Chuck
10-07-2006, 11:14 AM
If this was semi-easy, someone probably would have the answer by now.
If there was an effective way to run on pure oxygen, the tailpipe emissons would probably be so clean catalytic converters would be unnecessary - forget NO2.
The catch is the energy and trouble to do it is probably too great. But is someone could ever overcome this....
Chuck
10-07-2006, 11:56 AM
Maybe I explained it poorly, but oxygen is only 21% of the air - nitrogen is most of the rest. Keep nitrogen out of the combustion chamber and you don't worry about things like NO2.
lakedude
10-07-2006, 07:59 PM
Good idea. Current fuel is carbon and hydrogen. If you used pure O2 instead of air the exaust would be much cleaner. The problem is I think you would need tons and tons of O2 to do the job per car per year. It would not be practical to carry oxidizer around with you.
Good idea. Current fuel is carbon and hydrogen. If you used pure O2 instead of air the exaust would be much cleaner. The problem is I think you would need tons and tons of O2 to do the job per car per year. It would not be practical to carry oxidizer around with you.
Speaking of Oxidization: the engine parts would oxidize unless steps were taken to use metals or plastics that aren't effected. Same for Hydrogen. Instead of using pure O2, the goal should be to have an injection of O2 that would last as long as a tank of fuel (but the tank is heavy).
RH77
lakedude
10-08-2006, 03:32 AM
10,000 miles a year / 50 mpg (hybrid) = 200 gallons/year
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/co2.shtml
Each gallon of gas produces 20 lbs of CO2 with 5.5 lbs coming from carbon and 14.5 coming from oxygen in the air. 200 * 14.5 = 2900 lbs of oxygen per year for the carbon end of the equation.
Water is the other product of combustion with 13 % of the weight of a gallon of gas being hydrogen. 13 % of 6.3 lbs is 0.8 lbs per gallon times 200 gallons a year equals 160 lbs of hydrogen which needs 8 times more oxygen by weight to burn (H2O H2=2, O=16) so 160 * 8 = an additional 1280 lbs of O2 per year to make the water.
In total you would need to purchase about 4180 lbs of O2 per year if you own a hybrid or other FE car and 2 to 4 times as much if you own a non-hybrid.
