INVESTIGATION OF PRODUCTION OF HYDROXY GAS USING

ADVANCED ELECTROLYZER

By

MOHAMAD ALIFF BIN MOHD SAHIMI (7697)

FINAL YEAR PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT

Submitted to the Electrical & Electronics Engineering Programme

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)

(Electrical & Electronics Engineering)

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

Bandar Seri Iskandar

31750 Tronoh

Perak Darul Ridzuan

Copyright 2010

By

Mohamad Aliff bin Mohd Sahimi, 2010

ii

CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL

INVESTIGATION OF PRODUCTION OF HYDROXY GAS USING

ADVANCED ELECTROLYZER

by

Mohamad Aliff bin Mohd Sahimi

A project dissertation submitted to the

Electrical & Electronics Engineering Programme

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)

(Electrical & Electronics Engineering)

Approved:

__________________________

Mr. Saiful Azrin bin Mohd Zulkifli

Project Supervisor

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS

TRONOH, PERAK

Jun 2010

iii

CERTIFICATION OF ORIGINALITY

This is to certify that I am responsible for the work submitted in this project, that the

original work is my own except as specified in the references and acknowledgements,

and that the original work contained herein have not been undertaken or done by

unspecified sources or persons.

__________________________

Mohamad Aliff bin Mohd Sahimi

iv

ABSTRACT

Soaring fuel prices have made us find alternatives which are cheaper and more

reliable. Hydroxy is a product of the electrolyzer, which consists of combination of

hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is part of the alternative fuel in development to

replace gasoline as main fuel source. This document presents the study of hydrogen

fuel system that is applied on vehicles and the design of device to produce this gas on

demand without the risk of storing a high pressure tank of compressed hydrogen in

vehicles. The internal combustion of an engine and the study of it is also presented.

This document is divided into 5 chapters: Chapter 1 describes the objective, problem

statement, scope of study, methodology, findings and background study, meant to

give the basic idea of this project. Chapter 2 describes literature review & theory

required for the project to be done successfully. Chapter 3 and 4 discuss the

methodology and conclusion for the end product of the investigation. The

investigation will covers properties, technical details of the equipment, all the

required materials and steps taken for this project to be executed until the prototype

level.

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract………………………………………………………………..………v

List of Figures…………………………………………………………..…...viii

List of Tables…………………………………………...……………….…….ix

List of Abbreviations………………………………………………….……....x

CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION.....................………………….……..…1

1.1 Background Study…………………………………………………1

1.2 Problem Statement…………………………...……………………2

1.2.1 Problem Identification……………………………......…2

1.2.2 Significance of the Project………………………………2

1.3 Objectives and Scope of Study………………………………....…3

1.3.1 Relevancy of Project………………………………….…………3

1.3.2 Feasibility of Project within Scope and Time Frame……3

1.3.3 Investigation………………………………………..……3

CHAPTER 2 : LITERATURE REVIEW & THEORY…………….....…4

2.1 Theory………………..…..…………………………..................…4

2.2 Mechanism of Combustion……………………………………..…5

2.3 Advanced Electrolyzer System……………………………………6

2.3.1 Building the Case…………………………………..……8

2.3.2 Preparing the Plates………………………………….…11

2.3.3 Electrolyzer Preparation Steps…………………………12

CHAPTER 3 : METHODOLOGY………………………………..………14

3.1 Procedure Identification…………………………………………14

3.2 Project Workflow………………………………………….......…15

3.3 Tools & Equipment. …………………………………….…….…16

3.3.1 Components ………………………………......…..……16

3.3.2 Equipment ………………………………..….…..……16

3.3.3 Tools ………………………………………….……..…16

vi

CHAPTER 4 : RESULTS AND DISCUSSION……………….……....…17

4.1 Data Gathering & Analysis............................................................17

4.1.1 Normal Electrolysis Experiment.....................................17

4.1.1.1 Equipment Setup for Electrolysis.....................18

4.1.1.2 Data Collection ...............................................18

4.1.2 Advanced Electrolyzer Experiment................................19

4.1.2.1 Waveform Setup..............................................20

4.1.2.2 Fabrication Work.............................................20

4.2 Discussion………………………………………………..………20

4.2.1 Limitation............................................................21

CHAPTER 5 : CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION……..…..21

5.1 Conclusion……………………………………………………..…22

5.2 Recommendation…………………………………………………22

REFERENCES…………………………………….………….…………….23

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 : Combustion Work in Gasoline Engine.....................................................................7

Figure 2 : Milled Body Case for Electrolyzer...........................................................................9

Figure 3 : Reinforced Acrylic Iron to Corners.........................................................................10

Figure 4 : Milled Plate Position in the Electrolyzer Housing..................................................11

Figure 5 : Sanded Electrolyzer Plate.......................................................................................13

Figure 6 : Plate Preparation for Electrolyzer...........................................................................13

Figure 7 : Electrolyzer Preparation..........................................................................................13

Figure 8 : Installation Layout for Electrolyzer in Vehicles System........................................14

Figure 9 : Sensors Circuit for Water Level Detection in Tank................................................14

Figure 10 : Water Supply to the Electrolyzer System.............................................................14

Figure 11..................................................................................................................................16

Figure 12 : Workflow of The Project......................................................................................16

Figure 13 : Normal Electrolysis Setup.....................................................................................18

Figure 14 : Oxygen & Hydrogen Gas Generation...................................................................19

Figure 15 : Data Analysis of Test 1 of Benchmarking............................................................20

Figure 16 : Data Analysis of Test 2 with Electrolyte..............................................................21

Figure 19 : Setup of Benchmark Test 1...................................................................................27

Figure 20 : Setup of Test 2 with Electrolyte............................................................................27

viii

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 : Oxygen & Hydrogen Production..............................................................................19

Table 2 : Waveform Setup for Electrolyser Input....................................................................20

ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATION

1. D.C. - Direct current

2. A.C. - Alternating current

3. F.Y.P. - Final Year Project.

x

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Study

Traditional electrolysis is known for hundreds of years since it was first

introduced by Michael Faraday. The structures of the one done by Faraday uses two

carbon electrodes and water with the presence of an electrolyte such as Sodium

Hydroxide ,(NaOH) or Potassium Hydroxide,(KOH) to produce hydrogen,(H2) and

oxygen,(O2) gas. The process involves applying DC potential difference between the

two anode & cathode electrodes and delivering minimum energy required to break the

H-H-O bonds (68.3 kcal per mole at STP). The gases that are produced from the

normal electrolysis is by 1:2 ratio of hydrogen to oxygen from the cathode (-) and

anode (+) respectively. On a macro scale, the amount of gas produced depends upon a

number of variables, including the type and concentration of electrolyte solution used,

the anode and cathode electrode pair surface area, the electrolytic resistance (ionic

conductivity, the temperature and pressure) and the amount of supplied current and

voltage. The amount of supplied energy must be sufficient to produce oxygen and

hydrogen, avoiding corrosion or reduction of the electrodes inside the traditional

electrolysis system.

Hydrogen fuel car is state of the art technology that immensely developed by

giant automotive manufacturers like Mercedes, Toyota, Honda and BMW. This

technology enables consumers to have environment friendly cars with 0% emission

and become as an alternative to petrol as fuel. This investigation for production of

hydrogen,(H2) & oxygen,(O2) using electrolyzer will enable user to use water to

1

supply the required gas for combustion instead of carrying high pressure tank of

hydrogen in cars.

The advanced electrolyzer is a unique method of electrolysis. It contains up to

100 plates of stainless steel plate which act as electrodes. The required voltage supply

is more than 110 V. By using normal 12V accumulator or wet battery that easily

available and an inverter of 160V, we can produce the required energy in no time. The

structure of electrolyzer needs the electrodes to be arranged in certain way so that

optimum production of gas is obtained. Electrolyte to enhance the electrolysis is not

necessary -- normal tap water is the only required substance. Specially designed

circuit comes with the electrolyzer to help enhance the production of gas by supplying

special square pulse train to the device. The system layout for installation also

described.

1.2 Problem Statement

1.2.1 Problem Identification

The traditional technique of electrolysis has insufficient production to make

good use of hydroxy gas. Using normal DC, the acceptable amount of power supply

for production of gas is too low [2]. The optimum voltage for electrolysis is only at

1.48Volt which means any extra voltage supplied is unnecessary because it will only

use up to 1.48Volt for the process. The quantity of gas produced is too small and

taking a long time to be accumulated to certain volume before it can be used. The

anode/cathode electrodes tend to corrode after being used for a long time and the

produced gas often leaks from the container. With the advanced electrolyzer, not just

the weaknesses are eliminated; we can implement the device to a good use from

kitchen usage to the transportation accessories. The produced gas also abundant and

the quantity required can be produced on demand.

1.2.2 Significant of the Project

2

The advanced electrolyzer is a ground breaking and feasible technology. The

required components for the project can be found in most electronic and hardware

shops. The investigation of production of Hydroxy (Hydrogen + Oxygen) gas is

important due to its concept of using the abundant material on earth: water, as its

source of energy and its application and usability in numerous engineering fields.

1.3 Objectives and Scope of Study

1.3.1 Relevancy of Project

Many research and investigation done by inventors from many parts of the

world to produce a well-functioning hydrogen + oxygen production devices. All the

way, many patents have been recorded in describing techniques of producing this gas.

This project is aimed mainly to test and investigate the workability of the electrolyzer

to produce required product. With respect to Final Year Project course outline, the

end product will be relevant to a few engineering programs and totally under the

scope of undergraduates studies. In environment and society wise, this investigation if

important as it will give alternative solution to the current situation of hiking fuel

price and global warming.

1.3.2 Feasibility of Project within Scope and Time Frame

The given time length is 12 month for this project to come to completion. It is

considered more than enough for the execution of the proposed F.Y.P title. With the

first semester will be the research and findings period and the second semester as the

construction period of prototype, the student will have enough time to do all kind of

tests and experiments required so that they can come out with the final product.

1.3.3 Investigation

3

The investigation includes the study of the U.S patent documents and literature

study on the technical specifications on the constructed prototype. The design of the

circuit to produce proper waveform to be supplied to the prototype is the main aspect

of the project as it will affect the produce product and the optimality of the prototype.

For the study of internal combustion of Hydrogen gas and its properties, I refer most

of the sources from the Academic findings and journal.

4

Chapter 2

LITERATURE REVIEW & THEORY

2.1 Theory

To decompose water electrically, it is necessary to pass direct current between

a pair of electrodes which are immersed in a suitable electrolyte. It is normal in such

electrolysis to place some form of gas barrier between the two electrodes in order to

prevent the gases evolved during the electrolysis from forming an explosive mixture.

However provided suitable precautions are taken it has been found that the gases can

be allowed to mix and can be fed into a storage tank for subsequent use. Because the

gases when mixed form an explosive mixture, it is possible for the mixture to be

utilized for good use like stove kitchen and combustion engine. For that purpose, it is

necessary to control the explosiveness of the gasses when ignite by adding air mixture

to it. One of the difficulties encountered with electrolysis is that bubbles of gas are

liable to remain on the electrodes during the electrolysis thus effectively limiting the

area of electrode which is in contact with the electrolyte and preventing optimum

current flow between the electrodes. Because in accordance with the present

technique, it is desirable that the gases evolved during the electrolysis be mixed with

air, then it is possible for air to be passed through the cell while the electrolysis is in

progress. The passage of air through the cell can be directed past the electrodes so as

to entrain in the passage of air any bubbles of gas remaining on the electrodes.

Accordingly the prototype comprises an electrolytic cell including a gas tight

casing, a combination of electrodes used is supported on a central post within the cell

in a spaced apart relationship and insulated from each other, each alternative electrode

being adapted to be connected to a positive direct current source or a negative direct

current source respectively and wherein the central post is in the form of a tube, one

end of which is extended out of the cell and is adapted to be connected to a source of

air under pressure, with the other end of the central post terminating in an air outlet

5

below the said electrodes, the said cell including a gas outlet to exhaust air forced

into the cell through the central post and to exhaust the electrolytically produced gases

mixed with the said . The electrolysis will produce H2 & O2 and the act of combustion

will reproduce water in form of H2O [3].

2 H 2O →O2+2 H 2

Electrolysis Product: Produce 2 mole of hydrogen and 1 mole of oxygen with every 2

mole of water.

2 H 2+O2→ 2H 2 O

Combustion Product: For a perfect combustion of 2 mole of hydrogen with 1 mole of

oxygen will produce back 2 mole of water.

2.2 Mechanism of Combustion

[4]

“Details of the mechanics of combustion depend to a great extent on the fuel

and the nature of the combustion system. They are sometimes not well understood.

There are, however, certain fundamentals that are useful in dealing with combustion

systems. The chemical reaction equations presented here do not portray the actual

mechanism of combustion; they merely indicate the initial and final chemical

compositions of a reaction. In most cases the reactions involve a sequence of steps,

leading from the reactants to the products, the nature of which depends on the

temperature, pressure, and other conditions of combustion. Fuel molecules, for

instance, may undergo thermal cracking, producing more numerous and smaller fuel

molecules and perhaps breaking the molecules down completely into carbon and

hydrogen atoms before oxidation are completed.

In the case of solid fuels, combustion may be governed by the rate at which

oxidizer diffuses from the surrounding gases to the surface and by the release of

combustible gases near the surface. Combustion of solids may be enhanced by

increasing the fuel surface area exposed to the oxidizer by reducing fuel particle size.

We have seen that, for combustion to occur, molecules of oxidizer must mix with fuel

molecules, an action enhanced by the three T.s of combustion: turbulence, time, and

6

temperature. Chemical reactions take place more rapidly at high temperatures but

nevertheless require finite time for completion. It is therefore important that burners

be long enough to retain the fuel-air mixture for a sufficiently long time so that

combustion is completed before the mixture leaves. Turbulence, or mixing, enhances

the opportunities for contact of oxidizer and fuel molecules and removal of products

of combustion.

A flame propagates at a given speed through a flammable mixture. It will

propagate upstream in a flow of a combustible mixture if its flame speed exceeds the

flow velocity. If a fixed flame front is to exist at a fixed location in a duct flow in

which the velocity of the combustion gas stream exceeds the propagation speed, some

form of flame stabilization is required. Otherwise the flame front is swept

downstream and flameout occurs. Stabilization may be achieved by using fixed flame

holders (partial flow obstructions that create local regions of separated flow in their

bases where the flame speed is greater than the local flow velocity) or by directing a

portion of the flow upstream to provide a low-speed region where stable combustion

may occur. Each combination of oxidizer and fuel has been seen to have a particular

stoichiometric oxidizer-fuel ratio for which the fuel is completely burned with a

minimum of oxidizer [6]. It has also been pointed out that it is usually desirable to

operate burners at greater than the theoretical air-fuel ratio to assure complete

combustion of the fuel and that this is sometimes referred to as a lean mixture.

Occasionally it may be desirable to have incomplete combustion, perhaps to produce a

stream of products in which carbon monoxide exists or to assure that all the oxidizer

in the mixture is consumed. In that case a burner is operated at less than the

stoichiometric air-fuel ratio with what is called a rich mixture. There are limits to the

range of air-fuel ratios for which combustion will occur called limits of flammability.

Here the density of the mixture is important. The limits of flammability around the

stoichiometric A/F are reduced at low densities. If combustion is to occur reliably in

mixtures at low densities, it is necessary to closely control the air-fuel ratio.”

7

2.3

Advanced

Electrolyzer System

[4]

This is a “Hydroxy-On-Demand” (“HOD”) system. It is very difficult indeed

to generate hydroxy gas fast enough to power an internal combustion engine vehicle

under all road conditions. Moving from standstill to rapid acceleration causes such a

massive sudden requirement for additional volumes of hydroxy gas, that it is difficult

to provide that volume instantly.

A better solution is to use an electric engine for the vehicle. This can be an

electric vehicle which was designed from scratch as such, or it can be a standard

vehicle which has been adapted for electric engine use [2]. These electric vehicles

are usually limited in how far they can travel, but a good solution to this is to use an

electrical generator to charge the batteries, both when the vehicle is in use and when

it is parked. This electrolyzer can be used to run such a generator on water. With

this arrangement, there are no CO2 emissions and the vehicle is very environmentally

friendly. The batteries provide the necessary sudden acceleration demands and the

generator recharges the batteries during normal driving.

For the designed pulsed system has the following components:

1. An electrical connection to the vehicle’s electrical system (with safety features built in).

2. An “inverter” which raises the electrolyzer voltage to 160 volts.

3. A specially designed circuit board which generates a complicated water-splitting waveform.

4. A specially designed toroidal transformer which links main circuit board to the electrolyzer.

5. Treated 100 stainless steel plates as electrodes.

6. A dual-protection system for linking the electrolyzer safely to the internal combustion engine.

8

Figure 1 : Combustion Work in Gasoline Engine

None of these items is particularly difficult to achieve, but each

needs to be done carefully and as designed for safety purpose.

2.3.1 Building the Case:

The case for the electrolyzer accommodates 100 plates which cutted in 6” x 6”

size and arranged closely with the gap between plates are 1/8”. The plates

arrangement can be done by a milled aluminium slotted strip with 1/8” distance

between slots or using a small iron rod to place the plates with equally spaced

between them by 1/8”. From the testing in the lab with controlled input voltage, it is

founded that the closer distance between the electrodes, the higher the gas production

rate. Thus, 1/8” considered acceptable distance to produce optimal gas during the

process.

9

Figure 2 : Milled Body Case for Electrolyzer

The base and two sides of the cell could have grooves cut in them to take the

plates. This is not a good idea for various reasons, including the fact that the steel

plates expand when they warm up and are liable to crack the acrylic case unless the

slots are cut deeper than normal. Also, it is difficult to cut very accurate slots in

acrylic due to the heat of the cutting blade causing the acrylic to deform in the

immediate area. Grooved acrylic is very much weaker and breaks easily due to the

planes of weakness introduced into the material. Using Ultra High Molecular Weight

Poly Ethylene or High Density Poly Ethylene (food chopping-board material) strips

is a much better technique as that material does not have the same cutting heat

problem and it can also take the plate expansion much better, so it is the construction

method of choice. It is also a cheaper material. The grooves which are cut for the

plates should be three ten thousandths of an inch wider than the thickness of the

plates. A good plate thickness is 16 gauge sheet which is one sixteenth of an inch

thick or 0.0625 inch (1.5875 mm), so the recommended groove width for that is

0.0655 inches which is not a convenient fraction being about four and one fifth sixty-

fourths of an inch. Also, steel sheet thickness is not absolutely exact, so it needs to

be measured with a micrometer and averaged before the three ten thousandths of an

inch is added. (6) The grooves are 1/8” (3 mm) deep.

The supplier of the acrylic sheet needed for making the case, will be able to

supply “glue” specifically designed for joining acrylic sheets together. This glue

actually welds the plates together so that the sheets become one continuous piece of

acrylic along the joint. Start by mating the sides and the base. Insert two or three

plates into the slots to be quite sure that the alignment is spot-on during the joining

process. Line the ends up during jointing to be sure that the sides are completely

square when being joined to the base. Concerns have been expressed about the

strength of the acrylic casing under severe road conditions. So it has been suggested

that the acrylic components be constructed from sheet which is 3/4” to 1” thick (18

mm to 25 mm) and the corners reinforced with angle iron secured with bolts tapped

into the acrylic as shown below.

10

11

Figure 3 : Reinforced Acrylic Iron to Corners

This housing looks very simple and straightforward, but this is highly

misleading and the materials are very expensive, so any error is costly. The

construction accuracy needed is very high indeed with many opportunities for a total

and expensive disaster. Ed Holdgate has built several custom fixtures to ease the

construction, but construction is still very difficult even with these specialist fittings

and his years of experience. Sikaflex 291 marine bedding compound is used to seal

between the two slotted sides and the slotted base, and between the slotted sides and

the two end inserts, in order to prevent any leakage between the acrylic and any of

these inserts. [6] The accuracy required for the slots to hold the stainless steel plates

is 0.0003” and the plates are tapered with a belt sander on both sides along all four

edges so that when they are forced into the slots they will not cut into the sides of the

slots. This produces excellent leakage characteristics, but don’t lose sight of the very

high accuracy of the slot cutting needed for this. The edges of the slotted inserts

receive a bead of Sikaflex marine bedding compound attaching them to the acrylic

box and the compound is allowed to cure before construction is continued. There are

cheaper marine bedding compounds, but don’t be tempted by them as Sikaflex is a

much superior product. The end plates with the stainless steel straps welded to them

are used to connect the electrical supply to the plates, keeping any connection which

could possible work loose and cause a spark, completely outside the housing. Even

12

Figure 4 : Milled Plate Position in the Electrolyzer Housing

though the straps are welded and there is no likelihood of them coming loose, the

welds are still kept below the surface of the electrolyte.

2.3.2 Getting and Preparing the Plates:

A set of 101 plates is needed for the electrolyzer. The material used when

making the plates is very important. It should be 16-gauge 316L-grade stainless

steel as it contains a blend of nickel and molybdenum in the correct proportions to

make it a very good catalyst for the pulsing technique. The plates need to be flat to a

tolerance of +/- 0.001" after cutting and this is the most important factor. That level

of accuracy excludes any kind of flame cutting as it produces inevitable heat

distortion. With shearing, expect +/- 0.015" on the cuts and +/- 0.001" on flatness.

The plates are square: 6-inches by 6-inches, but that do not represent 36 square

inches of active surface area some plate area is inside the grooves and some of each

plate is above the surface of the electrolyte. Another point to remember is that 101

steel plates this size weigh a considerable amount and the completed electrolyzer

with electrolyte in it will weight even more. It is essential therefore to have a case

which is strongly built from strong materials, and if a mounting bracket is to be used,

then that bracket needs to be very robust and well secured in place. The preparation

of the plates is one of the most important steps in producing an electrolyzer which

works well. This is a long task, but it is vital that it is not skimped or hurried in any

way. Surprisingly, brand new shiny stainless steel is not particularly suitable for use

in an electrolyzer and it needs to receive careful treatment and preparation before it

will produce the expected level of gas output.

The first step is to treat both surfaces of every plate to encourage gas bubbles

to break away from the surface of the plate. This could be done by grit blasting, but

if that method is chosen, great care must be taken that the grit used does not

contaminate the plates. Stainless steel plates are not cheap and if you get grit

blasting wrong, then the plates will be useless as far as electrolysis is concerned. A

safe method which Bob much prefers is to score the plate surface with coarse

sandpaper. This is done in two different directions to produce a cross-hatch pattern.

This produces microscopic sharp peaks and valleys on the surface of the plate and

those sharp points and ridges are ideal for helping bubbles to form and break free of

the plate. 13

For simplicity, the process of cleaning and treating the plate is as follows:

2.3.3 Electrolyzer Preparation Steps

14

Figure 5 : Sanded Electrolyzer Plate

Plate ConditioningPlate CleansingPlate Sanding

Figure 6 : Plate Preparation for Electrolyzer

Error Detection and Debugging

Installation on vehicles system.

Bench Testing at Well Ventilated area.

Construction of Bubbler

Electrolyzer Plate Treatment

Assembly for all the Devices.

Electronic Circuit Installation

External Case Constructions

Figure 7 : Electrolyzer Preparation

15

Figure 8 : Installation Layout for Electrolyzer in Vehicles System

Figure 9 : Water Supply to the Electrolyzer System

Figure 10 : Sensors Circuit for Water Level Detection in Tank

Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Procedure Identification

Procedure identification comprise the step-by-step taken from the preliminary

work of the project till the construction of the prototype and through several

discussions with my supervisor, I am able to grasp the abstract of the topic. Further

researches were performed by referring to books, journals and the internet which have

been very beneficial in gathering information regarding the project. However the

information is being continuously updated and the exact information is difficult to

obtain. Most of the information discussed different sub topics and need to be

correlated for each part and this needs to be done as soon as possible.

16

3.2 Project Work Flow

The following diagram shows the work flow of this project:

17

Pre-EDX and presentation to internal and external examiners.

EDX presentation and national exhibition.

Construction of prototype and error debugging of working devices for optimality.

Identifying the required equipment and component for the electrolyzer and bench testing equipment.

Collection the necessary information in regards to hghfdgdgfelectrolyser, patent documents and design of the system.

Research and case study on the required information. (Discussion with supervisor and lecturers)

Proposal & Approval of FYP title.

Figure 11Figure 12 : Workflow of The Project

3.3 Tools & Equipment.

3.3.1 Components :

R1 100 ohms C1 1000 microfarad 35 volt or higher

R2 1,000 ohms C2 330 microfarad 16 volt or higher

R3 10,000 ohms

R4 1,800 ohms D1 1N4001 or similar 100 volt or higher 1 amp

R5 18,000 ohms

R6 18,000 ohms Tr1 to Tr3 2N2222 or 2N2222A or similar

R7 3,900 ohms 40V, 800 mA, 500 mW, gain 100 - 300

3.3.2 Equipment :

I. Multimeter

II. Voltmeter

III. Oscilloscope

IV. Multi Simulator

V. Matlab

VI. LabView 7.0

3.3.3 Hardware :

I. Electronics Components.

II. Electronic Board

III. Tin Melter

IV. Iron tube

V. Pressure gauge

VI. High pressure pipe

VII. Holding pin

VIII. Threaded Cap

IX. Leak Thread Insulator

18

Chapter 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Data Gathering and Analysis

4.1.1 Normal Electrolysis Experiment

4.1.1.1 Equipment Setup

Prior to the startup of the project, normal electrolysis experiment was executed so that

we can compare the result with the to-be constructed advanced electrolyzer. We set

one small beaker with 2 open end and slot in 2 small balloons to measure the

produced gas per time. 5volt input seeded to the system. The terminals are using

carbon rod and we use salt as the catalyst for this normal process.

Figure 13 : Normal Electrolysis Setup

4.1.1.2 Data Collection

The experiment stated and the following tables show the collected gases in a 60 minutes span.

T, min

O2 H2

1 1.2 2.32 2.4 4.73 3.6 7.14 4.8 9.545 6 11.96 7.2 14.47 8.4 16.88 9.6 19.29 10.8 21.6

10 12 2411 13.2 26.412 14.4 28.813 15.6 31.214 16.8 33.615 18 3616 19.2 38.417 20.4 39

18 21.6 43.219 22.8 45.620 24 4821 25.2 50.422 26.4 52.823 27.6 55.224 28.8 57.625 30 6026 31.2 62.427 32.4 64.828 33.6 67.229 34.8 69.630 36 7231 37.2 74.432 38.4 76.833 39.6 79.234 40.8 81.635 42 8436 43.2 86.437 44.4 88.838 45.6 91.239 46.8 93.640 48 9641 49.2 98.4

42 50.4 10143 51.6 10344 52.8 10645 54 10846 55.2 11047 56.4 11348 57.6 11549 58.8 11850 60 12051 61.2 12252 62.4 12553 63.6 12754 64.8 13055 66 13256 67.2 13457 68.4 13758 69.6 13959 70.8 14260 72 144

Table 1 : Oxygen &

Hydrogen Collection in

60 minutes (cm3)

From the obtained results, we can see that the production of both gases is slow and

taking long time to be accumulated to a certain usable volume. The electrolysis is

highly inefficient. The result in table 1 is then plotted shown in graph below,

19

1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 580

50

100

150

200

250

Oxygen & Hydrogen Production in Normal Electrolysis

(x-axis, minute)(y-axis, cm3)

Oxygen Hydrogen

Figure 14 : Oxygen & Hydrogen Gas Generation

From the above graph, we can see that rate of Gas production is really slow, which is

2.4cm3/min for Hydrogen, & 1.2cm3/min for oxygen.

4.1.2 Advanced Electrolyzer Experiment

As per now, we are unable to determine the result that will be produced by the

Electrolyzer, since the parts are still under fabrication process. We still able to expect

the produced gases will be more than the normal electrolysis.

4.1.2.1 Waveform Setup.

The electrolyzer is tested using DC and AC current supply with specific frequency of

50 and 60 Hz.

Waveform Type Frequency(Hz) Total Gas Volume Produced (m3)

Saw Tooth Wave60 0

50 0

Sinusoidal Wave 60 0

20

50 0

Square Wave60 0

50 0

DC wave (12 Volt ,

60Hz) , Benchmark60

20 ml/hour

DC Wave (12 Volt,

60Hz) , with

electrolyte

60

21.5 ml/hour

Table 2 : Waveform Setup for Electrolyzer Input

Further observation of the setup of benchmark (see appendices Figure 18) , I found

that the electrolyzer did not producing enough gas. As per described in the following

graph,

15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120

Gas Collected (ml)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Expected 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120

10

30

50

70

90

110

130

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

1530

4560

7590

105120

Time(min) vs Volume(ml)-1

Gas V

olum

e (m

l)

Figure 15 : Data Analysis of Test 1 of Benchmarking

The production rate of gas collected ,

GasVolumeTimeTaken

= 40 ml

2hours=20 ml /hour

While the expected gas volume should be,

GasVolumeTimeTaken

= 12 0ml2hours

=60 ml /hour

21

Thus, the efficiency of the electrolyzer is,

ε=observationexpected

×100 %= 206 0

× 100 %=33 %efficienc y

Thus, the system is reliable but needed to be improved on efficiency.

While the testing work continues, the system is then tested with added electrolyte of Sodium Chloride. The following figure describe the result from the experimental work done.

15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120

Gas Collected (ml)

6 12 14 22 27 30 36 43

Expected 17 32 47 62 77 92 107 122

1030507090

110130150170

Time(min) vs Volume (ml)-2

Gas V

olum

e (m

l)

Figure 16 : Data Analysis of Test 2 with Electrolyte

The production rate of gas collected ,

GasVolumeTimeTaken

= 43 ml

2hours=21.5 ml /hour

While the expected gas volume should be,

GasVolumeTimeTaken

= 12 2ml2hours

=6 1 ml /hour

Thus, the efficiency of the electrolyzer is,

ε=observedexpected

×100 %=21.561

×100 %=35 %efficienc y

The system is reliable but needed to be improved on efficiency.

22

4.1.2.2 Fabrication Work

Initial preparation is to cut all the available stainless steel plate into respected

rectangular units. One piece of plate (dimension 4.8cm x 10.2cm) cutted and used as

guide to cut through the master plate (dimension 29.7cm x 57.0 cm) . It is expected

that we will get 30 small plates. All these plates then separated equally and assembled

to form a row of plates attached together using long screw with spacing between

plates estimated to be around 3~4 mm. Then, these plates are combine and the anode

and cathode terminals are separated using silicate glue to avoid any contact between

the two. Then, a container is made using plastic wall and sealed using silicate glue.

Now, it is due to test the fabricated prototype in an open air lab with 3 type of signal

waveform.

As per planned, the circuit board to convert the current supplied from 12 V D.C

accumulator is fabricated using PCB board prototyping machine. The circuit is then

assembled using the material available in the lab.

4.2 Discussion

4.2.1 Problems Faced

During the fabrication work, the thick 1 inch Perspex plastic are hard to cut

using normal cutting machine. During the fabrication work, the equipment used did

not allow the Perspex Plastic to be cutted properly, thus resulting on leakage on the

final constructed electrolyzer. Temporary solution to fix the leakage during the testing

is by using plasticin to seal off the leaking area.

The is no equipment to change the frequency of the DC current supplied to the

electrolyzer system. As far as the system testing is concerned, the system should be

tested using 600Hz DC current with added pulse generator to give variable waveform

like square waveform, sinusoidal etc.

23

4.2.2 Limitation

During fabrication work, all the resources are limited and subject to cost

restrictions. The unavailability of the electronic components are solved by replacing

them with another type of component that can produce required result .

Limited workmanship skills also contributes to the poor performance of the

system. The stainless steel did not cutted and trimmed properly and there is leaking in

the system due to the uneven connection edges. This can be fixed by reassemble again

the device and redo the required works properly and perfectly.

24

Chapter 5

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion

The advanced electrolyzer can be used to replace the traditional electrolysis to

produce suffice amount of usable gas . The electrolyzer is workable and tested using

DC current but did not produce observable result using AC current. The system

required better construction modification as the current built one is having continuity

problem that tends to happen once in a while. From the current observation and

investigation, the constructed electrolyzer unit only able to produce a 3% efficiency

from the expected result due to leakage problem in the system.

25

5.2 Recommendation

Essentially, the fabrication of the system should be done with full precaution

and care, especially during the bench testing of the electrolyzer system which may

contain highly explosive gas. Safety should be main concern in the system design.

Poorly designed system would have irregular performance and energy, time and

money are being wasted for refabricating and redesigning process. Some of the

recommended designs and features of the electrolyzer are as follows:

1. The system should able to run on only 12Volt DC, supplied by normal

vehicles wet battery.

2. It should be able to operate in normal condition; rated working

temperature for surrounding should be between 10ºC ~ 40ºC.

3. The entire electronic component should be rated to function at the

maximum voltage level of 200V, as the system would use an inverter to

produce square waveform of hundreds of volt.

4. An LED light to indicate condition of the system like, tripping breaker,

and water level is low etc. should also be installed for ease of the user.          

26

REFERENCES

[1] Patrick J. Kelly, Oxygen Company, 1998, “Practical Guide to Free Energy

Devices”, pp. 23 ~56.

[2] Stephen Barrie Chambers, Alberta, Canada, Oct. 3, 2000,United States Patent,

Patent Number 6,126,794, "Apparatus For Producing Orthohydrogen And/or

Parahydrogen" , pp. 1~17.

[3] Stanley Meyer, May 2, 1989, United States Patent, Patent Number 4,826,581,

"Controlled Process for the Production of Thermal Energy from Gases and

Apparatus Useful Therefore", pp. 1~45.

[4] Archie H. Blue, Nov. 7, 1978, United States Patent, Patent Number 4,124,463,

"Electrolytic Cell", pp. 1~4.

[5] Dr. Andrija Puharic, 1996, United States, “Water Decomposition by AC

Supply”, pp1~ 167.

[6] Bob Boyles, Jan. 2006, United States Patent, Patent Number 5,124,553,

"Hydrogen Fuel", pp. 1~50.

27

APPENDICES

Experimental Work Setup

Figure 17 : Setup of Benchmark Test 1

Figure 18 : Setup of Test 2 with Electrolyte

28