New to the forum....check out my Trucker cell!

[b1jetmech]

Hello everyone!

New to the forum, really enjoy reading in on others experiences and appreciate them for being open with their ideals.

I have been into the HHO hobby for a year and half. I'm a fan of "Joe cells" because I had good results with one but haven't replicated it.

I'm building a "Trucker cell" using 10"x10" 316 plates....075 in. thick, each plate weighs 2.2 pounds. It's a two cell with 4 neutrals each. There is 9.75" of exposed plate area because the plates are supported in a machined plastic housing. Plate spacing is .210 in. maybe far for some but for larger plates, I think it's appropriate. There is a total of 2000 sq in. of applied plate area.

If you look at the pictures below, the plastic housing is has an integrated water tank. Originally this cell was going to be a true "zero current leakage cell" where the water between two plates recirculates in it's own bubbler, never mixing with water from other plates. I canned it and made it a dry cell.

The cost? (Hey honey!? We need to get a second mortgage!...)LOL! I think I flushed down over $1500 dollars for this bad boy.



Here is a plastic housing with one of the "negative" plates with the gasket going down next.


Another housing piece next inline.


It's monkey see, monkey do from here on out.


Here it is on the test bench. Notice the gas exiting up from the plates, through the channel area?


So how did it perform? At 82 amps direct current with no PWM, it pushed 5.9-6 liters a minute. So far a 6.0 MMW was achieved. The highest temp it reached was 105 degrees after an hour of operation. (Outside temp 75 degrees.)

[Roland Jacques]

Preety Cool design.

Each cell completely isolated, Very Nice.

[redrat100]

Wecome B1jetmech! Nice craftsmanship. A comment on material though: It looks like the grey gasket material is pvc sheeting. If it is not, ignore this. Myself and others have discovered that pvc is not a good choice for gasket material. I used it in one of my dry cells and found that, since pvc is a plastic and not an elastic rubber compound, it distorts under heat and pressure and will not go back to it's original shape. This will cause many leaks, especially in a cell your size. Neoprene is a good gasket material, Nitrile is even better.

[b1jetmech]

Preety Cool design.

Each cell completely isolated, Very Nice.

Thanks Roland. My intent was going for zero current leakage but relented at the last moment. At least for the plates there are no holes, in the first run I was hoping for the ten AMPS/liter of hydrogen but it's off from that ratio...Oh well. It still needs breaking in.

[b1jetmech]

Wecome B1jetmech! Nice craftsmanship. A comment on material though: It looks like the grey gasket material is pvc sheeting. If it is not, ignore this. Myself and others have discovered that pvc is not a good choice for gasket material. I used it in one of my dry cells and found that, since pvc is a plastic and not an elastic rubber compound, it distorts under heat and pressure and will not go back to it's original shape. This will cause many leaks, especially in a cell your size. Neoprene is a good gasket material, Nitrile is even better.

Thanks RedRat.

The gasket material used is the Ole' shower pan (i.e. PVC material)gasket from Lowes/Home Depot. You are correct in it's deficiencies of PVC gasket material. I used it because of low cost and it's temporary. To my surprise it doesn't leak.

I'll be working my way up to the Neoprene and Nitrile as you mentioned.

[b1jetmech]

Here is a closer look to the finish product.

[Helz_McFugly]

great work b1jetmech. Soa re the gaps between the plates about 1/8? maybe a 3?16? cant really tell? its a nice disign.

[b1jetmech]

great work b1jetmech. Soa re the gaps between the plates about 1/8? maybe a 3?16? cant really tell? its a nice disign.

Sup' Helz,

The gaps are .200-.210 in. Less then a quarter, more then an 1/8th in. I'm thinking the gap might be a little too much but because the plates are 10"x10" the gap should be efficient. Anything tighter could be harder for gas bubbles to escape between plates.

Chase

[hydrotinkerer]

B1,
What kind of plastic did you use for the spacers? What size orafice is the gas output holes? With you just now breaking it in I was wondering if the gas is going to exit fast enough to keep it from pushing the electrolite down exposing the plate surface.

Very nice build. You need to post that so Bob over on the hut can wet himself. lol

[b1jetmech]

B1,
What kind of plastic did you use for the spacers? What size orafice is the gas output holes? With you just now breaking it in I was wondering if the gas is going to exit fast enough to keep it from pushing the electrolite down exposing the plate surface.

Very nice build. You need to post that so Bob over on the hut can wet himself. lol

Hey Hydro! Long time no hear from...LOL!

The plastic is HDPE .25 in. I'm might go to UHMW...we'll see. The holes are 3/8 dia. I want to enlarge the holes to 1in. for better exhaling.

Take care!