One of the most common containers being made for a simple HHO generator is a tube made from PVC pipe. PVC is found at hardware stores all over North America. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to work with. More complicate containers would be made from stainless steel or regular steel that has been internally coated after construction. For the home enthusiast or tinkerer, these types of containers may be more than they want to take on. Just to get involved in hydrogen generators, you can build a cheap PVC housing with just a few tools.
What You Need for one housing and a bubbler - recirculate tank:
- PVC pipe - 3″ ,or 4″
- End caps of same size as pipe
- 1/2″ threaded fittings with 3/8″ tubing outlet
- 1/2″ thread tap
- Drill and bits
- Wood hand saw or other tool to cut pipe
- Plastic glue, marine epoxy or other waterproof sealant
- PVC glue
- 3/8″ Plastic tubing or rubber fuel line tubing
The first step is to drill holes for your inlet and outlet, then use the thread tap to thread them for your fittings. If you have never done this, you need to make a hole smaller than the tap or you will be getting a new end cap! On our coiled anodes,we use a torch to heat the ends of our electrical connection tabs until they are hot enough to melt holes in the plastic, then push them through the cap. If you are using bolts or wires or some other electrical connection, you will have to drill holes for those too. We don’t recommend ANY internal connections unless you really know what you are doing. Watch our Hydrogen Generator Safety video for more info.
Once you have used the PVC glue to attach the bottom end cap, it is time to fit your anodes and top end cap together, which will depend on what style of generator anodes you have decided to use. You will need to seal with glue any spots that don’t have a tight fit.
The threaded fittings need teflon tape or thread sealant to keep them from leaking. It is best not to glue these since you might want to remove them later.
Many people put a sight glass on the side to check water level, and this is done by tapping and threading a couple more holes on the side of your housing. Threaded fittings top and bottom point towards each other, with a piece of clear tubing between.
Making a bubbler tank is very similar. This one should have a fitting on it for gas/ water in from the generator, a return line, and a gas out line. The in and return lines need to be located near the bottom of the bubbler, below the fluid level. The gas out line should be at the highest point of the unit.
Next post we will have pictures of a complete setup.
Subscribe for more HHO Hydrogen articles!
About
I like what you have done. Well thought out and space efficient. Glass seems to be adventurous, so the PVC housing intrigues me.
My recollection is that PVC (not CPVC) it tends to weaken at temperatures over 160 F (70 C). What kind of internal temperatures are you experiencing, and how do you regulate internal temperatures? Does the influent of water from a supply source provide sufficient cooling?
Assuming you connect the generator to engine vacuum, what kind of vacuum levels do you experience in the generator, and how does the water keep from boiling?
Sorry for all the questions, but this stuff is fascinating.
Like I said in the post, PVC is a good material for a simple housing to get you started, but o nearly as good as metal of course. Long term, heat will affect this material. One of our first units boiled over, and the PVC warped to an oval shape.
If the bubbler tank is as big as the generator, it will take a lot more time for the unit to heat up if it is recirculating. Plastic isn’t a very good conductor, so it may be necessary to also use a small transmission type oil cooler or other metal cooler inline.
Can you post more info on the recirc part of the unit? I am interested in trying this, but I am not sure how you are recircing the liquid.
Thanks,
Glenn
Hey, Glenn
basically, you place your bubbler tank highr than the generator. The line on top of your generator runs to a point below the water in your bubbler so the gas and water enter below the water line. Another line runs from the bottom of the bubbler to the bottom of your generator. This is the return line. The goal is to keep the generator completely full. As water / gases move up the tube into the bubbler, this forces water to move down the return line to replace it. The circulation will dissipate heat.
I put up a video on the sidebar which features a bubbler experiment.
Hey guys i’m just starting out with this stuff and i’d like to know approx. how tall u need to make the PVC pipe and if I should make the bubbler tank the same size or larger. thanks
Hey guys I put mine to the test this weekend and I’m pretty happy with the results…..for now. I used stainless steel woven mesh for the anode and basically copied your housing. I drove the exact same distance under the same conditions (same road as a matter of fact)without the generator I got 26.7 mpg and with it turned on I got 35.1, I drive a 92 camry station wagon. I don’t think my unit produces near the gas output I have seen in your videos but I am also not having any heat issues. My goal is over 40 mpg so I will be building a bigger unit and doing some more research. Your website got me over the hump and I enjoy reading the Q & A you guys do..keep up the good work and I’ll keep you posted on my results.
Thanks again