Home Made Hydrogen Generators for Passenger Vehicles

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Home Made Hydrogen Generators for Passenger
Vehicles

• Information for responders regarding consumers
  efforts to make their dollars go farther

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Response

• Units dispatched to an MVA
• Upon arrival responders find one vehicle with
  significant damage
• While assessing the vehicle, responders note a
  rust-colored spill and glass containers inside
  the hood

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Vehicle has travelled through the far wall,
displaced the dumpster, come to a stop, and then
reversed back into the position pictured. Note
the rust colored spill
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Vehicle first travelled through these trees, then
through the steel reinforced brick wall, pushing
the dumpster forward
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Responders make access to remove patient
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Patient care and removal
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Responders noted a wooden box visible beneath hood
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A glass jar was noted in the box
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Wires were noted to be attached to the jars
filled with a rust-colored liquid
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Hydrogen Generator

• At this point responders suspected a homemade
  hydrogen generator
• Hydrogen generators are meant to use electrical
  energy conducted through water to release and
  capture hydrogen, sending it through the
  vehicles air intake
• Design is meant to increase the efficiency of the
  combustion process, resulting in lower emissions
  and better fuel economy
• Kits and how-to guides are available online

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Anode ()
Cathode (-)
Here you can identify the cathode and anode
terminals on the jars, as well as the coil of
electrolysis wires above the broken jar. This
process results in the oxidation of the materials
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Immersion plates (in this case, wires) coiled
around plastic frame
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Wiring distributing power to the six electrolysis
cells. Also note the flexible tubing for vapor
transmission
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Near firewall you can see the red manifold that
consolidates hydrogen vapor from the six cells
into one single tube
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The consolidated vapor tube discharges directly
into the air intake behind the air filter
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A pH test of the liquid in the jar resulted in a
9.0 reading
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There is a cutoff switch located on the dashboard
to prevent power generation when vehicle is not
running. Many systems are wires into the ignition
switch to prevent power drain and excessive
production
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Note black box with blue wire attached. This may
be the inverter used to boost the current to the
cells above the 12V supplied by the battery
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Precautions

• In the event shown, it is undetermined if the
  generator had anything at all to do with the
  accident.
• Responders questioned whether, if powered up for
  an extended period, the generator could have
  permeated the air in the engines intake with
  hydrogen sufficiently to burn in an explosive
  nature upon startup (accident occurred in a
  parking lot). Witnesses stated the vehicle was
  revved up near full throttle before, during,
  and after the crash
• This is merely speculation, and the likelihood of
  the generator being a contributing factor is
  unsubstantiated at this time
• Keep in mind that hydrogen is a flammable gas, so
  prevent sources of ignition in the area of these
  generators just as if dealing with gasoline or
  other flammable hazards, and secure power to the
  vehicle as early as possible to power down any
  active chemical process

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Alternative fuel

• With the cost of gas what it is, expect to see
  more people try out ways to conserve fuel
• Commercial kits like this are available online
• Websites such as http//waterpoweredcar.com/
  provide information and discussion pages on the
  subject of hydrogen as a power source

Response Detail Agencies The Woodlands Fire
Department, The Woodlands, TX Montgomery County
Hospital District EMS Texas Dept Public Safety,
Montgomery County Sheriffs Office 02 September,
2008