MX2010008252A - Improvements to equipment for the electrolytic decomposition of water. - Google Patents

Abstract

Equipment for the electrolytic decomposition of water is linked directly to equipment in electricity generation plants, using the power source of the plants or the effluent water from the plants to power the electrolytic decomposition equipment, such that this equipment does not use treated water from the water mains.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN I NSTALLATION FOR DECOMPOSITION WATER ELECTROLYTICS Cam of the invention The present patent application for improvements relates to the electrolytic decomposition of water. More particularly, it is related to improvements introduced in the use of endorheic water currents and dam bodies to feed facilities in which hydrogen and oxygen are obtained by electrolysis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In view of the imminence of the depletion of petroleum deposits, and other sources of fossil fuels, accelerated efforts are being made to take advantage of other sources of energy that are practically inexhaustible, such as wind energy, the energy of the sea, solar energy, and others. Among them, great attention has been devoted to the supply of fuel obtained from water, after decomposition of the latter into its integral elements, hydrogen and oxygen.

As is known, water can be decomposed into its constituent elements by treating it in a facility known generally as a voltmeter, in which the water is subjected to electrolysis. Electrolysis is a process by which water is broken down into its constituent elements. In other words, it is a process in which hydrogen and oxygen are generated from water, through the passage of a continuous electric current (C D) through it. When in the electrolysis process the continuous current is passed through the water, the chemical bond is broken, producing two positive charges (positive ions) and a negative charge (negative ion). Negative charges, or oxygen ions, migrate to the positive electrode (anode). The hydrogen ions, positively charged, are attracted by the negative electrode (cathode). This decomposition can be represented as follows: Electric power + 2H20? 2H2 + 02 The electrolysis process results in a clean, friendly fuel with the environment: hydrogen, and a combustion, oxygen, which can also be used in countless applications in various fields. The performance of hydrogen as fuel, for example, in a motor vehicle, is very high, which makes it attractive for this application. This, together with the absolute absence of polluting gases from the combustion of the hydrogen in an engine, which translates into pollutant-free atmospheres, means that there is a growing interest in the use of this energy source.

However, another current concern throughout the planet is the lack of water. If it is thought that the electrolytic plants currently in operation use a good part of the water that is distributed through the municipal drinking water networks, or that they directly obtain water from the mantos the water supply of the place, the loss of liquid for the population is large, which exacerbates the problem of water for domestic needs. Far from contemplating a solution to this problem, it is increasingly necessary to alleviate at least the lack of water; and that problem would tend to sharpen sharply in the event of widespread use of hydrogen engines, which would consume large amounts of water to obtain the fuel hydrotogen.

The improvements to this request are addressed to solve this problem.

Indeed, it is an aim of the present application to present improvements in the process of utilization of the ag ua for its electrolytic treatment, with a view to obtaining hydrogen fuel and oxygen, which allow to alleviate the consumption of the water of the distribution networks of municipalities and / or directly from aquifers.

A specific objective of the improvements provided by the present is related to the situation of the electrolytic treatment plants, in strategically determined sites so that they can take advantage of existing currents or bodies of water, without affecting the water of urban use or undermining the stocks of water stored in water tables or in natural bodies of water, such as lakes and lagoons, or in bodies of water artificially formed, such as dams specifically built for the generation of electrical energy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present application proposes, in a first modality, the utilization of the water used by hydroelectric plants and that normally run free as exorheic currents, without additional use, to feed the installations for the electrolytic obtaining of hydrogenogen and oxygen. of that ag ua.

In another embodiment, the present application proposes the use of runoff from a basin, in the manner proposed by the Mexican patent application No. entitled "Improvements in hydroelectric plants", by the same inventor and successor who is present, (which It is incorporated here in its entirety, as a reference) so that, at each stage of use of the dam, part of that water is used by an electrolysis installation, so that an electrolysis installation is used. together with a hydroelectric installation.

An alternative for the two modalities exposed is to establish a water intake for the electrolytic installation of the vessel or dam or natural water body, parallel to the intake of water for the plant or the turbines of the power generation plant. electric, which can be controlled independently of the power supply of said generating plant.

Another alternative for both exposed modes is to establish the water intake for the electrolytic installation from the output of the electric power generation plant, so that part of the water already used to move the turbines of the plant, be reused as a feed for the production plant hydrogen and oxygen Brief description of the options These and other aspects of the improvements provided by the present application will be better understood when the present specification is read in conjunction with the attached drawing, which forms part of the present and in which: Figure 1 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps that constitute the improvement provided by the present application, in obtaining water for the operation of the electrolytic installation referred to in the text.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to this application, the process of separation of water in its two constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen, begins with the production of the liquid and its introduction into the system. This step is illustrated in the flow diagram attached with the number 1 0.

As mentioned above, the water that is going to be subjected to electrolysis can be obtained from various sources, always related to the situation of the hydroelectric plants (not shown) to which they are in close proximity. The precise situation of the electrolysis facilities will depend on how the obtaining of the water is contemplated, in relation to the hydroelectric plant.

Thus, in a first case, the water of the initial passage 1 0 may enter through the conduit represented by the arrow A, coming from a body of water (not shown) from which the hydroelectric plant is also fed (not shown). In that case, the supply pipe, represented by the arrow "A", would be independent and parallel to a pipeline (not shown) for powering the hydroelectric plant. When in the present description and in the claims that come at the end, the term "body of water" is used, it is meant to mean a body of water of sufficient volume to produce a stream of water whose strength is sufficient. to move the turbines of a hydroelectric plant. A body of water can be a dam, a containment vessel or a natural reservoir, for example, a lake.

In this first case, the installation of the electrolytic plant and the hydroelectric plant would be in a parallel relationship.

In a second case, the inlet pipe to the electrolytic treatment installation, which could be illustrated in the drawing by arrow "B", would be arranged to be connected in the bypass (not shown) of a dam or similar, so that part of the water that is sent to the hydroelectric plant, is used as power for the electrolytic installation.

In a third case, the pipe illustrated by arrow "C" would be used to obtain the water from the outlet (not shown) of the hydroelectric plant. That is, in this third case, after the water is used to move the turbines (not shown) of the hydroelectric plant, it would be recycled, at least in part, to the electrolytic installation, in order to take advantage of it.

Through any of the three cases, the water is captured in 10, to be used in the installation. From the collection 1 0, the water is passed to a step of sedimentation and / or filtration 20, by means of which it is intended to remove from the water all the materials that it could carry in suspension, such as soil, organic matter, etc. , so that it passes to the next step only water, free of foreign materials.

After step 20 the water is passed to step 30, in which a chemical substance is added which is capable of producing a reduction in the resistance of the water to the passage of a current in the electrolysis process. As is known, the resistance of pure water is 100 ohms per centimeter. At that level of resistance, the decomposition of water would be extremely slow and incomplete, so it is necessary to use a chemical substance that drastically reduces that resistance. Several substances are known, both basic and acid, capable of effecting a drastic reduction of the ohmic resistance of water. Examples are potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide among the basic ones, and strong acids, especially sulfuric acid.

Thus, in step 30 the water is conditioned so that its resistance to electrolytic treatment is as low as possible. In a preferred embodiment, the added substance is sulfuric acid.

Once the water is conditioned, it is passed to the decomposition station 40. In it, the water is subjected to the electrolytic decomposition process in one or more chambers called voltmeters (not shown), provided with a negative electrode or cathode (not shown) and a positive electrode or anode (not shown). Preferably, platinum electrodes are used, since it has been demonstrated in the art that these electrodes give the best performance.

When a continuous electrical current (CD) is passed through the water, the chemical bond between the elements that form it, that is, hydrogen and oxygen, is broken, so that both elements are released from each other. in the form of ions and can migrate according to their charge. Thus, oxygen ions, which have a negative charge, migrate to the positive electrode or anode; while the hydrogen ions, which have a positive charge, migrate towards the negative electrode or cathode, by virtue of the laws of magnetic attraction, which dictate that a positive attracts a negative, and vice versa.

In this way the two elements that make up the water are separated: hydrogen and oxygen. By virtue of the attraction to the respective electrodes, each one of these gases can be recovered individually, which can then be sent to their respective storage point; for example, the one indicated with the number 50 for the hydrogen and the one indicated with the number 60 for the oxygen.

From the storage 50 the hydrogen is removed through special ducts, illustrated as the exit arrow "D", to transport it in large volume containers, or to pack it in small volume containers, for easier handling, sale and use.

In the same way, the oxygen is taken out of the storage 60 through special conduits, illustrated as the exit arrow "E", to transport it in large volume containers, or to be packaged in small volume containers, for its easier manipulation, sale and use.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, not illustrated in the drawings, the water decomposition installation consists of a series of installations, when the combination of multiple hydroelectric plants, located laterally in hydraulic network pipelines, such as those described and claimed in FIG. Mexican patent application No. "Improvement in Hydroelectric Plants", from the same applicant and solitaire, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety, as if it had been reproduced physically.

In this modality, at each level where a hydroelectric plant is located, an electrolytic installation of water decomposition is available, so that in a system with a combination of multiple hydroelectric plants, there can be as many electrolytic installations as plants Ieroelectrics in the system.

In this way, water that has not been treated can be used to make it drinkable and distributed through municipal networks, which reduces the cost of the water that is going to decompose in its constituent elements and does not threaten the water. water supply for civil and family purposes, regardless of the volume of hydrogen production that may be necessary to meet the needs that, it is contemplated, could be of capital importance.

The above has only an illustrative purpose. To determine the scope of the improvements referred to in this application, reference should be made to the claims that follow.

Claims (5)

REIVI NDICATIONS

1 . Improvements in installation for the electrolytic decomposition of water, in which water is introduced in a voltmeter equipped with negative and positive electrodes; a continuous electric current (DC) is passed from one cathode to the other, through the water; and the separated hydrogen and oxygen are recovered in the electrolysis process; characterized these improvements because the water is obtained from existing currents or bodies of water, without affecting the water of urban use or extracting the water from the water table; and where the step of treating water to eliminate foreign matter is included, before submitting it to the electrolysis process.

2. Improvements in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that water is obtained from natural bodies of water, such as lakes and lagoons, or artificially formed bodies of water, such as dams specifically built for the generation of electrical energy; The water inlets for the electrolytic treatment are arranged parallel to the water inlets for the generation of electrical energy.

3. Improvements according to claim 1, characterized in that water is obtained from natural bodies of water, such as lakes and lakes, or artificially formed water bodies, such as dams specifically built for the generation of electrical energy; The water inlets for the electrolytic treatment are arranged as part of the water inlets for the generation of electrical energy.

4. Improvements according to claim 1, characterized in that the water is obtained from the output of the electric power generating plant, to reuse it, at least in part, in the electrolytic decomposition process.

5. Improvements according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the electrolytic decomposition installation consists of a plurality of electrolytic decomposition units, arranged at different altitude levels, parallel to a plurality of hydroelectric plants that constitute a "cascade" system in order to take advantage of part of the water that feeds these plants, to decompose it through the electrolytic treatment. SUMMARY The installations of the electricity generating plants are used to provide, in immediate relation with them, facilities for the electrolytic decomposition of water; taking advantage of the power supply of the plants or the effluent of the plants to feed the electrolytic decomposition facilities; so that they do not use the already treated water of the municipal networks.