Do-It-Yourself Plans for How to Make a Hydrogen Generator

Some vehicles are already equipped with hydrogen powered engines.

The concept of using hydrogen for energy is not new. In the early thirties, hydrogen powered some of the dirigibles (blimps) that carried people over oceans and continents. A hydrogen generator is an easy construct: However, keeping and storing the hydrogen generated is a different matter entirely. When ordinary water comes into contact with an electrical current, the hydrogen molecules separate from the basic two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen formula. These separated molecules form a lighter than air gas that bubbles up through the water. Since hydrogen is combustible, this process has been used to create water powered engines.

Things You'll Need

• 1 gallon distilled water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 12V battery
• 4 electrical wires
• Empty plastic juice container
• Empty plastic two liter soda bottle
• 2 leads
• Aluminum sheeting
• 24-inches plastic tubing 1/8-inch in diameter
• Drill
• Clear silicone sealant
• 6-inch balloon

Instructions

1. Clean out the juice bottle of any sugary residue from the juice. One run through the dishwasher should work. This juice bottle should have a large cap and be made of sturdy plastic, not the ultra light and thin plastic used in generic juice bottles. Remove the cap and fill the bottle halfway with distilled water and add a tablespoon of table salt, mix well.

2. Drill two small holes about one half inch apart on the cap. This usually works better if you flip the cap upside down and drill from the inside of the cap out.

3. Locate the two wires and strip both ends of each. Choose which wire will be the positive and which will be the negative. Insert the leads into the top of the cap so that the bottom of the lead is accessible from the bottom of the cap. Wrap one end of each wire to an electric lead. If you cannot find electric leads, two screws will work.

4. Seal all areas where gases can escape. Use silicone sealant to seal the space around the leads or screws. Squeeze a little on the top of the lid where the lead comes through and a little on the bottom where the leads come out.

5. Drill another hole in the cap using a 1/8-inch drill bit and insert the plastic tubing into this hole. Use silicone sealant on both sides of the lid for this hole. Allow the sealant to dry for 12 hours.

6. Cut four equal sized squares from the aluminum sheeting. This can be found as a throw-away item from most printing companies. The squares should be about one inch wide by one inch high.

7. Poke a hole in the left corner of one of the squares and another in the right corner of another square. Separate each square with double sided sticky tape tabs to ensure none of the squares makes contact with another. The square with the hole in the left corner should be on the outside of the structure, the one with the hole in the right corner should be on the inside of the structure. The other two squares will be in the middle separated only by the double sided sticky tabs.

8. Insert the other end of one of the stripped wires into the positive hole, wrap it around the hole taking care not to allow the wire to touch the other squares and use silicone to seal it off.

9. Insert the other end of the negative wire into the negative hole in the square and wrap it around to make sure it doesn't contact a positive square. Use silicone to seal it up. This will be the power cell.

10. Screw the juice lid on tightly. The cell should be suspended in the water by the wires rigged to the lid of the juice container.

11. Drill a 1/8-inch hole in the upper section of a two-liter soda bottle. This would be just above the "C" on a Coca Cola bottle or the "P" on a Pepsi bottle. Insert the plastic tubing into this hole and keep pushing the tube until it rests on the bottom of the bottle.

12. Fill the two-liter bottle half-way with distilled water and seal up the hole with silicone sealant.

13. Cover the top of the two-liter bottle with the open end of a six inch balloon. Make sure the seal is tight.

14. Locate the remaining two wires. Strip a small portion of each end off of each. Wrap the positive lead on the juice lid with one wire and the negative lead with the other. Fill the two-liter bottle half-way with distilled water and seal up the hole with silicone sealant.

15. Watch the balloon. Unfortunately, due to power limitations and the number of batteries you are going to have to go through, the balloon probably won't expand. But the hydrogen that is generated will collect in this balloon. Use caution, hydrogen is explosive.

Tips & Warnings

• Passing electrical current through salt water produces chlorine gas, if you do this experiment, do so in a well-ventilated area.

References

• Periodic Table: Homemade Hydrogen
• Hydroxy Automotive: DIY Hydrogen Generator