Homade Hydrogen Still Fuels His Cutting Torch

Homade Hydrogen Still Fuels His Cutting Torch ENERGY Hydrogen 26-1-37 FARM SHOW first featured Lawrence Spicer's hydrogen gas ideas back in 1981. The Lineville, Iowa, farmer says the hydrogen gas generator he was using back then is still in operation. His system is powered by a 1,000 watt, 32-volt Jacobs wind generator. Electricity from the generator charges electrodes, which are submerged in water. As the current passes through the water, it separates the hydrogen from the oxygen in the water molecules. Spicer collects the two gases into separate tanks and uses them primarily as welding fuel. He's also used hydrogen to fuel internal combustion engines in vehicles and farm machines, and in place of propane as stove fuel and for refrigeration. He says anything that uses a gaseous fuel can be converted to burn hydrogen. In addition to farming and raising cattle, Spicer also sells hydrogen cells similar to the one he uses. "Each cell will put our 1/2 cu. ft. of hydrogen and 1/4 cu. ft. of oxygen per hour, using just 2 volts and 40 amps of electricity," he says. An air compressor can be hooked into the system to pressurize the gases. Besides electricity and the cell, producing hydrogen requires water (or another liquid containing hydrogen) and potassium hydroxide (lye) as a catalyst. He recommends using rainwater or distilled water, since the minerals dissolved in groundwater will eventually coat the electrodes and stop the cell from working properly. Spicer's single hydrogen cells sell for $175. A unit with six cells and pressure control is $1,500, while the same type unit with 24 cells is $2,500. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lawrence Spicer, R.R. 2, Lineville, Iowa 50147 (ph 641 876-5665).

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