Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Processes and products – Electrostatic field or electrical discharge
Patent
1985-05-02
1987-09-01
Niebling, John F.
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Processes and products
Electrostatic field or electrical discharge
204170, 204173, C07C 324
Patent
active
046907432
ABSTRACT:
A medium to high BTU fuel gas is synthesized in a closed tank using a diffuse electrical plasma. An electrode is disposed within, and electrically insulated from, an interface between immiscible mixtures of water and oil in the tank. Comminuted fossil fuel or carbon particles are dispersed in the oil near the interface. A voltage step up transformer connects a potential of about 2-5 kV (kilovolts) across an arc gap between the electrode and the water-oil interface. Electrical breakdown of the oil, due to the high voltage, produces an initial arc across the gap, which at steady state becomes a diffuse, partially-ionized, stable plasma. The electron flow in the plasma chemically and catalytically reforms compounds in the water and oil layers. A capacitor, connected across primary windings of the transformer, has a selected capacitance sufficient to modify the AC voltage and current waveforms so that the power factor of the combined circuit across the arc gap approaches unity. This significantly enhances the efficiency of the plasma as a chemical reformer. The interface spaced opposite the electrode is formed by an open top tray disposed within the oil opposite the electrode. Water is continuously added to the tray to fix the position of the water-oil interface with respect to the electrode at the overflow level of the tray. A chamber is positioned above and around the plasma to collect the gases which escape from the ionized reaction zone.
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Ethington Don
Riley Ray J.
Tock Richard W.
AL-CHEM Fuels, Inc.
Coffee Wendell
Niebling John F.
Smith Montgomery W.
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