Abstract:
A method for producing hydrogen gas from distilled water or sea water. The method includes providing a housing with a volume of distilled water, adding sulfuric acid or copper sulfate to the distilled water, running a current between a cathode and an anode via an electrical connection disposed within the electrolyte chamber, and collecting the hydrogen gas that rises to the top of the housing. The present invention provides a reproducible cheap alternative fuel source for all industries where currently solid, liquid, gas and nuclear material are used as fuel.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/993,525 filed on May 15, 2014. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a method of producing hydrogen gas, and more particularly to a method of producing hydrogen gas from distilled water or sea water using an electrolytic process to provide an alternative fuel source for automobiles and all other industries where solid, liquid, gas and nuclear material are used as a fuel. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    As the cost of fossil fuels increase and become more scarce due to continuous demand, there is an increasing need to develop alternative fuel sources. The alternative fuel sources must be cheap and commercially available before the world&#39;s supply of fossil fuels are completely depleted or become too expensive. Additionally, burning fossil fuels contributes to a substantial portion of the world&#39;s pollution, resulting in a negative effect on the environment. Therefore, there is also a need for an alternative fuel source that is clean burning and does not pollute to the degree of fossil fuels. 
         [0004]    For that reason, a process for extracting hydrogen gas from water is an important technology to replace fossil fuels and may become increasingly critical as an alternative energy source. Various methods of producing hydrogen gas utilizing sulfuric acid, water, and electrolysis have been disclosed in the prior art. Particularly, electrolysis of water for the production of hydrogen and oxygen is a common method for producing hydrogen. By providing energy from a battery, water (H 2 O) can be dissociated into the diatomic molecules of hydrogen (H 2 ) and oxygen (O 2 ). In electrolysis, a direct current is passed through an aqueous electrolyte, usually a solution of caustic soda or caustic potash. Hydrogen is deposited at the cathode or negative electrode and oxygen at the anode or positive electrode. 
         [0005]    Unfortunately, commercial applications of water electrolysis are inefficient and energy-intensive processes. Pure water is a good insulator and under simple or normal electrolysis conditions, pure water creates little dissociated products. Current technologies attempt to address these issues by adding a water-soluble electrolyte, which causes the conductivity of the water to rise considerably. The electrolyte disassociates into cations and anions; the anions move towards the anode and neutralize the buildup of positively charged H+ ions and the cations move towards the cathode and neutralize the buildup of negatively charged OH- ions. This allows the continued flow of electricity. However, there are numerous problems associated with electrolytes within the reaction cell. Specifically, an electrolyte anion with less standard electrode potential than hydroxide will be oxidized instead of the hydroxide, and no oxygen gas will be produced; where as a cation with a greater standard electrode potential than a hydrogen ion will be reduced instead and no hydrogen gas will be produced. In all water electrolysis cases where electrolytes are used, the gaseous product effluents are extremely corrosive and create numerous application problems. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is a need for a process that efficiently dissociates water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, which is reproducible as an alternate fuel source. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of methods of producing hydrogen gas now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved method for producing hydrogen gas wherein the hydrogen gas can be utilized as an alternative fuel source. 
         [0008]    The present invention is contrived to solve the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen gas production method in which continuous processing can be performed and, secondly, modifying the electrolytic solution such that an inexpensive process can be achieved. 
         [0009]    The present invention relates to a method of producing hydrogen gas. The method includes: providing a housing; adding a volume of distilled water to the housing; adding an electrolyte to the distilled water contained in the electrolyte chamber; running a current between a cathode and an anode via an electrical connection disposed within the electrolyte chamber; and collecting the hydrogen gas rising from the housing. 
         [0010]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a method wherein the electrolyte added to the distilled water in the housing may comprise copper sulfate or sulfuric acid. 
         [0011]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a method wherein the circuit may include a first electrode, a second electrode and an electrical connection between the first electrode and the second electrode such that electricity will flow therethrough. 
         [0012]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, wherein the first electrode comprises nickel and the second electrode comprises copper. 
         [0013]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, wherein in the first electrode is a cathode and the second electrode is an anode. 
         [0014]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, the method capable of maintaining the hydrogen gas generated at the cathode at a sufficient pressure to prevent the hydrogen gas from diffusing back into the electrolyte solution. 
         [0015]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, wherein the hydrogen gas produced at the cathode is collected in a gas chamber and the oxygen produced at the anode is purged from the housing. 
         [0016]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, the method capable of applying a direct current electrical potential to the first electrode and second electrode, whereby the distilled water in the electrolyte is dissociated to produce hydrogen gas at the first electrode and oxygen gas at the second electrode. 
         [0017]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, the method capable of exhausting the gas produced at the second electrolyte from the electrolyte chamber. 
         [0018]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, the method capable of continuously circulating fresh copper sulfate or sulfuric acid to the electrolyte chamber. The copper sulfate and sulfuric acid are good conductors of electricity. 
         [0019]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, the method capable of collecting the hydrogen gas produced at the first electrode before it diffuses into the contents of the housing. 
         [0020]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, collecting the oxygen gas produced at the second electrode in a second gas chamber. 
         [0021]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing hydrogen gas, wherein the circuit comprises a plurality of cathodes and a plurality of anodes arranged in a series. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram illustrating a housing used to produce hydrogen gas according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a housing for producing hydrogen gas with a plurality of anodes and cathodes arranged in a series to produce hydrogen gas according to one embodiment of the present invention 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  shows a flow chart of the method of producing hydrogen gas according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  shows a flow chart of the method of producing hydrogen gas according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the method for producing hydrogen gas. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for providing a continuous process of generating hydrogen gas. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a schematic diagram of the housing which is used to produce the hydrogen gas according to one embodiment of the present invention. The housing  102  comprises a gas chamber  104  and an electrolyte chamber  106 . The hydrogen gas produced by the electrolytic process rises to the gas chamber  104  and then the hydrogen gas is collected therefrom. The gas chamber  104  further comprise a separations unit  122  to extract pure hydrogen gas from the mixture in the gas chamber  104 . The separations unit  122  seperates the hydrogen from the gas mixture via steam reformation. Oxygen gas is also generated as a byproduct of the electrolytic process and may also rise to the gas chamber  104 . 
         [0029]    The housing  102  may further include an electrolytic solution  108  in the electrolyte chamber  106  of the housing  102 . The electrolyte solution  108  may comprise distilled water and an electrolyte. It is also contemplated that sea water can be used, however, distilled water enhances the process and life of the electrodes. The electrolyte added to the distilled water may include, but is not limited to, sodium hydroxide, sodium chloride, brine, potassium hydroxide, copper sulfate, sulfuric acid and other acids and bases. It is preferable that that electrolyte added to the distilled water is either copper sulfate or sulfuric acid. 
         [0030]    A circuit  110  may be disposed in the electrolyte chamber  106  of the housing  102 . The circuit  110  may include a cathode  112 , an anode  114 , and an electrical connection  116 . The electrical connection  116  connects the cathode  112  and the anode  114 , forming the circuit  110 . Electricity flows from the cathode  112  to the anode  114 , whereby the distilled water in the electrolyte solution is dissociated to produce hydrogen gas at the cathode and oxygen gas at the anode. The circuit may further include an electrical supply  118  and a circuit breaker  120 . 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a schematic diagram illustrating a housing for producing hydrogen gas with a series of anodes and cathodes to produce the hydrogen gas according to one embodiment of the present invention. The housing  200  may include an electrolyte chamber  202 , a first gas chamber  204 , and second gas chamber  206 . The first gas chamber  204  collects hydrogen gas and the second gas chamber  206  collects the oxygen gas. In one embodiment, the oxygen gas produced is purged from the housing. 
         [0032]    The housing may further include a plurality of cathodes  210  and a plurality of anodes  212 , and a plurality of electrical connections  214 , for example an insulated copper wire, to form a circuit  216 . The circuit  216  comprising the cathodes  210 , the anodes  212 , and electrical connections  214 , are submerged in the electrolytic solution contained in the electrolyte chamber  202 . 
         [0033]    The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2  utilizes anodes  212  and cathodes  210  arranged in a series to produce hydrogen gas. The series arrangement increases the efficiency of the reaction and allows hydrogen gas to be generated at a higher volume. It is also contemplated that the circuit  216  can be arranged in a parallel arrangement for a more compact design. 
         [0034]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a method  300  of producing hydrogen gas from distilled water includes the steps of providing  302  a housing comprising a gas chamber and an electrolyte chamber; adding  304  a volume of distilled water to the electrolyte chamber of the housing; adding  306  an electrolyte to the distilled water contained in the electrolyte chamber; providing  308  a circuit within the electrolyte chamber; and collecting  312  the hydrogen gas in the gas chamber of the housing. 
         [0035]    In step  306  of adding an electrolyte to the distilled water contained in the electrolyte chamber, it is preferable that the electrolyte disassociates to an anion with a higher standard electrode potential than hydroxide and a cation with a greater standard electrode potential than a hydrogen ion. This ensures that both oxygen and hydrogen will be produced from the electrolysis process. Preferably, the electrolyte added to the distilled water in the electrolyte chamber is copper sulfate or sulfuric acid. The method produces hydrogen gas from an electrolytic solution comprising either: 1) distilled water and sulfuric acid; or 2) distilled water and copper sulfate. 
         [0036]    The circuit provided in step  308  comprises a first electrode, a second electrode and an electrical connection between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode may comprise copper or nickel. An electrical potential flows between the first electrode and second electrode whereby the distilled water in the electrolyte is dissociated to produce hydrogen gas at the first electrode and oxygen gas at the second electrode. It is preferable that the first electrode is a cathode and the second electrode is an anode. When the water disassociates, hydrogen gas is collected from the cathode and oxygen gas is collected from the anode. The hydrogen gas produced at the cathode may be collected in the gas chamber of the housing and the oxygen produced at the anode may be purged from the housing, and released into the atmosphere. The circuit may include a plurality of cathodes and a plurality of anodes arranged in a series. 
         [0037]    Further, the circuit may include an electrical supply to apply a direct current electrical potential to the first electrode and second electrode causing the distilled water in the electrolyte to dissociate to produce hydrogen gas at the first electrode and oxygen gas at the second electrode. 
         [0038]    The method may further include maintaining  310  the hydrogen gas generated at the cathode at a sufficient pressure to prevent the hydrogen gas from diffusing back into the solution. Further, the method may include exhausting  314  the gas produced at the second electrolyte from the electrolyte chamber. The method may further include continuously circulating  316  fresh copper sulfate or sulfuric acid to the electrolyte chamber. 
         [0039]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a method  400  of producing hydrogen gas from distilled water including the steps of providing  402  a housing comprising a first gas chamber, a second gas chamber and an electrolyte chamber. The first gas chamber collects hydrogen gas and the second gas chamber collects oxygen. After step  402 , the method includes adding  404  a predetermined volume of distilled water to the electrolyte chamber of the housing. 
         [0040]    After step  404 , the method includes adding  406  an electrolyte to the distilled water contained in the electrolyte chamber. The mixture of the distilled water and the electrolyte forms an electrolytic solution. The electrolyte added to the distilled water may be selected from a group consisting of copper sulfate and sulfuric acid. 
         [0041]    After step  406 , the method further includes providing  408  a circuit within the electrolyte chamber. The circuit comprises a plurality of cathodes, a plurality of anodes and an electrical connection between each cathode and anode. The electrical connection between the cathode the anode allows electricity to flow through. 
         [0042]    After step  408 , the method further includes applying  410  a direct current electrical potential to the first electrode and second electrode. The distilled water in the electrolyte is dissociated to produce hydrogen gas at the first electrode and oxygen gas at the second electrode. 
         [0043]    After step  410 , the method further includes maintaining  412  the hydrogen gas generated at the cathode at a sufficient pressure to prevent the hydrogen gas from diffusing back into the electrolytic solution. The pressure is maintained by providing a pressurized container that is pressurized above the hydrogen gas disassociation constant. After step  412 , the method further includes collecting  414  the hydrogen gas in the first gas chamber of the housing and collecting  416  the oxygen gas produced in a second gas chamber. 
         [0044]    It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
         [0045]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.