Posted by KO FT (12.228.92.177) on April 30, 2003 at 22:35:54:
In Reply to: Re: Supposed footage! posted by Ali on January 13, 2003 at 12:23:18:
Ali, electrolysis is a very simple process, unfortunately, I do not know if there are any books that will tell you how to convert this process into a cooker--hydrogen gas, one of the compositions created through the process, is incredibly volitile. A homemade hydrogen cooker may leave, if made amateurly, only water behind =)
You are not merely producing a gas that creates "fire", you are producing something that is INCREDIBLY explosive, as such, it needs to be precisely regulated. Hydrogen does not exactly burn, it combusts. I'm not extremely positive about this, but I believe it can be classified as a high-explosive (remember why the Hindenburg went down? Thats right... hydrogen..) meaning that other molecules of H2 will ignite quickly enough to create some sort of sisemic effect. Although I may be wrong on the exact definition, the truth still stands that a homemade hydrogen cooker WILL BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!
WW2 jetfuels were mainly composed of hydrogen, and, as to my knowledge, current jet fuels are as well. The thing just does not burn, it must be regulated.
I highly do not encourage creating a machine that uses hydrogen to cook food. There are many other alternative sources (after all, electrolysis, the process in breaking down H2O to form H2 and O2 gasses, DOES take electricy, theres no such thing as a free lunch =)
My best suggestion is that if you wish to create something (and by posting this you inherit all dangers if you wish to create something off of this! Not me!) that stores salt water (salt will act as a catalyst in one sense, helping speed the reaction) and has two electric exposed points, one positive, one negative. Have something that will put in a large amount of energy (I'd reccomend getting under 5 amps). The gasses coming from this should be stored in some sort of container. A SCUBA type or propane container might work, although I doubt hydrogen really should be stored in them.. After this, get something like a bunsen burner and hook this up to your tank of hydrogen, voila, instant burner (well... kind of). Now I will say this, if you are ever crazy enough to actually make something like this (and NOT end up in the Darwin awards =) I will CAUTION YOU STRONGLY as to how you ingite this gas! This is not as cautiously burning as any other gas you've probably handled (propane, butane etc). This stuff IS DANGEROUS!
I know this reply is very late, but I hope this helps someone. I do not endorse nor reccomend (in fact I am against the idea) a "normal" layman to try to create any large devices that employs hydrogen gas, less they have professional help and a very liberal insurance company =)