US20220325428A1

US20220325428A1 - Mantle peridotite based-activated carbon electrodes used in oxygen reduction of saltwater to generate hydrogen (H+) using the electrolytic reductions water splitting method

Info

Publication number: US20220325428A1
Application number: US17/300,198
Authority: US
Inventors: Teresita Amponin Canuto
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-04-12
Filing date: 2021-04-12
Publication date: 2022-10-13
Also published as: US20220411946A1

Abstract

An apparatus composed of three canal basins with a lock in between to allow the storage of the solution in each basin. When the lock is lifted slightly it allows the solution to pass into the next basin for use in electrolysis. Carbon electrodes (e.g. mantle peridotite based-activated carbon electrodes or graphite electrodes) that are submerged in the solution (saltwater) are attached to the positive and negative wires of the battery. The battery provides the direct electric current (DC) to power the electrolysis. The carbon electrodes transfer the electrons to the cathode when electricity runs through and passes to the water and carbon electrodes. An electrode connects the cathode wire of the battery and collects some of the electrons and hydrogen ions and transfer them to the cathode tube storage. Afterwards, the hydrogen gas is transferred to the portable hydrogen tank.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to better way to get hydrogen fuel from water. As stated by Peter Byrley “Hydrogen production is expensive and energy-intensive. Industrial production by hydrogen requires high temperatures, large facilities and an enormous amount of energy. In fact, it usually comes from fossil fuels like natural gas and therefore isn't actually a zero-emission fuel source.
Now finally becoming a reality for the average consumer to get a portable hydrogen fuel with zero-emission fuel source. A significant progress toward a clean-energy future. The method use I producing hydrogen (H+) out of the water is electrolytic reductions or electrolysis. A carbon electrodes are used in electrolysis due to their competence as a conductor and the number of free electrons they have available for transfer, low cost, longevity and ease of procurement. An external voltage drives the reaction using a battery that powered the electrolysis process. The carbon electrodes suspended in water or electrolyte (saltwater), an electrical currents passing through it, the compound's constituents become ionized or separate into positively and negatively charged ions. Positive charged ions are attracted to the negative electrode (the cathodes, where they received electrons (oxidation process) while the negatively charged ions are attracted towards the anode (the positively charged electrode) where they give up electrons (reduction).
The collected electrons and ions of hydrogen are stored in the cathode tube storage made up of aluminum metal. The cathode tube storage has a fully-auto-shut-off mechanism when full tank with hydrogen gas. It has a vacuum pipe where a hose material can be attached to transfer the hydrogen to the portable gas tank.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive portable hydrogen fuel with zero-emission fuel source that utilizes water from snow, seawater, water from lakes and rivers, from rainfall and water from the faucet. Water from snow, seawater, water from lakes and rivers, rainfall are all abundant renewable resources for hydrogen fuel production.
The method involves the use of volt, carbon electrodes suspended directly in water with added NaCL in the process of electrolytic reductions or electrolysis. Electrolysis uses electricity to split water. The carbon electrodes mix in saltwater with electrical current passing through it, positively charged ions flow towards the cathode, where they receive electrons while the negatively charged ions are attracted to the positively charged ions flow towards the cathode, where they receive electrons while the negatively charged ions are attracted to the positively charged anode and lose electrons. Electrolysis is an example of redox reactions where an external voltage drives the reaction: a battery powered electrolytic process.
Collecting pure hydrogen from water is slow but the other option to collect more electrons faster requires the addition of ions such as sodium chloride (NaCl). Sodium chloride dissolved in water are added in water (saltwater) that can be electrolyze. Driven by an external source of voltage, hydrogen ions flow to the cathode to combine with electrons to produce hydrogen gas in a reduction reaction. On the other hand, OH⁻ions flow to the anode to release electrons and hydrogen (H+) ion to produced oxygen gas in an oxidation reaction, water molecules are reduced to hydroxide ions (OH−) and hydrogen gas. At the cathode sodium ions are being reduced to sodium metal. Chlorine gas, hydrogen and aqueous sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution the overall results.
Getting Hydrogen from Snow is an Inexpensive Renewable Resource
Winter is associated with snow and freezing temperature. Snow affect human activities and ecosystem. The liquid equivalent of snowfall maybe evaluated using a snow gauge or with a standard rain gauge, adjusted for winter by removal of a funnel and inner cylinder. Both types of gauges meet the accumulated snow and report the amount of water calculated.
People living in states with abundant snow such as in Washington, Chicago, Oregon, Utah, Alaska, New York, Michigan, Idaho among others and as far as Siberia, Nepal can produce their own hydrogen fuel. The melted water from snow provides hydrogen to be usable as fuel that is economical and efficient. Just a proper mixture of a catalyst at extracting hydrogen from water or electrolyte produces hydrogen gas, a completely clean and renewable source of energy.
Other Inexpensive Renewable Resources of Hydrogen are from the Sea, Lakes and Rivers, Rainfall and Stormwater and or Water from the Faucet
Water can be found in the sea, lakes and rivers, rainfall and stormwater. These abundant resources are available to people to produce hydrogen out of water and use the collected hydrogen gas as their fuel in cooking and warming the inside of their homes. Water from the faucet who have it at their homes can collect hydrogen utilizing the water as renewable resource of energy.
Top ten coldest countries in the world that produce huge amount of snow due to the wrath of the severe winter are as follows: Antarctica, Russia, Canada, Kazakhstan, The United States of America, Greenland, Iceland, Mongolia, Finlad and Estonia. List of top eleven countries with most rainfall in the world are as follows: Columbia, Sao Tome, Papua New Guineas, Solomon Island, Panama, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.
It is also an object of the present invention to offset the rising greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere of the planet. The rising greenhouse concentrations affect the global temperature and caused the warming of the planet.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem a portable hydrogen fuel with zero-emission fuel source is invented to provide the average consumers with a portable hydrogen fuel for use in their cooking. Burning of wood and biomass use as fuel for cooking and fireplaces causes greenhouse emissions. The consequences of widespread use of burning of wood and biomass as heating stove have an impact to the environment such as increase of greenhouse emissions and destruction of biodiversity of flora and fauna dependent on forests. There are fifteen countries listed as heavy users of biomass in Africa, two in Central American countries (Haiti and Guatemala), and three in Asian countries (Nepal, Cambodia, and Myanmar).
As Stated in WorldFacts by Vijayalaxmi Kinhal of World Atlas

- What is Biomass? Which Countries Burn the Most Biomass?

“Ever since humanity harnessed the power of fire it has depended upon it to cook, stay warm, and provide energy for other uses. Though many parts of the third world, the traditional practice of burning biomass and waste to produce heat and other forms of energy continues to help meet the need of such arising from a lack of reliable modern energy services. Though lower income regions are beginning to use more modern forms of energy, biomass and waste still remain a common source of energy, and account for 14% of world wide energy output.”
Areas Where Biomass And Waste Are Used As A Primary Source of Energy
“Wood, forestry residue, animal dung, human excrement, and agricultural residues in the form of crop waste like stalks and coconut husks are used. Those these are renewable energy sources, the stoves used for burning these have an energy efficiency of only 10%, so 90% of the biomass burnt is wasted. Most of the biomass is used as the primary energy source by people for heating and cooking, ranging from 65% in Haiti, 72% in Kenya, 78% in Democratic Republic of Congo, 81.5% in Nigeria, 85% in Tanzania, to 89% in Kenya and Niger. In all the countries, rural households are more dependent on biomass then peri-urban and urban areas for cooking. Its use in rural households varies in different countries, from 99% of the population in Ethiopia, to 95% in Mozambique. While in urban Ethiopia biomass is used by 84% of the population. In addition, 12% and 6% of the biomass is used for transportation in Haiti and Nepal, respectively. Industrial use of biomass for heating is prevalent in Haiti (4%), Nepal (6%), Myanmar (20%) and Sudan (20%). These usually scale industries like sugar mills, sawmills, bricks production, and tobacco curing. Other uses of biomass are commercial services like restaurants, and baking as well as art and crafts. Nepal also uses 1% of its wood in agriculture.”
The Consequences of Widespread Biomass Energy Use “The effects of biomass use impact the well being of both people and the environment.
1) Health Issues
Burning wood and waste indoors for cooking on the traditional stoves produces more smoke than heat. On the long term smoke inhalation is hazardous to health, causing lung diseases.
2) Environmental Issues
People cut down trees in an unregulated manner, without being accompanied by reforestation to replace the lost forests, leading to widespread deforestation:
(a) Deforestation results in land degradation, as the bare soil is subject to water and wind erosion. Moreover, all of the 20 countries that are heavy users of biomass lie in the tropics. In tropical climate waste biomass is decomposed rapidly to form organic matter, due to the ideal temperatures and humid. These ideal climatic conditions also help plants to grow trees grow fast using the nutrients, so most of the nutrients in a tropical system are locked in the trees and not present in the soil. When trees are cut and removed, these nutrients no longer circulate in that ecosystem, leading to impoverishment of the soil.
(b) All forests are important carbon sinks, and prevent climate change However, the reapidly growing tropical forests are particularly suited to absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so loss of tropical forests contributes to increased levels of greenhouse gases.
(c) Burning of wood and waste causes pollution and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
(d) Deforestation results in the loss of precious biodiversity of flora and the fauna dependent on the forests.
(e) Animal dung and crop residues have alternate use as manure for agriculture so heavy reliance on the agricultural waste for energy, ultimately decreases farm productivity, adding to poverty.”
Other Regions Dependent on Traditional Biomass for Fuel
“Traditional biomass as fuel is the strongest in Africa, where the extraction of wood from forests and savannas is seen more fuel than for timber. 15 out of 20 countries listed as heavy users of biomass are in Africa. Two central American countries, Haiti (81%), and Guatemala (62.8%), and three Asian countries, Nepal (80.6%), Cambodia (66.9%), and Myanmar (65.3%), also depend heavily on biomass.”

20 Countries Turning Waste and Biomass Into Energy

			Biomass and Combustible Waste
	Rank	Country	as Percentage of Energy Supply

	1	Ethiopia	92.9%
	2	DR Congo	92.2%
	3	Tanzania	85.0%
	4	Nigeria	81.5%
	5	Haiti	81.0%
	6	Nepal	80.6%
	7	Togo	79.9%
	8	Mozambique	79.8%
	9	Eritrea	78.2%
	10	Zambia	76.9%
	11	Ivory Coast	73.6%
	12	Niger	73.2%
	13	Kenya	72.2%
	14	Cambodia	66.9%
	15	Myanmar	65.3%
	16	Cameroon	65.0%
	17	Sudan	62.9%
	18	Guatemala	62.8%
	19	Zimbabwe	61.8%
	20	Republic of Congo	59.2%

Reference:
World Facts
World Atlas
Vijayalaxmi Kinhal
Mar. 18, 2019

The above data shows the information of who were the user of woods, biomass, and combustible waste for use in energy or fuel which contribute to greenhouse emission that's warming the planet. It is not the intention to demean these countries for their use of woods, biomass, and combustible waste for their fuel and energy use but direct information the contributors of greenhouse emission are important in addressing the problem of climate change.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A pair of carbon electrodes 61 a and 61 b as shown in FIG. 6 used in oxygen reduction of saltwater to generate hydrogen (H+) using the electrolytic reductions water splitting method or electrolysis is described. A zinc-carbon battery (ex. National hyper battery) 64 as shown in FIG. 6 is the source of direct electric current (DC) responsible for the breakdown of elements via electricity. The zinc-carbon battery 64 is a dry cell that provides direct electric current that produces a voltage of about 1.5 volts, the voltage that is needed for an electrolysis to occur called the decomposition potential.
A voltage regulator 65, as shown in FIG. 6, is designed and added to the circuit to keep a constant output of voltage even when the input voltage changes. The dry cell has a zinc-anode and carbon rod of positive polarity, the cathode that collects the current. Attached at both side ends of zinc-anode and cathode of the battery 64 are the anode (positive, red wire 62) and the cathode (negative, black wire 63) to power the electrolytic reductions. The red (positive 62) and negative (black 63) wires are clipped to each piece of carbon electrodes 61 a and 61 b that are submerged in the saltwater inside the apparatus 50.
The apparatus 50 has three basins (e.g., first big basin 41, second small basin 42, and third medium basin 43 as shown in FIGS. 4-6) and have one or more canal locks (e.g., first canal lock 47 and second canal lock 48 shown in FIG. 4) in between for storage of the saltwater to be use in electrolysis. The apparatus is made up of acrylic plastic or plexiglass. The apparatus 50 is called “electrolysis efficiency canal basin,” the name I gave. The carbon electrodes 61 a and 61 b may be submerged in the saltwater attached to the wires of the battery 64. The carbon electrodes 61 a and 61 b are made of either mantle peridotite based-activated carbon 85, as shown in FIG. 8, or from graphite carbon. With electricity or electrical current passing into the saltwater and carbon electrodes 61 a and 61 b, the hydrogen ions flow to the cathode to combine with electrons to produce hydrogen gas in a reduction reaction. While the OH− ion gas flow to the anode to release electrons and H+ to produce oxygen gas in oxidation reaction. On the other hand, the sodium chloride (NaCl) dissolved in water, the anode oxidizes chloride ions (Cl−) to chlorine gas (C12). At the cathode instead of sodium ions being reduced to sodium metal, water molecules are reduced to hydroxide ions (OH−) and hydrogen gas (H2). The overall result of chlorine gas, hydrogen and aqueous of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution.
An electrode from the cathode tube storage 610, as shown in FIG. 6, is being connected to the cathode electrode to collect some of the electrons and hydrogen ions during the electrolysis. The electrode moves the electrons and hydrogen gas into the cathode tube storage 610. The cathode tube storage 610 is made up of aluminum metal has an installed temperature controller called Watlow's PM plus temperature controller. The PM Plus limit or controls the temperature of the heat power of the cathode tube storage. The PM plus is remotely set up, has a picture of panel remote control. The PM Plus temperature has an easy programming of temperature set-up the heat power with the Bluetooth connectivity with the E-Z link mobile app for remote access capability and fuel descriptions of parameters and error codes.
The cathode tube storage 610 has a fully auto-shut-off mechanism when full tank with hydrogen. The cathode tube is equipped with radar device readable via USB or SD card build IDDA power ¼ 20 thread to 6AA battery. The working mode can be online or SD card offline. A task scheduler app is set up in the laptop or Iphone for basic task such as (1) start (2) finish to mirror if the appliance has auto-shut-off when full tank. A red light in the cathode tube 610 turns off when the cathode tube auto-shut-off. The laptop or Iphone and cathode tube storage connect with the same WIFI connection or network connection. A sim card is placed in the slot of the cathode tube to connect it to the laptop or Iphone. A WIFI temperature moisture controller is utilized to control the temperature heat during the process of electrolysis.
The cathode tube storage 610 has a vacuum pipe where a hose material 720 can be attached to the vacuum pipe to transfer the hydrogen gas collected to the small portable gas tank 730 as shown in FIG. 7. A gas tank gauge is used to monitor pressure, the indicator moves into low gas, or refill areas. The portable gas tank ready for fuel use such as in cooking food using a stove burner 750. The hydrogen gas is a zero-emission fuel source will decrease levels of greenhouse emission and ultimately decrease poverty.
The burning of woods, biomass, and combustible waste in the traditional stove that produces smoke pollution will be stopped. People will be using a stove burner 750 that uses hydrogen gas with zero-emission fuel source that is inexpensive because the renewable resources are very abundant, can be found everywhere and accessible to everybody. As stated earlier these renewable resources are from the snow, sea, water from lakes and rivers, from rainfall and stormwater.

SPECIFICATION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

- 1) snow 1
- 2) snow to be melted 2
- 3) galvanized metal basin 3
- 4) swedish torch (initial means to heat or melt the snow, but later stove burner that uses hydrogen fuel can be used) 4
- 5) siphon way method of transferring the water or melted snow to the container 5
- 6) galvanized metal basin 3
- 7) containers filled up with water from the melted snow 7

FIG. 2

- 1) valve down stream 21
- 2) open port 22
- 3) pour water inside the port 23
- 4) streams (lake, river, sea, stormwater) 24
- 5) closed port 25
- 6) open valve 26
- 7) water from the stream 27
- 8) container with water 28
- 9) lake, river, sea or stormwater 29

FIG. 3

- 1) rain 31
- 2) gutter 32
- 3) water accumulated from rainfall 33
- 4) container 34
- 5) containers filled up with water from rainfall 35

FIG. 4

- 1) big basin 41
- 2) small basin 42
- 3) medium basin 43
- 4) cylinder tube (measures the correct amount of solution for electrolysis) 44
- 5) small hose that connects the cylinder tube to the small basin 45
- 6) on-off lock of the small hose 46
- 7) canal lock of the small basin 47
- 8) canal lock of the medium basin 48
- 9) saltwater in the medium basin 49
- 10) saltwater in the big basin 410

FIG. 5

- 1) electrolysis efficiency canal basin 50
- 2) small basin with saltwater 42
- 3) medium basin with saltwater 43
- 4) canal lock of small basin 47
- 5) saltwater 49
- 6) canal lock slightly lifted-up to allow the saltwater to pass through to the medium basin 48
- 7) big basin with saltwater 41

FIG. 6

- 1) carbon electrode submerged in a solution (saltwater) 61 a and 61 b
- 2) positive, red wire (anode) 62
- 3) negative, black wire (cathode) 63
- 4) battery (power supply) 64
- 5) voltage regulator 65
- 6) on-off switch of electricity 66
- 7) copper metal (cathode) 67
- 8) wire 68
- 9) copper metal (cathode) 69
- 10) cathode tube storage 610
- 11) saltwater 49
- 12) canal lock of medium basin 48
- 13) canal lock of small basin 47
- 14) electrolysis efficiency canal basin 50

FIG. 7

- 1) cathode tube storage 610
- 2) hose material that transfers the hydrogen gas to the small gas tank 720
- 3) portable small gas tank 730
- 4) portable gas tank filled up with hydrogen gas 740
- 5) stove burner using hydrogen gas fuel 750

FIG. 8

- 1) rock fragments of mantle peridotite (e.g. rich in ca⁺and Mg⁺) 81
- 2) glass cell (photovoltaic cell) created from the crushed rocks of peridotite, melted and formed into glass cell 82
- 3) glass cells formed into panel that can capture carbon dioxide CO₂in air 83
- 4) the glass cells mineralized after CO₂capture. The glass cells turned into an activated carbon
- 5) mantle peridotite based-activated carbon electrodes (made from mantle peridotite based-activated carbon) 85

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method for hydrogen gas generation by water electrolysis, the method comprising:

providing an electrolysis apparatus comprising a first basin, a second basin, and a third basin, wherein each basin is separate from another, a first canal lock, and a second canal lock, wherein the first canal lock separates the first basin from the second basin, and the second canal lock separates the second basin from the third basin, at least two carbon electrodes placed within the first basin, wherein the at least two carbon electrodes comprise a first carbon electrode and a second carbon electrode, a power supply connected to the first carbon electrode and to the second carbon electrode, and a cathode storage tube coupled to the power supply;

connecting a positive end of the power supply to one end of the first carbon electrode located in the first basin;

connecting a negative end of the power supply to one end of the second carbon electrode located in the first basin;

providing saltwater to a basin containing the at least two carbon electrodes in order to submerge the at least two carbon electrodes with the saltwater;

powering on the power supply in order to apply direct current for electrolysis to occur in the electrolysis apparatus, wherein electrons and the hydrogen gas are separated out due to the electrolysis from hydroxide ions;

transferring the hydrogen gas to the cathode tube that is coupled to the power supply;

collecting the hydrogen gas in the cathode tube coupled to the power supply;

storing the hydrogen gas in the cathode tube; and

transferring the hydrogen gas to a portable gas tank for use as a fuel source as needed.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, connecting the portable gas tank to another device that can use the hydrogen gas in the portable gas tank as the fuel source.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

filling the first basin with the saltwater, wherein the at least two cathodes are located in the first basin;

lifting the first lock so that a first amount of saltwater fills the second basin; and

if necessary, lifting the second lock so that a second amount of the saltwater fills the third basin in order to provide a correct amount of the saltwater within the first basin for the electrolysis to occur.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a measuring tube is coupled to the electrolysis apparatus, wherein the measuring tube measures a correct amount of the saltwater to transfer to the first basin.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a hose couples the measuring tube to the electrolysis apparatus.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first basin of the electrolysis basin is a large basin, the second basin is a smallest size basin, and the third basin is a medium size basin compared to the large basin and the smallest size basin, wherein the first basin is configured to hold the at least two carbon electrodes, and wherein the first basin stores a largest amount of the saltwater, and wherein the second basin and the third basin can receive excess saltwater when the first canal lock and the second canal lock are lifted.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the cathode tube comprises an auto-shut off mechanism that becomes triggered when the cathode tube is full.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the power supply is a battery.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein a voltage regulator is coupled to the power supply in order to keep a constant output of voltage.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least two carbon electrodes comprise mantle peridotite based-activated carbon electrodes.