Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology

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While this summer has not seen the rapid jumps in gasoline prices that we saw last summer we still are paying a lot for our gasoline.  With the nationwide averages running in the mid two dollar range it has become commonplace for a family to run well in excess of fifty dollars a week in gasoline bills.  This coupled with the downturn in the economy has left a lot of us looking for ways to stretch our car operating expense budget.   One of the ways that is being considered by many people is a conversion to the hydrogen engine for better fuel mileage.

The hydrogen engine has been tested on buses in Chicago and on motor pool vehicles in the State of California.  In all cases the vehicles that had undergone conversion got far better fuel mileage than their counterparts that ran on gasoline or diesel.  The reason is simple. when you break down water you get a hydrogen ion and a hydroxide ion.  Hydrogen is highly combustible and when it burns produces a rapid source of energy that is much more powerful than that produced by gasoline.  And the cost of a gallon of water is measured in pennies while that of gasoline is measured in dollars.

The technology now exists for individuals to convert their cars to a hydrogen engine without going through the major capital investments that the governmental agencies incurred.  In fact the average car owner can do the modification in their own garage for just a few dollars worth of material that can be purchased at their hardware store.  The power for breaking down the water is provided by the cars battery and at such a low rate that there is no appreciable change in the life expectancy of the battery.

The conversions from a strictly fossil fueled (gasoline) car to a car that has its fuel supplemented by hydrogen is a simple process that can be done by a person with little to no mechanical skills.  The instructions that are available online give clear directions and tell you where to get the necessary parts to assemble it.   Once installed the water is taken into the system just before it enters the cylinder where combustion takes place.  It is so simple that it can be just as easily removed from the system if necessary.