WO1990013897A1

WO1990013897A1 - Deuterium-lithium energy conversion cell

Info

Publication number: WO1990013897A1
Application number: PCT/US1990/002074
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jerome Drexler
Original assignee: Drexler Technology Corporation
Priority date: 1989-05-12
Filing date: 1990-04-17
Publication date: 1990-11-15
Also published as: AU5648690A; IL94229A0

Abstract

Method and apparatus for production of energy through electrolyte ionization of heavy water (15), accelaration of the resulting ionized particles by an electric field, and collection of the ions in palladium to facilitate ion-ion combination. A first electrical field source (21) drives deuterium ions toward a deuterium accumulator (22) that includes a surface layer (27) of palladium or an alloy thereof and is spaced apart from two electrodes (17, 19) that produce the electrical field. A time dependent second electrical field source (25) (optional) periodically drives negative charged particles away from the deuterium accumulator (22) and assists in triggering the desired reactions.

Description

-/ - Description

Deuterium-lithium Energy Conversion Cell

Technical Field

This invention relates to a cell for production of thermal energy by conversion from other forms of energy.

Background Art

Electrically charged particles such as bare electrons or protons or muons are known to be Fermions and to obey Fermi-Dirac statistics. Two like elementary charged particles, such as two protons, have like elec- trical charges so that they tend to repel one another.

Further, two like Fermions obey the Pauli exclusion prin¬ ciple so that, if the particles possess identical quantum numbers, the two identical particles will not occupy the same region of space at the same time, even if the iden¬ tical particles have no net electrical charge. The com¬ bination of two Fermions in a nucleus, such as a neutron and a proton, which together form the nucleus of a deu¬ terium atom or ion, behaves as another type of particle, called a Boson, which obeys Bose-Einstein statistics rather than Fermi-Dirac statistics. This has been dis¬ cussed recently by K. Birgitta Whaley, a theoretical chemist speaking at the Dallas meeting of the American Chemical Society in April, 1989.

Particles that obey Bose-Einstein statistics ("Bosons") tend to accumulate in the same region of space under some circumstances, in preference to staying apart as like Fermions tend-to do. This tendency of Bosons to accumulate in the same region of space is indicated by a quantum thermodynamic expression for the pressure in a system of Bosons, developed and discussed in Statistical Physics by L.D. Landau and E.M. Lifshitz, Addison- esley Co., 1958, p. 159. In this expression for pressure, the pressure developed by a system of Bosons is less than the pressure developed by a system of particles that are nei¬ ther Fermions nor Bosons at the same concentration and temperature. This suggests that the Boson particles ex¬ perience a modest attraction for one another that has its origin in quantum mechanical forces.

Whaley has speculated that, because of the quantum effect features of particles such as deuterium nuclei, the natural repulsion between two such nuclei can be blocked inside a crystal so that the deuterium ions are not held apart by the combination of strong coulomb forces and quantum forces. Some workers speculate that, because deuterium nuclei might be brought very close to¬ gether inside a crystal, the deuterium nuclei could com¬ bine in a fusion process at enhanced rates, as compared to the infinitesimal rates observed at ordinary fluid densities for deuterium nuclei.

Lithium ions have been widely used in the elec¬ trolyte added to heavy water in certain experiments by Pons and Fleischmann and many other researchers. The electrolyte used most commonly is LiOD, wherein most or all of the hydrogen in LiOH is replaced by deuterium. Most reports of generation of heat by these experiments indicated that the LiOD electrolyte had been used. In March, 1990, several physicists speculated that the ex- cess enthalpy generated may come from the reaction

Li⁶ + D > 2 He⁴ + 22.4 MeV.

The excess energy of 22.4 MeV is carried by the kinetic energy of the two helium nuclei, and is dissipated in the host lattice used, which is often palladium. It is known that some metals will readily ac¬ cept substantial amounts of hydrogen or its isotopes into the interior of such metals and that such metals can be used to filter hydrogen isotopes from a stream of other substances. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,065, granted Septem- ber 27, 1988 to R. Penzhorne et al., it is disclosed that a hot palladium membrane will filter tritium and deuteri¬ um from a stream of CO molecules. The palladium membrane disclosed by Penzhorne et al. was used to filter exhaust gas from a fusion reactor.

However, even where a metal such as palladium is chosen as an accumulation structure for deuterium ions and lithium ions, which shall be referred to as the "ac¬ cumulator", these deuterium ions ("deuterons") and lithi¬ um ions ("lithons") that pick up electrons at the accumu¬ lator will no longer behave as Bosons and may not mani¬ fest the desirable Boson, wave-like feature of high den- sity accumulation within the palladium interior or lat¬ tice unless they separate from the negative charge and return to positive ions within the lattice. Also, by lithon pickup of electrons, lithium atoms can deposit on the palladium which could interfere with the fusion proc- ^ess-

In the prior art the only method of triggering the generation of excess energy or tritium was by chang¬ ing the temperature of the liquid or changing the anode voltage and current of the electrolysis cell. One object of this invention is to provide ap¬ paratus that suppresses the tendency of the deuterium and lithium ions to pick up electrons as the ions reach the accumulator or enter the interior of the metal that serves as the accumulator. Another object of the invention is to suppress the tendency of deuterium and lithium ions to be inter¬ fered with by deuterium gas and atoms as both types of ions approach the accumulator.

Another object of the invention is to provide an additional means of triggering the fusion process.

Summary of the Invention

These objects are met by apparatus that en¬ hances deuterium and lithium ion formation in a liquid containing high purity heavy water in which most of the hydrogen ions found in ordinary water are replaced by ions of the hydrogen isotope deuterium. The apparatus contains an anode and a cathode with controllable voltage therebetween. An accumulator structure is placed between the anode and cathode. The accumulator has a surface layer of metal such as palladium that readily absorbs deuterium and lithium ions (commonly called "deuterons" and "lithons," respectively) into its interior, or the accumulator may be composed entirely of this metal. The accumulator may be electrically floating with the elec¬ trical charge on it being determined by deuterons and lithons which enter it and by positive and negative ions in contact with the accumulator. The accumulator may also be pre-charged to assist the ion attraction process. The accumulator may have a time varying voltage with re¬ spect to the cathode or anode. With a suitable choice of accumulator geometry, a fraction of the deuterons and lithons that approach the accumulator will be pulled into the interior of the accumulator material and will con¬ tribute to the production of energy therein. The appara¬ tus promoting ion motion here are the cathode and anode. The accumulator is made of a deuterium-absorbing material such as palladium and intercepts deuterons and lithons as they move toward the cathode. A fraction of these ions are intercepted and absorbed by the accumulator material before they reach the cathode. Within the accumulator material, the ions may act as Bosons and may fuse or oth- erwise combine to produce heat.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective cutaway view of a sec¬ ond embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3a is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3b is a top plan view of a second alter- nate embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a strand or fiber of material used in a screen electrode of Fig. 1. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are perspective cutaway views of three other embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a graphical view of one suitable time variation of voltage source impressed between cathode and accumulator in an embodiment of the invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

With reference to Fig. 1, the apparatus 11 in one embodiment includes a container 13 containing a liq- uid 15 that is high purity heavy water, D₂0, and small amounts of one or more salts, usually LiOD, to create a suitable deuteron and lithon concentration in the liquid. Typical concentrations of LiOD range from 0.1M to 1.0M, with the preferred concentration being closer to 0.1 M. Commercially available lithium is about 92 percent Li⁷ and about 8 percent Li⁶. Because the Li⁶0D positive ion is a Boson and is known to combine with deuterium without any radioactive products, Li⁶ (at least 6 percent) is preferred over Li⁷ in this process. Two electrodes 17 and 19 are immersed in the liquid 15 and spaced apart from each other and are connected by a controllable volt¬ age source 21 that imposes a negative electrical voltage -V_ca on the second electrode 19 relative to the electri¬ cal voltage of the first electrode 17. The electrodes 17 and 19 thus serve as anode and cathode, respectively, for the apparatus 11. The D₂0 molecules in the liquid 15 are decomposed into negatively charged OD ions, which are drawn to the first electrode 17, and positively charged deuterons and lithons, which are drawn to the second electrode 19. An accumulator 22 is immersed in the liq¬ uid 15 and is positioned between the first and second electrodes 17 and 19.- The accumulator 22 is electrically floating in one embodiment.

Preferably, the accumulator 22 extends between two walls of the container 13 so that the accumulator divides the container liquid 15 into a first portion that contains the first electrode 17 and a mutually exclusive second portion that contains the second electrode 19. Care should be taken to prevent ordinary water from get¬ ting into the heavy water since this can stop the fusion process.

Fig. 2 illustrates in three dimensions an exam- pie of an accumulator 23 used in an approximately coaxial arrangement with the cathode 19, also shown in Fig. 3a. Fig. 3a illustrates an embodiment in which an accumula¬ tor 23 radially surrounds and is adjacent to the second electrode 19, with the distance between the accumulator 23 and the second electrode 19 being smaller than the distance between the accumulator 23 and the first elec¬ trode 17. In this embodiment, the accumulator 23 divides the container liquid 15 into two portions, and many of the deuterons and lithons in the liquid 15 must pass through the accumulator 23 in order to reach the second electrode 19.

In Fig. 3b the accumulator 23 radially sur¬ rounds the second electrode 19 and the first electrode 17 radially surrounds the accumulator. The anode and cath- ode may be tubular or may be helical. The accumulator 22 or 23 may be in the form of a mesh, as illustrated in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, respectively, or may be in the form of a helix or a squirrel cage. The roles of the electrodes may be exchanged, with 17 becoming the cathode and 19 becoming the anode in with Fig. 3a or Fig. 3b.

Deuterons and lithons are produced by ioniza¬ tion in conjunction with an electrolyte such as LiOD in the heavy water, which has a high concentration of deute¬ rium atoms present in the form D₂0. The two electrodes 17 and 19 in Figs. 1-3 may be of conventional design and materials, with an approximate voltage difference V_ac = -V_ca in the range of 1 to 100 volts impressed within the liquid 15 between the cathode 19 and the anode 17.

The accumulator 23 should have a surface layer 27 of a selected thickness, as illustrated in Fig. 4, with the surface layer being composed of a metal such as palladium, preferred for thermal power generation. The accumulator material may be entirely composed of palladi- um or a palladium alloy or may have a surface layer pref¬ erably at least 100 microns thick of such material that encloses an electrically conducting core 28 that is com¬ posed of a material such as copper, silver, nickel, alu- minum or iron.

In another embodiment of the invention, shown in perspective cutaway view in Fig. 5, an anode 31 and a cathode 33 are immersed in a heavy water liquid 35 that is contained in a container 37. As before, the liquid 35 also contains an electrolyte, such as LiOD to ionize the heavy water and electrolytes into D⁺ ions, Li⁺ ions and OD~ ions. The cathode mesh 33 is positioned between the anode 31 and an accumulator 39 that is also immersed in the liquid 35, with the accumulator being positioned close to the cathode. A controllable voltage source 41 is connected between the anode 31 and cathode 33 as be¬ fore, and the accumulator includes a deuterium-permeable material, preferably palladium. The cathode 33 is a grid-like or mesh-like body radially surrounding the ac- cumulator, and the anode 31 may either radially surround the cathode, as shown in Fig. 5, or may be spaced apart from and not surround the cathode, as shown in Fig. 6. In Figs. 5 and 6 the spacing between the cathode 33 and the accumulator 39 is small so that ions passing through the cathode can still reach the accumulator.

In another embodiment of the invention, shown in perspective cutaway view in Fig. 7, an anode 51 and a mesh-like cathode 53 are immersed in heavy water liquid 55 containing an electrolyte, preferably LiOD, with the liquid being contained in a container 57. The container 57 functions as the deuterium accumulator and includes deuterium-permeable material, preferably palladium. A controllable voltage source 59 is connected between the anode 51 and the cathode 53, with the cathode radially surrounding the anode and the container 57 radially surrounding the cathode and being positioned close to the cathode. Optionally, the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 may also include a second voltage source 25 that is connected between, and provides a time varying voltage between, the cathode 19 and the accumulator. Alternatively, a second voltage source is connected between, and provides a time varying voltage between, the anode 17 and the accumulator 23, by an obvious modification of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 illustrates one suitable time variation of the voltage difference V_cs between cathode and accu u- lator as a function of time, for comparison with the ca¬ thode-anode voltage -V_ca, in the embodiment of Fig. 1. For this choice of voltage form the voltage V_cs(t) is approximately constant and equal to a first value, -V_cso(<0) for most of a cycle. At a sequence of consecu- tive time points tl, t2, t3, • • • , the voltage V_cs(t) is pulsed to a positive value (or negative value) V_cs_, that is smaller than V_ca. The width of each of these pulses at the times tl, t2, t3, • •• is a small fraction of the time separation of consecutive pulse points t2-tl, t3-t2, etc. The length of each time interval, such as t-^ < t < t₂, is preferably of the order of one second or greater. Various patterns of time varying voltages may be used to change the ion distribution near the accumulator so as to prevent electrolysis at the accumulator or to trigger the fusion process.

The voltage source 21 shown in any of Figs. 1, 2, 3a or 3b, the voltage source 41 shown in any of Figs. 4, 5 or 6, or the voltage source 59 shown in Fig. 7, may be a static voltage source or battery as shown therein or may be a time varying source V₁₂(t) . The voltage level should be adjustable or controllable so that the voltage can be set at an optimum level that will depend in part on the electrolyte(s) used and on the electrolyte concen¬ tration. For example, the voltage difference V₁₂ im- pressed between the first electrode 17 and the second electrode 19 in Fig. 1 might be chosen to be always positive but might be dithered or otherwise varied in time about a chosen positive value such as +10 volts. Optionally, a time varying second voltage source 25 can also be included in the embodiments of Figs. 2, 3a and 3b; a time varying second voltage source 42 can be included in the embodiments of Figs. 5 and 6; and a time varying second voltage source 60 can be in¬ cluded in the embodiment of Fig. 7. In each of these op¬ tional embodiments, the cathode-accumulator voltage dif¬ ference V_cs(t) would preferably vary as shown in Fig. 8 or opposite polarity pulses may be used. Reilly and Sandrock have discussed the use of metal hydrides as a storage medium for hydrogen and its isotopes in "Hydrogen Storage in Metal Hydrides", Scien¬ tific American (February 1980), pp. 119-130. These au¬ thors have noted that materials such as those set forth above for the surface layer of the screen have a higher hydrogen storage or acceptance capacity than an equal volume of liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen maintained at a pressure of 100 atmospheres. Theoretically, palla¬ dium, which has characteristic valences of +2 and +4, could accept and store two to four times as many deuteri¬ um atoms or ions as the number of palladium atoms present. However, a more realistic ratio of the maximum number of deuterium atoms or ions present to the number of palladium atoms present may be about 0.6. The numeri- cal density of solid palladium is about 6.75 x lθ²² Pd atoms cm ^J so that a realizable average density of deute¬ rium atoms bound into a Pd-based lattice could be about 4 x lo" D atoms or ions cm . This density of deuterium within the lattice has the potential to produce deuterium related fusion reactions and excess energy.

Jones et al. in "Observation of Cold Nuclear Fusion in Condensed Matter", Nature (1989), report on detection of neutrons resulting from deuterium-deuterium fusion in a metallic titanium or palladium electrode. These workers used as an electrolyte a mixture of 160 grams of deuterium oxide D₂0 plus 0.2 grams of each of the metal salts FeS0₄.7H₂0, NiCl₂.6H₂0, PdCl₂, CaC0₃, Li₂S0₄.H₂0, NaS0₄.10H₂0, CaH₄ (P0₄)₂.H₂0, TiOS0₄.H₂S0₄.8H₂0. The pH of the electrolyte was adjust¬ ed to less than 3.0 by addition of HN0₃. After electrol¬ ysis was begun, oxygen bubbles were observed to form im¬ mediately at the positive electrode. However, deuterium bubbles were observed to form at the negative electrode (Pd or Ti) only after many minutes of electrolysis, sug¬ gesting the rapid absorption of deuterium into this elec¬ trode initially. No generation of excess enthalpy was reported. Fleischmann and Pons, Electrochemically Induced

Nuclear Fusion of Deuterium, J. Electroanal. Chem. Vol. 261 (1989), pp. 301, and at The First Annual Conference on Cold Fusion, March 28-31, 1990, report on the genera¬ tion of thermal energy in palladium in an electrolysis cell using heavy water, a palladium cathode, a platinum helix anode and a 0.1M LiOD electrolyte solution. Gener¬ ation of excess enthalpy was reported.

In the Fleischmann-Pons cell the only elec¬ trodes are a palladium cathode and a platinum anode. The cathode plays a dual role in both accumulating the deute¬ rons and lithons and in converting the deuterons to a deuterium gas. The only method of controlling or trig¬ gering the fusion process is by changing the temperature or anode voltage. The invention disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 physically separates the step of electrolysis by the positive and negative electrodes from the step of accumulation of the deuterons and lithons within the in¬ terior of the accumulator material. The deuterons and lithons can pass into the interior of the palladium accu¬ mulator without passing through a screen of bubbling deuterium gas as in the prior art. By applying a time varying voltage between the accumulator and one of the other two electrodes, the local ion flow may be instanta- neously changed in kinetic energy and magnitude at the accumulator which can be used to trigger the fusion process. This was not possible in the two electrode structures of the prior art.

Claims

1. Apparatus for production of energy through electro¬ lyte ionization of heavy water, the acceleration of the resulting ionized particles by an electric field, and the collection of the ions in palladium to facilitate ion-ion combination, the apparatus comprising: a container containing primarily a liquid that is heavy water and containing an electrolyte with Li⁶OD therein; first and second electrodes, immersed in the liquid and spaced apart from one another; a voltage source, connected between the first and second electrodes, to supply a controllable voltage difference V₁₂ between the first and second electrodes; and an ion accumulator having at least a deuterium ion-permeable and lithium ion-permeable surface layer and being immersed in the liquid at a position lying between and being spaced apart from the two electrodes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said accumulator surface layer is primarily palladium or palladium alloy particles.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said accumulator radially surrounds said second electrode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said accumulator has an electrically conducting core that is an electrical conductor drawn from a class of materials consisting of nickel, copper, silver, aluminum, and iron, with the con¬ ducting core being covered by said permeable surface lay¬ er.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said accumulator is not directly electrically connected to the first or sec¬ ond electrode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said voltage dif¬ ference between said electrodes within said liquid lies in the range 1 to 100 volts.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said voltage dif¬ ference V₁₂ is positive, and further comprising a second voltage source, connected between said accumulator and one of said first electrode and said second electrode to impress a controllable time dependent voltage difference at said accumulator relative to said second electrode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said voltage dif¬ ference V₁₂ is negative, and further comprising a second voltage source, connected between said accumulator and one of said first electrode and said second electrode to impress a controllable time dependent voltage difference at said accumulator relative to said first electrode.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electrolyte rreeaaccttss wwiitthh ssaaiidd hheeaavvyy wwaatteerr ttoo ppπroduce free Li⁶ parti- cles and free deuterium particles.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising reac¬ tion means for promoting the reaction of lithium parti¬ cles and deuterium particles according to the reaction

Li⁶ + D > 2 He⁴ + E, where E represents the total kinetic energy of the two He⁴ particles.

11. Apparatus for production of energy through electro¬ lyte ionization of heavy water, the acceleration of the resulting ions by an electric field, and the collection of the ions in palladium to facilitate ion-ion combina¬ tion, the apparatus comprising: a container containing primarily heavy water and containing an electrolyte with Li⁶OD therein; a first electrode immersed in the liquid; a second electrode, immersed in the liquid; a voltage source, connected between the first and second electrodes, to supply a controllable voltage difference V₁₂ between the first and second electrodes; and an ion accumulator having at least a deuterium ion-permeable and lithium ion-permeable surface layer and being immersed in the liquid at a position such that the second electrode lies between and is spaced apart from the first electrode and from the accumulator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said accumulator surface layer is primarily palladium or a palladium al¬ loy.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said voltage dif¬ ference V₁₂ is positive, further comprising a second voltage source, connected between said accumulator and one of said first electrode and said second electrode to impress a controllable time dependent voltage difference at said accumulator relative to said second electrode.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said voltage dif¬ ference V₁₂ is negative, further comprising a second voltage source, connected between said accumulator and one of said first electrode and said second electrode to impress a controllable time dependent voltage difference at said accumulator relative to said first electrode.

15. A method for production of energy, the method com¬ prising the steps of: providing a container containing a liquid that is primarily heavy water and containing an electrolyte with Li⁶0D therein; providing first and second electrodes, spaced apart and immersed in the liquid; providing a voltage difference V₁₂ between the two electrodes; providing an ion accumulator having at least a deuterium ion-permeable and lithium ion-permeable surface layer and being immersed in the liquid at a position ly¬ ing between and being spaced apart from the two elec¬ trodes.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of choosing said accumulator surface layer as palladium or a palladium alloy.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of: providing a positive voltage difference v₁₂; and providing a time dependent voltage difference V_a2 between said ion accumulator and said second elec¬ trode that is negative but greater than -V₁₂ during a first portion of the time and is pulsed to a positive value that is less than V₁ at a sequence of predeter¬ mined times.