Hydrogen fuel cells anyone ???

Odd as a cod I'd say

Scenario, I popped down to a local A/C place to get the old merc regassed, a place called PowerBase in Ashford....anyway, got yapping to the lad who runs it, very friendly, just in the middle of moving premises.

He then started telling me about other services he's trying out...

Lo & behold, he says, for £999 we can fit a hydrogen fuel cell(s) to that CDI Merc & you'll save on average 25% fuel costs

The Engineer in me was very sceptical, however he then took me outside to his old 206 peugeot, pulled away the airbox & voila, a small 5" by 5" plate type fuel cell..WTF ?

He fired up the car & you could easily see the water bottle feeding the cell, was causing the cell to bubble like a goodun'....with a hose going into the intake.

Reckons before ( only a 1.4ltr petrol ) would give him about 400mls on a full tank, now reckons he is getting almost 750 ? I wasn't too sure how you'd plumb it into a turbo'd car, as it would have to be pumped in ???

The device draws about 5A & does require replacing eventually, as the stainless catalyst plates actually dissolve ( didn't mention how long a cell lasts ).

Gimmick or true life fuel saver ???

More data required, please, Taz!

A fuel cell, in the normal sense of the word, catalyzes a hydrocarbon fuel to release electricity and drive a motor that way.

Sounds like what he's doing is hydrogen electrolysis, splitting water to give hydrogen and oxygen... which requires energy from somewhere, even with a catalyst to help it along - and the rules of thermodynamics say you can't get out more than you put in. And I strongly suspect that the electricity to drive it comes from the alternator...

You say 5A, but not the voltage... recall that cruising at 70mph requires around 30bhp which is about 20kW - to provide that from 5A needs around 4kV. Hmmm. And it's also twenty times what the alternator can provide anyway.

I'm happy to be proved wrong, but I scent the rancid smell of the oil of the snake.

Hi Neil, safe to say the cabling to this "device" was not rated for 4kV

looked more like 3mm2 stuff from Halfords with a couple of eyelet crimps on the end going to the battery via some relay.

I'll scan a copy of the leaflet, however it's very vague...I didn't want to probe further in case he got the hump & buggered up my A/C !

It was very odd though to see it bubbling away through the sight plate glass

Boiling a kettle innit

oddly enuf I did get a free cuppa & now have the crapps

must be that kettle !

I'm still very curious as he was SO adamant this was a new breakthrough

aha, found a link


Oh & to stop me getting a puch in the face from these blokes ( as I'm taking the coop there for some A/C work ), their workmanship was excellent ( beg's for forgiveness ! )

Hydro cell

Did I call that right or what?

Well, can't comment on the claimed efficiency improvements, but the *idea* of adding some oxygen and hydrogen to the mix has appeal. Whether it adds 25% improvement I have my doubts... bearing in mind that everything has to come from that 5A supply that's powered by the engine anyway.

So, 70mph = 20kW; 5A@12v = 60W, so it's not the energy boost. Anyone with specialist knowledge in the combustion process field able to comment upon the fractional addition of hydrogen and oxygen?