Hydrogen fuel cells
 

Has anyone fitted a hydrogen fuel cell (HHO) to their car or is this just a scam....?

As I understand it, hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity which then power the car via electric motors. It's still in the development stages (ie the manufacturers are running prototypes or limited trials) but it's not a conversion - it's build to do this in the first place.

There are some hydrogen powered cars that burn hydrogen as a fuel in place of petrol, but hydrogen is dangerous stuff, and needs special tanks - and if I remember correctly from my chemistry a long time ago, the atoms are small enough that they can leak out of metal fuel tanks through the metal itself. Again, not a conversion that can be done to a standard car.

Thanks for the reply.

However companies and individuals are selling them as an aftermarket product which produces about 2 liters per minute upwards and is connected to the air intake of a car and apparently produces more effective combustion of the petrol improving fuel economy by up to 30%

I know that in California you can by hydrogen powered cars which are made by Honda.

Here is one of the links I have been looking at:-

http://www.marchlabs.com/default.asp

Interesting stuff - still not sure how the Hydrogen is stored.

Are the Hondas available to consumers or are they still available only as pilot schemes?

As I understand it the hydrogen is not stored but is sucked into the engine through the air intake - only produces hydrogen when engine running. 2-4l per minute is not a huge amount.

Re Honda - they are leasing out 200 FCX Clarity's in California.

Here is a link:-

http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/

Cool stuff!!!

Now I'm very confused - if the hydrogen isn't stored, then it must be produced on the fly - in which case, energy (electicity?) must be used to produce the hydrogen, either by breaking down water, or by breaking down methane.

OK, when fuel prices sky rocketed last year and these HHO units claimed to create massive 'FREE' energy, don't you think EVERY car manufacturer would have installed them so big full size trucks would be efficeint?

You need to watch Modern Marvels episode of Failed inventions. These bogus things belong on the list with snake oil. but if you really think it will work, spend your money then let us all know how you just lightened your wallet

I made the water for fuel system put it on a 95 dodge neon b4 the system was active got 32 mpg on highway installed used an instant MPG monitor that plugged into the data link port got 62 mpg in highway.

So it works then?

I wonder why everyone isn't fitting them as an aftermarket product?

because it will take some working on to get it to work. it took us a few tries to get it working well trial and error.