Hydrogen generating system and method using geothermal energy

• US 10,145,015 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marine Power Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Marine Power Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Carey, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEADE, LORNE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US14/095,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20140150448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/02 Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 5/00 Water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/04 by electrolysis of water
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/005 the working fluid being steam, created by combustion of hydrogen with oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/003 using combustion of hydrogen with oxygen power plants using steam created by combustion of hydrogen with oxygen F01K25/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/10 Geothermal energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for producing electricity, hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, pure water using a geothermal heat are disclosed. A low voltage (such as less than 0.9V) is applied to a prepared solution containing hydrogen generating catalysts to generate hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen and oxygen are used to drive a gas turbine to generate electricity. The oxygen and hydrogen are combusted to generate heat and pure water. This process is advantageous in many aspects including desalinating salt/sea water using geothermal heat.

Claims

1. A method of desalination comprising:

a. performing catalytic electrolysis in a reaction vessel by applying a voltage to a solution containing sea water, sodium chloride and a hydrogen producing catalyst;

b. generating an amount of oxygen and an amount of hydrogen with the hydrogen producing catalyst;

c. combining the amount of oxygen and the amount of hydrogen together to drive a turbine to generate an amount of electricity by using a gas pressure of the amount of hydrogen and the amount of oxygen;

d. using the electricity for performing the catalytic electrolysis;

e. using the amount of hydrogen and the amount of oxygen generated at the electrolysis reaction as intermediate reaction products and generating an amount of pure water by combusting the amount of hydrogen and the amount of oxygen after the turbine was driven to generate the amount of electricity;

f. recycling an amount of recycled heat generated, by combusting the amount of hydrogen and the amount of oxygen, directly back to a reaction vessel containing the solution;

g. recycling the amount of pure water from a condenser back to the reaction vessel, wherein the pure water is separately recycled back to the reaction vessel from the amount of recycled heat;

h. combining the amount of recycled heat and an amount of heat from a geothermal heat as a heat source for the performing the catalytic electrolysis; and

i. desalinating the sea water using the catalytic electrolysis of the sea water with the geothermal heat and the recycled heat to produce the amount of pure water, the amount of hydrogen, the amount of oxygen, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the voltage is equal or less than 1V.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen producing catalyst comprises aluminum, silver, and copper.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen is generated by the hydrogen producing catalyst.

5. A method of generating electricity comprising:

a. performing catalytic electrolysis by applying a voltage less than 1V to a solution having a catalyst and sea water, wherein the catalyst containing aluminum complex, copper complex, and silver complex;

b. providing geothermal heat to the solution;

c. generating hydrogen and oxygen from the solution by the catalytic electrolysis;

d. combining the oxygen and the hydrogen together to drive a turbine to generate an amount of electricity by using a gas pressure of the hydrogen and the oxygen;

e. using the amount of electricity for performing the catalytic electrolysis;

f. using the hydrogen and the oxygen generated from the catalytic electrolysis as intermediate reaction products and generating an amount of pure water and an amount of heat by combusting the hydrogen and the oxygen;

g. recycling an amount of recycled heat generated at the combusting the hydrogen and the oxygen back to a reaction vessel containing the solution;

h. recycling the amount of pure water from a condenser back to the reaction vessel, wherein the pure water is separately recycled back to the reaction vessel from the amount of recycled heat;

i. combining the amount of recycled heat and an amount of heat from the geothermal heat as a heat source for performing the catalytic electrolysis; and

j. desalinating the sea water using the catalytic electrolysis of the sea water with the amount of geothermal heat and the amount of recycled heat.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the solution is a non-acidic solution.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the solution has a pH value equal or great than 7.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising transporting the amount of recycled heat and the amount of pure water to be added to the solution.

9. A hydrogen generating method comprising:

a. performing catalytic electrolysis by applying a pulsed voltage less than 1V to a solution to generate hydrogen and oxygen, wherein the solution containing sea water and a catalyst having aluminum, copper, and silver;

b. combining the oxygen and the hydrogen together to drive a turbine to generate an amount of electricity by using a gas pressure of the hydrogen and oxygen;

c. using the amount of electricity for performing the catalytic electrolysis;

d. heating the solution by a geothermal heat and a recycled heat generated by combusting the hydrogen and the oxygen;

e. using the hydrogen and the oxygen generated from the catalytic electrolysis as intermediate reaction products and generating an amount of pure water by combusting the hydrogen and the oxygen;

f. recycling an amount of recycled heat generated by combusting the hydrogen and the oxygen back to a reaction vessel containing the solution;

g. recycling the amount of pure water from a condenser back to the reaction vessel, wherein the pure water is separately recycled back to the reaction vessel from the recycled amount of heat;

h. combining the amount of recycled heat and an amount of heat from a geothermal heat source as a heat source for the performing catalytic electrolysis; and

i. decomposing the sea water using the catalytic electrolysis of the sea water with the amount of geothermal heat and the amount of recycled heat.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising regenerating the catalyst by providing an amount of light.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the light comprises LED.

12. A catalytic water electric hydrolysis system comprising:

a. a non-acidic solution containing sea water and a hydrogen generating catalyst, wherein the hydrogen generating catalyst contains a charge-treated aluminum metal, a charge-treated copper metal, and a charged-treated silver metal that are treated by a voltage not less than 1V, and wherein the hydrogen generating catalyst is capable of generating hydrogen gas and oxygen gas in a catalytic manner with an applied voltage no greater than 1V, wherein the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas are intermediate reaction products generated at a catalytic electrolysis of a desalination process, wherein the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas are combusted to generate an amount of pure water;

b. an electric energy providing device providing the voltage to the non-acidic solution, wherein the voltage is generated by a turbine driven by combined the hydrogen and oxygen gas by using a gas pressure of the hydrogen and oxygen gas; and

c. a surface of a reaction vessel providing geothermal heat to the non-acidic solution, wherein the geothermal heat is combined with a recycled heat from the combusted hydrogen gas and oxygen gas to heat a reaction of the catalytic electrolysis, thereby the sea water is decomposed by using the catalytic electrolysis of the sea water with the geothermal heat and the recycled heat, wherein the pure water from a condenser is recycled back to the reaction vessel, wherein the pure water is separately recycled back to the reaction vessel from the recycled heat.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a light source.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the light source comprises LED.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the light source provides lights having wavelengths approximately in the visible light region.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the hydrogen generating catalyst comprises aluminum hydroxide, copper hydroxide, silver hydroxide, or a combination thereof.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a computer automating a transportation of the non-acidic solution.