Water electrolysis HHO conversion. Thermodynamics

[bob102939]

I was going to post in the chemical section but not much activity over there. I was curious if HHO conversion has been explored in length here? Either as a fuel additive for automotive applications or for independent fuel?

Per my understanding, HHO is called "Browns gas" which is some magical combination of of H and O that stays in gas form. Per some research there might be some practicality to this for burning an intensely hot flame but that still raises the question, does energy in = energy out in this application? obviously there is an immense amount of energy in water but I was always taught that the energy to crack it is very high.

That, however, does not mean someone cannot re-write the book or find new ways around this. If the conversion makes practical sense, I would love to use this product for use in a steam generator but obviously if it takes more electric to produce the HHO than you get BTUs out, that jus does not make sense. I am wondering if the industry is already telling me the answer since this was developed way back in the 60s and still not being used....

Every month, I hear of some magician, non-engineer type trying to make wild claims that their car is running on water. I will believe it when I see it. Hydrogen burns VERY fast and probably would not make the ideal combustion fuel...

 

[swall]

There is a site near Muskegon Michigan that does this. Water is pumped uphill into a holding pond using off peak power, then when demand is high, the water flows downhill through a penstock to run a turbine.

 

[SomptingGuy]

Likewise Dinorwig Power Station in Wales. I must get round to visting it next time I'm in the vicinity.

- Steve

 

[kjoiner]

Lake Oconee in Georgia also utilizes pumped storage:

http://www.georgiapower.com/lakes/oconee_history.asp

Kyle

 

[black2003cobra]

bob102939,

Snake oil aside, I thought I would answer this one question you posed:
"I fail to see how accelerating the combustion rate would offer any benefit"

A faster burn speed, (i.e., shorter burn duration), does actually increase thermal-conversion efficiency. The shorter the duration, the closer to a constant-volume cycle. It also reduces MBTT.

Regards