Homemade electrolysis welding machine. Hydrogen burner: device, principle of operation, how to do it yourself. Advantages of hydrogen welding

This is a device that is delightfully simple in its idea, available for home assembly with a minimum of tools and skills used (of course, in the advanced version, everything is complicated due to lotions and troubles). The essence is very simple: we take electrodes, put them into the electrolyte, apply current, collect hydrogen-oxygen at the output. Probably, anyone reading this text in childhood or later made a mini-electrolysis unit of the “entertaining physical chemistry” class: two pencils in a jar of salt or soda, a battery, wires, test tubes, and merrily set fire to hydrogen in a test tube.

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So, this is the same thing, only two or three orders of magnitude more powerful. This crap makes a powerful, extremely hot tongue of flame stupidly out of lye water. No gas cylinders, no reducers, gas stations and other dregs - just apply voltage. And if you blow up a balloon for her, and let it go with a burning thread ...

What is needed to obtain a more or less powerful gas flow? That's right, a large area of ​​the electrodes, and the volume of gas per second is directly proportional to it. I will not go into the calculations, especially since I myself did not carry them out, I will simply report the optimal parameters. The total area of ​​the electrodes for a noteworthy gas flow should be at least 1000 cm^2 (total for the anode and cathode), preferably from 2000 cm^2. The current density should be on the order of 0.08-0.15A/cm^2 (8-15A/dm^2): with a higher current, the electrolyte will overheat and boil - that is, foam, thousands of it; at a lower value, we lose in gas emission. The drop on one pair of electrodes for such a current is 2-3 volts, depending on the concentration of the electrolyte (I took 10%, this corresponds to about 2.2-2.3 volts of the drop). Under such circumstances, pumping two huge plates with hundreds of amperes of current at two volts does not seem to be a very reasonable solution. It is much better to connect several cells in series: then we can increase the operating voltage and the area of ​​the electrodes many times over at the same current. And now it remains only to figure out that one electrode plate can be, on the one hand, the cathode of one cell, and on the other, the anode of the other.
In short, we simply collect a Big Mac from plates alternating with annular gaskets. More plates - more voltage at the same current; the larger the area of ​​​​one of each plate - more current at the same voltage. Increasing the number of plates increases the total voltage drop across them. Everything is clear on the diagram.

Now about the practical nuances of construction. First and foremost: the material of the electrode plates. Since they have to work in an aggressive environment (strong alkali, electrolytic reactions, temperatures of 50-80 degrees), there is only one choice from the available one, stainless steel. But even here it is not so simple, there are a lot of brands, and not all are suitable. Experimental (as well as partly theoretical and partly comparative-analytical - by studying the descriptions of industrial installations for electrolysis gas welding) was determined by a common and suitable steel here: 12X18H10T.

Letters - additive metals (chromium, nickel, titanium); the numbers indicate their quantity (0.12% carbon, 18% chromium, 10% nickel, a little - up to 1.5% - titanium). It doesn’t matter, it’s quite fashionable and frequent steel and it’s not very difficult to find it in sheets with dimensions like 1000 * 2000 mm (I leave the method of cutting the sheet into plates at the discretion of those who want to repeat the device). Its analogue - AISI 321 - should also be theoretically suitable. I don't know, haven't tried it. Titanium-free 08X18H10, for example, rusts and oxidizes, although it would seem that it should be completely suitable.

It is necessary to make holes in each plate from below and from above at distances slightly less than the diameter of the gasket from each other (but not less than 0.5-1 cm from the edge of the gasket) - for gas exchange and for electrolyte distribution over the cells. Enough somewhere 5 mm drill.

Don't forget to solder the wires to the outer parts of the plates before assembling.

Alkali. NaOH or KOH is suitable, preferably pure, not technical. Start with a concentration of 10% by weight (in distilled water), experiment further. Higher concentration - higher current, but more foam.

Almost all of the rubber gaskets sold are already oil and petrol alkali resistant. I used o-rings (o-rings) around 130mm in diameter. They need one less than the plates.

Stretch plates. Something very weakly bending and rigid is required. Ideal and classic construction - thick, two-centimeter plexiglass. In it, you can also make conclusions and threads for gas and additional. fuel tank. I didn't have plexiglass, I just soldered copper tubes into the last stainless plate, and used 27 mm plywood for the ties.

If all of the above components - steel, gaskets, ties - are there, you can assemble them together, check with a slight pressure boost - the gaskets should not protrude and there should be no air etching at a pressure of at least 0.5-0.6 atm, pour alkali - and go to the external body kit.

First of all, you should make a water lock. Hydrogen-oxygen mixture, HHO, is an incredibly evil thing. It easily detonates, and burns out very quickly, without requiring any oxidizing agents (that is, oxygen).

If in the course of work the flame for some reason slips into the hoses and reaches the electrolyzer, at best, hot alkali mixed with pieces of gaskets will be scattered throughout the working room. But this is quite easy to avoid by putting a simple construction, the essence of which is clear from the schematic. The flame does not have a chance to slip down the bubbles through a layer of water or other liquid, and thus there will be no combustion breakthrough into the device itself. The design is slightly less than completely assembled from plumbing from a hardware store.

Next, take care of the burner. As a nozzle, the best that could be found was thick all-metal needles (such as "Record" and the like) from Soviet reusable syringes. But since the idea of ​​using the syringe itself as part of the burner is not the best, I simply tore off the nozzle of the syringe and soldered it to the nozzle on a full-fledged propane-oxygen torch.
And then comes the important point. In view of the aforementioned wickedness HHO in terms of combustion in general and especially its combustion, speed, all possible places in the burner should be tightly, tamping, hammered with tangled small-small copper wires.

I used several meters of MGTF (there lived about 0.07 and less), thoroughly mixed up in copper gruel, which clogged almost the entire “barrel” of the burner and most of its spout. This will almost certainly prevent the flame from slipping into the hoses, even if it is turned off incorrectly (and most certainly, in case of an accidental slip, it will protect the water seal). I do not recommend to neglect the volume and quantity of this copper coil. And it should start from almost the very nozzle of the burner.
Little things like hoses, connections, pressure gauge connections, I will not paint in detail, they are made from what is at hand. Vinyl and silicone medical tubes have proven themselves well, they are easy to find the right one, fitting onto standard plumbing copper tubes of diameter.

Nutrition. As a power supply, everything is simple, how many volts and 8-15 amperes are needed. For now, I use LATR and an OSM-0.63 transformer (600 watts) lowering to 110 volts, after which there is a 50 amp diode bridge (with a margin), a filtering electrolyte and an ammeter to control the current. The voltage now consumed is 68 volts, the current is 8-10A, respectively, the power is about 500-600 watts. If you expand the device to somewhere around 140 plates, direct network transformerless switching will become possible, which will bring the device to a state of incredible coolness and which is planned to be done as soon as I get rubber gaskets - another 110 pieces.

In short, if everything is done, you can turn it on. It’s too lazy to paint possible jambs that may appear, after all, the site here is not with a set of “do it yourself for dummies” instructions. Briefly so. First, there may be foam. Foam means dirty electrolyte, dirt on the plates, or overflow/overheating. If there is dirt, we wait 20-30 minutes on a small current until it disappears. If overflow / overheating, reduce the current or let it cool down. If the electrolyte is dirty, we use another alkali and distilled or at least melted water Further, it can spit alkali along with the gas. Electrolyte level too high, drain or let run until reduced. The pressure does not hold when the burner is closed - it poisons somewhere. Needs to be checked. If the device is leaking alkali between the plates, you need to find out exactly where, look, replace the gasket or plate. Nothing should flow anywhere, neither gas nor liquid. The gas flow is too weak, the flame slips into the burner or burns the needle-nozzle - reduce the diameter of the nozzle or increase the gas emission power. By the way, when warming up, the plates can bend and close with each other - this must be tracked and put something between the corners.

I recommend checking for combustion not indoors (otherwise it will be fucked up, forgive my French, and everything will be in alkali). I pulled it out into the street, when I was convinced of the safety, I brought it back inside. If everything is done correctly, at the end of the needle, either a pale yellow-pinkish or a rather bright yellow (the latter means sodium has penetrated into the vapor) flame will light up several centimeters long, almost silent, very poorly blown out. By experimenting with power input, electrolyte concentration and diameters of the needle-nozzles, quite interesting results can be achieved. By the way, this flame burns under water. The glass of the light bulb burns through, the thicker glass makes it white-hot and boils. Thin iron boils, thicker iron heats red and white. Melts (but with difficulty) quartz glass. On the video you can see what and how it can do.

Even the medieval scientist Paracelsus, during one of his experiments, noticed that when sulfuric acid comes into contact with ferrum, air bubbles form. In fact, it was hydrogen (but not air, as the scientist believed) - a light, colorless, odorless gas that becomes explosive under certain conditions.

At the present timedo-it-yourself hydrogen heating - a very common thing. Indeed, hydrogen can be obtained in almost unlimited quantities, the main thing is that there is water and electricity.

This heating method was developed by one of the Italian companies. A hydrogen boiler works without generating any harmful waste, which is why it is considered the most environmentally friendly and silent way to heat a house. The innovation of the development is that the scientists managed to achieve the combustion of hydrogen at a relatively low temperature (about 300ᵒС), and this made it possible to manufacture such heating boilers from traditional materials.

During operation, the boiler emits only harmless steam, and the only thing that requires costs is electricity. And if you combine this with solar panels (solar system), then these costs can be completely reduced to zero.

Note! Often, hydrogen boilers are used to heat "underfloor heating" systems, which can be easily assembled by hand.

How does everything happen? Oxygen reacts with hydrogen and, as we remember from middle school chemistry lessons, forms water molecules. The reaction is provoked by catalysts, as a result, thermal energy is released, heating the water to about 40ᵒС - the ideal temperature for a "warm floor".

Adjusting the power of the boiler allows you to achieve a certain temperature indicator required for heating a room with a particular area. It is also worth noting that such boilers are considered modular, because they consist of several independent channels. In each of the channels there is a catalyst mentioned above, as a result, a coolant enters the heat exchanger, which has already reached the required indicator of 40ᵒС.

Note! A feature of such equipment is that each of the channels is capable of producing a different temperature. Thus, one of them can be carried out to the “warm floor”, the second to the neighboring room, the third to the ceiling, etc.

The main advantages of heating on hydrogen

This method of heating a house has several significant advantages, which determine the growing popularity of the system.

1. Impressive efficiency, which often reaches 96%.
2. Environmental friendliness. The only by-product released into the atmosphere is water vapor, which is not capable of harming the environment in principle.
3. Hydrogen heating is gradually replacing traditional systems, freeing people from the need to extract natural resources - oil, gas, coal.
4. Hydrogen acts without fire, thermal energy is generated by a catalytic reaction.

Is it possible to make hydrogen heating on your own?

In principle, this is possible. The main element of the system - the boiler - can be created on the basis of an NHO generator, that is, a conventional electrolyzer. We all remember school experiments when we put bare wires into a container of water connected to an outlet by means of a rectifier. So, for the construction of the boiler, you will need to repeat this experience, but on a larger scale.

Note! The hydrogen boiler is used with a "warm floor", as we have already mentioned. But the arrangement of such a system is a topic for another article, so we will rely on the fact that the “warm floor” is already arranged and ready for use.

Building a hydrogen burner

Let's start creating a water burner. Traditionally, we will begin with the preparation of the necessary tools and materials.

What will be required in the work

1. Stainless steel sheet.
2. Check valve.
3. Two bolts 6x150, nuts and washers to them.
4. Flow filter (from washing machine).
5. transparent tube. The water level is ideal for this - in building materials stores it is sold at 350 rubles per 10 m.
6. Plastic sealed container for food with a capacity of 1.5 liters. The approximate cost is 150 rubles.
7. Herringbone fittings ø8 mm (these are great for hose).
8. Bulgarian for sawing metal.

Now let's figure out what kind of stainless steel to use. Ideally, steel 03X16H1 should be taken for this. But buying a whole sheet of “stainless steel” is sometimes very expensive, because a product 2 mm thick costs more than 5,500 rubles, and besides, it needs to be brought somehow. Therefore, if a small piece of such steel is lying around somewhere (0.5x0.5 m is enough), then you can get by with it.

We will use stainless steel, because ordinary steel, as you know, starts to rust in water. Moreover, in our design, we intend to use alkali instead of water, that is, the environment is more than aggressive, and ordinary steel will not last long under the action of an electric current.

Video - Brown gas generator simple cell model of 16 stainless steel plates

Manufacturing instructions

First stage. First, take a sheet of steel and place it on a flat surface. From the sheet of the above dimensions (0.5x0.5 m), 16 rectangles should be obtained for the future hydrogen burner, we cut them out with a grinder.

Note! We cut one of the four corners of each plate. This is necessary in order to connect the plates in the future.

Second phase. We drill holes for the bolt on the reverse side of the plates. If we planned to make a “dry” electrolyzer, then we drilled holes from the bottom as well, but in this case this is not necessary. The fact is that a “dry” design is much more complicated, and the useful area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe plates in it would not be used 100%. We will make a “wet” electrolyzer - the plates will be completely immersed in the electrolyte, and their entire area will participate in the reaction.

Third stage. The principle of operation of the described burner is based on the following: the electric current, passing through the plates immersed in the electrolyte, will cause the water (it should be part of the electrolyte) to decompose into oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H). Therefore, we must have two plates at the same time - the cathode and the anode.

With an increase in the area of ​​​​these plates, the volume of gas increases, therefore, in this case, we use eight pieces for the cathode and anode, respectively.

Note! The burner we are considering is a parallel-connected design, which, frankly, is not the most efficient. But it's easier to do.

Fourth stage. Next, we have to install the plates in a plastic container so that they alternate: plus, minus, plus, minus, etc. To insulate the plates, we use pieces of a transparent tube (we bought it as much as 10 m, so there is a supply).

We cut small rings from the tube, cut them and get strips about 1 mm thick. This is the ideal distance for the hydrogen in the structure to be efficiently generated.

Fifth stage. We fasten the plates to each other with washers. We do this as follows: we put a washer on the bolt, then a plate, after it three washers, another plate, again three washers, etc. We hang eight pieces on the cathode, eight on the anode.

Note! This must be done in a mirror way, that is, we turn the anode 180ᵒ. So the "plus" will go into the gaps between the "minus" plates.

Sixth stage. We look at exactly where the bolts rest in the container, we drill holes in that place. If suddenly the bolts do not fit in the container, then we cut them to the required length. Then we insert the bolts into the holes, put washers on them and clamp them with nuts - for better tightness.

Next, we make a hole in the cover for the fitting, screw the fitting itself (preferably smearing the junction with silicone sealant). We blow into the fitting to check the tightness of the cap. If the air still comes out from under it, then we also coat this connection with a sealant.

Seventh stage. At the end of the assembly, we test the finished generator. To do this, connect any source to it, fill the container with water and close the lid. Next, we put a hose on the fitting, which we lower into a container of water (to see air bubbles). If the source is not powerful enough, then they will not be in the tank, but they will definitely appear in the electrolyzer.

Next, we need to increase the intensity of the gas output by increasing the voltage in the electrolyte. It is worth noting here that water in its pure form is not a conductor - the current passes through it due to the impurities and salt present in it. We will dilute a little alkali in water (for example, sodium hydroxide is great - it is sold in stores as a Mole cleaning agent).

Note! At this stage, we must adequately assess the capabilities of the power source, so before pouring alkali, we connect an ammeter to the electrolyzer - so we can trace the increase in current.

Video - Hydrogen heating. Hydrogen batteries

Next, let's talk about other components of the hydrogen burner - the filter for the washing machine and the valve. Both are for protection. The valve will not allow the ignited hydrogen to penetrate back into the structure and explode the gas accumulated under the lid of the electrolyzer (even if there is a little of it). If we do not install the valve, the container will be damaged and the alkali will leak out.

The filter will be required for the manufacture of a water seal, which will play the role of a barrier that prevents an explosion. Craftsmen, who are familiar with the design of a home-made hydrogen burner, call this shutter a “bulbulator”. Indeed, it essentially only creates air bubbles in the water. For the burner itself, we use the same transparent hose. Everything, the hydrogen burner is ready!

It remains only to connect it to the inlet of the "warm floor" system, seal the connection and begin direct operation.

As a conclusion. Alternative

An alternative, albeit highly controversial, is Brown's gas, a chemical compound that consists of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. The combustion of such a gas is accompanied by the formation of thermal energy (moreover, four times more powerful than in the design described above).

Electrolyzers are also used to heat a house with Brown's gas, because this method of generating heat is also based on electrolysis. Special boilers are being created in which, under the action of an alternating current, the molecules of chemical elements are separated, forming the coveted Brown gas.

Video - Rich Brown Gas

It is quite possible that innovative energy sources, the supply of which is practically unlimited, will soon replace non-renewable natural resources, freeing us from the need for permanent mining. Such a course of events will have a positive impact not only on the environment, but also on the ecology of the planet as a whole.

Also read on our article - do-it-yourself steam heating.

Video - Heating with hydrogen

Hydrogen flame can be a great alternative to acetylene flame and can also be used for cutting, soldering and welding. Hydrogen welding is practically harmless, the reason for this is the steam, which is a product of combustion here.

If you own gas, then hydrogen welding will not be too difficult for you. People have been using gas welding for more than a century, the main combustible gas in it is acetylene, but hydrogen is more productive, the difference is that acetylene flame is able to reduce iron, and hydrogen oxidizes it.

Hydrogen welding occurs with the participation of oxygen and a mixture of combustible gas. In this case, the weld pool is covered with a layer of slag, with a thin and porous seam, now hydrocarbons are used, with the help of which it was possible to solve this problem.

Application of hydrogen welding

Hydrogen is suitable for welding iron products, but not stainless steels, since it dissolves in molten nickel, such welding is also not suitable for copper, but the hydrogen atmosphere does not allow the surface to oxidize.

The hydrogen welding machine is capable of operating from a conventional household power supply, the device operates in automatic and manual modes. A mixture of oxygen and hydrogen is supplied to a standard burner through a hose, the flame temperature is regulated at 600 - 2600 degrees.

These devices are easy to use, they do not require frequent recharging, they can be used in a couple of minutes, and the device is very powerful.

Such welding is very environmentally friendly, which distinguishes it from acetylene, which greatly pollutes the environment. The devices are safe for storage and operation, but protective clothing should not be abandoned.

Another important condition before starting work, you need to choose the right electrodes, all are unique, the success of the work will largely depend on their correct choice, when choosing, you need to take into account the working material, the required quality of the seam, working conditions and many other parameters.

• Such welding is capable of performing almost any task of flame processing of a material. These devices are very popular with jewelers, dentists and refrigerator repair specialists.
• Powerful devices allow you to cook material up to 3 mm thick, they are constantly used at various equipment repair stations, since oxygen cylinders cannot be used there.
• Hydrogen machines can be used for body work, repair of batteries, blocks and engines. As soon as the maximum possible level of electrolyte pressure is reached, the system itself will give a signal and the device will turn off, which ensures high fire safety.

This technology provides a much cleaner cut than propane and acetylene. These devices are used in wells, tunnels and underground, where propane and acetylene are prohibited.

Hydrogen welding is also possible at negative temperatures. Such a device is very useful at home, but they are quite expensive, there is another option, to assemble the device yourself.

DIY hydrogen welding

The hydrogen mixture can be obtained by electrolysis of an aqueous solution of alkali, the current source can be made using a rectifier to charge the battery from the car.

Electrolysis should take place in a vessel, a glass jar with a polyethylene lid is suitable at home, its volume can be from half a liter. In the cover, make outlet points for the wires and electrode plates, as well as for the sleeve of the vent tube.

A second vessel can be used as a water dispenser; gases are bubbling in it, where they are saturated with vapors of combustible substances. This mixture is sent to the third container with water, it is a gate for the release of gases. Gas with oxygen, hydrogen and combustible substances will exit through a medical needle.

• The flame temperature can reach up to 2500 degrees, but if you change the level of voltage supplied, it can be adjusted.
• The combustion process must be stable, if you change the voltage on the electrodes, the current strength will also change, and it affects the dose of gas evolution.
• During electrolysis, water is consumed, and the amount of alkali does not change, it decomposes into ions, which increases the electrical conductivity of the solution.

The fuel mixture can be replenished with a conventional medical syringe with a needle. Cotton swabs must be placed inside the syringe tube, at its end and base, this is necessary so that there is no flash of flame through the tube into a vessel with an alcohol composition.

The rectifier can be assembled by connecting diodes over a half-wave network, for this a transformer with a power of 180 W or more is suitable, a device from an old Soviet TV would be a good option, remove the secondary windings and wind new ones using a thick copper wound wire.

Make taps to regulate the output voltage that powers the cell. The flame temperature will depend on the composition of the fuel, acetone or ethyl alcohol can be used.

If you chose acetone, don't use helium pen tubes, they will dissolve in it. If the mixture is dominated by oxygen, the flame may go out.

If you assemble the device with high quality, and it is sealed, it can work for a very long time. If you need to weld large metal elements, then you need to find out how it is done, in principle, this is quite possible.

Hydrogen welding can be very dangerous, as mixtures can explode, oxygen reducers can ignite, and flashbacks can occur.

Before starting work, you need to clearly study the safety precautions, this is the first thing, it is impossible to neglect it. Such welding should not be carried out near flammable substances.

If welding is going on indoors, you need to take frequent breaks and go outside. In closed and semi-closed rooms, use local suction to remove gases. If welding takes place in the tank, then an outside observer is definitely needed.

• All work should be carried out only in protective glasses, so as not to damage the eyes. If using gas cylinders, carry them on a trolley or stretcher and use a protective cap.

They should not touch and fall, there should be no oxygen cylinders in the welding area. Always use gearboxes with correct pressure gauges to avoid explosions.

The flame of the torch when welding should be directed away from the power source, if this is not possible, protect the source with an iron shield. The gas-conducting hoses must be located near the welder; during breaks, the burner flame must be extinguished. If you follow these simple rules, hydrogen welding will always be safe.

conditions. The presented device does not have storage cylinders for gas, which makes it quite safe to use. Hydrogen is produced by electrolysis, and is produced from ordinary water. The gas produced in the required quantities by the HHO generator is immediately burned in the burner, which eliminates the possibility of its accumulation and explosion.

Necessary materials for the construction of the burner:
- Stainless steel plates, approximately 1 mm thick;
- Two M6x150 bolts with washers and nuts;
- A piece of transparent tube;
(The project used a tube from a water level)
- Fitting with "herringbone";
(their diameter is selected under the hose from the water level)
- Plastic container for one and a half liters;
(a regular food storage container will do)
- Flow filter;
(you can use a washing machine filter)
- Check water valve.

Tools are used standard, which are available in every workshop.

The first step is to create the heart of the HNO generator - the electrolyser. It is made of stainless steel sheets arranged in series one after another at regular intervals and fastened with bolts.

As the source says, the stainless steel grade is needed either foreign AISI316L, its domestic counterpart 03X16H15M3. But this is ideal, in principle, you can use any.

Why is stainless steel used, and not, for example, ordinary black metal, because it also conducts current? The fact is that, firstly, black metal rusts in water, and secondly, alkali will be added to the water during the operation of the apparatus, which, subject to the passage of an electric current, will create a rather aggressive environment for the plates in which ordinary iron simply will not last long.

From a sheet of stainless steel, you need to cut 16 square plates. In size, they should be such that they freely enter the plastic container. You can cut them with a grinder or a jigsaw.

After that, two holes are drilled in each plate, with a diameter of 6 mm, for bolts. On the opposite side, you need to cut off part of the corner.
Here's what should happen:

Now some more theory. The principle of operation of a hydrogen generator is based on the fact that when a constant electric current passes through the electrolyte between the plates, the current splits water into its components: oxygen and hydrogen.

From this it follows that two batteries electrically isolated from each other will be assembled from the plates, one of which will receive plus, the other minus (anode and cathode).

Here's what it looks like schematically:

Such a number of plates is needed in order to increase the area of ​​electrical influence on the electrolyte, thereby increasing the current passing through the electrolyte, and as a result, the amount of hydrogen produced.

There are quite a few options for connecting plates, and this option is not the most optimal. It is used because it is quite simple to manufacture and switch.

This circuit is designed for low voltage and high current.

To isolate the plates from each other, pieces of a transparent tube were used:

The thickness of the ring should be approximately 1 mm.

The plates are fastened like this: a washer is put on the bolt, then a plate, then three washers, a plate, three washers, etc. This is how the anode and cathode are assembled, 8 plates each.

After assembly, two batteries ring each other, and if there is no short circuit, they are installed in a container.

Holes for the bolts are drilled in the container, voltage will be applied to them.

A hole for the fitting is drilled in the lid of the container. Before installing the fitting itself, it is better to coat its seat with sealant or silicone. The same applies to the adjacent surface of the cover. To check the container for leaks, you can lower it into a container of water. If bubbles appear on it, then the container is not airtight.

To increase gas generation, some impurities must be added to the water. Sodium hydroxide, which is found in drain cleaners, works best.

Modern technologies have recently been trying to use environmentally friendly fuels that do not cause serious harm to the environment, this requirement also applies to welding. After all, it is important that the work process is not only efficient, but also safe.

An excellent alternative to an acetylene flame is a hydrogen flame using oxygen. Hydrogen welding is an excellent way to weld different metals, it creates a strong connection, and at the same time no harmful fumes are emitted during it. But still, before using it, do not forget about important features.

Features of hydrogen welding

Hydrogen welding is a harmless technology, because during the arc burning only one chemical component is used - hydrogen, or rather water vapor. But this advantage has several negative qualities. For example, the top of the workpiece can be covered with a layer of slag. Also, the weld may be too thin.

Oxygen-binding organic compounds are used to strengthen the bond. The most popular are toluene, gasoline or benzene. They will be required in small quantities, for this reason, welding using hydrogen will be much cheaper than other gas-flame works.

The arc during welding burns in a hydrogen atmosphere between two non-consumable tungsten electrodes. Due to the fact that in the daytime the flame of a combustible substance is not visible, special hydrogen sensors are often used. Do not use large and heavy gas cylinders, because they can have harmful effects on health and can be dangerous to human life.

It was this factor that made many specialists find the most optimal solution - they began to use special devices that are filled with water. Under the influence of electricity, the liquid decomposes into hydrogen and oxygen. The most suitable were electrolyzers.

This is a hydrogen welding machine in which water breaks up into two constituent elements, while their number has optimal proportions. After conducting the distillate through an electric current, the process of dissociation occurs.

The devices that were used earlier had huge dimensions. Devices that could weld sheets of metal with a thickness of 6 mm weighed about 300 kilograms. This caused a lot of inconvenience, so later mobile structures were created, which greatly facilitated the welding work.

Positive qualities of hydrogen welding

Do-it-yourself hydrogen welding has many positive qualities that every novice welder should know about. The most important include:

• When it is carried out, it is not necessary to frequently recharge the welding machine, this saves a lot of time;
• Quickly enters work mode. This process can take a maximum of 5 minutes, depending on the gas flow and atmospheric conditions;
• Possesses the increased power at small dimensions of the equipment;
• Has an ecological frequency. Unlike acetylene, do-it-yourself gas welding with hydrogen does not emit nitrogen vapors, which have a toxic effect on health;
• The welding machine, which is used in the hydrogen welding process, has a high fire safety;
• The design of the installation is thought out as much as possible, it allows you to avoid fire and explosions;
• With the help of welding with hydrogen, it is possible to process and weld different types of materials - various non-ferrous metals, cast iron, steel, glass, ceramics;
• After welding, the seams do not oxidize;
• In order to ensure an uninterrupted welding process, it is enough to have only a few available components - water and a power source.

What equipment is used

Welding on water can be done by hand, but this requires the preparation of the necessary equipment. The quality and strength of the weld, as well as the wear resistance of the entire structure, depend on it. The most suitable option would be to use a hydrogen-oxygen welding machine.

If we consider among domestic models of welding devices, then the product of a domestic manufacturer called "League" is considered popular. The devices can be powered by a 220 V mains supply. Ordinary distilled water is suitable for them, which is used as fuel.

Below is a brief principle of operation of this equipment:

• A charge of electric current passes through distilled water;
• The current converts the distillate into hydrogen and oxygen;
• The resulting mixture passes through the gas cooler-enricher, excess moisture remains in it;
• In the same element, fuel is added to hydrogen - various hydrocarbons, which are often used in welding (benzene, alcohol, and others);
• After that, the mixture passes into the burner;
• To regulate the power in the device has a current regulator and a flame extinguisher.

Atomic hydrogen welding

Atomic hydrogen welding is one of the varieties of the hydrogen welding process. During it, the process of dissociation occurs - the decay of molecular hydrogen into atoms.

In order for a hydrogen molecule to decay, a sufficient amount of thermal energy is required. It should be borne in mind that the atomic state of hydrogen has a low stability, it can last for a fraction of a second. And after that, atomic hydrogen again passes into the molecular state.

During recovery, a large amount of heat is released, which is what is used in atomic hydrogen welding. Heat is required to heat and melt the material to be welded.

Usually in practice, this process is carried out using electric welding and two non-consumable electrodes. But to get the required current to start the arc, you can use a conventional welding device.

The welding process using hydrogen has a lot of nuances and features that are important to study first. In fact, this is the safest and most reliable way to weld a structure. Moreover, this technology can be used not only for non-ferrous metals and steel, but also for other materials.