New to the forum....check out my Trucker cell!

[b1jetmech]

Hello everyone!

New to the forum, really enjoy reading in on others experiences and appreciate them for being open with their ideals.

I have been into the HHO hobby for a year and half. I'm a fan of "Joe cells" because I had good results with one but haven't replicated it.

I'm building a "Trucker cell" using 10"x10" 316 plates....075 in. thick, each plate weighs 2.2 pounds. It's a two cell with 4 neutrals each. There is 9.75" of exposed plate area because the plates are supported in a machined plastic housing. Plate spacing is .210 in. maybe far for some but for larger plates, I think it's appropriate. There is a total of 2000 sq in. of applied plate area.

If you look at the pictures below, the plastic housing is has an integrated water tank. Originally this cell was going to be a true "zero current leakage cell" where the water between two plates recirculates in it's own bubbler, never mixing with water from other plates. I canned it and made it a dry cell.

The cost? (Hey honey!? We need to get a second mortgage!...)LOL! I think I flushed down over $1500 dollars for this bad boy.


http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc39/b1jetmech/Hydrogen%20generator/monolithcell014.jpg
Here is a plastic housing with one of the "negative" plates with the gasket going down next.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc39/b1jetmech/Hydrogen%20generator/monolithcell016.jpg
Another housing piece next inline.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc39/b1jetmech/Hydrogen%20generator/monolithcell018.jpg
It's monkey see, monkey do from here on out.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc39/b1jetmech/Hydrogen%20generator/monolithcell021.jpg
Here it is on the test bench. Notice the gas exiting up from the plates, through the channel area?


So how did it perform? At 82 amps direct current with no PWM, it pushed 5.9-6 liters a minute. So far a 6.0 MMW was achieved. The highest temp it reached was 105 degrees after an hour of operation. (Outside temp 75 degrees.)

[Roland Jacques]

Preety Cool design.

Each cell completely isolated, Very Nice.

[redrat100]

Wecome B1jetmech! Nice craftsmanship. A comment on material though: It looks like the grey gasket material is pvc sheeting. If it is not, ignore this. Myself and others have discovered that pvc is not a good choice for gasket material. I used it in one of my dry cells and found that, since pvc is a plastic and not an elastic rubber compound, it distorts under heat and pressure and will not go back to it's original shape. This will cause many leaks, especially in a cell your size. Neoprene is a good gasket material, Nitrile is even better.

[b1jetmech]

Preety Cool design.

Each cell completely isolated, Very Nice.

Thanks Roland. My intent was going for zero current leakage but relented at the last moment. At least for the plates there are no holes, in the first run I was hoping for the ten AMPS/liter of hydrogen but it's off from that ratio...Oh well. It still needs breaking in.

[b1jetmech]

Wecome B1jetmech! Nice craftsmanship. A comment on material though: It looks like the grey gasket material is pvc sheeting. If it is not, ignore this. Myself and others have discovered that pvc is not a good choice for gasket material. I used it in one of my dry cells and found that, since pvc is a plastic and not an elastic rubber compound, it distorts under heat and pressure and will not go back to it's original shape. This will cause many leaks, especially in a cell your size. Neoprene is a good gasket material, Nitrile is even better.


Thanks RedRat.

The gasket material used is the Ole' shower pan (i.e. PVC material)gasket from Lowes/Home Depot. You are correct in it's deficiencies of PVC gasket material. I used it because of low cost and it's temporary. To my surprise it doesn't leak.

I'll be working my way up to the Neoprene and Nitrile as you mentioned.

[b1jetmech]

Here is a closer look to the finish product.
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc39/b1jetmech/Hydrogen%20generator/monolithcell023.jpg

[Helz_McFugly]

great work b1jetmech. Soa re the gaps between the plates about 1/8? maybe a 3?16? cant really tell? its a nice disign.

[b1jetmech]

great work b1jetmech. Soa re the gaps between the plates about 1/8? maybe a 3?16? cant really tell? its a nice disign.

Sup' Helz,

The gaps are .200-.210 in. Less then a quarter, more then an 1/8th in. I'm thinking the gap might be a little too much but because the plates are 10"x10" the gap should be efficient. Anything tighter could be harder for gas bubbles to escape between plates.

Chase

[hydrotinkerer]

B1,
What kind of plastic did you use for the spacers? What size orafice is the gas output holes? With you just now breaking it in I was wondering if the gas is going to exit fast enough to keep it from pushing the electrolite down exposing the plate surface.

Very nice build. You need to post that so Bob over on the hut can wet himself. lol

[b1jetmech]

B1,
What kind of plastic did you use for the spacers? What size orafice is the gas output holes? With you just now breaking it in I was wondering if the gas is going to exit fast enough to keep it from pushing the electrolite down exposing the plate surface.

Very nice build. You need to post that so Bob over on the hut can wet himself. lol

Hey Hydro! Long time no hear from...LOL!

The plastic is HDPE .25 in. I'm might go to UHMW...we'll see. The holes are 3/8 dia. I want to enlarge the holes to 1in. for better exhaling.

Take care!

[b1jetmech]

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[H2OPWR]

That is a quite impressive piece of work. One suggestion is to actually narrate your vodeo's. I know some folks do not like to do that but it really helps your audience. Remember that most folks that watch have no idea what is going on inside that bad boy. They like clear nattation explaining everything in laymans terms with great communication.

Larry

[H2OPWR]

What is the material that your end plates are made from? I hope it is Acrylic and not Lexan. Lexan will have catastrofic failures all at once due to the KOH. They can not handle it. Acrylic works great as long as you keep the heat under control and do not torque it too tight.

Larry

[b1jetmech]

That is a quite impressive piece of work. One suggestion is to actually narrate your vodeo's. I know some folks do not like to do that but it really helps your audience. Remember that most folks that watch have no idea what is going on inside that bad boy. They like clear nattation explaining everything in laymans terms with great communication.

Larry

Thanks Larry.

As far as narrating during the video, I need to practice on that. Unlike you I don't have a masculine, baritone voice like you do...LOL! I'm waiting to some other items then I'll do some narration. With all the uh,uh,uh,uh,uhhhh's I do...i would have to do some "re-takes".

Chase

[b1jetmech]

What is the material that your end plates are made from? I hope it is Acrylic and not Lexan. Lexan will have catastrofic failures all at once due to the KOH. They can not handle it. Acrylic works great as long as you keep the heat under control and do not torque it too tight.

Larry

The endplate that is clear is acrylic the other is HDPE(backside). I have a black HDPE replacement to go in place of the acrylic when the unit goes on the truck. The acrylic is far too brittle and has cracks in it already.

I'm doing a different design that is larger then this with the same size plates. Those pieces and endplates will be UHMW. The HDPE is good but a little softer then UHMW, plus UHMW takes heat better.

Chase

[H2OPWR]

Thanks Larry.

As far as narrating during the video, I need to practice on that. Unlike you I don't have a masculine, baritone voice like you do...LOL! I'm waiting to some other items then I'll do some narration. With all the uh,uh,uh,uh,uhhhh's I do...i would have to do some "re-takes".

Chase

It is really not that hard. Just think about the story you want to tell. Make sure that you know about everything you want to talk about and then just jump in. I am sure you can do it. That is one impressive device and many would love to see it and hear about it. Folks also LOVE on camera tests. Just make sure you cover all your bases when doung them otherwise folks will pick it apart. Especially if it is a good test that produces better than their device.

Larry

[hhonewbie]

Nice build. How many LPM? Are they 2 isolated cells in 1? It looks like the plates are stacked alternatively but im just guessing from what I can see

[b1jetmech]

Nice build. How many LPM? Are they 2 isolated cells in 1? It looks like the plates are stacked alternatively but im just guessing from what I can see

Yes, tow isolated cells. Originally a zero current leakage cell but made it a dry cell. the plates are stacked like a typical dry cell currently at -nnnn+nnnn- and might add another neutral depending how the heat build becomes. No holes in the plates.

So far the LPM is at 5.9-6, that's before break in. I can take it higher possibly to 120 amps but my vehicle alternator was working overtime supporting 82 amps.

Chase

[b1jetmech]

I built this mini cell of 2"x3" plate size to demonstrate if it produces a good amount with less current. It didn't get pass the 10amp/liter per minute ratio. In fact it had the typical results nothing special. Problem I had it got very hot. Within 15 minutes, the water was almost boiling.
The configuration was +nnnn-nnnn+nnnn-

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc39/b1jetmech/Hydrogen%20generator/minihydrogengenerator029.jpg

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc39/b1jetmech/Hydrogen%20generator/minihydrogengenerator027.jpg

So I think the bigger the plates the better. Let alone, stack more plates.

Chase

[H2OPWR]

Yes, tow isolated cells. Originally a zero current leakage cell but made it a dry cell. the plates are stacked like a typical dry cell currently at -nnnn+nnnn- and might add another neutral depending how the heat build becomes. No holes in the plates.

So far the LPM is at 5.9-6, that's before break in. I can take it higher possibly to 120 amps but my vehicle alternator was working overtime supporting 82 amps.

Chase

You will find that you do not need to get any more than you are making now. Any more will throw your vehicle into a tailspin. At 5 LPM going into my 4.0 L V6 It was undrivable. The sensors went crazy. I was idling at 25 mph and had to ride the brake to go any slower. I eventually turned it down to 2 lpm and then could actually drive the truck. My truck is drive by wire and the ECU just kept opening the throtthe to compinsate for the low readings on the air/fuel sensors. Good Luck. Sometimes less is more.

Larry

[hhonewbie]

I was idling at 25 mph and had to ride the brake to go any slower.

Larry

Have you tried a throttle/accelerator switch to turn the cell on a little over idle or at what ever RPM you want it to switch on, that way the cell switches of at idle/stationary and has a chance to cool and let the engine run at stock idle

[H2OPWR]

Have you tried a throttle/accelerator switch to turn the cell on a little over idle or at what ever RPM you want it to switch on, that way the cell switches of at idle/stationary and has a chance to cool and let the engine run at stock idle

No, I never tried that but was considering it when I removed the cell to rebuild it to test urea.

Larry