1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Has anyone tried a hydrogen boost system?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by Azor, Dec 15, 2010.

  1. Azor

    Azor New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2006
    30
    0
    0
    Hi - I bought my second prius a few months ago. A few days ago a friend of mind who is an engineer told me about the following hydrogen boost system:
    Hydrogen-Boost

    I was wondering if anyone has tried installing that system into a Prius, and if so, what change in gas mileage was observed?
     
  2. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2009
    6,722
    2,120
    45
    Location:
    North Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    lol. Apparantly if you get a Priest to bless your car it'll help improve your temper and improve the cars fuel economy too. :rolleyes:

    Let's put it another way, if this hyrogen thing worked to any significant degree you'd see them in all cars and Toyota wouldn't have invested in hybrid technology.
     
    1 person likes this.
  3. Azor

    Azor New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2006
    30
    0
    0
    Now hold on...did you actually read the post I included up there? Or the results of this Purdue study?
    Hydrogen Boost Brown?s Gas Joe Cell HHO Water Car Save fuel mpg</

    Did you play the video of the news report where trucking companies are installing the system into their 18-wheelers?

    There is also a link to a bunch of testimonials from people that have used the system in other cars. It seems to give an average of 5 to 25% increase in gas mileage. Some claim higher but I'm choosing the lower range...

    The physics behind the system seem sound to me.
     
  4. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,862
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Interesting page, why would you guess not a single engine manufacturer has any interest in this device?

    I can think of several reasons, but I am interested in yours, first.
     
  5. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2009
    6,722
    2,120
    45
    Location:
    North Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Seen them advertised over here too a year or so ago. The fuel economy increases are due to the driver driving more carefully and being more aware.

    Same sort of claims as those tablets you dropped in your fuel tank in the mid 1980's to increase mpgs. I'm thinking snake oil and people will buy anything (other than a more fuel efficient vehicle) if they think they can get something for nothing.

    I could be wrong - I'm no scientist and a cynical person (don't ask my views on global warming), but this hybrogen system just sounds too good to be true. I'll change my view if someone independent can prove it works or a mainstream car manufacturer adopts the technology.
     
  6. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2010
    4,539
    1,433
    9
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Then you should be able to give us a solid explanation of the thermodynamics behind it. Please go ahead and do it.
     
  7. LeadingEdgeBoomer

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2009
    289
    29
    0
    Location:
    New Mexico
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Sorry but I do not visit any page that Web of Trust (browser add-on) tells me has a poor reputation. You refer to a Purdue study, and if you have a pointer to that study as published by Purdue, I'll be happy to look at it.
     
  8. Azor

    Azor New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2006
    30
    0
    0
    How do you know there is no interest among engine manufacturers?

    I don't know much about this hydrogen boost system as I just found out about it. I think it is relatively new....

    I'm guessing if engine manufacturers had a true desire to give us the highest gas mileage possible, our cars would be very different today and 50mpg would be laughable.

    I believe the oil industry has a significant negative impact in the area of travel efficiency.
     
  9. Teakwood

    Teakwood Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2010
    491
    73
    0
    Location:
    New Mexico
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    This is typical of the BS that has been around for years. passed on by the ignorant and kept rolling by the arrogant.:mmph:
    One would have better luck getting presents from the Tooth Fairy.
    :hand:
     
  10. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,073
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Engine manufactures have no interest in this because it is Snake Oil, pure and simple. The thermodynamics behind hydrogen boost are very simple, and they don't add up on the positive side.

    Engine manufactures *do* have a keen interest in efficiency, despite conspiracy theories to the contrary. If only it were a conspiracy, then we might have an easy avenue to improved mileage.

    As for the oil industry, they don't need to hold down efficiencies. We do a pretty good job burning it up without any help from them.

    Tom
     
  11. Azor

    Azor New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2006
    30
    0
    0
    It was not a published study but a senior project. Perhaps this link is better
    Save fuel costs,gas,diesel,Hydrogen on Demand,HHO Test Results

    I do not have the time to properly research this system and to argue its merits right now. All I know is that it seems there are a decent number of people that are happy with it in their cars but I saw no one that tried it with a Prius.

    So, I decided to ask here if anyone has every tried it.

    --->Hydrogen boost systems help improve combustion characteristics
    of petroleum based fuel sources. The gases created act as a catalyst to
    the fuel, creating better propagation, and more complete combustion.
    They also are said to reduce hydrocarbons in the exhaust, reducing
    emissions
     
  12. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,073
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
  13. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,862
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Work with me here, Nissan makes a car with no gas engine at all, if they could improve the fuel economy of ALL their cars, why wouldn't they? They can't be in cahoots with 'Big Oil' and make an electric car.

    These are separate answers, only one needs to be true:

    1. It does not work, so they don't use it.

    2. It does work, but costs so much no owner would pay for it in fuel economy in the life of the car.

    3. It can't be made to pass any pollution controls anywhere on earth.

    4. It so rapidly destroys any engine it is attached to, that no company can afford the warranty repairs if they sold it.

    5. Every human on earth is in a huge conspiracy to keep you uninformed.

    Feel free to think of other reasons why no engine manufacturer is offering this.
     
    2 people like this.
  14. cobradb

    cobradb Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2010
    105
    7
    4
    Location:
    tn
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    as a general rule NO it doesnt work, the amount of pwr frm the alternator vs the amount of gas produced is a loss.

    Also,, you will need a another computer to fool the cars fuel management system,, i have tried this system on two vehicles.
    demends on the veh but on mine car i was trying to fool the mass air controller,, when i changed the input from the mass air to the car computer its was giving me a false read on mileage (using a scan gage2)

    U WILL BE LUCKY TO GET 5% INCREASE IN AN PERFECT COND.
    when i filled up the tank vs the computer i was reading for mileage the tank is always correct for amount used
     
  15. Azor

    Azor New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2006
    30
    0
    0
     
  16. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2009
    6,722
    2,120
    45
    Location:
    North Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I hear what you're saying. It sounds good, you're hoping it'll work and that we shouldn't all be so hasty dissing it.

    Thing is, I know I can't breath under water. I have never tried, but many people have said it doesn't work so I believe them. If someone told me I could and everyone else is wrong and it's all a big conspiracy and think of the real estate possibilities on the ocean floor, my alarm bells would ring. Ok this is a poor analogy but you get the idea. :cool:


    p.s. You don't want to by some EMP proof cars and watches do you?
     
  17. Azor

    Azor New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2006
    30
    0
    0
    #4 would be a good question to ask the guy who developed the system I'm speaking of - I didn't think of that one.

    He and others claim evidence contrary to #1, 2, and 3.

    #5 implies that I'm ignorant and that is simply not true.

    There are other possibilities such as:

    #6 It sometimes takes decades to embrace new technologies - especially when they are developed by low budget, private sources.

    When I was in Brazil working on the Golden Lion Tamarin project, the jeep we used to get around the preserve ran on 100% ethanol. I wondered why we didn't have any such vehicles in the U.S.

    That was nearly 30 years ago.
     
  18. donee

    donee New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 15, 2005
    2,956
    197
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Hi Azor,

    HHO has been experimented successfully on Otto Cycle engines by a large professional engine tuning company, that does work for car manufacturers. To get the benefit, which was modest (1 - 2 % ?) a completely new and different engine map was required developed with 100's of hours of dynamometer time. This makes it impractical for back-yard experimentors.

    We do not use large amounts of Ethanol in this country, because we are not an equatorial country. Plain and simple. The input to make Ethanol here, is nearly the same as the output. That could be improved on with Butanol, but for some reason that is not going anywhere. In an equatorial region, the economy of scale, and density of the plants, and the rate of growth makes ethanol production a practical net postive concern. Or at least so far.
     
  19. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2009
    6,722
    2,120
    45
    Location:
    North Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    1 person likes this.
  20. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2010
    4,539
    1,433
    9
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    It's been around for some time. It hasn't taken off because it doesn't work.