Cell Current Cell Temp ACE cell (Mark I) = A new hydrogen gas generator engineering concept

Transcription

1 Cell Current Cell Temp ACE cell (Mark I) = A new hydrogen gas generator engineering concept This document describes a new hydrogen production method that uses low-cost metals (iron or aluminum) and catalytic carbon (CC) in an electrolysis system, called an ACE cell. The ACE cell produces hydrogen gas and virtually no oxygen gas. This document describes the Mark I version of the ACE cell. The Mark II is a more advanced design of the ACE cell. The Mark II version of the ACE cell is described on-line at All comments and suggestions are welcome. Kind regards, hp@valliant.net Page 1

2 Contents The ACE cell -- a new AC Electrolysis hydrogen production technology that is very flexible; it can operate either with or without Catalytic Carbon The ACE cell technology and the CC-HOD technology can be blended to design systems using the best of either technology Sacrificial anode chemistry... 7 Separator cells are not needed to produce adequately-pure hydrogen gas Electrolysis of most metals in water can produce hydrogen The ACE cell uses an iron anode, water, an electrolyte and catalytic carbon (CC) Electrolyte, catalyst and electrode metal APPENDIX A -- Hydrogen production and anode metal variations in electrolysis cells Electrolysis of water when inert electrodes are used Electrolysis of water when aluminum electrodes are used Electrolysis of water when Gold electrodes are used Summary -- oxygen concentrations Iron anode electrolysis produces almost no bubbles Electrolysis of water when iron electrodes are used Three reasons for the transient current decline in an electrolysis cell following the application of voltage For the ACE cell electrodes, iron is preferred for the following reasons Space charge formation near the electrodes also contributes to the current decline immediatly after application of voltage to the cell Bubble formation also contributes to the current decline APPENDIX B -- ACE cell characteristics and the use of boost mode hydrogen fuel supplementation in automobiles ACE cell technology does NOT require modification of oxygen sensors on automobiles ACE cell technology does NOT vent any gas into the atmosphere Lower cost, safety and hardware simplicity APPENDIX C -- Air-fuel ratios and oxygen sensors Engine management systems APPENDIX D -- Mark I Car test results -- 30% fuel savings Water and Iron for fuel Hydrogen input to engine Counter-intuitive realization regarding using hydrogen as a fuel supplement for automobile engines (boost mode operation) ACE cell and Test Vehicle performance How to make black water The Mark I ACE cell uses black water Temperature measurement Temperature effects CC can be obtained in either of 3 ways Beneficial effects of using CC in ACE cells with large electrode area APPENDIX E -- Mark I ACE cell system construction methods Page 2

3 System design Neat fit -- prevents sloshing ACE cell electrode fabrication -- Mark I What s in the INV box? The ACE cell is defined by using AC to power the electrolysis cell Condensation and water trap Flashback arrestor MPG measurement Temperature control Residual effect APPENDIX F -- Mark I ACE cell system construction methods System design APPENDIX G -- Iron anode chemistry What kind of iron oxide does DC electrolysis produce? Chemical forms of iron oxides Current spike Voltage waveform for ACE cells What kind of iron oxide does AC electrolysis produce? Magnetic removal of iron oxide from the cell Fe3O4 nanoparticles Chemistry of Fe3O Production of hydrogen and Fe3O Double advantage of using iron electrodes in the ACE cell The ACE cell does not produce red-rust gunk Fe3O4 has commercial value Are there uses for Fe3O4? APPENDIX H -- Commercial and novel uses of Fe3O Novel uses of Fe3O4 -- Voltage-controlled window research Now, we consider catalytic carbon Fe3O4 and Catalytic Carbon New discovery / invention APPENDIX I -- Catalytic Carbon patent allowed and plans for the future HYDROGEN -- Take it to the people Plans for the future Page 3

4 New York, NY, August 25, 2015 A new hydrogen-producing carbon catalyst can be used to produce hydrogen from water and scrap metals. The new hydrogen production process can be used to generate hydrogen at commercially-useful rates. Phillips Company announced today that information is now available for designers and R&D product development professionals who want to use a new carbon catalyst invention and new economical methods being used to generate hydrogen at commercially-useful rates. This is an excerpt. To see the full press release:

5 New Design Concept: This new invention, Catalytic Carbon technology, can be combined and blended with a new kind of electrolysis cell. The ACE cell without CC can use electrolysis for small-hydrogen-flow-rate applications (automobiles, trucks), and the ACE cell with CC technology can be used for large-hydrogen-flow-rate applications (locomotives, ships, large motor-generator systems for powering island nations). For a conventional electrolysis cell, an increase in hydrogen output rate requires more current -- but that is true ONLY if the area of the electrodes remains approximately constant. The CC-HOD technology has shown that if the metal area is LARGE, the electrolysis current can be virtually zero. These two extremes of the design space can be combined and blended seamlessly as explained in the following pages. The ACE cell -- a new AC Electrolysis hydrogen production technology that is very flexible; it can operate either with or without Catalytic Carbon. The characteristics of the ACE cell are summarized below: 1 ACE cell is the name of a new hydrogen production technology that uses AC (not DC) to power the cell. 2 The reason the ACE cell works better than conventional electrolyzers is that CONVENTIONAL WISDOM about electrolysis cells overlooked some basic chemistry. 3 When the basic chemistry is taken into account, the ACE cell design is MUCH less complex and far LESS expensive -- neutral plates are optional (not required), no need for parallel plates; no need for stainless steel plates to minimize corrosion. 4 It only needs two electrodes, but can use more electrodes for use in special applications. 5 It uses CC to best advantage, but does not REQUIRE CC, as it can run as a conventional electrolyzer. 6 It produces only hydrogen (that is also the case with the CC-HOD technology), but

6 7 It is NOT a separator cell. 8 It requires no powder (a big cost savings, compared to CC-HOD which required 30 micron aluminum for fuel), 9 It can use ANY metal for electrodes, but some metals work better than others (different anode chemistry). Because iron is cheap, cheap, the ACE cell was developed using iron electrodes. The ACE cell can also use aluminum. 10 The electrodes are in the form of bulk metal (no powder). Iron can be used for electrode material. Iron is cheap, cheap and available from the hardware store or from scrap metal dealers. 11 The BEST iron for electrodes is old cast iron (cheap, cheap), 12 But, if the iron is galvanized, that will work too. 13 It uses tap water; not deionized water; not distilled water. In fact, tap water works BETTER than DI water or distilled water. Again, the reason for this is anode chemistry that uses corrosion to advantage (to sequester oxygen). 14 It works at atmospheric pressure, so safety is better than working with a pressurized system. It CAN be used with a pressurized design, which can then fuel vehicles using pure hydrogen (no liquid petroleum fuel). 15 Using the ACE cell at atmospheric pressure, preliminary tests with the Buick test vehicle has shown that getting 30% mileage improvement is easy -- or, it is easy to get a 30% reduction in gasoline fuel cost (same thing). 16 It can be built SMALLER than conventional HHO cell systems, so fitting under the hood is an easier job. 17 The cost of materials is about $30 to $50 -- a bit less than typical (conventional) HHO electrolyzer systems. 18 It runs at any temperature from room temp to about 180F, but optimized performance is obtained at about 180F. I use a Digital Temperature Controller (Cost = $15) for temperature control. The DTC is about half the cost of materials for the whole system. 19 The ACE cell runs on 12 volts AC. An inverter is needed to convert DC to 12 VAC. No need for a PWM power source. 20 The ACE cell technology and the CC-HOD technology can be blended to design systems using the best of either technology. Page 6

7 As noted earlier in this document, the ACE cell without CC can use electrolysis for smallhydrogen-flow-rate applications (automobiles, trucks), and the ACE cell with CC technology can be used for large-hydrogen-flow-rate applications (locomotives, ships, large motor-generator systems for powering island nations). This design concept is illustrated on the following page. The ACE cell technology and the CC-HOD technology can be blended to design systems using the best of either technology. Catalytic Carbon (CC) is a new material that has given rise to new applications useful in the generation of hydrogen from water. The QUEST project describes a new hydrogen-on-demand technology using catalytic carbon to produce hydrogen (no oxygen) at very high rates, limited only by the design of the apparatus. That technology is called CC-HOD. Under proper conditions, the CC- HOD process can produce hydrogen with very low power input In the early development of the CC-HOD hydrogen-production technology, the only fuels used by the CC-HOD process were water and aluminum in the form of powdered metal granules. Water is cheap, but aluminum powder is available at some cost. The QUEST project goal was to find a less expensive substitute for the aluminum fuel. For more information, please see the QUEST document, available on-line at The ACE cell technology provides one answer to the QUEST objective -- no aluminum is required (but can be used), and no powdered material (fuel) is used, thereby providing a cost reduction advantage. Sacrificial anode chemistry The novel aspect of this new cell design is that it uses the metal anode as a fuel (along with water). Most HHO experimenters use stainless steel and other metals to REDUCE the corrosion of the anode metal. The cell described in this document makes beneficial use of anode corrosion chemistry to produce hydrogen with virtually no oxygen gas production, thereby eliminating the need for separator cell designs to separate the oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. Page 7

8 The design concept shown below describes how the ACE cell technology and the CC- HOD technology can be blended to design systems using the best of either technology. This design space has been demonstrated by an ACE cell on a test vehicle This design space has been demonstrated by CC-HOD hydrogen production Area of iron electrodes Non-linear scale 0 LPM LPM Hydrogen production rate, Liters / minute Electrolysis current required The design space using the CC-HOD technology has been demonstrated (see the on the graph above). The world's first 30 gallon-per-minute (114 liters per minute) process using aluminum metal (in powder form) and catalysts for producing hydrogen for fuel was publicly demonstrated by Phillips Company. Ref: The blend of ACE cell and CC-HOD technology is a new method that can use iron electrodes (bulk metal; not powder) to produce hydrogen at very high rates, not limited by high electrolysis currents. The hydrogen production rates using this technology is limited only by the hardware design. The focus of this document is the ACE cell, which is new and has not been previously documented. The ACE cell is now being demonstrated using an automobile, with results shown by on the above graph. Page 8

9 Small systems, ACE cell. CC not required Large systems, ACE cell using CC-HOD Area of iron electrodes Electrolysis current required ACE cell design space Electrolysis current Area of iron electrodes Nonlinear scale 0 LPM LPM Hydrogen production rate, Liters / minute Design concept: The ACE cell can use electrolysis for small-hydrogen-flow-rate applications (automobiles, trucks), and the ACE cell with CC-HOD technology can be used for large-hydrogen-flow-rate applications (locomotives, ships, large motor-generator systems for powering island nations). For a conventional electrolysis cell, an increase in hydrogen output rate requires more current -- but that is true ONLY if the area of the electrodes remains approximately constant. The CC-HOD technology has shown that if the metal area is LARGE, the electrolysis current can be virtually zero, and the water splitting energy can be supplied chemically. These are two extremes of the design space can be blended as illustrated above. Page 9

10 Separator cells are not needed to produce adequately-pure hydrogen gas The ACE cell produces hydrogen using a simple design that can reduce both complexity and cost of producing hydrogen. The ACE cell does not require a separator-cell design to produce adequately-pure hydrogen gas without the production of significant oxygen gas. The good things about producing hydrogen using an ACE cell, are that (1) virtually all the gas that is produced is hydrogen; (2) virtually no oxygen gas is liberated. The chemistry is described in the following section. Electrolysis of most metals in water can produce hydrogen The ACE cell uses only two things for fuel -- metal and water. Most metal anodes in an electrolysis cell can result in the production of hydrogen (at the cathode) as a result of water splitting and corrosion of the metal. The ACE cell works with most metals, when the anode metal is used as a sacrificial anode. We have chosen iron for one embodiment of our sacrificial anode for the ACE cell because it is cheap, non-toxic and plentiful -- and it can be used in bulk-metal form with no requirement to grind it into a powder. Rusting (corrosion) of iron consists of the formation of hydrated oxides, including Fe 3 and Fe 2 O 3. In an ACE cell, the most important iron oxide is Fe 3. The process is complex and will depend in detail on the prevailing conditions, for example, in the presence of oxygen (from water splitting), the anodic oxidation will be Fe + H 2 O Fe + OH -1 + H +1 (1) The electric field in the water then sweeps the H +1 toward the cathode and the OH -1 toward the anode. In the ACE cell, hydrogen gas is formed as follows: Fe + OH -1 + H +1 Fe 3 + H 2 (2) Overall: Fe + 2H 2 O Fe 3 + H 2 (3) Page 10

11 Equation (3), in balanced form, is: 3Fe + 4H 2 O Fe 3 + 4H 2 (4) This is an efficient reaction. Three iron atoms (3Fe) provides eight hydrogen atoms (4H 2 ), while at the same time sequestering four oxygen atoms ( ). The ACE cell produces hydrogen gas and virtually no oxygen gas. The Fe 3 oxide compound stays in the water, and acts to sequester oxygen and prevent the production and release of oxygen gas. This is how the ACE cell acts as a separator cell -- by splitting water to obtain hydrogen and keeping the oxygen in the water. Simplified explanation of the above chemistry: When an iron anode corrodes, hydrogen gas is produced at the cathode and iron oxides prevent the production of oxygen gas. The ACE cell uses an iron anode, water, an electrolyte and catalytic carbon (CC) In the ACE cell design, water and oxygen are plentiful. The oxygen is supplied by the water-splitting effects of both electrolysis and the water-splitting action of catalytic carbon. The use of CC is optional for small-hydrogen-flow-rate applications, and required for large-hydrogen-flow-rate applications. As explained earlier in this section, small-hydrogen-flow-rate applications can include automobiles and trucks; and the ACE cell with CC-HOD technology can be used for large-hydrogen-flow-rate applications (locomotives, ships, large motor-generator systems for powering island nations) Electrolyte, catalyst and electrode metal The electrolyte we have chosen, for use in the ACE cell, is sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sometimes called SBS. The water-based mixture is Catalytic Carbon in SBS (Saturated Baking Soda). Other electrolytes can be used. The purpose for the CC is to provide very high rate of water splitting, especially when the cell is operated at temperatures in the range of 180F or above. This provides a higher rate of hydrogen production resulting from chemistry described as CC-HOD (Ref: PhillipsCompany.4T.com/HYDROGEN.html). Page 11

12 The ACE cell works well without CC, but the use of CC can provide a higher hydrogen production rate at any given current level, when the ACE cell is operated at a temperature in the range of 180F or above, especially when the iron electrodes have a very high surface area. The surface area is a design variable and can be varied and specified (selected) to provide the hydrogen production rate (LPM) for a specific application.. We selected iron as the anode material for our first proof-of-principle prototype. Aluminum may be separately considered as a special case for reasons described on-line ( Ref: ). The rate of extra hydrogen production is dependent on the metal and the metal area that is used for the ACE cell anode, as explained in Appendix A. Page 12

13 APPENDIX A -- Hydrogen production and anode metal variations in electrolysis cells The ratio of hydrogen gas to oxygen gas can be measured using this kind of apparatus. This appendix provides data obtained using inert electrodes and sacrificial anodes (aluminum and iron). Sacrificial anodes can be used to sequester the oxygen and produce high-purity hydrogen. Page 13

14 Electrolysis of water when inert electrodes are used H2 O2 Note the 2:1 ratio of hydrogen to oxygen. This only occurs when inert electrodes are used. O2 H2 When inert electrodes are used to electrolyze water, the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is 2. HHO gas is 1/3 or 33% oxygen. One type of inert metal is gold. Electrolysis of water using gold electrodes is shown on the following page. Page 14

15 Electrolysis of water when Gold electrodes are used When gold is used for electrodes, the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is 2. Engineering Draft Amount of hydrogen produced when Gold is used for electrodes. Amount of oxygen produced when Gold is used for electrodes. This HHO gas is 1/3 or 33% oxygen. When gold is used for electrodes, the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is 2. Electrolysis of water when aluminum electrodes are used When aluminum is used for electrodes, the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is 4. Amount of hydrogen produced when Aluminum is used for electrodes. Amount of oxygen produced when Aluminum is used for electrodes. This HHO gas is 1/5 or 20% oxygen. Page 15

16 Electrolysis of water when iron electrodes are used When iron is used for electrodes, the ratio of hydrogen to other material is almost 20. Amount of hydrogen produced when iron is used for electrodes. Almost zero oxygen gas is produced when iron is used for electrodes. The material produced is iron oxide. This HHO gas is less than 5% oxygen. Summary -- oxygen concentrations 21% oxygen -- oxygen in air. 33% oxygen -- oxygen in HHO produced using electrolysis with inert-anode. 20% oxygen -- oxygen in HHO produced using electrolysis with aluminum anode. Less than 5% oxygen -- the amount of oxygen in HHO produced using electrolysis with iron electrodes; specifically an iron-anode. The percent oxygen data above are approximations and the % figures can vary, depending on electrolysis experimental conditions. Iron anode electrolysis produces almost no bubbles No bubbles at the anode means no oxygen gas is being liberated at the anode. In our lab (Phillips Company), we evaluated this using experimental methods. The results are shown on the following page. Page 16

17 Iron anode after many days of continuous DC electrolysis. Iron oxide definitely is forming! Note: The oxidation products are different when AC is used, as in the ACE cell. Iron oxide sequesters oxygen. Result: Very few bubbles are produced at the anode, but high hydrogen production occurs at the cathode (see below). 12 to 35 volts DC; 2 amps Iron Very few bubbles SBS Lead Cathode High bubble production rate Lead Cathode is difficult to see, because of the cloud of fine H2 bubbles. Page 17

18 Three reasons for the transient current decline in an electrolysis cell following the application of voltage The three reasons are oxide formation, bubble formation and space charge effects. These three mechanisms are discussed below. Iron Anode Cell current. Typically, Imax = 5 to 30 Amperes. Zinc Anode Aluminum Anode I = 0 Time 0 30 sec 1 min This sketch illustrates the effects of space charge formation and anode surface oxide formation at the initial onset of electrolysis. Iron oxides do not form an electrically-insulating layer. Other metals, including zinc and aluminum, can quickly form a protective oxide layer which tends to limit the current in the cell. Page 18

19 Bubble formation also contributes to the current decline When the cell is started, it produces hydrogen bubbles. The bubbles do not conduct electricity as well as the water/electrolyte combination without bubbles. Consequently, until steady-state bubble production is achieved, the current will decline as shown in the sketch. Steady state operation is usually realized within about 1 minute, with variation depending on the cell construction. Space charge formation near the electrodes also contributes to the current decline immediatly after application of voltage to the cell. The mechanism of space charge formation is beyond the scope of this document, but the theory is well understood in the field of solid state physics. This effect can be used to good advantage, as is done in the ACE cell, if polarity reversal (low frequency AC) is used to power the cell. For the ACE cell electrodes, iron is preferred for the following reasons 1. Iron is cheap. Both new iron and corroded iron work well. Interestingly, corroded iron works well because its surface can be rough, providing more surface area than new iron pipe. 2. The iron oxides do not form an electrically-insulating layer. Page 19

20 APPENDIX B -- ACE cell characteristics and the use of boost mode hydrogen fuel supplementation in automobiles Page 20

21 ACE cell technology does NOT require modification of oxygen sensors on automobiles. Modern fuel-injection automobile engines use oxygen sensors to optimize the air/fuel ratio and the performance of engine. The engine control computer is designed to obtain oxygen from air, which is 21% oxygen. If hydrogen is introduced into the air intake manifold in the form of HHO containing 33% oxygen, the oxygen sensors must be modified to compensate for the difference. Without modification, the engine will run rich and use more fuel than is needed, thereby defeating the fuel-saving objective that can be obtained when hydrogen is introduced into the air input. However, if hydrogen is introduced into the air intake manifold in the form of HHO containing less than 21%, the oxygen sensors do not require modification or adjustment to compensate for the difference. ACE cell technology can introduce hydrogen into the air intake manifold in the form of HHO containing much less than 21% oxygen. This can be done with most metals when used as sacrificial anodes. Of special interest are ACE cell anodes made from iron and aluminum; both of which can be used in cells that do NOT require any kind of complicated separator-cell apparatus designed to separate oxygen from hydrogen. ACE cell technology does NOT vent any gas into the atmosphere. Separator cells are usually designed to vent oxygen into the atmosphere. ACE cell operation does not require venting oxygen (or any other gas) into the atmosphere. Lower cost, safety and hardware simplicity Lower cost, safety and hardware simplicity are the reasons why ACE cell technology can be considered for fuel-cost-saving applications in modern automobiles. ANY use of hydrogen can be a safety hazard and we encourage all users of hydrogen to learn about the safety issues and practice good design and operation of hydrogen equipment. Page 21

22 The ACE cell technology can blend seamlessly into modern automobiles to provide the advantages discussed above. The discussions in this document require a basic knowledge of how modern computer-controlled fuel injection systems use data from oxygen sensors. The following section (Appendix C) discusses Air-fuel ratios and oxygen sensors. Page 22

23 APPENDIX C -- Air-fuel ratios and oxygen sensors Page 23

24 Air fuel ratio (AFR) is the mass ratio of air to fuel present in a combustion process such as in an internal combustion engine or industrial furnace. If exactly enough air is provided to completely burn all of the fuel, the ratio is known as the stoichiometric mixture. For precise AFR calculations, the oxygen content of combustion air should be specified because of possible dilution by ambient water vapor, or enrichment by oxygen additions/ variations. (Ref: The introduction of hydrogen using the ACE cell is an important oxygen-to-fuel variation which the computer WILL take into consideration. The AFR is an important measure for anti-pollution and performance-tuning reasons. The lower the AFR, the richer the mixture. In theory, a stoichiometric mixture has just enough air to completely burn the available fuel. In practice this is never quite achieved, due primarily to the very short time available in an internal combustion engine for each combustion cycle. (Ref: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/air%e2%80%93fuel_ratio) Hydrogen supplementation helps solve this problem because of the high flame front velocity of hydrogen-air combustion. Most of the combustion process completes in approximately 4 5 milliseconds at an engine speed of 6,000 rpm. (100 revolutions per second; 10 milliseconds per revolution) This is the time that elapses from when the spark is fired until the burning of the fuel air mix is essentially complete after some 80 degrees of crankshaft rotation. Catalytic converters are designed to work best when the exhaust gases passing through them are the result of nearly perfect combustion. (Ref: Hydrogen supplementation can improve the performance of the catalytic converter because of the high flame front velocity of hydrogen-air combustion, which leads to more complete combustion of the gasoline fuel. A stoichiometric mixture unfortunately burns very hot and can damage engine components if the engine is placed under high load at this fuel air mixture. Due to the high temperatures at this mixture, detonation of the fuel air mix shortly after maximum cylinder pressure is possible under high load (referred to as knocking or pinging). Detonation can cause serious engine damage as the uncontrolled burning of the fuel air mix can create very high pressures in the cylinder. As a consequence, stoichiometric mixtures are only used under light load conditions. For acceleration and high load conditions, a richer mixture Page 24

25 (lower air fuel ratio) is used to produce cooler combustion products and thereby prevent detonation and overheating of the cylinder head. Hydrogen supplementation can improve the performance of the engine because of the high flame front velocity of hydrogen-air combustion, which leads to more complete combustion of the gasoline fuel even when the engine is operated at non-stoichiometric AFR mixtures. Engine management systems The stoichiometric mixture for a gasoline engine is the ideal ratio of air to fuel that burns all fuel with no excess air. For gasoline fuel, the stoichiometric air fuel mixture is about 15:1 -- for every one gram of fuel, 15 grams of air are required. The fuel oxidation reaction is: (Ref: Any AFR mixture greater than ~15 to 1 is considered a lean mixture. Any AFR mixture less than ~15 to 1 is a rich mixture given perfect (ideal) test fuel (gasoline consisting of solely n-heptane and iso-octane). In reality, most fuels consist of a combination of heptane, octane, a handful of other alkanes, plus additives including detergents, and possibly oxygenators such as MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) or ethanol/methanol. These compounds all alter the stoichiometric ratio, with most of the additives pushing the ratio downward (oxygenators bring extra oxygen to the combustion event in liquid form that is released at the time of combustion. For MTBE-laden fuel, a stoichiometric ratio can be as low as 14.1:1). Vehicles that use an oxygen sensor or other feedback loop to control fuel to air ratio (lambda control), compensate automatically for this change in the fuel s stoichiometric rate by measuring the exhaust gas composition and controlling fuel volume. Vehicles without such controls (such as most motorcycles until recently, and cars predating the mid-1980s) may have difficulties running certain fuel blends (especially winter fuels used in some areas) and may require different jets (or otherwise have the fueling ratios altered) to compensate. Vehicles that use oxygen sensors can monitor the air fuel ratio with an air fuel ratio meter. Page 25

26 APPENDIX D -- Mark I Car test results -- 30% fuel savings This appendix describes experimental work based on the Mark I ACE cell design: Mark 1 -- Uses CC and is shown with the water supply outboard. This document discusses the Mark 1 design. Mark II -- Is an all under-the-hood configuration that uses no CC. The Mark II is a more advanced design. The Mark II version of the ACE cell is described on-line at Page 26

27 Typical performance improvement: 34 MPG is an MPG gain of more than 30% Hydrogen test vehicle: 2004 Buick Mark 1 ACE cell Water and Iron for fuel The ACE cell uses only iron and black water for fuel to produce hydrogen. For convenience, the water tank is mounted outside for engineering convenience. It could easily be mounted under the hood, as the water use rate is small. The automobile uses gasoline and hydrogen for fuel. The hydrogen use results in a fuel cost reduction of about 30%. Page 27

28 Hydrogen input to engine The hydrogen can be injected into the air input to the engine in two locations. Research experimentalists typically inject the hydrogen into the throttle body of the fuel injection system (Port #1), or into the air filter system (Port #2). Both methods are shown below. Port #1 Air hose Port #2 H2 from ACE cell Plugged hose Air filter Page 28

29 Our test vehicle injects hydrogen into only one port. When Port #2 is being used, the hose for Port #1 is intentionally plugged with rubber cement. Use of Port #1 mixes H2 with O2 in the throttle body, providing less HHO available for an explosion in the event of a backfire or flashback event. Use of Port #2 allows better mixing of H2 and O2, and does NOT bypass the air flow rate sensor. This option is good for engines that never backfire. On this Buick test vehicle, I have never seen it backfire, and no flashback events have been observed. Typical performance improvement: 34 MPG is an MPG gain of approximately 31% Counter-intuitive realization regarding using hydrogen as a fuel supplement for automobile engines (boost mode operation) The following is an explanation of the counter-intuitive optimization improvement that can result from the use of hydrogen as a fuel supplement (boost mode) for automobile engines: If hydrogen is introduced into the air intake manifold in the form of HHO containing less than 21%, the engine will run lean (saving gasoline) and the improved combustion efficiency of the gasoline, aided by the injected hydrogen can provide the extra power needed for proper operation. This is called boost mode operation. The reason for improved combustion efficiency of the gasoline, aided by the injected hydrogen, is that the flame-front velocity of hydrogen-air combustion is much greater than that for gasoline-air combustion. These factors and the resulting fuel cost savings are explained in more detail on-line (Ref: Page 29

30 Cell Current Cell Temp Scan Gauge for MPG measurement The test vehicle is instrumented with a meter to measure cell current, a digital temperature controller (DTC) and a scan gauge to accurately measure MPG. A DYI experimenter would probably not need a scan gauge. Most of the hydrogen system is located under the hood, as shown below. This Mark I system has the water container located as shown, for easy access and detailed engineering study. The Mark II system is an allunder-the-hood system. Condensation and water trap. Flashback arrestor Anode and Cathode wiring ACE cell Water tank (yes, it is a modified OJ bottle :) Water and CC mixture (black water) Page 30

31 ACE cell and Test Vehicle performance At a cell current of approximately 8 Amperes, and at a speed of 65 MPH, the gas mileage was measured to be 34 MPG. ACE cell current 65 MPH 34 MPG 34 MPG is an MPG gain of approximately 31%. This is typical, although the MPG measurement is subject to change because of terrain (lower MPG uphill; higher MPG downhill). The hydrogen flow rate, being delivered to the engine, is less than 200 ml/minute of hydrogen, at this cell current. Page 31

32 The Mark I ACE cell uses black water There are two mechanisms of hydrogen production in the ACE cell. One mechanism is to produce hydrogen using electrolysis. The second mechanism of hydrogen production is based on the CC-HOD technology For a full explanation of the CC-HOD technology, please see CC means Catalytic Carbon. The ACE cell uses water with catalytic carbon and an electrolyte. I use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) for a dielectric. It is effective and cheap, usually costing about $1 per box at any grocery store. For carbon, I use crushed coal, but any carbon will work just fine including crushed charcoal (typically fuel used for your barbecue grill) or GAC sold for use as a water filter. You can buy CC or you can make your own CC. Making CC is easy. The method is online at How to make black water 1. Begin by selecting any convenient-size container; either plastic, metal or glass. 2. Fill the container with water to the 3/4 full level with any water -- tap water, ocean water, distilled water, dirty water -- ANY water. 3. Add baking soda until no more of it will dissolve. It is OK to leave a few tablespoons of un-dissolved baking soda in the bottom of the container. 4. Fill the container to the 90%-full level with CC. Mix and stir. 5. When adding black water to the ACE cell water tank, use the POUR-OFF method. Pour the liquid, but do not pour the dregs into the ACE cell water tank. Page 32

33 Temperature measurement The cell current meter and the Digital Temp Controller (DTC) are mounted on the Buick dashboard as shown below. These data were taken during the warm-up, soon after the Buick reached a highway speed of 65 MPH. At this moment, the cell temperature was 61.8C, with an upper-limit goal of 80C (approximately 180F). Temperature effects There are two mechanisms of hydrogen production in the ACE cell. 1. One mechanism is to produce hydrogen using electrolysis. In the ACE cell, the oxygen is retained in the water, and the cell output contains mostly hydrogen and virtually no oxygen. This is done without using any kind of separator-cell design, as explained later in this document. 2. The second mechanism of hydrogen production is based on the CC-HOD technology, using iron instead of aluminum powder for fuel. The CC-HOD technology, described elsewhere, is based on aluminum-water chemistry: 2Al + 6H2O + CC = CC + 2Al(OH)3 + 3H2 For a full explanation of the CC-HOD technology, please see The ACE cells described in this document use a new version of the CC-HOD technology, in which iron is substituted for aluminum, and electrolysis is combined with this iron-anode chemistry to produce hydrogen. The contribution of these two effects is shown in the sketch on the following page. Page 33

34 Beneficial effects of using CC in ACE cells with large electrode area This additional contribution to the hydrogen production rate can ONLY be achieved if the electrode surface area is very large. The area is a design variable. Hydrogen rate produced by the ACE cell The additional hydrogen produced (because of the presence of CC) can range from negligible to large, depending on the design and operation of the ACE cell (iron anode area and operating temperature). Room temp 80C (approximately. 180F) Temperature, degrees C The increase in hydrogen production rate (shown as in the above figure) can only be obtained with the use of CC in the ACE cell, with very-large-area iron electrodes.. CC can be obtained in either of 3 ways 1. You can make your own CC using the method explained on-line: Method: 2. Or, you can purchase CC as a quick way to get started building your ACE cell. CC purchasing information is on-line at: How to get CC from the USA: How to get CC from the UK: 3. Or, you can add carbon granules to the ACE cell, and, over time, the electrolysis environment will activate the carbon and it will become CC. The activation requires about 6 Ampere-hours of cell operation. Page 34

35 APPENDIX E -- Mark I ACE cell system construction methods To the reader: Before reading this section, you are enthusiastically encouraged to first read Page 35

36 System design H2 to engine air intake Flashback arrestor Ground - + Auto Battery ( 12 V) Condensation and water trap Vent hole H2 out INV A Meter Fuse or Circuit Breaker DTC Water level 1.25 inch PVC 2 inch PVC Water tank, 1 Atm. Temp Sensor Electrode array Transparent tube = water level indicator Water overflows Water level +12 VDC when ignition is ON An OBD-2 scan gauge is used to provide accurate MPG data. The scan gauge can measure either instantaneous MPG or and average value of MPG for any period desired. Page 36

37 Neat fit -- prevents sloshing INV End cap 1.25 inch PVC 2 inch PVC A discovery is that the 1.25-inch end-cap outer diameter is a very good and convenient fit to the internal diameter of a 2-inch PVC pipe. This prevents sloshing (and minor spills) of the liquid being held by the 2-inch pipe. Options: This connection can be left open, to allow for easy access during development and testing -- or it can be sealed with rubber cement for the finished prototype. Page 37

38 ACE cell electrode fabrication -- Mark I We use coaxial electrodes, but any other configuration can be used, including plates. The cell construction is illustrated below. Bubble Slot Cathode = any metal. For the Mark I, we use lead because it can be easily formed tightly around the hardware cloth and the anode. Later we used two iron pipes with no slot; a better design. Hardware cloth (plastic screen material) is used to prevent short circuits between the anode and cathode. The anode = any metal. We use iron because iron is cheap, and iron oxides do not form an electrically-insulating layer. In the assembly shown below, the Anode is made from an 8-inch-long section of 3/4 inch cast iron pipe. Below is the completed ICE cell electrode array. Bubble Slot to allow hydrogen bubbles to escape. The electrical connection to the lead cathode is made with a solder connection. The electrical connection to the iron anode is easily made using a press-fit cold weld composed of lead and copper, constrained by iron in a groove made for this purpose. Contact resistance is less than 0.1 ohms for both the anode and the cathode. Page 38

39 What s in the INV box? The ACE cell is defined by using AC to power the electrolysis cell. INV INV INVERTER: 12 VDC input. 12 VAC output. Frequency = 0.01 Hz +12 VDC in from either a fuse or a circuit breaker. The ACE cell is defined by using AC to power the electrolysis cell. +12 VAC out +12 VDC from the DTC, when DTC signals the electrolysis cell to be in the POWER-ON state. Page 39

40 Condensation and water trap Hydrogen and perhaps a bit of water (from condensation) comes in; and the water drops to the bottom of the container, allowing the hydrogen gas to pass through to the output. Water is heavier than oil, so the water goes to the bottom of the container where it is slowly wicked to the cloth evaporator where it is evaporated into the air. When there is no water in the container, the oil maintains a good seal, preventing hydrogen leakage. Any kind of non-water-soluble oil can be used. I use olive oil. The container is a modified milk container from McDonalds. Rubber cement was used to modify the milk container. H2 and water input Space available for water and oil H2 out Oil Wick The trap should be lower than the fuel injection system for best performance. INV Page 40

41 Flashback arrestor H2 is injected into the throttle body between the air filter and the fuel The flashback arrestor was made using the brass-wool method. This kind of flashback arrestor is described in detail on the internet by YouTube videos showing the performance and construction methods for building this kind of flashback arrestor. The construction for our system uses 1/2 inch PVC pipe loosely filled with brass wool. INV Even if virtually-pure H2 is provided by the ICE cell, HHO will result from the mixture of H2 and air (incoming from the air filter). This is a potentially explosive mixture. The purpose of the flashback arrestor is to prevent an explosive flashback event. Page 41

42 MPG measurement The typical DIY builder will not need a scan gauge. The reason I use a scan gauge is that the ACE cell development was a engineering project, and I wanted more data than a typical DIY builders might want. I use the ScanGauge II to provide accurate MPG data. The scan gauge can measure either instantaneous MPG or and average value of MPG for any time period desired. Miles per gallon -- measures accurately from 0 MPG through 100 MPG. Battery voltage (Volts) The ScanGuage owner s manual on-line at: Page 42

43 Temperature control I use a digital temperature controller (DTC) to control the temperature of the ICE cell. It has a relay output that can be used to control a larger power relay to switch high currents to the ICE cell. This DTC is typically found on ebay for a price in the $15 range. For ICE cell typical operation, I set the DTC for an upper limit of 80C or about 180F. When the cell reaches that temp, the ICE cell is switched OFF until it cools to about 175F, at which time the power is re-applied to the ICE cell. A diode can be used as a clamp to limit sparks from back-emf when the power relay coil is switched off. This can extend the lifetime of the DTC relay. Page 43

44 The DTC results in the following switching control 175 to 180F Typical switching of ICE cell current ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON Heat Cool Heat Cool Heat Cool Heat Cool from 180F to 175F 0 minutes 60 minutes Time Current (ICE cell) 15 Amps Typical switching of ICE cell current ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON Heat Cool Heat Cool Heat Cool Heat 0 Amperes 0 minutes 60 minutes Time Residual effect Many DIY hydrogen cell builders have reported that after operating on hydrogen, the mileage improvement continues even after the hydrogen is switched off. This is not completely understood (by me), but I typically see this effect on the Buick test vehicle. When I measure the instantaneous MPG, it remains virtually unchanged when the ICE cell is switched from ON to OFF. I suspect this effect is not due to the ICE cell, but rather it is caused by the ECU, or computer in the engine assembly. Page 44

45 APPENDIX F -- Mark I ACE cell system construction methods To the reader: Before reading this section, you are encouraged read Page 45

46 System design H2 to engine air intake Flashback arrestor Ground - + Auto Battery ( 12 V) Condensation and water trap Vent hole H2 out INV A Meter Fuse or Circuit Breaker DTC Water level 1.25 inch PVC 2 inch PVC Water tank, 1 Atm. Temp Sensor Electrode array Transparent tube = water level indicator Water overflows Water level +12 VDC when ignition is ON An OBD-2 scan gauge is used to provide accurate MPG data. The scan gauge can measure either instantaneous MPG or and average value of MPG for any period desired. Page 46

47 APPENDIX G -- Iron anode chemistry Page 47

48 Chemical forms of iron oxides Engineering Draft Iron(III) oxide or ferric oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Fe 2 O 3. It is one of the three main oxides of iron, the other two being iron(ii) oxide (FeO), which is rare, and iron(ii,iii) oxide (Fe 3 ), which also occurs naturally as the mineral magnetite. The mineral known as hematite, Fe 2 O 3 is the main source of the iron for the steel industry. Fe 2 O 3 is ferromagnetic, dark red, and readily attacked by acids. The form of iron oxide produced in an electrolysis cell depends on many factors, including the applied voltage. AC electrolysis produces different results than DC electrolysis. What kind of iron oxide does DC electrolysis produce? For DC electrolysis, the oxidation products appear to be both Fe2O3 and Fe 3. In our lab, we oxidized iron over a period of weeks at a current of 5 Amperes and an applied voltage of 12 to 35 volts. The iron anode is shown here, with the appearance of both red oxide and black oxide. For DC electrolysis, the oxidation products appear to be both red Fe 2 O 3 and black Fe 3. Sacrificial anode corrosioin from DC electrolysis Current spike The application of DC voltage to an electrolysis cell results in a current spike (transient high current) followed by a slow decay, over a period of 5 seconds to 30 seconds, to a steady state current. The ACE cell operates in a way that uses current during this transient to produce hydrogen. This is done with the use of an inverter to convert DC to AC at a phase reversal frequency of approximately 0.1 Hz. Page 48

49 Voltage waveform for ACE cells The results reported below were obtained with ACE cells built using two iron electrodes, composed of two pipes, one smaller than the other, arranged in a coaxial configuration. The form of iron oxide can be different, depending on whether AC or DC electrolysis is used to oxidize the iron. In our ACE cell, we use AC electrolysis (phase reversal) at a low frequency, typically less than 1 Hz. In these cells, we apply power only during the initial peak-current period. Then, the voltage polarity is reversed after a few seconds, before the current becomes constant = steady state, or DC electrolysis. The following discussion describes the black Fe 3 produced in our ACE cells. What kind of iron oxide does AC electrolysis produce? For AC electrolysis, the primary oxidation product of iron electrodes appear to be Fe 3. In our tests, we oxidized iron in our test vehicle over a period of several days, under normal driving conditions, at a current of 5 to 10 Amperes and an applied voltage of 12 volts AC, 0.1 Hz. The iron oxide produced in these tests had the appearance of only black oxide, as shown below. One of the two magnets (left side) is clean, and has not been exposed to the black oxide. The magnet on the right shows how the black oxide is attracted to a magnet. The particles of black oxide are NOT magnetically attracted to each other. This is shown by the uniform distribution of the black particles in the water. The saucer contains liquid removed from our ACE cell after operating the cell for a period of several days, under normal driving conditions, at a current of 5 to 10 Amperes and an applied voltage of 12 volts AC, 0.1 Hz. The black residue is Magnetite, Fe 3. It is quite inert, non toxic and can be disposed of down the drain. Page 49

50 Magnetic removal of iron oxide from the cell The results shown below illusstrate that a magnet can be used to remove the iron oxide from the ACE cell, to keep it clean. The coin on the bottom of the bowl is a quarter. The black particles, assumed to be Fe 3, are not attracted to the non-magnetic metals in the quarter. A magnet was placed under the bowl, but not in the water. The black particles, assumed to be Fe 3, ARE attracted to magnetic field from the magnet under the bowl. The black particles were dried in air to become black powder. The particles show no indication of attracting each other via magnetic forces. Page 50

51 The black particle sizes were measured using a measuring microscope. The results shown above show that the particle diameter is much less than 20 microns, probably in the range of to 1 microns, or 1 to 1000 nanometers. Fe 3 nanoparticles It appears that the ACE cell produces nanoparticles. Iron oxide nanoparticles are iron oxide particles with diameters between about 1 and 100 nanometers. The two main forms are magnetite (Fe 3 ) and its oxidized form maghemite (gamma-fe 2 O 3 ). They have attracted extensive interest due to their superparamagnetic properties and their potential applications in many fields (although Co and Ni are also highly magnetic materials, they are toxic and easily oxidized). Electrical insulator: The dry Fe 3 was bunched together and the electrical resistance was measured. The resistance is VERY high. This is desirable as a by-product of electrolysis in the ACE cell, because the formation of Fe 3 does not lead to short circuits between the electrodes. This was confirmed by operating the ACE cell in our test vehicle. Page 51

52 Chemistry of Fe 3 Magnetite has an inverse spinel structure with oxygen forming a face-centered cubic crystal system. In magnetite, all tetrahedral sites are occupied by Fe3+ and octahedral sites are occupied by both Fe3+ and Fe2+. Maghemite differs from magnetite in that all or most of the iron is in the trivalent state (Fe3+) and by the presence of cation vacancies in the octahedral sites. Maghemite has a cubic unit cell in which each cell contains 32 O ions, 211/3 Fe3+ ions and 22/3 vacancies. The cations are distributed randomly over the 8 tetrahedral and 16 octahedral sites. Due to its 4 unpaired electrons in the atomic 3d shell, an iron atom has a strong magnetic moment. Ions Fe2+ have also 4 unpaired electrons in 3d shell and Fe3+ have 5 unpaired electrons in 3d shell. Therefore, when crystals are formed from iron atoms or ions Fe2+ and Fe3+ they can be in ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic states. In the paramagnetic state, the individual atomic magnetic moments are randomly oriented, and the substance has a zero net magnetic moment if there is no magnetic field. These materials have a relative magnetic permeability greater than one and are attracted to magnetic fields. The magnetic moment drops to zero when the applied field is removed. But in a ferromagnetic material, all the atomic moments are aligned even without an external field. A ferrimagnetic material is similar to a ferromagnet but has two different types of atoms with opposing magnetic moments. The material has a magnetic moment because the opposing moments have different strengths. If they have the same magnitude, the crystal is antiferromagnetic and possesses no net magnetic moment. The ordering of magnetic moments in ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and ferrimagnetic materials decreases with increasing temperature. Production of hydrogen and Fe 3 Lavoisier produced hydrogen for his experiments on mass conservation by reacting a flux of steam with metallic iron through an incandescent iron tube heated in a fire using the following chemical reactions: Page 52

53 Double advantage of using iron electrodes in the ACE cell Two chemical advantages result from using iron electrodes in the ACE cell: Engineering Draft 1. Oxygen is sequestered in the liquid, therefore the ACE cell produces only hydrogen, and virtually no oxygen (no HHO). 2. The production of Fe 3 can produce hydrogen, as described on the previous page. The ACE cell does not produce red-rust gunk Fe 2 O 3 is dark red and has often been an undesirable result of using iron and steel anodes in DC electrolysis cells. The ACE cell does not produce red-rust gunk. This can be done automatically in the ACE cell when the Fe 2 O 3 becomes Fe 3. The conversion of Fe 2 O 3 to Fe 3 is well known in the field of glass making. Page 53

54 APPENDIX H -- Commercial and novel uses of Fe 3 Fe 3 has commercial value Fe 3 is sold as both a retail and wholesale product. Amazon is a seller of Fe 3. Are there uses for Fe 3? Fe 3 can be recycled to produce iron. Fe 3 has found unique uses in a wide ranging field of research. One field of research uses Fe 3 to vary the light transmission through windows, using voltage control, as explained below. Page 54

55 Novel uses of Fe 3 -- Voltage-controlled window research One field of research has shown that Fe 3 nanoparticles can be used to make windows that transmit light (or not) by controlling a voltage that is applied directly to the windows. Fe 3 nanoparticle Figure 15. Transmission vs. wavelength of Fe3O4 nanoparticle device at different voltages. Now, we consider catalytic carbon The information in this Appendix does not involve Catalytic Carbon. Below are some considerations combining Fe 3 and Catalytic Carbon technologies. Page 55

56 Fe 3 and Catalytic Carbon The far-future research field includes the unusual reactions between nanoparticles and carbon. We have not investigated this field of interest, but it seems interesting because we hold the patent for catalytic carbon. The following is a photo and a reference from this field of research. Figure 7. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of Fe3O4 nanoparticle in a carbon shell. During the heating process, carbon forms (light grey color) a shell around the Fe3O4 nanoparticles. This combines the individually smaller Fe3O4 nanoparticles (dark color) into a bigger particle shown. New discovery / invention The ACE cell is a new and less-costly method for fabrication of Fe 3 nanoparticles. In the above voltage-controlled window research, 0.3g of Ferrocene (Fe(C 5 H 5 ) 2 was added to 30g (22ml) of acetone in an ultrasonic bath for 1 minute to ensure particle dispersion. Next, 1.5ml of H 2 O 2 was added to the solution. The solution was then transferred to a Teflon-lined enclosure and afterwards to an autoclave enclosure. The contents were heated at 200 degrees Celsius for 48 hours. The chemical reaction that takes place creates the Fe 3 nanoparticles. This appears to be a much more complex and expensive process for fabricating Fe 3 nanoparticles than if an ACE cell were used. Summary: The ACE cell is a new and less-costly method for fabrication of Fe 3 nanoparticles. This is not the purpose of the cell, but rather a discovery that can make the development of nanotechnology less expensive. Page 56