Abstract:
An electrolytic system and cell for heating water containing a conductive salt in solution. The electrolytic cell includes a non-conductive housing having an inlet and an outlet and spaced apart first and second conductive foraminous grids positioned within the housing. A plurality of conductive particles each formed of a conductive metal which is readily combineable with hydrogen or an isotope of hydrogen to form a metallic hydride are positioned within the housing in electrical contact with the first grid adjacent the inlet. The conductive particles may be of any convenient regular or irregular shape, including granular. An electric power source in the system is operably connected across the first and second grids whereby electrical current flows between the grids within the water solution.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Scope of Invention 
     This invention generally relates to electrolytic cells, and more particularly to an improved electrolytic cell for electrolysis of water and the production of heat. 
     2. Prior Art 
     The present invention utilizes and improves upon microspheres formed of non-metallic beads which are plated with a uniformly thick coating of palladium. These palladium coated microspheres are taught in my previous U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,943,355 and 5,036,031. In these above-recited previous patents, cross linked polymer microspheres forming an inner core and having a plating of palladium thereatop are taught to exhibit improvements in the absorption of hydrogen and isotopes of hydrogen. Utilizing these catalytic microspheres led to my later U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,318,675 (&#39;675) and 5,372,688 (&#39;688) (incorporated herein by reference) which teach an electrolytic cell, system and method for, inter alia, producing heat. 
     The use of a palladium sheet to form one electrode within an electrolytic cell to produce excess heat, the electrolytic cell being a Pons-Fleischmann-type, is taught by Edmund Storms. The description of the Storms electrolytic cell and his experimental performance results are described in an article entitled Measurements of Excess Heat from a Pons-Fleischmann-Type Electrolytic Cell Using Palladium Sheet appearing in Fusion Technology, Volume 3, Mar. 1993. In a previous article, Storms reviewed experimental observations about electrolytic cells for producing heat in an article entitled Review of Experimental Observations About the Cold Fusion Effect in FUSION TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 20, Dec. 1991. 
     None of the previously reported experimental results or other prior art devices known to applicant other than my U.S. Pat. Nos. &#39;675 and &#39;688 patents have utilized or disclosed non-conductive copolymeric beads of palladium coated (or any substitute metal which will form &#34;metallic hydrides&#34; in the presence of hydrogen) conductive microspheres within an electrolytic cell for the production of heat and the electrolysis of water into its hydrogen and oxygen components. 
     The present invention discloses two very important extensions of my previously reported inventions. The first aspect of this invention is with respect to the core material itself. This application discloses and claims solid cores which, for the first time, are made of an active metal which readily combines with hydrogen or an isotope of hydrogen to form a metallic hydride or deuteride. In all my previous work, it had been presumed that the core material had to be of an inert nature. The work of others in the field using solid plates, rods, etc. had encountered rapid deterioration and non-repeatability. The present invention further teaches that, when the core particles are fabricated of such an active metal in combination with my cell and system, the shape need not be spherical but may be of other regular shapes and irregular in shape, including granular and that the sizes of the particles, whether regular or irregular, need not be identical in surface area. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to an electrolytic system and cell for heating water containing a conductive salt in solution. The electrolytic cell includes a non-conductive housing having an inlet and an outlet and spaced apart first and second conductive foraminous grids positioned within the housing. A plurality of conductive particles each formed of a conductive metal in various shapes and sizes only having the requirement of being readily combineable with hydrogen or an isotope of hydrogen to form a metallic hydride or deuteride are positioned within the housing in electrical contact with the first grid adjacent the inlet. An electric power source in the system is operably connected across the first and second grids whereby electrical current flows between the grids within the water or heavy water solution. 
     It is therefore an object of this invention to utilize an electrolytic cell as previously disclosed in my &#39;675 and &#39;688 patents in combination with solid conductive metallic particles as a catalyst which form a metallic hydride or deuteride in the presence of hydrogen to produce heat. 
     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 liquid electrolyte flowing through the cell. 
     It is yet another object of this invention to utilize solid conductive particles in an electrolytic cell, the metal chosen from one of those which exhibit strong hydrogen absorption properties to form &#34;metallic hydrides&#34;. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved electrolytic cell for the production of heat within an electrolytic cell, the cell utilizing solid conductive particles of either uniform or irregular shape and uniform or non-uniform size, the metal chosen from one of those which exhibits strong hydrogen absorption properties to form a metallic hydride or deuteride. 
     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 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an experimental system embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a section view of the electrolytic cell shown in FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     My prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,318,675 (U.S. Pat. No. &#39;675l) and 5,372,688 (U.S. Pat. No. &#39;688) and the teachings contained therein are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Referring now to the drawings, a system embodying concepts of the invention utilized during testing procedures is shown generally at numeral 10. This system 10 includes an electrolytic cell shown generally at numeral 12 interconnected at each end with a closed loop electrolyte circulation system. The circulation system includes a pump 18 which draws a liquid electrolyte 59 from a reservoir 32 and forces the electrolyte 59 in the direction of the arrow into inlet 54 of electrolytic cell 12. This pump 18 is a constant volume pump. After the electrolytic cell 12 is completely filled with the electrolyte 59, the fluid then exits an outlet 56, then flowing into a gas trap 26 which is provided to separate hydrogen and oxygen gas from the electrolyte 59 when required. A throttle valve 28 downstream of the gas trap 26 regulate the electrolyte flow so as to also regulate the fluid pressure within the electrolytic cell 12 as monitored by pressure gauge 20. 
     A slide valve 22 provides for the intermittent introduction of ingredients into the liquid electrolyte 59 via syringe 24. A second slide valve 30 provides for the periodic removal of electrolyte 59 into test reservoir 34 for analysis to determine correct electrolyte make-up. 
     In FIG. 2, the details of the electrolytic cell 12 utilized during testing procedures is there shown. A cylindrical glass non-conductive housing 14, open at each end, includes a moveable non-conductive end member 46 and 48 at each end thereof. These end members 46 and 48 are sealed within the housing 14 by O-rings 62 and 64. The relative spacing between these end members 46 and 48 is controlled by the movement of end plates 50 and 52 thereagainst. 
     Each of the end members 46 and 48 includes an inlet stopper 54 and an outlet stopper 56, respectively. Each of these stoppers 54 and 56 define an inlet and an outlet passage, respectively into and out of the interior volume, respectively, of the electrolytic cell 12. These end members 46 and 48 also include a fluid chamber 58 and 60, respectively within which are mounted electrodes 15 and 16, respectively, which extend from these chambers 58 and 60 to the exterior of the electrolytic cell 12 for interconnection to a d.c. power supply (not shown) having its negative and positive terminals connected as shown. This d.c. power supply is a constant current type. Also positioned within the chambers 58 and 60 are thermocouples 70 and 72 for monitoring the electrolyte temperature at these points of inlet and outlet of the electrolytic cell 12. However, in the experiments reported herebelow, the inlet temperature of the liquid electrolyte was measured outside of the cell 12 immediately upstream of stopper 54 to more accurately reflect temperature differential (ΔT). 
     A plurality of conductive microspheres 36, preferably more broadly referred to as particles, are positioned within housing 14 immediately adjacent and against a conductive foraminous grid 38 formed of platinum and positioned transversely across the housing 14 as shown. These conductive particles 36 are formed of a conductive metal which is readily combineable with hydrogen or an isotope of hydrogen to form a metallic hydride or deuteride. The size and shape of these conductive particles is now known to be of lesser significance so that variations in particle shape, including an irregular shape and size, are within the scope of this invention. Moreover, size or shape consistency is now known not to be a required limitation so that, for example, pure solid conductive metal granules form the active catalytic bases of one experimental embodiment described below. 
     Still referring to FIG. 2, a non-conducive foraminous nylon mesh 40 is positioned against the other end of these conductive particles 36 so as to retain them in the position shown. Adjacent the opposite surface of this non-conductive mesh 40 is a plurality of non-conductive spherical microbeads, or more generally particles, 42 formed of cross-linked polystyrene and having a uniform diameter of about 1.0 mm. Against the other surface of this layer of non-conductive microspheres 42 is a conductive foraminous grid 44 positioned transversely across the housing 14 as shown. 
     Should the system 10 boil off or otherwise inadvertently lose all liquid electrolyte within the cell 12, a means of preventing system shut-down is preferred which replaces the non-conductive microspheres 42 with non-metallic spherical cation ion exchange polymer conductive microbeads preferably made of cross-linked styrene divinyl benzene which have fully pre-sulfonated surfaces which have been ion exchanged with a lithium salt. This preferred non-metallic conductive microbead structure will thus form a &#34;salt bridge&#34; between the anode 44 and the conductive particles 36, the non-conductive mesh 40 having apertures sufficiently large to permit contact between the conductive particles 36 and the conductive non-metallic microbeads. The mesh size of mesh 40 is 200-500 micrometers. This preferred embodiment also prevents melting of the sulfonated non-conductive microbeads 42 while reducing cell resistance during high loading and normal operation. 
     The end of the electrode 15 is in electrical contact at 66 with conductive grid 38, while electrode 16 is in electrical contact at 68 with conductive grid 44 as shown. By this arrangement, when there is no electrolyte within the electrolytic cell 12, no current will flow between the electrodes 15 and 16. 
     ELECTROLYTE 
     When the electrolytic cell 12 is filled with a liquid electrolyte 59, current will flow between the electrodes 15 and 16. The preferred formulation for this electrolyte 59 is generally that of a conductive salt in solution with water. The preferred embodiment of water is that of either light water (H 2   1  O) or heavy water and more specifically that of deuterium (H 2   2  O). The purity of all of the electrolyte components is of utmost importance. The water (H 2   1  O) and the deuterium (H 2   2  O) must have a minimum resistance of one megohm with a turbidity of less than 0.2 n.t.u. This turbidity is controlled by ultra membrane filtration. The preferred salt solution is lithium sulfate (Li 2  SO 4 ) in a 2-molar mixture with water and is of chemically pure quality. In general, although a lithium sulfate is preferred, other conductive salts chosen from the group containing boron, aluminum, gallium, and thallium, as well as lithium, may be utilized. The preferred pH or acidity of the electrolyte is 9.0. 
     CONDUCTIVE METAL BEADS/PARTICLES 
     Palladium coated microspheres were originally preferred as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. &#39;675 and &#39;688 and as taught in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,943,355 and 5,036,031. Moreover, palladium may be substituted by other transition metals, rare earths and also uranium. In general, any of these metals which are capable of combining with high volumes of hydrogen to form &#34;metallic hydrides&#34; are acceptable. These metals known to applicant which will serve as a substitute for palladium are lanthanum, praseodymium, cerium, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, tantalum, uranium, hafnium and thorium. Authority for the inclusion of these elements within this group is found in a book entitled &#34;Inorganic Hydrides, by B. L. Shaw, published by Pergammon Press, 1967. However, palladium is the best known and most widely studied metallic hydride and was utilized in my previously referenced patents to form conductive hydrogen-absorbing microspheres. 
     Other recent research by R. Mills in an article entitled Excess Heat Production by the Electrolysis of Inequious Potassium Carbonate Electrolyte and the Implications for &#34;Cold Fusion&#34; published in Fusion Technology 20 dated (1991) 65, suggests that nickel should be added to this category of metallic hydride or deuteride forming metals for production of heat using an H 2  O-based electrolyte. Support for the inclusion of nickel may also be drawn from my previous co-pending application Ser. No. 08/566,547, filed Dec. 4, 1995 entitled &#34;Improved System for Electrolysis and Heating of Water&#34; in which a thin layer of nickel was deposited atop a uniform palladium layer plated around a spherical core. The nickel was presumed to add structural integrity only, but it is now believed that nickel will interact with a water-based electrolyte to produce useful amounts of heat as well. 
     In an even more general sense, the broad requirement here is to provide a metallic hydride or deuteride forming particle in the presence of hydrogen, the exact shape and consistency in size being a secondary consideration so long as one of the conductive metals hereinabove described is used as a catalyst. In my previously referenced patents and inventive work with respect to metallic hydride forming coated microspheres, only cores formed of styrene divinyl benzine having a sulfonated surface had been utilized. Moreover, experimental results leading to another of my co-pending patent applications filed Jan. 16, 1996, Ser. No. 08/586,164 entitled &#34;System and Electrolytic Cell Having Inert Spherical Core Catalytic Elements for Heating a Liquid Electrolyte&#34; utilizes a sufficiently broad range of core materials and surface finishes to lead to the conclusion that any spherical core which possesses the general characteristics of being &#34;inert&#34; may be utilized in conjunction with one or more of the combinations of metallic hydride forming coating materials applied thereatop. This application expands that concept still further. 
     Experimental results reported herebelow utilize a broad array of solid materials including nickel, palladium and titanium. The important general material feature which appears to be in common with these is the use of metal particles without a coating or layered surface as a catalyst within the electrolytic cell which readily combine with hydrogen or an isotope of hydrogen to form a metallic hydride or deuteride with the electrolyte within the cell to produce heat. 
     NICKEL PARTICLES 
     The nickel particles forming the catalytic bed within the electrolytic cell 12 utilized to produce the experimental results reported in Table I herebelow were spherical having a 1.0 mm diameter. These nickel particles were manufactured by Salem Specialty Ball Company, grade 200, lot number N46-04. These nickel particles have no special additional coating or other treatment whatsoever and were used as supplied by the manufacturer. As in all of the experiments reported herebelow, approximately 3.0 cc of particles were used to form the catalytic particle bed within each electrolytic cell tested. 
     PALLADIUM PARTICLES 
     Experimental results reported in Table II herebelow were derived from an electrolytic cell as above described using a catalytic particle bed formed of palladium particles which were spherical and having a mixed diameter of from 1 mm to 8 mm. These palladium particles were supplied by Aldrich Chemical Co. having a purity of 99.97%, lot number 08912NH and, again, no special additional coating or other treatment was applied to these palladium particles and the electrolytic cell bed was formed of approximately 3 cc of these particles. 
     TITANIUM PARTICLES 
     The experimental results reported in Table III herebelow were with respect to an electrolytic cell as above described wherein the active catalytic bed was formed of titanium particles which were granules having a mesh size of 15. These titanium particles, having a flake-like appearance, were also supplied by the Aldrich Chemical Co. The purity of these titanium particles was 99.95% from lot number 01608HW. 
     CELL RESISTANCE 
     In preparing the electrolytic cells for testing, the cell resistance was measured utilizing a Whetstone Bridge or an Ohm meter prior to the introduction of the electrolyte into the electrolytic cell. This cell resistance, when dry, should be infinitely high. Otherwise, a short between the anode screen and the cathode beads exists and the unit would have to be repacked. Prior to testing, with electrolyte present, the cell resistance was set at 16 ohms by appropriate compression of the end members. 
     RELATIVE SURFACE AREAS 
     The range in diameters of the conductive microspheres as above described is relatively broad, limited primarily by the ability to plate the inert cores and the economic factors involved therein. As a guideline, however, it has been determined that there exists a preferred range in the ratio between the total surface area of all of the conductive microspheres collectively within the electrolytic cell 12 and the inner surface area of the non-conductive housing, e.g. 14 in FIG. 2, which surrounds the bed of conductive microspheres. As in FIG. 2, this housing inner surface area would extend from the conductive foraminous grid 38 and the non-conductive mesh 40. 
     A minimum preferred ratio of the total bead surface area to the inner housing surface area is in the range of 5 to 1 (5:1). However, an ideal area ratio is 10 to 1 (10:1) and is typically utilized in the experiments reported herebelow. This ratio is thus affected primarily by the diameter of the conductive microspheres, the smaller the diameter of the microspheres, the higher the ratio becomes. 
     EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS 
     Experimental test procedures and results and graphic display of those results form my previous U.S. Pat. Nos. &#39;674 and &#39;688 are repeated by reference thereto. Similar tests with respect to the new inert core conductive microspheres were conducted which showed substantially above 100% heat outputs (yields), also referred to as &#34;excess heat&#34;. Excess heat is more generally defined herein as the ratio (greater than 1.0) of heat energy output to electrical power input. 
     Table I herebelow represents a tabularization of actual test results performed on an electrolytic cell as shown in FIG. 2 using the above-described untreated and unplated nickel particles as at 36 of FIG. 2 to form the catalytic bed within the electrolytic cell 12. In general, all tabular results herebelow represent data taken in terms of elapsed time in minutes, change in temperature of the electrolyte between just upstream of the inlet 54 and the outlet 56 of the cell 12 (ΔT°C.), current flow in amps, voltage (V) across the electrolytic cell 12 between terminals 15 and 16, the flow rate of the electrolyte (ml/min) and calculated watts in and watts out and percent yield. Percent yield is defined as the wattage output divided by the wattage input times 100%. In calculating watts in, the input voltage is reduced by 1.5 volts which represents the known voltage loss in electrolysizing H 2  O, which energy is returned to the system in the recombination of H 2  O. 
     
                                           TABLE I__________________________________________________________________________(Nickel Spherical Particles as Catalyst)Time    ΔT °C.          Amps              Volts    Flow Rate                             Watts                                 Watts(min)    (To - Tin)     T(in) °C.          (A) (V) V - 1.5                       ml/min                             in  out % Yield__________________________________________________________________________0   0.4   22.2 .02 5.60                  4.10 16.7  .080                                 0.465                                     581.8   0.7   22.3 .02 4.76                  3.26 16.7  .065                                 0.814                                     1249.34  7.8   37.3 .02 3.47                  1.97 17.6  .039                                 9.560                                     24273.50  9.3   39.7 .02 3.40                  1.90 17.6  .038                                 11.400                                     30008.__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     Table II herebelow represents the tabularization of actual test results utilizing the above-described untreated and unplated palladium spherical particles as at 36 in FIG. 2 to form the catalytic bed within the electrolytic cell 12. 
     
                                           TABLE II__________________________________________________________________________(Palladium Spherical Particles as Catalyst)Time    ΔT °C.          Amps              Volts    Flow Rate                             Watts                                 Watts(min)    (To - Tin)     T(in) °C.          (A) (V) V - 1.5                       ml/min                             in  out % Yield__________________________________________________________________________0   0.4   22.9 .02 2.91                  1.41 16.7  .028                                 0.465                                     1650.12  0.5   23.2 .02 3.32                  1.82 16.7  .036                                 0.582                                     1598.32  0.7   23.2 .02 3.50                  2.00 17.6  .040                                 0.858                                     2146.58  0.6   23.6 .02 3.35                  1.85 16.7  .037                                 0.698                                     1887.78  0.7   23.5 .02 3.57                  2.07 16.7  .040                                 0.814                                     1967.114 7.0   40.3 .02 3.26                  1.76 16.7  .035                                 8.140                                     23136.130 7.3   42.0 .02 3.19                  1.69 16.7  .030                                 8.490                                     25127.150 7.6   42.4 .02 3.06                  1.56 16.7  .030                                 8.840                                     28340.190 8.5   42.6 .02 3.02                  1.52 16.7  .03 9.880                                     32530.__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     Table III herebelow represents a tabularization of actual test results performed on the electrolytic cell shown in FIG. 2 utilizing the above-described titanium granules as at 36 in FIG. 2 to form the catalytic bed within the electrolytic cell 12. 
     
                                           TABLE III__________________________________________________________________________(Titanium Granules as Catalyst)Time    ΔT °C.          Amps              Volts    Flow Rate                             Watts                                 Watts(min)    (To - Tin)     T(in) °C.          (A) (V) V - 1.5                       ml/min                             in  out % Yield__________________________________________________________________________0   0.3   23.6 .02 3.33                  1.83 15.8  .036                                 0.330                                     917.8   0.2   24.0 .02 3.49                  1.99 16.7  .039                                 0.232                                     646.14  0.2   24.1 .02 3.44                  1.94 15.8  .036                                 0.220                                     579.20  0.3   23.8 .02 3.39                  1.89 15.8  .037                                 0.330                                     893.36  0.2   23.9 .02 3.30                  1.80 15.8  .036                                 0.220                                     611.42  0.4   23.9 .02 3.27                  1.77 15.8  .035                                 0.440                                     1258.52  0.3   24.4 .02 3.27                  1.77 15.8  .035                                 0.330                                     946.66  7.2   40.3 .02 2.99                  1.49 15.8  .029                                 7.920                                     26595.86  8.9   44.0 .02 2.92                  1.42 15.8  .028                                 9.790                                     34495.118 0.8   45.6 1.02              2.88                  1.38 15.8  .027                                 11.200                                     40679.__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what are conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be afforded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.