How to Make a Wrapped HHO Generator Anode
HHO Information May 13th, 2008
Aron and I have made several styles of HHO hydrogen generators. The easiest one to build was the wrapped cylindrical model. It is composed of 2 stainless steel 16 gauge plates, rolled into a cylinder. We cut a strip part way on each one, then bend it up to use for a connector lead. This means we can build a cell with no internal connections, since our electrical lead extends out of the casing. In this video clip, we show our home made roller, our finished anodes and a quick test in pre-treated tap water to make sure everything is working. The water was used before with a different generator, but has no electrolytes or caustic additives. Adding electrolyte to the solution would increase production of this cell drastically, but we always test without it first. To see a test of a cell very similar to this, look at HHO Hydrogen Fuel Cell #4 Demo.
For anyone who wants one of these generator anodes, but doesn’t want to build one themselves, check out our sales box on the right. These anodes will fit inside a 3″ PVC housing, but would require a bubbler tank with recirculating capabilities to avoid overheating. We have yet to find a design which makes large quantities of HHO without heating up.
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Hey great site! What is the mesh made of that you are putting between your stainless steel sheets…thanks in advance!
Hi Gary,
We are using a high density polyethylene mesh that is made for outdoor use.
Success……..sort of. I wasnt able to get a nice tight role like you guys did so that may have hurt my gas output. Now on to phase two…whats phase two?
Great to hear you have your cell nearly ready. Check to make sure all metal surfaces have clearance. Phase 2 is to test it in an open topped container full of water in a well ventilated area with no source of ignition. When you first hook it up, watch for a sudden large power draw or sparks, which would signify the anodes touching. If this happens, unhook it and go over it again. Then, on to phase 3 : build your housing.
Hi! I am new to HHO production. What causes the reaction? I realize you have electricity in the water, but is it the closeness of the metal (without touching) that is the goal? How close is too close?
Thanks!
Hi David.
In short the electricity passing through the water separates hydrogen and oxygen atoms, the closer the plates the easier the electricity can travel from one electrode to the other. However the amperage the cell will draw will go higher. If you don’t plan on using electrolytes 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch will work great. If you want to use electrolytes try 3/16 to 1/4 inch. If the gaps are to close your cell will make lots of gas but it will also boil the water in a short time.
Gentlemen,
I have seen several different types of anodes,ie: plates, rods or wrapped. What do you think is the most efficient, putting aside the cost of making the anode? I want to build a HHO generator for my car and any advise you would be willing to share would be very helpful.
Hello Jp. That is a tough question to answer. If you compare amps to gas volume then we had the best results with tubes but only if the outside or larger tube was positive. Other peoples results may differ because of all the variables involved in size, spacing and even housing materails can change production. Plates and wrapped electrodes are more space efficient.
When it comes the the type of material used for the casing, is one better then the other? I had been thinking about using a stailess steel tube instead of plexiglass, Could, with the anodes spaced properly from the inner wall, the metal tube casing asct as a neutral and help in the production?
thanx again for all your help. Your page is helping alot of people.
Have you tried to cause separation with a sine wave? ie: the Stanley Meyers patent, the Hydrostar. The benefits would be low current and low temperatures and still good output?
I have some stainless steel screen wire. How do you think that would work for electrodes?
Thanks
Jimmy
Hey, me and my friend Zack have been testing different
types of anodes, and have found that the one producing the largest volume of gas was 3 stainless steel plates (316), spaced 1/4″ apart with rubber grommets seperating them. They are a little over a foot long. They are charged positive negative positive. The amount of gas produced was impressive but the draw of amps was starting to heat the water and plates. We never ran it longer than a few minutes. How would we solve the over heating problem, and the power draw problem w/o killing our wallets. Also, would wrapping the inside of our container (3″ pvc) with a sheet of stainless steel and running a rod through the center create less of a power draw and still produce a substantial amount of hho? Is there a solution to creating a substantial amount without running straight 12v? Any information would be useful.
On the heat issue: Try running the water through a heater core. A heater core is basically a small radiator found in all cars. You can get one cheap or even free at a local auto wrecking yard. For a pump just get a cheap garden fountain pump. A Rio 180 worked well for me in the past, but I was using it in a different application. Higher flow will increase cooling, and providing airflow through the radiator fins will increase cooling dramatically. My experience comes from watercooling a computer processor, which puts out around 125watts. Try some tests and let me know how it goes!
Thanks for the reply. Is it possible to make seperate
cells with seperate anodes that combine there gas, this
way we don’t have to deal with the heat issue. Because the container endurance is higher with a lower heat reaction inside. Also so we don’t have to use as much power. The cell we have now makes a large amount of gas, but can’t we just have several seperate containers with
their own anode and current? Thanks ahead of time.
Hello Bruce and Zack.
Running small multiple cells works good if you have the room. I run two cells on a f150 with only 11 amps total consumption and can get 32 mpg hiway.
I’ve made both a single cell and a double cell generator and with both models I keep blowing 15A fuses. I tried increasing the wire size from 12gauge to 10, but the fuses blow typically on longer trips >30mi. Do you think that might be heat related or to much current being drawn during production of gas?
Thanks to Aron I am getting started. My mechanic friend, Tim, wants to use acrylic tube with 4″ ID diameter. does anyone have any experience with using acrylic tube for a hydrogen generator?
Another question - we are going to use stainless steel pipes. Is ther a calculation for the distance between pipes and the amount of water in the tank?
thanks
Bruce
Hello! I have a question regarding your setup here. Would it be possible to use shim stock coil (http://www.maudlinproducts.com/1275.xml?cat=1165) instead of traditional SS sheets and then bending them? This would take a lot of the bending hassle away because they are easy to bend if you need to, as well as cheaper in price. And one other thing, does the material of the scuba tank mesh really matter? Thanks a ton, I’m a huge fan of this website!
Hi Sterling. Sure you could use shim stock but is it really cheaper. Check out our store, the mini is 2 sheets of 20 guage 2×12 wrapped. Check your local hardware store for a mesh to cover the gutters on your house most is made of hd poly ethylene. Look for mesh that is cross woven so the hho can have more gaps to escape through. I’ve never been scuba diving.