New, Sort of. Looking for Suggestions

[bigapple]

i have been ferociously testing different designs and trying to see how exactly i can make a bunch of hydroxy while keeping the temperature low... u can see the time i wasted in this post on an explorer forum that i have been a member of for quite some time http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218852

i currently have my plates arranged as +n--n+... 2 sets of 6 plates which would be 12 total... it pumps out a somewhat sluggish .5lpm and that actually gave me a shocking 1 mpg gain but i know for a fact i can push this box past its potential... i used as much electrolyte as i could without the box getting hot enough to melt the posts because thats what happened with my last box... im only using small gauge wire since this is experimental but that leads me to a few questions

where can u get heavier gauge wire with connectors large enough to crimp over them tightly? if so will this increase my power and output at all and decrease the temperature?

is there any other way i should design my plates or add other plates to increase my output and put out more hydroxy?

im running this all thru a 40amp relay that i got at autozone where i work and the terminals r so small, i doubt there is a crimp big enough to get over 6-1 gauge wire and slide over the tiny terminals... is there any other way i could get those connected to this relay or is there anywhere i can buy a heavier, more heavy-duty relay that can handle this and connect easily?

im having an issue with my bubbler as well... the tube doesnt go all the way to the bottom, but even if it did i would have the same issue... the box gets hot and since pressure builds up in it, when it is shut off and begins to cool down it creates a vacuum, since it cools off and pressure decreases... it basically sucks up all the left over water in the bubbler and that prevents it from actually bubbling the next time i use it... is there any safety catch to keep water from going back into the box from the bubbler after the car is shut off and temperature decreases?

should i use a different electrolyte to prevent the temperature from increasing? im one of the chums using sodium bicarb as of now because i want to prevent myself from burning a hole through my hand with lye... im considering lye or possibly sodium carbonate which supposedly prevents rust build up... sounds like a win-win situation but i still want to keep the temperature down... ive seen discussions on whats best but not clear answer... so far the choices are lye, sodium carbonate, or acetic acid (vinegar)... whats best and will this help me out?

sorry for the overload of questions but these issues have rediculously baffled me... main issues, low-output and overheating... heres my design as of now... plates prevent contact with the wrong polarity screws by means of 1/2'' rubber grommets i found at radioshack

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/8/web/2456000-2456999/2456765_132_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/8/web/2456000-2456999/2456765_133_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/8/web/2456000-2456999/2456765_138_full.jpg

[Smith03Jetta]

I've got some simple suggestions for you. Get rid of the rubber grommets. They will melt under very little heat. Find a better non-conductive method of building your plate array. Put your pos on one side of the array and the neg on the other. Neutral plates in the middle. Add more neutral plates. Get rid of the Electrical box. It was not meant for this job. It's job is to keep dry electricity in and rain out. Not meant for this job. Get your pos and neg plates further apart. You can get more production with one good plate setup instead of two bad plates setups. Put spacers at the corners of your plates instead of in the middle. That will make your plates more evenly spaced and help prevent overheating or arcing..

Switch to Sodium Hydroxide, it will burn you but just wear rubbergloves and goggles. Take your time when filling the container. have some vinegar handy in case you get some on you. It's not really that bad. You handle worse stuff every time you put gas in your car.

[bigapple]

I've got some simple suggestions for you. Get rid of the rubber grommets. They will melt under very little heat. Find a better non-conductive method of building your plate array. Put your pos on one side of the array and the neg on the other. Neutral plates in the middle. Add more neutral plates. Get rid of the Electrical box. It was not meant for this job. It's job is to keep dry electricity in and rain out. Not meant for this job. Get your pos and neg plates further apart. You can get more production with one good plate setup instead of two bad plates setups. Put spacers at the corners of your plates instead of in the middle. That will make your plates more evenly spaced and help prevent overheating or arcing..

Switch to Sodium Hydroxide, it will burn you but just wear rubbergloves and goggles. Take your time when filling the container. have some vinegar handy in case you get some on you. It's not really that bad. You handle worse stuff every time you put gas in your car.

well of course the box wasnt made for this job... it has been the only successful one ive been able to make that completely seals at the top because it uses a rubber gasket... ive seen everyone else use one so thats where i got the idea so i wouldnt have to compress my design to fit in a pvc tube

also, i cant really think of any other method to prevent cell contact with the screws... people have been able to find nylon screws but ive looked high and low and havent had any luck whatsoever

i appreciate the advice though... im just wondering if i can make improvements and not have to completely start over because ive already spent a good bit on this project... btw these were the blank stainless wall covers... i just compressed them in a vise to make them flat... do u think buying new ones and leaving them how they are would make my spacing more even?

[Stratous]

Do you not have a home depot or lowes where you live? I know it is presumptous of me to assume that you live in the america's. Lowes and HD have nylon bolts and nuts. If you dont have one of those in your area, then try this web site.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2KB48
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/5XU56
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2GY12

Hope this helps

[bigapple]

Do you not have a home depot or lowes where you live? I know it is presumptous of me to assume that you live in the america's. Lowes and HD have nylon bolts and nuts. If you dont have one of those in your area, then try this web site.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2KB48
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/5XU56
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2GY12

Hope this helps

how exactly did u arrange all ur plates? i see u used almost the exact same electrical box as me and ur putting out 4 times the amount of hydroxy

[Stratous]

1. I am pulling 30 amps.
2. plate set up is. +--+ x 4
3. spacing is 1/16"

cells are set up on each side of the box, opposing cells are wired in parallel, each set of parallels are wired in series.

[bigapple]

1. I am pulling 30 amps.
2. plate set up is. +--+ x 4
3. spacing is 1/16"

cells are set up on each side of the box, opposing cells are wired in parallel, each set of parallels are wired in series.

so ur using lye as electrolyte and how r u preventing plate contact? nylon screws? grommets? im gunna try and make mine similar to urs but not in 4 pairs.. just 2 with double the plates... and what gauge wire should i use?

[Stratous]

so ur using lye as electrolyte and how r u preventing plate contact? nylon screws? grommets? im gunna try and make mine similar to urs but not in 4 pairs.. just 2 with double the plates... and what gauge wire should i use?


I am using the nylon washers I linked to above to keep the plates from making contact. I also drilled a 3/4" hole in the plates to allow the SS allthread to pass through. Of course the large holes alternate sides on the pos and neg plates. I would use at least 8 gauge wire. 8 gauge can handle about 35 amps continuous and 70 for short periods. I used 4 gauge wire to feed the box, then break it down to the seperate cells with 8 gauge.

[bigapple]

I am using the nylon washers I linked to above to keep the plates from making contact. I also drilled a 3/4" hole in the plates to allow the SS allthread to pass through. Of course the large holes alternate sides on the pos and neg plates. I would use at least 8 gauge wire. 8 gauge can handle about 35 amps continuous and 70 for short periods. I used 4 gauge wire to feed the box, then break it down to the seperate cells with 8 gauge.

i appreciate all ur advice alot man

where did u get the 4 and 8 gauge wire and the crimps to screw them down?

and how did u run it thru to a switch? rite now i have it all run thru a 40 amp relay and protected by a 30 amp fuse