Brown's gas: Difference between revisions
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'''Brown's Gas''' is [[oxyhydrogen|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. |
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== Welding == |
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{{R to section}} |
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}} |
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In standard [[Oxy-fuel welding and cutting#Hydrogen|oxy-hydrogen welding]] (using separate tanks for 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]].<ref name="US4014777">{{US patent reference |
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| number = 4014777 |
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| y = 1977 |
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| m = 03 |
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| d = 29 |
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| inventor = Yull Brown |
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| title = Welding |
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}}</ref> |
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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.<ref name="US4081656">{{US patent reference |
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| number = 4081656 |
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| y = 1978 |
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| m = 03 |
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| d = 28 |
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| inventor = Yull Brown |
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| title = Arc-assisted oxy/hydrogen welding |
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}}</ref> |
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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.<ref name="US4014777"/> While acetylene burns at 2670 °C, which is hotter than a hydrogen-air flame (2400 °C), the oxyhydrogen flame theoretically burns at a hotter 3100 °C.<ref name="Electronics">{{Cite news |
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| volume = 69 |
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| issue = 2 |
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| pages = 22 |
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| last = Don Lancaster |
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| title = Investigating Brown's gas, a tiny TV generator, and more |
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| work = Electronics Now |
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| date = 1998-02 |
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| url = http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-9314717_ITM |
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}}</ref> |
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=== Safety === |
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Usual oxy-hydrogen welding apparatus keeps the gases separate tanks, due to the danger of explosion if the mixture is ignited inside a container. 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. The current is varied so that gas is only generated as it is needed.<ref name="US4014777"/> |
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=== Atomic welding === |
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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 ("218,000 cal. per gram mole").<ref name="US4014777"/> |
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== Waste disposal == |
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The high temperatures from burning Brown's gas can also be used for the [[vitrification]] of [[incinerator]] waste, turning the ash into a safer glass-like substance.<ref>{{Cite journal |
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| title = Vitrification of Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Fly Ash Using Brown's Gas |
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| accessdate = 2007-04-05 |
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| url = http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/article.cgi/enfuem/2005/19/i01/html/ef049953z.html |
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}}</ref> |
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== Anomalous effects == |
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Many other claims about the gas are made by proponents, such as a "self-adjusting" temperature, in which the flame becomes hotter when directed at tougher materials, but becomes cool when touched briefly by a finger. This has been attributed to misinterpretations of [[infrared thermometer]] readings and the flame not emitting enough energy to burn the finger in such a short duration of time.<ref name="Electronics"/> |
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Brown's gas is claimed to be fundamentally different from oxyhydrogen because it implodes when ignited, rather than exploding. South Korean Hung-Kuk Oh of [[Ajou University]] claims that the implosion effect cannot be explained by modern physics, and proposes that the effect is caused by a "strong gravitational cavity" from "[[Crystallization|crystallizing]] [[Pi bond|π-bonding]] of hydrogen".<ref>{{Cite journal |
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| volume = 95 |
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| issue = 1-3 |
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| pages = 8-9 |
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| last = Oh |
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| first = Hung-Kuk |
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| title = Some comments on implosion and Brown gas |
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| journal = Journal of Materials Processing Technology |
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| date = [[1999-10-15]] |
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}}</ref> Others point out that the effect can be explained simply by the rapid condensation of the resulting steam on the container's walls.<ref name="Electronics"/> |
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== See also == |
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* [[HHO gas]] |
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* [[Oxyhydrogen]] |
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* [[Water torch]] |
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== References == |
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<references/> |
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[[Category:Pseudoscience]] |
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[[fr:Gaz de Brown]] |
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Latest revision as of 18:42, 8 May 2023
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