AU2010100582A4 - Load Balancing System involving the Collection, Storage and Distribution of Energy using the Proposed Hydrogen Transmission Network as an Alternative to High Voltage Transmission. - Google Patents

Description

Editorial Note for 2010100582 There are six description pages Complete Specifications: Name of Applicant: Adda Enterprises, an Australian sole-trader business with ABN 27306579378 Address of Applicant: 2 Riley Place, Hampton Park, Victoria, 3976, Australia Contact Details: +61397993032 (landline), +61408579983 (mobile), arindam adda@hotmail.com Actual Inventors: Arindam Banerjee and Ilya Shambat Address for Service: Arindam Banerjee resides in 2 Riley Place, Hampton Park, Victoria 3976 Australia. and Ilya Shambat resides in 44 Carlisle Dr., Epping, Victoria 3076 Australia Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: Load Balancing System involving the Collection, Storage and Distribution of Energy using the Proposed Hydrogen Transmission Network as an Alternative to High Voltage Transmission. The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best way for its implementation, as has occurred to us: - Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a set of new and efficient schemes in energy collection, concentration and distribution involving hydrogen as the medium, as opposed to high voltage transmission of electricity. Pure oxygen, pure water, and hydrogen as fuel source are the additional by-products of this scheme. Background of the Invention Mr Arindam Banerjee, in Dec. 2006, Kolkata, first conceived The Hydrogen Transmission Network (HTN) concept. His wife in Melbourne called him, when she was being threatened by huge bushfires approaching the family home. Instantly it occurred to Arindam, that the only way to stop the blaze was to starve it of oxygen, and that could be done only by a bigger fire. If hydrogen canisters were dropped upon the advancing fire-line, the huge extra energy from the combustion of hydrogen would be directed upwards, and the fire at the ground level stopped by the unavailability of oxygen. Later on, Arindam thought more on this, relating to the practicality of this scheme. The important part was the availability of hydrogen at the place and on time - only a network that would pipe hydrogen everywhere could ensure this. Arindam studied the subject of piping hydrogen, and discovered that 50 Km long hydrogen pipelines had been in existence and functioning in Germany, for a few decades. From the information he managed to research on hydrogen in the Internet, and from the energy and water consumption as shown in detail in his electricity, gas and water bills, he found that a viable solution could be had for the world's pressing energy and water problems, on the soundest-possible environmental basis. This solution is the proposed HTN, a revolutionary transport mechanism for energy. It is proposed as an alternative and much superior approach, in comparison to the existing overhead High Voltage Power Transmission. This is the claim #1. Claim #2 is crucial in the prevention of accrual of saline wastes, a common issue in existing desalination plants. Claim #3 relates to the expansion in scope of the Hydrogen Transmission Network. Claim #4 relates to the extraction of a by-product (pure water) from any method to convert the hydrogen into mechanical or electrical energy. Mr Ilya Shambat has been keenly involved in the formative stages of this invention, after it was given publicity in international electronic bulletin boards. He was the first to recognise its potential, and has been instrumental in the refinement and development of the invention, as well as its publicity in print media and in a special website. (http://www.adda enterprises.com/HTNwebsite/home.htm). The key components of this system - non-renewable or renewable energy sources such as solar cell panels, fuel cells, the methods of electrolysis, hydrogen compressors and special non-corrosive pipes, alarming and monitoring systems, pumps and hydrogen storage containers, condensers - have existed for decades. This invention brings them all together, in a new energy transport system that will be bottom-up, needs based, and have organic growth as say in telephony or Internet.

Advantages from this Invention The advantages of the HTN, as an alternative to the HV transmission are: much lower cost of construction, simplicity of design, much less space required in all dimensions, ease of maintenance, pilfer proof design, very robust, admitting easy duplication and alternate routes, no loss of fuel energy in transmission, far more aesthetic and healthy than high voltage lines. Hydrogen being very light can go twice as much distance as natural gas for the same pressure differential; carrying it to higher altitudes will only benefit such transmission. Coal-gas can be transmitted by the HTN (not the other way around, hydrogen cannot be transmitted in a coal-gas pipe). It is the technology for the future, with the gradual and graceful phasing out of the existing power transmission system. Perhaps most importantly, the HTN is expected to have an organic growth, like the Internet of our time. That is, it is expected to have local development to begin with, very profitably from the initial stages - and then there would be linkages of the local HTNs with medium or high capacity lines. Ultimately we will have a very robust, reliable network, which would consistently give power and pure water also, and managed just as well as modern telecommunications networks. It will act as a large desalination plant, without the accrual of saline wastes upon land. The Need for Patenting The potential scope of this invention is vast, as it is expected to touch the lives of every human being on the planet in due course. For this reason, Governments and leading institutions have already been contacted. While the Governments of various nations (Israel, India, Australia, US, Saudi Arabia) have shown interest, they have indicated that the onus is upon the private sector to make this invention into a working reality. For enhanced credibility, patenting is required, as it will lead to the sourcing of finances to construct a pilot project.

Summary of the Invention Claim #1 The Hydrogen Transmission Network is defined as a network that will deliver power by means of hydrogen flowing through pipes. The proposed Hydrogen Transmission Network's composition is as follows: 1. Temporary storage of hydrogen in containers wherever hydrogen can be made cost-effectively (source nodes), and for buffering or distribution purposes (intermediate nodes or end nodes respectively); 2. A network of non-corrosive special hydrogen-carrying pipes to connect the above nodes, with varying levels of capacity depending upon the quantities of hydrogen to be carried; 3. Compressors equipped with suitable valves are present in all the nodes to force the flow of hydrogen in and out of the network; 4. A monitoring and alarming system to check the flow of hydrogen, based upon the pressure levels being continuously monitored. It also monitors the level of the hydrogen in the buffers. All the items mentioned above are available, off the shelf. The claim thus relates to their integration to form a new sort of network, for energy transport as a smaller and more cost-effective alternative to high voltage electrical power transmission. Hydrogen availability as fuel or for conversion to electrical power; pure hot water, pure oxygen - are the results of this invention. Figure 1 gives a graphical description of the claim #1. Claim #2 The electrolysis process for breaking up a water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen, by passing a direct current in a saline solution, is expected to be the key method to convert the electrical energy into hydrogen. Thus, electrolysis plants, situated near the sea or where water is brackish, are vital as the major sources of the hydrogen to be carried in the HTN. The issue now is how the water from the sea is to be used, without accrual of saline wastes upon the land.

The invention here relates to pumping the water from the sea into a container. Only a portion of that amount is converted into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis. There is monitoring of the salinity levels. When a certain level of salinity is reached, the container is flushed and fresh seawater is put into the container. The resulting more saline-concentrated seawater back to the sea, and this process is made cyclic. In this way, there will be no saline wastes upon land. Figure 2 gives a graphical description of the claim #2, which amounts to a desalination system without accrual of saline wastes upon land. Claim #3 While hydrogen cannot be transported in normal gas pipes, coal gas or natural gas can be transported in the special hydrogen-carrying pipes involved in the HTN. This could be useful by itself, for rapid fossil-fuel energy transfer. Or, when the fossil-fuel energy is thus transported to a hydrogen-making plant, it could be converted to hydrogen there. The same pipe may also transport oxygen that is generated via electrolysis. Thus, the pipe may operate in two different modes (hydrogen carrying or non-hydrogen carrying). The same pipe may also transport oxygen that is generated via electrolysis. The claim here relates to the switching mechanism to change between the two modes. A suitable switching mechanism is necessary at either end of the pipe. The pipe is either sending hydrogen, or some other gas depending upon the way the switching is done. Figure 3 gives a block diagrammatic description of claim #3. Claim #4 At the destination, the hydrogen is converted to energy and pure water by either a fuel cell or an engine that generates steam as a "waste". This pure water is a valuable by-product, especially in dry areas. Even otherwise, it is suitable for industrial use, and for the making of soft drinks.

The claim relates to shielding the exhaust of the hydrogen to water conversion process such that there is minimal loss of water involved; and that water is collected in an appropriate container. If the exhaust is steam, it is condensed in cooling pipes. Figure 4 gives a diagrammatic description of claim #4, which is the end-part of the desalination system inherent within the functioning of the HTN. Claim #5 The installation of the HTN will be a major effort. Places of habitation will be linked with piping. This claim relates to adding telecommunications capacity (fibre-optic, coaxial, two-wire) depending upon the local exchange capability and taking future upgrades into account, along with the laying of the cables over the distances between the sources and the sinks for the hydrogen pipeline. Thus, two birds will be killed with one stone. The telephone lines could be tied to the hydrogen pipe with appropriate cable ties.

Claims (5)

1. A system for converting locally generated energies and sea or salty water, into hydrogen and oxygen gases; and transmitting the hydrogen as source of fuel, energy and water to distant locations; this involving the following: A proposed hydrogen transmission network comprising of compressors for compressing the hydrogen gas; hydrogen storage systems for buffering purposes; special non-corrosive gas pipe lines for carrying the compressing hydrogen gas over short or long distances without loss of mass; and a pressure-gauging alarming system to notify of leaks or malfunctions.

2. A pumping system that will pump the seawater or brackish water, for the electrolysis purpose, and then return the more concentrated salt water back to the sea or ocean thus preventing saline wastes on land.

3. A system for switching the hydrogen pipe lines to carry coal gas or natural gas.

4. Any extraction system to obtain pure water from the conversion of hydrogen into mechanical or electric energy, this hydrogen being obtained from the proposed hydrogen transmission network.

5. A new system for the physical delivery of telecommunication services, such as through fibre optics, and coaxial cable.