GB2310217A

GB2310217A - The closed system electrolysis/combustion fuel cell and related open system

Info

Publication number: GB2310217A
Application number: GB9700349A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Fay Alexandra Plane
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-02-16
Filing date: 1997-01-09
Publication date: 1997-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 2017-01-09
Also published as: GB9700349D0; GB9603593D0; GB2310217B

Description

THE CLOSED SYSTEM ELECTROLYSIS/COMBUSTION FUEL CELL AND RELATED OPEN SYSTEM.

This invention relates to a closed system electrolysis/combustion fuel cell and related open system.

The closed system electrolysis/combustion fuel cell and related open system comprises a fuel cell called a gas liberator which uses low voltage electricity to split water into it's component gases, which are burnt within sealed combustion chambers. The combustion is exothermic and reforms water in the form of water vapour. The vapour is contained within a sealed system where it is ducted away to a radiator, cooled, condensed and returned to the water reservoir, for the process to begin again, hence forming a closed system in which the same water is repeatedly decomposed electrolytically to a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, combusted to produce heat and reform water, therefore continuously recycling the water fuel within a totally sealed system. This then forms the closed system. The heat of combustion is used to raise the temperature of ram air which is fed by an inlet fan through hot convoluting pipes contained within a metallic block, some of the ram air is forced through many radially positioned venturi, sucking more air in. All the air then joins the main stream before entering a turbine where mechanical work is done. This then forms the related open system, open because the ram air comes from the atmosphere and is returned to the atmosphere after leaving the turbine. Hence the open system and closed system are working concurrently but their contents never mix, they are kept totally separate.

According to the present invention there is provided a fuel cell, called a gas liberator, comprising small hollow electrolysis chambers, containing inlets for the water to enter, supplied by the water reservoir. The water enters the chamber in the form of a highly concentrated fine mist and is continuously sprayed through sets of electrodes, each set held firmly in position by a nonmetallic holder. All the electrodes are parallel as will be described in the linear configuration, or alternatively can be positioned radially, which ever way they are placed, all have the same surface areas, and are very close together. Each electrode is so arranged that the electrodes either side of it are oppositely charged to it. The concentrated fine mist is sprayed in-between all the electrode surface areas. The gases produced rise within the electrolysis chamber and an outlet at the top removes them to a sealed combustion chamber where they are ignited forming heat and are subsequently recycled by being returned to the water reservoir.

Hence the CLOSED SYSTEM is responsible for the gas production, the subsequent combustion of hydrogen in oxygen to reform water vapour, which is cooled, condensed and returned to the water reservoir. The OPEN SYSTEM is designed to heat up atmospheric air in order to do mechanical work. Alternatively as in the case of a central heating system the related open system would become a closed system for the circulation of a liquid through radiators in order to heat rooms, in which case two separate closed systems would be operating concurrently, one for the gas production, combustion and recycling of the water fuel, the other purely for circulating a hot fluid to warm radiators.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which . Figure 1 illustrates the entire system Figure 2 illustrates a linear configuration of electrodes.

Figure 3 illustrates a radial configuration of electrodes.

Referring to the drawing the closed system electrolysis combustion fuel cell and related open system comprises a water reservoir 1. Water exits this reservoir by pipe 2 and enters the electrolysis chamber 3, where it is converted into a very concentrated fine mist and sprayed through all the electrode surface areas of the gas liberator 4. The electrodes are parallel or alternatively almost parallel, have identical surface areas, and are separated from each other by an infinitesimally small distance, and held firmly in position by a non conducting holder. Any excess water collects at the bottom of the chamber and is returned to the water reservoir by pipe 5.The hydrogen and oxygen gases rise within the electrolysis chamber and exit by pipe 6, to enter the combustion chambers, where a one way valve 7 delivers regular metered amounts of the gaseous mixture which rise within the hollow inverted chamber 8, where they are ignited at the onset by the ignition circuit 9, and thereafter by spontaneous combustion due to the heat of chamber 8. The products formed by the combustion are able to escape into the outer chamber 10, through a perforated skirt containing many holes attached all around the inner chamber, firmly connecting the inner chamber to the outer, from where the combustion products rise up through ducts 11 within the metallic block 12, and are ducted away to a radiator 13, where they condense, cool and are returned via pipe 14 to the water reservoir.

Meanwhile a fan 15 rams air into an inlet 16 and is propelled along a pipe 17 into the metallic block containing a long convoluting tube 18.

The air is heated and expands rapidly. After leaving the metallic block some of the hot air is diverted throu venturi 19, where the volume of air is increased by the suction drawing in more atmospheric air. All the air then enters the turbine 20, where the kinetic energy of the hot ram air is converted into mechanical energy to power a shaft 21, from which useful work can be done, some of the energy from the drive shaft is used to power the inlet fan, and a dynamo 23 supplying electrical power to the gas liberator via circuit 24 and initially to the ignition circuit.

Claims

The closed system electrolysis/combustion fuel cell and related open system are two separate systems in which the closed system is responsible for the electrolytic decomposition of the water fusel, in the form of a very concentrated fine spray, which is continually fed on to many inert electrodes, positioned in relation to each other either linearly or radially, so that each electrode has on either side of it electrodes of opposite electrical charge. All the electrodes have equal surface areas and are infinitesimally close together, and are also arranged so that both surface areas of every electrode participates in the gas production. A low voltage electrical supply is used to evolve the gas which is fed into combustion chambers.

Each combustion chamber consists of a double chamber, the smaller inner chamber holds the precombustion hydrogen and oxygen mix, which is fed in, in a metered amount by a one way valve, the combustion products are able to escape into the outer chamber through a great many holes in a perforated skirt joining the inner chamber to the outer. From here they are ducted away through pipes in the metallic block, heating the block in the process before returning the condensed water to the reservoir for continuous recycling. An equation can be formed governing the output of the gas liberator.

Law. For a constant voltage and current the volume of gas liberated from all the electrodes is proportional to the total surface areas of all the electrodes, the distance between them and the time during which the current flows.

This is assuming parallel electrodes which are infinitesimally close together and have one hundred percent surface area overlap.

V= Total volume of gas liberated A= Total surface area of all electrodes d= distance between electrodes t= time V is proportional to A multiplied by d multiplied by t, assuming constant volts and amps. If the overlap between electrode surface areas is less than one hundred percent the gas production goes down, so the total volume of gas produced is also proportional to the total surface area overlap of all the electrodes, multiplied by distance between electrodes multiplied by time during which current flows.

The related open system uses the heat of combustion to raise the temperature of ram air, which expands, and some of which is ducted through many venturi. All the ram air then enters a turbine where the kinetic energy of the hot ram air is converted into mechanical energy, which is used to rotate a drive shaft from which the power is taken to do useflil work and drive the internal needs of the whole system. The system produces gas according to demand and gas liberation can be varied by either altering the voltage or the degree of electrode overlap, one hundred percent overlap equals maximum gas production.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. The closed system is a circulatory system composed of a fuel cell, which uses a method Of producing large volumes of gas on demand from water fuel using only low voltage electricity through an electrolytic process in order to produce a hydrogen and oxygen gas mixture for combustion within a totally sealed circulatory system in which the gases are burnt to reform water for continuous recycling of the water fuel. [ 2he.( gas) + O- (gas) 2) p ( vapour ) ]. Hence a cycle is created in which the same water fuel is repeatedly decomposed electrolytically, combusted in double chamber combustion chambets to reform fuel, condensed and reuse. The volume of the gas evolved is dependent upon the surface areas of the inert electrodes and the distance between them, therefore a low voltage can produce a large volume of gas. The thermal energy obtained from the combustion of the gas is used to power a related open system.

water fuel from reservoir enters gas liberator to undergo electrolytic decomposition refonned water vapour water split to form a mixte condensed and returned of gases ( He)+ ( Oz).

to water reservoir for recycling.

combustion of hydrogen and oxygen gas to reform water vapour.
2. An dectrolytic process according to claim 1 which uses inert electrodes, electrodes which do not themselves undergo electroiytic decomposrtion
3. The inert electrodes according to claim 2 have relatively large surface areas, and due to their configuration within the fuel cell according to claim 1, both sides of each electrode participates fully in the gas production.
4. The inert electrodes according to claim 2 and 3 are very close together but never actually touching, and there are many electrodes to each fuel cell ,positioned so that each electrode has on either side of it an electrode of the opposite electrical charge.
5. The electrolytic process according to claim 1 uses only low voltage electricity.

A law can be formed governing the output of the gas liberator For a constant voltage and current, the total volume of gas liberated from all the electrodes is proportional to the total surface area of all the electrodes , the distance between them , and the time during which the current flows.

This law assumes parallel inert electrodes which are infinitesimally close together but not actually touching, and that all the electrodes have one hundred percent surface area overlap, hence forming an equation : V= kx Ax dst V= total volume of gas liberated k =is the constant of proportionality A =total surface area of all the electrodes d =distance between electrodes t = time during which the current flows
6. The water fuel is sprayed into the chamber of the fuel cell, according to claim 1, under pressure in the form of a very concentrated fine mist and comes in contact with all the surface areas of the electrodes. The resulting hydrogen and oxygen gas mixture rises to the top of the fuel cell (gas liberator ) and any excess water which has not undergone electrolytic decomposition collects at the bottom of the chamber due to gravity , where an outlet returns it to the water reservoir for recycling.
7. The hydrogen and oxygen gas mixture is combusted in double chamber combustion chambers according to claim 1, these consist of primary and secondary chambers.

The primary chambers have an inverted hemispherical shape in which metered amounts of the precombustion gas mixture are regularly delivered and ignited As the next metered amount of gas mixture is delivered to the primary chambers its volume displaces the previous products of combustion which are expelled through many holes in the perforated skirt joining the primary chamber to the secondary.

The secondary chambers being concentrically positioned around the primary chambers, and their function is to convey away the product of combustion namely water vapour, which rises through pipes within a metallic block, heating the block in the process. The water vapour then enters a radiator where it condenses through cooling to become a liquid, which is then pumped back to the water reservoir for the whole electrolysis I combustion cycle to begin again. The combustion of the hydrogen and oxygen gas mixture is exothermic therefore heat is evolved to do useful work, and because the whole combustion process is based on the continuous recycling of the fuel, there are zero emissions from the closed system.
8. The related open system according to claim 1 utilises ram air which is fed into the system by an inlet fan. The ram air is heated by passing it along long convoluting tubes through the metallic block The metallic block is heated by the combustion of the hydrogen and oxygen gas mixture, supplied by the fud cell ( gas libsor ). The ram air is thus heated and expanded, and leaves the metallic block via a main conducting pipe , around which are many radially positioned ducts, through which some of the ram air is propelled, thus creating a multi venturi effect in which more air is sucked in and expanded. All the air is thw returned to the main stream , hence both the volume and pressure are increased prior to entering a turbine. The turbine converts the rotational kinetic energy of the hot ram air into mechanical energy which is used to do useful work. This then comprises the related open system. Thus the closed system and related open system are working concurrently but their contents never mix. The metallic block according to claim 7 and 8 and as illustrated in figure 1, is shown in rectangular form however this is only one possible shape as the block may be manufactured in any number of possible designs for example in cylinderical form. The fuel cell ( gas liberator ) is able to evolve large volumes of gas from only low voltage electncit because the reaction that produces the gas mixture occurs on the electrode surface areas, therefore for example single wire electrodes have only very small surface areas and consequently only produce a small amount of gas per unit time, however with relatively large surface area electrodes the free electrons are able to distribute themselves over all the surface areas of the electrodes thereby dramatically increasing the rate of the reaction. If the alternate cathodes and anodes within the fuel cell are also intinitesrnally close together the free electrons leaving the cathodes only have to travel very short distances through the electrolyte in order to reach their respective anodes. It appears that the further the free electrons have to travel through an electrolyte the more energy they loose to it in the form of heat. As raising the hempcrahrre of the electrolyte does no useful work within the fuel cell it has to be eliminated as much as possible, therefore in the gas hberator the free electrons only have to travel irfinitesrnally short distances in order to evolve the gas mixture.