I Built this Today

I got this pressure washer from my sister after the pump failed. The engine is still fine, but I had nothing to use it for, so I decided to build this vapor-only intake system for it. I had most of the parts for it and the other pieces of PVC and extra items cost less than $20.

This is the 2nd one I have built, but this one is put together much faster. The first one is a little beefier and more fine tuned, but it's underneath a shroud and is a pita to take apart. The first engine can run for a couple weeks with the same amount of fuel I'd burn in a day using the stock set-up.

I've heard of people doing this to cars, but I don't know much about that.

I know ATS usually enjoys stuff like this and I hope you like the video. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

a reply to: esteay812

Bravo man! Bravo!

Imagine doing this with hydrogen you pull out of the same sized tank of WATER!

This is fantastic though, I'd really like to see one for a vehicle, that would blow my mind.

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

It's pretty cool, really. I've built hho (Brown's Gas) generators before, but they are much more expensive, difficult and time consuming. I looked on youtube for video of them on cars and found a couple, but they don't go into much depth. . . pretty much just a short video like mine.

Very cool !

Nice knowing you though, the powers to be will be knocking at your door soon.

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

Imagine doing this with hydrogen you pull out of the same sized tank of WATER!

How exactly would you pull the hydrogen out of a tank of water?

As far as I know from chemistry class, you would have to break the Hydrogen Oxygen bond to release the hydrogen, that would require energy. example: Electrolysis.

a reply to: MinangATS

Car battery/alternator I suppose is the best way.

a reply to: esteay812

Cool well done. Did u have too preheat the engine? Or is the ambient temperature warm enough to turn the fuel into vapour? I live in the UK and starting a normal petrol mover can be a pain in the arse so I was wondering how the fuel evaporates enough to feed the engine?

You should use the same setup on a petrol generator and see how efficient you can get it work.

a reply to: metalman

You know, I've never really tried a cold start before. Even today was near 80dF. It may need to be primed. The next cold day here, I will try it.

I've thought about putting it on a generator, I just need to find a cheap generator to try it on. One of my brothers has my only one on his RV after his died on him.

a reply to: esteay812

OK, so it looks like the vacuum pressure created by the intake is causing the vaporisation of the petrol.

When you adjust the valve to the outside air, you control the air-fuel mix but allowing in more air messes with the vacuum pressure, reducing the fuel vaporisation leading to an increasingly unstable adjustment between running and stalled. A more standard carburettor does not have that limitation.

My guess is that to actually do work requires more fuel-air mix than at idle, so you'd have to increase the vacuum pressure to vaporise more fuel but that means you'd also have to choke off the air intake for the mix which means less of the fuel-vapour mix would burn during the power stroke, meaning less power and efficiency under load and leading towards stall.

This is all just guess work because unlike you, I haven't done the work, but I'd like to see how the rig worked transitioning to driving a load and then see if similar efficiency showed running under constant load.

Kudos to someone trying.

a reply to: esteay812

OK so it natural evaporation, that's cool. It's free, which is a good start, you see I'm a big believer in using resources locally and don't get much better than the sun.

So... If you could get a generator to run just as efficency as your washer and you combined it with a battery storage unit, you might have a pretty clean cost effective system that could rival solar, in the right climate.

Might be worth a poke, please keep experienting

a reply to: chr0naut

Thanks chronaut. Yes, it takes some fiddling with to get it to work properly. The easiest way I've found is to add an additional bubbler hose to the fuel tank. This allows more vapor to be "inhaled" by the engine, without requiring too much clean air intake manipulation. I used bigger hosing, PVC, etc. on the first build. It was more finicky, but can be adjusted more freely and works at various RPM settings and torque levels.

I don't know how something like this would fare on a larger engine though, like a 4cyl. or a motorcycle motor. It may work, it may not. It seems to work well on 3.5-7.5hp engines.



a reply to: metalman

I agree metalman. I'll see if I can find a cheap generator on craigslist or somewhere and go from there.

originally posted by: esteay812
a reply to: chr0naut

Thanks chronaut. Yes, it takes some fiddling with to get it to work properly. The easiest way I've found is to add an additional bubbler hose to the fuel tank. This allows more vapor to be "inhaled" by the engine, without requiring too much clean air intake manipulation. I used bigger hosing, PVC, etc. on the first build. It was more finicky, but can be adjusted more freely and works at various RPM settings and torque levels.

I don't know how something like this would fare on a larger engine though, like a 4cyl. or a motorcycle motor. It may work, it may not. It seems to work well on 3.5-7.5hp engines.

a reply to: metalman

I agree metalman. I'll see if I can find a cheap generator on craigslist or somewhere and go from there.

Although it's the wrong thing for a vehicle or 'heavy lifting' application, I do see potential uses for it as a tech solution - things like stirring chemicals or sewage (remember they have to keep stirring concrete to prevent it hardening, once it is mixed. Perhaps, geared down, this would be perfect for running a big mixer drum?), even as a trickle/maintenance charging source for large battery/capacitor banks.

Also, increasing the vaporisation area and perhaps drawing the outside air in through the fuel (so it bubbles through, perhaps with microfine bubbles) could make it more suitable for a wider range of applications that need efficiency and constant reliable motion.

a reply to: chr0naut

You're probably right about the small bubbles. Although you can't see it, I did build a flash-back arrestor into it. Still though, with as basic as my little set up is, I'd be nervous about blowing my eyebrows off if I introduce too much fuel into the equation.

I just used the old milk jug because I didn't want to spend anymore $$ on it. I could definitely see using a bigger/Taller cell for trying something a little more advanced, like what you're talking about.

originally posted by: esteay812
a reply to: chr0naut

You're probably right about the small bubbles. Although you can't see it, I did build a flash-back arrestor into it. Still though, with as basic as my little set up is, I'd be nervous about blowing my eyebrows off if I introduce too much fuel into the equation.

I just used the old milk jug because I didn't want to spend anymore $$ on it. I could definitely see using a bigger/Taller cell for trying something a little more advanced, like what you're talking about.

You could still leave in the valve that currently opens to the air, to purge fuel supply and stall the engine, just add an extra something that draws the air through the fuel, like the bubbler hose you've already used to start it.

As for safety, even a flashback valve may not arrest it. The ability to purge the entire input line to the atmosphere at the first sign of positive pressure (a big flap valve somewhere?) should sort out safety issues.

The vaporisation is occurring close to the fuel surface, so you don't need a taller vessel (except to hold more fuel).

You could probably scavange a couple old carbs and build some kind of spring loaded assembly so that it would idle smoother and save on the pvc valves.

a reply to: esteay812

Is the point of the video to show a 5 HP engine run for weeks on that 2" of gas in the wind shield washer bottle?

a reply to: esteay812

OK, here's an idea:

The fuel tank takes air in through a pipe that comes down from the top and bubbles out along the bottom of the tank through the fuel. Floating on top of the fuel is some kind of spheres that are agitated by the bubbles and increase the area of vaporisation, while also providing a thermal barrier to the fuel if you do get a flashback (safety & efficiency).

At the exit from the tank, you already have a fuel vapour mixture which could be a problem if you get a flashback, so you have a large size flap valve that opens if the pressure in the tank becomes positive. If this valve opens, it shuts off the 'bubbler' air intake through the tank, until it is manually reset. If there is a flashback which opens the flap, it will close agan once the pressure has been released and without incoming air, the fire will self-extinguish without an air source, once the flap closes and the fuel tank internal pressure drops.

Then in your intake line you have your flash arrestor as added safety, your 'T' piece to the engine intake and to your "stall" valve that opens to the air.

originally posted by: esteay812
a reply to: MinangATS

Car battery/alternator I suppose is the best way.

Brown's gas is nice but there are losses at nearly every step of the way. Ultimately it becomes a way to waste more fuel than if you just burnt the fuel efficiently in the first place.

originally posted by: esteay812
a reply to: chr0naut

You're probably right about the small bubbles. Although you can't see it, I did build a flash-back arrestor into it. Still though, with as basic as my little set up is, I'd be nervous about blowing my eyebrows off if I introduce too much fuel into the equation.

I just used the old milk jug because I didn't want to spend anymore $$ on it. I could definitely see using a bigger/Taller cell for trying something a little more advanced, like what you're talking about.

If you are going to bring something to market, go all-in!

a reply to: chr0naut

Yeah, I think something like that could work. Would definitely need a more rigid tank, in case the tank's pressure becomes too much. It could probably break the milk jug with a flash into the tank.

It's good to see these ideas here. Maybe we could try some of them on a generator build.