EP3296629A1 - Method and incinerator for conversion of hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen for water or hho gas to water - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the conversion of hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen to water or HHO gas to water in a combustion furnace (1), wherein the combustion chamber (10) of a cooling jacket (2), in which a heat transfer fluid is circulated, wherein hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen or HHO gas is injected into the combustion furnace (1) and ignited and are reacted in the presence of metal oxide earth (4) at temperatures up to 2600 ° C to formed reaction water, the combustion furnace (1) is cooled with a heat transfer fluid. Furthermore, the invention relates to a combustion furnace (1) for the conversion of hydrogen and oxygen to water or HHO gas to water with a combustion chamber (11) with at least one gas supply line (3) with outlet nozzle (31) through which the gas to be burned is supplied , and a cooling jacket (2) surrounding the combustion chamber (11) with a heat transfer fluid circulating therein, wherein metal oxide-containing earths are arranged as catalyst (4) in the combustion chamber (11).

Description

The invention relates to a method for the conversion of hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen to water or HHO gas to water in a combustion furnace, wherein the combustion chamber is surrounded by a cooling jacket in which a heat transfer fluid is circulated. Furthermore, the invention relates to a combustion furnace for converting hydrogen and oxygen to water or HHO gas to water with a combustion chamber with at least one gas supply line with outlet nozzle, through which the gas to be combusted is supplied, and a cooling jacket enclosing the combustion chamber with a circulating heat transfer fluid therein , Here, HHO gas means a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in the atomic ratio twice H to once O, as it arises as a reaction product in the electrolysis of water.

The production and use of hydrogen (H ₂ ) has a long tradition. Hydrogen (H ₂ ) was and is mainly used in the chemical and petroleum industry for the reduction of chemical compounds, for the hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons, for the production of high-quality gasoline and others.

• einerseits als chemischer Energiespeicher, dessen Energie im Bedarfsfall durch Umsetzung mit Luftsauerstoff (O₂) zu Wasser (H₂O) mit angeschlossener Stromgewinnung abgerufen und benutzt werden oder
• andererseits in Gasleitungen den Verbrauchern zugeführt werden.

In recent times, the production of hydrogen (H ₂ ) and its use is gaining importance in connection with the use of electrical energy from wind power and solar power systems. Hydrogen (H ₂ ) can thus be produced ecologically from water (H ₂ O) by means of electrical energy by electrolysis. The thus obtained hydrogen (H ₂ ) can

• on the one hand, as a chemical energy storage whose energy can be retrieved and used in case of need by reaction with atmospheric oxygen (O ₂ ) to water (H ₂ O) with connected power generation or
• On the other hand, they are supplied to consumers in gas lines.

Here, the combustion of hydrogen (H ₂ ) with atmospheric oxygen (O ₂ ) and the implementation of HHO gas from the water electrolysis in so far as having problems that the heat of reaction of the water-forming reaction of hydrogen (H ₂ ) and from HHO gas is very high, which can lead to material damage in the incinerators or when lowering the combustion temperatures to interrupt the combustion reaction and to lower the energy efficiency.

While in the combustion of fossil fuels reaction temperatures, the material technically load both the furnace material itself and the usually located inside the furnaces heat exchanger tube bundles made of steel, can be reached and controlled from about 900 to 1300 ° C, resulting in the Combustion of hydrogen (H ₂ ) with oxygen (O ₂ ) as well as in the combustion of HHO gas a different picture.

Also known are the H ₂ incinerators from the company Xerion Advanced Heating GmbH, which contain graphite elements in the reactor chamber, which serve to heat the combustion reaction electronically. These furnaces are used for the production of special steels and ceramics as well as for research purposes, whereby the service lives of the graphite electrodes are very limited by burnup reactions.

In DE 20 2013 005411 U1 is the H ₂ combustion described in the fluidized bed process, which requires the Aufwirbelung of metal oxide containing substances; Here, the efficiency of heat recovery is described with> 80%.

Also known is the property of hydrogen (H ₂ ) to diffuse at higher temperatures and pressures through steel, which hampers or prevents the handling of hydrogen (H ₂ ) under such conditions.

In DE 10 2006 047222 A1 is called the combustion of hydrogen (H ₂ ), which is obtained by thermolysis of water (H ₂ O). The required burner device was not described in detail. An energy efficiency is not specified. The thermolysis of the water (H ₂ O) is achieved by injecting water (H ₂ O) under pressure onto a hollow body that has been heated to about 2000 - 3000 ° C by previous chemical reactions.

The object of the invention is to implement hydrogen (H ₂ ) and atmospheric oxygen (O ₂ ) or HHO gas without using a fluidized bed process at atmospheric pressure with efficiencies of heat recovery> 95% to water (H ₂ O).

This object is achieved with a method for the conversion of hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen or HHO gas to water according to claim 1 and a combustion furnace therefor according to claim 10.

When hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen or HHO gas is injected into the incinerator and ignited and reacted in the presence of metal oxide earths at temperatures up to 2600 ° C to emerging reaction water, wherein the combustion furnace is cooled with a heat transfer fluid, can be an efficient and durable combustion of the mixture from hydrogen and oxygen (or HHO gas resulting from electrolysis of water) can be achieved with a high heat energy yield. The temperatures up to 2600 ° C occur directly in the reaction region on the metal oxide earths.

Accordingly, the object is according to the device in a combustion furnace with a combustion chamber with at least one gas supply line with Outlet nozzle, through which the gas to be burned is supplied, achieved in that metal oxide-containing earths are arranged as a catalyst in the combustion chamber. Since, as already explained above, the max. Reaction temperature of up to 2600 ° C only in the range of the catalyst (metal oxide containing earths) occurs, this combustion reaction can be carried out in a combustion furnace, for example made of stainless steel, suitable for hydrogen embrittlement, for example, the material no. 1.4438 317 L or other suitable steels be performed. The enclosing cooling jacket usually provided in such combustion chambers is kept at a temperature substantially below the melting temperature of the steel material, for example 1400 ° C., by the heat transfer medium circulating therein. In addition, ceramic components which have a higher temperature resistance can also be contained in the incinerator. The gas to be burned, at least hydrogen and oxygen in the mixture are injected and ignited via a gas supply line with outlet nozzle in the combustion chamber of the incinerator.

In order to produce a sufficient reaction mass on the one hand and on the other hand a not too large, no longer controllable reaction, 1000 to 5000 l / h of hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen or HHO gas are supplied during combustion.

When the combustion flame is directed directly onto the metal oxide-containing earths, the intensive contact of the combustion gases with the metal oxide-containing earth acting as a catalyst is achieved. In this case, the metal-oxide-containing earths are preferably pulverulent and / or coarse-grained (coarsely crystalline). The effective surface area of the catalyst which comes into contact with the combustion gases is correspondingly large.

When the distance of the injection point of the gas supply to the metal oxide-containing earths for controlling the combustion process changes is, the influence of the catalyst on the combustion reaction can be controlled. Among other things, with this adjustability of the outlet nozzle for gas supply relative to the metal oxide-containing earths stored in the combustion chamber, the combustion temperature in a range of preferably 1800 ° C to max. Be controlled 2600 ° C. In this case, the control of the position of the outlet nozzle (combustion nozzle in the combustion chamber) by an outwardly reaching mechanism, with the efficiency of the reaction heat and the heat transfer to the cooling jacket can be optimized.

Furthermore, the metal oxide-containing earths are mixed with water in a mass ratio of up to 33% of the metal oxide-containing earth mass, in order to further improve the catalytic effect of the metal oxide-containing earths.

If the metal-oxide-containing earths are arranged on a solid, combustion-temperature-resistant baseplate in the center of the incinerator, the metal-oxide-containing earths acting as catalyst can be provided in the center of the incinerator, without directly influencing the furnace's outer walls and thus possibly resulting thermal overloading could.

As another means of controlling the combustion temperature to 1800 ° C to max. 2600 ° C for optimal heat recovery in the cooling jacket of the incinerator, water is injected during combustion in the incinerator. Preferably, distilled, deionized water or seawater is used. Alternatively, a portion of the resulting reaction water is returned to the incinerator during combustion. It has been found that with a throughput of combustion gas of 1000 to 5000 l / h, a water injection of up to 1.5 l / h is particularly preferred.

Further, to control the combustion and thus also the combustion temperature of hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen or the HHO gas with gaseous nitrogen or gaseous carbon dioxide or air. These additional gaseous substances are preferably arranged via a separate auxiliary nozzle immediately adjacent to the outlet nozzle for the gases to be combusted hydrogen and oxygen or HHO gas in the combustion chamber.

That the combustion chamber at a gas flow rate of 1000 to 5000 l / h, a volume of 4 to 25 I, preferably 6 to 12 I and more preferably 8 I, is provided for the preferred gas flow from a volume ideal combustion chamber. For example, the combustion chamber may be cubic or spherical. A particularly preferred combustion chamber has internal dimensions of 200 × 200 × 200 mm ³ , ie 8 I in cubic form.

The fact that the process is controlled so that the deuterium content naturally occurring in the water of reaction decreases in the course of the process at reaction temperatures above 2000 ° C, it is probably achieved that during the combustion in addition to the chemical reaction, a partial nuclear reaction proceeds as possibly Nuclear fusion of deuterium occurs with significant energy release within the combustion reaction.

Accordingly, the heat energy yield is controlled to significantly exceed the energy of the hydrogen evolution reaction of HHO gas, thus the combustion process proceeds to increase the likelihood of nuclear fusions within the combustion reaction.

In order to avoid too great a decrease in the deuterium content, it is preferable to inject fresh water instead of water of reaction into the combustion process. This ensures that the deuterium content is kept substantially stable for a consistently high energy yield. When injecting seawater, the deuterium content can even be increased slightly become. Thus, the combustion temperature can be influenced by the water used for injection.

If, in the combustion reaction, the metal-oxide-containing earths, in particular when using Al ₂ O ₃ , give gemstones with a Mohs hardness of 8 to 10, gemstones which can be utilized, for example, for industrial purposes can be produced as a by-product of the combustion reaction. Overall, the use of alumina Al ₂ O ₃ as a catalyst for the best possible implementation of the combustion gases hydrogen and oxygen to water at the combustion temperatures of 1800 ° C to max. 2600 ° C preferred. The catalyst is placed in the combustion chamber of the incinerator on the massive base plate, wherein the catalyst hardly consumed in the continuous operation of the incinerator. With appropriate maintenance intervals of several weeks or months then the catalyst can be supplemented or replaced and the resulting gems are removed.

With the subject of the application, it is thus possible to achieve a very high efficiency of heat recovery in the heat transfer fluid circuit of> 95% based on the energy for generating hydrogen in the water electrolysis. This seems to be possible in particular through the combination of heat conduction and thermal radiation. The high efficiency of heat recovery is achieved by a combustion process without fluidized bed.

The resulting thermal energy can be generated according to the state of the art in different levels and used directly as such specifically for heating and cooling processes or converted by conventional method via turbine and generator into electricity. Thus, the efficiency of combined heat and power would be about 90% without consideration of electrolysis losses that occur in the decomposition of water to hydrogen and oxygen.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1

schematisch den Aufbau eines Verbrennungsofens und

Fig. 2

ein Verfahrensschema der Verbrennungsreaktion.

It shows:

Fig. 1

schematically the structure of a combustion furnace and

Fig. 2

a process scheme of the combustion reaction.

In Fig. 1 a combustion furnace 1 is shown schematically. The combustion furnace 1 has in the illustrated embodiment, a combustion chamber 11 with a cubic volume of, for example, 200 x 200 x 200 mm ³ = 8 I. The cubic wall 10 of the incinerator 1 includes a cooling jacket 2 containing a plurality of channels for passage of a heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid is circulated in a circulation system by a pump, not shown here, wherein outside of the incinerator 1, a corresponding heat sink for delivering the thermal energy and further use for heating purposes or to generate electricity is provided. These parts are here in the Fig. 1 and 2 not shown.

For supplying the gases to be combusted, here hydrogen and oxygen, a gas supply line 3 is arranged with an outlet nozzle 31 within the combustion chamber 11. Optionally, further gas supply lines, for example an air supply line 32 with a corresponding auxiliary nozzle 33, are arranged in the combustion space 11.

Via the gas supply line 3 hydrogen and oxygen in mixed form is supplied from the outside and injected under pressure through the outlet nozzle 31 into the combustion chamber 11. Optionally, as shown schematically in Fig. 2 illustrated, injected air via the air supply line 32 and auxiliary nozzle 33 in the combustion chamber. In addition to the supply of air can also gaseous CO ₂ and / or gaseous nitrogen are fed into the combustion chamber 11.

Within the combustion chamber 11, a solid, the combustion temperature resisting base plate 5 is provided in the center. The base plate 5 is made of ceramic, for example. On the upper side of the base plate 5, metal-oxide-containing earths 4 are applied as catalyst. Furthermore, an exhaust gas outlet 6 is provided at a suitable location in the combustion chamber 11, through which the "exhaust gases", essentially consisting of water vapor, can escape.

In a test setup in such a combustion furnace 1, a water-alumina mixture was filled to saturation, so that no free water is present as a catalyst 4 on the arranged in the combustion chamber 11 in the center base plate 5. Subsequently, HHO gas was electrically ignited from a water electrolysis device with the gas supply line 3 open and the exhaust gas outlet 6 open in the combustion chamber 11. The ignition system is in Fig. 1 not shown separately.

As a result of the water-forming reaction, the temperature in the near-flame region rises to about 1000 to 1300 ° C. Now air supply line 32 are throttled by auxiliary nozzle / valve 33 and exhaust outlet 6 with associated control valve 6 to about 50%, so that the temperature in the combustion chamber to about 1500 ° C increases. Via the exhaust gas outlet 6 outgoing water vapor is directed to acting as a catalyst 4 alumina Al ₂ O ₃ by being returned via a corresponding supply line and auxiliary nozzle in the combustion chamber. Accordingly, the temperature of the incinerator 1 is now controlled by circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the cooling jacket 2 so that overheating of the wall 10 of the incinerator 1 is avoided.

By increasing the air supply via air supply line 32 and auxiliary nozzle / valve 33, the temperature in the center of the combustion chamber 11 is now at 1800 ° C to max. Increased to 2600 ° C. At this temperature, the continuous operation takes place. It should be noted that the temperature of 1800 ° C to max. 2600 ° C occurs only in the central region of the combustion chamber 11, namely directly in the region of acting as a catalyst metal oxide earth 4, here aluminum oxide Al ₂ O ₃ , said catalyst on a temperature-resistant base plate 5, for example made of ceramic, is kept.

After a prolonged continuous operation, for example, of 4 weeks, gem-like crystal structures having a Mohs hardness of about 9.5 have formed on the alumina powder acting as a catalyst. These gems can be used for industrial applications, for example.

During continuous operation, the heat recovery efficiency was measured relative to the energy used for the water electrolysis to produce the HHO gas. The efficiency was 98%. The temperature of the exhaust gases directly at the exhaust outlet 6 was about 500 ° C. It is therefore to be assumed that the other wall 10 of the combustion chamber 11 temperatures of little more than 1000 ° C reach. In this case, no measured values could be achieved in the tests carried out so far.

In addition, the exhaust gases contained no nitrogen oxides and no hydrocarbon compounds. The CO and CO ₂ values were 0.00 ppm each. The process is therefore characterized by very low pollutant emissions compared to conventional fossil fuel-based energy production processes.

Particular attention should be paid to the decrease of the deuterium content in the reaction water of the pilot plant. The natural frequency of Isotope deuterium in hydrogen is 0.015%. At the beginning of a series of measurements, this percentage could be verified. In the course of the operation, in which the combustion temperature at the catalyst was always kept above 2000 ° C and below 2600 ° C, a decrease in the deuterium content could be detected. In this experiment, it was found that the heat energy yield significantly exceeds the energy of the hydrogenation reaction from HHO gas. On the basis of the conventional calculation of the efficiency, namely the heat recovery in the cooling circuit based on the energy for the production of hydrogen and oxygen by means of water electrolysis, an efficiency of well over 100%, namely about 120% could be determined. This actually physically not possible efficiency can only be explained by a spontaneous nuclear fusion taking place in the combustion reaction. As an indication of the actual occurrence of isolated nuclear fusion reactions can serve the sinking deuterium content in the reaction water.

It is therefore preferable that the chemical combustion of hydrogen and oxygen in the combustion furnace is controlled so that the heat energy yield exceeds the energy of the water-forming reaction from the gas to be combusted. Thus, an additional source of energy from the suspected, partial nuclear fusion can be exploited in a relatively simple apparatus and economically feasible method.

With regard to the longevity of the incinerator 1, it should be noted that the desired combustion reaction at temperatures of 1800 ° C to max. 2600 ° C, in particular taking into account a possible nuclear fusion over 2000 ° C is to be maintained. The flame geometry is narrowly limited to the center of the combustion chamber 11 in which the alumina serving as a catalyst 4 rests on the ceramic base plate 5, for example. The combustion flame is directed directly to this catalyst and thus at most to the base plate 5. However, the walls 10 of the combustion chamber 11 are not touched directly by the flame.

Accordingly, it is possible to keep the wall 10 of the combustion chamber 11 at temperatures <1250 ° C in continuous operation. For such temperatures, suitable steels are known in the art. For example, stainless steel can be used with the material no. 1.4438 317 L, which has a melting point of over 1400 ° C and is also resistant to hydrogen embrittlement.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

incinerator

10

wall

11

combustion chamber

2

cooling jacket

3

Gas supply line

31

exhaust nozzle

32

Air supply line

33

Auxiliary nozzle / valve

4

metal oxide containing earths; catalyst

5

baseplate

6

exhaust outlet

61

control valve

Claims (15)

A method for converting hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen to water or HHO gas to water in a combustion furnace (1), wherein the combustion chamber (10) of a cooling jacket (2) in which a heat transfer fluid is circulated, characterized in that hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen or HHO gas is injected into the combustion furnace (1) and ignited and are reacted in the presence of metal oxide earth (4) at temperatures up to 2600 ° C to formed reaction water, the combustion furnace (1) is cooled with a heat transfer fluid. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the combustion 1000 to 5000 l / h of hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen or HHO gas are supplied. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the combustion flame is directed directly to the metal oxide earth (4). A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the distance of the injection point of the gas supply to the metal oxide-containing earths (4) is changed to control the combustion process. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that water, preferably up to 1.5 l / h, during the combustion in the combustion furnace (1) is injected. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen or the HHO gas is mixed with gaseous nitrogen or gaseous carbon dioxide or air. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method is controlled so that the naturally occurring in the water of reaction deuterium content decreases in the course of the process at reaction temperatures above 2000 ° C. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heat energy yield is controlled so that it clearly exceeds the energy of the hydrogenation reaction of HHO gas. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the combustion reaction, the metal oxide-containing earths (4), in particular when using Al ₂ O ₃ , gemstones having a Mohs hardness of 8 to 10 arise. Combustion furnace (1) for converting hydrogen and oxygen to water or HHO gas to water with a combustion chamber (11) having at least one gas supply line (3) with outlet nozzle (31) through which the gas to be burned is supplied, and a combustion chamber (11) enclosing cooling jacket (2) with a circulating heat transfer fluid therein, characterized in that in the combustion chamber (11) metal oxide earths are arranged as a catalyst (4). Incinerator (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the metal oxide-containing earths (4) are powdery and / or coarsely crystalline. Incinerator (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the metal oxide earth (4) with water in a Mass ratio up to 33% of the mass of the metal oxide earths (4) are mixed. Incinerator (1) according to claim 10, 11 or 12, characterized in that the metal oxide-containing earths (4) are arranged on a solid, the combustion temperature resisting base plate (5) in the center of the incinerator (1). Incinerator (1) according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the combustion chamber (11) at a gas flow rate of 1000 to 5000 l / h, a volume of 4 to 25 I, preferably 6 to 12 I and more preferably 8 I has , Incinerator (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the combustion chamber (11) is cubic or spherical.

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