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Originally Posted by Hypermiler1995
I think that aero mods are the easiest way to boost Fe, but I think engine efficiency needs to be looked into more, I mean, 22% efficiency? That's terrible!
And who said anything about running on hho? Fe boost has been the only goal.
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Might want to check this out:
Toyota targets 45% thermal efficiency for engines in next-gen hybrids
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According to Nakata, Toyota aims to develop a gasoline engine that operates at more than 45 percent thermal efficiency for use in future hybrid vehicles.
To put that number into perspective, the engine in the first- and second-generation Toyota Prius had a thermal efficiency of approximately 37 percent and the 1.8-liter mill in the third-gen Prius boasts a thermal efficiency of 38 percent.
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Also:
Thermal efficiency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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When expressed as a percentage, the thermal efficiency must be between 0% and 100%. Efficiency is typically less than 100% because there are inefficiencies such as friction and heat loss that convert the energy into alternative forms. For example, a typical gasoline automobile engine operates at around 25% efficiency, and a large coal-fueled electrical generating plant peaks at about 46%. The largest diesel engine in the world peaks at 51.7%. In a combined cycle plant, thermal efficiencies are approaching 60%.
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A 100% efficient engine would not need a radiator because it would not get warm. It would have zero friction and no heat would transfer through the cylinder walls or out of the exhaust.
Traditional power plants operate at around 40% efficiency, so the engine in a modern Prius is actually of similar efficiency to electricity produced in most power plants and diesel engines. Combined cycle plants use waste heated (what would end up in a radiator or coming out of the exhaust in a car) in a second stage to produce more electricity, but if we're talking apples to apples, what you have in your Prius is as good as any first-stage combustion engine in the world.
EDIT: That 60% loss is not from inability to effectively combust fuels, but rather, comes from heat soaking through cylinder walls and being lost out of the exhaust. There's very little you can do to get more energy out of the fuel itself, which is what most HHO proponents suggest is happening.
You might consider a project to try to capture exhaust and radiator waste heat. Some on here have suggested steam cycles or using TECs to generate electricity from waste heat. You could then use this electricity to make hydrogen, or better yet, just use it to power the car so you don't have the drag of an inefficient alternator pulling on your engine.