Its strange how you can read endless amounts on wfcs, many with conflicting details and non-sensical theories and mindless assumptions, until you become completely overwhelmed by it all.
Then just occasionally you read something (perhaps even something you had read many times before) that suddenly registers and unlocks a door. Something else 'clicks' into place.
Water as the dielectric was always my bug-bear of mine, as I never really thought this possible, or likely... tap water conducts. Then the importance of conditioning of the plates came to light more and more, and with it realisation that the conditioning was actually forming an insulating dielectric layer. Water is not the dielectric.
We have the capacitor now, with water being simply an all encompassing extension of the cathode. Next question then is, how exactly are we getting the water molecule to split and release its component gases?
If the oxide layer is an insulator, forming the capacitor, then it should opposed DC. AC, on the other, hand would pass to a lesser or greater degree, with the capacitor allowing far more current flow at higher frequencies than lower frequencies.
The thing is, we are not providing an AC signal to our capacitor (which is polarised), but rather DC pulses. The capacitor will charge from the DC pulses, so there will be a standing voltage across the dielectric, and as this leaks the pulses will keep topping the capacitor up.
However, this leakage current, will prevent the voltage reaching the 'stress' level needed to physically pull the water apart, unless we can top it up faster than it can leak.
I think that the small current flowing through the wfc is simply the natural dc leakage current of a 'wet electrolytic capacitor', and will likely happen all the time because of the pd across the dielectric. No amount of so-called 'amp consumimg devices' before the wfc will stop this. Only improving the dielectric layer will reduce this.
However, getting the right LC combination and pulse frequency will be critical in restricting current flow through the circuit.
Then, something I read here 'clicked'.
http://peswiki.com/index.php/OS:Water_Fuel_Cell
If and when a DC pulse attains a certain level of potential difference across the oxide layer dielectric, then this dielectric layer (not the water) briefly, but catastrophically breaks down. The highly charged plates effectively short out across this dielectric layer. However, the current restricting LC combination won't allow this to happen fast enough. The electrical charges on the plates are unable to form an equilibrium and hence balance the plate charges from within the electrical circuit. Instead, other options are looked for. This being the water. The electrons are literally pulled off the water molecule, which then breaks up in order to meet or reduce the massive charge deficit on the plates.
When this happens, current through the circuit is not affected much, but a lot is happening to the water within the wfc.
That at least is how I'm rationalising the workings of a wfc ... so far.
Oh one thing about the water you use. Bear in mind that if you use deionised water in a wfc and don't use it regularly, the ss plates will corrode as the protecting oxide layer needs oxygen to be maintained. As it is, the cathode plate might corrode even in use with no free oxygen in the water.
Farrah Day.