Title of Invention : Combination of fuel cell & hydroelectric power plant to produce fresh water & electrical energy

Technical Field

Various hydrogen production processes such as water electrolysis and process of producing water and electricity in fuel cells as well as the process of producing electricity in hydroelectric power Plants are among the technical prerequisites of this invention. Construction of pipelines for gas and water transmission is considered like other technical fields of invention.

Background Art

Quantitative and qualitative limitations in two very important sectors of water and energy cause the formation of crises, unfortunate events and major world wars, direct and indirect effects of water and energy in human life have a strategic aspect.

Since the distant past the agricultural center had the largest share of water Consumption. The rain fed Cultivation and use of river water rights, had been the Simplest way of using water, digging wells and aqueducts, creating dams on rivers are also other ways for water usage. Also, desalination of the Salty water with the technique’s like, reverse osmosis or multi-stage distillation,... are used in some parts of the world. Flowing water and water controlled by different techniques are Completely dependent on rainfall. The interaction between the land, sea and atmosphere is affected by the raining’s Patterns and the water cycle activity on the planet. The heat of the sun provides the energy needed to evaporation Sea and ocean water. Evaporation of Sea Surface water to creases the density and saltiness of these waters. So, the deeper water to replaced by the surface water. The rivers that enter the sea and the rain in the sea cause the average Salinity of the Sea water is not increase during long years. The increase in population and the huge human need for water has caused a shortage of water especially in dry parts of the Planet. Therefore the desalination techniques from the Sea are improving but because for high energy Consumption, they don't have optimal efficiency. Utilization of waste energy from the mal power of the powerhouses for desalination of the Sea is Common in some parts of the world but they don't have a significant fresh water output.

In energy Sector using firewood, heat Sun, Coal and other fossil fuels are usually used for heating and Cooking. Also because of the advantage of electricity all kinds of the powerhouses are operating. Electric energy due to the possibility of easy transmission, distribution and other advantages, has made significant impact in the world. Powerhouses can be divided into three modeless: thermal, hydropower and renewables. Thermal power plants fuels are provided from Coal, natural gas or enriched Uranium. Two major disadvantages of these power plants are: low efficiency and a lot of environmental pollution. Hydroelectric power plants obtain energy from the hydrostatic pressure of water Column Stored behind the dams. However, the has good efficiency and environmental Compatibility but the disadvantages like depending on rainfall, evaporation of the waters behind the dams and limitation of the Stored water, wide use of this power plant make it difficult and unstable. Renewable power plant have many variations. Despite of environmental Compatibility and government Support, these types of power plants have not been able to make a Significant Contribution to the world's energy portfolio. Solar power plants are used in areas of the world where cloudy days are less. However they don't have the privilege of electricity Production. Wind power plants have the possibility to operate on properties that have good wind continuity. In addition to the mentioned Cases, Pumped Storage power plant is used in special areas. This kind of power plant at peak consumption times produces electricity and also in off-peak hours of the electricity network, it pumps water from the lower dam tank to the upper dam tank.

However this power plant helps the production management and electricity usage, but the set of electricity Consumption of hydropower plants is more than it's production. But, however this method in terms of quantity it is the most efficient technique that human beings can use for saving energy. Nuclear fusion Similar to the process that occurs in stars can generate tremendous heat. Since the last century to now national and international plans in order to exploit this thermal energy and convert it into electrical energy but weren't Successes.

Summary of Invention

The process of producing fresh water and electric energy in this invention uses the combination of three developed and common global processes, which include: the process of hydrogen production, the process of producing water molecules with the combination of hydrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere, and the process of producing electricity in electric power plants. ; Based on this, we need to build three stations: the first station near the coast or other land will produce very light hydrogen gas, then the produced hydrogen will be transported -automatically and without energy consumption- by a pipeline to the mountain heights; In the second station, hydrogenoxygen combination process is formed and pure water is produced. The water is stored in large reservoirs at the same height and then it is directed to the third station on the mountainside by a pipeline and produces electricity based on the functional principles of hydroelectric power plants.

The essence of this invention is the creation of added value in the energy sector of the gravitational potential of water, which ultimately provides the ideal management of water and energy and easily overcomes the major challenges of the two, which include production, storage and transmission.

This invention with the mentioned tricks and benefiting from the applied principles of physics, chemistry and technical-engineering provides a strategic model that can create a great revolution for mankind on the planet by producing water and energy (continuously-economically-abundantly) .

Technical Problem

Major problems in the water and energy sector can be divided into three main topics:

1 ) production: The lack of fresh water and energy can be seen in many parts of the world. The roots of this lack can be attributed to factors such as dependence on rainfall, the lack of optimal access to energy Carries, the inefficiency of desalination techniques, the low efficiency of the devices, environmental restrictions and excessive Consumption.

2) Storage: Now, in order to manage the limited water and energy we have to store them common methods of large. Scale storage like, dam Construction and reserve pump technology are waste the energy.

3) Transferring: Transferring water and energy with normal methods requires a lot of energy and it’s losses are significant, especially over long distances.

The goals of this invention include the improvement of problems and the production of water and electricity in a continuous and economical manner.

Solution to Problem

According to the hierarchical diagram in the appendix, the process of producing fresh water and electric energy it consists of 3 well-known production process subsets and two fluid transmission lines for Communication between processes. The theory and history of making the three mentioned Subcategories are one hundred years old and even more. So, dealing with the details and describing each of them is not related to this invention and just because of better understanding we point to the general performance of it.

Producing Hydrogen gas: Hydrogen is the lightest element of Mendeleev's Periodic table and at the same time the most abundant element in the world. Pure hydrogen is almost non-exist on Earth, rather we can see it with the other elements in some of the chemical compounds. This element can be obtained by known processes from two sources of sea water or hydro Carbons such as methane gas. The process of electrolysis of water is by creating an electric Potential difference in the anode and cathode Components, the decomposition of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen elements occurs in the gas phase. The enthalpy of this process is endothermic. Therefore it's surrounding environment becomes Colder.

Pare water production: Contrary to the water decomposition process, hydrogen and oxygen gases can be involved under Certain Conditions and pure water can be produced. The enthalpy of this process is heat producing. Also, some electricity is produced during the process so hydrogen fuel cars have been designed and built on this basis to alternative the usual cars. These Cars have the hydrogen tank as compressed gas or liquid. The required oxygen is taken from the air. However, nitrogen gas constitutes the largest percentage of the total air but this gas has the role of a observer and it combines with hydrogen only at very high pressure and temperature.

Electricity production in hydroelectric power Plant: This power plant will be built near the lower part of the high dams. Hydrostatical pressure of the water Column has the Capacity to spin water turbines. With the rotation of the turbine, the generator also rotates and intermittent electricity is produced. The amount of electricity produced is directly related to the height of the water Column and it's flow rate. High efficiency, Compatibility with the environment's and the possibility of quick Start-up, is some of the positive features of this power plant.

According to the introduction, the process of producing fresh water and electric energy in The invention it uses the combination of three developed and common global processes that include: The hydrogen production process, the process of producing water molecules by combining hydrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere and the process of generating electricity in hydroelectric power plants; So, we need to construct three stations: The first station in the vicinity of the Coast or other land will produce very light hydrogen gas. Then the Produced hydrogen is transported to the mountain heights by a pipeline( Automatically and without spending energy ). In the Second Station, the process of Combining hydrogen and oxygen is formed and pure water is produced. The water is stored at large reservoirs at the same height and is then directed by the pipeline to the third Station at the foot mountain and produces electricity based on the functional principles of hydropower plants.

The Connection between the first station and the second one must be done with full Compliance with Safety principles in a Specific pipeline, because hydrogen gas is extremely volatile and there is a possibility of explosion if there coming leakages. However this type of pipelines pipeline is not as widespread and developed as natural gas transmission lines, but it's feasibility has been proven and implemented in some parts of the world at distances of several hundred kilometers. What is needed in this invention includes the transfer and Conduction of hydrogen gas from the gas production Station To the mountain heights. Therefore, the Closer this station is to the foothills this process faces a Challenge and lower initial Costs. Unlike the Storage pump power plant which pumps water from lower dam reservoir to the upper dam reservoir by expending Considerable energy, in this transfer no water does not move but the very light hydrogen gas is transferred. In terms of weight oxygen accounts for about 88% of water weight which are separated from the water molecules at the first Station and released into the surrounding air. According to the principles of buoyancy in fluid mechanics due to the very low density of hydrogen gas compared to air hydrogen transfer operation without spending energy will be possible.

Water Production and Storage operations take place in the second Station located in the mountainous heights. The chemical process of Combining hydrogen gas and oxygen gas (in the air) with creating successive sparks or in the presence of special catalysts is possible. The produced water will be in three phases. They are included: Solid, liquid and gas. If we can keep the internal temperature of the process at around 20 degrees Celsius ( room temperature ), the produced water will be completely liquid ( optimal conditions ). One of the advantages of the mountainous height is the low temperature So that for every 1000 meters of ascent the air temperature drops between 6 and 9 degrees Celsius. The cold weather at high altitudes may naturally Lead to freezing of water. But being heat producing in the process will prevent freezing to a great extent. However in most cases acceptable Conditions is available in liquid phase for the water production, but presence of a Cooling device and an electric heater ( heating-cooling system ) can work at any time of the day or night and prevent to evaporate or freezing the water. The electricity Consumed by this system can be supplied from the electricity generated by this water production process ( similar to fuel cell ). In Special Conditions like summers, this operation Can be done just at night that the lower degree of the air.

The water production process is carried out in an isolated chamber, which includes two inlets for hydrogen gas injection and mountain air and two exits will be in the direction of discharge of liquid water and air. The exhaust air will be largely deoxygenated and will consist mainly of nitrogen gas. Mountain air in addition to providing the oxygen required for the Process will implicitly play a role in regulating process temperature and heat transfer. Finally, produced water enters large water storage pools which is made in the same station to be used in the final process. The Connection between the second and third stations is by a pipeline that carries water from Storage pools to the hydroelectric power plant. The highly the Second station built the same ratio allows for more electricity production. From a technical point of view a power plant along cannot exploit from water stored at several thousand meters altitude. Therefore, should be consecutively for every few hundred meters of height a hydroelectric power plant should be built. Finally, produced water and electricity will enter water and electricity transmission and distribution networks.

Environmental issues:

Very highly adaptability hydropower plant with the environment as far as Some scientific Sources classifies this kind of the electricity energy in the field of green and renewable. According to the past descriptions the overall result of oxygen production and Consumption in this invention is zero. In this way that the amount of released oxygen in the hydrogen production process ( Electrolysis method ) is equal to the oxygen in the water production in the heights. Desalination of Sea water increases water salinity in the site that Can be a habitat for aquatic organisms face disruption or even destruction. To deal with this problem we can use a salt water storage pond So that by a large pipeline operation of automatic transmission of these waters to the deep see which is usually done without aquatic organisms. Deep waters with high salinity and low temperature closer to Salt water and there is less disturbance.

Economic issues:

The sea and the mountains as the main Source and infrastructure of this invention in many parts of the world are available and free. The importance of this issue Compared to the very large and expensive market for energy Carriers such as fossil and nuclear fuels and also the common and non-economic methods of desalination is more visible than Sea water. The process of producing hydrogen is energy intensive but the process of producing water is energy-generating. The result of these two will be negative in practice. As we can describe this amount of energy in the form of energy consumption inside a power plant. However, the amount of electricity produced in the hydroelectric power plant is so much which is not comparable to the energy Consumed in the Complex. ( Because of the great height ) Average heigh and common hydropower plants is in a few hundred meters position. But according to the described Process in this invention will be able raise the height to several thousand meters and produce much energy. In other words, this invention provides a method which is based on a stable and endless Source (the sea) and a stable and elevated infrastructure (the mountain) and with minimal effort and cost can extract valuable products such as energy and fresh water. In fact, with a Series of physical, Chemical and technical tricks and by cleverly conquering the nature a tremendous added vlaue is created so much. So that it has a clear distinction Compared to the Common water and electricity production methods. With a macro view of the consolidation process find that the production of fresh water does not only require energy from -outside-, But this complex also produces a significant amount of energy, too. This invention is completely Self- Sufficient and it has no need for Primary fuel or Continuous government support and it's positive Consequences in the agricultural, industry, sectors reduce Production Costs and abundance of food and goods will be done. Therefore, basic economic issues (employment and production) will be solved to a large extent.

In total, what has been described so far can be described in the form of an redefinition cycle which it's main input is hydrogen that can be provided from various Sources, also In addition, it can be used this invention in a closed cycle which is briefly described in the implementation methods section. Advantageous Effects of Invention

A) Old methods such as well digging, aqueduct and new methods like Construction of large dams are completely related to the rain falls. Therefore, factors such as drought and climate change cause in instability in water supply. In addition, Seawater desalination methods are high consumption and uneconomical. This invention doesn't have any disadvantages and also lacks many other Side disadvantages. As a result, it is capable of realize sustainable development in the water supply sector properly.

B) Hydroelectric power plant as one of the pillars of this invention in the important indicators of efficiency, environmental pollution, power and speed has a significant advantage over other power plants. However, disadvantages like dependent to the rainfalls, limitation of water stored behind dams and significant evaporation of water behind the dam cause instability in electricity supply with this method. This invention while fully maintaining the benefits of hydroelectric power plant has none of the mentioned disadvantages.

C) The graphs of water and energy consumption in different hours and seasons are not uniform so, provision and management of water and energy at the moment is extremely challenging and impossible sometimes . water stored in high altitudes will allow managers ideal control.

D) Today, water and energy transfer from origin to destination requires spending Considerable energy. This is while traveling long distances with little energ6y we can use light hydrogen gas transmission lines and produce water and electricity at the destination.

E) Fuel cell alone is capable of producing water and electricity. But, combining it with the hydroelectric power plant first will increase electricity production and as a result cause increasing the economic justification for the system. Secondly, it is possible to store water in high places and it will provide proper management during the peak time of water and electricity consumption. Thirdly, a fuel cell consumes oxygen that due to the Small population density at high altitudes doesn't harm to humans and other living beings. Fourthly, the coldness of the atmosphere at high altitudes helps to formation of water in the liquid phase.

Brief Description of Drawings

Hierarchical block diagram in attachment shows the time Stage of the Community process, the location of desired Stations and the relationship between the sub-processes

Fig.1 [Fig.1]

Description of Embodiments

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Examples

This invention and the processes under the set are in accordance with what is said to have the ability to design, construction and operation. However, the details of the plan will vary depending on the location and space. In general high mountain areas are located by the sea are the ideal places where the process of invention can be realized with minimum initial Cost and short implementation time.

The produced water is completely pure so before consumption and injection into the distribution network, especially in the drinking sector, it is necessary to add mineral Salts to it. In the Case of releasing water in the middle of the mountain, we can see the creation of huge and beautiful waterfalls, revival of seasonal rivers, creation of fresh water lakes and even we will see the filling of underground water tables over the time.

In a simple and efficient model we can set the production rate of hydrogen and water in a fixed figure, put it equal to the average electricity Consumption. According to this during low load times , surplus water saved in storage pools and during peak electricity consumption it is used to produce more electricity. In this model, the need to build a storage pool is minimized. In another model we can rate the hydrogen and water put as a variable and a function of the environment temperature at altitudes. In this way we can increase the efficiency of water production in the liquid phase. So, to respond the need for electricity consumption larger pools are needed to build.

In the third model the production rate will depend on the current consumption of electricity which in this case, there is no need to build Storage pools. In these models several major hydroelectric power plants always provide basic power and some subpower plants will be activated only during peak consumption. The combined use of the above three models leads to ideal management in the supply of fresh water and electricity they provide it in different times and seasons.

Hydrogen gas in addition to endless sources of sea water it can also be obtained from fossil fuels. Currently in refineries to produce products such as ammonia they use this method. In countries like Iran, natural gas transmission and distribution network have a great scope. These gases are consumed in two main parts of power plant and household. This invention can supply the required hydrogen gas from this network use it to produce electricity in addition to producing fresh water.

In addition to the mentioned cases, a particular model can be executed in a closed cycle. This model will be special for regions that despite the presence of high mountains, it doesn't have good access to sea water and natural gas. The overall process of the closed cycle is the same as the previous description with the difference that constant volume of water is always in one cycle decomposes in the foothills and it reproduces at high altitudes. In the closed cycle, no water will not go out of the collection and it will only be able to generate electricity. Also, in all kinds of cycles , subsidiary we can use the pure and valuable gas - oxygen- and also take advantage of cooling of water splitting process.

Industrial Applicability

I. The need for fresh water and electrical energy in homes, agricultural and industrial Sectors is quite clear. Guaranteeing the supply of these two basic needs on a Continuous basis on a large scale will lead to sustainable development in human societies.

II. Storage of water and energy with conventional methods is inefficient and sometimes seems impossible. This invention is able to be instant provide a favorable response to non-uniform consumption of water and energy.

III. Transmission of water and electricity over long distances with conventional methods is very energy-intensive and accompanied by losses while transferring very light hydrogen gas in a pipeline will reduce costs. Finally, with-the described methods water and electricity can be produced at the destination.

IV. Byproducts such as pure oxygen and cooling from the hydrogen production process (Electrolysis method) have a high economic value. The Production of these products on large scales in an isolated process not have a favorable economic justification but in a combined process they find ideal justification.

Reference Signs List

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Citation List

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