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Title: Method and apparatus for electrokinetic co-generation of hydrogen and electric power from liquid water microjets

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1083201

A method and apparatus for producing both a gas and electrical power from a flowing liquid, the method comprising: a) providing a source liquid containing ions that when neutralized form a gas; b) providing a velocity to the source liquid relative to a solid material to form a charged liquid microjet, which subsequently breaks up into a droplet spay, the solid material forming a liquid-solid interface; and c) supplying electrons to the charged liquid by contacting a spray stream of the charged liquid with an electron source. In one embodiment, where the liquid is water, hydrogen gas is formed and a streaming current is generated. The apparatus comprises a source of pressurized liquid, a microjet nozzle, a conduit for delivering said liquid to said microjet nozzle, and a conductive metal target sufficiently spaced from said nozzle such that the jet stream produced by said microjet is discontinuous at said target. In one arrangement, with the metal nozzle and target electrically connected to ground, both hydrogen gas and a streaming current are generated at the target as it is impinged by the streaming, liquid spray microjet.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
Assignee:
The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
Patent Number(s):
8,372,374
Application Number:
12/529,884
OSTI ID:
1083201
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (14)

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System for cation-electron intrusion and collision in a non-conductive material patent December 2011
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Electrokinetic Power Generation from Liquid Water Microjets journal October 2008
Electrokinetic Power Generation by Means of Streaming Potentials: A Mobile-Ion-Drain Method to Increase the Streaming Potentials journal April 2005
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Electrokinetic Energy Conversion Efficiency in Nanofluidic Channels journal October 2006
Power Generation by Pressure-Driven Transport of Ions in Nanofluidic Channels journal April 2007
Electrochemomechanical Energy Conversion in Nanofluidic Channels journal December 2004
On the efficiency of electrokinetic pumping of liquids through nanoscale channels journal March 2004

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