In considering the device described in the "#Car Runs on Water#" post
(href- http://layo.com) I thought of a device using this
same principal which would involve non consumable electrodes and separating
the H2O at the point of usage. Description and
diagram to follow:
The concept is to separate H2O at the point of usage. This
will be beneficial because it will allow the fuel to be stored in it's
"raw" form (i.e.: as water) and refinement of the raw material
into H2 and O2 will take place as it is injected into the cylinder
(in the case of an internal combustion motor). I would propose that
the device would be so constructed as to allow it to be
inserted into the hole which is customarily occupied by the spark plug
in gasoline powered motors or by the injectors in a diesel
motor. In the case of gasoline motors with fuel injectors the injectors
would be disconnected as they would be unnecessary. A
design for a jet engine and for a commercial boiler will follow.
Description of Diagram
1) Shows the inner portion of the device in which the various components
needed to effect separation of the water would be
housed. Such components may include, but not be limited to: water storage
compartment, separation compartment (for
diesels),various valves as required, electrical cable, electrodes,
and any control device which might prove to be necessary.
2) Body of the device. Would be constructed of a non conducting material
such as porcelain or plastic which would resemble a
common spark plug or any other material which served the intended purpose
of the device.
3) Power input line. Would feed power of the required quantity (18,000v,
1a for example) in order to assure creation of the
necessary quantity of fuel (H2 & O2).
4) Water inlet line. Water being delivered under pressure necessary
from a pump within the fuel tank or from standard electric
or mechanical fuel pump if this will work.
5) Threaded metal neck of the device which will screw into the hole
in the cylinder head which is vacated by the standard
spark plug or injector. Metal of this neck would be connected to the
- (negative) side of the electrodes and thusly be grounded
to the engine block as is a standard spark plug.
6) Electrodes which are made of a metal which will not be consumed
under the application of the amount of electricity required
to create the fuel such as possibly what is used in a standard spark
plug.
The electrodes would be formed in and placed in such a way as to create
a spark, sufficient in size, to cause the total quantity
(or as much as is practical) of the injected water to be converted
into fuel.
Additional Notes:
It would probably be advisable to install a plastic fuel
tank in place of the standard metal ones and to include a water
purifier/softener in the inlet of the tank. This will prevent sediment
and mineral buildup from entering the system. The system
would be run off of the standard distributor which would depend on
a coil which produces the required power as outlined
above.
When the distributor sends power to each individual
cylinder it would serve as the signal that triggers the device at that
cylinder to inject water into the arc produced by this power. Such
an injection would be in the form of a stream or atomized or
in whatever form proves to be the most efficient delivery method. In
order to make the most efficient use of this fuel it would be
necessary to precisely meter the water injected so that the desired
length of "burn time" could be achieved rather than a single,
sudden explosion.
This whole process could be controlled by an on-board
computer or other commonly available controlling device if such is
desired or required.
Commercial Boiler
This concept for a boiler design using H2 as it's fuel source and O2
as it's oxidizer is the ONLY feasible way to use this fuel to it's maximum
efficiency. The first crucial concept to look at is that this boiler, unlike
any other, does not use the heat produced by the combustion of fuel to
heat water into steam in a separate container. This is because the combustion
of the reactants creates superheated steam as it's only by-product. Therefore
the combustion of said reactants will take place INSIDE the boiler chamber
itself. Not outside it or beneath it like on Grandma's old cook stove.
Oh boy, that one little thing changes everything in figuring the efficiency
for a steam driven electrical generating system doesn't it? Imagine that.
ZERO
losses of heat energy up the chimney!
Another immediately obvious advantage is that with this
system we won't need to use ANY air. The gasses necessary for complete
combustion of the reactants are found naturally in water (8:1 in pounds,
by weight) and so if we burn those gasses in that natural ratio (again,
by weight) in our boiler it will result in complete combustion without
air being necessary at all.
Inducted air is not even desirable because it wouldn't allow us to
do some of the other things that we can do with it this way. Because of
this I guess it could make a nice power source for a ship, submarine or
space vehicle.
Since the only by product of this boiler is superheated
steam and since that is what is used to turn the big turbines in most of
our commercial electric plants today this just fits right in doesn't it?
The major advantage that we have here is the same thing that you get from
a dam in hydroelectric power. If we install a valve [(6) on the diagram]
on the main steam pipe going to the first turbine then we have the opportunity
to restrict the flow of the steam after we first start the system, until
we build whatever kind of pressure we want it to work at (say 5000psi).
Then we open the valve so that we are delivering superheated steam (5000
degrees + or -) to our turbine at 5000psi. As long as we control the rate
of flow so that we only let as much steam out to the turbine as we are
creating by burning our fuel then we can maintain the system in equilibrium
indefinitely.
At the bottom of the boiler you will notice the fuel feeds
(2) with the little "spark plug" things on their sides (3) to initially
start the system. I designed them to look like the nozzles on an oxyacetylene
torch but a better design might be like a rocket motor. We really don't
need thrust here though. Just complete combustion.
NOTE: Numbers 2&3 will be taken as also describing an on-board
device like the one detailed above in relation to
automotive applications.
The main boiler skin (1) must be able to withstand very
high temperatures and pressures. After all H2 with O2 burns at 7,000 degrees
and steel melts at 6,000 degrees so we will have to remove quite a bit
of our original heat pretty quickly. To do this I show superheaters (9)
which will take the steam that has left the previous turbine, reheat it
and turn another turbine. With
enough of them we should be able to manage the excess heat. I believe
that around 5,000 degrees is the upper limit for today's power generating
systems. I think that we could drop it down into that range. Also notice
the little pumps (8) after the turbines. This is to keep back pressure
from building up between the turbines.
