Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Processes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-21
2002-05-07
Maust, Timothy L. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Processes
C141S002000, C141S018000, C141S231000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06382264
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to fuel supply systems such as used for the production of heat and electricity (e.g., fuel cell DC-current generation) and particularly to large scale systems utilizing vehicle supply and storage tanks and/or supply reservoirs as well as small scale consumer use, storage, utilization, delivery and supply.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Currently, combustion fuel (defined as materials used to provide energy via combustion) for relatively large scale continuous use is provided to various utilization sites by transport vehicles, including trucks (e.g., oil and gasoline trucks), trains and even ocean-going ships (e.g.,tankers). The combustion fuel such as oil, gasoline and even coal is combusted at the utilization sites to provide heat or to run generators of electricity and combustion reaction products (primarily carbon oxides, water and pollutants such NO
x
and SO
2
are formed and vented to the air with intervening scrubbing devices). These fuels are non-renewable and there is a constant effort to find new sources for such fuels. In addition, suppliers exercise monopoly and often extortionist power in controlling the supply of fuel.
Supply of combustion fuel or a direct supply of electricity may also be continuous, constant and always at hand with direct supply lines between source supplier and consumer, e.g., natural gas and electricity. Such constant supply (not periodic as with transport vehicle delivery) requires a built in infra-structure (e.g., pipes, cables, wires, etc.) which, while normally available in developed urban areas, is often not available in rural and even many suburban areas. In the absence of such supply line infrastructures, combustion fuels are most often delivered to storage tanks or storage containers or sites at pre-arranged schedules or as ordered, directly by fuel supply vehicles, e.g., fuel supply trucks.
Hydrogen based fuel for on site fuel cells requiring transport to the site have several limitations including overriding safety consideration and costly handling infrastructure. Use of fluid hydrocarbon fuel, natural gas and methane requires devices such as reformers to produce hydrogen, carbon dioxide and other byproducts. Utilization is complicated, costly, and polluting. Furthermore, these fuels are inconvenient to deliver, store or use, particularly in small portable electronics as a result of their inability to be effectively scaled down for general consumer use.
Electricity by direct generation using local small gasoline or kerosene fueled generators still entails storage and delivery of gasoline and kerosene, which can be dangerous and the use of such fuels is via a full combustion and is not normally recyclable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for the supply of fuel, particularly of a fluid metal type for the production of electricity, and the efficient collection of reaction product for regeneration of said fuel in a substantially fully recyclable fuel supply system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide elements of the system during fuel transport, distribution site storage, utilization site storage and as a utilization reservoir within devices, powered thereby, wherein there are no constraints on reservoir size and configuration and the reservoir can be remote from a utilization site with either manual transport of fuel to the utilization site or by transport through ducts or other conduits.
It is yet another object of the present invention to efficiently distribute and supply a metal fluid or paste fuel to reduce release of polluting materials to the air and to provide a renewable source of fuel which is safe and readily handleable and which can be effectively ultimately used by tapping a local reservoir to provide sufficient material to periodically replenish fuel cell configurations in electrical appliances even with applications of less than one watt or with very low relative wattage, such as in portable electronics products including electric bikes, scooters, wheelchairs, toys, portable computers and even electric cars, and for applications up to and including large generators with applicable use of over 100,000 watts.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide an efficient distribution system for fuel supply and waste collection for any of immediate use, local storage, distribution and use, and bulk distribution, storage and use.
It is another object of the invention to provide an efficient method for communication, ordering and delivery of fuel supplies of said metal fluid or paste fuel.
Generally the present invention comprises a recyclable fuel distribution system or infrastructure comprising a hierarchy of operatively linked (with fuel supply and reaction product collection elements) fluid fuel transport means, fluid fuel storage means (at large commercial distribution sites or at the smaller consumer utilization level), fuel supply reservoir means (optional depending on specific use), and fluid fuel usage devices operatively linked to the storage tanks or supply reservoirs, as applicable. In addition, actual devices utilizing the fluid fuel comprise part of the system.
With metal fluids or pastes which provide fuel for electrochemical fuel cells the present invention includes distribution of such materials wherein there is:
1. a recyclable metal fluid fuel supply system comprising a hierarchy of:
a) at least one central processing plant for recycling spent electrochemical reaction products of the metal fluid fuel into fresh metal for use in the metal fluid fuel of the present invention by;
b) vehicle means for transport of the metal fluid to remote storage facilities or directly to metal fluid fuel reservoirs for direct use by consumers of the metal fluid fuel contained therein; and for collection of spent fuel from said remote storage sites and fuel reservoirs;
c) optional storage facilities for local containment of the metal fluid fuel for distribution thereof to local reservoirs for consumers of said metal fluid fuel; and
d) local reservoirs of consumers for direct use by consumers of the metal fluid fuel contained therein in one or more electrically powered utilization devices such as electrical appliances, electric automobiles and the like.
It is understood that the metal, such as zinc powder or particles, may be fluidized with a fluid carrier at any point prior to actual electrochemical use though transport and handling is significantly facilitated with an early fluidization.
As part of the hierarchy and as the hub therefore, is a plant or refinery or series of plants or refineries of appropriate size and location for collection and recycling of electrochemical reaction products to fresh fuel, where vehicle carriers are loaded with fresh fuel and where the vehicles supply spent fuel (i.e., defined as reaction products collected during fuel usage and which are recyclable to fresh fuel) for recycling.
The fuel used in the system of the present invention, undergoes a reversible chemical reaction product, during use, which is reversible to the original fuel and which reaction product(s) is (are) collected by each of said fluid fuel transport means, and includes combustion fuels where reaction products are retrievable and reversible to initial fuel.
A highly desirable fuel is a metal fluid or paste, such as of zinc particles in a fluid electrolyte carrier such as an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution, which efficiently provides electricity in an electrochemical couple. Details of the metal fluid or paste in a fuel use for generation of electricity in a fuel cell configuration, as well as reservoir structure and method of recycling and recharging is described in greater detail in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/570798 filed May 12, 2000, the disclosure of which is included in its entirety herein by reference thereto. Other metals suitable for use an electrochemical fuel include lithium, sodium, potassium (requiring some special handling and usually non-aqueous fluids),
Faris Sadeg M.
Tsai Tsepin
Brill Gerow D.
Crispino Ralph J.
Maust Timothy L.
Nissenbaum Israel
Reveo Inc.
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