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Report:Robert Pritchett's Mileage Results from Hydroxy Boost Addition

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Ford E350 Super Duty Power Stroke Turbo Diesel. The vehicle look similar to this one, except it has double side doors instead of a sliding door and wire-mesh back windows. The inside is empty, except for a bench seat behind the cab. And the ladder rack was different than pictured here. The cargo van has been renamed, the "Hindenburg II".Ford E350 7.3 Liter Super Duty Power Stroke Turbo Diesel Manufactured: 03/01Miles traveled: 182,90110 MPG average before tweakingNew transmission, new tiresLadder rack assembly Non-intercooled Power Stroke engine.Fuel tank capacity: 35 Gallons
Ford E350 Super Duty Power Stroke Turbo Diesel.
The vehicle look similar to this one, except it has double side doors instead of a sliding door and wire-mesh back windows. The inside is empty, except for a bench seat behind the cab. And the ladder rack was different than pictured here. The cargo van has been renamed, the "Hindenburg II".

Ford E350 7.3 Liter Super Duty Power Stroke Turbo Diesel

Manufactured: 03/01
Miles traveled: 182,901
10 MPG average before tweaking
New transmission, new tires
Ladder rack assembly
Non-intercooled Power Stroke engine.
Fuel tank capacity: 35 Gallons

New Energy Congress member, Robert L Pritchett helped install a hydrogen-oxygen (hydroxy) electrolysis unit on a van and along with previously added lubricants, saw the mileage go from 9.8 MPG to 19.65 MPG. This is his on-going report of that conversion process.

Why did we do it? Figure the beast of burden was trucking along at between 9 and 10 miles per gallon. Would you keep running that rig when newer ones have double or triple the mileage? By doing this process we gave this otherwise working fine truck a new lease on life. And yes, the truck is being sacrificed to the innovation gods. We test so you don't have to! And we facetiously renamed the Van the "Hindenburg II".

Contents

Before Tweaking

The van was sluggish, slow to ramp up to speed, like driving a battleship. I struggled to do much over 65 MPH with the foot down on the accelerator. It was no fun watching the fuel gauge rapidly go from full to empty when driving. The cargo van drove like a truck. Then again, it is a 4-ton behemoth designed to pul 1-ton loads. Ford has significantly updated the engine and the newer vehicles perform much better. This i one has a new transmission and new tires. The mileage on the engine was over 180,000 miles when. These diesel engines are designed to go to 300,000 miles before needing to be overhauled.

The vehicle is registered to Century Roofing in North Bend, WA. It is on loan to me from my youngest brother, Tom Pritchett, who owns Century Roofing. He also likes to tweak vehicles and race them for a hobby. He is allowing me to run mileage improvement experiments on this "worst-case scenario" vehicle.

I drove the truck home to Richland, WA on a full tank , arriving with around half a tank left, so approximately 17.5 gallons were used to go 172 miles (going by way of Vantage is 10 mile shorter than going by way of Yakima). Driving the vehicle was still a chore and suffered from the slow acceleration and labored efforts by the engine. That calculates to 172/17.5 = 9.8 MPG one way.

De-frictioning

I purchased lubricants from Gerald D. Hamilton, 800-725-6199 or (Cell) 509-460-0390 in Kennewick, WA, PowerUp! Lubricants Gen49D for Diesel Fuel and NNL 690 for Engines Why? Because my past experience in using PowerUp! with a gas engine (VW Bug) has been around 10 miles per gallon improvement in combo treatment of the engine and fuel. This is the first time I have also added treatment to the transmission too. And adding it to a diesel vehicle. Anything would have been an improvement, so I did what I was already familiar with – reduce engine friction and add fuel treatment.

This was done 2 weeks prior to adding the hydrogen generator to the cargo van. By adding the fuel and engine treatment, this gave me an immediate result of quieting the engine down a bit and providing a perceptible performance boost to the accelerator.

By the way, PowerUp! has rust inhibitors in it, so any issues related to "water in the engine causing metal oxidation" can be assuaged. This engine is protected.

Sterling Allan interviewed Bart Miller and Bret Chandler from Maryn International on July 7 on the Free Energy Now podcast.

Beginning Hydrogen Generator installation

Nuts and bolts

No room under the hood
No room under the hood

The Hydrogen Generator instructions said it would not take long to install the kit. I figured a day. The manufacturer figured 3 hours. Tom figured a few minutes. What took the longest was figuring out where to put the canister in relation to the motor. You can see there was no room under the hood. There also had to be access to refill the canister with water. We opted to mount it behind the driver's seat with the on/off switch on the metal divider between the cab and the bench seat in back on the right-hand of the driver. Tom used a Dremel tool to cut a switch hole out of the steel panel behind the driver's seat. I have to reach back to turn it on or off. We could have mounted it higher, but didn't. We also had to get extra clamps, hose (the hydrogen hose that came with kit almost looked like shrink-tape, flimsy with no reinforcement to prevent collapse) and electrical connectors and wire. A battery cable was already in place by the bench seat, unterminated. We used it for power and used the metal frame for ground.

Entrance through driver's side of Firewall
Entrance through driver's side of Firewall

The business end of the Hydrogen generator ends in the rubber Turbo air intake, after a 12-foot trip from the unit behind the driver's seat, under the running board, up through the dash and down through the firewall into the Turbo section of the engine.

Turbo entrance, top right of photo
Turbo entrance, top right of photo

International Truck & Motor (Navistar International Corporation) makes the engine for Ford, which has been the exclusive diesel engine supplier for Ford’s heavy-duty trucks since 1979.

Not shown in the pictures at H2O Hybrid Pro (order tab) through Gary Hall, Walla Walla, WA, there was a water recycle pump mounted on the 
bottom of the canister. (The units we bought are 4-inch x 10-inch painted black PVC 
pipe.)



Disclosure: Mention I sent you and if you purchase a system, I get a Referral Fee, if you use my name Robert L Pritchett. I also have the "H2O Hybrid Pro" signage on the Van. I'm listed as a Dealer for the Tri-Cities, WA on the H2O Hybrid Pro website, which allows me to talk to others about my real world experiences and opens dialogue regarding tools and techniques on "hybridizing" any vehicle. If I became a dealer for this product, you can bet it is worth every cent.

There was a transmission radiator cooler unit included in the earlier kit and apparently it was needed at the time. The mixture would get over 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Hydrogen boils at 197.2 F.

One other thing we did before I came home with the Hindenburg II for Road Trip One, was that we removed the ladder rack off the roof of the van. That would add a 2 to 3 mile per hour improvement by removing one wind barrier.


5.50 Minutes HHO super storm cell
Greg Hintz shows off the kind of unit I started with. (YouTube; June 11, 2008)


7.15 Minutes HHO super storm cell Install 2
Greg Hintz shows how simple a superstorm is to install and set up. (YouTube; June 24, 2008)

Road Trip One - After Tweaking - May 21, 2008

172 - One-way trip

I drove back on less than 1/4 a tank of diesel with the hydrogen generator using baking soda (NaHCO3) and 
water. Yes, I double-checked - 1/4 tank of diesel used to come home. That calculates to 172/8.75 = 19.65 MPG. The van ran 
like it had a new lease on life and "floated" up to Snoqualmie Pass 
like I was on a magic carpet ride from North Bend. And the wind had stopped, so I had no wind behind me either. I barely had to put 
my foot on the accelerator and had to struggle to keep it down to the 
speed limit. It wanted so much to run at 80 MPH. The engine did not 
struggle at all. I could tell instantly when the engine was using the 
hydrogen or not using the on-off switch. On was better.

The radiator unit and recirculating hoses were hot enough to burn fingers. It is 
simply amazing what a little water and baking soda can do! (3 1/2 teaspoons per 48 ounces of water).

The hydrogen generator kit has an external see-through tube to show water level. We filled the unit close to the top over in North Bend and it was down about 2 inches after I got home. So roughly 10 ounces of water were consumed. I understand that when hydrogen is extracted from water, it expands 1600 times.

All I can say is, it took 
nearly a day to install, but to me, this was an "instant gratification" 
process. Fuel is close to $5 per gallon as of this writing. Fuel efficiency by any means necessary is a must. Any reduction in not having to put more money into the fuel tank is welcome.

It was good to be able to see the fuel gauge not move much and on final destination, still have plenty of fuel above empty (as in, still a quarter tank left), even though much of the trip back was between 70 and 80 MPH.

Conclusions of Road Trip One

Others tout these hydrogen electrolyzer systems as providing anywhere from 15% to 50% increase in mileage, some as much as 100%, by adding them to either a diesel or gasoline internal combustion engine. I'm witnessing approximately a 2-fold increase in mileage per gallon of diesel using this system on this truck. I also understand that as time passes, the electrolization process improves as the stainless steel electrodes "cure" and miles per gallon improvements occur, so we may see a 10% further increase with use, without further tweaking.

We went from 9.8 MPG to 19.65 MPG doing the following; added friction-free lubricants and fuel treatment, removed the external ladder rack and added the hydrogen generator. THAT, my friends is over 100% increase, right?

Road Trip Two - Seatac Airport Run - Too Strong Electrolyte! - June 2, 2008

424 miles roundtrip Long story short and lesson learned - Don't add too much electrolyte. It causes meltdown of plastic and melts off insulation from wires.

Conclusions of Road Trip Two

  • Don't overdose the electrolyte solution.
  • When running experiments, a 2nd pair of eyes is a good thing.

Road Trip Three - Musings On Another Maiden Voyage - June 7, 2008

439 miles trip

We rebuilt the canister with only two electrodes this time instead of four. Yes, we rebuilt the same kind of unit shown by Greg Hintz above in the prior YouTube video.


3.06 Minutes How to run car with water and gas
We removed the bilge pump and external radiator (shown in this video) and also eliminated one relay. (YouTube; April 16, 2008)

I took Gary Hall (H2O Hybrid Pro) to my brother's place in Lynnwood, WA to drop off some updated hydrogen units. This allowed us to see just how well the modified unit worked in the Hindenburg II on another maiden voyage.

We drove against an incredible headwind of 45 miles per hour or more. The Columbia River at Vantage was whitecapping, making it difficult to keep the boxy Ford E350 on the road.

We took the back road to Ellensburg, stopping at the observatory at the Puget Power Wild Horse Wind Turbine project 15 miles East of Ellensburg. The wind was stead, cold and extremely strong, and the wind turbines were running at maximum. In taking the 3-mile rough road up to the observatory, apparently the drive bounced scruff off the electrolizer plates, causing the canister to overheat.

At the NAPA store in Ellensburg, we replaced the Battery cable with 10-gauge wire and inline fuse and replaced 2/3rds of the solution with water, figuring that there was still too much Potassium Hydroxide. We also discovered that we had not added the ground wire to the on/off switch after we popped a 25-amp fuse. We added the ground wire and replaced the popped 25-amp fuse with a 30-amp fuse and suffered no more casualties, except we had to replace the burned out switch. (That is how we discovered the ground on the 3-prong switch was not in place.)

We monitored the canister closely to make sure it was not overheating as it continued to produce hydrogen. It did get warm to the touch after a while. We noticed each time we hit rough spots in the road that the scruff would build up in the water level indicator and the canister would get warmer. We could see an increase in bubble activity as well.

When we made rest stops, the scruff would settle out, the canister would cool down somewhat, but not much.

On the way back we had a steady tailwind and the Columbia River white caps were the highest I have ever seen, cresting over the top of the road on the East side of the river at Vantage.

The canister was getting much warmer, but not hot enough to melt the posts as we experienced during trip 2.

We have decided that through observation, that 1/2 teaspoon of Potassium Hydroxide per quart is still too much and 1/8th seems to work just fine.


Trip Results

Steady strong winds blew the whole day. Imagine holding up a large cardboard box against a steady 45-mile per hour wind and you can perhaps feel what we experienced as we drove North by Northwest.

I noticed that some fuel pumps limit credit card purchases of either $75 or $100, so trying to refill the tank required more than one "purchase". Why do they do that?

Fuel is running at $4.89 per gallon as of this writing. We consumed approximately a full tank of fuel over and back, refueling in Ellensburg on the way back to Richland, WA.

If our calculations are correct (and we assume they are) we averaged close to 17 miles per gallon during this trip. This includes running 15 miles without the hydrogen booster turned on, also against the heavy headwind. Without the booster turned on, the Ford E350 is louder, is much less powerful and makes the vehicle "drives like a truck". With the booster turned on, the vehicle is quieter, has much improved power and performs more like a car, meaning it is noticeably peppier and responsive. I like responsive. I like quieter. I like more powerful, especially up hills.

I used tap water instead of distilled water. The recommendation is to use distilled water. Our tap water is pretty good. If you live in part of the country where you need to run a dehumidifier, use that water. It's distilled.

Our modifications to the hydrogen booster included removal of the bilge pump previously used to circulate the water to send it to the small transmission radiator (it died). We still had that connected to this canister, but noticed that the radiator stayed cold, so we removed it. The rebuilt units we delivered had no additional connectors added for radiators, since the units are larger in capacity. We have created units that are less maintenance-intensive by adding close to $100 in materials per unit. These modifications include a larger canister, a screw-top, so the internals can be replaced if necessary, using 2 terminals instead of 4 and brass intake and drain devices.

If we had two of these units tied in parallel, we could have as much hydrogen throughput perhaps as is used in the bigger hydrogen booster units designed for Semi trucks.

Conclusions of Road Trip Three

  • Rough roads tend to shake off the scruff from the plates, adding material to the solution. It could be an issue with overheating. It was in our case.
  • Ground the switch. It isn't "good enough" to ground just the relay.
  • Keep like-to-like gauge wire end-to-end in the system. Running battery terminal-sized cable can skew results (i.e. amperage issues) when it breaks out to smaller gauge wiring.
  • Co-pilots are good for monitoring experiments when traveling.


Road Trip 4 - John Day, OR and the SolWest Fair July 25-26, 2008

Another virgin test run. Final results from fill-up -> 469 miles/24.97 gallons = 18.78 MPG with additional weight of 450 pounds or so, (in addition to my own camping gear) on the 2nd leg of the journey. Not too bad for mountain driving.

According to Google Maps it is approximately 202 miles between Richland and John Day. I live on the west side of Richland and the Fairgrounds at John Day are on the East side, so give or take another 15 miles added to the trip one way. SolWest.

I added a new cell to the hydroxy canister, courtesy of Gary Hall of H2O Hybrid Pro. The innards will probably retrofit for around $100.

I tossed the old cell. It was attached with copper wire, which broke earlier. I had to replace corroded connectors. Lots of copper oxide in the electrolyte! Copper and KOH don't mix well together. The old unit was running way hot after I reattached the wires.

So the new cell has 8 plates; 2 negative, one positive, the rest floaters and bolts instead of wires for connections.

Used the same top on the canister and filled in the old holes with bolts and PVC pipe glue.

The new unit is producing hydrogen nicely.

The test lab was flooded, so I stayed out of the way.

Back from SolWest at 432 miles round-trip. Previously, the MPG between tickmarks has been holding steady at 100 miles. This would indicate that the new core has given me another 100 miles than I was getting before. The newer core is performing considerably better than the older one did. The canister got hot going down to John Day, but after refilling the water level back up, it stayed relatively cool on the way home. This would indicate to me that indeed the hydrogen bubbles do carry some of the electrolyte down the tube to the engine. And having a bubbler between the hydrogen booster and the engine is warranted.

I came back by way of Walla Walla, avoiding deer on the road along the way at night. I picked up a biker (Jonnie Bart) (bicycle) who was riding his 300-pound bike and bike trailer assembly from North Carolina to eventually, Homer Alaska. I dropped him off the other side of Walla Walla so he could continue up to Spokane after picking him up part way up the first summit. There are 3 summits between John Day and Pendleton. One above 5,000 and the other two above 4,500. He was pushing his bicycle and load up the road at night and having to stop every 10 feet to catch his breath. I figured if I didn't take him, he would have been road kill. He said nobody else all day would stop and help him. He was pretty worn out. When I saw his lights in the dark I thought he was pushing a motor bike. Anyhow, basically I added 450 or so pounds to the trip on the way back and I obeyed the speed limit up in the mountains so as not to become a statistic myself. There were lots of whitetail deer out at night. I didn't hit any.

At SolWest, I met up with these guys at Hydro-Go Industries. They do Baking Soda instead of KOH and teach customers to flush with vinegar and water after the Baking Soda has coated the plates. They do a great job on the electrical for the units in controlling them from overdriving the amperage. They make their own hydrogen boosters in Eugene, OR and use certified, trained installers. Their boosters are pumping out around 2 liters per minute.

Road Trip 5 Laurel White Eco Van, North Bend, WA August 7, 2008

This is not a fair trip report, but I did it anyway. I went to Walla Walla to pick up a new, improved hydroxy kit from H2O Hybrid Pro, installed the hydroxy unit in the truck to test it on the way to North Bend and put the old unit back to work over in North Bend after transferring the new unit to Laurel White's Eco Van. I drove hard to get to North Bend before twilight. Let's just say I was over 70+ miles per hour for much of the trip. I discovered that the stopcock was not closed all the way and all the fluid had leaked out by the time I got to to Mattawa, WA. Actually, it had leaked out way before that, but i didn't know. I kept touching the unit and it stayed cold. So I was not getting the advantage of the hydroxy input. In spite of that, I still averaged just under 19 MPG for the whole trip. The new unit was producing hydrogen quite nicely. I think Laurel will be pleased with the results after she gets it installed in her 1977 Eco Van.

On the way back from North Bend to Richland, WA and with a new core in my older hydroxy unit, I used less than 1/4 tank of fuel. The hydroxy unit did get hot after 4 hours of constant driving.

Road Trip 6 Dr. Leonard Horowitz, SandPoint, ID August 16, 2008

I went to Dr Leonard Horowitz' residence south of Sandpoint, ID in 104 to 106-degree weather with the AC running full blast. The hydroxy unit water level indicator showed use and I traveled 380 miles before refilling. I had used 23 gallons of diesel since returning from Road Trip 5 above. Highway driving was mostly uphill going to SandPoint and keeping up with traffic speeds. Coming back, the fuel gauge indicator showed 1 1/2 clicks. Previously without the hydroxy unit running, the mileage between clicks was 50 miles. With the older hydroxy unit, it upped to 100 miles between clicks. Now with the new core, I'm getting another 25 miles per quarter tank, even with the HVAC running full bore. The hydroxy unit didn't get hot. I had replaced the Richland city water with water from my younger brother's place in North Bend (Snoqualmie river) and distilled water in Walla Walla. I also used the new batch of KOH. The water has stayed an amber honey-color with no particulates visible. The canister used about 1/2 the water for this trip. (450 miles). Water replacement has only been up to the top of the indicator and not up the other 2 inches to the top of the canister. <Sidenote:> Diesel was $4.53 in Idaho.

Note: I saw lots of vehicles stranded along the highways. Since fuel prices have gone up, State Troopers have noticed an increase in stranded motorists with no fuel.

Road Trip 7 Ellensburg, WA Sept. 1, 2008

Pushed 45-mile hour winds driving northwest, 96 miles one way. No AC used. Going 60-65 MPH most of the way. The hydroxy unit stayed cool, even after adding more KOH before the trip. Less than 1/4 tank used up and back (200 miles). EVERYBODY drove close to the speed limit and were coasting down hills even on the Super Highways. I think the hypermiling activities are catching on. Very few of the people on the road were "in a hurry". If I had not been using the hydroxy, the 1/4 tank would have been used up in 50 miles. The new core is cool!

Fill-up Sept. 11, 2008

I added 22.69 gallons of diesel at $4.37 per gallon, with the mileage showing 492 miles. I still had about 3 gallons in the tank before it would have been empty. So I'm seeing around 21 miles per gallon this time with this truck. No innercooler installed on the engine yet either.

Advantages

  • This makes me feel like I just "Tim Taylored" the vehicle. It went from land-based albatross to soaring eagle, from road-weary ugly duckling to gliding goose.
  • The engine feels like it runs smoother and is quieter, almost muted.
  • The cargo van has more "pep", so I have to watch the heavy foot. No more labored acceleration from stop lights or stop signs.
  • This vehicle uses a LOT less diesel!
  • When in use with the Hydrogen Booster, there is no diesel exhaust smell.
  • I can safely say that I am getting around 100 miles per 1/4 tank of diesel with this vehicle after Road Trip 3. Even a little more.

Cautions

  • Be sure the On/Off switch is off when the engine is not running.
  • Make sure the canister has enough liquid to operate.
  • Gary Hall said that he was experiencing issues with fuse blows, as the 
electrolyte he used (KOH) was drawing too much amperage (one-half teaspoon per quart of water).
  • A word to the wise; it is possible to have too much of a good thing. "Overdriving" the KOH electrolyte solution by adding too much chemical causes physical damage to the unit. When this happens, plastic caps melt, electric wire insulation peels back and the hydrogen generator looses physical integrity. The inline fuse never failed and the amp meter in the dash never varied with the unit either turned on or off.
  • I had used 1 TABLESPOON and then some for this 12-inch by 4-inch canister during Roadtrip 2. Please don't do that. 1/8th to 1/2 half TEASPOON per liter is enough to create a reaction. Optimum performance balance between heat and hydrogen production is around 20 Amps.

Safety

Diesel is not flammable. It is combustible under extreme pressure.

Hydrogen Generation

Use a Bubbler between the generator and the air intake on vehicles that require spark plugs to operate. Use a bubbler to wash the bubbles as they come out of the hydrogen booster to remove excess electrolyte avoiding possible damage to the engine.

Question: Is creating hydrogen gas really an issue?

Answers: The first Hindenburg was destroyed by static electricity igniting the skin of the airship. All who stayed inside safely rode the ship to the ground and walked away. Those who panicked and jumped from 200 feet up didn't survive. One person on the ground was crushed by the ship.

That depends on whether you are trying to make a joke or not - Ford CEO recants Hydrogen Pres Bush explosion near-miss

Here are lessons learned from H2 Incidents;

Is Hydrogen Dangerous?

Vehicle Fire Hazards

Hydrogen proponents cite the high autoignition temperature as proof that its safe...

Hydrogen is less "flammable" than gasoline. The auto-ignition temperature of hydrogen is 932 degrees Fahrenheit. Compare that to gasoline’s auto-ignition temperature of 536 degrees Fahrenheit (auto-ignition temperature is the minimum temperature at which a fuel will ignite without a spark or flame). Yes, it’s actually easier for gasoline to spontaneously combust.

They also cite lightning-fast dissipation rates;

"Because hydrogen is so light (about 15 time lighter than air) it easily dissipates and if a leak or spill does occur, the hydrogen becomes rapidly sparse and difficult to ignite. And even if it does catch fire, it burns itself out very quickly. By contrast, heavier fuels such as diesel oil and gasoline do not rapidly dissipate and remain a fire threat for a longer period of time."

They also cite actual flame tests;

"What if the hydrogen does somehow ignite in a car? Tests conducted at the College of Engineering at Miami University aimed to find this out. 3,000 cubic feet per minute of hydrogen was leaked from a vehicle tank and set alight. Over the course of the burn, temperature sensors inside the vehicle did not measure an increase of more than 1 or 2 degrees centigrade anywhere inside the vehicle. The temperature of the surface of the outside of the vehicle did not climb above that of a vehicle sitting in the sunshine!"

This ought to put the issue to rest - Hydrogen Car Fire Surprise

I will repeat that the units we use in our vehicles are on-demand systems. No storage of hydrogen gas is established. No liquid hydrogen is used. When the electrical switch is turned off, hydrogen generation gracefully subsides.

Tai Robinson told us in a conference call earlier this week that the spark arrestor is needed even in a diesel engine situation. He promised to provide information on the topic and alludes to it here in this Free Energy Now Podcast. Everybody else I've talked to said the spark arrestor device restricts the flow and is not needed. Tai said to side with safety. By the way, have you ever touched off steel wool with a match and watched it burn off the strands? I wonder how the spark arrestor made of similar material doesn’t produce similar results? Think about it. Use a bubbler instead.

Handling Potassium Hydroxide

Use gloves to avoid burning your hands with the caustic material. It hurts if you don't. If you get the potassium hydroxide (OxyChem Handbook) or Caustic Potash wet, you have a 100% lye that will quickly take the skin off of your hands.

Gary Hall told me that one of his customers decided to touch his tongue with Potassium Hydroxide. You know what wet lye does to skin, right? You can imagine what his tongue must feel like. I burned my fingers with a piece of the potassium when it got wet. My daughter, the science teacher, said we should be handling it with gloves and not bare skin. She said that liquid soap neutralizes hydroxides and is why there are soap dispensers in her science lab at school.

Gary also said that this same customer was using the hydrogen booster as a blowtorch and he had to replace one melted backflow value because of it. Don't use the hydrogen booster as a blowtorch, okay? It was not designed to be use in that manner.

Make your own Lye

Question: Is Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) or Caustic Soda better than Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) as far as using as an electrolyte? Answer: Define "better". Recently we tested both KOH and NaOH in a R&D facility and found that indeed they both make the canister hot (around 150 degrees Farenheit at around 13 Amps and around 4 grams per quart) and both generate hydrogen, but the KOH produces more while at the same time, being less "caustic". In other words, KOH doesn't eat the Stainless Steel like NaOH tends to do. The Hydrogen Forum folks find KOH more conducive to good steady hydrogen production with minimal erosion of the plates. Use NaOH for cleaning sewer lines.


4.16 Minutes Hydrogen production - Tap water vs. Sodium Hydroxide test 2
Richard Harris experiments with Sodium Hydroxide solution (YouTube; June 12, 2008)

Just a Little Bit EFIE

I have not begun to use a MAP Sensor yet, because I'm running this hydrogen generator on a diesel and not a gasoline rig, so as far as I can tell, it is not needed. HOWEVER, for those of you that are using gasoline-based engines after 1996, here is a source for information on the Electronic Fuel Injection Enhancers. Fran Giroux sells them on his Hydrogen-Boost. H2O Hybrid Pro also sells the same one as a Duel Function MAP Sensor Control (click on the Order tab and scroll down).

Pulse Wave Modulators

Apparently a Pulse Wave Modulator (PWM) enhances the throughput of hydrogen by knocking off the adhesion of bubbles on the plates by rapid on-off of current to the plates. Personally, I see so much hydrogen being generated with the current unit installed, that I don't see this as being a problem. The PWM really controls amperage, nothing more. "It is understood that a pulse width modulator (PWM) in a brute force DC design will not increase the amount of gas produced. It will in fact produce less gas as the current will be limited by the duty cycles on and off times. However experiments where the duty cycle fluctuates between 50%-70% and 100% can be experimented with to give an “averaged out� practical result".


1.40 Minutes PWM Unit Test With New Plexi Cell
Completed building the H2O-Go Mini cell and want to show all these E-Bay experts that the PWM unit DOES work if you hook it up right. (YouTube; June 26, 2008)

_ _ _ _

1.20 Minutes Volt/Amp Meter and PWM Control Box
Hooked up a PWM's and runs real smooth at 10 Volts 18 Amps after heating up. (YouTube; June 24, 2008)

Of Electronics


9.21 MinutesNewest resonant WFC theory
Zero Fossil Fuel: "Are we on the right track? Why has it been so tough to find the sweet spot? It's because we're shooting at a moving target." (YouTube; July 4, 2008)

Note: O2 Sensors are really hydrocarbon sensors.

Of Case Materials

Lexan doesn't like KOH. The joints tend to decay over time. Plexiglass cracks when used with KOH electrolyte and with heat reaching 160 degrees.

Observations and Updates

Testing at Dominic Cataldo's lab showed that the new core is operating at around 1.3 liters per minute of hydrogen with about 3 grams of KOH per liter of distilled water and the canister heats up to 130 degrees F. (Sept. 23, 2008)

I've come to the conclusion that a hydrogen generator is nothing more than a type of liquid on-demand battery.

"There is not much difference between an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) that runs on hydrogen compared to an ICE that runs on petrol/gasoline. The main differences are regarding efficiency, emission levels and fuel storage.

Hydrogen has lower energy density and burns faster and hotter than gasoline. So compression ratios can be increased and more air can be mixed with the fuel, resulting in cooler running and lower exhaust emission than a comparable petrol/gasoline ICE.

As most hydrogen engines run lean, air-to-fuel ratio of 30:1 or more, and as hydrogen, which is gaseous, displaces the oxygen in the cylinders, a supercharger is often needed to achieve the required power output. Once the pre-requisites are in place, the hydrogen ICE is highly fuel efficient — up to 25% better than conventional petrol/gasoline ICE's." Reference: Hybrid Vehicles

Why are hydrogen electrolizers not being installed in all vehicles? Probably because of the unwritten alternative energy system axiom we at "Pure Energy Systems Network" have been observing, that "if it can't be taxed, it will not be endorsed"(tm). It is hard to tax water and baking soda beyond getting out of the tap, well or store. If the governments can figure that out, they will endorse using hydrogen electrolyzers in vehicles.

The amp meter on the dash goes from 8 to 18 amps in this vehicle. It has stayed around 12 amps with A/C running, radio running, lights running, etc., so the issues related to "hydrogen production uses too much in electricity to process" is essentially a mute point. Power draw is based in this case, on what kind of electrolyte is used.

We were challenged by someone in a hydrogen forum about asking a chemist if using baking soda would be dangerous (that person, as far as I'm concerned, was either April-fooling people or was spreading FUD). He might have been referring to using table salt as an electrolyte. Table Salt (NaCL) has the potential of producing chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide when introduced to electricity. My neighborhood Ph.Ded trusted chemist said that baking soda generated-dangerous-gas was pure bunk. I believe him.

I have received feedback from one reader who insisted that I install the spark arrestor in the system as a safety precaution. I repeat - this is a diesel installation and not a gas engine installation. No spark arrestor is required, because the diesel engine works off compression and not spark to ignite the fuel.

It takes a while for the hydrogen generator to reach optimal performance. Turning on the unit for a little while before starting the vehicle seems to make a positive difference. When the water in the canister is hot, more hydrogen is produced.

The scrud I got in the electrolysis process is no doubt caused by tap water use instead of using distilled water. It is not necessarily a bad thing if the water isn't treated with chlorine and other water "purification" chemicals.

Copper wires don't last long in electrolysis.

Now with the hydrogen generator back in place without the recirculation pump, it runs cooler (reconnected to the included kit radiator) and quieter too (no pump motor sound). More power, better performance, definitely quieter. Even my wife commented on the difference in engine sound and she was inside the house.

I flushed out the hydrogen generator container that had the baking soda solution in it. Potassium Hydroxide is now in the container and it is easy to see reaction when the power is turned on. It's fun driving a diesel truck that purrs with "clean" power, instead of roaring and smelling of diesel. Folks have done a doubletake when they realize I'm driving a diesel vehicle.

Experimentation with the QuantumSphere nickel and iron-oxide-enhanced plates didn't work out.

Gary Hall is having some new internal assemblies manufactured that are really working well and these will go into clear-walled hydrogen generators that will be offered soon. I saw them on June 24, 2008 in Walla Walla, WA. Way cool tech!

We are currently testing cell configurations and looking for that "sweet spot" between production (about 1 lm), amperage (close to 20 amps) and heat (below 150 degrees F.) at the BioGuard R&D lab with Dominic Cataldo out in Badger Pocket, southwest of Kennewick, WA.

Learn more by reading the 233-page PDF file on Hydroxy Boosters located at Panacea BOCAF.

Questions

How Old is this technology? Would you believe since 1804?
What is an Electolyzer? Patrick J Kelly's Answer These are drawings and information on building Bob Boyce's 101-plate unit.

What is the law of diminishing returns with regards to 
hydrogen mix and hydrocarbon fuels? In other words, is it possible to use "too much" hydrogen when using a hydrogen electrolyzer?

 Answer: With Diesels, the rule of thumb is 4 times the diesel being used and no more. With Gas, it becomes a timing belt issue and after 1996 an onboard computer issue. And under 1 liter per minute s probably more than enough for a "booster". For a hydrogen engine, that requires much more thoughput - and look to fuel cell storage technology for that.

"Any hydroxy volume from 0.5 LPM (liters per minute) upwards will give an improved gasoline burn. Amounts of 1.5 to 3.0 LPM will give excellent pollution free operation, increased torque, smoother running and cleaning out of any old carbon deposits inside the engine, which increases the engine life...At volumes of 1.5 to 3.0 LPM, no timing adjustment is needed. As the volume increases beyond 3LPM, the hydroxy ceases to be just an enhancer of the gasoline burn and starts to take part as an additional fuel in its own right, needing a progressive retarding of the spark as the ratio of hydroxy increases."

What does it take to make a "real" hydrogen-on-demand car? Answer:Bob 
Boyce's system Or wait for the Honda FCX or other hydrogen cell-fuel-based vehicles on the drawing boards.

"A 5 liter capacity, four-stroke engine running at 2000 rpm, the full engine capacity is drawn in during two revs, so the total intake amount is 5 x 2000 / 2 = 5,000 LPM. If 4% (or 1/25th) of that amount is hydroxy, then the hydroxy required would be 5,000 / 25 = 200 LPM which is a large amount.

When running at 3,000 rpm. The amount would be 300 LPM. For this reason, it is far more practical to pick a smaller capacity engine of 2 liters or less for a conversion. A 2 liter engine running at 3000 rpm will need 3000 / 25 = 120 LPM of hydroxy gas to run 100%. A Geo Metro 1 liter, 3-cylinder car at 3,000 rpm would only need 60 LPM. This is far more feasible to generate. Also a 1.6 liter is practical. In India, they have launched a 4-door,5-seat car with a 650 cc engine giving 33 horsepower, selling new for $2,500.

A 1,600 cc engine running at 2,500 rpm. To calculate what volume is likely to be required: The 1.6 liter engine capacity is drawn into the engine when two revolutions are completed. 1.6 liters will be taken 1,250 times per minute. That is exactly 2,000 LPM. But only 4% of that volume needs to be hydroxy gas and the remaining 96% can be air. Hence the amount of hydroxy gas needed per minute is 2,000 / 25 which is 80 LPM of hydroxy."

Watch the Water-Fuel Museum interview for July 5, 2008.

Material and Labor Costs

Model 12A HHO $460 (Shipping and Handling included.) Extra materials; i.e., hose, clamps, electrical connectors, wire, baking soda, estimated at around $40-ish. If we had had somebody else do it (i.e., Gary Hall), it would have cost another $130 for 2 hours labor, plus additional hours of $75 each. RVs start at $300 for 3 hours and Semis start at $400 for 4 hours. We took probably around 5 hours, once all was said and done, so factor in $280 for labor for this project.

So we are looking at around $780 or at today's prices, close to 146 gallons of diesel, or approximately 4 to 5 tankfuls for just the hydrogen generator install.

The lubricant treatment costs were around $425 for the set, enough to last for a while. I could have done a one-shot for around $120 or $65 less than a tankful of diesel. So for the price of 6 tankfuls, we have turned an old cargo van into a new machine again.

Using both processes together, I am seeing over 100% improvement in fuel mileage, plus an incredible performance improvement in how the vehicle handles, sounds and acts.

If we can get that kind of performance improvement out of an 7-year old truck, imagine what we can do with newer vehicles!

The "12A" kit we installed was for a 7.3 liter engine.

Next steps

  • Add a water reservoir to keep the canister topped off.
  • New improved hydrogen generators are being made by the supplier to "H2O Hybrid Pro", so the issues with material sturdiness and heat creation will have been dealt with.
  • Add another unit to see if that also helps improve mileage.
  • Use a Bob Boyce electrolyzer.

Future Experimentation with Hydrolysis

I highly recommend reading this article prepared by Guys Walter - Electrolizer Efficiencies - Advanced Efficiencies

Vinegar works as an electrolyte for creating hydrogen. Just not a very good one. Distilled Apple Cider Vinegar at 5% does not do a great job at producing hydrogen. We did it at 800 ml distilled water with 200 ml of vinegar and got dismal results. At around $5 per gallon, we didn't try to just use "pure" vinegar solution.

  • Vinegar + water + bacteria + electrons = hydrogen? - The total efficiency of hydrogen production ranges from 63 percent for cellulose to 82 percent for acetic acid (vinegar) when both the electricity and the energy in the feedstock are factored in. (Physorg; Nov. 17, 2007)

electrolysis of acetic acid yields ethane and carbon dioxide: CH3COOH ---> CH3-CH3 + CO2 (Shorter form without in between steps) Acetic Acid gives Ethane gas + Carbon dioxide gas. It gets used up in the process too so final answer - don't use it in hydrogen boosters.

Baking Soda also works as an electrolyte, but it has some bad side effects, such as causing migraine headaches when used in the electrolysis process.

You would have to add 84 grams of baking soda (NaHCO3) to obtain the same amount of sodium as you would for 40 grams of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH). This is relevant because it is the Sodium that is driving the electrolysis process. On electrolysis of NaHCO3, the Na+ ion will rush to the cathode and you will get:- 2Na+ + 2e- + 2H2O -----> 2NaOH + H2 and HCO3- + H2O -------> H2CO3 + OH- Also H2CO3 --------> H2O + CO2 Also CO2 + 2H+ + 2e- -----> CO + H2O Also CO + 2H+ + 2e- ------> C + H2O Conclusion: On adding NaHCO3 a whole range of chemical processes can take place but due to the nature of alkali metals, the one sure conclusion is that Hydroxides will be formed. We also discovered that because the electrolysis process using baking soda also creates chlorine gas, we got migraine headaches inside the vehicles. By switching to KOH, those migraine headaches went away.

Baking soda also coats the plates, causing them to be terribly inefficient and they have to be cleaned every two weeks and the plates never get "conditioned", so final answer - please don't use it in hydrogen boosters.

  • Here is a comparison table of chemical reactions of electrolytes listing moles (not the furry underground critters).



  • Based on testing we are doing at the BioGuard R&D Lab with Dominic Cataldo in Kennewick, WA, Potassium Hydroxide works very well. Sodium Hydroxide works as well as Potassium Hydroxide, even at 85% from Ace hardware, but it tends to love eating Stainless Steel and Aluminum. Both keep the electrodes clean. Apparently, Sodium Borohydroxide does even better that Sodium Hydroxide, but is intended for use by professionals. Better leave it for hydrogen storage for fuel cells.
  • Don't use Table Salt as an electrolyzer. It produces Chlorine gas when induced with electrical energy. Apparently the gas is also released when baking soda is used in combination with treated city water (Chlorine, Fluoride, etc) as an electrolyte too.
  • Use protective gloves and clothing with using Hydrides. Lye eats flesh.
  • When pouring out the hydroxides, neutralize with liquid soap, vinegar or lemon juice to avoid a "Hazardous spill" condition.
  • I'm learning that treated tap water has chemicals that are not conducive to good results (what an understatement!) and that is why distilled water is the liquid of choice.
  • Also, we noticed that copper oxidizes quickly in a hydroxide solution.

Patents

Apparatus for producing orthohydrogen and/or parahydrogen Stephan Barrie Chambers patented this process for creating hydrogen using pulsed signals and no chemical catalyst.

Phillip J. Petillo has posted some excellent information regarding Hydroxides used in hydrogen production, focusing mostly on Sodium Borohydride (NaBH4) synthesis -

System for Hydrogen Generation

Method and Apparatus for Generating Hydrogen

MCEL Technology Patents

To Dos

  • Add heat sensor or temperature gauge. NAPA has temperature guns available for around $20.
  • Add some kind of hydrogen flow meter to the system to monitor production.

Comments

Too good to let go by...

(3.14 Minutes) Water as Fuel - PESWiKi.com
While academia has been spurning the topic, hundreds, if not thousands of hobbyists and independent investigators worldwide are working on various electrolysis-like projects which put out more energy than was required to run the electrolysis unit. (YouTube; Sept. 4, 2008)
_ _ _ _

(5.49 Minutes) Bob Boyce Show&Tell
Not nearly as complete as the DVD version from The Kentucky Water Fuel Museum (YouTube; May 12, 2007)
_ _ _ _

(2.29 Minutes) Pain at the Pump by Brent Burns
(YouTube; May 21, 2008)

See Discussion page

Skeptics

Ever wonder who the scientists are that are such experts that badmouth the process that has worked since 1804? Who pays them to be naysayers? Who are they working for?

Cautions

We heard the EPA is in the process of fining hydroxy booster companies for safety reasons with gas engines. When we find out more, we will let you know. Is it a conspiracy between petroleum industry and the EPA? We don't know yet.

Using too much KOH can possibly cause damage. See this article by Richard Coyle on what can be done to prevent damage to an internal combustion engine.

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