It is time for a change in my experimentation. I spent a lot of time and energy with the sodium carbonate electrolyte and DC current without being able to report any proven excess power. There is evidence that the Borax electrolyte might lead to more definitive results so that is what I began using again today. Earlier I started using Borax after finding that table salt was a terribly corrosive material. I used the Borax for several days as it slowly ate away at my positively connected electrodes before I decided to go to the sodium carbonate. I stuck with the sodium carbonate for so long since I was mainly concerned about the hydrogen loading of the cathode which should have been similar with either electrolyte.
Today, I rewound a transformer to yield 21 volts AC RMS. This is an ideal way to drive the system with AC since the transformer automatically isolates it from the AC mains and leads to a safe experiment. I am using 21 volts because that is all I obtained with the transformer core with which I started when I placed as many turns as possible (36) in the secondary slot with the wire size that was convenient. I was worried that this might not be enough voltage, but found that I could still drive the cell with between 1 and 2 amps RMS depending upon the spacing between the electrodes. The joule losses within the transformer are quite low and it is in no danger of overheating. The cell is receiving around 40 watts of power which is within reason. I am using a Pyrex dish for my cell, the same one that I have been using for several days. It is open and wide so the cell temperature is fairly low due to large heat loss. I am curious as to whether or not I get the strange sparks that seemed so prevalent with my earlier DC system. I have noticed that there is a lot less gas being released at the electrodes due to the AC drive current. The AC drive current does not appear to cause the green deposits that were so evident with the DC current. I initially allowed the green mess to be plated upon one of the test nickels attached to the positive DC supply connection. After a period of time the green material was shaken off and a dark deposit replaced it as the current increased. I do not know what material is plating that nickel, but it allows for good conductivity. I placed my old reliable nickel on the other electrode for the AC testing. The poor nickel has been undergoing electrolysis for many days, has been heated red hot and quenched 5 times, has been soaked in a mild acid for a couple of days, and then sanded to roughen its surface. I am not sure what else I can do to make it more miserable! Dave
