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| August, 2009 - Issue 3 |
In my own quest for greater efficiency, I began experimenting with an Aquapulser plasma spark system on my Honda XR400 dirt bike, about a month ago. As I explain in our "What's Hot" section, the goal of the plasma spark is to create a much bigger, hotter spark in the combustion chamber of an engine, resulting in better performance and lower emissions. Mounting the unit on a dirt bike proved to be challenging. I found the best One thing I noticed right away was that the RPM's of the engine would increase when the Aquapulser unit was turned on. The higher the RPM's were before switching the unit on - the more noticeable the increase. Next was the dyno test: After two runs - one without the Aquapulser and one with - the resulting effect with the unit on was a very slight increase in HP and an increase in torque through a wider RPM range; not as significant as I had hoped. Emission results were puzzling: better under 4500 RPM's and worse after. Unfortunately, my bike was running very rich to begin with which may have affected the results. Convinced that there is still something to be had here, I plan on spending some time with the bike, dialing it in to run just a little leaner, before the next dyno testing. I'll let you know the results! Thanks for reading, If you'd like to submit an article or product idea, please send to: hhonews@yahoo.com |
Plasma Spark A regular, coil ignition system, effectively utilizes only about 15% of the coil's output, resulting in increased fuel consumption, and creating exhaust gases that contain a wide-range of highly toxic components - even at light loads. Plasma spark gets the job done better than a longer lasting, cooler spark. In an internal combustion engine, some of the benefits include: reduced emissions, smoother running engines, better mileage, increased horsepower, and increased torque through a wider RPM range. One unique feature of a plasma spark is its ability to explode water, and many experimenters have documented their attempts to do just that. You can view numerous YouTube videos that portray the impressive "crackling" that appears when water is misted onto an operating plasma spark. While the holy grail of HHO enthusiasts is to run a car entirely on water, plasma spark might just be the ticket to getting over the hurdle. Combing HHO with water vapor and using a plasma spark system to ignite the mixture, could be a possible fuel alternative. Stay tuned! --------------------- Featured Product
Aquapulser RPG 4700 Radiant Plasma Generator If you're interested in experimenting with plasma spark, but would rather not build your own system, this is the turn-key solution for you. The RPG 4700 is a proof-of-concept, add-on plasma ignition capacitor charger/discharger module, designed to convert a standard, low energy ignition spark to a high energy plasma spark. With a wide input range from 6-18 volts (optimal voltage is 12-18 volts), the RPG 4700 can operate from any DC power supply making it ideal for automotive and other portable, outdoor, high energy plasma applications, such as Tesla coils. It works with any ignition system, CDI, non-CDI, MSD, etc., with the exception of Coil Over Plug systems (COP). Amperage draw on the unit is very reasonable, running at about 3 amps at 13 volts max. Installing one of these systems will require low impedance, copper core ignition cables and, depending on mode of operation and number of cylinders, you will need external 15 to 20 KV, microwave oven diodes. It is recommended to use only microwave oven diodes as they can handle high surge currents. In addition, the Aquapulser RPG 4700 requires non-resistor plugs which are cheap and easily available for virtually all engine makes. For best results, the engine will have to be optimized for plasma spark ignition which includes, but is not limited to: fuel intake adjustments for lean burn fuel ratios, advancing ignition timing to top dead center, etc. See the Aquapulser website for more information and details. |
| Reflections on Electropolishing
The process known as electropolishing is sometimes described as "reverse plating," or " super passivation." It is a controlled, electrochemical process that removes a very thin layer of substrate materials from the metal's outer layer, creating a smooth, highly reflective surface. This process is frequently used on stainless steel, especially the 300 and 400-series grades that are relatively high in both nickel and chromium content.
So what kind of results can you expect from electropolishing your cell's stainless steel plates? According to Spodie: an average drop in amperage of 46% and an increase in HHO output. "A normal cell, running at 20 amps, would operate at 12-13 amps and put out 10-12% more gas, if electropolished," concludes Spodie. Working with Dustin Colina of Allbright Electropolishing Inc., in Clearwater, Florida, has been very positive for Spodie, "Dustin likes working with HHO enthusiasts and will give you a good deal," he says. A typical 6x6 inch plate would run about $2.25-$2.50 per plate. "The money you save in electrolytes and water will make up the difference in costs; it just doesn't get dirty and you rarely have to change it," Spodie asserts. Spodie Odie has been a champion of electropolishing for some time now. His website, Alternative Energy Show and Tell, has more information and discussions on the process. Just look for the "Electropolish and HHO" thread at the bottom of his home page. |
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Smaller Can Be Better Nanotechnology, the study of controlling atomic and molecular scale matter, has long been heralded as the future of medicine, electronics - even energy production. No bigger than a living cell, fabricated nanoscale materials are fundamentally and invaluably different from their source material: physically, chemically and biologically. One intriguing difference for HHO experimenters: As elements are decreased to nanoscale, there is a corresponding increase in surface area and energy.
In their own testing, QSI claims a 40% increase in efficiency over non-nano coated plates. They achieved these results by running a solution of 33% KOH in a completely sealed cell - no holes in the plates and no reservoir. While this was okay for QSI's short run testing, it would not work for the long-term tests that Larry had planned because of the inability to refill the cell with water. In a quest to achieve similar results, Larry determined that he'd need to build a super efficient cell that had zero current leakage. To that end, his design also features hole-less plates with an added external reservoir to keep the electrolytes circulating throughout the cell. Larry also feels that larger plate gaps increase production, so he set his a quarter inch apart and holds it all together with high tolerance, custom made, acrylic dividers and casing. As you can imagine, this makes for a time-consuming and costly cell design; upwards of $1,500 per custom build. Like QSI, Larry has been working with a solution that is 33% KOH. "This is a very strong mix and should not be considered by the average experimenter," he warns. "It can be very dangerous stuff; if a hose were to burst and the electrolyte got in my eyes, I would be blinded," concedes Larry. "Another problem with running such big concentrations of KOH is that the more conductive the water is, the more the current is going to skip past the plates anywhere it can leak by," Larry continues. "Because of this, the average experimenter will never see the 40% increase that QSI is claiming unless they are capable of building a super efficient cell," he concludes. So what kind of results did Larry achieve? His cell, consisting of eight, 6 x 6 inch plates, with six neutral and one positive, one negative plate, was able to run at a very high amperage for hours on end with no overheating issues. He found he was able to pump a lot more amps per square inch of steel with nano coated plates. Larry pushed his little eight-plate cell up to seven liters per minute, running at 15 volts, and never overheated it. The only way he was able to overheat the cell and burn it up, was to throw over 200 amps at it for several hours. His little cell can run all day at 50 amps and not exceed 100 degrees! Bottom line: In a side-by-side comparison of like cells, one with nano coating and one without, Larry observed a one MMW (milliliters/minute/watt) increase in efficiency with the nano coated plates. He believes experimenters could get increased efficiency with smaller cells that require fewer plates and leach less Hexavalent Chromium, while achieving the same amount of HHO gas as a larger cell with non-coated plates. Nano coating can be pricey. Even though you need only to have the negative plate coated, it can cost upwards of $189 to coat two, 6 x 6 inch plates (check with QSI for current pricing). But, if you want to get the best efficiency numbers possible from your HHO cell, or if you want to build a smaller cell capable of high output without overheating, nano coating may be worth exploring. |
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place to safely install it was in the pack on my rear fender, behind the seat. The next step was to locate copper-cored cables and a non-resistor spark plug which must be used with the system. After installing the unit and firing it up, I noticed that because of the non-resistor plug and copper core cable, I was getting a lot of RF interference. The solution for this was to wrap the cable coming from the Aquapulser unit with a metal shielding and ground it to the bike.
Electropolishing not only produces a brilliant finish devoid of imperfections, but it also removes impurities and increases corrosion resistance in alloy metals. The process also eliminates burring, improves metal endurance and leaves a chemically clean surface. "When stainless steel is passivated it basically becomes a sterile surface and will not contaminate or have a galvanic reaction. The metal will not electrolyze or decay," explains Spodie Odie, HHO guru and regular user of the electropolishing process.
"By removing the iron oxides and other contaminates that are created during the production of stainless steel," he continues, "you are increasing the surface area and the ferocity of the metal itself."
This phenomenon inspired HHO expert, and admitted efficiency maniac, Larry Newell of Alaska (aka: HHOPWR on YouTube), to begin testing a cell of stainless steel plates coated with nano particles of nickel and iron (NiFe). The nano coating was provided by 
HHOConnection.com