Magneto Hydrodynamic Fuel Cell

The invention relates to electrochemical fuel cells, employing fuel and oxidant stream for generating of electricity.

Status of the Prior Art

There are fuel cells consisting of cathode and anode electrodes , separated by membrane which alloys only protons to pass in one direction. Hydrogen is used as a fuel. It is electrically dissociated and the protons pass through the membrane and the electrons get into the anode, thus generating electricity on an external circuit between the anode and cathode. Protons also reach the cathode , after passing through the membrane. Oxygen is fed in the area , near the cathode. With protons and electrons , coming from the cathode , oxygen forms water molecules, which are the exhaust from the process. Such fuel cells have several disadvantages. Among them:

1. High cost of platinum based cathode and anode.

2. Extremely clean fuel is required . Particles may block the membrane.

3. They generate direct current , which in many cases needs to be electrically transformed.

Technical Definition of the Invention

The purpose is creation of a fuel cell, without electrodes and membranes, capable of generating AC voltage. This purpose is achieved by employing an electrically non conductive, circular, enclosed vessel, filled with liquid electrolyte (MHD Reaction Chamber) . A turbine with several blades is mounted so that it rotates on a shaft along the geometrical ax of the MHD Reaction Chamber. The MHD Reaction Chamber is penetrated by:

1. Both ends of an electrically non conductive pipe (Prime Circuit Pipe). One end of the Prime Circuit Pipe enters the MHD Reaction Chamber near it's geometrical ax and the other end of the Prime Circuit Pipe enters the MHD Reaction Chamber near it's outmost circular wall. Middle part of the Prime Circuit Pipe is winded around a transformer core, the same way as a Primary Coil. A normal metal wire is also winded around the same transformer core, forming secondary Coil. . There are two valves - mounted on the Prime Circuit Pipe. The first valve controls the throughput of the Prime Circuit Pipe. The second valve shuts down completely the flow in the Prime Circuit Pipe.

2. Electrically non conductive pipe (Fuel Pipe) for delivering of hydrogen. A porous cap is mounted on it's tangent oriented end, inside the MHD Reaction Chamber. A valve for regulating the inflow of hydrogen is mounted at the entrance of the Fuel Pipe in the MHD Reaction Chamber.

3. Electrically non conductive pipe (Oxidant Pipe) for delivering of oxygen. A porous cap is mounted on it's tangent oriented end, inside the MHD Reaction Chamber. A valve for regulating the inflow of oxygen is mounted at the entrance of the Oxidant Pipe in the MHD Reaction Chamber.

4. Electrically non conductive Exhaust Pipe to take away byproducts (water) from the MHD Reaction Chamber. A valve for regulating the outflow of the byproduct is mounted at the entrance of the Exhaust Pipe in the MHD Reaction Chamber.

5. Ring Shaped Electromagnet generates strong magnetic field , in which the MHD Reaction Chamber stands. Magnetic lines are parallel to the axis of rotation of the turbine, inside MHD Reaction Chamber.

Advantages of the invention are the following:

1. A fuel cell is created (MHD Fuel cell), which operates without electrodes and membranes.

2. MHD Fuel cell generates AC voltage , which is useful for further transformation and convenient for transport applications.

Description of attached drawings

Figure 1 shows the schematics of the invention. Figure 2 shows magnified detail A, from figure 1. Figure 3 shows magnified detail B, from figure 1.

Detailed Description

On figure 1 Magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) Fuel Cell contains an electrically non conductive, circular, enclose vessel, filled with liquid electrolyte (MHD Reaction Chamber) - 1 , filled with electrolyte - 2 . In the centre of the MHD Reaction Chamber a bearing - 3 supports the shaft of a turbine with several blades (MHD Turbine) - 4. In the MHD Reaction Chamber is penetrated by:

1. Both ends of an Electrically non conductive pipe (Prime Circuit Pipe) - 12. One end of the Prime Circuit Pipe enters the MHD Reaction Chamber near it's geometrical ax - 16 and the other end of the Prime Circuit Pipe enters the MHD Reaction Chamber - 1 near it's outmost circular wall - 17. Middle part of the Prime Circuit Pipe is winded around the metal core - 13 of a transformer, the same way as a Primary Coil. This way when the Prime Circuit Pipe is filled with a liquid electrolyte it acts as a fully operational primary coil. The conductor is the electrolyte itself. A normal metal wire is also winded around the same transformer core, forming a secondary Coil - 15. An electrical load- 24 is connected to the secondary coil. There are two valves - mounted on the Prime Circuit Pipe. The first valve - 18 controls the throughput of the Prime Circuit Pipe. The second valve - 19 shuts down completely the flow in the Prime Circuit Pipe.

2. Electrically non conductive pipe (Fuel Pipe)- 5 for delivering of hydrogen. A porous cap is mounted on it's tangent oriented end, inside the MHD Reaction Chamber. A valve for regulating the inflow of hydrogen- 7 is mounted at the entrance of the Fuel Pipe in the MHD Reaction Chamber.

3. Electrically non conductive pipe (Oxidant Pipe) - 8 for delivering of oxygen. A porous cap is mounted on it's tangent oriented end, inside the MHD Reaction Chamber. A valve for regulating the inflow of oxygen - 9 is mounted at the entrance of the Oxidant Pipe in the MHD Reaction Chamber.

4. Electrically non conductive Exhaust Pipe - 10 to take away byproducts (water) from the MHD Reaction Chamber. A valve for regulating the outflow of the byproduct - 11 is mounted at the entrance of the Exhaust Pipe in the MHD Reaction Chamber.

MHD Reaction Chamber (1) is inside a magnetic field - 20, generated by a ring shaped electromagnet - 21.

The MHD Fuel Cell operates in the following manner. Initially the MHD Reaction Chamber (1) and the Prime Circuit Pipe (12) are full with electrolyte (2) . One possible option is phosphoric acid. The Ring Shaped Electromagnet is powered up from external electricity source which creates a magnetic field (20) inside and around the MHD Reaction Chamber (1). The MHD Turbine (4) starts to rotate, bringing the electrolyte (2), inside the MHD Reaction Chamber (1), into a circle motion. From the Fuel Pipe (5) hydrogen is injected inside the electrolyte (2), rotating inside the MHD Reaction Chamber (1). The inflow of hydrogen is controlled by the valve (5). Through the (porous cap ) the entering hydrogen is dispersed in the electrolyte (2) in all directions in small jets, ensuring maximum dispersion and contact surface. Dispersed in the electrolyte (2), entering hydrogen start to follow the same circular movement. This circular motion is at all times perpendicular to the lines of the magnetic field (20), generated by the Ring Magnet (21). As the mixture of electrolyte (2) and hydrogen is moved by the MHD Turbine (4) perpendicularly to the lines of magnetic field (2), a Laurence force is created on electrically charged particles. Because of the Laurence force hydrogen atoms start to dissociate to protons (23) and electrons (22) . Laurence force is perpendicular to both magnetic field lines and the vector of movement of a charged particle and has opposite directions for positively and negatively charged particles. That is why the Laurence force on an electrically charged particle , inside the MHD Reaction Chamber (1) will be either pointing to centre for negative particles or exactly the opposite for positive particles. Thus electrons (23) are pulled by the formed Laurence force to centre of the MHD Reaction Chamber (1) and protons (22) are pulled to the periphery of the MHD Reaction Chamber (1). Electrons (23), which accumulate near the centre of the MHD Reaction Chamber (1), start moving along the left end (16) of the Prime Circuit Pipe (12) and through valves (19) and (18). Valve (19) is either closed or open and valve (18) regulates the throughput of the Prime Circuit Pipe (12). If valve (19) is open , electrons go around the transformer core 13 and return to the MHD Reaction Chamber (1) through the right end of the Prime Circuit Pipe (17) , in the area, where the protons group. That is periphery part of the MHD Reaction Chamber (1) . Oxygen is fed in the same area though the oxidant pipe (8). Oxygen input is controlled by the valve (9). Protons (22) , oxygen , coming from pipe (8) and electrons, coming from the right end (17) of the Prime Circuit Pipe (12), are forming molecules of the exhaust product - water. As water has a strong , electrically neutral molecule, it is not affected by a Laurence force, when moving inside a magnetic field. Thus water molecules will group between the areas , where electrons and protons group. Exhaust Pipe (10) evacuates water from this area, located between electron and proton grouping areas. Outflow of water is controlled by the valve (11). The size of the electrical current over the Prime Circuit Pipe (17) is controlled by the valve (18) and it's frequency is controlled by the valve (19), which is capable of completely shutting down the flow within the Prime Circuit Pipe (17) . Variable electricity current is achieved by reducing the flow of electrons in Prime Circuit Pipe (17) with valve (18) and current is brought to 0 by shutting the flow with valve (19). Flow of electrons is restored by opening valve (19) and increasing

the flow with valve (18). The variable current in Prime Circuit Pipe (17) generates a variable magnetic field in transformer core (13), which induces a variable electrical current in the secondary coil (15) of the transformer (14), the same way as in a normal transformer. The full control and power output of the MHD Fuel Cell is guaranteed by the following devices and methods:

1. A valve for regulating the inflow of hydrogen (7)

2. A valve for regulating the inflow of oxygen (air) (9)

3. A valve for regulating the outflow of the byproduct (11)

4. A valve for regulating the throughput of the Prime Circuit Pipe (18)

5. A valve for completely shutting down the flow in the Prime Circuit Pipe (19)

6. Intensity of magnetic field (20) is controlled with the current through the Ring Shaped electromagnet (21)

7. Rotations per minute of the MHD Turbine (4) are also controlled