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This invention generally relates to the field of hydrogen combustion systems; specifically it relates to electricity and steam generation, water recovery, and energy capture systems.
Currently the steam generators used in electric power plants rely on hydrocarbon based fuels or uranium.
The negative externalities associated with hydrocarbon based fuels includes but is not limited to: “greenhouse gases”, mercury poisoning, oil spills, and limited availability that threatens our national security and economic stability.
The negative externalities associated with uranium based fuels include but are not limited to: the long-term health risks associated with accidental exposure, toxic byproducts with half-lives ranging into the millions of years, national security and environmental issues associated with transporting nuclear waste, and long-range waste storage solutions.
Fuel cells have been seen by many as the means to replace these toxic energy sources. However fuel cells have their own limitations as compared to this invention. Limitations associated with Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells, or PEM, the most developed of the available fuel cells, include but are not limited to: fuel cell cores that are expensive to build and maintain, and complex heat and water management. Phosphoric Acid fuel cells used in medium to large-scale power generation suffer from: low efficiency, limited service life and an expensive catalyst. Solid Oxide fuel cells, also suitable for medium to large-scale power generation are limited by: high operating temperatures, exotic metals, high manufacturing costs, oxidation issues and low specific power.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of this invention are:
a. a readily available supply of energy to fire the steam generators commonly found in electric power plants, in an environmentally friendly manner;
b. affordable cost to build and maintain;
c. this invention also supplements or entirely provides for a community's water supply by providing a means for water collection, and for the independent operation of the water management facilities;
d. further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
An embodiment of the invention includes a combustion chamber for a hydrogen and oxygen reaction, for the purpose of capturing the resultant heat and thrust, as well as the water produced. Heat is captured by one, or possibly multiple heat exchangers and transformed into rotational energy by a turbine that powers an electric generator. Thrust is captured by a turbine and transformed into electrical energy by an electric generator. The energy captured is intended to replace that which is currently used to fire steam generators in electric power plants and the water produced is intended to supplement or entirely provide for a communities water supply.
The two injectors, one each for hydrogen 3 and oxygen 4, are optimally located within the combustion chamber 2 to produce the maximum possible amount of energy.
Hydrogen, in liquid or gas form, may be obtained from pipelines, or storage tanks, not shown. A plurality of hydrogen sources will provide for fault tolerance. Oxygen in gas form may be obtained directly from the atmosphere, or via pipeline or storage tanks in either gas or liquid form, not shown.
Immediately adjacent to the hydrogen 3 and oxygen 4 injectors, and located within the combustion chamber 2 itself, is a heat exchanger 8. The said interior heat exchanger 8, a.k.a steam generator and shown in
The exterior heat exchanger's elements S in
The generated steam will most often replace the steam generated in electric power plants. The said steam is subsequently captured, distilled and returned to the water input means. This is a closed system and is not part of the water collection means 14 associated with the hydrogen oxygen reaction.
Attached to the opposing end of the combustion chamber 2 is a nozzle 11 to channel the generated thrust from the said combustion chamber 2 into a turbine 12. The turbine 12 may be attached to an electric generator, or other device that benefits from rotational energy, via a rotational energy connecting element 13.
Attached to the turbine 12 is a steam collection and water management system means 14 to capture the water resulting from the aforementioned hydrogen oxygen reaction.
Transmission/gear boxes, not shown, that engage and disengage the steam and thrust turbines with electric generators, will allow for water production when the demand for water exceeds that of electricity.
Initially the facilities for housing this invention, and its supporting apparatus, may be located near hydrogen production facilities. Once a national hydrogen pipeline infrastructure is in place the described jet turbine will then be able to replace existing steam generators in electric power plants, making possible a new readily available and environmentally friendly source of electric power and pure water.
Similar to the operation of a rocket engine and shown in
Power generated may be distributed on the national electric power grid, not shown, to offset the power necessary to generate the hydrogen consumed by the Dual Capture Jet Turbine 1, thus forming a complete circuit.
Should the demand for water exceed the demand for electricity, then the electric generator or generators may be disengaged by means of a transmission/gear box or boxes, not shown. Steam will most likely need to continue to be recycled in order to cool the system.
Thus the reader will see that this invention provides for an environmentally friendly means of producing steam and thrust to be later transformed into electricity and water.
The invention will be of interest to utility companies who can reduce costs, eliminate hazardous emissions and improve public relations by incorporating nontoxic solutions. Consumers will enjoy a safer, cleaner, more affordable and readily available source of water and power.
A plurality of hydrogen sources will provide fault tolerance in the event of a severed pipeline or other catastrophic event, thus avoiding any disruption of water and power delivery.
The shape of the combustion chamber may be transformed into more than just the circular and oval configurations shown here. It could, for example, take the form of an oval, but unlike the oval combination chamber depicted in
The exterior heat exchangers, as previously described, may instead preheat water or other substance prior to injection into an interior heat exchanger, rather than as a source of steam for a steam driven turbine.
All materials used in the fabrication of parts that may come into contact with the resultant water from the hydrogen and oxygen reaction must be nontoxic.
While my above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of one preferred embodiment thereof.
Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
This application claims benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/494,186 filed Aug. 11, 2003 by the present inventor.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60494186 | Aug 2003 | US |