OK, lets be scientific - what is "Brown's Gas" ???  It sounds like it is
just (2)  H2 and (1)  O2 gases mixed together. The fact that a different
more efficient process is used to break the H2 and the O apart does not
change the atomic reality - right ?

-dave

Yes and no.  Introducing straight hydrogen into a rotary and mixing it with
air (which is about 71 % nitrogen and other pollutants and perhaps 27%
oxygen on a good day) is a bit different than adding in H2 an O2 and perhaps
some water vapor. In essense the nitrogen has little value in the workings
of the engine except being a compressable medium.  Until I have one of these
electrolizersunits on the bench and working well, the following is pure
speculation.  Perhaps the H2 and O2 is filling in some of the space that
would normally be taken up by nitrogen.  Dry steam may be the real power
enhancer and of course source of engine rust some experimentors talk about.
Nothing new here.  WWII pilots injected water right?  The Hydrogen as Petri
says does speed up the flame front rate (acts as a catylyst) allowing the
existing fuel to burn more completely. The rotary engine would benefit from
an increase in flame front rate and perhaps this is what Mazda's hydrogen
research is all about.  Remember the rotary engine can run on hydrogen, but
in the real world I am betting the 16X will run on both H2 and a carbon
linked fuel. For a 10% increase in MPG this is not psuedo science. Now if
there is an actual residual charge to the gases that would be extremely
interesting and could account for some other phenoeum but lets not go there
now.

About running an engine 100% on H2-O2 plus steam, it definity is being done
but who knows the fuel mileage? Not good I would venture to say but in some
applications who cares?  If you are cutting your grass with a lawn mower
running on H2-02 you don't mind filling up the water tank once a week or
even once an hour. Ditto an automobile and/or countless other stationary gen
sets.  For airplanes it could only be an fuel mileage enhancer in straight
and level flight. Get to cruising altitude, flip it on, check your
temperatures, lean and adjust your prop. The turbo-compound unit has always
been engaged and will perform best at a particular high density altitude you
have chosen.

The trouble with all the Mickey Mouse units out there promoted by
celebrities is that most of them are probably just making water vapor with
minute amounts of H2. True vapor wear:) I have made these devices years ago.
To sustain any resonance in an aqueos solution the water level has to be
fixed and maintained, and it should be noted that resonance changes as the
temp changes.  On top of this each unit has to be custom tuned because no
piece of metal has the same exact thickness and metallurgical structure. If
they plates or cylinders aren't titanium they will degrade causing a red
iron oxide film to cover the anode an catode as well as again changing the
resonance properties.

Here I am speaking of direct experience of manufacturing industrial air
cleaning devices using ultrasonics drivers attached to titanium plates.
These devices were mounted into the waste stream of welding gases from
industrial robots. The clients were NHK (automobile springs) and Toyata
Motors. We were able to cause fine particulars, using only sound waves, to
drop out perpendicular to the airflow into a dust chute without a
significant loss in air pressure.

That was in 1990 and the power electronics and feedback systems cabient was
the size of a 'then' desktop computer.  Keeping the plate in tune was a bear
as temperatures in the duct rose during the day. We used ultrasonic misters
to try and control the temperatures and show visually that the system was
working.  When it worked it was amazing. Once when it didn't work it was
more amazing, melting titanium when we hit a 'wrong' frequency. You could
put your hand in the sound field and nothing happened until you closed your
fingers together. Then any moisture caught on your fingers would vibrate
extremely fast and burn your fingers.  More often than not the feedback
system did not work well and we had to remove the equipment and go back to
electro-static filters and their high maintenance costs. There was no
intelligent software in our system and that was the major design fault.

Today we have cheap microprocessors and inexpensive lasers, and and in my
opinion that is what the laser was to be used for in Meyers last patent. I
believe he disguised its use by using the mumbo jumbo of 'enhance gas
production through photo excitation' when what he was probably trying to do
was measure the vibration rate of the water surface or tubes and create a
feedback loop.

The power of resonance is real can be destructive as well as constructive. I
don't think we should rule out some possible benefits to the rotary engine
yet.

Doug in Japan

What about Bruce Crower's a six stroke engine? It runs on water.
You get the rotor hot (500 F) with two or three gasoline strokes and then
you inject water that becomes steam and expands driving the rotor
for one cycle. Sort of direct turbo compound converting the otherwise
wasted heat energy during rotor cooling to useful work. You can do away
with the oil cooler and radiator.

That is a 33% or 25% reduction in fuel consumption. All you need is an
all stainless steel engine to prevent corrosion.

Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

Paul

Yes the 'Dyer' cycle. That is an interesting concept and with all of Bruce's
experience in manufacturing cams you can bet he knows what he is doing.  He
did choose a diesel engine to do this work I believe.  I wonder if the idea
would work in a wankle rotary.  Why don't you give him a call? I believe he
is in SOCAL.

I believe our engines liners are chromed and the intake and the exhaust
could be stainless. Other internals could be ceramic coated.

With the rotary you could almost add the water injection cycle 'on demand'
according to the duty cycle or heat output which for aircraft would vary
depending on altitude and power setting. This idea might go a long ways
toward achieving or even eliminating the need for a direct air cooled rotary
engine.  Different torque pulses would need to me dampened.


Doug in Japan

Dave,
Here is a link to some facts, opinions, and BS on "Brown's Gas".
http://www.phact.org/e/bgas.htm

As a physicist, I think "Brown's Gas" and BS should properly come to
mind at about the same time.

Aubrey Thompson

The Rotary Engine NewsLetter. Powered by Linux.
ACRE NL web site. http://www.rotaryeng.net
Copyright 1998-2007 All world wide rights reserved.