sealed dry cell

[thedore]

From reading what is going on it appears to me that we are moving in the direction of a dry cell with the edges sealed. I think what is needed is about 5 plates with 4 U shaped gaskets to seal between them and either a larger gas tight container to hold the entire cell or some other way to seal the open area on top of the electrolyte but still allow the gas to collect. This in effect is 4 cells in series. As we need 2.5 volts per cell minimum too many cells would require too much voltage. Maybe a small hole could be allowed to let the electrolyte come to the same level but this would have to be tested. Holes seem to be bad things.

[lhazleton]

thedore, nearly everyone has been using drycell reactors for quite some time now. As far as U shaped gaskets are concerned, it won't work. You should really do some research and see how they're built.

[thedore]

I know this is not popular but from what I have seen and read the idea of a dry cell or any cell with many plates is not very good. To do electrolysis you put two plates in a electrolyte solution and you get HHO. If you add more plates it may help but this causes such a complex situation that it is no wonder that different people get different results. It is very difficult to evulate what is going on because on one hand you have many cells in series but there are current shorts between these cells. ( this is why people are trying to make the holes smaller) If you need more cells you should add them. Also they should be driven by some type of current source to prevent thermal runaway.

[delvis11]

I know this is not popular but from what I have seen and read the idea of a dry cell or any cell with many plates is not very good. To do electrolysis you put two plates in a electrolyte solution and you get HHO. If you add more plates it may help but this causes such a complex situation that it is no wonder that different people get different results. It is very difficult to evulate what is going on because on one hand you have many cells in series but there are current shorts between these cells. ( this is why people are trying to make the holes smaller) If you need more cells you should add them. Also they should be driven by some type of current source to prevent thermal runaway.

Your missing the point. lhazleton is right. People have done alot of research on these drycells, Including me. There are a few right ways and a lot of wrong ways to build one. You need to do your research.

[RustyLugNut]

I know this is not popular but from what I have seen and read the idea of a dry cell or any cell with many plates is not very good. To do electrolysis you put two plates in a electrolyte solution and you get HHO. If you add more plates it may help but this causes such a complex situation that it is no wonder that different people get different results. It is very difficult to evulate what is going on because on one hand you have many cells in series but there are current shorts between these cells. ( this is why people are trying to make the holes smaller) If you need more cells you should add them. Also they should be driven by some type of current source to prevent thermal runaway.

Your thinking is spot on. A truly sealed individual cell connected with others in series is the most efficient design with all else being equal. The so called "dry cell" pushed by the majority of members of this forum is good, but has the weakness of an obvious current short (electrolyte short) through the feed holes in the plates. Since we know that even with an excellent electrode material with low over-voltage, such as nickel, you need at least 1.5 v approximately, to drive any useful production, why is it you can run 11+ plates on a 12v system? The answer is in the current leakage through the vent holes in the electrode plates. The configuration is an easy one to duplicate but, is not the best in efficiency of production. The so called "neutral plates" placed in the middle of the active electrodes have an effectiveness that follows a bell curve - those nearest the driven electrodes produce the most, those in the middle, the least. I fabricated a small experiment with clear acrylic sides to map this.

My personal set up is four individual cells in series driven by a current limiting circuit with a fairly wide range of adjustment.

Again, the "dry cell" design favored by forum members is a good one and easily built but, it is not the ideal - separate individual cells in series is the ideal, all else being equal.

Then, there is the idea of hybrid individual cells . . .