Patent ID: 7352074

Claim:
A system for producing hydrogen from a stream of water flowing over a stream bed, the stream optionally being a gulf stream or a tidal stream, wherein the system comprises: (a) at least one hydrogen-generating submergible module having a front and a rear and being disposable in the stream of water for the water to flow from the front to the rear, the or each submergible module comprising: (i) a turbine drivable by the stream of water: (ii) an electricity generator coupled with the turbine to generate electricity when the turbine is driven; (iii) a water decomposition apparatus to decompose water into hydrogen using electricity generated by the electricity generator, the water decomposition apparatus being accommodated in the submergible module; and (iv) a depth control subsystem to adjust the depth of the submergible module in the water stream, the depth control subsystem comprising at least one ballast tank and one or more pumps to supply ballast water to, and discharge ballast water from, the at least one ballast tank.