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Revision as of 03:49, 2 June 2007 by Omegatron (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Brown's Gas is a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen gas, produced by the common-ducted electrolysis of water, promoted by Yull Brown as a fuel for welding, brazing, and the like. It is sometimes claimed by others to have special properties that defy the laws of physics.
Welding
In standard oxy-hydrogen welding (using one tank of each gas), the ratio of each gas in the mixture must be very carefully controlled before burning, as excess oxygen will result in oxidation of the metal, and excess hydrogen will result in hydrogen embrittlement.
Due to the way it is generated, Brown's gas is already in the perfect mixture required for this type of welding. Brown's welding devices use water electrolysis in a common chamber to generate a stoichiometric mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, which is then passed through a flash-back arrestor and into a burner, where it is ignited to create a flame.
This oxyhydrogen flame is also more convenient than fuels like acetylene due to the generation of gas on demand instead of buying and transporting containers of fuel. Brown's gas generators only require a source of water and electrical energy.
Safety
The gases are usually kept in separate tanks due to the danger of explosion if they are ignited inside a tank or device. Brown includes a number of safety devices, however, such as porous plugs that allow gas through but not the heat of a flame, and claims that his welding device is safe.
Atomic welding
Brown also describes "atomic welding" in his patents, in which an electric arc is passed through the mixture of gas before burning, so that the gas molecules break into atomic oxygen and hydrogen before recombining, producing a hotter flame.
Patents
- US patent 4081656, Yull Brown, "Arc-assisted oxy/hydrogen welding", issued 1978-03-28
See also
References
- ^ US patent 4014777, Yull Brown, "Welding", issued 1977-03-29