Hydrogen in the DFW area?

Question

Where can I find a place that will fill a (Carbon fiber 350 cubic inch) tank with hydrogen?

I already called Airgas and they said they cant.

any help would be awesome!

does anyone know how much a "fuelmaker" system costs?

I am looking to convert my car as a college project.

Answer 1

whoa! now stop there hydrogen is EXPLOSIVE!

look what happen to the Hindenburg balloon it exploded because it was inflated with hydrogen

Answer 2

How do u suggest they foll your tank. If u had tried to use it and it flashed back into the tank it could blow away the hold block. The tank can not have any oxygen in it. Hydrogen is the most explosive gas on this planet.

Answer 3

mack i live in the dfw area too and i was looking to convert my car to run off alternative fuel too

please shoot me an email at

[e-mail]

so we can exchange ideas

good luck

Answer 4

My best guess is a welding supply.  Hydrogen is used in underwater welding and cutting because acetylene is self-explosive over fifteen psi.  That is about thirty feet down.  They have a diving school in Seattle that teaches underwater welding, they might help you.    A converted car engine would run very very well on hydrogen.  Now for the problem.  The tank that you store it in has to be filled.  That takes a compressor --------a biiiiiiiiiiiiig compressor. You are looking at several thousands of dollars.  Ask any dive shop how much their compressor cost.  Subtract about three hundred dollars and you are close.  You don't need the filters to make the gas safe to breath.  The welding shop might be able to fill your tank or rent you one already filled.  A regulator like they use for welding is not so expensive (less than a hundred bucks).  

Now for the fuel maker.  I don't know where you can buy one.  But it is not hard to make one.  It is basically a glass or plastic tube in the shape of the letter "H".  The two bottom legs have electrodes at the bottom.  One hooked to positive and one to negative of a D C source (battery).  Any voltage will work, but more volts means more gas.  The best metal for the electrodes is gold.  Talk to anyone at a pawn shop or jewelry maker.  Now for the water,  Plane water will work, but adding a little sulfuric acid will help.  If you use city water, you have chlorine in it.  This will show up on the hydrogen side of things.  Add table salt, and  you get a lot of chlorine (also a good motor fuel).  Catch the oxygen and hydrogen in the "arms" of your "H".  A small valve at the top of each arm will help control the gases.  Now how to store it.

We are back to the compressor problem.   Ask any chemistry teacher about electrolysis of water.  He may even show you pictures.

How about something more practical to run a car on.  How about ethanol.  To make, use sugar, water and yeast.  A glass or crock container (even a plastic garbage can) and cover with a loose fitting lid or cloth.  One third sugar and two thirds water with a good pinch of yeast in a warm place will make the "Beer".  It will take a while to brew, but brew it will.  The fuel maker is much the same as a whiskey still.  You don't need to be as careful with motor fuel as you do for whiskey.  You can even use solder, a car doesn't care.  To make a working model,use two one gallon paint cans.  buy new empty cans from a paint store.  You need about as much copper tubing as will wrap around one of  the cans in a coil.  I recommend one-fourth inch tubing, it is easy to bend and work with.  It is also less expensive than larger sizes.  Using a form (pipe, can, tree branch, etc) coil the tubing to fit inside  the one gallon can.   A small hole in the bottom or side (near bottom) where the tubing comes  out forms the "spout".  The  coil needs to be secured near the top of the can.  The bottom can be soldered or glued in place, but must hold water.   You now have the "Corn--denser".  The other can needs an outlet for the steam.  A short piece of tubing soldered into a hole near the top of the can works well, and connect to the condenser with rubber tubing.  If you have running water, you need a constant flow through the outside of the condenser..If not, use Ice cubes to keep it cool.  To use, fill the "By-ler" about half full (maybe a little less) and gently heat.  If you heat to much, you'll get to much water in the finished product.  Make sure the water in the condenser jacket remains cool, and soon the fuel will drip out of the spout.  The first part has the most alcohol, and you get more and more water as time goes along.  You get about a cup of usable fuel out of a gallon of "beer".    A "slobber box" can be added to make this process more efficient.  It is a small container with an inlet and outlet near the top and a small valve near the bottom.  This catches extra water before the steam goes into the condenser.  You must put more energy into this process than you will get out at the engine.  It doesn't really care where the energy comes from.  Solar, wind, firewood, etc will all work.  For the model a small electric hot plate works well.

To convert a car to use alcohol as fuel, you need slightly larger jets in the carburetor.  Also some rubber parts may deteriorate over time and need to be replaced.  There is less energy in a gallon of alcohol than in a gallon of gasoline.  Your mileage is not quit as good.