GB2504090A - A device for generating hydrogen from water using centrifugal electron exchange - Google Patents

Abstract

This device is based on a rotating drum (1). The drum (1) rotates about a hollow shaft (2) through top and bottom bearings (3,4). The shaft (2) has a number of radially arranged holes at the base (5) to allow the passage of water and electrolyte into the drum (1) via the entrance chamber (8) and two sets of radially arranged holes at the top (6,7) to allow the exit of used water and electrolyte via an exit chamber (11) and the production gases. The shaft becomes the cathode (2) in operation and the internal electrode becomes the anode (14). On both the shaft (2) and the anode (14) there may be protruberances (19) which promote microscopic turbulence near the surfaces to lift bubbles. The device separates water into its constituent ions and then passes electrons from the negatively charged oxygen ions to the positively charged hydrogen ions, through an external connection, to generate hydrogen and oxygen gas. It may be used in internal combustion engines as, and in renewable energy systems to provide a storage medium.

Description

DESCRIPTION

A Device for Generatiui Hvdroeu from Water using Centrifua1 Electron Exchange

Background to the Invention

Other designs for rotating hydrogen / oxygen generators, based on the principle of a rotating container of electrolyte and water suffer from a number of energy efficiency and production rate limitations. The design outlined in this application seeks to overcome many of these deficiencies. Ihe inventor believes other designs have been based on erroneous assumptions about the process used, and this has led to incorrect bases for the resulting designs.

Other designs have assumed the process to be based on electrolysis. Electrolysis is a process where electrodes are inserted into water (usually containing an electrolyte). A potential difference is generated by an external power source and negatively charged oxygen anions are attracted to the positive electrode, and positively charged hydrogen cations are attracted to the negative electrode. l'he energy required for ion transport in the fluid is therefore a result of the application of the potential difference. Electrons from the external power source are accepted by the hydrogen cations and hydrogen gas is produced at the negative electrode. Electrons canied by the oxygen anions are given up to the positive electrode and oxygen gas is produced.

I'he device described by this paper is based on centrifuging an electrolyte and water solution in a rotating drum, and the process is not conventional electrolysis as no external electrical power source is used and the current passing through the solution is created by separation of the cations and anions resulting from centrifugal force, The process is therefore referred to as electron exchange in this paper.

The device comprises a drum of water mixed with electrolyte. The water is converted to hydrogen and oxygen by the combined forces of ionic dispersion, centrifugal force and electron exchange. lonisation resulting from the mixing of the electrolyte with the water is the first stage of separation.

When the drum is rotated, because of the different densities of both the water and electrolyte ions, the more dense ions move to the outside of the drum leaving the less dense ions closer to the shaft. The electrolyte chosen is such that the more dense ions are negatively charged and the less dense positively charged. As a consequence of this, ions with negative charges move to the outside of the drum, under the influence of centrifugal force, leaving xsitively charged ions near to the shaft. It should he noted that, contrary to the concept of electrolysis, ion transport in the fluid is effected by centrifugal force and not by separation due to the applicatrion of an external power source. Indeed, there is no external power source in the device described.

The resulting separation of positive and negative ions establishes a potential difference between the solution at the outside of the drum and that at the inside and, if an external, low resistance electrical connection is made between the two, a current will flow. Internally, electron exchange takes place, with the electrons from the oxygen anions being Iranslerred to the hydrogen cations, through the external connection. Hydrogen and oxygen are then released as gases. The water is consumed and replaced from an external source, whereas the electrolyte is retained and recirculated.

Consideration of this understanding of the mechanism of the device, provides a number of key differences in the detail design of the device as discussed later.

Areas of Use This device is a platform technology with benefits in a number of industrial sectors. The eatest application is thought to be in the internal combustion engine market, where rotational energy to drive the device can be derived from the capture of waste exhaust gases. Approxiniately 40% ol input energy from fuel is lost through the exhaust in a conventional automotive gasoline or diesel engine. A number of experiments have been conducted, which indicate that approximately 50% of this wasted energy can he extracted by turbine drives before the increase in back pressure from the drives results in a measurable loss of volumetric efficiency or increase in inlernal exhaust gas dilution.

The energy to drive the device mechanically can therefore be denvcd from the waste exhaust via a turbine drive. The conversion of water to hydrogen and oxygen, allows these two gases to he used, individually or together, as a supplementary fuel. This is commonly known as "hydrogen co-firing". The reactions taking place inside the device are endothermic and heat is required as a further energy input to stop the system cooling and eventually freezing to a halt. In the internal combustion engine field, this heat energy can also be derived from the downstream low-grade exhaust gases after the turbine drive. The device is therefore able to extract energy in two forms from the waste exhaust, making the resulting engine and device combination very elficienL Ihe benefits of hydrogen co-firing are well known. Energy efficiency comes from two distinct routes.

Firstly, the addition of small percentages of hydrogen to conventional fuel increases the conibustion efficiency. Ilydrogen burns far more quickly than conventional fuels and the rapid spread of the flame.

through the combustion chamber due to the hydrogen burning, establishes many more ignition points froni which Ihe conventional fuel can he ignited. Heuristic rules predict that the improvement in combustion efficiency is approximately two times the percenlage of hydrogen in the niixture (i.e. 1% of hydrogen will produce a 2% improvement in combustion efficiency) up to a maximum of approximately 6% improvement.

Secondly, if a percentage of the required fuel input can he provided by hydrogen, derived from waste exhaust and water, the amount of conventional fuel can be reduced creating further energy savings.

In addition to the production of hydrogen, oxygen is also produced. This can be allowed to remain mixed with the hydrogen to form Brown's Gas or be separated off. If separated off it can be fed directly into the combustion air intake to form an oxygen rich air supply resulting in more power. The use of the oxygen as a means of generaling increased specific power oulput (rather than the hydrogen being used to improve fuel economy) provides an alternative use to the turbine drive to produce the oxygen rather than compressing ambient air. By providing the engine with an oxygen rich naturally aspirated air supply, Ehe gas flow required to drive the engine can he reduced providing improved effective volumetric efficiency.

The availability of an on board generator of hychogen and oxygen also allows the use of either gas as a reductant or oxidant for exhaust gas emission control replacing current devices.

As a consequence. the device is particularly suited to the automotive, railroad, marine and industrial engine sectors.

In the automotive area in particular, the capability to manufacture hydrogen on hoard the vehicle eliminates the need for a national hydrogen supply infrastructure, which would be necessary to refill 100% hydrogen-fuelled vehicles on the road. Many proposals to convert the world's global fleet to hydrogen fuelled vehicles have foundered on the necessity to provide an acceptable network of refuelling stations to make hydrogen vehicle ownership a practical proposition. Automotive manufacturers arc unwilling to commit to volume production of hydrogen fuelled vehicles if their potential customers are unable to purchase fuel in a sufficiently geographical area. Fuel distrihulion conipanies are unwilling o commil o the large capital cost of providing a network of hydrogen refuelling stations (including more extensive handling, storage and safety requirements) if there are not enough vehicles on Ihe roads o provide adequate income.

The device can also be used to smooth out supply I demand characteristics of renewable energy systems. In particular. power generation devices such as wave, wind or tidal systems have periods when they produce excess power, which are difficult to store. The use of this device to convert the uiechanical energy produced from these renewable energy systems to rotalional energy for the device described here enables hydrogen and oxygen to be created and stored for future use in a hydrogen powered internal combustion engine or fuel cell. Furthermore, while the renewable energy system can provide the rotational energy, the heat energy required to replace that lost in the endothcrmic reactions can be derived from geothermal energy at the site.

l'his enables a storable energy system using two forms of renewable energy sources o he crealed.

Exisling lechnology Existing technology relies on the rotation of both the shaft and the drum to generate centrifugal force to separate ions of different density. Furthermore, the interior dcsign of thc devices is focussed on the provision of helix grooves to mix the electrolyte and water and to expel the resulting gases. Some devices incorporate the use of a magnetic field to further separate the ions using Lorentz Forces on charged particles. These approaches limit both the efficiency and the rate of output of hydrogen and oxygen.

It is important to consider thc differcncc between the cfficicncy and thc maximum rate of production of thc device. The efficiency is a measure of the cnergy output froni the devicc in the form of hydrogen, oxygen and any oiher energy (possibly elecirical) compared with the energy inpui IA) the device which could he electrical, mechanical, heat etc. The rate of production is the maximum rate of production of the energy outpuL In the more specific case for which these devices are designed; the generation of hydrogen and I or oxygen; the rate of production is the volume of each substance produced per unit of time. While the efficiency of these devices is high, the rate of production can be limited by design considerations, which are addressed by this device.

Summary if Invention

The device comprises a drum, filled with a mixture of water and electrolyte, which rotates about a central shaft. When the druni is rotated ions from the electrolyte and the water are centrifuged to form layers. The shalt, where the hydrogen ions collect, lorms one electrode and an additional electrode is positioned in the centre of the oxygen layer. The electrodes are electrically connected through external wiring to allow electron exchange to take place between the electron rich oxygen ions and the electron deficient hydrogen ions, resulting in the production of gaseous oxygen and hydrogen.

In the device, the drum rotates about the shaft, which reniains stationary. As a result of this, there is a rolational speed dilference between the surlace of the drum and thai of the shaft. One of the limitations to the rate of output from current designs is the difficulty in removing the production gases (in the form or bubbles) from the anode and cathode. As bubbles ol hydrogen and oxygen are formed on the cathode and anode surfaces, they will remain unless there is a rapid method of removing them. Without this, bubbles will form a barrier (resistance) to the passage of electrons to and from the ions to the anode or cathode and the production of hydrogen and oxygen will stop or be reduced. This severely limits the rate of output froui current devices.

This device, with the drum rotating about the shaft and not in concert with it. generates a shearing effect which removes the bubbles far more quickly allowing the rate of gas production to he uninhibited by the presence of a gas bather.

In practice, most electrolytes will have cation and anion masses greater than those of the hydrogen and oxygen ions and four levels of ions will he produced. Closest to the shaft will he a layer of hydrogen ions; followed by the cations from the electrolyte: then the oxygen ions and, finally, closest to the drum surface the electrolyte anions. With current designs. the shaft forms the cathode and the outside of the drum forms the anode. As a result, while the cathode can pass electrons to the hydrogen, the oxygen ions are shielded from Ike anode by We elecirolyte anions, which prelerentially give up their elecinrns. As a consequence. the maximum output of the device will he limited. In the proposed invention, a separate anode is placed inside the drum and is electrically insulated from it. Ihis allows the anode to he placed in the centre ol the oxygen ion layer. allowing them to provide the necessary electrons and convert to oxygen gas o avoid the heavier electrolyte ions being trapped by the anode, the anode is perforated to allow them to pass through to the surface of the drum and the anode does not cover the whole height of the drum.

Ihe problem with existing systems having designs not promoting the removal ol the hydrogen and oxygen gases from the electrodes is also improved in this device by the addition of small protuberanees on the electrodes, which generate micro-turbulence and lift the bubbles from the surface before being swept away by the shearing influences referred to above.

Once tilled from the surface it is imporlan Io move the gases quickly to the exit for collection and use. As both hydrogen and oxygen gases are less dense than any of [lie ions in the drum, Ihey will move rapidly towards the shaft. So the gases do not cover the cathode and further insulate it. the cathode is tapered towards the exit of the device to encourage movement in this direction.

Equally, as it is also importaffi to recircu1ae the electrolyte, the drum is also tapered towards the exit.

While it is important to generate a degree of turbulence close to the anode and cathode, in order to remove the gases produced by the device, it is also important to ensure that water and electrolyte entering the device reach an equilibrium quickly to allow the centrifugal forces to separate the ions into layers as quickly as possible. Consequently, the amount ol turbulence in the device, other Ihan thai close to the eleclrodes, should he reduced to a minimum. In this device, entry of the mixed water and electrolyte is directed to the radial centre ol [lie base of the drum, and not through openings in the shaft. Other devices generate turbulence throughout the liquid as a result of the heavier mass ions passing through the lighter ones l1urthermore. some devices add helixes and other devices to promote mixing. In this invention, the fluid enters at the centre of the device at the bottom, so that the hydrogen ions move towards the shaft, the oxygen ions move towards the internal anode and the electrolyte ions pass behind the internal anode to the surface of the drum. The inlernal anode is provided with perforalions so that any heavier eleclrolye ions reaching the shaft side ol the anode can easily pass through the anode to the surface of the drum and o the exil for recirculation

Description of Drawing

A cylindrical drum (1) rotates aboffi a hollow shaft (2), through top and bottom bearings (3 and 4). The hearings (3 and 4) also act as seals to prevent the loss of either the incoming water/electrolyte mixture or the outgoing production gases to the atmosphere. The shaft has a number of radially arranged holes at the bottom (5) to allow the passage of water and electrolyte into the drum via an entrance chamber and two sets of radially arranged holes at the top (6 and 7) to allow the exit of unused water and electrolyte (via an exit chamber) and the production gases (oxygen and hydrogen) respectively. Exit holes (7) are designed as a venturi so that recirculating electrolyte / water, passing directly through the shaft and not into the drum will induce a negative pressure and improve the removal ci [lie production gases. At the entry end ol the drum (1) is an entrance chamber (8) which is attached to the drum (1) and rotates about the shaft (2) via a seal (9) and is open to the shaft entry holes (5). The top surface of the chanther (8) is provided with a number holes (10) arranged radially. The pitch circle diameter of these holes is such that it is positioned at the border between the layers of the stabilised positive and negative ions, At the exit end of the drum is a similar chamber (11), which is designed to collect Ihe recirculffling fluid for reairn through the shalt exit holes (6). Ihe lower surface of the chamber (11) is provided with holes (12) close to the perimeter of the drum (1). This is also attached to the drum (1) and rotates about the shaft (2) via seal (13). The combination of these components forms a fluid and gas tight container. The cylindrical drum (1) is tapered towards the inlet side; making the diameter at [lie outlet end bigger than that at the inlet. l'he shaft is also tapered hut, in this case, with the smaller diameter a the outlet than the inlet. The shaft (2) is electrically insulated from the drum (1).

Attached to the drum (1), hut electrically insulated (20) from it and the chamber (11), is one or more cylindrical electrodes (14), which have perforations (15) in them to allow the heavier ions to pass through.

These electrodes do not extend to the inlet chamber hut, rather, fall short to create a gap (16) through which the heavier negative e1ecuolyte ions can pass to the outside of the drum. More than one cylindrical electrode can be used (to increase the surlace area of the device and thus the maximum rare ol production) hut they should he designed in a number of sections to allow' the minimum interrupLion oF Iluid between Lliem.

Similarly, the area ol the shall can he increased by the additional ci perlorated cylindrically shaped electrodes (2). l'he shaft becomes the cathode, in operation, and the internal electrode becomes the anode.

The anode and cathode are electrically connected externally (17) making connection at either the shaft (2) or (hull (1) end through a slip ring (18). On both the shaft (2) and internal anode (14) there are small lips or protuberances (19) arranged to promote microscopic turbulence near the surfaces to lift the gas bubbles.

External to the device is a system to provide fresh and recirculated heated water I electrolyte and to remove the production gases. Also external to the device is a power source to rotate the drum (1) about shaft (2).

Operation

S

A mixture of water and elecirolyte is allowed into the device through Ihe hollow shalt (2), shalt holes (5) and entrance chamher holes (10). When the device is lull ol the mixture the drum (1) is rotated ahoul the shaft (2). The ions of water and electrolyte are displaced throughout the drum with the more dense ions moving to the outside of the drum, leaving the less dense ions on the inside close to the shaft. In the case of water, oxygen will move towards the outside leaving hydrogen near the shaft As the objective of the device is to separate the layers of oxygen and hydrogen ions, it is important not to cause turbulence inside the fluid once the layers have estahlished. Ihe position of the entrance holes (10) is such that the incoming ions in the fluid will not have to pass through the stabilised layers but will be separated towards the inside or outside according to the electric charge.

l'he result of the separation is an electrical potential difference between the ions on the outside of the drum and the shaft. As the anode (14) is situated in the centre of the oxygen ion layer. electrons will flow prelerentially from the oxygen ions, producing oxygen gas l'hese electrons will then flow from the anode to the cathode via the external connection (17 and 18), where they attach preferentially to the hydrogen ions surrounding the surface of the shaft (1) to produce hydrogen gas.

Once attached to the anode (14) or shaft (1), the gas bubbles are quicidy removed by the combined action of microscopic turbulence induced by the lips I protuherances (19); the shearing lorces induced by the difference in rotational speeds of the electrode (14) and shaft (1). Rapid removal of the gas bubbles from the surface of the electrodes removes a damaging insulating layer of uncharged gases which would otherwise increase the resistance of the external circuit between the different ions via the connection (17 & 18).

As the gases have a lower density than the fluid, they will be displaced as a result of pressure difference towards the shaft (1). Once the gases have reached the shaft, they will he moved towards the exit holes in the shaft (7) as a result of the tapering of the shaft. Flow of the recirculating water I electrolyte through the hollow shaft (2) will promote the removal of the production gases by inducing a negative pressure at the exit holes (7). The electrolyte ions will either be retained in the drum or recirculated through holes (12) to the exit chamber (11) and into the shaft via holes (6). Centrifugal lorce will promote movement of the ions towards the tapered outside of the drum and towards the exit chamber. A mixture of production gases and recirculated water! electrolyte will exit from the upper end of the hollow shaft (2).

Ihe external system, providing fresh and recirculated heated water I electrolyte, will replenish the water lost in the oxygen I hydrogen production, and maintain the temperature of the mixture inside drum. Excess fluid can pass straight through the shaft.

Claims (7)

1. CLAIMSA Device for Generatiui Hvdroeu from Water using Centrifua1 Electron Exchange 1. A device for the production of hydrogen and/or oxygen. utilising centrifugal forces, in which the drum rotates about the shaft at a different angular velocity in order to create shearing which removes the gases from the electrodes.
2. 2. A device for the production of hydrogen and/or oxygen, utilising centrifugal forces, and incorporating one or more internal anodes positioned such that they are situated in the centre of the oxygen ion layer in order that the anode removes electrons preferentially from the oxygen ions and the anode area is niaximised.
3. 3. A device for the production of hydrogen and/or oxygen, utilising centrifugal forces and incorporating a tapered shaft and lapered drum in order to direct the products towards Ihe oullet.
4. 4. A device for the production of hydrogen and/or oxygen. utilising centrifugal forces, in which the entrance to the chamber is situated at the lower end of the drum and in a radial position in line with the boundary hetween negative and positive ions in order to minimise the macroscopic turbulence induced by the incoming fluids.
5. 5. A device for the production of hydrogen and/or oxygen, utilising centrifugal forces, and incorporating protuberanees on the anode and cathode in order to proniote microscopic turbulence which lifts the gases off the surface of the electrodes.
6. 6. A device for the production of hydrogen and/or oxygen, utilising centrifugal forces, and incorporating one or more additional cathodes in order to increase the effective area of the cathode.
7. 7. A device thr the production of hydrogen and/or oxygen, utilising centrifugal forces, and incorporating exit holes for the production gases designed as a venturi to iniprove the speed of renu)val of these gases.