Today the challenge for passenger cars has been finding a system to deliver a solution enhancing performance in the combustion engine while reducing harmful carbon emissions. eBubbler^® is a device that is based on a combination of elements derived from what the “experts say.” It’s a simple affordable way to make your car part of the environmental solution to the ecological challenges we face globally.

China Automakers Showcase Fuel-Saving Cars
ANTING, China (AP) -- The Habo No. 1 looks like any one of the legions of Volkswagen sedans in China. But a peek under the hood reveals an array of chrome canisters instead of the usual engine -- the Habo is fueled not by gas but hydrogen peroxide. More…

What do the experts say about Hydrogen Peroxide as a monopropellant?
America Energy Independence
The introduction of the hydrogen peroxide and burnable substance makes use of the free oxygen which is a product of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. In fact, it is believed that the oxygen is atomic rather than molecular, as it first separates from the hydrogen peroxide. Thus, the oxygen is even more susceptible to combining with the burnable substance. If a proper mixture is used, such that a near stoichiometric ratio is combusted, the resulting combusted gases include steam, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. Consequently, the system is very clean burning in that carbon monoxide and free hydrocarbons can be virtually eliminated. Furthermore, as air is not employed in this system, no NOx would normally be formed.

When scientists talk about hydrogen peroxide as a fuel, they use the word decomposition instead of saying the fuel is burned. When hydrogen peroxide is used as a fuel, energy is released in the form of heat during the rapid decomposition of H2O2 to H2O, creating steam and oxygen. In the case of high concentration H2O2, much of the energy takes the form of an enormous thrust - propulsion - as demonstrated by the jet car and rockets.

Hydrogen peroxide decomposes into pure water: the H2O2 molecule changes into H2O + 1 free O (water + 1 free oxygen atom) creating a lot of heat in the process. H2O2 was used during World War II as fuel for underwater torpedoes because it burned without the need for an outside air supply. The trail of air bubbles that can be seen behind the H2O2 powered torpedo is evidence of the free oxygen released during decomposition of the H2O2 into H2O.

H2O2 decomposition releases pure oxygen as a by-product. Scientists found that the pure oxygen by-product could be used for burning carbon during the H2O2 decomposition—the heat would cause the carbon and free oxygen to ignite and "burn". In this way, the heat energy of the H2O2 fuel can be increased significantly.

Peroxide Propulsion
Hydrogen peroxide has been used in many applications for propulsion and power generation in the last 60 years.

WW II - Its first major use was by the German Luftwaffe during Word War II. In 1936 Helmuth Walters Walterwerke developed a 1000 kgf hydrogen peroxide propelled ATO (= Auxiliary Take Off) rocket engine for the Heinkel He 176. This first engine was a cold monopropellant rocket engine using injection of calciumpermanganate solution as a decomposition catalyst. 80% conc. H₂O₂ was used.

Shortly after this, the same company supplied the rocket engine to the Messerschmidt Me 163B Komet. This engine was a hot bipropellent rocket engine. 80% conc. H₂O₂ was used as the oxidizer. As the organic liquid fuel a mixture called "C-Stoff" was used. It contained hydrazine hydrate and methyl alcohol. C-Stoff was self-igniting (aka hypergolic), so no other decomposition catalyst was needed in this engine.

Probably the most well-known application of H₂O₂ during WW II was in the V2-rocket for the turbo-pump gas generator.

Hydrogen peroxide was used in several other applications by the Germans, like in submarines and torpedos, but the most frequently used device was a catapult operated on 80-85% H₂O₂ and calciumpermanganate solution. Several hundreds of these catapults were produced and each catapult was used many times.

Post WW II - 1980's - Many different peroxide propulsion projects were launched in UK, USA and in the Soviet Union after WWII.

The most successful developments were probably the English Black Knight/Black Arrow projects. These were rocket engines produced by Rolls Royce. The concept was based on the bipropellant principle. 83-87% H₂O₂ was used as the oxidizer. In the early stages of the English projects the hydrogen peroxide was still produced in Germany! Later on the English company La Porte took over the production. The H₂O₂ was decomposed on a silver wire mesh catalyst and kerosene was used as the organic fuel.

The United State Air Force and the Marines used H₂O₂ propelled engines after WWII. The standard rocket grade H₂O₂ in the US had a concentration of 90%.

General Electric produced a Hybrid Rocket Engine. The H₂O₂ was decomposed on a silver mesh catalyst and the organic solid fuel was polyethylene.

When jet engines were developed after the war, the peroxide propulsion rocket engines in the field of jet aviation became obsolete.

In the field of space exploration, other fuels with a higher specific impulse replaced hydrogen peroxide. These new systems were much more complicated and expensive. They were in many cases also poisonous or carcinogenic or harmful to the environment. At that time in history, these things were less important than winning the cold war and the race to the moon!

The only military field in which peroxide propulsion survived the cold war was as torpedo engines.

Regular production of rocket grade hydrogen peroxide stopped in the US in the middle of the 1980's.

Even if the use in the military sector and in space declined, a couple of very interesting and fascinating uses were developed during this time period that are still in use, even if they are yet not wide spread:

• One is the Personal Rocket Belt, developed by Wendell Moore at Bell Aircraft Company. US Patent 3021095. One version of this back pack rocket was flying at the opening ceremony of the Los Angeles Olympic Games 1984. This event has etched itself into many peoples minds! For the general public it is by far the best known application of hydrogen peroxide rocket technology.
• The other application is the rotor tip rocket for helicopters, developed by Gilbert W Magill and others. US Patent 4473199.

These patents have expired at this time. If you want to read them, go here and punch in "US" and the patent number.

After the 1990's - The good news are that hydrogen peroxide has seen a great deal of renewed interest in the 1990s. There are many reasons for this. Most important I believe is its minimal environmental impact, simplicity of handling and lower cost. Since 1998 there have been six International Hydrogen Peroxide Propulsion Conferences. Civil scientists and organizations like ESA, NASA and Russian organizations cooperate openly and peacefully in the field.

Encyclopedia Astronautica
Hydrogen peroxide is used as both an oxidizer and a monopropellant. Relatively high density and non-toxic, it was abandoned after early use in British rockets, but recently revived as a propellant for the Black Horse spaceplane. Hydrogen peroxide solutions are clear, astringent, colorless liquids which are slightly more viscous than water. They are described by Military Specification MIL-H-16005. High-strength hydrogen peroxide solutions are very reactive oxidizing agents. Hydrogen peroxide is miscible in all proportions in water; it is soluble in a large number of organic liquids which are also soluble in water. However, many of these mixtures form explosive mixtures. Hydrogen peroxide-water solutions are normally insensitive to detonation by shock or impact. Surfaces that come in contact with hydrogen peroxide must be specially treated (passivated) before use, to prevent the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide-water solutions and their vapors are considered non-toxic, but are characterized by their ability to produce local irritation.

Article by Capt. Catie Hague - AFFTC Public Affairs
12/15/03 – EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The world's first attack-laser combat aircraft moved one step closer to its flight-test target Dec. 4 when 4,400 gallons of hydrogen peroxide were delivered to the Airborne Laser's Integrated Maintenance Facility at Edwards.

With the arrival of the program's first bulk chemical from its vendor in Houston, the ABL Test Force's laser-fuel mixing operation is on schedule to begin this winter.

"The hydrogen peroxide will be mixed with three bases - sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and lithium hydroxide - to create the fuel for our high-energy laser," said Lt. Col. Jim Rothenflue, 452nd Flight Test Squadron ABL director of engineering. "This hydrogen peroxide is the same chemical compound used in hair bleach. However, the H2O2 in your medicine cabinet is 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and 97 percent water, while the chemical delivery we just received is 50 percent hydrogen peroxide and 50 percent water, a much stronger concentration."

The laser fuel created through the chemical mixing process is called basic hydrogen peroxide, or BHP, explained Rothenflue. When combined with chlorine gas, the energy derived from the reaction generates a powerful laser beam. This beam is focused on a boosting missile's fuel tank, causing it to rupture and explode.

The IMF will be used to store the laser-fuel chemicals in bulk, as well as provide a place for BHP mixing operations, said 2nd Lt. Matthew Horton, ABL operations engineer and member of the 452nd FLTS. The BHP chemicals, which should all be on station by the end of the month, will be stored in accordance with industry standards.

"The 50 percent hydrogen peroxide will be kept in an 8,000-gallon storage tank equipped with many safety features," Horton said, "including a pressure relief vent, an automatic and manual emergency dump capability and an 11,000-gallon containment berm. The berm is in place to catch leaks and pump escaped chemicals into disposal tanks. There's also a mister system to keep the tank cool during the summer months.

"The entire operation is monitored by our Facility Security Safety Monitoring System, which has multiple chemical sensors attached to alert us of any danger," he added.

The types of chemicals that will be contained within the facility include chlorine, iodine, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and three metal hydroxides - similar to common household chemicals higher in concentration, Horton said. "These chemicals are used throughout the world in paper mills, food processing plants and rocket propulsion laboratories.

Despite their common use, Horton emphasized that when dealing with these chemicals, safety is number one. "For that reason, the IMF is located on the east end of south base, downwind of occupied zones and away from the main part of the base."

"We've spent many months preparing for the arrival of our chemicals," said Lt. Col. Keesey Miller, ABL Test Force director. "Safety in storage and operations is our top priority. We're confident because our team is experienced and has met all the safety requirements. In addition, the emergency response teams from ABL and Edwards are trained to identify hazards and take the appropriate contingency actions if ever required."

According to Miller, generating the first light from the laser is planned for early next year.

The ABL is an airborne-directed energy weapon system. The YAL-1A is a prototype that employs a highly-modified, 747-400 airframe equipped with sensors, lasers and sophisticated optics to find, track and destroy ballistic missiles in their boost, or ascent, phase, explained Miller.

"The ABL is complex, but our team is up to the challenge," said Miller. "The ABL's mission, ballistic missile defense, is crucial to this nation in today's world, and that fact keeps us focused. The arrival of the first chemicals takes us one step closer to our ultimate goal."

The final key to testing this weapon system is bringing the laser and optical components together to make them work as an integrated weapon, said Rothenflue.

Oxidation of aliphatic hydrocarbons and aromatics in HCCI Engines
When the most important branches through which the decomposition of hydrocarbon fuel proceeds are examined, it is seen that this process is rather similar for most aliphatic hydrocarbons.

The oxidation of n-heptane
The most important branches through which the oxidation of n-heptane proceeds are shown in Fig. 1:

Fig.1 The major reaction branches of n-heptane oxidation.

Reaction group (1) consists of the following reactions:

      C7H16 + O2      = C7H15* + HO2*
      C7H16 + OH*   = C7H15* + H2O
      C7H16 + HO2* = C7H15* + H2O2

The first reaction is the initiation reaction in which n-heptane reacts with oxygen. Owing to its high endothermicity, this reaction is not an important route to formation of the n-heptyl radical C7H15* once the reaction system has created other radicals. Instead, the second and third reaction dominate over in which radicals react with the fuel. The fastest rate of attack is by the hydroxyl radical OH* since this reaction step is highly exothermic. H2O2 plays an important role in the oxidation process: at temperature lower than circa 1000K, it is relatively stable and H2O2 is build up as the process develops. Once the temperature is high enough, H2O2 will quickly decompose into two hydroxyl radicals, which is a chain branching step:

H2O2 + M = OH* + OH* + M

The resulting OH* radicals rapidly consume any fuel, followed by a rapid increase in temperature. Thus, decomposition of H2O2 and consumption of fuel result in ignition.
Source: HCCI chemistry Mechanical and Vehicular Engineering - Chalmers University of Technology

Prediction of Pre-ignition Reactivity and Ignition Delay for HCCI Using a Reduced Chemical Kinetic Model
by Jincai Zheng, Weiying Yang, David L. Miller and Nicholas P. Cernansky - Drexel University

Found that Recent modeling work by Aceves Etal concluded that decomposition of H2O2 was the main cause for HCCI ignition. More...

THE KAMIKAZE REGULATOR RP 220
Hydrogen peroxide H2O2 contains a tremendous amount of available energy, yet is stable when stored in clean, compatible containers. However, when contact is made with a catalyser, it decomposes and produces, by exothermic reaction, huge quantities of superheated oxygen gas and steam. Hydrogen peroxide is a monopropellant fuel, meaning that it only requires one element to induce decomposition, such as copper, silver or a ceramic. Using it as fuel for rocket engines is as simple as feeding the hydrogen peroxide through the right catalyst bed under pressure, the decomposition creates lots of gas which, as it escapes through the  proper nozzle shape, produces thrust. More...

What do the experts say about delivering Hydrogen to the internal combustion engine?
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, states:

“Hydrogen Fuel Injection, or HFI, is a system to reduce exhaust emissions of internal combustion engines and improve fuel economy. HFI systems work by injecting hydrogen as a combustion enhancement into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine to achieve these benefits. A small amount of hydrogen added to the intake air-fuel charge enhances the flame velocity and thus permits the engine to operate with leaner air-to-fuel mixture than otherwise possible. The result is lower pollution with more power and better mileage.”

The technology of using hydrogen as an enhancement to internal combustion engine has been researched and proven for many years. The benefits are factual and well documented.

Below is a summary of research on the effects of Hydrogen on the combustion engine:

• In 1974 John Houseman and D.J/Cerini of the Jet Propulsion Lab, California Institute of Technology produced a report for the Society of Automotive Engineers entitled "On-Board Hydrogen Generator for a Partial Hydrogen Injection Internal Combustion Engine".
• In 1974 F.W. Hoehn and M.W. Dowy of the Jet Propulsion Lab, prepared a report for the 9th Inter society Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, entitled "Feasibility Demonstration of a Road Vehicle Fueled with Hydrogen Enriched Gasoline."
• In the early eighties George Vosper P. Eng., ex-professor of Dynamics and Canadian inventor, designed and patented a device to transform internal combustion engines to run on hydrogen. He later affirms: "A small amount of hydrogen added to the air intake of a gasoline engine would enhance the flame velocity and thus permit the engine to operate with leaner air to gasoline mixture than otherwise possible. The result, far less pollution with more power and better mileage." In 1995, Wagner, Jamal and Wyszynski, at the Birmingham, of University Engineering, Mechanical and Manufacturing>, demonstrated the advantages of "Fractional addition of hydrogen to internal combustion engines by exhaust gas fuel reforming." The process yielded benefits in improved combustion stability and reduced nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbon emissions.
• Roy MacAlister, PE of the American Hydrogen Association states the "Use of mixtures of hydrogen in small quantities and conventional fuels offers significant reductions in exhaust emissions" and that "Using hydrogen as a combustion stimulant it is possible for other fuels to meet future requirements for lower exhaust emissions in California and an increasing number of additional states. Relatively small amounts of hydrogen can dramatically increase horsepower and reduce exhaust emissions."
• At the HYPOTHESIS Conference, University of Cassino, Italy, June 26-29, 1995, a group of scientists from the University of Birmingham, UK, presented a study about hydrogen as a fraction of the fuel. In the abstract of that study it stated: "Hydrogen, when used as a fractional additive at extreme lean engine operation, yields benefits in improved combustion stability and reduced nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbon emissions."
• In the Spring of 1997, at an international conference held by the University of Calgary, a team of scientists representing the Department of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, China, presented a mathematical model for the process of formation and restraint of toxic emissions in hydrogen-gasoline mixture fueled engines. Using the theory of chemical dynamics of combustion, the group elaborated an explanation of the mechanism of forming toxic emissions in spark ignition engines. The results of their experimental investigation conclude that because of the characteristics of hydrogen, the mixture can rapidly burn in hydrogen-gasoline mixture fueled engines, thus toxic emissions are restrained. These studies and other research on hydrogen as a fuel supplement generated big efforts in trying to develop practical systems to enhance internal combustion engine performance. A few of them materialized in patented devices that didn't reach the level of performance, safety or feasibility that would allow them to reach marketing stages.
• California Environmental Engineering (CEE) has tested this technology and found reduction on all exhaust emissions. They subsequently stated: "CEE feels that the result of this test verifies that this technology is a viable source for reducing emissions and fuel consumption on large diesel engines."
• The American Hydrogen Association Test Lab tested this technology and proved that: "Emissions test results indicate that a decrease of toxic emissions was realized." Again, zero emissions were observed on CO. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. Vehicle subjected to dynamometer loading in controlled conditions showed drastic reduction of emissions and improved horsepower.
• Corrections Canada tested several systems and concluded, "The hydrogen system is a valuable tool in helping Corrections Canada meet the overall Green Plan by: reducing vehicle emissions down to an acceptable level and meeting the stringent emissions standard set out by California and British Columbia; reducing the amount of fuel consumed by increased mileage."
  Additionally, their analysis pointed out that this solution is the most cost effective. For their research they granted the C.S.C. Environmental Award.
  
  We also conducted extensive testing in order to prove reliability and determine safety and performance of the components and the entire system. As a result of these tests, we achieved important breakthroughs as far as the designs of the components were concerned. We have since increased the hydrogen/oxygen production significantly. This has resulted in increased effectiveness on engine performance.
  
  The results of these tests were able to confirm the claims made about this technology: the emissions will be reduced, the horsepower will increase and the fuel consumption will be reduced.
• To best describe how Hydrogen Enhanced Combustion works, we are providing this excerpt from a University Technical Report, written by Mr. George Vosper, P. Engineering;
  
  ...a Hydrogen Generating System (HGS) for trucks or cars has been on the market for some time. Mounted on a vehicle, it feeds small amounts of hydrogen and oxygen into the engine's air intake. Its makers claim savings in fuel, reduced noxious and greenhouse gases and increased power. The auto industry is not devoid of hoaxes and as engineers are skeptics by training, it is no surprise that a few of them say the idea won't work. Such opinions, from engineers can't be dismissed without explaining why I think these Hydrogen Generating Systems do work and are not just another hoax. The 2^nd law of thermodynamics is a likely source of those doubts. Meaning ...the law-would lead you to believe that it will certainly take more power to produce this hydrogen than can be regained by burning it in the engine. i.e. the resulting energy balance should be negative. If the aim is to create hydrogen by electrolysis to be burned as a fuel, the concept is ridiculous. On the other hand, if hydrogen, shortens the burn time of the main fuel-air mix, putting more pressure on the piston through a longer effective power stroke, and in doing so takes more work out, then this system does make sense.

Does it work? Independent studies, at different universities, using various fuels, have shown that flame speeds increase when small amounts of hydrogen are added to air-fuel mixes.

• A study by the California Institute of Technology, at its Jet Propulsion Lab Pasadena, in 1974 concluded:
  The J.P.L. concept has unquestionably demonstrated that the addition of small quantities of gaseous hydrogen to the primary gasoline significantly reduces CO and NOx exhaust emissions while improving engine thermal efficiency.