Across Australia on 40% water and 60% waste mineral oil (Bios Fuel H2W+)
The 20th World Solar Challenge took place in Australia in October. One of the more unusual fuel types in the Greenfleet Class of the Darwin to Adelaide race was used by a "Troupy," a lightly modified 1989 Toyota Landcruiser. According to Pure Energy Systems, the diesel-engined Troupy made the 3,000 kilometer-drive using a fuel called Bios Fuel H2W+, which is 40 percent water and 60 percent waste mineral oil.
Here's how PES describes it:
Bios Fuel claims to have developed a water-based fuel technology that allows hydrogen to be housed safely in water and released on demand for numerous applications. A proprietary catalyst allows water to be suspended in waste oil as an emulsion. The fuel is designed for power generation. It is one of several blends that Bios Fuel has certified to American ASTM standards.
While it is not designed for vehicles, it ran well in the 1989 Toyota Landcruiser Troop Carrier, or "Troupy" as they are affectionately called in the outback. "We thought testing in a harsh environment such as the Australian desert would demonstrate the viability of our fuel beyond doubt, and show that 2nd and 3rd generation waste can be combined with water to provide an energy source", said Bios Fuel founder and CEO Steve Ryan. "Using an old Troupy shows that you don't necessarily have to compromise lifestyle to reduce your effect on the environment".
There is a history of hype surrounding the idea of placing water into a vehicle's fuel tank, but I'll say - for now - that this appears to be legit. NZ Biofuels sent out a press release on the accomplishment and biosfuel.org has a slick PDF on H2W+ (and related fuels). If you've got a critical take on this fuel (or want to sing its praises), please share it with our readers in the comments below. It seems difficult to fake traveling 3,000 km in a media-rich environment like the Panasonic World Solar Challenge, doesn't it?
[Source: Sterling D. Allan / Pure Energy Systems News, h/t to Tim]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
thepowerofonewoman 4:33AM (4/08/2008)
www.stephenjryan.com
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thepowerofonewoman 10:10PM (5/30/2008)
Yes the fuel was 'scrutinized' but you must know that they have Tony who is a very cleaver mechanic. This product does not do what they claim it does. Stephen had claimed that they had some issues due to the quality of glycerin they used. They used pharmaceutical grade glycerin. Folks, this is the stuff Houdini did, only worse. He is scamming millions from investors.
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rgseidl 2:50PM (11/09/2007)
Microemulsions of water in oil (typically diesel fuel) have been around for a while. The usual objective is to reduce NOx emissions in legacy indirect injection diesel engines. As it turns into steam, the water fraction cools the combustion gases.
However, the idea that this type of fuel can somehow safely store additional hydrogen - or that you would even want to - strikes me as a pure snake oil sales pitch.
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Tim 3:23PM (11/09/2007)
In the interview, the inventor mentioned that 40% water and 60% waste mineral oil was used in the standard diesel engine to be extremely conservative. They say they can run on even greater % water and that this is made possible by some sort of “catalyst” which will be “disclosed” to the public early next year once several “3rd parties” have verified the inventor’s claims.
This is not his first vehicle to use this catalyst and it merits thorough investigation. This challenge was very carefully scrutinized and no “foul play” was found.
Just a note to all those know-it-all armchair “scientists” out there who will say that this is impossible and must be discounted as a fraud make me sad. If others thought the same way, we would all be living in caves eating raw meat.
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Karkus 3:27PM (11/09/2007)
"technology that allows hydrogen to be housed safely in water"
Yes, water contains two hydrogen atoms already, and it's very safe. But water is a product of the combustion of hydrocarbons (like diesel), so how can it also be a fuel? But aside from breaking the laws of thermodynamics, here's the definitive evidence that the water can't be doing much of anything for them in that fuel.
Straight from the 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge website:
http://www.greenfleet.com.au/uploads/pdfs/GreenfleetTechClass_WRAP-UP.pdf
BiosFuel – Toyota Landcruiser Troupe Carrier
Fuel Type Waste Oil / Water + Diesel
Fuel Efficiency (combined) 17.7 L / 100 km
Emission factor for waste oil mix 0.3 t CO2-e/kL
Emission factor for Diesel 3.0 t CO2-e/kL
Total emissions per kilometre
travelled 242 g CO2-e/km
The CO2 emissions tell you what's going on right there. Those emissions are about 31 MPG (imperial) or 26 MPG US. This may sound good, but it's really about the same MPG as what people on the web are reporting for MPG for a 1989 diesel Land Cruiser (and it's the same as the CO2 emissions of current diesel Landcruiser - see http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk)
IF they were burning any significant amount of hydrogen, that CO2 number should be WAY lower.
BUSTED!
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Andy 8:08PM (9/07/2008)
Hi Karkus,
"Emission factor for waste oil mix 0.3 t CO2-e/kL
Emission factor for Diesel 3.0 t CO2-e/kL"
No way is any biofuel that clean! Nobody in the real world reports fuel savings from using this stuff. Or even dares to make that claim. Just a thought.. It could be that clean if it was 90% water, lol.
Busted
But to achieve an extra 50% fuel saving on any vehicle is incredible! Never mind the NOX savings etc. Even if the same mpg was attained. 40% of the fuel was water.
It happened. Live with it.
Busted
Dumping waste heat into more motive power by injecting water is not new at all. Try wiki on "water injection": Increases effective octane (slows combustion), absorbs excess heat (So you can lean out the fuel ratio), provides further expansion, cools the incoming charge (greater fuel/air density). etc.
Without this, a fully loaded B52 would not get off the ground!
Bill 3:33PM (11/09/2007)
Does the water suspension lower the viscosity? (often a big problem with using straight waste oils)
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Tim 4:19PM (11/09/2007)
A possible explanation:
An Aluminum/Gallium alloy can be used as a catalyst to produce hydrogen from water on demand.
http://machinedesign.com/ContentItem/68752/Aluminumalloyreleaseshydrogenfromwater.aspx
"Hydrogen is generated on demand, so you only produce as much as you need, when you need it," says Woodall. The technology could drive small internal combustion engines in portable emergency generators, lawn mowers, and chain saws. In theory, however, the process could totally replace gasoline in cars and trucks, he says.”
If they are using this as the catalyst, then electricity is needed to produce the alloy which would lower the well to wheels efficiency. However, if the catalytic process produced a homogeneous gaseous mix of the hydrocarbon (any hydrocarbon) and the Hydrogen, a more complete burn of both would result in much better fuel mileage with fewer emissions. The catalyst could be recycled and it may be less expensive & efficient to store electrons in this form rather than in batteries.
Hypothetical: What if we could use ANY hydrocarbon including waste oil, trans. fluid, WVO, etc. in any combination to power our vehicles?
He also mentioned that he had a motorcycle that run on pure water. Hydrogen produced via this Aluminum/Gallium catalyst could explain how this is possible.
This is just a guess, mind you.
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Karkus 4:42PM (11/09/2007)
Sorry, but there seem to be a lot of misconceptions about that Aluminum/gallium system. The aluminum is not a catalyst - it's part of the chemical reaction and gets used up. It makes aluminum oxide (and hydrogen). But it takes a lot of energy to make aluminum metal. So you're not getting the hydrogen for free at all.
But like others mentioned, there could be a small benefit from a catalyst or emulsion or heated water somehow improving the combusion efficiency of the oil a little bit. But the bottom line is that they are still just burning the oil. This is shown buy the high CO2 number in my post above.
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Abe 8:46PM (11/09/2007)
I believe the benefit here is to be able to reuse waste mineral oil not that water is a source of energy. This seems to be similar to Orimulsion:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orimulsion
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naggs 1:56PM (11/10/2007)
pure energy systems is a wikibullshit
most of the articles are about overunity machines and how the corporations are keeping them down!
it is not a valid source of information
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