Hydrogen Hybrid Technologies Begins First Korean Installations
02 November 2007
Hydrogen Hybrid Technologies Inc. has begun installations of Hydrogen Fuel Injection (HFI) products on transport trucks in Korea in partnership with a local emissions control vendor, Winner Ltd. HFI uses on-board electrolysis to split water and vent the resulting hydrogen and oxygen directly into the air intake of the engine.
HFI technology is installed as an add-on to diesel and gasoline engines where it significantly reduces a wide variety of emissions (CO, PM, HC, CO2 and NOx) while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption. HFI units are being used by more than 150 fleets of long-haul transport trucks, ambulances, municipal buses and other heavy equipment.
The government of Korea has recently enacted legislation that has required a sharp improvement in the exhaust emissions from transport trucks operating in the capital of Seoul and surrounding communities. Trucking companies that retrofit their vehicles with technology selected from a list of government approved products will be able to continue to operate in the new low-emission areas, which cover about 70% of the country.
The first HFI installations will be subjected to extensive trials to provide the data that Winner will utilize to have Hydrogen Fuel Injection added to the list of qualified technologies. The goal is to have that process concluded, before the end of 2007.
Hydrogen Hybrid Technologies Inc. has installed about 140 HFI add-on units to date. They claim more hp (% ?), guaranteed 10% less fuel consumption, and less (% ?) pollutants such as CO, CO2, PM, HC and NOX.
The exact increase in hp and reduction in various pollutants is still a bit of a mistery and probably varies a lot from one vehicle to another.
It would be useful to know the average improvement, by vehicle category, over extended periods for various usage.
Assuming that ICE efficiency can be improved 10% + while reducing fuel consumption and pollutants by 10% + at an average cost of less than $10k, it would be a win win apllication within a very short period (probably within 1 to 2 years in most cases).
If expected results are realized, all city buses, garbage trucks and large delivery trucks should be equipped on a priority basis.
Posted by: Harvey D | 02 November 2007 at 08:53 AM
This would be a great project for Kim Jong-il
Posted by: DS | 02 November 2007 at 09:35 AM
What an interesting idea. It uses the 12V system of an existing ICE vehicle to electrolyze distilled water for injection into the engine. Amazing that this improves energy efficiency. My guess would have been that it would be worse.
Posted by: Jim G. | 02 November 2007 at 10:04 AM
It may improve efficiency simply because it lets the alternator run at full efficiency all the time.
You'd get the same benefit if you just turned the alternator on/off as needed.
Posted by: AES | 02 November 2007 at 01:50 PM
Injecting hydrogen into a conventionally fueled ICE seems to have a lot of promise. The amount needed is very small which avoids the problems with H2 as the main fuel.
Ford, for whatever reason, seems to have a strong interest in H2 with ICE. They are currently funding research at an Australian university. About six months ago GCC had a post about it.
The project is based upon work done for a Phd thesis down there.
Posted by: K | 03 November 2007 at 07:21 PM
K, what do you mean down there, not from where I'm standing!
There are fuel additives and blends specific to every real engine these all require attention to detail or if they dont and the device even runs , It'll probably blow up and then efficiency really goes out the window.(I think the boy scouts taught me that)
In Victoria brown coal genaraters wouldn't ever get an operating permit wihout conditioning to remove the water and particle sizing to increase the oxidation.
This requires energy inputs and barely makes them viable even then. As the $ real costs to the environment are included say by way of carbon tax these units will require much serious upgrade to remain in operation.
Posted by: Arnold | 04 November 2007 at 03:10 PM
K, what do you mean down there, not from where I'm standing!
There are fuel additives and blends specific to every real engine these all require attention to detail or if they dont and the device even runs , It'll probably blow up and then efficiency really goes out the window.(I think the boy scouts taught me that)
In Victoria brown coal genaraters wouldn't ever get an operating permit wihout conditioning to remove the water and particle sizing to increase the oxidation.
This requires energy inputs and barely makes them viable even then. As the $ real costs to the environment are included say by way of carbon tax these units will require much serious upgrade to remain in operation.
Posted by: Arnold | 04 November 2007 at 03:27 PM
I'd be interested to know how much H2 is produced by the device, relative to the amount of air consumed by the engine.
Posted by: Chris | 05 November 2007 at 09:35 AM
Cris ,
If you go to topics/hydrogen/15-3-2007,an interesting article re BMW's H7 announcing the development of a hydrogen sensor that detects the generally accepted lowest explosive mixture in air as 4%.
My recollection of varios articles re various fuels, including proprietry blends from 2%, Generally 4% but a 70-30 mix methane- H is also uder research.And 10 + 15 % Of course the Ideal percentage depends on the fuel.
I remember laughfing painfully at the thought that this was breakthrough technology, to be deployed inside the vehicle cabin to warn of potential explosive mixtures of 4%.
Although confess I am not informed as to other sensors that may be available for delivery or exhaust side monitoring these would surely be necessary for engine management.
But to answer your Question How much? The answer seems to be at this stage 'a useful amount engine demand would depend on engine size, fuel used desirable max, limted by practical realites.
Posted by: Arnold | 06 November 2007 at 02:46 PM
Cris ,
If you go to topics/hydrogen/15-3-2007,an interesting article re BMW's H7 announcing the development of a hydrogen sensor that detects the generally accepted lowest explosive mixture in air as 4%.
My recollection of varios articles re various fuels, including proprietry blends from 2%, Generally 4% but a 70-30 mix methane- H is also uder research.And 10 + 15 % Of course the Ideal percentage depends on the fuel.
I remember laughfing painfully at the thought that this was breakthrough technology, to be deployed inside the vehicle cabin to warn of potential explosive mixtures of 4%.
Although confess I am not informed as to other sensors that may be available for delivery or exhaust side monitoring these would surely be necessary for engine management.
But to answer your Question How much? The answer seems to be at this stage 'a useful amount'.
Engine demand would depend on engine size, fuel used desirable max, limted by practical realites.
Posted by: Arnold | 06 November 2007 at 02:49 PM