Progress Report I Mohamad Aliff 7697 Electrolyzer

8/8/2019 Progress Report I Mohamad Aliff 7697 Electrolyzer

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INVESTIGATION OF PRODUCTION OF HYDROXY GAS USING

ADVANCED ELECTROLYZER

By

MOHAMAD ALIFF BIN MOHD SAHIMI (7697)

FINAL YEAR PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT

Submitted to the Electrical & Electronics Engineering Programme

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)

(Electrical & Electronics Engineering)

UniversitiTeknologiPETRONAS

Bandar Seri Iskandar

31750 Tronoh

Perak DarulRidzuan

Copyright 2009

By

Mohamad Aliff bin Mohd Sahimi, 2009


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CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL

INVESTIGATION OF PRODUCTION OF HYDROXY GAS USING

ADVANCED ELECTROLYZER

by

Mohamad Aliff bin Mohd Sahimi

A project dissertation submitted to the

Electrical & Electronics Engineering Programme

UniversitiTeknologi PETRONAS

in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)

(Electrical & Electronics Engineering)

Approved:

__________________________

Mr. SaifulAzrin bin Mohd Zulkifli

Project Supervisor

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS

TRONOH, PERAK

Jun 2010


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CERTIFICATION OF ORIGINALITY

This is to certify that I am responsible for the work submitted in this project, that the

original work is my own except as specified in the references and acknowledgements,

and that the original work contained herein have not been undertaken or done by

unspecified sources or persons.

__________________________

Mohamad Aliff bin Mohd Sahimi


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ABSTRACT

Soaring fuel prices have made us find alternatives which are cheaper and more

reliable. Hydroxy is aproduct of the electrolyzer, which consists of combination of

hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is part of the alternative fuel in development to

replace gasoline as main fuel source. This document presents the study of hydrogen

fuel system that is applied on vehicles and the design of device to produce this gas on

demand without the risk of storing a high pressure tank of compressed hydrogen in

vehicles. The internal combustion of an engine and the study of itis also

presented.This document is divided into 5chapters: Chapter 1 describes the objective,

problem statement, scope of study, methodology, findings and background study,

meant to give the basic idea of this project. Chapter 2 describesliterature review &

theory required for the project to be done successfully. Chapter 3 and 4 discuss the

methodology and conclusion for the end product of the investigation. The

investigation will covers properties, technical details of the equipment, all the

required materials and steps taken for this project to be executeduntilthe prototype

level.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract..v

List of Figures.....viii

List of Tables.....ix

List of Abbreviations.....x

CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION........................1

1.1 Background Study1

1.2 Problem Statement...2

1.2.1 Problem Identification......2

1.2.2 Significance of the Project2

1.3 Objectives and Scope of Study....3

1.3.1 Relevancy of Project.3

1.3.2 Feasibility ofProject within Scope and Time Frame3

1.3.3 Investigation..3

CHAPTER 2 :LITERATURE REVIEW & THEORY.....4

2.1 Theory......................4

2.2 Mechanism of Combustion..5

2.3 Advanced Electrolyzer System6

2.3.1 Building the Case..82.3.2 Preparing the Plates.11

2.3.3 Electrolyzer Preparation Steps12

CHAPTER 3 :METHODOLOGY..14

3.1 Procedure Identification14

3.2 Project Workflow.......15

3.3 Tools & Equipment...16

3.3.1 Components ........16

3.3.2 Equipment .....16

3.3.3 Tools...16


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CHAPTER 4:RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.....17

4.1 Data Gathering & Analysis............................................................17

4.1.1 Normal Electrolysis Experiment.....................................17

4.1.1.1 Equipment Setup for Electrolysis.....................18

4.1.1.2 Data Collection ...............................................184.1.2 Advanced Electrolyzer Experiment................................19

4.1.2.1 Waveform Setup..............................................20

4.2 Discussion..20

CHAPTER5:CONCLUSIONANDRECOMMENDATION....21

5.1 Conclusion..22

5.2 Recommendation22

REFERENCES...23


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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 : Combustion Work in Gasoline Engine ................................ ................................ ... 7

Figure 2 : Milled Body Case for Electrolyzer ................................ ................................ ......... 9

Figure 3 : Reinforced Acrylic Iron to Corners ................................ ................................ ...... 10

Figure 4 : Milled Plate Position in the Electrolyzer Housing ................................ ................ 11

Figure 5 : Sanded Electrolyzer Plate ................................ ................................ .................... 13

Figure 6 : Plate Preparation for Electrolyzer ................................ ................................ ........ 13

Figure 7 : Electrolyzer Preparation ................................ ................................ ...................... 13

Figure 8 : Installation Layout for Electrolyzer in Vehicles System ................................ ....... 14

Figure 9 : Water Supply to the Electrolyzer System ................................ ............................. 14

Figure 10 : Sensors Circuit ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 14

Figure 11 : Workflow for The Project ................................ ................................ .................. 16

Figure 12 : Workflow of The Project ................................ ................................ ................... 16

Figure 13 : Normal Electrolysis Gases Collection............................. ......................................20

Figure 14 : Comparison Graph for Oxygen and Hydrogen Generation...................................21


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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 :Oxygen & Hydrogen Production..............................................................................19

Table 2 : Waveform Setup for Electrolyser Input....................................................................20


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LIST OF ABBREVIATION

1. D.C. - Direct current2. A.C. - Alternating current3. F.Y.P. - Final Year Project.


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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Study

Traditional electrolysis is known for hundreds of years since it was firstintroduced by Michael Faraday. The structures of the one done by Faraday uses two

carbon electrodes and water with the presence of an electrolyte such as Sodium

Hydroxide ,(NaOH) or Potassium Hydroxide,(KOH) to produce hydrogen,(H2) and

oxygen,(O2) gas. The process involves applying DC potential difference between the

two anode &cathode electrodes and delivering minimum energy required to break the

H-H-O bonds (68.3 kcal per mole at STP). The gases that are produced from the

normal electrolysis is by 1:2 ratio of hydrogen to oxygen from the cathode (-) and

anode (+) respectively. On a macro scale, the amount of gas produced depends upon a

number of variables, including the type and concentration of electrolyte solution used,

the anode and cathode electrode pair surface area, the electrolytic resistance (ionic

conductivity, the temperature and pressure) and the amount of supplied current and

voltage. The amount of supplied energy must be sufficient to produce oxygen and

hydrogen, avoiding corrosion or reduction of the electrodes inside the traditional

electrolysis system.

Hydrogen fuel car is state of the art technology that immensely developed by

giant automotive manufacturers like Mercedes, Toyota, Honda and BMW. This

technology enables consumers to have environment friendly cars with 0% emission

and become as an alternative to petrol as fuel. This investigation for production of

hydrogen,(H2) & oxygen,(O2) using electrolyzer will enable user to use water to


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supply the required gas for combustion instead of carrying high pressure tank of

hydrogen in cars.

The advanced electrolyzer is a unique method of electrolysis. It contains up to

100 plates of stainless steel plate which act as electrodes. The required voltage supply

is more than 110 V. By using normal 12V accumulator or wet battery that easily

available and an inverter of 160V, we can produce the required energy in no time. The

structure of electrolyzer needs the electrodes to be arranged in certain way so that

optimum production of gas is obtained. Electrolyte to enhance the electrolysis is not

necessary -- normal tap water is the only required substance. Specially designed

circuit comes with the electrolyzer to help enhance the production ofgas by supplying

special square pulse train to the device. The system layout for installation alsodescribed.

1.2 Problem Statement

1.2.1 Problem Identification

The traditional technique of electrolysis has insufficient production to makegood use of hydroxy gas. Using normal DC, the acceptable amount of power supply

for production of gas is too low [2]. The optimum voltage for electrolysis is only at

1.48Volt which means any extra voltage supplied is unnecessary because it will only

use up to 1.48Volt for the process. The quantity of gas produced is too small and

taking a long time to be accumulated to certain volume before it can be used. The

anode/cathode electrodes tend to corrode after being used for a long time and the

produced gas often leaks from the container. With the advancedelectrolyzer, not just

the weaknesses areeliminated; we can implement the device to a good use from

kitchen usage to the transportation accessories. The produced gas also abundant and

the quantity required can be produced on demand.


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1.2.2 Significant of the Project

The advanced electrolyzer is a ground breaking and feasible technology. The

required components for the project can be found in most electronic and hardware

shops. The investigation of production of Hydroxy (Hydrogen + Oxygen) gas is

important due to its concept of using the abundant material on earth: water, as its

source of energy and its application and usability in numerous engineering fields.

1.3 Objectives and Scope of Study

1.3.1 Relevancy of Project

Many research and investigation done by inventors from many parts of the

world to produce a well-functioninghydrogen + oxygen production devices. All the

way, many patents have been recorded in describing techniques of producing this gas.

This project is aimed mainly to test and investigate the workability of the electrolyzer

to produce required product. With respect to Final Year Project course outline, the

end product will be relevant to a few engineering programs and totally under the

scope of undergraduates studies. In environment and society wise, this investigation ifimportant as it will give alternative solution to the current situation of hiking fuel

price and global warming.

1.3.2 Feasibility of Project within Scope and Time Frame

The given time length is 12 month for this project to come to completion. It isconsidered more than enough for the execution of the proposed F.Y.P title. With the

first semester will be the research and findings period and the second semester as the

construction period of prototype, the student will have enough time to do all kind of

tests and experiments required so that they can come out with the final product.


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1.3.3 Investigation

The investigation includes the study of the U.S patent documents and literature

study on the technical specifications on the constructed prototype. The design of the

circuit to produce proper waveform to be supplied to the prototype is the main aspect

of the project as it will affect the produce product and the optimality of the prototype.

For the study of internal combustion of Hydrogen gas and its properties, I refer most

of the sources from the Academic findings and journal.


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Chapter 2

LITERATURE REVIEW & THEORY

2.1 Theory

To decompose water electrically, it is necessary topass direct current between

a pair of electrodes whichare immersed in a suitable electrolyte. It is normal insuch

electrolysis to place some form of gas barrier betweenthe two electrodes in order to

prevent the gasesevolved during the electrolysis from forming an explosive mixture.

However provided suitable precautionsare taken it has been found that the gases can

be allowed to mix and can be fed into a storage tank for subsequentuse. Because the

gases when mixed form an explosivemixture, it is possible for the mixture to be

utilized for good use like stove kitchen and combustion engine. For that purpose, it is

necessary to control the explosiveness of the gasses when ignite by adding air mixture

to it. One of the difficulties encountered with electrolysisis that bubbles of gas are

liable to remain on the electrodesduring the electrolysis thus effectively limitingthe

area of electrode which is in contact with the electrolyteand preventing optimum

current flow between the electrodes. Because in accordance with the present

technique, it is desirable that the gases evolved duringthe electrolysis be mixed with

air, then it is possible forair to be passed through the cell while the electrolysis isin

progress. The passage of air through the cell can be directed past the electrodes so as

to entrain in the passageof air any bubbles of gas remaining on the electrodes.

Accordingly the prototype comprises an electrolyticcell including a gas tight

casing, a combination of electrodes usedis supported on a central post within the

cellin a spaced apart relationship and insulated from each other, each alternative

electrodebeing adapted to be connected to a positive direct currentsource or a negative

direct current source respectively and wherein the central post is in the form of atube,

one end of which is extended out of the cell and isadapted to be connected to a source

of air under pressure, with the other end of the central post terminatingin an air outlet

below the said electrodes, the said cell including a gas outlet to exhaust air forced into


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the cellthrough the central post and to exhaust the electrolyticallyproduced gases

mixed with the said . The electrolysis will produce H2 & O2 and the act of combustion

will reproduce water in form of H2O [3].

Electrolysis Product: Produce 2 mole of hydrogen and 1 mole of oxygen with every 2

mole of water.

Combustion Product: For a perfect combustion of 2 mole of hydrogen with 1 mole of

oxygen will produce back 2 mole of water.

2.2 Mechanism of Combustion

[4]

Details of the mechanics of combustion depend to a great extent on the fuel

and thenature of the combustion system. They are sometimes not well understood.

There are, however, certain fundamentals thatare useful in dealing with combustion

systems. The chemical reaction equations presented here do not portray the

actualmechanism of combustion; they merely indicate the initial and final

chemicalcompositions of a reaction. In most cases the reactions involve a sequence of

steps,leading from the reactants to the products, the nature of which depends on

thetemperature, pressure, and other conditions of combustion. Fuel molecules,

forinstance, may undergo thermal cracking, producing more numerous and smaller

fuelmolecules and perhaps breaking the molecules down completely into carbon and

hydrogen atoms before oxidation are completed.

In the case of solid fuels, combustion may be governed by the rate at

whichoxidizer diffuses from the surrounding gases to the surface and by the release

ofcombustible gases near the surface. Combustion of solids may be enhanced by

increasing the fuel surface area exposed to the oxidizer by reducing fuel particle size.

We have seen that, for combustion to occur, molecules of oxidizer must mixwith fuel

molecules, an action enhanced by the three T.s of combustion: turbulence, time, and

temperature. Chemical reactions take place more rapidly at high temperaturesbut


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nevert eless require finite ti e for completion. Itis t erefore import ntt t burnersbe

long enough to ret in the fuel ir mi ture for a sufficientl long time so that

combustion is completed before the mi ture leaves. Turbul , or ixi ,

enhancesthe opportunities for contact of oxidi er and fuel molecules and removal of

products ofcombustion.

A flame propagates at a given speed through a flammable mixture. It

willpropagate upstream in a flow of a combustible mixture ifitsfl

exceeds

theflow velocit . If a fixed flame frontis to exist at a fixed location in a duct flow in

whichthe velocit ofthe combustion gas stream exceeds the propagation speed, some

form offl t biliz ti is required. Otherwise the flame frontis swept downstream

andflameout occurs. Stabili ation may be achieved by using fixed fl

l

rs(partialflow obstructions that create local regions of separated flow in their

bases where theflame speed is greaterthan the local flow velocity) or by directing a

portion of the flowupstream to provide a low-speed region where stable combustion

may occur.Each combination of oxidi er and fuel has been seen to have a

particularstoichiometric oxidi er-fuel ratio for which the fuel is completely burned

with aminimum of oxidi er [6]. It has also been pointed outthatitis usually desirable

to operateburners at greater than the theoretical air-fuel ratio to assure complete

combustion ofthe fuel and that this is sometimes referred to as a l ixture.

Occasionally it may bedesirable to have i lete combustion, perhaps to produce a

stream of products inwhich carbon monoxide exists orto assure that allthe oxidi erin

the mixture isconsumed. In that case a burner is operated at less than the

stoichiometric a ir-fuel ratiowith what is called a rich mixture.There are limits to the

range of air-fuel ratios for which combustion will occurcalled limits offl mmabilit .

Here the density of the mixture is important. The limits offlammability around the

stoichiometric A/ are reduced at low densities. If combustionis to occur reliably in

mixtures atlow densities, itis necessary to closely controltheair-fuel ratio.

Figure 1 :Combustion Workin Gasoline Engine


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2.3 Advanced Electrolyzer System

[4]

This is a Hydroxy-On-Demand (HOD) system. It is very difficult indeed

to generate hydroxy gas fast enough to power an internal combustion engine vehicle

under all road conditions. Moving from standstill to rapid acceleration causes such a

massive sudden requirement for additional volumes of hydroxy gas, that it is difficult

to provide that volume instantly.

A better solution is to use an electric engine for the vehicle. This can be an

electric vehicle which was designed from scratch as such, or it can be a standard

vehicle which has been adapted for electric engine use [2]. These electric vehicles

are usually limited in how far they can travel, but a good solution to this is to use an

electrical generator to charge the batteries, both when the vehicle is in use and when

it is parked. This electrolyzer can be used to run such a generator on water. With

this arrangement, there are no CO2 emissions and the vehicle is very environmentally

friendly. The batteries provide the necessary sudden acceleration demands and the

generator recharges the batteries during normal driving.

For the designed pulsed system has the following components:

1. An electrical connection to the vehicles electrical system (with

safety features built in).

2. An inverter which raises the electroly er voltage to 160

volts.

3. A specially designed circuit board which generates a

complicated water-splitting waveform.

4. A specially designed toroidal transformer which links main

circuit board to the electroly er.

5. Treated 100 stainless steel plates as electrodes.

6. A dual-protection system for linking the electroly er safely to

the internal combustion engine.

None of these items is particularly difficult to achieve, but each

needs to be done carefully and as designed for safety purpose.


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2.3.1 Buil

ingthe Case:

The case forthe electrolyzer accommodates 100 plates which cutted in 6 x 6

size and arranged closely with the gap between plates are 1/ . The plates

arrangement can be done by a milled aluminium slotted strip with 1/ distance

between slots or using a small iron rod to place the plates with equally spaced

between them by 1/ . From the testing in the lab with controlled input voltage, itis

founded thatthe closer distance between the electrodes,the higherthe gas production

rate. Thus, 1/ considered acceptable distance to produce optimal gas during the

process.

The base and two sides ofthe cell could have grooves cutin them to take the

plates. This is not a good idea for various reasons, including the fact that the steel

plates expand when they warm up and are liable to crackthe acrylic case unless the

slots are cut deeper than normal. Also, it is difficult to cut very accurate slots in

acrylic due to the heat of the cutting blade causing the acrylic to deform in the

Figure 2 :Milled Body Case for Electrolyzer


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immediate area. Grooved acrylic is very much weaker and breaks easily due to the

planes of weakness introduced into the material. Using Ultra High Molecular Weight

Poly Ethylene or High Density Poly Ethylene (food chopping-board material) strips

is a much better technique as that material does not have the same cutting heat

problem and it can also take the plate expansion much better, so itis the construction

method of choice. It is also a cheaper material. The grooves which are cut for the

plates should be three ten thousandths of an inch wider than the thickness of the

plates. A good plate thickness is 16 gauge sheet which is one sixteenth of an inch

thick or 0.0625 inch (1.5875 mm), so the recommended groove width for that is

0.0655 inches which is not a convenient fraction being about four and one fifth sixty-

fourths of an inch. Also, steel sheetthickness is not absolutely exact, so it needs to

be measured with a micrometer and averaged before the three ten thousandths of an

inch is added. (6) The grooves are 1/8 (3 mm) deep.

The supplier of the acrylic sheet needed for making the case, will be able to

supply glue specifically designed forjoining acrylic sheets together. This glue

actually welds the plates together so thatthe sheets become one continuous piece of

acrylic along the joint. Start by mating the sides and the base. Insert two or three

plates into the slots to be quite sure thatthe alignment is spot-on during thejoining

process. Line the ends up during jointing to be sure that the sides are completely

square when being joined to the base. Concerns have been expressed about the

strength ofthe acrylic casing under severe road conditions. So it has been suggested

thatthe acrylic components be constructed from sheet which is 3/ to 1 thick (18

mm to 25 mm) and the corners reinforced with angle iron secured with bolts tapped

into the acrylic as shown below.

Figure 3 :Reinforced Acrylic Iron to Corners


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This housing looks very simple and straightforward, but this is highly

misleading and the materials are very expensive, so any error is costly. The

construction accuracy needed is very high indeed with many opportunities for a total

and expensive disaster. Ed Holdgate has built several custom fixtures to ease the

construction, but construction is still very difficult even with these specialist fittings

and his years of experience. Sikaflex 291 marine bedding compound is used to seal

between the two slotted sides and the slotted base, and between the slotted sides and

the two end inserts, in order to prevent any leakage between the acrylic and any of

these inserts. [6] The accuracy required forthe slots to hold the stainless steel plates

is 0.0003 and the plates are tapered with a belt sander on both sides along all four

edges so that when they are forced into the slots they will not cutinto the sides ofthe

slots. This produces excellentleakage characteristics, but dontlose sight ofthe very

high accuracy of the slot cutting needed for this. The edges of the slotted inserts

receive a bead of Sikaflex marine bedding compound attaching them to the acrylic

box and the compound is allowed to cure before construction is continued. There are

cheaper marine bedding compounds, but dont be tempted by them as Sikaflex is a

much superior product. The end plates with the stainless steel straps welded to them

are used to connectthe electrical supply to the plates, keeping any connection which

could possible workloose and cause a spark, completely outside the housing. Even

Figure 4 :Milled Plate Position in the Electrolyzer Housing


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though the straps are welded and there is no likelihood of them coming loose, the

welds are still kept below the surface of the electrolyte.

2.3.2 Getting and Preparing the Plates:

A set of 101 plates is needed for the electrolyzer. The material used when

making the plates is very important. It should be 16-gauge 316L-grade stainless

steel as it contains a blend of nickel and molybdenum in the correct proportions to

make it a very good catalyst for the pulsing technique. The plates need to be flat to a

tolerance of +/- 0.001" after cutting and this is the most important factor. That level

of accuracy excludes any kind of flame cutting as it produces inevitable heat

distortion. With shearing, expect +/- 0.015" on the cuts and +/- 0.001" on flatness.

The plates are square: 6-inches by 6-inches, but that do not represent 36 square

inches of active surface area some plate area is inside the grooves and some of each

plate is above the surface of the electrolyte. Another point to remember is that 101

steel plates this size weigh a considerable amount and the completed electrolyzer

with electrolyte in it will weight even more. It is essential therefore to have a case

which is strongly built from strong materials, and if a mounting bracket is to be used,

then that bracket needs to be very robust and well secured in place. The preparation

of the plates is one of the most important steps in producing an electrolyzer which

works well. This is a long task, but it is vital that it is not skimped or hurried in any

way. Surprisingly, brand new shiny stainless steel is not particularly suitable for use

in an electrolyzer and it needs to receive careful treatment and preparation before it

will produce the expected level of gas output.

The first step is to treat both surfaces of every plate to encourage gas bubbles

to break away from the surface of the plate. This could be done by grit blasting, but

if that method is chosen, great care must be taken that the grit used does not

contaminate the plates. Stainless steel plates are not cheap and if you get grit

blasting wrong, then the plates will be useless as far as electrolysis is concerned. A

safe method which Bob much prefers is to score the plate surface with coarse

sandpaper. This is done in two different directions to produce a cross-hatch pattern.

This produces microscopic sharp peaks and valleys on the surface of the plate and


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those sharp points and ridges are ideal for helping bubbles to form and break free of

the plate.

For simplicity, the process of cleaning and treating the plate is as follows:

2.3.3E

lectrol zer Preparation

teps

Figure 5 : Sanded Electrolyzer Plate

Plate Sanding Plate Cleansing Plate Conditioning

Figure 6 : Plate Preparation for Electrolyzer

ExternalCase

Constructions

Electronic Circuit

Installation

Assembly for all theDevices.

Electrolyzer Plate

Treatment

Construction of

Bubbler

Bench Testing at Well

Ventilated area.

Installation on

vehicles system.

Error Detection

and Debugging

Figure 7 : Electrolyzer Preparation


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Figure 8 : Installation Layout for Electrolyzerin Vehicles System

Figure 10 : Water Supply to the Electrolyzer System

Figure 9 : Sensors Circuit for Water Level Detection in Tank


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Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Procedure Identification

Procedure identification comprise the step-by-step taken from the preliminary

work of the project till the construction of the prototype and through several

discussions with my supervisor, I am able to grasp the abstract of the topic. Further

researches were performed by referring to books, journals and the internet which have been very beneficial in gathering information regarding the project. However the

information is being continuously updated and the exact information is difficult to

obtain.Most of the information discussed different sub topics and need to be

correlated for each part and this needs to be done as soon as possible.


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3.2 Project WorkFlow

The following diagram shows the work flow ofthis project:

Proposal & Approval ofFYP title.

Research and case study on the required information. (Discussion with supervisor

and lecturers)

Collection the necessary information in regards to hghfdgdgfelectrolyser, patentdocuments and design ofthe system.

Identifying the required equipment and component forthe electrolyzer and bench

testing equipment.

Construction of prototype and error debugging of working devices for optimality.

EDX presentation and national exhibition.

Pre-EDX and presentation to internal and external examiners.

Fi

re 11Figure 12 : Workflow of The Project


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3.3 Tools & Equipment.

3.3.1 Components :

R1 100 ohms C1 1000 microfarad 35 volt or higherR2 1,000 ohms C2 330 microfarad 16 volt or higher

R3 10,000 ohms

R4 1,800 ohms D1 1N4001 or similar 100 volt or higher 1 amp

R5 18,000 ohms

R6 18,000 ohms Tr1 to Tr3 2N2222 or 2N2222A or similar

R7 3,900 ohms 40V, 800 mA, 500 mW, gain 100 - 300

3.3.2 Equipment :

I. MultimeterII. Voltmeter

III. OscilloscopeIV. Multi SimulatorV. Matlab

VI. LabView 7.0

3.3.3 Hardware :

I. Electronics Components.II. Electronic Board

III. Tin MelterIV. Iron tubeV. Pressure gauge

VI. High pressure pipeVII. Holding pin

VIII. Threaded CapIX. Leak Thread Insulator


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Chapter 4

RE LT AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Data Gatheri and Anal i

4.1.1 NormalElectrol sis Experiment

4.1.1.1 Equipment

etup

Priorto the startup ofthe project, normal electrolysis experiment was executed so that

we can compare the result with the to-be constructed advanced electrolyzer. We set

one small beaker with 2 open end and slot in 2 small balloons to measure the

produced gas pertime. 5volt input seeded to the system. The terminals are using

carbon rod and we use salt as the catalyst forthis normal process.

Figure 13 : Normal Electrolysis Setup


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4.1.1.2 Data Collection

The experiment stated

and the followingtables show the

collected gases in a 60

minutes span.

T,min O2 H2

1 1.2 2.3

2 2.4 4.7

3 3.6 7.1

4 4.8 9.54

5 6 11.9

6 7.2 14.4

7 8.4 16.8

8 9.6 19.2

9 10.8 21.610 12 24

11 13.2 26.4

12 14.4 28.8

13 15.6 31.2

14 16.8 33.6

15 18 36

16 19.2 38.4

17 20.4 39

18 21.6 43.2

19 22.8 45.6

20 24 48

21 25.2 50.4

22 26.4 52.8

23 27.6 55.2

24 28.8 57.6

25 30 60

26 31.2 62.4

27 32.4 64.8

28 33.6 67.2

29 34.8 69.6

30 36 72

31 37.2 74.4

32 38.4 76.8

33 39.6 79.234 40.8 81.6

35 42 84

36 43.2 86.4

37 44.4 88.8

38 45.6 91.2

39 46.8 93.6

40 48 96

41 49.2 98.4

42 50.4 101

43 51.6 103

44 52.8 106

45 54 108

46 55.2 110

47 56.4 113

48 57.6 115

49 58.8 118

50 60 120

51 61.2 122

52 62.4 125

53 63.6 127

54 64.8 130

55 66 132

56 67.2 134

57 68.4 13758 69.6 139

59 70.8 142

60 72 144

Table 1 : Oxygen &

Hydrogen Collection in

60 minutes (cm3)

From the obtained results, we can see that the production of both gases is slow and

taking long time to be accumulated to a certain usable volume. The electrolysis is

highly inefficient. The result in table 1 is then plotted shown in graph below,


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Figure 14 : Oxygen & Hydrogen Gas Generation

From the above graph, we can see that rate of Gas production is really slow, which is

2.4cm3/min for Hydrogen, & 1.2cm

3/min for oxygen.

4.1.2 AdvancedElectroly erExperiment

As per now, we are unable to determine the result that will be produced by the

Electrolyzer, since the parts are still under fabrication process. We still able to expect

the produced gases will be more than the normal electrolysis.

4.1.2.1 Waveform Setup.

In the coming experiment, we are going to test the fabricated electrolyzer with 4 type

of A.C waveform at a few frequencies. The details of the seeded input is as follows,

Waveform Type Frequency(Hz) Total Gas Volume Produced (m3)

Saw Tooth Wave600 To be done.

800 To be done.

0

50

100

150

200

250

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 2 9 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59

Oxygen & Hydrogen Production

in Normal Electrolysis

(x-axis, minute)

(y-axis, cm3)

Oxygen Hydrogen


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1000 To be done.

1200 To be done.

Sinusoidal Wave

600 To be done.

800 To be done.

1000 To be done.

1200 To be done.

Square Wave

600 To be done.

800 To be done.

1000 To be done.

1200 To be done.

Table 2 : Waveform Setup for Electrolyzer Input

4.2 Di cussion

The electrolyzer arrangement could be arrange like:

While the physical arrangement can vary considerably, safety features in the design

should be put as the main factor of design:

1. The electrolyzer cannot be connected directly to the battery. Instead, it isconnected through circuit breaker, relay and electronic board before and after

the current and voltage entering the electrolyzer. It also should be controlled to

turn ON and OFF by the ignition switch ofthe vehicles. This is important, as

forgetting to switch off a directly wired electrolyzer when the vehicles reach

Figure 15 : Electrolyzer arrangement


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destination, leaves the generation of gas continuing while the vehicle is

parked. This extra gas build up could become a danger and draining the

battery without benefit being gained. The relay can be automatic switch off of

the circuit in case of anything like that happen.

2. The electric supply goes through a circuit breaker before entering the system.This to prevent any case of increasing current being drawn to the system due

to the any malfunction to the unit. Taking an advanced step better for

precaution purpose. We can add an LED light to monitor the breaker whether

it has been tripped or not. If the tripping occurs, the LED light will light up to

inform us that we need to reset the breaker.

3. By right, we should have a bubbler in between the electrolyzer and the supplyto the engine. This to prevent the ignition of the gas in the engine to reach the

electrolyzer directly, which if it is, serious explosion will occur. Simple

diagram below will provide basic structure of the additional bubbler:

4. The wires going to the plates in the electrolyzer should be well connected below the surface of the liquid. This to avoid any possibility of connection

working loose with the vibration of the vehicles and causing a spark in the gas

filled region.

Electrolyzer

Bubbler

Engine

Connection with the bubbler as the

safety features to prevent direct

connection of electrolyzer and the

Initial connection without the

bubbler in place.

Figure 16 Bubbler as the safety features.


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Chapter 5

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion

The advanced electrolyzer can be used to replace the traditional electrolysis to

produce suffice amount of usable gas for combustion engine and other dailyequipment that requires gas as the means of combustion for instance the lpg stove.

The end product of the electrolyzer benefits environment and society in long term

wise and should be exercised in our daily life.Difficulties mainly at the stage of

obtaining all the required hardware and electronics material. Execution of the project

includes purchasing, fabricating, assembling and testing.


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5.2 Recommendation

Essentially, the fabrication of the system should be done with full precaution

and care, especially during the bench testing of the electrolyzer system which may

contain highly explosive gas. Safety should be main concern in the system design.

Poorly designed system would have irregular performance and energy, time and

money are being wasted for refabricating and redesigning process. Some of the

recommended designs and features of the electrolyzer are as follows:

1. The system should able to run on only 12Volt DC, supplied by normalvehicles wet battery.

2.

It should be able to operate in normal condition; rated workingtemperature for surrounding should be between 10C ~ 40C.

3. The entire electronic component should be rated to function at themaximum voltage level of 200V, as the system would use an inverter to

produce square waveform of hundreds of volt.

4. An LED light to indicate condition of the system like, tripping breaker,and water level is low etc. should also be installed for ease of the user.


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REFERENCES

[1] Patrick J. Kelly, Oxygen Company, 1998, PracticalGuide to Free Energy

Devices, pp. 23 ~56.

[2] Stephen Barrie Chambers, Alberta, Canada, Oct. 3, 2000,United States Patent,

Patent Number 6,126,794, " Apparatus For Producing Orthohydrogen And/or

Parahydrogen" , pp. 1~17.

[3] Stanley Meyer, May 2, 1989, United States Patent, Patent Number 4,826,581,

"Controlled Process for the Production of ThermalEnergy from Gases and

Apparatus Useful Therefore", pp. 1~45.

[4] Archie H. Blue, Nov. 7, 1978, United States Patent, Patent Number 4,124,463,

"Electrolytic Cell", pp. 1~4.

[5] Dr. Andrija Puharic, 1996, United States, Water Decomposition by AC

Supply, pp1~ 167.

[6] Bob Boyles, Jan. 2006, United States Patent, Patent Number 5,124,553,

"Hydrogen Fuel", pp. 1~50.

Documents

Progress Report I Mohamad Aliff 7697 Electrolyzer