US20140174915A1

US20140174915A1 - Hydrogen/oxygen generator apparatus and system

Info

Publication number: US20140174915A1
Application number: US13/721,645
Authority: US
Inventors: Bruce J. Trott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-12-20
Filing date: 2012-12-20
Publication date: 2014-06-26

Abstract

A hydrogen/oxygen generator comprising: a dry cell electrolyzer, the dry cell electrolyzer configurable to be in communication with a battery; a power supply in communication with the dry cell electrolyzer; the power supply configurable to be in communication with a battery; a pulse width modulator in communication with the power supply; where the current supplied to the dry cell electrolyzer from the power supply is at the resonant frequency of the dry cell electrolyzer. A hydrogen/oxygen generator system comprising: a dry cell electrolyzer, a battery in communication with the dry cell electrolyzer; a power supply in communication with the dry cell electrolyzer and the battery; a pulse width modulator in communication with the power supply; an electrolyte tank in communication with an air intake of an internal combustion engine, and in communication with the electrolyzer; and where the current supplied to the dry cell electrolyzer from the power supply is at the resonant frequency of the dry cell electrolyzer.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a hydrogen/oxygen generator apparatus and system, and more specifically to a dry cell system for separating water into hydrogen and oxygen.

BACKGROUND

Fuel costs account for an ever-growing portion of expenses for individuals and businesses. Global geopolitical events, increased consumption in developed and developing nations, and the desire to reduce emissions have historically created upward trending price fluctuations for nearly all consumer goods. The consumer is hit twice with these increases, first at the pump and again with the increased cost of goods transported by large fleets of trucks and ships for which fuel makes up a large portion of their operating expenses.
The high cost of fuel is being addressed primarily through the development of alternative fuels such as bio-fuels (plant based), hybrid (electric/gas) engines, electric vehicles, hydrogen powered vehicles, natural gas vehicles, and hydrogen cell technology among others. These approaches are limited in various ways—limited range for electric, limited hydrogen production, or have design limitations. Most of the above solutions are aimed at new original equipment and generally does not solve problems with gasoline and diesel vehicles currently on the road. In addition, the above solutions tend to have rather long return on investments.
Other devices in use for generating hydrogen utilize a technology that is referred to as wet cell technology. This is when the plates, usually larger and square are configured with large gaps between the plates and the plates as a unit is then submerged into a bath of electrolyte and then sealed off. This can be dangerous as the system works under pressure to create the hydrogen gas which can result in safety issues. Other known devices have output from 5-10 L/m of hydrogen which limits the application of the device. Other known devices use pure on-board power directly and without conditioning. This power can generate large fluctuations in operation with even minor changes in the electrolyte formula. Such fluctuations can potentially melt the control wires from excessive current conditions or cause an explosion from the pressurized gas. Other devices inject hydrogen into pressurized fuel systems which can lead to other safety issues and also means they have to store the pressurized gas on-board the vehicle to use it. Other devices do not use tuned results for their electrolyte and they may use anywhere from ten to twenty five percent of Sodium Hydroxide solution which can be caustic. Certain other devices are said to use plain tap water and table salt as their electrolyte which also creates a caustic gas: Sodium Chloride. Sodium Chloride gas does contain some hydrogen but also is a very caustic gas that will deteriorate the internal components of the engine.
Thus there is a need for a hydrogen/oxygen generator that overcomes the above listed and other disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed invention relates to a hydrogen/oxygen generator comprising: a dry cell electrolyzer, the dry cell electrolyzer configurable to be in communication with a battery; a power supply in communication with the dry cell electrolyzer; the power supply configurable to be in communication with a battery; a pulse width modulator in communication with the power supply; where the current supplied to the dry cell electrolyzer from the battery is at the resonant frequency of the dry cell electrolyzer.
The disclosed invention also relates to a hydrogen/oxygen generator system comprising: a dry cell electrolyzer; a battery in communication with the dry cell electrolyzer; a power supply in communication with the dry cell electrolyzer and the battery; a pulse width modulator in communication with the power supply; an electrolyte tank in communication with an air intake of an internal combustion engine, and in communication with the electrolyzer; and where the current supplied to the dry cell electrolyzer from the battery is at the resonant frequency of the dry cell electrolyzer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will be better understood by those skilled in the pertinent art by referencing the accompanying drawings, where like elements are numbered alike in the several figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the hydrogen/oxygen generator;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a gasket;

FIG. 3 is schematic view of the hydrogen/oxygen generator system;

FIG. 4 is schematic view of the electrical system of the hydrogen/oxygen generator system; and

FIG. 5 is a table of test data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the hydrogen/oxygen generator 50. An inlet plate 1 is adjacent to a first cathode plate 4. The inlet plate has a first hole 2 and a second hole 3. The holes 2, 3 may each be configured to thread onto a tube fitting, and the tube fitting may be attachable to a hose (not shown). A hose in communication with hole 2 may be an oxygen and hydrogen carrying hose. And a hose in communication with hole 3 may be an electrolytic fluid carrying hose. The first hole 2 is located generally near the top of the plate, and the second hole 3 (not visible in this view) is located generally near the bottom of the plate. A first diaphragm plate 8 and second diaphragm plate 12 are located between the first cathode plate 4 and a first anode plate 16. A third diaphragm plate 20 and fourth diaphragm plate 24 are located between the first anode plate 16 and a second cathode plate 28. A fifth and sixth diaphragm plate 32, 36 are located between the second cathode plate 28 and a second anode plate 40. A seventh and eighth diaphragm plate 44, 48 are located between the second anode plate 40 and a third cathode plate 52. Each of the cathode and anode plates 4, 16, 28, 40, 52 have tab connectors 56 extending out from the perimeter of the plate. Each of the plates have a first hole 60 and a second hole 64. The first hole is located generally near the top of the plate and the second hole 64 is located generally near the bottom of the plate. In the above described embodiment, there are 3 cathode plates, 2 anode plates, and 8 diaphragm plates, for a total of 13 plates that comprise the electrolyzer part of the hydrogen/oxygen generator 50. Between each adjacent pair of plates is a circular gasket 68, see FIG. 2. The adjacent plates therefore form a chamber bounded by the two adjacent plates and the gasket in between the two adjacent plates. A power supply 72 is in communication with a pulse width modulator control circuit (not visible in this figure). The power supply 72 and control circuit are in communication with a power relay 76, and these components may be referred to in combination as the electronics package of the hydrogen/oxygen generator 50. A vehicle battery (not shown in this figure) provides power to the pulse width modulator control circuit and the power supply 72. The power relay 76 prevents the current from overloading the pulse width modulator control circuit A fan 80 and timer 84 may also be in communication with the power supply 72. The timer 84 may be configured to keep track of how long the device has been powered. The fan 80, timer 84, power supply 72, pulse width modulator control circuit, and relay 76 may all be inside an enclosure 88. A return plate 92 attaches to the inlet plate 1 via spacers 96 and attachment means (not shown, but may include and are not limited to machine screws). Power is supplied to the cathode and anode plates 4, 16, 28, 40, 52 from the power supply 72 via jumpers 100 attached to the tab connectors 56.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing how the disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator works with an internal combustion engine. The hydrogen/oxygen generator 50 comprises the electrolyzer 104 and the electronics package 108. The electronics package 108 and electrolyzer 104 are in electrical communication with the vehicle battery 112. An electrolyte tank 116 supplies electrolyte to the electrolyzer 104. The electrolyte tank 116 is also configured to receive hydrogen and oxygen gas generated by the electrolyzer. The hydrogen and oxygen gas is delivered to the air intake 120 of the internal combustion engine 124. An important advantage of this invention is that the hydrogen and/or oxygen gas may be at atmospheric pressure when generated by the electrolyzer 104 and delivered to the air intake 120.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the electrical system of the hydrogen/oxygen generator attached to a vehicle battery. A pulse width modulator control circuit 128 is in communication with the power supply 72, and power control relay 76. The vehicle battery 112 is in communication with the power supply 72, the electrolyzer 104, and power control relay 76. The cooling fan 80 and timer 84 are in communication with the power supply 72.
In one embodiment, the electrolyzer may be connected to the positive side of the supply voltage. The electrolyzer is not energized until the pulse width modulator control circuit 128 is energized. The frequency leg is through the negative side of the electrolyzer. This set-up makes the output more stable. In prior art devices, the frequency is often fed through the positive terminal and through the device and out the negative terminal.
FIG. 5 is a table showing test results using the disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator. The first column shows the amount of potassium hydroxide (pot ash) by tablespoon per/quart of distilled water used as the electrolyte. The voltage and current supplied to the electrolyzer is shown in the next two columns. The flow in liters per minute using an “air scale” is the fourth column, that is the flow meter was calibrated to show air flow. The actual calculated hydrogen flow and oxygen flow derived from the flow meter is shown in the last two columns. Thus, based on the table, the “sweet spot” is where the most hydrogen and oxygen flow occurs at generally a non-Hot temperature. The sweet spot rows are noted in the “Notes” column.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator increases fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines by supplementing the fuel burned with hydrogen/oxygen gas. The hydrogen/oxygen gas is combined with the fuel air mixture in the cylinder of the internal combustion engine creating a more volatile burn, as opposed to being added to directly to the fuel line. The addition of the generated hydrogen/oxygen gas to the fuel air mixture in a piston achieves the following: increased horse power; increased cylinder productivity; increased engine efficiency; and reduced emissions—when the hydrogen/oxygen gas burns in the cylinder, it burns more completely thereby reducing the emissions.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator can be used with any fuel alternative used with internal combustion engines. For example, it can be used with vehicles running on natural gas, diesel or bio fuels.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator is a dry cell device. Due to the configuration, the electrolyte fluid is passed through the cell and never touches the outside of the cell. The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator generates hydrogen/oxygen gas at atmospheric pressure. The plate design and configuration maximizes the output of the device and minimizes maintenance.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator uses specifically tuned electronics, coupled with the on-board power (e.g. the vehicle battery), to match the resonant frequency of the electrolysis cell. In one embodiment, the resonant frequency of the disclosed electrolyzer is about 13.4 KHz. Thus, the current supplied to the electrolyzer is at the same frequency that is the resonant frequency of the electrolyzer. When the current supplied to the electrolyzer at the electrolyzer's resonant frequency, the liberation of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms from the electrolytic fluid is greatly increased. The electronics are auto ranging so they can automatically adjust from 8VDC to 32VDC which accommodates all known operating voltages of current internal combustion engines today.
The pulse width modulator greatly increases the output of the disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator (up to about 32 L/m of hydrogen/oxygen gas) while reducing any safety concerns and or issues while making the device versatile enough to accommodate any size engine.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator may be made with materials chosen to protect from internal corrosion.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator may use a series of 316-L stainless steel generally round plates separated by gaskets made out of any suitable material, including but not limited to Butyl rubber, the gaskets and plates creating individual open cell chambers. The hydrogen/oxygen generating plates are generally sandwiched between two plates (the return plate and inlet plate) that are made out of any suitable material including but not limited to Delrin.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator may use Blanchard Grinding. Blanchard Grinding is generally a series of cross hatched etches in the surface of the plate that creates peaks and valleys in the surface thus creating more free surface area for the fluid to touch. This results in the creation of a large amount of surface area on the hydrogen/oxygen Cell plates.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator improves hydrogen/oxygen output by minimizing the spacing between the chamber walls. For instance, the cell plates may be 316-L stainless steel plates that are about 0.03″ thick and are about 0.06″ apart from each other. The distance between the Anode and Cathode plates may be about 0.26″
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator is configured to inject the generated hydrogen/oxygen gas into the air inlet at atmospheric pressure so it can be mixed within the air stream of the engine and mix thoroughly. This injection of hydrogen/oxygen gas will greatly improve the operation of said internal combustion engine, both in regards to fuel consumption as well as detrimental exhaust products.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator can appeal to a wider range of applications due to its adjustable output. It can be used by individual consumers to large industrial users and fleet operations. The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator poses no safety issues since no residual hydrogen/oxygen gas is left in the vehicle. The hydrogen/oxygen gas is injected directly into the vehicle air stream without pressurization, so when the system is turned off all remaining hydrogen/oxygen gas is released into the atmosphere. Another advantage to the disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator is the electrolytic fluid can be specifically tuned to the size and quantity of the plates, the surface area of the plates and the frequency of the driving electronics. The electrolyte fluid may be comprised from a formula of about 2.35% Distilled water and Sodium Hydroxide solution by volume. This makes the electrolyte non caustic in this device and also biodegradable which makes it safe for the engine and also the environment. The fluid only needs to be replenished every 2 months.
The disclosed electrolyte fluid is totally safe for the engine and the environment and is not corrosive or caustic in any way. Other devices do not use tuned results for their electrolyte and they may use anywhere from ten to twenty five percent of Sodium Hydroxide solution which can be caustic. Certain others claim to use plain tap water and table salt as their electrolyte which also creates a caustic gas called Sodium Hydroxide, which is known to deteriorate internal metallic engine components.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator is generally comprised of three main parts: 1. The hydrogen/oxygen Dry Cell, also called the electrolyzer (the hydrogen Dry Cell consists of: specially machined mechanical components; and electronic circuitry); 2. An electrolyte tank, which may be any suitable sized tank, including but not limited to a one quart tank; and 3. electrolyte fluid.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator may be comprised of highly machined mechanical components coupled with specifically tuned electronics which when married together develop a high output hydrogen/oxygen generator. In one embodiment, the device is held together by mechanical fasteners and connected to the electronics via 8 awg stranded copper wire. The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator may be used in an internal combustion engine to create hydrogen/oxygen gas as a supplement to the on board fuel. The device is considered an on demand system where as the hydrogen/oxygen is only generated when the engine is on and it will not store any on-board hydrogen/oxygen from the generating process.
The disclosed hydrogen/oxygen generator may be installed as follows. Secure the electrolyzer to the inside of the engine compartment, preferably on a level surface. Attach the supplied positive cable that is attached to the anode side of the device to the positive terminal of the vehicle battery. Mount the supplied on/off switch inside the vehicle and run the pigtail from one terminal of the switch to the ground of the vehicle. Run the supplied black switch wire, mounted to the unit, to the inside of the vehicle and attached to the other terminal of the mounted switch. Attach the supplied electrolyte tank inside the engine compartment so it is approximately 3″ above the electrolyzer fluid ports. Attach the supplied fluid hoses to the bottom side of the tank and also to the upper and lower ports on the device. Attach the supplied gas hose to the exit port on top of the electrolyte tank. Run the gas hose to the air filter compartment on the vehicle and cut to length. Attached the supplied hose mount to the air filter compartment and attach the gas hose to the mount. Secure any loose hose and or wires to the vehicle with the supplied wire ties. Fill electrolyte tank with the electrolyte to the fill line.
The electrolyte tank has a two-fold purpose of operation. The first purpose is to store the electrolyte fluid for use in the generator and the second is to act as a flame barrier between the air intake of the engine and the generator. If there were any backfires the subsequent burn would only carry back to the tank and not past the fluid, protecting the generator from harm. The electrolyte fluid stored in the tank may passed through a series of 5″ diameter plates that are of the configuration of 2 anodes and 3 cathodes with two neutral plates in between the anode and cathodes for a total of 13 plates. The plates are put together with gaskets separating the plates that create separate chambers that the fluid will pass through when the device is energized. This process if referred to as electrolysis and the device would be considered a dry cell electrolyzer.
As the generating process is underway the fluid enters the bottom of the device and the gas that is generated leaves the device through a port at the top. As water seeks its own level the process creates a pumping action that is constantly circulating the fluid through the device. As the fluid and gas escape from the device they enter back into the tank and the fluid is circulated back to the device and the gas bubbles up to the top of the tank. The gas that bubbles up is then piped into the air intake of the engine and mixed with the incoming air and then blended with the on board fuel at the injector site. The by products from blending the hydrogen/oxygen with the on board fuel creates a leaner cleaner burn thus reducing emissions, increases horse power and subsequently efficiencies of the engine. After the mixture is burned the hydrogen/oxygen turns back into water and goes out the tailpipe as water droplets.
It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like may be used herein to modify elements performing similar and/or analogous functions. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated.
While the disclosure has been described with reference to several embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrogen/oxygen generator comprising:

a dry cell electrolyzer, the dry cell electrolyzer configurable to be in communication with a battery;

a power supply in communication with the dry cell electrolyzer; the power supply configurable to be in communication with a battery;

a pulse width modulator in communication with the power supply;

wherein the current supplied to the dry cell electrolyzer from the battery is at the resonant frequency of the dry cell electrolyzer.

2. The hydrogen/oxygen generator of claim 1, wherein the electrolyzer comprises:

an inlet plate, the inlet plate having a first hole and a second hole;

a first cathode plate located adjacent to the inlet plate;

a first diaphragm plate located adjacent to the first cathode plate, and on a side opposite form the inlet plate;

a second diaphragm plate located adjacent to the first diaphragm plate;

a first anode plate located adjacent to the second diaphragm plate;

a third diaphragm plate located adjacent to the first anode plate;

a fourth diaphragm plate located adjacent to the third diaphragm plate;

a second cathode plate located adjacent to the fourth diaphragm plate;

a fifth diaphragm plate located adjacent to the second cathode plate;

a sixth diaphragm plate located adjacent to the fifth diaphragm plate;

a second anode plate located adjacent to the sixth diaphragm plate;

a seventh diaphragm plate located adjacent to the second anode plate;

an eighth diaphragm plate located adjacent to the seventh diaphragm plate;

a third cathode plate located adjacent to the eighth diaphragm plate;

a return plate located adjacent to the third cathode plate;

each of the cathode plates, diaphragm plates, and anode plates, comprising a first hole located generally near the top of the plate, and a second hole located generally near the bottom of the plate;

a gasket located between each pair of adjacent plates, forming a chamber bounded by the two adjacent plates and the gasket in between the two adjacent plates.

3. The hydrogen/oxygen generator of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency of the dry cell electrolyzer is about 13.4 KHz.

4. The hydrogen/oxygen generator of claim 1, further comprising an electrolyte tank configurable to be to be in communication with an air intake of an internal combustion engine, and configurable to be in communication with the electrolyzer.

5. The hydrogen/oxygen generator of claim 1, wherein both sides of the cathode plates, diaphragm plates, and anode plates has Blanchard grinding.

6. The hydrogen/oxygen generator of claim 1, where the hydrogen and oxygen gases generated by the dry cell electrolyzer are generally at atmospheric pressure.

7. The hydrogen/oxygen generator of claim 2, where the inlet plate and return plate are made out of a non-conducting material.

8. The hydrogen/oxygen generator of claim 7, where the inlet plate and return plate are made out of delrin.

9. The hydrogen/oxygen generator of claim 1, further comprising:

an anode side of the electrolyzer;

a cathode side of the electrolzer;

wherein the anode side of the electrolyzer is configurable to be in communication with the positive terminal of the battery, and the cathode side of the electrolyzer is in communication with the pulse width modulator so that when energized, the current frequency is driven through the anode of the electrolyzer to the cathode side of the electrolyzer and then on to the pulse width modulator.

10. A hydrogen/oxygen generator system comprising:

a dry cell electrolyzer,

a battery in communication with the dry cell electrolyzer;

a power supply in communication with the dry cell electrolyzer and the battery;

a pulse width modulator in communication with the power supply;

an electrolyte tank in communication with an air intake of an internal combustion engine, and in communication with the electrolyzer; and

11. The hydrogen/oxygen generator system of claim 10, wherein the electrolyzer comprises:

an inlet plate, the inlet plate having a first hole and a second hole;

a first cathode plate located adjacent to the inlet plate;

a second diaphragm plate located adjacent to the first diaphragm plate;

a first anode plate located adjacent to the second diaphragm plate;

a third diaphragm plate located adjacent to the first anode plate;

a fourth diaphragm plate located adjacent to the third diaphragm plate;

a second cathode plate located adjacent to the fourth diaphragm plate;

a fifth diaphragm plate located adjacent to the second cathode plate;

a sixth diaphragm plate located adjacent to the fifth diaphragm plate;

a second anode plate located adjacent to the sixth diaphragm plate;

a seventh diaphragm plate located adjacent to the second anode plate;

an eighth diaphragm plate located adjacent to the seventh diaphragm plate;

a third cathode plate located adjacent to the eighth diaphragm plate;

a return plate located adjacent to the third cathode plate;

12. The hydrogen/oxygen generator system of claim 10, wherein the resonant frequency of the dry cell electrolyzer is about 13.4 KHz.

13. The hydrogen/oxygen generator system of claim 10, wherein both sides of the cathode plates, diaphragm plates, and anode plates has Blanchard grinding.

14. The hydrogen/oxygen generator system of claim 10, where the hydrogen and oxygen gases generated by the dry cell electrolyzer are generally at atmospheric pressure.

15. The hydrogen/oxygen generator system of claim 11, where the inlet plate and return plate are made out of a non-conducting material.

16. The hydrogen/oxygen generator system of claim 15, where the inlet plate and return plate are made out of delrin.

17. The hydrogen/oxygen system of claim 9, further comprising:

an anode side of the electrolyzer;

a cathode side of the electrolyzer;