Patent Number: 053213270
Section: summary

The invention relates to an electric generator employing a plasma ball as an electric power generating medium, and more particularly employing a plasma bell of highly heated gas turning at a high speed of rotation in a vortex chamber. BACKGROUND OF PRIOR ART The use of a fast moving mass of gas plasma for the purpose of generating electric power is known from magneto hydrodynamic technology. In the known technology of hydrodynamics a gas plasma of high-temperature ionized gas is driven at high velocity through a magnetic field so that an electromotive force is generated by the moving gas plasma and tapped off at electrodes in the plasma. The technology of magneto hydrodynamics has never been developed to the point wherein it has become commerically successful, due to the fact that the gas plasma exiting the magnetic field still contains a considerable amount of thermal energy that is not converted into electric power. The instant invention overcomes this drawback by means of a different approach to converting the hot gas plasma to electric energy, which utilizes a principle of a vortex formed in the gas plasma, and more particularly a principle of so-called imploding plasma vortex dynamics in the following disclosure termed "Imploding Plasma Dynamics", wherein the plasma is in continuous contact with the electrodes until they have released the major part of its kinetic energey, SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A sustained implosion of highly heated, high velocity rotating imploding vortices of a gas plasma containing fuel and air mixture is created within an ionizing chamber prior to combustion of the imploding vortices. The system is arranged to maximize formation of laminar flow so as to stratify all molecular and atomic particles by particle mass. The laminar flow patterns operate to trap the heavier gas masses in very hot pressure areas so that they release the kinetic energy of their mass in the form of electric energy before they escape from the vortices followed by a return of lighter gases to a vacuum formed in a central core of the vortices in a continuously repeated cycle. The combustion in the plasma produces great quantities of free electrons that associate with and exchange energy with the highly heated stratified gas particles so as to produce an electrical potential due to the stratification of heavier masses and lighter masses of molecular and electron gases containing the large quantities of electrons and ions. Cooperating vortex and ionizing fuel chambers are arranged in a way so as to use these chambers as electrodes for supplying an electric current by the principle of imploding plasma dynamics. The apparatus for producing electrical energy according to the invention operates by combusting fuel in sustained rotating imploding vortices. It was discovered by the applicant that when such a system was properly understood and utilized, it provided a novel method of liberating electrical energy from different forms of gaseous liquid, powdery and solid fuels. this invention further includes a technology wherein the fuel is super preheated so as to make it chemically and molecularly very active and to enclose this preheated fuel into an electrically insulated ionizing chamber, containing large numbers of free electrons. Actual prototype tests have indicated that these electrons appear to attach themselves to the fuel molecules, causing the fuel molecules to become activated and to behave as a plasma within the vortex chamber. The plasma thus activated greatly increases the combustion temperature which further enhances formation of the plasma. Diesel oil that normally burns at 1200.degree. F. in a prototype system has shown a combustion temperature in excess of 2400.degree..TM. F. The flow patterns within this system operate to create the sustained implosion within the vortex chamber. The imploding vortex is a stratified system wherein the heavier particles of the gas masses become progressively stratified with the outer perimeter of the vortex and the lighter particles of the gas masses become progressively stratified around a central core due to the gravity gradient formed in the vortices. A greater pressure is formed along the outer perimeter and a lighter pressure or vacuum is formed along the central axis. It can also be demonstrated that the center of a high velocity combustion vortex is cool when compared with the temperature of its outer periphery. The disclosed invention utilizes all of the important characteristics of the imploding vortex so as to increase the energy conversion efficiency and to greatly reduce the pollutants commonly associated with combustion of hydrocarbon and other fuels. The invention as disclosed herein is believed to be a novel way of generating electricity in an efficient and nonpolluting manner. The disclosed invention utilizes the principle of imploding plasma dynamics such that in one embodiment, two counter rotating, imploding plasma vortices facing each other produce a magnetic field and release free, fast-moving electrons that produce a polarized electron gas that is in electrical contact with two insulated halves of the outer walls of the combustion chamber. The two halves are electrically insulated so as to form plus (+) and minus (-) electrodes giving the electrons conducting path so that they can be utilized for generating electrical energy. It is known that when too many free electrons exist within a system, the system will increase in temperature, and that the reverse is also true--i.e., if free electrons are drained from the system, it will reduce its temperature. In operation, the plasma ball will produce prodigious quantities of free, fast-moving electrons in a controlled and confined space, producing intensive heat that may exceed safe limits of its construction materials. Accordingly, cooling of the plasma ball is attained by draining surplus electrons from the system by always having a work load on the system. In accordance with the invention there is provided an electric generator using imploding plasma dynamics for generating electric energy from fuel energy, which includes a substantially cylindrical vortex chamber bounded by a cylindrical chamber wall having an axis, an inward curved fuel inlet end wall, and an opposite inward curved exhaust end wall; a shroud surrounding the vortex chamber forming an air space between the chamber wall and the shroud; at least one air inlet entering the air space at an angle tangential to the air space; air compressor means fluidly communicating with the air inlet for injecting air into the air space; fuel-air mixture injection means disposed in the fuel inlet end wall; a mixing chamber in the fuel-air mixture injection means for mixing fuel with the air fluidly communicating with the air space; a plasma expansion cone or other vortex forming means having an inlet fluidly communicating with the mixing chamber for receiving fuel-air mixture from the mixing chamber; ignition means in the plasma expansion cone for igniting the fuel-air mixture, and forming at least one imploding plasma vortex in the vortex chamber; and electric energy take-off means connected with the vortex chamber for taking off electric energy generated by the imploding plasma vortex. In accordance with a further feature, the electric generator may include magnetic field forming means for forming a radially extending magnetic field in the vortex chamber, the radially extending magnetic field cooperating with the imploding plasma vortex for generating an electromotive force in the vortex chamber connected with the electric energy take-off means, at least one permanent magnet in the magnetic field forming means, or at least one electromagnet in the magnetic field forming means. The electric generator may further include an outer cylindrical magnet and an inner conical magnet in the magnetic field forming means, the inner and outer magnets coaxially disposed with the axis of the vortex chamber, en exhaust tube fluidly communicating with the vortex chamber for releasing exhaust gas from the vortex chamber, and an exhaust gas inlet in the exhaust gas tube, the exhaust gas inlet disposed in the axis of the vortex chamber. The exhaust tube is advantageously disposed coaxially with the axis of the vortex chamber. According to another feature, the electric generator includes a heat protective also advantageously electrically conductive lining in the vortex chamber. According to still another feature, the electric generator includes a fuel line in the fuel-air mixture injection means connected to a source of liquid fuel, or to a source of gaseous fuel, and further liquid fuel vaporizing means for vaporizing the liquid fuel, connected to the fuel line. There may additionally be included a mixing chamber in the fuel-air mixture injection means, and a fuel injector connected to the fuel line for injecting fuel into the mixing chamber, and an ignitor in the ignition means, and a spark generator connected to the ignitor for igniting the fuel-air mixture. The electric generator according to the invention may advantageously include a plurality of exhaust reentry vanes in the plasma expansion cone and/or the premixing chamber for reentry of exhaust gas from the vortex chamber into the plasma expansion cone. The exhaust tube can be a metallic tube, and an electric insulator which insulatingly connects the exhaust tube with the vortex chamber. The electric generator according to the invention includes a first electric terminal in the electric energy take-off means, attached to the exhaust tube, a second electric terminal in the electric energy take-off means connected to the vortex chamber wall, and an electric voltage converter connected to the first and second terminal for converting the voltage of the electric energy to user-adjusted electric voltages. Another embodiment of the electric generator using imploding plasma dynamics for generating electric energy from fuel energy, includes: (a) two facing hemispheric vortex chambers having a common axis; PA1 (b) an insulator separating the vortex chambers, disposed in a plane perpendicular to the common axis; PA1 (c) two facing hemispheric shrouds each enclosing a respective one of the hemispheric vortex chambers, and forming respective air spaces with the vortex chambers; PA1 (d) two oppositely oriented air inlets for injecting air in opposite directions into the air spaces; PA1 (e) air compressor means fluidly communicating with the air inlets for injecting air into the air inlets; PA1 (f) respective fuel-air mixture injection means in the hemispheric vortex chambers, each fuel-air mixture injection means including a mixing chamber in fluid communication with a respective air space, a plasma expansion cone or other vortex-forming means fluidly communicating with a respective mixing chamber, ignition means in the plasma expansion cones for igniting the fuel-air mixture, and forming oppositely rotating imploding plasma vortices in the vortex chambers; and PA1 (g) electric energy take-off means for taking off electric energy generated by the oppositely rotating imploding plasma vortices. The electric generator according to the invention includes fuel preheating means having a preheated fuel outlet in fluid communication with the fuel line, and a fuel inlet for receiving liquid and/or gaseous fuel. The fuel preheating means may include the heat exchanger, a heating element, an electric power source connected to the heating element for electrically heating the heating element, and a fuel channel in the heating element for circulating fuel to be heated in the channel, the channel having a heated fuel outlet in fluid communication with the preheated fuel outlet, and wherein further the heating element is a coiled tube. The fuel-preheating means may include an electrolyzing electrode in the heat exchanger for electrolyzing the heated fuel, and an electrolyzing power source connected to the electrolyzing electrode for electrolyzing the heated fuel. Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment which is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.