Subject: Why my H2 (O2) torch blew.

From: [email-masked] (Neal Howard)
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1993 18:43:35 GMT

A couple of days ago I posted to the H2/O2 torch thread about my experience
with my homemade H2  (electrolysis of water) torch suffered a minor explosion.
Well, I found out why. My good old trusty DC power supply wasn't so trusty
after all, one of the diodes in the bridge rectifier must have had high reverse
leakage and let a significant amount of AC on the output, therefore
giving me some O2 mixed into what I thought was H2 only. I guess that's what
let the flame front travel down the hose and into the electrolysis bottle.
The diode has now shorted completely and took out a big filter cap with it.
If you're running one of these homemade torches, test your DC power supply
regularly, it's cheap insurance :-)

peace,
Neal
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Neal Howard     [email-masked]  CompuTrac,Inc. (Richardson,TX)
|355033|        Disclaimer: My opinions are mine, not CompuTrac's.        
DoD #686        "Let us learn to dream, gentlemen, and then perhaps
'91 XLH-1200     we shall learn the truth." - August Kekule' in 1890
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