This video gives a quick overview of the importance of having a flashback arrestor. As most others working in this field, I use a bubbler as my flashback arrestor/safety device. You can certain elect to operate your cell without such a safety but you risk an explosive event migrating from the engine to your cell and possibly destroying your cell if there is nothing in your system to halt the migration of that event. My flashback arrestor is a bubbler made from a simple Jiff peanut butter jar. I also made a water trap out of a similar kind of jar. The water trap is plumbed from the bubbler and then feeds the intake plenum. The reason for a water trap is to prevent water from the bubbler itself from being sucked into the engine. This might not be a concern when the vehicle is stationary, but when moving water splashes around a lot and can easily end up being sucked out. Water traps provide a sump or last-line reservoir so this does not happen. You simply check and empty the canister from time to time. I know some people have even run return lines from their water traps back to the bubbler and sometimes back to the cell itself. The correct configuration is whatever works best for YOU! But regardless of how you plumb your system, remember that adding a bubbler to your system as a flashback arrestor is extremely important. How likely is a flashback? I've had two explosive events in the past. Do yourself a favor: Keep safety a primary concern and add a flashback arrestor. You'll secure your own safety as well as preventing the possible damage or destruction of what you've worked so hard on.
NOTE: I do want to make one very important statement: Using a bubbler is a good idea BUT bear in mind it is not a perfect guarantee. I have seen instances where a flame-front has been able to get through a bubbler and still flashback to the cell. Therefore, you should research inline flashback arrestors as well. Using one of these, in concert with your bubbler, gives you two lines of defense against an explosive event. But my main point is to use *something*....using nothing, including no bubbler, is taking a huge risk. I know! I've experienced flashbacks and they can be humbling. Something else that's a good idea is to design your cell so that it does have a point of failure in case a flashback occurs. The cell you see me working with here has a rubber top and bottom, each of which will blow off in the event of an explosion. It's a good idea, in my opinion, to design in a calculated point of failure or install something like a blowoff valve that can relieve a sudden and large overpressure in your pressure vessel. Also, I would be very careful about using a glass container for a cell of any large size. Glass schrapnel wouldn't feel very good!
HHO fuel cell Bubblers and safety
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