Image shows a diaphragm, but this is not required

Electrolysis is actually a very simple process involving water, electricity and often an electrolyte (like salt, creating salt water).   A search on renergy cafe of electrolysis will produce many articles and videos of electrolysis is process.  But for our purposes we will be using a very simple model and picture to describe this process.

When electricity is run through water (sometimes containing an electrolyte)  two gasses are formed, hydrogen and oxygen.  Yup thats right H2O the elements in water.  This means that there are two parts hydrogen created for every one part oxygen.   In order for this process to work the rods must be used, they are called anodes on the positive side, and cathodes on the negative. The anode and cathode are placed in your water NOT TOUCHING, but close. Then when electricity is applied it flows through the anode, cathode but also through the water.  It is when this happens that the water is broken into is base elements.  The cathode, negative, creates two parts hydrogen gas and the anode, positive, creates the one part oxygen gas.

It is important to note that hydrogen is HIGHLY COMBUSTIBLE and although this is the reason is useful and being considered as a renewable energy, it is very DANGEROUS.  If you are going to try this at home, be careful and reference professional material for exact experiment details.  That being said, it is the combustibility that has enough energy to power a piston engine like that of a gasoline engine.

     Although the current system will only power the AC unit, and is for all intents and purposes is just for show, this is definitely a step in the right direction. The California company SEV has created a solar panel system for Toyota Prius (2004-2008). This system takes 2-3 hours to install and boast of a 29% improvement in fuel efficiency. If you are interested this system will set you back $2K to $4k, but it should pay for itself in 2-3 years.

     Toyota is on the right track and hopefully as technology improves the impact that solar panels have on our energy consumptions will increase. Judging by the advancements in recent years I would not be surprised to see a road vehicle by 2020 that is capable of being powered by the sun entirely on a sunny day.  Possibly this will be done by solar charging stations or by munted panels that charge the batteries when the car is parked.

          While both nationally and globally we wait for a renewable energy explosion to finally offer relief at the pump, we find there are small efforts we can make to keep our consumption of gas down.  Everything from not topping off your tank when you fill up to making sure your air filter is clean, can help keep a little more “green” in your wallet.  A vast number of resources cite lists of tips and tricks to improve your fuel economy.  Depending on the model, year and condition of your vehicle, you could see improvement of up to %30 or more with healthy fuel economy habits.

          Renergycafe.com will be running a series of blog posts on how you can improve your fuel economy.  We will be stating tips and tricks and their respective results in a wide variety of vehicles.  To give a brief overview of these posts, below we have chosen a few broad tips your can start practicing to improve your own MPG’s.

The top rated 3 tips by renergycafe.com

1. Maintenance, change it if it is old, clean it if it is dirty, fill it if it’s low.
     a.  Air filter, spark plugs, tire pressure, etc

2.  Driving style, this may offer the biggest increase on your over-all improvement.  

     a.  No sudden starts or stops, stay near posted speed limits

3.  Aerodynamics, often overlooked. 

     a.  Keep windows up when above 30mph, avoid car-top carriers, keep your car clean

You can continue to follow our blog post on our Cafe Discussion page by selecting our Improving Your Fuel Economy drop down box.