If you are reading this, you have likely heard about cars, trucks, and buses using hydrogen fuel cells instead of standard gasoline and diesel. HHO generators are in a category of their own as a supplement to gasoline. This article will cover the basics of what an HHO generator is, how it operates, and why they are used.
What is an HHO Generator?
HHO stands for “hydrogen, hydrogen, oxygen”, the gasses that compose water. An HHO generator is constructed of several metal plates through which an electric current is passed. This electric current, when passed through water, is the basis of a process called electrolysis. Electrolysis has two effects, the most well-known being removing material from one piece of metal and transferring it to the surface of another. This same process also wreaks havoc on marine parts on boats and is also used for processes such as gold plating. But this application is meant for more useful means.
How Does an HHO Generator Operate?
There are two types of generators, both of which operate identically except for where the majority of the water is stored. The first is known as a Wet Cell. In a Wet Cell, a large container such as a jar or other non-metallic container is filled with water where a series of plates are immersed. The other type of generator is known as a Dry Cell. In a Dry Cell, a separate reservoir contains the water and trickles it to the generator through a tube. Dry Cells are slightly more complicated and refined to fabricate but are known to be more effective, more efficient, and more convenient to use once in place. Instead of being immersed, a Dry Cell has holes in its plates to allow the water to flow through.
In both types, the plates are charged with electricity, alternating polarity from one plate to the next and insulated to prevent electrical shorts. Contrary to popular belief, in this application, these plates operate most efficiently at around 2 volts DC with a maximum of 6 cells in a series unit. The 6-cell maximum accounts for the 12vdc system they are installed in. Although only 6 cells can be used in a unit, multiple units can be used to generate more and more gasses. Typically these units draw around 10 amps of current but can vary depending on construction.
How are HHO Generators Used?
Once the molecules are separated, the gases flow upward out of the unit to be collected and transferred into a vehicle’s intake. In a typical installation, this is used to supplement a standard fuel such as gasoline and not to replace it. The result is a more complete and even burning of the fuel. When burning gasoline by itself, there are variations in how the fuel is burned because of the spacing of the spray and the empty space left between the droplets. Since hydrogen burns 10X faster than gasoline it fills those tiny gaps in combustion, effectively connecting all of the droplets.
Since gasoline alone leaves some fuel unburned, the addition of hydrogen helps to improve the function of the engine in many ways. With the addition of hydrogen, the fuel burns more completely meaning increases in fuel economy. This can also contribute to minor power increases as well as being more environmentally friendly leaking fewer hydrocarbons from your exhaust.
There are cases where people have built generator systems large enough to run a full-size vehicle and some small engines as a replacement for gasoline. Although plausible, that isn’t their intended purpose and draws a large amount of current for a system of that magnitude.