Abstract:
A portable, on-demand hydrogen generation system producing hydrogen and injecting the hydrogen into the air intake of internal combustion engines. Hydrogen and oxygen is produced with an electrolyzer from nonelectrolyte water in a supply tank. The hydrogen and oxygen is passed back thru the supply tank for distribution and water preservation. The gases are kept separate by a divider in the tank. The device is optionally powered by the vehicle battery, a stand alone battery, waste heat of the internal combustion engine or solar energy. The system utilizes a vacuum switch or other engine sensor that permits power to the device and therefore hydrogen production only when the engine is in operation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to hydrogen generation devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hydrogen supplemental system that can be used with internal combustion engines for increased fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There are a number of devices on the market that create HHO gas, otherwise known as Brown&#39;s gas, which is used as a supplement to gasoline and diesel engines. HHO gas consists of two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen. These devices typically comprise an electrolyzer which decomposes water into hydrogen and oxygen. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,696. These Electrolyzers typically use an electrolyte, most notably KOH, Potassium hydroxide, or baking soda. A voltage is placed across the device to produce the HHO gas. 
     The main problem with most of these devices is that the energy required to produce the hydrogen creates a substantial load on the electrical system of the vehicle. Similar to running the air conditioner in any vehicle, the additional electrical load causes the miles per gallons to be reduced. Even though the hydrogen typically boosts the efficiency and miles per gallon of the vehicle, the additional electrical load on the vehicle to create the hydrogen is usually great enough to minimize or in many cases negate most or all of mileage gains of the vehicle. 
     Also, most HHO systems produce the hydrogen and oxygen in a combined gas stream. The hydrogen and oxygen gases are not generally separated from each other. In the case of modern gasoline powered vehicles, this extra oxygen is detected by the vehicle&#39;s oxygen sensors which communicate this extra oxygen level to an on-board computer, namely and Electronic Control Unit ECU of the vehicle. When the ECU detects this extra oxygen, it is a signal that the engine is running lean and the ECU adds more gasoline to the engine. This also negates most of the fuel efficiency gains. 
     Furthermore, HHO systems generally use either baking soda or Potassium Hydroxide KOH. KOH is generally preferred over baking soda because of its stability and because it causes less deterioration of stainless steel plates or other plates used in the electrolyzer. However, KOH has to be handled with care because it is caustic, and the crystals can be dangerous if not handled properly. The electrolyte normally has to be inserted into the unit at the proper proportions for optimum operation of the electrolyzer. Extreme care must be taken when using it. It is not the type of product you would generally like to put in the hands of an inexperienced consumer. 
     Complex installation is another issue with typical HHO systems. Space usually has to be found somewhere in the engine compartment or outside the vehicle. Since all vehicles are different, finding a suitable spot under the hood to install the device in many vehicles is next to impossible. Also, the systems are typically connected into the electrical systems of the vehicles which can cause blown fuses and a host of other problems if not installed properly. Hydrogen is only needed when the vehicle is actually running, not when the ignition is turned on. During the installation, care must be observed to make sure the electrical power is provided to the device only when the engine is running. Otherwise there can be hydrogen accumulation in the air intake. This further complicates the installation of these systems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a portable and compact, on-demand hydrogen supplemental system for producing hydrogen gas and injecting the hydrogen gas into the air intake of internal combustion engines, particularly for vehicles. Hydrogen and oxygen is produced by a fuel cell at low temperatures and pressure from water in a supply tank. The hydrogen gas and oxygen gas is passed back thru the supply tank for distribution and water preservation. The gases are kept separate by a divider in the tank and the water level in the tank. In the case of gasoline engines, the hydrogen gas is directed to the air intake of the engine while the oxygen gas is optionally vented to the atmosphere. The device can be powered by the vehicles alternator, a stand alone battery, waste heat or solar energy. The system utilizes a vacuum switch or other engine sensor that regulates power to the system and therefore hydrogen production for the engine only when the engine is running. Therefore as the hydrogen is produced it is immediately consumed by the engine. No hydrogen is stored on, in or around the vehicle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and a better understanding of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments and the claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, all forming a part of the disclosure of this invention. While the foregoing and following written and illustrated disclosure focuses on disclosing example embodiments of the invention, it should be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and the invention is not limited thereto, wherein in the following brief description of the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a detailed drawing of a portable hydrogen supplemental system showing a water tank and housing design according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic showing a portable hydrogen supplemental system installed in a typical vehicle according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention as will be described in greater detail below provides an apparatus, method and system, particularly, for example, a hydrogen supplemental system used to increase the fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions for internal combustion engines. The present invention provides various embodiments as described below. However it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but could extend to other embodiments as would be known or as would become known to those skilled in the art. 
     The present invention as shown in  FIG. 1  provides a portable hydrogen supplemental system  1  which includes a housing unit  2  that can be secured in the trunk or other flat surface of a vehicle by mounting bracket  3  and fastening units  4 . Inside the housing unit  2  are a fuel cell  5  and a water tank  6  positioned above the fuel cell  5  arranged in such a manner as to supply water  7  to the fuel cell by gravity. As shown the fuel cell  5  is external of the water tank  6 . The water tank  6  is supported in the housing unit  2  above the fuel cell by supporting means  8 . The housing unit  2  is designed to be readily removable from the mounting bracket  3 . 
     The water tank  6  includes a water supply fitting  9  positioned on the underside thereof connected to a tube or other supply means  10  that is in turn connected to water inlet fitting  11  on the fuel cell  5 . Water, nonelectrolyte water, is supplied to the fuel cell  5  by the supply means  10 . The fuel cell  5  also includes a hydrogen gas outlet fitting  12  and an oxygen gas outlet fitting  13  which are connected by tubes or additional supply means  14  and  15  to gas inlet fittings  16  on the underside of the water tank  6 . The water tank  6  includes at least one divider  17  that divides the tank  6  into at least two sections, a hydrogen section  18  and an oxygen section  19 . The divider  17  is formed along the inner wall of the tank  6  and extends to approximately ¼″ from the bottom surface  20  of the tank  6 . The tank  6  includes a fill spout  21  which permits the tank to be filled with nonelectrolyte water. As nonelectrolyte water is placed into the tank  6 , the tank fills evenly on both sides of the divider  17 . 
     The fuel cell  5 , which is commonly known to produce electricity, is operated in reverse to produce hydrogen and oxygen gases. Thus, the fuel cell essentially operates as an electrolyzer, which as described above decomposes nonelectrolyte water into hydrogen and oxygen. Nonelectrolyte water fills the electrolyzer from the water tank and when a voltage, having positive and negative terminals, is placed across the electrolyzer  5 , hydrogen and oxygen gases are produced on opposing sides of the electrolyzer  5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  the electrolyzer includes a plurality of layers  510  which are non-liquid including at least two external layers  510 - 1  and  510 - 2  and an internal layer  510 - 3 . In the electrolyzer  5  a first external layer  510 - 1  is connected to the positive terminal of the voltage and as such applies the positive side of the voltage to a first side of the internal layer  510 - 3 . Further, in the electrolyzer  5  a second external layer  510 - 2  is connected to the negative terminal of the voltage and as such applies the negative side of the voltage to a second side of the internal layer  510 - 3 . The first side of the internal layer  510 - 3  is opposite to the second side of the internal layer  510 - 3 , thereby positioning the first and second external layers  510 - 1 ,  2  on opposite sides of the internal layer  510 - 3 . In other words the internal layer  510 - 3  is positioned in adjacent contact between the external layers  510 - 1  and  510 - 2 . Nonelectrolyte water is supplied to the plurality of layers  510  of the electrolyzer  5 . The electrolyzer  5 , by applying the voltage across the internal layer  510 - 3  via the first and second external layers  510 - 1 ,  2 , separates the nonelectrolyte water into oxygen gas which is output by the oxygen gas outlet fitting  13  on the first side of the internal layer  510 - 3  and hydrogen gas which is output by the hydrogen gas outlet fitting  12  on the second side of the internal layer  510 - 3 , said second side being opposite to the first side. The internal layer  510 - 3  could, for example, be made of a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) material as is known to those skilled in the art. 
     During operation of the electrolyzer  5 , a small amount of nonelectrolyte water may be contained in hydrogen gas bubbles  22  and oxygen gas bubbles  23  as they emerge from the hydrogen outlet  12  and oxygen outlet  13 , respectively, of the electrolyzer  5 , and flow into the hydrogen side  18  and oxygen side  19  of the tank  6 . The bubbles rise (travel) thru the nonelectrolyte water to upper air cavities  24  formed by the water level in the tank and the tank divider  17 . Since the hydrogen and oxygen may contain a small amount of nonelectrolyte water, the hydrogen and oxygen gasses are passed back through the water tank  6  for water preservation so that said small amount of nonelectrolyte water will remain in the tank  6  rather than be retained in the gases. The hydrogen and oxygen gases are kept separate from each other in the upper cavities  24  by the divider  17  and water level in the tank. As the hydrogen gas and oxygen gas fill their respective upper cavities  24 , the gas flows out of the upper cavities thru fittings  25  in the case of hydrogen, and fitting  26 , in the case of oxygen on the upper side of the tank. The hydrogen gas flows thru tube  27  connected to hydrogen fitting  28  of the housing unit  2 . The oxygen flows thru tube  29  connected to fitting  30  of the housing unit  2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a vehicle  31  powered by a gasoline or diesel engine  32  is equipped with the portable hydrogen supplemental system  1 . Power is supplied to the portable hydrogen supplemental system  1  by a vehicle battery  33  connected to electrical wires  34 . The electrical circuit to the Hydrogen supplemental system includes a vacuum switch  35 , or other engine sensor and an operator controlled switch  36  which completes the electrical circuit to the portable hydrogen generator system  1  when the engine is running. Once power is supplied to the portable hydrogen supplemental system  1 , hydrogen gas flows thru hydrogen outlet tube  37  connected to hydrogen fitting  28  of the housing unit  2  to an air intake  38  of the vehicle&#39;s engine  32 . Oxygen gas flows thru oxygen outlet tube  39  and, in the case of gasoline engines with oxygen sensors, is vented to the atmosphere. The two gasses can optionally be combined for diesel engine vehicles or other internal combustion engines without oxygen sensors. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of its preferred embodiments, it should be understood that numerous modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that all such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.