Modern methods heating of buildings and premises are offered on the domestic market in the form of many options. It is understandable that consumers choose those that promise maximum efficiency at minimal cost.

One of the alternative methods of heating a room is the use of a hydrogen generator.

A little history

The principle of operation of hydrogen energy was noted in ancient times. The famous healer Paracelsus, while conducting his scientific experiments, noticed that when certain elements were combined, bubbles were formed, which at that time he mistook for air. It was later discovered that it was hydrogen, which is a gas without color, with certain conditions exhibiting explosive properties.

Currently, they have learned to use hydrogen for various purposes, including heating a residential building or any other structure. These technologies are being actively developed and implemented in many industries. As an innovation in the scientific development market, hydrogen heating has already attracted the interest of many consumers and continues to gain popularity among the general public.

It has been proven that hydrogen is considered not only a fairly common substance, but also an easily accessible substance. The only difficulty is that it has to be extracted from chemical compounds, most often - water.

Features of a hydrogen generator

Based on the requirements and size of a private or municipal building, it is necessary to select a hydrogen burner with an optimal power level, adapted to the needs of a particular room. It should be noted that the maximum possible power rating of the generators is 6.

Hydrogen, rightfully recognized as the most economical type of fuel, can be produced in any quantity. A prerequisite for this is the availability of electrical energy, as well as water.

The main task of technology is to fully independent heating premises. However, hydrogen-based installations can perfectly complement existing home heating systems. You just need to make sure that all elements of the heating system operate at low temperatures.

These units are also used to heat the room using heated floors, which are now easy to assemble with your own hands.

Operating principle of the device

The heat generation process is based on the electrolysis of water in a medium saturated with a catalyst. The main condition for the normal operation, as well as the safety of the generator, is that under such conditions, water does not decompose into oxygen and hydrogen, the combination of which can be explosive.

Modern generators work to produce Brown gas. This is a completely non-explosive substance of a brownish or green hue, also called water gas. After production and heating to 40 degrees, it immediately goes to the combustion chambers, and more specifically, to the heat exchanger. There it is mixed with air-fuel elements.

The main structural components of the simplest hydrogen unit are pipes and the boiler itself. Often no technical accessories or additional elements and no more equipment is required.

This also applies to components designed to remove combustion products. After all, as a result of the operation of the generator, only steam is released into the atmosphere: water, clean and completely safe.

Often, burners of this type have a modular design, each part of which has its own catalyst, which increases the overall efficiency of the system.

As for pipes for the system, it is advisable to use those whose diameter is in the range from 1 to 1.25 inches. Some deviations are allowed, but most often these are the ones used to heat a house. Important rule, which should not be neglected when installing heating pipes, – each previous branch should be larger in diameter than the next one.

Features of Electrolytic Hydrogen Generator

Hydrogen generator, based on the principle of electrolysis, are most often produced in container versions. A prerequisite for purchasing such a heating device is the presence of the following documents: permission from Rostechnadzor, certificates (compliance with GOSTR and hygienic).

The electrolytic generator consists of the following elements:

• block including a transformer, rectifier, distribution boxes and devices, water replenishment and demineralization unit;
• devices for separate production of hydrogen and oxygen - electrolyzer;
• gas analysis systems;
• liquid cooling systems;
• a system aimed at detecting a possible hydrogen leak;
• control panels and automatic system control.

To achieve the most efficient electrical conduction process, drops of lye are used. The reservoir with it is replenished as needed, but most often this happens about once a year.
Any electrolytic generators industrial type are produced on the basis of European environmental and safety standards.

It has been experimentally proven that purchasing a hydrogen electrolytic generator is much more profitable than regularly purchasing gas. Thus, to produce 1 cubic meter of gas from hydrogen and oxygen, only about 3.5 kW of electrical energy is required, as well as half a liter of demineralized water.

Advantages of using a hydrogen unit

The device attracts many for the following reasons:

• Coefficient useful action is about 90%, the technology competes with the most advanced achievements of science and technology related to heating any home.
• There is no need to use a flame to achieve heat. The entire process is based on chemical reactions with catalysts.
• Absolute harmlessness of the device.
• Hydrogen generators are sources of clean energy that cannot be exhausted.
• The use of hydrogen as the main source of heat minimizes the need for constant exploitation of fossil resources, the cost of extraction of which is many times higher than the cost of producing heat from hydrogen.
• Completely silent operation of the unit. Installation of the device does not require separate chimneys.

Negative aspects of hydrogen heating of buildings

To be fair, it is worth highlighting some of the disadvantages of this heating method:

• explosion hazard, which can be caused by incorrect operation of the unit;
• insufficient prevalence of hydrogen devices in Russian market, which is accompanied by problems with installation or purchase of equipment;
• lack of specialists and service technicians capable of certifying or servicing heating devices of this class.

Is it possible to create a hydrogen generator yourself?

It’s better not to take risks, because such a process is associated not only with the need to know the intricacies of technology and chemistry, but also requires proper compliance with safety rules. But installing the equipment yourself is possible. To do this, it is enough to follow the instructions and avoid amateur activities.

Heating of any home should provide not only comfortable living for a person, but also environmental cleanliness environment. This is achieved due to the fact that after the combustion of hydrogen no harmful compounds are formed.

IN Western countries heating using hydrogen generators has gained widespread acceptance and economic justification. If similar method will take root in Russia - this will significantly increase the efficiency of heating with minimal costs for resources.

The price of fuel is rising every year and there is no end in sight to its increase. Therefore, the issue of saving is quite relevant, especially given the current situation in the country. In connection with the crisis, I thought about how I can save on gasoline. Some drivers have long installed gas equipment for this purpose and switched from gasoline to gas, but this maneuver does not really help save money. As it turns out, there is another way to use less fuel, and that is a hydrogen generator for a car. No, this does not mean that the car will run on hydrogen and you will give up gasoline, but this will allow you to actually reduce the initial amount of fuel consumed by creating a hydrogen-gasoline mixture.

To bring the reader up to date, I will first tell you how a hydrogen generator for a car works. The name should suggest that this device generates something by turning one substance into another. A hydrogen generator is a device in which a chemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen occurs, resulting in the formation electric current.

The principle of operation is as follows: on one side of the generator, hydrogen is supplied to the anode, and on the other, oxygen is supplied from the air to the cathode. Since the anode is a platinum catalyst, it splits hydrogen atoms, resulting in positively charged ions and protons that have a negative charge. The polymer membrane located between the cathode and anode allows only hydrogen ions to pass through. Where do electrons with a negative charge go? They find another way - they go to the cathode, making their way along the external circuit, and in doing so create an electric current.

Once on the cathode, hydrogen particles react with oxygen. As a result, water is formed, which is discharged outside. The generator consists of cells, one of the cells produces up to 1.16 Volts. This, of course, is not enough to start the car. Therefore, a hydrogen generator for a car has a structure that consists of a large number of individual cells. The power depends on the number of cells, as well as on the size of the membrane.

Is it economical?

The hydrogen generator saves the amount of fuel used both in city mode and on the highway. The savings rate depends on the power of the generator and the car model. If you conduct a survey of drivers who use this installation, you can understand that fuel savings when using a hydrogen generator range from 15 to 30 percent. But you need to know that its use not only helps to save fuel, but also has some impact on the operation of the car, and this impact is not always positive.

Simple DIY generator

To save fuel, you can use a hydrogen generator, which you can actually assemble yourself. So, let's assemble the device and save our money.
To collect it, you need to stock up necessary material and details:

To create a generator, you need to take a container and place plates in it. To prevent the container from being damaged during shaking, its body must be durable. To strengthen it, you can glue strips of plexiglass to the surface of the container or make stiffening ribs from polyethylene.

Make holes in the lid of the container and pass the wires through them to the plate. It is better to make the lid quick-release to ensure unhindered replenishment of water in the future, but do not forget that the lid must close tightly. As a sealing material, you can use a silicone gasket no thicker than 1 millimeter. This way you will avoid gas losses.

To supply gas to intake manifold you need to make a hole in the lid and connect the tube to it. And to avoid energy losses, it is advisable to use high-quality insulating material. Next you need to assemble the control unit. To do this, you need to understand a little about the principles of radio electronics.

If you don’t have the skills, you can order the block from a specialist (it’s still cheaper than buying it in a store). The control unit independently controls the current that must be supplied to the plates depending on the operation of the motor. Initially, through experimental attempts, set the current strength on the plates in idle mode and at the moment maximum speed. This will create the minimum and maximum boundaries for the generator.

There is also a generator with manual drive, but it is much more convenient to use an automated one. Once the generator is installed, all connections must be carefully checked for losses. You can check using soap foam. Foam is applied to the connection and if there is a leak, bubbles will let you know about it. Not only does a leak affect your original goal of saving money, but a hydrogen leak can also cause your car to catch fire.

I’ll give you a few more related tips: for modernization, you can connect a second tank. It is attached slightly lower than the first. The tanks must be connected to each other by two tubes. One tube is used to supply water, and the second to discharge gas. The second tank is used more as storage, and the first one does the main work.

All connections must be tightly connected. Otherwise, they will heat up, and sparking may occur as a result of heating.

You don't need to know much to save a little money on fuel. A hydrogen generator will help you with this. It is important to understand that while the generator is operating, gas is produced, and the gas is explosive. Therefore, it is necessary to take this process with maximum responsibility. I wish you good luck and great savings.

Video “Do-it-yourself hydrogen generator for a car”

The recording shows how you can make a hydrogen generator for a car at home.

18.03.2018

HYDROGEN Generator (Instructions + Schemes)

Read more How to make a HYDROGEN GENERATOR at home (Instructions + Schemes)

The constant rise in energy prices stimulates the search for more efficient and cheaper types of fuel, including at the household level. Most of all, craftsmen and enthusiasts of creating Free Energy Generators at home are attracted by hydrogen, whose calorific value is three times higher than that of methane (38.8 kW versus 13.8 per 1 kg of substance). The method of extraction at home seems to be known - splitting water by electrolysis. But there are other ways that are cheaper and simpler - high-frequency electrolysis...

To begin with, I suggest you watch a short video that gives you an understanding of WHY such developments (of which there are already a great many!) have never found their application in our everyday life:

The article has 2 goals:

• analyze the question of how to make a hydrogen generator at minimal cost;
• Consider the possibility of using the installation for heating a private home, refueling a car, and as a welding machine.

• Brief theoretical part
• Creation of a prototype
• About the Meyer hydrogen cell
• Plate reactor
• Conclusion

Brief theoretical part

Hydrogen, also known as hydrogen, the first element of the periodic table, is the lightest gaseous substance with high chemical activity. During oxidation (that is, combustion) it releases great amount heat, forming ordinary water. Let us characterize the properties of the element, formatting them in the form of theses:

For reference. Scientists who first separated the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen called the mixture an explosive gas due to its tendency to explode. Subsequently, it received the name Brown's gas (after the name of the inventor) and began to be designated by the hypothetical formula NHO.

From the above, the following conclusion suggests itself: 2 hydrogen atoms easily combine with 1 oxygen atom, but they part very reluctantly. The chemical oxidation reaction proceeds with the direct release of thermal energy in accordance with the formula:

2H 2 + O 2 → 2H 2 O + Q (energy)

Here lies important point, which will be useful to us in further debriefing: hydrogen reacts spontaneously from combustion, and heat is released directly. To split a water molecule, energy will have to be expended:

2H 2 O → 2H 2 + O 2 - Q

This is the formula for an electrolytic reaction that characterizes the process of splitting water by supplying electricity. How to implement this in practice and make a hydrogen generator with your own hands, we will consider further.

Creation of a prototype

So that you understand what you are dealing with, first we suggest collecting simple generator to produce hydrogen at minimal cost. Design homemade installation shown in the diagram.

What does a primitive electrolyzer consist of:

• reactor – glass or plastic container with thick walls;
• metal electrodes immersed in a reactor with water and connected to a power source;
• the second tank plays the role of a water seal;
• tubes for removing HHO gas.

Important point. The electrolytic hydrogen plant operates only on direct current. Therefore, use an AC adapter, car charger or battery as a power source. An AC generator will not work.

The operating principle of the electrolyzer is as follows:

To make the generator design shown in the diagram with your own hands, you will need 2 glass bottles with wide necks and lids, a medical dropper and 2 dozen screws. The full set of materials is shown in the photo.

From special tools required glue gun for sealing plastic caps. The manufacturing procedure is simple:

To start the hydrogen generator, pour salted water into the reactor and turn on the power source. The beginning of the reaction will be marked by the appearance of gas bubbles in both containers. Adjust voltage to optimal value and ignite the Brown gas coming out of the IV needle.

Second important point. It is impossible to apply too high a voltage - the electrolyte, heated to 65 ° C or more, will begin to evaporate intensively. Because of large quantity water vapor will not ignite the burner. For details on assembling and launching an improvised hydrogen generator, watch the video:

About the Meyer hydrogen cell

If you have made and tested the design described above, then you probably noticed from the burning of the flame at the end of the needle that the performance of the installation is extremely low. To get more detonating gas, you need to make a more serious device, named after the inventor.

The principle of operation of the cell is also based on electrolysis, only the anode and cathode are made in the form of tubes inserted into one another. Voltage is supplied from the pulse generator through two resonant coils, which reduces current consumption and increases the productivity of the hydrogen generator. The electronic circuit of the device is shown in the figure:

Note. The operation of the circuit is described in detail on the resource http://www.meanders.ru/meiers8.shtml.

To make a Meyer cell you will need:

• a cylindrical body made of plastic or plexiglass; craftsmen often use a water filter with a lid and pipes;
• stainless steel tubes with a diameter of 15 and 20 mm, a length of 97 mm;
• wires, insulators.

Stainless steel tubes are attached to a dielectric base, and wires connected to the generator are soldered to them. The cell consists of 9 or 11 tubes placed in a plastic or plexiglass case, as shown in the photo.

The elements are connected according to a scheme well known on the Internet, which includes an electronic unit, a Meyer cell and a water seal (technical name - bubbler). For safety reasons, the system is equipped with critical pressure and water level sensors. According to reviews from home craftsmen, such a hydrogen installation consumes a current of about 1 ampere at a voltage of 12 V and has sufficient performance, although exact numbers none.

Plate reactor

High performance hydrogen generator capable of powering gas burner, made of stainless steel plates measuring 15 x 10 cm, quantity - from 30 to 70 pcs. Holes are drilled in them for the tightening pins, and a terminal for connecting the wire is cut out in the corner.

In addition to sheet stainless steel grade 316, you will need to buy:

• rubber 4 mm thick, resistant to alkali;
• end plates made of plexiglass or PCB;
• tie rods M10-14;
• check valve for gas welding machine;
• water filter for water seal;
• connecting pipes made of corrugated stainless steel;
• potassium hydroxide in powder form.

The plates must be assembled into a single block, isolated from each other with rubber gaskets with a cut out middle, as shown in the drawing. Tie the resulting reactor tightly with pins and connect it to the pipes with the electrolyte. The latter comes from a separate container equipped with a lid and shut-off valves.

Note. We tell you how to make a flow-through (dry) type electrolyzer. A reactor with immersed plates is easier to manufacture - rubber gaskets no need to put it, but assembled block lowered into a sealed container with electrolyte.

The subsequent assembly of the generator producing hydrogen is carried out according to the same scheme, but with differences:

1. A reservoir for preparing electrolyte is attached to the body of the device. The latter is a 7-15% solution of potassium hydroxide in water.
2. Instead of water, a so-called deoxidizing agent is poured into the “bubbler” - acetone or an inorganic solvent.
3. A check valve must be installed in front of the burner, otherwise when the hydrogen burner is turned off smoothly, the backlash will rupture the hoses and the bubbler.

To power the reactor, the easiest way is to use welding inverter, electronic circuits no need to collect. How it works homemade generator gas Brown, will tell House master in his video:

Is it profitable to produce hydrogen at home?

Answer to this question depends on the scope of application of the oxygen-hydrogen mixture. All published by various Internet resources are designed to release HHO gas for the following purposes:

• use hydrogen as fuel for cars;
• smokeless combustion of hydrogen heating boilers and ovens;
• used for gas welding work.

Let's remember what we wrote in the first section. Hydrogen is a very active element and reacts with oxygen on its own, releasing a lot of heat. When trying to split a stable water molecule, we cannot apply energy directly to the atoms. The splitting is carried out using electricity, half of which is dissipated to heat the electrodes, water, transformer windings, and so on.

Important reference Information. Specific heat The combustion of hydrogen is three times higher than that of methane, but by mass. If we compare them by volume, then when burning 1 m³ of hydrogen, only 3.6 kW of thermal energy will be released versus 11 kW for methane. After all, hydrogen is the lightest chemical element.

Hydrogen generators, which are currently used in cars to save energy, come in two types: “wet” electrolyzer and “dry” electrolyzer. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, but the dry electrolyzer is the development of the second generation of devices that produce hydrogen for cars, since it eliminates the significant disadvantages of its wet predecessor.

When experimenting with hydrogen generation yourself, you should be extremely careful about safety precautions! It is necessary to first study the experience of other researchers and practitioners. Links to resources on this topic from practical examples at the end of the article.

All sorts of generators and devices in this Chinese store.

The video shows a diagram of a dry generator. More details on how to make it are in the second video.

Detailed description

To make dry batteries you will need a perforated stainless steel grade 316L or 316T. Sheet thickness is 0.4 mm, or 0.5 mm, no thicker, with a hole diameter of 2 mm, or 3 mm. The pitch of the holes is staggered, as shown in the picture. Lightly sand each sheet with coarse sandpaper so that the surface is covered with scratches. This will increase the area of ​​contact between steel and water.

In the manufacture of "dry batteries" for a car, you will need 20 sheets of perforated steel 10X10 cm, with a protrusion of 3X3 cm, for electrical contact; 19 spacers, 2 mm thick, and 2 spacers, 10 mm thick. They can be cut from car inner tubes or sheets of rubber. You also need two sheets of plastic 16X16 cm. It is best to make them from the walls of a battery container that has exhausted its life. You will see the remaining details in the video demonstration of the multipolar “dry battery” model. The first and last gaskets are 10 mm thick, needed in order to plastic parts for the entry and exit of water in the battery system, the first and last steel sheets did not rest tightly. In the steel plates, in the protrusions for electrical contacts, drill a hole of such a diameter that the bolt fits into them as if threaded, that is, tightly! The plates must alternate contacts. One plate with contacts on the right bolt; the other - with contact on the left bolt. And so on.

Electrolysis system

The electrolysis system consists of the following parts: Battery. "Dry battery". The first container is for distilled water mixed with potassium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide must have 95% saturation!. The second container with regular, clean water for gas purification. Pressure device. A valve that prevents gas from returning back to the system.

Connecting the positive and negative cables from the battery to the “dry battery”. The flow of water mixed with potassium hydroxide into the battery. The resulting gas with residual water leaves the battery and enters the container. Then, through a filter that prevents water from escaping, the gas from the first container enters the second container for purification through water. For this, a long tube is used, going almost to the very bottom of the second container. In the first and second containers, acid-resistant, non-sinking and porous material can be placed on top of the water to prevent splashes of water when the car rolls, shakes and tilts while driving. Then, through a filter that prevents water from escaping, the purified gas from the second container passes through a device indicating gas pressure.

From the pressure device, gas passes through a valve, which prevents gas from returning back through the system. The valve consists of a copper tube with tightly screwed caps at both ends. The lids are equipped with nipples that allow air to pass in one direction, that is, from the electrolysis system to the outside. And in copper tube"steel wool" grade 0000 is tightly packed. Without this valve, the electrolysis system will be explosive!

Dry batteries are easy to assemble and disassemble. The suggested steel plate parameters will save you from the headache of calculations. If a “dry battery”, given the power of your car’s battery, is not very effective, then reduce the number of plates equally by plus and minus. If the battery gets very hot, then add the number of plates equally, one for plus, the other for minus, and so on. Make the first and second containers in the electrolysis system the same area and shape so that they can be more conveniently placed under the hood. For reliability, make steel casings for them and for the “dry battery”. Gas is supplied to the engine through the air intake system. In this case, it is necessary to reduce fuel injection. There are many brands of cars, so an individual approach is needed here. In general, think, experiment.

On this site you will find videos and drawings of the water injector and high-voltage ignition relay. And on this Russian-language website vodorod-na-avto.com there is a lot useful information with details and tests of hydrogen generators for cars.

We are accustomed to consider the most accessible view fuel natural gas. But it turns out that it has a worthy alternative - hydrogen, obtained by splitting water. We receive the starting material for the production of this fuel completely free of charge. And if you make a hydrogen generator yourself, the savings will be simply amazing. Right?

For those wishing to build a cheap but very productive fuel generator with their own hands, we offer detailed instructions. We provide recommendations for proper use. Photo applications and videos were used as informative additions that clearly explain the principle of operation.

Chemistry lessons high school explanations were once given on how to obtain hydrogen from ordinary water flowing from the tap. There is such a concept in the chemical field - electrolysis. It is thanks to electrolysis that it is possible to produce hydrogen.

The simplest hydrogen installation is a container filled with water. Two plate electrodes are placed under the water layer. Electric current is supplied to them. Since water is an excellent conductor of electric current, contact with low resistance is established between the plates.

The current passing through the low water resistance promotes the formation of a chemical reaction, which results in the formation of hydrogen.

Diagram of an experimental hydrogen installation, which in former times was studied in the high school chemistry class. As it turns out, those lessons were not superfluous for the practice of modern everyday needs

It would seem that everything is simple and very little remains - to collect the resulting hydrogen to use it as an energy source. But chemistry is never complete without subtle details.

So it is here: if hydrogen combines with oxygen, at a certain concentration an explosive mixture is formed. This point is one of the critical phenomena that limits the ability to build sufficiently powerful home stations.

Hydrogen generator design

To build hydrogen generators with your own hands, they usually take Brown’s classic installation scheme as a basis. This medium-power electrolyser consists of a group of cells, each of which contains a group of plate electrodes. The power of the installation is determined with total area surfaces of plate electrodes.

The cells are placed inside a container well insulated from external environment. The tank body has pipes for connecting the water main, hydrogen outlet, as well as a contact panel for connecting electricity.

Installations for operation within condominiums are also developed and manufactured. These are already more powerful designs (5-7 kW), the purpose of which is not only the energy of heating systems, but also the generation of electricity. Such combined option is quickly gaining popularity in Western countries and Japan.

Combined hydrogen generators are characterized as systems with high efficiency and low carbon dioxide emissions.

An example of a real-life industrially manufactured station with a power of up to 5 kW. Similar installations in the future it is planned to equip cottages and condominiums

Russian industry has also begun to engage in this promising type of fuel production. In particular, Norilsk Nickel is mastering technologies for the production of hydrogen installations, including household ones.

It is planned to use the most different types fuel cells in the development and production process:

• proton exchange membrane;
• orthophosphoric acid;
• proton exchange methanol;
• alkaline;
• solid oxide.

Meanwhile, the electrolysis process is reversible. This fact suggests that it is possible to obtain already heated water without burning hydrogen.

It seems that this is yet another idea that, if you grab onto it, you can launch a new round of passions associated with the free production of fuel for your home boiler.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Experimenting at home with homemade models, you need to prepare for the most unexpected results, but negative experience- this is also an experience:

DIY hydrogen generators for the home are still a project that exists at the level of one idea. There are no practically implemented do-it-yourself hydrogen generator projects, and those that are positioned online are the imagination of their authors or purely theoretical options.

So we can only rely on an expensive industrial product, which promises to appear in the near future.