Can hydrogen boost your car engine's gas mileage?

The current economic meltdown coupled with recent high gas prices, is reviving interest in an old technology to improve gas mileage with a shot of hydrogen.
Often dismissed by skeptics as phoney science, the technology is gaining advocates across the country, who marvel at the wonders of hydrogen-enhanced fuel consumption. Promoters of 'hydrogen-on-demand' or HHO, as it is called, say the system can improve gas mileage by as much as 25 per cent or more, and drastically reducing emissions.
This weekend (Feb 7-9), Manatee Technical Institute (Bradenton, Florida), is hosting the 'HHO Games' where hydrogen technology buffs will display the latest wares, including cheap HHO kits which can be installed on almost any vehicle, gasoline or diesel, from compacts to trucks (see photo).
The HHO Games are being organized by Joe Shea, a Bradenton hydrogen enthusiast, who says his Saturn went from averaging 18.9 mpg to 34.5 mpg after installing a kit. "I'm not a scientist. I just want better mileage," Shea says.
Last year, the inaugural HHO Games attracted 2,500 people from all over the country, and also from overseas.

The technology is also attracting interest from local county fleet managers looking to save fuel, and cut emissions. Shea has been invited to address a meeting of the Florida Association of Governmental Fleet Administrators in Boca Raton in March. "We are going to give Joe a shot," said Greg Sitnek, Broward County fleet manager, though he warned Shea to expect a skeptical audience.

"You have to be open-minded, especially these days. You never know what you are going to stumble across that might save you some money, or cut your emissions," he added. Sitnek says he has "dabbled" in HHO himself. Tests run by the county have so far been "inconclusive," he said.

Among the exhibitors at the HHO Games this year will be 'Your Water 2 Gas,' an HHO installation center which opened last month in Clearwater, Florida. So far owner Barry Holzsweig says he has installed 54 of his company's $499 kits.
Holzsweig says the kits take 20 minutes to install and involve the addition of a small water tank to produce hydrogen via electrolysis, which is then injected into the fuel combustion. This apparently makes the fuel burn more efficiently.
"Water has the potential to help power your diesel vehicle," the magazine Diesel Power reported this month, one of the first major auto journals to report on the technology in a favorable light.
However, the article noted that the technology does have some problems.
"Skeptics argue that the energy needed to separate water into hydrogen equals (or exceeds) the energy given off by burning HHO in the engine. There is also concern that enthusiasts and companies looking to sell hydrogen conversion kits oversimplify the process and do not take into account the advanced tuning needed to see results (especially with computer-controlled diesel vehicles)," the article warned.
"The truth is, your results will depend on the efficiency of the HHO cell generator you use, and the efficiency of your engine. If our engines were more efficient, HHO wouldn't be needed in order to
burn the primary fuel more completely. Remember, only about one third of the fuel you burn and convert into heat actually goes to powering the wheels, the rest is dissipated by the cooling system
and exhaust."
Some HHO advocates agree. "The technology is not quite there yet," conceded David Davies a British engineer, who is planning to bring a kit to market soon after two years dedicated to perfecting it.

Find out more by visiting the HHO Games website.

(photo courtesy of Kim Durocher for The American Reporter)

- David Adams, Times staff writer

Comments

[Joe Shea]

Thank you, David, for a fair and intelligent article. When David Davies, the inventor in London you quote, says the techology isn't there yet, he probably hadn't seen the Genesis kit from Green Grass LLC, the Green Hybdrid Systems 32-bit RISC-processor-controlled kit, or the new "Catalyzer" kit from Cape Coral's Eddie Lopez - all vastly improved in the three short months after the first HHO Games Mr. Davies attended last November 11-14. Today, at least half-a-dozen akits really are "there" - they are inexpensive, produce sufficient hydrogen, use little battery power and get great fuel gains. But most important for the average driver, the time between refilling the kit has stretched now from a few days to a few months - and that's why HHO kits are ready for the majors. I salute your courage in taking a fresh, untrammeled look at the technology that can transition us almost overnight from the gaz guzzler to the gas guardian, perhaps saving our automotive industry, our economy and our planet.

[bollakey]

Hey. Thanks for the malarkey. ITs all a loat of gas I say!

[jim jones]

The article states: Remember, only about one third of the fuel you burn and convert into heat actually goes to powering the wheels, the rest is dissipated by the cooling system
and exhaust."

Very misleading. This is a function of internal combustion and the engine design. Hydrogen augementation is not going to do anything to improve this.

This is an old con, people like Joe are just making money. There's a fool born every minute, don't be one.

[Joe Shea]

Is Jim Jones a pseudonym? It would be fitting. The Kool-Aid in this case is the various rotten eggs people throw at innocent, honest people who have struggled and scrimped to bring this technology to a public that doesn't understand it, and is misled about hydrogen - the most powerful asource of energy on the planet (which the DOE said on July 17 will completely replace oil by 2050) - by knee-jer thinkers like you, and so they end up wasting our human, natural and financial resources on fossil fuels that could be eliminated. Remember Jonestown! The innocent were led into a trap that killed them, and that's just what banks, the auto industry and the brokerages seem to have done in the figurative sense. Millions died before they would adopt air bags, millions have died of emphysema and lung diseases as a result of the heavy concentrations of noxiuos gasses from cars in our cities' air, and when a clean, free fuel that leaves no emissions, improves mileage and saves money come along, you insist it's a pipe dream despite some of the best scientists - right here at USF, for instance - working day and night to give it to you. What an ungrateful fool you are, I'm sorry to say.

[Melissa Meehan Baldwin]

Interesting.
I've always been skeptical about these types of products, but I will keep an open mind on this one.

I love the idea of the Hydrogen games. I believe that competition is a great way to drive innovation.

The challenge of global warming is so great that we will need to develop a number of new technologies to address it.

These kits sound exciting, but I don't think I would buy one yet. I want to see more conclusive reports.

And on a broader level, I believe we need larger reform within the automotive industry so that American car companies can start making more fuel efficient vehicles.

This year, the Florida Legislature will be debating whether or not to allow the DEP to adopt the California Clean Car standards.

The Legislature must do what is right for our state and adopt the higher clean car standards. I hope that the auto lobby does not purchase our politicians.

[Bubba]

I am confused as to why individuals touting these devices always jump to a motor vehicle as their proving ground. For example, my power was out last week due to an ice storm; how about a small demonstration on just burning the hydrogen for heating a small room? OK, I realize their is some toxicity involved, but simple heat exchangers are easy to find.

Changes to fuel mileage in a two-ton, 150 hp vehicle can *easily* be masked by at least a dozen other factors. I can vary the city mileage on my Dodge 360 from 9.5 to 12.5 mpg by merely changing forces on my accelerator during starts and delaying braking.

Show me a simpler demonstration and I'm on board. Otherwise, I'll just consider Hydrogen generator discussions as cheap entertainment. Where's the popcorn?

[Bubba]

I am confused as to why individuals touting these devices always jump to a motor vehicle as their proving ground. For example, my power was out last week due to an ice storm; how about a small demonstration on just burning the hydrogen for heating a small room? OK, I realize their is some toxicity involved, but simple heat exchangers are easy to find.

Changes to fuel mileage in a two-ton, 150 hp vehicle can *easily* be masked by at least a dozen other factors. I can vary the city mileage on my Dodge 360 from 9.5 to 12.5 mpg by merely changing forces on my accelerator during starts and delaying braking.

Show me a simpler demonstration and I'm on board. Otherwise, I'll just consider Hydrogen generator discussions as cheap entertainment. Where's the popcorn?

[Michael]

I have built and used one of these devices called a "smack booster" all parts from home depot and lowes. I use an EFIE device to fool the oxy sensor. I have a scangauge II to monitor milage and use my jeep grand cherokee computer also. I am not a scientist, but I am getting 9 miles more a gallon on average (from 20 to 29 miles per) over a 2 month period. I am not driving any differnt than I was before . I also have not invested in any kit, just got plans off the internet. I have no reason to lie. I am not making any money off this or plan to in the future. I just think if you want to poo poo this technology, try it first.

[jim jones]

Shea:
Cannot imagine being more offended by your comment. That Jim Jones was a monster.
It's an honorable name, lots of very famous people named Jim Jones.

And it's a diversion from the real issue.

This Jim Jones has a PhD in chemistry, spent 10 years doing bench research.

I know a con when i see one. Hydrogen augmentation is a fraud, like herbal weight loss meds, it's all about money.

Your science is weak or non existant. The HHO guys prey on desperate people, who have little understanding of science.

I love innovation, I live science, I'm a geek. And pseudo science really pisses me off.

Show us Data! Get a reputable lab to test this stuff, before you start selling garbage to an uninformed and gullable public.

The fact that no major auto company, no military, internal combustion engine manufacturer is behind this should tell people that's it's just snake oil.

[Dave Davies]

I wish I was as clever as Jim Jones.
He's done a Phd in chemistry and now he's an expert in automotive combustion?
For someone that claims to love inovation he has a very narrow mind.
Why not do some proper research yourself Jim, before totally dismissing something that you obviously dont undersatnd?

[jim jones]

Dave Davis:
You guys just don't understand science.
Yes, a PhD in chemistry gives you a broad education. I've read extensively on this subject, done the research.
Calculate, if you can, how much more oxygen you are putting into an engine with a HHO injector, assuming that you're using a liter of water an hour, running at 2000 rpm. It's less than 0.1%, and this is supposed to confuse the O2 sensor? No way. The amount of "natural" oxygen that goes thru that engine in a minute is huge, your additon, assuming it doesn't burn, is insignificant. What you are doing with the computer is over leaning the engine. That burns valves, warps heads.

That combustion is almost completely efficient is published, well accepted data. You cannot get a 50% increase in mileage by adding hydrogen. Some people say 100%! At what point would YOU admit it's fraud, 200%, 300%...do tell me.

The problem here is that many or most of you guys have no formal understanding of science, esp chemistry.
And, And you're making a ton of money.
So now you're left with personal insults. Sad really, something i'd expect from a 6 yo.

Submit your finished, running car to an independant test lab. If you can prove it works, then it's ethical to sell these things. Until then you're just ripping people off.

This is an excellent web site on hydrogen boosting fraud from New Zealand: http://www.aardvark.co.nz/hho.shtml

There are enough people out there trying to rip us off without you helping them.

[jim jones]

Here's a reference to a New Zealand company Octafuel that almost went out of business over this con...

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=145510

or this from a columnist in oregon who is a professional mechanic:

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080829/BIZ/808290347

[Dave Davies]

JIm Jones
Your ignorance is only surpassed by your arrogance.
A phd in chemistry may give you a broad understanding but it does not make you an expert at everything , as you seem to beleive.
I have met and spoken with many eminet scientists worldwide who have far greater intellect than your good self and educated to a much higher level in this field than your phd in chemistry.
How do you know what I understand or what education I have?
I certainly would not resort to the childish mentality that you have -'ive got a phd in chemistry so I know everything there is to know about everything'
Just because you dont understand something or can not apply any scientific laws to something does that therefore mean it does not exist?
In my humble opinion absolutely not.

In his day the majority of his peers condemed Darwin and his theories.
Even until recently some scientists felt his theories did not comply to their understanding of the relevant scientific laws. It has only been since the devlopments in DNA that Darwins theories were proven to be 100% correct. (just 150 years after he came up with them!)
Scientific laws only exist as observations of something which has been demonstrated.They only work if you know and fully understand all of the relevant criteria and all the conditions remain constant. If the conditions are changed by something which is not know or understood then how can you possibly apply those same laws?
Before the Wright brothers flew a plane the scientific laws of the day wre cited by their peers' its heavier than air so it cant fly'
This was because they did know the laws of aerodynamics (because at that time they did'nt exist)
So they were obviously wrong becuase we now know that planes can fly.
In the same way you are wrong. You cant profess to know evrything about this subject because you're not even aware of what is taking place.
Perhaps you should do some more research- read www.free-energy-info.co.uk . This will help you understand that there are many things which are not undrstood.
This does not mean they dont exist.

[jim jones]

Davis:
Yes, there are many things we don't understand. But there is ample evidence that this is a con. And I hardly think I know everything.

You guys are making money!. And alot of it, I suspect. I'm not.

You really remind me of the herbal alt/medicine guys. They lambast anyone who questions their products, but fail to offer any reliable testing. Try to find a double bind study on any herbal weight loss product. They don't exist, yet every night these guys are hawking their wares on TV. We get the same arguments from them.

Get reliable, reproduceable data from an unevolved lab. Until then, we will continue to question your results.

People are still selling fuel line magnets, air intake turbines and other gas saving gunk. None of that works, yet it's still being hawked. And I understand why fuel line magnets are bogus, do you?

Ultimately I think it's all about money.

There are herbal cancer clinics hawking worthless cures, you don't think someone should question them?

And try hard not to get personal, it makes your argument look weak.

[paminator]

Dave Davies- Sorry to say, but Jim Jones is right. This is a bunch of hooey, and you don't need more than high school physics to realize it is a scam. Where does the energy come from to electrolyze the water? The engine. The efficiency of electrolysis is about 65%. You then mix the electrolysis products (hydrogen and oxygen) with the fuel to burn in the engine. You need to double the energy efficiency of the engine to break even. This is not possible in a well-maintained ICE.

Meanwhile, the same people who fell for the nitrogen tire inflation scam, now throw their money away on this nonsense.

*sigh*

[Dave Davies]

paminator
I give up. It is pointless trying to educate uniformed people.

[Ron Williams]

Jim,
Your Ignorance of this technology is surprising if you are trully possesing a PHD in Chemistry. Hydrogen & Oxygen are the 2 most Powerfull energies in the world. There are so many people that are providing proof of this Technology can improve economy in fuel consuption in an ICE. Simply stated, the normal burn rate of Gasoline is slow and inefficent in and ICE. By adding Hydroxy, HHO or Brown's Gas, what ever you care to call it to the 14.7 to 1 Gas to Air Ratio of a Normal Gas ICE, you increase the Flame Front speed and cause more of a Complete Burn in the Combustion Chamber.
The End result is less Hydrocarbons emitted from the Exhaust. A Proven Fact! Nasa Posted these Findings 10 years ago! You also end up using less Gasoline if installed correctly.
Some have added this Hydroxy Gas to the Intake of a Diesel Motor and was able to obtain a result of 30% Diesel to 70% Hydroxy and ran the Motor with no loss of Power.
I know John Manning has Boosted a Shrimp Troller and cut the Diesel Fuel cost of each trip by $2,000.00 !
John Manning and "Smack" both have provided their Booster/Electrolizer Plans to the world without Cost! Open Source engineering! No Money! No Scam!
You can Buy all parts from a Local Hardware Store and assemble it and have it up & running is a Day. No Scam!
Here is a list of Sites you should look at. If after you read and watch the proof of Concept and still think it's a scam, well you must still think the world is Flat and may never understand this Technology.
Sites:
http://www.youtube.com/user/EletrikRide
http://www.smacksboosters.110mb.com/
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ZeroFossilFuel&view=videos
http://www.panaceauniversity.org/
My 2 Bits.
Ron

[SomeOtherGuy]

Now I am assuming everyone has heard of the 1 Million dollar challange by Bruce Simpson. This biggest advocate that HHO is a scam. Well...he just withdrew the challange because his "science" for it not working was flawed and his meager blurb torn apart by people that have education and are supporting HHO.

Jim Jones,

Okay Mr PhD in Chem I have a question for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_fuel_injection

I know wiki isn't very accurate but I have a question on the 2004 and the 1975 part. In 1975 they successfully leaned out the fuel using and HHO generator and in 2004 they repeated it successfully again. Now my question is since you have a PhD in Chem then you should have known this stuff correct?

Some more stuff to bite on
http://www.sae.org/technical/papers/740600
On-Board Hydrogen Generator for a Partial Hydrogen Injection Internal Combustion Engine
by two guyes from California Institute of Technology

I am just tring to say what when that last oil crysis happened they found "hey" it worked and started proving it. This was when there was a seperation of business, factory and education. The reason why there are not alot of articles on it is because they are very old and you don't find any new ones because business and education are very much intertwined. I am not saying conspiricy, but it would be bad for a University to run tests on a HHO generator when most of them get funded by big business (making money off the stocks) and big oil (making money off the oil) which I know it is not direct funding, but by alumni making the money. Now this stuff comes out of the woordwork and poof like the original oil problem in the 1970's it goes away. Noone can explain the price of oil last summer, but you had better believe when the press started hinting about people trying new fuel ideas the price started to drop. Kinda reminds me of the Syenthetic Oil they made that gasoline could be made from. If I rememebr correctly the plan was shut down because it would cost $80 a barrel to produce the Syen oil, but that was after the major drop in oil prices back in the 80's I believe.

[Dave in California]

Like Michael, I also have built and used one of these devices but of my own design - all parts from home depot and ace hardware. I do *not* use an EFIE device to fool the oxy sensor. I monitor mileage by refilling full tanks of gas - and my dodge intrepid gets almost 29 mpg highway - a 25% increase, continually since July 08. (490 miles on a tank of 17 gals.) I am not driving any differently than before and still the same commute. I have no reason to lie. I am not making any money off this. Plus I have cut my HC and NOx emissions in half! Now, I am looking into some way to legalize and replicate this.

[jim jones]

Lets look at two common claims by the HHO proponents.
1st and probably easiest to understand is that the oxygen sensor needs to be remapped due to the added O2 from the electrolysis unit.

A typical HHO unit has about 1 liter of water in it. That's 1 thousand grams of H20 and at 18 grams/mole is about 50 moles. Each mole of water give 1/2 mole of O2. So your entire supply has about 25 moles of O2. Each mole of O2 generates 22.4 liters of O2 gas or about 500 liters of gas.

Now calculate how much oxygen goes thru a 2 liter engine running at 2 thousand rpm in an hour. 2x2000x60=240,000 liters. 20% of this is oxygen, or about 50,000 liters/hour.

If you used the entire liter of water, it's 500/50,000 or 1%.

Do you really think the O2 sensor can detect that amount of "added" O2? And you don't even come close to using a liter of water an hour.

Ozzie Freeman says his bottle of water lasts a month.

Now you guys, calmly, like adults, tell me what's wrong with my calculations?

I suspect that you "play" with the O2 sensor to explain why some people cannot get this to work, or to overlean the engine. Either way the O2 you're generating is doing nothing.

nothing.

Tell me how I'm wrong, show me your numbers, that's what scientists do.

Next we'll look at the claim that HHO generators add water to the engine to clean it. Also not true.

[jim jones]

someotherguy: references.
I'm familar with the NASA paper, it's quoted alot by the HHO guys. If you actually read that paper, what they ignore is that in those experiments they used a methanol reformer and produced ALOT of hydrogen, alot, or as we in the science biz call it, a butt ton..

The problem with this is: Are their experiments relevant to what the HHO guys are doing?

HHO uses electrolysis to generate and inject a very small amount of hydrogen and oxygen. So their "test stand" is not even closely similar to what the NASA guys did.

An no, having a PhD does not mean that you're familar with everything in the literature. My current interest is in carbon nanotube chemistry, among other things.

One interesting point in your reference was this: Hydrogen fuel enhancement from electrolysis of water where the required electricity is supplied by the engine’s alternator or 12/24-volt electrical system can produce fuel efficiency improvements on an older diesel truck in the order of 4% and similar modest reductions in emissions, and is currently in use in Canada.[9][10][11]

OK, it works in diesels and improves performance by 4%. That i'll accept.

For a fleet operator it might be worth it. But diesel engines are very different from IC engines. AND they're only getting 4%, NOT 100 %.

Doubt you could get too excited about spending a grand to increase your mileage by 4%.

Find me a reputable reference that proves a HHO generator can increase mileage by 25, 50 or 100%.

Don't think you can.

If you really want to study this, get rid of the electrolysis and go bottled gases with flow gauges and measure power, on a dynameter. That would be meaningful

What is the flow vrs power curve, how much hydrogen do you need. I suspect that it'll be much, much more than you can generate from water.

That's how scientists think.

[Ron Williams]

I personally do not have the test numbers at hand. But I do know the People that do & I will ask them to chime in here.

The EFIE Device that is used by some is not for Fooling the ECM that it is seeing to much O2. This is a Mis-understanding by some. It's to Fool the ECM to Lean the Injection Timing due to it's misreading the More Complete Burn as a "Lean Condition". When it reads this as "Too Lean" the ECM Richens up the Injection to Compensate. This makes some HHO Generator Installations less of an or no increase in Milege. The ECM Reset works for some installations but not all.

As for Diesel Motors getting only 4% increase in Milege with a HHO Generator Booster, the Generator output is very low output. I'd guess 1 LPM or less.
John Manning of Austrailia has 6 LMP Boosters on many Trucks getting 20-50% better Milege.
I Hope I can get him here to state this for Himself.

We have many Forums that we belong to that covers all of these issues. I will have soon my own "Garage Built Booster" to install on my own 7.3L Turbo Charged Intercooled Ford Diesel that will connect to the TPS to Supply as needed on Demand. This is so much safer than carring Bottled Hydrogen. If a Problem occurs, it's a POP compared to BIG BOOM YOUR DEAD!
Here to help,
Ron Williams

[paminator]

Here is some interesting reading on water cars and HHO boosters.

http://kanoa.org/watercar.html

This is another example of making/selling extraordinary claims by relying on affidavits, a sprinkling of real science, and a complete lack of credible test reports.

[someotherguy]

There is no point in arguing this subject anymore. If people see it works by using (like me) it then thats great. Why is is so important to prove the world is flat and unheard of things can't happen. The 747 was a breakthrough in flight 40 years ago and everyone said it can't be done and the physics of it were impossible. I know Jim Jones has commented on every HHO story on the because I have read almost everyone of them. People just look for something to full fill there life and bashing what other people believe in is just a way out.

If you don't believe it then fine just don't tell me it doesn't work until you try it out.

As a last thought from me the O2 sensor has a part in it but I don't know what it is. Why don't you think chemical rather than physics here for a minute. Pure O2 + H2 mixing with the 10+ chemicals gasoline is made from. Heat and pressure as a proding agent can cause strange things when you have complex molecules and simple molocules floating around. I don't know...cleaner burns, more complete burns, combination of molecule strings. If you can tell me exactly how the fuel acts in the engine then you have the answer, but who gives a crud...it is a logical thought and we can't have any of thoes comming from a HHO supporter huh?

[someotherguy]

Jim did yuu even look at the sae link I put up? And your not sure it has anything to do with where we are doing? For another fact I didn't say anything about NASA and nothing I was talking about used a reformer. Some of the other parts in the Wiki did but I wasn't talking about thoes tests.