First Attempt at Fuel Consumption

Setup

I set the ATV up on some substantial blocks that all but negate any possibility of the ATV from running off while it is in drive with a clamp on the throttle. Bringing the tires just off the ground an inch or two in order to maintain a levelish fuel tank for measurement purposes. From the ground to the bottom of the hitch is 16 inches.

More pictures

  

Measurement

I first attempted to begin my measurements with the use of a string and weight in order to find the depth of the tank to be used as data as a refill point.

 Unfortunately the string method proved to contain two major problems:

1. It was extremely difficult to see at which point the fuel came up to in order to measure

2. The fuel would absorb up the string over a short span of time and make it impossible to measure precisely

So I moved to plan B, based on the supplies I had at hand to work with, I knew using a tube would be the best form of measurement, but could only find a paint stick.

After a few measurements with the paint stick, the only problem resolved over the previous attempt was that it was now visible to see where the fuel was on the stick. However after a few attempts with this method it was soon apparent that the issue of fuel creeping up the stick was still occurring, causing inaccuracy. Having no better alternative at the time, I continued through with the first test run.

I set up a vise grip with the left end on the thumb throttle and the right end on the front hand brake. I initially measured the distance of the rod in between the two sides, until I found that the speedometer worked much better at showing a consistent engine stress point, for accurate testing.

I had to watch the ATV and adjust the vise grip slightly every 5 minutes or so to keep a consistent 5 MPH on the speedometer, otherwise it would either fall or rise 1 MPH.

After an hour I remeasured and saw that the fuel had gone down about a 1/2 inch from 6 inches to 5 and 1/2

So I added a measured amount of fuel

 1 liter down

 then another 1/2 liter to fill the tank

I then measured the fuel again back up to 6 inches confirming that it was near the original fill-point

At this point was when I realized the full unreliability of this measurement method, after this measurement I took two more as follows: this one at 6 and 1/2 inches

 then this last one at just over 5 and a half inches

Conclusion

At the end of the day I got a rough estimate of 1.5 liters per hour of fuel consumption at ~5 MPH. I plan on testing with better measurement tools in the future, and will just hold off further fuel consumption testing until the rest of the objectives have been completed. I figure that it will be easy enough to disable the hydrogen generator for baseline testing after its been installed. I spent 6 hours of the day getting this done on Saturday, and what I've come away with is an inaccurate result and a better idea on how to do things next time.

Thoughts

Electrolyte/Catalyst

After some research I found that Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) will be required in a ratio of 1 teaspoon to 8 liters of distilled water. I'm going to find out where I can get some, or if Dr. LaDine had any she could spare.

Safety Bubbler

There doesn't seem to be much information about the building plans of a bubbler, so I intend to use the leftover PVC pipe as the tube, and will just purchase similar end pieces like a cap and fill cap. The diagrams that show the bubblers in them look simple. Tubing from the hydroxy generator carrying the hydroxy gas goes down into the bubbler, towards the bottom.

The Steam trap shown in this diagram isn't present anywhere else, so I assume it is unnecessary, however the one-way valve, wire mesh, safety bubbler, and water trap all make sense in their design implementation. (opinions are welcome on the necessity of the steam trap)

Ammeter (meter used to measure current/amps)

In the plans they refer to the use of a meter in order to know what amperage the cell is giving off, based on the amount of catalyst in the distilled water. The more amperage, the more production of hydroxy gas. In order to measure the amperage I made the decision and bought an ammeter that measures 0-15amps off amazon. The generator that I am building should draw up to 15 amps, which should work nicely with the ammeter purchased.

Fuel Injection Speed Bumb

When adding hydroxy gas to the engine, changes to the air/fuel mix ratio will occur. This normally isn't an issue, however the ATV has an onboard computer that will increase the amount of fuel being put into the cylinder from this change, therefore decreasing fuel efficiency. In order to overcome this I will need to alter the information being sent to the computer through a controller, however this has its side of possible problems.

"A simple control circuit board can be added to alter the sensor signal and nudge the fuel computer into  producing slightly better air/fuel mixes. Unfortunately, there is a severe downside to doing this. If, for any  reason, the fuel mix is set too high for an extended period, then the excess fuel being burnt in the catalytic  converter can raise the temperature there high enough to melt the internal components of the converter. On  the other hand, if the circuit board is switched to a mix which is too lean, then the engine temperature can be  pushed high enough to damage the valves, which is an expensive mistake." (page 1 of pdf)
Unfortunately the recommended controller costs $150-$200. As of now my decision is to not purchase the controller, but rather see the post installation GPH numbers. If enough efficiency is gained i.e. 10% or more then I'll withhold from buying the controller, as my objective of increased efficiency will have been gained.

List of Objectives

Objectives

• Create a To-do List     Check!
• Choose the most viable hydrogen generator design     Check!
• Purchase the parts for the generator     Check!
• Build/put together the generator     Check!

• Calculate the initial gallons per hour (GPH) of the ATV     Check!
• Perform three 1-hour tests to ensure repeat ability (I'm open to other suggestions)
• Ensure accuracy by use of a meter stick in the fuel tank to both fill and check post fuel consumption
• Research a basic bubbler as a safety mechanism (prevents a backfire from reaching the generator)     Check!
• Purchase/find parts     Check!
• Build
• Research fuel injection control (to prevent excessive fuel to be used)    Check!
• Purchase/find parts     Deemed Unnecessary
• Research for required power draws on the battery     Check!
• Test to confirm sufficiency
• Research necessary electrolyte for electrolysis (the splitting of H20)     Check!
• Purchase/find    
• Integrate an on/off switch to relay power to the generator on the handlebar (prevents gas production when the engine is off)    Check!
• Mount safety bubbler and hydroxy generator     Check!
• Calculate post installation of the gallons per hour (GPH) of the ATV     Check!
• Perform three 1-hour tests
• Note any non-calculable changes i.e. increased throttle response/power, increased top speed, or irregularities     Check!
• Be prepared for difficulties     Check!

These objectives must be accomplished by the end of this month, leaving me ten main objectives to accomplish by then, each requiring between a couple hours to nearly a whole day to complete. Any open time after homework will here-on-out be put towards this project.

Big Update with Big Changes

Major change #1

Switching ATVs

The choice of ATV has switched from the black one to the red one because...

The red isn't being used during the winter, meaning better availability to work on

The black began experiencing electrical issues due to salt corrosion

The red has a much lower likelihood of technical difficulties since it's mostly been garaged, unused