DIY Hydrogen/Oxygen Generators From Grocery Store Items (HHO Fuel Cells & Split Cell Electrolysis)
In this video we look at several electrolysis designs and their function. Check out this video's sponsor, MEL Physics! Use the promo code "nighthawk" for 50% your first set of experiments: melscience.com/s3p/
Most DC power supplies will work adequately well for electrolysis, the most common of which is a 12v battery charger or a car battery itself. For more control it is best to use an adjustable power supply. Here is an affiliate link where you can purchase a similar 30v 10a power supply as I use in this video: ebay.us/2DY3Y0
The last design shown in this video for a combined output HHO fuel cell I first stumbled on here: • CHEAPEST EASIEST FASTE...
After filming this video I realized that the plastic bottles I used for several of my designs had become quite brittle, and found research showing that hydroxide solutions are known to be quite damaging to plastics: www.sciencedirect.com/topics/...
I did not notice increased brittleness in the clear plastic container of my final split electrolysis design, but the plastic is much thicker and so it may take longer to show weakness. A suitable precaution to give the cell the longest life may be to empty it of electrolyte while in storage. A stainless steel or glass container should be able to store the hydroxide solution indefinitely.
A special thanks to my top Patrons: LVE, Enzo Breda Lee, Jon Hartmann, TheBackyardScientist & Eugene Pakhomov! If you enjoy these videos please consider supporting my efforts to continually improve them: / nighthawkprojects
Thanks for watching!
-Ben
Several people have commented with the valid concern that using low quality stainless steel electrodes will contaminate the electrolyte solution with poisonous hexavalent chromium which is not safe to handle or dispose of. I have spent some time this afternoon coming up with a solution to this problem. When using a strongly alkaline solution of KOH or NaOH as your electrolyte the fix is easy: drop a small 1x1 inch piece of aluminum foil into the electrolyte and let it dissolve. Do not add more than a small piece of foil at a time or the reaction may be violent. The dissolving foil will cause any dangerous chromium to convert into a non toxic variation, Cr(iii), evidenced by a green precipitate. One or two pieces of foil dissolved in this way and allowed to react for a few hours should be enough to ensure all chromium has been rendered non toxic.
I applaud the efforts to "neutralize" the Cr(VI) with a reducing agent but since you're still running the electrolysis cell you will be electrochemically oxidizing Cr(III) back to Cr(VI).
I did notice how low it was, Thanks to the Automatic Gain Control. By your reaction and the bang that was very close to a small size firework payload detonating next to you. not fun. also, you forgot to mention that spark are generating by pretty much any voltage. as low as 1 volt. don't how many amperes one needs for that, however is clear that it can be very dangerous when using poorly secure connections.
@@dandan-gf4jk I don't mind some dilute Cr(VI) when it's contained inside the cell, so long as there's a means to neutralize it prior to storage or disposal. Actually, since Cr(III) is extremely insoluble it's unlikely you would convert it back once reduced. You only have to deal with what forms fresh off the positive electrode.
@@Nighthawkinlight Then we might have different priorities, I was quite unhappy to find my SS cathode corrode because I left it in solution. In general having Cr(VI) in solution is better than having solid dust flying around, but still di/chromates are somewhat potent carcinogens so it would be beneficial to inform people that they probably shouldn't spill the water on themselves :P
you should check the PH value of the two containers in your first unit, before and after running it for a while because I am betting you have a slow return of the component of potassium back to one of the containers after it has been drawn to one of the electrodes in side with only a small hole and path to run back into the other side to equalize again. (look into chloro-alki cells used to split sodium chloride into hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, by way of a barrier that the components wont pass back through after being pulled or forced through or attracted by the inbalance of positive and negative charges. )
I remember in my high school science class, my teacher demonstrated an hho device he had made. He used it to fill an upside down 2 litre coke bottle with the hho gas. He then sat the bottle at a 45 degree angle on a special launch rod he had made, removed the cap and held a flame to the end. The resulting explosion launched the bottle across the room, and into the brick wall on the opposite side, crushing the bottle to about half its length. Extremely dangerous to do in a classroom, but it was an awesome demonstration of the power of hydrogen and how to extract it from water. It is a science lesson i will never forget.
Thanks!
Awesome story 😊
Yes, this must've been years ago. The liability issues these days disallow making science classes fun and interesting anymore. I have a nephew, both he and his wife are teachers. They were not even allowed to let their students outside for the eclipse the other day. Sad. Really sad. But, not to worry I suppose, there's always drag queen story hour to look forward to 🙄.
@RyshusMojo1 this would have been about 2003 or 2004. I doubt it would be possible today without getting in major trouble
Two useful suggestions: 1. the anode could be replaced to 「2.0mm Mechanical Pencil Core」which is cheap, replaceable, easy-get, inert. Each core is a 14cm long, 2.0mm diameter graphite stick. It won't generate any poisonous ions. Though the graphite pencil core can disolve to poders gradually, it's really cheap and easy to replace. 2. If the pure oxygen is not useful, the anode bottle could be omitted, just attach the anode at the outer surface of cathode bottle. So the graphite anode could be more easyer to replace. Your video is really great.
You are either a LIAR or you are not qualified to make instructional videos!! Water doesnt get split into hydrogen or oxygen gas. Its the electrodes that gas off and generate hydrogen and oxygen. This has been tested and isolated. Introducing more metals to the process only RUINS your video. Potassium HYDROXIDE?? I wonder what that would breakdown to be.LOL! List to your explanation below.... "Several people have commented with the valid concern that using low quality stainless steel electrodes will contaminate the electrolyte solution with poisonous hexavalent chromium which is not safe to handle or dispose of. I have spent some time this afternoon coming up with a solution to this problem. When using a strongly alkaline solution of KOH or NaOH as your electrolyte the fix is easy: drop a small 1x1 inch piece of aluminum foil into the electrolyte and let it dissolve. Do not add more than a small piece of foil at a time or the reaction may be violent. The dissolving foil will cause any dangerous chromium to convert into a non toxic variation, Cr(iii), evidenced by a green precipitate. One or two pieces of foil dissolved in this way and allowed to react for a few hours should be enough to ensure all chromium has been rendered non toxic." What a joke.
#2, put the rod on the outside of the bottle?
One small issue is the surface area of the rod, as I expect the gas production will be low..
@@Eduardo_Espinozano, inside the bottle
@@farbeyondsane2529no, definitely don’t do that. You need the hydrogen to be separated from the oxygen, or else it makes an explosion or flashback hazard.
The progression was simply beautiful to see and it was a joy to watch this. I think I'll be making the second last one sometime soon, thank you for the inspiration!
I love that you include the designs that didn't work that well and don't just skip to the final prototype.
It's the fact that this person includes details like this that really makes him relatable.
@@fred_e not just that, it also serves as lessons for us that he had to learn by trail and error, which is a Large reason I watch this, as I can use that for theory crafting in my head
Yes! Seeing the experimentation and process is what makes this an amazing science channel and not just a neat tutorial channel.
Exactly!
Ya the perspective it give you helps
Wow. Never heard a bong called a flashback arrestor lol.
Basically the same thing as a percolator
Had the same thought.
You had to meet him half way to understand😂😂😂
Holy shit you're right.
The hydrogen bong! We defeated the Japanese with that device! Lol
I remember commenting the wire wisk/ steel wool/ scrubber idea, and said make HHO generators from household components. Im amazed you actually read and listened
I love how the oxygen tube in the setup emphasises your point perfectly with a little puff of visible gas at 14:22! Classic 👌
Are you sure you didn't misunderstand what a "floating power supply" means? :D
Well it's not connected to the ground is it?
It elevates the applications available for said power supply.
Well, it sure does result in an elevated voltage read-out.
@@muha0644 It looks referenced to ground with a potential of about 1.5 meters to me.
28:01 Don't touch your face with a glove that might be full of very Alkaline solution ^^ ! And please be carefull with the toxic metals like chromium and stuffs that end up in the electrolyte with stainless steel corrosion. That's a nasty stuff for aquatic life ! Thank you for the cool content as always.
Did he just say "Atomic Hydrogen Torch"? Yes, please! I think the only way this channel could get better is more videos, every single one is a banger, especially the ones where gasses go BANG as they combust. Cheers!
Gotta agree with you. These videos are at all just right. They explore some of the nooks and crannies that are often overlooked in all the other science channels. I look forward to all the videos on here
Honest question; are you expecting nukes of some sort? H2 is molecular hydrogen (two H atoms bonded) atomic hydrogen is a single H atom
@@captainboing ,Wondering The Same Thing…Honestly
I'm pretty sure that he is speaking of what I know as an Ionized Hydrogen torch, whereby the gas flows through an electrical discharge arc which brings out the full usefulness of the fuel.
I heard oxy-hydrogen torch but an atomic hydrogen torch would be really cool. The heat is generated from the atomic hydrogen combining and become H2
Love your videos. Everytime I start to source information for a new project or interest, I, invariably, come across one of your videos and become completely enthralled in the topic, regardless of my original intention. So I guess thank you for sparking interest and inspiring me and mine to explore additional scientific pursuits while leaving me dumfounded at what my original task was.
completely new education for me - retired electrical engineer - nicely done. - I'd seen very simple oxygen (and hydrogen) experiments before and of course I've known about cracking water also but not so much interesting info. Ya gotta be pretty good to keep me for 30 min. Interestingly and ironically I saw a few of these before yours and no one says anything about how unstable this stuff is. Hindenburg
We Germans have a nice name for HHO gas. Its "Knallgas" which literally translated is bang gas
H²O is water, h²O Gas is steam 🤷♂️ what you mean may be hydrogen
@@JonasLingott No I do not mean H₂O gas aka steam. I meant HHO gas also known as Oxyhydrogen, Bronwn's gas or Knallgas, a mixture of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.
@@HiltownJoe It's called the same in swedish. Knallgas.
@@JonasLingott the electricity breaks the atomic bonds between the hydrogen and the oxygen - effectively you get (2)H2+O2 (HHO gas) instead of 2(H2O). Um... so basically, IF you heat water you DO get steam, which IS still H2O. If you pass electricity through, you no longer have steam - you have gas that is 2 parts hydrogen and 1 part oxygen. ... Am I making any sense? Sorry if this doesn't clarify anything for you.
In Spanish is called… Nal gas … gas also comes out of them.
Back in the days and I was a lot younger, I tried a HHO generator with a small flashback arrestor like you have done. However it unfortunately did flash back into the electrode chamber, though because I made everything using marmite jars the resulting blow rendered most of the plastic fragments everywhere! The bang was so loud it threw me to the floor and I had ringing in my ears for quite a few minutes afterwards. Miraculously I didn't get hurt, not get any of those shards of plastic in me (at least not any I could feel), but I certainly had quite a bit more respect for the stuff afterwards. I still don't know why the water based flashback arrestor didn't work, but perhaps it was because it was too shallow a container, and when the initial blast occurred in there, it agitated enough of the water in that chamber for the hot gas to make its way into the feeder pipe, and violently back into the electrode chamber. I much prefer the idea of a split gas electrolyser now :)
Would adding thickener to the flashback solution help?
@@cherylm2C6671 Never tried that ... not sure if it would make a difference though. A deeper column of solution however might be the thing to reduce the potential of a line of bubbles from combusting.
@@HemonDey That will work for me!
I'm an SNHU student and I'm going to build this. Thank you NightHawkinLight! I'm taking chemistry now (finished physics!), so for my report I'll need to learn more about the reactions that are occurring at the level of molecules and describe that.
Hi, in order to scale up your setup you might want to apply layered socks and mesh over each other with alternate polarities. Better yet, stack two long strips of 'sock' and SS material then roll into a cylindrical shape, similar to the way capacitors are made. Just an observation, thank you.
I've watched quite a few different designs for these kind things over the years (TKOR, Tested, random channels on youtube, etc) and I think this is the most accessible one I've seen yet
And whether it's a good or a bad thing is up for debate.
Good thing vote here people need information like this to make the world a better place. If only major companies are to know the secrets of the universe then we are all doomed.
RIP grant ;~;
@@AmorDeae .02 the burning books debate is kinda played out.
you dont have to keep the information In a vault where only companies have access to it, it would be just nice if you could make sure ppl who learn it don't hurt themself like for example experimenting under supervision of ppl who already learned these mistakes
The cashier seeing him at Walmart hauling whisks and scouring pads: “This guy sure loves pancakes and must be hoarding for the zombie apocalypse.”
Plus (don't tell the cashier), he's making explosives. Either way, it's good :-)
😄
Or he is a very messy cook 😛
The average person should absolutely NOT be doing this stuff and especially not him. If he was going to do this at all, it should have been outside.
Hoarding split water that is
Have always loved watching your content, I've even used some of your ideas to build with a group of kids that I mentor. Really fun to learn new and amazing things. What made me sit up in my chair in this video was coming to the realization that you were wearing a Ten Minute Bible Hour hat! Love to see content creators shouting each other out, even if it's in subtle ways like this. Thanks for all the work you put into bringing us great content!
Igfûghuuu fff t gg jh hu8ii8 po nkon o pô hi n ho ó reet go
Would like to see useful applications for use of hydro gas besides tour help. Also comparison of cost of electricity to gain burning gas verses electric heating per set of BYU
PER BTU NOT BTY
Hi! Your video is awesome and the ideas of electrolysis you introduced are briliant just because they are easy, cheap and very effective. The level of your efficiency/cost and work ratio is unavailable for other projects! Your methods are the best! Thank you for this video!
Thank You for everything your post. Just saying this so you don't ever stop. Thank You.
You know when you find a KZheadr so good and entertaining that you actually watch their sponsored segments?
I really enjoy your videos. I realize I've seen them several times over for being good quality concise content. I'm currently working on a reduced industrial approach to compressing the hydrogen into a tank after drying with desiccants or pressure swing absorption. I'm still researching cannister liners and coatings as I've found mixed responses around hydrogen embrittlement and porous leakage but at ~500psi I'm less worried.
Presentation was quite enjoyable! I shied away from this sort of thing, having flunked physics in high school and did not do much better in chemistry but this was quite entertaining and understandable. At 76 I had no thought to ever watch a video like this one. I am glad I did. Thank you.
The only thing I would have changed is to have the electrodes connected to the "device" before connecting/disconnecting them to the PSU, that way any spark that is generated is always far away from the "device". Great project as always!
I believe the proper term according to the 'Manhattan Project' is 'gadget', as opposed to 'device'. Just thinking about hydrogen 'things'.
I thought the same. My take is have tabs with holes where the connections are and wires with lugs bolted right to the tabs. That way the wires/alligator clips are never accidentally knocked off while it is powered, which could cause a spark. Have a connector on the other end of your power cable.
Oh Come on now, where is your sense of adventure? A good loud bang is always fun to experience as long as you don't get injured too bad lol...
@@beckwerks6817 sure thing, and besides the ear piercing bang, one needs to be careful they dont get sodium hydroxide blown over them.
@@beckwerks6817 If it goes boom, just put a thumb in the wound.
OXY HYDROGEN TORCH! I would love to see a very big, safe as possible, "refillable" cutting torch ,made on the cheap, that only needs water/electrolyte/power to run
I'd really like to see the system used to compress the gas. In my mind I would have a series of pumps separated by high tensile strength tubbing running through water.
Another vote for this
They use these types of torches in jewelers repair shops. They sell them on the internet. They're about 200usd and are very useful because they're considered to be a "cold flame" but actually reach a few thousand °degrees.
@@fred_e Just use a (cheap) tire pump in your gas collecting container to compress it into your final cylinder.
@@nicks2437 but can it make it a liquid?
Nice explanation! I just produced my own version of a combined sock version and your single output electrolysis item. Of course I wasn't yet educated with the seriousness of the danger of a single collection of the gasses. your slow mo explosion was very useful to see what actually happened to me. I was hoping to ignite the gas as a flame, but it went right back to the suppressor and blew the plastic lid off it like a few m80s bound together. I like your dual collection example, and I'm going to look for your oxy-hydrogen torch video. Thank you again. I'm dumb enough to try this without completely understanding the explosive danger. But now I know and I am fortunate that my B omb didn't hurt me or someone else. Thank you again for the detail. (I had 3 marine 12 v batteries in series to provide the electricity, two steel all threads about 7" each, into a plastic container with one 3/4" gas tube exiting to the suppressor, with the final 1/2" tube from the suppressor to what I was hoping to be my gas manifold. The manifold only served as the ignition spot (used a lighter) for the bullet of gas that traveled back up the 1/2" tube to the top of the suppressor where there was enough gas for a very large plastic lid explosion. The lid fragmented over a large area. My explosion was not slo-mo.)
Fantastic, this was all so well explained,also love the clever way you hung the transformer up!
I am eighty years young but I still enjoy these kind of programs and the way you put it across to your audience thank you .
Agree at 76 YO 😅
dammmmmm!
@dougbas3980 Love you both young souls
You can just put the electrolytic container in bigger container with water for cooling.
Add a cheap fountain pump for water circulation too.
@@chemistryofquestionablequa6252 I built one of those flat pack hho generators, i doubt the fish pump is needed, you'd be amazed how fast the water goes though.
Or he could use Borosilicate glass for everything instead.
@@honklerton732 the issue with an all glass container is if it should flash back, that's a lot of shrapnel.
@marthale7 Lower temp. Heat will cause it to use more power. That's why they make hho gen's dry cells as the have a separate container for the solution to be able to cool down.
I always love seeing videos like this! Sure there are things you can do better, but this is a really good way to get people into science. It gives them something tangible to hold afterword and say "I made this, and it's cool."
& The world need the free energy, now more than ever.. Obviously the current/conventional system isn't very bright/smart/clever.. Most people just swallow their MANY lies, by now we are so used to being lied to, some people even start to believe their lies, cos it constantly happens...Repetition repetition n more repetition, goes strait to the subcon, & so people are far from aware of our(built in abilities)🥰
Thanks for your video, Night Hawk! To make tip-overs less likely, you might glue the bottom of your containers to a large wood base. That setup would be more bulky, but it should stay where you put it.
That, and use short squat containers, that are wider than they are tall
I would suggest making sure to use a pressure rated bottle for the flashback arrester. I learnt the hard way that a water bottle turns into shrapnel pretty quickly...
two things i think might be ok with the setup... first, the output of the device is open air, which means the pressure does have an escape route. Second PET bottles tend to have quite a bit of pressure capacity and are fairly light to boot. That looked like a water bottle which is thinner than a carbonated beverage bottle. In this case, again in my unprofessional opinion, I think that would allow the bottle to deform giving the pressure time to escape via the output tube, and being thinner would rupture at lower pressures than a pressure rated device. I think an ideal setup would be something like a plastic food container that has a lid lose enough to pop off in case of explosion. a grease of some sort could be applied to the seal to help mitigate the potential leaking of the smaller hydrogen molecules.
It would not be as bad as learning the bad way that stainless steel on the anode side produces highly toxic Hexavalent Chromium, both in the water, and in the hydrogen released.
This guy is going to kill himself, or worse, cause a young person to be killed, if he continues on like this. He is completely uneducated and unskilled for this type of work.
Let's keep in mind that this is the same guy who just about three years ago was only uploading videos on how to make Airsoft guns in your garage
The idea still slaps...
the DIYs channel filled my teenage years
@@NKG416 same
Science was the original gateway drug
Don’t sleep, this man made a static electricity generator like 8 years ago
Intelligence delivered in such a down to earth manner. You have a humble desire for learning and an amazing skill to explain your process in a way everyone can understand. I find your quest for knowledge inspirational and relatable.
I adore seeing the idea progression. I appreciate the style!
That flash back arrester reminds me of something else from high school days ;) Really looking forward to the torch build, that's where my mind went before clicking the video!
What's that?
Just don't cough into the tube!
Apparently, I spent half my senior year of machine-shop building flash back arresters. Had no idea so many kids were into electrolysis.
They always lose their gas coz they leave the lid off and stick the outlet on the side
@@Dman6779 Yes, they lose their gas. In the most wonderful way.
Nice, I'd like to add something about the Voltage vs. Efficiency relationship(which you hinted on several times, but didn't explain in detail, so many people probably didn't notice it) - any time you're going above the minimum practical voltage for electrolysis (~2.5v = ~80%), the maximum possible efficiency drops linearly (because the current performs the electrolysis and not the watts), so at 5v it's impossible to have more than a 40% efficienty and at 12v - around 15%. Or in other words, if you are supplying 12v to a single cell, by creating 5 cells with closer electrode spacing and connecting them in series, you'll produce 5 times more gas for the same input power.
That s exactly What I was going to point, this can be solved by adding 4 more socks and 5 stainless steel mesh and connecting the inner an the outer leaving floating the middle ones, at 12 volts the potential will distribute at around the 2.5 volts needed.
@@lacuentadevideos I've done some experimenting in the past and determined that you can't create neutral middle plates that way unfortunately, there has to be none or very little water connectivity between non nearby plates. If you just arrange plates one next to another and submerge them, 90% of the bubbles form just on the outer two, same with the concentric sock setup you're suggesting :( the reason obviously being that the lower resistance of the plate is not that much lower than the path around it through the electrolyte, as the plates are very thin. so its like two resistors with close values in parallel and you expecting all the current to flow through just one. A concentric pipe(not porous unlike the kitchen scrubbers) setup will work, but will be practical only for hho gas, its not easy to separate.
Interesting, I always assumed they had different needs depending on the different sizes or plates etc. Is it really always 2.5v for max output?
@@ratgreen yes. Thats the energy needed to separate Hydrogen and Oxygen in the water molecule. All the excess Voltage generates heat, thats why his cells heat so much.
Fascinating! I’d like to see that demonstrated. I was curious to know how industrial scale electrolysis for hydrogen & oxygen was done for things like Project Suntan & NASA.
Thank you for thank you the time to explain the risks of hho generation compared to separated collection. You are literally saving lives here. You have taken the time to explain the risks and dangers of playing around with this technology
That's the best video I've seen on this hho gas and I've been watching all these scientific videos for years and years and I seldom comment! The torch I've seen done several times and seems to be a good project. Thanks again! Very very efficient!
The whisk man... blowed up my mind.
Wow, 30 minutes already.... Time flies when your having fun.
I began watching your channel 8 years ago after you made your video about HHO. Shortly after I watched TKOR video on making a generator, and have been interested in science since then. I was 11 or 12, and i will never forget how much it blew my mind that water could be fire.
A PVC pipe full of D cells, an old aquarium, some of mom's butterknives and a trash bag and some wire. Thats what we used. Mom was delighted that we were having fun with science, getting excited about making little bubbles... until we started lighting off the bag full of hydrogen at sunset every night XD
Love watching these video presentations. Reminds me of my dad, a research chemist at Union Carbide's R&D Center for over 40 years. Every evening meal included a discussion on chemistry. I had a real "Mr. Wizard" for a father. How lucky.
When I was a kid I did this with a canning jar, eyebolts and a car battery charger. I added soap to the electrolyte and was popping the bubbles with a red hot nail and enjoying the little pops of brown's gas.. This suddenly back burned into the can and exploded the lid off my canning jar. Most of the water was blown everywhere, the lid disappeared and the canning jar did not move. I was super lucky that the jar did not turn into a grenade and kill me.. Heh.. the things you do as a kid 😬
As (also) a kid, I lit a tiny fire and, from a yard above, poured gunpowder outta half-full jelly jar, to watch the trail of sparks as the fire climbed up the powder trail. Eventually the sparks climbed all the way to the jelly-jar; there was a hella "whoosh", the jar cracked and dropped out of my hand, and I received only minor on-the-hand burns (ok in a week... :-) Good times, I still have two hands :-)
As a kid, I ate my boogers.
Actually did some hydrogen experiments in my room long a go and almost lunched my electroliser through the roof :D. Also i burned my fingers frequently. One time i did it with a cotton ball soaked with lighter fluid. Had a little to much fluid on there. Went to put them out covered my hand in lighter fluid. Didn't notice. Relit the balls and in turn my whole hand. Fun times. Minor burns great story
@@TheNightwalker247 Good stuff. I mostly set myself on fire with methylated spirit or sulfur (both burn with a very pale blue flame, barely visible, y'know). We coulda been friends, but we'da have to maintain better-than-social-distancing (20ft?) so we didn't set fire to each other :-)
@@theskett i turned to less flammable obsession like mountainbiking with a gravelbike 😂 fire pois look fun tho And yes 20feet sound's like a good safety margin
Awesome video...trying to absorb as much electrolysis information as I can to incorporate into a future project with my son and this was very informative and helpful!
Thank you! I had been using stainless steel hook electrodes, but now I am excited to try the wisk electrodes!
Incoorporating an aluminum foil burst disk on the sealed container would be a good back up for flasback. Great video love the longer ones.
Good call, thank you; reminding me that pressure cookers have a small rubber seal for this purpose.
Please explain what it does
@@ytrew9717 makes an intentional weak point, so if the pressure increases dramaticaly it fractures the foil or blows out the plug, rather than the whole container exploding.
@@FirstLast-bi8xi Thanks, you were both brief and entirely correct / helpful. Unusual, on t'Internet :-)
@@FirstLast-bi8xi Burst disks are good for overpressure, but the (near) explosive expansion wave of HHO going off is probably too fast for it.
I've watched multiple electrolysis of water videos, and this one has got to be my favorite. Well explained, and demonstrated. Your attention to safety precautions/concerns was also top notch. Eager to see more demonstrations!
Yes it really is. I'm researching for a science fair project and this has got to be the best video on this I've seen yet.
You are either a LIAR or you are not qualified to make instructional videos!! Water doesnt get split into hydrogen or oxygen gas. Its the electrodes that gas off and generate hydrogen and oxygen. This has been tested and isolated. Introducing more metals to the process only RUINS your video. Potassium HYDROXIDE?? I wonder what that would breakdown to be.LOL! List to your explanation below.... "Several people have commented with the valid concern that using low quality stainless steel electrodes will contaminate the electrolyte solution with poisonous hexavalent chromium which is not safe to handle or dispose of. I have spent some time this afternoon coming up with a solution to this problem. When using a strongly alkaline solution of KOH or NaOH as your electrolyte the fix is easy: drop a small 1x1 inch piece of aluminum foil into the electrolyte and let it dissolve. Do not add more than a small piece of foil at a time or the reaction may be violent. The dissolving foil will cause any dangerous chromium to convert into a non toxic variation, Cr(iii), evidenced by a green precipitate. One or two pieces of foil dissolved in this way and allowed to react for a few hours should be enough to ensure all chromium has been rendered non toxic." What a joke. Watch Peter & Pete show you how it is NOT the water splitting to gas.
😊😊o8iiioiii8k0pk99l
You are a good teacher because you explain very clearly what you do and next to that you tel all in an entertaining way.
I had to hit the like button before the first five seconds. Really beautiful how you explained and progressed with your designs
I did an experiment like this twenty years ago using two 2-Liter bottles immersed in the same pan of water. But, what you did here is truly next level. Nice work!
Great video, viewed the whole 30 minutes in one go. Very interesting. Love the design iterations and creativity flow.
I made an HHO generator years ago, back in like 2013, and it was fun. I didn't have a power supply though, so I just cut up a bunch of wall plug power adapters. They generally couldn't handle the draw the unit was requiring and died, but it was a fun experiment. I too was worried about the HHO aspect, and did a open container just to play with it.
Thank you so much for this video. I used some of the same components you used and have filled a few party balloons with hydrogen. I'm working on making a small indoor blimp. The one thing to mention is that it gets hot over time. I built a cooling tank with circulating water around mine.
Does the hydrogen come out with enough pressure to fill a balloon?
@@krunkiemunchie8129 It has nearly no pressure. I hang the balloon vertically and the hydrogen fills it. I did them in the cold garage and when I bring them into the house the cold hydrogen expands.
@@krunkiemunchie8129 I just tried something new. I had two balloons that neither one was under much pressure. I connected a tube between them and squeezed one of them and it filled the other one. As long as I have one that I don't need I can use it to pressurize the other ones.
@@nealshue6791 Thank you this is very useful information, i will try these promising ways of collecting hydrogen.
Great explanations. Thanks for showing the mutiple versions you made instead of only showing the best one its helpful to know the problems that occurred and what needs to be changed. Have great fun in your lab! Definatly enjoyed watching, thanks.
Pulsed DC current at a frequency similar to the wool, whisk or container will apparently shake the bubbles loose and increase production.
dam that's some big brain shit right there
.@@dontquestionjustbelieve5757 pmsl. Inspired anarchist thinking thank you! Big brained is just no longer cool. Scientism, as a religion is now out, lol.🤣🤣🤣
@@dontquestionjustbelieve5757 just a bit of knowledge gained from looking into over-unity devices. The water powered car was supposed to do something like that.
I don't see how that increases producton, but I can see how that could lead to a more steady stream without small oscillations in production
@@fred_e In reality, it doesn't. There are a lot of wild claims out there about the resonance of water, and the resonance of the electrodes and certain frequencies being better or worse at dissociating the water... I spent a few years looking at all of this, and a fair bit of money getting a 2400x1200mm sheet of 1mm 308L stainless laser cut into plates to build a cell. That's about as far as I got before it went on the back burner. The biggest efficiency increase this dude could make, is to stick to the 2.3v(?) "ideal" voltage for the Potassium Hydroxide electrolyte. Any higher than that and most of the power goes to heating the electrolyte and destroying the electrodes.
Comment more on polarity reversal to indicate that the electrode B+ producing the oxygen and electrode B- producing the hydrogen along with the atomic explanation with visualization of the molecule splitting during this process. Your video is otherwise totally awesome! Thank for the education of separating the H2O molecules into. Totally cool!
Think I can run a standard mapp gas torch on that?
@@jack-wl8uj i wouldnt run it on the combined gas, it will probably backflash and explode on u. but if u ran just hydrogen through it then as long as your flow rate is high enough that the flame doesnt work its way backwards through the nozzle i think that should be fine. dont sue me if it goes wrong tho lol
Thanks, very informative. Few basic equipments step by step before getting into some sophisticated setups. Thanks man!
I've just started to get interested Hydrogen/Oxygen Generator, so very pleased with your demonstrations. I'm a retired electronic engineer, so this is a bit off the beaten track for me. I shall now start following you and learn more about this subject.
I love multi-iterative progressive designs being shown.
Love your clear full explanations. Please keep up this good work. Thank you.
Thank you. I think you did a very thorough explanation of your project. It will be very useful for me in the future.
Wonderful video, brought back fond memories from 45 years ago of making hydrogen in my bedroom using the transformer from my train set. BTW, It struck me while you were talking about the video’s sponsor that your Sponsor segments are always excellent. Not rushed, flow naturally from the content, nice demonstrations, and tie back into the overall theme of the channel. They are well represented when they support you!
I have a story with combined hho cell. When I was a kid I heard somewhere that if you pass electricity through water with a little bit of salt it's gonna produce hydrogen and oxygen and I thought hmmm.... Interesting, let's try it. So I got a mason jar hammered some nails into it and hooked it up to a phone charger and heared some sizzling and smelled chlorine, I tried to light it but there wasn't enough gas so I left it running for about 10 minutes and tried to light it. HUGE BANG nails shot up and some were actually stuck in the ceiling lid looked like a bowl, the disgusting brown-green water splashed everywhere including the ceiling and the jar itself miraculously survived. Moments after my mom ran into the room asking what the hell happened. My ears were ringing for 2 days. I was a genius
Fantastic!!!!!!!
lmao I remember when I was 14 I did something similar with a pack of plastic water bottles, fish tank bubbler tube, and stripped phone wire. I thought I could make a torch if I put a one way valve on the thing... worked for a while until it backfired into the 24 bottles producing HHO. learned really quick one way valves dont prevent this ;P
@@Protossplayer1 some people have to learn the hard way
Yup, I tried making one too with some galvanized plates. Never use galvanized metal lol, that sludge is disgusting.
I just used a 9v battery with alligator clip wires in a film canister in the sink. Much smaller scale, but when I introduced a lighter, it still popped pretty loudly.
You did an amazing job utilizing readily available items. One thing I would like to point out is that, even with the modifications to collect the gas separately the gasses collected is still infact HHO (maybe just in a lower presumably safer concentration). I have carried out similar experiments to stop gas cross contamination and I can confidently say gas separation isn't easily achievable without some kind of membrane.
Thank you! Awesome video! Annode/cathode separation could be done using 2 glass wine bottles with the bases cut off (using heated wire method). Avoiding the plastic degredation issue in the electrolyte.
I voted and subscribed for more after viewing this video as one of the best done, comprehensive practical science documentary rounded by your interesting debates, too! Clever designs, well explained from this genius may easily gets you addicted to a lot of new hobbies...Congratulations and many thanks to you all for sharing your great knowledge about!
I was just trying to make one of these this morning! Perfect timing. I tried using soup cans, but the downside is you have to sand the insides because they're coated with something. I wanted to make a single container split output generator. Basically if the soup can is positive, and a smaller can (with an outside coating, only the inside would be metal) is submerged in it, the H2 gas will be generated only inside the smaller can and you can place a tube on it's bottom, which would be the top in this design. The cans can be internally separated by paper or a sock like you showed just in case. The benefit here is that it _can_ (no pun intended) function like both a single and split output. For single output just don't connect a tube and the gases will be mixed, you _can_ put the whole thing in a 2L bottle (I'm sure you could think of a better design), and if you want only one gas output then connect a tube to the smaller can. The surface area is small, but if you use large cans it won't be an big issue. Here is a diagram in case i didn't explain it well: __________ | ________ primary gas output | | | _ _ | |_ _ | | | H2 | | | | | | secondary gas output is discarded, but could be collected | | | | |__________| both gases are mixed if there is no tube on the small can ___________ | __________ combined gas output | | _ _ | | _ _ / \ /| _ _ | |_ _ |\ | | H2 | | | | | | | | | | |__________|
I think you’ll get excessive corrosion on the can(s) because they aren’t stainless steel…
@@Shiftypop that was the point. It's cheap to replace the cans. If you love canned soup, you will end up with a lot of them.
steel is a better conductor than stainless use concentrations above 20% KOH, plate the cans with nickle use distilled water
I can't believe you drew these diagrams in KZhead! Unbelievable, what a talent!
Your clear explanations, engaging demonstrations, and genuine enthusiasm were a joy to watch. I especially loved different ways you explained to improve amount of gas You've sparked my curiosity about this technology and its potential, and I know countless others are learning thanks to your efforts. Keep up the incredible work - the world needs more science communicators like you! :)
I heard about a guy who breathes brown gas makes sense why you don't mention that.
Check out Craig Westbrook Hydrogen on demand I support legal Cannabis And Stan Meyers
The Dod bought his dune buggy !
The 2nd build always upgrades the systems❤
I use plain WATER NO ADDITVES
props for testing the flashback saver :O that was insane footage
That was great fun and brought back so many memories of me doing this as a quite young boy *many* decades ago (didn't know about catalysts and my electrodes were just wires). I would agree that the separated design is far more useful.
Oh wow, this was absolutely great! I love how straight to the point your videos are, and how very clear the explanations are. Keep up the Great work!
This stuff is fun. Back in highschool we had an 88' Chevy Corsica running on just HHO. It eventually stopped working because of rusted valves, but was a fun experiment which esploded my kitchen and garage on multiple occasions. 😂
My friend and I made one with stainless steel plates and a water filter housing something like 17 or 18 years ago. The issue has always been Amp draw and do to that heat. The remedy is using a frequency generator to pulse the power and reduce Amp draw while still producing the same or great amount of HHO.
Congratulations NightHawkInLight on this very well structured and educational video. I love the fact that you start with your first prototypes and build from there. I have built many an electrolyzer and have to compliment you on your practical designs especially with the combined gas electrolyzer. The sock design is ingenious - I would have thought that frayed wires from the scourer pads might protrude through the sock and cause electrical shorts. Very practical and simple design! Just one remark on you mentioning that the electricity passes through the liquid (6:45 and 7:30). It is correct to say that charged ions form at the electrodes and these complete the electrical conduction path in the liquid when they migrate between electrodes. "Electricity" is the flow of electrons which is not true for the electrolyte. I used to say to my students that "electrons cannot swim". Thanks for you great work here!
I would really like to see exactly how that steel cannister fails if a flashback occurs without the bubbler (assuming you can safely and willingly do this, of course). It would make for some great footage *and* we'd get to see exactly what the danger is if we were to try this ourselves. As always, I love your videos. You've taught me a lot and I can't wait to see what you'll teach me next!
I can tel you from experience, the flashback travels up the tube instantly, and if your tube less than a centimeter in diameter, it’ll decide to blow the lid off your container instead of just exhausting. I was using a plastic container with less than a liter of air space. I imagine a good metal container with little breathing room could handle a flashback, but it can certainly tear through plastics. And it is what’s used for torches that need to melt through any metal
What is a scouring pad usually for? This is the first I’ve heard of them
@@daniellewilson8527 Getting grunge off the oven hob, getting baked-on spaghetti, rice, etc., from the inside of stainless-steel saucepans, etc. Don't use on non-stick, and don't use on [other] plastics. Also good for cleaning soldering iron bits, if you're of an engineering frame of mind; and I've used them (with spackle) to block up mouse-holes; the mice can't eat through the SS, easily :-)
It may not fail at all
@@Rose-ec6he We want *something* to fail, and that failure should do the least damage. Per previous comments, the rubber seal on a pressure cooker, or a foil blowout washer, are good choices; they depressurize, without blowing liquid around. Otherwise, if there's an explosion in a sealed system that's full of KOH or NaOH, the result probably won't be pretty.
I really enjoyed watching this video! This is one of the best hydrogen production videos I've seen so far on KZhead!
OK, what practical use does this have other than party balloons?
@@robertrichardson5396 It can be used for Weather balloons that are used to measure weather values in the atmosphere, for example.
I really like the idea of the extension that provides safety when extracting Hydrogen with Oxygen.
I always love his home brew style of projects. I'm a big DIY fan myself, but I'm not the kind of person who can go out and buy expensive printers or machine shop tools. KZhead is full of fantastic engineering channels, but it's discouraging to know the coolest projects are far beyond your reach if you don't have a university grant. NightHawkInLight does the most with the absolute least. He inspires me as much as the other guys, but in an even better way. I get the same feeling I felt as a teen scrapping the dump for parts. It reminds me anything is possible if I keep inspired and resourceful.
"Its not a bong, its a flashback arrestor officer"
Like from your college days, is it? Well here's a flashback arresting!
@@dwaynezilla 10/10!
Yea, hook a flashback arrestor to your bong, so that acid laced weed won’t come back on ya, unexpectedly, in the next few weeks to years after. 🤪
Those two balloon thingies in that jar at 0:20 look a lot like two giant nut sacks.... interesting experiment. lol
it prevents vapor lock like my ol ladys mouth.
Thank you very much for your no nonsense video. I have read bit on hydrogen production and I glean more from your video especially on gas separation. THANKS
Aw man…Love your work…memories of chemistry at school.. Thanks very much Dai
My mind is swirling with all the things I can do with these setups- both split gas and combined. Thanks for sparking new ideas, especially as I've been feeling a little uninspired as of late.
Mine also. Incredible:?)
Science class was one of my favorites in school, but they weren't teaching anything on electrolysis. That's why I love everything you do and especially because you're going right down the middle of that electrolysis hgwy! Great stuff and it just goes to show that you really can teach an old dog like myself new tricks! Thank you, 👍
I promise, not making this up, in a Communist country 30 years ago we had to build these in 4th grade... what gives?
@@dunuth To indoctrinate you....You are either a LIAR or you are not qualified to make instructional videos!! Water doesnt get split into hydrogen or oxygen gas. Its the electrodes that gas off and generate hydrogen and oxygen. This has been tested and isolated. Introducing more metals to the process only RUINS your video. Potassium HYDROXIDE?? I wonder what that would breakdown to be.LOL! List to your explanation below.... "Several people have commented with the valid concern that using low quality stainless steel electrodes will contaminate the electrolyte solution with poisonous hexavalent chromium which is not safe to handle or dispose of. I have spent some time this afternoon coming up with a solution to this problem. When using a strongly alkaline solution of KOH or NaOH as your electrolyte the fix is easy: drop a small 1x1 inch piece of aluminum foil into the electrolyte and let it dissolve. Do not add more than a small piece of foil at a time or the reaction may be violent. The dissolving foil will cause any dangerous chromium to convert into a non toxic variation, Cr(iii), evidenced by a green precipitate. One or two pieces of foil dissolved in this way and allowed to react for a few hours should be enough to ensure all chromium has been rendered non toxic." What a joke.
@@dunuthwow
Love how detailed your explanation is. It, then, could be used as a heater, couldn't it?
Absolutely love your videos explaned perfectly & very informative 👌 please keep doing what your doing
Thanks for the GREAT demo!! It reminds me of when I was a kid in the 50's doing electrolysis when I didn't know much about what I was doing. I used 120 vac (since that was what was available) and thereby combined the hydrogen and Oxygen. I wish I remembered more about what the results were, but I do remember making explosions. I have a slight memory of using salt as the electrolyte.
Ah thats the ticket i wanted salt
Love the video! I'm looking forward to seeing what you create with this, the torch sounds like an awesome project.
Perfect! Presentation was WELL DONE! Thank you.
Man, I am glad other people are playing with this. Great video, I built one of these out of PVC about 10 years ago. I connected them at the bottom to do a separate assembly, thinking that would be more powerful. Finding it hard to believe the h2 wasn't more powerful than the other, got a load of ideas to test now. The first one will be the sock idea. Thanks
The best and most useful KZhead channel 100%. Awesome job Nighthawk. You're a great teacher, I hope you continue for a long time.
Great video. Especially appreciated the warnings, such as about collection of combined gases at the top of the fluid, since my contemplated design uses platinum plated screen in PVC tubes, or an aquarium with a divider, which only allows current transfer at the bottom of the baffle/divider.
Reportedly, platinum will instantly catalyze and blow up hydrogen gas in an environment with any oxygen.
I did see that the last one in a sock looks the easiest and very useful. I've been always wanting to make one for a long time and now I'm going to do this. I'm not a major procrastinator but I'm in the top ten. Thanks buddy
Thank you for your clear explanations and intriguing experiments.
I like your easy to understand experiments. The demonstration with the mixed gases popping was done well also. It shows the volatility of oxygen and hydrogen without causing a dangerous explosion. I did an experiment some years back. I wanted to ignite gasses from carbide and water by placing the vapor tube into a pail of water. Then I was going to lite the gas bubbles coming to the top of the water. Well I lit the bubbles, the fire traveled down under 2 inches of water and into the pipe, then into the glass generator. Yes it exploded. I had safety glasses on and was not harmed. Time to sweep up glass test tube pieces.
You are either a LIAR or you are not qualified to make instructional videos!! Water doesnt get split into hydrogen or oxygen gas. Its the electrodes that gas off and generate hydrogen and oxygen. This has been tested and isolated. Introducing more metals to the process only RUINS your video. Potassium HYDROXIDE?? I wonder what that would breakdown to be.LOL! List to your explanation below.... "Several people have commented with the valid concern that using low quality stainless steel electrodes will contaminate the electrolyte solution with poisonous hexavalent chromium which is not safe to handle or dispose of. I have spent some time this afternoon coming up with a solution to this problem. When using a strongly alkaline solution of KOH or NaOH as your electrolyte the fix is easy: drop a small 1x1 inch piece of aluminum foil into the electrolyte and let it dissolve. Do not add more than a small piece of foil at a time or the reaction may be violent. The dissolving foil will cause any dangerous chromium to convert into a non toxic variation, Cr(iii), evidenced by a green precipitate. One or two pieces of foil dissolved in this way and allowed to react for a few hours should be enough to ensure all chromium has been rendered non toxic." What a joke.
Hope you're 👍 thanks
Great presentation. You've had a lot of great DIY chemistry on KZhead for years. Nice to see your stuff I'd still here.
Like your honesty. Great evolution of HHO ideas. You’ve earned my respect. I am a knight, an engineer and a soldier. Cheers.
Very Cool!! Thanks for the variety of demos and the POP!!