SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR APPLYING THERMOLYSIS AND/OR ELECTROLYSIS GAS COMPRESSION TO BLAND/EWING CHEMO-THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES

Abstract

A method includes using an isochoric displacement through a valved or ducted thermal regenerator to raise the pressure of a vaporized reactant or vaporized reactant constituent as a means to regeneratively capture waste exhaust heat from the product or product constituents of a previous endothermic dissociation of a previous charge of said reactant.

Claims

1. A method, comprising using an isochoric displacement through a valved or ducted thermal regenerator to raise the pressure of a vaporized reactant or vaporized reactant constituent as a means to regeneratively capture waste exhaust heat from the product or product constituents of a previous endothermic dissociation of a previous charge of said reactant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is used to efficiently increase pressure and thus the temperature at which said vapor product or vapor product constituents will condense over and above the lower pressure and thus lower temperature at which said liquid reactant or liquid reactant constituents will be evaporated and supplying heat of vaporization which would otherwise be required from another heat source.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0176] The invention will be illustrated in greater detail by description in connection with specific examples of the practice of it and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0177] FIG. 1 is partially cutaway and partially transparent solid model of the existing EISG CCVC testbed. FIG. 1 shows the EISG CCVC testbed at Top Dead Center (TDC). The numbers under the boxed labels represent information found within corresponding boxed labels within FIG. 3

[0178] FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 and shows the EISG CCVC testbed at Bottom Dead Center (BDC).

[0179] FIG. 3 is a schematic of the processes that occur within the EISG CCVC testbed. The numbers under the boxed labels represent the various means employed with the EISG CCVC testbed. The prime mover can be seen as the standard crankcase and single-cycle camshaft below the engine in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and elsewhere in other figures.

[0180] FIG. 4 is a proposed modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed. FIG. 4 shows the EISG CCVC testbed at Top Dead Center (TDC). The numbers under the boxed labels represent additional information found within corresponding boxed labels within FIG. 6 and FIG. 7.

[0181] FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 and shows the modified EISG CCVC testbed at Bottom Dead Center (BDC).

[0182] FIG. 6 is a schematic of the processes that occur within a modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed. The numbers under the boxed labels represent the various means employed within a modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed.

[0183] FIG. 7 is a schematic of the processes that occur within another modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed. The numbers under the boxed labels represent the various means employed within another modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed.

[0184] FIG. 8 is another proposed modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed. FIG. 8 shows the EISG CCVC testbed at Top Dead Center (TDC). The numbers under the boxed labels represent additional information found within corresponding boxed labels within FIG. 12, FIG. 13, and FIG. 14.

[0185] FIG. 9 is a rotated closeup of the modified EISG CCVC testbed shown in FIG. 8.

[0186] FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 8 and shows the modified EISG CCVC testbed at Bottom Dead Center (BDC).

[0187] FIG. 11 is a rotated closeup of the modified EISG CCVC testbed shown in FIG. 10.

[0188] FIG. 12 is a schematic of the processes that occur within another modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed. The numbers under the boxed labels represent the various means employed within a modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed.

[0189] FIG. 13 is a schematic of the processes that occur within another modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed. The numbers under the boxed labels represent the various means employed within a modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed.

[0190] FIG. 14 is a schematic of the processes that occur within another modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed. The numbers under the boxed labels represent the various means employed within a modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed.

[0191] FIG. 15 is a schematic of a process that occurs within a modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed. The numbers under the boxed labels represent the various means employed within a modified version of the EISG CCVC testbed. Reference to the boxed labels in FIG. 15 is made to the boxed labels in U.S. Pat. No. 19,303,034, Applying open cycle and closed cycle valved cell heat engines to Bland/Ewing chemo-thermodynamic cycles, FIG. 1 through FIG. 14. Additionally, special reference is made to FIG. 14 of U.S. Pat. No. 19,303,034 where additions and differences are indicated by the use of boxed labels with heavy dashed borders.

[0192] FIG. 16 is modification of the partially cutaway and partially transparent solid model of the modified EISG CCVC testbed illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 19,303,034, FIG. 8, indicating where elements shown in FIG. 8 are slightly modified within FIG. 16. The boxed labels in FIG. 16 refer to the matching boxed labels in U.S. Pat. No. 19,303,034, FIG. 8, as modified by FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

DescriptionEighth Embodiment

An Alternative Rankine/Stirling Fully-Regenerating CCVC-Based Bland/Ewing Chemo/Thermodynamic Endothermic Semi-Open Half-Cycle Heat Engine

[0193] As described above and as shown in FIG. 15, as opposed to raising the pressure of the vaporized reactant with a compressor as described in the Sixth Embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 19,303,034 and above for the Rankine/Stirling fully-regenerating CCVC-based Bland/Ewing (B/E) chemo/thermodynamic endothermic half-cycle, an alternative embodiment would use isochoric displacement heating to raise the pressure of the vaporized reactant. Isochoric displacement heating is essentially the use of the first regenerative waste exhaust heat displacement process described for the Rankine/Stirling fully-regenerating CCVC-based Bland/Ewing chemo/thermodynamic endothermic semi-open half-cycle heat engine. The purpose of utilizing isochoric displacement heating in this instance is primarily to more efficiently increase pressure and thus the temperature at which the eventual vapor product, in this case C6H6, will condense over and above the lower pressure and thus temperature at which the C6H12 liquid will be evaporated. As noted above, condensing higher pressure C6H6 will theoretically supply more than the required heat of vaporization of C6H12, removing the thermal cost of vaporizing the C6H12 which would otherwise be required to be put into an endothermic B/E Rankine half-cycle embodiment.

OperationEighth Embodiment

An Alternative Rankine/Stirling Fully-Regenerating CCVC-Based Bland/Ewing Chemo/Thermodynamic Endothermic Semi-Open Half-Cycle Heat Engine

Steps

[0194] 1. Medium pressure liquid C6H12 reactant enters the cold end of a counter-flow combined-function heat exchanger (boxed label 43 in FIG. 15), which essentially comprises a higher pressure C6H6 condenser, a lower pressure C6H12 vaporizer, and an H2 gas separator. The heat exchanger (43) heats and vaporizes the lower pressure reactant with the higher pressure condensing and cooling vaporous C6H6 and gaseous H2 product. Since the reactant and the product are not at the same pressure, and some mixing of the two streams can be tolerated, either a standard counter-flow heat exchanger or a valve-shifted dual-stream regenerator (VSDSR) may be used. A following cooler (not shown) will probably be required to fully separate the C6H6 liquid, any remnant C6H12 liquid, and H2 gas products. [0195] 2. At TDC, the SSR actuated exhaust valve (boxed label 44 in FIG. 15), the displacer #2 intake check valve (boxed label 45 in FIG. 15), and the main engine exhaust valve (32) are all closed, completely isolating the VDSR heat exchanger (24). In addition, the displacer #1 intake check valve (2), the displacer #2 exhaust check valve (boxed label 46 in FIG. 15), and the expander exhaust valve (boxed label 47 in FIG. 15) are closed, and the high pressure isobaric expander intake/transfer valve (transfer valve) (boxed label 48 in FIG. 15) has just opened. [0196] 3. At the beginning of the move from TDC to BDC, hot, high pressure H2 gas begins to flow isobarically from a high pressure isobaric external system, past the transfer valve (48), and into the expander (9). [0197] 4. Simultaneously, at the beginning of the move from TDC to BDC, displacer #1 (3) begins expanding high pressure remnant C6H12 reactant vapor captured at the close of the displacer #1 exhaust check valve (4). [0198] 5. Shortly following the beginning of the move from TDC to BDC, pressure within displacer #1 drops sufficiently for medium pressure vaporous C6H12 reactant to begin passing through the displacer #1 intake check valve (2), for example by C6H12 reactant vapor pressure from the heat exchanger (43) overcoming the spring pressure bias towards closed of the displacer #1 intake check valve (2), thus flowing medium pressure vaporous C6H12 reactant into displacer #1 (3). [0199] 6. Simultaneously, at the beginning of the move from TDC to BDC, the main engine exhaust valve (32) is opened, connecting the VDSR heat exchanger (24) and its manifolds to a medium pressure external system. Since the pressure in the VDSR heat exchanger (24) will be at the maximum internal pressure point of the engine, decompression down to the medium pressure regime of the external isobaric system will occur through the main engine exhaust valve (32). Note that the work lost through this pressure blowdown will be minimized to the degree that the volume of the VDSR heat exchanger (24) and its connecting manifolds is minimized. [0200] 7. Simultaneously, at the beginning of the move from TDC to BDC, displacer #2 (7) begins to exhaust its contents. [0201] 8. Simultaneously, at the beginning of the move from TDC to BDC, the displacer #2 exhaust check valve (46), which is biased towards closed, for example, by a spring, will sense the raising pressure within displacer #2 (7) and open access to the high pressure isobaric external system. [0202] 9. Simultaneously, at the beginning of the move from TDC to BDC, displacer #3/compressor (13) begins re-pressurizing medium pressure H2 gas. [0203] 10. Simultaneously, at the beginning of the move from TDC to BDC, medium pressure H2 gas being exhausted from displacer #3/compressor (13) begins re-entering exhaust SSR (28) via the exhaust check valve (ECV) #4 (39, FIG. 14), bypassing the VDSR cooler (35, FIG. 14), for example by higher pressure H2 gas exiting displacer #3/compressor (13) overcoming ECV #4 (39, FIG. 14) spring pressure. [0204] 11. Slightly following the main engine exhaust valve (32) opening to the external medium pressure system, thus equalizing pressure, the SSR actuated exhaust valve (44) is opened, connecting the hot end of the (medium pressure) exhaust SSR (28) to the hot end of the (medium pressure) VDSR heat exchanger (24). Otherwise-waste heat stored in the exhaust SSR (28) is thus recaptured in the medium pressure H2 gas isobarically exhausting through the exhaust SSR (28), and deposited in the VDSR heat exchanger (24), with the cooled H2 then exhausting into the medium pressure external system, thus charging the VDSR heat exchanger (24) with thermal energy. [0205] 12. As BDC begins to be approached, the SSR actuated exhaust valve (44) is closed, thus causing the medium pressure H2 gas captured between the displacer #3/compressor (13), the (closed) expander exhaust valve (boxed label 47 in FIG. 15), and the (closed) SSR actuated exhaust valve (44) to begin increasing in pressure, eventually approximately equaling the high pressure within the expander (9) just prior to opening of the expander exhaust valve (47). [0206] 13. Slightly before BDC, the expander exhaust valve (47) begins opening. Simultaneously, both the transfer valve (48) and the main engine exhaust valve (32) begin to close, briefly connecting all spaces within the engine at the pressure of the medium pressure external isobaric system. [0207] 14. By BDC, the expander exhaust valve (47) is open, the transfer valve (48) and the main engine exhaust valve (32) are closed, and isobaric flow through-out the engine briefly stops. [0208] 15. Following BDC, as the engine begins moving towards TDC, the displacer #1 exhaust check valve (4) automatically opens as, for example, gas pressure within displacer #1 (3) overcomes displacer #1 exhaust check valve (4) spring pressure. [0209] 16. Simultaneously, as displacer #2 (7) begins moving towards TDC, pressure drops inside displacer #2 (7). [0210] 17. Simultaneously, at the beginning of the move from BDC to TDC, the displacer #2 exhaust check valve (46), which is biased towards closed, for example, by a spring, will sense the lowering pressure and close access to the high pressure isobaric external system. [0211] 18. At the beginning of the move from BDC to TDC, displacer #1 (3) begins displacing medium pressure C6H12 vaporous reactant past displacer #1 exhaust check valve (4) and into the cold end of the VDSR heat exchanger (24). [0212] 19. Simultaneously, at the beginning of the move from BDC to TDC, displacer #2 (7) begins expanding remnant medium pressure H2, dropping the internal pressure and opening the displacer #2 intake check valve (45), for example by overcoming spring pressure with H2 isochorically flowing out of displacer #1 (3), flowing from the cold end to the hot end of the VDSR heat exchanger (24), flowing past displacer intake check valve #2 (43), and flowing into displacer #2 (7). [0213] 20. Simultaneously, at the beginning of the move from BDC to TDC, the expander begins isochorically to exhaust pas the expander exhaust valve (45), through the exhaust SSR (28), through the VDSR cooler system (see FIG. 14), and into displacer #3/compressor. [0214] 21. As TDC is approached, the expander exhaust valve (45) is closed, capturing remnant H2 within the expander (9). By TDC, the captured remnant H2 in the expander (9) is recompressed to at least match the pressure on the inlet side of the high pressure isobaric expander intake/transfer valve (boxed label 46 in FIG. 15). Consequently, the transfer valve (46) is free to open, for example by spring pressure applying a bias towards open. [0215] 22. Considering the high pressure isobaric external system, on the side of the displacer #2 exhaust check valve (44) opposite displacer #2, the high pressure preheated C6H12 vapor exhaust is passed through the C6H12/C6H6+H2 recuperator (or VDSR or VSDSR regenerator) (boxed label 47 in FIG. 15), where the inflowing C6H12 vapor is preheated to the temperature of the high pressure, high temperature endothermic catalytic reactor (boxed label 48 in FIG. 15) by the outflowing C6H+H2 product mix. [0216] 23. The high temperature, high pressure C6H12 reactant is then passed through the endothermic reactor (47) receiving thermal energy from a primary source of heat input (source heat in) (27), where it is converted, in this case via a catalyst bed, into C6H6+H2 (plus remnant C6H12) product. [0217] 24. The C6H6+H2 product is then separated into two streams, as noted above, the first of which, as has been shown, is used to preheat with latent heat the inflowing C6H12 reactant in the C6H12/C6H6+H2 recuperator (47), and second of which is passed into the H2/C6H6+H2 recuperator (or VDSR or VSDSR regenerator) (boxed label 49 in FIG. 15) and is used to heat with latent heat inflowing high pressure H2 gas, which, as will be made clear below, constitutes the working fluid for the high pressure isobaric external system. [0218] 25. Following the cooling, in the C6H12/C6H6+H2 recuperator (47) and the H2/C6H6+H2 recuperator (49), of the two C6H6+H2 product streams exiting the endothermic reactor (47), the two streams are rejoined. [0219] 26. The reconstituted C6H6+H2 product stream is then passed through the (high pressure) C6H6 condenser, (medium pressure) C6H12 vaporizer, and (high pressure) H2 separator heat exchanger (41). A valve-switching dual stream regenerator (VSDSR) that alternately flows a liquid in on the cold side and its vapor out on the hot side in one regenerator while a second regenerator is flowing a vapor/gas mix in on the hot side and a liquid-saturated gas out on the cold side, then switches, should be possible, especially since some mixing of the two streams is allowable. [0220] 27. The separated high pressure liquid and gas products (in this case, C6H6 and H2) then take different paths. The high pressure liquid C6H6 is passed through a hydraulic motor (boxed label 50 in FIG. 15), which both reduces the pressure of the liquid C6H6 and, since the liquid C6H6 goes back into the medium pressure C6H6/C6H12 liquid storage tank with separator piston (boxed label 51 in FIG. 15) that the C6H12 is being removed from (with a separator piston, for example with a roll sock seal, separating the two liquids), the hydraulic C6H6 motor (50) serves also to pump out the liquid C6H12 into the heat exchanger (41). [0221] 28. Meanwhile, the separated high pressure H2 gas that was generated by the endothermic reactor (48) also can take two different paths. Generally, it will be passed back through the H2/C6H6+H2 recuperator (49) and from there be sent to the engine's transfer valve (46). However, recall that, after passing through the engine, the H2 is lowered in pressure by the displacer #3/compressor (13) system, eventually being exhausted through the main engine exhaust valve (32). It is then cooled with an H2 cooler (boxed label 52 in FIG. 15) to remove any liquid, such as remnant C6H12 vapor picked up during the VDSR heat exchanger (24) process, and stored in a medium pressure H2 storage tank system (boxed label 53 in FIG. 15). As a result, if an excess of H2 is produced by the endothermic reactor (48), an alternative path for high pressure H2 exiting the heat exchanger (41) is to also be stored in the medium pressure H2 storage tank system (53). But it is also arranged that H2 stored in the medium pressure H2 storage tank system (53) can be sent to the H2/C6H6+H2 recuperator (49). Consequently, a pneumatic H2 motor/compressor (54) is arranged to either add H2 to the medium pressure H2 storage tank system (53) and generate work out as a motor or take H2 from it and compress it as a compressor.

DescriptionNinth Embodiment

An Alternative Rankine/Stirling Fully-Regenerating CCVC-Based Bland/Ewing Chemo/Thermodynamic Endothermic Semi-Open Half-Cycle Cooling Engine

[0222] Instead of passing the C6H6 plus H2 mix through a fully-regenerating CCVC engine following the recombining of the approximately and streams, as described in the Sixth Embodiment above, the higher pressure C6H6 in the recombined streams is first condensed out to supply the heat required for vaporizing liquid C6H12, as in the Seventh Embodiment. As a result, the high pressure H2 gas is completely separated from the C6H6 and any remnant C6H12.

[0223] The H2 may then be cooled at constant pressure to ambient temperature. It may then be expanded to ambient pressure, producing cold. The chilled H2 may then be either converted into liquid H2 or be heated back to ambient temperature at ambient pressure, for example by chilling pressurized gaseous O2 into liquid O2.

DescriptionTenth Embodiment

Using a Second Isochoric Displacement Process to Enhance a Rankine/Stirling Fully-Regenerating CCVC-Based Bland/Ewing Chemo/Thermodynamic Endothermic Semi-Open Half-Cycle Heat Engine

[0224] Alternatively to the Ninth Embodiment above, prior to final heat exchange and cooling, pressurized H2 can then be reheated and super-pressurized via, for example, a second Isochoric displacement heating process, thus increasing its pressure even more through the isochoric application of thermal energy, for example by using the thermal content of the stream of C6H6 plus H2 exiting the endothermic catalytic reactor. The higher pressure H2 may then be expanded to produce work.

DescriptionEleventh Embodiment

Using a Second Isochoric Displacement Process to Enhance a Rankine/Stirling Fully-Regenerating CCVC-Based Bland/Ewing Chemo/Thermodynamic Endothermic Semi-Open Half-Cycle Cooling Engine

[0225] Alternatively to the Tenth Embodiment above, rather than expanding the high pressure H2 at that point, the latent thermal heat of the resulting thermally pressurized and reheated H2 may then be transferred, via an isobaric heat exchange process, to a separate external heat engine, creating work out from said separate external heat engine while simultaneously producing cooled ultra-high pressure H2. The H2 may then be finally cooled at constant pressure to ambient temperature, then be expanded to ambient pressure, producing even more extreme cold. The chilled H2 may then be either converted into liquid H2 or be heated back to ambient temperature at ambient pressure, for example by chilling pressurized gaseous O2 into liquid O2.

DescriptionTwelfth Embodiment

An Alternative Rankine/Stirling Fully-Regenerating CCVC-Based Bland/Ewing Chemo/Thermodynamic Endothermic Semi-Open Half-Cycle Expansion Engine

[0226] The concept of using a pump to pressurize a liquid chemical compound or reactant, convert it into vapor, thermally separating it and thus (1) chemically storing the thermal energy contained in the dissociated chemical compound or product and (2) increasing the number of moles of product over the number of moles of reactant available to a following expansion process, then expanding it, falls under the purview of newly issued U.S. Pat. No. 12,392,261, granted Aug. 19, 2025. That also applies to thermally splitting liquid H2O into H2 and O2, since pumping high pressure water (reactant) into a system, then increasing the temperature to the point where the resulting pressurized steam thermally dissociates into H2 and O2, is technically possible. Separating the product into separate H2 and O2 streams is also technically possible, as by using a molecular sieve. Finally, the two gas streams may be separately expanded to generate net work out.

[0227] Generating pressurized H2O steam from pressurized H2O liquid that will then be thermo-chemically dissociated is a valid alternative approach to creating a fluid suitable for chemo/thermochemical expansion to generate net work, since it will create a 1-to-1.5 chemo/thermochemical expansion. Alternatively, H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) may be used as well, creating a 1-to-2 chemo/thermodynamic expansion, since the reaction yields H2 and O2. Other compounds can similarly be used.

[0228] There exists a well-known alternative to thermally splitting H2O into H2 and O2, which is splitting by electrolysis. In a paper entitled Operation of the 25 KW NASA Lewis Research Center Solar Regenerative Fuel Cell Testbed Facility by Gerald Voecks, it has been demonstrated that liquid H2O may be efficiently pressurized to a very high pressure (approximately 200 atm) by pump, split into pump-pressurized high pressure H2 and O2 via electrolysis, and the resulting high pressure gases are then separated and stored. It is herein recognized that such an electrolysis of highly pressurized H2O is a valid alternative approach to creating a fluid suitable for chemo/thermochemical expansion to generate net work, since it will create a 1-to-1.5 chemo/thermochemical expansion. Alternatively, H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) may be used to create a 1-to-2 chemo/thermodynamic expansion.

[0229] The advantage of generating the H2 and O2 at high pressure is that they can be stored indefinitely in smaller storage tanks. Expanding the gases would thus seem to be contra-indicated, since it requires work to create the electricity to dissociate H2O int H2 and O2. There is, however, the thermochemical expansion to consider, which has increased the potential work of expansion by 1.5. Looking at the H2 and O2 as potential gaseous expansion material for a heat engine, even assuming losses, it would appear a net advantage may be possible, especially since the H2 and O2, even at lower pressure (<1 MPa or about 10 atm), can still produce very high thermal efficiency in a fuel cell.

DescriptionThirteenth Embodiment

An Alternative Rankine/Stirling Fully-Regenerating CCVC-Based Bland/Ewing Chemo/Thermodynamic Endothermic Semi-Open Half-Cycle Cooling Engine

[0230] An alternative storage approach exists to that disclosed in the Gerald Voecks paper referenced above, which takes into account the chemo/thermodynamic concepts disclosed herein, and forms the essence of the embodiment proposed herein. By expanding the H2 product constituent from ambient temperature, additional work out may be created, while the H2 may simultaneously be greatly reduced in temperature below ambient. The cold thus produced is then usable to assist in the liquefaction of the high pressure O2 produced by electrolysis. Liquefaction of O2 is advantaged over storage as a pressurized gas in that the tank itself can be far less massive for liquid O2, since the pressure may equal ambient. It is also far easier to maintain liquid O2 against inevitable boil-off losses than liquid H2. The H2 then, at whatever remnant pressure, may be alternatively stored by combining with C6H6 to produce C6H12, which, like liquid O2, is also able to be stored at both ambient pressure and ambient temperature. In addition, since the resulting exothermic release of heat from the storage of H2 in the form of C6H12 has been found to essentially equal the thermochemical production of earlier-captured thermal energy, as has been proposed above as a Bland/Ewing half-cycle, that released thermal energy can be used to create net work, which in turn can be used to create electricity (which in turn can be used to convert high pressure water vapor into H2 and O2).

[0231] The H2 thus captured in C6H12 results in the completion of a Bland/Ewing exothermic chemo/thermodynamic half-cycle, thus making available for use the second matching endothermic Bland/Ewing chemo/thermodynamic half-cycle, as is proposed herein, the two half-cycles thus jointly creating a full Bland/Ewing chemo/thermodynamic cycle, a process that is covered by U.S. Pat. No. 12,352,250, granted Jul. 8, 2025 to Joseph Barrett Bland, 7482 Greenhaven Dr, Sacramento, CA.

[0232] Finally, the H2 released by a full Bland/Ewing work-producing cycle as described herein, when combined with O2 (for example, using liquid O2 created by expansion of cooled H2 following the high pressure, high temperature electrolysis of H2O in the process described above, of for example using O2 available in Earth's atmosphere), create a Benzene Battery chemo/thermodynamic full cycle, which is covered by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/197,092, filed May 14, 2023.

DescriptionFourteenth Embodiment

An Alternative Rankine/Stirling Fully-Regenerating CCVC-Based Bland/Ewing Chemo/Thermodynamic Endothermic Semi-Open Half-Cycle Expansion Engine

[0233] As an alternative embodiment, the high pressure H2 (at 200 atm, per the quoted Voecks paper), may be considered feed stock for a B/E Benzene Battery, as proposed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/197,092. Liquid benzene (C6H6) may be pressurized to 200 atm, vaporized and preheated to the exothermic catalytic reaction temperature of 750K-to-800K per FIG. 1 in US Patent 3,225, 538, mixed with similarly preheated H2 at 200 atm created by high pressure electrolysis, and then converted into cyclohexane (C6H6). Per FIG. 1 in U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,538, the conversion of C6H6+3H2 will produce 1,180 kJ of 750K-to-800 K heat per 0.4536 kg (1 pound) of C6H12. That would convert approximately 16.17 mols of H2. At a mass of 2.02 g/mol, that would equal about 0.0327 kg of H2. For comparison purposes, the high heat of combustion for H2 is about 141,800 KJ/kg. Thus, the high heat of combustion of 0.0327 kg of H2 or 4,637 kJ equals (4637/1180=) 3.93 times the thermal energy generated by the exothermic creation of one pound of C6H12.

[0234] Per the above, that energy could be used to power a heat engine with a source temperature of at least 750-800 K. With superheating, for example by the use of concentrated solar energy, a fully-regenerating CCVC-based heat engine, real-world thermal efficiency in excess of 50% is possible, suggesting that on the order of a 10-12% increase in the production of electricity and thus of H2 generation for a given base solar input is made possible by releasing the potential stored energy of a B/E exothermic C6H6 heat engine half-cycle with this alternative embodiment of a Rankine/Stirling fully-regenerating CCVC-based Bland/Ewing chemo/thermodynamic endothermic semi-open half-cycle expansion engine. For the full cyclohexane/benzene B/E chemo/thermodynamic cycle, or C6H12+Hin+Wout<=>C6H6+3H2+Hout+Wout, overall efficiency may also equal in excess of 50%.

DescriptionFifteenth Embodiment

Thermolysis of H2O or H2O2 in Chemo/Thermodynamic Processes

[0235] The generation of H2O and/or H2O2 steam that is then dissociated by thermolysis is herein proposed as a valid means of creating a fluid suitable for chemo/thermochemical expansion, since it will create a 1-to-1.5 chemo/thermodynamic expansion.

DescriptionSixteenth Embodiment

Electrolysis of H2O or H2O2 in Chemo/Thermodynamic Processes

[0236] The dissociation of liquid or vaporous H2O and/or H2O2 by electrolysis is herein proposed as a valid means of creating a fluid suitable for chemo/thermochemical expansion, since it will create a 1-to-1.5 chemo/thermodynamic expansion.

DescriptionSeventeenth Embodiment

a Combination of Thermolysis and Electrolysis of H2O or H2O2 in Chemo/Thermodynamic Processes

[0237] The generation of H2O and/or H2O2 steam that is then dissociated by a combination of thermolysis and electrolysis is herein proposed as a valid means of creating a fluid suitable for chemo/thermochemical expansion, since it will create a 1-to-1.5 chemo/thermodynamic expansion.

DescriptionEighteenth Embodiment

The Use of a Cyclical Carrier Fluid Such as C6H12 as a Means for Storing Both H2 and O2 in Liquid Form

[0238] It is proposed that a cyclical carrier fluid such as C6H12 be used in conjunction with highly pressurized H2O, H2O2, or other H2-containing compounds that can be converted into their constituent elements by thermolysis and/or electrolysis. The separated high pressure H2 and O2 would be cooled to ambient temperature and then expanded to reduce their temperature. In the case of O2, expansion would be required to stop at the point of liquifaction. In the case of H2, since the temperature required for liquifaction is exceedingly low, expansion can continue to a much colder temperature than the O2. Consequently, sufficient latent cold is available in the H2 to more than supply the reduction in temperature of the O2 for the purpose of the O2's liquefaction.

[0239] The high pressure H2, being warmed by the cooling of the O2, would then be used as the working fluid in a heat engine to create work, eventually being exhausted at a pressure and temperature designed to maximize its passing through a fuel cell and creating electricity. The O2, being liquid, could likewise be passed through a heat engine to create work, eventually being exhausted at a pressure and temperature designed to maximize its passing through a fuel cell and creating electricity.

DescriptionNineteenth Embodiment

Thermolysis of H2O or H2O2 Reactant with Thermal Regeneration of the Product of Thermolysis as a Means of Efficiently Preheating the Reactant

[0240] A kind of regenerator is possible that can be called a dual-stream regenerator (DSR). When ducts/ports are used, it may be termed a ducted DSR (DDSR) and when valves are used it may be termed a valved DSR (VDSR). One embodiment of a VDSR can create a kind of valve-switched DSR (VSDSR), where two or more regenerators cycle between (a) being charged with thermal energy and (b) giving up that energy.

[0241] It is herein proposed that one or the other of these various forms of DSRs be used to greatly increase the efficiency of thermolysis by taking advantage of the difference in latent heat capacity between the reactant and, following dissociation, the and the product. By making it less important that the dissociation be complete, regeneration, which is highly efficient, allows multiple passes of reactant through a given system to achieve a given amount of conversion.

[0242] It is further proposed that concentrated solar energy be used almost exclusively as the source of energy for this type of thermolysis. Concentrated solar energy is highly advantaged as a heat source because it is already environmentally omnipresent and thus environmentally low impact, because it is low in production cost, and because thermolysis of H2O and H2O2 requires exceedingly high temperatures.

DescriptionTwentieth Embodiment

An Lunar PSR-Based Rankine/Stirling Fully-Regenerating CCVC-Based Bland/Ewing Chemo/Thermodynamic Endothermic Semi-Open Half-Cycle Cooling Engine

[0243] In a lunar Permanently Shadowed Region (PSR) such as those at the lunar poles, ambient temperature can be extremely low, possibly approaching 100 K, but can be assumed to approximate 150-200 K on average. O2 has a critical point/condensation temperature at about 50 atm of about 150 K, and that temperature can be assumed to be somewhat higher at 200 atm. Therefore, the expansion of 200 atm H2 can be seen to easily be capable of liquifying O2 in that environment. Liquid H2 itself needs to be cooled to approximately 20 K at about 1 atm. However, rapidly quenched H2, such as from adiabatic expansion to below the liquefaction temperature, will essentially boil off H2 due to heat released as orthohydrogen converts to its spin isomer parahydrogen. If liquid H2 is desired, catalysts can aid in the conversion to parahydrogen at various temperatures. However, for the use case proposed above, the boiling points of both orthohydrogen and parahydrogen are nearly equal, so boiled-off H2 can still serve as a meaningful liquifier for many gases, including O2.