Abstract:
Alkaline metal fuel technology is applied to the design and construction of an electrolytic fuel cell. Highly exothermic chemical reactions and vigorous kinetic gaseous flows are promoted within a ferrous metal tubular structure called a tuyere which is used to generate electricity and to simultaneously produce nitrated products and commercial organic chemicals.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES 
       [0001]    The alkaline, metals fuel technology referenced in the present invention relates to: 
         [0002]    (1) U.S. Pat. No. 6,653,007, and (2) to my U.S. Pat. No. 6,831,825 and to my copending U.S. Applications (3) 10/392,608 filed Mar. 21, 2003 and (4) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/075,218 filed Mar. 9, 2605 and (5) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/287,096 filed Nov. 28, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The invention is a chemical reaction chamber used for the hydrolysis of alkaline metals. The said chemical reaction chamber is a ferrous metal tube, hereinafter referred to as the “tuyere”. The highly exothermic reactions occurring during the hydrolysis reactions of potassium and sodium within the tuyere reaction chamber dissociates the water hydrogen-oxygen bonds and other organic hydrogen-carbon bonds of organic substances in the highly exothermic reactions within the tuyere producing a free radical ion stream and free electrons. The ions are used for chemical synthesis of commercial chemicals and the remaining recovered electrons are used in electrical generation. 
         [0004]    The close confinement of the oxidation reactions occurring in the narrow tubular structure of the tuyere direct the kinetic force of the ionic stream along a single axis toward the electron absorbing finned collector surfaces of an cathode ionic capacitor described in cross reference (2). 
         [0005]    Unlike atomic particle accelerators used in research studies of nuclear structure which accelerate low mass particles of electrons and positrons, or slightly heavier protons and antiprotons to near the speed of light by magnetic pulses within a strong electric field, the tuyere reactor chamber accelerates dissociated molecular ion fragments at a much slower sonic velocity along the longitudinal axis, a thermal environment within the tuyere. 
         [0006]    The potassium electric generator and synthesizer presented is not a research instrument as in the case of an accelerator but instead is more directly used for the commercial simultaneous electric generation and production of industrial chemical products. The potassium electric generator is employed as a low input electrical energy source for electric locomotives, large traction farm machinery, industrial equipment, marine propulsion, and public utility electrical grid supply and augmentation. The generator effluent produced during its operation is a value-added chemical by-product formulated within the synthesizer as marketable chemical substances. Manufactured commercial products such as KNO 3 ; NaNO 3  and NH 4 NO 3  used as agricultural fertilizers are produced directly from the reactions occurring in the tuyere with air and by subsequent processing of the scrubber effluent to produce-organic chemicals and syn-gas when the reactions occur in the tuyere with CO 2 . 
         [0007]    Steam pressure and other gaseous products produced by the exothermic reactions within the tuyere reaction chamber expel ions severed from organic and inorganic chemical reactants injected into the tuyere and these attain sonic velocities through the reaction chamber charged thermal field and stream out of the tuyere at supersonic velocity to impact with the intervening cathode capacitor collecting surfaces positioned within a receiver cylinder of a gas scrubber described in copending cross-reference four. 
         [0008]    The electrochemical equivalent energy expended in electrolysis to produce one gram of potassium metal, about 3.21545 ampere-hrs are required in the reduction of the alkaline metal. During the hydrolysis oxidation reaction of the said metal in the tuyere to its original oxidized state, an equivalent amount of electrical current is released into the ion stream. The electrochemical equivalence for producing one pound of potassium metal is 311 amp-hours. However when potassium metal is alloyed with sodium metal which requires 528 amp-hrs for 1 lb, a 50/50 mixture will produce a current flow of approximately 420 amp-hrs for each pound of fuel delivered to the tuyere reaction chamber. 
         [0009]    Given mixtures of potassium and sodium at room temperature exists in the liquid state facilitating the use of precision metering pumps for the injection of small exact gram factions of material into the tuyere reaction chamber in controlled simultaneous coordinated injection times and magnetic pulses. The metering pump is a precision positive displacement pumping system which in the present invention is used to control the low volume delivery of alkaline metal substances in exact metered pulses between high pressure reaction fluctuations within the tuyere. The quantity of electrons produced in the highly exothermic reduction reactions during each metered pulse is facilitated and kept moving within the ionic flow (Wakefield model) by the attraction and migration of ionic charges and electrons passing to the surface of the metal tuyere wall and subsequently passing in communication with, and held active, by electrical contact, into the tuyere dielectric capacitor circuit. This increases the population of remaining electrons in the ionic stream and promotes their flow toward the cathode capacitor. The cathode capacitor transfers a portion of the electrons received by an internal circulation of KOH electrolyte and its subsequent conduction of these electrons into the negative polar anodic terminal of the load circuit. 
         [0010]    The vigorous oxidation reactions occurring within the tuyere place a strongly negative charge on the inner surfaces of the metal surface of the tuyere chamber. Electric charges on a conductor reside only on the surfaces. In order to increase the capacitance of the tuyere a plurality of longitudinally aligned fin protrusions, hereinafter termed “strakes”, are positioned within the center volume of the tuyere reaction chamber to increase the surface area. 
         [0011]    Electric charge density is greatest where the curvature of the surface is greatest. Therefore, charge density on the tuyere surface is greatest at the tip of the strakes as shown in  FIG. 9  of the drawings presented in the Detailed Description of the Invention. The charge potential is strengthened and maintained by plurality of dielectric capacitors formed as torus hoops positioned about the outside surfaces of the tuyere with one lead in electrical contact with the said outside surfaces of the tuyere and the other leading to a positive terminal lead. 
         [0012]    The greatest charge density on the tips of the said tuyere strakes is also located in the highest area of kinetic shear of the ion stream flowing at sonic velocity within the tuyere. Electrons sheared from the stakes and magnetically directed in the ionic flow is carried in the slower moving reaction particle stream and enters the cathode receiving chamber tangentially positioned inlet and circulates in a swirling action around disc fins of the cathode collecting surfaces. Internal KOH fluid circulating through the inner passages in the center of the cathode capacitor transfers a portion of electric charge received as elections to an anodic capacitor circuit not shown in the drawings, creating a potential between the cathode terminal and the anode terminal as described in cross-reference (1), and this potential is carried externally through the load circuit back to the cathode ionic capacitor positive terminal. 
         [0013]    Above the said cathode capacitor positioned in the scrubber receiving, chamber is the scrubber spray equipment comprising a plurality of ejectors, cooling panels and ultra sonic transducers described more fully in cross-reference (4) four. The purpose of the scrubber is to process CO 2  emissions and other carbonaceous material derived from the thermal dissociation of depolarizing elements present in the alkaline fuel mixture or from the trace amounts of this material remaining in the organic synthesis of sequestered coal flue gas emissions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The invention is a method of hydrolysis of alkaline metals in a ferrous metal tubular reaction chamber termed a tuyere. The hydrolysis oxidation reactions are exothermic and vigorously kinetic, thereby providing the necessary conditions for an effective low input energy to produce an ionic stream that may be used for electrical generation by shearing electron charges from strake tips within the tuyere and transferred to the collecting surfaces of cathode and anode ionic capacitors. 
         [0015]    Another object of the invention is for the addition of reagent chemicals and catalysts to the scrubber effluent to form a variety of chemical substances with reactive open bonds of the ionic components formed in the tuyere and with CO 2  coal flue gas effluent. 
         [0016]    And another object of the invention is to form KNO 3 , NaNO 3  and NH 4 NO 3  by the addition of heated air with a catalyst. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the tuyere machined tubular outer surfaces with two cross-section cutaways to show the method of bolting for attachment to an injector at the foreword end and to show the presence of a plurality of longitudinally aligned strakes on the inner surfaces of the tuyere reaction chamber. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an end view of the tuyere, showing the inner bolt-hole circle for the mounting of the injector, and the outer bolt-hole circle for the passage of through bolts and these latter holes are also indicated in  FIG. 1  cross-section assembly surface areas of magnet capacitor equipment and the internal positioning of sixteen strakes within the reaction area of the tuyere. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the tuyere injector. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the tuyere injector presented principally in cross section showing the interior manifolding and flow passages of reactants to be injected into the reaction chamber of the tuyere. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the tuyere conical transition piece for attachment to the scrubber inlet shown in  FIG. 10 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the tuyere transition piece showing the interior expanding conical flow surfaces within which is used to expand and accelerate the ion stream to super sonic velocities prior to impacting the cathode ionic capacitor collector plate surfaces positioned in front of the transition piece. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the tuyere assembly comprising the tuyere tubular body, the tuyere injector, tuyere rear and front flanges, and the tuyere transition piece and through bolts that hold the assembly together. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a cross section of the generator assembly showing the tuyere capacitor bank and ceramic thermal insulators and the magnetic coil section. This view contains the complement of all the elements claimed. 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is a small cross section of the tuyere illustrating the build-up of electrical charge at the point of greatest curvature at the tip of the strakes. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is a drawing of the tuyere generator and scrubber assemblies shown in cross-section to illustrate how the system is operated in conjunction with other equipment described in the cross-references. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    The tubular structure presented as  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  are the respective side view and frontal view of the chemical reaction vessel hereinafter called the tuyere  1 . The purpose of tuyere  1  is to contain the highly vigorous kinetic and exothermic chemical reactions which occur in the reaction chamber  9  during the hydrolysis of alkaline metals and to convert these reaction energies into a useful electrical power source, and in conjunction with this function to, simultaneously promote the conditions of selected ionic chemical reactions for the synthesis and production of commercial chemicals. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the machined outer surfaces of tuyere  1  comprise a forward section  2  for mounting magnetic coils. The aft section  3  surfaces are for mounting dielectric capacitors which may be a single capacitor or a battery of capacitors. Immediately adjacent to aft section  3  is the aft mounting flange  4  which is detachable. The purpose of flange  4  is to provide a means of assembling the said dielectric capacitors over ceramic thermal insulators  33  shown in  FIG. 8 , extending over capacitor section  3  and holding them in place by long through-bolts  27  shown in  FIG. 7  passing through six bolt holes  5  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 8  the through bolts  27  extend across the length of capacitor section  3  surfaces to forward mounting flange  6  and pass through another set of six equally spaced bolt holes  5  as indicated in partial cutaway section of the said forward flange  6 . 
         [0029]    In  FIG. 2  the partial cutaway sections at the forward and aft portions of the tuyere  1  show respectively the ribbed structure of two of the sixteen strakes which extend longitudinally the full length of tuyere  1  reaction chamber  9  and are equally spaced about the interior diameter of said reaction chamber  9  of the said tuyere  1 . The tips of the strakes  7  extend centrally into the sonic ionic flow path and therefore the strake  7  tip surfaces should be smooth and regularly shaped in order to prevent the creation of shock waves from occurring in the ion stream. However, in some instances the regularity of the strake tip configuration may purposely be varied to increase the reaction rate of certain bonding reactions occurring within tuyere  1  ionic stream  12 , shown in  FIG. 8 , instead of waiting for these reactions to occur downstream within the cathode ionic capacitor  25  in receiver vessel  24  as shown in  FIG. 10 . A cutaway exposing a partial section of tuyere  1  is shown in  FIG. 1  and shows a threaded bolt hole  8  for mounting an injector. Eight of these bolt holes  8  equally spaced about the foreword face of tuyere  1  are shown in  FIG. 2 . Also shown in  FIG. 2  are the forward ends of the sixteen strakes  7  that are positioned and equally spaced about the interior perimeters of tuyere  1  reaction chamber  9  and extend longitudinally the full length of tuyere  1  reaction chamber  9 . Boundary line  10  of  FIG. 2  delineates the areas of cross-sectioning of the assembly of injector  11 , tuyere  1 , and transition piece  22  that is shown in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 10 . 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIG. 3  which is a side-view of injector  11 . The major components comprising injector  11  are shown in  FIG. 4  presented principally in cross-section. Three reactant injector conduits,  14 ,  17  and  20  are in communication with three respective injector  11  reactant manifolds  15 ,  18  and  21 . The said manifolds receive and distribute reactants through feed channels to three injector  11  orifices respectively numbered  16 ,  19  and  38 . Reactants from said orifices  16 ,  19  and  38  are injected into combustion chamber  9  of tuyere  1  where they impinge and mix and react hypergolically in reaction chamber  9 . 
         [0031]    Conduit  14  of  FIG. 4  receives a high pressure low volume delivery of alkaline metal reactant from a chemical metering pump (not shown). Depending on the manner of operation and product being produced the alkaline metals passing through conduit  14  are of two distinct types. In one instance the said alkaline metal charge is a 50/50 mixture, or different ratio of potassium and sodium, which at these ratios are present in the liquid state. These mixtures of alkaline reactant metals are used in the production of nitrates formed in the presence of charge air reaction from conduit  20  entering reaction chamber  9  of tuyere  1  through injector  11  orifices  21 . The formed products are commercial fertilizers KNO 3  and NaNO 3  and sometimes NH 4 NO 3  when excess hydrogen in the presence of HCl in the water reactant of conduit  17  is reacted with the nitrogen of the air charge from conduit  20 . Other types of chemicals are produced in reaction chamber  9  of tuyere  1  in conjunction with subsequent continuing reactions occurring downstream in receiver vessel  24  shown in  FIG. 10 . These reactions require the use of heated CO 2  (2000°) charge gas or heated air through conduit  20  which is produced by the method described in cross-reference (5). The alkaline metal reactants used in this latter type of chemical production are metal dispersions in emulsions of heavy mineral and silicon based oils as described in cross-reference (1). The composition of the dispersion oil medium supplies both the carbon and hydrogen to be used in the synthesis of a variety of industrial organic chemicals in receiver vessel  24 . When calcium (Ca) metal is present in the dispersion as a reaction rate moderator an intermediate bi-product of calcium carbide (CaC) is initially formed in the reaction chamber  9  of tuyere  1  and it subsequently undergoes a secondary hydrolysis reaction in the ionic capacitor  25  receiver vessel  24 , shown in  FIG. 10 , producing acetylene gas which is collected in the upper level of the scrubber drum  28  also shown in  FIG. 10 . The acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) produced is used as a syn-gas for commercial heating and also for continued chemical intermediate processing to synthesize other organic compounds and substances. 
         [0032]    Turning now to  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 5  is a side view of transition piece  22  which is used to connect tuyere  1  to inlet  23  of receiver vessel  24  positioned concentrically within scrubber drum  28  as shown in  FIG. 10 . The interior conical flow surfaces of transition piece  22  are shown in  FIG. 6 . The hot ionic product stream  12  from tuyere  1  reaction chamber  9  flowing through transition piece  22 , shown in  FIG. 8 , is cooled by expansion in the conical transition piece  22  and the produced composition frozen in place. The remaining charged ions and electrons are accelerated by the expansion and enter the inlet  23  shown in  FIG. 10 , and pass into receiver vessel  24  where they impact the collector plates  26  of the cathode ionic capacitor  25  and are discharged. Electron flow from collector plates  26  of cathode ionic capacitor  25  is carried by ionic conduction in KOH electrolyte of conduit  29  to anode ionic capacitor (not shown). This electron flow is characteristic of all electrolytic flow between battery cathode and anode terminals except in this instance the electrons pass through intervening metal capacitor membranes as taught in cross-reference (2). 
         [0033]      FIG. 6  shows the interior conical flow surfaces of transition piece  22 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the intermediate assembly of the main structural elements comprising the “Potassium Electrical Generator and Chemical Synthesizer”. The main structural components comprising the assembly are injector  11 , tuyere  1 , transition piece  22  and through bolts  27 . Other features shown in  FIG. 7  are detachable aft flange  4 , dielectric capacitor, capacitor section  3 , magnetic coil section  2 , and injector  11  feed conduits  14 ,  17 , and  20 . 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 8  which is a cross-section of the assembled injector  11 , tuyere  1  and transition piece  22  previously presented in  FIG. 7 . Five torus shaped dielectric capacitors  13  are also shown in  FIG. 8  assembled around dielectric capacitor section  3  above corresponding ceramic insulator rings  33  sections drawn in cross-hatch. Also shown in  FIG. 8  are two electromagnetic coils  31  and  32  each positioned over magnet coil section  2 . The said ring shaped ceramic insulators  33  drawn as cross-hatched sections, are placed over tuyere  1  capacitor section  3  to shield the dielectric capacitors  13  from the high thermal environment within capacitor housing  34  which is cooled by forced circulation of air entering through duct  40  and exiting at outlet duct  41 . Capacitors  13  are in electrical communication with tuyere  1  by screws  42  and are connected in parallel through buss-bar  43  that carries the charge up through bus-bolt  44  to terminal  45 . Ion stream  12  expanding in the conic transition piece  22  enters receiver vessel inlet  23  as shown in  FIG. 10 . Said inlet  23  enters receiver vessel  24  tangentially to promote a swirling action in said receiver vessel  24  and this swirling action is carried into scrubber drum  28 . 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 9 . Ion stream  12  charges produced in the reaction chamber  9  are attracted to the inner surfaces of tuyere  1  and are transferred to the torus shaped dielectric capacitors  13 . Sixteen strakes  7  are formed within reaction chamber  9  increase the capacity of the said charge attractive surface. The electric charges  46  attracted to the reaction chamber  9  and strake  7  surfaces reside only on the surfaces of the reaction chamber  9  and strakes  7 . The densest charges  46  on the strakes occur where curvature of the surface is greatest, which is at the tip of strakes  7  as shown in  FIG. 9 . The tips of strakes  7  where the charge is greatest protrude into the inner volume of reaction chamber  9  where kinetic energy of the sonic flow is highest. The fast moving ionic stream  12  shears electrons from the tips of strakes  7  which is further accelerated by its expansion in transition piece  22  into the lower pressure environment in inlet  23  of receiver vessel  24  where it impacts collector plates  26  of the cathode ionic capacitor  25  shown in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0037]    Referring now to  FIG. 10  which is an assembly of the “Potassium Electric Generator and Chemical Synthesizer” constructed in part from elements described in the cross-references and is shown principally in cross-section. A squirrel cage air blower  47  is shown mounted on duct  40  of air housing  34  for convectively cooling the dielectric capacitor section  3  tuyere  1  and is expelled at duct  41 . Electrons carried in ionic stream  12  which impact collector plates  26  of cathode ionic capacitor  25  electrically, by class  1  conduction pass through the center metal membrane structure of the cathode capacitor  25  and are carried by ionic conduction in KOH electrolyte solution flowing through conduit  29  to an ionic capacitor, not shown, as described in cross-reference (2). The outer load circuit of the generator is between the positive terminal  52  of the cathode ionic capacitor  25  and the negative terminal of the anode ionic capacitor, not shown. The condensed liquid formed in receiver vessel  24  is neutralized by high pressure scrubber water from conduit  30  that is sprayed into receiver vessel  24  through a plurality of ejectors  48 . Said ejectors having facilities to add precipitative Gregnard types of reagents flowing through conduit  49 . The neutralized liquid in receiver vessel  24  drains downward and exits scrubber drum  28  through bottom outlet  50  where it is further processed as a value added material as mentioned in cross-reference (4). Gaseous products remaining in scrubber drum  28  rise upward toward top outlet  37 . These gases comprising air components, CO 2  and acetylene pass through condensing plates  35  cooled by cold water from conduit  36 . Ultrasonic transducers  51  set at frequencies above 20 kc and corresponding harmonic nodes of magnetic waves from coil  52  of the same frequency aid CO 2  retention in the spray water where it is sequestered and reprocessed. 
         [0038]    The unique features of the “Potassium Electric Generator and Chemical Synthesizer” to be claimed are only those elements presented in  FIG. 8 .