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Hello All
New to this forum so Hi to everyone.
I just finished building a complicated device and I cannot seem to find much help elsewhere to complete the final stage.
I had built a Hydrogen generator powered by 240 volt. The generator requires AC converted to DC for gas production so a bridge rectifier is used. The problem I'm having is I wanted to adjust the voltage so the gas production varies. I purchased a 240 VAC regulator, Live and Neutral in and Positive and Negative to load. Each time when I adjust the voltage, it trips the breaker fitted to the generator. So I replaced it with a 16a Burst Fired Energy Regulator as I wanted a steady flow of Hydrogen Gas. Connected up, tested all the wiring and when I turned on and tested with a screwdriver, there's a very dim light flickering from the test screwdriver. Turned the dial to full but no gas production from Hydrogen generator.
Disconnected regulator and hard wired to the generator and all works well.
Did I bought the wrong type of regulator and would anyone can recommend one, but not too expensive ?

Appreciate any help and thank you.

P.S, Here's the link to my video
 
Hello All
New to this forum so Hi to everyone.
I just finished building a complicated device and I cannot seem to find much help elsewhere to complete the final stage.
I had built a Hydrogen generator powered by 240 volt. The generator requires AC converted to DC for gas production so a bridge rectifier is used. The problem I'm having is I wanted to adjust the voltage so the gas production varies. I purchased a 240 VAC regulator, Live and Neutral in and Positive and Negative to load. Each time when I adjust the voltage, it trips the breaker fitted to the generator. So I replaced it with a 16a Burst Fired Energy Regulator as I wanted a steady flow of Hydrogen Gas. Connected up, tested all the wiring and when I turned on and tested with a screwdriver, there's a very dim light flickering from the test screwdriver. Turned the dial to full but no gas production from Hydrogen generator.
Disconnected regulator and hard wired to the generator and all works well.
Did I bought the wrong type of regulator and would anyone can recommend one, but not too expensive ?

Appreciate any help and thank you.

P.S, Here's the link to my video
You need to watch out Micheal any more talk of al this Science related stuff and you will be getting a visit from HM Security Services:p
 
At least down on Bristol I’m out of the blast zone - sorry Micheal you lost me at ‘complicated device’ - the true wizards will be with you shortly, they’ll be finishing their Weetabix!
 
Unless I'm getting the science wrong, I believe tap water has a resistivity of approximately 1000-5000 ohms per cm. So with say two plates of 1 cm x 1cm separated by 1cm, at 2 volts, I believe 2mA will flow. I could be wrong because I've never looked into it before.

In which case you may be able to get away with a small bench power supply, but if you really need 10A then I think from what I can see (and I've only looked briefly) you either need to buy a fancy bench power supply (hundreds of pounds) or you need to build yourself one.

Essentially a step down transformer from say 240v to 5v (at your desired current - which won't be cheap), bridge rectifier, smoothing cap and then say a low dropout voltage regulator and the components required to support it, or a switching power supply, personally I'd use the transformer approach as unless you are coupling the two sides somehow, you are guaranteed isolation from the mains. If you're not careful, depending on the design, you could have the mains coupled to the output with a switching supply.

This is the datasheet for a low dropout voltage regulator from TI that may be suitable, but it's maximum rated current is 7.5A.

http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tps759.pdf

Generally these days it's switching supplies for high current stuff, but if you have a Google for linear voltage regulator I'm pretty certain you could find a circuit capable of tracking an input voltage at a vastly increased current (probably based on MOSFET transistors or something)... who knows, it's getting late and I've got quotes to do and beer to drink.

Hope this helps, I'm sure someone will correct me if any of this is nonsense... been a while since I did any serious electronics :D
 
Unless I'm getting the science wrong, I believe tap water has a resistivity of approximately 1000-5000 ohms per cm. So with say two plates of 1 cm x 1cm separated by 1cm, at 2 volts, I believe 2mA will flow. I could be wrong because I've never looked into it before.

In which case you may be able to get away with a small bench power supply, but if you really need 10A then I think from what I can see (and I've only looked briefly) you either need to buy a fancy bench power supply (hundreds of pounds) or you need to build yourself one.

Essentially a step down transformer from say 240v to 5v (at your desired current - which won't be cheap), bridge rectifier, smoothing cap and then say a low dropout voltage regulator and the components required to support it, or a switching power supply, personally I'd use the transformer approach as unless you are coupling the two sides somehow, you are guaranteed isolation from the mains. If you're not careful, depending on the design, you could have the mains coupled to the output with a switching supply.

This is the datasheet for a low dropout voltage regulator from TI that may be suitable, but it's maximum rated current is 7.5A.

http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tps759.pdf

Generally these days it's switching supplies for high current stuff, but if you have a Google for linear voltage regulator I'm pretty certain you could find a circuit capable of tracking an input voltage at a vastly increased current (probably based on MOSFET transistors or something)... who knows, it's getting late and I've got quotes to do and beer to drink.

Hope this helps, I'm sure someone will correct me if any of this is nonsense... been a while since I did any serious electronics :D
Thanks for all your information
 
A small bench power supply will get fried immediately as my generator has 110 plates and sorry for my miscalculations, it is actually 2.3 volt per plate. I will also be running the generator up to around 2500 - 3000 watts and around 8 to 10 amp max draw so a minimum of 16a regulator would be needed and it has to be variable. Everything runs fine without the voltage regulator but meaning the gas production will be fixed. Just need a recommendation on a proper regulator.
Also, I'm not sure if I am using the correct bridge rectifier, its a full wave fitted.
 
It should be a full wave bridge rectifier. With some substantial smoothing caps after it (without doing calcs, I'd probably go for something like 3500uF at 16v, but there are calculations you can do to properly calculate the size required (this will be based on current).

I just found this with a Google search:-

High current adjustable power supply circuit, 0-30V 20A - https://www.eleccircuit.com/high-power-supply-regulater-0-30v-20a-by-lm338/

The search string I used was "how to build a high current low voltage regulator"

Without spending hundreds of pounds I don't believe you'll be able to buy anything off the shelf to meet your specific requirements. I found a bench power supply that would do it, but it was £700 + VAT.

I think you're going to need to learn to solder and how to use strip board (although due to the power requirements you won't be mounting too many components on that as it will vaporise the tracks) if you don't already.

I'd use a high power toroidal transformer (with an secondary winding somewhere in the region of 5v at 20A - which will probably be expensive) and a 20A bridge rectifier on the output, followed by some substantial smoothing capacitors and then possibly a circuit based on the one in that link.

Failing that, have a look at some of the power supplies on Banggood (if my spelling is correct) as there are some very high power units available as imports from China. But be warned, I've seen videos of some of these going up in smoke due to design/manufacturing flaws.
 
I should add... the regulation you want is on the DC side. Anything that talks about live in, live out and neutral will be on the mains side of things which probably means you're sticking something connected to the mains in a load of water. If it fails in an unsafe manner you could end up with mains on the output.

Don't do it. Same reason I'd suggest for this application not using a switching supply (because there is a chance that if it fails you'll end up with mains coupled directly to the output).

For safety put a transformer between your equipment and the mains and ensure there is no coupling (earth or otherwise) between the low voltage side and the mains input.
 
I'd want the OP to provide a circuit diagram for the current set-up before any advice is provided. I fear from my study of the innards and what he has written in his first post that the 110 plate HHO (oxyhydrogen) gas production cell ( noting 110 X 2.3 = 253V) pictured at the bottom of the cabinet is galvanically connected to and energised directly from the mains via a bridge rectifier - if it is then IT IS VERY UNSAFE AND UNACCEPTABLE.
 
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I didn't watch the video, but I believe you're spot on.

Having watched it, if that's hydrogen bubbling through that flask... where's the oxygen going? If it's not dealt with sensibly could be an almighty bang.
 
Great minds... chips :D What did you have with yours? I had chicken
Something isn't right with this thread, strange goings on, you need a lot of power to separate hydrogen with electrolysis, it is inefficient, I know of an engineer who couldn't get backing for his design and he has a youtube channel with millions of views and tens of thousands of subscribers and that is his thing
 
Great minds... chips :D What did you have with yours? I had chicken
Something isn't right with this thread, strange goings on, you need a lot of power to separate hydrogen with electrolysis, it is inefficient, I know of an engineer who couldn't get backing for his design and he has a youtube channel with millions of views and tens of thousands of subscribers and that is his thing
 
Whenever i am assembling a complicated device,i ensure that no testing is done,using a neon screwdriver...
Whenever i am assembling a complicated device,i ensure that no testing is done,using a neon screwdriver...
Those screwdrivers are a liability, wet hands bang, more than the limit of the screwdriver/internal resistor bang (smoke) a good chance of a nasty shock... In the recycling bin is where it goes
 

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