View Full Version : Idea for maintaining electrolyte level for dry cell designs
Since I've replaced my 3/16" spacer gaskets with 1/16" my cell yaks out even more e-lyte to my recovery bubbler than before.With the much increased HHO output(a 46 % increase) I'm starting to think that after initial start up the e-lyte level is lower than I'd like because it can't refill itself fast enough to keep up with the amount being expelled during operation because of the back-pressure the cell generates.The other thing that's come into play using thinner gaskets is that for the first time in over a year since I first built the cell it's operating temperature is somewhat higher.
So I've come up with an idea of using pieces of pvc pipe cutoff about 1-1 1/2"(in my case I'm thinking of using 8" pvc because my plates are 9"x9") and use a gasket similar to the spacer gaskets for the plates,and install them at the beginning of the end plates.The idea is to have mini reservoirs at each end of the cell with e-lyte inlet fittings on both end plates,I believe that this would aid in keeping the e-lyte level higher than using only a standard gravity feed set up.I'm thinking this would also aid in helping keep the cell running cool.The first space in a dry design is just dead space and has no currents so incorporating the mini reservoirs shouldn't pose any problems regarding stray currents.This will still require a reservoir tank system to feed the e-lyte seeing as the mini reservoirs won't hold very much.
I'd like to get some comments,ideas and suggestions regarding this idea if it may work or not.
Painless
02-02-2009, 04:55 PM
Hg2,
You should also approach this from another angle. Both Stu and myself have observed an increase in efficiency when electrolyte flow is stopped or slowed as much as is feasible.
Place your reservoir level with your cell and keep the hose runs straight between the two points. Then, you will also be adding electrolyte only when it is consumed.
Worth a try! Worked well on my monster cell before it died.
Russ.
Boltazar
02-02-2009, 11:04 PM
Painless, care to tell us why your monster cell died?
Painless, care to tell us why your monster cell died?
He explains all that on his "Painless experiment with hho" thread,page 87 and starts at post 863.
Hg2,
You should also approach this from another angle. Both Stu and myself have observed an increase in efficiency when electrolyte flow is stopped or slowed as much as is feasible.
Place your reservoir level with your cell and keep the hose runs straight between the two points. Then, you will also be adding electrolyte only when it is consumed.
Worth a try! Worked well on my monster cell before it died.
Russ.
Russ how much of an increase did you and Stu see with the slowed or stopped e-lyte flow.In other words how much efficiency would I be losing if I increase the e-lyte flow to my cell to keep it near full.I've already had to raise my tank slightly higher because it wasn't feeding enough to the cell before I refitted with the thinner gaskets.Now with a 46 % increase in production it not only uses more water it spits a lot more out,5+LPM coming out of a 3/8" fitting has a good amount of pressure behind it.
Do you think adding more outlet fittings will help minimize some of the e-lyte being expelled?
Painless
02-04-2009, 09:32 AM
Russ how much of an increase did you and Stu see with the slowed or stopped e-lyte flow.In other words how much efficiency would I be losing if I increase the e-lyte flow to my cell to keep it near full.I've already had to raise my tank slightly higher because it wasn't feeding enough to the cell before I refitted with the thinner gaskets.Now with a 46 % increase in production it not only uses more water it spits a lot more out,5+LPM coming out of a 3/8" fitting has a good amount of pressure behind it.
Do you think adding more outlet fittings will help minimize some of the e-lyte being expelled?
hg2,
I saw approximately .5 MMW increase.
More outlet fittings shouldn't make a difference, it's all about gravity and electrolytew height in the reservoir.
Russ.
Q-Hack!
02-04-2009, 02:30 PM
It would make for an interesting test...
I do remember seeing somebody's video that talked about lowering the reservoir to reduce the foam. However, Russ may have a point. If you raise the reservoir, you will create a higher pressure in the electrolyte feed tube. You may want to run your test again with the reservoir substantially higher and see if the back pressure problem goes away. Then you could lower it until you start to see where it overtakes the system. It may end up that the foam problem becomes unbearable, but with your multiple overflow set-up, I'll bet that it isn't as big a problem.
I don't have any foam in the e-lyte at all,what's being expelled is clear e-lyte only.It also travels almost 25" to the top of the primary recovery bubbler(my inlet fitting has a tube running to the bottom of the bubbler).5+LPM going through a 3/8" hose is a fair amount of pressure.That's why I also had to put a one-way valve(which has less than 1 psi cracking pressure) in the e-lyte feed because the pressure was overflowing the reservoir tank,that way the cell draws e-lyte between pulses.My inlet feed for the cell is located even with the bottom of the plates.
Where I've run into problems with this is after the gasket refit I went from 3.5 LPM to over 5 LPM.Before the refit the gravity feed system I used worked great.
Dave Nowlin
02-22-2009, 03:14 PM
My Seigrene Diamond cell has a gas outlet hole at the top and an Electrolyte inlet hole on the bottom of each end plate. It comes with the holes on one side plugged but you can remove the plugs. Actually I used Tee fittings to tie these holes together, that is both gas outlets are tied together and both electrolyte inlets are tied together. These holes are 1/2 inch instead of 3/8 inch. The 1/2 inch fittings on the reservior are a little different too. They recommend that the gas return fitting be on the top of the tank and the electrolyte return fitting be on the bottom. The slight pressure that builds in the tank actually helps push electrolyte back to the cell. The outlet fitting for the gas is a 3/8 inch fitting on the top of the tank on the opposite side of the refill cap. I think that the rapid flow I am experiencing with this design helps with gas production and helps keep cell temps low.
Dave Nowlin