GB1320313A - Power plant - Google Patents

Abstract

1320313 Power plant for use underwater BRITISH OXYGEN CO Ltd 3 Sept 1970 [3 June 1969] 31866/69 Heading F1Q The invention relates to a power plant for use underwater having a liquid hydrogen-containing tank, a liquid oxygen containing tank, a combustion chamber in which the hydrogen and oxygen are reacted, an engine driven by the reaction products, and a condenser for water vapour discharging from the engine, the combustion chamber having an inlet for water at a rate sufficient to maintain the chamber at a temperature below that at which the chamber would be damaged, the liquid hydrogen tank and the liquid oxygen tank being Dewar vessels. In Fig. 1, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen from the Dewar vessels 11, 12 pass to the reaction chamber 13, the resulting component, steam, passing to the turbine 14 and the steam discharging therefrom to condenser 15. A portion of the condensate passes to a vessel 16 and is subsequently disposed of; the remaining condensate passes through line 19 to the reaction chamber 13, the flow being controlled by a valve in dependence on temperature within the reaction chamber. Any excess hydrogen or oxygen in the condenser is passed through line 17 to the reaction chamber, a device 21 sensing which reactant is in excess and acting through servo-mechanism 23 to reduce the flow of that reactant. An adsorbent bed 25 is provided in the line 17 to remove any residual impurity gas. In Fig. 2, liquid hydrogen from tank 38 and liquid oxygen from tank 37 pass through lines 30, flow control unit 34 and vaporizer 35 to reaction chamber 43. The reaction product, steam, passes to Stirling engine 41 which drives electric generator 42. The exhaust steam from the engine discharges through line 49 through the vaporizer 35 where it serves to vaporise the reactants passing to the reaction chamber, the exhaust steam then passing into condenser 47. Condensate water is delivered by pump 52 through line 54 into the reaction chamber. Any excess water is discharged through one-way valve 53; any residual gas in the condenser 47 passes to adsorbent bed 46. The whole assembly except the Dewar vessels 37, 38 is contained within a pressure vessel 59 which is mounted on feet 58.