Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences 90, Issue 2 (2022) 90-108

Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid

Mechanics and Thermal Sciences
Journal homepage:
https://semarakilmu.com.my/journals/index.php/fluid_mechanics_thermal_sciences/index
ISSN: 2289-7879

Effect of Electrode Plates on the Engine Performance and Gas Emissions

of a Four-Stroke Petrol Engine
Mat Sazilin Ayub1, Siti Nurul Akmal Yusof2,*, Saiful Bahri Mohamed2,, Mohd Sani Said3, Yutaka
Asako4, Nor Azwadi Che Sidik4, Mohd Shahir Kasim5, Ahmad Tajuddin Mohamad4

1 Kolej Komuniti Besut, Tingkat 3, Bangunan Baitul Ehsan, Jalan Besar, 22000 Jerteh, Terengganu, Malaysia
2 Faculty of Innovative Design and Technology, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, 21300 Terengganu, Malaysia
3 Department of Polytechnic Education, Politeknik Kota Bharu, KM24, Kok Lanas, 16450 Ketereh, Kelantan, Malaysia
4
Department of Mechanical Precision Engineering, Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan
Sultan Yahya Petra, 54100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
5 Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Jalan Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article history: The effectiveness generation of HHO gas depends on the characteristic of the electrode
Received 2 August 2021 plates. This research aims to investigate the effect of the HHO gas generator produced
Received in revised form 8 December 2021 through the water electrolysis technique. The effect of several controlled factors, such as
Accepted 10 December 2021
the number, distance, and area of electrode plates used in the water electrolysis process
Available online 4 January 2022
to produce HHO gas, were studied and analyzed using a factorial full design approach
(RBFAD). Stainless Steel of 1 mm thickness has been chosen as an electrode plate
material. A single-cylinder four-stroke S.I. engine was used as the test engine. The engine
was tested at 16 different setups where the engine speed and exhaust emission of carbon
monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) gasses were recorded. The statistical significance
of these controlled factors contributing to the engine performance and exhaust emission
has been established with the analysis of variance. It was found that the number of plates
that interacted with a large area of electrode plate is a significant factor that caused an
increase in engine speed on an average of 26%, an average reduction in CO by 43%, and
Keywords: a decrease in HC gas by 42%. In conclusion, the higher number of electrode plates and a
Alternative fuel; HHO gas; electrode higher electrode plate area produced more HHO gas that yields completed internal
plates; water electrolysis; engine combustion. Thus, it can enhance the engine speed and reduces the CO and HC gas
performance content in exhaust emissions.

1. Introduction

The alarming level of air pollution and increasing petrol price are the two major factors in
transportation industries that have motivated the researchers to look for the alternative solution.
Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently predicted that global surface

*
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected]

Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected]

https://doi.org/10.37934/arfmts.90.2.90108

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temperatures would begin to increase by 1.4–5.8°C by 2100 [1]. The main contributors to greenhouse
effects are carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor, methane (CH4), Sulphur dioxide (SO2),
chlorofluorocarbons, and nitrogen dioxide (NOx). Many studies have focused on developing a wide
range of renewable energy technologies, such as oxygenated fuels, biofuel (n-butanol), fuel cell, and
solar technologies, on lowering fossil fuel consumption and regulating greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions to the environment [2,3]. Reducing CO2 emissions is one of the most effective strategies
for reducing GHG emissions [4-6]. Other than CO2, the manufacture and combustion of
transportation fuels emit CH4 and nitrous oxide (N2O), contributing to GHG emissions. Other than
using clean fuel alternatives, novel automotive engines with post-combustion emission control
devices should be developed to reduce GHG emissions and improve the efficiency of energy systems
[7-9]. The use of biodiesel engines in transportation and power generation has progressed in recent
decades. The most recent research development trend focuses on developing a novel ICE with low
emissions, energy savings, and high-efficiency performance [10]. However, biodiesel fuels have their
respective limitations in producing a higher NOx, which leads to poor combustion performance [9].
Thus, to overcome this limitation, using other alternative fuels like hydrogen to fuel IC engines is
gaining more attention to enhance the engine speed performance and reduce air pollution [11,12].
HHO, also known as hydroxy or Browns Gas, is a gas created by electrolysis by separating water
into hydrogen and oxygen, allowing the gas to remain premixed and used on-demand without the
need for storage. It is a promising method of producing hydrogen from renewable sources. The
pioneer researcher who studied it was Brown [13], who explored the welding application of the gas.
Compared to other alternative fuels, hydrogen has good combustion properties, making it the
cleanest fuel for ICEs and has high combustion efficiency [14]. Hydrogen is a flammable gas that is
scentless, bland, and colorless in nature. It is known as a diatomic molecule, H 2. Hydrogen is the
lightest chemical substance in the world, as well as the most abundant. The diffusion coefficient of
hydrogen is ten times gasoline, resulting in greater in-cylinder charge homogeneity [15]. Kazim et al.,
[16] studied the effect of HHO gas in a small capacity diesel engine. They concluded that adding HHO
and diesel in a small capacity diesel engine significantly improved all engine performance factors. The
minimum percentage increases in the combustion efficiency were 2.5% and 10.5% for H6 and H10,
while the minimum increases in torque were 8% and 15%, respectively. HHO gas was also used as a
supplementary fuel in the internal combustion engine without any modification [17]. HHO does not
have a predefined burning temperature where it reacts to the substances when burned. HHO would
begin imploding rather than exploding since it mainly contains hydrogen (66.67%) and oxygen
(33.33%). Furthermore, when HHO is combined with diesel or gasoline, it can significantly improve
the burning efficiency. The flame propagation of HHO gas is faster than that of standard liquid fuel
because hydrogen possesses a fast-burning velocity [18].
The direct production of H2 and O gas by electrolysis method is straightforward by using the
existing energy on the vehicle that is battery [19]. Several authors have studied this in the literature.
Shivaprasad et al., [20], in their study, agreed that H2 is considered one of the superior alternative
fuels for the SI engines. This is due to the particular and most desirable characteristics, such as wide
flammability range, higher diffusivity, high flame speed, lower ignition energy, etc. [21,22]. Similar
work was also carried out by Falahat et al., [23]. The thermal brake efficiency improves after
hydrogen enrichment, reaching a peak of about 23%, thanks to hydrogen's wide flammability and
fast flame pace. Recently, Aydin and Kenanoğlu [24] discovered that injecting HHO into the intake
manifold of a four-cylinder engine improved the maximum torque and maximum power by 19.1%
and 27%, respectively. While in contrast, specific fuel consumption (SFC) decreased by 14%.
However, a complete search of the literature revealed no previous research that focuses on the
influencing factors of water electrolysis that affect the production of this hydrogen-rich gas. This is

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the motivation of the present study to conduct an experiment on the three controlled factors of
electrode plates which is also one of the significant factors that affect producing hydrogen gas.
This research aims to study engine performance and gas emissions by investigating the effect of
the HHO gas generator produced through the electrolysis technique. Several controlled factors used
in the electrolysis process to produce HHO gas were studied and analyzed using experimental design
methods to see the effect on engine speed and pollution produced.

2. Experimental Setup and Test Procedure

2.1 Experimental Description

A single-cylinder four-stroke SI engine was used as the test engine. The schematic of the
experiment setup is shown in Figure 1. Table 1 shows the specifications of the test engine. The
properties of hydrogen and gasoline are shown in Table 2. The engine was powered by an electric
motor, and some minor physical modifications are needed to allow the HHO portion to be routed
through the engine inlet port. A special-purpose electronic device was designed and fabricated to
supply a constant 10-Amp 18-Volt direct current to each electrode plate for creating electrolysis
phenomena. To observe the engine's power output in terms of engine rotation speed and exhaust
gas emissions, the effect of controlled factors, which are area, numbers, and distance between
electrode plates on the HHO gas generator, was investigated. A further result of the interaction of
control factors and essential factors contributing to hydrogen and oxygen gas development and the
speed and release of pollutant gas is also studied.

Fig. 1. Experimental test preparation scheme involving a test band engine and a hydroxy gas
generator

Table 1
Engine Specifications
Engine type Four strokes, single-cylinder
Fuel type Petrol
Cooling system Water-cooled
Size (D x L) 87 mm x 66 mm
Power 5 KW at 3000 min-1
Dimension 500 x 345 x 310 mm
Weight 34 kg

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Table 2
The properties of hydrogen and gasoline [25]
Property Hydrogen Gasoline
Molecular mass(kg/kmol) 114 2.016
Theoretical air–fuel ratio (kg/kg comb) 14.5 34.32
Density, at 0°C and 760 mm Hg, (kg/m3 0.735-0.760 0.0899
Flammability limits in air, at 20°C and 760 mm Hg % vol. 1.48-2.3 4.1-75.6
λ 1.1-0.709 10.12-0.136
Flame velocity in air (λ = 1), at 20°C and 760 mm Hg (m/s) 0.12 2.37
Octane number 90-98 >130
Min. ignition energy in air (mJ) 0.2-0.3 0.018
Auto-ignition temperature(K) 753-823 848-853
Lower Heating Value (gas at 0°C and 760 mm Hg) 3661 3178
Stoichiometric fuel–air mixture (kJ/m3) (kJ/kg) 42690 119600

All the data such as engine speed and HC, and CO emissions were measured using a Dynamometer
and Automotive Gas Analyzer, as shown in Figure 2. All the measured data are recorded in tabular
form. This data was entered into the Expert Design application (DOE) software to conduct statistical
analysis based on the two-level factorial full design approach (RBFAD) [26,27]. Analysis of variance,
using ANOVA, was used to identify the relationship between the controlled parameters and the
significant influence. In this study, one mm-thick of stainless steel was chosen as the electrode plate
material due to its affordable cost, suitability, and in-market availability. Stainless steel offers
superior mechanical qualities at room temperature compared to other materials. It combines
ductility, elasticity, and hardness, allowing it to be employed in difficult metal forming modes (deep
stamping, flat bending, extrusion, and so on) while also providing heavy wear resistance (friction,
abrasion, impact, elasticity, etc.). It also has good mechanical properties at both high and low
temperatures. Two sets of stainless steel were cut into two different sizes and labelled with a group
A1 for an area of 10 cm x 30 cm x 2 (600 cm2) and group A2 for 20 cm x 30 cm x 2 (1200 cm2). The
total number of stainless-steel plates for each group, A1, and A2, together with the area, is 24 pieces.
The characteristic of electrode plates based on matrix experiments proposed by the RBFAD approach
is given in Table 3. The 16 experiments were done by using the number of electrodes 12 and 24; the
distance between electrode plates were 1 and 2 cm, and the area of electrode plates were 600 and
1200 cm2.

Fig. 2. HC and CO measurement instrument (Model: QRO-202)

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Table 3
The characteristic of electrode plates
No. Number of electrodes Distance between electrode plates (cm) Area of electrode plates (cm2)
1 24 1 1200
2 24 2 1200
3 24 1 600
4 12 1 600
5 12 2 600
6 12 1 1200
7 24 2 600
8 12 2 1200
9 24 1 1200
10 24 2 1200
11 24 1 600
12 12 1 600
13 12 2 600
14 12 1 1200
15 24 2 600
16 12 2 1200

2.2 HHO Gas Generator and Fuel Cell Fabrication

To trigger the process of water electrolysis, an electric current has to be flowed through the
electrolyte using an electrode plate connected to the positive terminal called the anode and an
electrode plate attached to the negative terminal called the cathode. A fixed rated direct current
electricity of 10-Amp 18-Volt is supplied to the electrode plate [28]. Two sets of power suppliers were
developed to supply 10-amp, 18-volt direct current electricity to the HHO gas generator to trigger
the electrolysis operation. The step-down transformer (SDT) is used since the source of electrical
power supplied by TNB is 240 volts. A total of 6 SDT were connected to 12 electrode plates, and 12
SDT were connected to 24 plate electrodes. Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of 24 plates
representing 12 sets of electrode plates (1 plate each for the anode and cathode), including a distance
between 1 cm and an area of 1200 cm2 for the electrolysis process.

Fig. 3. 24 electrode plates

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2.3 Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis of engine speed and exhaust gas emissions was analyzed using variance or
ANOVA analysis, taking into account the alpha (α) level was 0.05 with a corresponding confidence
level of 95%. The F test in the ANOVA table is to determine whether there is a significant influence
and interaction between the controlled factors in this study. Therefore, the use of ANOVA in this
study evaluates the main influence and interaction between controlled factors in the electrode
design that significantly affect engine performance, CO and HC gas emissions.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1 Results

Experiments were performed based on Table 3. Each investigation was conducted for 7 minutes,
equivalent to 1 litre of gasoline. This step lasted until 16 experimental tests were done. All data
collected will be used in RBFAD and ANOVA analysis through the Design Expert application. The
average benchmark data values related to the engine rotation speed (1754 rpm), HC concentration
(150) and CO percentage (3.13) measured and recorded are in Table 4.

Table 4
Benchmark data
Test RPM HC ppm CO Percentage 1 litre of Petrol Heat
1 1754 150 3.13 7 min 30.0 0C
2 1754 148 3.14 7 min 30.1 0C
3 1754 151 3.12 7 min 30.1 0C
4 1754 149 3.13 7 min 30.0 0C
5 1754 150 3.13 7 min 30.2 0C
Average 1754 150 3.13 7 min 30.2 0C

RBFAD -based Design Expert application version 9, which refers to a 2k factorial design where k
is the number of parameters studied. This formulation was used to determine the number of
experiments to be conducted based on three controlled factors which are number, distance and area
as shown in Table 5. A total of 8 experiments with 1 repetition were proposed for this study by RBFAD.
The results of the experimental tests are shown in Table 6. The average values of these data which
are 2203 rpm, 1.78% and 64 PPM for engine rotation, CO and HC, respectively will be used as a
benchmark and optimization of experimental test comparisons for engine speed and gas emissions.

Table 5
Parameters of electrode plates for HHO gas generator
Controlled parameters (Electrode plates) Unit Min Max
A-Number Plates 12 24
B-Distance cm 1 2
C-Area cm2 600 1200

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Table 6
Experimental results
Controlled factors (Electrode plates) Experimental results
No. Number Distance (cm) Area (cm2) Engine rotation (rpm) CO (%) HC (ppm)
1 24 1 1200 2346 1.82 52
2 24 2 1200 2270 1.78 47
3 24 1 600 2215 1.74 46
4 12 1 600 2182 1.71 45
5 12 2 600 2174 1.76 53
6 12 1 1200 2163 1.86 69
7 24 2 600 2141 1.81 95
8 12 2 1200 2135 1.79 107
9 24 1 1200 2342 1.82 51
10 24 2 1200 2267 1.76 47
11 24 1 600 2217 1.73 43
12 12 1 600 2183 1.69 46
13 12 2 600 2173 1.77 51
14 12 1 1200 2160 1.84 68
15 24 2 600 2138 1.8 92
16 12 2 1200 2134 1.79 109
Average 2203 1.78 64

3.2 Effect of Electrode Plates on the Engine Performance

The ANOVA table for engine performance is shown in Table 7. From the observations made on
the statistical values, R² is 0.9997, Adj R² is 0.9994, which indicates a reasonable agreement. The
Adeq precision (AP) = 167.600 greater than 4 is desirable, as it measures the signal-to-noise ratio. A
similar result is generated for P when the value is smaller than 0.05. This means that the primary
influence and interaction between controlled factors significantly impact engine speed efficiency.
The mathematical model as a function of describing the rotational speed of the engine consists
of the distance, number, and area are as follows: -

Engine speed = 470.68877 - (2.51350 * Number of electrode plates) + (95.83071 * Distance

(rev/min) between electrode plates - (0.23636 * Area of electrode plates) - (7.22249 *
Number of electrode plates * Distance between electrode plates) + (0.019252
* Number of electrode plates * Area of electrode plates) - (0.065753 * Distance
between electrode plates * Area of electrode plates) + (2.81376E-003 *
Number of electrode plates * Distance between electrode plates * Area of
electrode plates)

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Table 7
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for engine performance
Source Sum of Df Mean Square F Value p-value
Squares Prob> F
Model 72151 7 10307 3298.33 < 0.0001 significant
A (number of electrode plates 24947 1 24947 7982.99 < 0.0001
B (distance between electrode 8835 1 8835 2827.34 < 0.0001
plates
C (area of electrode plates 9702 1 9702 3104.72 < 0.0001
AB 3364 1 3364 1076.60 < 0.0001
AC 25122 1 25122 8039.12 < 0.0001
BC 72 1 72 23.12 0.0013
ABC 90 1 90 28.88 0.0007
Pure Error 25 8 3
Cor Total 72176 15

The effect of these controlled elements is determined by comparing the values of the benchmark
data in Table 4 with the experimental results in Table 6, as shown in this table. There is an increase
in the engine rotational speed and a reduction in HC and CO gas emissions. These findings are also
supported by El-Kassaby et al., [29], Madyira and Harding [30], Yilmaz et al., [31]. Therefore, it is
concluded that the number of electrode plates (A), the distance between the electrode plates (B),
and the area of the electrode plates (C) have a significant influence and interaction. The effect of
electrode plates parameters on the engine speed performance can be compared with the help of
perturbation plots, as illustrated in Figure 4. The perturbation plot facilitates observing all influencing
factors at the center point in the design space for coded values. The line gradients in the graph show
the influence and sensitivity of the respective electrode plate parameters for engine speed
performance. As shown in Figure 4, the trends for the number of electrode plates (A) and the area of
the electrode plates (C) have the same gradient. By increasing the number and area of the electrode
plates can cause the engine speed to increase.
The area surface of the electrode plate plays an important role in the hydrogen production system
through electrolysis. The larger area of the electrode plates will cause more water molecules to
decompose and form hydrogen gas and oxygen gas [32]. However, the engine speed performance
decreased as the distance between the electrode plates (B) increased. This finding is consistent with
De Silva et al., [33], who found that the current used by the HHO generator is inversely proportional
to the distance between the electrode plates. The result can be explained by the fact that when the
distance between the electrodes is too far, the influence of the electric current becomes weak the
process of electrolysis of water cannot be done well. This condition simultaneously reduces the
formation of H2 and O2, because according to Faraday’s law of electrolysis, the rate of hydrogen
production is directly proportional to the current [34,35].

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Fig. 4. Perturbation plot for engine speed

The interaction of the controlled factors with the engine speed is plotted in Figure 5. As in Figure
5(a), using a distance of 1 cm on 24 electrode plates decreases the water resistance, causing more
electric current to flow [36,37]. In general, electric current plays an essential role in the production
of hydrogen and oxygen. Thus, many electrode plates produce many gas bubbles, which interact with
a high electric current that can break down the molecular mass of water into oxygen gas and
hydrogen gas. However, by using a distance of 1 cm on 12 electrode plates, the speed of the machine
decreased. These results may reflect insufficient HHO gas production because the number of
electrode plates is the dominant factor of the electrode plate distance, as found by the ANOVA results
in Table 7. It was found that the interaction of the number of electrode plates, and distance of
electrode plates (AB), number of electrode plates and area of electrode plates (AC), a distance of
electrode plates and area of electrode plates (BC) had a significant effect on engine speed, as
presented in Table 7 referred to the values -p.
The relation between the area and the number of electrode plates, as determined by the ANOVA
in Table 7, significantly impacts the engine rpm. As several electrode plates interact with a large area
of the electrode plates, as seen in Figure 5(b), an improvement in the engine speed can be achieved.
Although the number of electrode plates was a significant factor in producing HHO gas, the results
found that the number of plates had little effect on engine speed when interacting with a smaller
electrode plate area. This phenomenon occurs due to Ohmic resistance as described when bubbles
form and rise to the plate surface. The newly formed bubbles will accumulate into the newly formed
bubbles and can cover some of the areas of the electrode plate. And at the same time, it prevents
water from touching the plate surface to reduce the flow of electric current, causing the system
formation rate to decrease oxygen and hydrogen production [38].
An adequate distance between the electrode and a wide water contact area on the electrode
plate's surface leads to an improvement in oxygen and hydrogen gases, instantly improving the
engine's speed efficiency. This setup allows for a smooth flow of electricity through each electrode
plate. This phenomenon is also stated by Jumiati et al., [39]. They emphasize that the design and
dimensions of the fuel cell, such as the area of the electrode plates, can regulate internal combustion
efficiency. The greater the area of the electrode plates traversed by water, the more water molecules

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are affected, forming hydrogen and oxygen atoms. When H2 is combined with O2, its explosive nature
causes an increase in engine speed.

(a) Interaction of distance between plates and number of plates

(b) Interaction of area of plates and number of plates

(c) Interaction of distance between plates and area of plates

Fig. 5. The interactions of controlled factors (electrode plates) to the
engine speed

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3.3 Effect of Electrode Plates on the Reduction of CO Gas Emissions

The ANOVA table for CO gas emissions is shown in Table 8. The result of R² is 0.9970, Adj R² is
0.9986, which indicates a reasonable agreement with each other. The AP is 97.599. As mentioned
earlier, AP greater than 4 is acceptable. The mathematical model as a function of describing the
reducing CO gas emissions consists of the distance, number, and area are as follows: -

CO = (0.28689 * Number of electrode plates) + (4.95593 * Distance between electrode plates)

+ (7.02847E-003 * Area of electrode plates) - (0.30359 * Number of electrode plates *
Distance between electrode plates) - (3.75415E-004 * Number of electrode plates * Area
of electrode plates) - (7.14398E-003 * Distance between electrode plates * Area of
electrode plates) + (3.82079E-004 * Number of electrode plates * Distance between
electrode plates * Area of electrode plates) – 2.78535

The effect of electrode plate parameters on reducing CO gas emissions in the exhaust gas can be
compared with the help of perturbation plots, as illustrated in Figure 6. According to Figure 6, the
number of electrode plates (A) and the area of the electrode plates (C) have the same gradient.
Increasing the number of electrode plates and the area of the electrode plates can lead to a reduction
in CO gas production [40]. The interaction of the controlled factors with the CO gas emission in the
exhaust gas is plotted in Figure 7. It was found that the interaction of AB, AC and BC had a significant
effect on the CO gas emissions, as shown in Table 8.

Fig. 6. Perturbation plot for CO gas emissions in the exhaust gas

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Table 8
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for CO gas emissions
Source Sum of Df Mean Square F Value p-value
Squares Prob> F
Model 5.71 7 0.82 1518.53 < 0.0001 significant
A (number of electrode plates 2.250E-004 1 2.250E-004 0.42 < 0.5358
B (distance of electrode plates 2.16 1 2.16 4020.28 < 0.0001
C (area of electrode plates 0.021 1 0.021 39.12 < 0.0002
AB 0.063 1 0.063 116.28 < 0.0001
AC 1.78 1 1.78 3315.77 < 0.0001
BC 0.022 1 0.022 41.86 0.002
ABC 1.66 1 1.66 3096 < 0.0001
Pure Error 4.300E-003 8 5.375E-004
Cor Total 5.72 15

Using a minimum distance configuration on 24 electrode plates, the results indicate that CO
reduction has occurred [40]. However, using the minimum distance on 12 electrode plates, the CO
reduction was not significant compared to higher electrode plate spacing. These results may reflect
insufficient HHO gas production because the number of plates is the dominant factor of the plate
distance. The relation between the area and the number of electrode plates, as determined by the
ANOVA in Table 8, has a significant impact on the CO gas emissions. According to Figure 7(b), CO
reduction can be achieved when a high number of plates interact with the area of electrode plates.
Although the surface area of the electrode plate is a significant factor in producing HHO gas, the
results found that the number of plates had little effect on CO gas emissions when interacting with
the smaller area of the electrode plates. As mentioned previously, this phenomenon occurs due to
Ohmic resistance [39]. According to Figure 7(c), a sufficient distance between the electrode plates
and the area of electrode plates leads to an increase in H2 and O2 gas production, thus lowering CO
emissions. This electrode plate has a large surface area that allows electric current to flow freely. This
result has an agreement with the studies by Uludamar et al., [40], and Calo [41]. CO gas is produced
when fuel is burned without enough oxygen to contain carbon dioxide (CO2).

(a) Interaction of distance between plates and area of

plates

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(b) Interaction of area of plates and number of electrode

plates

(c) Interaction of area of plates and distance between

electrode plates
Fig. 7. The interactions of controlled factors (electrode
plates) to the CO gas emissions

3.4 Effect of Electrode Plates on the Reduction of HC Gas Emissions

The ANOVA table for HC gas emissions is shown in Table 9. The result of R² is 0.9915, Adj R² is
0.9840, which indicates a reasonable agreement with each other. The AP is 42.286. As mentioned
earlier, AP greater than 4 is acceptable. The mathematical model as a function of describing the
reducing HC gas emissions consists of the distance, number, and area are as follows: -

HC = (8.36503 * Number of electrode plates) + (130.15749 * Distance between electrode

plates) + (0.35809 * Area of electrode plates) - (5.38100 * Number of electrode plates *
Distance between electrode plates)) - (0.014587 * Number of electrode plates * Area of
electrode plates) - (0.23014 * Distance between electrode plates) * Area of electrode
plates) + (9.47792E-003 * Number of electrode plates * Distance between electrode
plates) * Area of electrode plates) - 161.30104

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Table 9
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for HC gas emissions
Source Sum of Df Mean F Value p-value
Squares Square Prob> F
Model 4416 7 630.86 132.81 < 0.0001 significant
A (number of electrode plates 0.25 1 0.25 0.053 0.8243
B (distance of electrode plates 1190.25 1 1190.25 250.58 < 0.0001
C (area of electrode plates 49 1 49 10.32 0.0124
AB 1024 1 1024 215.58 < 0.0001
AC 6.25 1 6.25 1.32 0.2845
BC 1122.25 1 1122.25 236.26 < 0.0001
ABC 1024 1 1024 215.58 < 0.0001
Pure Error 38 8 4.75
Cor Total 4454 15

The effect of electrode plate parameters on reducing HC gas emissions can be compared with the
presence of perturbation plots, as illustrated in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 8, the trend is similar to
the results of CO gas emissions. Increasing the number of electrode plates and the area of the
electrode plates can lead to a reduction in HC gas production. O2 gas has benefited in completing the
combustion, resulting in a decrease in the emissions of HC gas.

Fig. 8. Perturbation plot for HC gas emissions in the exhaust gas

The interaction of the controlled factors with the CO gas emission in the exhaust gas is plotted in
Figure 9. It was found that the interaction of AB, AC and BC had a significant effect on the CO gas
emissions, as shown in Table 9. In general, electric current plays an important role in the production
of H2 and O2 gases. In Figure 9(a), using the minimum distance and the maximum number of
electrode plates, the water resistance decreases, causing the electric current flow to be higher
[36,41]. HC, on the other hand, is closer to higher plate distances. These results can illustrate the
unnecessary H2 and O2 gases production because the number of electrode plates is the dominant
factor. However, the distance between electrode plates reduces HC almost to higher distance plates.

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These results may reflect insufficient H2 and O2 gas production because the number of plates is the
dominant factor of plate distance.
The water resistance decreases in Figure 9(b) when the minimum distance and the maximum
number of electrode plates are used, resulting in a higher electric current flow [34,36,41]. Electric
current is crucial in the processing of H2 and O2 gases in general. Reduced HC almost results in a
higher plate spacing using a minimum spacing and a minimum number of electrode plates. Since the
number of plates is the most critical factor in plate distance, these findings could indicate a lack of H2
and O2 gas output. Among the interaction factors and terms, the interaction of area and the number
of electrode plates greatly influence the HC production. Based on Figure 9(b), HC reduction can be
achieved when the highest number of electrode plates interacts with a larger area of the electrode
plates. Although the number of plates played a significant factor in producing H2 and O2 gases, the
results found that the number of plates had little effect on the HC gas produced when interacting
with a smaller area of electrode plates.
According to Figure 9(c), the minimum distance and maximum area of the electrode plates
increase H2, and O2 gases immediately reduce the HC. High HC gas emissions are due to imperfect
gasoline combustion. O2 gas has benefited in completing the combustion, resulting in a decrease in
the emissions of HC gas.

(a) Interaction of number of plates and distance between plates

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(b) Interaction of number of plates and area of electrode plates

(c) Interaction of distance between plates and area of electrode plates

Fig. 9. The interactions of controlled factors (electrode plates) to the
HC gas emissions

4. Conclusion

Hydrogen and oxygen gas (HHO) seemed to be the best possible alternative energy solution and
were produced via water electrolysis. The effectiveness generation of HHO gas depends on the
characteristic of the electrode plates. The following conclusions were obtained:
(i) It was found that the number of plates that interacted with a large area of electrode plate is
a significant factor that caused an increase in engine speed on an average of 26%, an average
reduction in CO by 43%, and a decrease in HC gas by 42%.
(ii) The HHO gas supplied to the engine gives an average CO reduction of 53%. The area of the
electrode plates influences the optimal presence of O2 gas, distance and number of electrode
plates. The increase of O2 supplied by the HHO gas generator has reduced the CO release

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content to 1.78 %. Which is optimal, then the O2 gas supplied has the role of converting CO
gas to CO2, an additional 14.8%.
(iii) The incomplete combustion of the mixing fuel in the engine combustion chamber has
produced HC gas emissions. The presence of increased O2 in the fuel complex mixture has
resulted in incomplete combustion. This situation has reduced HC release by 57%.

Acknowledgement
The authors would like to express their appreciation to Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Malaysia and
the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia for providing financial support for this work through a
research grant (FRGS/1/2015/TK10/JPP/03/1).

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