HHO Cell draws WAY too much power

http://brentnewton.deviantart.com/ar...tled-358213832
http://brentnewton.deviantart.com/ar...tled-358213953
http://brentnewton.deviantart.com/ar...tled-358213633
http://brentnewton.deviantart.com/ar...tled-358213832

So I just built this and I'm pulling way too much amperage. I just blew a 7.6a fuse, so I know its higher than 7a. Oh at 18v dc. My electrodes are 1/16" stainless steel sheets about 1 1/2" wide by 6" long. My electrolyte is salt. I made the mix in hot water so the resistance keeps going up. Last I read it, it was at 400 ohms.

I did this experiment last night with 19 gauge stainless steel wire and with only 12v it was working very well. Drawing only 1.5amps. Any suggestions?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BrentN

http://brentnewton.deviantart.com/ar...tled-358213832
http://brentnewton.deviantart.com/ar...tled-358213953
http://brentnewton.deviantart.com/ar...tled-358213633
http://brentnewton.deviantart.com/ar...tled-358213832

So I just built this and I'm pulling way too much amperage. I just blew a 7.6a fuse, so I know its higher than 7a. Oh at 18v dc. My electrodes are 1/16" stainless steel sheets about 1 1/2" wide by 6" long. My electrolyte is salt. I made the mix in hot water so the resistance keeps going up. Last I read it, it was at 400 ohms.

I did this experiment last night with 19 gauge stainless steel wire and with only 12v it was working very well. Drawing only 1.5amps. Any suggestions?

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First I'd like to ask what your goal is, because there are a lot of things wrong here with your setup. My first suggestion is to turn it off and do some reading in the general forum section. But first we really need to know what your goal is before we can help any further.

Someone correct me if I am wrong please.

Brent:

Yes, there is a lot wrong with what you are doing. For starters, don't use glass at all, it's way too dangerous. Second, don't use salt for an electrolyte. Only use Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) or Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH). Save yourself some time reading and researching and just watch these videos I made for newbies. Watch them all and you will be up to speed with most of us here.

HHO Basics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smm-XGHIN04

Wet Cell vs Dry Cell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQOxWXRsLB4

Neutral Plates Explained
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDjyIvza6Yc

How to Calculate Maximum Amps For a HHO Dry Cell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtlVJ...1&feature=plcp

Tips For Building an Efficient Dry Cell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmXHhVh_nkY

No, I knew I'd get responses like this. I have never done this before. I'm just learning right now. I don't have any spare sodium hydroxide sitting around and I'm unemployed at the moment, so buying stuff just to learn with is a bit out of reach. I had very good results last night 1.5a at 12v got it working very well, but the water was in pyrex and it had been heated to near boiling. I'm pretty sure a lot of my problem is with the salinity of the water. Once it drops below a certain temperature the salt begins to come out of solution and then my resistance sky rockets. I understand perfectly why I shouldn't use glass. I redid the whole thing in a plastic container.

I've seen your videos. That setup you're using probably cost $1000+. I'm trying to learn. Not fill the Hindenburg. =) I'm also flat broke so buying anything is out of the question. (Thanks Obama) lol. I have lots of spare everything around my house. I was thinking of building a bridge rectifier direct from the wall to cut down the amount of amps I'm getting. Of course less resistance is ideal, but at the moment I am also plum out of sodium hydroxide. Could have sworn I had some in the medicine cabinet. Sorry for being a smart ass. I will watch all the videos and read the forums.

You don't need to spend a lot of money, just apply the principles in the videos to your builds. Keep in mind 2 volts/plate gap and use the maximum amps calculations so you don't overdrive your cell. You can pick up a small bottle of Sodium Hydroxide from most small hardware stores for less than $5. It is sold as crystal drain opener. Make sure it's the crystals not the liquid and says 100% Sodium Hydroxide on the ingredients. Most important though, LOSE THE GLASS JAR, it's too dangerous! If you don't believe me watch this:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/v6-0Oi1bzvs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ok, so I heated the water to just under boiling and tested it at 12v pulling 5a. With the wire. bubbled a lot, but damn near ate the anode off in 10min.

No I believe you 100% I work with dangerous tools all the time and understand quite clearly what happens when you stop respecting them. Yeah I wiki'd sodium hydroxide and apparently it is lye which is cheap like you said. What resistance do you shoot for at room temperature?

Try the smacks booster design if you want something inexpensive. Just dont follow it exactly cuz the plates are a little expensive. I found that was the best way to learn how a wet cell works. From there you can make your own design.
You can get lye at a hardware store- its drain cleaner, but its gotta say 100% lye.