Following is the Electrolyzer AC Power Design Draft #5, available at:
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/ElectrolyseAC.pdf
There are some significant enhancements to the design incorporated
which bring it into the free energy domain.
OBJECTIVE
A frequent objective of electrolysis cell designs, and the objective
here, is to overcome the DC bias required to push current through the
interface layer between the electrolyte and the electrodes while
driving the principle electrolysis current from an AC source. Figure
1 shows a method of adding an alternating electrolysis driving
current on top of a DC bias in such a way the principle electrolysis
current is driven by the AC source.
HF AC
V1 o--- ---o V2
| |
OOO
======= T1
OOOOOOO
| | |
i--> | | | <--i
-----M1------- | -------M2-----
| | |
o----C1---------o---------C2----o
| | |
F1 F2 F3
| | |
o---(+)DC1(-)---o---(-)DC2(+)---o
Figure 1 - Method of superimposing AC signal
on DC electrolysis current
CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION
The electrolytic cells in Figure 1 are designated M1 and M2. These
cells can be implemented as series multi-plate cells, so that large
voltages can be applied. DC power supplies DC1 and DC2 provide DC
potential right at the critical voltage level, where cells M1 or M2
just begin to conduct current and thus perform electrolysis. DC1 and
DC2 can contain protection diodes that prevent back current through
them. Filters F1, F2 and F3 isolate the DC power supplies from the AC
while allowing DC to pass These can simply be large inductors. The
center tapped transformer T1 provides current through M1 on one half
phase, and M2 on the other half phase. The core of T1 is not biased
on average by any DC current because any DC currents through the two
secondary windings cancel magnetically. Capacitors C1 and C2 are
provided to complete the AC circuit through the cells.
If M1 is exchanged with C1, and M2 exchanged with C2, in Figure 1,
then it is easy to see that M1 and M2 can be implemented as a single
series multi-plate electrolysis cell with the center plate attached
to the center tap of T1, thus avoiding multiple electrolysis cell
containers, gas feeds, etc.
Note that the voltage applied in the secondaries of T1 are
incremental to the voltage supplied by the DC power supplies. Note
also that, except for electrolysis cell internal resistance, the
active AC elements of the circuit are inductances or capacitances,
providing as large a phase angle as possible.
The HF AC power supply is driven at the LC resonance frequency for
the AC portion of the circuit. A tuning capacitor or inductor in
either the M1 or M2 half of the circuit may be useful to match
resonant frequencies for both sides of the circuit.
THE HALF CIRCUIT
Figure 2 shows a half circuit version of Figure 1, which lacks the
balance of the circuit in Figure 1, but which may be useful if the HF
AC power supply can handle the current imbalance and an air core
transformer is used for T1, or a transformer not operating near
saturation and thus not adversely affected by DC current through the
secondary.
HF AC
V1 o--- ---o V2
| |
OOO
OOOO T1
| |
i--> | |
-----M1------- |
| |
o----C1---------o
| |
F1 F2
| |
o---(+)DC1(-)---o
Fig. 2 - Method of superimposing AC signal
on DC electrolysis current - half circuit
Figure 3 shows the AC portion of the half circuit.
OOOO L1
| |
| |
-----M1------- |
| |
o----C1---------o
Fig. 3 - AC portion of electrolysis half circuit
Part of the electrolysis efficiency provided by using superimposed AC
is provided by the fact the electrolytic cell conducts by two
parallel means: (1) ion current conduction and (2) AC capacitive
conduction. DC can not use the capacitive conduction path through
the cell. By using a superimposed AC current, the current to and
through the electrolyte-electrode interface layer is increased for a
given cell configuration by activating a second conduction pathway
through the electrolyte. The reactance X of a capacitor, the
equivalence to DC resistance, for capacitance C and frequency f is:
X = 1/(2 Pi f C)
When f is in Hz and C in farads then X is in ohms. Therefore, the
higher the frequency and the greater the capacitance the more the AC
current through the capacitive portion of the electrolyte at a given
voltage.
It is notable that all AC current is not Faradaic, i.e. resulting in
electrolysis. Though it passes through the electrolyte to the
interface more easily, some AC current can pass through the two
molecule thick interface without causing electrolysis. However,
since a DC bias is provided, it is expected a high Faradaic ratio can
be achieved.
SOME SAMPLE CALCULATIONS
Water has a dielectric constant of about 50, which is large. If Cm is
the capacitance of the cell M1, then the total capacitance Ct in the
AC portion of the circuit is given by:
Ct = 1/((1/C1) + (1/Cm)) = (C1 Cm)/(C1 + Cm)
For example, if C1 is made equal to Cm then Ct = 0.5 Cm.
The capacitance of a multi-plate electrolysis cell can be determined
by looking at the area Ai and separation Si of each electrolyte gap.
The capacitance Ci of gap i is then
Ci = 50 (8.854 F/m) Ai/Si
So, given plate size of 10 cm by 10 cm and plate separation of 0.1 cm
we have:
Ci = 50 (8.854x10^-12 F/m) (0.1 m)^2 / (0.001 m) = 4.427x10^-9 F
In the series of capacitances across an electrolytic cell gap, the
double layer capacitance is insignificant because at about 0.2 F/m^2
it is 6 orders of magnitude larger than the electrolyte capacitance
at 4.423x10^-7 F/m^2 at 0.1 cm plate separation. In other words:
Ci = 1/( (1/.002 F) + (1/4.423x10^-9 F) + (1/0.002 F))
= 4.42298x10^-9 F
= 4.423x10^-9 F
thus has no change due to consideration of the double layer capacitance.
The capacitance Cm of n electrolyte gaps in series is:
Cm = 1/((1/C1) + (1/C2) + ... + (1/Cn))
Given 12 equal sized gaps like the above for Ci we have:
Cm = 1/(12/Ci) = Ci/12 = 3.689x10^-10 F
Using C1 = Cm we have:
Ct = 0.5 Cm = 1.845x10^-10 F
Now to consider a toroidal air core transformer. Assume the conductor
is made of tubing about 0.5 cm diameter. Small radius of the torus is
4 cm. Inner radius of torus is 15 cm. Major radius Mr is thus 19
cm. and outer radius is 23 cm. Total turns N = 45. Coil area A is
about 50 cm^2. Coil conductor length is about 11.3 m. Inductance is
approximated by:
L = u N^2 A (1/Mr) (1.26x10^-6 H)
L = (1) (45^2) (50) (1/(19)) (1.26x10^-6 H)
L = 6.71 mH
Resonant frequency f is
f = 1 / (2 Pi * (L C)^(1/2))
= 1 / (2 * 3.14159 * ((6.71x10^-3 H) * (1.845x10^-10 F))^(1/2))
= 1.43x10^5 Hz = 143 kHz
This frequency may be a bit high to be practical, and certainly
requires good shielding. It appears a ferrite core transformer is
most likely the best option. If the inductance is increased by a
factor of 100 the frequency drops by a factor of 10, so for a 0.671 H
transformer secondary:
f = 14.3 kHz
An alternative means to drop the frequency is to make the plates
larger and use fewer in sequence.
SOME OPERATING FREQUENCY TRADEOFFS
One good thing about using high frequencies is the filters Fi get
cheaper and smaller. Choice of frequency may be important.
Puharich , US Patent 4,394,230 (1983) used a rectified AM signal, and
found resonances in pure water at 3,980 Hz, and octaves 7,960,
15,920, 31840, and 63,690 Hz. It is notable that running all those
octave overtones gives a lazy (triangular half cycle) saw tooth
wave. It has been conjectured that is why Stanley Meyer operated at
around 16,000 Hz. Frequencies between 10 kHz and 200 kHz work well.
However, if it is desired to carry a significant current through the
electrolyte capacitively then a much higher frequency is required.
Even at 143 kHz, the electrolyte impedance is about 2.52 ohms/m^2, or
about 252 ohms for just the 0.1 cm gap between the (0.1 m)^2 example
plates. It takes about 14 MHz to drop the AC impedance to an ohm
between them, and then it would take 100 V to get 1 A/cm^2 current.
If the plate separation could be dropped to 0.001 cm, then the full 1
A/cm^2 could be conducted capacitively at 14 MHz at 1 V, or 10 MHz at
1.4 V.
It is now abundantly clear that the key remaining barrier to
efficient AC powered electrolysis is obtaining a low AC impedance
path through the electrolyte between plates.
If significant over unity behavior, that is to say significant free
energy, can be generated using the electrolysis powering techniques
described here, such as by cold fusion or other means, then it is
economically viable to operate at 0.1 A/cm^2 and possibly even 0.01 A/
cm^2, which puts plate separation back into a very viable range.
TYPE II FREE ENERGY
It is notable that, due to the AC being incremental to the underlying
DC bias of about 0.8 V to 1.4 V, depending on operating temperature,
this electrolyzer powering means appears to violate the laws of
entropy, This Maxwell's demon extracts hydrogen and oxygen from
solution through use of a low power hydronium electronation and
hydroxyl de-electronation current, i.e. a current that drives
electron tunneling across a biased electrode-electrolyte interface.
Replacement hydronium and hydroxyls are separated thermally by
ambient heat Boltzmann tail dissociation of H2O to maintain H3O+ and
OH- concentrations in a temperature dependent equilibrium, and that
is the source of an apparent thermodynamic law violation. Though
this might be considered an apparent Type II Thermodynamic Law
Violation, this is in fact not free energy because the cell
temperature drops and thus reduces the dissociation rate. However,
this method may be of great value in utilizing or converting to
storable form the thermal energy available from solar and other
means. No thermodynamic "cold side" is required, thus the method
should work even better than sterling engines and the like in hot
desert environments where solar power is easily obtained. A
significant portion of electrolysis energy comes from heat in
commercial high temperature high pressure electrolyzes.
THE REDOX OPTION
It is of possible interest that very narrow gaps, including
separation membranes, or solid electrolyte sheets, especially when
using flow through plates to extract the products, are possible
using redox reactions which do not generate gas products, and which
can be used with existing fuel cell technology to generate power from
the products. An example of this is the vanadium redox reaction used
in commercially available flow cell batteries. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanadium_redox_battery
http://www.vrbpower.com/
CLOSING THE ELECTROLYTE IMPEDANCE GAP
It is now exceedingly clear that the remaining barrier to obtaining
efficient AC powered electrolysis is achieving a low impedance path
in the electrolyte between plates. A useful method for achieving
this is the use of a porous high dielectric constant material between
the plates. An example of such a material is barium titanate,
which, even at electrolysis temperatures, can have a dielectric
constant of over 5000, two orders of magnitude greater than water.
The size and quantity of pores in a barium titanate inter-plate
electrolysis barrier can be controlled across a wide range by choice
of distribution of granule shapes and sizes to be sintered together
to make the barrier. Pore size and dielectric/electrolyte ratio
choices involve balancing ion conductivity, AC impedance, and the gas
separating ability of the high dielectric barrier. Even if a
dielectric/electrolyte ratio as low as 0.5 is used, the AC impedance
can be reduced by a factor of 50, and thus the feasible inter-plate
gap size similarly reduced. The use of high dielectric constant
inter-plate porous barrier brings the domain of high efficiency AC
driven electrolysis into feasibility across a wide range of readily
engineered options.
Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/
