Long gone are the days when Vacation home could be heated in only one way - by burning wood or coal in the stove. Modern heating appliances use different kinds fuel and at the same time automatically maintain comfortable temperature in our homes. Natural gas, diesel or fuel oil, electricity, solar and - this is not an exhaustive list alternative options. It would seem - live and rejoice, but only the constant rise in prices for fuel and equipment forces us to continue searching for cheap ways of heating. And at the same time, an inexhaustible source of energy - hydrogen, literally lies under our feet. And today we will talk about how to use ordinary water as fuel by assembling a hydrogen generator with our own hands.

The device and principle of operation of the hydrogen generator

The factory hydrogen generator is an impressive unit

Use hydrogen as fuel for heating country house beneficial not only because of the high calorific value, but also because no harmful substances. As everyone remembers from the school chemistry course, when two hydrogen atoms (chemical formula H 2 - Hidrogenium) are oxidized with one oxygen atom, a water molecule is formed. In this case, three times more heat is released than when natural gas is burned. It can be said that hydrogen has no equal among other energy sources, since its reserves on Earth are inexhaustible - the world ocean consists of the chemical element H 2 by 2/3, and in the entire Universe this gas, along with helium, is the main "building material". Here's just one problem - to get pure H 2 you need to split water into its constituent parts, and this is not easy to do. Scientists have been looking for a way to extract hydrogen for many years and settled on electrolysis.

Scheme of operation of a laboratory electrolyzer

This method of obtaining a volatile gas consists in the fact that two metal plates connected to a high voltage source are placed in water at a short distance from each other. When power is on, high electric potential literally breaks the water molecule apart, releasing two hydrogen atoms (HH) and one oxygen (O). The escaping gas was named after the physicist Y. Brown. Its formula is HHO and its calorific value is 121 MJ/kg. Brown's gas burns with an open flame and does not form any harmful substances. The main advantage of this substance is that an ordinary boiler running on propane or methane is suitable for its use. We only note that hydrogen in combination with oxygen forms an explosive mixture, so additional precautions will be required.

Scheme of the installation for obtaining Brown's gas

The generator, designed to produce Brown's gas in large quantities, contains several cells, each of which contains many pairs of electrode plates. They are installed in a sealed container, which is equipped with a gas outlet, terminals for connecting power and a neck for filling water. In addition, the unit is equipped with a safety valve and a water seal. Thanks to them, the possibility of backfire propagation is eliminated. Hydrogen burns only at the outlet of the burner, and does not ignite in all directions. Multiple magnification usable area installation allows you to extract a combustible substance in quantities sufficient for various purposes, including heating residential premises. But doing this using a traditional electrolyzer will be unprofitable. Simply put, if the electricity spent on hydrogen production is directly used to heat the house, then it will be much more profitable than heating the boiler with hydrogen.

Stanley Meyer hydrogen fuel cell

The American scientist Stanley Meyer found a way out of this situation. His installation did not use a powerful electrical potential, but currents of a certain frequency. The invention of the great physicist consisted in the fact that the water molecule swayed in time with the changing electrical impulses and entered into resonance, which reached a force sufficient for its splitting into its constituent atoms. For such an impact, currents were required ten times smaller than during the operation of a conventional electrolysis machine.

Video: Stanley Meyer Fuel Cell

For his invention, which could free mankind from the bondage of oil magnates, Stanley Meyer was killed, and the works of his many years of research disappeared to no one knows where. Nevertheless, separate records of the scientist have been preserved, on the basis of which the inventors of many countries of the world are trying to build such installations. And I must say, not without success.

Benefits of Brown's gas as an energy source

• The water from which HHO is obtained is one of the most common substances on our planet.
• When this type of fuel is burned, water vapor is formed, which can be condensed back into a liquid and reused as a feedstock.
• During the combustion of detonating gas, no by-products are formed, except for water. It can be said that there is no more environmentally friendly fuel than Brown's gas.
• When operating a hydrogen heating installation water vapor is released in an amount sufficient to maintain the humidity in the room at a comfortable level.

You may also be interested in the material on how to build your own gas generator:

Application area

Today, an electrolyser is as familiar a device as an acetylene generator or a plasma cutter. Initially, hydrogen generators were used by welders, since carrying a unit weighing only a few kilograms was much easier than moving huge oxygen and acetylene cylinders. At the same time, the high energy intensity of the units was not of decisive importance - everything was determined by convenience and practicality. AT last years the use of Brown's gas went beyond the usual concepts of hydrogen as a fuel for gas welding machines. In the future, the possibilities of technology are very wide, since the use of HHO has a lot of advantages.

• Reducing fuel consumption in vehicles. Existing automotive alternators hydrogen allow the use of HHO as an additive to traditional gasoline, diesel or gas. Due to more complete combustion fuel mixture a 20-25% reduction in hydrocarbon consumption can be achieved.
• Fuel economy at thermal power plants using gas, coal or fuel oil.
• Reducing toxicity and increasing the efficiency of old boiler houses.
• Multiple reduction in the cost of heating residential buildings due to full or partial replacement traditional fuels Brown's gas.
• The use of portable HHO production units for household needs - cooking, receiving warm water etc.
• Development of fundamentally new, powerful and environmentally friendly power plants.

A hydrogen generator built using the "Technology of Water Fuel Cells" by S. Meyer (namely, that was the name of his treatise) can be bought - many companies in the USA, China, Bulgaria and other countries are engaged in their manufacture. We propose to make hydrogen generator on one's own.

Video: How to properly equip hydrogen heating

What is needed to make a fuel cell at home

Starting to manufacture a hydrogen fuel cell, it is necessary to study the theory of the process of formation of detonating gas. This will give an understanding of what is happening in the generator, will help in setting up and operating the equipment. In addition, you will need to stock up necessary materials, most of which will not be difficult to find in the distribution network. As for the drawings and instructions, we will try to cover these issues in full.

Designing a hydrogen generator: diagrams and drawings

A self-made installation for producing Brown's gas consists of a reactor with installed electrodes, a PWM generator to power them, a water seal and connecting wires and hoses. Currently, there are several schemes of electrolyzers using plates or tubes as electrodes. In addition, the installation of the so-called dry electrolysis can be found on the Web. Unlike the traditional design, in such an apparatus, not the plates are installed in a container with water, but the liquid is fed into the gap between the flat electrodes. The rejection of the traditional scheme allows to significantly reduce the dimensions of the fuel cell.

Wiring diagram of the PWM controller Schematic diagram of a single pair of electrodes used in the Meyer fuel cell Schematic diagram of the Meyer cell Schematic diagram of the PWM controller Drawing of the fuel cell
Drawing of the fuel cell Wiring diagram of the PWM controller Wiring diagram of the PWM controller

In the work, you can use drawings and diagrams of working electrolyzers, which can be adapted to your own conditions.

The choice of materials for the construction of a hydrogen generator

For the manufacture of a fuel cell, practically no specific materials are required. The only thing that can be difficult is the electrodes. So, what you need to prepare before starting work.

1. If the design you choose is a "wet" type generator, then you will need a sealed water tank, which will also serve as the reactor pressure vessel. You can take any suitable container, the main requirement is sufficient strength and gas tightness. Of course, when used as electrodes metal plates better use rectangular structure, for example, a carefully sealed case from an old-style car battery (black). If tubes are used to obtain HHO, then a capacious container from a household water filter will also do. by the very the best option will be the manufacture of the generator housing from of stainless steel, for example, a 304 SSL mark.

   Electrode Assembly for Wet Type Hydrogen Generator

   When choosing a “dry” fuel cell, you will need a sheet of plexiglass or other transparent plastic up to 10 mm thick and technical silicone o-rings.

2. Tubes or plates made of "stainless steel". Of course, you can also take the usual “ferrous” metal, however, during the operation of the electrolyzer, simple carbonaceous iron quickly corrodes and the electrodes will often have to be changed. The use of high-carbon metal alloyed with chromium will enable the generator to work long time. Craftsmen involved in the manufacture of fuel cells have been selecting material for electrodes for a long time and settled on 316 L stainless steel. in the other there was a gap of no more than 1 mm between them. For perfectionists, here are exact dimensions:
   - outer tube diameter - 25.317 mm;
   - the diameter of the inner tube depends on the thickness of the outer tube. In any case, it should provide a gap between these elements equal to 0.67 mm.

   Its performance depends on how accurately the parameters of the parts of the hydrogen generator are selected.

3. PWM generator. Properly assembled circuit diagram will allow to regulate the frequency of the current within the necessary limits, and this is directly related to the occurrence of resonant phenomena. In other words, in order for hydrogen evolution to begin, it will be necessary to select the parameters of the supply voltage, so the assembly of the PWM generator is given Special attention. If you are familiar with a soldering iron and can distinguish a transistor from a diode, then the electrical part can be made independently. Otherwise, you can contact a familiar electronics engineer or order the manufacture of a switching power supply in an electronic device repair shop.
   

   A switching power supply designed to connect to a fuel cell can be bought online. Small private companies in our country and abroad are engaged in their manufacture.

4. Electrical wires for connection. It will be enough conductors with a cross section of 2 square meters. mm.
5. Bubbler. With this fancy name, the craftsmen called the most common water seal. For it, you can use any sealed container. Ideally, it should be equipped with a tight-fitting lid, which, if the gas inside ignites, will be instantly torn off. In addition, it is recommended to install a cut-off between the electrolyzer and the bubbler, which will prevent the HHO from returning to the cell.

   Bubbler design

6. Hoses and fittings. To connect the HHO generator, you will need a transparent plastic tube, inlet and outlet fittings and clamps.
7. Nuts, bolts and studs. They will be needed to attach the parts of the electrolyzer to each other.
8. reaction catalyst. In order for the HHO formation process to proceed more intensively, potassium hydroxide KOH is added to the reactor. This substance can be easily bought online. For the first time, no more than 1 kg of powder will be enough.
9. Automotive silicone or other sealant.

Note that polished tubes are not recommended. On the contrary, experts recommend processing details sandpaper to get a matte finish. In the future, this will help increase the productivity of the installation.

Tools that will be required in the process of work

Before you start building a fuel cell, prepare the following tools:

• hacksaw for metal;
• drill with a set of drills;
• set of wrenches;
• flat and slotted screwdrivers;
• angle grinder ("grinder") with a set circle for cutting metal;
• multimeter and flowmeter;
• ruler;
• marker.

In addition, if you build a PWM generator yourself, you will need an oscilloscope and a frequency counter to set it up. Within the framework of this article, we will not raise this issue, since the manufacture and configuration of a switching power supply is best considered by experts in specialized forums.

Pay attention to the article, which shows other sources of energy that can be used to equip home heating:

Instructions: how to make a hydrogen generator with your own hands

For the manufacture of a fuel cell, we take the most advanced "dry" scheme of the electrolyzer using electrodes in the form of stainless steel plates. The instructions below demonstrate the process of creating a hydrogen generator from "A" to "Z", so it's best to stick to the sequence of actions.

Scheme of the fuel cell "dry" type

1. Manufacturing of the fuel cell body. The side walls of the frame are hardboard or plexiglass plates, cut to the size of the future generator. It must be understood that the size of the apparatus directly affects its performance, however, the cost of obtaining HHO will be higher. For the manufacture of a fuel cell, the dimensions of the device from 150x150 mm to 250x250 mm will be optimal.
2. A hole is drilled in each of the plates for the inlet (outlet) fitting for water. In addition, drilling will be required in the side wall for the gas to escape and four holes in the corners to connect the reactor elements to each other.

   Manufacturing of side walls

3. Taking advantage of the corner grinder, 316L stainless steel sheet cut electrode plates. Their dimensions should be less than the dimensions of the side walls by 10 - 20 mm. In addition, when making each part, it is necessary to leave a small contact pad in one of the corners. This will be needed to connect the negative and positive electrodes in groups before connecting them to the supply voltage.
4. In order to obtain a sufficient amount of HHO, stainless steel must be treated with fine sandpaper on both sides.
5. Two holes are drilled in each of the plates: with a drill with a diameter of 6 - 7 mm - for supplying water into the space between the electrodes and with a thickness of 8 - 10 mm - for removing Brown's gas. Drilling points are calculated taking into account the installation locations of the respective inlet and outlet pipes.

   Here is a set of parts you need to prepare before assembling the fuel cell

6. Start assembling the generator. To do this, fittings for water supply and gas extraction are installed in the hardboard walls. Their connections are carefully sealed with automotive or plumbing sealant.
7. After that, studs are installed in one of the transparent body parts, after which the laying of the electrodes begins.

   Start laying electrodes with a sealing ring

   Please note: the plane of the plate electrodes must be even, otherwise elements with opposite charges will touch, causing a short circuit!

8. The stainless steel plates are separated from the sides of the reactor by O-rings, which can be made of silicone, paronite, or other material. It is only important that its thickness does not exceed 1 mm. The same parts are used as spacers between the plates. During the laying process, make sure that the contact pads of the negative and positive electrodes are grouped on different sides of the generator.

   When assembling the plates, it is important to correctly orient the exit holes.

9. After laying the last plate, a sealing ring is installed, after which the generator is closed with a second hardboard wall, and the structure itself is fastened with washers and nuts. When performing this work, be sure to monitor the uniformity of tightening and the absence of distortions between the plates.

   During the final tightening, the parallelism of the side walls must be controlled. This will avoid distortion

10. With the help of polyethylene hoses, the generator is connected to a container with water and a bubbler.
11. The contact pads of the electrodes are connected to each other in any way, after which the power wires are connected to them.

    By assembling several fuel cells and turning them on in parallel, you can get a sufficient amount of Brown's gas

12. The fuel cell is supplied with voltage from a PWM generator, after which the apparatus is tuned and adjusted according to the maximum HHO gas output.

To obtain Brown's gas in an amount sufficient for heating or cooking, several hydrogen generators are installed, operating in parallel.

Video: Assembling the device

Video: The operation of the "dry" type structure

Selected points of use

First of all, I would like to point out that traditional method burning natural gas or propane is not suitable in our case, since the combustion temperature of HHO exceeds that of hydrocarbons by more than three times. As you understand, structural steel will not withstand such a temperature for a long time. Stanley Meyer himself recommended using a burner of an unusual design, the diagram of which we present below.

Scheme of a hydrogen burner designed by S. Meyer

The whole trick of this device lies in the fact that HHO (indicated by the number 72 in the diagram) passes into the combustion chamber through valve 35. The burning hydrogen mixture rises through channel 63 and simultaneously carries out the ejection process, dragging outside air through adjustable holes 13 and 70. A certain amount of combustion products (water vapor) is retained under the cap 40, which enters the combustion column through channel 45 and mixes with the burning gas. This allows you to reduce the combustion temperature several times.

The second point that I would like to draw your attention to is the liquid that should be poured into the installation. It is best to use prepared water that does not contain salts of heavy metals. The ideal option is a distillate that can be purchased at any auto shop or pharmacy. For successful work electrolyzer, potassium hydroxide KOH is added to the water, at the rate of about one tablespoon of powder per bucket of water.

During the operation of the unit, it is important not to overheat the generator. When the temperature rises to 65 degrees Celsius or more, the electrodes of the apparatus will become contaminated with reaction by-products, due to which the performance of the electrolyzer will decrease. If this did happen, then the hydrogen cell will have to be disassembled and the plaque removed with sandpaper.

And the third thing we put special emphasis on is safety. Remember that the mixture of hydrogen and oxygen is not accidentally called explosive. HHO is a hazardous chemical compound which, if handled carelessly, can cause an explosion. Follow safety rules and be especially careful when experimenting with hydrogen. Only in this case, the “brick” that our Universe consists of will bring warmth and comfort to your home.

We hope the article has become a source of inspiration for you, and you, having rolled up your sleeves, start manufacturing a hydrogen fuel cell. Of course, all our calculations are not the ultimate truth, however, they can be used to create a working model of a hydrogen generator. If you want to completely switch to this type of heating, then the issue will have to be studied in more detail. Perhaps it is your installation that will become the cornerstone, thanks to which the redistribution of energy markets will end, and cheap and environmentally friendly heat will enter every home.

The use of hydrogen as an energy source for heating a house is a very tempting idea, because its calorific value (33.2 kW / m3) is more than 3 times higher than that of natural gas (9.3 kW / m3). Theoretically, in order to extract combustible gas from water and then burn it in a boiler, a hydrogen generator can be used for heating. What can come of this and how to make such a device with your own hands will be described in this article.

The principle of operation of the generator

As an energy carrier, hydrogen really has no equal, and its reserves are practically inexhaustible. As we have already said, when burned, it releases a huge amount of thermal energy, incomparably more than any hydrocarbon fuel. Instead of harmful compounds emitted into the atmosphere when using natural gas, the combustion of hydrogen produces ordinary water in the form of steam. One problem: this chemical element does not occur in nature in a free form, only in combination with other substances.

One of these compounds is ordinary water, which is completely oxidized hydrogen. Many scientists worked on its splitting into its constituent elements during years. It cannot be said that it was ineffective, because a technical solution for the separation of water was nevertheless found. Its essence is chemical reaction electrolysis, which results in the splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen, the resulting mixture was called explosive gas or Brown's gas. Below is a diagram of a hydrogen generator (electrolyzer) powered by electricity:

Electrolyzers are mass-produced and designed for gas-flame (welding) work. A current of a certain strength and frequency is applied to groups of metal plates immersed in water. As a result of the ongoing electrolysis reaction, oxygen and hydrogen are released mixed with water vapor. To separate it, the gases are passed through the separator, after which they are fed to the burner. In order to avoid a kickback and explosion, a valve is installed at the supply that allows fuel to pass only in one direction.

To control the water level and timely make-up, the design provides a special sensor, on the signal of which water is injected into the working space of the electrolyzer. Overpressure inside the vessel is monitored by an emergency switch and relief valve. The maintenance of the hydrogen generator is to periodically add water, and that's it.

Hydrogen heating: myth or reality?

Welding generator is this moment the only thing practical use electrolytic splitting of water. It is not advisable to use it for heating a house, and here's why. Energy costs during gas-flame work are not so important, the main thing is that the welder does not need to carry heavy cylinders and fiddle with hoses. Another thing is home heating, where every penny counts. And here hydrogen loses to all currently existing types of fuel.

Important. The cost of electricity for the separation of fuel from water by electrolysis will be much higher than the explosive gas can be released during combustion.

Serial welding generators cost a lot of money, because they use electrolysis catalysts, which include platinum. You can make a hydrogen generator with your own hands, but its efficiency will be even lower than that of a factory one. You will definitely succeed in getting combustible gas, but it is unlikely that it will be enough to heat at least one big room, not like the whole house. And if enough, you will have to pay fabulous electricity bills.

Rather than spending time and effort on getting free fuel, which does not exist a priori, it is easier to make a simple electrode boiler with your own hands. You can be sure that in this way you will use much less energy with greater benefit. However, home masters - enthusiasts can always try their hand and assemble an electrolyzer at home in order to conduct experiments and see for themselves everything. One of these experiments is shown in the video:

How to make a generator

The mass of Internet resources publish the most different schemes and drawings of a generator to produce hydrogen, but they all operate on the same principle. We will provide you with a drawing. simple device, taken from popular science literature:

Here, the electrolyzer is a group of metal plates bolted together. Insulating spacers are installed between them, the extreme thick plates are also made of a dielectric. From the fitting, mounted in one of the plates, there is a tube for supplying gas to a vessel with water, and from it to the second. The task of the tanks is to separate the steam component and accumulate a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in order to supply it under pressure.

Advice. Electrolytic plates for the generator must be made of stainless steel alloyed with titanium. It will serve as an additional catalyst for the splitting reaction.

The plates that serve as electrodes can be of any size. But we must understand that the performance of the apparatus depends on their surface area. How more electrodes will be able to engage in the process, the better. But at the same time, the current consumption will be higher, this should be taken into account. Wires leading to a source of electricity are soldered to the ends of the plates. Here, too, there is a field for experiments: you can apply different voltages to the electrolyzer using an adjustable power supply.

As an electrolyzer, you can use a plastic container from a water filter by placing electrodes from stainless tubes. The product is convenient in that it is easy to seal from environment, leading the tube and wires through the holes in the cover. Another thing is that this homemade hydrogen generator has a low performance due to the small area of ​​the electrodes.

Conclusion

At present, there is no reliable and efficient technology, allowing to implement hydrogen heating private house. Those generators that are commercially available can be successfully used for metal processing, but not for the production of fuel for the boiler. Attempts to organize such heating will lead to an overrun of electricity, not counting the cost of equipment.

Infrared radiation heats up the oven faster and more completely,
even those bricks that were previously cold are heated !!!

A controlled amount of water is supplied to the hydrogen generator through a tube,
which, passing through the converter from natural material, saturated with molecular hydrogen
and together with hot air (impulses) is fed into the furnace of the furnace under smoldering coals.
The coals begin to burn brightly and give off heat, while they do not turn into ashes for a long time.

In fact, "Hydrogen Generator No. 1" is an analogue of a wax candle,
where the role of wax is played by water, and the coals of burning wood are the wick.

"Hydrogen Generator No. 1" is completely safe, since the water in the tubes is a water seal,
prevents the penetration of oxygen from the air and the formation of explosive gas.

"Hydrogen Generator No. 1" can be used in gas ovens,
hydrogen water must be supplied to a heated gas burner iron plate.

The power of "Hydrogen Generator No. 1" can be calculated for use in industrial furnaces.

HISTORY OF CREATION "Hydrogen Generator No. 1"

After many years of testing the "Miracle of membranes" - they came to the conclusion that
that the membranes begin to work only with a strong heating of the furnace furnace, giving additional heat.

"Miracle of the membrane" perfectly provide additional heat in iron furnaces for baths and in stoves for heating water in trains and the so-called "potbelly stoves" for country houses.
In furnaces long burning they are ineffective, since when coals are smoldering, there is not enough temperature to ignite water gas.

Check out the new invention "Hydrogen Generator No. 1"
this device is suitable for any furnaces and any types of fuel.

Having made it and installed it in the furnace according to our technology, you will get real fuel savings of 30%
due to an increase in the combustion temperature of coals!

How to get technologies for manufacturing "Hydrogen Generator No. 1"?!

Send a donation through payment systems

In the amount of 1,000 rubles.

During the day, after a notification letter by E-mail: [email protected]
You will receive detailed technical documentation in production photos
at home from available materials"Hydrogen Generator No. 1"

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If we find a cheap and easy way to electrolysis/photolysis of water, then we will get an incredibly rich and clean source of energy - hydrogen fuel. Burning in oxygen, hydrogen does not form any by-products, except for water. Theoretically, electrolysis is a very simple process: just skip electricity through water, and it splits into hydrogen and oxygen. But now all developed technical processes require such a large number energy that electrolysis becomes unprofitable.

Now scientists have solved part of the puzzle. Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed a method to carry out the second of the two steps of a redox reaction - reduction - in visible (sun) light with an energy efficiency of 100%, far surpassing the previous record of 58.5%.

It remains to improve the oxidation half-reaction.

So high efficiency was achieved due to the fact that only light energy is used in the process. The catalysts (photocatalysts) are nanorods 50 nm long. They absorb photons from a light source - and emit electrons.

The oxidation half-reaction produces four individual hydrogen atoms and an O2 molecule (which is not needed). In the reduction half-reaction, four hydrogen atoms pair into two H 2 molecules, producing a useful form of hydrogen, H 2 gas,

An efficiency of 100% means that all photons entering the system participate in the generation of electrons.

At this efficiency, each nanorod generates about 100 H2 molecules per second.

Now scientists are working on optimizing the process, which so far requires an alkaline environment with an incredibly high pH. This level is in no way acceptable for real operating conditions.

In addition, nanorods are susceptible to corrosion, which is also not very good.

However, today humanity is one step closer to receiving inexhaustible source clean energy in the form of hydrogen fuel.

MOSCOW, May 11 - RIA Novosti. Scientists have shown that nickel and boron, cheap and available elements, can be used to obtain new catalysts for the decomposition of water into oxygen and hydrogen, this discovery can be used in the clean energy of the future, according to a paper by researchers published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Until now, the most effective among such catalysts for water electrolysis (decomposition into oxygen and hydrogen using electricity) is platinum - an expensive and rare metal, the reserves of which on the planet are very limited, and therefore many scientific groups are looking for a replacement.

Previously, the authors of a new article, the group of Daniel Nocera (Daniel Nocera) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA, have already shown the applicability of cobalt compounds for these purposes - a fairly common and available metal. A little less than two weeks ago, a report appeared in the press about the production of an effective water decomposition catalyst based on molybdenum. Nevertheless, scientists continue to search for new compounds, since for commercial use such catalysts should not only be cheap, but also orders of magnitude more efficient than their existing prototypes.

In his new job scientists from Nocer's group describe the catalytic system, which is a compound based on the elements nickel and boron. It can be applied as a thin film to any surface using electricity. On the electrode thus obtained, dipped into an aqueous solution of boron compounds (electrolyte), upon application electrical voltage less than two volts, the decomposition of water occurs with the release of oxygen. In this case, a reaction occurs at the opposite electrode with the release of pure hydrogen.

The advantage of the new catalyst is that it can be obtained from widely available and cheap elements. In addition, it has good performance characteristics, which make it possible to hope that such catalytic systems will find commercial applications in the future.

To do this, scientists need to increase the power of such catalysts, "teach" them to work on plain water without the use of additional chemical components as electrolytes, as well as for maximum efficiency combine in a single device with solar cells.

In such power plant excess electricity generated during daylight hours can be converted to hydrogen and stored for use at night. This concept implies a full cycle of energy generation and use by small households, which is very convenient and much more efficient than centralized energy generation at power plants and its further distribution through the power grids.