FTC loses case against Dutchman Enterprises LLC
In a move that has made hydrogen injection enthusiasts more enthused and left most critics still critical, 
NJ Federal Judge Michael Shipp has ruled that the FTC failed to make its case against Dutchman Enterprises LLC., the United Community Services of America Inc and Dennis Lee. The FTC had disputed claims that a product distributed by the defendants, the Hydrogen Assist Fuel Cell (HAFC) kit, could actually cause a substantial increase in gas mileage. The HAFC kit, which is comprised of a "computerized emission system optimizer," an electrolysis unit for on-board hydrogen injection, a vaporizer/ionizer using magnets and additives that include acetone and xylene, is said by its boosters to at least double a vehicle's mileage.The decision seems to have come after it was revealed that the witness for the FTC, a physicist by the name of Dr. Halperin, had not bought and tested the HAFC and did not even posses a Ph.D in engine technology. For its part, the defense had a witness who "specializes in internal combustion engines" and were able to successfully employ arguments like, "Do you think the President of the United States and his advisors don't know what they're talking about when they call for an increase in the mileage of the nation's vehicles, expecting at least a 10 mpg improvement?" While the seeming "Chewbacca defense" worked for the hydrogen injection evangelist Dennis Lee this time, the FTC may still appeal the ruling. We've put in a call to the FTC for comment, but have not yet heard back. Thanks to Tim for the tip.
[Source: Pure Energy Systems]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
jharlan 8:57PM (2/16/2009)
This promises to be in court on and off for a long time. Sounds like snake oil to me, but if the government's key witness had never even seen the thing no wonder the judge told the government to go to hell.
Reply
eric krieg 8:26AM (2/17/2009)
truth is, all that court ruling did was roll back a "TEMPORARY" restraining order. It did not exonerate ex convict Dennis Lee in any way - it just said the court had enough doubt that it didn't want to continue the restraining order that pretty much halted his business w/o trial. There are a number of people I know of who tried for months to get HAFC to work and didn't - in fact, at least one person that Dutchman listed on court documents as saying his car got doubled mileage claims it never worked and he has be unable to get his money back. Lee has a bunch of good lawyers and has for years out lasted state attorney generals who have tried to shut him down or at least get him out of their states.
Lee has promised various high mileage schemes for the last 6 years but has been quite unwilling to allow independent proper validation of any of them. I have asked over 2 dozen people who sell HAFC kits to please put me in touch with just one happy customer who really gets the mileage - all I get is excuses even though I have offered a thousand dollar commision to see one really work. Compare that to people who say have solar heated houses - they all love to show people how it works - I've found the same with people who have methane powered or battery powered cars. But try to get yourself and a media person to see a working running HAFC car - they tell you to buy a kit and get it working yourself . .
I have info on hafc at
www.phact.org/e/hafc.htm
eric krieg
jharlan 11:30AM (2/17/2009)
Thanks Eric:
This is apparently one of those "buyer beware" things that we have had in the automotive industry forever. If it seems to be too good to be true...................
John Harlan
Chris M 2:31AM (2/21/2009)
Eric Krieg, I loved the PhACT website at http://www.phact.org/
I've been a skeptic for a very long time, I was a member of the Bay Area Skeptics until I moved to the central valley. I've been aware of Dennis Lee and his "free energy" schemes for a long time, and that he spent time in jail after pleading guilty to fraud. Of course, he then twisted it by pointing out that he didn't get a jury trial and was thrown in jail, presenting that as "proof" of a conspiracy to silence him - conviniently omitting his guilty plea! Of course, that plays real well to the rubes who fall for his bafflegab.
I figured out what might be happening with these onboard electrolyzer gadgets. The electrolyzer gas produced, AKA "browns gas" or "HHO", is just 2 parts H2 and 1 part O2, and a trace of water vapor. It is fed in through the engine air intake, and due to the bulky low density nature of H2 gas, it displaces part of the air that would normally enter the engine cylinders. Since the amount of O2 in the electrolyzer gas is burned up by the H2 and there is less atmospheric O2 coming in, there is less O2 available to burn the fuel. To avoid an excessively rich fuel/air mixture, the carburetor or fuel injection system is adjusted to reduce the amount of fuel, thus improving fuel economy - most "HHO" enthusiasts say such adjustments are needed!
Of course, the energy in the electrolyzer gas is much less than the energy in the fuel/air mixture it displaces, so power is significantly reduced.
So there you have it, a modest reduction in fuel economy, with a significant reduction in power and performance. It would be cheaper and simpler to just go lightly on the accelerator, and more efficient to use a smaller engine.
Of course, if they admitted that, their overpriced gadgets wouldn't sell, so they wildly exaggerate the fuel economy, and pretend that performance goes up as well.
Eric 10:41PM (2/16/2009)
Is it possible to gain a Ph.D in Physics without learning something about thermodynamics?
Is it possible to become a NJ Federal Judge without learning something about science?
Reply
jake 10:56PM (2/16/2009)
I seems they didn't bring the best physicist for the job. The guy specialized in cryogenics and didn't know much about engines. The easiest thing would be to do an independent test and present that as evidence. I doubt these kits will double your mileage, especially while staying emissions legal.
Blacksabre 8:40AM (2/17/2009)
Eric, it's possible to become a judge, in NY, without any education at all, except for business math.
gorr 9:36PM (2/16/2009)
I said many months ago to make quality hho kits based on the technology of 100% hho gasoline convertion like the ones of d. dingel or s.mayer. These partial low quality hho+magnets+ acids+ baking soda+ dovious electronic re-tuning don't perform good.
I said to build and commercialize small high efficiency water electrolizers along specials gaseous hho injectors, pressurable small ( one gallon approx ) hho containers, hho lines and fittings, electronic control and gaseous hho pressures detectors.and adapt it to actual car market. Injecting electricity and water in an internal combustion engine with water mist increase efficiency and cost less.
Reply
SteveCT 10:35PM (2/16/2009)
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS HHO, GODDAMMIT!
Chris M 1:38AM (2/21/2009)
Gorr, if you are so certain these onboard electrolyzers will work, why aren't you building one for yourself?
Oh, that's right, you want someone else to do it for you, and sell it to you real cheap. Why is that? Are you too busy? Too lazy to do it yourself? Don't know how?
John 4:07AM (2/17/2009)
they dont work, what they claim to do goes against real science. i cant imagine its that hard to test this under certified conditions and expose these crackpots. come on washington you can do better
Reply
Rain 9:04AM (2/17/2009)
What Doctor Halperin(noted Physicist) failed to do was report on how this works in a clear concise manner so that even a judge could understand it.(Jury Pool?,not on your life!)
Simply put;
The HHO molecule bonds with the gasoline molecule at a sub-atomic level,freeing the Veryon particles which warp the 4D fabric of the I.D and set up a micro-singularity between the piston face and the cylinder head which siphons off the plasma from 6D space,specifically gestalt 2,stars.
The resulting wormhole channels the 50% more free into the singularity now occupying 4D space inside the combustion chamber,expanding and thrusting the piston down in the familiar Otto Cycle.
The disruption of velocity caused by the transfer of energy through the sub-ether conduit traversing the dimensional boundaries accelerates time so that You arrive some time before You left.
That was easy!
So all You have to lose is time and that is a more than fair trade-off,You don't expect something for nothing,now do You?
Reply
Chris M 1:17AM (2/21/2009)
ROFLMAO!
That is the most clever and amusing bafflegab that I've seen in a long time!
Careful, though, some scientifically illiterate dolts might think you are being serious!
Tim 9:19AM (2/17/2009)
I, (for one) am looking forward to watching this thing sink or swim in a court of law instead of a court of public (armchair "scientists") opinion or a non-court of corrupt politicians choosing lobby backed technologies with taxpayer money.
Freedom = Presumed innocent until proven guilty by a jury of YOUR peer group.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_group (peers is not what you think)
At least, this will be entertaining. At most, they may be onto something.
Here's a blog on the subject for those who are interested in learning something instead of just restating dogma:
http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9115&highlight=hafc
Part of the comments included:
"If you take one gallon of Dodecane (C12H26), the heaviest element commonly found in pump gas, and break it down into Natural Gas (CH4), you must add more hydrogen (22 H atoms per C12H26 molecule). The process of breaking it down can vary from the Thermal Catalytic Cracking process the oil companies use ... add more hydrogen, and you can get upwards of 12 gallons of Natural Gas coming out the other end. Sound incredulous? Don't take my word for it, check with a real chemist. The Natural Gas molecule takes up the same amount of space in the aether as does the Dodecane molecule. There are approximately the same number of both molecules in a gallon of that liquid (gasoline)."
I try to keep an open mind and listen to both sides including those who are using such a system. There are reports of people getting double (or more) mpg.
Anyway, only time will tell. This should be interesting either way. At least Mr. Lee was not using taxpayer money like the H2, Corn Ethanol and Supercollider people.
Reply
Chris M 1:31AM (2/21/2009)
What you described is chemically accurate but irrelevant, as those so-called "HAFC" generators have nothing to do with the catalytic cracking process that uses hydrogen and catalysts to break long chain paraffins into shorter chain molecules. Just mixing in hydrogen doesn't work, it requires high temperatures and special catalysts that are not found in standard IC engines - and those catalysts are not part of these "HAFC" kits either.
Refineries use cracking to increase gasoline yields, but it takes more energy to make the hydrogen than the energy added by the hydrogen.
Woodenbee 9:21AM (2/17/2009)
the courts in this country are all packed with right wing pro business judges who wouldn't convict a bank president or ceo if they committed murder in court, but would send a kid away for ten years for stealing a loaf of bread, thats the reality we face, so its no surprise at all that this judge is blinded by his obscene ideology, the sooner we find a system to counter all the corruptions of the last eight years the sooner we can start convicting and harassing these subhumans into obscurity back where they belong.
Reply
jharlan 11:48AM (2/17/2009)
I has a friend in the 70s and 80s, who was an aeronautical engineer for Nasa Ames, who had a water injection kit on an old Volvo for years, and he swore it worked and gave him increased performance.
Reply
Denise 4:42PM (2/28/2009)
Dear jharlan this technology has been around for a long time. The HAFC has many items that can help increase milage. There are also some neat modifications. Thanks for your positive input. Denise
CNCMike 11:38AM (2/17/2009)
The are NASA and DOT tests that verify that a small amount of hydrogen makes a big difference in the combustion of gasoline. It increases the flame speed and cylinder pressure to produce more power. Although NASA did not use an on board hydrolysis unit, the information they obtained says a lot about the effects of hydrogen on gas engines. NASA did use a methanol reformer to produce the hydrogen on demand using the eshaust heat as an energy source. The DOT used an electrolyser on a diesel bus engine and showed a modest increase in mileage and reduction in exhaust emissions.
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/report/Guidelines-H2-Fuel-in-CMVs-Nov2007.pdf
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19770016170_1977016170.pdf
Reply
Jeff 12:48PM (2/17/2009)
Sheesh - the prosecutions expert didn't have a PHD in engine design - say it ain't so!
You can't take energy from a process (the conversion of chemical to mechanical energy by an otto cycle engine the subsquent conversion of mechanical energy to electrical engergy by the alternator)- preform an operation with that engergy (seperate water into hydrogen and oxygen) and return it to the original process for a net gain. Nope - uhuh - no way. Any catalytic effect would just help you get a little closer to a zero net loss.
I don't think you need a PHD in engine design to slam down the thermodynamics gavel on this one, a bachlor's any number of engineering or science fields would do.
Reply