Why do we use more than 5-6 cells

[Roland Jacques]

Is their a reason we use 16 or 19 or ... plates when making an electrolyzer?

Is there some advantage to these multi cell electrolyzer ( example B) over just fewer large plates (example A)?

Example
Electrolyser A has
6 cells, 7 plates 12" x 12" +nnnnn-
144sq" x 6 cells = total of 864 Sq " of cell interaction

Electrolyser B has
18 cells, 19 plates 6.928" x 6.928" +nnnnn-nnnnn+nnnnn-
48 sq" x 18 cells = total of 864 Sq " of cell interaction

[H2OPWR]

Is their a reason we use 16 or 19 or ... plates when making an electrolyzer?

Is there some advantage to these multi cell electrolyzer ( example B) over just fewer large plates (example A)?

Example
Electrolyser A has
6 cells, 7 plates 12" x 12" +nnnnn-
144sq" x 6 cells = total of 864 Sq " of cell interaction

Electrolyser B has
18 cells, 19 plates 6.928" x 6.928" +nnnnn-nnnnn+nnnnn-
48 sq" x 18 cells = total of 864 Sq " of cell interaction

There is a huge advantage to a multiple plate set up with smaller plates over fewer plates with the plate size being larger. The advantage of the smaller plate size is that there will be less electrical loss in your cell. Stainless is not a very good conductor. It has alot more resistance than the better metals like copper. In order for your cell to work effeciently you need as close to uniform voltage as possible throught the entire plate surface. The farther your electricity has to travel to get from your electrical connection to the place the furthest from the connection the more voltage you will lose to resistance. This will result in a cell without uniform production and more prone to overheat.

Once your entire connected plate is powered then the current only has to travel through the thickness of the remaining neutral plates. We use larger stacks to get the plate surface up far enough to make the amount of gas that we need.

If your powered plates had copper sandwiched inbetween two layers of stainless then the electricity would travel through the path of least resistance which would be the copper before traveling through the stainless. Then you could make larger sized plates work effeciently.

Larry

[Q-Hack!]

I think the bigger reason is more of space requirements. It is much easier to fit a smaller plate size into a tight engine compartment. Otherwise, Larry is spot on.