An electrolyser, an electrolysis process and device for the production of hydrogen and oxygen.

Prior art electrolyzers and electrolysis processes are used for galvanoplasty, electrolysis of liquids for break¬ ing the respective molecules, for purifying ores of copper, aluminium, etc. However, such procedures require supplying a voltage of approximately 2V per electrolysis tub and a high current of the order of hundreds and even thousands of am- peres. Thus, for carrying out electrolysis processes on a large scale, in which several tubs are used, it will be neces¬ sary to supply a quite high electric power, which renders the process expensive and, consequently, the end product as well. In this regard, it should be taken into account that the electrolysis of water is one of the known process today for the production of hydrogen, which is one of the most effi¬ cient and clean fuels. However, for the reasons above, the production of hydrogen via electrolysis with the technology available today makes the large-scale commercial utilization of this gas unfeasible.

Thus, the objective of this invention is to provide an electrolyzer and an electrolysis process capable of operat¬ ing in an efficient manner and on a large scale, with low electric power. According to the advantageous practical applications of the present invention, the above-mentioned electrolyzer is

used for carrying out the electrolysis of water, separating the respective molecule into oxygen and hydrogen in an ex¬ tremely inexpensive manner. Thus, another objective of this invention is to provide an apparatus and a process for the production of hydrogen and oxygen, which stand out for their efficiency, low cost and workability.

The present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a cross-section view of a water electrolyzer of water built in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a detailed view of the area marked with a dotted circle in figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the electrolyzer in question;

Figure 4 is a side plan view of the electrolyzer il¬ lustrated in the above figures;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of an electromagnetic accelerator which can be advantageously used in conjunction with an electrolyzer constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 6 is a cross section along the line A-A of the accelerator illustrated in figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a front plan view of the accelerator il- lustrated in the above figures.

As illustrated in figure 1, the electrolyzer 100 has a plurality of electrolysis tubs 102, filled with water, in which respective first and second electrolysis plates 103 and 104 are disposed, which are parallel and electrically insu- lated from each other, dividing the inner space of each of the tubs 102 in a watertight manner. As illustrated in detail in figure 2, the plates 103 and 104 are disposed close to one an¬ other .

Besides, the plates 103 and 104 are fixed on and electrically connected to respective supports 105 electrically connected in series therebetween through wires 106. The cur¬ rent feeding to the electrolyzer 100 is supplied through the inlet 107, connected to the support 105 of the first tub 102.

The upper portion of each tub 102 is provided with

at least two gas-escape bores 110, 111, better illustrated in figure 3, situated on opposed sides of the plates 103 and 104 and connected to respective gas-collecting tubes 112 and 113, which, in turn, are connected to respective gas suction valves 114 and 115. According to a preferred embodiment, such gases are oxigen and hydrogen.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tubs 102 and at least a part of the gas-collecting tubes

112 and 113, for instance, as far as the dotted line 120, are filled with water. The mentioned gas-collecting tubes 112 and

113 have water-circulation tubes 130 and 131 (see figure 4) connected to a water-distributing line 132, which is connected to the lower portions of the tubs 102.

A suction pump 135 and a filter 136 are provided at the water-circulation tubes 130 and 131, the former for urging the displacement of water and the latter for eliminating impu¬ rities that may exist in the water.

In this regard, one should bear in mind that the electrolyzer of this invention can actuate with any type of water, including that coming from the public network and even from the sea.

With a view to reduce the ohmic resistance of the water contained in the tubs 102, rendering this process even more efficient, an acid, a base (like KOH) or a salt can be dissolved therein.

According to the present invention, not only an electric current, but also a flow of electrically charged par¬ ticles, especially electrons supplied by an accelerator of the prior art such as a cycloton, sincroton, etc, or advantageously by the accelerator described in the Brazilian patent application PI 9400821-3, are fed to the inlet 107 of the electrolyzer 100.

In this way, the flow of accelerated electrons will break the resistance offered by the water, permitting its electrolysis with the supply of only a few mV per tub, rather than the (approximately) 2 V per tub required for carrying out the electrolysis with the traditional systems. With the electrolysis of water, its molecule is separated into oxygen and hydrogen, which will bubble at different sides of plates

103 and 104 of each of the tubs 102. Thus, oxygen and hydroge escape through the respective gas-escape bores 110 and 111, being conducted by the collecting tubes 112 and 113.

Due to the supply of a flow of accelerated electrons to the electrolyzer 100 of this invention, it is necessary that the walls of the tubs 102 be made of an insulating mate¬ rial such as PVC or epoxy resin. If the walls of these tubs 102 are made, as those of the prior art, from metal, they will attract the accelerated electrons, thus impairing the opera- tion of this system.

For a better clarification of the present invention, the accelerator of the Brazilian patent application PI 9400821-3 will now be described. Such accelerator, in accord¬ ance with a prefered embodiment, is connected to the inlet 107 of the electrolyzer 100.

As illustrated in figures 5-7, the electromagnetic accelerator of electrons 1 has a cylindrical outer housing 2, the ends of which are hermetically closed by first and second threaded covers 3 and 4. At the first cover 3 it is provided an electron emitter 10 provided with a semispherical emission head 11, in front of which there are disposed an electrode 16, a thermal wire 12 and an electron-directioning plate 13 made of a conducting material and having a bore 14 in its central portion. The electron emitter 10 is capable of generating a beam of electrons which displaces along the substantially rectilinear path indicated by the dotted line 15.

Coaxially to the outer housing 2, a hollow, cylin¬ drical, current-conducting body 20 is positioned, which is preferably made of copper and forms a chamber 21 where the electrons generated by the emitter 10 displace in a longitudi¬ nal way until they collide against the electron-receiving tar¬ get 30 made of a conducting material such as copper, disposed in the centre of the second cover 4. This target 30 is elec¬ trically connected to an electron-collecting cover 31, which overlaps the second cover 4. Preferably, the impact region of this target 30 is coated with a lead sleeve 32.

The inner side of the conducting body 20 is coated with an insulating layer 22 (see figure 6) and is secured to the first and second covers 3 and 4 and to the electron-

collecting cover 31 through screws 23 and 24, which project outwardly. The screws 23, which emerge from the first cover 3, are conected to a source of current (not shown).

A vacuum is made inside the conducting body 20 through a first valve 25, in order to allow the beam of electrons to displace along the path 15 with a minimal ionic resistance. On the other hand, the space between the housing 2 and the conducting body 20 is filled with hydrogen or noble gases through the second valve 26, in order to prevent the electrons from escaping.

Along the current-conducting body 20 a plurality of acceleration stages 40 are provided in series, which are pro¬ vided with electomagnetic coils 41, respectively formed by nuclei of magnetized material, wrapped by spires of conducting wires. According to a preferred embodiment and as illustrated in figures 5 and 6, each of these stages 40 has two electromagnetic coils 41 disposed symmetrically and inclined with respect to the path 15 of the electrons generated in the emitter 10. Preferably, the coils 41 are inclined at an angle of 60° to the path 15.

A cylindrical support 48 involves the conducting body 20 and is provided with slanting bores that coincide with equally slanting bores existing in the conducting body 20, the coils 41 being secured to the coinciding bores. The various acceleration stages 40 are fed by powerosCI ATORs (not shown), which function at different fre¬ quencies, preferably multiple therebetween. The output signals of theseosCILLATORs pass through half-wave or full- wave rectifiers and are subsequently connected to the respec- tive coils 41, causing the density of the magnetic fields created by them to be pulsating, varying as a function of the frequency supplied by the respectiveosCILLATOR. A singleosCILLATOR connected to a frequency divisor or multi¬ plier can of course be used, its several outlets being con- nected to respective acceleration stages.

In the example herein described, the accelerator 1 has seven acceleration stages 40, respectively connected to oscillators which operate at frequencies of 136, 272, 544, 1.088, 2.176, 4.352 and 8.704 Hz.

In order .to ensure the linear displacement, accord¬ ing to the path 15, of the beam of electrons to be acceler¬ ated, a plurality of pairs 50 of electrostatic plates 51 are provided inside the current-conducting body 20, these plates being disposed face to face (see figure 2) and charged with electric charges of opposed polarities. Such pairs 50 are fixed adjacent to each other along the length of said body 20, and the polarity of each pair 50 is reversed with respect to that of the adjacent pair 50. Figure 6 shows that the various electrostatic plates 51 are preferably glued on insulating supports 52 inserted in the conducting body 20.

When a negative continuous voltage is applied to the electron emitter 10 and a positive continuous voltage is ap¬ plied to the electrode 16, a cloud of electrons arises at the emission head 11, which, upon passing through the bore 14 of the directing plate 13, assumes the form of a beam displacing according to the path 15. Whenever this cloud of electrons be¬ comes too dense, impairing the escape of electrons through the bore 14 of the directing plate 13, the voltage between the emission head 11 and the electrode 16 will drop below a prede¬ termined value, thus causing an electric current to go through the thermal wire 12, in order to emit heat and expel the ex¬ cess electrons through the directing plate 13.

In penetrating the chamber 21 of the conducting body 20, the beam of electron undergoes the influence of the re¬ sultant of the pulsating magnetic forces of the coils 41 of the acceleration stages 40. Thus, the speed of the particle 44 will progressively increase as it passes through the various acceleration stages 40. On the other hand, the successively reversed electrostatic fields of the pairs of plates 50 annul the tend¬ ency to a curvilinear displacement inherent in the atomic par¬ ticles, whereby the beam of electrons passing through the accelerator 1 does so basically along the path 15. In this way, the impulsion of said beam of electrons is ensured by the fact that the latter is within the areas of actuation of the magnetic fields 42 generated by the coils 41.

The accelerated elctron beam of collides against the target sleeve 32, causing the release of electrons, also ac-

celerated, by the target 30. This flow is displaced towards the electron-collecting cover 31 and takes along electrons supplied by the conducting body 20, which, as already said, is connected to a source of current. This generates a final high- density flow of accelerated electrons in the electron- collecting cover 31, which, according to a preferred embodiment of this invention, is supplied to the inlet 107 of the electrolyzer 100.

Finally, one should bear in mind that the present invention can be carried out in ways differing from that de¬ scribed and illustrated above, without departing from the in¬ ventive concepts defined in the accompanying claims.