Patent ID: 8778293

Claim:
A system for producing ammonia from air and water, comprising: a pressure-swing-adsorption (PSA) nitrogen generator for extracting nitrogen gas from air; a hydrogen generator comprising an electrolysis cell for producing hydrogen gas from water; a first piston-cylinder gas compressor connected to said nitrogen generator for receiving and compressing said nitrogen gas to produce pressurized nitrogen gas; a second piston-cylinder gas compressor connected to said hydrogen generator for receiving and compressing said hydrogen gas to produce pressurized hydrogen gas; a reactor connected to said first and second cylinder gas compressors to receive said pressurized nitrogen and hydrogen gases, said reactor comprising a third piston-cylinder gas compressor for further compressing a mixture of said pressurized nitrogen and hydrogen gases, a heater for heating said mixture in said third compressor, and a catalyst in said third compressor for catalyzing a reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen in said mixture to form ammonia; a first valve located between said first piston-cylinder gas compressor and said reactor, wherein said first valve is closed as said first piston-cylinder gas compressor begins to compress said nitrogen gas, and wherein said first valve is opened only after the pressure level of said pressurized nitrogen gas within said first piston-cylinder gas compressor is greater than the pressure level within said third piston-cylinder compressor; a second valve located between said second piston-cylinder gas compressor and said reactor, wherein said second valve is closed as said second piston-cylinder gas compressor begins to compress said hydrogen gas, and wherein said second valve is opened only after the pressure level of said pressurized hydrogen gases within said second piston-cylinder gas compressor is greater than the pressure level within said third piston-cylinder compressor; a gas separator for separating ammonia from gases received from said reactor, said gas separator comprising an inlet connected to said reactor for receiving said gases from said reactor, a first outlet connected to said reactor for circulating said gases back to said reactor, and a second outlet for outputting said ammonia.