METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING WATER INTO HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN FOR A HEAT AND/OR FUEL SOURCE
A water separation apparatus is provided to separate hydrogen and oxygen from water that includes a reaction chamber containing a plurality of spaced apart conductive plates, a positive electrical terminal electrically connected to one of the conductive plates, and a negative electrical terminal electrically connected to another of the conductive plates. A mixture of water and a catalyst is placed in the chamber and in contact with the plates. A non-conductive adjuster plate is provided to separate the chamber into a front chamber and a rear chamber, and may include at least one fluid passageway. A portion of the plates are disposed in the front chamber and a portion of the plates are disposed in the rear chamber. The adjuster plate may include a moveable member adapted to adjust the cross-sectional area of fluid passageway and thus the cross-sectional area of fluid communication between the front and rear chambers. The apparatus may include a collector-separator to collect gases from the reaction chamber and separate any remaining water from the gases. The separated water is returned to the reaction chamber, and the hydrogen and oxygen gases are transmitted to a bubbler assembly which functions to prevent any flashback from igniting the gases in the reaction chamber or collector-separator. The present invention will separate hydrogen from water in a more efficient manner than any previous technology, making it economically feasible.
The present U.S. Utility Patent Application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §120, as a continuation-in-part (CIP), to the following U.S. Utility Patent Application which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and made part of the present U.S. Utility Patent Application for all purposes:
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- 1. U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 11/677,740, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Converting Water Into Hydrogen and Oxygen for a Heat and/or Fuel Source,” (Attorney Docket No. ES001), filed Feb. 22, 2007, pending
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally pertains to heat and fuel sources, and more particularly to an improved apparatus and method for breaking down water into its constituent parts, i.e., hydrogen and oxygen.
2. Description of the Related Art
The process of electrolysis to separate hydrogen from water for use as a fuel or heat source is well known. Examples of previously issued U.S. patents related to this process include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,931 (Inoue) entitled “Method of Electrolytically Generating Hydrogen and Oxygen for Use in a Torch or the Like”, U.S. Pat. No. 4.457,816 (Galluzzo, et al.) entitled “Electrolysis Method for Decomposing Water Into Hydrogen Gas and Oxygen Gas”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,558 (Chiang) entitled “Apparatus for Generating a Mixture of Hydrogen and Oxygen for Producing a Hot Flame”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,885 (Lin) entitled “Extraction Installation for Hydrogen and Oxygen”, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,259 (Klein) entitled “Mixed Gas Generator”. But the processes and apparatus disclosed in these patents has proved to be too costly and inefficient since the amount of energy input required to separate the hydrogen from the water is greater than the amount of hydrogen energy created. As will become apparent from the following description and discussion, the present invention is directed to improved and more efficient devices and methods of separating hydrogen from water, for use as either a heat source or a fuel source, which are much more efficient than the prior art and economically viable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe summary of the invention is best understood with respect to the description and claims. One embodiment of the invention includes a water separation apparatus for separating hydrogen and oxygen from water. The water separation apparatus includes at least one reaction chamber. The reaction chamber includes a plurality of spaced apart conductive plates, a positive electrical terminal electrically connected to one of the conductive plates, and a negative electrical terminal electrically connected to another of the conductive plates, at least one of the conductive plates not being electrically connected to the positive terminal or the negative terminal. The embodiment also includes a collector-separator including at least one inlet conduit in communication with the reaction chamber, and an outlet conduit; and a bubbler including an outlet port and a perforated tube, the perforated tube being in communication with the outlet conduit of the collector-separator. The embodiment further includes a non-conductive adjuster plate separating the reaction chamber into a front chamber and a rear chamber, the adjuster plate having at least one fluid passageway, and wherein a portion of the spaced apart plates are disposed in the front chamber and a portion of the spaced apart plates are disposed in the rear chamber. In the embodiment, the adjuster plate includes a moveable member adapted to adjust the cross-sectional area of fluid communication through the at least one fluid passageway between the front and rear chambers.
In addition, in another embodiment, the water separation apparatus includes two reaction chambers, each having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and wherein the controller includes a series/parallel switch wired to the terminals and adapted to switch the electrical connections between a series electrical flow through the reaction chambers and a parallel electrical flow between the reaction chambers. The embodiment may also include a pressure regulator in fluid communication with the collector-separator and the bubbler, and adapted to restrict electricity flow to the reaction chamber at a predetermined high pressure and allow electricity flow to the reaction chamber at a predetermined low pressure.
While the invention will be described in connection with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Similar parts will be labeled with the same numbers in the Figures though a person of skill in the art would appreciate that various alternatives, modifications and equivalents may be substituted for such similar parts.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONAs described above, the prior art techniques have attempted the process of separation of hydrogen and oxygen from water to generate a fuel source. However, each prior art technique has inefficiencies. In particular, the main problem is that it requires more power to separate the hydrogen and oxygen from the water than the energy produced for the fuel source.
The present invention is a water separation apparatus 10 for separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen for use as a fuel source that overcomes the inefficiencies of the prior art. The invention accomplishes this task by using, inter alia, three main new components. First, the invention includes one or more reaction chambers that each has a series of multiple conductive plates, such as stainless steel, that are only connected by a non-conductive support rack. In each reaction chamber, the conductive plates are separated in a first rack in a front chamber and a second rack in a rear chamber. Each of the front and rear chambers are filled with water and catalyst to form an electrolytically conductive water mixture. Of course, the amount of catalyst added can be adjusted to affect the conductivity of the mixture and the current flow depending on the application desired.
In one embodiment, the front and rear end caps of the reaction chambers have front and rear conductive terminals that are not connected to the conductive plates on the racks. The front conductive terminal is connected to a negative terminal or anode through which an electric current from a voltage source flows into the reaction chamber while the rear terminal is the positive terminal or cathode in which the electric current flows out of the reaction chamber. The electric current applied to the front and rear terminals flow through the electrolytically conductive water mixture in the reaction chamber. The electrical current along with the catalyst initiates the breakdown of the oxygen and hydrogen gas in the water around the conductive plates in the reaction chamber. The mixture of water and catalyst and capacitance of the conductive plates creates separation of the hydrogen and oxygen from the water.
Second, another feature of an embodiment of the invention is that the front and rear chambers are separated by a non-conductive adjuster plate that regulates the amount of water and catalyst that flows between the front and rear chambers and controls the electrical current flow. The adjuster plate can be adjusted to provide for a specific cross sectional area between the front and rear chambers of each reaction chamber to achieve the desired current flow and the optimal amount of hydrogen and oxygen production.
Third, the reaction chambers may be configured to receive a set voltage in series or in parallel to control the current and gas outputs of the reaction chambers, and thus increase or decrease the output of hydrogen and oxygen. These and other important advantages of the embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with respect to the figures.
Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals denote similar elements throughout the several views, there is shown in
In a specific embodiment, the left and right reaction chambers 12 and 14 may be of similar construction, as will now be described in more detail with reference to
Each reaction chamber 12 and 14 includes a housing 15, which, in this specific embodiment, is constructed from any non-conductive material, such as a section of PVC pipe. In a specific embodiment, the section of PVC pipe may have a diameter of 8 inches and a length of about 20 inches, but these dimensions and material are just examples of this embodiment and should not be taken as a limitation of all embodiments of the reaction chambers 12 and 14. The reaction chambers 12 and 14 may be of various sizes and shapes and made of other materials depending again on the application of the water separation apparatus 10. In this specific embodiment, each of the reaction chambers 12 and 14 has front and rear chambers 26 and 28. Each of the front and rear chambers 26 and 28 are provided with a plurality of conductive plates 36. The plurality of conductive plates may be supported for example by a plate rack 31, as shown in
As shown in
As seen in
As best shown in
The collectors 16 and 18 function to collect hydrogen and oxygen gas from the chambers 12 and 14 and separate any liquid from the gas. This process will now be described with reference to
In a specific embodiment, the outlet conduit 60 may be disposed through an exit port 64 in the top of the housing 17. In a specific embodiment, the outlet conduit 60 may extend inside the collector-separator 16 so that the lower end of the outlet conduit 60 is spaced approximately one inch from the internal bottom wall of the housing 17. As shown in
Referring now to
In a specific embodiment, each bubbler 74 and 76 may be provided with a perforated tube 82 within the horizontal leg 78 of each bubbler 74 and 76, which, in a specific embodiment, may be made from ¼ inch diameter copper tubing. Each of the tubes 82 in the bubblers 74 and 76 enter on the right end 84 of the horizontal leg 78 and extend through the horizontal leg 78. An enclosed end 83 of the tube 82 is located near the left end 86 of the horizontal leg 78 of each bubbler 74 and 76. The right end 84 of the horizontal leg 78 may be provided with appropriate reducer fittings to mate with the tube 82. In this specific embodiment, the tube 82 is connected to the transfer conduit 72 shown in
As shown in
The check valve 87 in each of the bubblers 74 and 76 assumes a normally closed position due to pressure created within the bubblers 74 and 76 during operation of the apparatus. But in the case of flashback (i.e., if the gases exiting the bubblers 74 or 76 are ignited), a vacuum will be formed in the space above the water level 81, which will briefly accelerate the rate at which the bubbles will rise from the perforated tube 82 and will also cause the check valve 87 in that bubbler to open and allow the pressure inside the bubblers 74 and 76 to equalize with the pressure outside the bubblers 74 and 76. The electrolysis process will then begin again on its own without harm to the reaction chambers 12 and 14 or ignition of a dangerous amount of gas in the collector-separators 16 and 18. Pressure will build back up and the check valve 87 in the bubbler 74 or 76 will return to its normally closed position, and the apparatus will automatically return to normal operation.
In a specific embodiment, the exit tube 90 of the first bubbler 74 is connected to the right end 84 of the second bubbler 76 and extends into the horizontal leg 78 of the second bubbler 76 in the same manner as discussed above (i.e., with perforations 89 through which the gas can bubble upwardly). The gas exiting the exit tube 90 on the second bubbler 76 is ready for use as a fuel or heat source. The redundant bubblers 74 and 76 are preferably used as a safety feature so as to prevent any potential flash back from reaching the collector-separators 16 and 18.
Referring now to
With reference to
In a specific embodiment, each gate assembly 102 and 104 on the adjuster plate 30 includes a gate 106, an adjusting rod 108, and an exterior support 1 10. The gate 106 is preferably made from a non-conductive material, and may have an inverted “L” shaped side profile. The gate 106 may have a flange 107 shown in
There are at least two methods of adjusting or controlling the electrical flow between the front and rear chambers 26 and 28. First, the exposed cross-sectional area through the adjuster plate 30 may simply be holes drilled through the plate 30, e.g., slots 98 and 100. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to have a means of closing or covering the holes 98 and 100, such as a gate valve or the gate assemblies 102 and 104. Instead, the electrical flow between the front and rear chambers 26 and 28 in each of the reaction chambers 12 and 14 is controlled by the cross-sectional area of the holes 98 and 100 through the adjustor plate 30 in each reaction chamber, and/or by the composition of the mixture of the electrolyte (or catalyst) in the water. For example, to increase the electrical flow between the front and rear chambers 26 and 28, the number and/or size of the holes 98 and 100 in the adjuster plate 30 could be increased, and/or the amount of electrolyte/catalyst could be increased in the front and rear chambers 26 and 28. Similarly, to decrease the electrical flow between the front and rear chambers 26 and 28, the number and/or size of the holes 98 and 100 in each of the adjustor plates 30 could be decreased and/or the amount of the electrolyte/catalyst could be decreased in the reaction chambers 12 and 14. In this manner, the electrical flow within the chambers 26 and 28 can be controlled, which will thus allow the operator to control the amount of gases exiting the water separation apparatus 10, and thus enable control over the amount of electricity or heat or other fuel source being produced.
Second, any adjustable device (e.g., a gate valve or the gate assemblies 102 and 104) can be used to create a variable adjustment through the adjuster plate 30 to the exposed surface area between the front and rear chambers 26 and 28, which will affect the amount of electrical current flow through this direct relationship of surface area between the front and rear chambers 26 and 28. This adjustment in surface area of the adjuster plate 30 may also allow the optimum amount of electrolyte/catalyst to be used in the reaction chambers 12 and 14. The electrical current in each of the reaction chambers 12 and 14 can thus be adjusted by controlling the surface area exposed between the front chamber 26 and rear chamber 28, and will optimize the water separation apparatus 10 to its fullest potential for separation of hydrogen and oxygen gas.
The adjustment of the gates 106 can be accomplished mechanically by an operator who physically adjusts the adjusting rod 108 using exterior support 110 shown in
If the amperage falls too far below a set operating point, then a check light could be initiated by the controller 25 for an operator to check the water separation apparatus 10 for any problems. In addition, if the amperage in one or more of the reaction chambers 12 and 14 exceeds a safe operating point, the controller 25 can initiate an automatic shutdown of that reaction chamber.
Another embodiment of the adjuster plate 30 is shown in
Thus, an important improvement in this embodiment of the invention is that the amount of hydrogen and oxygen gas produced by the reaction chambers 12 and 14 can be quickly regulated by adjusting the adjuster plate 30 in each reaction chamber to control the cross-sectional contact area between the front chamber 26 and the rear chambers 28. As explained previously, by increasing the cross-sectional area between the front chamber 26 and the rear chamber 28, additional current flow or amperage is allowed to flow between the two chambers. Thus, the adjustment of the adjuster plate 30 provides for precision control of amperage draw to control the capacitive reactance between the plates 36/42/96 in the front and rear chambers 26 and 28. As the cross-sectional area increases between the front and rear chambers 26 and 28, the liquid and catalyst contact area increases between the conductive plates 36 and 42 and 96. This increase in the amount of current flowing through the chambers 12 and 14 will also increase the rate at which the hydrogen and oxygen gases separate from the water. Likewise, as the contact area decreases, the current flow and creation rate of the gases will also decrease. Though several embodiments of the adjuster plate 30 have been described herein, other embodiments of the reaction chambers 12 and 14 may be implemented that adjustably regulate the contact area between the front and rear chambers 26 and 28. As best seen in
The controller 25 and the manner in which it is electrically connected to the various components of the water separation apparatus 10 will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 9-11. Referring first to
In a specific embodiment, the controller 25 may include a full wave rectified DC converter that can be frequency pulsed, and convert the AC power coming from the regulator 20 into variable pulsing DC power which is provided to the reaction chambers 12 and 14.
In a specific embodiment, the controller 25 may also include a 4-pole double throw On-On switch 124. As best shown in
The manner of operation of the specific embodiment of the present invention shown in
In a specific embodiment, as shown in
The gases will then circulate down and up into the bottom of the outlet conduit 60 and then through the conduits 66, 68 and 72 to the first bubbler 74. The gases will flow through the tubes 82 and bubble through the water 79 in each of the bubblers 74 and 76. The separated hydrogen and oxygen gas streams exiting the exit tube 90 of the second bubbler 76 is ready for use “on demand” for whatever purpose desired (e.g., as a fuel or heat source). These gases can be produced for immediate use, on demand, and may be produced at low pressures, such as more or less than 50 p.s.i.
A working model of the specific embodiment of the present invention has been built, tested and proven to generate hydrogen on demand in a manner far more efficient. With the present invention, the energy into the system is much less than the generated energy out of the system, in the form of hydrogen gas. It is expected that the present invention will have a significant impact on the way in which energy is generated around the world, and thus have a significant impact on the world economy. This follows from the fundamental premise that there is a direct relationship between the amount of energy a country generates and its gross national product. Indeed, it is believed that the present invention will usher in and form the foundation of the new era of the hydrogen-based economy President Bush spoke of in his Feb. 2, 2006 letter announcing the American Competitiveness Initiative. And the present invention has a vast number of uses. At a very basic level, it can be used as a fuel source or as a heat source. A few specific examples of how the present invention can be used are described below.
One way in which the present invention could be utilized is in combination with one or more fuel cells to generate electricity. In this regard, as shown in
Still referring to the fuel cell example, the number of fuel cells can be varied or provided in a “stacked” manner depending on the current and voltage requirements for any particular application. The fuel cell configuration is environmentally friendly, in that it will put oxygen back into the atmosphere, as opposed to the undesirable ozone-creating “Greenhouse” emissions of a hydrocarbon powered engine on a car or boat or lawnmower. The fuel cell 136 may further include an oxygen outlet 142 and a water outlet 144. The water from the water outlet 144 may be piped back to the apparatus 10 for separation into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Another advantage of this fuel cell example, such as in the car or boat context, is that it entails no moving parts other than an electric motor.
Another way in which the present invention could be put to use is in combination with any steam-driven device. In this regard, for example, as shown in
In each of the above embodiments, the water separation unit may be used alone or in combination with another fuel source, such a gasoline fuel with a combustion engine if an additional energy source is needed. Even if used with a combustion engine using gasoline, the water separation unit 10 will help reduce green house effects and help the atmosphere and economy by reducing the need for use of gasoline and its byproducts.
Another way in which the present invention may be used in combination with a combustion engine is in the automotive context. For example, as shown in
In this automotive example, the series/parallel switch 124 may be located on the dashboard of the car 170 so that the driver may switch to parallel mode when a higher boost of on-demand power is needed. Alternatively, the switch between series and parallel may be automatically accomplished through an acceleration system that requires no manual input. For example, if the automobile needs extra acceleration, the automobile will automatically switch to parallel mode.
This automotive example also represents a significant improvement over the way in which the automotive industry is currently using hydrogen as a fuel source. In more particular, hydrogen-powered cars currently use high pressure canisters of stored hydrogen on-board the car. Drawbacks to the current approach are that these high pressure canisters present a potential safety hazard (e.g., through rupture), and also that the canisters need to be replenished at a hydrogen gas station. With the present invention, on the other hand, the hydrogen is produced on board and not until it is needed, and the only “fuel” that needs to be replenished is water. An added benefit of the present invention is that the stored water tank 171 can be used as a crash-dampening design for safety as water does not have the volatility of gasoline. Yet another advantage is that a car that is powered by hydrogen gas created using the present invention does not have any harmful or detrimental emissions. There will be no harmful and detrimental emissions only if the car's power is generated by fuel cells. If the gas supplements a gasoline burn, then we will still have some harmful and detrimental emissions from the gasoline burn. Another advantage of this approach is that gas consumption will be reduced and efficiency will be increased through higher miles per gallon of gasoline. Another advantage is that horsepower will be increased.
In one embodiment of the invention, a method of regulating the water level in reaction chambers 12 and 14 is shown in
If both water level actuators 200 and 202 detect a low water level in both reaction chambers 12 and 14 concurrently, then both solenoids 208 and 210 would open and water would flow into both reaction chambers 12 and 14. The water reservoir 218 may be placed in a bumper, part of a frame of a car or any spare hollow space. It could also be used as a safety device to dampen crash impact.
It should further be understood that the above description provided one embodiment of the present invention and the described embodiment is not limited to any particular shape, dimensions or size or materials. For example, while specific dimensions have been provided for the specific embodiments described above, those dimensions do not limit the scope of the invention, and the invention may be provided on any scale. For example, if the invention is to be used to supply electricity to an entire city, then the invention would be constructed on a much larger scale, and may also include numerous units “stacked” or grouped together depending on the amount of electricity needed. As just one non-limiting example, five (or any number) of the dual-chamber systems shown in the Figures could be stacked or grouped together and the hydrogen exiting each of the second bubblers 76 may be transmitted to the same target device or system intended to use the hydrogen, whether for a heat or fuel source. By implementing this stacking or grouping approach, in the event of a failure of one of the units, the failed unit can be removed for repair without ceasing operation of the other units. The water separation apparatus 10 may also be designed for a variety of standard load ratings and be treated as an off-the-shelf item with the particular unit being selected on a case-by-case basis depending on the load requirements of each application. The apparatus 10 may also be provided with any number of reaction chambers, not just the two reaction chambers 12 and 14 as shown for example in
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, exact materials or embodiments shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art. For example, the chambers 12/14 are cylindrical in shape and have been used as part of a preferred embodiment to incorporate the higher pressure holding capability of curved surfaces. But the present invention is not limited to chambers having curved surfaces, and also covers other shapes, including but not limited to square or rectangular boxes and enclosures of any other shape or configuration. Similarly, while the specific embodiment shown in
Claims
1. A reaction chamber for use in separating hydrogen and oxygen from water including:
- a plurality of spaced apart conductive plates disposed within a housing,
- a positive electrical terminal electrically connected to one of the conductive plates, and
- a negative electrical terminal electrically connected to another of the conductive plates,
- at least one of the conductive plates not being electrically connected to the positive terminal or the negative terminal.
2. The reaction chamber of claim 1, further including a mixture of water and a catalyst within the housing and in contact with the plates.
3. The reaction chamber of claim 2, wherein the mixture of water and catalyst and capacitance of the conductive plates creates separation of the hydrogen and oxygen from the water.
4. The reaction chamber of claim 1, further including a non-conductive adjuster plate separating the housing into a front chamber and a rear chamber, the adjuster plate having at least one fluid passageway, and wherein a portion of the spaced apart plates are disposed in the front chamber and a portion of the spaced apart plates are disposed in the rear chamber.
5. The reaction chamber of claim 4, wherein the adjuster plate sets a cross-sectional area of the mixture of water and catalyst in communication between the front and rear chambers.
6. The reaction chamber of claim 5, wherein the adjuster plate includes a first and a second conductive plate disposed on opposite sides of the adjustor plate.
7. The reaction chamber of claim 1, wherein the adjustor plate may adjust the cross sectional area set between the front and rear chambers.
8. A first reaction chamber for use in separating hydrogen and oxygen from water including:
- a plurality of spaced apart conductive plates disposed within a housing,
- a positive electrical terminal electrically connected to one of the conductive plates,
- a negative electrical terminal electrically connected to another of the conductive plates, and
- a non-conductive adjuster plate separating the housing into a front chamber and a rear chamber, the adjuster plate having at least one fluid passageway, and wherein a portion of the spaced apart plates are disposed in the front chamber and a portion of the spaced apart plates are disposed in the rear chamber.
9. The reaction chamber of claim 8, further including a mixture of water and a catalyst within the housing and in contact with the conductive plates.
10. The reaction chamber of claim 9, wherein a second reaction chamber is connected to the first reaction chamber, and wherein the first and second reaction chambers may be configured in series with respect to a voltage source or in parallel with respect to a voltage source.
11. The reaction chamber of claim 9, wherein the catalyst is a chemical that will break down the surface tension of the water and serve as an electrolyte.
12. The reaction chamber of claim 8, wherein the adjuster plate includes a moveable member adapted to adjust the cross-sectional area of fluid communication through the at least one fluid passageway between the front and rear chambers.
13. The reaction chamber of claim 8, wherein the adjuster plate includes a first and a second conductive plate disposed on opposite sides of the control plate.
14. An apparatus for separating hydrogen and oxygen from water comprising:
- a reaction chamber including a plurality of spaced apart conductive plates, a positive electrical terminal electrically connected to one of the conductive plates, and a negative electrical terminal electrically connected to another of the conductive plates, at least one of the conductive plates not being electrically connected to the positive terminal or the negative terminal; a collector-separator including at least one inlet conduit in communication with the reaction chamber, and an outlet conduit; and a bubbler including an outlet port and a perforated tube, the perforated tube being in communication with the outlet conduit of the collector-separator.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, further including a non-conductive adjuster plate separating the reaction chamber into a front chamber and a rear chamber, the adjuster plate having at least one fluid passageway, and wherein a portion of the spaced apart plates are disposed in the front chamber and a portion of the spaced apart plates are disposed in the rear chamber.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the adjuster plate includes a moveable member adapted to adjust the cross-sectional area of fluid communication through the at least one fluid passageway between the front and rear chambers.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the adjuster plate includes a first and a second conductive plate disposed on opposite sides of the adjuster plate.
18. The apparatus of claim 14, further including a mixture of water and a catalyst within the reaction chamber and in contact with the conductive plates.
19. The apparatus of claim 14, further including a controller having an on/off switch and an AC to DC converter, and electrically connected to the negative terminal and the positive terminal.
20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus includes two reaction chambers, each having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and wherein the controller includes a series/parallel switch wired to the terminals and adapted to switch the electrical connections between a series electrical flow through the reaction chambers and a parallel electrical flow between the reaction chambers.
21. The apparatus of claim 14, further including a pressure regulator in fluid communication with the collector-separator and the bubbler, and adapted to restrict electricity flow to the reaction chamber at a predetermined high pressure and allow electricity flow to the reaction chamber at a predetermined low pressure.
22. A method of separating hydrogen and oxygen from water comprising:
- positioning a plurality of spaced apart conductive plates in a chamber;
- separating the chamber into a first and second chamber with an adjustor plate;
- connecting one of the conductive plates to a positive terminal in the first chamber and another of the conductive plates to a negative terminal in the second chamber, at least one of the spaced apart conductive plates not being connected to the positive terminal or negative terminal;
- filling the chamber with a mixture of water and a catalyst such that the conductive plates are in contact with the mixture;
- passing electricity through the mixture;
- adjusting the cross-sectional area of contact between the fluid mixture in the front chamber and the fluid mixture in the rear chamber with the adjustor plate; and,
- allowing hydrogen and oxygen to exit the chamber.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 22, 2008
Publication Date: Aug 28, 2008
Applicant: HYDROGEN PRODUCTION WERKS, LLC (HOUSTON, TX)
Inventors: Ernest H. Wilkinson (Houston, TX), Stanley D. Cromer (Houston, TX)
Application Number: 12/036,068
International Classification: C25B 1/06 (20060101); C25B 9/00 (20060101); C25B 9/18 (20060101); C25B 15/02 (20060101);