| I've seen it over the last few days; gas | | | | to store and transport hydrogen around |
| is starting to top 4 dollars a gallon. | | | | the country in the volumes needed to |
| Predictions are being made that the | | | | fuel our cars would be beyond |
| price of a barrel of oil will top $240 | | | | prohibitive. But people thought about |
| by this time next year. The days of | | | | that and realized that there is a save |
| cheap fuel are in the past. China and | | | | and readily available source of |
| India are industrializing more and more, | | | | hydrogen: water. |
| and when they are no longer a source of | | | | Clean, safe, easily obtainable water. |
| super cheap labor, that will shift to | | | | Water consists of two Hydrogen and one |
| Africa, and when they industrialize it | | | | Oxygen atom. Both of which are very |
| will cease being even remotely feasible | | | | flammable. Split these apart and you've |
| to burn petroleum based fuels in our | | | | got a great fuel. This is done by |
| cars. | | | | running electrical current through water |
| So what is all this fuss about Hydrogen | | | | to break the bond between the atoms. |
| and whatnot? Can't we just switch to | | | | Certain electrolytes and special metals |
| Ethanol and burn fuel made from corn? We | | | | can assist in making this easier and |
| can, and the oil companies really | | | | more energy efficient. The gas that is |
| wouldn't mind that much as we still need | | | | released is called HHO or Brown's Gas |
| big refineries and all of their advanced | | | | (there are subtle differences depending |
| distribution systems to get that Ethanol | | | | on the process used). People often call |
| fuel to our cars. Also, most of our cars | | | | the devices that produce the gas |
| would need upgrades (new gas tanks, no | | | | 'electrolyzers' or 'hydrogen |
| aluminum parts in contact with the | | | | generators'. |
| ethanol) to properly handle it. There is | | | | Building a system to power your car |
| a huge lobby movement to make this the | | | | entirely off of the gas from these |
| fuel of the future. | | | | hydrogen generators can be a bit of a |
| Ethanol is not a viable solution. | | | | challenge as the average car consumes a |
| The reason is simple, it takes more | | | | tremendous amount of vaporized air-fuel |
| energy to make it than we get from it | | | | mixture, and it is beyond the means of |
| and farmers are growing corn for ethanol | | | | the average person to build a car that |
| when they used to grow it for food. I | | | | runs entirely off of the HHO/Brown's gas |
| don't know about you, but I'd rather eat | | | | fuel. |
| than drive. Don't think this is corn for | | | | However, it is very easy to supplement |
| your food; corn is a large part of most | | | | your existing gas with the HHO/Brown's |
| animal feed. More expensive corn means | | | | gas fuel and gain a vast increase in |
| more expensive meat - even your cat food | | | | miles per gallon. Some users of these |
| will go up in price. | | | | DIY hydrogen generators have reported |
| That's why everyone from experimenters | | | | gains of over 100% increase in MPG, |
| in their garages to BMW and Ford are | | | | though the averages are closer to 40%. |
| starting to turn to Hydrogen as a fuel | | | | Keep in mind that a 40% increase on a |
| source. | | | | car that gets 30MPG is 42MPG. For the |
| Believe it or not, but most cars on the | | | | average American that is $47.84 per |
| road today can burn hydrogen with little | | | | driver per month, or about $90/month per |
| or no modification. | | | | household. That's if you drive at, or |
| Isn't that dangerous, you ask? Isn't | | | | below the average. If you are over the |
| hydrogen rather flammable and not at all | | | | average miles driven per year (which is |
| safe? You're right, of course. Few | | | | only 15000) then your savings start to |
| gasses have the explosive power that | | | | increase. |
| hydrogen has. Building an infrastructure | | | | |