Hydrogen boost systems

[unstable bob]

I've seen hydrogen boost set ups lately, ranging in price from a few hundred to around a grand. I was wondering if anyone here has any experiences with them, and if they actually work, or are a bunch of hooey.

[unstable bob]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Have you looked.... here?

Here, being where?

[cfg83]

unstable bob -

Go here to see what I have done so far :

Hydrogen Booster Installed ...
http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=2668

So far, it has NOT worked for me, but there are alot of caveats to that. I will post some updates on that thread. Part of my problem is that the dude I bought it from wants me to do alot of other modifications that I am wary of implementing (fuel heater, 02 disconnect, MAP/MAF replaced with potentiometer, ... etc). Because of that, I cannot make the claim that it absolutely doesn't work, only that *I* haven't made it work. Also, if I ever succeed, I think my system is a high-maintenance system in it's current form.

I am of the opinion that this *will* work in a diesel, because the system is more conducive to the high compression and natural lean-burn capabilities of a diesel engine.

CarloSW2

[unstable bob]

Originally Posted by theclencher

http://www.gassavers.org/search.php?searchid=136228

http://www.gassavers.org/search.php?searchid=136230

Oh, I missed the search function...

[cfg83]

unstable bob -

I just took a peak at the dude's website today, and he is publishing interesting stuff :

Diesel Dynamometer Testing Analysis
http://www.hydrogen-boost.com/September%202007.html

Possible Savings With Hydrogen Boost

In the charts below notice that hydrogen production is not free. It takes energy to produce the hydrogen and this energy does not always get compensated for with improved combustion and efficiency. The key is to produce only the hydrogen you need to ignite the combustion mixture at the ultra lean mixture we produce with our electronic control circuit or the normal fuel mixture in a diesel engine. If excess hydrogen is produced the improved mileage will be lower than what is possible at optimum hydrogen production.

In the charts below the light blue shaded area represents the possible savings with Hydrogen Boost. The yellow shaded areas represent the possible NEGATIVE savings with Hydrogen Boost. Notice that at idle there is always a negative savings and at low cruise the savings may be negative or slightly positive. As stated in recent newsletter and documents the Hydrogen Boost benefits are especially prevalent when high power and torque are being produced (when lots of fuel is being combusted). This really shows that Hydrogen Boost can be most valuable with vehicles that are heavily loaded or underpowered.

The conditions where Hydrogen Boost may improve mileage the least is when the driver is already implementing driving tips like slow acceleration and cruising at low speeds and throttle settings. It may be possible that the cost of the hydrogen production could be higher than the benefits of that hydrogen to the miniscule amounts of fuel that are being combusted while using these efficient driving techniques. This is exaggerated when the operator sets his hydrogen production too high for the engine he is operating.

Our Model 20 is designed to produce enough hydrogen for even the largest gasoline engines including those of 8 liters displacement. So those who are installing and operating on a one liter Geo Metro engine may be only preventing improved mileage when producing hydrogen at 20 amps.

Recent changes in installation instructions provide for installation of a throttle position switch or intake manifold vacuum switch that would only turn the hydrogen generator on during acceleration and high cruise throttle settings. This will avoid most of the negative savings operations. Adjusting the vacuum switch to optimum setting should practically eliminate the negative savings zones.

This means that the system performs best when the engine is under heavier working loads. This makes it more appropriate for truckers and worksite engines that are supposed to be doing lots of hard *work*. I may have to ask him for his on/off circuit because that's what I would need for my pulse and glides.

I encourage you to read-up here because he has *tons* of info on his progress, going back to 2001 :

Hydrogen Boost Newsletters - Research and Development Reports
http://www.hydrogen-boost.com/newsletter.html

He does tons of testing of other stuff, and disproves alot of things like fuel additives and fuel magnets.

He lives in Queensbury, NY, so he may not be too far from you.

CarloSW2

[unstable bob]

Originally Posted by cfg83

unstable bob -

I just took a peak at the dude's website today, and he is publishing interesting stuff :

Diesel Dynamometer Testing Analysis
http://www.hydrogen-boost.com/September%202007.html


This means that the system performs best when the engine is under heavier working loads. This makes it more appropriate for truckers and worksite engines that are supposed to be doing lots of hard *work*. I may have to ask him for his on/off circuit because that's what I would need for my pulse and glides.

I encourage you to read-up here because he has *tons* of info on his progress, going back to 2001 :

Hydrogen Boost Newsletters - Research and Development Reports
http://www.hydrogen-boost.com/newsletter.html

He does tons of testing of other stuff, and disproves alot of things like fuel additives and fuel magnets.

He lives in Queensbury, NY, so he may not be too far from you.

CarloSW2

Carlo,
Thanx for the info. This is one of the systems I was looking at...but it is 900 bux, plus another 750 if you want it installed...that is a lot of coin for something that "may or may not" work. I would do the installation myself, BUT would really want to feel the system out before I bought it. He is about 3hours away from me, so I can't really just cruise by his shop and drop in.
Oh well, guess I'll just save my $ for more gas...

[cfg83]

unstable bob -

Originally Posted by unstable bob

Carlo,
Thanx for the info. This is one of the systems I was looking at...but it is 900 bux, plus another 750 if you want it installed...that is a lot of coin for something that "may or may not" work. I would do the installation myself, BUT would really want to feel the system out before I bought it. He is about 3hours away from me, so I can't really just cruise by his shop and drop in.
Oh well, guess I'll just save my $ for more gas...

It used to be $500+$100 install. I think I got mine on sale just before he raised the prices.

I spent about 6 months reading on the net before I went with this guy (before I joined GasSavers). Here are the reasons :

1 - He got 100 MPG on the tour-de-sol, so he has been verified independently.
2 - He did it using a Saturn S-Series, so my SW2 drive train is compatible.
3 - There's just way too much information on his web site for him to be making it all up.
4 - I wanted to believe

I think his real customers are the diesel truck drivers. Other systems that are being sold to the truckers are $4K+, so he's practically a bargain in the truckers market.

If I were you, I wouldn't buy one either. But, his website is very much worth the read. I think he "speaks our language" in terms of the way he does his tests. As "low throttle" GasSavers, I don't think we are compatible with his solution, .

CarloSW2

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by cfg83

unstable bob -



It used to be $500+$100 install. I think I got mine on sale just before he raised the prices.

I spent about 6 months reading on the net before I went with this guy (before I joined GasSavers). Here are the reasons :

1 - He got 100 MPG on the tour-de-sol, so he has been verified independently.
2 - He did it using a Saturn S-Series, so my SW2 drive train is compatible.
3 - There's just way too much information on his web site for him to be making it all up.
4 - I wanted to believe

I think his real customers are the diesel truck drivers. Other systems that are being sold to the truckers are $4K+, so he's practically a bargain in the truckers market.

If I were you, I wouldn't buy one either. But, his website is very much worth the read. I think he "speaks our language" in terms of the way he does his tests. As "low throttle" GasSavers, I don't think we are compatible with his solution, .

CarloSW2

I've got a question for you... I'm looking at the website's version history. What other changes does he recommend? Does he recommend driving style changes too? It's interesting to see how his product has changed since he started in 2001. Just curiosity

[cfg83]

trebuchet03 -

Originally Posted by trebuchet03

I've got a question for you... I'm looking at the website's version history. What other changes does he recommend? Does he recommend driving style changes too? It's interesting to see how his product has changed since he started in 2001. Just curiosity

Yes, the first part of his installation manual is practically a GasSaver driving tips manual. He has done all the stuff we do. He is willing to test almost every gizmo/trick/fuel additive in the book, and has tested a lot of them in his newsletters.

Have you read this recent newsletter post? :

August 2007
http://www.hydrogen-boost.com/August%202007.html

Summary: Stressed combustion conditions can benefit from hydrogen assist. Techniques can be used to improve normally good mileage by forcing the vehicle to operate with an ultra-lean air/fuel mixtures and relieving that stressed combustion condition with hydrogen assist. But, adding hydrogen assist alone to a vehicle not already operating in stressed combustion conditions WILL NOT increase mileage.

Initially that was bad news for me because I am driving in a GasSaver way that will almost never take advantage of the system. I've yet to test the system as he has instructed because of all the other stuff I have been doing. I only recently got the EFIE online, which is what he is talking about above in terms of forcing "ultra-lean" conditions.

I really do think he's "one of us".

CarloSW2

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by cfg83

I really do think he's "one of us".

CarloSW2

It's clear that he's done a bit of HW and research - I can respect that.

What's got me interested is how his claim has remained constant, but the product kit has changed. It didn't start off as a whole system of sorts (at least when his site first went online). It started as just a browns' gas generator.

I haven't looked too closely yet, so I could be putting my foot in my mouth - it looks like there were several major site changes in the beginning The funniest thing on the original site is his Christianity gospel. Funny, in that I have no idea why it's there