How does a hydrogen fuel cell effect spark plugs?

Question

i have been told that the platinum sparkplugs foul and then other damage can happen to your engine? did this use to happen ? what about now?

Answer 1

If it is used in conjunction with gasoline it has no value. The gas engine exhaust puts out CO2 and CO but there is no oxygen there. With no surplus of oxygen it does no good to add more fuel.

Answer 2

I think you are confusing two issues.

You must be referring to burning hydrogen in an internal combustion engine.  

Fuel cells don't burn anything.  They are a form of electro chemical power.   The most common type are proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

The PEM lets electrons through but not the protons at the nucleus of the hydrogen atom.

These freed up electrons are electricity.  What's left of the hydrogen atom is a hydrogen ion.  These ions combine with oxygen to form water, which is the only emission.

Sorry, I can't help with the spark plug issue.

Answer 3

Hydrogen don't need spark plugs,

Answer 4

He's talking about one of those bogus 'fuel cells' that consist of a couple of stainless steel bolts in a jar of salt water.  It dissociates the water into hydrogen and oxygen gas (they like to give it pseudoscience names like 'HHO') which goes into the intake manifold.  The problem with this, of course, is that the perpetrators don't understand alternator drag and the energy needed to break the hydrogen bond in water, so they think it's great.  

Anyway, I can't imagine that platinum spark plugs will help or hurt the process.  My guess is that someone finally applied accurate instrumentation to the process, discovered that it actually reduces fuel mileage (you're using some of that alternator power to heat the water) and so the perpetrators cited the use of platinum spark plugs as a reason that the demonstration was unsuccessful.

Answer 5

Dear Empty,

A hydrogen fuel cell usually doesn't effect spark plugs because it is used to make electricity for an electric car.  It works a little like a battery, only hydrogen is fed into one side to give an electric potential, the hydrogen is consumed in the process.  To burn hydrogen in an engine, might be very hard on spark plugs.  You might be better with propane (it is available almost everywhere).  Some propane dealers will even sell you the conversion kit for about six hundred dollars.  It burns Soooo clean that you can breath the fumes without harm(be sure you get enough oxygen).  It is used as fuel in warehouses (forklifts etc)and the engine stays  much cleaner.

Answer 6

Burning hydrogen can cause metal parts to become brittle and crack.  The spark plugs are the least of your worries.