Air2Nitrous device claimed to cut vehicle exhaust emissions by 90 percent

May 26, 2015

The Air2Nitrous device can be retrofitted to existing vehicles to slash emissions

Driving an electric car that gives off no emissions is one of the best ways to reduce your personal transport carbon footprint. But if an EV is out of reach, the next best thing could be a simple retrofittable, scalable device called Air2Nitrous (A2N). Its creators claim it can reduce engine emissions by 90 percent, while cutting fuel consumption by 20 percent.

The Air2Nitrous team describes its electronic emissions control system as a "first phase" device because it works before and during combustion. It cuts emissions by increasing the amount of oxygen molecules and decreasing the amount of nitrogen molecules in the combustion chamber.

As air from the atmosphere passes through the vehicle’s air filter, it then passes unobstructed through the converter ring located in the air intake duct. At this point, the reactor exposes the air to electrical discharges, separating nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) from the atmospheric air and transforming it into nitrous oxide (N2O), which is an enriched fuel/air mixture.

According to the company, less nitrogen means less nitric oxide and nitrogen oxide (NOx), and a decrease by up to 90 percent a range of harmful gases, including CO2. More oxygen in the combustion chamber also results in a more complete burn of particulate matter (PM) of 2.5 micrometers or less, also known as fine particles.

Vehicle and machinery operators trying A2N out are reporting fuel savings of six to 20 percent, Air2Nitrous says. The system works with combustion engines powered with various fuels, including diesel, LPG, bunker oil, gasoline, natural gas and others.

They add it takes 30 minutes to install the A2N device, a job that can be done by any mechanic to any internal combustion engine, with the benefits of the installation being immediate. They also promise A2N does not negatively impact engine performance, which is an advantage over other emissions-reducing technologies.

The company envisages several industry applications for its solution, including long haul transportation and trucking, agriculture (tractors), mining and off-road vehicles, motorcycles, diesel trains, generators, container ships and aircraft, among others.

It is hoping to have the same impact as the catalytic converter, which was introduced in 1975 to reduce emissions and help manufacturers comply with stricter US Environmental Protection Agency regulation of exhaust pipe emissions. A2N has already passed California emissions standards on vehicles with and without catalytic converters.

The device was recently shown at the Earth Day Fair organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai on April 22, and the event was used as the product’s official launch pad. At the moment, the company is only selling units to commercial customers, although the situation will change once it raises capital to scale up production.

A2N currently has a monthly production capacity of around 2,000 units and manufactures mainly three different size units to be sold on a wholesale basis. However, it can custom-make larger units in the megawatt ranges from 1 to 9 MW engines and even larger.

Prices range from US$1,200 to $3,500, depending on engine size, which can vary from a 100cc scooter to a Super Panamax ship.

Source: Air2Nitrous

About the Author

Brazilian-Italian Antonio Pasolini graduated in journalism in Brazil before heading out to London for an MA in film and television studies. He fell in love with the city and spent 13 years there as a film reviewer before settling back in Brazil. Antonio's passion for green issues - and the outdoors - eventually got the best of him and since 2007 he's been writing about alternative energy, sustainability and new technology. All articles by Antonio Pasolini

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11 Comments

Seems like its a high voltage low current device arcing possibly ionizing the air prior to the combustion process this could be aiding the combustion process. It is widely recognized that lightning does energize things in many ways (that are still subject to exciting research) and that has been ongoing since time immemorial. It is healthy to be cautious in appraising new innovations. Only if you have personal experience with the device can you be in a position to dismiss it out of hand.

Panayis Zambellis

I agree with Dave. I find it difficult to believe that such a low powered device has the ability to convert the consumed air quickly enough to make any difference.

ronbh

"According to the company, less nitrogen means less nitric oxide and nitrogen oxide (NOx), and a decrease by up to 90 percent a range of harmful gases, including CO2."

This sentence itself proves that it's only a joke.

With neglible energy, one can produce only neglible amount of N2O. Hence, most of the N2 will remain to cause NOx emission.

NOx formation is caused by high temperature from nitrogen and oxigen, regardless of what sources they come from. If there is free oxygen in the combustion chamber, than N2O will not make any difference.

Hence, N2O as an oxidizer may be helpful to decrease CO and CxHy emission, but definitely not to decrease NOx.

The 20% reduction of fuel consumption is unrealistic. Even hydrogen and oxygen injection to the manifold cannot decrease fuel consumption of internal combustion engines. The injection of oxidizers and flame propagation accelerators can only decrease emission.

Sándor Dávid Papp

I installed a HHO generator four years ago on my Rover 2000 tc. Cuts emissions 98%, Increases horsepower, Increases mpg. What more can you want? Cost £500.00

walterbaxter

Dave hi whilst i respect your views i must tell you that it is not Air2Nitrous saying that we reduce emissions 50-90 % or save fuel 6-20% or increase torque power by between 5-17%. It has been a string of independent testing that we have done so, including with the Californian Air Resources Board USA Gov affiliated testing, and a multibillion dollar trucking company and many other completely independent testing groups. The reason we have been in testing for five years is because we were not convinced until there was an avalanche of testing completed by parties we had nothing to do with. We have posted the results on our website (under Data) for you or anyone else to check. If you or anyone else has any other questions you can get my email address from the website. Antonio has written a fantastic article about us and all thanks to him. Thank you

Air2Nitrous

Hahahahahaha

Sorry, I almost collapsed a lung after reading this. Looks like some ebay special spade connectors, a case with a resistor in it, and some dodgy looking latex thing in a tube.

Is this like one of those "hydrogen generators" for you car?

vilguy

So why has auto engineers not taken a close look at it?

thk

@Dave Shevett Well, some corona discharge based ozone generator does produce some NOxs...

AfdhalAtiffTan

You have GOT to be kidding me? There is absolutely ZERO science to back this up. So you create nitrous oxide by... putting some electricity into air moving through an intake? So this little doodad does this on the thousands of cubic liters of air moving through the intake manifold with a couple little wires? (2 liter engine running at 3000 RPM is gulping 30liters of air a second.) From their FAQ "No, A2N consumes negligible energy. As an example: a 1 Amp fuse is enough to power our technology for a 15 or 16-liter engine."

This is bunk science, pure and simple.

Dave Shevett

why are my skeptic senses tingling?

Simon Sammut

Time will tell if there is anything to this. I just want to see an end to combustion engines because refining is so dirty, plus gas is what ever price they want to charge. Enough already.

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