alternative fuel/stupid idea?

[Iestyn Guest]

I wrote a high school paper on this - electrolysis of water for a small 
brigs and Stratton engine.!!!

The problem of implementation was the shear volume of mix needed.

Other problems I faced were things like "How do you handle a back fire?"
Other studies showed that hot spots are produced on the surface of the 
pistons due to the combustion characteristics of Hydrogen. - A rotary 
engine proved to be more tolerant to this.  Mercedes did some extensive 
research in this area.
They used a Hybrid van with a huge 60 gallon tank in the back that 
contained the hydrogen/Oxygen mix.  They didn't try to produce the mix 
on-the-fly though...

Iestyn.



-----Original Message-----
From:	Chris Morriss [SMTP:crsm at oroboros.demon.co.uk]
Sent:	Sunday, November 30, 1997 2:01 PM
To:	diy_efi at efi332.eng.ohio-state.edu
Subject:	Re: alternative fuel/stupid idea?

In message <347E7317.8A3CAF71 at mcn.net>, Shannen Durphey
<shannen at mcn.net> writes
>
>
>Jim Davies wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 28 Nov 1997, Craig Pugsley wrote:
>>
>> > Hi there,
>> > I had a flash of inspiration last night..
>> > What would happen if you tried to run an engine on an oxy-acetylene 
mix?
>> > Instant detonation/preignition due to volatility? Or mondo power?
>> >
>> Been there, done that. Adjust for neutral flame, extinguish torch and
>> insert in carb...WOT revs picked up several thousand and knock was
>> noticeable. It was pretty entertaining while it lasted, though.
>>
>> Jim Davies
>
>I've dumped straight oxy into a flooded engine so it would fire.  After 
the
>rattling ended, it ran fine. Acetelyne, BTW, has no octane.  I read that 
N.
>Tesla was working on a multi stage device to compress oxygen from air 
thereby
>improving combustion efficiency.  'Course he also claimed to have a 
working
>death ray...  Shannen
>

Among many other odd similar ideas going about, a nunber of people claim
that the addition of a stochiometric hydrogen-oxygen mix produced by
real-time electrolysis of water works wonders when added to the normal
intake air.
I'm tempted to build a big electrolyser to try it out, anybody heard
anything about this?
--
Chris Morriss