Hydrogen is an almost ideal type of fuel, but the problem is that on our planet it is found only in the form of compounds with other chemical elements. The share of “pure” substance in the atmosphere is no more than 0.00005%. Given these realities, it becomes topical issue about the hydrogen generator. Let's consider the operating principle of such a device, its design features, scope of application and the possibility of self-production.
Description and principle of operation of a hydrogen generator
There are several methods for extracting hydrogen from other substances; we list the most common:
- Electrolysis, this technique is the simplest and can be implemented at home. A direct electric current is passed through an aqueous solution containing salt, under its influence a reaction occurs that can be described by the following equation: 2NaCl + 2H 2 O → 2NaOH + Cl 2 + H 2. In this case, the example is given for a solution of ordinary kitchen salt, which is not the best option, since the released chlorine is toxic substance. Note that the hydrogen obtained by this method is the purest (about 99.9%).
- By passing water vapor over coal coke heated to a temperature of 1000 ° C, under such conditions the following reaction occurs: H 2 O + C ⇔ CO + H 2.
- Extraction from methane by steam conversion ( necessary condition for the reaction - temperature 1000°C): CH 4 + H 2 O ⇔ CO + 3H 2. The second option is methane oxidation: 2CH 4 + O 2 ⇔ 2CO + 4H 2.
- During the cracking (petroleum refining) process, hydrogen is released as a by-product. Note that in our country it is still practiced to burn this substance at some oil refineries due to the lack of necessary equipment or sufficient demand.
Of the listed options, the last one is the least expensive, and the first one is the most accessible; it is the one that forms the basis of most hydrogen generators, including household ones. Their principle of operation is that in the process of passing current through a solution, the positive electrode attracts negative ions, and the electrode with the opposite charge attracts positive ones, resulting in the splitting of the substance.
Design features and design of the hydrogen generator
While there are practically no problems with producing hydrogen now, its transportation and storage still remains an urgent task. The molecules of this substance are so small that they can even penetrate metal, which poses a certain safety risk. Absorbed storage is not yet highly profitable. Therefore, most best option– generation of hydrogen immediately before its use in the production cycle.
For this purpose they are made industrial installations for hydrogen generation. As a rule, these are membrane-type electrolyzers. The simplified design of such a device and the principle of operation are given below.
Designations:
- A – tube for removing chlorine (Cl 2).
- B – hydrogen removal (H 2).
- C is the anode on which the following reaction occurs: 2CL – →CL 2 + 2e – .
- D is the cathode, the reaction on it can be described by the following equation: 2H 2 O + 2e – →H 2 + OH – .
- E – solution of water and sodium chloride (H 2 O & NaCl).
- F – membrane;
- G – saturated sodium chloride solution and formation caustic soda(NaOH).
- H – removal of brine and diluted caustic soda.
- I – input of saturated brine.
- J – cover.
The design of household generators is much simpler, since most of them do not produce pure hydrogen, but produce Brown's gas. This is the name given to a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen. This option is the most practical; it does not require separating hydrogen and oxygen; the design can be significantly simplified, and therefore cheaper. In addition, the resulting gas is burned as it is produced. Storing and accumulating it at home is not only problematic, but also unsafe.
Designations:
- a – tube for venting Brown’s gas;
- b – water supply inlet manifold;
- c – sealed housing;
- d – block of electrode plates (anodes and cathodes), with insulators installed between them;
- e – water;
- f – water level sensor (connected to the control unit);
- g – water separation filter;
- h – power supply supplied to the electrodes;
- i – pressure sensor (sends a signal to the control unit when the threshold level is reached);
- j – safety valve;
- k – gas outlet from the safety valve.
A characteristic feature of such devices is the use of electrode blocks, since separation of hydrogen and oxygen is not required. This allows the generators to be quite compact.
Applications of hydrogen generator
Due to the problems associated with the transportation and storage of hydrogen, such devices are in demand in industries where the presence of this gas is required by the technological cycle. Let's list the main directions:
- Production related to the synthesis of hydrogen chloride.
- Production of fuel for rocket engines.
- Creation of fertilizers.
- Production of hydrogen nitride (ammonia).
- Synthesis of nitric acid.
- IN Food Industry(for obtaining solid fats from vegetable oils).
- Metal processing (welding and cutting).
- Metal recovery.
- Synthesis of methyl alcohol
- Production of hydrochloric acid.
Despite the fact that the production of hydrogen during oil refining is cheaper than its production through electrolysis, as mentioned above, difficulties arise with gas transportation. The environmental situation does not always allow the construction of hazardous chemical production facilities directly next to oil refineries. In addition, hydrogen produced by electrolysis is much cleaner than that produced by cracking oil. In this regard, industrial hydrogen generators are always in high demand.
Household use
There are also uses for hydrogen in everyday life. First of all, these are autonomous heating systems. But here are some peculiarities. Pure hydrogen production plants are much more expensive than Brown gas generators; the latter can even be assembled yourself. But when organizing home heating, it is necessary to take into account that the combustion temperature of Brown gas is much higher than that of methane, so you will need a special boiler, which is somewhat more expensive than a regular one.
On the Internet you can find many articles in which it is written that ordinary boilers can be used for detonating gas, but this is strictly forbidden. At best, they will quickly fail, and at worst, they can cause sad or even tragic consequences. Special designs with a more heat-resistant nozzle are available for Brown's mixture.
It should be noted that profitability heating systems based on hydrogen generators is highly questionable due to low efficiency. In such systems there are double losses, firstly, during the gas generation process, and secondly, when heating water in the boiler. It is cheaper to immediately heat water in an electric boiler for heating.
An equally controversial implementation for domestic use, in which gasoline is enriched with Brown's gas fuel system car engine in order to save money.
Designations:
- a – NHO generator (accepted designation for Brown’s gas);
- b – gas outlet to the drying chamber;
- c – compartment for removing water vapor;
- d – return of condensate to the generator;
- e – supply of dried gas to air filter fuel system;
- f – car engine;
- g – connection to the battery and electric generator.
It should be noted that in some cases such a system even works (if it is assembled correctly). But you won’t find exact parameters, power gain coefficient, or savings percentage. These data are highly blurred and their reliability is questionable. Again, the question is not clear how much the engine life will decrease.
But demand creates supply; on the Internet you can find detailed drawings of such devices and instructions for connecting them. There are also ready-made models made in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Making a simple hydrogen generator with your own hands step by step
We'll tell you how to do it homemade generator to obtain a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen (HHO). Its power is not enough to heat a house, but for gas burner for cutting metal, the amount of gas produced will be sufficient.
Rice. 8. Gas burner diagram Designations:
- a – burner nozzle;
- b – tubes;
- c – water seals;
- d – water;
- e – electrodes;
- f – sealed housing.
First of all, we make an electrolyzer; for this we need a sealed container and electrodes. As the latter, we use steel plates (their size is chosen arbitrarily, depending on the desired performance), attached to a dielectric base. We connect all the plates of each electrode to each other.
When the electrodes are ready, they must be secured in the container so that the connection points for the power wires are above the expected water level. The wires from the electrodes go to a 12-volt power supply or car battery.
We make a hole in the lid of the container for the gas outlet tube. Conventional water seals can be used glass jars capacity 1 liter. We fill them 2/3 with water and connect them to the electrolyzer and burner, as shown in Figure 8.
It is better to take a ready-made burner, since not every material can withstand the combustion temperature of Brown gas. We connect it to the output of the last water valve.
We fill the electrolyzer with water to which ordinary kitchen salt has been added.
Apply voltage to the electrodes and check the operation of the device.
The idea that the planet’s reservoirs are literally overflowing with the most impeccable fuel from an environmental point of view - hydrogen - has long been in the minds of scientists.
Over the years, many solutions have been proposed that make it possible to obtain this gas in its pure form.
As it turns out, each of us can extract fuel from water using a simple process called electrolysis. Next, we will learn how to make a hydrogen generator with your own hands for heating.
Pure hydrogen is released through a variety of chemical reactions, but this method of producing it is quite complex and often too expensive.
The exception is technological processes, in which gas is formed as a by-product, but such production is still in scanty volumes.
It is much easier to separate hydrogen from water by passing an electric current through it - this process is called electrolysis. First, the H2O molecule breaks down into a hydrogen atom H and a hydroxo group OH, then the final separation of oxygen and hydrogen occurs.
The first, having a negative charge, rushes to the anode, the second - to the cathode. The elements accumulate in the form of bubbles, which, having reached a certain size, break away from the electrode and float up. Next, oxygen and hydrogen, without any separation (this mixture is called “Brown’s gas”), enter the burner, where, during the combustion process, they are again converted into water. To ensure that the finished product is supplied without difficulty, hydrogen generators are often equipped with air drainage.
It is obvious that the productivity of the installation will increase with increasing contact area between water and electrodes. For this reason, the latter are made in the form of plates. They are assembled into structures reminiscent of steel finned heating radiators.
In order to increase productivity, cylindrical electrodes are used today, as well as those having a more complex shape.
The rate of hydrogen evolution also depends on the material of the electrodes.
Instead of copper or stainless steel, modern “advanced” generators use special alloys that are quite expensive.
Another condition is that the water must pass current. Note that in distilled form it is a dielectric. This liquid is a conductor of electricity due to the ions into which the substances dissolved in it, primarily salts, break down. The cooler the solution is, the better it will pass current.
As the size of the electrode increases, the power of heat generation when passing through it decreases. electric current. This is very important point, because when heated above 65 degrees, the plates become intensively covered with plaque, which will have to be constantly cleaned off.Benefits of use
The main advantage of hydrogen as a fuel is its absolute harmlessness: when this substance is burned, pure water vapor is formed.
No other type of fuel can boast of this quality.
Even natural gas, when burned, produces carbon dioxide, which, as is commonly believed today, leads to the greenhouse effect.
The second advantage is accessibility. Hydrogen is the most abundant substance in the Universe, and it can be extracted directly from water, the reserves of which on our planet can be considered inexhaustible. True, as we will see later, this accessibility is still only apparent.
An important advantage is that to switch to hydrogen fuel, a gas boiler, like an internal combustion engine, almost does not need to be altered.
Negative aspects of hydrogen heating of buildings
In discussions on the feasibility of using hydrogen fuel for heating systems, skeptics provide compelling arguments:
- High cost: even in the most efficient electrolysis plants created today, to produce hydrogen it is necessary to spend 2 times more energy than its subsequent combustion.
- Explosiveness: people became convinced of the ability of hydrogen to easily explode during the crash of the Hindenburg airship, the cylinder of which was filled with this particular gas.
- The complexity of the preparatory process: getting hydrogen from water is half the battle. To be used effectively in heat generators, it must be supplied at a stable pressure, which requires a compressor and an additional tank with a reducer. In addition, you will need to get rid of water vapor, which will require the use of a dehumidifier.
Making your own hydrogen generator
The installation for separating hydrogen from water is quite simple to make yourself. In terms of its characteristics, it will not be much inferior to the purchased one, but it will cost much less. Let's consider the stages of creation sequentially.
Project (drawing)
To make the generator, you will need a hermetically sealed container, which will be filled with water before starting hydrogen production.
The electrodes located inside will look like a set of plates (16 pieces will be needed), installed with a gap of 1 mm.
To ensure this, nylon spacers must be placed between the plates (any other dielectric is allowed).
A distance of 1 mm is optimal: if you increase it, you will have to increase the current strength; When the gap is reduced, the escape of gas bubbles will be difficult. The plates will be alternately connected to the anode and cathode of a 12-volt power supply. In this case, they must be put on an axis, also made of dielectric material.
Once the electrodes are attached to the holder, it will need to be attached to the housing cover from below.
To select the gas mixture, a tube from a conventional dropper is cut into the housing cover. In addition, it is necessary to drill two more holes through which the wires will be passed. After assembling the installation, all holes in the cover will need to be sealed using silicone sealant or glue.
An important component of the generator is the water seal. To make it you will need a small container (suitable regular bottle), where you will need to pour water before using the device. In the hermetically sealed lid, you need to drill two holes: into one we pass the tube from the generator (it must be lowered to the very bottom), and into the second - another tube through which the gas mixture will flow to the burner. The holes in the water seal cover must also be sealed. Water should be poured into the bottle to ¾ of its volume.
In order for the water poured into the generator housing to have better conductivity, you need to add a couple of tablespoons of table salt or caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to it.Selection of electrodes
The material from which the electrodes will be made must have low electrical resistance and be chemically inert with respect to oxygen and substances present in the solution.If the second requirement is not met, a chemical reaction will take place with the participation of the electrodes connected to the cathode pole, as a result of which the solution will become saturated with foreign substances.
This is why copper, one of the best conductors, cannot be used in an aqueous solution. It is recommended to use it instead stainless steel. Optimal thickness for electrode plates made of this material – 2 mm.
Container
Taking into account the risk of explosion, the generator housing should be made of durable and plastic material that is resistant to high temperatures. Steel best meets these requirements. It is only necessary to completely exclude contact of wires or electrodes with the housing, which will result in a short circuit.
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DIY hydrogen generator for a car (drawings)
Enriching the fuel-air mixture with hydrogen helps reduce fuel consumption. According to some car enthusiasts, fuel savings can be up to 30%.
The basis for an automobile hydrogen generator is the device that was described in the previous section. The difference is the absence of a water seal (the resulting hydrogen is immediately sent to the intake manifold) and the presence of a control unit. The latter will regulate the current between the electrodes depending on the engine speed.
Self-manufacturing of such a unit is only possible for those who are fluent in radio electronics, so we recommend using a purchased option. Moreover, the factory-made units take on all the work of regulating the performance of the hydrogen generator, without requiring user participation.
System elements for a car generator
All you need is to manually select the current value (optimal) for the modes “ idling" and "maximum load", and then the control unit itself will vary the performance of the installation within the specified limits.
It is necessary to seal all connections very carefully: hydrogen leakage can lead to a fire.
It is best to check the tightness of the structure with soap foam: leaks, if any, will manifest themselves as constantly appearing and growing bubbles.
The body of a car hydrogen generator can be made from a water filter, which is quite durable. Its volume is small and so that the installation does not have to be refilled too often, it can be additionally equipped with a tank for storing a supply of solution. It is connected to the working container by two tubes.
Video on the topic
Even the medieval scientist Paracelsus, during one of his experiments, noticed that when sulfuric acid comes into contact with ferrum, air bubbles are formed. In fact, it was hydrogen (but not air, as the scientist believed) - a light, colorless, odorless gas, which under certain conditions becomes explosive.
At the present time
DIY hydrogen heating - a very common thing. Indeed, hydrogen can be produced in almost unlimited quantities, the main thing is that there is water and electricity.
This heating method was developed by one of the Italian companies. A hydrogen boiler operates without generating any harmful waste, which is why it is considered the most environmentally friendly and silent way to heat a home. The innovation of the development is that scientists managed to achieve the combustion of hydrogen at a relatively low temperature (about 300ᵒC), and this made it possible to produce similar heating boilers from traditional materials.
When operating, the boiler emits only harmless steam, and the only thing that requires costs is electricity. And if you combine this with solar panels(solar system), then these costs can be completely reduced to zero.
Note! Hydrogen boilers are often used to heat underfloor heating systems, which can be easily installed with your own hands.
How does it all happen? Oxygen reacts with hydrogen and, as we remember from middle school chemistry lessons, forms water molecules. The reaction is provoked by catalysts, resulting in the release of thermal energy, heating the water to approximately 40ᵒC - the ideal temperature for a “warm floor”.
Adjusting the boiler power allows you to achieve a certain temperature required for heating a room of a given area. It is also worth noting that such boilers are considered modular, since they consist of several channels independent of each other. In each of the channels there is the catalyst mentioned above, as a result, the coolant enters the heat exchanger, which has already reached the required value of 40ᵒC.
Note! A feature of such equipment is that each of the channels is capable of producing different temperatures. Thus, one of them can be carried out to " warm floor", the second to the adjacent room, the third to the ceiling, etc.
The main advantages of hydrogen heating
This method of heating a house has several significant advantages, which are responsible for the growing popularity of the system.
- Impressive efficiency, often reaching 96%.
- Environmental friendliness. The only by-product released into the atmosphere is water vapor, which is not capable of harming the environment in principle.
- Hydrogen heating is gradually replacing traditional systems, freeing people from the need to extract natural resources - oil, gas, coal.
- Hydrogen acts without fire; thermal energy is generated through a catalytic reaction.
Is it possible to make hydrogen heating yourself?
In principle, this is possible. Main element systems - a boiler - can be created on the basis of an NNO generator, that is, a conventional electrolyzer. We all remember school experiments when we stuck bare wires connected to an outlet using a rectifier into a container of water. So, to build a boiler you will need to repeat this experiment, but on a larger scale.
Note! A hydrogen boiler is used with a “warm floor”, as we have already discussed. But the arrangement of such a system is a topic for another article, so we will rely on the fact that the “warm floor” is already installed and ready for use.
Construction of a hydrogen burner
Let's start creating a water burner. Traditionally, we will start with preparation necessary tools and materials.
What will be required at work
- Stainless steel sheet.
- Check valve.
- Two bolts 6x150, nuts and washers for them.
- Flow-through filter (from a washing machine).
- Transparent tube. A water level is ideal for this - in building materials stores it is sold for 350 rubles per 10 m.
- Plastic sealed food container with a capacity of 1.5 liters. Approximate cost: 150 rubles.
- Herringbone fittings ø8 mm (these are perfect for a hose).
- Grinder for sawing metal.
Now let’s figure out what kind of stainless steel to use. Ideally, for this you should take steel 03Х16Н1. But buying a whole sheet of “stainless steel” is sometimes very expensive, because a product 2 mm thick costs more than 5,500 rubles, and besides, it needs to be delivered somehow. Therefore, if you have a small piece of such steel lying around somewhere (0.5 x 0.5 m is enough), then you can get by with it.
We will use stainless steel, because ordinary steel, as you know, begins to rust in water. Moreover, in our design we intend to use alkali instead of water, that is, the environment is more than aggressive, and ordinary steel will not last long under the influence of electric current.
Video - Brown gas generator simple cell model of 16 stainless steel plates
Manufacturing instructions
First stage. To begin, take a sheet of steel and place it on flat surface. From a sheet of the dimensions indicated above (0.5x0.5 m) you should get 16 rectangles for the future hydrogen burner, cut them out with a grinder.
Note! We saw off one of the four corners of each plate. This is necessary in order to connect the plates in the future.
Second phase. WITH reverse side plates, drill holes for the bolt. If we planned to make a “dry” electrolyzer, we would drill holes from the bottom, but in this case this is not necessary. The fact is that the “dry” design is much more complicated, and the useful area of the plates in it would not be used 100%. We will make a “wet” electrolyzer - the plates will be completely immersed in the electrolyte, and their entire area will participate in the reaction.
Third stage. The operating principle of the described burner is based on the following: an electric current passing through plates immersed in the electrolyte will cause water (it should be part of the electrolyte) to decompose into oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H). Therefore, we must have two plates at the same time - the cathode and the anode.
As the area of these plates increases, the volume of gas increases, so in this case we use eight pieces per cathode and anode, respectively.
Note! The burner we are looking at is a parallel design, which, to be honest, is not the most efficient. But it is easier to implement.
Fourth stage. Next, we have to install the plates in a plastic container so that they alternate: plus, minus, plus, minus, etc. To insulate the plates, we use pieces of transparent tube (we bought a whole 10 m of it, so there is a supply).
We cut small rings from the tube, cut them and get strips approximately 1 mm thick. This is the ideal distance for hydrogen to be generated efficiently in the structure.
Fifth stage. We attach the plates to each other using washers. We do this as follows: we put a washer on the bolt, then a plate, after it three washers, another plate, again three washers, etc. We hang eight pieces on the cathode, eight on the anode.
Note! This needs to be done in a mirror manner, that is, we rotate the anode 180ᵒ. So the “plus” will go into the gaps between the “minus” plates.
Sixth stage. We look where exactly the bolts rest in the container, and drill holes in that place. If suddenly the bolts do not fit into the container, then we cut them down to the required length. Then we insert the bolts into the holes, put washers on them and tighten them with nuts - for better tightness.
Next, we make a hole in the cover for the fitting, screw in the fitting itself (preferably by coating the junction silicone sealant). Blow into the fitting to check the tightness of the lid. If air still comes out from under it, then we coat this connection with sealant.
Seventh stage. Upon completion of assembly, we test the finished generator. To do this, connect any source to it, fill the container with water and close the lid. Next, we put a hose on the fitting and lower it into a container of water (to see air bubbles). If the source is not powerful enough, then they will not be in the tank, but they will definitely appear in the electrolyzer.
Next, we need to increase the intensity of gas output by increasing the voltage in the electrolyte. It is worth noting here that water in its pure form is not a conductor - current passes through it due to the impurities and salt present in it. We will dilute a little alkali in water (for example, sodium hydroxide is excellent - it is sold in stores in the form of the “Mole” cleaning agent).
Note! At this stage, we must adequately assess the capabilities of the power source, so before injecting the alkali, we connect an ammeter to the electrolyzer - this way we can monitor the increase in current.
Video - Heating with hydrogen. Hydrogen cell batteries
Next, let's talk about other components of the hydrogen burner - the filter for the washing machine and the valve. Both are for protection. The valve will not allow ignited hydrogen to penetrate back into the structure and explode the gas accumulated under the lid of the electrolyzer (even if there is only a little of it there). If we do not install the valve, the container will be damaged and the alkali will leak out.
A filter will be required to make a water seal, which will act as a barrier preventing an explosion. Craftsmen who are familiar firsthand with the design of a homemade hydrogen burner call this valve a “bulbulator.” Indeed, it essentially only creates air bubbles in the water. For the burner itself we use the same transparent hose. That's it, the hydrogen burner is ready!
All that remains is to connect it to the input of the “warm floor” system, seal the connection and begin direct operation.
As a conclusion. Alternative
An alternative, albeit highly controversial, is Brown's gas, a chemical compound that consists of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. The combustion of such a gas is accompanied by the formation of thermal energy (moreover, four times more powerful than in the design described above).
Electrolyzers are also used to heat a house with Brown gas, because this method of producing heat is also based on electrolysis. Special boilers are created in which, under the influence of alternating current molecules of chemical elements are separated, forming Brown's coveted gas.
Video – Enriched Brown gas
It is quite possible that innovative energy resources, the reserve of which is almost unlimited, will soon displace non-renewable natural resources, freeing us from the need for permanent mining. This course of events will have a positive impact not only on the environment, but also on the ecology of the planet as a whole.
Also read our article - do-it-yourself steam heating.
Video - Hydrogen heating
Using hydrogen as an energy carrier for heating a home is a very tempting idea, because its calorific value (33.2 kW/m3) is more than 3 times higher than that of natural gas (9.3 kW/m3). Theoretically, a hydrogen generator could be used for heating to extract flammable gas from water and then burn it in a boiler. What can come of this and how to make such a device with your own hands will be discussed in this article.
Generator operating principle
As an energy carrier, hydrogen truly has no equal, and its reserves are practically inexhaustible. As we have already said, when burned it releases a huge amount of thermal energy, incomparably greater than any hydrocarbon fuel. Instead of harmful compounds emitted into the atmosphere when using natural gas, the combustion of hydrogen produces ordinary water in the form of steam. One problem: this chemical element does not occur in nature in a free form, only in combination with other substances.
One of these compounds is ordinary water, which is completely oxidized hydrogen. Many scientists have been working on its splitting into its constituent elements for many years. It cannot be said that it was unsuccessful, because a technical solution for dividing water was nevertheless found. Its essence is chemical reaction electrolysis, which results in the splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen, the resulting mixture was called detonating gas or Brown's gas. Below is a diagram of a hydrogen generator (electrolyzer) powered by electricity:
Electrolyzers are mass-produced and designed for gas-flame (welding) work. A current of a certain strength and frequency is applied to groups of metal plates immersed in water. As a result of the ongoing electrolysis reaction, oxygen and hydrogen are released mixed with water vapor. To separate it, the gases are passed through a separator and then fed to the burner. In order to avoid backlash and explosion, a valve is installed at the supply, allowing fuel to flow in only one direction.
To control the water level and timely replenishment, the design provides a special sensor, based on a signal from which it is injected into the working space electrolyzer Exceeding pressure inside the vessel is monitored by an emergency switch and relief valve. Maintenance of a hydrogen generator consists of periodically adding water, and that's it.
Hydrogen heating: myth or reality?
Generator for welding work- this is on this moment the only thing practical use electrolytic splitting of water. It is not advisable to use it for heating a house and here's why. Energy costs during gas-flame work are not so important; the main thing is that the welder does not need to carry heavy cylinders and fiddle with hoses. Another thing is home heating, where every penny counts. And here hydrogen loses to all currently existing types of fuel.
Important. The energy costs for separating fuel from water by electrolysis will be much higher than explosive gas can be released during combustion.
Serial welding generators cost a lot of money because they use catalysts for the electrolysis process, which include platinum. You can make a hydrogen generator with your own hands, but its efficiency will be even lower than that of a factory one. You will definitely be able to get flammable gas, but it is unlikely to be enough to heat at least one large room, not like the whole house. And if there is enough, you will have to pay exorbitant electricity bills.
Rather than wasting time and effort on obtaining free fuel, which does not exist a priori, it is easier to make a simple electrode boiler with your own hands. You can be sure that this way you will spend much less energy with greater benefit. However, DIY enthusiasts can always try their hand at assembling an electrolyzer at home in order to conduct experiments and see for themselves. One such experiment is shown in the video:
How to make a generator
A lot of Internet resources publish the most different schemes and drawings of a generator for producing hydrogen, but they all operate on the same principle. We will provide you with a drawing simple device, taken from popular science literature:
Here the electrolyzer is a group of metal plates bolted together. Insulating gaskets are installed between them; the outermost thick plates are also made of dielectric. From a fitting built into one of the plates there is a tube for supplying gas to a vessel with water, and from it to the second. The purpose of the tanks is to separate the steam component and accumulate a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen to supply it under pressure.
Advice. Electrolytic plates for the generator must be made of stainless steel alloyed with titanium. It will serve as an additional catalyst for the splitting reaction.
The plates that serve as electrodes can be of any size. But you need to understand that the performance of the device depends on their surface area. How larger number electrodes can be used in the process, the better. But at the same time, the current consumption will be higher, this should be taken into account. Wires leading to a source of electricity are soldered to the ends of the plates. There is also room for experimentation here: you can supply different voltages to the electrolyzer using an adjustable power supply.
As an electrolyzer, you can use a plastic container from a water filter, placing electrodes made of stainless steel tubes in it. The product is convenient because it is easy to seal from environment, leading the tube and wires through the holes in the cover. Another thing is that this homemade hydrogen generator has low productivity due to the small area of the electrodes.
Conclusion
At the moment there is no reliable and effective technology that allows implementing hydrogen heating private house. Those commercially available generators can be successfully used for metal processing, but not for the production of fuel for the boiler. Attempts to organize such heating will lead to excessive energy consumption, not counting the costs of equipment.
A device that allows you to produce hydrogen from water is a hydrogen generator. They are often used in cars. Application similar device in a car justified. The produced hydrogen enters the intake manifold of the engine. This allows you to save fuel and sometimes increase its power. In the USA, such generators are produced in factories. They are not cheap - from 300 to 800 dollars. In our country, it is preferable to make a generator yourself.
Operating principle of a hydrogen generator
A water molecule is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen. Atoms have the ability to create ions. If you have watched experiments using a Tesla coil, you will know that atoms are ionized when exposed to electric field. In this case, hydrogen will form positive and oxygen negative ions. In hydrogen generators electric field used to separate water molecules from each other.
So, by placing two electrodes in water, we need to create an electric field among them. For this they must be connected to the battery terminals or any other power source. The anode is the positive and the cathode the negative electrodes. The ions that were formed in the water will be drawn to the electrode, whose polarity is opposite. When the ions come into contact with the electrodes, their charge is neutralized due to the addition or removal of electrons. When the gas that appears between the electrodes comes to the surface, it must be sent to the engine.
Hydrogen cells for cars include a vessel with water, which is located under the hood. Regular tap water poured into a vessel and add a teaspoon of catalyst and soda. The plates connected to the battery are immersed inside. When the car ignition is turned on, the structure (hydrogen generator) produces gas.
Which electrodes are best to use?
The world's first electrodes were made of copper, but it turned out that they were far from ideal. In addition, copper reacts strongly when in contact with water. A large number of pollutants are released, so using copper is not the best option. We recommend that you use electrodes that are made of stainless steel. To reduce the chance of corrosion you need to choose high quality stainless steel. The thickness of the sheets should be about 2 mm to reduce resistance.
Description of the hydrogen generator assembly process
Having understood the intricacies of the operation of a hydrogen generator, let’s move on to its creation. In order to assemble a hydrogen generator with our own hands, we will need:
- polyethylene canister;
- wires for connection;
- silicone rubber;
- special sealant;
- hoses with clamps.
Having selected everything you need, we will begin making a generator with our own hands.
Making a hydrogen generator with your own hands turned out to be quite simple. In addition, thanks to “do-it-yourself work,” we managed to save a lot. A generator made this way will not cost more than $100. IN modern conditions You can find a lot of devices that use hydrogen. Since the reserves of hydrogen in water are almost limitless, this allows us to see the prospect of mass application similar or upgraded installations in the future.
