Imagine a world where you don’t have to pay $3 to drive twenty or thirty miles, where trucks belching diesel smoke are unheard of, where you can walk down the road without inhaling the fumes of a thousand vehicles, where thousands of cars pass you and you hear nothing but a gentle hum and whoosh, and you have an idea of where hydrogen fuel cells will be taking us.

Fuel cells were invented in 1839 by Sir William Grove, who figured out that you could separate hydrogen and oxygen from water through hydrolysis, and suggested that the procedure could be reversed to create clean energy, with a by-product of water. Back then, it was called the gas voltaic battery; only in 1889 did it get the name fuel cell.

How Hydrogen Fuel Cells Work

Like batteries, fuel cells use chemical processes without combustion to create energy with a clean by-product. Because they do not work with the process of combustion, fuel cells never have partly used components, and therefore do not produce poisonous by-products (combustion engines produce carbon monoxide and a wide variety of other poisons, in contrast.)

They are very different from batteries in that they are not self-contained. Instead of counting on an enclosed chemical process that ends when all the components are used up, fuel cells have a constant inward flow of their fuel, usually but not always hydrogen and oxygen. In the case of automobile fuel cells, this means you need a storage tank for water or a hydrocarbon fuel and a place where hydrogen can be separated (this place, called a reformer, has its own technological development problems), as well as an exhaust system that directs used water out of the car or back to the original storage tank.

There are several types of fuel cells right now, but currently the most favored model is the polymer exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). This cell uses precious metals like platinum to create atom-thin layers of oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen gas, at this time H2, is split into two protons and two electrons at an anode. The electrons are conducted along a path to do useful work – in this case, run your car – before returning to a cathode where they are recombined with their protons and with oxygen, producing water as a by-product. Right now, the typical fuel cell produces less than a single volt of electricity, so several cells must be piled into a stack in order to produce enough energy to do useful work. Currently, the cost of creating each of these volts is prohibitively high, and technology is focused on making fuel cells more cost effective.

The big problem with the fuel cell is separating water into its constituent components to begin with. Elementary physics dictate that you cannot create or destroy energy, and entropy will cause energy to be lost. In addition, you’re using up some of the energy from the fuel cell to run the car. So where does the initial energy to split the water molecules come from?

Currently, instead of using water as a base fuel, we have to use other technologies to produce hydrogen, which is then transferred to the car’s storage tank. This is costly, and we have no infrastructure for delivering hydrogen the way we can deliver gasoline. It’s also dangerous to handle flammable hydrogen in large quantities; remember the Hindenburg?

Freezing and boiling are also problems. Most forms of fuel cells, including the PEMFC, require water to function properly, but if your fuel cell is frozen or heated above 80 degrees Celsius, it may be destroyed.

Who Is Working On Fuel Cells

Researchers all over the world are working on fuel cell technology; it is potentially a very lucrative field. The United States Department of Energy supports many different fuel cell initiatives with block grants, and it also supports work at its own Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. Most car companies that have a reasonably forward-looking research and development arm are also working to create fuel cells for their own vehicles; this includes companies like Daimler AG, Honda, Ford, and General Motors.

Governments are also becoming increasingly sensitive to the need to have alternative fuel cars. Leading politicians like Newt Gingrich, who is rarely considered a leader in green technology, has spoken out for years about the need for government to support alternative fuel initiatives. Look for this to become the norm in the political future.

When Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Will Be Available

We currently have several fuel cell cars in production as prototypes, including the DaimlerChrysler Necar, which drove cross country in 2002 from San Francisco to Washington DC. The trip was beautifully successful despite the extremes in temperature the car had to endure. At that time, Chrysler predicted no fuel cell cars would be available commercially before about 2010.

However, the Honda FXC Clarity is scheduled to be available in limited quantities in late summer 2008, leasing for about $600 a month (they will not be available for sale at all, only lease). It will not use gasoline at all, but instead fill up at hydrogen stations; these stations will be available primarily in Southern California at first. Honda is working on developing home fueling stations that will allow you to generate your own hydrogen at home using electricity.

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Buy, sell, find, and search for cars for sale, cars parts, and future cars at VehicleRide.

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Alternative sources of fuel are of interest not only to high class research firms but also to the average consumer. Rising gas prices have forced everyone, save the extravagantly rich, to make sacrifices and find new ways to power their vehicles. The widespread desire to save on gas has led to the increased purchasing of hybrid and electric cars.

For those that do not have the ability to switch vehicles, improving current transportation’s efficiency is the only option left. To date, the most effective way to drastically increase gas mileage is to install a hydrogen fuel system, which employs only water to function.

Hydrogen is created through the electrolysis of water. Electricity is taken from the car battery and used as the catalyst to stimulate electrolysis. The hydrogen created burns much more cleanly than regular fuel and increases the efficiency of gasoline. Only about twenty percent of the energy released by burning gas goes in to moving a vehicle; the other eighty percent is lost to heat and other energy forms. A water system enables the engine to harness more usable power. When people think of alternative fuels, gasoline is never on the list. However, if the fuel could be made to work at nearly one hundred percent efficiency, there would be no oil crisis.

The benefits of installing a hydrogen fuel system in to your vehicle are numerous and significant. Improved gas mileage is the first and most obvious advantage. Helping the environment is vital as well, as a destroyed ecosystem is harmful to everything, including humans. Your engine will last a lot longer, as water is consistently rejuvenating to it. Minuscule amounts of water need to be used; in fact, you can use the same liter of water for months, as water contains thousands of times more energy than oil. Finally, one will notice a considerable decrease in noise and an increase in driving smoothness, which are signs of how excellent the water system really is.

Initial costs for constructing and installing a system vary, depending on whether you purchase a conversion kit and/or pay a mechanic to perform the installation for you. At the lowest level, conversions can run as low as one hundred and fifty dollars. Of course, the fuel for the system, water, does not cost any money at all. Installation is safe and does not void a vehicle’s warranty, and a water fuel system can be removed at any time for any reason. One usually saves more than they spent after only a few months of water fuel utilization.

Like with any innovation, there are critics of using water for fuel. Some say that the process violates the laws of physics; that because energy in equals energy out, there is no way consuming water could yield any positive results. Recall that the ultimate purpose of a water system is to increase the efficiency of gasoline. Water cannot be used for fuel alone; it needs to be paired with gasoline.

In any case, it is clear that hydrogen fuel systems are effective, as hundreds of thousands of people have already invested in conversion kits. In fact, it is predicted that within the next decade, a majority of vehicles will come standard with some kind of water fuel system, thus easing many countries dependence on oil.

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Could Hydrogen Fuel replace the need for gas and oil?

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In a bid to reduce the United States’ growing dependence on Middle East oil for the country’s petroleum needs, President George Bush declared a $1.2 billion hydrogen fuel program in his 2003 State of the Union speech. This substantial budget allocation for the advancement of technological studies for hydrogen-driven fuel cells also sought the significant, if not the total, reduction of pollutants like greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles, homes and business establishments dependent on foreign petroleum.

Today, more and more vehicles are being powered by hydrogen fuel. Automobile giant General Motors has been producing a one hundred per cent hydrogen-powered vehicle prototype, something which augurs well for the country since President Bush’ 2003 announcement of the hydrogen fuel project. To date, fresh funding continues to pour in for hydrogen fuel development as an alternative fuel. The current technology requires fuel cells for storage and for processing of gas that in turn powers the vehicle or other fuel-dependent machinery and equipment.

But while hydrogen certainly makes a good fuel alternative, it too has its downside. Even if generated from natural gas, considered today as the cheapest energy source ever, hydrogen fuel is still four times more expensive to manufacture than gasoline. The Bush administration’s initiative has considered reducing this cost to the level of gasoline-generated power by year 2010, as well as to seek ways of deriving hydrogen power from renewable sources of energy, nuclear power, or possibly coal.

Turning to hydrogen fuel instead of using gasoline can eliminate the country’s dependence on other countries for energy. Hydrogen is readily available and even abundant domestically. It can be found along with natural gas, coal, biomass and even water. The hydrogen fuel project, according to the Department of Energy, can help lessen our country’s import demands by more than 11 million barrels a day–the estimated amount of oil the US buys from abroad today–by 2040.

Taking significant steps to making our air free from pollution caused by gasoline-powered vehicles is another agenda spoused by the country’s hydrogen fuel program. Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity instead of gasoline to power vehicles. This will eliminate pollution and lessen the country’s greenhouse gas discharges caused by gasoline-guzzling vehicles by over 500 million metric tons of carbon emissions every year by 2040.

The high efficiency ratio of hydrogen as energy source limits the emission of compounds that harm the environment. When burned to generate electricity and power an engine, hydrogen emits nothing but water vapor. Hydrogen-powered machines and equipment can therefore help us achieve a cleaner and healthier environment.

Hydrogen fuel looms as the newest and most exciting discovery of this decade. Owning a car because of the fuel cell technology has never become more gratifying than today. We might as well enjoy our road trips more often.

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Abhishek is an avid Environmentalist and he has got some great Alternative Fuel Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 70 Pages Ebook, “Energy Conservation And Alternative Fuel” from his website http://www.Wonder-Homes.com/643/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.

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With the fluctuating price of oil, and gas prices at the pumps going up more often than going down, people have been thinking about hydrogen for cars. In particular they have been asking how to build a Hydrogen Fuel Cell so they can run cars on water as well as gas.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell cars, sometimes called water powered cars are nothing new, the technology to run cars on water as a supplement to your ordinary gasoline has been around for years. And now the internet is flooded with guides and plans showing you how to build a hydrogen fuel cell, or (how to make a hydrogen generator for your car as it comes down to the same thing.)

I think that hydrogen fuel cell cars are going to catch on in a really big way. Not only are they very easy to make, but also cheap enough for anyone to build one. You can convert your cars into water power cars for as little as $100, and all the parts you will need can be bought from local hardware stores or at auto stores.

So how does hydrogen for cars work?
The basis behind hydrogen fuel cell cars is a simple process called electrolysis this is the act of breaking water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen to create a gas called HHO gas or Brown’s gas. This gas is then mixed with gasoline in your cars engine and burned in the usual way. But as this mixture burns a lot more efficiently you get a smoother running engine and more mpg.

Basically what you will need to build a DIY hydrogen fuel cell are just a few simple parts. These include a small container to hold water, one that will fit under your cars hood in the engine compartment. You will also need some baking soda (to act as a catalyst) some electrical wire, some steel plates, glass pieces, and a few other items as listed in the different guides.

Once these parts are put together in the correct way the electricity from your cars engine is used to power the whole thing. This electrical current starts the electrolysis process which produces the HHO gas. This gas rises to the top of the water container where it is sucked up through some tubing and mixed with the regular gasoline + air mixture. This combined fuel mixture burns with up to 3 times as much power as ordinary gasoline. This is what gives you a more efficient engine which in turn allows you to get more mpg.

So if you are one of the many people who are fed up paying high gas prices and want to know how to build a hydrogen fuel cell to run cars on water as well as gas, then I would recommend that you make a DIY hydrogen fuel cell. Using one of the downloadable guides from the internet to show you how to convert your cars into hydrogen fuel cell cars you will be able to get more mpg and save a fortune on gasoline.

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Discover the top 3 guides to show you How To Build A Hydrogen Fuel Cell to run cars on water and get more mpg.CLICK HERE NOW http://www.MoreGasMPG.com/saveongas.html

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Hydrogen fuel injection is a system usually installed on semi-trucks as an after market accessory. These systems are specially devised in a fashion to facilitate either pure hydrogen or a mixture rich in hydrogen to be injected to the fuel commonly utilized with most internal combustion engines.

The Hydrogen fuel injection is given to an engine many times together in order to allow it to join with the air it intakes. The injection can be easily pre-mixed with compressed natural gas at a gas filling station that sells hydrogen. The acronym for Hydrogen fuel injection is either H2CNG or HCNG.

The total weight of a Hydrogen fuel injection is about ninety pounds and it is installed behind the cab on trucks. The system also works towards extracting some amount of electricity via the alternator utilized for splitting distilled water into oxygen and hydrogen gases.

These gases can be easily injected in conjunction with usual diesel fuel in the engine. A reservoir is filled with distilled water. The driver refills the reservoir as per the requirement. The whole mixture of HCNG mix consists of about four to nine percent hydrogen that is combined with compressed natural gas. The mixture is flammable and comes with risks of leaking as any other CNG equipment. Hence, one does not require taking any extra precautions to maintain the system. One can enjoy up to eighty phenomenal hours of operation on a semi-truck via adding 2 litres of distilled water. There are certain Hydrogen fuel injection companies that guarantee at least 10 percent of fuel savings to their customers.

One can enjoy several ecological benefits via using a Hydrogen fuel injection system.

A Hydrogen fuel injection system tends to enhance torque and horsepower of a vehicle. The emissions of dangerous gasses and pollutants are limited largely.

When a truck with HCNG installed in it is run on the road, a reduction of about sixty per cent of most of the dangerous pollutants including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide is noticed. When the fuel completes its’ combustion, it emits out least pollution.

Since HCNG is a type of on-demand fuel and obtained from distilled water, there is absolutely no requirement of liquid hydrogen or compressed hydrogen to be imported to the vehicle.

One of the most significant benefits of using Hydrogen fuel injection systems in a vehicle is their money saving aspect. The investment you make on a system such as this will be soon returned and you may even enjoy instant savings via leasing one of the units as well as writing of the marketing expense.

The best part is that these systems are not very expensive. However, you still require shelling out about $15,000 on purchasing one and the price may also hike up according to the quality and features.

A Hydrogen fuel injection system can benefit you a lot in terms of money saving and lot of other aspects as mentioned above.

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Is Hydrogen fuel the wave of the future? We have done a lot of research on hydrogen fuel injection and hydrogen fuel itself. Visit our site today for more information! http://www.hydrogenfuelinfosite.com

By M. Applebaum

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