October 8, 2008
Can You Build Your Own Water 4 Gas Generator
Rolf Sayler asked:
Like many Americans, these days, a visit to the gas station can be traumatic. A larger vehicle can generate a $100 or more hit to your credit card every time you fill up. What practical thing can you do? You may be considering a water to gas conversion kit. Read this article for some practical considerations.
To illustrate. Let me relate one of my experiences, back in 1972, when the first oil crisis hit, people were waiting in line to purchase gas at right around $1.00 per gallon. Every one panicked and traded in their large cars for smaller cars. A friend of a friend told me the local auto dealer had a 1970 Pontiac, 4 door that they were trying to unload for $650. I bought it for cash. Even though the mileage was not that great, the overall cost of driving it was low. There are sometimes more things to consider than the high cost of gasoline.
In my experience as an engineer, Sometimes the best plans and the most elegant theory sometimes fail when it comes to a real world application. Basic considerations. Do you want to make it or buy it? Install it or have someone else do the work? What can you afford? If someone said to you - "Give me $800 and I will transform your car to get at least a 50% or more increase in MPG". Would you take out your checkbook? Let's first consider some practical aspects.
Would your car have room to install this system? So here's a realistic test. This is something you might do right now prior to investing your time and money. Go to the refrigerator and find a quart jar of mayonnaise. Any brand will do. Now, go out to your car and raise the hood. I don't know about your car, but mine is totally packed from fender to fender with lots of different components, squeezed in together.
Now, find an empty area where the mayonnaise jar could fit. This would be where the HHO generator could be mounted. Did you find a spot for it? Maybe you can use theroom in front of the radiator. You could remove part of the grill to fit it in.
Another thing to consider is the pay back period. Simple math; for illustration lets say it costs $1000 to get a 50% increase in MPG and you currently get 20 MPG and drive 500 miles each week. Let’s leave the cost of gasoline - $4.00 per gallon. 500/20 is 25 gallons a week for a cost of $100. If this changed to 30 MPG then 500/30 is 16.67 gallons for a cost of $66.67, saving $33.33 per week. The payback period would then be $1000/$33.33 or 30 weeks or just over 7 months. Not a bad return. You now have an extra $33.33 per week. Plug in your own numbers. Does it make still make sense?
The other investment is time. How much time do you have to invest in this project? How long might it take to find all the parts and assemble them? Once assembled and tested, do you have the skills to install it on your vehicle? Can you maintain the system once you have it working?
Let's also look at your abilities. Can you use power tools? How about other tools? If your car needs oil, could you check it and add if needed? Do you add windshield washer fluid? Have you changed a flat tire? Do you have a shop or work area to assemble and test this project?
If you are not sure of your abilities, you might want to first find a reliable mechanic. Ask around; see if you can find one that has experience installing HHO generation systems. Ask them if they think your car would be suitable for a HHO system. How much they would charge for the full installation and testing of the system.
Another thing you might ask about is how much to remove everything and restore your car to its original condition. At a later time you will want to buy another vehicle. It would be nice if you could move the HHO investment to the new car. Later, when you are shopping for that other car, you could consult the same mechanic as to the feasibility of moving the HHO system to the new vehicle.
So, you've decided that you are fully able to complete this project. Let's proceed.
You will need to educate yourself. How do you do it? What is needed? Once you fully comprehend what is involved, you can proceed.
You will have to buy a kit or find all the parts to build the HHO generator. Word of warning, don't use any metal inside the generator except stainless steel. This would include copper wire, etc. The chemical action created by the heavy current will quickly disintegrate many metals. My first experiment used galvanized metal flashing rather than stainless steel. Within minutes the metal surface was eaten away into a gray sludge suspended in the water.
If you are using 20 amps or so to generate the HHO gas, it will generate heat. My recommendation is not to use PVC plumbing pipe. It tends to be brittle and might melt with the heat. Some plans recommend using ABS since it will stand more heat. Some designs use an empty acrylic container normally used for water filtering. A glass jar will work, but again, it is subject to breaking.
Once you have constructed your HHO generator, you should completely test it prior to installation.
For testing you're going to need some sort of current supply. An inexpensive battery charger works fine. Buy one that will generate at least 20 amps at 12 volts. Put a 20 amp fuse in line with your amp meter before you turn it on. The HHO generated is an explosive mixture.
Another thing to consider; how you are going to install the controls for the HHO generator so that you can control and monitor it from the driver's seat? You will want to, at least, be able to turn it on and off. It should be visible and convenient to reach so that you will not be distracted while driving. Where can you mount the switches, meters and other instruments? Most modern vehicles have a fully molded dash with curved surfaces and no room for anything else. You will need to run wires through the firewall or under the car and up through the floor.
A simple rule that has served me well over the years is - "Any project will always cost more and take longer than expected". The other gotcha is Murphy's Law. “If it can go wrong it will - at the worst possible time.”
I recommend that you fully test this system before depending on it. Some day, if you are stuck in heavy traffic waiting for the tow truck, that increase in mileage may not seem as important.
Good luck, I hope I have given you some food for thought. Fully understand what is involved, proceed with caution and do it right. Let's all beat the high cost of gasoline.
Water Car Info
Like many Americans, these days, a visit to the gas station can be traumatic. A larger vehicle can generate a $100 or more hit to your credit card every time you fill up. What practical thing can you do? You may be considering a water to gas conversion kit. Read this article for some practical considerations.
To illustrate. Let me relate one of my experiences, back in 1972, when the first oil crisis hit, people were waiting in line to purchase gas at right around $1.00 per gallon. Every one panicked and traded in their large cars for smaller cars. A friend of a friend told me the local auto dealer had a 1970 Pontiac, 4 door that they were trying to unload for $650. I bought it for cash. Even though the mileage was not that great, the overall cost of driving it was low. There are sometimes more things to consider than the high cost of gasoline.
In my experience as an engineer, Sometimes the best plans and the most elegant theory sometimes fail when it comes to a real world application. Basic considerations. Do you want to make it or buy it? Install it or have someone else do the work? What can you afford? If someone said to you - "Give me $800 and I will transform your car to get at least a 50% or more increase in MPG". Would you take out your checkbook? Let's first consider some practical aspects.
Would your car have room to install this system? So here's a realistic test. This is something you might do right now prior to investing your time and money. Go to the refrigerator and find a quart jar of mayonnaise. Any brand will do. Now, go out to your car and raise the hood. I don't know about your car, but mine is totally packed from fender to fender with lots of different components, squeezed in together.
Now, find an empty area where the mayonnaise jar could fit. This would be where the HHO generator could be mounted. Did you find a spot for it? Maybe you can use theroom in front of the radiator. You could remove part of the grill to fit it in.
Another thing to consider is the pay back period. Simple math; for illustration lets say it costs $1000 to get a 50% increase in MPG and you currently get 20 MPG and drive 500 miles each week. Let’s leave the cost of gasoline - $4.00 per gallon. 500/20 is 25 gallons a week for a cost of $100. If this changed to 30 MPG then 500/30 is 16.67 gallons for a cost of $66.67, saving $33.33 per week. The payback period would then be $1000/$33.33 or 30 weeks or just over 7 months. Not a bad return. You now have an extra $33.33 per week. Plug in your own numbers. Does it make still make sense?
The other investment is time. How much time do you have to invest in this project? How long might it take to find all the parts and assemble them? Once assembled and tested, do you have the skills to install it on your vehicle? Can you maintain the system once you have it working?
Let's also look at your abilities. Can you use power tools? How about other tools? If your car needs oil, could you check it and add if needed? Do you add windshield washer fluid? Have you changed a flat tire? Do you have a shop or work area to assemble and test this project?
If you are not sure of your abilities, you might want to first find a reliable mechanic. Ask around; see if you can find one that has experience installing HHO generation systems. Ask them if they think your car would be suitable for a HHO system. How much they would charge for the full installation and testing of the system.
Another thing you might ask about is how much to remove everything and restore your car to its original condition. At a later time you will want to buy another vehicle. It would be nice if you could move the HHO investment to the new car. Later, when you are shopping for that other car, you could consult the same mechanic as to the feasibility of moving the HHO system to the new vehicle.
So, you've decided that you are fully able to complete this project. Let's proceed.
You will need to educate yourself. How do you do it? What is needed? Once you fully comprehend what is involved, you can proceed.
You will have to buy a kit or find all the parts to build the HHO generator. Word of warning, don't use any metal inside the generator except stainless steel. This would include copper wire, etc. The chemical action created by the heavy current will quickly disintegrate many metals. My first experiment used galvanized metal flashing rather than stainless steel. Within minutes the metal surface was eaten away into a gray sludge suspended in the water.
If you are using 20 amps or so to generate the HHO gas, it will generate heat. My recommendation is not to use PVC plumbing pipe. It tends to be brittle and might melt with the heat. Some plans recommend using ABS since it will stand more heat. Some designs use an empty acrylic container normally used for water filtering. A glass jar will work, but again, it is subject to breaking.
Once you have constructed your HHO generator, you should completely test it prior to installation.
For testing you're going to need some sort of current supply. An inexpensive battery charger works fine. Buy one that will generate at least 20 amps at 12 volts. Put a 20 amp fuse in line with your amp meter before you turn it on. The HHO generated is an explosive mixture.
Another thing to consider; how you are going to install the controls for the HHO generator so that you can control and monitor it from the driver's seat? You will want to, at least, be able to turn it on and off. It should be visible and convenient to reach so that you will not be distracted while driving. Where can you mount the switches, meters and other instruments? Most modern vehicles have a fully molded dash with curved surfaces and no room for anything else. You will need to run wires through the firewall or under the car and up through the floor.
A simple rule that has served me well over the years is - "Any project will always cost more and take longer than expected". The other gotcha is Murphy's Law. “If it can go wrong it will - at the worst possible time.”
I recommend that you fully test this system before depending on it. Some day, if you are stuck in heavy traffic waiting for the tow truck, that increase in mileage may not seem as important.
Good luck, I hope I have given you some food for thought. Fully understand what is involved, proceed with caution and do it right. Let's all beat the high cost of gasoline.
Water Car Info
Filed under HHO Gas Conversion by Water Car and Driver
