Anyone seen anything like this?

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When I was at IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology show) a few weeks back, there was a company exhibiting something they called an Oxy-Hydrogen Generator. The machine, which was the same size as a medium bench-top MIG machine, has a reservoir which you fill with distilled water. The water then is separated into oxygen and hydrogen, which is then sent out to a small torch for welding, soldering and brazing. I don't have all their specs, yet, but was wondering if any else had seen such a rig. Manufactured in Taiwan, by the way.
Reply:We had similar units on the submarines I served on, only much bigger. They were called Electrolytic Oxygen Generators, but the people who ran/maintained them called them 'bombs'.We used them to make oxygen to breathe, this sounds like a similar unit only much smaller. I would be very wary of something like this as a small leak of H2 and you could have a real problem on your hands.Building a Jeep from the ground up as a graduation present for my kid. Build thread can be read at http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=259306Mike
Reply:Originally Posted by RichardWDFWhen I was at IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology show) a few weeks back, there was a company exhibiting something they called an Oxy-Hydrogen Generator. The machine, which was the same size as a medium bench-top MIG machine, has a reservoir which you fill with distilled water. The water then is separated into oxygen and hydrogen, which is then sent out to a small torch for welding, soldering and brazing. I don't have all their specs, yet, but was wondering if any else had seen such a rig. Manufactured in Taiwan, by the way.
Reply:Jewelers have been using these for years. They aren't so dangerous at all. The H2/O2 is generated as needed, and pressure is almost nill. I have been meaning to build one for a while now, just to play, but life keeps getting in the way.
Reply:Sounds like a neat idea.  For heavy use, the big problem splitting water up is that it needs a bunch of electricity to perform the electrolosis at a rate that would be useful and cost effective and still remain safe.  You can make hydrogen bubbles in a glass of water with a little 9v battery, but that's not enough to run a big cutting torch continuously.  Breaking the bond between a lot of hydrogen and oxygen requires a lot of power, and using distilled water by itself should not work at all.  It doesn't conduct.  There has to be something (like a salt) added to make the water conduct, but this could be dangerous (chlorine is bad for you).A sub has a good source of salty water and (if it's a nuclear sub) power.  It might work fine for jewelry folks, but I think to be useful in heavy cutting, welding or some other process like that, it would need to be much bigger or have something like a duty cycle.  Low pressure seems unsafe for larger volumes of gas also.  My guess is (and this is just a guess) you have to keep the thing running all the time to build up a supply...then use it...then allow it to build up a supply again...Still it's an interesting concept.  If they have worked out the bugs, it's even more interesting.Last edited by smithboy; 10-06-2006 at 11:24 AM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Originally Posted by smithboyA sub has a good source of salty water and (if it's a nuclear sub) power.
Reply:Sodium hydroxide is what is added to the water to make it conduct. There are large units available to run big torches. They do use alot of electricity, but they claim that you save money compared to oxy/acetylene when all is said and done. Nope, they don't use any tanks or any other kind of gas storage. They control the gas flow by varying the current delivered to the water. The low pressure is OK, you won't get any "backfires" as they call them unless the gas velocity at the torch exit drops below 7 meters per second. They claim backfires aren't a big deal anyhow, there is a bubbler water trap thingy in between the torch and the cell. Google "water torch". there are quite a few available for purchase.
Reply:I'm not 100% sure this is the same exact thing you are talking about.  But it's interesting nonetheless! The 1st part of the video sounds similar! http://navlog.org/WaterFuel.wmv
Reply:Yes, I've seen that video above...very amazing. Hope it makes it to the car market.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:I Google-searched "hydrogen technology" and found this reference and critique--with many more references.         http://peswiki.com/energy/Directory:...plications_IncIt appears this will not replace O/A or plasma cutting and arc welding.
Reply:Originally Posted by WannabeActually we used incredibly pure water in the EOG's, and added KOH.
Reply:Originally Posted by KRSWhich boat were you on?
Reply:Originally Posted by WannabeWe had similar units on the submarines I served on, only much bigger. They were called Electrolytic Oxygen Generators, but the people who ran/maintained them called them 'bombs'.We used them to make oxygen to breathe, this sounds like a similar unit only much smaller. I would be very wary of something like this as a small leak of H2 and you could have a real problem on your hands.
Reply:Originally Posted by WannabeUSS Daniel Webster (SSBN 626 Gold)USS Kentucky (SSBN 737 Gold)USS Miami (SSN 755)USS Dallas (SSN 700)