Thanks to the lowering of crude oil prices in world markets, the price of gas has eased significantly at the gas pumps. However, the consumer is far from feeling safe because of the current negative sentiment due to the global economic downturn. People nowadays are looking to save money and cut costs.
Gasoline (for our cars) accounts for a large portion of our household budget. Therefore, if we can lower our consumption, find fuel saving options, and increase our gas mileage, we'll be in a good position to weather the coming economic storm.
Today, many technologies exist to help you increase fuel savings and increase gas mileage. Some are pretty obvious, like keep your car in tip-top shape. Other ways include using alternative fuels, or even make your own bio diesel. A more drastic change can be to modify your car to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas or (LPG). LPG is a far cheaper fuel and burns cleaner than gasoline, and is much more earth friendly.
However, to truly be able to save on gas, you can take a look at two emerging fuel saving technologies that look very promising - Hydro Assist Fuel Cell (HAFC) technology and Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter (PICC) technology.
What is HAFC Technology?
Hydro Assist Fuel Cell technology extracts a hydrogen-oxygen mixture from water through ionization using the electricity created by the engine. This hydrogen-oxygen, called Brown's Gas, is then added to the fuel mixture in the engine before it is burned. This energy rich gas makes the fuel burn far stronger. The savings are realized when you pump less fuel into the engine, since you now get the same amount of burn because of the Brown's Gas introduced into the system.
The HAFC system also uses powerful magnets to ionize the gasoline to produce smaller molecules that burn more rapidly and cleanly. Gas that is broken down into its components make it burn more easily. Couple that with the brown's gas and you get a more explosive mixture, meaning more power, and less emissions, and ultimately using less fuel.
Early lab tests peg the fuel savings from HAFC at least a minimum of 50%.
What is Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter?
The Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter or PICC system is an experimental system that even in its developmental stage promises to up your gas mileage by about at least 5 times.
Catalytic converters are not new, not by a long shot. These are already installed in the car's emission systems and used for cleaning post engine emissions by breaking down the large gas molecules left un-burnt in your engine. This breaks the fuel into smaller particles that can be incinerated in the tailpipe.
The PICC system turns this idea on its head. Instead of breaking down the gas after it exits the engine, PICC posits you break it down before it enters the engine. Gas burns better in vapor form, and if the components are broken down further, theoretically, you will need less fuel. Less fuel used, more fuel savings realized.
The best thing is that these two technologies pay nice with each other, meaning one can be installed side by side. Imagine two technologies that improve your mileage significantly - it could well mean an end America's dependence on foreign oil.