Gas Mileage solution: What do you think?

So my friend just put a hydrogen unit on his 1954 truck. It is so amazing, but I wanted to check to see if anyone has done this before on a Tacoma. I have the 4 cylinder and am generally happy with the mileage but for 200- I could get a couple more MPGs if I did it.

Even if you have not I wanted to get your thoughts.

http://mileageshop.com/

Brent

 

Never heard of it. That is pretty sweet though. Kinda spectical since they never say how much better mileage you will get.

 

looks like a fake

 

Solution: buy a civic if you worry about gas.

 

I am always weary of these things. Usually it's snake oil.

 

I saw a P&T Bullshit or some other documentary on these. They are total junk.

 

Water freezes below 32 F, so what happens then? Remember HHO is the same as H20.

 

The hydrogen generator technology to increase your fuel mileage is for real. It's not snake oil. It is simple science, but complex if you have never researched it.

You have to be careful which one you purchase because it would be made with low quality materials. The way the hydrogen is produced is an electrically charged metal plate is placed in water and the electricity from the plate splits the hydrogen and oxygen.

If the product is made from low quality materials the metal plate will rust up quickly and not be worth a crap. The plate needs to be made of a very high quality stainless steel so it doesn't rust. I've heard of people getting up to 50% more fuel economy.

There is a company that makes the hydrogen cell cars for the government but I cannot remember how I got onto their site. I believe I have it on my computer at home. I will look and get back.

Ander

 

Have you done it?

Until I see one working, I call BS. I looked into these after a client asked me to complete the installation on his Chevy 1500.

 

Confucius say: People with mileage concerns shouldn't buy truck.

I don't track mileage obsessively on my vehicles, I just do a check every once in a while to make sure they're roughly where they should be and there's no indicators of a major problem. Otherwise, when the needle gets to the low side of the gauge just put more gas in.

 

The only thing I've done to my truck that has really increased mileage is the supercharger. The small increase in mileage is offset by the requirement for premium, but IMO I'm still double dipping in benefits

 

Put the air conditioner evaporator in the engine intake. You'll get better milage than H. Lol.

 

I apologize for the thread jack OP, but quick question. How do you manage to get increased fuel mileage with a SC? I was always under the impression that supercharger=more trips to the pump. At what RPM do you keep it under to achieve this?

 

I have done the research....Snake Oil

 

I agree that this is snake oil along with every other "MPG" improvement device or solution. Keeping the vehicle tuned, tires at maximum recommended pressure, and as light as possible is the best way to save fuel cost. Period. Even a supercharger, while under lab conditions can improve mileage slightly, in real life it won't. No one with a SC is going to drive so it performs like it has a very small 4-cylinder engine.

I really don't care about the actual mileage. I care about the actual cost. If there really was some device, and there ain't, that would make a significant improvement in my mileage, I would weigh the cost of the device with the cost of gas I'm saving. If a device cost let's say $500 to get 2 mpg from 19 to 21 mpg improvement with gas at $2.50/ga. it will take about 50,000 miles on your truck to break even.

ONE of the reasons I justified buying my truck to my wife was by showing that even though the mileage was less than my old car, I don't have to run premium fuel in it. I'm breaking even in gas COST, not mileage.

 

Simple methods that work, and cost absolutely nothing to implement to save fuel:

1. Slow Down. I keep to a maximum speed of 55 mph. No, you will not get run over by faster drivers, and YES you need to exercise proper driving etiquette, and stay put of the left lane. Contrary to popular belief, you will NOT lose a significant amount of time driving a little slower.

2. If you own a manual, shift gears @ 2000 rpm. Accelerate as if you have a VERY rotten egg under the gas pedal. Jack rabbit starts burn more fuel.

3. Look ahead. Take advantage of every possible opportunity to coast. Fuel injected cars will shut off the fuel injectors while coasting.

4. Use the recirc function on your vehicles A/C, and use the temperature adjustment to maintain the warmest possible temperature that you are comfortable with. Using the combination of these settings allows the compressor to cycle off more often, and stay cycled off longer.

5. Don't idle your engine unnecessarily. Warming it up, or idling away in drive-thrus simply pumps gas straight from the tank, to the exhaust pipe. Your car will warm up faster if driven, and your fat ass could stand the 50 foot walk to the totally empty counter for your cheeseburger and fries anyway.

Look at my sig. These tactics work well, and are free. Decent fuel mileage and truck are not impossible concepts.

 

I'll agree with you on the recirc for the ac. Warmest setting, though, is irrelevant. All the air goes through the evaporator, then to mix door and then heater core. Warmer setting will only have an effect on you, not compressor cycling times.

 

I am going to purchase this system, I will let everyone know how it holds up and if it works.

 

I can't even see the product you are linking to since it is blocked at my office, however, I don't need to see it to tell you to save your money.

Here are the simple facts about hydrogen.
Energy Density:
H2 = 39,000 Wh/kg
Gasoline (similar to Octane -C8H18) = 12,200 Wh/kg

So far it looks like hydrogen is a good choice...

Volumetric energy density:
H2 = 2,600 Wh/l (liquid at 2,200 psi)
Gasoline = 9,700 Wh/l
Gasoline has about 3.75 times the energy per liter as liquid H2.
Now hydrogen doesn't want to be liquid at SSL conditions... it wants to be a gas (which is what you will create with electrolysis). Volumetric energy of hydrogen gas is about 530. Gas has over 18 times the energy per liter.

Basically, any added weight, drain on a battery, etc will greatly overshadow any benefit that could be potentially from injecting the inconsequential amount of hydrogen you can produce.
Some interesting info can be read here:
http://www.nrel.gov/hydrogen/pdfs/36734.pdf

FWIIW, I have a MS in aerospace engineering and know a thing or two about using cryogenic fuels and oxidizers .

Cheers