How to Convert an Engine to Hydrogen
Cars are a marvel of modern technology, and owning a car can give you a feeling of freedom and a sense of achievement. However, as increasing fuel costs are a burden on a consumer's monthly budget, alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, ease pressure on the pocket. Hydrogen does not have the characteristics of other energy sources; much like a battery, it can be stored on board. Using hydrogen as fuel not only brings down gas consumption but also reduces greenhouse gases. Through a simple process of electrolysis, this efficient fuel can be produced and used in any naturally aspirated engine as a supplement to gasoline.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Double-sided tape
- Insulation tape
- Silicone
- 2 1-meter-long, 5/16-inch-diameter OD surgical tubes
- Baking powder
- Soldering gun
- Solder wire
- Jam jar with lid
- 500 ml plastic bottle with cap
- Razor blades
- 16 gauge speaker wire
- 5/18" one-way pressure valve
- Duct tape
- Phillips screwdriver
Instructions
-
Making the Hydrogen Bubbler Unit (HBU)
-
1
Make three holes in the lid of the jam jar with the soldering gun, one for the surgical tube (in the middle) and two for the speaker cables.
-
2
Cut a 20-inch length of surgical tube and pass it through the hole in the lid. The tube should go no more than 4 inches into the jar.
-
-
3
Insert the speaker cables through the lid. The speaker cables should reach halfway into the jar.
-
4
Cut the jacket of the speaker cables to expose the wires. Twist the exposed wires on each of the two cables. These will make the positive and negative terminals.
-
5
Attach 4 razor blades on each of the terminals by passing the exposed wires through the slots in the middle of each blade. Since soldering does not make a strong bond with stainless steel, use silicone to augment the connection and provide a good waterproof seal between the wires and the blades. This makes the positive and negative electrodes of the assembly.
-
6
Make a cluster of 8 razor blades --- 4 for the positive terminal, 4 for the negative. Bind this cluster using small pieces of double-sided tape as spacers so that the space between a pair of razor blades is less than 10mm. This makes the electrodes.
-
7
Make the jam jar airtight. On the top and underside of the lid, make a gasket with the silicone so that the bores, the surgical tube and the wires passing through are sealed. Make a gasket on the underside of the lid so that the lid itself is airtight.
-
8
Fill the jam jar halfway with ordinary tap water so that the electrodes submerge completely. Add a teaspoon of baking powder to increase efficiency of the electrolysis.
-
9
Insert the exposed end of the surgical tube in the lower half of the 500 ml plastic bottle, using the soldering gun to make the hole. In the cap of the bottle, make a hole to fit the remaining length of surgical tube, which will later connect to the car. Make sure to seal this bore and the cap of the bottle with silicone so that the bottle is airtight as well.
-
10
Insert the one-way valve in the upper half of the bottle. The flow of this valve should be from out to in; this will allow you to release any excess vacuum buildup in the bottle by taking air from outside the bottle. Make a seal around the valve using silicone.
-
11
Fill the bottle halfway to the top, submerging the inserted surgical tube, leaving the one-way valve exposed.
Integrate the HBU with the Car
-
12
Test the HBU first: Start the car and let it idle to warm up. Connect the negative (black) and positive terminals of the HBU with the car battery. You should see a cloud of hydrogen bubbles forming around the razor blades and rising up in the jam jar.
-
13
Turn off the engine and disconnect the terminals.
-
14
Attach the HBU to the inside of the engine bay using duct tape. Make sure to place the HBU so that can be accessed easily for maintenance and refills.
-
15
Make a small hole in the collar of the car's airbox, or air intake. Pass the exposed side of the surgical tube from the HBU through this hole. Use silicone to seal the hole as necessary.
-
16
Start up the engine and let it idle; attach the negative and positive terminals of the HBU with the car's battery. Wait for a sufficient amount of hydrogen to collect in the bottle. The one-way valve ensures there is no dangerous vacuum during the process.
-
17
Tune the engine using the distributor cap/throttle body with the screwdriver until the engine sounds smooth.
-
18
Drive off slowly. Keep an eye out for any abnormal rise in temperature or engine surging and tune accordingly.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Make sure the car battery is in excellent condition.
Make sure the air filter is clean.
Make sure the HBU is properly airtight and insulated; otherwise, hydrogen produced may escape or the HBU may cause a short in circuit.
Keep the distance between the razor blades less than 10mm for more efficient hydrogen production.
If there is a vacuum in the plastic bottle and the engine suffocates, disconnect immediately and use a larger one-way valve in the plastic bottle.
If the speaker wires attached with the battery heat up or smell, use a larger-gauge pair.
Use a voltage stabilizer to deal with any drop in voltage.
Hydrogen is a highly combustible gas; do not expose to naked flame.
Curing silicone releases noxious gases; make sure to let the silicone dry in an open, well-ventilated area.
Be careful when handling razor blades; use work gloves.
Tuning an engine can be complicated; let a professional do it if you are unfamiliar with the process.
Accumulation of hydrogen in the engine bay is a fire hazard; make sure to place the HBU in ventilated area.
The HBU will take power from the battery continuously. Make sure to disconnect the HBU from the battery when the engine is not running to avoid battery drain.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
More Like This
Comments
-
I would strongly advise against "trying this at home", for the following reasons: 1) The setup as described having electrodes just dangling around inside a jam jar, and connected directly to a car battery. This is just asking for a short circuit. And you *really* don't want to try to short circuit a car battery: the wiring would become incandescent in a matter of seconds, posing a grave fire hazard. 2) The gas developed is not pure hydrogen, but a stochiometric mixture of hydrogen an oxygen, commonly called oxy-hydrogen and well known for its propensity to go boom on the slightest provocation. Combine this with 1) above and a more or less violent explosion is a near certainty. Experiments like these would be quite dangerous when performed on a kitchen table, let alone in a running car.
