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HYDROTEKPRO
07-29-2008, 08:12 PM
How hot could an electrolyzer get under the hood of a car, sitting in traffic, during summer, in a warm city like Pheonix Arizona for example?

200 F? 300 F? Even more?

Stratous
07-29-2008, 09:51 PM
I wouldnt think it would not get any hotter than anyplace else. The heat is only going to build until the input energy cant raise the temperature anymore. If I were to run my cell here in my town and it capped out at 170° then it would top out the same in Phoenix unless the ambient temp was higher than that. It takes increasing amounts of energy to raise the temperature for each degree. I believe for about 1 gram of water it takes about 4 Joules intil the water hits about 100° then it takes more energy to account for vaporization which helps cool the water. I could be wrong, but I think I remember this from somplaced.

dennis13030
07-29-2008, 10:30 PM
How hot could an electrolyzer get under the hood of a car, sitting in traffic, during summer, in a warm city like Pheonix Arizona for example?

200 F? 300 F? Even more?

RU from Phoenix Arizona?

HYDROTEKPRO
07-30-2008, 01:47 AM
No but I've got friends there that want units.

It's also an excellent example of hot weather, which when combined with already hot under-the-hood temperatures (not to mention stop and go city driving), create temperatures not every electrolyzer may withstand!

As the HHO industry continues to grow, we feel it's important to maintain high standards not only in performance and ease-of use. Giving up quality to save a buck (or make a buck) is an ideal we cannot embrace-this would of course include the basic material(s) used in the construction/manufacture of units.

We also feel the public should be as well informed as possible, about the nuances of HHO production and the HHO industry, and we feel this is one sure example of that.

So we ask: Just how hot can it get under the hood? And yes, even in a black car in Death Valley during a summer heat wave, idling on the side of the road with the air-conditioner running? This may be a bit extreme, but electrolyzers need to be able to withstand that, in our opinion!

dennis13030
07-30-2008, 10:12 AM
Well in Phoenix, in the summer time, the air can reach about 125F in the shade. I would hope that with proper electrolyzer design and installation, the electrolyzer temperature would not go beyond 150F.

This is why I am considering using polycarbonate for my housing. It is rated pretty well for high temps. Also proper electrolyzer design should mean that the electrolyzer will not get HOT on its own. If an electrolyzer gets HOT on its own, then input power is wasted as heat.

HHOhoper
07-30-2008, 12:04 PM
No but I've got friends there that want units.

It's also an excellent example of hot weather, which when combined with already hot under-the-hood temperatures (not to mention stop and go city driving), create temperatures not every electrolyzer may withstand!

As the HHO industry continues to grow, we feel it's important to maintain high standards not only in performance and ease-of use. Giving up quality to save a buck (or make a buck) is an ideal we cannot embrace-this would of course include the basic material(s) used in the construction/manufacture of units.

We also feel the public should be as well informed as possible, about the nuances of HHO production and the HHO industry, and we feel this is one sure example of that.

So we ask: Just how hot can it get under the hood? And yes, even in a black car in Death Valley during a summer heat wave, idling on the side of the road with the air-conditioner running? This may be a bit extreme, but electrolyzers need to be able to withstand that, in our opinion!

Well I can give you somewhat of an idea as I found out last night. When I used an infrared thermometer on my engine parts after an hour and a half of driving, the overall temp of my engine parts were about 220 degrees F. My exhaust manifold was about 320 F.
Even though your cooling system will cool down the block, etc, there are other parts of your engine that get piping hot and have no cooling other than the air that passes over the engine during driving. At a red light, it increases temperature considerably and the cooling fans kick on to try and compensate for that. Anywhere near an exhaust component is going to be the hottest part of your engine.
In my opinion, if you are going to put your generator under your hood, it's going to need excellent outside air circulation or another form of cooling. Either that or in a fender area where there is little or no engine heat.

HYDROTEKPRO
07-30-2008, 01:57 PM
BINGO!

Even though the inside of the electrolyzer may "only" get as high as 150 F to 220 F (water boils at 212 F), temperatures under the hood are influenced by other things like engine block temperature, exhaust manifold temperatures, etc.

Exhaust manifold at 320 F? Engine block at 220 F?

So wouldn't it be possible for the temperature under the hood to reach 220 F or even higher? Irregardless of what the inside temperature of the electrolyzer happens to be, that's a hot oven under the hood of a car!

Thank you HHOhoper for those temperature readings.

Car batteries for example are designed for this. In addition to heat, the casing needs to withstand its corrosive contents, which become even more corrosive with heat! Automotive battery casings are NOT made of PVC, ABS or Acrylic.

And can you imagine using 27% KOH solution :eek: year 'round? The lesser plastics like PVC, ABS and Acrylic might not take it for too long, and it might be just enough to cut the lifespan of stainless steel plates by 50% or even more:eek:! 27% may be swell up in outer space, with electrolyzers constructed out of different materials. But here on the planet surface, under the hood of a car, using non-NASA materials for construction, we're very suspicious of the intent behind such a 27% recommendation, aren't you?

HHOhoper
07-30-2008, 03:14 PM
Yeah, 27% seems like a load full. Especially if KOH is supposed to provide the most gas at the highest dilution.

Yes, those reading were both Fahrenheit.

I know my water temp was only around 190 when I took those readings as well, so you're dead on- it is an oven under the hood of a car.

computerclinic
07-30-2008, 05:29 PM
I started out with glass...then moved into some PVC and ABS...Now I am working on polycarbonate...Just by reading others experiences and considering everything that I have learned about the nature of our experiments, I believe that the poly is the best way to go (second only to SS container). SS containers would be ideal, but they are very difficult to fabricate without specialized equipment and can also be much more costly.

Omega
07-30-2008, 06:21 PM
There is a compatibility issue with polycarbonate and either NaOH or KOH, I can't remember which one... just a heads up for those who may want to try it out.

Polycarb seems to be the way to go, at this point...

HYDROTEKPRO
07-30-2008, 07:02 PM
There is a compatibility issue with polycarbonate and either NaOH or KOH, I can't remember which one... just a heads up for those who may want to try it out.

Polycarb seems to be the way to go, at this point...

Right again!

The hot corrosive alkali is probably too much for polycarbonate and acrylic, KOH and NaOH included. Polypropylene will withstand them, no problemo. Automotive battery casings are made of Polypropylene btw.

Another option may be CPVC (Chlorinated-Poly-Vinyl-Chloride), or HDPE (High-Density-Polyethylene).

All three of these polymers have comparable maximum operating temperatures. CPVC may be the most brittle, similar to PVC water pipes that freeze and break during the Winter, especially since CPVC is a form of PVC, but a higher grade.

Since car battery casings are made of Polypropylene, that's probably pretty safe. Just keep the electrolyzer, safety bubbler, and everything else away from the engine block, and especially the exhaust manifold.

timetowinarace
08-07-2008, 12:29 PM
And can you imagine using 27% KOH solution :eek: year 'round? The lesser plastics like PVC, ABS and Acrylic might not take it for too long, and it might be just enough to cut the lifespan of stainless steel plates by 50% or even more:eek:! 27% may be swell up in outer space, with electrolyzers constructed out of different materials. But here on the planet surface, under the hood of a car, using non-NASA materials for construction, we're very suspicious of the intent behind such a 27% recommendation, aren't you?

So restrict yourself to less than 27%. Spend the next few years looking for a better way. When the realization comes to you that the most efficient electrolyte solution has allready been determined by those that have experimented before you, You'll be back on track to an effecient unit.

If you were building your own house, would you determine the correct mixture of the concrete for the foundation or would you go with the pre-determined mixture that many before you has come up with?

HYDROTEKPRO
08-07-2008, 03:03 PM
So restrict yourself to less than 27%. Spend the next few years looking for a better way. When the realization comes to you that the most efficient electrolyte solution has allready been determined by those that have experimented before you, You'll be back on track to an effecient unit.

If you were building your own house, would you determine the correct mixture of the concrete for the foundation or would you go with the pre-determined mixture that many before you has come up with?

:confused:

Since there is both correct and incorrect information available, about which % to use, for OUR applications, with OUR materials, there is no substitute for testing when certainty is desired. Since this only takes a relatively short time, with this variable isolated completely by itself, the realization that your question is a confused one came rather instantaneously. This is further confirmed by the fact that given this is a new and evolving technology at this time, the analogy to a long since established standard of concrete mixture is ridiculous.

However, since the standard of an efficient unit within our immediate parameters has already been established, you are right, we are on track to an efficient unit.:D

Walt
08-07-2008, 03:14 PM
I have been building my units out of Stainless steel (yes the container). I also use the container as the ground. SS disipates heat well and will not melt under the extreemes of the hood. My unit (on the bench) gained 1 degree per minute for one hour and a half. The next hour it ony added three degrees. It held at 185. In the car it does not exeed 160 and usualy not over 145. It produces over 1 lpm and seems to be getting better as it seasons. The container shows no signs of deterioation after a month. The plexi however is a pain in the rear...I think I have more goop on it then I do plexiglass.

Walt

Butch
08-07-2008, 03:19 PM
Stainless Steel Drums from 4 gallon up

http://www.thecarycompany.com/containers/drums/stainlesssteel.html

what other Stainless steel containers can I get ?

HYDROTEKPRO
08-07-2008, 03:27 PM
I need to apologize for my last post. I don't want to be arrogant, or a jerk, like somebody we all probably know here.

So lemme break it down!

Our electrolytes contain a corrosive element, it eats shit up and dissolves it away, similar to acid. The higher % you use, the more corrosive it becomes. Also, the hotter it gets, the more corrosive it gets. So we're playing with both %'s and relatively hot temperatures, of a corrosive.

Do you think NASA uses stainless steel plates, with the big bucks they have? No, I don't think so. They probably use Nickel, Platinum, Titanium or some other expensive material for their plates that can take the hot corrosive electrolyte for extended periods. Think their casing is made of stainless? Doubt it, probably similar, expensive metals or polymers that are just too expensive (but hell of durable!) to be practical for you, me, or anybody else here.

Butch
08-07-2008, 04:04 PM
Walt, what is the size & shape of your Stainless steel container ?