Abstract:
An electrolytic system for generating hydrogen gas includes a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte. The electrolyte includes colloidal silver, colloidal magnesium, and a nano-metal comprising nano-nickel, nano-iron or a nano-nickel-iron alloy. The electrodes include a first electrode of a non-magnetic material. A second electrode includes an electrode precursor of a magnetic material or an electro-magnet. When in its magnetic state, the electrode precursor exerts a magnetic force of sufficient strength to pull the nano-metal of the electrolyte onto at least a portion of its surfaces, to form the second electrode.

Description:
STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from provisional U.S. Application No. 61/111,991, filed Nov. 6, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The technology relates to the production of hydrogen, and more particularly to the use of chemical reaction to produce hydrogen in a system that includes an electrode formed from metallic nano-particles suspended in an electrolyte. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There is a growing demand for sources of energy other than from the combustion of fossil fuels. The combustion of these fuels has long been associated with the production of undesirable combustion gas products, such as sulfur dioxide. In more recent years, it has also become a matter of concern that the combustion of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The growing concentration of carbon dioxide has been implicated in the phenomenon variously known as “global warming” or “climate change.” Accordingly, there is a desire to develop other sources of energy, or to find ways to utilize fossil fuels which may entail technologies that either sequester or otherwise remove the potential for carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere. 
     Among the proposed alternatives to fossil fuels as a source of energy that do not release carbon dioxide are solar power, wind power, nuclear power, marine (wave) power and hydrogen. Each of these power sources poses challenges and each may occupy a niche in a long term energy strategy aimed at minimizing the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Hydrogen is a plentiful elemental gas but is usually chemically bound or in the atmosphere in a relatively small percentage. Accordingly, the large scale use of hydrogen requires technologies that will produce hydrogen from its chemically bound state and permit its capture in a form useful for conversion to energy, by combustion or otherwise. Much attention has been devoted to fuel cell technology, and the use of hydrogen as a potential automotive fuel is also being explored. 
     SUMMARY 
     An exemplary embodiment provides a controlled electrolysis system for generating hydrogen gas by creating an electrode with a magnetic field and controlling the magnetic field strength to control a rate of hydrogen production. The system includes a first electrode and an electrolyte in contact with it that includes colloidal silver, colloidal magnesium, and nano-metal particles. The system also has a conductive body portion in contact with the electrolyte. Further, it includes a magnetic element having a magnetic field at least partially encompassing the conductive body portion. The magnetic field pulls nano-metal particles from the electrolyte to at least partially coat a surface of the conductive body portion to form a second electrode. The strength of the magnetic field is controllable to either increase or decrease a rate of hydrogen production by controlling an extent of the surface of the conductive body portion coated with nano-metal particles. 
     A further exemplary embodiment provides a system for controlled generation of hydrogen gas by creating an electrode with a magnetic field and controlling the magnetic field strength to control a rate of hydrogen production. The system includes a first non-magnetic electrode and, in contact with it, an electrolyte that includes colloidal silver, colloidal magnesium, and nano-metal particles. In addition, it has a hollow body having a conductive portion and an insulated portion. The hollow body is in contact with the electrolyte. Further, it has a magnetic element having a magnetic field. The magnetic field at least partially encompasses the hollow body and pulls nano-metal particles from the electrolyte to at least partially coat an outer surface of the conductive portion to form a second electrolyte and produce hydrogen. The extent of influence of the magnetic field on the conductive portion is controlledly variable to control the rate of hydrogen production. 
     Another exemplary embodiment provides a system for controlled generation of hydrogen gas by creating an electrode with a magnetic field and controlling the magnetic field strength to control a rate of hydrogen production. The system includes a cell that has a first non-magnetic electrode, an electrolyte in contact with it, and a hollow body that forms a second electrode, when coated with nano-metal particles, under influence of a magnetic field. The electrolyte may include colloidal silver, colloidal magnesium, and nano-metal particles. The nano-metal particles may include at least one of nano-nickel, nano-iron or a nano-nickel-iron alloy. The hollow body has a conductive portion and an insulated portion and is in contact with the electrolyte. The hollow conductive body is coated with nano-metal from the electrolyte to form a second electrode, when the system is in hydrogen production mode. Further, the system includes at least one controlled magnetic element located within the hollow body and pulling nano-metal particles from the electrolyte to at least partially coat an outer surface of the hollow body to form the second electrode to produce hydrogen by electrolysis. The magnetic element controls a rate of hydrogen production by controlling the strength of the magnetic field at the conductive portion of the hollow body. The system also includes a gas-tight end cover enclosing contents of the cell, the end cover having an outlet therein for removal of produced hydrogen. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present technology, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying schematic, not-to-scale drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system including a magnetic electrode; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system including a magnetic electrode in the OFF state; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system including a magnetic electrode in the ON state; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system including an electro-magnetic electrode. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, numerous details may be set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present technology. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present technology may be practiced without some of these specific details. For the most part, details considering alternate material choices and design configurations and the like have been omitted inasmuch as details are not necessary to obtain complete understanding of the present technology and are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. 
     In the specification, the term “exemplary embodiment” means a non limiting example of an embodiment of the technology. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a simplified exemplary embodiment of a system that is a single cell hydrogen generator  5  that includes a chemical inert container  10 , in this instance an elongate container, of a non-magnetic material, typically a chemically inert material. Container  10  may vary in configuration. Container  10  includes a hollow electrical (copper or any other conductive material which is non-reactive) conductor  20  and a zinc electrode  30  abuts one end of the conductor  20 . Exemplary embodiments may have either zinc electrodes or aluminum electrodes when the electrolyte contains zinc hydroxide so that zinc will plate out onto the aluminum electrode. Other non-magnetic electrode materials may also be used. The conductor  20  may be of any configuration that is suitable. In this example, conductor  20  is composed of a hollow, copper tube. Conductor  20  is divided into two sections (insulated portion  40  and conductive portion  45 ), the outer surface of conductor  20  exposed to the electrolyte  65 . The second electrode is formed by nano-metal particles, such as nano-nickel and iron particles, attracted to and coated over the non-insulated area, conductive portion  45 , of conductor  20 , in the illustrated example. The hollow interior of conductor  20  is accessible from outside of container  10  through a port in the end seal  80 , which also has an outlet  90  for produced hydrogen gas. This allows the movable magnetic element  50  to be selectively positioned within conductor  20  to control hydrogen production. Hydrogen production is at a maximum when the magnetic element  50  is fully inserted into the conductive portion  45  of the conductor and the maximum area of this conductive portion  45  is coated with attracted nano-metal particles. As the magnetic element  50  is withdrawn, the area of the conductor  20  that is coated with nano-metal is reduced (and hydrogen production is also reduced) until the magnet is completely shielded within insulated portion  40 . When magnetic element  50  is completely shielded within insulated portion  40 , the magnetic field strength at conductive portion  45  is weak or non-existent and the conductive portion  45  is substantially free of magnetically attracted nano-metal particles. At this point, hydrogen production is minimized or terminated. Thus, the movement of magnetic element  50 , which affects the magnetic field strength at the conductive portion  45 , acts to control hydrogen production. 
     The second electrode (conductive portion  45  as coated with nano-metal) is produced by the magnetic field effects of a movable magnetic element  50  and nano-particles  60  of the electrolyte  65 . Thus, when the magnetic element  50  is in the insulated portion  40  of conductor  20 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the cell  5  is inactive. In this “off” mode, the presence of the magnetic field of magnetic element  50  attracts metallic nano-particles  60  of the electrolyte  65  to the outer surfaces of the insulated portion  40 , resulting in no hydrogen production. When the magnetic element  50  is moved into the conductive portion  45  of conductor  20 , the attracted nano-particles follow the magnetic field, thereby forming a metallic nano-particle coating on the outside surface of the conductive portion  45 , thereby forming the second electrode. In this “on” mode, the hydrogen generator cell  5  is active and produces hydrogen. Thus, the magnetic element  50  should be in a position to exert a sufficiently strong magnetic field strength on the conductive portion  45  of conductor  20  to attract nano-metal particles to it to form the second electrode. Once the second electrode is formed, hydrogen production commences. As the magnetic field moves to cover a greater portion of the area of conductive portion  45 , the extent of the proportion of the area of conductive portion  45  coated with nano-metal particles increases, and hydrogen production increases. Likewise, as the magnetic element  50  retreats and the magnetic field encompasses less of the area of conductive portion  45 , the area of nano-metal coating is reduced, and consequently hydrogen production is reduced. 
     An exemplary embodiment of a movable magnetic element  50  may selected, for example, from the rare earth magnets, or any other magnetic material that will attract magnetic nano-particles, such as nickel and nano-iron, so strongly as to cause these particles to move through electrolyte  60  to attach to insulated surfaces of conductor  20  (off position) or to the non-insulated portion of conductor  20  (on position) forming the second electrode. These magnetic nano-particles may be selected from nano-nickel, nano-iron, nano-alloys of nickel and iron, or other nano-metals, such as tungsten, tungsten carbide, platinum, etc. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the electrolyte  65  may include colloidal silver, colloidal magnesium, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and distilled water. Into this electrolyte solution is placed nano-nickel and nano-iron particles. For example, a 100 ml solution might be composed of 10 ml of colloidal silver, 10 ml of colloidal magnesium, 80 ml of distilled water, and 33 grams of the hydroxide. To this may be added 0.5 grams of nano-nickel and 0.5 grams of nano-iron particles. 
       FIG. 2  shows an exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen generator cell  5  with the magnetic element  50  in the “off” position, when no hydrogen is produced. The magnetic element  50  is within the insulated layer  40  and this attracts the nano-metal particles to the surface of the insulated layer  40 . In an exemplary embodiment, the magnetic field pulls substantially all the nano-nickel and nano-iron particles onto the outer surface of hollow conductor  20 . No second electrode is formed, because the nano-metal particles coat an insulated portion  40 , and thus there is no hydrogen production. 
     In  FIG. 3 , in contrast, the magnetic element  50  is moved all the way into conductor  20  (i.e. inside conductive portion  45 ) to the proximity of the zinc electrode  30 . The nano-metal particles are pulled onto the surface of conductive portion  45  which is in close proximity of the zinc electrode  30 , thereby allowing electrolysis to commence by making an electrical connection. As a result, electrolytic hydrogen production begins. The hydrogen is produced from the nano-metal electrode formed on the conductive portion  45  of hollow conductor  20 . The production of hydrogen can be reduced or terminated by moving the magnetic element  50  toward the “off” position until it is within the insulated portion  40 , as in  FIG. 2 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the extent of insertion of the magnetic element  50  within the conductor  20 , in other words, its location relative to the “on” and “off” positions described above, may be used to control the rate of hydrogen gas production from the hydrogen generator cell  5 . Alternatively, the second electrode (which is formed by magnetically attracted nano-metal particles on conductive portion  45 ) may be sized for a particular hydrogen output by a predetermined sizing of the area of conductive portion  45 , or through application to the conductive portion  45  of a variable magnet permeable coating which will change the strength of the magnetic field. The production rate of hydrogen may also be controlled by temperature: increasing electrolyte temperature increases the rate of hydrogen generation. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an alternative exemplary embodiment wherein the magnetic element  50  is an electro-magnet movable laterally as shown by arrow  55 . When power is supplied to the windings of the electro-magnet  50 , it becomes magnetic. Thus, when fully inserted into the hollow conductor  20 , the electro-magnetic element  50  pulls nano-particles onto the outer surface of conductive portion  45  of conductor  20  to form a second electrode. 
     The electro-magnetic material of the electro-magnet(s) may be selected from any suitable material, such as electro-magnetic alloys of iron or steel. Operation of the hydrogen generation cell  5  is similar to the above description using permanent magnets, but electro-magnets provide some additional flexibility and ease of control. For example, an electro-magnet readily permits control of hydrogen production by controlling magnetic field strength. Magnetic field strength may be controlled to some extent by controlling electrical current supplied to the electro-magnet. 
     An electrode for electrolysis of water using an electrical current may be constructed by forming a coating of nano-material around a conductive magnet, thereby producing a cathode of one nano-material and an anode of a second nano-material. 
     While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a wide range of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.