round one..

[kimbo]

anyone built a round one? i mean a circular plate and gasket dry cell... no corners and easy draining. if so, is there a good place /sweet spot to hitch up the current supply? ie top near the gas outlet or bottom near the water inlet.

[myoldyourgold]

In my opinion the round design is not one of the most efficient designs. There is a member that has good experience with round reactors and maybe he will shed some light on this. One reason is the distance the gas has to travel to get out unless you have a slot that goes along the whole top half edge of the reactor. You really want to keep the distance the gas travels to a minimum to keep the bubbles as small as possible. That does not mean that the reactors that the bubbles are traveling further are not efficient but IMHO not as efficient as ones that have a shorter distance to travel when active area is the same.

[Darrell]

Carter is correct about round plate designs and bubble travel. But to add more info to anyone wanting to build using round plates I advise not to because there is only one surface to the gasket it is very hard to find where to locate the inlet hole sweet spot. This is due to the current running completely around the outside of the inside portion of the gasket and the plate.

It took me about 6 months of testing to find were to locate the inlets with my design and the testing would have to begin all over again depending on were power connections are located.


Darrell

[kimbo]

ok that's really what i'm getting at.... on any given plate shape , is there a good place to connect? top bottom sides.... what?

[Darrell]

Depends on shape of the plate and what your plans are as far as gas output requirements. The norm is a square plate design using 2 power connections, one in each corner of the plate. That is 4 conections in total, 2 positive and 2 negetive.

Hope that helps. "D"

[hhoconnection]

As long as we are talking different shapes, what about a triangle/pyramid shape? I've been thinking about that one for a while. You could still stagger the bottom holes.

[kimbo]

ok so here the question would be are you better connected at the top of the triangle or the bottom? is there a relationship between contact position position of gas output from the plates?

[BioFarmer93]

As long as we are talking different shapes, what about a triangle/pyramid shape? I've been thinking about that one for a while. You could still stagger the bottom holes.

LOL! Thank goodness I'm not alone.. Ever since Larry did the Magnetic Beastie, and demonstrated the benefits of "wider than tall" I have not been able to get the ratio 3:2 out of my head.

[myoldyourgold]

As long as we are talking different shapes, what about a triangle/pyramid shape? I've been thinking about that one for a while. You could still stagger the bottom holes.

I see no advantage in the diamond shape. Rectangle is in my book the best with slots on top for the exit ports. Shortest distance to get out is the best. A square would be next as long as there is slots along the top so the gas does not have to hunt for a way out same as in the rectangle.

The diamond even though bubbles might find their way out easier compared to a single hole in a square plate most of the bubbles hit the gasket on the top and get deflected slightly towards the exit port but the ones on the ends bump into the new ones coming up. By getting deflected they tend to join up when they bump into each other and form bigger bubbles and the whole process gets congested and inefficient. You can test all of this with air and a clear end plate to see exactly what is happening. There is no question in my mind after doing that test that the rectangle with narrow slots at the top are the best and square a very good second also with slots along the top.

[hhoconnection]

Damn Carter, you rock!

[myoldyourgold]

ok so here the question would be are you better connected at the top of the triangle or the bottom? is there a relationship between contact position position of gas output from the plates?

Here is what works for me. On the input port it should be as far away from the electrical connection as possible. For duel connections Opposite side to where the connection is and single connection catercorner. Out put port(s) slotted along the top with some brakes for strength is the best choice. I hope that makes since. Here it is again. If there is one electrical connection and it is on the left top corner then the input port should be on the right lower corner of that plate. Duel electrically connected plates one on the top left corner and the other on the bottom right corner then the input port should be on the bottom left corner. This is using the least active real estate available. The difference is small but it all adds up.

[Darrell]

I am going to a rectangular reactor on my next build. I might even change the inside edge of the gasket to create more distance the current has to travel to further isolate the inlet holes. I was testing this with the round plates because there were no angles with round gaskets. I saw some big improvement in MMW's.

Carter your thoughts?

"D"

[myoldyourgold]

I might even change the inside edge of the gasket to create more distance the current has to travel to further isolate the inlet holes.

Darrell, can you explain that a little more. You know I am sometimes slow to catch on (LOL) but when I do beware.

[Darrell]

Carter the inside bottom portion of my gaskets is what i was talking about. I cut a small flat edge on the bottom portion of the gasket as they are in square reactors. The offset inlets holes did show improvements and got even better after the flat edge was cut. Does that make since?

D

[myoldyourgold]

Ok I get it and need to think about that and look at a few things before putting my foot in my mouth. LOL Off hand it sounds like it is either a flow change or ??? but the bottom line is it did help. I am with you about the round shape not being the best. It does look cool though!!

[kimbo]

i know i'm new to this..... but could it be simply that the offset holes and the "squared off" gasket is simply creating edies in the electrolyte that otherwise would not be there? therefore "stirring" more bubbles off the plates. bit simplistic i know, but hey i'm allowed to look stupid......i'm a chippy!

[kimbo]

while i think of it...WHY is a dry cell more efficient if it has all these current leakage problems? why not a wet cell with all the plate tops sticking out and individual electrolyte feeds?
end+_end+_end+_end.... etc feed electrolyte to each individualy and the current leakage problem disapears..... no?

[myoldyourgold]

while i think of it...WHY is a dry cell more efficient if it has all these current leakage problems? why not a wet cell with all the plate tops sticking out and individual electrolyte feeds?
end+_end+_end+_end.... etc feed electrolyte to each individualy and the current leakage problem disapears..... no?


It is mainly in definition. No cell is dry. If you have no holes in your plates or isolate the electrolyte from each cell/pair from every other cell/pair then it makes no difference if it is a container of electrolyte or only has electrolyte on the inside of the cells. Both to be totally separate end up the same just electrolyte on the inside of each cell.

This is where unipolar designs have a major advantage. Ease of building has to be considered. Using gaskets to hold the electrolyte in is sure easier than engineering some other method.

Off set holes with the right use of Weld-on limits the current leakage.