Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitch
You're forgetting that that electricity has to come from somewhere. If there was a magical way of producing nameless amounts of energy with no work input then that would be what powers all of the world's nations.
What actually happens is the additional electrical draw on the alternator increases the amount of energy the alternator draws from the engine via physical work (increased resistance to turn alternator over the same period of time = greater work). That's less energy going to the wheels. If the system works perfectly (all components, including engine, operating at 100% efficiency), then your fuel economy will stay the same. Since the system is non-ideal (real), then you will actually lose fuel economy in varying degrees.
What causes people to notice small increases in fuel economy after installing such kits comes down to driving style. They drive more economically, and that skews the results. If the EPA conducted their driving cycle, however, the fuel economy would drop.
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I agree about unconciously adjusting driving habits. There would have to be a before and after test, such as driving 200 miles at 60 mph in both cases.
What happens to fuel economy at night when you have 2 headlights, 2 tail lights, fogs, and dash lights drawing extra energy from the alternator? Am I losing 10 mpg just because it's night time? I don't think so.
Not sure how long a car battery would run the HHO generator but if the alternator draw did turn out to be a big deal then you could have a second battery in the trunk that's charged at home dedicated to it. I know, added weight and paying for household electric
