Patent EA-002240-B1 (EA)
Title: Process for the production of hydrogen by thermal decomposition of water
Inventor: BECK J THOMAS
IPC: F24S20/20
Filed: 1999-05-05
Abstract: 1. A process for producing hydrogen from water comprising: (a) heating water to a water dissociating temperature to form a dissociated water reaction mixture comprising hydrogen gas and oxygen gas; (b) forming a vortex of the reaction mixture to subject the reaction mixture to a centrifugal force about a longitudinal axis of an interior space of a vortex tube reactor, so that there is radial stratification of the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas in the interior space of the vortex tube reactor; and (c) preferentially extracting hydrogen gas from the reaction mixture at spaced apart points along the longitudinal axis of the interior space of the vortex tube reactor. 2. A process for producing hydrogen from water comprising: (a) heating water to a water dissociating temperature to form a dissociated water reaction mixture comprising hydrogen gas and oxygen gas; (b) forming a vortex of the reaction mixture to subject the reaction mixture to a centrifugal force about a longitudinal axis of an interior space of a vortex tube reactor, so that there is radial stratification of the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas in the interior space of the vortex tube reactor; and (c) preferentially extracting oxygen gas from peripheral portions of the vortex at longitudinally spaced apart points along the circumference of the vortex tube reactor. 3. The process of claim 2 further comprising preferentially extracting hydrogen gas from the reaction mixture at spaced apart points along the longitudinal axis of the interior space of the vortex tube reactor. 4. The process of claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the water is heated to a dissociating temperature with concentrated solar radiation focused on the vortex tube reactor. 5. The process of claim 1,2,3 or 4 wherein the water dissociating temperature is between about 1800 degree C and about 3000 degree C. 6. The process of claim 1,2,3,4 or 5 wherein the reaction mixture is contacted with a catalyst that catalyzes the dissociation of the water into hydrogen and oxygen. 7. The process of any one of claims 1 through 6 wherein the preferentially extracting step comprises applying a vacuum to extract the gas. 8. A vortex tube reactor comprising: (a) an elongate wall having first and second ends, the wall and ends together efining an interior space having a longitudinal axis and adapted to house a vortex; (b) an inlet port in the first end for tangentially introducing a gas into the nterior space to initiate circumferential movement of the gas in the interior pace about the longitudinal axis to form the vortex; (c) a hydrogen draw tube concentrically located in the interior space along the longitudinal axis, the hydrogen draw tube being porous to hydrogen gas at longitudinally spaced apart points. 9. A vortex tube reactor comprising: (a) a tubular wall having first and second ends, the wall and ends together defining an interior space having a longitudinal axis and adapted to house a vortex; (b) an inlet port in the first end for tangentially introducing a gas into the interior space to initiate circumferential movement of the gas in the interior space about the longitudinal axis to form the vortex; (c) an oxygen draw tube concentrically located in the interior space adjacent to the cylindrical wall, the oxygen draw tube being porous to oxygen gas at longitudinally spaced apart points. 10. The vortex tube reactor of claim 9 further comprising a hydrogen draw tube concentrically located in the interior space along the longitudinal axis, the hydrogen draw tube being porous to hydrogen gas at longitudinally spaced apart points. 11. The vortex tube reactor of claim 8,9 or 10 wherein the reactor is comprised of a refractory material adapted to withstand a water dissociating temperature. 12. The vortex tube reactor of claim 11 wherein the water dissociating temperature is between about 1800 degree C and about 3000 degree C. 13. The vortex tube reactor of any one of claims 8 through 12 further comprising a catalyst positioned to contact the vortex and adapted to catalyze the dissociation of water into hydrogen and oxygen. 14. The vortex tube reactor of any one of claims 8 through 13, further comprising a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the draw tube for creating a lower pressure in the draw tube than in the interior pace of the vortex tube reactor. 15. The vortex tube reactor of any one of claims 8 through 14, further comprising a means for focusing concentrated solar energy on the vortex tube reactor.