Guys. I wonder if we are going about this whole thing all wrong.
The goal is "voltrolysis" right? Build up voltage, and have virtually no current right?
Look at the LM317. It is designed to limit current OR voltage. Not both. To limit current, it dynamically adjusts input voltage as needed.
Here is what we are looking for!!
We don't care how much input voltage is being applied to the VIC transfomer. We should care about the input current. Look at this:
To avoid electrolysis in water even with a high voltage across a small gap, the current density and power dissipation in the water must be kept low enough to prevent the decomposition of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
Here’s a breakdown of the factors:
1. Threshold for Electrolysis
Electrolysis typically begins around 1.23V across the electrodes. Applying 1kV across a 1 mm gap would generate a very strong electric field (1 million volts per meter) that could easily ionize the water if enough current flows. However, electrolysis also depends on current density, so if the current is kept extremely low, it might be possible to avoid significant electrolysis.
2. Dielectric Breakdown and Current Density
At 1kV over 1 mm, water is likely near or past its dielectric breakdown, where it begins to conduct electricity even as a dielectric. At this voltage level, even with minimal current, the strong field may encourage some ionization, so complete avoidance of electrolysis becomes difficult.
3. Estimating Safe Current
To roughly estimate, electrolysis can be minimized if the current density is kept below 0.1 mA/cm² or lower. For a tiny gap like 1 mm, with electrodes in close proximity, you'd ideally want to stay in the microamp range (e.g., 1–10 µA) to minimize ionization effects.
Summary
In practical terms:
Limit current to microamps (µA) at most.
Even with very low current, at 1kV across 1 mm, water will likely experience some ionization due to the strong electric field.
In summary, keeping current below a few microamps might reduce electrolysis effects, but with such a high electric field, some ionization and possible electrolysis could still occur.
Our objective is to achieve "voltrolysis"—building up a high voltage with minimal current across a water gap to avoid electrolysis. Here’s the strategy:
Current Limiting with LM317: The LM317 voltage regulator can be set to maintain a constant current output by dynamically adjusting the output voltage. By applying a high input voltage to the LM317, we can define the output current precisely, allowing the LM317 to handle any required voltage adjustments automatically.
Focus on Input Current for the VIC Transformer: Instead of managing the input voltage to the VIC transformer, we should focus on controlling the input current. With the LM317 set to limit current, we can establish the desired electric field across the water cell without exceeding the electrolysis threshold.
Resonance Tuning: By operating the VIC transformer at resonance, the circuit will naturally adjust the voltage to maintain the specified input current. Resonance will maximize the voltage across the water cell, helping achieve the high field strength needed to approach avalanche breakdown across the water gap without significant current flow.
By combining current limiting, high voltage, and resonance, this approach enables precise control over the electric field across the water, which prevents electrolysis by ensuring minimal current flows across the cell, no matter the voltage level.
