Integrated and modular approach for converting electrical power to ionic momentum and high differential voltage potential

Abstract

An integrated and modular approach is provided to convert electrical power to ionic momentum and a resulting high differential voltage field potential using an integrated multi-planar or axial microwave array and energetically sympathetic dielectric antennae to convert distilled liquid water to steam plasma and propagate the resulting water derived ions and electrons, steam and microwave energy into a modular energetic planar arrangement for integration into reactor vessels of various designs for the reduction of waste stream and fossil sourced feedstocks into their fundamental gaseous components and simultaneous reformation into desired synthesis or methane gas. The formed steam plasma (initiating plasma) generates electrons and ions which are propagated differentially to create a high differential voltage field potential which in conjunction with dielectric heating and far infrared radiation induced feedstock ionic polarization effects creates a series of primary feedstock reducing plasma fields for efficient plasma gasification with simultaneous product gas reformation.

Description

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY[0001]The present application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61 / 754,265 filed Jan. 18, 2013 and titled “INTEGRATED AND MODULAR APPROACH FOR CONVERTING ELECTRICAL POWER TO IONIC MOMENTUM AND HIGH DIFFERENTIAL VOLTAGE POTENTIAL” the complete subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The technical field of this disclosure is renewable energy and environmental contaminant remediation.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The ever growing concerns about modern society's reliance on the decreasing abundance of fossil fuels, the impact the use of such fuels may have on future global climate trends and the increasing realization of the importance of recycling ‘waste’ carbon sources into useable fuels suggests that a solution addressing these issues would have large scale social and economic impacts. The herein described methods and apparatus combine the properties of spherical or cylindrical dielectric antennas an...

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Benefits of technology

[0032]3. The feedstock itself (J). Accumulating voltage potential / charge (10) can amplify the ‘space charge effects from electronic conduction’ that some materials experience when immersed in a microwave field. In this case the charge (10) accumulates in these ‘space charge’ regions until the sum accumulated voltage potential / charge (10) exceeds the dielectric properties of the feedstock material between these regions at which point the accumulated charge (10) discharges (M) within the feedstock itself.

[0033]It is important to note that due to variability in feedstock composition, charge location / mechanism #3 is necessarily variable resulting in a periodic and unpredictable combination of location / mechanism #1 with #3, or #2 with #3. In all cases, however, the discharge (M) described in all three mechanisms represents the formation of a randomly localized and continuous series of primary reducing plasma fields which contribute to final gasification of the feedstock (J) It is also important to note the cumulative thermal effects of the processes described so far: The ionic dissociative force (3) imparted to the reduction target feedstock (J), the imparted kinetic energy (2) to the reactor's atmospheric molecules (L), and the combination of the three specific mechanisms describing the accumulating charge (10) and discharge (M) (just described above) all contribute to the increasing kinetic energy or heat of the reactor vessel. Additionally, microwaves (M) that do not couple with the dielectric cylindrical antennae (D) continue into the reactor vessel (4) and couple with the reduction target feedstock (J) and to a much lesser extent the atmospheric gases (8). Since E″, or the dielectric loss factor of a medium (J) is roughly the material's ability to dissipate electric field energy in the form of heat, and since most waste stream and fossil sourced feedstocks are primarily composed of carbon, and, since most carbon based media exhibit a high dielectric loss factor or are ‘lossy’, the reduction target feedstock (J) begins to heat from coupling with the microwaves (4). These same types of materials show a lesser ability to conduct this accumulating heat out of the target and so hot spots and ‘thermal runaway’ effects will occur, further contributing to the increased heat of the reactor interior. These effects can affect the characteristic impedance of the feedstock (J) which can result in a decrease in the efficiency in which the microwaves (4) and the reduction target feedstocks (J) couple and standing waves can occur, or, put another way, microwaves can be reflected (6,7) back into the apparatus. These reflected microwaves (6) then couple with the dielectric cylindrical antennae (D) and further contribute to the generation of the initiating steam plasma arcs (F) which impart more voltage potential (10) and ionic kinetic energy (H), or heat, into the reactor vessel. To a lesser extent these back reflecting microwaves (7) can impart dielectric heating effects to the steam (G1, G2, G3) in the apparatus as well. Since dielectric heating of a material is most effective if the material is an electric dipole and since most primarily carbon containing materials are not electric dipoles it is constructive that far-infrared radiation (5) induces such an artificial dipole in the feedstock (J) and is emitted by the refractory material (9) that the apparatus is lined with, aided by the lining's surface humidity and the overall heat of the interior of the vessel, increasing the reduction target feedstock's dielectric heating susceptibility and further increasing the overall efficiency of this combined apparatus. Variable reformation of resulting gaseous components into final desired end products is facilitated by the simultaneous availability of necessary reactants in the vertical convection currents of the complete reactor vessel. Apparatus can be arranged in various configurations around the circumferentially enclosed structure (I) to A) maximize free space microwave constructive and directional interference (FIG. 7, #s 2, 3&4), or B) to maximize energetic sympathy between like apparatus (FIG. 8), or C) in any desired combination thereof.

Problems solved by technology

These same types of materials show a lesser ability to conduct this accumulating heat out of the target and so hot spots and ‘thermal runaway’ effects will occur, further contributing to the increased heat of the reactor interior.

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