Method of and system for producing electrical power
Abstract
A method and system for converting the chemical energy of methane to electrical energy. Methane is thermally decomposed to hydrogen and carbon in a decomposing unit at a temperature not less than about 1200.degree. K. and at a pressure at least slightly above atmospheric pressure. Carbon and substantially pure oxygen and a cesium or potassium seed material is transmitted to a combustor which is maintained at a pressure of at least about 50 atmospheres to combust the carbon and oxygen and provide an ionized plasma having a temperature not less than about 2800.degree. K. The ionized plasma is accelerated to a velocity not less than about 1000 m/sec and transported through an MHD generator having a magnetic field in the range of from about 4 to about 6 Tesla to generate dc power. The ionized plasma is de-accelerated and passed from the MHD generator in heat exchange relationship with the methane to heat same for decomposition and or reaction, and thereafter any cesium or potassium seed material is recovered and transported to the combustor, and the dc power from the MHD generator is converted to ac power.
- Inventors:
-
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Point Pleasant, NJ
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- USDOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC), PA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 869005
- Patent Number(s):
- 5260640
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02K - DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- method; producing; electrical; power; converting; chemical; energy; methane; thermally; decomposed; hydrogen; carbon; decomposing; unit; temperature; 1200; degree; pressure; slightly; atmospheric; substantially; pure; oxygen; cesium; potassium; seed; material; transmitted; combustor; maintained; 50; atmospheres; combust; provide; ionized; plasma; 2800; accelerated; velocity; 1000; transported; mhd; generator; magnetic; field; range; tesla; generate; dc; de-accelerated; passed; heat; exchange; relationship; decomposition; reaction; thereafter; recovered; converted; potassium seed; producing electrical; pure oxygen; thermally decomposed; chemical energy; dc power; substantially pure; electrical power; electrical energy; heat exchange; magnetic field; atmospheric pressure; exchange relationship; mhd generator; seed material; exchange relation; ionized plasma; thermally decompose; generate dc; decomposing unit; /322/310/
Citation Formats
Carabetta, Ralph A, Staats, Gary E, and Cutting, John C. Method of and system for producing electrical power. United States: N. p., 1993.
Web.
Carabetta, Ralph A, Staats, Gary E, & Cutting, John C. Method of and system for producing electrical power. United States.
Carabetta, Ralph A, Staats, Gary E, and Cutting, John C. Fri .
"Method of and system for producing electrical power". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869005.
@article{osti_869005,
title = {Method of and system for producing electrical power},
author = {Carabetta, Ralph A and Staats, Gary E and Cutting, John C},
abstractNote = {A method and system for converting the chemical energy of methane to electrical energy. Methane is thermally decomposed to hydrogen and carbon in a decomposing unit at a temperature not less than about 1200.degree. K. and at a pressure at least slightly above atmospheric pressure. Carbon and substantially pure oxygen and a cesium or potassium seed material is transmitted to a combustor which is maintained at a pressure of at least about 50 atmospheres to combust the carbon and oxygen and provide an ionized plasma having a temperature not less than about 2800.degree. K. The ionized plasma is accelerated to a velocity not less than about 1000 m/sec and transported through an MHD generator having a magnetic field in the range of from about 4 to about 6 Tesla to generate dc power. The ionized plasma is de-accelerated and passed from the MHD generator in heat exchange relationship with the methane to heat same for decomposition and or reaction, and thereafter any cesium or potassium seed material is recovered and transported to the combustor, and the dc power from the MHD generator is converted to ac power.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993}
}