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The Basic Kit is now assembled, here are the steps to look for when operating the kit.
1. Put the unit in the sun or under a bright lamp.
2. Bubbles should start to form in the electrolyser and bubbles come out of the H2 Vinegar, O2 Vinegar and FC Water test tubes.
3. Keep an eye on the level of the KOH in the electrolyser, if the fluid levels do not stay even, add more water (DISTILLED ONLY, no tap water) to the FC Water test tube if the electrolyser hydrogen side fluid level rises, or 5% red wine vinegar to the O2 Vinegar test tube if the electrolyser oxygen side fluid level rises. Take a measurement of the different fluid levels in the electrolyser, and add enough liquid to the test tubes to increase the level by the measurement of the difference in the fluid levels in the electrolyser. (If the O2 side of the electrolyser is 1/4 inch higher, add enough vinegar to the O2 Vinegar test tube to raise the level in the test tube by 1/4 inch. If that tube is too full, remove water from the FC Water test tube.) The fluid levels are not balanced prior to shipping, the end user will need to perform the final balancing.
4. It will take 5-10 minutes to purge the air in the system and produce enough voltage to make the fan spin.
Once the fan is spinning it should continue to spin as long as the sun is shining.
There is nothing that has to be done when the unit is taken out of the sun. The Anti-Siphon tubes keep the fluids in the proper areas.
If condensation starts to collect in the Tygon tube leading into the fuel cell pull the tube off the fuel cell and clear the water out. Small amounts of pure water will not hurt the fuel cell, while small amounts of tap water will damage the fuel cell.
All that is needed to keep the kit running is to add DISTILLED water to the electrolyser. The kit will run for several days on end before this is necessary. Refer to the full instructions for procedures on adding water. |
