AHACTM Fundamentals
How on-demand oxyhydrogen can support industrial combustion
A concise, application-focused introduction to Efena’s Adaptive Hydrogen-Assisted Combustion platform—designed for facility leaders, engineers, energy professionals, and partners.
The industrial combustion challenge
Rated equipment efficiency does not tell the whole story. Real combustion performance changes with the burner, load, controls, process, and operating environment.
Operating variables
Air-to-fuel ratio, excess air, burner adjustment, cycling, altitude, equipment age, and load all influence performance.
Process variables
Heat transfer, production temperature, steam demand, dwell time, and product requirements define the useful output.
Replacing an otherwise serviceable boiler, furnace, oven, or process heater can demand substantial capital and facility changes. AHACTM takes a retrofit approach: it is evaluated alongside the combustion equipment already serving the process.
HHO and on-demand generation
HHO, also called oxyhydrogen, is a hydrogen-and-oxygen gas mixture produced through water electrolysis.
A simplified reaction is 2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂. Efena generates the gas at the point of use when required by the combustion process, instead of relying on routine bulk hydrogen storage or delivery.
At the point of use
Gas generation is located with the application, reducing hydrogen delivery logistics.
Linked to operation
Production can be coordinated with equipment demand and approved operating conditions.
On-demand generation is only one part of the platform. Safe integration, operating controls, measurement, and process validation are equally important.
How AHACTM works
Adaptive Hydrogen-Assisted Combustion combines on-demand gas generation with combustion integration, controls, and measurement.
The existing natural-gas or propane burner continues supplying the primary fuel. A controlled HHO stream is introduced into the combustion process to influence combustion characteristics under evaluated operating conditions.
Turbo-burner integration: HHO produced according to demand
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Efena makes a small engineered perforation in the turbo burner venturi section and installs a compact diffuser. The HHO stream is introduced through this diffuser and is enabled only while the burner receives the command to supply fuel.
Higher heating value by mass
Natural gas is approximately 50 MJ/kg, while hydrogen is approximately 120 MJ/kg. The hydrogen value applies to the H2 component of the HHO stream.
Shorter firing time
The HHO-assisted flame helps the process reach the required setpoint faster, allowing the burner control to turn off sooner and reduce natural-gas or propane use.
The goal is not simply to produce hydrogen. The goal is to determine whether a facility can maintain its required thermal or production output while reducing primary-fuel consumption enough to create a net operational benefit.
Why hydrogen can influence combustion
Hydrogen has ignition and flame-propagation characteristics that differ from natural gas and propane.
When introduced into a hydrocarbon flame, hydrogen can influence ignition, flame propagation, stability, and combustion behavior. Under suitable conditions, those effects may help the process achieve its required output with less primary fuel.
Potential effects
Faster flame propagation, improved ignition characteristics, or changes in flame stability.
Application variables
Burner design, load, fuel, excess air, altitude, temperature, and process requirements.
Because every combustion system is different, Efena does not assume one savings percentage for every facility. Performance must be measured against a comparable baseline.
Performance, energy balance, and safety
A credible evaluation measures the complete process—not only gas production or a single flame characteristic.
Baseline
Primary fuel consumption and process output without HHO under documented operating conditions.
AHACTM operation
Primary fuel, electrical input, HHO operation, and process output under comparable conditions.
Useful measurements can include natural-gas or propane consumption, electrical consumption, process temperature, steam pressure, heating or cycle time, production output, and burner conditions.
Safety by design
Hydrogen requires appropriate engineering. Industrial installations should incorporate gas management, ventilation, electrical and pressure protection, flashback protection, interlocks, emergency shutdown procedures, and jurisdiction-appropriate installation and maintenance practices.
Applications and technical qualification
The strongest candidates usually consume substantial, repeatable amounts of natural gas or propane and have measurable process outputs.
Boilers and steam
Review fuel rate, steam demand, pressure, load profile, burner condition, and operating hours.
Furnaces and process heaters
Review temperature, heat-transfer needs, burner configuration, cycle profile, and product requirements.
Ovens and dryers
Evaluate fuel use alongside throughput, cycle time, uniformity, and product quality.
Other combustion equipment
Qualification begins with equipment, fuel, duty cycle, process requirements, and measurable baseline data.
Efena field evaluations have shown that primary-fuel reductions can be measurable when AHACTM is properly matched and adjusted to the process. Published examples are application-specific and are not guarantees of performance at other facilities.
You understand the foundations of AHACTM
You have reviewed the combustion challenge, on-demand HHO, the AHACTM platform, hydrogen’s role in combustion, credible measurement, safety, and application qualification.
Could your equipment be a fit?
Efena can begin with your equipment type, fuel, capacity, consumption, operating hours, and process requirements.
Request an AHACTM application assessment