Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Electrolytic
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-01
2001-06-19
Gorgos, Kathryn (Department: 1741)
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Electrolytic
C204S262000, C204S272000, C204S228100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06248221
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrolysis systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to improved materials, structures and methods for improving electrolysis systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since 1989, scientists have demonstrated that liquid and gaseous electrolysis processes, though not yet completely understood, may be able to address future heating and electrical power requirements. For example, it has been readily demonstrated that electrolysis of many fluids results in heat generation that can be employed for other purposes, e.g., heating or generation of electricity.
A growing need has developed for compact, reliable, rugged and self-contained power sources providing heat and/or electricity in applications such as mobile vehicles, trailers, and equipment support units. There is a concurrent need for reliable, rugged and self-contained power sources providing heat and/or electricity for larger stationary power requirements. A sense of urgency for such new power sources has resulted from the realization that fossil fuels are in limited supply. It will be appreciated that nuclear fission power plants are not an acceptable alternative due to the dangers associated with uncontrolled releases of fission products and the enormous environmental and political problems associated with waste disposal.
Early attempts to develop the needed energy production apparatus focused on energy production using nuclear batteries. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,290,522; 3,409,820, and 4,835,433, which patents are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. A radiation source was required, and radiation from this source which was absorbed in a potential barrier, e.g., p-n-p junction or metal-semiconductor contact, gave rise to electron-hole pairs that flowed as electricity due to the beta voltaic or Volta effect. Efficiencies on the order of about 25% were demonstrated.
In their now famous (or infamous) paper, Pons and Fleischmann reported excess heat in heavy water, palladium apparatus. See Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, “Electrochemically Induced Nuclear Fusion of Deuterium,” submitted to the Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Mar. 11, 1989. Due to the amount of heat produced per unit volume of cathode material, the energy measured in these types of apparatus has generally been considered to be from a nuclear process. Measurements of helium and tritium produced have given credibility to methods where heat is produced.
Recently, engineered devices based upon these results have been built with the objective of investigating the production of heat and by-products over extended periods of time. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,273,635 and 5,318,675, which patents are incorporated herein for all purposes, as well as Great Britain Patent No. 2 231 195, EP 0 568 118 and WO95/20816 have been granted for or described such devices, respectively. As a result, problems with the state of the art of methods of liquid and gaseous electrolysis have begun to be addressed by investigators with improved consistency. It will also be appreciated that problems associated with such systems include: hydrogen recombination with oxygen, with the potential for explosion; the relatively slow loading of hydrogen into cathodes; inefficient designs; and, the potential dangers of loaded, pressurized bulk material.
Further developments of and improvements in energy power systems utilizing liquid, plasma or gaseous, i.e., fluid, electrolysis techniques are severely hampered by a lack of:
(1) improved cathode materials;
(2) rugged yet porous reaction vessels;
(3) control circuitry designed to promote and control various aspects of long duration cathode loading and electrolytic cell operation; and
(4) an electronic control circuit to promote and control electric currents produced by nuclear processes similar to those developed by nuclear batteries.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Based on the above and foregoing, it can be appreciated that there presently exists a need in the art for an improved electrolysis system which overcomes the above-described deficiencies in the pertinent art. The present invention was motivated by a desire to overcome the drawbacks and shortcomings of the presently available technology, and thereby fulfill this need in the art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrolysis apparatus which preferably utilizes an improved cathode material. According to one aspect of the present invention, nanocrystalline material made by spray conversion processing advantageously can be used for the cathode reaction material.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved reaction vessel for an electrolysis apparatus. According to another aspect of the present invention, an improved reaction vessel advantageously can be constructed for porous, rugged, ceramic matrix composites.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved electronic control circuit for the improved electrolysis systems which is specifically adapted to control the physical processes associated with long duration electrolysis operations.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the inventive electrolysis apparatus applies to fluid, e.g., liquid, gas, or plasma, electrolysis systems having a cylindrical configuration which utilizes the above-mentioned improved cathode material, porous reaction vessel and application specific electrical control system. It should be mentioned that a cylindrical reaction vessel takes advantage of radial electric fields extending between its walls, thus promoting hydrogen transport in the direction of the reaction material.
These and other objects, features and advantages according to the present invention are provided by a cathode comprising a plurality of nanocrystalline particles formed by spray conversion processing. According to one aspect of the present invention, the nanocystalline particles are formed from a single element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni, Cu, Mo, Cr, Co, Mg, Ag, and W. According to another aspect of the present invention, the nanocystalline particles are formed from elements selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni, Cu, Mo, Cr, Co, Mg, Ag, and W.
These and other objects, features and advantages according to the present invention are provided by an electrolysis apparatus, which includes a cylindrical anode, a cylindrical cathode, a cathode material including nanocrystalline particles, and an insulator disposed between the anode and the cathode material to prevent contact between the anode and the cathode material.
These and other objects, features and advantages according to the present invention are provided by an electrolysis apparatus, including a cylindrical anode, a cylindrical cathode, and a cylindrical, consolidated cathode material including nanocrystalline particles, wherein all of the cylindrical anode, the cylindrical cathode, and the cylindrical, consolidated cathode material are disposed coaxially.
Moreover, the electrolysis apparatus preferably includes a control system for controlling the potential between the anode and the cathode. Advantageously, the control system, which can be employed in a fluid electrolysis apparatus, includes a programmable controller, a power supply, monitoring devices operatively coupled to the programmable controller, and electronic regulators controlled by the programmable controller and receiving power from the power supply for providing electric current and voltage so as to facilitate movement of hydrogen into a reaction volume disposed between the anode and the cathode.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the control system monitors and controls variations in current in the reaction volume under changing temperature, pressure and reaction conditions. According to another aspect of the present invention, the control system detects and equilibrates induced currents across the cathode material produced by reaction products. According to yet another asp
Davis Randolph R.
McGraw Thomas F.
Woll Richard S.
Gorgos Kathryn
Parsons Thomas H
Powell, Jr. Raymond H. J.
Westerlund Robert A.
Westerlund & Powell P.C.
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