Water electrolysis with dc pulses and plasma discharge
Water electrolysis with dc pulses and plasma discharge
Authors:Â M. Vanags, P. Aizpurietis, G. Bajars, J. Kleperis, J. Klavins
Abstract
Pulse electrolysis process is analyzed and available efficiencies are estimated. The inductive high voltage pulses (up to 1 microsecond) induced in secondary transformer coil immediately after the circuit interruption in primary circuit, are applied to electrolysis cell in secondary circuit. It is confirmed that for very short voltage pulses the electrolysis cell behave as capacitor which is charged, and voltage gradient is formed on electrode/electrolyte interface. After the short voltage pulse a long discharge tail is observed, during which water is splitting into hydrogen and oxygen with efficiency close to 100%. Four-and five-electrode cell is constructed to study plasma electrolysis. Analyzing the composition of electrolysis gases with the mass spectrometer, it is found that low concentrations of hydrogen in plasma electrolysis of K2CO3 solutions, can be effectively enhanced by using urea (NH2)2CO additive. Explanation is proposed that products of decomposition urea in solution attracts oxygen and forms CO2 and NOx gases, thus allowing the accumulation of hydrogen gas.