# US 2012/0073523 A1 · Hydrogen supplemental system for on-demand hydrogen generation for internal combustion engines > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2012/0073523 A1 - Document ID: US20120073523A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/225,348 - Filed: 2011-09-02 - Published: 2012-03-29 - Earliest claimed: 2010-05-28 - Assignees: HNO Greenfuels, Inc. - Inventors: Donald Owens - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120073523A1 ## CPC - F02B 43/10: Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen - F02M 25/12: the apparatus having means for generating such gases (using rays and simultaneously generating ozone F02M27/06) - Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines - Y02P 20/133: Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - Y02T 10/30: Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A hydrogen generation system for producing hydrogen and injecting the hydrogen as a fuel supplement into the air intake of internal combustion engines. Hydrogen and oxygen is produced with a fuel cell at low temperatures and pressure from water in a supply tank. The hydrogen is directed to the air intake of the engine while the oxygen is vented to the atmosphere. The device is powered by the vehicle battery. The system utilizes an engine sensor that permits power to the system only when the engine is in operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable hydrogen supplemental system for supplying hydrogen gas to an internal combustion engine comprising: a housing unit; a fuel cell mounted inside the housing unit that converts water into hydrogen and oxygen gas; a water tank mounted inside the housing unit and positioned to supply water to the fuel cell; a power supply for supplying electrical power to the fuel cell; an engine sensor for detecting operation of the internal combustion engine and; an operator control switch, wherein the water tank includes at least one tank divider which separates the water tank into at least two sections that are both filled with water when water is placed into the water tank; wherein the water tank includes at least first and second gas collection cavities at a top portion thereof for collecting hydrogen and oxygen gas respectively, the gas collection cavities being formed by a top surface of the water tank, the tank divider and the water level in the water tank; wherein each gas collection cavity includes a fitting at the top thereof for distributing one of the hydrogen and oxygen gas out of the water tank; wherein the power supply supplies electrical power to the fuel cell when the engine sensor detects that the internal combustion engine is in operation and the operator control switch is activated; wherein the fuel cell, when supplied with electrical power, produces hydrogen and oxygen gases from the water being supplied to the fuel cell, said hydrogen and oxygen gases being directed through the water tank into the gas collection cavities at the top thereof for proper distribution of the gases such that the hydrogen gas is supplied to the internal combustion engine for combustion therein; wherein the internal combustion engine is a gasoline powered engine; and wherein the portable hydrogen supplemental system operates optimally in the gasoline powered engine when the load on the gasoline powered engine does not exceed a predetermined level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 1, wherein the load on the gasoline powered engine does not exceed a current of 4 amps being drawn from an alternator powered by the gasoline powered engine, or if measured another way of 56 watts. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 1, wherein the portable hydrogen supplemental system operates optimally in the gasoline powered engine when the amount of hydrogen produced by the system and supplied to the gasoline powered engine falls within a preset range. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 1, wherein the portable hydrogen supplemental system is mounted to a vehicle powered by the internal combustion engine by a mounting bracket which is attached to a surface of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 4, wherein the mounting bracket has formed therein oblong holes positioned near the corners of the mounting bracket for receiving screws/studs disposed on the undersigned of the housing unit, and wherein the oblong holes upon receiving the screws/studs disposed on the undersigned of the housing unit allows for the housing unit to be removably attached to the mounting bracket, thereby permitting the portable hydrogen supplemental system to be removed for servicing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 1, wherein the water tank is positioned above the fuel cell. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control electrical circuit, having a switch, which supplies electrical power to the fuel cell when the engine sensor detects that the internal combustion engine is in operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 1, wherein said fuel cell comprises: a plurality of layers, and wherein the electrical power is applied to opposing layers of said fuel cell in a manner to produce hydrogen and oxygen gases. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 4, wherein said the water tank comprises: a water supply fitting positioned on the underside of the water tank connected to a tube that is connected to water inlet fitting on the fuel cell, wherein water is supplied to the fuel cell by the tube, and wherein the fuel cell further includes a hydrogen gas outlet fitting and an oxygen gas outlet fitting which are connected by other tubes to gas inlet fittings on the underside of the water tank. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 9, wherein during operation of the fuel cell, a small amount of water, hydrogen gas bubbles and oxygen gas bubbles emerge from a hydrogen outlet and an oxygen outlet, respectively, of the fuel cell, and flow into a hydrogen side and an oxygen side of the water tank, wherein bubbles rise through the water to the upper air cavities formed by the water level in the tank and the tank dividers such that hydrogen and oxygen gases are kept separate from each other in the upper cavities by the dividers, and wherein as hydrogen gas and oxygen gas fill their respective upper cavities, gases flow out of the upper cavities through a hydrogen fitting and an oxygen fitting. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 10, wherein the hydrogen and oxygen fittings can each be replaced by a gas collector which is constructed to contain baffles that serve to prevent water from splashing into or entering the tubes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to claim 11, wherein each baffle is configured to extend perpendicularly from an inner surface of the gas collector, and wherein a first baffle is configured to extend from a portion of the inner surface of the gas collector opposite to another portion of the inner surface of the gas collector from which a second baffle extends. ### Claim 13 A method of supplying hydrogen gas to an internal combustion engine comprising: converting, by a fuel cell mounted inside a housing unit, water into hydrogen and oxygen gas; supplying, by a water tank mounted inside the housing unit, water to the fuel cell; detecting, by an engine sensor, operation of the internal combustion engine; supplying, by a power supply, electrical power to the fuel cell upon detecting that the internal combustion engine is in operation and an operator control switch is activated; producing, by the fuel cell, when supplied with the electrical power, hydrogen and oxygen gases from the water being supplied to the fuel cell, said hydrogen and oxygen gases being directed through the water tank into respective gas collection cavities at the top of the water tank for proper distribution of the gases; and supplying the hydrogen gas to the internal combustion engine for combustion therein, wherein the water tank includes at least one tank divider which separates the water tank into at least two sections that are both filled with water when water is placed into the water tank, wherein each gas collection cavity includes a fitting at the top thereof for distributing one of the hydrogen and oxygen gas out of the water tank, wherein the internal combustion engine is a gasoline powered engine, and wherein the portable hydrogen supplemental system operates optimally in the gasoline powered engine when the load on the gasoline powered engine does not exceed a predetermined level. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13, wherein the load on the gasoline powered engine does not exceed a current of 4 amps being drawn from an alternator powered by the gasoline powered engine, or if measured another way of 56 watts. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13, wherein the portable hydrogen supplemental system operates optimally in the gasoline powered engine when the amount of hydrogen produced by the system and supplied to the gasoline powered engine falls within a preset range. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13, wherein the portable hydrogen supplemental system is mounted to a vehicle powered by the internal combustion engine by a mounting bracket which is attached to a surface of the vehicle ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method according to claim 16, wherein the mounting bracket has formed therein oblong holes positioned near the corners of the mounting bracket for receiving screws/studs disposed on the undersigned of the housing unit, and wherein the oblong holes upon receiving the screws/studs disposed on the undersigned of the housing unit allows for the housing unit to be removably attached to the mounting bracket, thereby permitting the portable hydrogen supplemental system to be removed for servicing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13, wherein the water tank is positioned above the fuel cell. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13, wherein a control electrical circuit, having a switch, supplies electrical power to the fuel cell when the engine sensor detects that the internal combustion engine is in operation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13, wherein said fuel cell comprises: a plurality of layers, and wherein the electrical power is applied to opposing layers of said fuel cell in a manner to produce hydrogen and oxygen gases. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) A method according to claim 16, wherein said water tank comprises: a water supply fitting positioned on the underside of the water tank connected to a tube that is connected to water inlet fitting on the fuel cell, wherein water is supplied to the fuel cell by the tube, and wherein the fuel cell further includes a hydrogen gas outlet fitting and an oxygen gas outlet fitting which are connected by other tubes to gas inlet fittings on the underside of the water tank. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A method according to claim 21, wherein during operation of the fuel cell, a small amount of water, hydrogen gas bubbles and oxygen gas bubbles emerge from a hydrogen outlet and an oxygen outlet, respectively, of the fuel cell, and flow into a hydrogen side and an oxygen side of the water tank, wherein bubbles rise through the water to the upper air cavities formed by the water level in the tank and the tank dividers such that hydrogen and oxygen gases are kept separate from each other in the upper cavities by the dividers, and wherein as hydrogen gas and oxygen gas fill their respective upper cavities, gases flow out of the upper cavities through a hydrogen fitting and an oxygen fitting. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22, wherein the hydrogen and oxygen fittings can each be replaced by a gas collector which is constructed to contain baffles that serve to prevent water from splashing into or entering the tubes. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A method according to claim 23, wherein each baffle is configured to extend perpendicularly from an inner surface of the gas collector, and wherein a first baffle is configured to extend from a portion of the inner surface of the gas collector opposite to another portion of the inner surface of the gas collector from which a second baffle extends.