Fomoco of Australia Extends Support to Hydrogen Research

Author: Lauren Woods

The auto industry has seen the increase in the demand for eco-friendly vehicles as the global community becomes more aware of the threats of global warming. To address the demand, car manufacturers have been investing in the development of eco-friendly vehicles.

One of the more promising technologies is the use of hydrogen as fuel. Hydrogen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere and when burned, this alternative fuel produces no greenhouse gases. That is why car manufacturers like the Ford Motor Company have been making partnerships to do research on the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Recently, FoMoCo of Australia partnered with the University of Melbourne to delve in further into the hydrogen fuel cell technology.

The university also recently received a $1.2 million grant form the Victorian State Government. With that grant and with Ford supplying engines to the university, the practical use of hydrogen as vehicle fuel will be studied even better. Ford Australia President Tom Gorman said that “Ford Australia is proud to extend our relationship with the University of Melbourne through this important project.” The study will not only focus on the practical use of hydrogen as fuel for vehicles but also on the production of hydrogen.

While hydrogen is abundant, it combines with other elements. So, therefore, for it to be used as fuel, it has to be extracted first. Another problem in the use of hydrogen as fuel is the construction of fuel cells. As of today, fuel cells are fragile and can only withstand low vibrations which means that the current technology is impractical for off-road vehicles since the bumps encountered during off-road driving can severely damage the whole fuel cell assembly.

The participation of Ford on the hydrogen research is not surprising since the company is one of the leading car manufacturers which have already been investing on alternative fuel development. Gorman has this to say about Ford’s dedication to the development of alternative fuel vehicles: “Globally, Ford Motor Company is a leader in the development of alternative fuel vehicles and technologies. The Escape Hybrid, our range of E85-capable flexi-fuel vehicles, and the recent showcasing of the world's first drivable fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle with plug-in capability are all examples of our broader global efforts.”

Gorman added that: “The University of Melbourne project is the first to research hydrogen engine alternatives using an Australian sourced engine, and will be an important complement to these initiatives.” The University of Melbourne will be aiming to produce a hydrogen fueled six-cylinder engine from Ford. The technology being developed at the university is called the Hydrogen Assisted Jet Ignition or HAJI for short. This technology when used in a car can provide a performance similar to that of a car equipped with a
Neuspeed cold air intake system.

About the Author:

Given her background on cars as an auto insurance director, Lauren Woods finds the world of cars to be constantly changing.

HHO Gas Car Hybrids Hydrogen On Demand Fuel Cells - Can We Reduce Our Dependence On Foreign Oil?

Author: Pete Marks

HHO gas cars are making the news and one has to wonder if this type of technology can reduce our dependence on foreign oil. HHO gas car kits are available online and are claiming an increase in gas mileage up to 100%. When you do a little more research it appears that 15 - 40% seems more typical.

You could always purchase a hybrid car but these cars are not cheap costing thousands of dollars.

With oil consumption increasing globally and through 2009 it is expected that consumption in the U.S. should increase about 0.8 percent as younger drivers come on board. As third word countries oil consumption increases it will put a further burden on current supplies. The good news is that current supplies will continue to output more barrels per day and add to the current supply so overall this effect will be that supplies will not continue to get any tighter. It is expected that current oil and gas prices will be somewhat stable through 2009. Even with gasoline prices remaining about the same it still put s burden on many drivers who have a limited budget. This will leave many drivers looking for alternative ways to increase gas mileage or cut back on driving and investigate other methods of improving gas mileage such as HHO gas car kits.

With current government figures showing that about 60% of our crude is imported even a minimal increase in gas mileage of 15% would be enough to tip the scales and reduce foreign oil imports. Couple HHO technology with other hybrid car technologies and it would be very possible to seriously reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It would also have an impact on global warming due to the reductions in emissions.

With gas prices increasing every time you fill up many people are looking for alternatives to save fuel. HHO gas car kits are becoming more popular as an alternative energy source. Many call an HHO cell a hydrogen fuel cell or hydrogen on demand system. HHO gas is converted from water, a catalyst, and electrical current. Water for gas is often the claim. This would be great to take an existing technology to convert your current car to a water burning vehicle.

Water as gas has been known to help keep an engine clean less carbon buildups, better emissions including an increase in horsepower and less trips to the gas pump. Keep in mind though that it is only being use as a supplement that is introduced into the intake manifold and burned along with gasoline or diesel. In many cases HHO gas cars are still considered experimental.

A typical HHO gas hydrogen on demand fuel cell may do well on a small four cylinder engine. As the size of the engine increases in liters it is not uncommon to see kits or experimenters use more cells. I have seen kits for 8 cylinder five liter engines with 4 to 6 HHO fuels cells. In all it also depends on the efficiency of the hydrogen cell on how many may be used.

There are many forums online that focus on the use of HHO gas hybrids and the use of homemade fuel cells. These fuels cells have been installed on cars, truck, motorcycles even lawnmowers. Most HHO or browns gas forums focus on creating more gas from a HHO fuel cell. With as much interest and the buzz online concerning hydrogen on demand systems it is no wonder that homemade HHO gas generators have become popular with do it yourself hobbyists and experimenters. Home made HHO gas car kits can often be manufactured for under a $100 and installed in less than an hour and removed in minutes. These conversions do not require complex modifications.

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Enjoying the Internet and latest technologies please visit >>> Increase Gas Mileage Improvement DIY.

Hydrogen Fuel Gains Momentum

Author: Lauren Woods

The auto industry has been forced to take drastic steps to combat the recent spikes in the price of petroleum products. Different frontiers in the alternative fuel field have been put under scrutiny hoping that these fuels will one day eliminate the world’s dependence on petroleum products. Biodiesel and electricity are some of the ways viewed as clean substitutes for gasoline and diesel as fuel and power sources.

Another alternative fuel under development is hydrogen. The use of hydrogen is seen as the future of zero emission vehicles since this element when used as fuel produces only water instead of the harmful gas that are emitted by burned petroleum products.

Recently, the use of hydrogen as fuel gained momentum as Linde Gas announced that they will be the sole provider of hydrogen fuel for the National Hydrogen Association’s (NHA) conference being held in San Antonio, Texas. The company is part of the Linde Group and is the only company with the technology to provide hydrogen fuel to any hydrogen fueled vehicle.

The company has the technology to produce and provide hydrogen in liquid or gaseous form for fuel-cell vehicles. Among the auto makers that Linde Gas will be supplying include BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Honda, General Motors, Toyota, and Volkswagen. These automakers are known for their current research and developmental studies in the use of hydrogen as fuel for their future vehicles.

Joachim Wolf, the Executive Director for Hydrogen Solutions of the Linde Group, has this to say about their technology: “Fueling and driving hydrogen-powered vehicles just got easier and more energy efficient, thanks to technology developed by Linde. As the theme of this year’s NHA conference is ‘Hydrogen: Here and Now,’ it is only appropriate for Linde to demonstrate our unique capability of fuelling all vehicles at this important event.”

As of today, the company has already equipped more than sixty hydrogen refueling stations all over the world according to Wolf. He also maintained that the company is expected to meet the future demands for hydrogen as fuel.

The efficiency of hydrogen as fuel has already been tested on the BMW Hydrogen 7 Series. The said concept vehicle have been tested to travel significantly more miles before refueling compared to other prototypes using hydrogen as fuel. At the conference, spokespersons from the Linde Group will talk about the safety of hydrogen when used as fuel which is one of the main concerns of the public given the fact that hydrogen is highly flammable in nature.

Another issue to be addressed at the conference is the material that will be used in storing the fuel. With more and more car makers putting in effort to produce a hydrogen-powered zero emission vehicles like General Motors, it will only be a matter of time before fuel efficient vehicles equipped with Chevy cold air intake to increase fuel efficiency are replaced by zero emission vehicles burning hydrogen as fuel.

About the Author:
Given her background on cars as an auto insurance director, Lauren Woods finds the world of cars to be constantly changing.