Abstract:
The system presented is an electrolytic cell and system for electrolysizing and/or heating a fluid electrolyte containing hydrogen in one of its several isotopic and compound forms having a conductive solution electrolyte. The electrolytic cell includes an electrically conductive electrode prepared of selected metals and/or their alloys. The cell is designed to release heat and/or reaction products during or after operation. The several electrodes are placed in electrical contact with the fluid electrolyte so that current passes between the several electrodes and made to flow through the electrolyte. The currents and voltages used between the various electrodes are chosen to be high enough to form ionization of some selected parts of the fluid electrolyte and move hydrogen in one of its various forms to the surface of one or more electrodes. Several geometric configurations such as microspheres, multicells, concentric electrodes and other forms can be used. An electric power source in the system is connected across the electrodes whereby electrical current flows between the electrodes within the fluid electrolyte and supplying a large current density at one or more electrodes.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     Not Applicable  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     This invention generally relates to electrochemical cells and more particularly to a thermo-electrochemical reactor where stored potential energy is activated by electrical charge and electrolysis of water and the production of useful amounts of heat.  
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0004]     Batteries and electrolytic cells are two different types of electrochemical reactors. Batteries combine chemicals and convert potential chemical energy to electricity. Whereas, electrolytic cells use electricity to produce metals (e.g., copper and sodium) and gases (e.g., hydrogen and chlorine). Neither batteries nor electrolytic cells have historically produced large quantities of heat. In general, heating results from the joule heating of the electrolyte. In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,946 it was shown “that tungsten, nickel, platinum and other possible electrically conductive materials can work as cathode materials”. Here the use of such materials is advocated. And in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,563 it was show that thorium along with such materials as “lanthanum, praseodymium, cerium, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, tantalum, uranium, hafnium, thorium and their alloys” where useful in producing heat generation from electrolytic systems. In addition in U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,946, the anode is larger than the cathode so that a large current density can be developed at the other electrode. The inventor has recently presented some information in scientific meetings such as the March 2005 American Physical Society Meeting. Such work has included movement toward higher current densities, the selection of materials to be employed as electrodes and characterization of heat and other electromagnetic wave production from such cells.  
         [0005]     It is important to note that there does not seem that electrolytic systems have been designed for the production of electromagnetic radiation such as light, infrared, radio waves, and the like.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The system is an electrolytic cell and system for electrolysizing and/or heating a liquid electrolyte containing water having a conductive salt in solution in contact with a plurality of electrodes so that ions can be formed and flow between the electrodes. The material used for the construction of the electrodes is chosen to optimize heat release from the electrolytic cell. The mode of operation of the electrolytic cell is designed so as to assure that some non-direct current components of the electrical flow pass through the surface of the electrodes. The electrolyte is chosen to produce free hydrogen ions that can flow to the surface of one or more electrodes under the imposed electrical currents. The design of the cell is chosen to allow recovery of heat production and possible gas production by the cell. The design and operating conditions allow for the production of electromagnetic radiation such as light.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     It is therefore the object of this invention to utilize an electrolytic cell for the efficient production of non-joule heat, combustible gases and electromagnetic radiation.  
         [0008]     It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved electrolytic cell for the increased production of heat in the form of heated water or heavy water-based electrolyte within the cell.  
         [0009]     It is yet another object of this design to increase the heat generation by the electrolytic cell by selection of materials.  
         [0010]     It is yet another object of the invention to promote quick charging and production of non-joule heat by using one electrode with a surface area much less than a second electrode so that high current densities can be develop in one area of the cell.  
         [0011]     It is yet another object of this invention to demonstrate that metals and alloys with a higher chemical potential than hydrogen can be used for electrodes.  
         [0012]     It is yet another object of this invention to supply hydride or hydrogen ion (H.sup.+) in its various forms to complete the electrical circuit between the electrodes.  
         [0013]     It is yet another object of this invention to utilize a construction having a one small area electrode and a larger second electrode in order to focus and channel fluxes, etc. within a cell for increased total power output.  
         [0014]     It is yet another object of this invention to utilize materials in the electrode construction that have a large neutron cross-section.  
         [0015]     It is yet another object of this invention to utilize current densities greater than 0.5 amps per square centimeter for at least one electrode presented to the electrolyte.  
         [0016]     It is yet another object of this invention to provide conditions in which the electric field at one electrode has a time varying component.  
         [0017]     It is yet another object of this invention to produce electromagnetic radiation of various wavelengths.  
         [0018]     It is yet another object of this invention to allow use of various gaseous vapors as and electrolyte. These include those available near the surface of a liquid/gas interface and those produced as a fog-like mist produced by ultrasonic stimulation of a liquid/gas interface.  
         [0019]     In accordance with these and other objects, which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an experimental system embodying the present invention employing a liquid fluid as the electrolyte  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the invention embodying the present invention employing a gaseous fluid as the electrolyte. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates the basic invention and its parts in one embodiment. In this concentric arrangement the central electrode,  11 , is the smaller of two electrodes. This was formed by a 3/16 Thoriated tungsten welding rod with 2% Th. A second electrode,  12 , is constructed of a Platinum gauze cylinder. Such Pt electrodes are well known in the art of electrochemistry. The Pt gauze cylinder was 1 cm in diameter and was designed so that it formed a cage,  18  around electrode  11 . Both electrodes where insulated from unwanted chemical events by glass tubing,  14 , 15  that also supplied support and assure stable spacing between the two electrodes. The containment vessel,  16 , in one embodiment was a 250 ml tall form beaker with a Teflon lid. For most operations, the vessel&#39;s construction is not critical, however, when the invention is used to generate various electromagnetic waves, it should be constructed from materials that freely pass the desired wavelength. For example, when long wave infrared is being produced the vessel can be made of plastics or have a window made of materials that freely pass the desired wavelength. In on embodiment, a thin Mylar film was used to cover a view port in the vessel. The electrolyte,  13 , should have a component that contains hydrogen in one or more of its various forms and compounds as discussed below. However the preferred embodiment uses water with a molecular mass of 20 for the major solvent of the electrolyte and uses sulfamic acid as the ionizing component to add in passage of high currents. In one embodiment this was prepared as 4 grams of crystallized sulfamic acid and 100 ml of water.  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  illustrates the invention using gaseous fluids as the electrolyte. Gas phase materials can be used in addition to conventional liquids as the electrolyte. In this embodiment, the two electrodes,  1  and  2  are powered in a region containing gases, one or more of which have hydrogen as part of its chemical composition or of its molecular structure. In one embodiment the two electrodes,  1  and  2 , are insulated with a zirconium ceramic tubes,  3  and  4 , to confine the charge transfer in the desired location. The location is chosen so that the discharge occurs in a gaseous region,  10  which includes some species containing hydrogen in one or more of its various forms and compounds. In the preferred embodiment this gaseous fluid electrolyte is a mixture of air or helium and obtains its hydrogen-containing portion from exposure to a surface of water,  8  in one of its various isotopic forms or mixtures. It is often difficult to develop efficient charge transfer between the two electrodes when the device is started with both electrodes in the gaseous phase. In one embodiment, this was overcome by first submerging the two electrodes under the surface,  8 , of a sulfamic acid water solution and first obtaining a dense discharge between the two electrodes in a fluid electrolyte,  7 . The electrodes can be raised above the surface,  8 , and maintain their discharge. It should be noted that with voltages above 50 volts, the requirement of having different surface areas on the several electrodes could be relaxed since plasma is produced and the current density is large at the single small points of the plasma discharge. In the preferred embodiments voltages between electrodes,  1  and  2  are preferred to be in excess of 200 volts with much higher voltages recommended.  
         [0024]     Electrode Materials  
         [0025]     One aspect of this invention is that heat output can be optimized by proper selection of materials used for the electrodes. The materials used for the smaller electrode are especially important. Early experiments by the inventor used tungsten-welding rods, thoriated tungsten welding rods, and tungsten carbide grinding tools or silicon carbide grinding tools. It was found that 2% thoriated tungsten rods were especially useful. Although theoretical explanations are not required in patents, some theories have pointed to the inclusion of materials that have high neutron cross section at thermal energies for enhanced production of heat by such cells. There currently is no credible proof of the reactions taking place at the electrode&#39;s surface but such theories involve either Oppenheimer-Philips neutron stripping reactions or assumed prohibited electron proton to neutron reactions. Whatever the mode of operation, the inventor has found by trial and error that neutron absorbing metals such as thorium have a beneficial effect on the present invention in the form of enhanced heat release. These materials include thorium, samarium, gadolinium, many rare earth metals and others. Elements, isotopes and mixtures of isotopes that have an average thermal neutron cross-section of more than 100 barns can characterize these materials. Data used to select high cross section materials is available from many government and private data services. For example: Neutron Cross Sections from Neutron Resonance Parameters and Thermal Cross Sections, S. F Mughabghab, M. Divadeenam and N. E. Holden, Academic Press (1981) and readily available via online government services: http.//ie.lbl.gov/ngdata/srg.htm. Such nuclear cross sections of various elements, their isotopes and their mixtures are well know to those skilled in the nuclear arts and can be calculated from data well known in those arts.  
         [0026]     The materials used for the electrodes should not be chemically unstable in the electrolyte. To that end, it is preferred that the electrodes be made from materials that have an electrochemical potential lest reactive than hydrogen. This is because free hydrogen ions are components of the electrolyte in the preferred embodiment. These potentials are often termed “electrochemical series” and are readily known by chemists skilled in the art. For example, one listing of the electrochemical series can be found in the CRC Handbook of chemistry and physics. This is a standard chemical reference and new editions are available each year. One such edition is the 67 th  edition of 1987, Robert Weast editor (pages D-151 to D-157 in that edition). Such listings give the electrochemical potentials of various metals compared to a standard hydrogen electrode. Materials such as gold, platinum, and tungsten can be found to be stable in our preferred embodiment, as can many metals and metal alloys less active than hydrogen. One especially useful material for use as an electrode is tungsten and its alloys and palladium and its alloys.  
         [0027]     The role of the materials chosen for the electrodes has an effect on the heat production of the cell and other products. For example, the use of 2% thorium tungsten alloy instead of pure tungsten can change the apparent thermal heat output to measured input power ratio by as much as 50% is some cases. Also small additions to the electrolyte can alter the heat recovery ratios. For example in the case of aluminum electrodes the additions of small amounts of mercury salts to the solution can increase the thermal to electrical ratios. It is unclear at the time of this application if the change is due to chemical reactions at the electrode, heat liberating events on the surface of the electrodes or altering the efficiency and accuracy of the input measurements. Experimental trial and error has shown that the inclusion of either (or both) elements possessing thermal neutron cross sections greater than 100 barns or small additions of elements with rich nuclear spin states elevates the thermal to electrical power ratios as seen by conventional measurements.  
         [0028]     Elements that have large nuclear cross sections are not always chemically suitable for long-term use in electrolytic cells and may be chemically reactive. For example uranium metal quickly reacts when placed in acidic solutions. One way to allow the use of such elements in the cells is to use alloys of the reactive species as low percentage additive within alloys predominately composed of less reactive metals. The use of 0.1% to 10% thorium in tungsten is an example of this that can be used in the present invention. Likewise the use of samarium cobalt alloys allows the use of samarium as an alloy when pure samarium would be too reactive for extended use in acidic electrolytic cells. The SmNi5 material used in some magnet formulations is an example of such a samarium alloy. Even with less reactive alloys employed as electrode materials, reasonable care, such as that obvious to those skilled in the art of chemistry and electrochemistry, should be taken to assure material compatibility between the electrodes, the electrolyte, and ionization events when running the electrolytic cells.  
         [0029]     The metals known as the “rare earths” comprise three members of Group IIIB of the Periodic Table, scandium (Sc, 21), yttrium (Y, 39), and lanthanum (La, 57), and the 14 lanthanides that are filling the 4f electron shell: cerium (Ce, 58), praseodymium (Pr, 59), neodymium (Nd, 60), promethium (Pm, 61), samarium (Sm, 62), europium (Eu, 63), gadolinium (Gd, 64), terbium (Tb, 65), dysprosium (Dy, 66), homium (Ho, 67), erbium (Er, 68), thulium (Tm, 69), ytterbium (Yb, 70) and lutetium (Lu, 71). These are often found both separately and as mixtures within some alloys. Rare earths have isotopes with high nuclear spins and nuclear quadrapole moments. Additives of salts containing various rare earths to the electrolyte and the use of their alloys in preparation of electrodes is often beneficial to seeing elevated thermal output to electrical input ratio. It is thought that these allow for spin exchange possibilities for hydrogen and the other species that are involved in the thermal release by the cells. Lanthanum alloyed with tungsten is used in one embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment used a welding rod of La 2%, W 98%.  
         [0030]     Electrolyte  
         [0031]     The role of the electrolyte is to provide ions for the transfer of charge between electrodes. In this invention, it is found that hydrogen in one or more of its forms or compounds is required for the optimum production of heat from the present invention. The electrolyte should be chosen so that hydrogen ions can be produced by passage of current through the cell. This should be either in the form of free hydrogen positive ions or positive ions having hydrogen as part of their chemical structure. It should be kept in mind that the term of hydrogen used herein is in its chemical context and includes all isotopic forms and mixture of isotopes. In many embodiments, hydrogen with atomic mass of 2 is preferred for the release of heat from the system.  
         [0032]     In one embodiment, Sulfamic acid (H2NSO3H) was used to supply the conductive ions within in the electrolyte. Sulfamic acid has the advantage that is keeps many metal ions in solution and thus allows the addition of such materials as rare earths to be deposited on the electrodes. All embodiments of the present invention require the use of electrolytes that contain hydrogen in some form. One very useful formulation of the electrolyte uses water in its various forms as its primary component. For example, the bulk of the electrolyte can be water in one of its isotopic forms called “heavy water” and with the addition of 4 grams of sulfamic acid per 100 ml of water. Other compounds and mixtures containing hydrogen in its various forms can be used as a component of the electrolyte. However, some form of hydrogen within the electrolyte is required in the present embodiment. In one embodiment the salt, lithium sulfate, dissolve in water was used as an electrolyte. Some cells have successfully used non-water electrolytes provided that some hydrogen—in its various forms—is part of the molecules making up the electrolyte. What is required is that some hydrogen be made available at the surface of one electrode. For example, in one embodiment one cell was briefly operated with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and lithium sulfate as the primary components of the electrolyte. This illustrates that water is not required for the operation of the invention however hydrogen in some form is required in the present invention. Other formulations that include hydrogen within the electrolyte will be obvious to those skilled in the art. However, water and its various forms is recommended for longer runs. Solutions that have a lower pH (i.e. less than pH 7) have the advantage of assuring the production of hydrogen ions at the electrode.  
         [0033]     Another useful embodiment is the use of a gaseous fluid as the electrolyte. In  FIG. 2  the two electrodes are run with a gas phase electrolyte. In one embodiment, the electrodes are first powered under the surface of a liquid electrolyte composed of heavy water and sulfamic acid as before. However after the electrodes have been powered on to a current density sufficient to cause the emission of light, they are slowly withdrawn from the solution. There can then been seen a plasma discharge between the electrodes. The current is passed through the air/water vapor mixture in the region just above the liquid&#39;s surface. This illustrates that liquid gaseous and plasma fluids can be used as the fluid electrolyte in the invention. In the preferred embodiment, water in its various forms and mixtures is the primary species in the electrolyte that is charged and conducts ions from one electrode to a second electrode. It should be pointed out that in this embodiment air is available and some ionization could be taking place, however the addition of some hydrogen-containing component of the fluid is a requirement for this invention. Air and water vapor mixtures are preferred due to cost considerations.  
         [0034]     In one embodiment, the gaseous electrolyte is produced from ultrasonic stimulation of the fluid,  7 , by an ultrasonic transducer,  20 , that fluidizes the electrolyte and makes a vapor over the surface,  8 , of the liquid. In one experiment, a piezo chip extracted from a Holmes humidifier was used as the transducer. This produced a fog-like fluid over the surface of the electrolyte composed of minute droplets of the water/sulfamic acid mixture used in previous experiments. The electrodes  1  an  2  where run at an estimated voltage of 10,000 volts and a plasma was developed between the electrodes,  1  and  2 .  
         [0035]     Current  
         [0036]     Most electrolytic systems to date have used direct currents. Such electrolytic systems often require or prefer the use of constant current sources. However, in the present invention, electrolytic current with a time varying component are preferred. In other terms, alternate currents can be used, as well as other currents with a non-zero time derivative of the current. Experimentation has shown that a current that varies in time gives greater thermal to electrical power ratios. Such variations are preferred be on the order of seconds or less in their peak to valley voltage readings. In some embodiments, RF and audio waves may be used with or instead of direct currents. Such currents can be supplied via the power supply applied to the cell. An alternative approach to supplying a time varying current to the cell is to run the cell at very high current densities. This has the benefit of causing “sparkles” at the electrode and the current develops very short time variations due to the surface actions of the ions. In effect the cell will cause variation in currents due to the surface action at the cathode when current densities are large. An oscilloscope connected in parallel to the cell will show that the cell will have deci-second or more rapid variations in resistance and voltage potential.  
         [0037]     The several methods of causing a time varying current at the smaller electrode results in a greater thermal power output in to electrical power input ratios than is seen when the cell is run with currents that are truly direct currents and do not have a time varying component. It is unclear if the variations in currents are actually more efficient in releasing thermal energy from the system or if the very rapid variations caused by the cell&#39;s conductivity changes are leading to miss measurements of input electrical power. No matter what the physical cause, there is a greater thermal output power out to electrical input power ratio as seen by conventional electrical power meters.  
         [0038]     The preferred embodiment of the invention is to use currents that result in current densities at the smaller electrode in excess of one 0.5 amps per square centimeter. Current densities above 1 amp per square centimeter are preferred. Here the term current density is used to describe the current per area at the surface of an electrode that is in electrical contact with the electrolyte.  
         [0039]     Geometry  
         [0040]     One of the more useful geometric arrangements of electrodes is a concentric arrangement with a small electrode in the center and a larger surface area electrode surrounding it. One of the advantages of such arrangements is that it allows larger currents to be maintained at the central electrode. It also has the benefit that only one electrode is subjected to erosion that results at operations at high current densities. The object of selecting a geometry for the electrodes is to assure that sufficient current can be passed by the cell so that the current densities at one electrode reaches levels greater than 0.5 amps per square cm. It is unclear at this time as to the physical explanation of why, but trial and error has shown that larger current densities favor larger thermal output to electrical input power ratios. Although 0.5 amps per square centimeters for the current densities seems to be the approximate threshold for anomalous thermal to electrical power ratios, current densities above 1 amp per centimeters are recommended.  
         [0041]     In one embodiment of the invention, the central electrode was a 3/16-inch diameter thoriated (2%) tungsten-welding rod that was placed inside a glass tube so that only a millimeter of it was presented electrically to the electrolyte. The outer electrode was constructed of a 2-centimeter diameter mesh cage made of platinum coated tantalum and surrounded the central electrode and was designed to supply approximately equal length conductive paths between the electrodes. This arrangement was found useful in producing current densities at the smaller electrode to exceed 1 amp per square centimeter. In this arrangement, only the central electrode was observed to show wear after extended use.  
         [0042]     In another embodiment, two electrodes had a central passageway that allowed for the flow of electrolyte. The two tubular electrodes where placed end to end with a small gap between them and the gap filled with electrolyte. It is envisioned that other geometries will become obvious to those skilled in the art. What is required is that ions can flow between the electrodes and large current densities can develop on at least one electrode.  
         [0043]     Electromagnetic Wave Production  
         [0044]     When the cell is operated at high current densities it is possible for it to emit various electromagnetic radiation. For example in one embodiment a concentric arrangement using a central thoriated tungsten rod as one electrode and operated so that the current density was in excess of 3 amps per square centimeters and using a heavy water electrolyte with sulfamic acid additions was found to generate a blue glow. The intensity of the glow indicated that the surface of the central electrode was its origin. Observation via color filter wheels showed that the peak emission was near 500 nm (+/−25 nm). The same cell emitted RF radiation near 15, 35 and 100 MHz. The cell was generating heat at the time and the IR emission peaked at about 10 micron. Thus the present invention can generate electromagnetic radiations in different ranges. When the current to the cell was pulsed at 400 Hz, interactions with a Geiger Muller tube (GM) were registered. It is unclear at the present if this represents emission of charged particles or gamma. It may be that the cell emits sufficient RF radiation to interfere with the operation of the GM tube. However, it is clear that the cell running at high current densities generated electromagnetic radiation of various wavelengths.  
         [0045]     Experimental Data  
         [0046]     Many experiments have been conducted as part of a trial and error search for materials and working conditions. The following is just to illustrate a “typical” run. These where conducted with a 3/16 tungsten-welding rod containing 2% thorium. The electrolyte was composed of 100 ml of heavy water and 4 grams of sulfamic acid. The geometry was similar to the concentric arrangement of  FIG. 1 . It is described there as a preferred embodiment. The cell was supplied from 60 cycle 115 VAC as found in the US. The electrical current was controlled by passing it through a light dimmer switch (Leviton) and through an autotransformer. The input power was measured by and Extech meter which registered the amps, voltage and true power and from which the power factor can be calculated. The cell was placed in a 250 ml tempering beaker through which a known flow of water could pass. This allowed measurement of the heat generated by the cell from the familiar formula Q=m c delta T. Thus both the heat output of the cell and the electrical input could be measured. Such measurements are difficult at best but the important point here is that the ratio of thermal energy to electrical input energy varies with current densities.  
                                                             Current (A)   electrical power (W)   thermal power (W)   Ratio                                0.57    71   61.5   0.87       0.71    91   87   0.96       0.94   111   106   0.95       1.46   133   140   1.05       1.81   155   156   1.01       2.66   174   198   1.14       3.08   223   267   1.20       4.20   254   341   1.34       5.10   352   475   1.35