP College of Medicine.

Dr. Camilo Roa, Jr., another UP professor and a past president of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians explains that because of their physiology, children are much more likely than adults to develop' smog-related lung damage. For their body size, children inhale several times more air than adults, and they breathe faster, particularly during: strenuous physical activity. In addition, they spend more time outdoors than any other segments of the population.

An article published in the British Medical Journal quotes Dr. Miguel Celdran, a well-respected pediatrician at the Makati Medical Center, as saying: "About 90 percent of my patients have respiratory illness, and we're seeing babies as young as two months suffering from asthma. Before, this was unheard of.''

LOW Emission Bug

The Low Emmission Bug - Enjoy this video.

HHO Enhanced Toyota REVO 1.8 EFi

This is an installation of a Hyper 7 - System 1 into a Toyota REVO 1.8 EFi Sports Runner SUV. Nobody thought it was possible until this time.

Hyper 7 is a highly scalable, tuneable and manageable electrolyzer cell. It is also very stable - passed my burn in tests for more than 24 hours at high amperage conditions.

No thermal runaways occur to its PVC casings.

I personally am amazed with this small but terribly strong design.

Newsflash Tuesday 16th September 2008

FORMULA ZERO IN AMSTERDAM THIS WEEKEND!

On Sunday 21st September between 10:00 and 14:00, two FZ Championship teams, from Belgium and The Netherlands, will give a zero emission race demonstration in the centre of Amsterdam

Solvay Umicore Zero Emission Racing Team from Group T, Belgium

Greenchoice-Forze from TU Delft, The Netherlands

If you missed the world premiere in Rotterdam a couple of weeks ago, here is a second chance to experience hydrogen fuel cell racing! As part of the car free Sunday in Amsterdam on 21st September, Formula Zero will hold a race demonstration on the Albert Cuyp—a central market street. Greenchoice-Forze and Solvay Umicore Zero Emission Racing Team were the two highest-ranking teams during the Rotterdam FZ-GP, currently in 0th and 1st place in the Championship standings.

Clean Transportation Boulevard and car-free Sunday
Next to the Formula Zero demonstration, a parade of clean cars will tour through the streets of Amsterdam on 21st September. An exciting way for the general public to learn about the latest developments in clean transportation.

Watch the two-minute movie clip about the Rotterdam FZ-GP!

http://www.formulazero.nl/

Kindest regards,
The Formula Zero Team

Formula Zero B.V.
Keizersgracht 6 sous
1015CN Amsterdam
Tel: +31 206226327
www.formulazero.nl

More pics of the Scorpion here...http://www.statesman.com/ap/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=110196

Ronn Motor shows off gas and hydrogen powered sports carHorseshoe Bay-based company wanted to create an environmentally friendly car to compete with Ferrari and Lamborghini.
By Simmi Aujla

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF


Wednesday, June 04, 2008

The founders of the Ronn Motor Co. showed off the company's gas-and-hydrogen-powered sports car in downtown Austin on Tuesday.

Ronn Maxwell, the company's chief executive and co-founder, and Adrian Pylypec, a vice president and fellow co-founder, explained the workings of the Scorpion, a sports car that would run on a mixture of gasoline and water, to a small group at the Four Seasons hotel. The car's core, without its shell, was also displayed.

The year-old Horseshoe Bay-based company is taking orders for the car, which will cost about $150,000 and is scheduled to be ready for customers in December.

Acura supplies the company with the car's engine and transmission, and Florida hydrogen systems company Hydrorunner Inc. designed the hydrogen unit.

Ronn's founders said they hope to create a car that competes with the quality of Ferraris and Lamborghinis. But they also want to make a product that will get better gas mileage than those cars and damage the environment less.

That's where the water comes in. A unit on the back of the car splits water molecules and mixes the hydrogen with gasoline in a combination of 40 percent hydrogen and 60 percent gasoline, Maxwell said. And although the car still needs gasoline, the hydrogen consumes the carbon waste, which reduces emissions.

A 1½-gallon tank of water on the back of the car powers the vehicle, along with gasoline, for 5,000 miles, Maxwell said.

The gasoline-hydrogen combination will give the car at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway, compared with 16 mpg for the 2008 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and 17 mpg for the 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo coupe.

The Scorpion will have a custom race-designed chrome moly chassis, four-wheel disc brakes, 12-inch cross-drilled rotors and polished Wilwood Engineering calipers, a news release said.

The high gas mileage and low emissions are an "added benefit," Maxwell said.

The 300-horsepower car was so named because it carries its engine on the back of the car, as a scorpion carries its stinger, and because "scorpions seem to be quite prevalent in this area," Maxwell said.

Some California car companies, such as Tesla Motors Inc. and Fisker Automotive Inc., also sell environmentally friendly sports cars, said Pylypec, who worked at Dell Inc. as a regional sales manager.

But Michael Marks, executive director of the Austin Automobile Dealers Association, said he didn't know of any similar companies in Texas.

HHO enhanced Toyota REVO 2L Diesel

Perhaps the more bigger challenge is to prove that HHO inducement will work on a Diesel.

Theoretically, it will. It's just a matter of making a good hardware and the right installation set up is crucial.

Firstly, all Diesels have fixed gears in their injection pump, and they will always deliver a fixed amount of fuel. Therefore, we cannot change this unless we dyno tune it and change our injection system...

In a diesel - ignition is achieved with a hot air compression, the compression n a 2L is thermally charged. The moment the piston after sucking air will reach the top dead center TDC position, the air is already compressed and becomes warm at this point... it is during this condition when the injectors squirt fuel which is then ignited at the same time. Therefore, We cannot actually mix HHO with the Diesel fuel. How on earth can we induce HHO with the fuel?. I think this is a stupid question.

HHO is already induced in the air that we compress. Mind you, Hydrogen has a higher ignition point, and only the ignition of the slow burning fuel like diesel will ignite it.

As I keep reiterating - getting the best of both worlds. The moment diesel fuel ignites, it will also ignite the the Hydrogen enriched compressed air; since Hydrogen ignites and burns at the speed of Mach 7. This quick burning trait is what we are all after.

There are those who promote Water Injection... that definitely works too! It's like throwing water over an enflamed pan full of oil - I wouldn't try this if I were you.

But HHO is the higher state of matter in its raw form with regards to water. A liter of water is the compressed state of thousands of liters of Hydrogen Gas volume in it's stable form. When water changes state due to evaporation, it becomes vapor or mist... these are tiny water droplets that float in the air. When we go much further, these droplets of water can still be divided into smaller droplets, if we can do this, then this is the best form of water to inject or induce in our engines since vapor is what is needed for a good combustion.

In an electrolyser, water is divided into it's atomic size... and since water is composed of Hydrogen and Oxygen, they are separated in the form of an invisible gas. Hydrogen having the lightest atomic weight among all molecules or atoms can easily escape our senses since this is inert. The only fastest sense that we can use in capturing the consciousness that there is hydrogen gas present - is probably our sense of imagination. Unless we have H2 sensors around. But the best way to know if you have hydrogen is also to light it up. I have too much respect for hydrogen gas that I would not dare lighting it up anymore - I have seen it's power and it's damaging effect. Nobody wants too much of anything... especially hydrogen.

Super 7 in the REVO is actually a balanced electrolyser... it doesnt produce more than what is needed to enrich the air. Did you know that only 1 part of hydrogen is needed to 95 parts of air and fuel in order to make a good combustion?.

Hydrogen is not the energy per se that we need to keep our engines' efficiency high. It is the effects it does to our SLOW Burning fuel. We are merely making it Burn a little quicker.

This is where we get our mileage increase.

My Automotive Engineer Assistant from India always tell me, Performance is directly proportional to Economy.

With the REVO, the challenge is to make the idling speed suck more HHO ... we are also witnessing a weak vacuum in idling. I believe we need a check valve from the bubbler to the intake port.

I hate writing what my hands cannot do... there are more innovations that can be made but I would rather be in a real workshop with a pen and paper and coffee and an access to a table vise, drill press, lathe machine, jig saw and welding machine and bender rather than waste my time in front of a laptop.

So much time is already wasted in front of the computer... the need for a hands-on development is more important.

Going back to this REVO in the video, the owner says that the improvement is probably psychological. Perhaps yes, perhaps no. Nothing is farther than the truth. I would keep my opinions until a Dyno Testing is done.

Nothing is impossible... we are only limited to where our imaginations will take us. It's not your money that will tell who you are, I dont give a shit if you own the whole world. I hate hearing name drops too... since I dont idolize anyone. So People should realize that I dont care who you know or what you think.

Some theorists say it's not what I think or what we think that matters... it's what they think (the powers that be).

You know what I think... this is the biggest Bullshit in this world. This is precisely what those "animated" powers that be wants you all to think. The truth is -it is what you think that matters.

We are all brainwashed to be their slaves... we are all trapped in a grid of power, control and management.

We just have to live accordingly and be aware of it.

I will keep you posted.

Toyota Corrolla with Hyper 7

Last week, I have installed an experimental prototype Hydrogen only generator design on a Toyota Corolla.

It is unit 001... it hasn't been tested ever on any vehicle, but we installed it anyway.

The basic trait of this unit is that it is a slow reactor... but it is a more stable reactor. Unlike the Super 7 in many ways, it does not produce HHO gas faster nor obviously... but it produce more quality Hydrogen internally. The reactor by itself does not push the Hydrogen gas outward , but sort of push them inside at the center. The way to get there hydrogen gas outis be means of vacuum. It also has an Oxygen output port which is directed to only released O2 back to the atmosphere, it is not good to connect this inside the cabin as what other Hydrogen Generator sites are proposing - read Chromium Hexavalent warnings.

Since this Hyper 7 is more of a passive design intended to be used for EFI's on modern cars; it will also work well with older car models.

The immediate results where as follows:

1. Immediate engine smoothness
2. Immediate absence of smoke during revolutions or idle
3. Immediate increase in engine power, torque
4. Immediate increase in acceleration rates
5. Fuel savings by 30 to 40% gained from combined city and highway driving
6. Immediate smile generated on owner driving it
7. Main Module doesn't build up heat immediately nor overtime

This module is also so minimalistic:

The system only has 2 major sets; the Main Electrolyser and the Bubbler

The Electrolyser is connected to the electrical via a fuse box rated at 20AMP which is connected to an ignition line. This eliminated the need to have it's own line, since it is only turned on autmatically only when the engine is running and not before which is very dangerous. The output gas port for Hydrogen which is located normally at the topmost section is conencted to the bubbler... without any one way check or gate valves or even flashback arresters. I have observed closely on how these devices or add ons actually do not work. Moreover, they only restrict airflow and the system according to my experience - should be free flowing.

Moreover, a one way valve allows gas to enter one way and not allow it to come back if needed. This is not really desireable but it's not really dangerous nor a cause of alarm. Since we don't want pure water to come inside the engine, we only want the gas to come into it, but having a locking valve will restrict backflow to happen, and backflow is actually needed in this case.

Should a freak accident occurs and a flashback happens... our bubbler is specifically designed to handle it flexibly, like how an aikido master handles the strength of its opponent against himself, the bubbler courses the flash explosion out of the system through the weakest spot which is the snap-on Cap. This is the reason why we use snap on cap and not threaded caps. Since energy follows the path of less resistance. In this case, the implosion or explosion inside the manifold is a freak event and treating it like any other energy, we need to allow it to pass where there will be less or no damage at all, this is called in otehr words a passive/active design... in laymans words - Clever.

Unlike other systems, you will be seeing flashback arresters and one way gate valves... in my opinion, these things dont work with a very fast burning gas... Hydrogen burns faster than the valve can shut its opening. (Trust me! I've seen how these things fail in my early experiments; thats why I dont use them any more, besides, The Bubbler already functions efficiently all of these roles.)

To sum it all up; THe Hyper 7 design works on this 1999/2000 Corolla and driving it felt like it's been nitrosed. A simple tap on the pedal can move the car to speeds where more pedal pressure was needed before.

More data to follow.

Mitsubishi Lancer with Super 7 HHydrO

An account of the latest experience in driving this battered Mitsubishi Lancer is this morning.

For the past weeks, this car has been tested and driven by more than 4 drivers and I haven't got the chance to really feel it till yesterday.

When I checked the electrolyser inside... it was nearly empty and the brownish muck "results of initial conditioning" are all underneath. since this unit wasn't really conditioned and it was immediately installed right away. I also noticed that the PVC is somewhat deformed and I later found out, there is a leak in it as well as the bubbler.

I changed the unit with another Super 7 which was already pre-conditioned. Installed also a newer bubbler and closed the pressure relief breather and filler port hole yesterday.

I drove this car more than 60 kilometers yesterday in heavy city traffic. It was impossible not to feel the power of this car whenever the traffic moves faster. With the gas pedal nearly 1/3 to the floor, the car would go up to 100kph on 3rd gear. But I did this only a few times since I needed to be agile in beating the traffic, otherwise, we / my companion and I will be stuck in traffic for long.

When we had the chance to be in the highway... the car seem to love cruising at higher speeds with only a light pressure on the pedal... and for most times, only a tap on the pedal is more than enough.

My companion was also amazed with the performance, he said it feels like the car has been Nitrosed. But one thing is peculiar, we are getting some speed without hearing the engine screaming or suffering from load.

We installed a Hyper 7 on a Corolla yesterday for testing... this Corolla immediately manifested improvements... The Hyper 7 is a newer design and it has 2 outlet ports... one for Hydrogen and 1 for Oxygen alone, this unit is intended for EFI's but will work just as well with carbureted or diesel engines.

As for Mileage Gains, the total km covered is already about 290km... and the tank level is below 1/4. There might be a need to adjust the carburetor air correction screw... but this is bit difficult to do with this model since the screw is somewhat hidden and dismantling the carburator attachments is necessary in order to do the job.

Stay tuned for the feedbacks on the Toyota REVO diesel and the Toyota Corolla.

Buckeye Bullet 2 Surpasses 200 mph

19 August 2007
Bb2
The Buckeye Bullet 2

Ohio State engineering students piloted their Buckeye Bullet 2 (BB2) vehicle, a hydrogen fuel cell powered streamliner racer, to more than 200 mph, marking a new milestone for alternative fuel vehicles.

On the final racing run at the 2007 Speed Week at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, the student-designed and built racer registered 201 mph, at 9,500 rpms in second gear. The Buckeye Bullet 2 team’s goals were to verify that the propulsion system works properly, that the vehicle is safe, and to successfully run the vehicle for three miles, reaching 175 mph.

In their final run attempt, the car achieved 201 mph as it exited the three-mile mark on the seven mile racing track.

This achievement sets the stage for the BB2 team to return to Bonneville for the 2007 Racing World Finals in October to test the hydrogen-powered vehicle again, with the goal of breaking 300 mph, as the student team enhances the vehicle’s systems.

In addition to the BB2 surpassing the 200 mph mark, Ford Motor Company set their own speed records on Wednesday, racing the Ford Fusion 999 land speed record vehicle, designed by Ford engineers and fabricated and built by Roush, to 207 mph. (Earlier post.)

Ohio State students provided the design for Ford’s 770 hp electric motor, with Ballard supplying the hydrogen fuel cells.

The BB2 uses a combination of hydrogen and oxygen as input for the fuel cells that power a 700+ hp motor—as does the Ford Fusion 999. An ice water bath provides the cooling.

BB2 is the successor to the battery-powered Buckeye Bullet 1, which currently holds both national and international landspeed records at 315 mph and 272 mph respectively and was the first electric vehicle to break the 300 mph barrier.

Building Better Aircraft Engines, Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Race Cars

Buckeye BulletOhio State University engineering professors and students tap into the resources at the Ohio Supercomputer Center to conduct computational mechanics and material modeling.

By Joan Slattery Wall

COLUMBUS, OH -- July 5, 2007-- Somnath Ghosh envisions a day when the lifespan of aircraft engines could be predicted with better certainty.

The variables involved, however, seem endless: How much load would the aircraft carry? What are the failure characteristics of each composite used in each part? How much impact could they withstand? What effect does natural degradation have over time?

“I use computational mechanics and materials modeling to make those predictions so we can bypass the need for very expensive and sometimes impossible experiments,” says Ghosh, professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering. “Our computational simulations are like virtual experiments to simulate the real behavior and to incorporate the findings into design.”

He would not be able to conduct such complex research without the aid of high-performance computing facilities, but he doesn’t have to go far to find such resources. The Ohio Supercomputer Center, on Ohio State’s West Campus, allows him to examine and predict reliability from the very small scale of the materials used in parts all the way up to the overall structure. For example, he has examined aerospace systems for the Air Force, thermal barrier coatings such as those on space shuttles for NASA, aluminum sheeting for ALCOA, aluminum castings for Ford and nanocomposites for drug delivery systems. Just one example of results: His findings of better systems of aluminum rolling resulted in approximately $150 million in annual energy savings for ALCOA.

Hundreds of Ohio researchers, many of whom, like Ghosh, are Ohio State faculty, take advantage of the Ohio Supercomputer Center, which has its 20th anniversary this year.

“This is a statewide resource available for the higher education community and the industrial community to do complex calculations to advance science, economic development and the development of products,” says center director Stanley Ahalt, an Ohio State professor of electrical and computer engineering.

The center also is a resource for engineering students. Kimberly Stevens, a senior majoring in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, used software there to simulate the shape of the Buckeye Bullet 2, a high-performance hydrogen fuel-cell powered race car. Using computational fluid dynamics, Stevens modeled real-world aerodynamics, and the Buckeye Bullet team built a model for testing in a Penske wind tunnel.

“We went to the wind tunnel in North Carolina with a really good shape and good idea of what to expect from the wind tunnel testing,” Stevens says. “Since the car was already optimized for drag, we were able to focus on stability issues.”

She also plans to use the software to help design the cooling system of the car. In fact, Stevens enjoys computational fluid dynamics so much that she intends to make a career of it.

“The experience offered by the Ohio Supercomputer Center has lead to two really cool jobs for me: a computational fluid dynamics co-op position with Honda Research and Development and a computational fluid dynamics research job for the Department of Aerospace Engineering here at Ohio State,” she says, noting that she’ll start a master’s degree in 2008.

Early this year, the state granted the center more than $4.4 million for an upgrade to be completed this summer. Ashok Krishnamurthy, Ohio Supercomputer Center director of research and an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, says faculty and students across the state can access the center’s systems and network, and researchers there can assist them. Some other examples of how campus researchers use the center:

Joel Saltz, chair of biomedical informatics at the College of Medicine, is creating an infrastructure for cancer research to enable data sharing, and Hamish Fraser, professor of materials science and engineering, is working with the center to develop a system that could provide remote control and use of powerful microscopes in the department. With the medical school, researchers at the center are evaluating the effectiveness of a virtual trainer with haptic, or sense of touch, feedback, and they have developed technology to virtually train tanker truck drives.

Even though Ahalt has directed the center’s day-to-day operations since 2003 — “This kind of a job is all-consuming,” he says — he still seems in awe of the capabilities of the Ohio Supercomputer Center, where key areas of research, in addition to high-performance computing and networking, include homeland security and defense, environmental sciences and life sciences.

He even remembers when it was built, in 1987 — the year he was hired at Ohio State as an assistant professor.

“I sat out in the field when they started digging for the Ohio Supercomputer Center,” he says. “I thought it was the coolest thing.”

Posters note: This story is reprinted without permission from News In Engineering, the magazine for The Ohio State University College of Engineering. (http://www.eng.ohio-state.edu/)

HHydrO Super 7 Now!

GOOD NEWS!

HHydrO Super Fuel Saver/ Water Hybrid System is now available... (Few units are ready)

S.R.P. -------- (TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER) (includes: HHydrO Electrolyzer, Bubbler, Hoses, Wires, Fuse Holder, Switch, Brackets, Fittings, Ampere Gauge and Installation Service.
introductory price only.

Wholesale/ Dealers Price also available upon request... with M.O.Q. Requirement.
For those who wish to become installers... We can train and also provide technical support.

Price offered is subject to change - But offer is good until Government Taxes ARE IMPOSED LATER.

I sensed it is high time to make it available already with the way Petrol Prices are going... prolonging the release of this item will only add suffering to the affected lower middle class of society.

Interested parties may PM me directly... at ehnriko@yahoo.com or call... 0920-269-3172/ 09239067188
Waiting time is already anticipated since there has been initial orders already pending for months. You can temporarily place your orders to me - just include your vehicles specs when you email.

see more of it at:

http://hhydro.bravehost.com

http://hhydro.blogspot.com

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IEMssQJFgF8

(See HHydrO installed on a Mitsubishi Lancer - follow the link in the above line in youtube.com)

Sodium Borohydride for Hydrogen Generators from SAE

A Sodium Borohydride On-Board Hydrogen Generator for Powering Fuel Cell and Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles

Document Number: 2001-01-2529

Date Published: August 2001

Author(s):
Rex E. Luzader - Millennium Cell
Richard Mohring - Millennium Cell

Abstract:
Hydrogen gas, H\d2, is the environmentally desirable fuel of choice for powering fuel cells and internal combustion engines. However, hydrogen is extremely difficult to store, handle, and transport. One major hurdle to commercializing hydrogen-powered vehicles is providing a way to effectively and safely generate, store, and deliver the large amounts of H\d2 needed to achieve acceptable vehicle range while minimizing the weight and volume of the storage system. Millennium Cell has developed a novel catalytic process that generates high purity H\d2 gas from air-stable, non-flammable, hydrogen-rich water-based solutions of sodium borohydride, NaBH\d4. This on-board system has already been used by Millennium Cell to successfully power a hydrogen-powered series-hybrid sport utility vehicle, a full-size six-passenger sedan with an internal combustion engine running on hydrogen gas, and is currently being installed into a fuel cell vehicle.

File Size: 142K
Product Status: In Stock

Included in: PT-95

See other papers presented at Future Transportation Technology Conference & Exposition, August 2001, Costa Mesa, CA, USA, Session: Hydrogen Energy Systems

Purchase more technical papers and save! With TechSelect, you decide what SAE Technical Papers you need, when you need them, and how much you want to pay. Learn more >

Hydrogen Inducement Device (tm)

This is probably a breakthrough idea whose time has been long overdue.

It is unfortunate that those who have the idea, concept or solution - normally doesn't have the means to implement or execute their plans.

And even if they have a brilliant plan that they can execute... other factors comes into the picture and again, obstruct any means to implement it.

One apparent situation is the ever growing energy crisis which affect the Global scenario up to the smallest unit of the social spectrum.

For the past 30 years... Daniel Dingel and Stanley Meyer has been carving their names in the history of the Hydrogen or Water for Fuel Race.

But so many sorts of conspiracy theories have been coming out surrounding these people.

For the last 20 years, the research and development of these technologies has subsided... it was only last year (starting June 2007) where experimenters began experimenting again after Stan Meyers Patent expired.

HHO, a.k.a. Browns Gas (named after Yull Brown) who discovered it in the 18th Century, has began surfacing in the internet in a much greater degree lately since partly because of the rising petrol prices.

To date... there are probably more than 160 websites offering HHO products for direct consumers. Mostly are E-Books for DIY'ers, (do it yourselfers)... this is normal for any breakthrough technology product, since it is not totally tested by the market and since there is no certifying body to regulate the players.

At any rate, many enterprising and over enthusiastic individuals have began using many unique brand names for their product... some are really technical sounding and yet some are misnomers.

One misnomer is that 'HHO Injection'... this is a misnomer since HHO is not really injected nor forced into the system of your ICE (internal combustion engine). the right term is INDUCTION. HHO is simply introduced in into the system by the vacuum of the intake. therefore, HHO is simply induced, therefore, INDUCTION is the right word to use here.

Since Oxygen is normally produced in a normal HHO generator, we cannot simply say that we have a Hydrogen on demand gadget... therefore, HHO must be used to differentiate these units from Real Hydrogen Generators. Real Hydrogen Generators on the other hand produce 2 output gases... one pure Oxygen and one Pure Hydrogen.

However, HHO units are much easier and cheaper to produce... and moreover, HHO generators produce HHO gases that combusts a lot faster than pure Hydrogen alone. However, Hydrogen Gas in its pure state - still combust much faster than normal Gasoline... and to combine it with Gasoline will still produce about 130 Octane. And since Oxygen is already present in the atmosphere... it is not necessary to induce more volume of Oxygen anymore since it will only further enrich the AF mixture and produce a more quicker burning fuel... but too quick is not what we really need in our internal combustion machines; otherwise, we will be needing to adjust our ignition timing to a retard position.

To add: Oxygen is already present in the atmosphere, therefore, the air being sucked during a cycle... is sufficient enough for our combustion requirement.

OK... now comes the part where I am going to reveal to you the real secret; Hydrogen Inducement... that's pure Hydrogen or HH Gas.. H2 is well probably the more appropriate term.

But H2 is commonly regarded as hard to produce... and that it involves too much energy to break... but HHO have been increasingly researched and developed further that H2 production has evolved at the same time.

It is now only a matter of time when this breakthrough technology will be available in the market. Probably much sooner than we expect.

More to come... stay tuned.

.

Mazda Hydrogen Rotary engine Hits the Road!

Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid Gains Government Approval to Begin Public Road Testing in Japan; Hybrid System Enhances Power by 40 Percent and Doubles Hydrogen Fuel Range to 200 km

Mazda Premacy
Hiroshima, June 20, 2008 - (JCN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation today received permission from Japan's Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) to test the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid minivan on public roads. Mazda's newest hydrogen rotary engine vehicle features a hybrid system that increases the vehicle's power by 40 percent and doubles the hydrogen fuel range to 200 kilometers. Mazda aims to complete the road trials and start commercial leasing in Japan during fiscal year 2008. The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid is the world's first hydrogen hybrid car with a dual-fuel system that enables the car to run on either hydrogen or gasoline.

Separately, Mazda has also announced that it will display and demonstrate its hydrogen rotary vehicles at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in July 2008. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid will debut alongside the previously released RX-8 Hydrogen RE at the summit's Environmental Showcase[1].

Akihiro Kashiwagi, Mazda's program manager in charge of hydrogen RE development, said, "We are committed to improving the performance of our hydrogen rotary engine vehicles to help promote a more eco-friendly place for the automobile in society. Getting permission from the transportation authorities in Japan to begin public road testing the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid in time for the Hokkaido Toyako Summit is extremely significant, because the eyes of the world will be focused on Japan's environmental technologies. Going forward, we will continue to advance our development program and strive to start commercial leasing during this fiscal year."

The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid incorporates the acclaimed dual-fuel system[2] from the RX-8 Hydrogen RE, which became the world's first commercially available hydrogen rotary engine vehicle in 2006. The Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid also features a hybrid system that combines an electric motor with Mazda's hydrogen rotary engine to realize significantly enhanced performance. Mazda's other environmental technologies showcased on the vehicle include "Mazda Biotechmaterials." Used for some of the vehicle's interior plastic parts and seat covers, these plant-derived materials contribute to reduced CO2 emissions.

Under its Sustainable Zoom-Zoom environmental plan, Mazda is dedicated to pursuing harmony between driving pleasure and environmental and safety features, while working toward an advanced Zoom-Zoom future by developing vehicles that "look inviting to drive, are fun to drive, and make you want to drive again."
Main specifications of the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid

Base model Mazda Premacy
Overall length 4595 mm
Overall width 1745 mm
Overall height 1620 mm
Base engine Mazda Hydrogen rotary engine (with dual-fuel system)
Motor Alternating current synchronous motor
Maximum output 110 kW
Generator Alternating current synchronous generator
Battery Lithium ion (Li-ion)
Seating capacity Five passengers
Fuel Hydrogen and gasoline
Hydrogen tank 35 MPa high-pressure tank

History of Mazda's hydrogen vehicle development

1991 Developed first hydrogen rotary engine vehicle, HR-X
1992 Conducted test drive of golf cart equipped with fuel cell
1993 Developed second hydrogen rotary engine vehicle, HR-X2
Developed MX-5 test vehicle equipped with hydrogen rotary engine
1995 Conducted Japan's first public road tests of a hydrogen
rotary engine vehicle, the Capella Cargo.
1997 Developed Demio FC-EV
2001 Developed Premacy FC-EV, conducted first public road test
in Japan (Methanol reforming fuel cell system)
2003 Announced RX-8 hydrogen rotary engine development
2004 Received MLIT approval for public road testing of
RX-8 Hydrogen RE
2006 Started commercial leasing of the RX-8 Hydrogen RE in Japan
2007 Signed agreement to provide 30 RX-8 Hydrogen REs to Hynor,
a Norwegian national project
2008 Received MLIT approval for public road testing of the
Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid

For more information on the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, visit:
http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/env/hybrid/premacy_hre.html

[1] The Environmental Showcase is an exhibition and demonstration of Japan's latest environmental and energy-saving technologies that will be held at the International Media Center for journalists covering the Hokkaido Toyako Summit.
[2] The dual-fuel system allows the driver to select either hydrogen or gasoline fuel with the push of a button.

About Mazda Motor Corporation

Mazda Motor Corporation (TSE: 7261) started manufacturing tools in 1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and Europe for over 30 years. For more information, please visit www.mazda.com .

Contact:

Mazda Motor Corporation
Corporate Communications Division
Phone : +81-3-3508-5056 (Tokyo)
Phone : +81-82-282-5253 (Hiroshima)



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June 20, 2008
Source: Mazda Motor Corporation
Mazda Motor Corporation (TSE: 7261) (U.S: MZDAF)
From the Japan Corporate News Network
http://www.japancorp.net
Topic: Press release summary
View more news from these Sectors: Auto, CSR, Alternative Energy, Environmental, Fuel Cells

HHO Enhanced Honda Dio

This is probably the first ever HHO enhanced Honda Dio Scooter video documented ever. It is a proof of concept. For such a long time that HHO or Hydroxy or Hydrogen on demand systems were limited only inside the laboratory and debate forums. It was never really proven to work on a realistic actual test vehicle.

Due to necessity and adversity, I was forced to do an actual mileage test using this Honda Dio-2 Scooter which I got from the junk. Yup, it's my own bike and I am not just copy pasting this story. Read on and I hope you enjoy the videos... you might need dramamine after watching it... I hope not.

"This mileage test is done now with the HHO module connected. The 250ml. Gasoline 95 octane was able to cover 4.2km at full throttle... a few slow downs were necessary due to some road hazards. At any rate, the engine really performed well with the HHO conected. I therefore conclude and estimate that without HHO - this scooter will run 12km with 1 liter of gasoline... and with HHO connected - it will run 16km to a liter of gas. therefore - we can achieve at least 4 extra kilometers for every liter of gas. If we double the HHO module in this bike... we can expect probably about 50% extra mileage. The proof will always be in the pudding. So until next experiments. I therefore conclude the Honda Dio HHO enhancement experiments and will pursue a more user friendly design... the data we gather in these runs are enough. time to rest."

Giugiaro Vadho

The Giugiaro Vadho hydrogen concept car was unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. Created by Italdesign, the Giugiaro Vadho embodies a futuristic aeronautic spirit rarely seen in any automobile, let alone a hydrogen car. Like a new offering from Hot Wheels or one of those futurist remote control cars one buys for the kids at Christmas time, the Giugiaro Vadho is powered by the same V-12 engine as the BMW Hydrogen 7 and uses BMW's 7-speed SMG transmission.

2007 Giugiaro Vadho

The Giugiarò Vadho is a tandem two-seater, with both driver and rear passenger residing on the left side of the vehicle. No matter, though as the left side and right side, which contains the hydrogen ICE power train can be switched depending upon the country in which is being driven.

The Giugiarò Vadho, in its closed cockpit design, has futuristic ergonomically designed seats, contains two joysticks on the driver's armrests and drive-by-wire technology that will make the gaming enthusiast feel right at home. The joysticks move back and forth on the armrest to assist the driver on curves and other challenging driving conditions.

But, the rear passenger need not worry about have joystick envy, because he or she also has a joystick used to control two monitors built into the back of the driver's seat. The joystick controls the display of driver data also available on monitors accessible to the one in front. Data such as the view from cameras mounted on the sides and rear of the vehicle are shown to both driver and passenger.

The data can be used by the driver for parking, nighttime infrared driving, or interactive driving between car and roadside infrastructure such as stoplights, when this infrastructure becomes available. This makes the Giugiarò Vadho a very smart car indeed.

The The Giugiaro Vadho was also designed with safety in mind. Besides four-point seat belts, the vehicle has a roll bar that the glass cockpit dome attaches to and front and umbrella airbags as well. The Giugiaro Vadho also sports a new "G" logo that serves as the company's new marketing signature.

HHO 68 Mustang FB

Every School boys dream roadster... well, that was during the 80's.

There was a time when almost all these classic muscle cars almost died... it was during the energy crisis of the late 70's and the late 80's.

Now... for another time... this late 2000's, oil price hit an all time high and speculations are seeing it on the USD200. per barrel range.

For a very few people... owning a V8 Muscle Car Classic is again seeing some bright lights.

There's hope for these classics and in the meantime... let's daydream about it... allow me to share with you this 3D renderings of the HHO equipped 1968 Mustang Fastback...

Hyundai Unveils First Hydrogen-Powered Tucson SUV at Greater Los Angeles Auto Show

Hyundai's second-generation fuel cell vehicle, based on the Tucson SUV, was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. (PRNewsFoto)

LOS ANGELES, CA USA


Tucson Fuel Cell Vehicle Will Initiate Fleet Testing Program

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Co.'s fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) program today unveiled its second-generation fuel cell vehicle, the Tucson FCEV, at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. The Tucson FCEV is Hyundai's first hydrogen-powered vehicle taking part in fleet operations to begin in the first quarter of 2005.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050105/LAW100)

Hyundai's second-generation fuel cell vehicle is dramatically improved in almost every way. The Tucson FCEV has a driving range double that of Hyundai's first-generation vehicle, the Santa Fe FCEV. Maximum speed and power have both increased to improve the overall performance. In a major technology breakthrough, the Tucson FCEV is one of the first fuel cell vehicles capable of starting in freezing temperatures. Testing has proven that the vehicle is capable of starting after being subjected to -20 degrees Celsius temperatures for five days. Other technical advancements include a higher output fuel cell and a new lithium ion polymer battery. "These advances in our fuel cell electric vehicles are exciting steps forward for our program," said Kim Sang-Kwon, president of research and
development for Hyundai-Kia Motors. "The Tucson FCEV is proof that Hyundai
has significantly improved efficiency and quality control in the manufacturing
process."

With this working model, Hyundai will be taking its fuel cell technology "to the fleets" and will begin fleet testing in just three months. Fleets will eventually operate out of AC Transit of Oakland, Calif., Hyundai America Technical Center and Southern California Edison.

The fleet testing phase of Hyundai's fuel cell research and development program is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). A team consisting of ChevronTexaco Corp., Hyundai Motor Co. and UTC Fuel Cells was awarded federal funds to lead a five-year demonstration and validation project designed to showcase practical applications of hydrogen energy technology. The primary goal of this multi-year project is to develop and demonstrate safe, convenient and reliable hydrogen-based distributed power generation, fuel cell vehicles and vehicle fueling infrastructure, and to educate key audiences about the use of hydrogen as a potential fuel for transportation and power generation.

"Entering this new phase of our program will allow us to build fuel cell electric vehicles at higher volumes for fleet testing applications," said President Kim. "It also brings us one step closer to the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles."

About the Tucson FCEV

Built with lightweight, performance-boosting aluminum body components, the Tucson FCEV has a power-to-weight ratio similar to that of a conventional SUV. It also features low noise levels plus a roomy cabin that offers the same level of comfort and convenience as its gasoline-powered sibling.

Unlike the Santa Fe FCEV, the Tucson Fuel Cell program has been running on a parallel path with the conventional Tucson providing fully digitized engineering data from the earliest stages.

The Tucson FCEV's power plant has been relocated under the front hood, unlike its predecessor, which featured an under-floor installation. In addition, the Tucson FCEV is capable of starting and operating in sub-zero temperatures.

Tucson FCEV's driving range has also been extended to 300 km (186 miles) thanks to its 152-liter (40-gallon) hydrogen storage tanks developed by Dynetek Industries Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. By contrast, the Santa Fe FCEV lacks cold weather start capability and is equipped with a 72-liter fuel tank.

Marginally lighter than its predecessor, the Tucson FCEV also gets five more kW of power for a peak output of 80kW. Its maximum speed is rated at 150km/h (93 mph) compared to the Santa Fe's 124km/h (77 mph).

As in the Santa Fe FCEV, Hyundai has once again partnered with UTC Fuel Cells of South Windsor, Connecticut, which will supply the hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Enova Systems, of Torrance, Calif., has been tapped to provide the next generation hybrid-electric drive train, motor and control unit. The Hyundai Tucson FCEV 152-V high voltage battery was co-developed by Hyundai Motor Co. and LG Chem in Seoul, Korea.

Hyundai formed its first fuel cell task force team in 2000 and by October of the same year, it unveiled the Santa Fe FCEV, its first prototype fuel cell vehicle. Hyundai has been an active member in the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) in Sacramento, Calif. for five years. Past-generation Hyundai fuel cell vehicles have participated in numerous CaFCP Road Rallies and Michelin Challenge Bibendums where Hyundai has won gold and silver awards in a variety of categories.

About Hyundai Motor Co.
Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Co. has grown into the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, which includes over two dozen auto-related subsidiaries and affiliates. Employing over 50,000 people worldwide, Hyundai Motor posted US$20.8 billion in sales in 2003 (on a non-consolidated basis). Hyundai motor vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 5000 dealerships and showrooms. Further information about Hyundai Motor Co. and its products is available on the Internet at http://www.hyundai-motor.com.


SOURCE Hyundai Motor Co.

Hydrogen car powers to record finish

A special hydrogen-powered car invented by Swiss scientists has set a new world record.

The PAC 11 car came in first at the recent Shell Eco-Marathon in Ladoux, France, completing a 25-kilometre circuit using only one gram of hydrogen.

This converts to about 5,385 kilometres per litre of petrol, a new world record in economical fuel consumption, and means that PAC-Car would only use eight litres to drive around the globe.

At the marathon, 25 cars, travelling at a minimum average speed of 30kmph, competed for the best fuel efficiency title.

The groundbreaking model was developed by a team of 20 mechanical engineering students at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

Team leader Lino Guzzella outlined the winning formula: "Lightweight design, aerodynamics, controls, power electronics, chemistry – the real hard engineering stuff."

He said the prestigious prize was a great boost for the institute, and would help his department to attract talented students in years to come.

"It’s a beacon signal that I am sending out, so that people know something very good is going on here," he told swissinfo.
Hot Rod

The PAC car is less than three metres long and resembles a competition bob sleigh with wheels.

The diminutive driver at the Shell competition, Fanny Frei, weighs 45 kilograms.

She had to lie horizontally inside the cockpit, with her head slightly raised so that she could see the control panel, which helped her to maintain an optimal speed to minimise hydrogen consumption.

A hand-held unit encompasses the accelerator and simple bicycle style breaks.

"The race was fun, but it was very hot," Frei said. "The outside temperature was 30 degrees Celsius, so it must have been 50°C inside the cockpit."
How it works

PAC stands for "pile à combustible" – in other words, fuel cell. This takes in hydrogen and air, and uses an AC/DC converter to provide the energy needed to drive the two motors.

Two one-litre hydrogen cartridges are tucked inside the back of the vehicle, each containing 11 standard litres of hydrogen, pressurised at 11 bars.

Florian Kolb, who worked on the optimisation of the fuel cell, says the amount of hydrogen carried on board is flexible.

"You could use a tank of up to 200 bars and store 200 litres in such a bottle, so the range could be extended a lot."

But hydrogen is highly explosive, so safety tests had to be carried out before the system could be put to use. "It’s quite explosive but if the car were to crash, the gas would just dissipate. It’s one-twentieth the weight of air, so it’s gone before it explodes," said Kolb.
ETH team, with the PAC-Car, following victory at Shell Eco Marathon
ETH team, with the PAC-Car, following victory at Shell Eco Marathon (swissinfo)
Drag Factor

One of the winning features of PAC-Car 11 is its aerodynamics.

"The aerodynamic drag of Pac Car 1 was about 50 per cent of the whole drag," said Nicolas Weidmann, who was in charge of redesigning an earlier model, PAC Car 1.

"We were able to improve the resistance on the new car, and it is now only a fourth of the amount of drag of the earlier model," he added.

He achieved this by tilting the wheels by eight degrees, as a compromise between rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag.

Wind tunnel tests were carried out on the vehicle at the Federal Institute of Technology and Ruag Aerodynamics in Emmen, where there is a rolling floor.
Promoting clean cars

The project’s main sponsor was the Federal Energy Office, which is hoping to promote energy efficient systems and renewable energy.

"The PAC car is an ideal training platform for the students, and the project helps to make the public more aware of the importance of greater fuel efficiency," said Martin Pulver.

But the expert on rational energy use estimates that Switzerland is decades away from developing the PAC-Car on a commercial scale, because hydrogen is not produced industrially and cannot be easily stored.

The government and parliament are at odds over the introduction of "climate" taxes on petrol and diesel imports from next January.

It’s part of Swiss efforts to honour the Kyoto protocol, by reducing carbon dioxide emissions to ten per cent below 1990 levels by 2010.

These levies are expected to generate almost SFr100 million ($78 million), about a third of which will be directed to traffic improvement projects.

"We can use this money to promote research into and boost markets for energy-efficient cars," Pulver said.

swissinfo, Julie Hunt in Zurich

World's first hydrogen-powered racecar debut

World's first hydrogen powered racing car, sponsored by RSC



16 July 2007

Pictured making its debut at Silverstone: the world's first hydrogen-powered racing car, sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

World's first hydrogen powered racing car, sponsored by RSC
World's first hydrogen powered racing car, sponsored by RSC

© Picture courtesy of the Press Association

The car will be a major feature of this year's National RSC Chemistry Week Tour in November which will include a low-carbon road show taking in nine venues including the University of Hertfordshire, where a specialist unit has designed and built the vehicle. More details of Chemistry Week and the racing car sponsorship are available from Pauline Meakins at the RSC .

The new car, which can touch 130 mph and accelerate from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, was demonstrated at the grand prix circuit as part of the Formula Student race weekend organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

The university reports that the car will produce zero carbon dioxide emissions, will be fuelled by hydrogen from farm waste and will be equally as fast as a petrol-fuelled vehicle.

It was made in the university's new Sustainable Energy Technologies Centre at Hatfield, a campus which has for decades produced talent entering the UK and international automotive industries. The university now has at least one graduate working on every Formula 1 racing team.

Team member John Goddard, working on his UH PhD said this week: "Usually if a car is run on hydrogen we would expect it to lose performance but in this case we have found a way to get optimum performance from the engine."
Contact and Further Information

Brian Emsley
Media Relations Manager
Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA
Tel: +44 (0)20 7440 3317 or +44 (0) 7966 939257
Fax: +44 (0)20 7437 8883
Email: Brian Emsley



Pauline Meakins
External Promotions Manager
Royal Society of Chemistry, Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 432266
Email: Pauline Meakins

The BMW HR2 hybrid car performs with an output of 285 hp and with a top speed on 185 mph. Acceleration from zero to 60 mph takes approximately six seconds. The land speed records involve a list of eight other flying start and standing start categories. Based on technology used in the BMW 760i vehicle, the HR2 also uses the fully variable VALVETRONIC valve drive.



The BMW HR2 hybrid car is a prototype racecar only and will not be hitting the showrooms. The technology learned by creating the HR2 will be used on upcoming production models, though. According to BMW, "BMW will launch a dual-mode version of the current 7 Series during the production cycle of the present model, thus introducing the first car of its kind able to run on both hydrogen and gasoline."

BMW had better hope that the hydrogen highway happens sooner rather than later, so that it doesn't miss sales from the gasoline-electric hybrid market that will be blooming over the next 5 or so years. BMW is banking on hydrogen, though, so when H2 does start fueling the economy, the HR2 will be ready.

World's first hydrogen-powered racecar to debut this weekend

July 15, 2007 Alternative engine technologies face several challenges in the battle to be viewed as a serious alternative to the internal combustion engine - and a key hurdle is the perception that they can't deliver enough power and performance to compete with their fossil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOSSIL -fuel burning counterparts. How better to dispel such fears than to race a hydrogen-powered car against petrol-powered competitors? The first hydrogen-powered race car will take to the track this weekend in the worldwide Formula Student category, and if the notion of green car racing Racing-Vintage-Cars catches on, we can look forward to watching the ingenuity of the racing community making some significant contributions to the development of emission-free consumer cars in the near future.

A £5,000 grant from the Royal Society of Chemistry has made it possible for John Goddard and James Waters, two PhD students in the University of Hertfordshire’s new Sustainable Energy Technologies Centre to convert a Formula Student racing car into a hydrogen-powered vehicle. Formula Student is a worldwide challenge for engineering students to design and build small, single-seat racing cars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_Cars . It forms part of their academic studies and culminates in a competition to be held this weekend where teams from all over the world test the strength of their designs in the racing arena.

This is the first time that a hydrogen-powered racing car has been developed anywhere in the world. It will produce zero CO2 emissions Green-Business-Travel , run on ‘green’ hydrogen produced from farm waste and is expected to be equally as fast as a petrol-fueled car.

The engineers are very optimistic about the car’s chances in the Institution of Mechanical Engineers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_engineering (IMechE) Formula Student Race when it races on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 July at Silverstone. This particular car, before the hydrogen conversion, won the Best UK Car category in the competition in 2005.

“Usually if a car is run on hydrogen, we would expect it to lose performance,” said John. “But, in this case, we have found a way to get optimum performance from the engine.”

“We have had to work with the IMechE to develop a whole new set of rules and guidelines for hydrogen cars because this has never been done before,” James added.

The University set up the Sustainable Energies Technology Centre in December 2006 to develop research into sustainable technologies and other uses of hydrogen.

The hydrogen-powered car will be a key feature of the Royal Society of Chemistry Week which will take place from 3-11 November. For further information, please visit the Royal Society of Chemistry website.

We wish these innovators the best of luck for a great result in the weekend's racing.

Hydrogen Powered Ford Fussion

The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 has set a speed record for a production-based hydrogen-fuel-cell race car with a run of 207.279 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The vehicle, designed and built in collaboration with Ohio State University, Ballard Power Systems, and Roush, was piloted on its record run by Ford retiree and veteran Bonneville racer Rick Byrnes.


Rick Byrnes with the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999

The Fusion 999 is the first vehicle of its kind. Ford says it was created to advance fuel-cell-powered vehicles and to accomplish a feat that had never been attempted before.

It's all about Air

Fuel Injection Diagnosis: It’s All About the Air



By Bernie Thompson | July 2008

An engine can’t run without fuel and air. But how much fuel and how much air are needed to make it run efficiently?

A flash of sunlight reflected off the ice hammer’s head as it swung forward, breaking through the age-old ice. Normally this would have made a loud noise, but the only noise that Edmund heard was his own heart racing. The lack of oxygen had every muscle in his body aching in agony as he took his next step up the mountain. He thought to himself, Just a few more steps and I’ll be standing on top of the world. He had dreamed of the day he would reach the top of Mount Everest. On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay had reached the highest point on earth, some 29,029 ft. above sea level. At this elevation there is very little oxygen in the atmosphere, and this climb had been accomplished without the aid of bottled oxygen. The amount of oxygen that’s contained in the atmosphere is important because it’s this oxygen that’s taken in by our bodies and converted chemically to give us the energy we need to do work. A similar release of energy is what powers the internal combustion engine.

In order for this combustion energy to be released, a chemical reaction must take place between oxygen and the hydrocarbons in the fuel. This chemical reaction is based on the weight mass of the two elements—oxygen and hydrocarbons—that react together. In the spark ignition internal combustion engine, this weight ratio can change from 11:1 under a power demand to 17:1 in a lean cruise condition. At both weight ratio extremes, the tailpipe emissions levels will rise considerably.

Many years ago tailpipe emissions levels were not regulated. As the concern about air quality around large cities grew, government regulations were imposed on vehicle manufacturers. For the manufacturers to meet these emissions regulations, a new technology emerged. This technology employs a method of weighing precisely the air entering the engine and then delivering the correct weight of hydrocarbons or fuel for an engine’s running condition. This technology is referred to as fuel injection.

Fuel injection can be either mechanical or electronic, or a combination of both. This discussion will center on electronic fuel injection for the spark ignition internal combustion engine. There are two basic methods of fuel injection currently used in vehicles—speed density and airflow. It’s important to know which system you’re working on. For example, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve stuck open on a speed density system produces a lower vacuum reading, which would normally indicate that the engine was under load. Under this condition additional fuel would be added, which would overfuel the engine, so the fuel trim correction would go negative and take fuel away. (More on fuel trim later.) On an airflow system with the same EGR valve problem, the airflow would be read correctly, so no fuel trim correction would be needed.

With the speed density method, an indirect calculation of air weight is made by measuring the intake pressure changes using the manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor. This sensor does not directly measure the intake manifold pressure; instead, it measures the displacement of a diaphragm that’s deflected by intake manifold pressure. This intake pressure change is converted by the MAP sensor to an output measurement of pressure in kilopascals (kPa). The change in intake manifold pressure can be used to calculate the load placed on an engine. The MAP sensor accomplishes this by monitoring the intake pressure; as the throttle blade is opened, it allows more air to enter the engine and, thus, changes the pressure from a negative state (vacuum) to one that’s slightly under atmospheric pressure at wide-open throttle.

The MAP sensor is desirable to use because the absolute engine working pressure (vacuum) at idle and light load is unchanged by elevation. At sea level, the barometric pressure is 101 kPa, and a good engine idle pressure is 27 kPa. Therefore, the engine vacuum is 101 kPa 2 27 kPa 5 74 kPa, or 29.9 in./Hg 2 10 in./Hg 5 19.9 in./Hg. At 5500 ft. of elevation, the barometric pressure is 84 kPa and a good engine idle pressure is 27 kPa. Therefore, the engine vacuum is 84 kPa 2 27 kPa 5 57 kPa, or 24.9 in./Hg 2 10 in./Hg 5 14.9 in./Hg.

An equation is needed to calculate the airflow into the engine, and certain values must be known: the size of the engine in liters; the intake manifold absolute pressure, as determined by the MAP sensor; and the revolutions per minute (rpm), because in a four-stroke engine, only one stroke produces incoming air. The rpm is determined by the crankshaft position sensor. This will become a factor since the air mass is what we’re trying to measure. The air temperature will also become a factor because a change in temperature will cause a change in the density of the air. This is read by the intake air temperature (IAT) sensor. At an air temperature of 240°F, the air weighs 1.51 grams per liter (g/L); at an air temperature of 104°F, the air weighs 1.12 g/L—a 35% difference. The speed density base air equation is made with only three sensors and is as follows:

RPM x Liters x MAP x IAT Air Density = Mass Air in g/sec

60 2

With the airflow method, a calculation of air weight can be made that is an indirect measurement or a direct measurement of the air entering the intake manifold, depending on which type of sensor is used. This airflow is measured with a device called a mass airflow (MAF) sensor. There are several styles of these devices, the most popular of which is the heated-element type. It’s based on the hot-wire anemometer weather forecasters use for measuring wind velocity. A wire or element is electrically heated to a set temperature above the temperature of the inlet air. As the throttle blade is opened, the velocity of air increases, which transfers the heat from the element into the air. An electronic circuit is designed to keep the element at a set temperature so that as its temperature decreases, the current flow across it increases. By monitoring the current, the airflow will be known. The PCM converts this signal into air weight, which is read in g/sec.

In either of these methods—speed density or airflow—the air is the unknown quantity; therefore, the air flowing into the engine is what must be determined. Fuel injection is based on airflow, not fuel flow. The fuel delivery weight is a known factor.

One example can be seen by using a 25-lbs./hr. fuel injector. This number is based on the engine’s brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC), which indicates the engine’s fuel consumption efficiency. The BSFC is usually measured in pounds of fuel used per hour for each unit of horsepower. This relationship means that horsepower multiplied by BSFC equals pounds of fuel consumed per hour.

A 25-lbs./hr. fuel injector’s fuel delivery is based on a constant fuel pressure and volume equal to 255cc/min., or .00425cc/millisecond. One cubic centimeter is equal to .162 gram of gasoline. This fuel weight is a known quantity that will be delivered by the fuel injector to the engine.

Now that both the air weight entering the engine and the fuel weight being delivered can be determined, an equation can be derived that will set a precise air/fuel ratio for the engine. The equation is used to determine the air mass weight contained in each cylinder so the fuel weight can be delivered properly. If there were any problems, such as the sensors misreading or incorrect fuel delivery, the base air equation would need to be changed so that the correct air/fuel weight would be maintained. This is done with a multiplier to the base air equation that’s called fuel trim (see Fig. 1 on page 30). The purpose of fuel trim is to monitor the ratio of air to fuel weight and to keep it at a predetermined target value.

An oxygen sensor is located in the exhaust system to continually measure the air/fuel ratio. It’s set up in a feedback loop so it can report the air/fuel ratio to the microprocessor, which will use this information to adjust the fuel trim multiplier to keep the air/fuel ratio at the target value. This method of control is referred to as a closed-loop limit-cycle control system. One example of this type of control system is an oven. When the temperature is set to, say, 350°F, the electrical element comes on to heat the oven. The oven stays on until it reaches a temperature of 355°F, then shuts off. This temperature is sensed by a sensor in the oven. The oven then cools down until it reaches 345°F. At this point the heating element turns on, heating the oven to 355°F again. This cycle continues, to keep the oven close to the target temperature of 350°F.

This type of control system can maintain an average value very close to the command input. On an internal combustion engine, this system works in much the same way. The fuel trim works like the oven’s heating element, driving the system rich or lean. The oxygen sensor works like the heat sensor in the oven, only it reports the air/fuel changes. The oxygen sensor reporting limits are set between .1 and .8 volt. The oxygen sensor in this range is stoichiometric. For this sensor to be rich it must be above .8 volt; to be lean it must be below .1 volt.

A vehicle’s fuel control system under most conditions will cycle the oxygen sensor in this .1- to .8-volt range. This is usually accomplished with Short Term Fuel Trim (STFT). Since STFT drives the oxygen sensor, if the oxygen sensor response is slow, the STFT peak-to-peak value will increase. If the STFT value exceeds 8% peak-to-peak, the O2 sensor will have to be replaced (Fig. 2 on page 32). The cycling oxygen sensor will maintain the air/fuel ratio at 14.66 lbs. of dry air to 1 lb. of gasoline. This is referred to as stoichiometry, which is the ideal mixture of air and fuel that, when ignited, will completely burn all of the hydrocarbons and leave only carbon dioxide and water.

In a running engine, the air/fuel mixture will never completely burn, due in part to unvaporized fuel and hydrocarbons packing into the piston ring lands and the valve pocket areas. This air/fuel ratio is desirable for the catalytic converter to work correctly, thereby lowering the levels of tailpipe emissions.

Now that we have an understanding of the fuel injection fuel control system, let’s put it to work in repairing vehicles. Since the fuel injection system is all about the air, it will be necessary to calculate the volumetric efficiency (VE) of the engine (see Mark Warren’s June 2003 Driveability Corner for a concise explanation of VE). A Toyota 4Runner with a 3.0L engine was brought in because of low power. The Check Engine light came on and the driver complained of low power. The following diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) were pulled: P0171 (system too lean), P0325 (knock sensor 1 circuit) and P0330 (knock sensor 2 circuit).

To find a diagnostic direction quickly it’s necessary to calculate the VE. This can be done by collecting the parameter identifications (PIDs) that will be needed while test driving the vehicle. Once you have the information, just run the VE calculation to see whether the air going into the engine is correct. In this example, the scan tool automatically calculated the volumetric efficiency of the engine while the vehicle was being driven. The yellow trace is the MAF sensor signal that the scan tool reads as grams per second (g/sec) and the red trace is the VE reading, or theoretical airflow. When these two measurements of the air flowing into the engine are compared, it’s easy to see whether a problem exists. In this case, the actual airflow reported from the MAF sensor (yellow trace) is much lower than the VE calculation (red trace). This low MAF reading shows that a problem is present in the airflow to the engine.

A low airflow reading could be associated with many problems, such as a restricted exhaust or intake, an air leak between MAF sensor and throttle, an incorrect MAF sensor calibration, incorrect camshaft timing, engine mechanical faults, etc. To identify what the problem is, it’s necessary to check the fuel trim. When doing this, you must check the trim values over a range of engine load and rpm. In this fuel trim test (Fig. 4), total fuel trim readings are taken. Total fuel trim is Long Term Fuel Trim added to Short Term Fuel Trim. When checking the fuel trim chart, look at the way the fuel trims change over the load of the engine. In this example at idle, the fuel trim is taking away 229% from the base air equation. As the load and rpm change, the fuel trim starts to add +23% to the base air equation. As the load steadily increases, the fuel trim starts to add up to +49% to the base air equation. This indicates that the MAF sensor is dirty. The MAF sensor uses a heated element to measure the incoming air to the engine. When this element becomes dirty it overreads the incoming airflow at idle, so the fuel trim has to modify the base air equation to compensate.

At hot unloaded idle, the MAF sensor reading in g/sec should be very close to the liter size of the engine, so on this 3.0L Toyota, at hot idle the MAF sensor should read about 3 to 3.2 g/sec. This is a good way to see whether the MAF sensor is reading correctly at idle. If the MAF sensor reading in g/sec is higher or lower than the liter size of the engine at idle, check the fuel trim. If the fuel trim is good (610%), then the MAF sensor is reading the airflow correctly.

If the fuel trim is greater than this, it’s an indication of a problem. As the engine load changes, the dirty MAF element cannot give up its heat to the air flowing over it, thus it underreads the airflow. The fuel trim has to correct this airflow reading from the MAF sensor. It does this by multiplying the base air equation by the trim value needed.

Another example of a MAF sensor reading incorrectly is if the MAF sensor’s Wheatstone bridge is out of range, the actual g/sec reading would also be out of range. Since the MAF sensor reading sets the fuel delivery weight, the fuel trim would correct the airflow. This would create out-of-range fuel trims as well. However, there’s a difference in the way the fuel trims load on the chart; rather than going from a negative to a positive value, the fuel trims stay linear. In other words, they stay very close to the same percentages from the bottom of the chart to the top. In this case, the MAF sensor would need to be replaced.

In another example, if the engine has a fuel delivery problem, the MAF sensor reading would be correct but the fuel trims would read out-of-range. Whether the fuel trims are positive or negative tells you which direction to go. When they’re negative (taking away fuel), there’s too much fuel getting to the engine. When they’re positive (adding fuel), there’s not enough fuel getting to the engine. If the engine has a misfire with low fuel trim values, the problem could be the ignition system or engine mechanical. If the engine has a misfire with high fuel trim values, look at a possible problem with the injectors.

Now back to our 3.0L Toyota’s MAF sensor problem. The sensor was removed and cleaned, repairing not only the P0171, but the P0325 and P0330. Rechecking the work you’ve done is important, as it verifies that the repair has corrected the problem. This entire diagnosis was made while on a test drive.

So the next time you go for a test drive, take your scan tool with you. It may save you hours of diagnostic time later. Also, remember the lesson of Mount Everest: In an internal combustion engine, just as in our bodies, the amount of available air determines the amount of work that can be done.