ZPEnergy.com - Hydrogen Powerpack

From the yahoo free_energy list: From: "dtb1000"
Subject: Hydrogen Powerpack

Is anyone familiar with this product or purchased one for use? Considering a Purchase if it's a valid product.

Http://www.hypowerfuel.com/HP%20Product.htm

The HyPower Pak® is a retrofit device that can be installed and connected to any internal combustion engine, regardless of the engine's fuel source. It is a closed chamber unit that produces hydrogen and oxygen on demand. There is no storage of hydrogen or oxygen, making the technology extremely safe.

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From: "mintowheel"
Subject: Re: Hydrogen Powerpack

I visited the HyPower site and it sure sounds like a scam. A slick looking site, but it never actually explains where the energy comes from to power the electrolysis unit. Nowhere do they actually claim over-unity (legally unwise). They leave it to the naive reader to make the presumption that less energy is required to split the water than will be released when the hydrogen gas is burned in a combustion engine (totally ignoring its low Carnot efficiency!) Of course they new that this natural but inconvenient question would come up, so they included the following explanation in their FAQ page. Does it answer the question?

"How much energy is required to produce hydrogen via electrolysis of water?

The energy required to produce hydrogen via electrolysis (assuming 1.23 V) is about 32.9 kW-hr/kg. A kilogram is about 2.2 lb. For 1 mole (2 g) of hydrogen the energy is about 0.0660 kW-hr/mole.

Because a Watt is Voltage x Current, this is equivalent to Power x Rate x Time. The power in this case is the voltage required to split water into hydrogen and oxygen (1.23 V at 25°C). The rate is the current flow and relates directly to how fast hydrogen is produced. Time, of course, is how long the reaction runs. It turns out that voltage and current flow are interrelated. To run the water splitting reaction at a higher rate (generating more hydrogen in a given time), more voltage must be applied (similar to pushing down on the accelerator of a car; more gas is used to make the car go faster.) For commercial electrolysis systems that operate at about 1 A/cm2, a voltage of 1.75 V is required. This translates into about 46.8 kW-hr/kg, which corresponds to an energy efficiency of 70%.

Lowering the voltage for electrolysis, which will increase the energy efficiency of the process, is an important area for research."

I did not find the above information useful in understanding exactly how the product supposedly works. Neither did I see anywhere on the site any hint that the car would no longer need gasoline. Since combustion of hydrogen gas is less than 60% energy efficient, one would think that the electric current used to split the water would be more efficiently used in an electric motor, hmmm...

And, by the way, that must be one whopper of an electrode if it can produce enough hydrogen gas in real time to keep a car moving!

One more blooper on the HyPower site:

"Hydrogen, when economically produced, becomes the ultimate, forever source of energy. It has been said that one gallon of water harnessed correctly, is capable of providing more energy than 40,000 gallons of oil."

One gallon of water providing more energy than 40,000 gallons of oil? Maybe by NUCLEAR FUSION (of natural deuterium), but definitely not from a chemical reaction! Busted!

Leo C.

Subject: Metal Hydride H2 Storage Approved by US DOT

http://www.stockhouse.com/news/news.asp?tick=ENER&newsid=2250931

US Department of Transportation Approves Transport of Hydrogen in Metal Hydride Storage Systems
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., Apr 20, 2004 /
PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ --

Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems LLC (TOHS) announced today that the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved the transport of hydrogen in metal hydride storage systems developed by TOHS for portable applications. This approval repre sents an early step to the advancement of the hydrogen economy as it now enables customers across the United States to receive shipments of hydrogen fuel products ready to be plugged into a growing array of hydrogen-fueled devices.

'Gaining this DOT authorization is a major regulatory achievement for the envisioned future of hydrogen as a fuel source in our economy. We are very excited that DOT has granted this authorization for our portable products. The exemption clears a significant hurdle to market acceptance by permitting our business partners to ship fully operational products to their customers,' said Ned Stetson, Regulatory manager for TOHS.

Although DOT has granted previous shipping exemptions for specific metal hydride products, this new exemption is unique in several ways. It authorizes the manufacture, mark, sale, and use of metal hydride hydrogen storage systems applicable to the family of portable canisters currently under development at TOHS, allowing hydrogen storage capacity up to 1300 standard liters. The exemption also authorizes re-qualification by ultrasonic inspection, effectively extending the service life of a metal hydride canister well beyond the 5-year limit of previous exemptions. Additionally, the exemption authorizes use of the internationally recognized UN3468 identification number for 'Hydrogen in a Metal Hydride Storage System.'

According to Michael Zelinsky, TOHS Business Development manager, 'The industry has been waiting for this breakthrough approval to facilitate commercialization of portable fuel-cell-powered equipment. By removing the barriers of transportation and mandated product life previously associated with hydride canisters, this exemption strategically positions our company to serve the needs of our business partners and continue to build toward mutual success. The authorization for a family of hydrogen storage products under this exemption will significantly shorten time to market for new products.'

Metal hydride storage technology is viewed as a key element in enabling the commercialization of portable fuel cell appliances. Rather than storing hydrogen in its gaseous form, metal hydrides work by bonding hydrogen atoms to metal storage alloy forming a safe, compact, low-pressure storage medium. A metal hydride storage canister can effectively hold more than three times the amount of hydrogen that could be stored as a compressed gas in the same size vessel. The low operating pressure makes these units safe to handle, store, and use, making them the ideal choice for portable hydrogen storage. Early adopters for hydrogen-fueled appliances are likely to be portable generators, remote monitoring equipment, video cameras, and other small electronic devices that require high reliability or long run-time not available from batteries.

About TOHS

Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems LLC is a 50-50 joint venture between Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD Ovonics) (Nasdaq: ENER) and ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures LLC formed to bring metal hydride hydrogen storage systems into commercial production. These markets include fuel-cell-powered vehicles, stationary and portable power systems, and lead acid battery replacements. TOHS, headquartered in Rochester Hills, Mich., is testing both large and small hydrogen systems for a variety of applications. For more information, visit www.txohydrogen.com .

SOURCE Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems LLC

Michael Zelinsky of Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems
LLC, +1-248-293-7234

http://www.ovonic.com
Copyright (C) 2004 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
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