Energy generation apparatus

• US 5,632,870 A
• Filed: 04/27/1995
• Issued: 05/27/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MicroPower Global Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ENECO, Inc.
• Inventors: Kucherov, Yan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valentine, Donald R.
• Application Number:
  US08/430,088
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 204/292, 204/290 R, 204/293, 204/263, 204/266, 204/228, 204/275, 204/274, 204/262, 204/278, 204/272, 204/DIG. 4, 204/239, 204/295, 204/241, 204/DIG. 9 , 204/DIG. 5, 204/252, 204/273, 204/290 F, 429/12, 429/13, 429/3
• US Class Current: 204/241
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/02 Hydrogen or oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/00 Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0656 by electrochemical means H01M8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 204/04 Electrolysis cell combined with fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 204/05 Magnetic plus electrolytic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 204/09 Wave forms

Abstract

Electrolytic cell apparatus and methods for generating a useful energy product from a plurality of energy sources. In a preferred embodiment, hydrogen gas is produced at a cathode by transmission of electrons through a low voltage potential barrier to electron flow achieved by careful control of electrolyte constituent concentrations and surface materials on the cathode. A portion of the energy captured in the hydrogen gas is provided by heat transmitting activity of ions dissociated from water at an anode which catalytically dissociates the water and thereby transfers thermal energy from the anode to the ions and other constituents of the cell electrolyte. Thermal energy is replaced in the anode by absorption of heat from the surrounding environment.

Claims

1. An energy generation apparatus comprising:

an electrolytic cell having at least one anode, at least one cathode and an electrolyte comprising hydrogen adapted to be interposed between said at least one anode and said at least one cathode, said at least one cathode including a surface for communication with said electrolyte;

means for applying pulsed electrical voltage between said at least one anode and said at least one cathode;

means for collecting hydrogen gas emitted from said electrolytic cell and extracting energy through oxidation of said hydrogen gas;

a housing comprising at least one thermal conducting side exposed to a source of thermal energy externally disposed to said housing, said electrolytic cell disposed in said housing and said at least one anode being in thermal communication with said at least one thermal conducting side, said at least one anode comprising means for catalytically dissociating the electrolyte into a plurality of ionic products;

means for reducing voltage barrier potential of said electrolyte communicating surface; and

means for reducing electrical resistance between said at least one anode and said at least one cathode.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one anode comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of nickel, platinum, platinum-nickel alloys, stainless steel coated with platinum, iron, palladium, noble metals, stainless steel coated with nickel, rhenium, tungsten, and alloys thereof.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one anode comprises a stainless steel plate coated with at least one element from nickel, platinum, and alloys thereof.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said at least one element is of a thickness of about 1000 angstroms.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said stainless steel plate is of a thickness of about 0.2 mm.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one cathode is selected from a group consisting of Ni, Fe, Pd, Pt, and Ir.

7. A apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electrolytic cell further comprises a container for containing said electrolyte, said electrolyte further comprising a hydroxide, CsOH in water, or at least one metallic ion selected from Cs, Rb, Na and K.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one thermal conducting side and said at least one anode are of one material and construction.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for reducing electrical resistance between said at least one cathode and said at least one anode comprises ion permeable mesh of dielectric material fiber, or ion permeable membrane with low thermal conductivity disposed within said electrolyte and interposed between said at least one cathode and said at least one anode.

10. A apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said dielectric material fiber comprises SiO₂ fibers.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for continuously replacing said electrolyte for maintaining a chosen level of electrolyte within said electrolytic cell.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cell for converting hydrogen gas to electrical energy where electricity for said source of pulsed electrical voltage is partially supplied from the hydrogen gas output of said electrolytic cell.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said hydrogen gas electrical energy converter comprises a fuel cell.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said hydrogen gas electrical energy converter comprises a hydrogen gas oxidizer.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a means for removing heat energy from said at least one cathode.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an ion permeable membrane interposed between said at least one anode and said at least one cathode to reduce convective and other retrograde heat flow from said at least one cathode to said at least one anode.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising SiO₂ fibers disposed between said at least one anode and said at least one cathode for providing a thermal separation.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an impeller to control fluid movement.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a means for supplying an electromagnetic field to said electrolytic cell.

20. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for applying pulsed electrical voltage applies voltage between about 1.29 and 1.9 volts.

21. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one anode and said at least one cathode are spaced apart at least about 100 microns.

22. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an external cell operating electrical pulse power source wherein pulse source frequency harmonics are approximately of a frequency of resonant frequency of surface plasmons of said at least one anode represented by high frequency harmonics of electromagnetic signal in megahertz wave band.

23. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one anode comprises electrical conductors for supplying electrical power to said at least one cathode.

24. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electrolyte includes an upper surface and said at least one cathode comprises a cathode having corrugations and including a multiplicity of sloping grooves which aid in the capture of hydrogen bubbles rising toward the upper surface of the electrolyte.

25. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electrolyte includes an upper surface and said at least one anode comprises corrugations including a multiplicity of sloping grooves which aid in capturing oxygen and other gaseous bubbles rising toward the upper surface of the electrolyte, each of said grooves comprising an electrically insulated surface to reduce likelihood of recombination of the gaseous bubbles prior to capture.

26. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one anode is adapted to be in thermal communication with an environment surrounding the electrolytic cell.

27. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said at least one anode is adapted to be in thermal communication with an environment surrounding the electrolytic cell by means of a water-jacket through which a liquid heat exchange is made with said at least one node.

28. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one anode and said at least one cathode have a specific frequency of chemical bond agitation and said source of pulsed electrical voltage includes means for generating a frequency which corresponds to said chemical bond agitation.

29. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one anode having a surface comprises a stainless steel plate coated with a layer of material selected from a group of metals consisting of Nickel and Platinum single crystals with crystallographic orientation <

111>

normal to the anode surface.

30. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one anode having a surface comprises a stainless steel plate coated with a layer of material selected from a group of metals consisting of Ni, Pd, Au, Pt, Ir, Rh, and Re single crystals with crystallographic orientation <

111>

normal to the anode surface.