Hydrogenium (H2), “generating water”, is the most common element of the universe. According to scientists, it accounts for almost 90% of all atoms in the Universe. Hydrogen, which provides energy to our Sun during the thermonuclear fusion reaction, can serve as an excellent fuel on Earth. This is the only absolutely harmless, environmentally friendly fuel: when gas is burned, it enters into a chemical reaction with oxygen, and the combustion product is distilled water. Hydrogenium is an ideal fuel in all respects, which is also perfect for heating a home. Moreover, a conventional gas heating boiler can be converted into a hydrogen heating boiler, making only minor changes to its design. One problem: despite the prevalence of hydrogen (we ourselves are half made of it), on our planet in pure form it almost never occurs. IN open sale This gas is not available, where can we get it in sufficient quantities? The Internet gives us a clear and precise answer: buy or assemble a hydrogen generator for home heating.
There are many technologies for producing hydrogen. We will mention only those that find practical application outside the walls of laboratories:
As can be seen from the previous section, the majority technological processes industrial hydrogen production involves exposure to high temperatures, which is problematic at home. Let's consider hydrogen heating installations available in private households:
Biogas plants, of which there are many in Western Europe, are beginning to appear among domestic farmers. The homemade biogas reactors that “crazy hands” talk about on the Internet are not distinguished by either productivity or stability of generation. Only rather complex and expensive installations are effective, provided there is a stable supply of raw materials. This is impossible to do on a small private farmstead, but it is possible in a strong farming. Hydrogen is only a by-product in the production of biogas and, as a rule, it is not separated by burning it along with methane. But if necessary, H2 can be separated.
Schematic diagram biogas plant. To ensure that the process of producing flammable gases is intense, the raw materials are fermented and stirred periodically
An electrolysis hydrogen installation for home heating is the only solution currently available for a private home. The electrolyzer is compact, easy to maintain, and can be installed in a small room. Raw materials for fuel production - tap water. There are a number of well-known manufacturers that offer similar home hydrogen generators for home heating and car refueling. For example, since 2003, Honda has been producing Home Energy Station, and today the third generation is already on sale. HES III is equipped with solar panels and can be installed in a garage or outdoors.
Home Energy Station is a very expensive installation capable of producing up to 2 m2 of hydrogen per hour from natural gas or by electrolysis of water. The station includes a reformer, fuel cells, a cleaning system, a compressor and a gas storage tank. Electricity can come from the grid or be generated by solar panels
In addition to “branded” equipment, which, by the way, no one officially supplies to the CIS countries, today H2 generators produced by our friends in the Middle Kingdom or Tajik colleagues in domestic garages are widely advertised. The level of quality and productivity varies, from none to conditionally acceptable. Sellers of such equipment, unlike the more or less honest Japanese who do not promise manna from heaven, use “dirty” advertising technologies, outright deceiving potential buyers regarding the characteristics of their equipment, which is sold at inflated prices.
Semi-makeshift hydrogen production plant
Do-it-yourself hydrogen heating, which involves self-production electrolyzer This is possible and not even very difficult if House master knows the basics of electrical engineering and his hands grow where they should. How effective and safe is a separate question.
Another question is that getting fuel is only part of the problem. It is necessary to ensure its generation in the required volumes, separate it from oxygen and water vapor, create a reserve, and ensure constant pressure when supplied to the heat generator.
The average cost of 1 kg of hydrogen, depending on the technology for its production, according to the INEEL laboratory, is as follows:
From these figures it is clear that the cheapest way to produce hydrogen is at nuclear power plants, where the important resource is heat, which is a by-product of the main production. Hydrogen energy from renewable sources also does not pay for itself due to the high cost of equipment. What about hydrogen home heating based on a compact installation? You need to understand that the law of conservation of energy cannot be circumvented. In order to release H2 in the electrolyzer, you will have to spend a certain amount electrical energy. To obtain it, fossil fuels were burned at a thermal power plant or energy was generated by a hydroelectric power station. Electricity was then transmitted through wires. At all stages of the process, inevitable losses occur and the amount of potential thermal energy obtained at the end will be a priori lower than at the beginning.
Sellers of compact hydrogen generators convince buyers that heating a home with hydrogen is incredibly cheap. Supposedly this is even more profitable than heating with gas. They say that the water that is poured into the installation costs nothing, and they are silent about other costs. Such promises have a magical effect on some of our fellow citizens who love freebies. But let’s not be like Pinocchio and, before setting foot in the Land of Fools, let’s find out how much hydrogen heating at home actually costs.
The average selling price of natural gas for the population for heating and electricity generation is 4.76 rubles/m3. 1 m3 contains 0.712 kg. Accordingly, 1 kg of natural gas costs 6.68 rubles. The average calorific value of natural gas is 50,000 kJ/kg. For hydrogen it is much higher, 140,000 kJ/kg. That is, in order to obtain an amount of thermal energy equal to that generated by the combustion of 1 kg of hydrogen, 2.8 kg of natural gas will be required. Its cost is 13.32 rubles. Now let’s compare the cost of thermal energy obtained from burning 1 kg of hydrogen obtained in a good factory electrolyzer and from 2.8 kg of natural gas: 420 rubles versus 13.32. The difference is truly monstrous, 31.5 times! Even compared to the most expensive of traditional types of heating - electric, hydrogen cannot even come close to competing, it costs 4 times more! The electricity that will be spent on the operation of the electrolyzer is better used to operate heating electrical appliances; there will be much more benefit.
As for the prospects for hydrogen energy, they exist, but success is associated with promising industrial technologies that have not yet been invented. Household hydrogen generators and hydrogen vehicles are definitely unprofitable at least for the next decades. Their very limited use in some countries is possible only thanks to serious government subsidies in the framework of experimental environmental programs.
Hydrogen is a flammable, explosive gas. At the same time, it is odorless and it is impossible to determine its leak without special equipment. Handling such a dangerous type of fuel requires special safety measures. It is necessary to periodically check the tightness of pipelines, storage tanks, serviceability of shut-off valves. The H2 generator is not as simple a device as it might seem from the short videos. This is a potential bomb that could blow your house apart. Converting a gas heating boiler to a hydrogen one with your own hands is also dangerous.
A homemade hydrogen heating boiler, somehow converted from an old wood-burning one, and a hydrogen generator for heating the house, assembled on the knee and unsafe. The authors of the video talk about the extraordinary efficiency of the installation, without giving any numbers and offering to order a similar one from them at a reasonable price
If the economic calculations do not convince you, and you still decide to experiment with the topic of hydrogen heating at a loss, we strongly recommend that you do not engage in amateur activities, but invite specialists with experience in this field of activity. By the way, there are very few of them in our country.
A device that allows you to produce hydrogen from water is a hydrogen generator. They are often used in cars. The use of such a device in a car is justified. The produced hydrogen enters the intake manifold of the engine. This allows you to save fuel and sometimes increase its power. In the USA, such generators are produced in factories. They are not cheap - from 300 to 800 dollars. In our country, it is preferable to make a generator yourself.
So, by placing two electrodes in water, we need to create an electric field among them. For this they must be connected to the battery terminals or any other power source. The anode is the positive and the cathode the negative electrodes. The ions that were formed in the water will be drawn to the electrode, whose polarity is opposite. When the ions come into contact with the electrodes, their charge is neutralized due to the addition or removal of electrons. When the gas that appears between the electrodes comes to the surface, it must be sent to the engine.
Hydrogen cells for cars include a vessel with water, which is located under the hood. Regular tap water is poured into a vessel and add a teaspoon of catalyst and soda. The plates connected to the battery are immersed inside. When the car ignition is turned on, the structure (hydrogen generator) produces gas.
The world's first electrodes were made of copper, but it turned out that they were far from ideal. In addition, copper reacts strongly when in contact with water. A large number of pollutants are released, so using copper is not the best option. We recommend that you use electrodes that are made of of stainless steel. To reduce the chance of corrosion you need to choose stainless steel High Quality
. The thickness of the sheets should be about 2 mm to reduce resistance.
Having understood the intricacies of the operation of a hydrogen generator, let’s move on to its creation. In order to assemble a hydrogen generator with our own hands, we will need:
Having selected everything you need, we will begin making a generator with our own hands.
Making a hydrogen generator with your own hands turned out to be quite simple. In addition, thanks to “do-it-yourself work,” we managed to save a lot. A generator made this way will not cost more than $100. IN modern conditions You can find a lot of devices that use hydrogen. Since the reserves of hydrogen in water are almost limitless, this allows us to see the prospect of mass application similar or upgraded installations in the future.
Long gone are the days when Vacation home There was only one way to heat it - by burning wood or coal in the stove. Modern heating devices use different kinds fuel and at the same time automatically maintain comfortable temperature in our homes. Natural gas, diesel or fuel oil, electricity, solar power - this is an incomplete list alternative options. It would seem - live and be happy, but the constant rise in prices for fuel and equipment forces us to continue the search for cheap heating methods. And at the same time, an inexhaustible source of energy - hydrogen, literally lies under our feet. And today we will talk about how to use ordinary water as fuel by assembling a hydrogen generator with our own hands.
The factory hydrogen generator is an impressive unit
Use hydrogen as heating fuel country house beneficial not only because of its high calorific value, but also because during its combustion it does not emit harmful substances. As everyone remembers from a school chemistry course, during the oxidation of two hydrogen atoms ( chemical formula H 2 – Hidrogenium) with one oxygen atom, a water molecule is formed. This produces three times more heat than the combustion of natural gas. We can say that hydrogen has no equal among other energy sources, since its reserves on Earth are inexhaustible - 2/3 of the world's oceans consists of chemical element H2, and throughout the Universe, this gas, along with helium, is the main “building material”. There's just one problem - to get pure H 2 you need to split water into its component parts, and this is not easy to do. Scientists have been looking for a way to extract hydrogen for many years and settled on electrolysis.
Laboratory electrolyzer operation diagram
This method of producing volatile gas involves placing two metal plates connected to a high voltage source in water at a short distance from each other. When power is applied high electric potential literally breaks a water molecule into its components, releasing two hydrogen (HH) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom. The released gas was named after the physicist Yu. Brown. Its formula is HHO, and its calorific value is 121 MJ/kg. Brown's gas burns with an open flame and does not produce any harmful substances. The main advantage of this substance is that a regular boiler running on propane or methane is suitable for its use. Let us only note that hydrogen in combination with oxygen forms an explosive mixture, so additional precautions will be required.
Installation diagram for producing Brown's gas
Generator designed to produce Brown's gas in large quantities, contains several cells, each of which contains many pairs of electrode plates. They are installed in a sealed container, which is equipped with a gas outlet, terminals for connecting power and a neck for filling water. In addition, the installation is equipped safety valve and a water seal. Thanks to them, the possibility of backfire spreading is eliminated. Hydrogen burns only at the exit of the burner, and does not ignite in all directions. A multiple increase in the usable area of the installation makes it possible to extract the flammable substance in quantities sufficient for various purposes, including heating residential premises. But doing this using a traditional electrolyzer will be unprofitable. Simply put, if the electricity spent on hydrogen production is directly used to heat a house, then it will be much more profitable than heating a boiler with hydrogen.
Stanley Meyer hydrogen fuel cell
The American scientist Stanley Meyer found a way out of this situation. His installation did not use powerful electrical potential, but currents of a certain frequency. The invention of the great physicist consisted in the fact that a water molecule swayed in time with changing electrical impulses and entered into resonance, which reached a force sufficient to split it into its constituent atoms. Such an effect required tens of times less current than when operating a conventional electrolysis machine.
For his invention, which could free humanity from the bondage of oil magnates, Stanley Meyer was killed, and the works of his many years of research disappeared to God knows where. Nevertheless, some of the scientist’s notes have been preserved, on the basis of which inventors in many countries around the world are trying to build similar installations. And I must say, not without success.
You may also be interested in material on how to build your own gas generator:
Today, an electrolyzer is as common a device as an acetylene generator or a plasma cutter. Initially, hydrogen generators were used by welders, since carrying a unit weighing only a few kilograms was much easier than moving huge oxygen and acetylene cylinders. At the same time, the high energy intensity of the units was not of decisive importance - everything was determined by convenience and practicality. In recent years, the use of Brown's gas has gone beyond the usual concepts of hydrogen as a fuel for gas welding machines. In the future, the possibilities of the technology are very wide, since the use of HHO has many advantages.
A hydrogen generator built using S. Meyer’s “Water Fuel Cell Technology” (that’s what his treatise was called) can be bought - many companies in the USA, China, Bulgaria and other countries are engaged in their production. We propose to make a hydrogen generator yourself.
When starting to manufacture a hydrogen fuel cell, it is imperative to study the theory of the process of formation of detonating gas. This will give an understanding of what is happening in the generator and will help in setting up and operating the equipment. In addition, you will have to stock up necessary materials, most of which will not be difficult to find in the retail chain. As for the drawings and instructions, we will try to cover these issues in full.
A homemade installation for producing Brown's gas consists of a reactor with installed electrodes, a PWM generator to power them, a water seal and connecting wires and hoses. Currently, there are several electrolyzer designs using plates or tubes as electrodes. In addition, you can find on the Internet an installation of so-called dry electrolysis. Unlike the traditional design, in such a device the plates are not installed in a container with water, but the liquid is supplied into the gap between the flat electrodes. Refusal traditional scheme allows to significantly reduce the dimensions of the fuel cell.
Electrical circuit of a PWM regulator. Diagram of a single pair of electrodes used in a Meyer fuel cell. Diagram of a Meyer cell. Electrical diagram of a PWM regulator. Drawing of a fuel cell. 
Drawing of a fuel cell Electrical circuit of a PWM controller Electrical circuit of a PWM controller
In your work, you can use drawings and diagrams of working electrolyzers, which can be adapted to your own conditions.
To manufacture a fuel cell, virtually no specific materials are required. The only thing that may be difficult is the electrodes. So, what do you need to prepare before starting work?
Electrode assembly for a “wet” type hydrogen generator
When choosing a “dry” fuel cell, you will need a sheet of plexiglass or other transparent plastic up to 10 mm thick and sealing rings made of technical silicone.
Its performance depends on how accurately the parameters of the hydrogen generator parts are selected.
A switching power supply designed for connection to a fuel cell can be purchased online. They are manufactured by small private companies in our country and abroad.
Bubbler design
Please note that polished tubes are not recommended. On the contrary, experts recommend treating the parts with sandpaper to obtain a matte surface. In the future, this will help increase the productivity of the installation.
Before you begin building a fuel cell, prepare the following tools:
In addition, if you build a PWM generator yourself, you will need an oscilloscope and a frequency meter to set it up. Within the framework of this article, we will not raise this issue, since the manufacture and configuration of a switching power supply is best considered by specialists on specialized forums.
Pay attention to the article, which shows other sources of energy that can be used to heat your home:
To manufacture a fuel cell, we will take the most advanced “dry” electrolyzer circuit using electrodes in the form of stainless steel plates. The instructions below demonstrate the process of creating a hydrogen generator from “A” to “Z”, so it is better to follow the order of actions.
Dry type fuel cell diagram
Manufacturing of side walls
This set of parts must be prepared before assembling the fuel cell
Laying the electrodes begins with a sealing ring
Please note: the plane of the plate electrodes must be flat, otherwise elements with opposite charges will touch, causing a short circuit!
When assembling the plates, it is important to correctly orient the outlet holes
During the final tightening, be sure to check the parallelism of the side walls. This will avoid distortions
By assembling several fuel cells and connecting them in parallel, you can obtain a sufficient amount of Brown gas
To obtain Brown's gas in quantities sufficient for heating or cooking, several hydrogen generators are installed, operating in parallel.
First of all, I would like to note that the traditional method of burning natural gas or propane is not suitable in our case, since the combustion temperature of HHO is more than three times higher than that of hydrocarbons. As you yourself understand, structural steel will not withstand this temperature for long. Stanley Meyer himself recommended using a burner unusual design, the diagram of which is given below.
Scheme of a hydrogen burner designed by S. Meyer
The whole trick of this device is that HHO (indicated by the number 72 in the diagram) passes into the combustion chamber through valve 35. The burning hydrogen mixture rises through channel 63 and simultaneously carries out the ejection process, entraining outside air through adjustable openings 13 and 70. Under the hood 40, a certain amount of combustion products (water vapor) is retained, which enters the combustion column through channel 45 and mixes with the burning gas. This allows you to reduce the combustion temperature several times.
The second point that I would like to draw your attention to is the liquid that should be poured into the installation. It is best to use prepared water that does not contain heavy metal salts. Ideal option is a distillate that can be purchased at any auto store or pharmacy. For successful work Potassium hydroxide KOH is added to the electrolyzer water at the rate of approximately one tablespoon of powder per bucket of water.
During operation of the installation, it is important not to overheat the generator. When the temperature rises to 65 degrees Celsius or more, the electrodes of the device will become contaminated with reaction byproducts, which will reduce the productivity of the electrolyzer. If this does happen, then the hydrogen cell will have to be disassembled and the deposits removed using sandpaper.
And the third thing we place special emphasis on is safety. Remember that it was not by chance that the mixture of hydrogen and oxygen was called explosive. HHO is a hazardous chemical that can cause an explosion if not handled properly. Follow safety rules and be especially careful when experimenting with hydrogen. Only in this case, the “brick” that our Universe consists of will bring warmth and comfort to your home.
We hope you found this article a source of inspiration and will roll up your sleeves and start making a hydrogen fuel cell. Of course, all our calculations are not the ultimate truth, however, they can be used to create a working model of a hydrogen generator. If you want to completely switch to this type of heating, then the issue will have to be studied in more detail. Perhaps your installation will become the cornerstone, thanks to which the redistribution of energy markets will end, and cheap and environmentally friendly heat will enter every home.
Thanks to my varied hobbies, I write on various topics, but my favorites are engineering, technology and construction. Perhaps because I know many nuances in these areas, not only theoretically, due to my studies in technical university and graduate school, but also with practical side, because I try to do everything with my own hands.
18.03.2018
The constant rise in energy prices stimulates the search for more efficient and cheaper types of fuel, including household level. Most of all, craftsmen and enthusiasts of creating Free Energy Generators at home are attracted by hydrogen, whose calorific value is three times higher than that of methane (38.8 kW versus 13.8 per 1 kg of substance). The method of extraction at home seems to be known - splitting water by electrolysis. But there are other ways that are cheaper and simpler - high-frequency electrolysis...
To begin with, I suggest you watch a short video that gives you an understanding of WHY such developments (of which there are already a great many!) have never found their application in our everyday life:
The article has 2 goals:
Hydrogen, also known as hydrogen, is the first element of the periodic table and is the lightest gaseous substance, which has high chemical activity. During oxidation (that is, combustion), it releases a huge amount of heat, forming ordinary water. Let us characterize the properties of the element, formatting them in the form of theses:
For reference. Scientists who first separated the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen called the mixture an explosive gas due to its tendency to explode. Subsequently, it received the name Brown's gas (after the name of the inventor) and began to be designated by the hypothetical formula NHO.
Previously, airship cylinders were filled with hydrogen, which often exploded
From the above, the following conclusion suggests itself: 2 hydrogen atoms easily combine with 1 oxygen atom, but they part very reluctantly. The chemical oxidation reaction proceeds with the direct release of thermal energy in accordance with the formula:
2H 2 + O 2 → 2H 2 O + Q (energy)
Here lies important point, which will be useful to us in further debriefing: hydrogen reacts spontaneously from combustion, and heat is released directly. To split a water molecule, energy will have to be expended:
2H 2 O → 2H 2 + O 2 - Q
This is the formula for an electrolytic reaction that characterizes the process of splitting water by supplying electricity. How to implement this in practice and make a hydrogen generator with your own hands, we will consider further.
So that you understand what you are dealing with, first we suggest assembling a simple generator for producing hydrogen at minimal cost. Design homemade installation shown in the diagram.
What does a primitive electrolyzer consist of:
Important point. The electrolytic hydrogen plant operates on direct current only. Therefore, use a power adapter, car Charger or battery. An AC generator will not work.
The operating principle of the electrolyzer is as follows:
To make the generator design shown in the diagram with your own hands, you will need 2 glass bottles with wide necks and lids, a medical dropper and 2 dozen screws. The full set of materials is shown in the photo.
From special tools You will need a glue gun to seal it plastic caps. The manufacturing procedure is simple:
To start the hydrogen generator, pour salted water into the reactor and turn on the power source. The beginning of the reaction will be marked by the appearance of gas bubbles in both containers. Adjust the voltage to the optimum value and ignite the Brown gas coming out of the dropper needle.
Second important point. It is impossible to apply too high a voltage - the electrolyte, heated to 65 ° C or more, will begin to evaporate intensively. Because of large quantity water vapor will not ignite the burner. For details on assembling and launching an improvised hydrogen generator, watch the video:
If you have made and tested the design described above, then you probably noticed from the burning of the flame at the end of the needle that the performance of the installation is extremely low. To get more detonating gas, you need to make a more serious device, named after the inventor.
The principle of operation of the cell is also based on electrolysis, only the anode and cathode are made in the form of tubes inserted into one another. Voltage is supplied from the pulse generator through two resonant coils, which reduces current consumption and increases the productivity of the hydrogen generator. The electronic circuit of the device is shown in the figure:
Note. The operation of the circuit is described in detail on the resource http://www.meanders.ru/meiers8.shtml.
To make a Meyer cell you will need:
Stainless steel tubes are attached to a dielectric base, and wires connected to the generator are soldered to them. The cell consists of 9 or 11 tubes placed in a plastic or plexiglass case, as shown in the photo.
The elements are connected according to a scheme known to everyone on the Internet, which includes the electronic unit, Meyer cell and water seal (technical name - bubbler). For safety reasons, the system is equipped with critical pressure and water level sensors. According to reviews from home craftsmen, such a hydrogen installation consumes a current of about 1 ampere at a voltage of 12 V and has sufficient performance, although exact figures are not available.
Schematic diagram of switching on the electrolyzer
High performance hydrogen generator capable of powering gas burner, made of stainless steel plates measuring 15 x 10 cm, quantity - from 30 to 70 pcs. Holes are drilled in them for the tightening pins, and a terminal for connecting the wire is cut out in the corner.
In addition to sheet stainless steel grade 316, you will need to buy:
The plates must be assembled into a single block, isolated from each other with rubber gaskets with a cut out middle, as shown in the drawing. Tie the resulting reactor tightly with pins and connect it to the pipes with the electrolyte. The latter comes from a separate container equipped with a lid and shut-off valves.
Note. We tell you how to make a flow-through (dry) type electrolyzer. It is easier to manufacture a reactor with submersible plates - there is no need to install rubber gaskets, and the assembled unit is lowered into a sealed container with electrolyte.
Wet type generator circuit
The subsequent assembly of the generator producing hydrogen is carried out according to the same scheme, but with differences:
To power the reactor, the easiest way is to use welding inverter, there is no need to assemble electronic circuits. How it works homemade generator Brown gas, the home master will tell you in his video:
The answer to this question depends on the scope of application of the oxygen-hydrogen mixture. All published by various Internet resources are designed to release HHO gas for the following purposes:
Let's remember what we wrote in the first section. Hydrogen is a very active element and reacts with oxygen on its own, releasing a lot of heat. When trying to split a stable water molecule, we cannot apply energy directly to the atoms. The splitting is carried out using electricity, half of which is dissipated to heat the electrodes, water, transformer windings, and so on.
Important reference Information. The specific heat of combustion of hydrogen is three times higher than that of methane, but by mass. If we compare them by volume, then when burning 1 m³ of hydrogen, only 3.6 kW of thermal energy will be released versus 11 kW for methane. After all, hydrogen is the lightest chemical element.
Due to the constant rise in price utilities people are becoming interested in alternative heat sources. In a modern way Home heating is heating with hydrogen using a special generator. Experts often suggest installing such a heating system, and some craftsmen even tell you how to assemble it yourself.
Hydrogen is a substance with unique properties. A colorless and invisible gas, it has no mass at all in its solid and liquid states. Hydrogen is the most abundant substance on the planet, and it also contains no toxins. If you mix it with the surrounding air, the properties of the resulting mixture will remain for a very long time, and if it comes into contact with fire, it will ignite.
Scientists and engineers classify hydrogen as an explosive gas due to its flammability. That is why it is stored in special sealed alloy steel cylinders. Despite the increased explosion hazard, Hydrogen is actively used in various spheres of human life:
The use of hydrogen instead of natural gas, coal and oil is becoming increasingly popular in Lately. This is due to the fact that the extraction of such fuel is much cheaper, because to obtain it only water and electricity are needed.
A hydrogen generator for heating a private home is a great way to save money, but you will have to invest a lot in the installation. Of course you can buy finished design. The average price has a cost of about 50 thousand rubles. But often owners simply adapt old equipment to process hydrogen fuel.
To create an effective hydrogen plant To heat a house with your own hands, you need to understand what fuel is created from and on what principle the device works. There are several methods for releasing hydrogen:
All these technologies are most often used on an industrial scale, and to provide a home with heat, they choose the simplest and most affordable way- electrolysis.
Hydrogen in home heating
Electrolysis is a technique in which constant electricity passes through an aqueous solution saturated with salt. As a result, a chemical reaction occurs that involves the breakdown of the substance. This reaction can be more accurately described using the equation 2NaCl + 2H 2 O → 2NaOH + Cl 2 + H 2.
The heat released when hydrogen is burned is the so-called electrolyzer, that is, hydrogen fuel for heating.
If you assemble the equipment yourself, then in addition to the heat exchange device you will need catalysts to optimize the chemical reaction, a burner for burning hydrogen, and a pipeline.
The burner is located in the firebox and is responsible for heating the system. Using pipes, the recommended diameter of which is from 25 to 32 mm, the boiler is connected to the water supply. Also, to work, you need to connect the boiler to the electrical network, because this is the only way to carry out electrolysis. Of course, constructing a boiler for heating with hydrogen with your own hands will be much more enjoyable in financially, however, you need to take into account that a homemade NNO generator is less compact than a factory one.
Household generators have a simpler design than industrial ones. That is why they do not produce pure hydrogen, but the so-called Brown's gas - a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen. This is more practical, and the resulting gas is burned immediately. This is even better, because storing it somewhere is quite problematic.
How to make a hydrogen generator (WITHOUT ELECTRICITY) with your own hands
Before you start converting an existing heating system into a water boiler with your own hands, it’s worth creating a test sample. This model will give an understanding of the operation of the system as a whole, and will also help to understand whether it is worth making a hydrogen generator for heating a residential building yourself. To create a pilot model of an electrolyzer, the following components are required:
The electrodes, which are immersed in water, are supplied with voltage from a regulated source. At home, to improve the reaction, add a little salt to the water.
As a result of the reaction, hydrogen will be released from the cathode, and oxygen from the anode. The gases then enter the water seal, where water vapor is separated. The detonating gas is supplied from the second tank, where it is burned to form water.
At home, the design of a hydrogen stove can be recreated using scrap materials. To do this you only need two plastic containers, a dozen screws and a medical dropper. Making such a design will not be difficult, and this process is described in detail on any specialized website dedicated to hydrogen heating. This is the most primitive model, so its performance will be extremely low.
But the generator also has significant disadvantages. To install it, you will have to significantly alter the existing heating system or dismantle the stove. In addition, factory-made devices have a very high cost, which forces home owners to create a hydrogen generator with their own hands. There are other important details, namely:
Heating with hydrogen! Small stand.
Before installation, it is necessary to carefully weigh the pros and cons and only then dismantle the existing equipment. It is best to turn to specialists for help, because installing hydrogen generators for heating residential buildings is not an easy task, and the device must be made with high quality and technically correct.
