Will Kelleher wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I always thought it would be really cool to power an internal
> combustion engine with hydrogen derived from electrolysis powered by
> the engine itself, but doesn't it take more energy to split the
> hydrogen/oxygen that the hydrogen is able to produce when combusted? I
> guess that's why this particular device requires 20% gasoline fuel.
> Could that 20% be obtained from solar energy and just pumped into the
> electrolysis to produce enough hydrogen to run the engine? Also, what
> if the engine was run on a mix of hydrogen and oxygen? Would that be
> more powerful?
>
> Will Kelleher
The system described is known as "hy-boost". In essence, the
fast-burning hydrogen acts like a catalyst that speeds the combustion of air /
fuel and produces full expansion earlier in the power stroke. It also serves
to burn the fuel completely, so there are fewer combustion by-products that
need to be handled in the catalytic converter.
This technique can be used to burn fuels that are less highly refined
than modern gasoline. Further, because hydrogen has such wide flammability
limits, the engine can run VERY lean without the danger of burned valves and
pistons. It's an interesting technique, really, and one of the few practical
uses for hydrogen in a transportation application that I can think of. I'd
like to try it in my truck when I get my Megasquirt computer up and running.
As far as the self-powering engine is concerned, you're right--it isn't
going to happen. Most of the best commercial electrolyzers operate somewhere
in the 50 - 70 % efficiency range, unless you include process heat (which they
often do) to bolster efficiency figures.
robert luis rabello
"The Edge of Justice"
Adventure for Your Mind
http://www.newadventure.ca
Ranger Supercharger Project Page
http://www.members.shaw.ca/rabello/
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