Step 1: Drill holes in bottom of pill bottle
This is a simple test generator i made to see hydrogen being made and to have something to experiment with. It is not to be used as a final project as it is not built sturdy enough to be used in a car etc. Like I said it's to experiment with. It doesn't last very long before the rods start to fall apart. maybe an hour or so.
The Pill Bottle Generator
5/23/2008
Bottle is inverted to show holes. Notice they are offset just a little.
Step 2: Remove graphite rod from 2 old style AA batteries.
Do not use alkaline batteries, they do not have a rod.
Step 3: Insert the rods on the holes you drilled
Looking down inside bottle. Try to make rods even across and about .5 to 1 mm apart
Step 4: I used JB Weld Quick to hold the rods in place, but you can use epoxy if you like. JB Weld Quick hardens in minutes.
Step 5: let JB Weld harden then add water to bottle filling up about 1/2 way or so.
Step 6: Hook up your volt meter and measure the voltage on the millivolt scale. Notice it has found polarity. Label it which side is negative and which is positive. This is how you will hook up your power to it.
Step 7:Using a 12 volt battery and an amp meter you will only see milliamps, until you add some baking soda, by sprikling in bottle with fingers. I added until it wouldn't put out any more amps, which was about 1.85 amps at 12 volts exactly.
After testing with 1.8 amps for 10 minutes, it became apparent that the original material that holds the metal end cap on became soft and let the rods start to move around a little. Then I helped it alittle bit and touched the two rods together, there was a spark in the bottle, thankful it was under water. Ok so much for that. It only produced enough to fill a gallon jug about 3/4 to 1 inch from the bottom. Not as much as I expected. The water became warm about 40-42 degress celsius, and so did the container where the gas was entering. So even with 8 rods instead of 2 I still dont think it will be enough. These rods are not very long or big around. They were really bubbling. At the gallon jug it was about 1 big bubble a second.
. One row positive the other negative. I did notice that the bubbles surronded the whole rod, which was interesting. I thought it would only produce between the two rods. The biggest bubbles coming from under the rods. I also noticed an occasional bubble going real slow up the side of the bottle, about 1/4- 1/2 the speed of the others.
Also noticed there was no residue or mud left behind,But it was only for 10 minutes.
after letting it set for two days in water in the bottle, something changed. Thats when i noticed flakes of rod coming off and the water looking black and dirty. I put fresh water in and found it kept coming off. I went ahead and did another experiment and found now that it was drawing over a half an amp. i added bajking soda and up it went to 1.8 amps, hitting 1.9 or so. So for long term use The rods are not the solution. maybe there is different material to use I dont know. Buit for now I am scrapping that idea. I did test the bubbles and found they did pop in the flame when i tested it. besure to run the hose in a container of water, so it bubbles. You dont want any flame getting into the hose or chamber of the generator, its dangerous.
After some testing I decided to attach a small tube to the top of the bottle using silicone rubber and the seal the top around the edge too. Make sure you add liquid ahead of time or you will have to add through the hose.
Final results indicate that the rods cannot tolerate moisture (water) as it starts to penetrate the rods, and weaken the rods till they will rub off easily and start to come apart as seen in the last picture. Soon the water becomes cloudy with black stuff.
I can see high output if the rods could tolerate the water. If I could get 1.85 amps to flow in two little AA battery rods then think what it can do with bigger ones. I have two D cell battery rods, so I can try it to see what the difference is just for a reference.