Saturday, November 29, 2008

HAFC and PICC - Save Money on Gas

By Sinclair Sonny

Although we have seen pump prices ease somewhat because of the drop in global crude prices, there is still the global credit and economic crunch weighing on people's minds. People are now focused on saving money and reducing expenditures, not gong out and spending.

For most households who have more than one car, gasoline accounts for a large portion of the household budget. It therefore makes sense that if one can lower the consumption or improve gas mileage in their cars, there could be significant savings to be had.

Today, many technologies exist to help you increase fuel savings and increase gas mileage. Some are pretty obvious, like keep your car in tip-top shape. Other ways include using alternative fuels, or even make your own bio diesel. A more drastic change can be to modify your car to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas or (LPG). LPG is a far cheaper fuel and burns cleaner than gasoline, and is much more earth friendly.

However, to truly be able to save on gas, you can take a look at two emerging fuel saving technologies that look very promising - Hydro Assist Fuel Cell (HAFC) technology and Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter (PICC) technology.

What is HAFC Technology?

Hydro Assist Fuel Cell technology, better known as HAFC, extracts a hydrogen-oxygen mixture from water called Brown's Gas, through ionization using the electricity from the engine. The Brown's Gas is then added to the fuel mixture before it is burned in the engine. The brown's gas and fuel vapor mixed together creates an energy rich gas that burns far stronger. With this fuel mixture, you can realize savings because you need less fuel because of the increased efficiency.

The HAFC system also uses powerful magnets to ionize the gasoline to produce smaller molecules that burn more rapidly and cleanly. Gas that is broken down into its components make it burn more easily. Couple that with the brown's gas and you get a more explosive mixture, meaning more power, and less emissions, and ultimately using less fuel.

Based on early studies, HAFC system has the potential to produce gas savings of at about 50%.

What is PICC?

The Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter or PICC system is a relatively old technology, which is being revisited and being used in a new novel way. PICC is an experimental system that even in its developmental stage promises to increase gas mileage by 5 times.

Right now, all cars have catalytic converters. These are installed in the car's emission system, and are used for breaking down the large gas molecules un-burnt in your engine, turning them into smaller particles that can be incinerated in the tailpipe before being released into the air.

The PICC seeks to use this system in reverse - instead of breaking down the gas for easier burning after it goes through the engine, PICC turns your fuel into a gas form, breaks down the fuel into smaller particles and THEN sends it to the engine. Gas burns better in vapor form, and if the components are broken down further, theoretically, more fuel savings will be realized.

The best part about these two is that they can be used side by side, and together these technologies promise to revolutionize the automotive industry, not to mention keeping more dollars in your pocket. - 16069

About the Author: