We have many terms used in our building and testing of HHO booster, or homemade hydrogen cells and some get confusing to ones just starting out. Heck I am confused just trying to type all this.
We also use abbreviations for engine sensor names and hydrogen cell usage that I think makes someone new to this science of better fuel mileage confused enough to just give up. What I am trying to do is keep people interested in this so that some young mind out there will make a great break through some day and change the world for the better. I have compiled some of the terms we use in this business, hobby, science experimenting.
Electrolyte: Water and a chemical
Used to make the water more conductive so electricity will flow through it for our hydrogen production in our Homemade hydrogen boosters. Usually the best is sodium or potassium hydroxide. Some use salt, and some use baking soda. But for longevity of the stainless steel plates you really should use sodium or potassium hydroxide, commonly know as Lye.
HHO: Hydrogen, Hydrogen, Oxygen, H2O
Abbreviation for hydrogen of 2 parts and oxygen of 1 part, (HHO) is when water is split in a homemade hydrogen cell electrolyser, to inject into our engines in our automobiles to increase our MPG.
EFIE: Electronic Fuel Injection Enhancer
Controlling electrical power and current seen by the ECM from the Oxygen Sensors on a modern automobile is essential to improving the MPG of our vehicles. This is done by using an efie (electronic fuel injection enhancer) to control the voltage as seen by the ECM or computer from the oxygen sensor.
PWM: Pulse Width Modulation
Controlling electrical power through a load by means of quickly switching it on and off, and varying the “on” time, is known as pulse-width modulation, or PWM. It is a very efficient means of controlling electrical power because the controlling element (the power transistor) dissipates comparatively little power in switching on and off, especially if compared to the wasted power dissipated of a rheostat in a similar situation. When the transistor is in cutoff, its power dissipation is zero because there is no current through it. When the transistor is saturated, its dissipation is very low because there is little voltage dropped between collector and emitter while it is conducting current. There are hho pwm schematics on this website.
O2 Sensor: Oxygen sensor
Also called HO2S for heated oxygen sensor.
A sensor installed in the exhaust pipe of a modern automobile to sample the exhaust gas from the engine. This then sends a signal voltage to the ECM or PCM in order for the computer to regulate the mixture of A/F (Air Fuel Ratio) to keep it at 14.7 to 1 for the best combustion. This along with other sensors regulate the engine combustion to prevent harmful exhaust emissions from being released into our atmosphere. A low voltage signal indicates too much oxygen (lean condition) and conversely a high voltage indicates too little oxygen (rich condition). This sensor is why we have the efie, to regulate it so it cannot send a low voltage signal to the ECM/PCM. EFIE schematics are on this website.
TESTING
WARNING
Do not pierce the wires when testing this sensor; this can lead to wiring harness damage. Back probe the
connector to properly read the voltage of the HO2S.
Disconnect the HO2S1. .
Measure the resistance between PWR and GND terminals of the sensor. If the reading is approximately
6 ohms at 68?F (20?C). the sensor’s heater element is in good condition.
2.
With the HO2S connected and engine running, measure the voltage with a Digital Volt-Ohmmeter
(DVOM) between terminals HO2S and SIG RTN (GND) of the oxygen sensor connector. If the voltage
readings are swinging rapidly between 0.01?1.1 volts, the sensor is probably okay.
ECT: Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor
The engine coolant temperature (ECT) sensor resistance changes in response to engine coolant temperature. The
sensor resistance decreases as the surrounding temperature increases. This provides a reference signal to the
PCM, ECM which indicates engine coolant temperature.
TESTING
1. Disengage the engine wiring harness connector from the ECT sensor.
2. Connect an ohmmeter between the ECT sensor terminals, and set the ohmmeter scale on 200,000 ohms.
3.With the engine cold and the ignition switch in the OFF position, measure and note the ECT sensor
resistance. Attach the engine wiring harness connector to the sensor.
4. Start the engine and allow the engine to warm up to normal operating temperature.
5. Once the engine has reached normal operating temperature, turn the engine OFF
6. Once again, detach the engine wiring harness connector from the ECT sensor.
7.Measure and note the ECT sensor resistance, then compare the cold and hot ECT sensor resistance
measurements with the accompanying chart.
8. Replace the ECT sensor if the readings do not approximate those in the chart on this site, otherwise re-attach the
engine wiring harness connector to the sensor.? You can also submerge the end of the temperature sensor in cold or
hot water and check resistance.
IAT: Intake Air Temperature Sensor
The Intake Air Temperature (IAT) sensor resistance changes in response to the intake air temperature. The
sensor resistance decreases as the surrounding air temperature increases. This provides a signal to the PCM
indicating the temperature of the incoming air charge.
Most engines mount the IAT sensor in the air cleaner-to-throttle body supply tube. However, some earlier
engines have it mounted to the upper intake manifold.
Testing
Turn the ignition switch OFF.
1. Disengage the wiring harness connector from the IAT sensor1. .
2. Using a Digital Volt-Ohmmeter (DVOM), measure the resistance between the two sensor terminals.
Compare the resistance reading with the accompanying chart. If the reading for a given temperature is
approximately that shown in the table, the IAT sensor is okay.
3. Attach the wiring harness connector to the sensor.
MAF: Mass Air Flow Sensor
The Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor directly measures the amount of the air flowing into the engine. The sensor is
mounted between the air cleaner assembly and the air cleaner outlet tube.
The sensor utilizes a hot wire sensing element to measure the amount of air entering the engine. The sensor
does this by sending a signal, generated by the sensor when the incoming air cools the hot wire down, to the
PCM. The signal is used by the PCM to calculate the injector pulse width, which controls the air/fuel ratio in the
engine. The sensor and plastic housing are integral and must be replaced if found to be defective.
The sensing element (hot wire) is a thin platinum wire wound on a ceramic bobbin and coated with glass. This
hot wire is maintained at 392?F (200?C) above the ambient temperature as measured by a constant “cold
wire”.
TESTING
With the engine running at idle, use a DVOM to verify there is at least 10.5 volts between terminals A and
B of the MAF sensor connector. This indicates the power input to the sensor is correct. Then, measure
the voltage between MAF sensor connector terminals C and D. If the reading is approximately 0.34?1.96
volts, the sensor is functioning properly.
A list and short explanation of the modern engine controls and there purpose:
ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROLS
Electronic Engine Control (EEC)
All Sequential Fuel Injection (SFI) systems use the EEC system. The heart of the EEC system is a microprocessor
called the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The PCM receives data from a number of sensors
and other electronic components (switches, relay, etc.). Based on information received and information
programmed in the PCM’s memory, it generates output signals to control various relay, solenoids and other
actuators. The PCM in the EEC system has calibration modules located inside the assembly that contain
calibration specifications for optimizing emissions, fuel economy and drive ability. The calibration module is
called a PROM.
The following are the electronic engine controls used by many modern engines:
Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
Throttle Position (TP) sensor
Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor
Intake Air Temperature (IAT) sensor
Idle Air Control (IAC) valve
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor
Heated Oxygen Sensor (HO2S)
Camshaft Position (CMP) sensor
Knock Sensor (KS)
Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS)
Crankshaft Position (CKP) sensor
The MAF sensor (a potentiometer) senses the position of the airflow in the engine’s air induction system and
generates a voltage signal that varies with the amount of air drawn into the engine. The IAT sensor (a sensor in
the area of the MAF sensor) measures the temperature of the incoming air and transmits a corresponding
electrical signal. Another temperature sensor (the ECT sensor) inserted in the engine coolant tells if the engine
is cold or warmed up. The TP sensor, a switch that senses throttle plate position, produces electrical signals
that tell the PCM when the throttle is closed or wide open. A special probe (the HO2S) in the exhaust manifold
measures the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gas, which is in indication of combustion efficiency, and sends
a signal to the PCM. The sixth signal, camshaft position information, is transmitted by the CMP sensor,
installed in place of the distributor (engines with distributorless ignition), or integral with the distributor.
The EEC microcomputer circuit processes the input signals and produces output control signals to the fuel
injectors to regulate fuel discharged to the injectors. It also adjusts ignition spark timing to provide the best
balance between driveability and economy, and controls the IAC Intake Air Control (Butterfly) valve to maintain the proper idle speed.
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HHO Car Fuel Cell Blog - Tap water electrolysis. Best electrode and electrolyte.