H2
The technology of using hydrogen as a combustion
enhancement in internal combustion engines has been researched and
proven for many years. The benefits are factual and well
documented. Our own utilization of this technology. i.e. the hydrogen
injection system, has also been tested and proven in on and off- road vehicles.
We also conducted extensive testing in order to prove
reliability and determine safety and performance of the components
and the entire system. As a result of these tests, we
achieved important breakthroughs as far as the designs of the
components were concerned. We have since increased the
hydrogen/oxygen production significantly. This has resulted in
increased effectiveness on engine performance. The
results of these tests were able to confirm the claims made about
this technology: the emissions will be reduced, the horsepower will
increase, and the fuel consumption will be reduced.
HYDROGEN AS A COMBUSTION STIMULANT
Hydrogen burns more rapidly than hydrocarbon fuels
because it is smaller and enters combustion reactions at higher
velocity, has lower activation energy, and incurs more molecular
collisions than heavier molecules. These characteristics make it
possible to use mixtures of hydrogen with conventional hydrocarbon
fuels such as gasoline, diesel and propane to reduce emissions of
unburned hydrocarbons. Transition from fossil fuels to
renewable hydrogen by use of mixtures of hydrogen in small quantities
with conventional fuels offers significant reductions in exhaust
emissions. Using hydrogen as a combustion stimulant makes it possible
for other fuels to meet future requirements for lower exhaust
emissions in California and an increasing number of additional
States. Mixing hydrogen with hydrocarbon fuels provides combustion
stimulation by increasing the rate of molecular-cracking processes in
which large hydrocarbons are broken into smaller fragments.
Expediting production of smaller molecular fragments is beneficial in
increasing the surface-to-volume ratio and consequent exposure to
oxygen for completion of the combustion process. Relatively
small amounts of hydrogen can dramatically increase horsepower and
reduce emissions of atmospheric pollutants.
Hydrogen Safety
* Like gasoline and natural gas, hydrogen is a fuel
that must be handled appropriately. The characteristics of hydrogen
are different (just like gasoline differs from natural gas) and a
number of its properties are advantageous with regard to safety.
Hydrogen can be used as safely as other common fuels we use today
when guidelines are observed and users understand its behavior.
* As the lightest and smallest element in the
universe, confining hydrogen is very difficult. Hydrogen is much
lighter than air and rises at a speed of almost 20 meters per second
— two times faster than helium and six times faster than natural
gas — which means that when released, it rises and disperses quickly.
* Combustion cannot occur in a tank or any
contained location that contains only hydrogen. An oxidizer, such as
oxygen, must be present.
Hydrogen is odorless, colorless, and tasteless and
therefore undetectable by human senses. For these and other reasons,
industry designs systems with ventilation and leak detection. Natural
gas is also odorless, colorless, and tasteless, but industry adds a
sulfur-containing odorant so people can detect it. These odorants are
not used with hydrogen, however, because there is no known odorant
light enough to “travel with” hydrogen, and at the same
dispersion rate. Current odorants also contaminate fuel cells, a
popular hydrogen application
Like natural gas
vehicles, hydrogen vehicles are refueled using a closed-loop system
that helps to ensure safety and prevent unintended releases. Photo
courtesy of CAFCP
* Hydrogen burns very quickly. Under
optimal combustion conditions, the energy required to initiate
hydrogen combustion is significantly lower than that required for
other common fuels, such as natural gas or gasoline. At low
concentrations of hydrogen fuel in air, the energy required to
initiate combustion is similar to that of other fuels.
* Hydrogen flames have low radiant heat. A
hydrogen fire has significantly less radiant heat when compared to a
hydrocarbon fire. Since low levels of heat are emitted near a
hydrogen flame (the flame itself is just as hot), the risk of
secondary fires is lower.
* With the exception of oxygen, any gas
can cause asphyxiation in high enough concentrations. In most
scenarios, however, because hydrogen rises and disperses so rapidly,
it is unlikely to be confined where asphyxiation might otherwise occur.
Hydrogen is
non-toxic and non-poisonous. It will not contaminate groundwater
(it’s a gas under normal atmospheric conditions), and a release
of hydrogen is not known to contribute to atmospheric pollution or
water pollution.
Taken from a report put out by the U.S.
Dept of Transportation regarding Guidelines for use of
HYDROGEN FUEL IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
November 2007
1.2.3 Hydrogen Injection Systems
A hydrogen injection system for a diesel engine
produces small amounts of hydrogen and oxygen on demand by
electrolyzing water carried onboard the vehicle. The electricity
required is supplied by the engine’s alternator or 12/24-volt
electrical system (see Section 1.5 for a description of
electrolysis). The hydrogen and oxygen are injected into the
engine’s air intake manifold, where they mix with the intake
air. In theory, the combustion properties of the hydrogen result in
more complete combustion of diesel fuel in the engine, reducing
tailpipe emissions and improving fuel economy (CHEC, n.d.). Limited
laboratory testing of a hydrogen injection system installed on an
older diesel truck engine operated at a series of constant speeds
showed a 4 percent reduction in fuel use and a 7 percent reduction in
particulate emissions with the system on (ETVC, 2005).
A hydrogen injection system for a diesel engine
produces and uses significantly less hydrogen than a hydrogen fuel
cell or hydrogen ICE, and does not require that compressed or liquid
hydrogen be carried on the vehicle. The system is designed to produce
hydrogen only when required, in response to driver throttle commands.
When the system is shut-off, no hydrogen is present on the vehicle.
1.5 ELECTROLYSIS OF WATER
The most abundant source of hydrogen on earth is
water—every molecule of water contains one oxygen atom and two
hydrogen atoms. It is relatively simple to separate the hydrogen in
water from the oxygen using electricity to run an electrolyzer. An
electrolyzer is a galvanic cell composed of an anode and a cathode
submerged in a water-based electrolyte.
In many ways, the operation of an electrolyzer is the
opposite of operating a hydrogen fuel cell. In a fuel cell, hydrogen
and oxygen are supplied to the anode and the cathode, and they
combine to form water while creating an electrical current that can
be put to use (see Section 1.2.1 and Appendix A). In an electrolyzer,
an electrical current is applied between the anode and the cathode,
which causes the water in the electrolyte to break down, releasing
oxygen gas at the anode and hydrogen gas at the cathode (see Figure 12).
Water and an onboard electrolyzer cannot be used to
power a fuel cell or hydrogen ICE vehicle because of the large amount
of electricity required to operate the electrolyzer. An electrolyzer
can be used at a centralized fueling station to produce hydrogen,
which is then compressed for on-site storage and delivery to
vehicles. For a centralized electrolyzer, the electrical energy could
be supplied from the electrical grid or from a dedicated renewable
source, such as a wind turbine or solar cell array.
Figure 12. Electrolysis of Water to Produce Hydrogen
and Oxygen
Source: College of the Desert, 2001a.
Onboard electrolyzers are used with hydrogen injection
systems for diesel engines (see Section 3.5). In this case, only a
small amount of hydrogen and oxygen are produced to supplement, not
replace, the diesel fuel used in the engine. The electricity to
operate the electrolyzer is typically supplied by the engine’s
alternator or 12/24-VDC electrical system.