Fuel and vehicle system based on liquid alkali metal

• US 3,911,284 A
• Filed: 04/02/1974
• Issued: 10/07/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stephen F. Skala
• Original Assignee: Stephen F. Skala
• Inventors: Skala, Stephen F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, G. R.
• Application Number:
  US05/457,207
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139,440 290/1,2,16,50 136/86,86A 60/517-523
• US Class Current: 290/16
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/04 with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2043/106 Hydrogen obtained by electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/04 Engines with variable distances between pistons at top dead-centre positions and cylinder heads
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/0435 the engine being of the free piston type
• CPC Class Codes: F05C 2225/08 Thermoplastics

Abstract

A sodium and potassium liquid fuel alloy is used for operating a motor generator by reaction with water to obtain energy and form hydrogen gas. Said motor generator converts the chemical energy from the heat of reaction to electrical or mechanical energy. The spent alkali hydroxides formed from the reaction are stored for subsequent regeneration to the starting sodium potassium fuel. Hydrogen gas formed in the alkali metal-water reaction is delivered along with air to a second generator which converts the chemical energy to electrical or mechanical energy.

Claims

1. A SODIUM AND POTASSIUM LIQUID FUEL SYSTEM, INCLUDING A POWDER PLANT HAVING A SODIUM POTASSIUM FUEL RESERVOIR, A MOTOR GENERATOR WITH A COMBINATION CHAMBER, A WATER RESERVOIR, A SPENT ALKALI HYDROXIDE COLLECTOR, MEANS TO CONVEY THE FUEL AND WATER TO THE MOTOR GENERATOR, AND MEANS TO TRANSFER THE SPENT HYDROXIDES TO SAID COLLECTOR, A REGENATERING STATION SEPARATE FROM SAID POWER PLANT AND HAVING A REFINERY FOR THE SPENT ALKALI HYDROXIDES, AN ELECTRIC POWER SOURCE OPERATING SAID REFINERY TO REGENERATE THE SPENT ALKALI HYDROXIDES TO SODIUM POTASSIUM FUEL AND A SERVICE FACILITY TO STORE THE REGENERATED FUEL TOGETHER WITH WATER, CONNECTABLE REMOVING MEANS BETWEEN THE COLLECTOR AND SERVICE FACILITY AND THE REFINERY SO THAT THE SPENT HYDROXYIDES MAY BE RECEIVED IN THE REFINERY, AND CONNECTABLE RETURN MEANS BETWEEN THE SERVICE FACILITY AND THE RESERVOIRS SO THAT THE FUEL AND WATER MAY BE RETURNED TO THE RESERVOIRS.

2. A system which includes the features of claim 1 above, which further includes a storage battery, fuel cell means having hydrogen and air electrodes, means to route the formed hydrogen product from the motor generator to the fuel cell means and means to deliver oxygen to said fuel cell means for reaction with the hydrogen to obtain electrical energy for said storage battery.

3. A system which includes the features of claim 2 above and which further includes a power output operated by said storage battery.

4. A system which includes the features of claim 2 above, wherein said regenerating means include a source of primary electric power to regenerate said spent hydroxides by electrolysis and which further includes battery charging means operated by said electric power, and means joining said charger to said storage battery.

5. A system which includes the features of claim 4 above, wherein said power output is a vehicle drive motor of an electrically operated vehicle.

6. A system for operating a vehicle which includes the features of claim 5 above, wherein the connectable return means of said service facility operates to charge fuel and water reservoirs carried by said vehicle.

7. A system which includes the features of claim 6 above, which further includes compressor means to deliver air as the source of said oxygen to said fuel cell means.

8. A system which includes the features of claim 1 above, wherein said motor generator is a variable reluctance type to convert chemical energy from the reaction of the sodium potassium liquid fuel to electric energy, and wherein piston elements reciprocate within a magnetic field to induce electric current which is delivered to said storage battery.

9. A system for operating a vehicle which includes the features of claim 8 above, wherein said power plant is an electrically operated vehicle and said variable reluctance motor generator is carried by said vehicle, and which further includes vehicle drive and control means operated by said storage battery, fuel cell means to generate electricity from the hydrogen formed in the combustion chamber of the motor generator, means connecting said electricity to storage battery, and means joining said fuel cell to the water reservoir to transfer water formed in the fuel cell.

10. A system which includes the features of claim 7 above, which further includes a drive motor and control assembly carried by said vehicle, and wherein said storage battery operates the vehicle drive motor with its stored energy at ordinary demands and wherein said motor generating means and fuel cell means deliver energy to charge said battery during greater vehicle operating demands.

11. A method for operating a heat motor with sodium and potassium liquid fuel and water including the steps of conveying said sodium and potassium fuel tO a combustion chamber associated with a motor having a movable element, conveying water to the combustion chamber of said heat motor to obtain heat of reaction and hydrogen, expanding a fluid within said reaction chamber with said obtained heat of reaction to impart movement to said movable element, removing the formed hydrogen to a location other than said combustion chamber to utilize the energy content of said hydrogen, transferring formed alkali hydroxides from said motor to a collection zone, removing said spent alkali hydroxides from said collection zone, and conveying a new charge of fuel and water to said combustion chamber of said motor.

12. A method which includes the steps of claim 11 above, which further includes reacting said removed hydrogen with oxygen to develop energy.

13. A method which includes the steps of claim 12 above and which further includes obtaining said new charge of fuel and water by applying a primary electrical power source to regenerate said alkali hydroxide by electrolysis to sodium potassium fuel and water, and using said primary electric power source to operate a battery charger which, in turn, charges said storage battery.

14. A method which includes the steps of claim 11 above and which further includes the steps of converting mechanical energy in said motor to obtain electrical energy, charging a storage battery with said electrical energy, and transferring energy from said storage battery to a vehicular drive motor to obtain an operating electrical vehicle.

15. A method which includes the steps of claim 14 above, which further includes the steps of conveying the hydrogen gas formed in said reaction chamber to a fuel cell environment carried by said vehicle, said fuel cell environment including hydrogen and oxygen electrodes, delivering compressed air from said vehicle to said fuel cell means to develop electric current and conveying said electric current to said storage battery to charge said storage battery for operating said drive motor of the vehicle.

16. An electrically powered vehicle which includes, in combination, drive motor and control means, a storage battery to electrically operate said drive motor and control means. a motor generator having a combustion chamber, a fuel tank, a supply of sodium potassium liquid fuel in said fuel tank, means to deliver said sodium potassium liquid fuel to the combustion chamber of said motor generator, a water tank, means to deliver said water to the combustion chamber so that the heat of reaction operates said motor generator, means to develop electrical energy in said operating motor generator, and means to deliver said electrical energy to said storage battery.

17. A vehicle which includes the elements of claim 16 above, and which further includes a fuel cell, means to route the hydrogen formed in the combustion zone of the motor generator to said fuel cell, means to deliver compressed air to said fuel cell so that the hydrogen and oxygen combine to form electrical energy and water, and means to join said electrical energy to said storage battery.

18. A vehicle which includes the features of claim 17 above, and which further includes a battery charger, said battery charger adapted to receive an electric power input from a source separate from the vehicle, and means to convey electric current from said battery charger to said storage battery.

19. A vehicle which includes the features of claim 18 above and which further includes a collector for spent alkali hydroxides, means to transfer the spent alkali hydroxides from the motor generator to said collector, and means to remove said spent alkali hydroxides from the collector on the vehicle to regenerating means separate from said vehicle.

20. A vehicle which includes the features of claim 19 above, wherein said motor generator is of the variable reluctance type wherein a magnetic element ajoins a movable permeable piston element, means to coNvert the resulting magnetic energy into electrical energy, and means to deliver said electrical energy to said storage battery.

21. A vehicle which includes the features of claim 20 above, wherein a pair of piston elements are reciprocable within an elongated cylinder, said magnet element adjoining said cylinder, a combustion chamber intermediate the reciprocating piston elements, an air cushion chamber between the end of each cylinder and the reciprocating element, and a plurality of air gaps in the reciprocating piston elements to obtain a plurality of magnetic field reversals for each stroke of the reciprocating piston elements.

22. A vehicle which includes the features of claim 21 above, which further includes a direct current coil associated with said magnet element to form an electromagnetic assembly, a power source for said direct current coil, an armature coil associated with said magnet element to convert magnetic energy into electrical energy, and means to convey the electric current from said armature coil to said storage battery.

23. A vehicle and recycleable sodium-potassium liquid fuel system, including a vehicle having a power plant, a sodium-potassium reservoir, a water reservoir and compressed air means, a spent sodium-potassium hydroxide collector on said vehicle, means to convey the water and sodium-potassium from the reservoirs to the power plant, means to convey compressed air to said power plant, and means to transfer the spent sodium-potassium hydroxide formed from the reaction of the power plant to said collector, a service facility remote from the vehicle, including a regenerator to convert spent sodium-potassium hydroxide to sodium-potassium fuel, an energy source to operate said regenerator, connectible removing means between the service facility and the vehicle so that the spent sodium-potassium hydroxide may be received for treatment in the regenerator, and connectible return means between the service facility and the vehicle so that regenerated sodium-potassium fuel may be returned to the vehicle.