Method for producing hydrogen gas on board and on demand for automotive use as a gasoline replacement

Abstract

This invention is a method for using electricity to break water down to its gaseous components of hydrogen and oxygen for use as a replacement fuel for the gasoline engines currently used in automobiles. The gas produced by this invention is known as HHO, but is also referred to as Brown's Gas and hydroxy. This invention is capable of producing HHO gas in sufficient quantities to be the sole fuel for the gasoline engine. This invention is designed to be installed in the automobile so that the HHO is generated as needed. The invention is scalable to meet the differing fuel demands of various engines.

Description

DESCRIPTION

The source material for producing HHO is a mixture of distilled water and sodium hydroxide (lye), though potassium hydroxide can be used in place of sodium hydroxide.

Electricity for the electrolysis process is supplied by batteries which are recharged by a home based plug in battery charger. The alternator in the vehicle is used only to power the starter motor and the electrical accessories of the vehicle.

Travel range of the vehicle powered by this device is determined by 2 factors:

First, being the liquid capacity of the device.

Second, is the amperage capacity of the battery/batteries installed in the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. HHO Generator Cell. This figure shows the design of the individual cell that generates the HHO gas.

FIG. 2. HHO Generator Stack. This figure shows the configuration of the 12 volt assembly of 4 HHO generator cells.

FIG. 3. Safety Bubbler/Check Valve. This figure shows the design of the safety device

FIG. 4. This figure shows how the HHO generator stacks and Safety bubbler/check valves are arranged to supply fuel for the internal combustion engine.

The device is constructed as a stack of cells.

Each cell consists of a pair of 316 L stainless steel plates, one anode and one cathode, both of equal size, immersed in a bath of distilled water with sodium hydroxide (lye) in solution. Each cell has a working voltage of 3 volts. HHO output is determined by the size of the stainless steel plates and the concentration of the water/lye solution. Concentration of the water/lye solution is enough lye in the water to draw 1 ampere of current per square inch of anode. If 36 square inch plates are used then there should be approximately a 36 amp current draw. This water/lye concentration will vary depending on the size of the anode.

Each cell (FIG. 1) is constructed as follows.

The water tight and gas tight housing (1) should be constructed from plastic or some other electrically non conductive material. In this housing is a pair of 18 gauge (1.27 mm) or thicker 316 L stainless steel plates (2 and 3) held together with non conductive hardware (8) and spaced 1/16th inch (1.59 mm) apart by non conductive spacers (9). These plates make their electrical connections through a gas tight seal to the outside of the housing (4 and 5). The electrical connections must be sized appropriately based on the current draw of the cell, which is based on the size of the anode (2). The housing has 2 ports. One is used to fill (7) the cell with the water/lye solution. The second is the HHO gas output port (6). The HHO gas output port (6) is sized according to the output capabilities of the HHO generator cell (1). Fluid level and ph sensors (10 and 11) can be used to monitor the electrolyte level and concentration and with the addition of electrically operated pumps and valves, automatic refilling of the cell is possible. Electrolyte level (12) is set so that the anode and cathode (2 and 3) are completely submerged. Since the most commonly available batteries are 12 volts, 4 cells are stacked (FIG. 2) electrically in series for a working voltage of 12 volts. Each HHO generator cell must be physically isolated from all the other cells in the stack. If they are not, the anodes and cathodes in the individual HHO generator cells end up sharing the electrolyte, and the 12 volts will travel from the anode of the first HHO generator cell to the cathode of the fourth HHO generator cell, resulting in low HHO gas output and the excess electricity will be used simply to heat the electrolyte solution. Fluid and ph level sensors (10 and 11 from FIG. 1) are installed in only one of the cells in the stack since all the cells in the stack are working simultaneously. Each HHO generator stack used has it's own fluid and ph level sensors as not all of the HHO generator stacks will be in use at all times. HHO gas output from each cell in the stack is connected to a manifold for a common line to the safety bubbler/check valve (FIG. 3). HHO Gas output from multiple HHO generator stacks should be connected to a common manifold for gas output to the safety bubbler/check valve. This can be a common manifold to all the individual cells in the generator stacks. The manifold and gas lines must be plastic as the HHO gas at this point contains trace amounts of lye which is corrosive to metal. The manifold and gas lines are sized to allow full flow of HHO gas based on the output capabilities of the HHO generator cells.

There are two safety bubblers/check valves (FIG. 3) in the system. The first is placed very close to the HHO generator stacks. The second is placed in the engine compartment of the vehicle as close to the gaseous fuel carburetor as possible. The second safety bubbler/check valve is placed in the engine compartment to minimize the amount of HHO gas in the lines in the event of a backfire. These are constructed as follows.

The water tight and gas tight housing (15) is constructed of plastic and is filled with distilled water to the 75% full line. The HHO gas from the HHO generator stack is piped to the input tube (16) of the safety bubbler/check valve. This tube extends to the bottom of the housing and is perforated along its submerged length, with the topmost perforation being no higher than the 50% full mark. The HHO gas output port (17) is connected through the housing and the bottom of the output port is flush with the inside of the housing. This port is mounted in the housing through a large, spring loaded rubber plug. In the event of a backfire, the plug will push against the spring and open the safety bubbler/check valve and allow the pressure to be released, preventing damage to the system. Once the pressure is released, the spring will close the plug again and the system will continue to operate.

The purpose of the safety bubbler/check valve is twofold. First, the HHO gas produced by the generator contains trace amounts of lye. Lye is extremely corrosive to aluminum, which is a common material in automotive engine construction. Running the HHO gas through the safety bubbler/check valve scrubs the lye from the HHO gas. Second, running the HHO gas through the safety bubbler/check valve isolates the HHO gas flow from the engine by having the gas bubble through water. This acts as a check valve in the event of an engine backfire because if the engine backfires, the flame front will follow the HHO gas line back to the bubbler, but the flame front will not be able to pass through the water and continue back to the HHO generator stacks. The purpose of having 2 safety bubbler/check valves in the system is twofold. First, the HHO gas gets scrubbed twice and removes all of the lye from the gas. Second, in the event of a backfire, if the flame front passes through the first safety bubbler/check valve, it will be stopped by the second safety bubbler/check valve.

FIG. 4 shows how the system is configured for an automobile. HHO generator stacks (18) are connected to the 12 volt batteries in a parallel configuration. The number of HHO generator stacks required will vary based on the fuel requirements of the vehicle. Obviously a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine will require less fuel than a 5.7 liter V-8 engine. The three HHO generator stacks shown in FIG. 4 are for visual purposes only.

HHO gas flows from the HHO generator stacks (18) through the fuel lines (21) to the first safety bubbler/check valve (19) placed next to the group of HHO generator stacks (18). The HHO gas then flows through a fuel line (21) to the second safety bubbler/check valve (20). In this line is a pressure switch (22). This switch allows one or more of the HHO generator stacks (18) to be shut off when fuel demand is not high, such as when idling or cruising at a steady speed. This allows for the system to be operated at a lower overall internal pressure and also conserves electrical consumption. HHO gas then flows from the second safety bubbler/check valve (20) through a fuel line (21) to the gaseous fuel carburetor (23) mounted on the intake manifold of the vehicle's engine (24). The engine ignition timing must be set to approximately 8 degrees after top dead center, though this will vary somewhat from engine to engine. This is required because HHO gas ignites very rapidly. If the timing is set to fire before top dead center as is required for gasoline, the engine will attempt to run backwards and the resulting backfire will activate the safety bubbler/check valve.

This system is scalable and flexible in configuration to fit the application. Since each HHO generator cell operates on 3 volts, the HHO generator stack can be configured, for instance, for 6 volt batteries by constructing the HHO generator stack with two HHO generator cells in series instead of four. HHO gas output is scalable by either adding more HHO generator stacks to the system or increasing the size of the anode and cathode in each HHO generator cell and increasing the water/lye concentration to maintain the 1 amp per square inch current draw, or both. Physical shape of the HHO generator cells or the HHO generator stack is not important and can be designed to fit in the space currently occupied by the vehicle fuel tank. Physically, the individual HHO generator cells can be built into one housing provided that the electrolyte in each individual HHO generator cell is physically isolated from the electrolyte in all the other HHO generator cells in the assembly.

Travel range can be increased by increasing the number of batteries supplying the electricity.

Claims

1. Given that fossil fuels are limited in quantity and are generally assumed to be highly polluting as a fuel source for internal combustion engines, this invention will alleviate the need for fossil fuels to be used as a fuel source for motor vehicles using a gasoline powered internal combustion engine. This invention uses electrolysis to create hydrogen and oxygen (HHO gas) from a distilled water/sodium hydroxide solution on demand and in sufficient quantities to be the sole fuel source for a gasoline powered internal combustion engine. This invention is completely scalable based on the size and fuel demand of the engine and the travel range desired. Scalability is possible by increasing the size of the individual cells, increasing the number of cells, or increasing the electrical supply or a combination of all three. This invention differs from other methods of producing HHO gas because of the configuration of the HHO producing cells. By isolating the electrolyte in each cell from the electrolyte in all the other cells, each cell is able to use all of the electricity to produce HHO gas without heating the water.

2. A secondary benefit to implementing this invention is that a large number of components currently installed in motor vehicles for the purpose of fuel economy and emission standards will be unnecessary as the combustion of hydrogen in an internal combustion engine produces, as a byproduct, water instead of hydrocarbons, CO, CO2, etc. In addition, automotive designers will have more flexibility in vehicle design because they will not have to provide the fuel tank protection that is currently required as this invention produces HHO gas as needed, and does not contain the 10-40 gallon equivalent of flammable fuel that is contained in the current gasoline tank. Any spill resulting from a collision can be diluted with water so as not to be a threat to the environment, people, or animals.

3. This has the benefit of reducing the costs of design, construction, and maintenance of a motor vehicle.