Hydrogen hopes for EHG technology

So believe the backers of Electro Hydrogen Generator (EHG) technology - an idea originally devised by OM Energy, which recently joined Brighton-based Ultra Green in a joint venture to bring the product to market.

Don Smith, Ultra Green design engineer, said the EHG is powered by the heat and gas energy from the vehicle exhaust. The key aspect of the technology is its ability to convert water, which can be contained in a tank in the boot of a car, into hydrogen.

This conversion is done by adding an electrolyte to the water to turn the hydrogen and oxygen molecules into charged ions, which are then separated inside the EHG using centrifugal force and strong magnets.

Smith said: ‘These forces cause the oxygen ions to move to the outside of the EHG, while the hydrogen moves to the inside. An electrical current, generated by the ionic separation, is then used to remove the charge from the ions, turning the hydrogen and oxygen into separate gases.’