Bryan's Blog

While attending Las Vegas BikeFest last weekend, I ran across a vendor from HHO Fuel L.L.C. who was espousing the merits of a hydrogen fuel conversion system that claims to increase gas mileage while concurrently reducing engine wear. Sound too good to be true? Probably. But his claims still caught my attention.
 
The HHO Fuel system aims to boost the amount of hydrogen in the air/fuel mixture. Hydrogen is said to burn much faster and hotter than gasoline and raising its presence in the standard fuel mixture is claimed to ‘result in enhanced combustion, improved mileage and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.’

What you do is attach the cylindrical HHO Fuel unit to your engine. The small, round tank is where the molecule-splitting process takes place. Inside is distilled water and a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. A 10-amp electrical current is introduced to induce electrolysis in the water. This is said to ‘split the molecular structure of water, which separates into hydrogen and oxygen molecules.’ The result is a hydrogen-rich brownish gas that is sucked into the cylinder though the vehicles’ induction system. The new elixir supposedly burns hotter and more complete than the basic gas-based mixture, so more of the primary fuel (gas or diesel) is being used and less waste is exiting your exhaust pipe. For some reason pictures of Venkman and Egon keep popping into my head along with the words ‘don’t cross the streams!’
 
The estimated increase to gas mileage is claimed to be at least 25%, all without reducing horsepower. The units I saw for sale were tall, black, cylinder-shaped canisters. Even though the system was initially developed for use in car engines, the proprietor ensured me that it works in motorcycle engines as well. He even planned on offering a chrome version for motorcyclists, because he knows how much bikers like the shiny stuff.
 
The package for a four-cylinder engine costs $500 plus $100 installation fee. I didn’t get a quote for a motorcycle engine, but $500 is the lowest price point I could find, so a motorcycle-based version will probably ring in around the same area.
 
Is this nothing but a snake oil salesman trying to make a quick buck off an idea, or would the system actually work? What do you think?
 
I did see an expose on one of the TV shows a while back, Nightline or one of those that tested a similar system. Its benefits could not be proven. But it’s still an interesting concept.