JP2002528732A - Energy generation - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) SUMMARY Methods and apparatus have been described for releasing energy from hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms. An electrolyte is provided having a catalyst therein suitable for initiating a transition of hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms in the electrolyte to a sub-ground state. Plasma discharges are generated in an electrolyte to release energy by fusing atoms together.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the generation of energy, and in particular to the release of energy as a result of both hydrogen state transitions and fusion of light nuclei.

[0002] Usually, the fusion process can only be initiated at extremely high temperatures, as can be seen near a fusion (uranium or plutonium) explosion. This is the principle of most thermonuclear bombs. As such a release of energy occurs too quickly and with too much magnitude to be managed for distribution, as a means of supplying power to generate electricity and heat for distribution Is impractical.

[0003] In recent years, many have been proposed to initiate a controlled fusion process at elevated temperatures by enclosing a region of plasma discharge in a confined space, such as a toroidal (donut-shaped) chamber utilizing electromagnetic constraints. Attempts have been made. Such attempts have had little commercial success so far, since systems using such technologies consume more energy and have not been a continuous process that has been created up to now.

Another approach that has been attempted to achieve light nuclear fusion is the so-called “
A "cold fusion" technique, in which deuterium atoms are induced to tunnel into the crystal lattice of a metal such as palladium during electrolysis. It is claimed that the atoms are forced together into the lattice, overcoming the repulsive electrostatic forces. However, no clear and unambiguous proof of successful cold fusion has yet been publicly announced.

[0005] The present invention comprises the step of providing an electrolyte having a catalyst therein, the catalyst comprising hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms in the electrolyte to a sub-ground energy state. A method of energy release is provided that is suitable for initiating a transition and further comprises generating a plasma discharge in the electrolyte. While doing so in a controllable manner, Applicants have determined that this method generates substantially more energy than the power input used to generate the plasma.

[0006] Preferably, the plasma discharge is generated by applying a voltage between the electrodes in the electrolyte, and intermittent voltages have been found to be particularly beneficial in increasing the level of energy generation. The present invention also provides a means of controlling the process to maintain a consistent level of energy production over a significant period.

[0007] The application of a voltage higher than that required to generate the plasma is also beneficial to the process, typically in the range of 50V to 20000V, preferably between 300V and 2000V. However, it may be higher than 20000V. In contrast, conventional electrolysis techniques use voltages as low as about 3 volts and are applied continuously between the electrodes.

[0008] The applied voltage may be direct current or may be provided at a switching frequency of up to 100 kHz. The duty cycle (coefficient of duty) of the applied voltage is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 0.001, but may be lower than 0.001. During the pulse period, a monolayer of metal hydride may form at the interface of the cathodic Helmholtz layer and then decay to form a nascent gas containing monoatomic hydrogen and / or deuterium. I do. The waveform of the applied voltage may be substantially square. The application of a direct current to the electrode is performed when metal hydride and monoatomic hydrogen and / or
Alternatively, the use of a pulsed voltage has been found to be more effective since deuterium is produced while most of the hydride dissociation occurs between pulses.

In applications where the electrolyte flows past the electrodes, it is preferred to use two separate cathodes, the first of which is treated to optimize the production of hydrogen / deuterium atoms and their The second provides a plasma discharge. In this example, the direction of flow of the electrolyte is from the first to the second cathode. Equipment design calls for directing the flow of electrolyte to maximize the contact of monoatomic hydrogen or deuterium atoms with the plasma. The characteristics and magnitude of the voltages applied to the individual cathodes are preferably similar, but may have different duty periods.

In a preferred embodiment, the design of the cathode and the applied voltage are such as to provide a current density of 400,000 amps per square meter or more. More preferably, the current density at the cathode is 500, per square meter or more.
000 amps.

[0011] In carrying out the preferred method according to the invention, it has been found that the process may be assisted by an initial heating of the electrolyte before applying an electrical input to the container, wherein the electrolyte is water or salt solution. It may be. Temperatures in the range from 40 to 100 ° C, or more preferably from 40 to 80 ° C, have been found to be particularly beneficial.

[0012] The ratio of water to deuterium oxide (D ₂ O) in the electrolyte may be varied to control energy generation. Use only the "light" water H ₂ O in certain circumstances, it is preferable to use only D ₂ O in other situations. Further, the amount of catalyst added to the electrolyte may be varied as a control factor, and is preferably in the range of 1 to 20 mMol.

In a preferred embodiment, the method includes generating a magnetic field in the region of the electrode. The intensity and / or frequency of the current used to generate the field is adjusted to move the plasma discharge away from the electrode being struck to minimize erosion and extend the operating life of the system May be done. Only a slight separation may be required to achieve this effect.

In a further preferred embodiment, the heat generated by the process may be removed, through a heat exchanger or to generate heat, or alternatively using a pressurized steam cycle or a low boiling fluid turbine cycle. It may be utilized by a number of known or proven techniques, including circulating electrolyte using heat pipes, or by other means to generate electricity.

[0015] The present invention further provides an apparatus for performing the methods disclosed herein, the apparatus comprising an anode, first and second cathodes, a reaction vessel having an inlet and an outlet, and an inlet. Means for supplying an electrolyte through the vessel from the outlet to the outlet, the electrolyte comprising a catalyst suitable for initiating a transition of hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms in the electrolyte to a sub-ground energy state. Means for applying a voltage between the anode and the first cathode to form hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms; and an anode and a second electrode for generating a plasma discharge in the electrolyte. Means for applying a voltage between the second cathode and the second cathode, wherein the second cathode is downstream from the first cathode.

In the methods described herein, it is believed that the hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms undergo a fundamental change in their structure due to the exchange of photons for salts in solution. Applicants believe that this change, and the observed phenomena, can be explained as described below.

A system having a spherical shell (electron orbit) of a charge located around a nucleus
However, it is well known to form a resonant cavity. The resonant system acts as a reservoir for photon energy at individual frequencies. Absorption of energy by the resonant system excites the system to a higher energy state. For any spherical resonant cavity, the relationship between the allowed radius and the wavelength of the absorbed photons is 2πr = nλ, where n is an integer and λ is the wavelength. For nonradiative or stable conditions, the electron wavelength is The relationship with the allowed radius is as follows: 2π [nr ₁ ] = 2πr _(n) = nλ ₍₁₎ = λ _(n) (2) where n = 1 or n = 2,3,4. ２ ，, ３ ，, ４,... And the wavelength allowed for λ ₍₁₎ = n = 1, the radius allowed for r ₍₁₎ = n = 1

For a hydrogen atom (and the following applies equally to deuterium atoms), the radius of the ground state electron orbit can be defined as r _(O) . This is sometimes the Bohr radius,
It referred to as a _0. Normally, there is no spontaneous photon emission from ground state atoms, so there must be a balance between existing afferent and electrical forces. Therefore: [m _(e) · v ₁ ² ] / r _(O) = Ze ² / (4π · ε _(O) · r _(O) ² ) (3) where m _(e) = electron static mass v ₁ = ground state electron velocity e = elementary charge ε _(O) = electrical constant (sometimes called the permittivity of free space) Z = atomic number (for hydrogen, 1)

Looking first at the excited (higher energy) state, if a hydrogen atom absorbs photons of a different wavelength / frequency (and thus energy), the system will be stable again, usually non- In order to radiate and maintain the force balance, the effective nuclear charge is Z _eff = Z / n, and the balance equation is as follows:

[M _(e) · v _n ² ] / nr _(O) = [e ² / n] / (4π · ε _(O) · [nr _(O) ] ² ) (4) where n = Integer value of excited state (1, 2, 3,...) V _n = electron velocity in n-th excited state

In this way, the absorption of radiation by the atoms becomes a ground state, or an excited state that can spontaneously decay to a lower excited state, or be triggered to do so, regenerating the quantum of energy in the form of photons. Release results. In any system consisting of a large number of atoms, transitions between states occur continuously and randomly, and this behavior results in an observable spectrum of radiation emitted from hydrogen.

Each value of n corresponds to a transition that is allowed to occur when a resonant photon is absorbed by an atom. An integer value of n indicates the absorption of energy by the atom.

The fractional value for n is given by the relationship between the resting wavelength of the electron and the radius of the electron orbit given by (2) above. In order to maintain force balance, transitions involving fractional values for n must effectively increase the nuclear charge Z to a value Z _eff and reduce the radius of the electron orbit accordingly. This is equivalent to an atom emitting a photon of energy while causing a transition to the sub-ground state in the accepted ground state. Such transitions occur rarely because the accepted ground state is so stable that it no longer serves as an "accepting position" for the exact energy quanta needed to effect the transition. Applicants have discovered that such transitions can be induced if the atoms are in close proximity to one system.

Thus, the release of energy by a hydrogen atom is not limited to one transition “below” from the ground state, but can occur repeatedly, or with a good energy balance between the atom and the catalyst system. If there is, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5
The transition to the state such as may occur as one event. Of course, the principle of normal unstable, although prohibited the determination of the behavior of any individual atoms, statistical rules to control the characteristics of any macroscopic (> 10 ⁹ quantum) system.

[0025] When the hydrogen atom of the "ground state" emits photons of about 27 eV, the transition occurs to the state of a _0/2 As demonstrated above, the effective nuclear charge increases to + 2e. A new balance to force balance is now proven. The radius of the electron path is reduced. The potential energy of an atom in its reduced radius state is given by: V = − {Z _(eff) e ² / [4πε _(O) (a _(O) / ² _)] } = − 4 ｛4 × 27.178
｝ = − 108.7 eV

For a reduced electron orbit, the kinetic energy T is given by T =-[V / 2] = 54.35 eV

Similarly, it can be seen that the kinetic energy of the electron orbit in the ground state is about 13.6 eV. Thus, there is a net change in energy about 41 eV for the transition.

From H ｛Z _(eff) = 1; r = a _(O) ２ to H ｛Z _(eff) = 2; r = a _(O) / 2｝ That is, when the catalyst transfer of energy occurs, this 41 eV Of which, about 27e
V is released and the remaining 14 eV is released for restoring to force balance.

A radial “ground state” field can be considered a superposition of Fourier components. If m
If the Fourier component of the integral of energy equal to × 27.2 eV is removed, the positive electric field inside the radius of the electron orbit will increase by:

(M) × 1.602 × 10 ⁻¹⁹ C The resulting electric field is a time harmonic solution of the Laplace equation in spherical coordinates. For a reduced radius hydrogen atom, the radius at which force balance and non-radiative states are achieved is given by:

R _(m) = a _(O) / [m + 1] where m is an integer From the energy change equation given above, when the atom collapses from the so-called “ground state” to this radius, the atoms become It can be seen that they emit equal total energy.

[0032] ^{[(m + 1) 2 -1} 2] × 13.59eV applicant, when the hydrogen or deuterium is found in a single atom (or so-called "nascent") state, occurs according to the above (5) It was only found that such energy release would occur. Molecular hydrogen may be made to behave similarly, but the transition is more difficult to achieve due to the higher energy involved.

To achieve a transition in monoatomic hydrogen (H) or deuterium (D), it is necessary to accumulate the molecular forms in the gas phase on a substrate such as nickel or tungsten which favors the dissociation of the molecules. . As well as being dissociated into monoatomic forms, hydrogen or deuterium should be coupled to the catalyst system to initiate the reaction. The preferred way to achieve this is by electrolysis using a cathode material that favors dissociation.

The catalyst system that promotes the transition to the secondary ground state energy is almost complete energy to [m × 27.2] eV required to “flip” the H or D atom Applicants have discovered that they provide a bond. From experiments, it is believed that the effective uptake of energy provided by the catalyst need not be exactly equal to that emitted by the atoms. A successful transition was achieved when there was an error corresponding to ± 2% between the energy emitted by the atoms and the energy absorbed by the catalyst system. One possible explanation for this is:
In a macro-sized system, the transition is initiated by a close match in the level of energy, but such a mismatch that occurs is manifested as an overall loss or gain in the kinetic energy of the accepting ion system. ,That's what it means. It is believed that spectroscopic analysis of the active H or D catalyst system may provide evidence for this.

One catalyst that has been found to initiate the transition to the a ₀ / n state is Rb ⁺
It is an ionic species of rubidium. Substantial dissociation into Rb ⁺ and (CO ₃ ) ²⁻ ions occurs, where a rubidium salt such as carbonate Rb ₂ CO ₃ is dissolved in water or deuterium oxide (deuterated water). If the Rb ⁺ ion is bonded in close proximity to the monatomic H or D, the transition to the a ₀ / n state is due to the supply of about 27.28 ev of its second ionization energy from the rubidium ion to additional electrons. Promoted by the removal of Thus: Rb ⁺ + H ｛a _(O) / p｝ +27.28 eV−> Rb ²⁺ + e ⁻ + H ｛a _(O) / [p + 1]｝ + ｛[(p + 1) ² −p ² ] × 13. 5
9 eV where p represents the integer number of such transitions for any given H or D atom, and with spontaneous reassociation:

Rb ²⁺ + e ⁻ = Rb ⁺ +27.28 eV Thus, the rubidium catalyst remains unchanged during the reaction, with a net energy yield per transition.

[Mx27, such as titanium in the form of Ti ²⁺ ions and potassium in the form of K ⁺ ions
. 2] Other catalyst systems with ionization energies approaching eV can be used.

Applicants believe that the above description constitutes the currently accepted quantum theory described below. Starting with the Rydberg and Schrodinger equation, it can be shown that the fractional number of quantum energies in hydrogen causes possible transitions that result in emission at frequencies consistent with the observed UV and X-ray spectra. It is therefore possible that the conditions that help initiate such a transition can be reproduced artificially in a laboratory under certain circumstances.

The Rydberg equation for the frequency of emitted radiation from a transition in monoatomic hydrogen is: v = R _(h) c (1 / n ₍₂₎ ² −1 / n ₍₁₎ ² ) where: v Is the frequency of the emitted photon R _(h) is the Rydberg constant, 1.097373c 10 ⁷ m ^-1 c is the speed of light in vacuum, 2.977 × 10 ³ ms ^-1 and n ₍₁₎ and n ₍₂₎ are the states If the resulting energy state transitions hydrogen atom is a request that n ₍₂₎ equal to 1/2, Lyman 2 observed in the ultraviolet of 2.467 x 10 ¹⁵ Hz (about 121 nm) An emission will occur that is at a higher frequency than the -1 transition. In fact, there is an emission observed at a wavelength of about 30.8 nm, which is due to the galactic cluster emissions by Boehringer et al.
(Scientific American, January 1999),
According to the above theory, than other transitions from 1 to 1/2 in nascent hydrogen,
Any other quantum mechanical event that would cause such an emission is difficult for the inventor to consider.

As can be seen from the above use of the standard Rydberg equation, such behavior of hydrogen in the monatomic state is conventionally regarded as one of many stable electronically preferred states for a single H atom. See the "ground state" of hydrogen.

In summary, the exchange of photons with their environment produces a proliferation of H or D atoms that significantly reduces the electron-orbit-radius. These atoms are relatively chemically unreactive and will not readily assume the molecular form HH or DD.
This is a lucky property that is important and enables the fusion pathway, as described below.

The fusion of light nuclei, hydrogen and deuterium, to form heavier elements such as helium, is traditionally facilitated by subjecting the reactants to extremes of temperature and pressure. . This is necessary because there are large charge barriers to overcome to provide nearly enough nuclei for fusion to occur.

With atoms having reduced electron orbital radii, adjacent nuclei may experience a corresponding reduction in the electrical barrier, and internuclear separation may be reduced. Reduced nuclear separation makes the fusion process more reliable and easier to occur.

There are two principle fusion pathways for deuterium atoms. ^{_{First: 2 1 D + 2 1 D}} = 3 2 He + 1 0 n , where the two deuterium nuclei generate isotopes and free neutrons fused helium, it is an intermediate energy (about 0.8Mev ) With subsequent release of β ^- particles (half-life 6.48 × 10 ² S), producing neutrino forms and stable protons.

The second is: ² ₁ D + ² ₁ D = ³ ₁ T + ¹ ₁ H where the two deuterium nuclei fuse to form a hydrogen isotope, known as tritium (T), and a free isotope. Produce stable protons. Tritium, beta very low energy (about 0.8MeV) ^- along with the release of particles, eventually collapsed (. The half-life 12 years), the ³ ₂ the He.

Of the two, the second fusion pathway is preferred because of its mild explosion of energy production, because the products of fusion are (relatively) harmless in production, eg
Disintegrates in a short time into completely harmless species, emitting radiation that can be efficiently shielded by a thin piece of kitchen foil or by 10 mm of acrylic plastic.

When deuterium nuclei are forced together under hot and high pressure conditions (such as in a thermonuclear bomb), there is a probability of more than 50 percent to become dominant for the first pass. This is because the high temperature process ignores nuclear alignment at the fusion point. It is the hope that they will actually push the nuclei together indiscriminately and fuse well to create an explosion. However, applicants believe that it is the nuclear arrangement for the charge within each nucleus that, according to established theory, determines the ultimately preferred fusion pathway.

To achieve a higher probability for the second less harmful path, approaching nuclei need to have time to be electrostatically aligned such that interproton separation is maximized. This can be achieved with much lower energy than found in thermonuclear bombs. By using components with reduced electron-orbital-radius and correspondingly potentially smaller internuclear distances, the charge association arrangement required to achieve a high potential for the second tritium formation pathway Can be initiated at lower temperatures (and consequently at lower energies), while allowing for Fusion may be initiated by introducing a reduced electron-path-radius deuterium into a plasma discharge confined in the water of the vessel itself. 6000
A temperature on the order of K is obtained within a certain plasma discharge, which is combined into multiple quantum transitions to produce deuterium of reduced electron-orbit-radius, and substantially reduces the energy from the two-step process. Produce high yields.

The fusion process is not a likely but is another possible hydrogen atoms: ¹ ₁ beta ⁺ Here _{^{H + 1 1 H = 2 1}} D + β + + γ is produced as one of the products.

Embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

The device of FIG. 1 enables energy generation in a laboratory according to the principles of the invention. The risk of any thermal runaway is minimized, while illustrating that the levels of energy release from the two stages far exceed those resulting from purely chemical or electrochemical behavior. It also allows for simple calorimetry, safe evacuation of off-gas and withdrawal of liquid for subsequent titration (
To illustrate that no chemical reaction occurs during operation of the device).

One 250 ml beaker is provided with a glass quilt or an expanded polystyrene outer frame 6 acting as an insulator. This can include inspection cutouts so that the area around the cathode 9 can be seen from the outside. The beaker contains 200 ml of water, in which a small amount of potassium carbonate is dissolved to give a solution with a concentration of about 2 mMol. The platinum conductor 1 is grounded to a reference ground (ground) surface of the laboratory. An anode 10, which is a piece of platinum foil having an area of about 10 mm ² , is attached to this wire by mechanical crimping. The digital thermometer 2 is inserted into the liquid in the container. A 0.25 mm diameter tungsten wire cathode 9 is covered by a borosilicate glass or ceramic tube 4 and sealed at the end immersed in the electrolyte to expose 10 to 20 mm of the wire in contact with the liquid. . The complete assembly of conductors and thermometer is held by an acrylic plate 5 which allows easy disassembly and inspection of the device.

A power supply up to 360 volts DC, which allows supply up to 2 amps, is located outside the depicted device. The positive terminal of this power supply is connected to the reference ground plane of the laboratory, and the negative terminal is connected to one pole of the insulated high voltage switch unit. The other pole of the switch is connected to a tungsten wire cathode 9 outside the device.

To operate the device, the solution 8 is heated to 40 ° C. and 80 ° C. by preheating the outside of the device or by passing power through a heating element into the solution (not shown). During the first rise. When the solution is between these temperatures, it is transferred to the above equipment, or if a heating element is used,
This is turned off.

For all connections made as described, the switches are set to operate at a duty cycle of 1% and a pulse repetition frequency of 100 Hz. It will be seen through the inspection cutout that an intense plasma arc is intermittently struck in the water at or near the cathode. If a device to monitor the current drawn is available, it will be seen that the system consumes in the region of 1 watt when the switching circuit is operating. It will be seen that the rapid temperature rise in the device is releasing much more energy than is explained by the electrical input. By comparison, a heater element is used instead of an electrode, can operate at 1 watt, and the effect is observed. Compared to tests with resistive heating elements of the same input power, no high-performance calorimetry was required to ensure that a large amount of energy was being emitted near the cathode of the device, and such The thing is the size of the reaction for the process.

The data obtained from a representative one hour session using this device as shown in Table 1 is as follows:

Pre-operation measurement starting electrolyte volume 0.200 l (liter) Starting cell temperature 39.200 ° C. Laboratory ambient temperature 20.500 ° C. Heat capacity of specification container 70.300 ℃ ^-1 specification Electrolyte heat capacity 4180.000 J.C. I ^-1 . C- ¹ steady RMS voltage 4.000 volts steady RMS voltage 0.067 amps

Result input time after operation 360.000 seconds Final electrolyte volume 0.180 l (liter) Final cell temperature 93.600 ° C. Steady RMS voltage 6.700 volt Steady RMS current 0.122 Amps Time average power 0.506 Watt

Summary of Results Vessel Gain 3824.320 Joules Electrolyte Gain 43181.740 Joules Radiation Power 38681.030 Joules Evaporation Loss 4509.240 Joules Total Input Energy 1820.070 Joules Total Output Energy 134196.300 Joules

From this table, the total input energy during this test was measured to be 1820 Joules, and a rough guideline was to require 838 Joules of input to raise 200 ml of water by 1 ° C. Also keep in mind that it will be appreciated that direct heating would be expected to raise the water by approximately 2 ° C.
In fact, the temperature of the water increased from 39.2 ° C. to 93.6 ° C. during the experiment, and a considerable amount of steam was also released. Furthermore, the energy output calculated as 134196 Joules does not take into account secondary effects such as light energy output and Faraday electrolysis.

A suitable system for operating the apparatus of FIG. 1 is depicted in the block diagram of FIG. The pulse generator 20 supplies a variable duty cycle pulse waveform to the high voltage switch unit 22. The pulse waveform is monitored on an oscilloscope 24, and its repetition frequency may be displayed on a first frequency counter 26.
The second frequency counter 28 is provided to monitor the clock speed of the switch unit 22. The power supply 30 is operable to apply a voltage between 0V and 360V to the electrodes of the device 12, as shown in FIG. The voltage level may be read from the digital multimeter 32. RM between electrodes 9 and 10
The S voltage is shown on a multimeter 34, and the RMS current passing between the electrodes is shown on another multimeter 36 by measuring the voltage developed across a one ohm resistor 37. The temperature in the device 12 is measured by a dip temperature probe.
38. The switch unit 22 may be bypassed by a push button switch 39 for applying a constant voltage between the electrodes.

The circuit diagram of the switch unit 22 is shown in FIG. In the system of FIG. 2, the input 40 is connected to the output of the pulse generator 20. The output 42 of the switch unit is connected to the cathode of the device 12. The two NAND gates 44 and 46 are two quarters of the Schmitt trigger 2-input NAND gate chip type 4093. The NAND gate 44 operates as an unstable multivibrator at the repetition frequency set by the preset resistor 45. The output of gate 44 is provided to one input of NAND gate 46, the other input forming circuit input 40. The output of NAND gate 46 is connected to a three transistor amplifier consisting of transistors 48, 50 and 52. The amplifier is sequentially connected to one primary end of a transformer 54, and the other end is grounded. The output of the transformer is provided to a bridge rectifier formed by diodes 56, 58, 60 and 62.

The output of the rectifier is connected to an insulated gate bipolar transistor 66 through a resistor 64.
(IGBT). The load of device 12 is connected in the drain circuit of the IGBT. A 15 kV diode 68 is connected between the drain and source of IGBT 66 to protect the IGBT from significant EMI emissions from the plasma discharge in device 12 to avoid damage to this sensitive semiconductor.
An additional diode 70 is provided to act as an EMI blocker in a similar manner.
It is provided between the drain of the IGBT and the circuit output 42. Standard 20mm5A
The quick blow fuse 69 is an IGBT to protect the device against overcurrent.
Connected between the source and ground.

The operation of the circuit of FIG. 3 is as follows. The repetition frequency of NAND gate 44 is preferably set between 4 and 6 MHz. The pulse generator 20 is adjusted to set the switching duty. Upon receipt of an external pulse from the generator, NAND gate 46 passes a 4-6 MHz square wave packet to the amplifier. The amplifier has significant current gain and allows the primary of the transformer 54 to be driven resonantly with the RC circuit formed by the capacitor 72 and resistor 74 connected in parallel. Transformer 54 has a 2 to 1 boost ratio, and a 4 to 6 MHz signal of about 19 volts appears at the bridge rectifier. The impedance of the rectifier output is essentially determined by the parallel resistor 76 so that the switch-on and switch-off times of the IGBT 66 are very fast. Thus, there is no operating point for the element when consuming measurable power. Device 12
Of the IGBT is placed in the drain circuit of the IGBT, and therefore in a "common source" created to ensure that its source terminal never rises above the high side ground potential. It is working. Again, this is a configuration that uses excessive input power. This circuit ensures a rise time of the switched waveform less than 10 ns and a fall time that can be as low as 30 ns at a moderate supply voltage.

Preferred components and molds for the circuit of FIG. 3 are as follows. Transistor 4,50-2N 3649 Transistor 52-2N 3645 Diode 56,58,60,62-BAT85 Schottky Transformer 54-RS195-460 IGBT 66-GT8Q101 Diode 68-15kv EHT Diode 70-1N1198A

Resistor value (Ω) Capacitor value 47 1.8 k 49 10 pF 51 33 55 33 nF 53 220 72 22 pF 74 56 76 560 64 56

A second device for carrying out the invention is shown in FIG. The device comprises a tubular chamber 80, which may be constructed from a non-magnetic metal or metal alloy material such as, but not limited to, aluminum or duralin, or from a non-permeable ceramic material or borosilicate glass. You may. Tubular chamber 80
Are configured with flanges to allow their incorporation into the system of pipework through flanges 82 and 84 and gasket 86. Two electrodes are placed in the chamber 80, and the cathode 88 is shielded by insulating glass or ceramic 90 and is itself formed to present along an axis 92 of the chamber. The anode 94 is connected to a similar insulated wire 96 and is formed to present an annular plate opposite the cathode 88. The distance between the cathode tip and the anode plate should be approximately equal to the radius of the chamber 80. The cathode may be composed of tungsten, zirconium, stainless steel, copper, nickel or tantalum, or other metallic or conductive ceramic materials, which may contribute to the dissociation process described above. The anode may be composed of platinum, palladium, rhodium or an inert material that does not undergo significant levels of chemical reaction with the electrolyte.

A winding 98 of an enamelled copper and silver wire of 0.1 to 0.8 mm diameter consisting of up to thousands of turns of wire surrounds and is concentric with the chamber 80. The purpose of this winding 98 is to create an axial magnetic field inside the chamber 80.

Including deuterium oxide in combination with normal “light” water in varying proportions,
And, but not exclusively, an electrolyte comprising a high molarity salt of potassium, rubidium or lithium, or a combination of such salts, is pumped through chamber 80 in a direction where the anode is downstream of the cathode.

The anode conductor 96 is connected to a ground plane or 0 volt. Cathode 88 is connected to a variable source between negative 50 and preferably 2000 volts with respect to grounded anode 94, but is coupled to voltages up to negative tens of thousands of volts with respect to such anode 94. You may. In order to further enhance the performance of the invention, the negative voltage is set to 0.
It may be provided in the form of pulses having a duty cycle between 001 and 0.5.

The winding 98 is initially driven with an AC voltage to provide a current of typically 0.5 and 1.5 amps. The frequency of the applied AC voltage should be able to range from DC to 15 KHz, and may additionally be synchronized with the pulses applied to the cathode 88.

Under these conditions, the plasma arc hits near the cathode 88. The intensity and frequency of the current flowing through winding 98 may be adjusted to provide for the removal of a plasma arc from near cathode 88 to avoid excessive evaporation of material from cathode 88.

The amount of electrolyte pumped through the chamber 80 and passed through the plasma arc may be varied to stabilize the temperature of such electrolytes in a closed system below its boiling point.

Heat may be extracted from the electrolyte by passing it through a heat exchanger before being reintroduced into chamber 80. As this disappears due to the operation of the device, a supply may be made to satisfy the water / deuterium content of the electrolyte. The system may operate at a range of pressures to facilitate heat removal.

A further apparatus for carrying out the invention, similar to FIG.
5 is shown in FIG. It comprises a borosilicate reaction tube 100 supported at one end on a machined nylon support bridge 102. A second machined nylon element 104 is attached to the other end of the tube. Bridge 102 and element 104 are secured to tube 100 by 8 mm threaded stainless steel studs 110.

The first cathode 106 is in the form of a nickel wire mesh. It is attached to one end of a tube 100 on a stainless steel support 108. The electrical connection to the first cathode 106 is through a PVC sleeve line (not shown).

The second cathode 112 consisted of a 0.5 mm diameter tungsten wire provided in a drilled macor ceramic sheath 114, which was a 10 mm stainless steel tube 116. Are arranged in order. Tube 116 passes through support 102 and has a perspex (pe) at the outer end through which second cathode 112 passes.
rspex) having an end cap 118. The PVC funnel 120
Is provided around the second cathode 112 and is tapered toward it;
A cathode tip is adjacent to its narrow open end. The funnel is supported on a sleeve 121 provided on a stainless steel support 108.

The anode is provided with a platinum wire 122 of 0.25 mm diameter, which is connected at one end in the tube 100 to a sheet of platinum foil 124. Like the second cathode 112,
The anode is provided in a 10 mm diameter stainless steel tube 126, which is passed through the nylon element 104 and closed at its outer end by a perspex end cap 128. The platinum wire 122 passes through the end cap 128.

The plasma deflection coil 130 is connected to the tube 1 between the anode 124 and the cathodes 106 and 112.
It is mounted in 00. Power is supplied to the coil through connector 132.

The electrolyte is supplied to the tube 10 via a brass inlet 134 provided through the support bridge 102.
0 and flows out through the nylon element 104 via the brass outlet 136. An additional brass outlet 138 is also provided in the nylon element 104 so that electrolyte can be collected during operation of the device. The fuse holder and cable connector of the device are provided in a unit 140 mounted on the support bridge 102.

The device of FIG. 5 operates in a manner similar to that of FIG. 4 as described above. The main difference is 2
One cathode 106, 112 is used instead of one cathode. In use, the electrolyte is supplied through tube 100 from inlet 134 to outlet 136,
Pass through the electrodes. A pulsed voltage is applied to the first cathode 106 so that a layer of metal hydride is formed on the surface during the voltage pulse and then dissociated to form mononuclear hydrogen / deuterium as generated. . The applied voltage characteristics are selected to optimize the monoatomic hydrogen / deuterium production rate. These products are poured by funnel 120 towards second cathode 112. A voltage is applied to the second cathode 112 to generate a plasma discharge at that location.

While the characteristics and magnitude of the voltage applied to the first and second cathodes may be similar, it may be advantageous for different duty periods to be used for each cathode.
This arrangement of the cathode, with a second cathode downstream of the first cathode, maximizes the contact between the monatomic hydrogen / deuterium and the plasma, and thus pursues the efficiency of the device.
This is further facilitated by funnel 120.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus for performing the method according to the invention on a relatively small scale.

FIG. 2 shows a system for operating and measuring the performance of the device of FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a circuit diagram of a high voltage, high frequency switch circuit for the system of FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a device for performing a method according to the invention on a larger scale than that of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a further apparatus for performing the method of the invention comprising two cathodes.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE ), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID , IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW (71 Applicant Westgate House, Colcester, Essex CO76H J Great Britain (71) Applicant Davies, Caroline, Jane DAVIES, Caroline, Jane Essex C.O.7 J.H. , Dedham, Colchester, Essex C 76 HJ Great Brit ain (71) Applicants Bees, Robert, Michael, Victor BEITH, Robert, Michael, Victor Suffolk IP130 UK EF Woodbridge Easton Wall View, Wallview, EO 130 0EF Great Britain (72) Inventor Eccles, Christopher, Robert Essex C.O. 76 HJ Colchester Westgate House

Claims (35)

[Claims] Providing an electrolyte having a catalyst therein, wherein the catalyst is suitable for initiating a transition of hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms in the electrolyte to a sub-ground energy state; The method of energy release further comprising generating a plasma discharge in the liquid. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma discharge is generated by applying a voltage to an electrode in the electrolyte. 3. A voltage is applied to create an intermittent plasma discharge.
The method of claim 2. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the applied voltage is in the range of 50 to 20,000 volts. 5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the applied voltage is greater than 300V. 6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the applied voltage has a substantially square waveform. 7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the applied voltage has a pulsed waveform having a duty cycle between 0.001 and 0.5. 8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the voltage is switched on and off by a switching device comprising an insulated gate bipolar transistor. 9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the applied voltage has a waveform having a frequency between DC and 100 kHz. 10. The method according to claim 2, wherein a metal hydride is formed on an electrode that dissociates to form hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the metal hydride is formed on the electrode during the voltage pulse and subsequently dissociates to form hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms. 12. The current density generated by the applied voltage is 400,00
The method according to any of claims 2 to 11, wherein the method is 0 A / m ² or more. 13. The method according to claim 2, comprising the step of supplying an electrolyte through the electrodes. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein, after the step of supplying the electrolyte through the electrodes, the electrolyte is supplied through a heat exchanger. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein after the step of supplying the electrolyte through the heat exchanger, it is returned to the electrolyte. 16. The method according to claim 2, further comprising generating a magnetic field in the area of the electrode. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the magnetic field is generated by applying power to a winding surrounding the electrode. 18. The frequency of a voltage applied to a winding is from DC to 100 MHz.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein 19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the magnetic field is arranged to separate a plasma discharge generated in the vicinity of the cathode therefrom. 20. Hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms are formed using the first cathode, and a voltage applied to generate a plasma discharge is applied between the anode and the second cathode. Item 20. The method according to any one of Items 2 to 19. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second cathode is downstream from the first cathode when dependent on claim 13 or any of the dependent claims. 22. A cathode electrode comprising tungsten, zirconium, stainless steel,
22. The method according to any of claims 2 to 21, comprising nickel and / or tantalum. 23. A cathode electrode comprising tungsten, zirconium, stainless steel,
23. The method of claim 22, comprising a nickel foil sheath wrapped on a tantalum substrate. 24. The method according to claim 2, wherein the anode electrode is formed of a material that is inert with respect to the electrolyte. 25. The anode comprises platinum, palladium and / or rhodium,
The method according to claim 24. 26. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the temperature of the plasma is about 6000K or higher. 27. The method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising varying the ratio of catalyst to water in the electrolyte within the range of 1 to 20 mMol. 28. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises water and / or deuterated water and / or deuterium oxide. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the only reactant consumed by the reaction is water or deuterated water. 30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of varying the ratio of deuterated oxide and / or deuterated water to water in the electrolyte to control energy generation. 31. A method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising heating the electrolyte to a temperature between 40 and 80 ° C. before generating a plasma discharge. 32. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fusion occurs via at least one of the following pathways. _{^{2 1 D + 2 1 D =}} 3 2 He + 1 0 n or _{^{2 1 D + 2 1 D =}} 3 1 T + 1 1 H or _{^{1 1 H + 1 1 H =}} 2 1 D + β + + γ 33. An anode, first and second cathodes, a reaction vessel having an inlet and an outlet, and means for supplying an electrolyte from the inlet to the outlet through the vessel, wherein the electrolyte is in a sub-ground state. A catalyst suitable for initiating a transition of hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms in the electrolyte to the anode and the first cathode to form hydrogen and / or deuterium atoms. Means for applying a voltage between the electrodes, and means for applying a voltage between the anode and the second cathode to generate a plasma discharge in the electrolyte, wherein the second cathode is Apparatus for performing the method according to any of the preceding claims, downstream from one cathode. 34. The apparatus of claim 33, including means for converging the flow of the electrolyte toward the second cathode. 35. The converging means is in the form of a funnel or a nozzle.
An apparatus according to claim 4.