Don't use ABS for your generators!

[Jason]

Hi, I installed a dual generator setup using 4 SS cups +-+- and wired the two generators in series. They conainer was 3" ABS pipe. I drove 100 miles (increased my MPG from 26 to 35) but then noticed my HHO lines had water in them, so I decided to open up my cells and decrease the mixture...

Thats when I found that my water was EXTREMELY brown, not clear at all. I thought, that it was strange, and it couldn't have been the SS, because I had used it with baking soda previously. Now I'm using sodium hydroxide at about 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water.

But what I think happened is it boiled and the ABS didn't like that, and released some brown junk into the water. My cells are covered and brown stuff, and I've soaked them in white viniger, that didn't help much. I think I'm going to have to sand them to clean them...

What a terrible disaster! :eek: I'll upload pictures so you can see...

Now I need to think about another type of container to use that is more heat tolerent. It needs to be 10" x 3" wide or less...

Any suggestions?

[godoveryou]

Is anything in the generator new metal or have you used it before???

[hubut864@bellsouth.net]

Thats normal for the water to turn brown.Thats why they call it brown gas.

[Jason]

It was used for about an hour or two and soaked in distilled white vinigar, prior to the instalation. If I look at the ABS pipe itself, I can see that it is anow a lighter grey with a brownish tint in some area's. It's not nearly as smooth and shiny as it use to be, so I think it got fried. :p

Oh and I used distilled water and Sodium Hydroxide in the gen...

Anyone know what kind of material I can build my next gen out of? I'd rather not have to deal with taking the whole cell apart and cleaning / sanding down each and every component. If only I had a sand blaster... :cool:

[godoveryou]

Thats normal for the water to turn brown.Thats why they call it brown gas.

No, they call it Brown's Gas because it was found by Dr. Yull Brown.... :o

[scrode]

I've been using abs for awhile. No discoloration in the abs and I've boiled it a few times.

[Jason]

Mine was boiling for probably around 30 minutes continuously... Are there different types of ABS??? Mine Totally discolored and the water was so brown it looked like coffee or something... It took me about an hour today to clean all of the brown crap off my plates..

[Smith03Jetta]

If you are boiling the water you are doing it ALL wrong. Go back to the drawing board... REALLY!

[justaguy]

Believe it or not, use unsweetened lemon koolaid as your electrolyte for a few days and change it a couple times and it will be sparkling clean. The citric acid is a good electrolyte and cleaner too. I know one guy that swears by it. He has recommended koolaid to several with the browning problem and they said it actually worked.

[Jason]

Umm... I probably added too much electolyte... I know it is not suppose to boil, and I have tried out so many different designs. I need some way to test it without risking my plates turning completely brown again... My cell seemed really efficient before I put it in the car, I was very surprised to see it boil. It was making 1/2 liter per minute at 8 amps 12v. So when it hit its peek at about 18amps @ 14v it was probably making 1.2-1.5 lpm.

I NEED another container that will not have problems like this again! I understand all of the nalgene bottles are good for upwards of 100C, so boiling is not a problem IF it did happen again. DOES anyone know where I could get a cheap nalgene style water bottle (same material) cheaper price. I'm not paying $10 for a 1 liter bottle... $5 would be fair...

[hubut864@bellsouth.net]

If you were to run with a flooded cell it wowld solve the temp problem. You make a larger bubbler and run the output of the cell into the bottom of the bubbler,take gas off of the top, and run a line from the bottom of the cell to the bottom of the bubbler.

This solves the temp because of the circulation. The bubbler has to be eaven or higher than the cell.:)

[computerclinic]

To help get rid of the brown, I use vinegar...but it sounds like its really far gone...try using denatured alcohol. I dont think that the ABS has anything to do with the brown, perhaps somewhere in your hardware there is some SS that is of lower grade, or maybe even zinc coated....

A bubbler will help with the water in the lines for sure, and as for temps- are you using neutral plates or brute force...IMHO, try using a bit larger of a container for your generator, the more fluid you have in there, the cooler it will run...