Household appliances which utilize an electrolyzer and electrolyzer that may be used therein
A household appliance incorporating an electrolyzer for electrolysis of water to H 2 and O 2 and an electrolyzer therefor. The appliance may include a burner for the hydrogen produced and an electric conductive member to provide household current to the electrolyzer. The electrolyzer comprises an outer housing defining a chamber which houses at least one cathode and at least one anode. The electrolyzer may comprise a plurality of field electrodes and the field electrodes may comprise first and second field electrodes which are electrically connected together and spaced apart to define an intra cell gap. Field electrodes may then be spaced apart to define an inter cell gap between electrodes of adjacent field electrodes. At least one of the anode and cathode may be connected to an electrically conductive member that is molded in situ in the housing and at least some of the electrodes may be configured to dimensionally stabilize the electrodes during operation of the electrolyzer. The number of field electrodes may be from 40 to 60 if a voltage of 120 V is supplied to the electrolyzer, 80 to 120 if the voltage is 240 V, or 4 to 6 if the voltage is 12 V. The gap between adjacent electrodes may vary between top and bottom and the electrolyzer may incorporate a plastic heat sink.
1. A household appliance comprising:
(a) an electrolyzer having a plurality of electrodes and defining:
i) at least one oxygen producing cell and at least one oxygen outlet port in fluid flow communication therewith;
ii) at least one hydrogen producing cell and at least one hydrogen outlet port in fluid flow communication therewith;
(b) the electrodes comprise at least one cathode, at least one anode and a plurality of generally U shaped field electrodes positioned between the anode and the cathode, each generally U shaped field electrode comprising first and second opposed surfaces, each opposed surface having an absence of openings therethrough; and,
(c) a burner in fluid flow communication with at least the hydrogen outlet port.
2. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the electrolyzer is operable on household current.
3. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the electrolyzer has from 40 to 60 field electrodes and operates on 120V.
4. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the electrolyzer has from 80 to 120 field electrodes and operates on 240V.
5. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the electrolyzer has from 4 to 6 field electrodes and operates on 12V.
6. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the household appliance is a cooking appliance.
7. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the household appliance is portable and includes a power cord that is removably receivable in a household electrical outlet.
8. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the field electrodes comprise first and second electrodes which are electrically connected together and spaced apart to define an intra cell gap between the first and second electrodes of the same field electrode and wherein the field electrodes are spaced apart to define an inter cell gap between electrodes of adjacent field electrodes.
9. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein each of the field electrodes is generally U shaped.
10. The household appliance of claim 9 wherein each of the field electrodes is formed by bending a generally planer member into a generally U shape.
11. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein the first and second electrodes of each field electrode are connected together by a member that in integrally formed with the first and second electrodes.
12. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein the inter cell gap is from 0.005 and 2 inches.
13. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein the inter cell gap is from 0.005 and 0.25 inches.
14. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein the inter cell gap is from 0.005 and 0.1 inches.
15. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein the inter cell gap is from 0.01 and 0.06 inches.
16. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein the intra cell gap is from 0.05 and 2 inches.
17. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein the intra cell gap is from 0.075 and 0.75 inches.
18. The household appliance of claim 8 wherein the intra cell gap is from 0.125 and 0.5 inches.
19. The household appliance of claim 1 further comprising an electric conductive member adapted to be connected to a household electrical power outlet, wherein the electric conductive member provides the electrolyzer with the same voltage that is supplied by the household electrical power outlet.
20. The appliance of claim 19 wherein the electric conductive member comprises a circuit which does not incorporate a transformer.
21. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the electrolyte in the electrolyte solution is 0.25% to 10% by weight based on the total weight of the electrolyte solution.
22. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the electrolyte in the electrolyte solution is 0.75% to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the electrolyte solution.
23. The household appliance of claim 1 wherein the generally U shaped field electrodes are spaced from the bottom of the electrolyzer and a flow channel is positioned beneath the generally U shaped field electrodes.