H2OIL: The Nanotech Answer to Curbing CO2 Emissions

One of the major problems with developing and implementing widespread techniques to reduce CO2 emissions is the time it takes before they begin to have any significant impact. Apparently, we have only 7 to 12 years before it becomes “too late.” We need a way to slow the growth of CO2 emissions long enough for more effective CO2 reduction techniques to be developed. Because we are rapidly approaching the “tipping point,” even a small reduction in global CO2 emissions would be extremely helpful provided it is immediately implemented.

This is a perfect application for liquid nanotechnology. A significant proportion of global CO2 emissions comes from the combustion of gasoline and diesel for transportation and heavy fuel oil for power generation. These are all liquid hydrocarbon fuels. H2OIL Corporation has developed a highly concentrated fuel additive called “eeFuel,” which could easily be dosed into all of these fuels, creating a stable micro-emulsion fuel with significantly enhanced combustion properties. Typically, CO2 reductions of about 15 percent would be expected, with similar reductions in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). Conventional fuel additives are based on old and well-established petroleum technologies. These are mature, well understood, and fully developed technologies with minimal potential for further improvements. However, eeFuel uses nanotechnology to achieve benefits previously thought unattainable from conventional technologies.

eeFuel forms a “water-in-oil” microemulsion when mixed with typical hydrocarbon fuels. The “nano” part of this technology is the ability to control both the structure and size of these emulsified water droplets. “H2OIL has discovered that water droplets can be highly catalytic to the combustion process, but only within a very narrow “nano” size range,” says says Richard Hicks, Technical Head of H2OIL. This catalytic effect significantly enhances combustion throughout the normal burning range and extends this range to promote combustion down to relatively low temperatures.

Manipulation of matter in the nano size range has now made it possible to exploit nano-water’s hidden catalytic properties. Using nanotechnology, H2OIL is able to manipulate micro-emulsified water droplets into the size range where they become highly catalytic. This nano size range also enables the creation of huge catalytic surface areas, even when using unbelievably small doses.

Any gasoline or diesel engine can use eeFuel, including 2-stroke, 4-stroke, trucks, automobiles, buses, tractors, locomotives, gas turbines, motorcycles, tugboats, lawnmowers, home heating oil, and stationary power generators. eeFuel can also be used in steam boilers and furnaces employing light / heavy fuel oils and even gaseous fuels such as propane.

Engines using eeFuel have significantly lower exhaust emissions (up to 50 percent), increased power (up to 10 percent), improved fuel economy (up to 15 percent), cleaner crankcase oil, and the ability to use lower octane fuel (87octane instead of 91). Boilers or furnaces using eeFuel have improved fuel economy (up to 15 percent), lower emissions (up to 50 percent), and extended periods between regular maintenance cleaning schedules.

Widespread use of eeFuel could help in the following areas:
1) Slowing the effect of global warming (reducing CO2 emissions)
2) Reducing urban air pollution (impacting health and the environment)
3) Providing significant economic relief to the general public as well as business (reduced fuel/transportation costs)
4) For certain countries, there would also be national strategic and economic benefits from a reduction in the need to import large quantities of crude oil.
5) Carbon credits might also be traded.

eeFuel is currently registered with the EPA as a “non-baseline” fuel additive for use in gasoline and diesel fuels, both bulk and retail. eeFuel contains only the elements of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. eeFuel contains no illegal “organometallics.”

The infrastructure is already in place to allow the widespread use of fuel additives. Oil companies regularly dose many of their own fuel additives directly into the fuel stream. Fuel distributors also have this ability at their loading racks. Even the general public could purchase retail bottles of eeFuel to dose when refueling at a gas station.

eeFuel dose ratios range from 8,000:1 up to 30,000:1. Typically, the cost to dose is significantly less than the resulting fuel savings. This technology comes at no net cost to the user.

For a more detailed technical explanation covering the development and mechanism of action of eeFuel, please refer to a peer reviewed research paper recently published in the Journal of Combustion.

H2OIL believes this is a truly elegant solution to all the problems previously pointed out. eeFuel is cost effective, easy to use, requires no infrastructure changes, and no vehicle or power plant modifications of any kind. Because the infrastructure is already in place, this fuel nanotechnology can reach up to 90 percent of the entire transportation industry and all oilpowered generation facilities within about 60 to 90 days from its widespread introduction.