Osmosis battery & high magnetic field generator & superconducting ionic current loop

Abstract

It is a battery, but electricity output not from electrochemistry, only ionic current loop and its induced high magnetic field ready for use. The power comes from osmotic pressure without any chemical reaction. Recharging the battery can be done by reverse osmosis, or replacement of liquid media. Electrolyte, 2 or 3 liquid segments, ion-exchange membranes and valves are needed. Only 3-segment system can output electricity by non-electrochemical method. Huge current can be generated in liquid-loop comprising different concentration compartments; it is not the regular invisible lepton electronic current, but pure hadron or baryon ionic current, up to millions amperes that can be far larger than any superconductor's capability. Protons and small anions are preferred, so as to reduce mass transfer & ion hammer effect.

Claims

1. A battery system that enables osmotic pressure to generate complete loop of ionic current, the loop is routed by 2 or 3 segments of electrolytic solution separated by membranes, and both AEM & CEM must be used. The unique source of head diffusing ions is the High Segment, and the unique final destination is the Low Segment. For osmosis path in 3 segments, the diffusing anions or cations will trip via Midway Segment or Middle Segment.

2. In addition to claim 1, the ionic current complete loop comprises partial path of cations flow and partial complimentary path of anions flow at opposite direction; there must be same number of pieces of different purposed membranes that separate different segments, and the deployment of membranes must facilitate the head anions and head cations osmosis from source to destination at opposite directions to form complete loop; at least 1 valve must be inlined for turn on or off the loop;

3. In addition to claim 1, for 3-segment system, the 2 ends of Middle Segment must be separated by 2 membranes with same sign ions selective osmosis; usually 2 protons exchange membranes are preferred, though 2 AEMs can be used for special purpose.

4. A method that generates the forced flow of electrons in submersed electrode by scavenging entrainment energy from vicinal cations flow; the electrode assembly usually comprises a bundle of equidistant concentric thin cylinders or parallel plates; the orientation of assembly must be anticorrosive and enable ions to flow comfortably through all gaps; the assembly one endpoint at upstream serves as footing point of positive voltage terminal, and another endpoint at downstream as negative terminal.

5. A system that generates super high magnetic filed by multiplying the ionic current loop carried by conduit coil solenoid wherein osmotic pressure powers the ionic current; and that is based on the afore-claimed osmosis battery framework with amenity of auxiliary electricity and/or mechanic work output terminals.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH EMBODIMENTS

[0185] With enough previous texts description on the subject inventions, it is time to graphizate or visualize typical or preferred embodiments. A drawing is worth of thousands words, isn't it?

[0186] 1. The Simplest Osmotic Battery

[0187] FIG. 1 illustrates a 2-segment scheme with torque output only. To streamline ions flow, whole system is designed in toroidal shape though not mandatory. Every single segment is in semicircle appearance, one is just the afore-defined High Segment & supposed to hold high concentrated electrolytic solution, e.g. hydrochloric acid HCl, and another Low Segment to hold pure water. Both ends of 2 segments are docked together with proper membranes separation, one is protons exchange membrane, and another anions; 2 valves are also deployed near ends.

[0188] Although the membranes seem like circular disks or oblong screens, in fact, in most large embodiments, this drawing sketch can not reflect the real implementation, instead, available membranes are fabricated in spiral-wound cartridges, and the interfaces between the 2 segments are implemented by plumbing means with pipes which diameters are lesser than the end area of segments, fittings, membrane cartridges plus racks. The valves are installed inline pipes, and respective positions are not important.

[0189] Only in micro embodiment, the membranes may be just simple disks or rectangular screens, and the valves are simply integrated with the segments. However, such an application of micro osmosis battery is rare, as other type of batteries can be better for this application.

[0190] From this figure, it is easy to identify which one is the high segment and which one is the low segment. The density of ions, aka concentration of solution is symbolically visualized by graphic elements, the densely drawn one is the High Segment, and the diluter one is the Low Segment.

[0191] As to the arc appearance of solution containing segments, either the High Segment or Low Segment or Middle Segment if exists, it is also not mandatory, even straight line edge is allowed. Drawing curvature in this figure is only for convenience and beautification, in fact, the closed current loop does more matter, just as nobody cares about whether a wire kinks or not in a electric circuit. This rule applies to all hereinafter figures.

[0192] While driving mechanic loads, all valves must open first, then osmosis will automatically beginH.sup.+ swarm in high segment sprint to low segment via protons membrane as well as C1.sup.? via anions membrane in counter direction, and then ions current loop forms, magnetic field is induced.

[0193] To output torque power, a proper ionic current driven motor is needed. Because it will digress from subject if detailing such a motor, thus the motor is only drawn as a blackbox which is illustrated inside the dot-line-circle, and this practice hereinafter applies to all drawings.

[0194] FIG. 2 is the closeup view of plumbing connection to the said motor blackbox. Usually the inlet and outlet hoses will have small diameter, the fittings on segmental containers may have larger diameter and thread, thus some adaptors may be necessary, all just trivial plumbing job.

[0195] Because this special ionic current motor contains soft hose windings coil, so the hosting segment must have 2 sub-segments for inserting soft hose in the middle.

[0196] This drawing sketch may not reflect the real implementation. The ends of 2 sub-segments can be flat surfaces where the barb style hose fittings could be welded on as a favorable choice.

[0197] As a courtesy, a simple motor design sketch is presented in FIG. 3, where a cylinder socket pinned with flywheel plus gear is supported by a bearing based on a dead axle of chassis. There are 2 permanent magnets fasten on inner wall of the said socket with proper polar orientation. When the magnets pass through the nearby of hose that carries ionic current, its rotation will be powered with some torque, then inertia will make this event reoccur.

[0198] Although only 2 magnets are drawn in the figure, anyway, in order to torque the socket or flywheel more times per 360? full turn, more magnets can be deployed like helix staircase around the inner wall of socket, then inertia only need rotate socket a few degree of angle for next torque harvest, & correspondingly the immotive hose coil will become more complicated.

[0199] This FIG. 3 ionic motor is only for general reference and not guaranteed of workable or feasible, also, nothing is claimed from this figure in this patent application.

[0200] Therefore, the so-called toroidal shape is not a hard demand, it may just be a typical shape, the real shape can be anything, as long as a closed ionic current loop can form by whatever plumbing means, so as to route ionic current leaklessly to a special motor for torque output.

[0201] Although branching a fractional ionic current from main pipe is notdifficult, even as simple as illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein branched hose, I.sub.2=I (main current)?I.sub.1 (primary current), however using this fractional current for other auxiliary purposes may be not bad idea, but exciting second magnetic field in a motor may face challenge of how to periodically reverse liquid flow in simulation of commutator and brushes in excitation circuit of regular DC electric motor. And any liquid carrying coil may be not fit of ensemble motion, such as used in rotor or armature.

[0202] This FIG. 4 is just a common sense illustration, and nothing is claimed from this figure in this patent application.

[0203] 2. A Non-Electrochemical Method to Output Electricity by Entrainment Effect

[0204] As described in the science texts, pure cations flow can entrain distinct electrons flow inside properly submersed & orientated metal sheets. FIG. 5 shows an embodiment with assembly of electrode comprising array of parallel plates or concentric cylinders.

[0205] To secure pure protons or cations flow, the utilized segment should be in-between 2 membranes with cations exchange capacity.

[0206] The soaked assembly should not block the ions flow, thus concurrent orientation is required, and the endpoint at upstream can be used as positive terminal of electricity output, as well as the downstream as negative terminal.

[0207] The material for such electrode should be anti corrosive, and a breather is needed for safe release of gas, in case of gradual pressure accumulation caused by electrode slow corrosion.

[0208] Adopting this method, an osmotic battery not only can output immediate torque, but also convenient electricity as the essential & pristine function.

[0209] 3. A 3-Segment Osmotic Battery with DC & Torque Double Outputs

[0210] Although 2-segment system is so simple, however it only provides torque output and needs await maturity of ionic motor technology. Even ionic motor available, anyway, for electricity output, a generator has still to be hooked on the motor's shaft.

[0211] The 3-segment system can overcome the said demerit by cheaply utilizing entrainment effect for electricity, despite there is no standard voltage.

[0212] FIG. 6 is a typical embodiment. It comprises 3 segments of liquid compartments or pipes, and the High Segment and Low Segment as in basic 2-segment system are both reserved, the only added segment can be called Middle Segment (also predefined in the summary section) and used to hold mean value aka average concentration, for example, if the concentration in high segment is 50% by weight, then 25% in this middle segment, and reaffirmingly, here concentration will never change both during discharge and recharge, i.e. whatever amount & content flowed in from one end is just exactly the same that will flow out at another end, thus sometimes it is referred to as Buffering Segment.

[0213] Electrons entrainment effect requires vicinal flow with involvement of only cations not anions, and the Middle Segment in subject system can just satisfy the demand. Despite of increasement of complexity & cost with extra segment plus membrane, however it makes possible to directly provide convenient electricity output.

[0214] Total 3 segments plus 3 membranes are needed, of which, 2 are cations ions exchange membranes and 1 is anions ions exchange membranes, also extra 1 valve should be added.

[0215] As to the motor in 3-segment system, it can be located at any segment. Anyway, hosting in the Middle Segment is highly recommended, because if both cations and anions simultaneously flow in counter directions inside slim hose coil, friction increases, motor efficiency will decrease.

[0216] In fact, with the availability of electricity output, the torque output may be a redundant, as users can alternatively convert electricity to torque by mature motor technology, unless hose coil ionic current motor can be made more powerful and economical in future.

[0217] No need too big volume of Middle Segment, as its root purpose is only for entrainment electromotive power output, therefore fully covering the electrode assembly is the minimal requirement unless it also hosts ionic motor for torque output.

[0218] Although the osmotic pressure across the High Segment and Low Segment is about double larger than that across High Segment and Middle Segment or across Middle Segment and Low Segment, however the ratio of cations flow rate to anions counter flow rate will not be determined by the said osmotic pressure difference, but always keep constant, because charge balance for integral current loop can impose far greater force than osmotic pressure, it simply prohibits anywhere positive or negative charges macro deficit or surplus.

[0219] The DC output terminals can also be used as input terminals, in this occasion, the electrons flow will be forced to change direction, so as to reverse osmosis (RO). Unluckily an independent regular electric supply may not power this special RO means, because the electrode assembly is short circuit, but the DC output of another osmotic battery can input current to this osmotic battery without worry of short-circuit so as to realize peer-to-peer recharge by online DC entrainment driven RO, despite it may be less efficient than offline pressurized reverse osmosis.

[0220] The previous comment on the toroidal shape in the description of 2-segment system can also apply to this 3-segment system. That is: the shape can be anything, as long as a closed ionic current loop can form.

[0221] Again, this number 6 figure drawing sketch may not reflect the real implementation, instead, available membranes are usually fabricated in spiral-wound cartridges, and the interfaces between the 2 segments are implemented by plumbing means with pipes which diameters are lesser than the end area of segments, fittings, membrane cartridges plus racks. The valves are installed inline pipes, and respective positions are not important. To eliminate unnecessary repeats, this rule applies to all hereinafter figures.

[0222] 4. Improvement to Correct Pinch Effect

[0223] Either in 2-segment system or 3-segment system, there exist segments that allow mutual opposite bidirectional flows of respective cations and anions.

[0224] If the current density big enough in whole system or somewhere of the current loop, the pinch effect may happen.

[0225] As to single specie of ions flow, the said effect may not pose negatively, except transversal stratification with flowing same sign charge carriers high concentration nearby central line. Obviously the Middle Segment of 3-segment system will be affected in less severity.

[0226] But to dual species of ions flow, both positive and negative ions will be pinched alongside axis, and mutual counter motions may enable cations and anions head to dead collision, then re-neutralization or deionization may unexpectedly occur, and then current will be diminished or change to low current equilibrium. Thus, pinch effect should be avoided in these segments.

[0227] In FIG. 7, a method is applied to alleviate ionic current pinch effect by exerting a radial electric field that draws cations toward wall of pipe and anions toward axis.

[0228] A high voltage generator is needed to set up high enough electric field, though undrawn here, this can be powered by auxiliary small capacity rechargeable battery at start, then the osmotic battery takes over to maintain it after stable state ready. In the right-bottom of the figure, the cross section A-A of the Middle Segment shows how the anti-pinch DC high voltage is applied.

[0229] Because electrostatic field only consumes tiny energy to charge the parasitic capacitor, thus it will not significantly encumber system efficiency.

[0230] The negative polar of anti pinch electric field can be formed by wrapping a metal foil around pipe, and positive polar can be fixed by deploying a central metal wrie ring with plastic skin for electrical insulation. In fact, the same view will be seen in other segments.

[0231] As single specie of ions current is mildly impacted with the current offset by pinch effect, therefore the Middle Segment may not be considered. If only take action in High Segment & Low Segment, the polarity of electric field can be flexibly set, in other words, the wall negative & axis positive polarity configuration is not the only choice, even total reverse, i.e. wall positive & axis negative is also workable though undrawn in the figure.

[0232] If some segments are equipped with big tanks for large scale energy storage, then its ionic current density will be locally very low even the current is really huge, thus also no need of special consideration for therein pinch effect, just focus all efforts on those narrow segments, such as the sub-segment of tube coil in solenoid style.

[0233] Anti pinch may not be always wanted, for example, if intend to have nuclear fusion reaction in the Middle Segment, then the greater the pinch effect, the better the fusion performance, even a pinch-promoting high electrostatic field is desired, with negative polarity at central axis and positive polarity on pipe shell, i.e. a total reverse of the anti pinch setting.

[0234] In this figure, the ionic motor is drawn in the Low Segment, though actually it can be sitted at anywhere of any solution segment if preferred and apce allowed.

[0235] Also a breather can be seen in the Middle Segment, as the entraining electricity generator assembly is hosted in that segment and the imperfection of the assembly inertness may need it.

[0236] 5. High Magnetic Field Generator with Auxiliary Electricity & Torque Output

[0237] High magnetic field apparatus is highly sought-after for special interest groups that usually challenge the manmade limit of magnetic field so as to explore exotic material properties or potential clean nuclear energy, such as fusion reactor. The nowadays record is about 100 Tesla for sustainable generator with limited reusable times.

[0238] To cope with this demand, FIG. 8 suggests an ionic current based high field generator. It comprises a High Segment embodied as a high concentration acid solution holder, an equivalent capacity Low Segment embodied as a tank that holds pure water at start, and a Middle Segment embodied as a thin concentration solution and an extension of plastic coiled pipe so as to generate the wanted high magnetic field inside a toroidal space.

[0239] The volume of middle segment tank can be as small as possible or precticable, because it only functions as a buffer means.

[0240] This system can simultaneously output electricity by application of electrons entrainment effect, as well as output torque power by aforementioned special ionic motor, though both outputs of electricity & torque may be auxiliary, as the main objective is for high magnetic field generation.

[0241] Permeable magnetic material core is not necessary for extreme high field unless for midrange field, because no matter whatever high relative permeability ?.sub.r, it is only workable under a limited strength of magnetic field, as long as field strength is over a tipping point, ?.sub.r will gradually decrease to as same as vacuum or air 1.0 without exception.

[0242] Pinch effect caused by huge ionic current can be negative to the high field generator, thus there is need of special engineered tube coil with corrigible electric field implement.

[0243] The high voltage generator module in the figure is for the purpose of anti pinch effect, and it can be powered by the electricity output, despite a starting rechargeable battery may exist.

[0244] Depending on occasions, a straight coil of solenoid hose may be better than toroidal design in specific application, though undrawn in the figure, and the magnetic field in this case is similar to a bar permanent magnet.

[0245] The membranes in this scheme is recommended to be the popular type of spiral-wound cartridge which outlook is commonly seen in mainstream system of reverse osmosis pure water production, because extreme high ionic current is needed and this kind of membranes configuration can scale up easily by parallel addition of more membranes cartridges .

[0246] Area of membranes makes big sense to the system capacity, the larger the area, the huger the potential ions current, the quicker the discharge, and the shorter the recharge interval time.

[0247] Turnoff the system may encounter ions hammer effect, and it can be overcome by slowly closing valves as main measure.

[0248] In this figure, even the detail ionic current loop is illustrated under the assumption of using hydrochloric acid as working osmosis media: the dotted-loop comprises positive ions protons stream and negative chloric ions stream, and it forms a clockwise logical electric current loop.

[0249] Also, the entraining electrode assembly is drawn between the High Segment tank and the Middle Segment tank; the ionic motor is drawn at the downstream of the protons outflow port of the Middle Segment tank, and before protons enter the solenoid coil.

REFERENCE

[0250] 1. Method and apparatus for generating power utilizing pressure-retarded-osmosis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,250 [0251] 2. Semi-permeable membrane for use in osmosis and method and plant for providing elevated pressure by osmosis to create power, U.S. Pat. No. 7,566,402 B2 [0252] 3. Hybrid RO/PRO system, U.S. Pat. No. 7,871,522 B2 [0253] 4. Osmotic energy, U.S. Pat. No. 8,099,958 B2 [0254] 5. Utility scale osmotic grid storage, U.S. Pat. No. 8,795,525 B2 [0255] 6. Osmotic Heat Engine, US20100024423 A1 [0256] 7. Method and apparatus for osmotic power generation, U.S. Pat. No. 9,023,210 B2.

[0257] All inventions herein contain key implementing methods and preferred embodiments, and may be flexibly embodied in other specific forms or consisted of different geometry or other configurations without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics.

[0258] There are 2 kinds of membranes both used in subject inventions, one is AEM (Anions Exchange Membrane), and another is 1 CEM (Cations Exchange Membrane). Because proton is the lightest cation, thus PEM (Protons Exchange membrane) is a sub-category of CEM, and even CEM is mentioned in claims, it can be PEM as favorable choice in any embodiment.

[0259] For convenience, the container that holds the highest designated concentration solution can be referred to as High Segment or Source Segment as its weight decreases gradually during discharge, the container that holds the lowest even zero designated concentration solution can be referred to as Low Segment or Destination Segment as its weight increases during discharge.

[0260] If there are 3 containers, the container with mediocre designated concentration can be referred to as Middle Segment, and its concentration is larger than the Low Segment and less than the High Segment, usually about half of the High Segment, and always keeps constant while system discharge or recharge, more distinctly, it allows either only anions or only cations flow in & out.

[0261] Although no claim seems to proclaim the system with 4 or even more segments in series loop connection, however obvious dummy extra segment(s) cannot dodge the essential claims.