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HHO ("Hybrid Hydrogen Oxygen") is a gas with special properties created, by a non-peer reviewed patented electrolysis process, from ordinary water. Since reputable scientists ignore these claims of special properties, defying laws of physics, they have never been discussed in scientific literature, and as such it is considered a hoax.

Aquygen is the trademark for this gas commercially used by Hydrogen Technology Applications, Inc., which sells gas generators for use in welding and cutting torches. HTA also claims that the gas is useful as a "primary fuel source or a fuel additive", enhancing the fuel efficiency of gasoline, diesel and aircraft turbine engines.

James Randi and others point out that the technique was invented earlier by Rhodes and Brown in the 60s and 70s, and that similar dubious claims have been made about Brown's gas and water-fuelled cars in the past, but have proven to be hoaxes.

Properties

HHO gas is odorless, colorless and lighter than air, with many properties identical to oxyhydrogen or Brown's gas. According to HTA and Ruggero Maria Santilli of the Institute for Basic Research there are many unique and unusual properties that distinguish HHO from oxyhydrogen, Brown's gas, water vapor, and other variants.

Its commercial proponents claim that HHO gas exhibits a widely varying "energy content", and that the flame changes temperature in the presence of different materials, ranging from a relatively cold flame (259°F) in open air to over 10,000°F, "instantaneously" sublimating tungsten and melting brick. All normal fuels have a fixed value of energy content (Santilli measures in BTU/scf).

HHO gas allegedly does not follow the fundamental PVT law for gases, changing from a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen into liquid water at 150 psi. The fact that this would require a chemical change in addition to the state change is not addressed.

HHO gas is supposed by its believers to demonstrate an anomalous adhesion to gases, liquids and solids. They claim that HHO gas bonds to gaseous fuels (such as natural gas, magnegas fuel, and others) and liquid fuels (such as diesel, gasoline, liquid petroleum, and others).

Magnecules

Based on the claims of variable energy content and flames which can "melt instantaneously tungsten and bricks", Santilli wrote in the 2006 International Journal of Hydrogen Energy that HHO gas has a unique structure with a chemical composition that cannot be described by modern science. He claims that gas chromatography-mass spectrometry experiments show evidence of stable clusters composed of individual H and O atoms, their dimers H–O, and their molecules Template:Hydrogen, Template:Oxygen and H₂O. According to Santilli these cannot be explained by conventional chemical bonds. He proposes, instead, that the gas contains an oxygen-hydrogen hybrid, based on a structure he names a "magnecule", in a structure which has yet to be understood. HHO is described to have the structure (H×H)–O where “×” represents Santilli's magnecular bond and “–” the conventional molecular bond. The transition from the conventional H–O–H configuration to the new (H×H)–O species is explained as being a change of the electric polarization of water caused by the electrolyzer. These claims have not yet been verified through multiple independent research studies nor are they endorsed or held by any scientist of repute in the field.

News coverage

The promotion of this gas has been featured in many popular science newspaper articles and television programs that did not comment on its veracity.

Hydrogen Technology Applications Inc. has donated several HHO gas generators to Kentucky universities and technical training centers during its introduction program.

Water-fuelled car

Many news programs, covering its promotion, presented HHO as an "energy source" or "alternative fuel", and refer to HTA's demonstration vehicle as a "water-powered car" (a common hoax/urban legend that exploits popular misconceptions about the energy balance involved in electrolysis and combustion). This flaw in reasoning has been explained by Dr. Ali T-Raissi, Hydrogen Research Director of the Florida Solar Energy Center, and Sieglinde Kinne, Energy Efficiency Engineer for the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center: Creating hydrogen from water requires an energy input, which is always greater than the energy produced by burning it.

Although HTA does not actually claim a water-powered car (they describe their own demonstration vehicle as a "1.9 liter engine with little modifications"), they do state that HHO can be used as a "primary fuel source or a fuel additive", and that water is the "source of HHO's energy". They claim that HHO gas can be injected into a normal automobile gasoline engine to increase fuel efficiency by 30-50%, eliminate CO₂ from the exhaust, and can increase the "thermal content" of liquid fuels like gasoline and diesel.

Criticism

Despite suggestions to the contrary there exists no peer reviewed article in reputable scientific literature substantiating the claims put forward by proponents of this gas. Because of the absense of scientific debate the propositions have not been officially refuted.

See also

• Brown's gas
• Dihydrogen monoxide hoax
• Fringe science
• Peer review
• Pseudoscience
• Scientific method

References

1. Company: Our History - HTA website
2. US patent 7191737, Denny Klein, "Hydrogen generator for uses in a vehicle fuel system", issued 2007-03-20 
3. "How to get Aquygen". Hydrogen Technology Applications, Inc. 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
4. "Company: Our History". Hydrogen Technology Applications, Inc. 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
5. Randi, James (2006-06-09). "That HHO idea isn't new". Swift. James Randi Educational Foundation. Retrieved 2007-06-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. "Topic: Magical water fuel: A successful hoax? Or, what's the catch?". Snopes forum. May 13, 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-30.
7. "Aquygen: A New Kind of Gas - Key features establishing the novelty of Aquygen Gas". Hydrogen Technology Applications, Inc. 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
8. ^ Rogers, Will (Nov 27, 2005). "Clearwater Man Puts Technology To Work". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 2005-11-29.
9. ^ Santilli, Ruggero Maria (2006). "A new gaseous and combustible form of water" (DOC). International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 31 (9): pp. 1113–1128. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2005.11.006. Retrieved 2007-02-20. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
10. R. M. Santilli, A. K. Aringazin (December 20, 2001). "Structure and Combustion of Magnegases". Hadronic Journal (27): p. 299-330. arXiv:physics/0112066. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
11. Santilli, Ruggero Maria (2006-02-17). "The Novel 'Controlled Intermediate Nuclear Fusion' and its Possible Industrial Realization as Predicted by Hadronic Mechanics and Chemistry". arXiv:physics/0602125. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

    DEFINITION: Santilli’s magnecules are stable clusters consisting of individual atoms (H, C, O, etc.), dimers (OH, CH, etc.) and ordinary molecules (CO, H2O, etc.) bonded together by opposing magnetic polarities originating from toroidal polarizations of the orbitals of atomic electrons. Numerous new substances with magnecular structures have been identified experimentally to date, among which we indicate MagneGas, MagneHydrogen, HHO, and others under industrial development.

12. Craig Patrick reporting. Water Power (Youtube video) (Television newscast). Fox 26 News. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
13. Adams, David (October 12, 2006). "Florida's very own water fueled car". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
14. "Water Could One Day Replace Gas". KSBI-TV 52 Oklahoma. May 23, 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
15. "Cars Running On Water?". KXAN, Austin, TX. May 24, 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
16. Flack, Eric (Sep 6, 2006). "Car Powered By Water A Reality". Wave 3 News. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
17. Water-powered Car Technology Attractive to Many (Youtube video) (Television newscast). Louisville, KY: Wave 3 News. Retrieved 2006-06-30.
18. Flack, Eric (July 12, 2006). "Big Names Interested in Water Powered Car". Louisville, KY: Wave 3 News. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
19. Flack, Eric (Sep 6, 2006). "Car Powered By Water A Reality". Louisville, KY: Wave 3 News. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
20. Linda Potter (Winter 2005). "Gadgets and gizmos" (PDF). Land Air & Water, Kentucky Dept. for Environmental Protection. 16 (1): pg.15. OCLC 20955733. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
21. Water Car has its Critics (Youtube video) (Television newscast). Louisville, KY: Wave 3 News. Retrieved 2006-06-30.

• Fringe subjects without critical scientific evaluation
• Hoaxes
• Pseudoscience
• Electrolysis
• Welding
• Exotic matter