February 19th, 2009
ELKHART -- With the country looking for ways to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly believes one Elkhart company has a big solution to the problem.
Donnelly, D-2nd, on Wednesday visited Applied Hydrogen Technologies, a local operation that uses hydrogen injection technology to increase diesel engines' fuel efficiency by more than 20 percent.
"What we're talking about is a revolution in energy technology that's located right here in Elkhart," Donnelly said.
The AHT mechanism is relatively simple, according to president Jim Dees. A small device and water tank is installed under the hood. Electricity is fed into the device, which turns it into steam (NO STEAM, we turn water into gas Hydrogen, Hydrogen, and Oxygen ), then injects it into the engine.
The hydrogen steam (NO STEAM) enriches the air headed into the combustion chamber, increasing the percentage of fuel burned. More fuel used means better gas mileage (8.2 mpg in a standard semitrailer, compared to 6.29 mpg), and less waste expelled into the air through exhaust pipes (90 percent fewer particles emitted).
The hydrogen injection process could be used on over-the-road trucks, school buses, snow plows -- any type of diesel engine, Dees said -- and could save companies and taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Recently-passed federal economic stimulus legislation contains $80 billion in grants and financial incentives for so-called green technology. Donnelly said businesses like AHT could get a big boost from the bill.
"These are the kinds of things we hope we come back to in a year and see more jobs here, more growth here," Donnelly said.
Dees, once a nuclear engineer for the military, started AHT about two years ago. After leaving the service, he said he took a job as a truck driver to see the country. He built the device, added it onto his truck and saw his fuel economy increase by 20 percent.
Other independent truck owner/operators found out about the system, and wanted one for their trucks, too.
"They see the direct results because they check their fuel economy every day," Dees said. "They're happy campers."
Soon, demand couldn't meet his supply. He moved to Elkhart to take advantage of the manufacturing base here. His operation partners with staff at Miles Truck Service in Elkhart and the devices are manufactured at a facility near Bremen.
The technology provides a win-win solution, he said. It reduces demand for oil, while also making the trucks more environmentally-friendly.
"We eliminate pollution. We reduce fossil fuel consumption. The time is now," Dees said. "It's good for America. It's good for the economy."
Northern Indiana can lay the groundwork for an energy revolution, Donnelly said, with just a little bit of help from the government. There are companies like Dees' all over the place, he said, that can create jobs and move the country's energy technology forward.
"We're a real incubator for entrepreneurs, for new ideas," Donnelly said. "I want to let Washington know we need to be there, to help these companies grow and succeed."
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