Apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus, the apparatus comprising: an energy cell configured to apply electrical energy to a liquid in the energy cell to heat the liquid by generating one or more plasma bubbles in the liquid; a liquid supply system coupled to the energy battery and configured to supply liquid to be heated to the energy battery; and a work extraction system coupled to the energy battery to receive the heating fluid from the energy battery and configured to extract useful work from the heating fluid; wherein the work extraction system includes a heating fluid and working gas heat exchanger coupled to the energy battery and the working gas supply, where the heating fluid and working gas heat exchanger is configured to increase the enthalpy of the working gas using heat from the heating fluid, to extract work from the working gas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of energy batteries. In particular, this disclosure relates to the field of energy batteries in which plasma is generated for the indirect and direct heating of fluids. Background Technology

[0002] GB2604853 discloses a heating system comprising a battery that applies electrical energy to a liquid within the battery to generate plasma bubbles in the liquid. This, in turn, causes energy to be released into the battery, both into the fluid contained within the battery and into the battery casing. This energy release results in the generation of a heated fluid within the battery. The heated fluid can be output from the battery and used by a work extraction system to extract usable work from the heated fluid. This arrangement disclosed in GB2604853 provides for the efficient generation of the heated fluid. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Various aspects of this disclosure are set forth in the independent claims, and optional features are set forth in the dependent claims. Various aspects of this disclosure may be provided in combination with each other, and features of one aspect may be applied to the other aspects.

[0004] In one aspect, an apparatus is provided comprising: an energy cell configured to apply electrical energy to a liquid in the energy cell to heat the liquid by generating one or more plasma bubbles in the liquid; a liquid supply system coupled to the energy cell and configured to supply the liquid to be heated to the energy cell; and a work extraction system coupled to the energy cell to receive heated fluid from the energy cell and configured to extract usable work from the heated fluid. The work extraction system includes a heated fluid-working gas heat exchanger coupled to the energy cell and a working gas supply unit, wherein the heated fluid-working gas heat exchanger is configured to use heat from the heated fluid to increase the enthalpy of the working gas to extract work from the working gas.

[0005] The embodiments can enable more efficient extraction of energy from energy cells. For example, the enthalpy of the working gas is higher than that produced by heating a liquid into a gas (e.g., by converting water into steam). Therefore, more work can be extracted from the working gas and / or work can be extracted more efficiently from the working gas.

[0006] The power extraction system may include a heating fluid-to-working fluid heat exchanger (e.g., the heating fluid-to-working fluid heat exchanger exchanges heat from the heating fluid to the working fluid), which is coupled to the energy battery and the working fluid supply unit. The heating fluid-to-working fluid heat exchanger may be configured to use heat from the heating fluid to heat the working fluid. The heating fluid-to-working fluid heat exchanger may be located downstream of a heating fluid-to-working gas heat exchanger. For example, fluid output from the battery will first pass through the heating fluid-to-working gas heat exchanger and then through the heating fluid-to-working fluid heat exchanger. The heating fluid-to-working fluid heat exchanger may be coupled to a heating system and configured to supply heated working fluid to the heating system.

[0007] The power extraction system may include a compressor coupled to a working gas supply unit and configured to compress the working gas. The compressor may be arranged to be driven by a liquid supplied by a liquid supply system. The power extraction system may include a generator coupled to the compressor and arranged to receive a stream of compressed working gas from the compressor. The system may include a compressed working gas reservoir for storing the compressed working gas from the compressor. For example, the device may be configured to store some of the compressed gas from the compressor. The device may be configured to control the amount of compressed gas stored (e.g., in a gas reservoir) and used (e.g., via the generator) for power extraction. The device may be configured to increase gas storage during a first (e.g., selected) time period and increase gas usage during another (e.g., selected) time period. The generator may include a turbine arranged to be driven by the stream of compressed working gas. For example, one or more blades of the turbine may be driven to rotate by the stream of compressed working gas. A heating fluid-working gas heat exchanger may be arranged to heat the working gas that has passed through the generator. For example, the working gas that has passed through the generator can travel (directly or indirectly) to the heat exchanger between the heating fluid and the working gas.

[0008] The device may include a gas-to-air heat exchanger. The gas-to-air heat exchanger may be configured to exchange heat between an air source (e.g., ambient air) and a working gas. The gas-to-air heat exchanger may be configured to cool air using working gas already passed through a generator. The gas-to-air heat exchanger may include a water outlet to output water obtained by cooling the air in the gas-to-air heat exchanger. The gas-to-air heat exchanger may include an air conditioning unit. A heating fluid-to-working gas heat exchanger may include a working gas passage wound around a heating fluid passage. The working gas passage may be spirally wound around the heating fluid passage.

[0009] The device may include a controller configured to control the operation of the device to provide a selected amount of heat exchange from the heating fluid to the working gas in a heating fluid-working gas heat exchanger. The liquid supply system may include a pump configured to control the amount of liquid to be supplied to the energy cell. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the pump to provide the selected amount of heat exchange. The device may include a flow meter. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the pump based on data obtained from the flow meter. The heating fluid-working gas heat exchanger may be coupled to at least one of (i) a generator and (ii) a compressed gas storage unit to supply pressurized working gas to at least one of the generator and the compressed gas storage unit. The power extraction system may include at least one generator configured to generate electrical energy. At least some of the generated electrical energy may be supplied to one or more electrodes of the energy cell to generate one or more plasma bubbles in the energy cell. The device may include a fluid outlet for discarding fluid that has passed through the energy cell and the power extraction system. The fluid outlet may be coupled to an greywater connection.

[0010] In one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: supplying a liquid to be heated to an energy cell; applying electrical energy to the liquid in the energy cell to generate one or more plasma bubbles in the liquid to heat the liquid; using the heat from the heating fluid in the energy cell to increase the enthalpy of a working gas in a heating fluid-working gas heat exchanger; and extracting usable work from the working gas. The method may include: controlling the operation of the energy cell to provide a selected amount of heat exchange from the heating fluid to the working gas in the heating fluid-working gas heat exchanger.

[0011] This disclosure provides one or more computer program products, which include computer program instructions configured to program a device including an energy cell, a liquid supply system, and a power extraction system to perform any of the methods disclosed herein. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Some examples of this disclosure will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing a device for extracting power from an energy cell.

[0013] Figure 1a This is a schematic diagram of a power battery.

[0014] Figure 1b This is a schematic diagram of a heat exchanger.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing a device for extracting power from an energy cell.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing a device for extracting power from an energy cell.

[0017] In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same elements. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The embodiments relate to an energy battery and a work extraction system for extracting usable work from a heated fluid output from the energy battery. The heated fluid from the battery is directed into a heat exchanger, as is compressed gas. The interaction between the heated fluid and the compressed gas causes an increase in the enthalpy of the compressed gas. Work is extracted from this enthalpy-increased gas. For example, in another heat exchanger, the heated fluid from the battery that has already passed through the heat exchanger can be used for further work extraction. The compressed gas directed into the heat exchanger may also have previously been used to extract work from that compressed gas.

[0019] Now refer to Figure 1 Describe an example of a device that has a battery and a heat exchanger.

[0020] Figure 1 Device 10 is shown. Device 10 includes a liquid supply system 100, a battery 200, and a power extraction system 300. The liquid supply system 100 has a battery connector 103. The battery 200 includes an inlet 201 and an outlet 203. The power extraction system 300 includes a fluid-gas heat exchanger 310. The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 has two input terminals: a first input terminal 311 and a second input terminal 312, and two output channels: a first output terminal 313 and a second output terminal 314.

[0021] The liquid supply system 100 is connected to the battery 200. For this purpose, the battery connector 103 of the liquid supply system 100 is connected to the inlet 201 of the battery 200. For example, a liquid delivery channel can extend from the battery connector 103 to the inlet 201. The battery 200 is connected to the power extraction system 300. For this purpose, the outlet 203 of the battery 200 is connected to the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310.

[0022] The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 includes two fluid delivery channels. A first fluid delivery channel of the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 extends from a first input end 311 to a first output end 313. A second fluid delivery channel of the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 extends from a second input end 312 to a second output end 314. The two channels are positioned adjacent to each other (e.g., to allow heat transfer from one channel to the other). The first input end 311 is connected to the outlet 203 of the battery 200. The second input end 312 is connected (directly or indirectly) to a compressed gas source. The first output end 313 is connected (directly or indirectly) to a waste fluid region. The second output end 314 is connected to a device for obtaining work from the compressed gas that has passed through the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310. For example, the device may include a generator powered by the compressed gas from the second output end 314.

[0023] Liquid supply system 100 is configured to supply liquid to battery 200. To avoid confusion with the output of battery 200, the terms "liquid supplied to battery 200" and "fluid output from battery 200" will be used hereinafter. However, it should be understood that, in the context of this disclosure, "liquid" supplied to battery 200 can be a fluid (e.g., the fluid may contain some gas). Liquid supply system 100 can be configured to supply liquid to battery 200 at a variable flow rate. For example, device 10 may include a controller configured to control the flow rate of liquid supplied to battery 200. (See below for more details.) Figure 1a In more detail, battery 200 is configured to: receive liquid from liquid supply system 100 to generate one or more plasma bubbles in the liquid to heat the housing of battery 200 and any liquid within battery 200, and to output heated fluid. Battery 200 is configured to receive liquid through inlet 201. Battery 200 is configured to provide heated fluid through outlet 203. The heated fluid may include one or more of the following: liquid, gas, and / or plasma. For example, the heated fluid may be primarily a heated gas.

[0024] The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is configured to receive heated fluid from the battery 200. The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is arranged such that the heated fluid flows through a first fluid delivery channel (from the first input 311 to the first output 313). The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is configured to receive compressed gas. The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 receives compressed gas even when the compressed gas is already in gaseous form (i.e., the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 does not receive liquid heated to gaseous form, but receives gas). The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is arranged such that the compressed gas flows through a second fluid delivery channel (from the second input 312 to the second output 314).

[0025] The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is arranged such that a first fluid delivery channel is adjacent to a second fluid delivery channel. The two fluid delivery channels may contact each other. For example, the two fluid delivery channels may contact each other along a substantial length of the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310. One of the fluid delivery channels may travel along a tortuous path relative to the other fluid delivery channel. For example, as described below... Figure 1b The fluid delivery channel may be wound around another fluid delivery channel (e.g., one fluid delivery channel has multiple turns along the length of the other channel).

[0026] The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is configured to transfer energy from a heated fluid (from battery 200) to a compressed gas. In other words, the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is arranged to transfer at least some of the energy from a first fluid delivery channel to a second fluid delivery channel. The proximity of the first and second fluid delivery channels can result in the transfer of heat from the heated fluid (such as that provided from outlet 203 of battery 200) to the compressed gas. Exposing the compressed gas to heat from the heated fluid can increase the enthalpy of the compressed gas. As will be understood, enthalpy (i.e., H = U + pV) can be increased by increasing one or more of internal energy (U), pressure (p), and / or volume (V). As an example, the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 can be used to increase the pressure of the compressed gas. For example, the volume through which the compressed gas flows can be fixed. In this case, the heated fluid can act to heat the compressed gas without a corresponding increase in volume. Therefore, the pressure of the compressed gas can increase and / or the internal energy of the gas can increase.

[0027] In other words, the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is configured to increase the enthalpy of the compressed gas by using heated fluid from the battery 200.

[0028] The work extraction system 300 can be configured to utilize the higher enthalpy gas to extract work from it. As an example, the work extraction system 300 may include a generator, such as a turbine-powered generator and / or a piston assembly. Compressed gas can be directed to one or more turbines of the generator to move the turbines and generate power. Alternatively or additionally, the compressed gas can be stored (e.g., for later use), and / or the compressed gas can be directed to another mechanism for extracting work from it.

[0029] Heated fluid that has passed through the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310 (e.g., through a first fluid delivery channel and out of a first output 313) can be discarded. For example, the fluid can be discharged to a waste fluid volume. This discarding can occur immediately after the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310, or it can occur further downstream of the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310, where additional components are included to further extract work from the heated fluid. For example, one or more additional heat exchangers may be included to further extract work from the heated fluid before discarding it. See below regarding... Figure 1a To describe in more detail, the heating fluid output from battery 200 may need to be discarded and given time (and sunlight) to allow the battery's internal energy level to return to normal (i.e., before the heating fluid can be used on battery 200 again).

[0030] During operation, the liquid supply system 100 supplies liquid, such as water, to the battery 200. Electrical energy is applied to the liquid in the battery 200 to generate plasma bubbles within the liquid. These bubbles release energy into the surrounding liquid and the battery housing, resulting in heating of the battery 200 and the fluid within it. This can further cause the liquid (e.g., water) to be heated and converted into a gas (e.g., steam), although some liquid and / or plasma may remain within the gas. This heated fluid is provided through outlet 203 of the battery 200 to a fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310, wherein the heated fluid travels through a first fluid transport channel of the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310. Similarly, compressed gas is also provided to the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310, and this compressed gas travels through a second fluid transport channel. Energy from the heated fluid in the first fluid transport channel is transferred to the gas in the second fluid transport channel, resulting in an increase in the enthalpy of the compressed gas. The work extraction system 300 extracts usable work from this enthalpy-increased gas.

[0031] Now refer to Figure 1a A more detailed description of an example of an energy cell.

[0032] Figure 1a A schematic diagram of an energy battery 200 is shown. The battery 200 includes a fluid inlet 201 and a fluid outlet 203. The battery 200 has a housing 250. The housing 250 defines an internal volume 256 of the battery 200. The battery 200 also includes multiple electrodes. As shown, the battery includes a first electrode 210, a second electrode 220, and a third electrode 230. The battery 200 may also include a resistive element 240. (Refer to the above...) Figure 1 The battery 200 is connected to the liquid supply system 100. The liquid supply system 100 can supply liquid to the battery 200 through the inlet 201. Similarly, as referenced above... Figure 1The battery 200 is connected to the power extraction system 300. The power extraction system 300 can extract usable power from the heated fluid from the outlet 203.

[0033] The housing 250 of battery 200 encapsulates the internal volume 256. A fluid inlet 201 provides a flow path for fluid to flow into the internal volume 256 of battery 200. A fluid outlet 203 provides a flow path for fluid to flow out of the internal volume 256 of battery 200. Fluid can flow along any suitable path between the fluid inlet 201 and the fluid outlet 203. For example, fluid can flow along a very indirect (e.g., tortuous) path. Additionally, the internal volume 256 of battery 200 can be sealed by housing 250.

[0034] The first electrode 210 is at least partially disposed within the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. The second electrode 220 may also be at least partially disposed within the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. The first and second electrodes 220 are arranged concentrically. The first electrode 210 extends within the central region of the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. The second electrode 220 is disposed radially outward of the first electrode 210. The second electrode 220 may be cylindrical, as may the first electrode 210. Figure 1a In the example shown, the first electrode and the second electrode 220 are arranged coaxially. The second electrode 220 is located adjacent to the inner surface of the housing 250 (however, in some examples, the second electrode 220 may be integral with the housing 250, for example, to form part of the housing 250, and / or a part of the housing 250 may provide the second electrode 220, for example, if said part of the housing is conductive).

[0035] A first end of the first electrode 210 is located outside the internal volume 256 of the housing 250. A second end of the first electrode 210, located away from the first end, is located within the internal volume 256 of the housing 250. A second electrode 220 may extend along part or all of the length of the internal volume 256 of the housing 250. At least one end of the second electrode 220 may extend out of the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. Although in Figure 1a Not shown, but the first electrode and / or the second electrode 220 can each be connected to a power source. For example, each electrode may have an end extending outside the internal volume 256 (e.g., extending into the housing 250), and this end can be connected to a power source. In some examples, the housing 250 may provide a ground, and the first electrode 210 may be connected to the positive terminal of the power source. Figure 1a In the diagram, the second electrode 220 is shown as a component separate from the housing 250, but this is not necessarily the case, as the second electrode 220 may be provided by the housing 250 (for example, the housing 250 may be made of a conductive material that can be used for the second electrode 220).

[0036] The third electrode 230 is also disposed within the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. A first end of the third electrode 230 may be located outside the internal volume 256, and the third electrode 230 may extend from the first end to a second end located within the internal volume 256. The second end of the third electrode 230 may be located near the second end of the first electrode 210 within the internal volume 256. The first electrode 210 and the third electrode 230 may be parallel (e.g., the first electrode 10 and the third electrode 30 may be coaxial). The second electrode 220 and the third electrode 230 may be parallel (e.g., coaxial). The first electrode 210 may extend from the outside of the first end of the housing 250 toward the opposite end of the housing 250 into the internal volume 256. The third electrode 230 may extend from the outside of the opposite end of the housing 250 toward the first end into the internal volume 256. The first electrode 210 and the third electrode 230 may extend into the internal volume 256 such that there is no spatial overlap between these electrodes 210, 230 (e.g., the respective second ends of these electrodes 10, 30 do not contact / overlap). The second electrode 220 may extend along the length of the internal volume 256 from at or outside the first end to at or outside the opposite end. The distance between the second end of the first electrode 210 and the second end of the third electrode 230 may be less than the minimum distance between the first electrode 210 and the second electrode 220. The third electrode 230 may be positioned away from the intended current path between the first electrode and the second electrode 220.

[0037] Resistive element 240 may also be included in internal volume 256. Resistive element 240 may also be cylindrical (e.g., it may be toroidal – i.e., to provide a hollow cylinder). Resistive element 240 may be arranged to increase the resistance of the conductive path between the first electrode 210 (anode) and the second electrode 220 (cathode). Resistive element 240 may be provided from a single (e.g., continuous) sheet of material, or resistive element 240 may be provided from multiple sheets of material. For example, different portions of resistive element 240 may be provided from different components, each of which may contribute to providing resistance to the entire resistive element 240. Different portions of the resistive element may be electrically connected and provided from different materials / components. For example, resistive element 240 may include circuitry such as a sensor (e.g., a photovoltaic sensor). Different portions of resistive element 240 do not require physical and / or electrical connections. Resistive element 240 may increase the resistance between the first electrode 210 and the second electrode 220. Resistive element 240 may extend around most of the internal volume 256 (e.g., along the length and width of the internal volume 256 to impede most of the possible conductive path from the anode to the cathode). Resistive element 240 may be located between the first electrode 210 / third electrode and the second electrode 220. For example, resistive element 240 may be located radially outside the first electrode 210 / third electrode 230, but not as far radially outside the second electrode 220. Resistive element 240 may extend along part or all of the length of the internal volume 256.

[0038] The housing 250 can be cylindrical. That is, the cross-sectional shape of the housing 250 (i.e., when viewed in a plan view) can be circular. Alternatively, the housing 250 can be polygonal. The housing 250 can be provided with a shape that is mateable (i.e., capable of being mated with other copies of the same shape). For example, multiple batteries 200 can be provided together, for example, to increase the output compared to the output provided by a single battery. In this case, the batteries 200 can be stacked together. The batteries 200 can be designed to facilitate stacking in a more space-saving manner. For example, the batteries 200 can be arranged such that when the batteries 1 are stacked together, the batteries 1 mate with each other (or at least substantially mate with each other to provide a more space-saving stack). As will be understood, any suitable mateable shape can be used for this purpose. For example, the shape can be any suitable polygon, such as a hexagon or an octagon. This shape can be given by the outer surface of the housing 250, for example, all components inside the housing (including the inner surface of the housing 250) are circular, or the shape can be given by the inner surface of the housing 250.

[0039] A fluid inlet 201 may be disposed at the end of housing 250 opposite to fluid outlet 203. A first electrode and a second electrode 220 extend along an axis (e.g., the longitudinal axis of battery 200) extending from fluid inlet 201 to fluid outlet 203. Fluid outlet 203 may be disposed higher than fluid inlet 201 (e.g., above fluid inlet 54, such as directly above or laterally offset from fluid inlet 54). Housing 250 is configured to encapsulate an internal volume 256. Housing 250 is arranged to define the internal volume 256 to provide an area where liquid can be heated. An inner surface of housing 250 (e.g., the inner surface facing / defining the internal volume 256) may be configured to generate heat in response to incident photons (e.g., housing 250 may be conductive). The inner surface may include a region of housing 250 adjacent to the internal volume 256. The inner surface may include a portion of the housing 250 and / or the inner surface may include additional components, such as a layer / film disposed on the inner surface to absorb incident photons and generate heat in response. For example, the inner surface may be configured to absorb electromagnetic energy, such as electromagnetic energy in the form of visible light. When the inner surface receives incident photons, the inner surface is configured to heat. For example, when the inner surface is heated due to incident photons, the inner surface is configured to provide heating for the fluid within the internal volume 256.

[0040] The housing 250 can be made of a metal such as steel, or other materials such as ceramic. For example, glass with, for example, boron or lead can be used. The housing 250 can be formed of a variety of different materials. Different materials can be selected based on their photon absorption properties. For example, materials that absorb photons in different wavelength ranges (e.g., visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light) can be selected, for which photons are expected within the internal portion 256 for different wavelength ranges. The housing 250 may include multiple layers, such as having an outer shell layer and an inner layer (such as a sleeve) located inside the outer layer. Different layers can be made of different materials. The housing 250 is configured to retain fluid in the internal volume 256 under pressure.

[0041] A fluid inlet 201, an internal volume 256, and a fluid outlet 203 are arranged to define a flow path for fluid to flow through the internal volume 256 of the housing 250. The internal volume 256 is arranged to contain a liquid to be heated through the fluid inlet 201. The battery 200 is arranged to heat the liquid in the internal volume 256 to provide a heating fluid. The fluid outlet 203 is arranged to provide a flow path for the heating fluid away from the internal volume 256.

[0042] The first electrode 210 and the second electrode 220 are configured to provide a current flow path through the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. One of the electrodes 210 and 220 can provide an anode, while the other can provide a cathode. For example, the first electrode 210 can provide an anode for bringing current into the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. The second electrode 220 can then provide a cathode for carrying current away from the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. The first electrode and the second electrode 220 are spaced apart from each other. The first electrode 210 is arranged to accommodate a voltage, such that a potential difference exists between the first electrode 210 and the second electrode 220. The first electrode 210 and the second electrode 220 are capacitively arranged. The presence of fluid in the internal volume 256 can provide a conductive path between the first electrode 220 and the second electrode 220. The fluid will provide resistance between the two electrodes 210 and 220. The first electrode and the second electrode 220 having fluid in the battery 200 can effectively provide a circuit with both capacitance and resistance. The first electrode 210 and the second electrode 220 are configured to provide voltage stress to the fluid and / or plasma within the internal volume 256.

[0043] The third electrode 230 can be active or passive. When the third electrode 230 is active, a voltage is applied to the third electrode 30. When the third electrode 230 is passive, the third electrode 30 can be conductive to accommodate current within the internal volume 256, but not power from the power source 30. The third electrode 230 can be configured to provide a balancing electrode (e.g., the third electrode 30 can be arranged to balance the electric field / current generated within the internal volume 256). The third electrode 230 may include a tip of conductive material (i.e., a tip of conductive material is arranged within the internal volume 256 of the battery 200). The tip does not need to be electrically connected to any component outside the battery 200. For example, in the case where the third electrode 230 is passive, providing an electrical conductor within the housing 200 can provide passive balancing. For example, such a tip can self-charge and self-discharge.

[0044] For example, the first electrode 210 can be active, the second electrode 220 can be passive, and the third electrode 230 can be either active or passive. The distal tip of the first electrode 210 (i.e., the exposed tip within the battery) is electrically connected to a voltage source (e.g., a voltage source external to the battery 200). The second electrode 220 can be electrically grounded (e.g., allowing current to flow from the second electrode 220 to the ground). When the third electrode 230 is passive, the third electrode 30 can provide an exposed portion of conductive material within the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. This passive exposed portion of conductive material can be arranged to charge and / or discharge within the battery (e.g., due to the battery's internal electrical conditions). When the third electrode 230 is active, the third electrode 30 can be connected to a voltage source. Thus, the exposed portion of the third electrode 230 within the battery 200 can be connected to a voltage source.

[0045] Resistive element 240 can be arranged in the current flow path between the first electrode 210 and the second electrode 220, for example, such that current will need to flow through resistive element 240 to reach the second electrode 220 from the first electrode 210. Resistive element 240 can extend along one or both ends of the internal volume 256 (e.g., to reduce the likelihood that the conductive path from the anode to the cathode does not pass through resistive element 240). Resistive element 240 can be configured to have relatively high resistance (e.g., compared to the resistance of the electrodes and / or fluid within the internal volume 256). Resistive element 240 can have sufficient resistance to effectively provide electrical insulation (between the anode and cathode).

[0046] During operation, liquid is supplied through fluid inlet 201 and enters the internal volume 256 of battery 200. In this example, the liquid will be water, but other liquids can be used. For example, the liquid can be any aqueous solution, such as tap water, seawater, deionized water, etc. The liquid can be any non-Newtonian liquid. The liquid can be a non-electrically insulating liquid. The liquid can be at least partially resistive (but not completely resistive). Battery 200 will be filled with water. Any gas previously in battery 200 can be expelled through fluid outlet 203 of battery 200. Thus, battery 200 can be substantially filled with water.

[0047] A voltage is applied to the first electrode 210 (anode). This causes some current to flow into the water. Due to the resistance of the water, this current and resistance will cause some heating of the water (e.g., I²R heating). This resistive heating process continues as the voltage is applied to the first electrode 210. As the temperature of the water within the internal volume 256 rises, microbubbles of gas will begin to form within the water in the internal volume 256. These can be formed steam bubbles or released air bubbles, which are trapped in the water supplied to the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. As a result, some cavitation will form within the liquid in the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. As the voltage continues to be applied to the first electrode 210, plasma bubbles will be generated within the internal volume 256 of the housing 250. These bubbles will release energy to the surrounding fluid and the inner surface of the housing 250. This, in turn, provides heating to the fluid within the internal volume 256.

[0048] By applying a voltage to the first electrode 210, the capacitor provided by the first and second electrodes 220 can be charged. When the fluid within the internal volume 256 is heated, the dielectric constant of the fluid can change, and this can change the capacitance of the battery 200 (e.g., between the first and second electrodes 210). For example, when water is used, the dielectric constant of water decreases as the water is heated (and then decreases again when the water becomes steam). In particular, when microbubbles of gas (e.g., steam) begin to form within the liquid in the internal volume 256, these microbubbles will provide local regions with a lower dielectric constant. This process can effectively provide a dielectric constant anomaly in local regions. For example, in the case of water, the difference in dielectric constant between the bubbles formed in the water and the surrounding water can be approximately 40 times (e.g., the capacitance per unit volume of these bubbles can be 1 / 40th of the capacitance per unit volume of the surrounding water). During this process, the volumetric energy density of the fluid and / or plasma within the internal volume 256 will remain constant. Due to the dielectric constant anomaly within the gas bubbles, the capacitance of this region will decrease. When the volumetric energy density remains constant and the capacitance decreases, the voltage per meter will increase accordingly (e.g., according to E=1 / 2CV², saving energy). In the example using water, the voltage per meter will increase by approximately √40 times.

[0049] While electrical energy is still applied to the first electrode 210, these gas microbubbles (with a density lower than that of the surrounding liquid) will attempt to expand rapidly around them. However, due to the non-Newtonian properties of the liquid under these conditions, the surrounding liquid will resist this expansion. This will cause a rapid increase in the temperature and pressure of the microbubbles. Consequently, the capacitance of the microbubbles will further decrease (e.g., causing an increase in dV / dr), resulting in a further increase in the voltage stress across the bubbles. With sufficient voltage stress across the bubbles, ionization can occur, leading to the formation of plasma within the bubbles. Thus, one or more plasma bubbles can form in the liquid within the internal volume 256. The density of the plasma is even lower than that of the gas, so while voltage is still applied to the first electrode 210, the plasma bubbles will further attempt to expand rapidly. In particular, this process of plasma bubble formation will occur rapidly, so each plasma bubble will drive rapid expansion. This, in turn, will produce a non-Newtonian fluid response in the liquid within the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. For example, in the case of water, water will not be generated immediately before the pressure wave caused by the attempting to expand plasma bubbles. Therefore, the plasma bubble is kept in a relatively fixed volume (e.g., the plasma bubble can only expand relatively slowly). While the volume of the plasma remains relatively constant, the temperature and pressure inside the bubble rise rapidly in response to the voltage stress caused by the voltage applied to the first electrode 210.

[0050] As described above, gas breakdown can occur, resulting in the formation of a low-impedance bridge (e.g., a decrease in gas resistivity), but not complete breakdown leading to arcing. Furthermore, thermionic emission can occur within the cell 200. Electron ejection can occur as electrons move between the different electrodes of the cell. Specifically, electrons can be transferred from the first electrode 210 to the second electrode 220 and / or from the first electrode 210 to the third electrode 230. Furthermore, electrons can also be transferred from the third electrode 230 to the second electrode 220. In other words, the third electrode 230 can be used to attract electrons before they are ejected (i.e., delivered to the second electrode 220) (i.e., from the first electrode 210). This can be used to stretch the plasma generation region, which in turn can increase the stability of the plasma generation region. Electrons can be accelerated through already formed bubbles.

[0051] Electrodes can be designed to provide preferential flow for electron movement. For example, the material of each electrode (specifically, its valence) can be chosen to impart this preferential flow of electrons. For instance, tungsten can be used for the first electrode because it has a high valence. The electrodes can be arranged to provide preferential flow from the first electrode 210 to the third electrode 230 (compared to flow from the first electrode 210 to the second electrode 220). This can be used to stretch the plasma generation region, which in turn can provide greater stability and / or a larger amount of work output.

[0052] Energy can be absorbed by the atoms (and molecules) within the bubble. Therefore, the energy levels (e.g., states) of these particles can rise. Within the plasma, atoms can move their electrons to higher electronic energy levels, and / or the spin states of these particles can change. For example, the spin state of a hydrogen atom can change from its lower-energy para state to its higher-energy ortho state. Molecules can also move to higher rotational and / or vibrational energy levels, and / or further splitting of these molecules can occur. As a result, the atoms within each bubble will be at disproportionately high energy levels (e.g., compared to a conventional fluid / fluid within an internal volume of 256). Photon emission from the plasma can occur to adapt to the high energies within the plasma. Electrons can move to lower-energy electronic states, and / or for atoms / molecules, changes to lower-energy vibrational / rotational / spin states can occur. It is this return to lower-energy configurations that leads to photon emission (e.g., a decrease in energy levels according to the Bohr model). This photon emission can occur on a relatively large scale. In the case of water, most of this photon emission occurs in the visible spectrum.

[0053] The photons emitted from each plasma bubble are then absorbed by the fluid in the internal volume 256 or the outer casing 250 of the battery 200. In response to receiving such incident photons, the fluid and / or casing 250 will heat up as it absorbs the photons. Specifically, the inner surface of the casing 250 can absorb a large number of these photons, thus raising the temperature of the inner surface of the casing 250. This heating of the inner surface of the casing 250, in turn, provides conductive heating to the fluid within the internal volume 256. This can lead to convection, thus increasing turbulence in the fluid within the internal volume 256 of the battery 200. As a result of this process, the fluid within the internal volume 256 will be heated. A significant portion of the liquid supplied to the internal volume 256 of the battery 200 can then evaporate to provide a gas (e.g., vapor). It should be understood that, in the context of this disclosure, some of the fluid leaving the battery 200 may have a somewhat unconventional or at least lower energy configuration compared to the liquid supplied to the battery 200. This is a result of the plasma generation and subsequent energy release occurring within the battery 200.

[0054] The fluid then flows through fluid outlet 203. This fluid will have a higher enthalpy (i.e., it will be hotter and more pressurized). Hereinafter, this fluid will be referred to as the "heating fluid." Typically, the heating fluid is in the form of steam, which is generated within the internal volume 256 and rises out through fluid outlet 203. Thus, the heating fluid output from battery 200 can be used in power extraction system 300 to extract usable work from it.

[0055] In this sense, battery 200 can operate as a heat pump. That is, battery 200 contains a liquid, such as water (e.g., cold water), and converts that liquid into vapor. Although not shown, battery 100 may also include one or more filters. Filters can be used to filter solid contaminants, such as manganese, iron compounds, or other material deposits that may accumulate within battery 100. For example, the filters may include gravity filters or another suitable type of filter arranged to prevent excessive accumulation of such material deposits within the battery.

[0056] Now refer to Figure 1b Examples describing heat exchangers, such as Figure 1 The fluid and gas heat exchanger 310 shown.

[0057] Figure 1b It shows Figure 1 The fluid and gas heat exchanger 310, however, should be understood that other heat exchangers disclosed herein (e.g., Figure 3 The fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 and / or the gas-to-air heat exchanger 370 can utilize the same (or similar) arrangement. For example... Figure 1b As shown, the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is formed by two fluid delivery channels. A first fluid delivery channel extends from a first input end 311 to a first output end 313, and a second fluid delivery channel extends from a second input end 312 to a second output end 314. The first fluid delivery channel can be used for heating fluid from the battery 200. The second fluid delivery channel can be used for compressed gas.

[0058] A second fluid delivery channel winds around a first fluid delivery channel. The first fluid delivery channel may extend in a straight line. The second fluid delivery channel may coil around the first channel. For example, the second fluid delivery channel may be arranged helically relative to the first fluid delivery channel. The second fluid delivery channel may be arranged to maximize the surface area of ​​the second channel in contact with the first channel. For example, each subsequent turn of the second channel (around the first channel) may be adjacent to, or in contact with, the preceding turn of the second channel. For example, the helical structure of the second channel may have a pitch below a threshold level. The second channel may include multiple turns around the first channel. The helical pitch / helix angle may be selected to be small enough that each subsequent turn of the second channel is adjacent to (e.g., in contact with) the preceding turn of the second channel. The second channel may lie within a threshold distance of the first channel along most (or all) of the length of the first channel within the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310, for example, in contact with the first channel. The second channel may provide a fixed volume for the compressed gas (e.g., to prevent the gas volume from expanding in response to heating).

[0059] In other words, the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 can be arranged such that the length of the first channel in contact with the second channel is less than the length of the second channel in contact with the first channel. Within the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310, a majority of the surface area of ​​the first channel can contact the second channel. The first fluid transport channel can be at least partially surrounded by the second channel. For example, the first fluid transport channel can be completely surrounded by the second channel, for example, the second channel can be wound around the first channel in multiple loops. The first channel can have a uniform width (e.g., diameter) along its length. For example, the first channel can be cylindrical (the cross-section of the first channel is annular). The second channel can be wound around the circular cross-section of the first channel. The helical pitch of the second channel can remain constant along its length.

[0060] The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is arranged such that the contact surface area between the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel is greater than the contact surface area when using two cylindrical channels. For example, the contact length between the first channel and the second channel can be greater than the length of the first channel within the heat exchanger.

[0061] Now refer to Figure 2 Example of another device including a battery and power extraction system 300.

[0062] Figure 2 The device 10 shown includes a liquid supply system 100, a battery 200, and a power extraction system 300. Figure 2 The arrangement shown is similar to Figure 1 The layout is similar, and the same components will no longer be described. (And) Figure 1Similarly, the liquid supply system 100 has a battery connector 103, and the battery 200 has an inlet 201 and an outlet 203. Likewise, the power extraction system 300 includes a fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 having a first input 311, a second input 312, a first output 313, and a second output 314.

[0063] Besides Figure 1 In addition to the features mentioned above that are common to device 10, Figure 2 The illustrated device 10 also shows further features of the liquid supply system 100 and the power extraction system 300. For the liquid supply system 100, a liquid source is shown. The liquid supply system 100 includes a liquid source connection 101, a flow meter 120, and a liquid pump 110. The power extraction system 300 includes a regulator 320, a fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330, and a generator 340. The fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330 has two input terminals: a first input terminal 331 and a second input terminal 332, and two output terminals: a first output terminal 333 and a second output terminal 334.

[0064] Liquid source connector 101 is connected to a liquid source (e.g., a water reservoir). Liquid source connector 101 is connected to battery connector 103 via flow meter 120 and liquid pump 110. In other words, liquid supply system 100 provides a connection between liquid source and battery 200. Flow meter 120 and pump 110 are arranged to monitor and regulate the water flow between liquid source and battery 200.

[0065] A fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is connected to a generator 340. The gas heated by the exchanger 310 will be used by the generator 340. For example, the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 may be connected to an expander (e.g., a volume into which working gas can flow and expand). The generator 340 may be connected to this expander, for example, such that the generator 340 is driven by the gas flow in the expander. For this purpose, a first output 313 of the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is connected to the generator 340 (e.g., the first output 313 may be connected to the expander). For example, the generator 340 may include one or more turbines. The first output 313 of the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 may direct the gas that has passed through the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 toward one or more turbines of the generator 340. For example, one or more turbines may be located in a fluid flow path to be driven by the gas flow through said flow path. The generator 340 may be connected to a power grid to supply electrical energy to the grid. For example, generator 340 may include one or more turbines and electrical components, the turbines being configured to be driven in response to a gas flow, and the electrical components being used to generate an electric current in response to the movement of the turbines. The electrical components may be connected to a power grid to provide output electrical energy to the grid.

[0066] The fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310 is connected to the regulator 320 and / or the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330. For this purpose, the second output 314 of the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310 is connected to the regulator 320. The regulator 320 may be arranged between the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310 and the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330. The first input 331 of the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 (e.g., via the regulator 320) is connected to the first output 313 of the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310. The second input 332 of the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 is connected to a liquid source, for example, to receive liquid, such as water, from the liquid source. The first output 333 of the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 may be (directly or indirectly) connected to a fluid discard area. The second output 334 of the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 is connected to a heated liquid supply system 100.

[0067] In other words, the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 is located downstream of the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310. Therefore, the heated fluid from the battery 200 will pass through the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310 before passing through the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330. The fluid that has already passed through the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 can be discarded.

[0068] and Figure 1 Similar to device 10, liquid supply system 100 is configured to supply liquid to be heated to battery 200. Liquid supply system 100 is configured to supply liquid from a liquid source to battery 200. For this purpose, liquid supply system 100 can be configured to draw liquid through liquid source connection 101. Thus, the liquid can be driven through battery connection 103 and (through inlet 201) to battery 200.

[0069] Pump 110 is configured to control the flow of liquid. Flow meter 120 is configured to monitor the flow of liquid. Pump 110 is operable to change the flow rate of liquid supplied to battery 200. For example, device 10 may include a controller configured to control the operation of pump 110 to deliver a selected volume (or mass flow rate) of fluid to battery 200. Flow meter 120 may be configured to monitor the volumetric flow rate of the fluid to determine the volumetric throughput of the fluid through battery 200. The controller may be configured to monitor the flow rate indicated by flow meter 120 and control the operation of pump 110 based on the flow rate. For example, the controller may be configured to control the operation of pump 110 to provide selected operating characteristics for the operation of battery 200 (e.g., to provide a selected amount of heat generation from pump 110) and / or based on the demand on power extraction system 300 (e.g., to provide a selected amount of heat exchange).

[0070] In other words, the liquid supply system 100 is configured to control the supply of liquid to the energy battery 200. The liquid supply system 100 can be operated to change the amount of liquid supplied. The liquid supply system 100 can be operated to change one or more properties of the supplied liquid, such as supplying the liquid at a higher pressure and / or temperature.

[0071] Generator 340 is configured to generate electrical energy using gas from fluid-gas heat exchanger 310. Generator 340 can be arranged such that a gas flow through the heat exchanger (i.e., gas from the second fluid delivery channel, whose enthalpy increases through fluid-gas heat exchanger 310) drives a motion capable of generating electrical energy. For example, gas can flow from heat exchanger 310 into an expander. The flow (and expansion) of heated compressed gas entering the expander can drive a turbine of the generator (or a piston device for extracting power from the gas). For example, the gas flow can cause one or more turbines of generator 340 to rotate. This, in turn, can result in the generation of electrical energy. Generator 340 can be configured to output the obtained electrical energy. For example, generator 340 can be connected to one or more electrical conductors for delivering electrical energy (i.e., current / voltage) away from generator 340. Generator 340 can be coupled to battery 200 to provide electrical energy to be applied to one or more electrodes of battery 200.

[0072] Regulator 320 can be configured to regulate the fluid flow through power extraction system 300. For example, regulator 320 may include a backflow regulator. Regulator 320 can be configured to control the pressure upstream of the regulator. For example, regulator 320 can be arranged to provide a variable flow rate through the regulator to maintain the upstream pressure within a selected range (e.g., above / below a threshold). Regulator 320 can be configured to control the pressure to provide a selected amount of heating fluid within the first fluid delivery channel of fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 (e.g., to regulate the amount of heat exchange occurring). In other words, regulator 320 can be arranged to prevent heating fluid from battery 200 from passing through fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 too quickly to prevent sufficient heat transfer. For example, regulator 320 can be configured such that the time it takes for fluid to travel through fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 exceeds a threshold amount.

[0073] The power extraction system 300 is arranged such that fluid passing through regulator 320 flows into a fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330. The fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 is configured to provide heat exchange between (i) a fluid and (ii) a liquid: the fluid originates from battery 200 and passes through a fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310 (and regulator 320), and the liquid is to be heated by said fluid. For example, the liquid may include water. Heating the liquid can be used in heating systems, such as hot water systems for buildings. The fluid that has passed through the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310 may still be in gaseous form, or the fluid may contain both gas and / or liquid (e.g., due to cooling of the fluid in the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310).

[0074] The fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 is configured to use heat from the fluid to heat the liquid. For example, the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 may include a hot water tank in which a pipe carrying the fluid passes through the liquid in the tank to provide heating to the liquid. The pipe may follow a tortuous path within the tank, for example, to increase the contact surface area between the pipe carrying the heated fluid and the liquid in the tank. The pipe may be completely sealed to the tank to prevent the heated fluid from mixing with the liquid in the tank. Due to the high specific heat capacity (and large contact surface area) of the liquid, heat transfer between the battery fluid and the liquid can significantly reduce the battery fluid temperature, for example, back to ambient temperature.

[0075] Battery fluid that has passed through the fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330 can be discarded. For example, the fluid at this point may be mostly (or entirely) in liquid form. This liquid can be discarded into a storage tank, or it can be connected to a greywater system (e.g., for use as greywater in a building). The heated liquid in the fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330 can be used as a heating liquid. For example, the heated liquid can be used in a hot water system, such as for radiators, faucets, showers, etc. A first output 333 from the fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330 can be connected to a waste area / greywater system to supply used battery fluid to that system. A second output 334 from the fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330 can be connected to a heating system to supply heated liquid to that system.

[0076] During operation, a liquid supply system 100 supplies liquid to the battery 200. A liquid pump 110 and a flow meter 120 are used to control the amount and / or flow rate of the supply. Electrical energy is applied to the battery 200 to generate a heated fluid, which is then supplied to a fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310. Gas traveling through the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310 is heated by the fluid, and the enthalpy of the gas increases. The gas is then used to drive one or more turbines of a generator 340 to generate electrical energy from the turbines. The battery fluid passing through the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310 may have a pressure / flow rate regulated by a regulator 320. Gas passing through the regulator 320 flows through a fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330. The battery fluid in the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 heats the liquid, and this heated liquid can, for example, be used as part of a building's hot water system. Battery fluid that has traveled through the fluid-to-liquid heat exchanger 330 can be discarded and / or used as greywater in a building's greywater system.

[0077] Now refer to Figure 3 Another example of a device including a battery and a power extraction system 300 is described.

[0078] and Figure 1 and Figure 2 Same, Figure 3 The device 10 is shown, comprising a liquid supply system 100, a battery 200, and a power extraction system 300. Similarly, the above has already been combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 2 Described Figure 3 The features shown are not described here.

[0079] The liquid supply system 100 includes a first compressor connector 104 and a second compressor connector 105. It includes a voltage provider 205 for the battery 200. The power extraction system 300 includes a compressor 350, a turbine 362, a generator 360, and a gas-air heat exchanger 370.

[0080] and Figure 1 and Figure 2 Compared to device 10, Figure 3 The device 10 includes components on the gas side, upstream of the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310. In other words, the gas to be supplied to the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 may have passed through one or more other components before reaching the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310. Figure 3 A gas storage device is shown. The gas storage device is indirectly connected to a fluid-gas heat exchanger 310. Gas from the gas storage device can travel through a compressor 350, a turbine 362, and a gas-air heat exchanger 370 before reaching the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310.

[0081] Compressor 350 is connected (directly or indirectly) to a gas storage tank. Compressor 350 may include a gamma compressor, such as a reduced-size gamma compressor. A first compressor connection 104 and a second compressor connection 105 may each be connected to compressor 350. The first compressor connection 104 provides a flow path for liquid to flow toward compressor 350. A liquid pump 110 is connected to the first compressor connection 104. Liquid pumped by the liquid pump 110 may flow through the first compressor connection 104 to compressor 350. The second compressor connection 105 provides a flow path for liquid from compressor 350. The second compressor connection 105 may receive liquid that has passed through compressor 350 and will return to liquid supply system 100. The second compressor connection 105 may be located upstream of the first compressor connection 104 (e.g., so that liquid that has passed through compressor 350 may subsequently be used to drive compressor 350 again or be supplied to battery 200). Compressor 350 can be connected to receive liquid from liquid supply system 100 (via first compressor connection 104) and gas from gas reservoir. Compressor 350 can utilize the flow of liquid to drive the compression of gas. Compressor 350 can output compressed gas. Compressor 350 can also output used compressed gas, i.e., compressed gas that has already been used to drive compressor 350.

[0082] Compressor 350 is connected to turbine 362. Specifically, compressed gas from compressor 350 is directed to turbine 362. For example, turbine 362 can be arranged to pass through a gas flow path (along which compressed gas from compressor 350 flows). Turbine 362 is connected to generator 360. Turbine 362 may include a Tesla turbine. Generator 360 is connected to an electrical output terminal. Generator 360 can output electrical energy (generated due to the movement of turbine 362) to its electrical output terminal.

[0083] Turbine 362 is connected to gas-air heat exchanger 370. That is, the gas flow path can extend from the turbine region through to gas-air heat exchanger 370. Gas-air heat exchanger 370 has two inlets and two or more outlets. A first inlet of gas-air heat exchanger 370 receives gas; for example, the first inlet can be connected to turbine 362 (so that gas that has flowed through turbine 362 will travel to the first inlet of gas-air heat exchanger 370). A second inlet of gas-air heat exchanger 370 can be connected to an air source, such as to receive ambient air. A first outlet of gas-air heat exchanger 370 is connected to the first inlet and provides gas. Gas-air heat exchanger 370 is connected to fluid-gas heat exchanger 310. For this purpose, the first outlet of gas-air heat exchanger 370 can be connected to the second inlet 312 of fluid-gas heat exchanger 310. The second output of the gas-air heat exchanger 370 can be connected to the second input, for example, to discard ambient air that has passed through the gas-air heat exchanger 370.

[0084] The gas-air heat exchanger 370 may include two or more outputs. For example, the gas-air heat exchanger 370 may have a water output. As understood in the context of this disclosure, the gas that has passed through the turbine 362 may be cold, which may in turn cause condensation to occur within the gas-air heat exchanger 370, causing water vapor in the ambient air to become liquid water in the gas-air heat exchanger 370. The gas-air heat exchanger 370 may include a water output. The water output can remove condensate from the gas-air heat exchanger 370. The gas-air heat exchanger 370 may include an air conditioning unit. The gas-air heat exchanger 370 may have a coolant flow path for allowing coolant to circulate through the gas-air heat exchanger 370.

[0085] A second output terminal 314 of the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is connected to an expander 342. For example, the expander 342 may include a pump (such as a vane pump), or the expander 342 may include a confined volume into which gas can flow and / or expand. Gas passing through the expander 342 and used to drive the generator 340 can be discharged. The expander 342 is connected to the generator 340. The generator 340 is connected to an electrical output terminal. The generator 340 can output electrical energy to its output terminal, which has been generated by the gas flow through the expander 342. For example, the gas flow through the expander 342 can drive the turbine of the generator 340. In this sense, the generator 340 can provide a lower-pressure turbine (where a higher-pressure turbine 362 is upstream). The electrical output terminals of the generator 360 and / or the generator 340 can provide electrical energy to be used by the battery 200. For example, as... Figure 3As shown, generator 340 is connected to voltage provider 205. Voltage provider 205 is connected to at least one of the electrodes of battery 200. Voltage provider 205 can receive at least some of the electrical energy used by the voltage provider from generator 340.

[0086] Liquid supply system 100 is configured to supply liquid to compressor 350. Liquid supply system 100 can be configured to supply liquid to compressor 350 to drive compressor 350 to compress gas received from gas reservoir. Liquid pump 110 is configured (e.g., via first compressor connection 104) to drive liquid flow toward compressor 350. Liquid pump 110 can be controlled based on the operation of compressor 350. For example, the flow rate of liquid driven to compressor 350 by liquid pump 110 can be controlled to provide a selected level of compression through compressor 350.

[0087] In other words, the liquid supply system 100 can be configured to supply liquid to the battery 200 and the power extraction system 300. Some of the liquid will be supplied to the battery 200, where it will be heated to provide battery fluid (as described above). Some of the liquid will be supplied to the power extraction system 300 to extract usable power from the device 10. For example, the liquid will be supplied to the compressor 350 to drive the compression of a gas, which will be used by the power extraction system 300 to extract usable power from the gas. The liquid supply system 100 can be configured to reuse the liquid supplied to the compressor 350. For example, liquid driven to the compressor 350 via the first compressor connection 104 can be received again via the second compressor connection 105. The liquid can then be delivered to the battery 200 or the compressor 350. The device 10 is configured to eventually discard the liquid supplied to the battery 200 (after the liquid has passed through the power extraction system 300).

[0088] As described above, in response to the pumped liquid being delivered to compressor 350, compressor 350 is configured to compress gas received from compressor 350. For example, liquid is pumped from liquid pump 110 to compressor 350 under pressure, and this liquid flow enables compressor 350 to compress gas supplied to it. Compressor 350 can receive gas at a pressure of approximately 8 bar. Compressor 350 can be configured to compress gas to a pressure of approximately 64 bar. Compressor 350 is configured to output compressed gas to turbine 362. Compressed gas can flow to turbine 362 along a gas delivery passage.

[0089] Turbine 362 is configured to provide rotational motion in response to the flow of compressed gas. For example, turbine 362 can be a bladed turbine, where the airflow flowing onto the blades causes the turbine to rotate, or the turbine can be a bladeless turbine, such as a Tesla turbine, where a disk rotates in response to the flow of compressed gas on the turbine. Turbine 362 is configured to provide rotational motion that can generate electrical energy. Generator 360 and turbine 362 are arranged such that the rotational motion of turbine 362 generates a current in generator 360. The generated electrical energy can be stored and / or transferred elsewhere. In other words, the flow of compressed gas causes turbine 362 to rotate, resulting in the generation of electrical energy from turbine 362 using generator 360.

[0090] The gas that has passed through turbine 362 can be substantially colder and / or at lower pressure than the gas upstream of turbine 362. In other words, turbine 362 and generator 360 are arranged to extract usable work from the gas. This, in turn, can cool and / or depressurize the gas.

[0091] The gas-air heat exchanger 370 is configured to extract water from ambient air using (cooled) gas. This can, for example, include a refrigeration process. The gas-air heat exchanger 370 is configured to use cooled gas to cool air (i.e., ambient air). Optionally, the gas-air heat exchanger 370 can also be configured to use a coolant to provide further cooling of the air. The gas-air heat exchanger 370 is arranged to collect liquid condensate, i.e., collect water, from the ambient air. The gas-air heat exchanger 370 can be configured to provide a water output. As understood in the context of this disclosure, the water obtained in this way can be relatively pure and / or uncontaminated (e.g., desalinated). Therefore, this arrangement can potentially provide a source of drinking water, which would be particularly useful in certain locations around the world.

[0092] The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is configured to receive gas that has passed through the gas-air heat exchanger 370. As described above, the gas entering through the second input terminal 312 and exiting through the second output terminal 314 of the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 will be heated by the battery fluid that enters through the first input terminal 311 and exits through the first output terminal 313. Therefore, the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 can be used to increase the enthalpy of the gas. The gas is then directed to the expander 342. For example, the gas pressure supplied to the expander 342 can be approximately 8 bar. The expander 342 and the generator 340 can be configured to generate electrical energy due to the gas flow (e.g., through the expander 342). For example, the expander 342 can be a vane pump, and rotation of a portion of the pump can cause the generator 340 to generate electrical energy. The generator 340 can be configured to output electrical energy, for example, to a voltage provider 205. The voltage provider 205 is configured to apply electrical energy to one or more electrodes of the battery 200, for example, as described above. Figure 1a As stated above.

[0093] During operation, the liquid supply system 100 supplies liquid to the battery 200 and the power extraction system 300. The liquid supply system 100 obtains liquid from a liquid source. The liquid pump 110 pumps the liquid to the battery 200 and / or the power extraction system 300. A flow meter 120 monitors the flow rate of the liquid through the liquid supply system 100. The operation of the liquid pump 110 can be controlled based on data obtained from the flow meter 120 and / or based on indications of the required gas compression for battery operation and / or compressor 350.

[0094] The liquid supplied to battery 200 by the liquid pump is as described above. Figure 1a The battery is heated as described above. That is, voltage provider 205 applies electrical energy to one or more electrodes of battery 200. This results in the generation of plasma bubbles within battery 200. Heat is then released from the plasma and into the surrounding liquid and the casing of battery 200. This process is used to heat the liquid within battery 200 to create a fluid, i.e., a heated “battery fluid.” This fluid may consist primarily of a gas (e.g., water vapor), but may also include some liquid (e.g., water) and / or some plasma. The heated battery fluid is then output from battery 200 to fluid-gas heat exchanger 310.

[0095] The liquid supplied by the liquid supply system 100 to the work extraction system 300 is used to facilitate the extraction of work from the gas. Specifically, the liquid is pumped to the compressor 350, which uses the pumped liquid flow to provide compression of the gas. The compressor 350 receives gas from a gas reservoir, compresses the gas using the pumped liquid flow, and then outputs compressed gas from which work can be extracted.

[0096] The compressed gas then flows to turbine 362. The gas causes turbine 362 to rotate, and generator 360 generates electricity based on the rotation of turbine 362. The gas passing through turbine 362 is substantially cooled and / or depressurized. This cooler gas is used in gas-to-air heat exchanger 370 to extract water from ambient air (e.g., condensing water vapor in ambient air into usable water). Gas-to-air heat exchanger 370 receives input ambient air and input (cooled) gas, and outputs water and gas. The output gas is supplied to fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310.

[0097] The device may include a compressed gas reservoir for receiving compressed gas from compressor 350. The reservoir may be located between compressor 350 and turbine 362. For example, the device may be configured such that compressed gas from compressor 350 can pass through to the gas reservoir and / or turbine 362. The device may be configured to select where the compressed gas goes, for example, the proportion of compressed gas going to the reservoir or turbine 362. For example, the device may be configured to increase storage during a first time period and increase usage during a second time period. For example, the first time period may be associated with a time period when other energy sources are suitable for energy generation (e.g., during daytime – when sunlight can be used for solar energy generation). The second time period may be associated with a time period when other energy sources are less suitable (e.g., outside of daytime). Therefore, the reservoir can enable the regulation of energy generation, allowing for an increase in energy generation as needed.

[0098] The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 exchanges heat between heated battery fluid and gas. In doing so, the enthalpy of the gas increases through the interaction between the gas and the heated battery fluid. The fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 provides two outputs: the enthalpy-increasing gas (via a second output 314) and the battery fluid.

[0099] The gas output from the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 is used (e.g., via flow in the expander 342) to drive the generator 340. The expander 342 and the generator 340 use this gas flow to generate electrical energy from it. The gas output from the fluid-gas heat exchanger that has been used to drive the generator 340 can be discharged.

[0100] The fluid output from the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 can still be relatively hot and / or pressurized. The regulator 320 can regulate the pressure of this fluid, for example, keeping the pressure above / below a threshold pressure value. The battery fluid that has passed through the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310 can still be used to extract further work from it. For this purpose, the battery fluid is supplied to the fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330. The battery fluid passing through the fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330 is used to heat the liquid. This heated liquid can be used, for example, as part of a hot water system (e.g., in a building). The battery fluid that has passed through the fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330 can be discarded.

[0101] Therefore, as described above, the device of this disclosure can supply the liquid to be heated to the battery 200 for heating the liquid. Thus, usable work is extracted from the heated fluid output from the battery 200. The liquid supply system 100 can also supply liquid to the work extraction system 300 to further extract usable work from the gas.

[0102] In the context of this disclosure, it should be understood that the descriptions herein and the examples shown in the figures should not be considered limiting. For example, particularly... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The diagram illustrates many components of device 10. Not all of these components need to be provided together. Rather, the device of this disclosure may include any combination of the different features shown. For example, the power extraction system 300 does not need to include any or all features upstream of the fluid-to-gas heat exchanger 310, which may be directly coupled to a gas storage tank. While including the compressor 350, turbine 362 / generator 360, and gas-to-air heat exchanger 370 may enable the extraction of more usable power and / or products (e.g., water) from device 10 as a whole, not all of these components are necessary. The heat exchanger 370 may be omitted. Similarly, the turbine 362 / generator 360 and / or compressor 350 may not be required.

[0103] It should also be understood that any suitable mechanism for obtaining usable work from the compressed gas flow can be used. Expander 342 and turbine 362 are shown in the figures, each forming part of an electrical energy generation system, but other alternatives can be used. For example, other mechanisms capable of generating electrical energy can be used, and / or the work extracted from the gas does not need to be in the form of electrical energy generation. For example, a piston system (e.g., an engine) can be used. The gas flow can be used to provide the associated power. Alternatively or additionally, the compressed gas can be stored for later use. Similarly, the battery fluid, already heated by the fluid-gas heat exchanger 310, can be used for purposes other than heating the liquid. For example, there can be two or more fluid-gas heat exchangers configured to utilize the battery fluid to increase the enthalpy of the gas. The fluid-liquid heat exchanger 330 can output heated liquid (e.g., and / or gas) suitable for any suitable purpose. Although it has been described herein as forming part of a hot water system, it should be understood that other uses may exist for the supply of such hot liquid (e.g., hot water).

[0104] The examples described above typically involve Figure 1a The energy cell shown is 200. However, it should be understood that... Figure 1a The battery 200 should not be considered limiting. For example, it is not necessary to include a third electrode 230 and / or to include a resistive element. For example, any suitable energy cell (such as the one disclosed in GB2604853) may provide the battery 200 in the device 10 of this disclosure.

[0105] As will be understood from the foregoing discussion, the examples shown in the accompanying drawings are merely exemplary and include features that can be generalized, removed, or replaced as set forth herein and in the claims. Referring generally to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the schematic functional block diagrams are used to indicate the functions of the systems and devices described herein. Additionally, processing functions may also be provided by means of electronically supported devices. However, it should be understood that functions need not be divided in this manner and should not be construed as implying any particular hardware structure other than the hardware described below and claimed. The functions of one or more elements shown in the accompanying drawings may be further subdivided and / or distributed throughout the device of this disclosure. In some examples, the functions of one or more elements shown in the accompanying drawings may be integrated into a single functional unit.

[0106] As will be understood by those skilled in the art in the context of this disclosure, each of the examples described herein can be implemented in a variety of different ways. Any feature of any aspect of this disclosure can be combined with any other aspect of this disclosure. For example, a method aspect can be combined with a device aspect, and a feature described with reference to the operation of a particular element of a device can be used in a method that does not use those particular types of devices. Furthermore, each feature of each example is intended to be separable from the features described in combination with that feature, unless it is explicitly stated that some other feature is essential for its operation. Each of these separable features can, of course, be combined with any other feature of the example describing that feature, or with any other feature or combination of features of any other example described herein. In addition, equivalents and variations not described above may be employed without departing from the invention.

[0107] Some features of the methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, and one or more functions of the device can be implemented in the method steps. It should also be understood that, in the context of this disclosure, the methods described herein need not be performed in the order they are described, nor necessarily in the order they are shown in the figures. Therefore, aspects described in the reference products or devices of this disclosure are also intended to be implemented as methods, and vice versa. The methods described herein can be implemented in a computer program, in hardware, or in any combination thereof. Computer programs include software, middleware, firmware, and any combination thereof. Such programs can be provided as signals or network messages and can be recorded on a computer-readable medium (e.g., a tangible computer-readable medium that can store the computer program in a non-transitory form). Hardware includes computers, handheld devices, programmable processors, general-purpose processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and logic gate arrays. Any controller described herein can be provided by any control device, such as a general-purpose processor configured with a computer program product to program the processor to operate according to any of the methods described herein. Furthermore, the controller's functionality can be provided by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a configuration of logic gates, or any other control device.

[0108] Other examples and variations of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the context of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising: an energy cell configured to apply electrical energy to a liquid in the energy cell to heat the liquid by generating one or more plasma bubbles in the liquid; a liquid supply system coupled to the energy cell and configured to supply the energy cell with liquid to be heated; and a work extraction system coupled to the energy cell to receive heated fluid from the energy cell and configured to extract work from the heated fluid; wherein the work extraction system comprises a heated fluid to working gas heat exchanger coupled to the energy cell and a working gas supply, wherein the heated fluid to working gas heat exchanger is configured to use heat from the heated fluid to increase the enthalpy of the working gas to extract work from the working gas.

2. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein, the work extraction system comprises a heated fluid to working liquid heat exchanger coupled to the energy cell and a working liquid supply, the heated fluid to working liquid heat exchanger configured to use heat from the heated fluid to heat a working liquid.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, the heated fluid to working liquid heat exchanger is downstream of the heated fluid to working gas heat exchanger.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 or 3, wherein, the heated fluid to working liquid heat exchanger is coupled to a heating system and configured to supply the heating system with heated working liquid.

5. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein, the work extraction system comprises a compressor coupled to the working gas supply and configured to compress working gas.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, the compressor is arranged to be driven by liquid supplied by the liquid supply system.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 or 6, wherein, the work extraction system comprises a generator coupled to the compressor and arranged to receive a compressed working gas stream from the compressor, optionally wherein the system comprises a compressed working gas reservoir for storing compressed working gas from the compressor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, the generator comprises a turbine arranged to be driven by the compressed working gas stream.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 or 8, wherein, the heated fluid to working gas heat exchanger is arranged to heat working gas that has passed through the generator.

10. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein, the apparatus further comprises a gas to air heat exchanger.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, the gas to air heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between an air source and the working gas, optionally the air source is ambient air.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 according to any claim dependent on or referring back to claim 7, wherein, the gas to air heat exchanger is configured to use working gas that has passed through the generator to cool air.

13. The apparatus of any one of claims 10-12, wherein, the gas to air heat exchanger comprises a water outlet to output water obtained by cooling air in the gas to air heat exchanger.

14. The apparatus of any one of claims 10-13, wherein, the gas to air heat exchanger comprises an air conditioning unit.

15. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein, the heated fluid to working gas heat exchanger comprises working gas channels wound around heated fluid channels, optionally wherein the working gas channels are helically wound around the heated fluid channels.

16. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein, The apparatus further includes a controller configured to control operation of the apparatus to provide a selected amount of heat exchange from the heating fluid to the working gas in the heating fluid to working gas heat exchanger.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, The liquid supply system includes a pump configured to control an amount of liquid to be provided to the energy cell; and The controller is configured to control operation of the pump to provide a selected amount of heat exchange.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein, The apparatus further includes a flow meter, and wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the pump based on data obtained from the flow meter.

19. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein, The heating fluid to working gas heat exchanger is coupled to at least one of (i) an electrical generator and (ii) a compressed gas storage unit to provide pressurized working gas to at least one of the electrical generator and the compressed gas storage unit.

20. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein, The work extraction system includes at least one electrical generator configured to generate electrical energy, and wherein at least some of the generated electrical energy is supplied to one or more electrodes of the energy cell to generate one or more plasma bubbles in the energy cell.

21. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein, The apparatus includes a fluid outlet for discarding fluid that has passed through the energy cell and the work extraction system.

22. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein, The fluid outlet is coupled to a grey water connection.

23. A method comprising: supplying a liquid to be heated to an energy cell; applying electrical energy to the liquid in the energy cell to generate one or more plasma bubbles in the liquid to heat the liquid; using heat from a heating fluid from the energy cell to increase an enthalpy of a working gas in a heating fluid to working gas heat exchanger; and extracting available work from the working gas.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, The method further includes controlling operation of the energy cell to provide a selected amount of heat exchange from the heating fluid to the working gas in the heating fluid to working gas heat exchanger.

25. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions configured to program an apparatus comprising an energy cell, a liquid supply system, and a work extraction system to perform the method of claim 23 or 24.

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