Hydrogen Fuel Guzzling Less Gas?
Even though the price at the pump is down, the push for alternative fuel is on many people's minds. In Red Bank, several drivers are using a hydrogen mixture to help power their cars.
It's an alternative fuel idea that's reached a boiling point between critics, like Ron Bailey, an engineering professor at UTC. He says, "From a fuel economy standpoint it's impossible."
... And those convinced this hydrogen process really does guzzle less gas, like Sam Lanham. He says, "It's um... poor man rocket science, laughing."
Lanham says he was even happier when he checked the mileage in his normally gas hog of a jeep. "I went from 17 to 31.5 miles per gallon and I was shocked."
While it isn't completely perfected, Chuck Hafley, who installed the device, says it's a start. "This has been proven to work, but it's not the ultimate, there are different generators, but the main thing is the generator and how it's operated."
Hafley and Lanham say it's as easy as as adding water and sodium to the unit, and it actually creates a power in the form of gas that's used to power your engine, but while some say it saves money and the environment, others are skeptical.
And we were too, and decided to introduce our unbiased and unconvinced engineer to the believer. And after just one look, Bailey had the answer he had anticipated. "This is one time I'm quite sure of the results, which is that it will be the opposite of what you think it is."
Bailey says the end amount of energy needed to run the process isn't worth the better mileage. "I believe you can observe some increase in performance for a short period of time, I'm absolutely certain that long time it will take more gasoline."
But the news doesn't phase Hafley who says he'll keep installing his device until he's sure his fuel phenomenom has fizzled out.
We wanted to know for ourselves whether this really works, so we're going to track the gas mileage and consumption in another car once the unit is installed and you can depend on us for the results.
