WO2010053387A1 - A method and reactor for thermal decomposition of water - Google Patents

A method and reactor for thermal decomposition of water Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2010053387A1
WO2010053387A1 PCT/PL2009/000069 PL2009000069W WO2010053387A1 WO 2010053387 A1 WO2010053387 A1 WO 2010053387A1 PL 2009000069 W PL2009000069 W PL 2009000069W WO 2010053387 A1 WO2010053387 A1 WO 2010053387A1
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Prior art keywords
reactor
tungsten
water
steam
oxygen
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PCT/PL2009/000069
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French (fr)
Inventor
Zdzislaw Pawlak
Ingemar Svensson
Original Assignee
Centrum Innowacji, Badan I Wdrozen
Svensson, Karol
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Publication of WO2010053387A1 publication Critical patent/WO2010053387A1/en

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05H—PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
    • H05H1/00—Generating plasma; Handling plasma
    • H05H1/24—Generating plasma
    • H05H1/48—Generating plasma using an arc
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J19/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
    • B01J19/08—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor
    • B01J19/087—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor employing electric or magnetic energy
    • B01J19/088—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor employing electric or magnetic energy giving rise to electric discharges
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J19/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
    • B01J19/18—Stationary reactors having moving elements inside
    • B01J19/1806—Stationary reactors having moving elements inside resulting in a turbulent flow of the reactants, such as in centrifugal-type reactors, or having a high Reynolds-number
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B13/00—Oxygen; Ozone; Oxides or hydroxides in general
    • C01B13/02—Preparation of oxygen
    • C01B13/0203—Preparation of oxygen from inorganic compounds
    • C01B13/0207—Water
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B13/00—Oxygen; Ozone; Oxides or hydroxides in general
    • C01B13/02—Preparation of oxygen
    • C01B13/0229—Purification or separation processes
    • C01B13/0248—Physical processing only
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen
    • C01B3/02—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen
    • C01B3/04—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen by decomposition of inorganic compounds, e.g. ammonia
    • C01B3/042—Decomposition of water
    • C01B3/045—Decomposition of water in gaseous phase
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen
    • C01B3/50—Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B5/00—Water
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
    • B01J2219/00049—Controlling or regulating processes
    • B01J2219/00051—Controlling the temperature
    • B01J2219/00074—Controlling the temperature by indirect heating or cooling employing heat exchange fluids
    • B01J2219/00087—Controlling the temperature by indirect heating or cooling employing heat exchange fluids with heat exchange elements outside the reactor
    • B01J2219/0009—Coils
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
    • B01J2219/08—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor
    • B01J2219/0871—Heating or cooling of the reactor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J2219/00—Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
    • B01J2219/08—Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor
    • B01J2219/0873—Materials to be treated
    • B01J2219/0875—Gas
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B2203/00—Integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas
    • C01B2203/04—Integrated processes for the production of hydrogen or synthesis gas containing a purification step for the hydrogen or the synthesis gas
    • C01B2203/0465—Composition of the impurity
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B2210/00—Purification or separation of specific gases
    • C01B2210/0043—Impurity removed
    • C01B2210/0053—Hydrogen
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
    • Y02E60/36—Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method of thermal decomposition of water and a reactor suitable for realization of the method, operating at a preferably high pressure and a very high temperature, and at the same time utilising the large difference between hydrogen and oxygen specific gravities, and vortex centrifugal force to separate the gases.
  • RU2041039 Cl patent application discloses a plasmatron solution whereby water steam is the plasma-creating gas. Water is first cooling the plasmatron' s components and then, flowing through a spiral heater, it converts to steam, and at the final stage, flowing through the plasmatron' s arc, it becomes plasma decomposing into hydrogen and oxygen.
  • the plasma when used for metal cutting for instance, is cutting the metal and, while cooling down, hydrogen atoms immediately react with oxygen atoms, returning heat still in the cut gap, and reconverting to water.
  • This problem is solved with the present invention related to a new thermal water decomposition method and a plasma reactor that concurrently utilises various physical phenomena.
  • the subassemblies are cooled with water forced-in under a very high pressure and then with steam, with as much heat recuperated as possible.
  • the hot steam is then injected at a speed exceeding Mach 2 through a flat nozzle (11) shown in Fig. 3, tangent to the perimeter of reactor's cylindrical internal chamber.
  • the internal reactor chamber's small diameter makes the steam whirl at a very high speed.
  • the nozzle is extended with an appropriately designed worm that enforces the vortex' laminar shift along the reactor chamber.
  • the whirling steam right away reaches the thermal effect zone of the heating element, electric arc or the microwave effect zone, where it immediately heats up to a very high temperature and, once the temperature is over 2700°C, the steam becomes plasma.
  • the oxygen moves to a ceramic spiral sleeve (7), where the oxygen, still whirling, returns its heat indirectly to a tube (6), where in turn it heats up the circulating steam, and the cooled down oxygen is discharged off the reactor.
  • the lighter hydrogen moves to an internal sleeve (8) also made of a high temperature resistant ceramic material, and following its heat's transfer to the walls it is discharged off the reactor as well.
  • the reactor's operation should be started and ended with input of a neutral gas (e.g. argon or helium). Since in a temperature above 2800 0 C hydrogen and oxygen are very reactive gases, the reactor shall be built of high temperature super resistant materials, such as tungsten, HfC or TaC carbides and their alloys, ThO 2 oxides, and others.
  • a neutral gas e.g. argon or helium
  • the reactor may be disassembled, and its worn-out components are easily replaceable. If some hydrogen gests in to the oxygen zone and vice versa, at the moment of the gases' cooling down a reaction occurs and the gases reconvert to steam. When the gases are completely cooled down and water condensates, it should be discharged off the reactor and may be returned to feed it.
  • FIG. 1 Plasma reactor according to the invention with electric arc as its plasma-creating heat source is presented in Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 2 is an assembly drawing of the basic components.
  • An external housing (1) preferably made of tungsten, holds a preferably tungsten sleeve (6) that is provided with a spiral turning for steam in its external wall and inside it contains a replaceable sleeve (5) and a ceramic sleeve (7) with an internal spiral turning. In the very centre there is centrically set another ceramic sleeve for hydrogen separation. All these components are closed with an insulating ring (2) most preferably made of thorium dioxide (ThO 2 ).
  • ThO 2 thorium dioxide
  • Screwed-down on the insulating ring (2) is a shield (3), most preferably made of tungsten, that in its central part holds the protruding reactor's internal electrode that is hollow and holds inside a pipe (4) for cooling water flow.
  • the entire assembly is sealed with three adequately heat-resistant gaskets (9) set in turned ducts (10). Electric power is supplied to the device's DC clamps.
  • Plasma reactor according to the invention with high-frequency microwave power supplied over capacitive coupling as its plasma-creating heat source is presented in Fig. 4.
  • An external housing (1) most preferably made of tungsten, holds a preferably tungsten sleeve (6) that is provided with a spiral turning for steam in its external wall, and inside it contains a centrically set ceramic sleeve (7), most preferably made of thorium dioxide (ThO 2 ), provided inside, over a part of its length, with a spiral turning. All these components are closed with an insulating ring (2), most preferably made of thorium dioxide (ThO 2 ).
  • the ring is provided with a tongue terminated with a hydrogen separator and at the same time it provides a protective jacket for a tungsten half-wave high- frequency antenna.
  • the entire assembly is sealed with adequately resistant gaskets (9).
  • a ceramic tube (12), being the hot helium conduit, is preferably made of an alloy of hafnium and tantalum carbides (TaHfC 5 ) with melting point 4215°C.
  • the other components are designed as in the previous Examples, provided that the external components may also be made of the above mentioned super-alloy.
  • Plasma reactor according to the invention with a tungsten heating rod as its plasma-creating heat source is as shown in Fig. 5, the difference being that the hot helium flow inside the ceramic protective jacket, most preferably made of an alloy of hafnium and tantalum carbides (TaHfC 5 ) with melting point 4215 °C, is replaced with the tungsten heating rod. Also the reactor's other internal components may be made of the alloy.
  • Hydrogen and oxygen are centrifugally separated in the high-temperature plasma reactor, where a thermolysis process is conducted under a preferably high pressure and at high temperature over 2700 0 C generated by the electric arc, high-frequency field effect, or the heating element that may be a tungsten rod or a flow through a pipe inside the reactor of helium heated up in a nuclear reactor, which method is supported by the vortex phenomenon and the large centrifugal force occurring therein, as well as 1 : 15 ratio of hydrogen and oxygen respective specific gravities at their separation in the reactor's hot zone.
  • the components of the reactor in its various embodiments are serially cooled by water pumped under high pressure, first through the internal electrode (4), and then through the tungsten heat exchanger (6) where the water converts to steam which further cools the reactor's remaining part, then the steam is partially decompressed in the nozzle (11) and whirling at the high speed in the heat source effect zone the steam converts to plasma and the large centrifugal forces separate the process gases.
  • a neutral gas preferably argon or helium, is used to start and stop the reactor's operation.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Plasma Technology (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for thermal decomposition of water, wherein hydrogen and oxygen are centrifugally separated in the high-temperature plasma reactor with the preferably tungsten cylindrical housing (1) that holds a number of tungsten and ceramic components (3, 6, 7, 8), and the entire assembly is interconnected with connecting and sealing agents, wherein a thermolysis process is conducted under a preferably high pressure and at high temperature over 27000C generated by the electric arc, high-frequency field effect, or the heating element that may be a tungsten rod or a flow through a pipe inside the reactor of helium heated up in a nuclear reactor, which method is supported by the vortex phenomenon and the large centrifugal force occurring therein, as well as 1 : 15 ratio of hydrogen and oxygen respective specific gravities at their separation in the reactor's hot zone. According to the invention the components of the reactor in its various embodiments are serially cooled by water pumped under high pressure, first through the internal electrode (4), and then through the tungsten heat exchanger (6) where the water converts to steam, which further cools the reactor's remaining part, then the steam is partially decompressed in the nozzle (11) and whirling at the high speed in the heat source effect zone the steam converts to plasma and the large centrifugal forces separate the process gases. The invention relates also to a plasma reactor used in the method according to the invention.

Description

DESCRIPTION A METHOD AND REACTOR FOR THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF WATER
This invention relates to a method of thermal decomposition of water and a reactor suitable for realization of the method, operating at a preferably high pressure and a very high temperature, and at the same time utilising the large difference between hydrogen and oxygen specific gravities, and vortex centrifugal force to separate the gases.
RU2041039 Cl patent application discloses a plasmatron solution whereby water steam is the plasma-creating gas. Water is first cooling the plasmatron' s components and then, flowing through a spiral heater, it converts to steam, and at the final stage, flowing through the plasmatron' s arc, it becomes plasma decomposing into hydrogen and oxygen. The plasma, when used for metal cutting for instance, is cutting the metal and, while cooling down, hydrogen atoms immediately react with oxygen atoms, returning heat still in the cut gap, and reconverting to water. In the cutting process the entire plasmatron thermal power is released outside it, and since there is not enough thermal energy received by water in the plasmatron cooling process to convert cooling water to steam, there is a spiral heater provided in the plasmatron that evaporates water still upstream of the plasmatron nozzle.
World-wide attempts - so far unsuccessful — are known to control the process of thermal water decomposition into hydrogen and oxygen. For thermal water decomposition high temperature is required over 2700°C that may be accomplished in solar power plants and high-temperature nuclear reactors. It is also permanently achievable in various: arc, microwave and laser plasmatrons.
This problem is solved with the present invention related to a new thermal water decomposition method and a plasma reactor that concurrently utilises various physical phenomena.
In the reactor design according to the present invention the subassemblies are cooled with water forced-in under a very high pressure and then with steam, with as much heat recuperated as possible. The hot steam is then injected at a speed exceeding Mach 2 through a flat nozzle (11) shown in Fig. 3, tangent to the perimeter of reactor's cylindrical internal chamber. The internal reactor chamber's small diameter makes the steam whirl at a very high speed. The nozzle is extended with an appropriately designed worm that enforces the vortex' laminar shift along the reactor chamber. The whirling steam right away reaches the thermal effect zone of the heating element, electric arc or the microwave effect zone, where it immediately heats up to a very high temperature and, once the temperature is over 2700°C, the steam becomes plasma. Water molecules decompose to hydrogen and oxygen atoms with their respective specific gravities' ratio 1 : 15. Since the plasma is brought up to speed over 800 m/s, in the chamber with ca. 20 mm diameter it yields to centrifugal acceleration of ca. 60 000 000 mm/s2, that is - over 6 million times higher than the gravitational acceleration. Such highly accelerated oxygen and hydrogen atoms of significantly different specific gravities are centrifugally separated, and fifteen times heavier oxygen is separated to the rector chamber's external wall. With the assumed hot reactor chamber length (ca. 45 mm) the travelling plasma vortex makes ca. 20 rotations and it covers the total perimeter route of ca. 1 200 mm. When the plasma is still hot, the gases are separated. Whirling outside, the oxygen moves to a ceramic spiral sleeve (7), where the oxygen, still whirling, returns its heat indirectly to a tube (6), where in turn it heats up the circulating steam, and the cooled down oxygen is discharged off the reactor. Whirling inside, the lighter hydrogen moves to an internal sleeve (8) also made of a high temperature resistant ceramic material, and following its heat's transfer to the walls it is discharged off the reactor as well.
The reactor's operation should be started and ended with input of a neutral gas (e.g. argon or helium). Since in a temperature above 28000C hydrogen and oxygen are very reactive gases, the reactor shall be built of high temperature super resistant materials, such as tungsten, HfC or TaC carbides and their alloys, ThO2 oxides, and others.
The reactor may be disassembled, and its worn-out components are easily replaceable. If some hydrogen gests in to the oxygen zone and vice versa, at the moment of the gases' cooling down a reaction occurs and the gases reconvert to steam. When the gases are completely cooled down and water condensates, it should be discharged off the reactor and may be returned to feed it.
The subject reactor is described in the following examples presenting embodiments of the invention.
E x a m p l e 1. Plasma reactor according to the invention with electric arc as its plasma-creating heat source is presented in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is an assembly drawing of the basic components. An external housing (1), preferably made of tungsten, holds a preferably tungsten sleeve (6) that is provided with a spiral turning for steam in its external wall and inside it contains a replaceable sleeve (5) and a ceramic sleeve (7) with an internal spiral turning. In the very centre there is centrically set another ceramic sleeve for hydrogen separation. All these components are closed with an insulating ring (2) most preferably made of thorium dioxide (ThO2). Screwed-down on the insulating ring (2) is a shield (3), most preferably made of tungsten, that in its central part holds the protruding reactor's internal electrode that is hollow and holds inside a pipe (4) for cooling water flow. The entire assembly is sealed with three adequately heat-resistant gaskets (9) set in turned ducts (10). Electric power is supplied to the device's DC clamps.
E x a m p l e 2. Plasma reactor according to the invention with high-frequency microwave power supplied over capacitive coupling as its plasma-creating heat source is presented in Fig. 4. An external housing (1), most preferably made of tungsten, holds a preferably tungsten sleeve (6) that is provided with a spiral turning for steam in its external wall, and inside it contains a centrically set ceramic sleeve (7), most preferably made of thorium dioxide (ThO2), provided inside, over a part of its length, with a spiral turning. All these components are closed with an insulating ring (2), most preferably made of thorium dioxide (ThO2). The ring is provided with a tongue terminated with a hydrogen separator and at the same time it provides a protective jacket for a tungsten half-wave high- frequency antenna. The entire assembly is sealed with adequately resistant gaskets (9).
E x a m p l e 3. Plasma reactor according to the invention with helium gas heated to temperature ca. 3000°C in a nuclear reactor as its plasma-creating heat source is presented in Fig. 5. A ceramic tube (12), being the hot helium conduit, is preferably made of an alloy of hafnium and tantalum carbides (TaHfC5) with melting point 4215°C. The other components are designed as in the previous Examples, provided that the external components may also be made of the above mentioned super-alloy.
E x a m p l e 4. Plasma reactor according to the invention with a tungsten heating rod as its plasma-creating heat source is as shown in Fig. 5, the difference being that the hot helium flow inside the ceramic protective jacket, most preferably made of an alloy of hafnium and tantalum carbides (TaHfC5) with melting point 4215 °C, is replaced with the tungsten heating rod. Also the reactor's other internal components may be made of the alloy. E x a m p l e 5. In the plasma reactor as described in Examples 1-4 a method for thermal decomposition of water is conducted. Hydrogen and oxygen are centrifugally separated in the high-temperature plasma reactor, where a thermolysis process is conducted under a preferably high pressure and at high temperature over 27000C generated by the electric arc, high-frequency field effect, or the heating element that may be a tungsten rod or a flow through a pipe inside the reactor of helium heated up in a nuclear reactor, which method is supported by the vortex phenomenon and the large centrifugal force occurring therein, as well as 1 : 15 ratio of hydrogen and oxygen respective specific gravities at their separation in the reactor's hot zone. The components of the reactor in its various embodiments are serially cooled by water pumped under high pressure, first through the internal electrode (4), and then through the tungsten heat exchanger (6) where the water converts to steam which further cools the reactor's remaining part, then the steam is partially decompressed in the nozzle (11) and whirling at the high speed in the heat source effect zone the steam converts to plasma and the large centrifugal forces separate the process gases.
A part of hydrogen penetrating into the oxygen zone at separation, when cooled down reacts with oxygen and reconverts to steam. Also a part of oxygen penetrating into the hydrogen zone at separation, when cooled down reacts with hydrogen and reconverts to steam. After cooling the gases and condensation, the water is recycled to the process. A neutral gas, preferably argon or helium, is used to start and stop the reactor's operation.

Claims

1. A method for thermal decomposition of water, wherein hydrogen and oxygen are centrifugally separated in the high-temperature plasma reactor with the preferably tungsten cylindrical housing (1) that holds a number of tungsten and ceramic components (3, 6, 7, 8), and the entire assembly is interconnected with connecting and sealing agents, wherein a thermolysis process is conducted under a preferably high pressure and at high temperature over 27000C generated by the electric arc, high-frequency field effect, or the heating element that may be a tungsten rod or a flow through a pipe inside the reactor of helium heated up in a nuclear reactor, which method is supported by the vortex phenomenon and the large centrifugal force occurring therein, as well as 1 : 15 ratio of hydrogen and oxygen respective specific gravities at their separation in the reactor's hot zone.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the components of the reactor in its various embodiments are serially cooled by water pumped under high pressure, first through the internal electrode (4), and then through the tungsten heat exchanger (6) where the water converts to steam which further cools the reactor's remaining part, then the steam is partially decompressed in the nozzle (11) and whirling at the high speed in the heat source effect zone the steam converts to plasma and the large centrifugal forces separate the process gases.
3. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that a part of hydrogen penetrating at separation into the oxygen zone, when cooled down reacts with oxygen and reconverts to steam, and vice versa, and after cooling the gases and condensation, the water is recycled to the process.
4. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that a neutral gas, preferably argon or helium, is used to start and stop the reactor's operation.
5. A plasma reactor for thermal decomposition of water with centrifugal separation of hydrogen and oxygen, that utilises various plasma-creating heat sources, characterised in that in the cylindrical housing (1), preferably made of tungsten, and resistant to high operating temperatures and pressures, a cylindrical heat exchanger (6) preferably made of tungsten is set, which heat exchanger may hold inside a replaceable sleeve (5) and a ceramic sleeve (7), and in its very centre a ceramic sleeve (8), and the entire assembly is closed with the ceramic ring (2) and the shield (3), preferably made of tungsten, which holds the water-cooled electrode (4) - in the embodiment involving electric arc.
6. The reactor according to claim 5, characterised in that the sleeve (6), preferably made of tungsten, is provided with the spiral turning on its outside to increase heat exchange surface for the circulating steam, and it holds sleeves (5) and (7) inside.
7. The reactor according to claim 5, characterised in that the sleeve (6) - in embodiments described in Examples 2, 3 and 4, is provided also inside with the spiral turning to increase heat exchange, over a part of its length.
8. The reactor according to claim 5, characterised in that the ceramic ring
(2), in its central part is provided with the nozzle (11) terminated with the worm to force laminar plasma flow.
PCT/PL2009/000069 2008-06-25 2009-06-25 A method and reactor for thermal decomposition of water WO2010053387A1 (en)

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US9923220B2 (en) 2011-06-08 2018-03-20 Bae Systems Plc Electricity generation
US11719135B2 (en) 2019-09-02 2023-08-08 Julio Cesar ARAYA MATTEO System and method for obtaining power by the use of low-quality hydrocarbons and hydrogen produced from the water in the generation of combustion energy
EP4450456A1 (en) * 2023-04-18 2024-10-23 Quantum Energy d.o.o. A device and a method for generation of high-temperature reactive gas flow from water vapour

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