Patent Publication Number: US-2010116684-A1

Title: Wind to hydrogen energy conversion

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/195,766, entitled “Wind to Hydrogen,” filed 10 Oct. 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     As fossil fuel supplies decline and fossil fuel combustion byproducts continue to be a source of air pollution, a renewed emphasis is being placed on so-called traditional alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal resources. While each of these alternative energy resources has advantages relative to fossil fuels, each also has drawbacks. 
     One surprising drawback of wind energy is the reluctance of land owners owning land within the line of sight of planed wind farms. Apparently, these land owners, while generally supportive of the use and development of non-fossil-fuel based energy sources, are never the less unwilling to have farms of windmills impeding their view of the landscape or seascape. 
     As an example, there presently is an on-going battle to build a windmill farm in the shallows south of Cape Cod on the coast of Massachusetts. The residents of the adjacent areas have complained that the rotating blades on the horizon would impact their view. They have also maintained that the rotating turbine blades would prove to be a hazard to bird life. While this latter point is generally true of wind farms, wind mills themselves are not believed to pose any more risk to birds than a building of equal size, and actually can pose less of a risk as birds can often pass right through the swept area of the windmill blades, when the timing is right. As an example of the powerful influence that such landowners have, the referenced wind farm project has been put on hold as a result of the worried landowners&#39; actions in court. 
     Thus, a need exists to implement alternative energy resources such as wind energy in ways that are not disruptive to established communities. 
     SUMMARY 
     Aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure address the shortcomings noted previously by implementing vessel-deployed wind machines that supply electricity for the electrolysis of sea water or fresh water to obtain hydrogen. The hydrogen produced from the electrolysis can be stored and used as desired. Hydrogen so produced can be used to power the vessel that carries the wind machines. Hydrogen produced can also be used for hydrogen fuel distribution networks and power plants. 
     Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be understood upon reading and understanding the detailed description of exemplary embodiments, described herein, in conjunction with reference to the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Aspects of the present disclosure may be more fully understood from the following description when read together with the accompanying drawings, which are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as limiting. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a schematic view of a vessel-deployed wind-to-hydrogen system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
       FIG. depicts a side view of an electrolysis tank, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  includes  FIGS. 3A and 3B , which together depict a hydrogen storage container for storing hydrogen gas collected from electrolysis, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 4  depicts a block diagram of a method of converting wind energy to hydrogen fuel, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     While certain embodiments are depicted in the drawings, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments depicted are illustrative and that variations of those shown, as well as other embodiments described herein, may be envisioned and practiced within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As described previously, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to implementing vessel-deployed wind machines that supply electricity for the electrolysis of sea water or fresh water to obtain hydrogen. The hydrogen produced can be stored and used for multiple purposes, e.g., for fueling power plants, supplying fuel to hydrogen vehicle fuel distribution networks, and the like. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a schematic view of a vessel-deployed wind-to-hydrogen system  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, a number of suitable wind mills or wind machines  102 (N), e.g., wind machines  102 ( 1 )-( 4 ), can be placed on a suitable ship or vessel  104  for deployment at sea. The wind machines can include turbines with attached blades that rotate about a desired axis (e.g., vertical or horizontal). The turbines can have a desired number of blades or vanes. The vessel  104  can include a specialized tank  106  for the electrolysis of water. The water can be conveniently obtained from the surrounding water (ocean or fresh water). 
     Exemplary embodiments can include a ship  104  designed to hold several relatively large wind machines. Suitable examples of such wind machines can include vertical-axis machines built by Wind Energy Corporation of Elizabethtown, Ky. USA. An example of such is indicated by wind machine  102 ( 5 ) in  FIG. 1 . Horizontal-axis wind machines may used in addition to or substitution for vertical-axis wind machines. 
     Exemplary wind machines as currently built by Wind Energy Systems are approximately twenty feet tall and have a footprint of a circle twelve feet in diameter, with a screw-type blade system that rotates along a vertical axis. Such machines are capable of generating fifty kilowatts of electrical power. In further exemplary embodiment, such machines can be scaled in size by a factor of four or so could allow for electricity production of up to megawatt or power. An array of twenty of these machines could produce a total of twenty Mega Watts. A large specially designed ship (e.g., ship  104  of  FIG. 1 ) could hold at least that many. Thus, depending on the power output needed, ship  104  and wind machines  102 (N) can be scaled as necessary. 
     In exemplary embodiments, the ship  104  could be designed somewhat like a catamaran with a very large deck connecting the two hulls. A single-hull ship could be less expensive while providing similar carrying capabilities. In exemplary embodiments, the carrier ship itself can be powered by an electric motor that would be powered by the electricity from the wind machines. A bank of batteries can be installed to supply stability during the rare moments when there is no wind. The one or more wind machines can fitted with or include direct current generators or suitable rectification systems so as to be able to produce direct current suitable for an electrolysis of water in tank  106 , as described in further detail for  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 2  depicts a side view of an electrolysis tank  200 , according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Such a tank is depicted with ship  104  in  FIG. 1 . Tank  200  can include a surface  202  for holding water (e.g., a bottom made of Lucite® or other synthetic resin or plastic) through which water tight terminals  204 ( 1 )-( 2 ) can be connected to multiple pairs of electrolysis plates, which can act as cathodes and anodes, e.g., plate pairs  206 ( 1 )-( 4 ), located in the inside of the tank  200 . The pairs of electrolysis plates can be connected to the windmills and receive electricity (shown by power from the windmills  208 ) for driving the electrolysis process. 
     In operation, when the tank  200  is filled with water (e.g., sea water) and direct current is applied between the plates, hydrogen will form at one plate and oxygen at the other. The plate that is collecting hydrogen can fitted with a cone or other collection structure/device, e.g., a hose  214  so that the hydrogen can be directed where desired, e.g., as depicted by storage tank  212 . The oxygen can be bled off or collected in a similar fashion. Many such sets of plates can be used, as needed. The tank  200  can be relatively shallow and can be partitioned off into many cells. Each cell can include a set of electrolysis plates. Each cell can be enclosed by a barrier (e.g., rectangular) for ensuring/facilitating that the plates are kept immersed when the roll of the ship would tend to slosh the water from one side of the tank to the other. Exemplary embodiments can utilize cells and plates as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,510,640, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     The water level in the tank  200  can be somewhat deeper that the cell barriers, in exemplary embodiments. When the water moves due to the roll of the ship, e.g., ship  104 , the water in a cell would be constantly refreshed. There can be an optimum salt concentration of the water in the tank. As electrolysis proceeds the water will become more salt concentrated until the optimum is reached. At that point more sea water is added and/or brine is drained off so that the optimum is maintained. In exemplary embodiments, suitable electrolytes (sodium chloride or others) can be added to facilitate electrolysis. 
       FIG. 3  includes  FIGS. 3A and 3B , which together depict a hydrogen storage container, or tank,  300  for storing hydrogen gas collected from electrolysis, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Such storage tanks can hold hydrogen gas collected from an electrolysis tank (e.g., tank  200  of  FIG. 2 ) on board a sea going vessel (e.g., vessel  100  of  FIG. 1 ). The hydrogen gas collected from electrolysis can be stored under pressure in tank  300 . In exemplary embodiments, the hydrogen is pressurized and stored in liquid form within tank  300 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A , tank  300  can include a body  310 , e.g., a cylindrical member or pipe section. The body  310  can have end plates or caps  312 ( 1 )-( 2 ). A suitable valve  314 , e.g., a globe or gate valve, can be included for admitting hydrogen into or letting it out of tank  300 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3B  by exploded view, tank  300  can include a storage canister  310  and multiple partitions or filters  316 ,  320 . The canister can include a partition element or structure  318  that includes sub volumes suitable for holding materials, e.g., alloys, that can store hydrogen. Gaskets and rings  322 ,  324 , can facilitate sealing of tank  300 . 
     In exemplary embodiments, tank  300  can consist of a relatively long high-pressure pipe (not shown) constructed and stored within the hull of the ship carrying the windmills and electrolysis tank. In exemplary embodiments, such a pipe (storage tank) can be of the order of four to ten inches in diameter. In exemplary embodiments, pipe ends can be threaded and connected with fittings with mating threads. The threads, before being screwed together, can be coated with an epoxy or other suitable sealing compound for greater strength and to seal any possible leaks. As many lengths (e.g., standard sections) of such pipe as desired can be stored in/on the ship so that the total volume of storage could be as large as desired, e.g., the length of storage pipe could be on the order of miles. 
     Before storing the hydrogen in a suitable container (e.g., storage tank or pipe  300 ), the container is preferably evacuated to remove all oxygen for safety. Mechanical pumps can be used to reduce the pressure to usefully low pressure, e.g., a magnitude of ten to the minus three millimeters of mercury. This should be sufficient to remove the danger of an explosion. Hydrogen can then be pumped in to the container/tank to a pressure on the order of several atmospheres a tremendous amount of energy will have been stored. 
     Exemplary embodiments of storage containers can include a hydrogen adsorbent material such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,151, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Further, suitable storage tanks can include one or more heat exchangers such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,326,281, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIG. 4  depicts a block diagram of a method  400  of converting wind energy or power to hydrogen fuel, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     For method  400 , one or more wind mills or wind machines, e.g., machines  102  of  FIG. 1 , can be provided to a sea going vessel or ship, as described at  402 . Such wind machines can be located on a deck of the ship and be exposed to the wind. A tank, e.g., tank  200  of  FIG. 2 , can be provided to the ship or vessel for holding water during an electrolysis process, as described at  404 . The tank can include one or more pairs of electrolysis plates for splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen. 
     Continuing with the description of method  400 , electricity produced by the one or more wind machines can be used to perform electrolysis, as described at  406 , on the water, e.g., sea water, in the tank. Hydrogen can be produced by the electrolysis process and collected, as described at  408 . The resulting hydrogen can be stored and subsequently used as desired, e.g., as described previously. 
     Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure can be suitable for “mining” of oceanic winds. A result of such is that hydrogen quantities can be provided for various application such as for hydrogen distribution networks and hydrogen filling stations for fuel cells use in hybrid and/or hydrogen automobiles. In other applications, large power plants can be constructed that would use hydrogen for heat to produce steam. With sufficient ships supplying hydrogen to a power plant, the size of such a plant can be scaled as desired. The hydrogen that is harvested can be used for many different applications. 
     Moreover, operation of embodiments of the present disclosure can conceivably produce sufficient hydrogen from the mining from oceanic (e.g., Atlantic) winds to drastically reduce or ameliorate energy shortages around the world. Furthermore this source of hydrogen energy can be environmentally friendly, e.g., considered one hundred percent “Green”. 
     In addition to attaining ecologically sound generation of hydrogen fuel, embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to mitigate damage and absorb energy from hurricane/typhoons and other storm systems. For example, when a tropical depression, prior to hurricane strength, is believed to be destined for populated land, e.g., by computer aided weather forecasting, energy from the depression could be drained off so that damage to the land area of concern is minimized. While a full fledged hurricane contains energy in excess of an atomic bomb and it would not be possible to drain off energy to forestall land damage, a hurricane starts off as a tropical depression, increases in intensity to a tropical storm and then goes through phase 1 and potentially phases 2-5 of hurricane intensity. Consequently, it can be possible to sufficiently weaken a tropical depression with a fleet of hydrogen ships so that a hurricane never develops. 
     One skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure, including control algorithms/software/signals for controlling electrolysis, can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combinations of such, and over one or more networks. 
     While certain embodiments have been described herein, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the methods, systems, and apparatus of the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit thereof. 
     Accordingly, the embodiments described herein, and as claimed in the attached claims, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative of the present disclosure and not restrictive.