Portable hydrogen supplemental system and method for lowering particulate matter and other emissions in diesel engines at idle

Abstract

A portable on-demand hydrogen supplemental system is provided for producing hydrogen gas and injecting the hydrogen gas into the air intake of internal combustion engines for the purpose of increasing the combustion efficiency in the combustion chamber and lowering particulate emissions at idle. Hydrogen increases the laminar flame speed of diesel fuels, thus increasing combustion efficiency. Hydrogen and oxygen is produced by an electrolyzer from nonelectrolyte water in a nonelectrolyte water tank. The hydrogen gas is passed through a hydrogen gas collector. Nonelectrolyte water mixed with the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen gas collector is passed back thru the tank for distribution and water preservation. The system utilizes an onboard diagnostic (OBD) interface in communication with the vehicle's OBD terminal, to regulate power to the system so that hydrogen production for the engine is adjusted based on the RPM level and operation conditions of the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable hydrogen supplemental system for supplying hydrogen gas to an internal combustion engine comprising:
 a housing unit;   an electrolyzer mounted inside the housing unit that separates nonelectrolyte water into hydrogen and oxygen gas in response to electrical power;   a nonelectrolyte water tank mounted inside the housing unit and positioned to supply nonelectrolyte water to the electrolyzer;   a power supply for supplying the electrical power in the form of a voltage to the electrolyzer; and   an onboard diagnostic interface for interfacing with an onboard diagnostic terminal of a vehicle or engine, for detecting operation of the internal combustion engine and an RPM level of the internal combustion engine;   wherein the onboard diagnostic interface forms an electrical circuit for adjusting the voltage across the electrolyzer to thereby adjust the amount of hydrogen to be produced therein.   
     
     
         2 . A hydrogen portable system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a hydrogen gas collector for collecting the hydrogen gas from the electrolyzer,   wherein the electrolyzer, when supplied with electrical power produces the hydrogen and oxygen gases from the nonelectrolyte water being supplied from the nonelectrolyte water tank via a supply line connected thereto, and supplies the hydrogen gas being produced, via the hydrogen gas collector, to the internal combustion engine for combustion therein,   wherein the electrolyzer is disposed external of the nonelectrolyte water tank, wherein the oxygen gas supplied from the electrolyzer travels back through the supply line and is vented to an atmosphere; wherein said electrolyzer comprises:   a plurality of layers, said layers being non-liquid and each layer being in adjacent contact with another one of said layers,   wherein the plurality of layers includes at least two external layers and an internal layer which is disposed in adjacent contact between the external layers,   wherein a first external layer is connected to a positive terminal of the power supply and as such applies the positive side of the voltage to a first side of the internal layer, and a second external layer is connected to a negative terminal of the power supply and as such applies the negative side of the voltage to a second side of the internal layer, said first and second sides being on opposite sides of the internal layer, and   wherein when the voltage is applied across the first external layer, the internal layer and the second external layer, the electrolyzer separates the nonelectrolyte water into oxygen gas which is output on the first side of the internal layer and hydrogen gas which is output on the second side of the internal layer.   
     
     
         3 . A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to  claim 2 , wherein the hydrogen gas collector comprises:
 a hydrogen gas collector portion for receiving the hydrogen gas and an amount of the nonelectrolyte water mixed with the hydrogen gas, from the electrolyzer, therein; and   a valve disposed in communication with the hydrogen collection portion, for receiving the nonelectrolyte water therein to be returned to the nonelectrolyte water tank.   
     
     
         4 . A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to  claim 1 , wherein the onboard diagnostic interface is in communication with the engine via the onboard diagnostic terminal and in communication with the power supply of the system, and controls power to be supplied to the power supply, wherein when the voltage across the electrolyzer is increased when the RPM level is below a certain RPM depending upon at least one of the engine load and class and decreased with the RPM level is above a certain RPM depending upon at least one of the engine load and/or type and class. 
     
     
         5 . A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to  claim 5 , further comprises:
 a communication module for transmitting vehicle information and engine information via the onboard diagnostic terminal to the power supply via a communication network.   
     
     
         6 . A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to  claim 5 , wherein the communication module is a wireless module for wirelessly receiving and transmitting vehicle information and engine information. 
     
     
         7 . A portable hydrogen supplemental system according to  claim 6 , wherein the onboard diagnostic interface is further configured to receive at least one of rotational speed information, speed information, or gas usage information. 
     
     
         8 . A method of controlling a production of hydrogen gas within a hydrogen supplemental system to be supplied to an internal combustion engine comprising:
 detecting, by an onboard diagnostic interface in communication with a vehicle or engine onboard diagnostic terminal, operation of the internal combustion engine and a RPM level of the internal combustion engine;   supplying, by a power supply, electrical power in the form of a voltage to an electrolyzer or other hydrogen producing system upon detecting that the internal combustion engine is in operation and based on the detected RPM level; and   producing, by the electrolyzer or other hydrogen producing system when supplied with the electrical power, hydrogen gas based on the detected RPM level.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 ,
 supplying, from a nonelectrolyte water tank mounted inside the housing unit, nonelectrolyte water to the electrolyzer;   supplying, via a hydrogen gas collector, the hydrogen gas being produced to the internal combustion engine for combustion therein,   wherein the electrolyzer, when supplied with electrical power produces the hydrogen and oxygen gases from the nonelectrolyte water being supplied from the nonelectrolyte water tank via a supply line connected thereto, and supplies the hydrogen gas being produced, via the hydrogen gas collector, to the internal combustion engine for combustion therein.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the electrolyzer is disposed external of the nonelectrolyte water tank, wherein the oxygen gas supplied from the electrolyzer travels back through the supply line and is vented to an atmosphere; wherein said electrolyzer comprises:   a plurality of layers, said layers being non-liquid and each layer being in adjacent contact with another one of said layers,   wherein the plurality of layers includes at least two external layers and an internal layer which is disposed in adjacent contact between the external layers,   wherein a first external layer is connected to a positive terminal of the power supply and as such applies the positive side of the voltage to a first side of the internal layer, and a second external layer is connected to a negative terminal of the power supply and as such applies the negative side of the voltage to a second side of the internal layer, said first and second sides being on opposite sides of the internal layer, and   wherein when the voltage is applied across the first external layer, the internal layer and the second external layer, the electrolyzer separates the nonelectrolyte water into oxygen gas which is output on the first side of the internal layer and hydrogen gas which is output on the second side of the internal layer.   
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , further comprises:
 supplying the nonelectrolyte water via a water container disposed above the nonelectrolyte water.   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 9 ,
 controlling power in the form of voltage to be supplied to the power supply, wherein increasing the voltage across the electrolyzer when the RPM level is below a certain level depending on at least one of the engine load and/or type and class, and decreasing the voltage across the electrolyzer with the RPM level is above a certain level depending on at least one of the engine load and/or type and class.   
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , further comprises:
 transmitting vehicle information and engine information via a communication module via the onboard diagnostic interface to the power supply via a communication network.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the onboard diagnostic interface is further configured to receive at least one of rotational speed information, speed information, or gas usage information.