ROCKET that LITERALLY BURNS WATER as FUEL

Summary

The video explains how to split water (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis and explores burning hydrogen for fuel. The creator experiments with various designs to improve hydrogen gas production, including using scouring pads, gyroid lattices, and conductive materials. Challenges with conductivity and corrosion are faced, but a more efficient generator is built. The video concludes with a test where hydrogen is used in a DIY rocket engine. The project highlights hydrogen's energy potential and how 3D printing can play a role in engineering solutions.

Takeaways

• 🔋 Electrolysis is the process of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, which can be done by placing two metal pieces in water and connecting them to a battery.
• 🔥 Hydrogen is a highly powerful fuel, containing about 34,000 calories per kilogram, which is three times more than gasoline.
• 🚀 The creator's goal is to burn water to build a powerful rocket engine using a 3D-printed stainless steel rocket design.
• 🔧 By using gyroid lattice structures, the creator aims to optimize the surface area of electrodes, which are crucial for generating hydrogen efficiently.
• ⚠️ Hydrogen and oxygen are highly explosive together, making this experiment dangerous and requiring careful handling.
• 🧪 The creator experimented with sulfuric acid as a water conductor instead of the more commonly used sodium hydroxide, but found it caused issues with the electrodes.
• 💡 The creator developed an innovative stacked-disc electrode generator that outperformed the previous gyroid design in gas production efficiency.
• ⚙️ To power the generator, various batteries were tested, but the high current demand ultimately destroyed several of them.
• 🎨 Electroplating with silver was used to prevent electrode corrosion, but chemical reactions during the experiment caused a buildup of sludge on the silver surface.
• 🎁 The creator is giving away a 3D printer in the video, encouraging viewers to comment with ideas for future video themes to enter the contest.

Q & A

What is the process used to break the H2O molecule and why is it important?

The process used to break the H2O molecule is called electrolysis, which involves using electrons to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. This is important because hydrogen is a powerful fuel, and when combined with oxygen, it burns very effectively.

Why does the speaker want to 'burn water,' and how does stoichiometry play a role?

The speaker wants to burn water to build a powerful rocket engine. Stoichiometry is important because splitting water produces the perfect ratio of hydrogen and oxygen for combustion, ensuring an efficient burn.

What makes hydrogen a particularly powerful fuel compared to other fuels like gasoline?

Hydrogen has an extremely high energy density, with 34,000 calories per kilogram, which is about three times more than gasoline. This makes it a highly efficient fuel, although it's challenging to store due to its low density in gaseous form.

What design improvements does the speaker want to make to their HHO generator?

The speaker wants to improve the HHO generator by maximizing surface area and reducing the resistance between electrodes. They plan to use a gyroid lattice structure for the electrodes, which allows for more efficient gas production due to the increased surface area and proximity of the electrodes.

What is the significance of the gyroid structure in the context of the HHO generator?

The gyroid structure is significant because it has a high surface area and divides space into two separate volumes, allowing electrodes to be placed close to each other without touching. This design maximizes gas production efficiency by minimizing the distance between electrodes.

Why did the speaker switch from sodium hydroxide to sulfuric acid, and what problem did they encounter?

The speaker switched to sulfuric acid because it makes water more conductive than sodium hydroxide. However, the problem they encountered was corrosion, as the sulfuric acid damaged the silver coating on the electrodes, which led to poor performance.

What did the speaker learn about the reaction of silver with sulfuric acid during the experiment?

The speaker learned that silver does not react with sulfuric acid directly but does react with sulfur released during the electrolysis process, which forms a sludge that covers the silver electrodes and reduces their conductivity.

Why did the speaker ultimately abandon the gyroid lattice design, and what was their alternative solution?

The speaker abandoned the gyroid lattice design because it became covered in a non-conductive sludge, making it ineffective. Their alternative solution was to stack thin metal discs with small gaps between them, which offered a simpler and more efficient way to achieve a large surface area for electrolysis.

What challenges did the speaker face with the power source, and how did they address them?

The speaker faced challenges with the power source not providing enough current for the electrolysis process. They initially used a lithium battery, which overheated, and then upgraded to a more powerful battery, but it still couldn’t handle the high current draw. The problem remains unresolved.

What are the safety concerns mentioned in the video regarding the production of hydrogen and oxygen?

The safety concerns involve the danger of producing hydrogen and oxygen together, as they are highly explosive when mixed. The speaker warns viewers not to try the experiment at home unless they are fully knowledgeable about the risks.