Is HHO Gas "Free Energy"?

With all the products hitting the market, positioned as solutions for our record gas prices, the one getting the most attention lately is the technology that claims to allow you to run your car on water. You may have seen the TV news clips that have been passed around the internet. An inventor from Florida, named Denny Klein, has produced a type of welder that uses a gas called HHO to cut and weld metals. The interesting thing is that the machine creates HHO gas on an as-needed basis from a tank of water. The machine accomplishes this through a process called water electrolysis. Electricity is passed through the tank of water, dissociating the hydrogen and oxygen molecules. When the gas is burned, water is produced.

What does this have to do with me? I'm not a welder?

Neither am I. But the technology has more applications than just welding. Mr. Klein has also used this technology to create a gasoline/water hybrid vehicle out of a 1995 Ford Escort wagon. Yes, it has been tested and documented. The technology actually works.

Now, as if it's not amazing enough to have a vehicle able to extract at least a portion of its energy requirements from water, there is another element to consider: waste more info. When we operate a gas or diesel engine, we have greenhouse gas and smog emissions to deal with. This technology actually produces pure water - AS A WASTE PRODUCT!

Is this "free" energy?

So, we have a device that produces a combustible gas from water. Then, when we use the gas for energy, it turns back to water again. Is this "free" energy? Can we expect this "free" energy to power the Earth within a few years, put an end to global warming and eliminate the need for fossil fuels?

First of all, energy is never "free". Basic physics teaches us that energy is neither created nor destroyed. It just changes forms. Remember, electricity is used to power the electrolysis process. The production of electricity requires energy. What we need to know is if we can get electricity and water cheaper than gas or diesel fuel. The short answer is "yes".

There is power to spare.

Here's why. When we operate our vehicles, we use electricity from our batteries to power the radio, operate the lights, run the fans, and create the spark to ignite the fuel and fire the cylinders that makes it go. So, why don't we have to recharge our batteries all the time? We have alternators that take a portion of the mechanical energy and convert it back into electricity to recharge the battery. No, this process does not produce "free" energy either. But, do we have electrical energy that is unused in this process? Yes.

Quite often, I find myself driving at night. I've had the interior and exterior lights on, radio blasting, defrosters running on high, wipers going, with my blinker on and my cell phone charging on the seat next to me without running my battery dead. If my engine, alternator and battery have energy to spare under these conditions, how much more would I have available during an average day? Is there enough to power water electrolysis? Many people are finding out the answer is "yes".

Conclusion

The sellers of plans for building and installing HHO conversion kits have drawn a fair share of criticism as media reports of Klein's car began spreading. Critics argue that companies are trying to con consumers into buying a "perpetual machine" or a "zero-point energy creator". While it may not be "free" energy, HHO technology holds promise and has practical, realistic applications.