Our project, so far... - with pics

[gas-mechanic]

I suppose it would help to describe our project:

- 4" sched. 40 PVC with an inspection cap at the bottom for inserting and removing the tube assembly.

Originally we had planned to use the domed end cap but we've decided to use another inspection cap for the top so we can see what's going on, plus easy access for cleaning, etc.

Here's a closer pic of the tube assembly, although the upper bracket (on the bottom in this pic) has been altered some. Those are stainless nuts, bolts and washers, and stainless fishline for the wire, with heat-shrink insulation.


The wires are bolted to the tubes as seen here:




Here are the electronics that my partner-in-crime, Mau369 (hopefully soon to be renamed 'electro-mechanic') has built on the board he got from someone in the OUPower.com family. I don't remember who it was:


...and his workbench:

...yeah, that's the cell on the left that was whited out by the flash.

We're waiting for delivery of a capacitance/inductance meter to add to his collection. Should be here today or tomorrow:


First time connected to power - making some bubbles!! *woo-HOOO!*


...and trying to dial in those elusive square waves:


Okay, that's all the (interesting) pics I have so far. Our progress has been delayed a bit by each one of us having to entertain an out-of-towner for a bit, and most recently Tropical Storm Ernesto.

We'll be back in our respective shops by tomorrow morning, I'm sure, to make some more headway on our exciting project.

We are already discussing plans for the 'next' project, a flat-plate cell. I sure envy that neat cutter Chris has to cut the grooves in the plexiglas! I'm trying to figure out some kind of (simple-to-make) jig for my router table, or my Dremel tool. I can't imagine using a hand saw to cut all those grooves! LOL

Any suggestions, advice, etc. will be GREATLY appreciated AND welcome! We are trying to learn from others' experiences building this 'first attempt', and we will try to document our progress as best we can.

In advance, many thanks!

[gas-mechanic]

Oops, forgot to show the wiring for the outer tubes:


The inner and outer tubes are separated by ¼" pieces of window-screening spline. It's shaped like an elongated 'D' when viewed on the end. It's the stuff you jam into the track around the opening of the screen frame to hold the screen material in place. I tried some round spline, but it was too thick.

[eco]

Hi gas - mechanic,
Lot of work for one -cell electrolyser

[glenn_aircooled]

Beautiful work, I really look forward to seeing how well it works.
Are you going to post the test results? How much gas it puts out
for how much V & current in what time????
Thank You.

[gas-mechanic]

Hi eco,

Yeah it's been a lot of work, and a really good experience, so far!

Each of those plexi brackets took me around 10 hours each to make! But I'm working slowly and carefully, thinking all the while how to do it easier, better, quicker.

This is my very first 'experiment', and it's all new to me. In all my years as an auto/truck/motorcycle mechanic, I had to 'tweak' a part or a tool to get a job done, and sometimes 'fabricate' a bracket or something for a 'remove-and-replace' job, but this "idea to concept to find-the-part to fabrication to fine-tune", 'Research and Development', I guess, on a part of a project in a completely foreign field is, for me, a REAL challenge, and VERY exciting and F U N !

A lot of work, yeah, but I look at it as a great challenge to my 'Mickey-Mouse" abilities, which in my glory-years as a mechanic were pretty well-known in my circle of friends.

As an example: I was the only mechanic for a small local trash-collection company with about 8 (all different and all container-loaders with those big steel arms on the front) trucks. Only the 10-wheel container roll-off truck was diesel, a Reo 20-speed twin-stick (not Diamond-Reo) and a small gas/diesel bulldozer plus a small fleet of about 6 taxis.

I was working on an 8-cyl. gasoline-engine rubbish truck that was constantly overheating because it was only being used to collect the trash and stable areas (horse-sh*t and hay) at a trotter racetrack. Almost anyone there had access to drive it, and usually left it running all day for some reason.

After working on the cooling system several times to get it at it's best, I had to rebuild the engine. Well, it was a pretty old model, and the MUCH-needed crankshaft bearings were not available anywhere (...PRE-internet, around 1971), so I re-used the original much-worn bearings and laid in a strip of old shoe sole leather behind each bearing. The leather quickly absorbed the motor oil and was softened and expanded to size, and the engine ran VERY well afterwards! It was still running when I left that job over a year later!! LOL

So, you see, time is only a small factor in MY part of the project. It's all a learning experience; very enjoyable, great fun, and the outcome will be a terrific boon to our efforts!

My partner and friend, Mau369, is of the same thinking, so we work very well together!

[gas-mechanic]

Hi Glenn,

Thanks for the compliment!

Today we will be connecting power to cell again for a second attempt at 'making bubbles'. Once that's accomplished, I'll be attaching the top cap with the pressure gauge and shut-off valve assembly, linked to a bubbler. Then we'll FINALLY (hopefully) be able to make a little torch like Chris' early posts, and finally BURN something! LOL

Of COURSE we'll post results, both GOOD and ! LOL ...with pics!

I have to read around here to find out what to use for measuring the gas output, but Mau369 should have all the electronic stuff to measure the V/A/W and other stuff.

Again, this is our very first attempt (prototype) at producing ANYTHING! LOL ...bubbles, electrolysis, HydrOxy, H H O, H x H-O. It's all new to us! Up until recently, when someone said the word 'hydrogen', I pictured the Hindenburg dirigible burning in 1937! "Oh, the humanity!"

Now it has a totally different meaning to me, with that burn-and-crash WAAAY in the background!

Thanks again, Glenn. I've enjoyed reading and learning from your posts, as well as ALL the other folks who have posted on this TERRIFIC discussion board!

[MarkinAustralia]

Just remember when you first fire the cells up you may not see too much for a while. It takes several hours for the cells to condition themselves.
This link will take you to Dave lawtons cell if you havnt already seen it running
http://www.icubenetwork.com/files/water ... Wfcrep.WMV

Kind Regards
mark

[FartHydroxy]

[Bob Boyce]

[gas-mechanic]

Hi Mark,

I believe that is the first reference to 'conditioning' that I've seen on THIS board! I had believed that 'conditioning' had to do with a Joe Cell with all the reading I had done about that process.

But if that's what it takes, then *time* it is!!

Thanks for that info, and thanks for the link!

=============
Hi FartHydroxy! (GREAT Tag! LOL)

Thanks for that quote! I guess running a car would be the ULTIMATE end-use for a cell, but for starters, we are aiming at running our 6,500W emergency generators here. That is our immediate goal.

...and we are being VERY careful about the 'correctness' of our system before attaching it to the gen, as we really NEED these things to be running faultlessly, here in So. Florida!

We are looking for easy assembly (after the prototype, of course), reliability, and most of all, getting rid of the reserve gas cans! LOL

We certainly DON'T want to reinvent any wheels!

Thanks!

==============
Hi Bob,

Thanks for the compliment on the pics! I have been a pro photographer for many years, and it takes me quite a while to configure the pics to show online. I won't put up a pic that isn't up to my lofty standards!! LOL I'm my own toughest critic!!

I started taking pics a bit late to properly document my laborious steps in producing this first cell, but I think I have shown the general makeup of what we are working with here.

The electronics are NOT my area, so Mau369 is responsible for letting me know when he is ready to pose his stuff for pics.

FYI... my electronics background is so light, that every time I see 'PCB', I have to stop and think of what those letters mean! LOL I know and can usually spell things like capacitor, resistor, potentiometer, etc., but I'm not really sure what they do even right after Mau369 explains it to me. *in-one-ear-swirl-around-and-out-the-other*

I pass your comments along to him so HE can sort things out!

He got the PWM3E boards about 3 weeks ago, but I'll check with him later as to the exact version. I do recall he was puzzled about something to do with the channels (I think), and just worked around it at that time. But he also did some rewiring (?) on the board since then. I think there were some led's that weren't lighting, too.

...AGAIN with the letters! *hoo-BOY* EFIE... Does that stand for Electronic Fuel Injection Enhancer? (thank you, Google!)

We're certainly not at the stage of working around an O2 sensor just yet, but will file this info away for future reference!

...seen this page? It's what I found when I Googled EFIE.

All these capital letters are making my head hurt! LOL ''DIP' - Dual Inline Package... *OUCH* 'LED' - Light Emitting Diode... *OOF*

Jes' kidding, Bob! I'm learnin'!!

Thanks to y'all for all the terrific feedback! It's why I (finally) signed on here!

[gas-mechanic]

[eco]

[gas-mechanic]

Hi eco,

We (now) realize our prototype has low efficiency.

So far, we are using just distilled water. Mario is hoping to get his electronics 'dialed-in' this way, and I can 'fine-tune' the array before we decide to use electrolyte.

Upon starting this project we had hoped to be able to avoid using any electrolyte, and just use distilled water or even plain tap water, but upon reading and learning more, it is pretty clear that this is just not possible.

...or is it?? MAYBE there is some little electronic 'thingy' Mario can solder onto the PCB that will get our array to the proper resonance to actually produce a useful amount of gas.

I don't know... ...but that's what 'experimenting' is all about! ...and please keep in mind, this is our very first attempt at ANY kind of gas production! LOL We haven't even powered up our cell with a closed top yet, but I believe today is THE day for that!!

Okay... important question!

*The cell is sealed.
*I have a pressure gauge and a ball valve shut-off on the cap.
*A hose is attached to the lower-side of a bubbler made from a windwhield-washer solvent 1-gal. jug.
*Another hose is attached to the cap of that jug for the outlet.

Now here's the question...

...so we can FINALLY make a flame and burn SOMETHING!! *wink*

Another question comes to mind...



This test will most likely be run by noon-time today (EDST).

This stuff is REALLY exciting for me! I haven't done any kind of experimenting like this since I used an old 'chemistry set' I found in the attic when I was a kid!! Ahhhhh, the smells, and the loud *BANGS*! ha-ha

In advance, many thanks!

...DAMN! I just realized my e-addy in my sig file is wrong! *DUH* *slapping forehead* ...dot NET fer gosh sakes!!

[Nerd_Weed]

If you are planing to make fire out of your cell i suggest using a bubbler to preveng backfire.... just put a hose from the cell into a small container with water(a 250ml water bottle will do) and the use gas from the bubbles formed. This is another way monitorate gas production too...
If you look at chris or other people project you will see some draws and pictures of bubblers

[glenn_aircooled]

Just an idea for measuring Gas output.
What I do , 1) grab a "Pop Drink " bottle.
2) use an accurate measuring device - like measuring flask / beaker with graduations.
3) pour an amount , say 500 ml of water into the bottle.
4) mark with permanent texta - the level on the bottle.
5) fill the bottle with water and cap it.
6) use another bucket with 3/4 full water & invert the bottle in it. Undo the cap.
7) record Voltage to Electrolyser / Record current flow / Temp , then hold the
output tube From the Bubbler under the water in the Bucket.
note time, hold inverted bottle in water so that you can direct the " Bubbling tube " up into the bottle.
9) watch level of bubbles filling bottle and when it reaches the 500ml
mark - record time taken.
------------------------------------------
You will be amazed at the difference before and after Conditioning.
Amazed at the increase from getting the unit to Normal Running Temp.
And like me you will probably be dissapointed at your early results,
but dont worry they Push you to far greater things.