A new company starting up in Akron today will offer technology that allows small gas engines like those on lawnmowers and ATV's to run on pure hydrogen, eliminating the need for gas as the fuel.

Hydrogen Energy Systems hopes to create jobs in Akron making the hydrogen conversion units and is signing up more investors.

The company eventually plans to power automobile engines on hydrogen in the future. An announcement on that venture expected in a few months.

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News Release From Hydrogen Energy Systems LLC

Hydrogen Energy Systems, LLC, (HES), today announced breakthrough hydrogen technology for small internal combustion engines. This new technology is a cost saving “green” solution to a long-standing energy and
emissions dilemma.

Inventor Rick Saccone developed proprietary technology which addresses the emissions from the small internal combustion engine which is the worst polluting engine. A small engine 2 is defined as 30 hp or less. Operating a typical 6 horsepower engine emits 88 lbs. of CO2 (carbon dioxide and 34 lbs. of HC (hydrocarbons), CO (carbon monoxide), and NOX (oxides of nitrogen) annually. US EPA estimates the result to be 2.9 lbs. per hour of operation.  

The technology, known as a Mixing Block™, replaces a carburetor or fuel injector
delivering the exact mix of hydrogen and air to successfully and efficiently run small internal combustion engines (ICE). The Mixing Block™ maximizes the overall energy efficiency thereby avoiding any unnecessary energy-intensive stages and matches the delivery technology with the on-board vehicle storage technology.

Small engine pollution is a major problem. US EPA estimates 30 million mowers are operated weekly in the United States emitting 43.5 million pounds (21.7 tons) of pollutants – that’s just small engines on lawn mowers. The small engine category is larger than automobile engines as there are 4-5 small engines manufactured  for every one automobile engine. The US EPA Clean Air Act mandates small engine manufacturers reduce emissions by 2012.
To date, small engine manufacturers have been allowed to “average, bank and trade” (ABT) to meet new regulations. ABT means that since being made aware of Phase 3 regulations, companies were permitted to bank the number of grams below the limit they were producing and apply them to engines produced in new regulation years.

According to the US EPA, it is not likely manufacturers currently meet the Phase 3 standards, although the reports are not due in for several more months. The US EPA has a sunset on the banked credits which run out in 2-3 years. With the credits earned by small engine manufacturers, they have until 2015 for a solution. After that, all new small engines will need to be in compliance.

“ Today, Hydrogen Energy Systems has offered their technology to the world which will significantly reduce greenhouse emissions and the result for all of us is a healthier environment. I am excited the technology was developed here in Akron and that the Akron Global Business Accelerator has played a beneficial role in making this happen”, stated Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic.    

The Mixing Block™ will run a small internal combustion engine on 100 % hydrogen. It operates safely, transfers across engine sizes unlike a carburetor or fuel injection system, has fewer parts than a carburetor or fuel injector, costs less to manufacture, extends engine life. reduces maintenance costs, and most importantly produces low-to-no emissions providing a solution to small engine manufacturers in meeting U.S. and Global emission reductions.
The manufacturing of small engines outfitted with the Mixing Block™ (certified at = 1Mg/kW- hr) could enable companies to sell the balance of their engines at Phase 2 levels of emissions.   

“Thanks to this game changing technology, small engine manufacturers now have a positive alternative to meeting the Clean Air Act emission limits in a way that allows them to remain competitive, the result being clean air and that benefits all of us”, stated Summit County Executive Russ Pry.

“Hydrogen Energy systems addressed the small engine market instead of the automotive market first for two specific reasons, small engines are the worst polluting engines with heavy regulatory demands to reduce emissions and the infrastructure to serve the technology exists today to deliver the hydrogen. We can make an immediate impact on cleaning our air today”, stated HES CEO Jeff Wilhite.

 Hydrogen Energy Systems Opens In Akron by Larry States

 The infrastructure to deliver hydrogen fuel currently exists. In developing the technology, HES had to develop something that was safe, efficient,  economic to manufacture, affordable to consumers, met or exceeded Clean Air Act standards, and was able to integrate into the many applications using small internal combustion engines. “We have done that with the Mixing Block™”, says Inventor Rick Saccone. “As I worked on developing this technology, it was important to meet these benchmarks and solve the problem, that is why I invent, I like to solve problems but it was also important that we developed something which would significantly impact our environment, giving the current generation, and all those to come, a chance to be healthy with cleaner air and water.”       

The areas in which the technology can be adapted are; portable generators, standby generators, golf carts/ light carriers, burden carriers, outdoor power equipment, motorcycles/scooters, ATV/UTVs, marine engines. In addition, military applications. For example, small engine generators fueled by hydrogen, producing low-to-no emissions in a submarine or the hull of a ship, greatly reduces risk to the men and women in the armed forces.

HES has developed a proprietary application of the technology for automotive applications to be announced at a later date.