Hydrogen Fuel Car

!±8± Hydrogen Fuel Car

Home kits can now convert cars and trucks to run on water using hydrogen power. A hydrogen fuel powered car is almost a must for many people in the USA and elsewhere.

Hydrogen fuel powered cars were thought to be the preserve of large automobile companies, but things are changing. It may appear fanciful to expect to be able to convert your car from gas to water yourself but that is, in fact, a reality nowadays. There are now a number of manuals and kits available at little initial cost, for example, the system created by HydroPower.

Once the vehicle has been converted to run on water, you can rest content that you are benefiting the environment whilst paying a fraction of your previous fuel bills. Many people have been skeptical about whether a water fueled conversion system actually works.

So, let's take a look at the mechanics of such a system. A standard vehicle engine is converted to operate entirely on hydrogen and oxygen, generated by the electrolysis of water. No petroleum derived fuel or external electrical production unit is employed, or needed in any way. Water is the single by-product of the combustion of hydrogen and oxygen in the vehicle's engine. This water is then released through the exhaust system; no more nasty carbon monoxide emissions, just pure water. One of the best systems on the market comes from HydoPower.

All that's required for such a system is a little know-how, a few cheap tools and regular access to water; not a problem for most householders. There are also claims that the combustion system will also remove pollution from the air intake. It doesn't get much greener than that.

So what is water electrolysis and how does it actually work? Well, water electrolysis is simply the breaking down of water into its basic hydrogen and oxygen atoms by passing an electrical current through it. It really is as straightforward as that, although different methods have different efficiency levels. It is not even necessary to introduce an electrolyte like acid to the water to assist electrical conductivity. Normal water from the tap is all that's needed.

Until recently, the problem with a water electrolysis system was that the electrical energy required to perform the electrolysis exceeded the energy produced from the combustion of the oxygen and hydrogen. In other words, while it may have been a cleaner way of running a vehicle, it was thoroughly inefficient and wasteful of valuable energy.

But nowadays, systems such as the HydroStar employ modules which produce low voltage, specifically shaped electronic pulses of unique frequency and duration. (It may be of interest to some readers to note that this type of electronic technology, involving specific combinations of pulse frequency and duration, is now starting to be used in medicine to cure migraine, depression and other nervous disorders.) Modules used for vehicles keep overall power consumption low, low enough in fact for a vehicle's alternator to power it and leave enough surplus power for headlights and other electrical requirements.

It is difficult to establish the precise efficiency of such hydrogen fuel powered car systems. That will depend on factors such as how well the system is fitted, vehicle aerodynamics and weight, and how the vehicle is driven. It goes without saying that if the claims of up to 300 miles per gallon of water are even remotely accurate, efficiency ratings become redundant when you consider the price of a gallon of tap water. As far as the vehicle's performance is concerned, there should be little change as the same factory-fitted combustion engine is employed. Hydrogen fuel powered vehicles are by their nature safer than using gasoline.

A hydrogen fuel system is predominantly water with just a very small amount of hydrogen stored in the generator, while a gasoline system requires great amounts of combustible gas stored in a gas tank. A hydrogen fuel conversion system is also extremely versatile, requiring no alterations to a vehicle's existing gasoline powered system. Indeed, it is possible to switch back to the gas system any time a consumer may wish without any hassle. The choice is always in the hands of the owner. Say you encounter a problem with your hydrogen fuel system, you can simply switch back to gas while the hydrogen fuel problem is rectified.

Hydrogen fuel conversion systems can be used for more than just cars and trucks. Pretty much any home appliance using propane or natural gas is a candidate. The power supply will need to be converted to 12V DC, but that's very easy and inexpensive to do. (Or simply buy a cheap converter.) Think about a system that uses maybe one dollar a month in electricity powering appliances, stoves, furnaces, barbecue grills and the like right throughout your home.

Whether for automotive or home use, systems are fairly easy to assemble and install. Practical, step-by-step, hydrogen fuel system guides are readily available and cheap to purchase. No specialist tools are needed, although a little practice at electronic soldering may be advisable. But even that is relatively easy. An oscilloscope could be handy to test for efficiency and make adjustments, but it's certainly not a prerequisite.