JP5852576B2 - Systems and methods for sustainable economic development through integrated full spectrum production of renewable energy - Google Patents

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application was filed on Feb. 17, 2010, US Provisional Application No. 61 / 304,403, FULL SPECTRUM ENERGY AND RESOURCE INDEPENDENCE filed on Feb. 13, 2010. US Patent Application No. 12 / 707,651 entitled ELECTROLYTIC CELL AND METHOD OF THE THEREOF, PCT Application No. PC97 / US101024 entitled ELECTROLYTIC CELL AND METHOD OF THE THEREOF filed on Feb. 17, 2010 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING NUCLEATION DURING ELECTROLY filed on February 17, US Patent Application No. 12 / 707,653 entitled SIS, PCT application number PCT / US10 / 24498, February 2010, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING NUCLEATION DURING ELECTROLYSIS filed on February 17, 2010. U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 707,656 entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING CONTROLLED NUMBERS APPLATUS AND METHODS FOR GAS CAPTURE DURING ELECTROLYSIS filed on February 17, 2010 US 10/24499 and 2009 Entitled ELECTROLYZER AND ENERGY INDEPENDENCE TECHNOLOGIES, filed Aug. 27, U.S. Pat which claims priority to and the benefit based on provisional application No. 61 / 237,476. These applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

  Renewable resources for producing electricity are often intermittent. Solar energy is a daytime event, and the daytime solar energy concentration potential varies with the season. Wind energy is highly variable. Falling water changes with the seasons and is susceptible to extended drought. Biomass varies from season to season and is susceptible to drought over time. The dwelling has highly varying demands including daily demand, seasonal demand, and occasional energy consumption rates. Due to the lack of a practical way to store energy or electricity until needed, there is energy around the world that can be delivered by hydropower plants, wind farms, biomass conversions, and solar collectors. You are left or wasted. The demand for energy by the growing world population has increased to require more oil and other fossil resources than can be produced. Urban areas suffer from smog and global weather changes caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

  There is also a surge in demand for hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and other products that can be provided by thermochemical or electrodissociation of feedstocks such as water from biowaste, biomass waste, or organic acids. It was. For example, the global market for hydrogen, including ammonia production, refineries, chemical manufacturing and food processing, is over $ 40 billion.

  Electrochemical production of fuels, metals, non-metals, and other valuable chemicals involves expensive electricity, low cell efficiency, high maintenance costs, and the production of gas to the desired transmission, storage, and application pressure. Limited by cumbersome requirements for energy intensive operations such as compression pumping. Attempts to provide technologies to reduce these problems are described in “Hydrogen Production From Water By Means of Chemical Cycles”, Glandt, Eduardo D. And Myers, Allan L .; , Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19174; Industrial Engineering Chemical Chemical. 15, no. 1, 1976; “Hydrogen As A Future Fuel”, Gregory, D .; P. , Institute of Gas Technology; and “Admission Science and Technology”, Second Pacific Basin Conference on Aud. Do Duong, Duong D. Do, Contributor Duong D. Do, World Scientific publication, 2000; described in publications such as ISBN 9810242638, 9789810246233, incorporated herein.

  Electrolyzers that can mix hydrogen with oxygen pose a potential danger of spontaneous ignition or explosion. Attempts to include low pressure and high pressure electrolysers using expensive semi-permeable membrane separation of gas production electrodes have failed to provide cost-effective hydrogen production, and degradation and failure due to impurity poisoning Tend to. Even when membrane separation is used, there is a potential danger of membrane rupture and ignition or explosion due to high pressure oxygen and hydrogen mixing.

  Some commercial electrolysers use expensive porous electrodes (Proton exchange membranes and electrolyzer companies in Canada), with a proton exchange membrane (PEM) that conducts only hydrogen ions. Energy Company and the Electric Company Company of Canada)). This limits electrode efficiency by reducing the electrode area available for loss of polarization, gas accumulation, and dissociation of water that can reach the interface between the electrode and the PEM electrolyte. Accompanying limited electrode efficiency is due to membrane rupture due to pressure difference between oxygen and hydrogen outlets, membrane poisoning due to impurities in make-up water, contaminants or slight overheating of the membrane 1 such as irreversible membrane degradation, membrane degradation or tearing when the membrane dries while not in use, and concentration cell formation, galvanic cell between catalyst and bulk electrode material, and ground loop Other difficult problems include electrode degradation at the membrane interface due to erosion by one or more triggers. Layering the electrode and PEM material provides a built-in stagnation of reactants or products of the reaction, causing inefficient operation. PEM electrochemical cells require expensive membrane materials, surfactants, and catalysts. PEM cells are easily poisoned, overheated, overflow or dry, and pose operational hazards due to membrane leakage or tearing.

  In addition to inefficiencies, the problems associated with such systems include parasitic losses, expensive electrodes or catalysts and membranes, low energy conversion efficiency, expensive maintenance, and high operating costs. In order to pressurize hydrogen and oxygen and other products of electrolysis, a compressor or a more expensive membrane system is required in some circumstances. The consequences of the last mentioned problem are unacceptable maintenance requirements, high repair costs, and high disposal costs.

  Accordingly, an object of some embodiments of the present invention is to provide a system and method for sustainable economic development through integrated full spectrum production of renewable energy, which includes operational impurities and production. Of separated production of gas, including pressurized hydrogen and oxygen, which is reversible to allow for objects and to address one or more of the problems with the current methods described above The use of an electrochemical cell or an electrolysis cell for and methods for its use can be included.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, providing a first renewable energy source that is a first renewable energy source that is intermittent or does not provide a sufficient amount of energy; and an energy carrier through electrolysis Providing energy to the electrolyzer from a first renewable energy source to produce, selectively reversing the electrolyzer for use as a fuel cell, and to the electrolyzer for energy production Providing a method of providing an energy supply using a renewable energy source.

  In another embodiment, a first renewable energy source and an electrolyzer coupled to the first renewable energy source to produce an energy carrier, selected to operate as a fuel cell using the energy carrier as a fuel An electrolytic cell configured to be reversibly possible, an energy carrier reservoir coupled to the electrolytic cell to receive energy carriers from the electrolytic cell or to provide energy carriers to the electrolytic cell, and a first renewable energy source And an energy storage coupled to the first renewable energy source and the electrolytic cell for selectively receiving energy from the electrolytic cell and for selectively providing energy from the first renewable energy source and the electrolytic cell; Providing a substantially continuous energy supply using renewable energy resources Because of the system is provided.

  In yet another embodiment, a first renewable energy source and an electrolytic cell coupled to the first renewable energy source to produce methane so that operation can be selectively reversed as a fuel cell. Selectively configured to receive energy from the electrolytic cell, a methane reservoir coupled to the electrolytic cell to receive or provide methane to the electrolytic cell, a first renewable energy source, and the electrolytic cell Using a renewable energy resource comprising: an energy storage coupled to the first renewable energy source and the electrolytic cell for receiving and selectively providing energy from the first renewable energy source and the electrolytic cell; And a system for providing a substantially continuous energy supply.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, although the detailed description and specific examples illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. It should be understood that it will be given for illustration only.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an integrated energy, agricultural industry, and industrial sustainable economic development system according to aspects of the disclosure. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an integrated production system for sustainable economic development according to aspects of the disclosure. FIG. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a land based system of integrated production for sustainable economic development according to aspects of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an integrated production marine-based system for sustainable economic development according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of certain components of a system operated in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of system components of an embodiment operated in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of system components of an embodiment operated in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of integrated components of a system that operates in accordance with the principles of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the system of FIG. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the system of FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment operated in accordance with the principles of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the detail of embodiment of FIG. FIG. 4 shows details of a process for achieving the object according to the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates a process operation according to the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a process according to the object of the present invention. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an embodiment of the invention. It is a figure which shows the electrolytic cell which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the embodiment of FIG. It is a figure which shows the variation of embodiment of FIG. It is a figure which shows the electrolytic cell which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of an alternative embodiment for a portion of the electrolytic cell of FIG. 4. The cross section of the spiral electrode used with a reversible fuel cell is shown. 1 illustrates a system for converting organic feedstock, such as feedstock produced by photosynthesis, to methane, hydrogen, and / or carbon dioxide. 1 illustrates a system for converting organic feedstock, such as feedstock produced by photosynthesis, to methane, hydrogen, and / or carbon dioxide. 1 illustrates a system for converting organic feedstock, such as feedstock produced by photosynthesis, to methane, hydrogen, and / or carbon dioxide. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an electrode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

  This application is filed on Nov. 9, 2004, US Provisional Application Nos. 60 / 626,021 and 17 Feb. 2009 entitled MULTIFUL STORE, METERING AND IGNITION SYSTEM (Attorney Docket No. 69545-8013US). All of the subject matter of US Provisional Application No. 61 / 153,253 entitled FULL SPECTRUM ENERGY (Attorney Docket No. 69545-8001US) is incorporated by reference. This application is also filed with the following US patent applications: METHODS AND APPARATIES FOR DETECTION OF PROPERITES OF FLUID CONVEYANCE SYSTEMS (Attorney Docket No. 69545-8003US), filed concurrently with this application on August 16, 2010, COMPREHENSIV. MODELING OF AUTOGENOUS SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ENERGY, MATERIAL RESOURCES AND NUTRIENT REGIMES (Attorney Docket Number 69545-8025US), ELECTROLEFLY CITY Attorney Docket No. 69545-8026US), SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INTEGRATED PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, MATERIALS RESOURCES, AND NUTRIENT REGIMES (Attorney Docket No. 69545-8040US), SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INTEGRATED FULL SPECTRUM PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE MATERIAL RESOURCES (attorney (Reference number 69545-8042US), METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIE CY OF SUPPLEMENTED OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION (SOTEC) (Attorney Docket No. 69545-8044US), GAS HYDRATE CONVERSION SYSTEM FOR HARVESTING HYDROCARBON HYDRATE DEPOSITS (Attorney Docket No. 69545-8045US), APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR STORING AND / OR FILTERING A SUBSTANCE (Agency reference number 69545-8046US), ENERGY SYSTEM FOR DWELLING SUPPORT (Agency reference number 69545-8047US), ENERGY CONVERSION ASSEMBL ES AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURE (Attorney Docket No. 69545-8048US), and Internally REINFORCED STRUCTURAL COMPOSITES incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for the subject matter of each of the AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF MANUFACTURING (69545-8049US).

  In order to fully appreciate the details given above and the manner in which other advantages and objects of the invention may be obtained, a more detailed description of the invention is provided by reference to specific embodiments thereof. Will.

  FIG. 1A shows a full spectrum energy park 200 for renewable energy production and material resource extraction, as well as renewable nutrients (human, animal and plant nutrition) and energy feedstock (biomass). , Biowaste, and biofuels), and three full spectrum agriculture related industrial networks 300 and a full spectrum industrial park 400 for sustainable material resource production and zero emissions production. 1 shows a full spectrum integrated production system 100 consisting of related systems.

  FIG. 1A shows system 100 as an integration of systems 200, 300, and 400 that allow energy, materials, and information to be exchanged between the systems. The integration of system 100, particularly the method in system 200, is thermally coupled to effectively function as a very large heat engine that can achieve beneficial production capacity and increased production efficiency. Uses the thermodynamic properties of a plurality of interrelated heat engines to form. Within the system 100, the system 200 is specifically responsible for achieving a synergistic link between solar, geothermal, ocean heat, and engine heat sources, and the availability of renewable energy at a particular site location. Increase the total power and provide the systems 300 and 400 with energy and extracted material resources.

  The full spectrum energy park 200 is thermally coupled to effectively function as a single large heat engine, and its system and subsystems use a working fluid that is heated in two or more stages. Interrelated to establish an energy cascade. The total available renewable energy output of the system 200 operates to achieve a cascade effect that optimizes the thermodynamic properties of the working fluid (such as temperature, pressure, purity, phase shift, and energy conversion efficiency). Increased by systematically moving fluid between the sun, geology, engine, and other heat sources. The energy output of one stage is re-invested in a critical process of another stage to operate in a regenerative or spontaneous manner with increased efficiency and economy of operation.

  The function of full spectrum energy park 200 is voluntary between systems to provide collective and synergistic benefits that cannot be achieved by harvesting, converting, and storing any one of the renewable energy sources alone. Or harvest, convert kinetic, thermal, and radiant energy forms between renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, flowing water, geothermal, biomass, and internal combustion engines to establish a regenerative energy cascade And storage. Spontaneous or regenerative energy methods are implemented in systems 200, 300, and 400. Furthermore, the system 200 is directed to the extraction of a number of chemicals material resources used in the systems 300 and 400. For example, thermochemical regeneration is used as a means of extracting carbon as a raw material for subsequent production of durable articles in system 400 (extraction can be performed in systems 200, 300, and 400). . In another example, thermochemical regeneration can also be used as a means of extracting nitrogen and trace minerals for subsequent production production of plant fertilizers used in system 300. Further, the system 200 can be used as a fuel for internal combustion engines and / or fuel cells for biowaste, biomass, and biofuel conversion, typically for power generation and / or transportation. Is directed to achieving storage, transport, and use of biomethane gas and / or hydrogen gas according to demands in the United States.

  The handling of solar, geothermal, ocean heat, and engine heat sources provides a highly adaptive integrated platform for installation of the system 100 in various climatic locations, as well as on both land and ocean bases. provide. Engineering for increased site adaptability thereby greatly increases the overall availability of renewable energy harvesting, and thus the economy for local, district, national and global economies. A practically viable solution.

  Food production in system 300 can be installed at both onshore and offshore sites. Harvested farms, livestock farms, ranches, pig and chicken industrial production facilities, freshwater fisheries, ocean fisheries, dairy farms, etc. can be linked to system 200 as consumers of energy produced by system 200, but in turn. Waste by-products, which are diverted to a system 200 for conversion into renewable energy and renewable material resources. Furthermore, the system 300 will increase the production of energy feedstock for such biofuel crops such as algae, switchgrass, and other crops to increase the feasibility of photosynthetic-based energy harvesting. Directed. In each of the production systems 200, 300, and 400, methods and apparatus for water production, purification, and storage are used. However, in order to meet the requirements for large amounts of water in food production and to overcome the described problems of unsustainability due to waste and water contamination from conventional food production practices, these are systems 300 key components.

  Energy, materials that use renewable methods to avoid depletion of natural resources and reduce or eliminate destructive environmental impacts such as toxic emissions as a by-product of pollution and production. Increase capacity for “sustainability”, defined as increased production of resources and nutrients. Sustainability requires energy, material, and food production methods that are viable for the long-term wellbeing of future power generation as well as the immediate short-term benefits of current consumers.

  System integration greatly improved adaptability to different climatic regions (ie adapting and harvesting renewable energy by adapting to diverse resource characteristics of temperate, tropical and cold climates) "Economic scalability" defined as a significant increase in energy, material and food production achieved by the ability to reproduce many collective installation sites and increase the number of available site locations Allows for increased production capacity for This economic scalability requires increasing the capacity of the planet to support population growth and the rapidly increasing energy requirements of developing countries. For successful use, these production methods and locations must be readily available and provide energy, material, and food production as compared to using conventional fossil fuel sources and / or nuclear energy sources. An economically viable alternative to current means of production must be presented.

  System integration further enables zero-emission and zero-waste energy production 200, material production 400, and food production 300 methods that would otherwise be incinerated, landfilled, or aquifers, Biomass, biowaste, and biofuel conversion systems where organic waste generated in the system 300 that would be dumped into rivers, oceans, or released into the atmosphere as pollutants is instead found in the system 200 Systematic extraction, energy and material resource extraction in system 200 is passed to system 400 for the production of durable articles, and energy and material resource extraction in system 200 is also Passed to system 300 for the production of nutrients for marine animals and plants .

  System integration establishes a single economic production unit that deliberately links energy production with food production and material resource production in a manner that functions as an interdependent of these.

  A full-spectrum integrated production system is therefore a place or community where there is no existing comparable renewable energy infrastructure, or where production capacity is insufficient and unemployment is taken for granted, or food production is insufficient and Suitable for installation where poverty and malnutrition are commonplace. The purpose of introducing this unified economic production method is to increase the gross domestic product (GDP) with the increased quality of life associated with GDP and the system with an improved quality of life associated with meaningful employment. It is possible to create effective employment.

  In addition, system integration intends waste management to be an energy conversion practice and intent so that they function as a whole interdependent and lead to incineration, landfill and dumping conventional waste practices that lead to pollution and environmental degradation. A single economical production unit that links together.

  Full spectrum integrated production systems introduce the use of sustainable waste-to-energy conversion as a system-wide integration practice. The purpose of this integrated system is to protect the natural environment, conserve finite natural resources, reduce infectious diseases, reduce land, water, and air pollution (greenhouse effects that cause climate change such as methane and CO2). Including gas reduction).

  Full spectrum integrated production system 100 provides a means to achieve “industrial ecology” in a human-system production environment that mimics a natural ecosystem, where the energy and material flow between the system and waste is: Input to new processes in a closed-loop manner, yet the entire system is still renewable and sustainable provided by solar (solar heat), earth (geothermal), ocean (ocean heat), and biomass conversion (engine heat) systems Open to new energy.

  FIG. 1B includes the production of energy (eg, electricity and fuel) simultaneously with the production of nutrients (eg, products for human, animal or plant nutrition) and the production of material resources (eg, hydrogen and carbon). 1 is a block diagram illustrating a full spectrum integrated production system 100 for sustainable economic development. System 100 is an integrated and interdependent subsystem with adaptive control of spontaneous cascading energy conversion that captures and reuses some or all of the energy, materials, and / or byproducts of each subsystem. Consists of. Thus, continuous operation of the system 100 is sustained with or without a minimal introduction of external energy or material resources. The system 100, among other things, uses renewable energy, food production, and material resource production, which is the production of more energy, food, and material resources than can be achieved using conventional techniques. An example of industrial ecology that facilitates sustainable economic development.

  Full spectrum energy park 200 provides a method for capturing energy from renewable sources 210 (eg, solar, wind, running water, geothermal, waste heat), renewable feedstock 220 (eg, biowaste 320, biomass 310) in conjunction with a method of producing energy and a method of producing material resources (eg hydrogen 230, carbon 240, other material resources such as trace minerals 250, pure water 260). Energy is stored, extracted and transported using an adaptive control method of spontaneous cascading energy conversion that produces a multiplier effect in the production of energy. During the energy harvesting and production process, material resources (eg, hydrogen and carbon) are extracted from biowaste and biomass feedstock used for the production of renewable energy. Full spectrum energy park 200 stores, retrieves, transports, monitors and controls the energy and resources to achieve improved efficiency in energy, material resources and nutrient production.

  Some of the energy 210, 220 produced is provided to the full spectrum agriculture related industrial network 300. Some of the energy 210, 220 produced is provided to the full spectrum industrial park 400. Some of the energy 210, 220 that is produced is reused in the full spectrum energy park 200. Some of the energy 201, 220 produced is provided to external recipients and / or added to the US grid and / or US gas pipeline.

  The full spectrum agriculture related industrial network 300 accepts renewable energy produced by the full spectrum energy park 200 and powers the functions of the agriculture, livestock and fishery subsystems. This includes renewable fuels for farm equipment, vehicles, boats, and ships, and electricity for lighting, heat, machinery, and the like.

  The full spectrum agriculture related industrial network 300 accepts other material resources (eg, trace mineral 250) produced by the full spectrum energy park 200 and material resources and by-products such as pure water 260 for agriculture, livestock industry. And enrich the nutrients in the fishery subsystem and result in increased efficiency in the production of plant harvest 340 and animal harvest 350.

  The full spectrum agricultural industry network 300 harvests energy feedstock and supplies it to the full spectrum energy park 200 for use in the production of renewable energy. Suitable feedstocks include biomass 310 (eg, crop slash), biowaste 320 (eg, sewage, agricultural wastewater, meat processing waste, wastewater from fishing grounds), biofuel stock 330 (eg, , Algae, switchgrass).

  Full spectrum industrial park 400 reuses the renewable energy produced by full spectrum energy park 200 to power the function of sustainable material resource production and zero-emission manufacturing. This includes renewable fuels for internal combustion engines (eg stationary engines, vehicles) and electricity for lighting equipment, thermal equipment, mechanical equipment, etc.

  Full spectrum industrial park 400 uses material resources 230, 240 and by-products 250 received from full spectrum energy park 200 to add additional material resources (eg, designer carbon 420, and industrial diamond 430). ) To produce.

  Full spectrum industrial park 400 uses material resources and by-products received from full spectrum energy park 200 to produce solar thermal device 410, wind turbine 410, hydro turbine 410, electrolytic cell 410, internal combustion engine and generator 410, automobile, Manufacture products such as carbon-based green energy machines 410, including ship and truck parts 440, semiconductors 450, nanotechnology 460, farm equipment and fishing gear 470, and the like.

  Full spectrum industrial park 400 provides some or all of these products and by-products to full spectrum energy park 200 and full spectrum agricultural industry network 300.

  Full spectrum energy park 200 is renewable using solar thermal device 410, wind turbine 410, hydro turbine 410, electrolyzer 410, internal combustion engine and generator 410, etc. produced and provided by full spectrum industrial park 400 Produce energy.

  Full spectrum agriculture related industry network 300 produces nutrients using internal combustion engines and generators 410, farm equipment and fishing gear 470, and other devices produced and provided by full spectrum industrial park 400.

  The energy produced by the full spectrum integrated production system 100 provides power for all subsystems including energy reuse to drive further production of renewable energy. At the same time, some or all products and by-products produced in system 100 are used in the function of all subsystems. At the same time, the waste produced by the system 100 is captured and used as a feedstock for all subsystem functions. Integrated and interdependent subsystems use adaptive control to manage spontaneous cascading energy conversion and spontaneous regeneration of material resources. Thus, the system continually reuses renewable energy, sustainable material resources, and other by-products into different sources and processes of subsystems (energy parks, agricultural related industrial networks, industrial parks). Thus, the system 100 utilizes a greater amount of supplied energy and resources from the various resources in the system than can be achieved by conventional means. This industrial symbiosis produces, among other things, a multiplier effect on the amount of various resources and energy harvested from renewable feed and by-product sources in the system, adding value, reducing costs, and reducing the environment. Improve.

  FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of a full spectrum integrated production system 100 showing various exemplary functionality zones for land based systems, and FIG. 1D is a full view showing various exemplary functionality zones for marine based systems. 1 is a schematic diagram of a spectrum integrated production system 100. The system shown includes a land or marine integrated production system with cascaded energy conversion and voluntary regeneration of material resources and adaptive control of nutrient production. The system harvests and / or generates energy from renewable sources and stores, retrieves and transports energy and material resources to achieve improved efficiency in the production of energy, material resources and nutrients. Functional zones are included for the purpose of harvesting material resources from renewable feedstocks that are monitored, controlled and controlled. Table 1 below expands on exemplary outputs, systems, and means associated with exemplary functionality zones.

  FIG. 1 shows a system 2 in which a suitable gas-expansion motor or engine 4 drives a load such as an electric generator 5 as shown. Vapor and / or gas exiting the expansion device 4 is carried by the conduit 6 to the heat exchanger 8 for delivery of heat not converted to work by the expansion device 4. The heat exchanger 8 performs the operation of embodiment 72 of FIG. 2, drying clothes, heating residential water and space, melting ice on sidewalks and roadways, heat, drying, curing, and / or dehumidification. Various industrial applications required, and commercial applications such as water heating and heat driven refrigeration, and / or atmospheric air, atmospheric air cooled by evaporation, streams, lakes, or seawater Representative and typical of one or more subsystems suitable for delivering heat to applications such as anaerobic digestion for additional heat that may be required for exhaust heat It is.

  When sufficient heat is removed by the one or more heat exchanges represented by (8), the working fluid is such as below the formation seal 12 in an application with an integral electric generator. To propel the fluid motor 14 at a lower height, it is conditioned as a condensate that generates a fluid column or “head” for delivery by the conduit 10. After the liquid pressure head in conduit 10 is established, fluid motor 14 converts the potential energy of the fluid in column 10 to shaft power. If the fluid delivered to the motor 14 receives heat from a suitable source, such as a geothermal formation, the working fluid can be vaporized or superheated as the motor 14 is propelled. There is sex. After this energy conversion step, the liquid and / or vapor working fluid exiting the motor 14 is then delivered to a further area of the geothermal formation for reheating, as generally indicated by the travel path 16. In some formations, it is preferred to use one or more horizontal bores towards or to the collection well at 18 for returning the heated fluid to the surface 22 by the insulated conduit 20. In other cases with appropriate geothermal formation, it is appropriate to provide a side-by-side or coaxial flow of heated working fluid into the same well where liquid downflow occurs. is there.

  After reaching the surface, the heated working fluid passes through conduits 23 and 25 to one or more optional heat sources such as heat engine 32 or valves 34 and 24 to another heat source such as solar heater 30. Sent to. During times when additional heating can be beneficially achieved, the working fluid is routed through valves 34 or 24 to one or more heat exchangers such as 28 and 36, as shown, as in heat engine 32, as shown. Receive additional heat from a higher temperature source or by a suitable solar trap or concentrator 30. This is because the system 2 achieves higher annual energy conversion capacity and thermal efficiency as a result of such a hybrid increase in heat transfer available to the situation after primary geothermal transfer in the formation 16. Enable.

  The hybridized system components shown also include many longer residence times of the working fluid that are reheated when stored in the formation 16 during peak periods of fuel or electricity demand. Allows a new mode of operation. This allows a greater portion of the geothermal formation to deliver heat to the working fluid and thus allow higher temperatures to be achieved. A further improvement in the efficiency of the system 2 is that an engine generator 32 is used to meet peak demand, and thus a valve 34 and a heat exchanger 36 as shown for the recovery of exhaust heat by a heat source such as the engine 32. Is provided when a greater amount of heat can be supplied to the working fluid through the heat exchanger circuit provided by the operation of

  Embodiments of the present invention include heat exchangers for the purpose of adjusting the working fluid by developing the largest fluid head or vertical height above the mixed phase or liquid motor (s) such as 14 or 44. To facilitate condensation by 8 or 40 (s), a reduced pressure fluid such as an application with a function combined with a suitable broadcast tower 50 and wind generator 38, hilltop or ridge 25 is used. Delivery of vapor and / or gaseous working fluid that provides inflatable work in a suitable motor 4 or 52 that delivers the highest practical altitude. An important improvement over thermodynamic cycles such as the Rankine cycle is a significant elevation from the zone where work is done by the pressure and kinetic energy of these working fluids in the vicinity of the area where the working fluid is reheated and vaporized. This is achieved by the development of a working fluid that is rich, if not liquid. Thus, the downhole energy conversion subsystem 44 may be a motor driven by a liquid, a device that utilizes the kinetic energy and pressure of the mixed phase of the working fluid, or a desired phase while maintaining or increasing the pressure of these phases ( It may be a vapor expansion device located in a zone that receives sufficient geothermal heat to produce one or more. This significantly increases the energy conversion capacity and efficiency of System 2 and similar arrangements to achieve such a hybrid improvement of Rankine cycle operation, and such liquids can be used in wind power at high altitudes, communication towers, and constructed towers. Occurs at the altitude provided by embodiments such as turbine towers, hills, or other terrain.

  In general, wind turbine-generators 38 produce more energy when they are placed higher than the surface that receives the highest speed wind. Placing a heat exchanger 40 at or near the top of such a wind turbine tower improves the cooling capacity to properly adjust the desired phase of the working fluid, avoids many sources of ground contamination, and This provides a greater height of the fluid column 42 delivered to the motor-generator 44 by an insulated conduit within the coaxial conduit 48 as shown. After energy conversion by the motor generator 44, the liquid and / or vapor 44 cooled by such expansion is heated by the surrounding geothermal formation 46 as it leaves and is insulated by a conduit 48 which is insulated as shown. The fluid that produces steam that is carried to the generator 52 and exits the expansion device 52 is delivered to the capacitor 40 by a conduit 54 as shown.

  For the purpose of allowing it to operate from time to time as an electric pump to deliver fluid containing chemicals from source 128 of FIG. 2 into the supplied geoformation, It is preferable to provide reversible operation as a fluid pump or motor. Providing proper manifolding and valve actuation improves performance and maintenance operations that may be required by various geological formations as described with respect to the systems of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 The objective is achieved.

  In many cases, the systems of FIGS. 1, 2, and / or 3 are well related by actuation and subsurface formations to provide significant improvements from such actuation. However, in order to operate the system of FIG. 1 at a significant distance from the system of FIG. 2 and to improve the operation of the system of FIGS. 1 and 2, along with the occasional use of the pump 14 to assist in the delivery of such agents, It is practical and often expected and encouraged to provide medication from a subsystem with storage similar to the supply tank 128.

  As an illustration of hybrid opportunities on almost all continents for seasonal increases in geothermal energy, Table 1 shows the Fairbanks area in Central Alaska and other northern plains areas compared to warmer areas such as Gainesville, Florida. It shows that substantial summer energy is available for longer days and relatively clear weather conditions such as The Fairbanks area of Alaska and similar areas of Canada have more solar energy than eight of the North American cities that seem “warm” during the bright and sunny summer days as shown. Receive.

  Thus, formations where substantial geothermal energy is available and at elevated temperatures, including wells for purposes such as producing oil and natural gas, discarding salt water or returning natural gas In the case of depleted oil and gas wells with access to water, it is worthwhile to provide primary geothermal heating of the working fluid, followed by further heating by the hotter solar heat source available in some circumstances. These opportunities are also occasionally introduced by industrial plants or by heat engines such as piston engines, gas turbines and / or steam turbine systems 32 that include heat engines that operate to meet peak loads and should exhaust large amounts of heat. It may include waste heat.

  To higher temperatures of selected working fluids such as mixtures of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropanol and water and / or alcohols such as methanol, ammonia, propane, or Freon (Freon ™) The increase by solar, industrial, or peaking-engine of such geothermal energy that provides heating can substantially increase the annual energy production and efficiency of the energy conversion system as shown in FIG. In many cases where there is sufficient depth of the geothermal formation with the desired thermal diffusivity, the liquid working fluid is converted to energy as a closed working fluid system without allowing the working fluid to contact the formation. For this purpose, the conduit 42 is preferably delivered to the fluid motor 44 and the heated and vaporized working fluid is returned through the conduit 48 for vapor expansion and energy conversion by the motor 52. In other cases, providing intimate contact of the selected working fluid with the geothermal formation to encourage the formation to produce valuable material that may be extracted or separated from the working fluid at the surface. Is preferred.

  In addition, in southern southern climates such as Patagonia and Kalahari, as well as in northern northern climates such as Alaska, Canada, Scotland, Scandinavia, parts of Russia and parts of West Asia, along with energy conservation, There is an important need for improved use of renewable energy. These regions often face peak demands in winter rather than summer when abundant solar energy is available.

  In such cases, it may be timely to improve or overcome the Brayton-cycle limitation due to the large fraction of motive potential provided internally to power the gas or vapor compressor. Suitable for FIG. 2 shows the conversion of liquid to gas at a sufficiently high pressure for compact storage with significant downhole pressure and / or impedance to fluid inflow and / or for storage in geological formation. Shows how the high pressure gas is substantially produced. The electrolyzer 66 provides pressurized hydrogen and / or carbon dioxide to establish a formation drive and pressurize the delivery of inventory of methane and / or carbon dioxide from a source such as the digester 72. To do. A fluid containing a mixture of materials that receives heat from formation 86 provides a much greater net capacity for work due to expansion in device 94 as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 2 shows a system 60 for producing a storable fuel, such as hydrogen or methane, from methane hydrate deposits and / or anaerobic digesters 72, such hydrogen and / or methane preferably being pipeline 102. Through a valve 130 and / or 68 that is cyclically or continuously pressurized by a higher pressure gas produced by the electrolyzer 66 and / or a suitable mechanical compressor 122 for distribution to a significant market by Delivered to pressure regulator 104 or delivered to formation 86 by conduit 82 for intermittent short-term or long-term storage. In operation, electricity generated by system 2 and / or other sources as shown is transmitted through grid 62 to power conditioner system 64 to provide the proper voltage and rectified current. It then powers the electrolyzer 66 to produce hydrogen from the liquid in the anaerobic digester 72 and / or water pumped from the local aquifer 80 by the pump 76 and delivered by the conduit 74.

  The controller 70 optimizes the system including production of pressurized hydrogen from the liquid provided by the activity of microorganisms in the anaerobic digester 72 or by electrolysis of the water delivered by the conduit 78. Disclosure of the benefits of such actuation and energy conversion using fluids provided by microbial activity as a function of anaerobic digestion of organic matter is provided in co-pending patent applications and US Pat. No. 6,984,305, which Is disclosed herein by reference to techniques for greatly reducing the energy required to produce hydrogen compared to conventional water electrolysis.

The industrial operation 108 or the refining operation 112 may be performed by pressurized carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and / or by partial oxidation of the carbon donor, or by reaction of the carbon donor with steam, as generally shown in Equations 1 and 2. It is also considered that hydrogen will be produced occasionally.
2C + 1.5O ₂ → CO + CO ₂ Formula 1
CH ₄ + H ₂ O → CO + 3H ₂ Formula 2

  The use of such gases in a process consisting of storage and / or heat gain delivery in reservoir 86 as shown and subsequent expansion in motor-generator 94 provides additional storage and / or heat extraction capabilities. An opportunity arising from an important situation to provide and, as disclosed in co-pending patent application 60 / 847,063, a milking farm, canning factory, slaughterhouse, manufacturing industry, industrial park, or community Further improve the overall energy utilization efficiency of energy centers including

  Table 2 compares the various candidate functions and atmospheric pressure boiling points to act as working fluids that facilitate heat extraction and / or as chemicals and pressurizers along with other values from geothermal formations. These working fluids may be used as closed cycle fluids contained in a heat exchange system or, where appropriate, of geothermal formations to allow intimate contact and improved heat exchange rates. Delivered in.

  Throughout the embodiment, the goal is to cascade energy from the highest availability, temperature, and pressure conditions in “full spectrum” energy conversion operations to greatly improve return on investment and overall energy utilization efficiency. . This includes new results from old technology and known materials, including recycled materials and subsystems thus employed.

  In many applications, it is practical to spend X amounts of energy to produce fluids and deliver them to geothermal formations to achieve storage of X amounts of energy. When the stored fluid is returned, a greater amount of energy can be delivered with a combination of thermal energy, pressure energy, and chemical potential energy.

  In many cases, the mixture is mixed into the geothermal formation to increase the degree of thermal participation of the formation at the energy conversion and value extraction opportunities provided by some embodiments of the present invention. Intended to mix and play. Illustratively, the indicated hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, butane, carbon dioxide, and / or hydrogen may be mixed to improve heat transfer and value extraction in many products containing hydrocarbons. Intended.

  In particular, full spectrum opportunity results include practical use of a wide range of solar and subsoil IR spectra with a wide range of energy conversion principles and components.

L (liquid head); S (solvent); V (vapor expansion); A (azeotrope)
M (admixture); H (heat transfer agent); F (fuel)

  Mixtures and solutions of various substances may be used to prevent clogging with frozen solids. Ethanol is frozen at −117.3 ° C. (−179 ° F.). Methanol freezes at -97 ° C (-143 ° F). Working fluid mixtures and azeotropes provide cryoprotection against the coldest temperatures on Earth and transfer heat from a relatively cool geothermal source that is about 79 ° C (174 ° F) or warmer. Illustrates how to produce expanded steam. Water boils at 100 ° C (212 ° F) and ethanol boils at 78.3 ° C (173 ° F). A binary azeotrope of 95% ethanol and 5% water by volume boils at 78.2 ° C. (172.8 ° F.). In the system embodiment of FIG. 1, when liquid azeotrope drives motor-generator 44 and steam drives motor-generator 52, 52% methanol, 44% acetonitrile, 4% This ternary azeotrope with water boils at about 67 ° C. (153 ° F.), allowing cooler geothermal formations to be used.

  The downhole utilization of hydrogen and / or a mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbons called “HyBoost” fuel in mines and geothermal formations to drive fuel cells including engine-generator 131 or high temperature fuel cell 137 Provide additional heat at a higher temperature than the formation to further improve the overall energy conversion rate and efficiency with the systems of FIGS. A combined heat and power (CHP) engine 109 is a reversible fuel cell 137 that produces electricity and heat, or is supplied with electricity and exhaust heat, or the fuel cell is dried, cooked, canned, and When used in applications such as water heating or sterilization, it can operate at optimal conditions to meet changing electrical and thermal requirements with load leveling. The very pure supply of hydrogen and / or oxygen produced and pressurized by the reversible electrolyzer 135 is preferably used for commercial and industrial priorities in an industrial park or community.

  Pressurized oxygen from high pressure reversible electrolyzer 135 is also delivered to engine generator 131 and / or fuel cell 137 by line 133 as shown to generate electricity or apply heat to formation 86. As well as driving other loads and / or providing steam to heat and insulate steam or gas passing through line 92 to expander-generator 94. Depending on the temperature, depth of the formation, and the availability of values such as hydrocarbons that some embodiments of the present invention can help extract or produce, such engines or fuel cells 131 and 137 is closer to the surface along line 92 or within a formation where significant heat or additional heat results in more valuable extraction and production such as hydrocarbons from tar and other resources. There may be.

  FIG. 3 shows an embodiment 138 of a new technique for further reducing the energy required to produce hydrogen and / or methane from anaerobic treatments such as thermal dissociation or digestion of organic materials. Activated carbon and exfoliated graphene media are prepared to catalyze the release of hydrogen from anaerobic digestive fluid.

  Certain organic materials, such as enzymes produced by microbial digestion of organic materials, are more effective in the charge transfer process and / or are assisted by low energy removal of hydrogen by or into activated carbon, and / or Obviously, it has a longer useful life after being given more efficiently and / or adsorbed by activated carbon or exfoliated graphene material and thus modified. After such treatment to achieve “enzyme activation”, these materials cause the release of hydrogen and carbon dioxide from the pressurized anaerobic digestive fluid. In addition, it is reduced compared to the voltage required for electrolysis with or without electrical power as disclosed in co-pending patent applications and US Pat. No. 6,984,305. The use of such an enzyme activated carbon media at a constant voltage substantially improves the yield of hydrogen per unit of electrical work.

  Production of hydrogen with reduced energy consumption is particularly advantageous to improve the economics of hydrogen extraction from organic feedstocks including energy harvests and waste. An improvement in process efficiency is provided by using an anaerobic digester 140 to produce methane fuel and carbon dioxide, while some of the liquid that is constantly generated by the digestion process is at the top of 158 as shown. Depending on the operating pressure and temperature of the separator, to deliver to the pressure vessel 158 filled with digestive fluid and enzyme activated carbon media for extraction of hydrogen and / or carbon dioxide for delivery through the valve 160 or 162. To the pressure pump 156 through the filter 152 and the preconditioner 154.

  If desired, gaseous hydrogen can be substantially separated from carbon dioxide if desired for applications such as green plant growth. Such separation is preferably provided by the process disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,984,305, where hydrogen is passed through the formation seal 175 through the well seal 175 by a conduit and check valve 162 for delivery. And / or carried to a hydrocarbon reservoir 176. For the electrically stimulated production of additional hydrogen that may also be separated from existing carbon dioxide and other gases by a suitable process as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,984,305 The liquid leaving the pressure vessel 158 with a large amount of carbon dioxide in solution is delivered to the pressure vessel 159 by a conduit and check valve 160 circuit as shown. A system for the catalytic assisted release of hydrogen from materials prepared by the activity of microorganisms on biomass includes the disclosed organic catalysts, along with inorganic catalysts such as transition metals and intermetallic compounds containing transition metals. Singular or plural). The rate and equipment of such hydrogen production by applying vibration, radiation, electric power, and / or magnetic force (s) in sequence with the catalyst (s) as shown or in sequence with them. It is characterized by allowing further increases in efficiency.

  Relatively pure hydrogen is delivered through check valves 166 and valves (not shown) to industrial, commercial, and transportation applications that are depicted to eliminate or minimize carbon dioxide production. The remaining hydrogen is added to a hydrogen source through check valve 166 to charge formation 176 through well 174. In this process, the expander-generator 168 generates electricity as it converts pressure and kinetic energy in the fluid being depressurized as shown.

  For various purposes, including growing aquatic harvests such as algae in converter 184 and enriching the atmosphere in greenhouse 186 to increase the rate and efficiency of photosynthesis and / or illustrated Reduced carbon dioxide gas as a greenhouse gas component with a smaller amount of simultaneously separated methane to capture solar energy for the desired thermal gain in the converter 184 or greenhouse 186 Is used. Carbon dioxide dissolved in the vacuum liquid fluid is delivered for enrichment of aquatic plants such as algae in the hydroponic transducer pound 184 as shown. Along with occasional harvested aquatic crops such as algae, spent liquid may be sent into digester 140, or a portion of the harvested crop may be processed by process plant 202 as shown. It can be delivered by pump 200 through valve manifold 201 and conduit 206 for processing into various dietary supplements, vitamins, nutrients, alcohol fuel, fat, and the like. Wastewater from the plant 202 and other regional sources is sent to the digester 140 through line 208 by valve manifold 201 as shown.

  Methane and carbon dioxide produced by the anaerobic digester 140 may be used for storage and / or to increase the extraction and yield of hydrocarbons from the formation 176 and / or expansion device-generator 178, as shown. Is delivered to the compressor 148 through the filter 142 and conduit 146 and to the well 174 through the check valve 172 to obtain geothermal energy for work and / or electricity production. The flow metering circuit of the pressure regulator 150 controls the amount of gas recirculation required to mix, agitate, control the temperature, and stir the anaerobic digestion process facilitated at 140 as shown. To do.

  An important improvement in energy conversion efficiency for the systems shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is that the liquid is pressurized by pumping and then further pressurized and / or the electrolysis of water, catalyst from anaerobic digestion fluid Resulting from the delivery of gaseous material derived from these pressurized liquids as a result of outgassing by and / or reduced energy release of the gas by electrolysis. An illustration of hybridized and improved Brayton-cycle and / or Rankine cycle efficiency is that it provides gaseous hydrogen and / or carbon dioxide at the pressure essentially generated by the liquid pump 73 as shown. Resulting from pressurization of fluid from the digester tank 72 by a pump 73 of digestive juice produced in 72 for delivery to the electrolyzer 66 through the valve 75.

  The power requirements for producing hydrogen from liquids containing compounds such as urea, along with acetic acid and butyric acid separated from or produced by digester 72, are the conventional electrolysis of water. Compared to the application of a gas compressor after these gases have been released, a further improvement is achieved by the generation of the desired hydrogen delivery pressure as a result of liquid pressurization by the pump 73. Similarly, for purposes such as heat and / or additional hydrocarbon sequestration from the formation 86 of FIG. 2, separation processes, energy conversion as an expandable gas, and / or compact storage. It is advantageous to produce pressurized carbon dioxide.

  The amount of hydrogen that can be produced by the system 60 includes very pure hydrogen delivered from the electrolyzer 135 for fuel cell applications such as the hybrid vehicle 110 by line 111, the home (s) 106, commercial and Excess hydrogen, methane and / or dioxide from 72 and 66 when exceeding the demand by CHP and other applications supplied by pipeline 102, including loads such as manufacturing buildings 108 and agricultural or transportation needs 110 Carbon methane recharges in a depleted oil and / or natural gas reservoir 86 or similar formation at greater distances with sufficient overburden and seals to store hydrogen and other gases as shown. Delivered at the pressure required. In many cases, the formation 84 is high enough to allow hydrogen and other gases stored in 84 to be returned to the surface to power the turbine generator 94 at such high temperatures. At temperature, hydrogen is then delivered through line 102 at a lower pressure as established by pressure regulators 104 and / or 105.

  The advantage of storing hydrogen and / or methane and / or carbon dioxide in a hydrocarbon-containing formation is the increased driving pressure, carbonization resulting from the action of hydrogen and / or methane with very low viscosity and high heat capacity. Including increased production of such hydrocarbons as a result of enhanced permeability along with increased fluidity of hydrogen value. In addition, some embodiments of the present invention are representative of being delivered from a storage container such as 128 through a pump 126 and valve 124 to a manifold suitable for charging the well conduit 82 through the formation 86. To facilitate the delivery of other fluids to enhance production including agents such as propane, carbon dioxide, solvents, and detergent solutions.

  The enhanced hydrocarbon production from the reservoir 86 resulting from such hydrogen and / or methane and / or carbon dioxide storage and / or related processing operations as depicted by Table 2 is preferably 95 or At 180, fuel characterized by hydrogen for delivery by pipeline 102, and extraction of various components and marketed and stored by pipelines represented by 114, 116, 118, and 120 as shown. Or separated into hydrocarbon-rich components delivered by pipeline 103 for further separation and / or purification of value by a system 112 suitable for further purification.

  The systems shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are therefore storage efficiency, net electricity and / or fuel energy conversion as measured by the total amount of electricity, hydrogen and / or methane fuel and / or hydrocarbon production. Greatly increase capacity, speed, and efficiency. Production of electricity to meet rapidly developing demand, in particular peak power is hydrogen and / or methane as fuel for piston, rotary or turbine ICE engine (s) 32 and / or 107 and / or 109 Will be provided immediately by using. In each case, the temperature of the expandable gas is increased to drive the motor-generator 4 and / or 178 and to provide heat for agricultural, industrial, or household applications such as the thermoelectric composite application shown. It is highly advantageous to use the exhaust heat from these engines to improve the overall energy utilization efficiency by delivering.

  These processes for energy conversion are generally adequately prepared for purposes selected from the group consisting of heat gain from the formation, intermittent storage of chemical and / or pressure energy, and extraction of valuable materials. And exposing one or more fluid materials to the formation to be maintained, and then performing a hybrid Rankine cycle or Brayton-cycle expansion of one or more of these fluid materials in the engine to accomplish work At least one of the fluid materials is cooled and / or condensed for improved Brayton cycle operation to drive an expansion motor or a liquid or fluid motor to accomplish work Doing so may result in a lower, highly delivered liquid.

  The illustrated embodiments are particularly useful for extracting and converting geothermal thermal energy and / or hydrocarbon-like values from suitable formations while simultaneously producing electrical and / or chemical fuel values. Embodiments of the present invention, along with improved extraction and conversion efficiency of geothermal energy, allow abundant summer energy to be used to produce fuels that can be stored for later use in the winter. Some embodiments of the present invention, along with oil and natural gas wells, facilitate the reuse of some mined mines and have been devastated by coal, oil and natural gas depletion or global warming It provides an opportunity for economic revitalization of communities suffering from problems.

  The disclosed embodiments of the present invention produce hydrogen from waste to improve air and water quality and greatly reduce the dependence on fissile fuels that plague fossil fuels and communities with radioactive waste. In addition, it provides improved waste disposal operations and greatly reduced energy requirements. In areas with variable wind, tide, or wave conditions, these renewable energies are locally converted to chemical fuel potentials such as hydrogen or methane for storage and heat gain within appropriate geothermal formations. This is very important.

  Geothermal formations suitable for fuel and / or carbon dioxide storage are also regenerated like solar, wind, waves, or tides as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 by pipelines or power grids in addition to rail and truck delivery It may be linked to a remote site where possible resources are used.

  When a large-scale conversion of renewable energy is required to replace the dependence on fossil and fissile fuels, the system embodiment 400 of FIG. Provides spectrum solar conversion. FIG. 5 shows a support cable 402 for capturing virtually all wavelengths of the entire solar spectrum of energy to heat air in the zone below assembly 412 or through passages 414 and 416 as shown. And a cross-sectional view of the assembly of glazings 404, 406 and 408. Cable (s) 402, which may be made of any suitable material such as steel, glass, ceramic, polymer, carbon, or a rod, wire, or fiber of a combination of such materials, One or more transparent glazings 404 and 406 are supported with the film 410 to convert geothermal energy to produce energy. Solar radiation enters the trap of FIG. 5 along with infrared radiation from the Earth below and is converted to thermal energy to heat the air in and below the passages 414 and 416 as shown.

  FIG. 4 shows a system 400 for using glazing as shown in FIGS. 5 and / or 6 for producing electricity and / or hydrogen. The air is heated by geothermal and / or exhaust heat from the sun and / or various energy conversion processes and is released upward to turn the vertical shaft turbine. Rotors 490, 432 and / or 434 may be coupled with a stator such as 450 between the ground or some other suitable boundary as shown and the membrane (s) 410 or 421 as shown. Deliver air into the plenum. As shown, such moving air collects solar energy and is solar generated by a geothermal source, heat exchanger 476 and internal combustion turbine, piston, or rotary engine (s) 460, 481 and heat exchanger 480. Remove exhaust heat from other generator (s) such as engine-generator 470 and heat engine. Such exhaust heat preferably includes the engine jacket and oil cooling along with the heat removed from the electric generator by hydrogen that is subsequently combusted in the heat engine or recycled through the heat exchanger. Increases the work accomplished by expansion turbines 440 and 444 and / or in conjunction with one or more stators such as 442 after the last stage of solar heating with insulated exhaust pipes 461 and 464 as shown. In order to achieve this, it is preferable to apply higher quality heat from the exhaust stream of the internal combustion engine.

  The internal combustion piston and rotary engine preferably operate with an integral exhaust turbine that drives the electric generator or compressor before the exhaust is added to the gas with one or more power rotors as depicted at 440 and 444. . The output from power rotors 440 and 444 may be increased or decreased in speed to drive compressor / motor rotors 432 and 434 with electric generator (s) 438 as shown. Used for.

  In many areas, it is also advantageous to provide heat gain from natural geothermal sources at the depth of heat exchanger 484 and / or from underground heat storage and exchange as shown. The heat exchanger 480 may be a fluid pump 482 and an engine 481, and / or a thermoelectric and / or thermochemical that eventually discharges heat after performing mechanical work, operating chemical processes, and / or producing electricity. Exhaust heat from geothermal energy conversion systems like processes. Such waste heat is added to the energy extracted by turbines 440 and 444 to increase the combined plant system's capacity while improving the waste heat process, thus synergistically improving the efficiency of the solar and geothermal energy conversion process. Improve.

  After performing such synergistic beneficial cooling by accepting additions from heat exchange in the zones below the membranes 410 and 421, air is passed through the membrane 410 as shown to obtain additional solar energy. Or circulated into the channel between 421 and 406 or 420. The heated air is then delivered to one or more power rotors depicted as 440 and 444. Variable pitch flow controllers 443, 441, and 442 are coordinated with rotors 490, 440, and 444, which may also provide a variable pitch when needed to optimize the energy conversion process. The air velocity at the flow directors 443, 441 and 450 is substantially affected by the availability of heat from solar energy and other factors and moisture in this multiple combined and hybrid cycle system. .

  When exhaust heat from the sun, geothermal and / or other devices shown is appropriate and the ambient air is relatively dry, it is advantageous to produce higher humidity in the air moving through the system. Water is diverged and / or sprayed on the crop in and / or surrounding system 560 as shown and / or downflow structure (s) 502 and 510 by appropriate sprayers 500 and 504 as shown. Distributed in the air passing through it to cool the surrounding air mass, thus creating an increased momentum of the downdraft into the generators 438 and 492 of the air passing through the turbines 432, 434, and 490, and photoelectric The heat collector 403 is cooled. Humidification of the air is also very advantageous to increase energy delivery to the turbines 490, 440 and 444 as shown, and their operation is adaptively optimized by the computer controller 401. .

  Providing a wide variation in pitch with flow directors 443, 441, and 442 along with rotors 432, 434, 440, 444, and 490, generator 492 throughout the heat gain range of weather, geothermal, and combined cycle operation. And 438 synchronous operation.

  This precise adaptive control of the heated air flow thus results in maximum turbine efficiency at all levels and combinations of solar intensity, geothermal and ambient conditions. Along with 443, an important advantage of flow controllers 441, 442, and 450 is that they are more densely oriented at higher speeds to power turbines 490, 434, 432, 440, and 444 as shown. Air delivery. This allows for increased air velocity and delivery in the optimal portion of the variable pitch blades of the rotors 490, 440, and 444 to maximize torque generation and conversion of molecular kinetic energy and flow shaft energy. Including.

  Providing a positive air flow when needed from the pump (s) 432 and 434 in the formed plenum (s) improves the thermal efficiency of such engines and thus the overall system efficiency. In addition, the temperature at which heat is exhausted from the peaking or base load heat engines 460, 470, and 480 is reduced. Thermochemical processes in solar engines 470 and 522, such as Stirling cycle engines, may be of any suitable type, including those disclosed in co-pending US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 700,577. .

  Further improvements in the efficiency of the solar engine 470 include application of runoff from the inclined membrane (s) 404 and / or 426 into the reservoir (s) 471 and 473 as shown. Provided by collecting rainwater that falls into the area. Rainwater is collected in a lined reservoir 473 and delivered by pump 550 to one or more electrolyzer (s) 702 and 704. The collected water will also improve the heat transfer rate and air traveling towards solar and / or geothermal heating below and in the channels provided by the membranes 404, 406, 408 and 410 as shown. After the heat exchanger 476 delivers as much heat as possible, it is used to cool the in-ground heat exchanger 472 in the well (s) 471.

  Depending on the thermal stability of the selected membrane material and the geothermal energy available from the underlying ground, the membrane 410 as an infrared trapping membrane works in conjunction with membranes with or with significant corners on the surface Thus, it is preferable to provide 421 as a flat black film. FIG. 6 shows a pleated shape that captures and conducts multiple radiations to significantly increase the solar and / or geothermal absorbency, heat transfer area, and air temperature achieved by the heat transfer films 515, 424, and 425. FIG. 6 illustrates the incorporation of a fold made into a generally or “W” shaped. To establish a separate air cell channel, one or more transparent parallel membranes may be placed on the membrane 417 spanning the figure, and one or more transparent membranes are shown with respect to the membrane 415. It may be provided in such a state. These air channels are provided with appropriate valves that provide controllable air flow to insulate and increase the residence time in the central channel containing the membrane 423 to produce much hotter air. You may prepare. This is between 94 ° C. (200 ° F.) and 204 ° C. (400 ° F.) in the central channel that obtains heat from contact and by radiation from membranes 423 and 424 with opaque extended surfaces as shown. Enables the rapid achievement of such substantially warmed air.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 6, one or more reflective layers may be provided with alternating films 419 between the dielectric layers, which may be positioned slightly away from the gas seal film 427 as shown. Generally preferred. This increases solar trapping and heating of the film 424 with an extended surface, thus improving the efficiency of the solar-to-thermal energy conversion process. The heat escaping to the zone below the reflective film 419 is trapped by the film 423 with an extended surface constructed more or less than described for the underlying air cell or film 424, and the air is channeled through It is heated when passing through. The restriction of the air flow rate through the air channel heated by the membrane 421 with an extended surface provides an improvement in achieving the desired temperature for delivery to the rotors 440 and 444 as shown. To do. In general, it is desirable to control the air flow rate through the insulated air channel above the membrane 421 at a rate that minimizes heat loss to the ambient ambient air. The flow rates through all air channels are available for solar and / or geothermal and / or peaking engines and / or base load engines to achieve an optimized temperature at turbines 440 and 444 as shown. Can be adjusted according to the exhaust heat.

  Some commonly produced materials suitable for the membranes of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 include high temperature, UV protected nylon, polyester, various fluoropolymers, and silicon. Very thin of aluminum, silver, chrome, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, or rhodium and / or materials that provide dichroic reflection if the film is required to reflect radiation and develop insulation quality A coating may be used. It is generally desirable to sandwich a reflective surface between a thin layer of protective polymer. Efficient insulation or prevention of heat transfer can be provided by using 1 to 8 reflective surfaces with a transparent polymer between each layer.

  Transparent to increase solar incident transmission at low angles of incident radiation, and films 415 and 428 for trapping solar spectrum incidence but acting as reflectors or breakers for longer wave infrared radiation from below It is preferred to use one or more coatings on the membrane 404 and / or 406 or to provide a surface geometry to provide as a transparent window. It is also preferred to provide a reflective film 421 under the film 423 for the purpose of preventing heat loss to the air in the cell channel formed over 423 and providing increased additional heat. The film 421 is preferably made of a plurality of films having a very thin layer of aluminum or similar reflective material sandwiched between two dielectric layers. This allows a very thin vacuum deposited or sputtered layer of mirror bright aluminum to be protected from oxidation and damage.

  Cables 402 and 422 preferably have a square, parallelogram, and hexagonal pattern similar to a “chicken fence” support network for membranes such as 404, 406, 410, 420, 421, and 426. Provide a support net including. This provides a strong but flexible support and allows such membranes to incorporate very high solar radiation into the supported energy trap and to handle heavy rain or heavy snow loads and strong winds. Allows great adaptation to thermal shrinkage and thermal expansion while ensuring endurance and sheed ability. Thus, the cable diameter and ultimate tensile strength in the resulting mesh may be the same to meet the strength requirements of the material extending across the support and withstand virtually any wind conditions or heavy snow loads, or May be different. However, in most cases it is intended that such cable networks are permanent and that relatively inexpensive membranes will be recycled and replaced as needed.

  During relatively low ambient humidity conditions, it is preferable to apply air as disclosed for the purpose of taking air through tower 502 and extracting electricity from turbine generators 490-492. During high ambient humidity conditions, air is preferably introduced into the central inlet 510 for the motor / compressors 432 and 424 by passage between the exhaust towers 443. The hot air rising from the tower 443 moves the cold air along and parallel to the membrane 404, and the rising hot exhaust and the air passing between the tower and flowing into the 510 Minimize mixing. The cold ambient air thus travels along the membrane 404 or 426 as shown and around and between the towers 22 and enters the inlets for the air handlers 432 and 434.

The overall energy conversion efficiency is limited by the entropy gain and temperature delivered by various heat collection and energy conversion systems, including some embodiments of the present invention. The integrated hybrid system operates as a huge heat engine with one or more heat sources and energy conversion operations at every moment. In a typical summer day operation where the ambient air in the suction to the compressor 432 and / or the tower (s) 502 is about 311 ° K or 38 ° C. (100 ° F.), the turbine (s) 440 If the air delivered to is heated to 422 ° K or 149 ° C. (300 ° F.), the Carnot limit of one subsystem for energy conversion efficiency would be:
Efficiency = 1- (T _L / T _H ) or 1- (311/422) = 26% Equation 3

In winter, the ambient air delivered to the compressor 432 may be about 283 ° K or 10 ° C (50 ° F) and the air delivered to the turbine (s) 440 is 422 ° K or When heated to 149 ° C. (300 ° F.), the Carnot limit for energy conversion efficiency would be:
Efficiency = 1− (T _L / T _H ) or 1− (283/422) = 33% Equation 4

Solar engine 470 benefits similarly from the cooler conditions for exhaust heat. A typical temperature for the heated working fluid in the engine 470 is about 1088 ° K or 815 ° C (1500 ° F) and the exhaust heat temperature is 311 ° K or 38 ° C (100 ° F). In that case, the Carnot limit on energy conversion efficiency would be:
Efficiency = 1- (T _L / T _H ) or 1- (311/1088) = 71% Equation 5

In winter, and when water cools heat exchanger 472, heat can be discharged at about 283 ° K or 10 ° C. (50 ° F.) or less, and the Carnot limit for energy conversion efficiency is Will be improved as shown.
Efficiency = 1− (T _L / T _H ) or 1− (283/1088) = 74% Equation 6

  When a system for supplying electrical base loads is used, it is preferable to combine solar energy with several other subsystems that use renewable energy resources. The heat engine 460 is preferably fueled with fuel such as hydrogen and / or a mixture of hydrogen and methane or natural gas stored in or resulting from geothermal formations as previously disclosed, as illustrated. Combustion products are discharged into or near the first stage power turbine 440 to effectively increase turbine efficiency. Such heat engines typically have an exhaust temperature of 815 ° K., 538 ° C. (1000 ° F.) or higher, and can energize the attached exhaust turbine 462 to drive a generator or compressor. . Exhaust, typically between 450 and 600 ° K, from an attached gas turbine driven by internal combustion engine waste heat is achieved by the solar trapping and glazing system of FIGS. Still warm enough to substantially increase the temperature.

  Table 3 shows the comparative advantages of using such exhaust waste heat to increase the temperature of the gas entering the power turbine (s) 440.

  In addition to increasing the temperature of the gas entering the turbines 440 and 444, solar heated air is transmitted by transmitting a high-speed gas moment exiting the internal combustion engine 460 and / or the exhaust turbine (s) 462. It is preferred to apply a significant speed to the column. This increases torque generation, thermal efficiency, and thus the output of the rotors 440 and 444.

  As provided in co-pending US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 969,860, electricity production exceeding base load requirements is used to electrolyze water or organic electrolyte in the electrolytic cell 102. The hydrogen thus produced is stored in a suitable container, in a delivery pipeline such as 534 by a pressure regulator or turbo expander 536 as shown, or in a remote or local underground storage. Stored in layer 543. The potential energy of the pressurized flow of heat and hydrogen and / or Hy-boost fuel is extracted by a turbo generator 537 as shown and is necessary to operate an engine such as 460 as shown. In some cases with the desired pressure drop. Alternatively, such pressure drops are delivered to the engine's expansion stroke as disclosed in the co-pending patent application disclosure.

  In many local and remote hydrogen storage formations, as illustrated by the horizontal extension of the access 542 to the reservoir storage 543 as shown, the formation is formed by pipes or access perforations extending through the formation. It is preferable to provide a distribution between.

  The use of on-site and pipeline-accessed underground hydrogen storage is powered by fuel cells such as reversible electrolyzers 702 in regeneration mode and / or fuel if necessary to meet the needs of power generation. Allows the use of heat engines including 460, 470, and 481 that are provided or supplemented with working fluid. Similarly, such hydrogen is a preferred working fluid for cooling electrical equipment, including generators 492 and 438, along with electrolyzer 702 and various transformers and inverters used throughout the balance of plant equipment and operation. It is preferred to use such hydrogen to supply fuel to the indicated heat engine after windage drag reduction for such equipment and cooling.

  It is preferable to size pipeline 534 to store significant hydrogen produced. During low solar gain hours and at night, electricity is generated by using hydrogen from pipelines and / or storage reservoirs to power engines such as 460, 481 and reversible fuel cell (s) 702. It is preferable to meet the demand. Additional storage is preferably provided by petroleum formations that benefit from and / or are depleted by geothermal and other suitable formations such as salt cavities or limestone caves.

  Virtually every region of North America and every other continent has a formation that is reasonably porous and sealed deep enough to store hydrogen safely and efficiently. Many of these formations are consistent with significant geothermal energy sources. Illustratively, these formations have methane stored for millions of years when organic material is deposited during their geological development. In other cases, hydrogen is produced by the collision of hot olivine and limestone induced by continental migration and has been stored in these formations for millions of years.

  The engine 460 can quickly provide electricity and additional heat to the turbines 440 and 444 to improve power output as may be necessary to meet the rapidly increasing power generation demand ( preferably provided as a rapid start) engine. Another fast response at the output of the stator (s) 441 can be provided when required by direct combustion of hydrogen and / or other fuel.

  A particularly efficient utilization of solar energy is achieved by applying solar energy to dissociate hydrocarbons into hydrogen and carbon. Hydrogen can be used as disclosed in heat engines and / or fuel cells to provide shaft work and / or electricity. The carbon provided by the process can be used to produce durable articles including equipment that utilizes wind, waves, hydropower, and solar resources. This includes embodiments of the invention disclosed in the inventors' co-pending US patent application relating to the dissociation of carbon and / or hydrogen donors. If hydrogen and / or other fuel is used in the heat engine or fuel cell at or near the location of embodiment 400, such an energy conversion system into air moving through the system in terms of minimizing entropy increase. It is preferable to add waste heat due to.

In another embodiment, the present invention reduces entropy gain by adding solar energy to reduce the electrical energy required for electrolysis. About 18 grams (1 gram mole) of water is broken down by electrical work equal to the free energy ΔG of the formation, which is 237.13 kJ. This process is endothermic and consumes additional energy equal to 48.7 kJ / mol (TΔS), the work done in expanding the produced hydrogen and oxygen to standard temperature and pressure.
ΔH = ΔG + TΔS Equation 7
Formula 5.2 285.83 kJ / mol = 237.13 kJ / mol + 48.7 kJ / mol.

  Since the dissociation process is endothermic, it is advantageous to add solar energy and / or waste heat from other processes. This addition of heat is particularly advantageous when increasing the electrolysis temperature, as this reduces the amount of Gibbs free energy (ΔG) that must be provided as electrical work. Thus, the total amount of voltage that must be applied is less than required to dissociate water at room temperature.

Assuming that the endothermic energy comes from a waste heat source or the environment, the minimum voltage that must be applied to dissociate the water is:
ΔG = −nFE ⁰ Formula 8

Since this minimum voltage requirement (E ⁰ ) depends on the change in free energy (ΔG), E ⁰ is ΔG / (number of electrons exchanged (n) × Faraday constant (F = 9.648 × 10 ⁴ )). Or (nF)). As the electrolysis temperature increases above the standard temperature of 25 ° C., the free energy approaches zero as the electrolysis temperature approaches the temperature that would be produced by an adiabatic stoichiometric combustion reaction.

An increase in electrolysis pressure is desirable to produce pressurized hydrogen and oxygen storage at the desired density. The increase in pressure requires a higher voltage for electrolysis. Equation 5.4 illustrates the relationship between pressure requirements and voltage requirements. The electrolysis voltage (Ep) can be found by adding a Nernst adjustment for the pressure rise to E ⁰ .
Ep = E ⁰ + RT / nF ln P _H2 (P _O2 ) / P _H2O Formula 9

Assuming that hydrogen and oxygen occur at the same pressure and that the water supply is liquid at the same pressure, Equation 9 is simplified as follows:
Ep = E ⁰ + 3RT / 4F (ln P _i / P _atm ) Equation 10

The increase in voltage to produce 10,000 PSI of oxygen and hydrogen from 10,000 PSI of water is as follows.
3RT / 4F ln P _i / P _atm = 3RT / 4F ln680.3 = 3 (8.3144J / molK) 298K (6.522) / 4 (9.648 × 10 ⁴ ) = 0.125V Formula 5

Increasing the temperature to produce steam dissociates water as indicated by Nernst and / or Gibbs energy accounting (ΔG ⁰ T = ΔH ⁰ T (298K) −TΔS ⁰ 298K) Lower the voltage needed to do.

Thus, the voltage required for dissociation approaches zero as TΔS ⁰ 298K approaches ΔH ⁰ T (298K), where 285.83 kJ / mol. The change in entropy at the standard temperature (DS ⁰ 298 K) is 0.1634 kJ / mol and is therefore:
285.83 kJ / mol / 0.1634 kJ / mol = 1,749 K or 1,476 ° C. (2,689 ° F.)

  As an illustration of hybrid opportunities on almost all continents for seasonal increases in geothermal energy, Table 1 shows the Fairbanks area in Central Alaska and other northern plains areas compared to warmer areas such as Gainesville, Florida. It shows that substantial summer energy is available for longer days and relatively clear weather conditions such as The Fairbanks area of Alaska and similar areas of Canada have more solar energy than eight of the North American cities that seem “warm” during the bright and sunny summer days as shown. Receive.

  FIG. 7 shows the addition of solar heat to a hydrogen donor such as methane or water supplied by delivery line 530 at the focus of the parabolic collector 520, with such a pressurized hydrogen at reduced voltage or no voltage. 5 illustrates an embodiment 522 for providing donor dissociation. The pressurized hydrogen provided in this way is delivered for storage by line 532 and / or delivery by pipeline 534 as shown. In one aspect, an electrolyzer comprising an electrolyzer disclosed herein can provide a feedstock that includes pressurized hydrogen.

  FIG. 7 illustrates a process circuit including a solar concentrator 520 that tracks the sun and continuously focuses the solar energy received and reflected by the mirror 712 on the receiver zone 730 of the reactor 714 to produce a high operating temperature. The components are generally shown. Fixed base 704 houses the drive system and provides material transfer to and from reactor 714. Feedstock such as fuel to reactor 714 and landfill methane is delivered by connection to pipelines 718 and / or 530.

  Where fluid feedstock, such as sewage components, is processed by the reactor 714, it is preferably delivered by connection to a suitable pipeline 715. The electricity produced or delivered is transmitted by the cable group 717. Hydrogen and / or other fluids generated by the reactor 714 are delivered to a pipeline 716 to a geothermal reservoir 543 for local and remote storage and distribution to meet market demand. Stage 706 rotates about a central vertical axis to provide solar tracking for reactor 714, which is assembled with mirror 712 as shown. As shown, coordinated rotation of support 710 about horizontal axis 709 is provided to track the sun and produce point-focused solar energy reflected from mirror assembly 712. Organic solids and semi-solids to be heated are placed in hopper 708, which supplies such material in part in screw conveyor 724 shown in FIG.

  FIG. 8 includes a fixed receiver tube 722 and a rotating screw conveyor and extruder tube 724 where an integral helical screw flight 726 forces reactive components such as organic materials into the zone 730 and is concentrated. 7A shows details of an embodiment 720 of receiver 714 that is rapidly heated to high temperatures by solar energy. Sufficient concentration of solar energy is readily achieved by parabolic, spherical, or arrayed heliostat mirrors, as allowed by the physical and chemical properties provided by the material and construction specifications of the containment tube 722. A typical operating temperature of 500 ° C to 2500 ° C.

  Fuel produced by the action of falling water, wind, waves, or by a photovoltaic array 403 that accepts concentrated or unconcentrated solar energy, or by a solar engine-generator 470 or various operations described herein. Other forms of renewable heating such as induction heating or resistance heating using electricity from a generator powered by an internal combustion engine such as 460 are readily adapted. Similarly, it is contemplated that a portion of the fuel produced by reactor 714 is combusted to heat zone 730 sufficiently to achieve the reactions of Equations 11, 12, and 15. This alternative heat source group to zone 730 is a preferred measure for supplementing or replacing solar energy when needed to ensure continued operation in case of downtime for repair, sometimes cloudy, or dusk To illustrate.

  The supplemental heating or replacement of solar heat to zone 730 by partial combustion of previously produced hydrogen and / or carbon monoxide preferably delivers oxygen from electrolytic cell 707 through tube 737 into bore 731 of tube 732. Achieved by: Significant synergistic benefits are provided by operating heat engine 7033 with landfill methane and / or hydrogen to power electric generator 705. Any surplus power generation capacity can be used to produce oxygen and hydrogen in the electrolyzer 707. The hydrogen produced by such operations can be immediately stored in pipelines 716 and / or 534 for contract sales, and oxygen greatly increases the process efficiency of the exotherm due to partial combustion of the fuel produced by reactor 714. Can be used to improve.

  The elimination of nitrogen, mostly supplied by air, greatly reduces the cost of hydrogen purification by condensing or filtering water from the gas mixture in tube 732 when oxygen is used to generate heat from partial combustion. Tube 737 is oxygenated as shown to burn the amount of fuel required, with minimal heat loss and minimal heating of nitrogen that would be present when air is used as the oxidant. To deliver.

The tube 722 therefore functions to contain the organic feedstock in anaerobic conditions, and to transmit solar energy to the biomass that is carried into the concentrated flux heating zone 730 to facilitate the following general reactions. Fulfill.
C _n H _m O _x + heat ₁ → xCO + m / 2H ₂ + (nx) C Equation 11
C ₆ H ₁₀ O ₅ + heat ₂ → 5CO + 5H ₂ + C Formula 12

Small amounts of NH ₃ , H ₂ S, N ₂ , and H ₂ O along with CO and H ₂ forced into the central bore 731 of the rotating screw tube 732 as shown by the compressed solid are also present. May be found in gaseous products. H ₂ S is preferably collected in the carbon produced by the process as it reacts with iron to form iron sulfide and hydrogen is released. It is preferred to collect fixed nitrogen as typically ammonia and sulfur as iron sulfide and to use these materials as soil nutrients with the ash collected by the present invention.

  Solids such as carbon and ash 736 are extracted from zone 730 by the rotational movement of screw tube 732 along flight 734 as shown. The high temperature insulation 740 is preferably used to cover the end of the receiver 714 as shown, and the insulated area 742 is carbon rich solids extracted by the screw conveyor 732 and the receiver and reactor assembly. Heat preservation is provided along with countercurrent heat exchange with the biomass moving towards the heating zone 730. During times when solar energy is not available, an insulator sleeve 748 is used to cover the zone 730 and is preferably removed to allow for the illustration of other components as shown. Supported by the telescopic and guided between the storage positions shown.

  Water and other gases removed in the initial stages of consolidation and countercurrent preheating are preferably vented through louvers or holes 744 to allow extraction through collection tube 746. For many feedstocks such as manure and sewage, this water generally contains fixed nitrogen and other soil nutrients and is preferably used to increase soil tillage and productivity.

  Where pure carbon and pure hydrogen are preferred, the biomass may be pretreated to remove ash-producing materials such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and other minerals. Biomass ash components are often wastefully collected in landfills or spilled into rivers, lakes, and oceans when wastewater is discarded from sewage and garbage disposal operations. Some embodiments of the present invention provide ash minerals that are readily collected and returned to useful use as soil nutrients. This may be achieved by a combination of mechanical separation and dissolution of biomass in a suitable solvent to separate the ash components.

As previously disclosed, embodiment 72 provides for anaerobic digestion of biomass such as carbohydrates and cellulose according to the following general reaction.
n (C ₆ H ₁₀ O ₅ ) + nH 2 O + heat ₃ → n (C ₆ H ₁₂ O ₆ ) Formula 13
n (C ₆ H ₁₂ O ₆ ) → 3 n (CH ₄ ) +3 nCO ₂ + heat ₄ formula 14

  Soil nutrients incorporated into the aqueous liquid remaining after the processes of Equations 13 and 14 are efficiently transferred to the depleted soil by various techniques including adding irrigation water. Carbon dioxide is immediately removed from the product of Formula 14 by cooling to cause phase change separation or by adsorption into a suitable solvent such as water. Carbon dioxide is soluble in water at 25 atmospheres and 12 ° C. (54 ° F.) to the extent of a gas volume of about 21.6 per volume of water. Increasing the pressure and / or decreasing the temperature increases the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved relative to the volume of water. After separation of carbon dioxide from methane, reducing the pressure or increasing the temperature releases dissolved carbon dioxide.

  FIG. 9 illustrates photosynthesis 762 that produces organic material, anaerobic dissociation and / or digestion 764 that produces methane and carbon dioxide, methane and / or absorption differences in carbon dioxide in a suitable medium such as water or a hindered amine. FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a process 760 including a cooling and phase separation or pressure swing adsorption system 768 for separating carbon dioxide from hydrogen. A gas mixture containing carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, and other gases is forced into the liquid solution. After removal of methane and other gases that are not absorbed or condensed, the carbon dioxide collected from the separation system is preferably used to make polymer foam insulation and lightweight concrete for the construction of energy efficient residences. used.

A hydrocarbon, such as methane, added to the tube 722 of the reactor 720 is cracked in the hot zone 730 to produce carbon, releasing hydrogen as shown by Equation 15.
CH ₄ + heat ₅ → C + 2H ₂ formula 15

  The production of carbon by the process characterized by Equation 15 provides differentiation into various forms to enhance the performance of carbon sources for storage or durable articles and products. Carbon produced from hydrocarbons by the general process of Equation 15 avoids the production of about 3.67 tonnes of carbon dioxide per ton of carbon used in such durable articles. Hydrogen produced from hydrocarbons by the general process of Formula 15 can react with nitrogen from the atmosphere to produce ammonia, or like a power plant, brewery, bakery, or calcination plant It can react with a suitable source of carbon dioxide to produce methanol. Such ammonia and methanol thus serve as a hydrogen storage material that provides more hydrogen per volume than cold liquid hydrogen, and this embodiment provides carbon 1 collected by a process as summarized by Equation 15. By avoiding 3.67 tons of carbon dioxide per ton, it acts as a net carbon dioxide reduction system.

  Substances such as ammonia and methanol can be injected into geothermal formations at relatively low pressures and turn into steam at fairly high pressures after obtaining heat. This makes it possible to return much greater energy for operation as described with respect to FIGS. 1-6 than the amount of energy that can be obtained by burning the hydrocarbon feedstock of Formula 15. In addition, this embodiment avoids more than 3 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of carbon used for the production of durable articles and provides a more profitable business opportunity.

  The amount of heat required in the process of Equation 15 to produce a given amount of sequestered carbon is greater than the energy required to collect and dissociate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. There are quite few. The equipment required to carry out the process of Equation 15 is much simpler and requires much less involvement than is required to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and decompose it into carbon and oxygen. And more robust. Similarly, the amount of energy to produce hydrogen by dissociation of hydrocarbons such as methane is much less than the requirement to produce hydrogen from water. Such hydrogen can be used locally or at a distance, including local or distant intermittent storage in one or more geothermal formations such as 86, 176, or 543, and It is then expanded with a motor-generator 94, 178, or 537, and finally fueled for thermoelectric combined use (CHP) applications such as 107, 109, 131, 137, and / or 460. It can provide much greater overall energy utilization efficiency than traditional approaches.

  In the process of converting biomass solids and hydrocarbons including methane to carbon and hydrogen, the products of the dissociation reaction as shown with respect to Equations 11, 12, and 15 tend to occupy more volume than the reactants. is there. The device 720 of the assembly 714 for performing these endothermic reactions is such that hydrogen and other gases exiting the bore 731 are pressurized and maintained to the desired degree by a rotating union and pressure regulating means on the outlet of the bore 731. As may be done, the reaction zone 730 is immediately filled with a carbon rich material that is compressed by the extruder flight 726 along the inlet into the zone 730 and with a carbon rich material along the extruder flight 734 at the exit of the zone 730. Can be sealed.

  It is preferable to pressurize the cold methane to the desired delivery pressure of hydrogen from the reactor 720 with a suitable pressurization technique before the methane enters the reactor 720. If the gas produced by anaerobic digestion is separated by liquefaction, this is immediately accomplished by vaporizing methane to the desired pressure. Pressurization by various pumps and compressors 770 may also be used for this purpose.

  The type of carbon that may be produced varies greatly depending on market demand and the corresponding temperature and pressure at which the process of Equation 15 is achieved. Methane delivered to manufacturing stage 772 includes fiber, carbon black, diamond-like plating on suitable substrates, graphite crystals, and US patent application Ser. Nos. 08 / 921,134, 08/921. , 134, and 09 / 370,431, which may be processed as needed to produce in many other forms corresponding to the co-pending disclosure.

  As an advantage of heat storage for certain applications, a zone 730 in which the screw conveyor 732 is conveyed in countercurrent heat exchange with the hydrogen delivered through the bore 731 and the feedstock flowing in through a properly designed extruder 724. It is also considered that it will be designed as a feed path and preheater with carbon produced by the reaction in This arrangement provides countercurrent heating of the feed flowing from the inside and from the outside before reaching zone 730 by cocurrent flow of product passing in the opposite direction to the feed.

  The carbon produced by the reaction of Equation 15 is conveyed by the screw conveyor 732 in countercurrent heat exchange with the tube 724 to preheat incoming methane and thus the solar energy completes the Equation 15 process. Increase efficiency and speed. The produced hydrogen is collected in the bore 731 of the tube conveyor 732 and heat is removed in countercurrent heat exchange with the reactants passing towards the zone 730. The renewable hydrogen produced can be used in fuel cells or existing engines that actually clean the air and provide a cleaner exhaust than the ambient atmosphere.

  The carbon continuously forms an airtight seal between the conveyor flight 726 and the inner wall of the tube 722 when produced by the process summarized in Equation 15. This is preferably ensured by making shorter extruder screw flight leads where maximum compaction is desired. It is generally desirable to provide maximum carbon consolidation and sealing effects after the material undergoing conversion to hydrogen passes through the zone 730 on the exit in the screw conveyor pass zone 730.

  It will be appreciated that the transport of reactants in the processes shown in Equation 11, Equation 12, Equation 15, Equation 16, and Equation 18 may be done by many other means in addition to the screw conveyor as shown. Be considered. Illustratively, biomass can be forced into the reaction zone by a screw conveyor 724 instead of a reciprocating plunger, and carbon can be removed from the hot end by other extraction methods including a chain drive conveyor instead of a screw conveyor 732. Can be extracted.

When it is desired to produce a liquid fuel or solvent vapor such as one or more terpenes with other valuable products, the reaction temperature is usually adjusted to a reduced temperature or increased component throughput. May be. Useful compounds such as hydrogen, carbon, methanol, and terpentine are found in the tube bore 731 as summarized in Equation 16 for a portion of a typical biomass waste feedstock with the average compound formula shown. May be produced and collected.
C ₆ H ₁₀ O ₅ + heat ₆ → CH ₃ OH + 4CO + 3H ₂ + C Formula 16

If higher yields of liquid fuel and / or solvent are desired, the carbon monoxide and hydrogen produced in the exemplary process of Formula 16 are preferably reacted in the presence of a suitable catalyst to provide additional methanol and Hydrogen may be generated.
4CO + 3H ₂ → 4CH ₃ OH + H ₂ + heat ₇ formula 17

  The amount of biomass transferred into the zone 730 and the solid residue extraction rate by the spiral conveyor 32 are preferably the pressure, temperature, product type and quality in the gas, vapor, and solid residue streams. And controlled by a computer responsive to instrumentation of other indicators.

Carbon monoxide may be decomposed or converted to the desired form of separated carbon by disproportionation as shown by the process summarized in Equation 18.
2CO → C + CO ₂ + heat ₈ formula 18

  Dissociation or disproportionation as in Equation 18 is exothermic and will proceed under conditions of 500-40 ° C. and 10-40 atmospheres.

If market conditions prefer hydrogen production for fuel cells or heat engines that purify air, carbon monoxide can react with steam in an exothermic reaction to produce hydrogen as shown in Equation 19.
CO + H ₂ O → CO ₂ + H ₂ + heat ₉ formula 19

  Carbon monoxide produced by the processes summarized in Equations 11 and 12 is market demand when selected from processes that require production of hydrogen and / or carbon as illustrated in FIGS. Many products can be converted to meet. As part of the additional heat required for endothermic reactions such as the processes of Equations 12, 15, and 16, it is preferable to use the heat released by the processes of Equations 17, 18, and 19. .

  FIG. 10 begins with photosynthesis, through which organic feedstocks such as manure, garbage, and sewage are produced as represented at 782, and carbon-rich by countercurrent regenerative preheating and anaerobic pyrolysis. Valuable fuels, solvents, chemical precursors that are converted to residues and fluids such as methanol, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide, preferably in the process depicted as 784 by the embodiments disclosed with respect to FIGS. And preferred process steps for producing a variety of separated carbon products.

  Gases such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced by anaerobic pyrolysis are delivered by pump 783 and separated to produce the desired degree of purification at 786. Pump 788 is appropriately balanced by metering pumps 790 and 792 and further converted into a variety of products such as those depicted in processes 794, 796, and 798. To deliver.

  In process 794, heat 8 is generated as carbon monoxide dissociates into carbon and carbon dioxide. In process 796, heat 7 is released as carbon monoxide combines with hydrogen to produce methanol. Process 798 reacts the vapor with carbon monoxide in an exothermic reaction to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The heat released by these exothermic processes produces the steam used in process 798, and thus anaerobic digesters in process 772 to dry the biomass feed before additional heat is provided in process 784. 764 is used to increase methane and / or hydrogen production rates and for many other useful purposes.

  Thus, some embodiments of the present invention sequester carbon from the photosynthesis atmosphere, collect photosynthesis biomass, and heat the biomass to include carbon, hydrogen, methanol, terpenes, and ash Provides a practical process for producing a product selected from Biomass waste that is normally allowed to rot into the atmosphere and contributes to carbon dioxide and / or methane accumulation can now be used to efficiently produce hydrogen, carbon, and soil nutrients. it can. A practical system with thermodynamic and thermochemical advantages is the extraction of carbon and / or hydrogen from hydrogen and / or carbon donor compounds, for one or more local subsystem applications or one or more geothermal Providing such hydrogen to be used at a considerable distance after one or more occasions of intermittent storage in the formation. Such hydrogen is ultimately used in fuel cells or in one or more expansion motors before being burned by internal combustion engines, external combustion engines, combined cycle heat engines, and / or in combined thermoelectric applications. Excellent in facilitating heat exchange and expansion.

  As a frozen component of polar ice blocks, tundra, and permafrost on swamps, lakes, ocean floors, there is an alarming tendency to warm air and soil in the Earth's surface zone with previously stored organic matter Occurred. In particular, such deposits containing methane hydrate and organic materials stored in ice and frozen organic deposits may be at a depth of 2000 feet, deeper in coal, oil, and natural gas. It is estimated to contain much more carbon than all the carbon present in the sediment. Even a relatively small conversion of these organic carbon sources to carbon dioxide or methane emissions will more than double the concentration of carbon material in the Earth's atmosphere.

  Global warming caused by millions of tons of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases that are being released year by year warms the permafrost of the earth, causing bacteria and other microorganisms to be organic along with other greenhouse gases. Organic contents can be converted into products such as methane and carbon dioxide and phosphate and nitrate can be released.

  Illustratively, natural habitats are threatened by the rapid growth of plant species that make the water that once withered feed the anaerobic dead zone. Loss of fishing grounds due to these deposits from melting sea ice and thawing permafrost will exacerbate coastal area erosion and abandon or move villages.

  FIG. 11 may be employed on a large area of the ocean floor to collect methane from anaerobic production of methane, i.e. providing reflectance of radiation at selected wavelengths in some applications. Methane and dioxide from the permafrost thaw by the porosity or perforations 814 of the pipe 812 under the impermeable membrane 830, which may have one or more layers such as 810 that may be metallized for 7 shows an embodiment 800 that provides for carbon capture. The membrane 830 may include multiple layers of insulation, such as a polymer film, each layer of aluminum, silver, chromium, zinc, or a dichroic reflective coating to control the passage of radiation. Any suitable reflective coating or film may be included. In other applications, the membrane 830 can provide radiative transfer for purposes such as allowing exhaust heat to night sky conditions or obtaining radiation to apply heat to the material contained under the membrane 830. It may be easy.

  A heat pipe such as 840 is used to remove heat and transfer heat from underneath the membrane 830 to the surface for the purpose of preserving the permafrost 822 under the membrane 830 as shown in FIG. Also good. Heat is transferred or removed as the appropriate liquid evaporates in zone 842 and the evaporate condenses in zone 844 releasing heat to the environment. The condensate produced in zone 844 is discharged to zone 842 and more heat is removed by evaporation as the cycle continues. Thus, heat is removed to the surface when the ambient temperature of zone 844 is below the temperature of zone 842. When the temperature of zone 844 is equal to or exceeds the temperature of zone 842, heat pipe 840 waits until conditions that contribute to continuous heat transfer occur. Modulation of the heat removal rate controls the thermal expansion or contraction of a zone, such as a roadway over permafrost 822, by the operation of a valve such as 846, which causes road conditions due to heaving or gas pockets that destroy the roadway. It may be provided to prevent damage.

In operation, upper layers of snow, gravel, waste stone, or soil 802 are used to hold the membrane 830 in place and / or to protect it from penetration by the passage of caraboo or other ground traffic May be. Methane emitted from the zone below the membrane 830 may be collected and processed by equipment that performs steps such as the illustrative procedure summarized in Equation 20, Equation 21, and Equation 22.
CH ₄ + heat → C + 2H ₂ formula 20
CH ₄ + C → C ₂ H ₄ Formula 21
nC ₂ H ₄ → (C ₂ H ₄ ) n Formula 22

  Methane is collected and dissociated to produce carbon and hydrogen. Such hydrogen may be used to generate power for the operation of equipment that stores energy and / or performs the processes summarized in Equations 21 and 22 in a suitable energy conversion process. The carbon provided by the process of Formula 20 reacts with methane as shown to be polymerized to produce a rich storage of carbon, or pipes, fittings, and It may occur as various polymers that may be suitable for the production of valves.

  In other embodiments, storage of energy as various forms of potential energy, such as heat, chemistry, pressure, and height, within an appropriate formation interacts with the formation and the stored material Many benefits can be provided, including increasing temperature, pressure, and chemical potential. This includes chemical potential energy storage, pressure potential energy storage, chemical and pressure potential energy storage, heat transfer from the formation to such fluid, transfer of material from the formation to such fluid, and the presence of the fluid. Enabling an energy conversion system that places one or more substances of a fluid under the formation in order to include production of substances from the formation as a result of

  This further enables work production by at least one of the materials in the one or more energy conversion devices, at least one of the fluid materials being delivered to drive the appropriate energy conversion device. It is adjusted to provide a liquid, mixed liquid and vapor, vapor, or gas-like condition.

  In formations containing hydrocarbons, the system can generally or in particular provide a material that extracts one or more types of hydrocarbons from the formation.

  Working fluids are from solar or industrial, commercial, fuel cell, and heat engine sources, where one or more fluid materials receive supplemental heat from transmission from solar, industrial, commercial, fuel cell, and heat engine sources. It can be further heated by exhaust heat.

  The development and adjustment of the working fluid at a significant height increases process efficiency. The height develops more kinetic energy of the pressure head and the descending working fluid. This includes wind turbine towers, hills, or higher altitudes, including when a fluid rises to its altitude as a vapor or gas and after condensation, acts as a liquid that descends to obtain the kinetic energy used by a suitable motor. Allows one or more fluid materials to be provided or produced at altitudes such as other terrain, communication towers, and constructed towers.

  The fluid or working fluid can be produced by extracting hydrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, etc. through various processes. The conditioning includes converting the working fluid to a desired state. This is due to the combined electrical and catalytic momentum of catalytic release from anaerobic digester liquid, electrolytic production from hydrogen-containing compounds, and working fluid production from anaerobic digester liquid. Enabling processes to produce and condition fluids, including such processes. This aims to increase energy safety and enable energy conversion that can be powered on demand, so that sewage, garbage, farm waste, and forest litter are in the formation. Allowing it to be converted into working fluid components that may be stored. Working fluids store chemical potential energy, pressure potential energy, chemical and pressure potential energy, heat transfer from the formation to such fluid, transfer of material from such formation to such fluid, and such fluid May be delivered to the formation for purposes such as production of material from the formation as a result of the presence of. The working fluid may be composed of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, or a mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide or methane, or may be composed of other choices such as those exemplified in Table 2. . This enables a process for combined storage, material delivery, and work production by at least one fluid material in one or more energy conversion devices, wherein at least one of the fluid materials is energy converted. It is tailored to provide conditions such as liquid delivered, mixed liquid and vapor, vapor, or gas to drive the device.

  The system develops a working fluid that it delivers to actuate or drive the energy conversion device, after which the heat supplied by or stored in the formation, including the surface, near the surface, or deeper, is stored. The working fluid may be adjusted for purposes such as providing additional energy conversion steps and nourishing or growing various plant types.

  In addition, the system stores and / or produces and uses geothermal heat to produce aquatic plants, greenhouse plants, hydroponic plants, including species selected for fuel, chemical extraction, and food production purposes. Regulated fluids such as carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen may be developed and delivered for purposes such as enhancing and supplying carbon dioxide.

  This system is economically more efficient because it provides extraction of hydrogen or fluid fuel from organic materials and produces polymers from selected crops with less energy compared to fossil petrochemical replacement. is there. Such systems also allow fixed nitrogen and trace minerals to be returned to soil for agriculture, landscaping, and other farming operations.

  In another aspect, the system converts organic material into one or more fluid materials, such as methane, ethane, propane, methanol, ethanol, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, for agriculture. Including providing an effective economic development engine that incorporates agricultural practices to create value-added activities. This can overcome the inefficient practice of delivering 1 calorie edible substance to plants with a consumption of more than 10 petroleum calories, fertilizing, cultivating, harvesting and processing such edible substance.

  Another embodiment provides rainwater collection and storage to produce crops and provide the benefits of evaporative cooling and humidification in the energy conversion process.

  Another embodiment is a chemical for selective removal or value-added applications to return fixed nitrogen and / or trace minerals back to farming by appropriate filters, pressure swing absorption, temperature swing absorption, solution absorption, and membrane separation. A system is provided for separating selected components of a fluid material by selective removal, including selective removal.

  Another embodiment provides a system that provides for the extraction of hydrogen or fuel fluid from organic materials through the use of heat for thermal dissociation, and stores such extracted materials in the formation.

  Another embodiment is the combustion, solar heating, electrical heating, and heat exchange with energy conversion devices such as internal combustion engines, external combustion engines, expansion motors, and fuel cells, of one or more of the fluid materials. A system that provides countercurrent heat exchange to convert organic material derived by an endothermic process using a heat source such as to one or more fluid materials.

  Another embodiment provides a system in which organic materials are converted to fluid materials such as hydrogen and / or fluid hydrocarbons for energy conversion operations, where the carbon produces and produces durable articles. This carbon is extracted to prevent it from entering the environment as a pollutant.

  Improvements to the above system include that the conversion is made at one location, and the organic and fluid materials collected at one location are transported to another location to extract carbon.

  In another embodiment, the organic material is converted to the fluid material at a location rich in the organic material, and one or more of the fluids prevent the carbon from entering the atmosphere as a gaseous compound. At a location where carbon is separated from one or more of the fluids to produce a solid product. Heat exchange is used to dry the organic material prior to conversion to a fluid material. Heat exchange sources include fluid material combustion, fluid material high temperature, and energy conversion devices such as engines or fuel cells.

  In an aspect of this embodiment, the organic material is one of the fluid materials after combustion of a portion of one or more of the fluid materials, produced at a temperature higher than the organic material, or An energy conversion device selected from the group comprising a plurality, one or more of the fluid materials after being heated to a temperature higher than the organic material, and an internal combustion engine, an external combustion engine, an expansion motor, and a fuel cell Drying prior to conversion to the fluid material by countercurrent heat exchange from a heat source selected from heat exchange.

  Another aspect of this embodiment is the fluid material by one or more processes selected from the group comprising consolidation by screw conveyor, consolidation by ram, and consolidation by phase change from solid to larger volume fluid. Pressure.

  Another embodiment provides a system for countercurrent heat exchange comprising a hydrogen donor that exchanges heat with the dissociation products of the hydrogen donor. In aspects of this embodiment, the dissociation is caused by heat selected from a population of heat sources consisting of trapped solar heat, concentrated solar heat, combustion heat, formation heat, exhaust heat from non-combustion sources.

  Another embodiment provides for the extraction of carbon or hydrogen from carbon or hydrogen donor compounds, wherein the hydrogen is locally or one or more geological formations for one or more subsystem applications. Used at a distance after one or more occasions of intermittent storage in In aspects of this embodiment, the hydrogen is ultimately used in a fuel cell or by means selected from the group consisting of internal combustion engines, external combustion engines, combined cycle heat engines, and means for thermoelectric combined use applications. Before being combusted, the expansion takes place in one or more expansion means.

  Another embodiment provides catalytic assisted release of hydrogen from materials prepared by microbial activity on biomass. In aspects of this embodiment, the catalyst is an organic catalyst. Another aspect of this embodiment includes a momentum selected from the group comprising a radiation force, a vibration force, an electric force, and a magnetic force used in conjunction with the catalyst.

  Another embodiment is described herein, including features related to upwind and downdrafts, wells, formations, pipelines, watershed collections, and polymer materials. An energy conversion device comprising an element is provided. In aspects of this embodiment, the device supports a variety of microclimate zones, the zones further comprising subzones, the subzones being unique heat, moisture, natural resources, or energy that can be manipulated for work. Accommodates transmission features.

  Another embodiment includes a method for economic incentives to increase productivity, a method to eliminate negative incentives to reduce productivity, and employment in cultivation, manufacturing, energy production, information, and energy management. A sustainable economic development engine system is provided that includes a method for creating and a method for implementing a macroeconomic algorithm for sustainability.

  Another embodiment includes a method of improving yield by reducing the cost of energy used to produce the crop, a method of reducing fertilizer needs by returning trace minerals to the soil, An agricultural process is provided that includes a method for fertilizing algae on a product, a system for water management, a system for energy production and management, and the use of CO2 to increase the potential of the crop.

  Another embodiment is a system for growing crops in a microclimate that can monitor access to an environment that encloses, or applies air (upstream / downstream) or precipitation, when necessary And a macro food production system that makes the harvest waste (stem, stem, straw) carbon or hydrogen.

  Another embodiment includes a method for providing nutrients, oxygen, and clean water to support fish spawning, a system for monitoring and controlling temperature to support the environment, and biomass as a nutrient for fish / A system for the extraction of fish including a system for extracting proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals from liquids.

  Another embodiment includes a system for raising animals in a controlled environment, a system for growing feed crops with no pesticides or fertilizers, and water adjusted to acidified conditions with acid rain and reducing agents. A poultry, swine, and bovine (livestock) system, including a water management system that purifies water by extraction of hydrogen from other sources of acidified water, including

  Another embodiment provides one or more fluid materials in the formation for purposes selected from the group consisting of heat gain from the formation, intermittent storage of chemical and / or pressure energy, and extraction of valuable material Exposure, wherein work production is achieved by at least one of the one or more fluid substances in one or more energy conversion devices, and at least one of the one or more fluid substances One of which is adjusted to provide a state selected from the group consisting of a liquid delivered to drive the one or more energy conversion devices, a mixed liquid and vapor, a vapor, or a gas. Provide processes for energy conversion, including. Another aspect of this embodiment includes the formation containing hydrocarbons. Another aspect of this embodiment is that after the one or more fluid materials are exposed to the formation, the one or more fluid materials are selected from the group consisting of solar, industrial, commercial, and heat engine sources. Including receiving supplemental heat from a heat source. Another aspect of this embodiment is that the liquid at an altitude provided by an embodiment selected from the group consisting of wind turbine towers, hills, or other terrain at high altitudes, communication towers, and constructed towers. Including being produced.

  Another embodiment is a group consisting of combined electrical and catalytic momentum of catalytic release from anaerobic digestive fluid, electrolytic production from a compound containing hydrogen, and production of working fluid from anaerobic digestive fluid. A process for producing and conditioning a fluid by a process selected from: Another aspect of this embodiment includes the fluid selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Another aspect of this embodiment includes chemical potential energy storage, pressure potential energy storage, chemical and pressure potential energy storage, heat transfer from the formation to the fluid, and from the formation to the fluid. Delivery of the fluid to the formation for purposes selected from the group consisting of transmission and production of material from the formation as a result of the presence of the fluid. Another aspect of this embodiment includes the fluid being used to propel an energy conversion device.

  Another embodiment consists of producing and using geothermal and use as a working fluid for aquatic plant production, greenhouse plant production, hydroponic plant production, and operation of one or more energy conversion devices. A process is provided for developing and delivering a fluid selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen for purposes selected from the group. Another aspect of this embodiment includes the aquatic plant selected from the group consisting of algae.

  Another embodiment is for converting an organic material into one or more fluid materials selected from the group comprising methane, ethane, propane, methanol, ethanol, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Providing a system wherein the removal of a portion of said material selected from the group comprising hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide is selected from the group comprising pressure swing absorption, temperature swing absorption, solution absorption, and membrane separation After the process for converting an organic material into a fluid is produced by burning some of one or more of the materials at a higher temperature than the organic material One or more of said substances, one or more of said substances after being heated to a temperature higher than said organic substance, and an internal combustion engine, an external combustion engine, an expansion motor, and a fuel It is accomplished by countercurrent heat exchange from the heat source selected from heat exchange with the energy conversion device selected from the group comprising batteries. Another aspect of this embodiment includes the energy conversion device using a material selected from the fluid material. Another aspect of this embodiment is that the organic material is converted to the fluid material and the carbon is separated from one or more of the materials to prevent the carbon from entering the atmosphere as a gaseous compound to form a solid. Including producing things. Another aspect of this embodiment is that the organic material is converted to the fluid material where such organic material is abundant, and one or more of the fluids enters the atmosphere as a gaseous compound of such carbon. Transporting the carbon from one or more of the fluids to a location where carbon is separated to produce a solid product. Another aspect of this embodiment is that the organic material is one of the fluid materials after combustion of a portion of one or more of the fluid materials, produced at a higher temperature than the organic material. One or more, one or more fluid substances after being heated to a temperature higher than the organic substance, and an energy conversion device selected from the group comprising an internal combustion engine, an external combustion engine, an expansion motor, and a fuel cell Drying prior to conversion to the fluid material by countercurrent heat exchange from a heat source selected from heat exchange with. Another aspect of this embodiment is the fluid material by one or more processes selected from the group comprising consolidation by screw conveyor, consolidation by ram, and consolidation by phase change from solid to larger volume fluid. Pressure.

  Another embodiment is a process for operating an internal combustion engine means when controlled by a normally closed valve means operated by a mechanical movement means that occurs at a frequency equal to an output production event in the engine. Providing a process in which fluid fuel is introduced into the engine and the introduction of the fuel is controlled to achieve a task selected from the group including engine idle, output production above idle, full power production To do. Another aspect of this embodiment includes electromagnetic means operable before the start by mechanical movement means, electromagnetic means operable during the start by mechanical movement means, and electric means after the start. The valve means is controlled by means selected from a group, and the electric means is selected from the group including an electromagnetic solenoid, a piezoelectric device, and a magnetic fluid device. Another aspect of this embodiment is that the rotary cam means, rotary cam means coupled with mechanical push-rod means to allow substantial separation of the valve means from the cam means, the cam means from the cam means. Said mechanical movement means provided by process means selected from the group comprising rotary cam means coupled with rocker arm means for starting said normally closed valve means to allow substantial separation of the valve means Actuating the valve means. Another aspect of this embodiment is that the fuel is provided by the combustion chamber means after the combustion chamber means is closed in preparation for combustion, the combustion chamber means at a location where ignition occurs by the spark ignition means, and the catalyst ignition means. The combustion chamber means at the point where ignition occurs, the combustion chamber means where ignition occurs by the thermal ignition means, and the moment of the fuel to induce an enhanced flow of gaseous oxidant into the combustion chamber means. Including being introduced according to location and conditions selected from the group including the location selected for use.

  Another embodiment is a process for operating an internal combustion engine, wherein the distribution of the fuel in an excess of the oxidant that can be combined with the fuel by means for distributing the fuel to locations in a gaseous oxidant, Distribution of the fuel in the oxidant such that the fuel is completely combusted with the oxidant before the fuel comes into contact with any solid surface defining the combustion chamber in addition to the means for introducing the fuel; and means for introducing the fuel Provides a process in which fluid fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber means of the engine to provide a condition selected from distribution to asymmetric locations within the combustion chamber.

  Another embodiment provides a system for countercurrent heat exchange with a hydrogen donor and dissociation products of the hydrogen donor. Another aspect of this embodiment is that the dissociation is caused by heat selected from the group of heat sources consisting of trapped solar heat, concentrated solar heat, combustion heat, formation heat, exhaust heat from non-combustion sources. Including.

  Another embodiment provides an extraction system that includes extracting carbon or hydrogen from carbon or a hydrogen donor compound, wherein the hydrogen is locally or one or more for one or more subsystem applications. Used at some distance after one or more occasions of intermittent storage within the formation. Another aspect of this embodiment is that the hydrogen is ultimately used in a fuel cell or selected from the group consisting of an internal combustion engine, an external combustion engine, a combined cycle heat engine, and a thermoelectric combined use application. Performing expansion in one or more expansion means before being burned by the means.

  Another embodiment provides a hydrogen release system that includes catalytically assisted release of hydrogen from materials prepared by microbial activity on biomass. Another aspect of this embodiment includes the catalyst being an organic catalyst. Another aspect of this embodiment includes a momentum selected from the group comprising a radiation force, a vibration force, an electric force, and a magnetic force used in conjunction with the catalyst.

  Another embodiment provides an energy conversion device comprising elements described herein including functionalities associated with up and down airflow, wells, formations, pipelines, basin collections, and polymer materials. Another aspect of this embodiment is that the device supports a variety of microclimatic zones, the zone further comprising subzones, the unique heat, moisture, natural resources that the subzone can operate for work, Or containing an energy transfer feature.

  Another embodiment includes a method for economic incentives to increase productivity, a method to eliminate negative incentives to reduce productivity, and employment in cultivation, manufacturing, energy production, information, and energy management. , Methods for implementing macroeconomic algorithms for sustainability, agriculture in microclimate (artificial) communities (sustainable cities), farm equipment from extracted carbon, Provide a sustainable economic development engine system, including health benefits.

  Another embodiment includes a method of improving yield by reducing the cost of energy used to produce the crop, a method of reducing fertilizer needs by returning trace minerals to the soil, Methods for applying algae to crops, systems for water management, systems for energy production and management, and CO2 to increase the potential of crops; enclose or air (updraft / downward if necessary) A system for growing crop yields in microclimates that can monitor access to the environment (airflow) or precipitation, and macro food production where the harvested waste (stems, stems, straw) is carbon or hydrogen And providing an agricultural process including the system.

  Another embodiment includes a method for providing nutrients, oxygen, and clean water to support fish spawning, a system for monitoring and controlling temperature to support the environment, and biomass as a nutrient for fish / A system for the extraction of fish including a system for extracting proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals from liquids.

  Another embodiment includes a system for raising animals in a controlled environment, a system for growing feed crops with no pesticides or fertilizers, and water adjusted to acidified conditions with acid rain and reducing agents. Water management systems that purify water by extraction of hydrogen from other sources of acidified water, including, and systems for utilizing crop drip irrigation, including poultry, pigs, cattle (livestock ) Provide the system.

  Another embodiment provides a system for purifying water, a method for neutralizing and purifying acid rain, a method for extracting hydrogen from acid rain, and a drip line with crops. A water management system including the system.

  In another aspect, a method for sustainable economic development includes a means for converting solar, wind, running water, organic, or geothermal resources into electricity, hydrogen, hydrogen-containing compounds, or carbon-containing compounds. And the carbon is used to produce durable article means, equipment means that enable the conversion, or transportation component means. The method includes adding, storing, and distributing the hydrogen or the hydrogen-containing compound or the carbon-containing compound to a natural gas pipeline means, and the hydrogen or the hydrogen-containing compound or the carbon. It may further comprise means for storing the contained compound in petroleum formation means or in other formation means. The method further includes means for removing, adding, storing, and distributing the material along with the hydrogen or the hydrogen-containing compound or the carbon-containing compound from the petroleum formation means or other formation means. Can do. In another aspect, the method can further comprise means for removing heat from the petroleum formation means or other formation means together with the hydrogen or the hydrogen containing compound or the carbon containing compound. In another aspect, the method may further comprise means for converting the heat from the petroleum formation means or other formation means into moving work. The method converts electricity from the petroleum formation means or other formation means into work that drives electricity, hydrogen, hydrogen containing compounds, or conversion of solar, wind, running water, organic, or geothermal resources into compounds. A means for combining with may further be included. The method may further comprise means for converting the solar energy into biomass means selected from the group comprising food means, fiber means, fuel means, and feedstock means for manufacturing means.

  The following embodiment discloses the electrolytic cell used in the above embodiment.

  In one embodiment of the invention, a containment vessel, a first electrode, a second electrode, a current source in electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode, a first electrode and a second electrode. An electrolyte in fluid communication with the first electrode, a gas, a gas produced during electrolysis at or near the first electrode, and a separator, wherein the gas is distal to the second electrode An electrolytic cell comprising a separator including an inclined surface to direct the flow of electrolyte and gas due to a difference between the density of the electrolyte and the combined density of the electrolyte and gas to substantially flow into Provided.

  In another embodiment, a containment vessel, a first electrode, a second electrode, a current source in electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode, a first electrode and a second electrode An electrolyte in fluid communication with the gas, a gas generated during or near the first electrode during electrolysis, a gas extraction region, and a separator, forming a “V” shape Due to the difference between the density of the electrolyte and the combined density of the electrolyte and gas so that the gas flows substantially distally with respect to the second electrode, the electrolyte and gas And is further configured to provide a fresh electrolyte to the first electrode and the second electrode by facilitating electrolyte circulation between the first electrode, the gas extraction region, and the second electrode. An electrolytic cell comprising a separator is provided.

  In yet another embodiment, the containment vessel, the first electrode, the second electrode, a current source in electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode An electrolyte in fluid communication with the electrode; a gas; a gas generated during or near the first electrode during electrolysis; and a separator, wherein the gas is distal to the second electrode. An electrolytic cell comprising a separator including an inclined surface to direct electrolyte and gas flow due to a difference between the electrolyte density and the combined density of electrolyte and gas to substantially flow is provided. Is done.

  In another embodiment, an electrolytic cell and method for using the same are provided. Although the electrolyzer may be used for many applications, it is described in this embodiment that it is used for the production of hydrogen and oxygen. The electrolyzer according to this embodiment provides a reversible separated production of pressurized hydrogen and oxygen and allows operating impurities and products. Embodiments include supplying a material to be dissociated that is pressurized to a much lower magnitude than desired for compact storage, and a fluid product having a lower density than the material to be dissociated Applying an electromotive force between the electrodes to produce an electrolysis process and limiting expansion of a less concentrated fluid product until a desired pressure for compact storage is achieved. Provide further options to activate. This and other embodiments improve the energy efficiency of residences such as houses, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, canning factories, and other business facilities through the operation of heat engines or fuel cells, and heat from these sources. To cook food, sterilize water, and deliver heat to other substances, provide heating, or anaerobic or electrically induced fuel release of such engines or fuel cells Can be easily. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to other types of electrochemical cells to provide similar advantages.

  In contrast to conventional electrochemical electrodes that rely heavily on diffusion, convection, and concentration gradient processes to produce mass transfer and / or deliver ions to produce the desired components, this embodiment Provides more efficient mass transfer, including a rapid ion replenishment process and delivery to the desired electrode by the pumping action of low density gas escaping from the denser liquid medium, as described herein. provide. This prevents unwanted side reactions and ensures higher electrical efficiency, faster dissociation, and higher separation efficiency. Increasing the rate and efficiency of ion production and delivery to the electrode increases the efficiency and current limit of the system per electrode area.

  Referring to FIG. 1B, an electrolytic cell 2b is shown in which a container 4b such as a metal tube serves as a containment vessel. Optionally, container 4b may also serve as an electrode as shown in FIG. 1B. A porous electrode, such as a cylindrical conductive wire screen electrode 8b, is coaxially arranged and separated from the tubular electrode 4b by an electrolytic inventory of a liquid such as an acid or base. The liquid electrolyte occupies the internal space of the container 4b up to the liquid-gas interface in the insulator 24b. A plated, plasma sprayed, or composited layer of electrode material 4b '(not shown) on the dielectric sleeve or conductive cylindrical inner liner electrode is an electrically isolated element of the assembly. To serve as a convenient maintenance item or to serve as one of a number of segmented electrode elements for the purpose of optional polarity and / or series, parallel, or series-parallel connection Therefore, it may be provided in the container 4b. In a reversible embodiment of the present invention for water electrolysis, electrode 8b may be considered an electron source or cathode so that hydrogen is generated at electrode 8b, and electrode 4b is oxygenated at electrode 4b. It may be considered an anode to occur. The container 4b may be pressurizable. Pressurization of the contents of the container 4b is suppressed by the sealed caps 30b and 46b. Support, electrical insulation, and stabilization of the components including electrode 8b, gas separator 10b, and electrical connection 32b are provided by dielectric insulator bodies 20b and 24b as shown. Pressurization of the electrolyzer 2b can be accomplished by self-pressurization due to the production of gas (s) during electrolysis, by an external source such as a pump, or any combination thereof.

  Separator 10b is configured to be liquid permeable but substantially prevent similar gas flow or transport from the cathode side of the separator to the anode side of the separator and vice versa, and dissolved in the electrolyte. Or substantially preventing gas flow after bubble nucleation. Optionally, electrode 8b may be configured to act as separator 10b such that a separate separator is not required. Alternatively, the separator 10b may include an electrode 8b, or the electrode 8b may include a separator 10b. In addition, the separator 10b may also include an anode electrode 4b, or the anode electrode 4b may include a separator 10b.

  Insulator 24b is shaped as necessary to separate, collect and / or extract gas produced by electrodes such as 4b and 8b, including use in combination with separator 10b as shown. Is set. In the coaxial cylindrical geometry shown, the insulator 24b has a central conical cavity in which the gas released on the electrode 8b is collected. This central cavity, which is coaxially surrounded, is an annular zone that collects gas emitted from the surface of the electrode 4b 'or from the inside of the container electrode 4b.

  Optionally, a catalytic filter 48b may be disposed in the upper collection passage of 24b as shown. The oxygen that manages to reach the catalytic filter 48b, including movement by crossing the separator 10b, is catalytically induced to react with hydrogen to produce water, which can then be returned to the electrolyte. Good. The enormous excess of hydrogen can act as a heat sink and inhibit the heat released by this catalytic reaction from affecting the electrolytic cell. Pure hydrogen is supplied by the fixture 26b as shown. Similarly, if it is preferable to provide a catalytic filter 49b in the upper region of the circular annulus collecting oxygen as shown in the figure to convert any hydrogen that reaches the oxygen ring into water There is. Oxygen is removed by the fixture 22b as shown. Alternatively, the catalytic filter may be placed on or near the fixtures 22b and 26b.

  In an exemplary operation, if water is a substance that will be dissociated into hydrogen and oxygen, a suitable electrolyte such as an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate, sodium caustic, potassium hydroxide, or sulfuric acid is prepared. A sensor 50b that detects the presence of a liquid and a signal controller 52b that activates the pump 40b and adds water from an appropriate source, such as a reservoir 42b, if necessary, to create or maintain the desired inventory or pressure. To maintain the desired level as shown. The controller 52b is therefore a unit integrated with the liquid level sensor 50b, along with a heat exchanger 56b that may include a circulation pump of the system such as a radiator or heater (not shown) to receive or deliver heat. In response to temperature or pressure control sensor 58b, or liquid inventory sensor 51b, and control pumps 36b and 40b, which may be incorporated into the control pump. Similarly, heating or cooling fans may be used in conjunction with these operations to enhance the receipt or exhaustion of heat from the heat source associated with the electrolytic cell 2b.

  In some embodiments where the electrolyzer 2b will be applied cyclically, for example, when surplus electricity is low cost and otherwise not required, the electrolyzer 2b may be subject to significant fluctuations in the water inventory. Can be operated. When surplus electricity is not available or turned off, hydrogen and oxygen supplies may be extracted from the container 4b and the system will return to ambient pressure. Ambient pressure water can then be loaded in addition to the system, which facilitates such circulating low pressure filling and electrolysis operations to convert pressure or chemical energy into work, compact storage, and vehicles, tools Or the circumference of the insulator 24b, as may be desired to deliver hydrogen or oxygen at the desired high pressure required to provide rapid delivery to the instrument receiver Can be provided with a large annular volume around.

  After applying current and generating a large gas supply of hydrogen and oxygen from a much smaller inventory of liquid, the system is pressurized if desired, and an inventory of water in solution is obtained by the controller 52b. Remain pressurized until the detection point by sensor 50b or 51b is depleted, allowing either the electrolysis cycle to be interrupted or water to be added from reservoir 42b by pressure pump 40b as shown. Also good. It may be preferable to add water across a valve, such as a check valve 44b, as shown, to allow for more duty or maintenance on the pump 40b as needed.

  Referring to FIGS. 1B, 2B, and 3B, FIG. 2B shows one embodiment of the separator 10b of FIG. 1B, where the separator includes two inclined surfaces 14b that form a “V” shape. If the electrolyte is water-based, electrons are added to the porous electrode 8b, such as a wire cylinder knitted through the connection 32b, and removed from the container 4b through the electrical connection 6b to remove hydrogen ions to hydrogen. It is continuously converted into atoms and then into diatomic molecules, which can nucleate and generate bubbles on or near the electrode 8b. Hydrogen and oxygen bubbles are typically much less concentrated than water-based electrolytes and are propelled upwards by buoyancy. The oxygen bubbles are similarly propelled upward and separated from the hydrogen by the geometry of the coaxial separator 10b as shown in the enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 2B. The configuration shown in FIG. 2B may be used in any application where a gas flow generated during operation of the electrolytic cell 2b is desired. Furthermore, the separator configuration may be employed in other configurations of electrochemical cells known in the art. Alternatively, if the material produced during electrolysis is denser than the electrolyte, separator 10b may be inverted to form a “Λ” shape. Similarly, if one material formed at the cathode by electrolysis is not richer than the electrolyte, and another material formed at the anode is thicker than the electrolyte, the separator 10b will remove the material that is less dense. It may be configured with an oblique “/” or “\” shape to deflect away from the thicker material.

  The mixing of hydrogen and oxygen released from 4b ′ or the interior of the container 4b causes the gas to escape by deflection from surfaces 12b ′ and 14b that are inclined with respect to the ingress, flow, or transmission of oxygen and hydrogen as shown. It is prevented by the separator 10b, which is a liquid permeable barrier that efficiently separates. Alternatively, the separator 10b may include an electrically insulated conductor or a helical spiral made of an inert dielectric material such as 30% glass filled ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene. Often, the cross-section of the spiral strip material is a “V” configuration as shown to act as an electrical insulator and gas separator.

  A passage for fluid movement is shown in cross-section at 13b, occasionally or continuously, especially at each edge, or alternatively, when desired to meet fluid circulation and distribution needs. As shown in FIG. 2B, the amplified corrugated portion can be increased by forming a gap between the layers of the helix in a corrugated stack of disks. It is generally advantageous for each such corrugation to have undulations about a properly tilted radial axis that is larger or smaller than illustrated with respect to axes 15b and 15b '. This is because the wall thickness of the separator 10b, which is generally porous to liquids but is a barrier to gases, is a desired thickness of, for example, about 0.2 mm (0.008 inch) or less. Allows to be formed.

  Separator 10b is very much in terms of surface energy conditions sufficient to pass the liquid electrolyte towards or away from electrode 8b, while preventing gas from passing through buoyancy propulsion and upward movement of the gas. It may be of any suitable dimension, including small dimensions. For example, an alternative embodiment applicable to relatively small fuel cells and electrolyzers is provided by a number of closely spaced flat threads having the cross section shown in FIG. Such threads are knitted or attached to a thread that provides a substantially open access to the liquid and are positioned substantially vertically on one or both sides of the "V" shaped thread. This is because the wall thickness of the separator 10b, which is porous to the liquid as a whole but serves as a barrier to the gas, is about 0.1 mm (0.004 inch) or less. Enable.

  The upward buoyancy propulsion deflects the collision of bubbles against the inclined surfaces 12b and 14b. This feature overcomes the difficulties and problems of prior art prior art techniques that result in inefficiency due to one or more of electrical resistance, dirt, stagnation, erosion, and loss of polarization. In addition, some configurations can facilitate electrolyte circulation in the coaxial layer due to the buoyant pumping action of the rising bubbles, resulting in upward flow of the electrolyte, and the gas (s) can be As it escapes at the top of the liquid, it replaces a less concentrated electrolyte containing gas that is recycled and bubbled or dissolved, so that a relatively gas-free and denser electrolyte flows towards the bottom. The heat exchanger 56b may be operated as needed to add or remove heat from the electrolyte circulated from the top to the bottom of the container 4b as shown. Pump 36b may be used as needed in conjunction with pump 40b to increase electrolyte circulation or to add makeup water.

  In some embodiments, high current density is applied, including systems with rapid addition of organic material. In such an embodiment, the pump 36b returning the relatively gas-free electrolyte, as shown, circulates the electrolyte through the fitting 28b and through the line 34b to the pump 36b and back to the container 4b through the line 38b and the fitting 16b. May be advantageous. The returned electrolyte is tangentially entered with the fixture 16b, resulting in a swirling delivery that continues to form a swirl, and thus synergizes the separation including action by the separator 10b that may be used as described above. It may be preferable to reinforce mechanically. Depending on the operating pressure, hydrogen is about 14 times less concentrated than oxygen and more buoyant and more by the separator 10b for pressurized collection through the filter 48b at the fixture 26b. There is a tendency to be guided immediately at high upward speeds. At very high current densities and when the electrolyzer 2b is subject to tilting forces or gravity as may be encountered in transportation applications, the electrolyte transfer rate is increased by the pump 36b to enhance swirl separation and thus Prevent the gas produced on the anode from being mixed with the gas produced by the cathode.

  Some embodiments of non-conductive gas barriers and embodiments that transmit a liquid that includes a separator 10b include previous approaches that rely on proton exchange membranes to separate gases such as hydrogen and oxygen. Much less expensive, allowing a much more robust and efficient reversible cell to be produced. In one aspect, the separator 10b can be designed to improve electrolyte flow during electrolysis. For example, the separator 10b can be configured to facilitate a helical flow of ions in the liquid electrolyte inventory that moves upward from the port 16b to the port 28b. This ensures that each part of the electrode accepts newly supplemented ion density as needed for maximum electrical efficiency. Such an electrode washing action can also quickly remove hydrogen and oxygen bubbles as they are generated on the respective electrodes of the electrochemical cell.

  FIG. 3B is a component of another embodiment of separator 10b to provide electrical separation of adjacent electrodes including flat plate and coaxial electrode structures while achieving gas species separation as described above. FIG. 4 shows an edge view of a representative portion of a sheet or spiral strip. In the assembly 11b, the sheets 12b 'and 14b' form a cross section similar to the cross section of the separator 10b and function similarly. The flat conductive or non-conductive polymer sheet 12b 'is substantially tilted and substantially as indicated by a first angle 15b of approximately 35 ° to 70 ° with the major axis of the sheet 12b' as shown. It is prepared to have a large number of small holes on parallel centerlines at an angle. The polymer sheet 14b ′ is similarly substantially inclined as shown by the second angle 15b ′ to be parallel to the major axis of the sheet 14b ′ as shown to form an angle of approximately 35 ° to 70 °. It is prepared to have a large number of small holes on a central line.

In other embodiments, the angles 15b and 15b ′ can vary depending on the material to be separated during the electrolysis process. For example, the angle can be tilted down for the electrolysis of compounds that have no gas component or only one gas component. When compounds such as Al ₂ O ₃ are dissociated by the cryolite-alumina electrolyte electrolysis to produce aluminum and oxygen, the aluminum is thicker than the cryolite-alumina electrolyte and separates the aluminum. The cathode electrode or associated separator would be configured to deliver aluminum downward (eg, by a tilted down angle) and away from the oxygen moving upward.

  A large number of such small holes having a diameter of about 1/12 to 1/3 of the sheet thickness dimension are formed into sheets 12b ′ and 14b ′ by suitable techniques including laser drilling, hot needle drilling, or high speed particle penetration. Can be made immediately. Sheets 12b 'and 14b', each typically about 0.025 to 0.25 mm thick, are welded or otherwise bonded, thread ties Can be formed as an assembly with the electrode 8b, held together on the outer diameter resulting from one or more helical wraps of elastic bands or conductive or non-conductive wires. Sheets 12b 'and 14b' may also be joined occasionally or continuously by adhesives or by heat or solvent fusion. Thus, where the inclined holes in the sheet 12b ′ overlap the holes in the sheet 14b ′, the passageway to allow liquid and / or electrolyte movement while prohibiting gas transmission through the formed gas barrier film. Is formed. Referring to FIGS. 1B and 4B, the tubular configuration of the assembled gas barrier sheet can be achieved by attaching or welding a butt seam or by providing a superimposed seam that functions as the intended separation gas barrier. It may be formed with a suitable diameter for embodiment 2b or 100b.

  A variety of electrolytes are suitable for water electrolysis. In one embodiment, potassium hydroxide may be used with the low carbon steel for the containment vessel 4b. Extended life with increased corrosion resistance may be provided by the nickel plating cylinder 4b or by the use of a suitable stainless steel alloy. In other aspects, increased confinement capacity can be provided by covering cylinder 4b with a high strength reinforcement such as glass, ceramic, or carbon filament, or a combination thereof.

  Depending on the specific application and strength requirements, it may be advantageous to use about 30% glass-filled ethylene chlorotrifluoro-ethylene to insulate the separators 20b and 24b. Electrode 8b may be made of knitted nickel or type 316 stainless steel wire. Separator 10b may be made from an ethylene-chlorotrifluoro-ethylene strip with about 30% glass fiber.

  In another embodiment, it is also contemplated to use a controlled application of electricity to generate methane or hydrogen separately or in a preferred mixture from the organic electrolyte. In some aspects, embodiments can operate in conjunction with embodiments of co-pending patent applications including Serial No. 09 / 969,860, which is incorporated herein by reference. The anaerobic digestion process of organic substances that normally produce methane can be controlled to produce an electrolyte that releases hydrogen at a much lower voltage or with a reduced on-time of a pulse-width modulated duty cycle, resulting in As a result, the electricity consumption generated is less than required to dissociate water.

The acidity or pH of the organic solution produced by microbial digestion can be maintained by natural bicarbonate buffer interactions. The bicarbonate buffer system may be supplemented by simultaneous production of carbon dioxide in the digestion process. The process is generalized to various steps in the anaerobic digestion process of organic compounds by simple digestion of simple carbohydrates or glucose that may have many competing and complementary process steps such as: May be.
C ₆ H ₁₂ O ₆ + (anaerobic acid producing bacteria, facultative bacteria) → CH ₃ COOH Formula 1
CH ₃ COOH + NH ₄ HC ₆ O ₃ → CH ₃ COONH ₄ + H ₂ O + CO ₂ Formula 2
3CH ₃ COONH ₄ + 3H ₂ O (bacteria) → 3CH ₄ + 3NH ₄ HCO ₃ formula 3

  If methane from such a solution is desired, a pH adjustment around 7.0 may be required. At ambient pressure, a pH of about 7.0, and 35-37 ° C (99 ° F), methane biosynthesis is preferred. Most domestic wastewater contains biowaste with both macronutrients and micronutrients required by organisms that provide methane biosynthesis. Maintaining a relatively high concentration of dissolved or distributed hydrogen or monosaccharides present in the anaerobic reactor may inhibit the action of microorganisms that produce methane.

In another aspect, the increased production of fuel value from organic material is a material such as acetic acid (CH ₃ COOH) generated by bacterial breakdown of glucose and other organic compounds by applying an electric field. Can be achieved by causing dissociation of and by other acid generation processes that produce hydrogen ions.
CH ₃ COOH → CH ₃ COO ⁻ + H ⁺ Formula 4

The hydrogen ions move or be delivered to the negatively charged electrode, obtaining electrons and producing hydrogen gas.
2H ⁺ + 2e ⁻ → H ₂ formula 5

Two electrons are supplied by a negatively charged electrode. At the other electrode, the electrochemical reaction involves the oxidation of acetate ions to carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions as summarized in Equation 6.
CH ₃ COO ⁻ + 2H ₂ O → 2CO ₂ + 7H ⁺ + electron Formula 6

  In this electrode reaction, acetate ions lose electrons, then react with water and decompose into carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen ions. Carbon dioxide saturates the solution and is released from the liquid solution interface as described in the above embodiments. Hydrogen ions are circulated and / or moved until electrons are received from the opposite electrode to produce hydrogen atoms and then diatomic molecules as summarized in Equation 5 to separate simultaneous collections in such systems. . Separation collection is very advantageous, for example, causing pressure increase as a result of liquid pumping instead of gas compression or separation collection at high pressure is particularly efficient, separating the resulting hydrogen, methane, or carbon dioxide And then greatly reduce the capital equipment normally required to mechanically compress.

  Decomposition by anaerobic digestion of compounds such as acetic acid that produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide requires, in part, much less energy than water electrolysis because the digestion reaction produces hydrogen ions and exothermic energy. . Initialization and maintenance of an exothermic decomposition of an acid such as acetic acid may be intermittent or occasional instead of continuous electrolysis, typically required to apply a lower voltage or to decompose water. It may be achieved by electrolysis. Water at ambient temperature compared to electrolysis of substances such as urea and acetic acid and acid and hydrogen and carbon dioxide in digesters that require relatively minimal activation and / or catalysis, especially with organic catalysts The free energy of formation of is very large (at least 1 KWH = 3,412 BTU of released hydrogen). Thus, modifications to the Raney nickel catalyst, nickel-tin-aluminum alloys, selections from the group of white metals, single-crystal alloy surfaces of platinum-nickel and other platinum-transition metals, and described herein Selected catalysts, including various organic catalysts used in conjunction with the electrode system, further improve the hydrogen production rate and / or efficiency.

  In another aspect, the switchable series, parallel, or series-parallel, in order to match the available source amperage and voltage with the voltage required for dissociation by series connection of cells as shown in FIG. 1B It may be preferable to use many cells of electrode pairs connected to the. In one aspect of this embodiment, each cell may require about 0.2-2 volts depending on the aqueous electrolyte selected or biochemically produced from the organic material, so that the home size The 6-volt photovoltaic power supply can have 3 to 30 cells in series, and the industrial 220-volt supply has about 100 to 1,000 electrode cells connected in series. You may have. Product gas can be delivered immediately by a parallel or series collection arrangement. Depending on the desired flexibility to adjust the number of series and / or parallel connections, the support and flow control feature 18b may be by the choice of insulating or non-insulating materials.

  At various current densities, including moderate and low current densities, it may be preferable to allow buoyancy propulsion of the generated bubbles to achieve electrolyte circulation and prevent ion depletion and stagnation problems. At start-up or higher current density, pump 36b and heat exchanger 56b can be operated, in part, to provide the desired operating temperature and the development of an ion rich electrolyte at the electrode surface. This allows for extremely high energy conversion rates, to produce a high-pressure supply of oxygen and hydrogen or hydrogen and carbon dioxide or hydrogen and methane, with carbon dioxide for separate storage and use, quickly and efficiently, Energy such as off-peak electricity available from the sun, wind, falling water or wave resources is used.

  In one aspect of this embodiment, the problem of vehicle regenerative braking or power plant spin down, where a sudden burst of large amounts of energy must be quickly converted to a chemical fuel potential, is addressed. Conventional fuel cells for truck, bus, or train propulsion cannot tolerate high current densities that are suddenly applied to the fuel cell electrodes. This embodiment overcomes this limitation and achieves high electrolysis efficiency without the problems of PEM degradation or electrode-interface failure that plague regenerative PEM fuel cells, while providing extremely robust tolerances for high current conditions I will provide a. Due to the robust construction and the numerous opportunities for cooling provided, very high current operation is readily accommodated. Conversely, this embodiment starts immediately and operates efficiently in harsh low or high temperature conditions without the difficulties, limitations, and failures associated with various PEMs.

  In another aspect, in order to achieve a much higher return on investment in an energy conversion system such as a hydropower plant, wind farm, wave power generator system, or conventional power plant, embodiments are Can be quickly and efficiently converted to hydrogen and oxygen by dissociation of water or by dissociation of substances generated by anaerobic digestion or degradation of organic matter. The compact version of the embodiment takes up less space than the washing machine, otherwise it wastes enough hydrogen to operate two family size vehicles and provide home energy requirements Potential off-peak electricity can be converted.

  As described above, some embodiments provided herein provide a rapid ion replenishment process and delivery to the desired electrode by the pumping action of low density gas escaping from the richer liquid medium. Provides more efficient mass transfer including. This prevents unwanted side reactions and ensures higher electrical efficiency, faster dissociation, and higher separation efficiency. Increasing the rate and efficiency of ion production and delivery to the electrode increases the efficiency and current limit of the system per electrode area. Applications that convert organic materials to carbon dioxide and hydrogen or methane, in particular, provide enhanced delivery rates of organic materials to microorganisms involved in the process, incubation, and biochemistry, along with more efficient delivery of intermediate ions to the electrode. Benefit from the delivery of incubated microorganisms to expand and self-repair the film media, faster separation of the resulting gas, and delivery of organic materials.

  Referring to FIG. 4B, another embodiment of an electrolytic cell 100b is shown that is particularly beneficial for applications where it is not desirable to apply a voltage or to pass a current through the inner wall of the containment vessel 102b. Embodiments also facilitate series connection of bipolar or multiple electrode sets or cells, such as 110b and 114b in the electrolyzer 100b, to simplify the required gas collection and voltage matching.

  In one embodiment where the containment vessel 102b is cylindrical and the internal components are coaxial, the electrode assemblies 110b and 114b may be formed from a number of nested frustoconical components. Alternatively, one or both electrodes may be formed as a spiral electrode as described above. The electrodes 110b and 114b may have the same configuration, similar configurations, or different configurations. In another aspect, the electrode 114b may be assembled from nested frustoconical sections, or it may be a helical electrode that continuously surrounds the electrode 110b.

  Electrical isolation of electrodes 110b and 114b to prevent short circuit may be achieved by controlled tolerances on the operating dimensions and / or the use of dielectric threads or filaments located between electrodes 110b and 114b, and / or FIG. 2B and It may be achieved by various means including another form of separator 10b or 111b as disclosed with respect to FIG. 5B.

  The electrolytic cell 100b may be pressurized. Pressure confinement is provided by the upper cap 104b and the lower cap 106b as shown. Insulators 120b and 122b are supported by caps 104b and 106b as shown. The circuit components and hardware for electrical and fluid connections are illustrative and can be achieved by penetration through caps 104b and 106b as needed to meet the needs of a particular application. .

  In the current embodiment, both electrodes 110b and 114b are formed with inclined surfaces that guide the resulting material, such as gas, released into the respective collection zones as shown. To illustrate, if water is to be dissociated from a suitable electrolyte, electrode 110b may receive electrons supplied through connection 108b that is sealed into cap 106b by plug seal 132b. Electrons are therefore extracted from electrode 114b through plug seal 130b that provides insulation of contact 124b when a gas such as carbon dioxide or oxygen is released on electrode 114b.

  Such gases are therefore propelled by buoyancy and move more or less upwards as they are delivered along the inner wall of the container 102b by the electrode 114b. Hydrogen is propelled upward as it is delivered by the electrode 110b and within the central core formed by the many turns or conical layers of the electrode 110b and is collected at the insulator 120b as shown. Pure hydrogen at the design pressure is delivered by the pressure fixture 116b. The catalytic filter 134b may be used to convert any oxidant such as oxygen that reaches the central core and produces water. Similar catalytic filter materials may be used to generate water from any hydrogen that reaches the outer collection ring of insulator 120b as shown. Pressurized and filtered oxygen is delivered by pressure fitting 118b.

  Optionally, to improve the efficiency of the electrolyzer 100b, one or more gas collection vessels (not shown) are in fluid communication with the electrolyzer 100b to collect the gas produced during electrolysis. It may be. The gas collection container can be implemented to take gas at high pressure before substantial expansion of the gas. The gas collection container can be further configured to capture work as the gas expands according to methods known in the art. Alternatively, the gas collection container can be configured to provide the gas at a pressure for storage, transport, or use where it is desired that the gas be delivered at a high pressure. It is further contemplated that the above aspects can be implemented in a variety of electrochemical cells.

  Referring to FIG. 2B, in another aspect, the gas expansion device is located in, near, or in the fixture 22b, fixture 26b, or in a collection container in fluid communication with the fixture 22b or fixture 26b. May be included. Similarly, with reference to FIG. 4B, the gas expansion device may be included in, near, or in the fittings 116b, 118b, or in a gas collection container in fluid communication with the fitting 116b or fitting 118b. Good.

  In another aspect, methods and apparatus are provided for electrolyzing and pressurizing fluid coupled with a device to extract work from such pressurized fluid. The fluid may be pressurized to a liquid, a gas absorbed in the liquid, a vapor, or a gas. The conversion of pressurized fluid to vapor or gas may occur in or after fixtures 116b, and devices that convert the pressure and flow from such fixtures can breathe air and 116b. Can be selected from the group comprising turbines, generators, vane motors, or various piston motors or engines that inject pressurized hydrogen from. Similarly, the conversion of pressurized fluid to vapor or gas can occur in or after fixtures 118b, and the device that converts the pressure and flow from such fixtures is capable of oxygen from 118b. Such a pressurized fluid can be selected from the group comprising a turbine, a generator, a vane motor, or various piston motors or engines that expand and / or burn.

  In another aspect, an apparatus and method is provided that overcomes the high cost and power loss of transformer and rectifier circuits. This means that the negative electrode of the DC source is placed on the third turn of the lowermost electrode 110b, this is the next three turns of the electrode 114b, and this is the next three turns of the electrode 110b. Connect the next three turns of 114b, and so on to the next three turns of electrode 110b, and so on, starting from the opposite (highest) end, the positive lead from the DC source is connected to the three turns of electrode 114b. In the turn, this is the next three turns of electrode 110b, this is the next three turns of electrode 114b, this is the next three turns of electrode 110b, and this is the next turn of electrode 114b. This is achieved by a coordinated matching of the load voltage and the source voltage by the series connection of the electrode cells or the electrodes in the cells, such as connecting the third winding and so on. The frustoconical turns and / or stack may be adjusted to produce the area required to match the source amperage.

  In another aspect of this embodiment, in addition to providing separation of gases produced by electrolysis, the pumping action generated by some embodiments of the present invention may be dependent on the relative magnitude of operation, depending on the relative magnitude of operation. Carbon cloth, activated carbon granules, expanded silica, graphite felt, coal, charcoal, fruit seeds, wood chips, shredded paper, generally located within 110b and / or between electrode 114b and container 102b Provide for the delivery of nutrients to microorganisms that reside in suitable media such as sawdust and / or mixtures of such selections. Corresponding functions and benefits are derived from acids that may be produced by thermal stabilization of the system, circulation of feedstock, and removal of products such as carbon dioxide, and incubation, nutrition and growth of these microorganisms. Including the production of hydrogen.

  At low and medium current densities, buoyancy induced by low density solutions and bubbles can cause electrolyte to circulate in container 102b. At higher current densities, it is advantageous to adaptively control electrolyte temperature, pressure, and circulation as previously disclosed. The external circulation of the electrolyte may be from fixture 126b to fixture 138b as shown, and one or more electrode cells connected in an optional series and / or series-parallel circuit are in container 102b. Including the situation of being contained.

  In another aspect, embodiments deliver a correspondingly higher electrolyte fluid flow rate through one or more holes or grooves 139b that guide fluid tangentially to the annular space between electrodes 110b and 114b. It can be optimized for high current densities. The electrolyte flows up along the spiral space formed by the electrodes and is supplemented by the electrolyte that enters the spiral path provided by 110b and 114b from the annular space between 110b and 114b. The angular momentum of the electrolyte that enters the space between electrodes 110b and 114b increases the pumping momentum that lifts bubbles by electrolytic products such as hydrogen and oxygen that are produced on electrodes 110b and 114b, respectively, and apply such moments.

  This electrolyte circulation is intended to ensure rapid replacement of ions that become hydrogen and other gases such as oxygen atoms or carbon dioxide after charge exchange between electrodes 110b and 114b, and a minimum during electrolysis. It is very beneficial to remove these gases for collection and removal with limited loss of electrical polarization. Thus, very high current densities are readily accepted to efficiently electrolyze the circulated fluid. In another aspect, huge cooling of the resulting design from phase changes such as stagnation and / or vapor nucleation that are detrimental to electrolysis products, and improved electrolyte circulation that prevents a reduction in effective electrode area The capability provides further adaptation of high current density.

  In another aspect, the electrodes 110b and 114b can be advantageously operated at a resonant frequency or are more dense due to various incentives, including piezoelectric drivers, rotational eccentricity, and bubble generation effects, and the resulting pumping action. A spring configuration may be configured in which the electrolyte inventory is perturbed by the electrolyte as it is delivered to the surfaces of the electrodes 110b and 114b and the acceleration thrust by a less concentrated mixture of bubbles. In response to the perturbation, the electrodes 110b and 114b oscillate at the natural or induced frequency to further enhance the removal of bubbles from the surface including the nucleation site, and thus higher current density and higher energy. Enable conversion efficiency.

  Induced vibrations of electrodes in the form of helical springs such as 110b and 114b also cause mechanical peristaltic actions to enhance bubble acceleration towards the respective collection path and outlet port of the electrolyzer 100b. be able to. During this oscillation, the periodic increase and decrease of the average distance and angle between adjacent layers of the electrode turns results in a fixed or moving node depending on the magnitude and frequency of the trigger (s). .

  FIG. 5B shows the operation in conjunction with an electrically insulating spacer 111b between 110b ′ and 114b ′ that includes a selection such as insulator 10b shown in FIG. 2B that includes a helical flow delivery configuration for various applications or electrolytes. FIG. 2 shows a representative cross-sectional view of a pair of electrodes 110b ′ and 114b ′. The assembly of coaxial electrode 110b ', spacer 111b, and electrode 114b' provides efficient dissociation of fluids such as water, liquid from anaerobic digesters, or seawater with improved efficiency and resistance to contamination. Provides a very robust self-strengthening system to enable. Electrodes 110b 'and 114b' can be conductive carbon paper, cloth, or felt; knitted or felt carbon and metal filaments, graphite grains sandwiched between knitted carbon or metal filaments; or the chemistry that constitutes the electrolyte. More than the case previously disclosed with multiple holes on parallel centerlines inclined as shown for each separation of hydrogen from co-produced gases such as oxygen, chlorine or carbon dioxide depending on the material It may be constructed from metal-plated polymer or metal sheet material such as mild steel, nickel plated steel, or stainless steel that is more or less drilled.

  When electrode 110b ′, spacer 111b, and electrode 114b ′ are used in a coaxial electrode arrangement as shown in FIG. 4B, hydrogen is delivered to port 116b and oxygen, chlorine, Alternatively, delivery of a product such as carbon dioxide is provided at port 118b. In some cases, there are multiples in 110b ′ and 114b ′ such that each hole is slightly tapered from the diameter of the hole on the surface in contact with spacer 111b to a larger diameter at the exit surface away from spacer 111b. Preferably, a hole is provided.

  For delivering electrolyte from 138b to electrodes 110b 'and 114b' and through them to fixture 126b at a rate commensurate with the power and system heat transfer requirements available to optimize the resulting width space between the electrodes. It is preferable to select the helical pitch, the width between the electrodes, and the thickness of the strip comprising the spacer 111b. This results in the separation of hydrogen into zones within electrode 110b ′ and the delivery of co-produced gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, or chlorine to the external space of electrode 114b ′, while maintaining electrode 110b. This results in rich delivery of ions for the electrolysis process at 'and 114b'.

  In another aspect, a gas flow channel in the hydrogen electrode and a gas flow channel in the oxygen electrode are provided, with suitable fittings for adding hydrogen at the bottom of the hydrogen electrode and oxygen at the bottom of the oxygen electrode. Thus, the system can be operated regeneratively. In this case, it may be advantageous to use a coaxial helical electrode, especially in small fuel cells where a single canister assembly meets the energy demand.

  Referring to FIG. 6B, a cross section of the spiral electrode (s) used in the case of reversible fuel cell operation is shown. This provides an improvement in the surface to volume ratio, section modulus, and column stability of electrode 114b or similar helical version of electrode 110b. Electrode 114b is formed by corrugating the strip stock used to form the helix to provide delivery of oxygen for fuel cell operation and oxygen in an electrolysis operation 136b and fixture. Illustrated with a cross-section with gas 152b flowing along the spiral groove delivering to 118b. The same configuration works well for fuel cells for converting organic acids to carbon dioxide and hydrogen and electrodes 110b in electrolysis mode, in the electrolysis mode, to the desired collection or source port as previously described. Guarantees abundant gas delivery.

  In another aspect, improved electrode performance is achieved by facilitating the growth and maintenance of microorganisms that convert aqueous derivatives of organic materials such as carbonic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, and lactic acid to hydrogen with compounds such as urea. Provided. On electrodes selected for hydrogen ion production and / or carbon dioxide release, the electrical resistance to the substrate electrode is reduced and the microorganisms and biofilms are in place with the desired film material provided by the digestion process By providing such an electrode surface with a topographical enhancement that increases the effective surface area, including high aspect ratio filaments or whiskers that help hold it, increased microbial productivity is facilitated.

  Without being limited by theory, certain features of electrodes and / or separators such as steric processing or enhancement promote turbulence including electrolyte cavitation or super cavitation at the desired location, which In addition, nucleation at that location is considered to be promoted. Conversely, certain configurations of electrodes and / or separators suppress turbulence, including cavitation or supercavitation at the desired location, eg, the electron transfer point, which in turn suppresses nucleation at that location. Sometimes. It is contemplated that the elements containing these functional parts can be implemented anywhere in the electrolytic cell where nucleation is desired. In addition, these same features and principles can be applied to a fluid collection communication with a gas collection vessel or the like in fluid communication with the electrolyzer or a passage or valve therebetween.

  Appropriate filaments and / or whiskers provide increased surface area, reduced ion-transport and resistance loss, increased microbial productivity, and more effective nucleation activation to release carbon dioxide more efficiently For this purpose, it includes metals or doped semiconductors such as carbon, silicon, or carbon or boron nitride nanodiameter filaments. Such filaments may also be used to immobilize graphite grains that further improve microbial productivity, enhanced enzyme and catalyst utilization efficiency, and related beneficial hydrogen ion production processes. Similarly, at the electrode where hydrogen ions are provided with electrons to form hydrogen atoms and nucleate diatomic hydrogen bubbles, filaments and whiskers are used to increase the active region and reduce the voltage required for the entire process. May be used.

  In addition to carbon whiskers, filaments grown from metals such as tin, zinc, nickel, and refractory metals deposited from vapor or grown from plating on suitable substrates such as iron alloy electrodes are reduced. It has been found to provide improved electrical resistance and improved process efficiency. Such filaments or whiskers are derived from exemplary precursors such as acetylene, benzene, or paraffinic gases including the addition of conductive surfactants and / or sputtering or including methane, ethane, propane, and butane. Surface plating with a suitable material such as carbon, boron nitride, or silicon carbide deposited from decomposition of a material such as a carbon donor may make it more suitable for biofilm support and process enhancement. .

  The embodiment of FIG. 4B and variations thereof provide advantageous separation of fluid dissociated low density gas derivatives including hydrogen separation from organic liquids as summarized in Equations 1-6 to enrich hydrogen or hydrogen. The enriched mixture selection can be delivered to port 116b, while the carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide enriched mixture containing a fixed nitrogen component can be delivered to port 118b. In some applications, it may be desirable to reverse the polarity of these electrodes to reverse the delivery port for the gas being separated. Such inversion may be long-term or intermittent to achieve various objectives. Depending on the choice of the helical pitch (es) of electrodes 110b and 114b and the resonance or imposed vibration frequency of each electrode and the relative fluid velocity at each electrode, hydrogen may be delivered to port 116b. The system may be operated to include methane and carbon dioxide. However, the carbon dioxide delivered to port 118b may include other gases of higher density than methane and hydrogen. In applications where it is desirable to provide a high-boost mixture of hydrogen and methane to allow unthrottle operation of an internal combustion engine, various burners, furnaces, or fuel cells, pump 36b and The embodiment of FIG. 4B operating with hydraulic and electrical circuit control measures as provided by controller 52b produces the desired fuel mixture with a controlled ratio of hydrogen and methane for delivery at port 116b and Facilitates the option to separate.

  By adding media such as colloidal carbon, carbon filaments containing nanostructures, exfoliated carbon crystals, graphene platelets, activated carbon, zeolites, ceramics, or boron nitride grains to an electrochemical cell, An unexpected but particularly beneficial arrangement is provided for the production of active anaerobic colonies of microorganisms that produce the desired conversion of feedstock to hydrogen and / or methane. Such media may be doped or mixed with various agents to provide enhanced catalyst productivity. Illustratively, the desired functionality is to dope selected agents with electronic structures that are more or less similar to boron, nitrogen, manganese, sulfur, arsenic, selenium, silicon, tellurium, and / or phosphorus, etc. May be provided by. Circulation induced by the gas released by the electrolysis process can facilitate sorting of such media to advantageous locations and densities for more efficient charge current utilization.

  While not being limited to a particular theory, these synergistic results increase with significant adsorption along with the advantageous adsorption of enzymes, hydrogen, methane, or carbon dioxide to the resulting biofilm and reaction zone. It is hypothesized that it relates to the development of stringers, regions, or filaments that enhance the nucleation process and / or conduct electrons or hydrogen ions. It is also shown that the microorganism is incubated for circulation to the flow path that occurs in the various embodiments disclosed herein, where it is used efficiently in the operation performed.

  In addition to whiskers and filaments, such as carbon, graphite, various metal carbides, and silicon carbide, and other inorganic materials and particles that catalyze performance, the desired nutrients or catalysts to support microbial processes It is beneficial to use activated materials and particles that provide. Illustratively, polymer, ceramic, or activated carbon porous and / or release substrates are conductive organics such as co-tetramethoxyphenylporphyrin (CoTMPP) or poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). The catalyst may be adsorbed and / or other catalyst materials containing enzymes, as well as graft polymers that may be used to incorporate and provide catalyst materials containing additional enzymes, may be conveniently oriented and provided. .

  Suitable materials or graft polymers may include those of conventional dendrimers, fiber forms, and other organic functional materials to minimize or replace platinum and other expensive catalysts and conductors. Such replacement materials and their use include mixtures or staged locations for fluid circulation resulting from some embodiments disclosed herein. Various specialized conductive and / or catalytic structures are grown or attached to the electrodes 4b, 8b, 110b, or 114b and / or superimposed or developed on carbon felt or knitted structures Includes acicular deposits and fibers that may be dispersed within the biofilm therein. Illustratively, the conductive and / or catalytic functionality is a filament that retains and provides hydrogenase and other enzymes, CoTMPP, and / or other catalysts such as poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). May be provided as a fiber synthesized from an aqueous surfactant solution as a self-assembled narrow diameter nanofiber having an aspect ratio greater than 100 and providing low resistance to charge conductivity. Synthesis in an aqueous solution containing the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) results in various configurations by varying the concentration of SDS, and also produces a polymerized structure by adding FeCl3. Can be adapted. (Exemplary procedures are: Moon Gyu Han et al., Face Synthesis of Poly (3,4-ethylenediothiophene) (PEDOT) Nanofibres from an Aqueous Surfactant. Described and incorporated herein by reference). Other examples are functional catalysts and microconductors in the form of nanocomposites derived from cellulose nanofibers, and polyaniline (PANI) and poly (p-phenyleneethynylene) (PPE) derivatives with quaternary ammonium side chains Including a semiconductive conjugated polymer. Cellulose, carbon, or ceramic whiskers with an anionic surface charge can be combined with a positively charged conjugated polymer to form a stable dispersion that can be solution cast from a polar solvent such as formic acid.

  The preparation includes the application of the catalytic benefits of organometallic alkoxides, metal alkyl graft polymers and end caps, and polymer catalysts containing acetic acid and COOH end groups. Special functional and bifunctional end groups are selected to produce multi-functional features including catalytic functions, reactive stabilizers, grafting agents, and dispersion polymerization promoters, along with a mixture of end groups. May be. Similarly, specialized activation of carbon or other substrates by hydrogen and / or enzymes produced by anaerobic microorganisms provides a locally hydrogen-rich environment to enhance or reduce methane production, And enhance the production of additional hydrogen from various organic materials.

  1B-3B, optionally, one or more supplemental felts and / or knitted screens of carbon filaments are attached to the outer surface of the cylindrical components 8b, 10b, 11b, 110b, and / or 114b and It may be advantageous to provide it on the inner surface. Such supplemental felt and / or knitted screens, in conjunction with the electrodes 4b, 8b, 110b, and / or 114b, and / or the separator 10b or 11b, appropriately collect or distribute electrons, and particles, filaments, and Or help fix or preferentially place other structures to reduce pressure loss or more evenly distribute liquid flow and facilitate microbial function in desired energy conversion operations Also good.

Various process steps of complementary and competing reactions and processes that provide net production of hydrogen and carbon dioxide are summarized in Equation 8.
Carbon + 2H ₂ O → CO ₂ + 4H ⁺ +4 electrons Formula 8

  Carbon, including carbon that may be supplied as a component or carbonaceous material mixed with liquid from an anaerobic digester or electrolyzer or as a result of various manufacturing outcomes, is consumed as summarized in Equation 8. The Illustratively, the carbon can be ground, machined to produce electrodes, electrode coatings on electrodes including tank liners, or particles, or filaments, or flocculants, or selected carbides by thermal dissociation and reaction processes, May include scrap, including colloidal or other suspensions as a result of various degrees of dehydrogenation of organic materials from electro-discharge-machining (EDM) and various thermochemical operations .

  These carbon and / or carbon-donor feedstocks are supplied by bacteria, phytoplankton, or larger algae that receive carbon dioxide and other nutrients from the supplied liquid, or to hydroponic and / or soil-grown plants. It may be reproducibly supplied by circulation. Using these forms of carbon with a high surface-to-volume ratio, and for the purpose of driving the reaction shown and for the production of filaments and conductive filter materials for producing, nucleating and releasing hydrogen bubbles In order to deliver hydrogen ions to an electrode surface containing such a supplemental conductive medium to increase the overall hydrogen production rate, it is advantageous to provide a voltage gradient in the zone where they are delivered.

  Appropriate measures and / or flocculants to increase the working surface, along with various forms of colloidal carbon, activated carbon and carbide, bacteria, proteins, mono- and polysaccharides, cellulose, cellulose that is dissociated by heat, living Including those with organic components such as phytoplankton being released and dissociated. Illustratively, phytoplankton and / or larger algae are grown, dried, mixed with a binder, such as corn syrup, dehydrogenated to various degrees with heat, milled to produce fine flocculants. May be provided. Alternatively, the activated carbon feedstock may be milled to provide fine particles for use as an enzyme receiver or flocculent medium, or to enhance the desired production or efficiency of the enzyme. In order to support the incubation of the desired microorganism, or to increase the production of hydrogen or methane and / or the consumption of carbon to produce hydrogen ions for electrolysis as shown by Equation 8 above. May be used in combination with other substances.

  If necessary, occasional use of the addition of small amounts of salt to salt water or water-based electrolytes can produce chlorine to quickly disinfect the cell system shown or to prevent its detrimental soiling. . In some embodiments, for example, the use of FIG. 5B, when using an electrolyte such as waste water, commercial process water, wood ash water, sea water, fly ash water, canal and drainage water, or anaerobic digester liquid Even so, it allows the resulting system to be free of dirt that is inherently harmful. In addition, such a system can be quickly cleaned if necessary by reversing electrolyte or wash water from fittings 118b to 138b to remove particles that may have been delivered to the electrodes.

  Applications of some embodiments include large community waste disposal operations into nano-sized electrolyzers from which organic materials for the production of hydrogen and / or methane and / or carbon dioxide and other phytonutrients Includes improvements to conventional waste digesters where the contained solution or “liquid” is supplied. In this capacity, some embodiments provide rapid and efficient conversion of by-products produced by anaerobic digesters, convert hydrogen ions to hydrogen, and overcome acid degradation in methane production operations. it can. In operation, the liquid from the anaerobic digester is used to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide, beneficial recovery of pH around 7.0 instead of more acidic conditions that may interfere with the methane production system And / or provide maintenance. This allows for increased overall energy conversion efficiency as it overcomes the requirement for expensive measures of adding chemicals to adjust the pH in the digester. In such media and large scale applications, desired retention of grains such as carbon, boron nitride, zeolites, polymers, and ceramics containing such materials in various activated conditions for enhanced performance is achieved. It would be beneficial to design and engineer a multifunctional component that includes an electronic distribution circuit that may be provided.

  In another aspect, an electrolyzer as disclosed herein can be used with municipal wastewater and landfills, along with waste from slaughterhouses, milking farms, poultry farms, and other animal feed centers or similar locations. May be applied to provide rapid conversion of acids typically produced by anaerobic digestion, including use in Methane production is slowed or suppressed when the acid produced by anaerobic conditions lowers the pH much below 7. Such acids can be produced when the organic feed rate exceeds the capacity of the microbial methanogenic colony. By extracting hydrogen from these acids, the organic substance treatment rate by anaerobic digestion can be increased. The combination of methane and hydrogen provides a much greater net energy production per ton of waste, which is processed faster and increases the capacity of the process.

  Among the several embodiments, a particularly useful embodiment is an anaerobic electro-digestion process summarized in Equations 1-6, hydrolyzed garbage, farm waste, and forest debris. At the same time, in waste-to-energy applications using organic materials such as sewage to produce hydrogen with or without minimal oxygen production. The robust construction and recirculation operation allows large tolerances for dissolved solids including organic solids and particles in anaerobic process liquids used as electrolytes. Production of hydrogen without a corresponding release of oxygen that would be released by water electrolysis is more efficient and safer for use as a cooling gas in electrical equipment such as electric generators of hydrogen produced by waste Facilitate sex.

  In another application of some of the embodiments disclosed herein, an electrolyzer system 900b as shown in FIG. 7B allows for faster or more complete processing, digestion and / or support for incubator purposes. In order to do this, it provides destruction of biomass tissue and / or cells by enzymes, mechanical action, heat, acoustics, electricity, pressure and / or chemical action and processes in the regulator 950b. The fluid containing these broken cells from the regulator 950b and the associated feedstock produced by the transducer 902b is circulated to the electrolytic cell 914b through the annular distributor 922b of the base 910b as shown. Anaerobic microorganisms are supported by media 940b and 942b as shown and accept liquid recycled from hydrogen separator 904b through conduit 910b and liquid recycled from carbon dioxide separator 906b through conduit 908b. Electrode 918b and / or medium 942b release hydrogen, and electrode 916b and / or medium 940b release carbon dioxide. Motorized electrodes 916b and 918b through circuit 926b by source 924b, which may range from 0.1 to about 3 VDC depending on compound dissociation requirements and occasional needs for increased voltage to overcome the insulating film formed A bias is provided. The hydrogen moves along more or less conical surface 925b, which may be a conductive surface or accommodated and supported by insulator 930b depending on the desired series / parallel variation as shown. To the separator 904b for collection and delivery.

  In operation, the liquid is mixed in the distributor ring 922b and moves upward to wrap and substantially hold these grains in the vicinity of the electrodes 916b and / or 918b and / or grains 940b and 942b and Or provide process reactants and nutrients to microorganisms residing in conductive felt. Smaller particles and filaments may be added to penetrate throughout the electrolyzer system and enhance charge conductivity, enzymes, and catalytic functions, including those previously disclosed. Separator 902b may be a reverse osmosis membrane, or a cation or anion exchange membrane, or it may be constructed according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2B, FIG. 3B, FIG. 4B, or FIG. 5B. In some cases, such separators can be used to provide various liquid circulation paths and / or pressure differences between hydrogen and carbon dioxide at different pressures or between hydrogen and carbon dioxide. May be used in conjunction with each other to produce

  Similarly, as shown, an electrode 916b operates as an electron source with an adjacent felt and / or medium 940b and is delivered from a liquid circulated by convective flow or pump delivery by the action of a gas production lift. Many circulation options are available when producing hydrogen from coal. In this option, the carbon dioxide is fibrous as shown, which is electrically biased so that hydrogen ions are produced from the acid delivered from 902b and 950b or opposite electrode 916b by electrode 918b. Or released when produced by microorganisms that reside in the particulate media 942b and associated felt material. Another exemplary option is the result when electrons are supplied by electrode 918b to produce hydrogen collected by insulator 930b for delivery to gas collector 904b, as shown. In this case, electrode 916b and the electrically associated medium are shown as fluid as carbon dioxide is released and carbon dioxide passes through insulator 930b and is delivered to collector 906b as shown. An electron collector for providing pumping in a circuit.

  Referring to FIG. 7B, the system 900b can be used to convert organic feedstock, such as produced by photosynthesis to methane, hydrogen, and / or carbon dioxide, and / or by microorganisms. Depending on the dwelling microorganism, a liquid typically containing an acid such as acetic acid and butyric acid along with a compound such as urea is dissociated in the electrolyzer 914b. The electrolyzer 914b provides current at a voltage sufficient to produce hydrogen from such compounds and acids, and may provide operation as a digester and an electrolyzer, or an anaerobic digester (not shown). The liquid produced by anaerobic digestion in 914b may be used as shown. Such operations are particularly useful for converting organic waste from communities and / or industrial parks for the purpose of supplying the community with fuel and feedstock to produce carbon-reinforced durable articles.

  Referring to FIG. 8B, in another aspect, the arrangement of one or more conductive electrodes for use in an electrolytic cell, including those disclosed herein, is a monopolar or bipolar component of the electrolytic cell. As shown as including a flat plate (not shown) that may be electrically connected, or as shown, including coaxial electrodes 1002b, 1003b, 1004b, or 1005b. Some or all of these conductive electrodes provide a vast surface as a high surface to volume material such as spaced graphene or other thickness layers (eg, carbon and / or BN “filters”) To do. This works for the purpose of harboring microorganisms that degrade various organic substances including volatile fatty acids to release electrons and protons for the production of hydrogen at the cathode surface and for use with any of the above embodiments. Can be implemented.

  In another embodiment, essential enzymes produced by microorganisms to degrade volatile fatty acids and various other organic substances are incorporated into high surface-to-volume materials comprising electrodes 1002b, 1004b, 1006b, 1008b. Added to activated carbon or polymer particles or filaments. Alternatively, any microorganism, enzyme, or promoter described herein can be incorporated into the surface. As such enzymes or other materials or promoters are depleted, degraded, or destroyed, supplemental amounts of such enzymes, materials, or promoters may be added as needed. This system allows for optimization of the promoter, including allowing such enzymes to grow where the microorganisms are separated but to be used in the operation of the electrolyzer as shown.

  In another embodiment, the essential enzyme, microbe, or promoter is artificially produced as a “designer enzyme” that is replicated or variously modified, either in a suitable natural polymer such as cellulose or lignocellulose or Grafted into various factory-produced polymers or compounds.

Electrolyte in an electrolytic cell in a living colony of microorganisms, or an enzyme system that is maintained by an enzyme transmitted from a living colony of microorganisms or a designer enzyme that is replicated or variously modified in a factory It is desirable to minimize the electrical resistance. This facilitates the process as generally shown in Equation 9 for acetic acid along with various acids and other materials such as urea that are consumed when hydrogen is produced at the desired high pressure, which also It can be implemented in any embodiment disclosed in the specification.
CH3COOH + 2H2O = 2CO2 + 4H2 Formula 9

  In another aspect, a system for detecting chemically active substances and identifying the presence, ability, and feasibility of such substances or enzymes comprises operating conditions that include the amount of chemically active nutrients and It can be used with this embodiment for the purpose of enabling an adaptive control system that adjusts other operating conditions for the purpose of optimizing the operation of the enzyme system being maintained. Also, the system can be implemented with any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

In other embodiments or aspects of any embodiment disclosed herein, to increase the amount of CO ₂ dissolved or otherwise retained in solution for the purpose of increasing the conductivity of the electrolyte. It is desirable to work with selected microorganisms and / or enzymes that are maintained at sufficient pressure. This improves the efficiency and operating capability of the system in several ways, including the following:
1) Hydrogen produced at high pressure can be delivered to a compact pressurized reservoir without incurring capital, maintenance, or energy costs to operate a multi-stage hydrogen gas compressor.
2) Hydrogen produced at high pressure can be taken directly into a pressurized pipeline for transmission to the market.
3) Hydrogen produced at high pressure can be used to pressurize other reactants to allow reaction or to accelerate the reaction. To illustrate, pressurized hydrogen can generate ammonia or other products in addition to nitrogen in a suitable reactor.
4) Pressurization to prevent or minimize the release of carbon dioxide on the electrode surface of the electrolyzer greatly simplifies the electrolyzer design.
5) Separation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide production by high pressure hydrogen collection from a pressurized electrolyzer or appropriate subsystem and carbon dioxide collection after depressurization elsewhere or by another subsystem

  Referring to FIG. 9B, a system 1100b is shown that includes a high pressure electrolyzer 1102b that may receive pressurized electrolyte and / or precursor fluid forming a suitable electrolyte from an appropriate pump 1114b into the electrolyzer 1102b. It is. Pressurized hydrogen, together with the voltage applied across the ends of taps 1106b and 1124b as shown, is microbial on one or more electrodes shown as 1002b, 1004b, 1006b, 1008b, etc. or 1104b. Produced as a result of activity and / or enzymes maintained in other ways. The high pressure hydrogen is delivered to the appropriate application through conduit 1122b by pressure regulator 1120b.

  Pressurized electrolyte containing carbon dioxide flows through a fluid motor-generator 1126b, or a hydroponic system for growing algae switchgrass, kudzu, or various other crops 1132b and / or 1134b When diverted to an appropriate carbon dioxide usage, such as greenhouse 1130b, work is created by utilizing the kinetic energy of the flowing electrolyte and the expansion of carbon dioxide to ambient pressure. The electrolyte depleted of carbon dioxide is recycled through the three-way valve 1112b by the pump 1114b.

  Biomass containing material grown in 1130b is crushed or otherwise broken cellular material produced by appropriate mechanical, acoustic, chemical, heat treatment, or radiation treatment in processor 1136b. A slurry of the activated material comprised is made. Such activated organic feed is added to the accumulator 1108b for proper passage through the filter 1110b as shown and through the three-way valve 1112b and through the pump 1114b into the pressure electrolyzer 1102b.

  Operation of system 1100b is provided by controller 1101b in response to pressure, temperature, and pH sensors 1142b, 1144b, 1146b, as well as chemically active agent sensors 1140b and 1150b as shown. This allows corrective material to be added through port 1118b in order to provide the desired maintained enzyme conditions for optimized performance.

In another embodiment, suitable electrodes can be square or rectangular to provide a knitted or helical embodiment that is plastically formed as disclosed herein. Includes systems formed from round or other cross-section wires such as various “star” shapes or flat strips. Material selections such as iron or other transition metal based alloys are then heat treated and further defined or grown by additional heat treatment to allow growth near such saturated zones, particularly near the surface. Carburize and produce various amounts of carbon in solid solutions that contain saturated zones. The developing carbon zone accelerates the deposition of additional carbon as carbon donors such as hydrocarbons or carbon monoxide are decomposed on such surfaces. Equations 10 and 11 illustrate the overall of such a process that provides heat to the substrate being heat treated in an amount equal to or higher than the heat of formation of the carbon donor.
CxHy + heat axC + 0.5yH2 Formula 10
CO + heat aC + 0.5O2 Formula 11

  In some embodiments, carbon deposition is continued until the entire electrode is deep enough with bonding in the first saturation zone to produce a very durable composite of the desired shape and surface to volume ratio. It is desirable to produce carbon films that effectively coat.

  In another embodiment, the initial preparation and orientation of the carbon-rich zone approaching saturation is modified by the high or low temperature work of the embodiment to provide a sufficiently uniform orientation of the carbon crystal structure, followed by Provides a significantly epitaxially affected deposition of carbon deposition. Oriented carbon that is deposited in this manner as a graphene layer that is primarily exposed at the edges or more parallel to the original surface is competitively tested to provide support for the desired microbial process. This allows “designer carbon” to be selected for the various microbial processes desired.

  Referring to FIG. 10B, in another aspect, the manufacture of a carbon / steel electrode for use in the embodiments disclosed herein is disclosed. These electrodes can include surface-treated carbon for attachment to selective enzymes, microorganisms, or other promoters for improved operation of the electrolytic cell. To produce an electrode according to this embodiment, the steel or alloy steel substrate is saturated with carbon. The carbon grains to be saturated are aligned, for example, by heat treatment through induction, to provide the desired grain orientation of the carbon as shown in Phase I. Other known heat treatment methods may be employed. During this step, the electrode can also be subjected to liquid cooling to prevent damage to the electrode or to provide other benefits.

  As shown in Phase II, the electrodes are then shaped through known processes including the use of pinch rollers. Shape setting can be performed with further alignment, flattening, or modification of the oriented carbon grains if desired.

  As shown in Phase III, the carbon is then deposited on the electrode through known carbon deposition techniques including vapor deposition in which carbon is deposited or grown on the surface of the electrode. During this step, the carbon can be deposited or grown in a manner that further enhances particle orientation or selectively deposits carbon at selected locations on the electrode depending on the desired use of the electrode. For example, an enzyme, microorganism, or promoter can be deposited at one location, and another enzyme, microorganism, or promoter can be deposited at another location for controlled use of the enzyme, microorganism, and promoter. be able to. In addition, the electrode with the deposited carbon can be further processed through heating by induction or other means to further align or orient the grains, which can also include liquid cooling. This process can be repeated until the desired carbon content and / or particle orientation and / or particle position is achieved.

  As shown in Phase IV, upon completion of the surface treatment, the electrode is then subjected to one or more enzymes, microorganisms, or promoters selected for the particular application of the electrode, such as hydrogen during electrolysis. It is exposed to enzymes that enhance the production of the desired compound. In any of the above steps, the method can target a specific location of the electrode. Moreover, different processing conditions can be applied at different locations so that different enzymes can be placed at different locations or different enzyme densities can be implemented depending on the desired configuration or use of the electrodes. Thus, the electrode includes a carbon configuration that has an affinity for a particular enzyme, microorganism, or promoter, and the enzyme, microorganism, or promoter is coupled to the electrode at the desired location to place the enzyme at the desired location. Manufactured to hold permanently or substantially for use during electrolysis or other operation of the electrode.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments and examples, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that modifications and adaptations of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Let's go. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is limited only by the following claims.

Claims (36)

A method for providing an energy supply using a renewable energy source comprising:
The method comprising: providing a first renewable energy sources, the first renewable energy sources do not provide energy or sufficient quantity is intermittent, the steps,
To produce energy carrier by electrolysis, and providing energy to the electrolytic cell from the first renewable energy sources,
A step of the to selectably reverse the electrolytic cell for use as a fuel cell,
Providing the energy carrier to the electrolyzer for production of the energy;
Storing the energy carrier before providing the energy carrier to the electrolyzer, wherein storing the energy carrier is storing the energy carrier in a formation, from the formation. Receiving the additional heat, and storing the energy carrier, wherein the energy value of the energy carrier is increased by applying additional heat from the formation to the energy carrier during energy carrier storage; A method comprising the steps of :   The first renewable energy source is solar energy, the step of reversing the electrolytic cell for use as a fuel cell, and the step of providing the energy carrier to the electrolytic cell for production of energy; The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed when the first renewable energy source is not sufficiently available.   The method of claim 1, wherein the first renewable energy source is selected from the group consisting of solar, wind, running water, organic, or geothermal energy sources.   The method of claim 1, wherein the energy carrier comprises hydrogen.   The method of claim 1, wherein the energy carrier comprises a carbon-based material.   The method of claim 1, wherein the energy carrier comprises a nitrogen-based material.   The method of claim 1, wherein the energy carrier comprises ammonia.   The method of claim 1, wherein the energy carrier comprises a hydrocarbon.   The method of claim 1, wherein the first renewable energy source, the electrolyzer, or the energy carrier receives supplemental heat from a first heat source.   The method of claim 9, wherein the first heat source is selected from the group consisting of geothermal, solar, or other heat engine.   The method of claim 9, wherein the first heat source comprises a second renewable energy source.   The method of claim 11, wherein the second renewable energy source comprises a formation. Providing an expansion device configured to take work from expansion, wherein the expansion device is coupled to the electrolytic cell or the energy carrier storage;
Providing the energy carrier to the expansion device under pressure;
Capturing work from expansion of the energy carrier;
The method of claim 1, further comprising: The method of claim 13 , wherein an energy carrier reservoir transfers heat to the energy carrier before taking work from expansion of the energy carrier. The method of claim 14 , wherein the energy carrier reservoir comprises a formation. The method of claim 15 , wherein an energy value of the energy carrier increases during the energy carrier storage. 16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the energy value of the energy carrier is increased during storage of the energy carrier by applying heat to the energy carrier from the formation. The method of claim 15 , wherein an energy value of the energy carrier is increased during storage of the energy carrier by adding a hydrocarbon or other compound having an energy value to the energy carrier ejected from the formation.   The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a source of organic material to the electrolytic cell for electrolysis of organic material. 20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the organic material source comprises biomass or biowaste. A system for providing a substantially continuous energy supply using renewable energy resources,
A first renewable energy source ;
To produce energy carrier, a electrolytic cell coupled to the first renewable energy sources, is configured to be selectably reverse operation as a fuel cell using the energy carrier to the fuel, An electrolytic cell;
An energy carrier reservoir coupled to the electrolyzer for receiving the energy carrier from the electrolyzer or providing the energy carrier to the electrolyzer , wherein the energy carrier reservoir is during energy carrier storage; An energy carrier reservoir comprising a formation that transfers heat to the energy carrier, receives the energy carrier, and transfers heat to the energy carrier so as to increase an energy value of the energy carrier ;
The first renewable energy for selectively receiving energy from the first renewable energy source and the electrolytic cell and for selectively providing energy from the first renewable energy source and the electrolytic cell An energy storage coupled to the source and the electrolytic cell;
A system comprising: The system of claim 21 , wherein the first renewable energy source is selected from the group consisting of solar, wind, running water, organic, and geothermal energy sources. The system of claim 21 , wherein the energy carrier comprises hydrogen. The system of claim 21 , wherein the energy carrier comprises a carbon-based material. The system of claim 21 , wherein the energy carrier comprises a hydrocarbon. The system of claim 21 , wherein the energy carrier comprises a nitrogen-based material. The system of claim 21 , wherein the energy carrier comprises ammonia. The system of claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first renewable energy source, the electrolyzer, or the energy carrier is configured to receive supplemental heat from a first heat source. 30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the first heat source comprises the first renewable energy source or the electrolyser. 30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the first heat source is selected from the group consisting of geothermal, solar, or other heat engine. 30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the first heat source comprises a second renewable energy source. The system of claim 21 , further comprising an expansion device configured to take work from expansion of the energy carrier, wherein the expansion device is coupled to the electrolytic cell or the energy carrier storage. The system of claim 21 , further comprising an expansion device configured to produce energy from expansion of the energy carrier, wherein the expansion device is coupled to the electrolytic cell or the energy carrier storage. The system of claim 21 , further comprising an organic material source, wherein the organic material source is coupled to the electrolyzer for electrolysis of organic material. 35. The system of claim 34 , wherein the organic material source comprises biomass or biowaste. A system for providing a substantially continuous energy supply using renewable energy resources,
A first renewable energy source ;
Coupled to the first renewable energy sources, a electrolyzer that generates methane, the electrolyzer, electrolysis and bath configured to allow selectably reverse operation as fuel cells,
A methane reservoir coupled to an electrolytic cell for receiving the methane from the electrolytic cell or providing the methane to the electrolytic cell , wherein the methane reservoir increases an energy value of the methane during methane storage. Transferring heat to the methane, wherein the methane reservoir includes a formation that receives the methane and transfers heat to the methane , and
The first renewable energy for selectively receiving energy from the first renewable energy source and the electrolytic cell and for selectively providing energy from the first renewable energy source and the electrolytic cell An energy storage coupled to the source and the electrolytic cell;
A system comprising: