Patent Application
20140099252
The present invention relates to the general field of energy conversion systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to providing hydrogen and deuterium as fuel for low-energy nuclear reaction (LENR) and Energy Catalyzer (E-Cat) based energy systems.
Energy generating systems that utilize either hydrogen (H2) gas or deuterium (D2) gas as a fuel source are known in the prior art. Significant limitations of prior art systems include reliance upon conventional gas cylinders and/or gas piping distribution systems, which have substantial associated costs and very limited mobility/portability. Examples of two prior art systems, and comments as to their apparent limitations, are briefly discussed as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,893,414 (issued to Larsen et al.) describes a method for generating useable heat from a Low Energy Nuclear Reaction (LENR) based reaction. Larsen discloses a system that includes a source of hydrogen or deuterium associated with a “cavity,” but does not offer any teachings as to how the hydrogen or deuterium is produced or supplied; presumably, the gases would be supplied from a conventional pressurized cylinder, which would negatively impact the portability of the system.
U.S. Patent Publication 2011/0005506 (filed by Rossi) describes an Energy Catalyzer (E-Cat) device for generating heat via an exothermal process based on proton absorption by a host nucleus. Viewed in light of the aforementioned Larsen patent, it is suspected that Rossi's E-Cat process is actually a type of LENR process. In Rossi's process, which has been demonstrated in at least a few public venues, hydrogen gas is supplied via pressurized cylinder. As in Larsen's patent, Rossi's publication mentions that a source of hydrogen or deuterium is associated with a cavity, but offers no further significant teachings in that regard. In both Larsen and Rossi, the absence of any meaningful teachings as to the gas supply system highlights the lack of existing art that might enable a low cost and readily portable gas supply system for those types of energy producing systems.
As has already been touched upon, the use of hydrogen or deuterium gas supplied from pressurized cylinders has several disadvantages. First, it greatly reduces portability of the associated energy systems. Second, that approach requires replenishment of the gas with new gas storage cylinders. Additionally, pressurized cylinders pose a significant safety hazard due to the high pressure storage and flammability of stored H2 and D2 gas if it should escape from the cylinder.
An existing alternative to the use of pressurized cylinders is to employ distribution systems similar to those which are used for the delivery of natural gas. Unfortunately, this approach likely reduces energy system portability, and requires significant investment in a gas piping distribution system.
It is therefore apparent that a hydrogen or deuterium supply source fuel module that can be readily integrated with a suitable energy generating device (such as a LENR or E-Cat device), and that supplies hydrogen or deuterium gas in a safe and portable manner, would represent a substantial improvement in the art.
The present system and method are directed to providing a supply source fuel module that is integrated with a LENR or E-Cat based energy generating device/system for safe, on-time, on-site supply of hydrogen and/or deuterium as needed for use by the LENR or E-Cat reactor.
A key component for implementing the invention is an electrochemical dissociation chamber that is preferably filled with water plus an electrolyte, or to a reformer system for a hydrocarbon based material (e.g., methane, alcohol, gasoline, oil, wax, etc.) that is rich in hydrogen and/or deuterium. It should be understood that the terms “hydrogen” and “deuterium,” as those terms are used herein, refer to the respective elements (and not just to the gaseous forms of those elements).
In a first group of preferred embodiments, the invention works by dissociating the hydrogen and/or deuterium rich source liquid into its constituent gases. For example, the invention operates by any of the following three approaches: (i) dissociating a source of liquid water into hydrogen and oxygen; (ii) dissociating heavy water into deuterium and oxygen; or (iii) dissociating a combination of water and heavy water to produce a gas that contains both hydrogen and deuterium.
In an alternative embodiment, the source material is a hydrocarbon based material from which hydrogen and/or deuterium can be separated by “cracking” the hydrocarbons to release the hydrogen and/or deuterium. The remaining lower molecular weight hydrocarbons can continue to be “cracked” until a “waste” carbon and/or even lower molecular weight compounds remain and can be disposed of. This process is similar to that which is used to produce hydrogen re-former sources in methanol based fuel cells.
In other alternative embodiments, the source need not be a liquid. Solid or solid-like materials that store hydrogen and release it when dissociated by heat or appropriate mechanical methods may also be employed. Examples include, but are not limited to, hydrogen or deuterium gas storage in structures such as microbeads, microspheres, metallic sponges, etc. As but one example, the microbeads (which can be purchased from commercial suppliers, such as 3M) may be filled with hydrogen. Later, when needed, the microbeads can be fractured to release the hydrogen; the waste materials from the spent microbeads, such as glass or polymers, can be removed.
The electrical energy that is required for dissociating water or reforming a hydrocarbon based material (e.g., methanol) can be supplied from any of a number of sources, such as from power line or grid-based systems, thermoelectric processes (including those which utilize a portion of the thermal energy produced by reactor 340), an electrical generator powered by a portion of the energy produced by reactor 340, energy stored in an electrochemical cell, electrical energy from a photovoltaic system, electrical energy from a wind turbine system, etc
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The present invention thus provides an attractive alternative to those existing approaches which require flammable, pressurized hydrogen and/or deuterium gases to operate LENR and E-Cat based energy generating systems. Because of its safety advantages and portability, the disclosed invention is capable of enabling a broad range of LENR and E-Cat powered products in locations such as, but not limited to, on-grid electrical communities and off-grid electrical communities in developed and undeveloped regions, as well as in remote locations for camping, military operations, and exploration (e.g., terrestrial, marine, space). Powered product applications include, but are not limited to, space heating, water heating, process heating, primary and secondary sources of electricity generation, powered transportation (e.g., automotive, motorcycle, bicycle, rail, marine, air, space), telecommunications, lighting, emergency and catastrophe support operations, and water purification/distillation.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of this invention.
The present application is related to, and claims priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/545,485 (filed on Oct. 10, 2011, by the same inventors as the present invention), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
