U.S. patent application number 11/082558 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-18 for in-situ tri-atomic hydrogen production, stabilization and concentration.
Invention is credited to Edward J. Britt, John M. Humphrey, Scott E. Lowther, Herman H. Weyland.
Application Number | 20060101853 11/082558 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35781448 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060101853 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Humphrey; John M. ; et
al. |
May 18, 2006 |
In-situ tri-atomic hydrogen production, stabilization and
concentration
Abstract
A system for producing, stabilizing, and concentrating
tri-atomic hydrogen includes a source of liquid hydrogen in the
form of para-hydrogen, a piping system through which the liquid
hydrogen flows, an injection point for combining the liquid
hydrogen in the form of para-hydrogen with third hydrogen atoms all
with the same proton spin to form H.sub.3 all with the same net
magnetic orientation, and a continuous magnetic field for
maintaining the magnetic orientation. The system further has a
storage tank for storing concentrated liquid H.sub.3 molecules for
use as a propellant.
Inventors: |
Humphrey; John M.; (Los
Gatos, CA) ; Britt; Edward J.; (Cupertino, CA)
; Lowther; Scott E.; (Thatcher, UT) ; Weyland;
Herman H.; (Morgan Hill, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACHMAN & LAPOINTE, P.C. (P&W)
900 CHAPEL STREET
SUITE 1201
NEW HAVEN
CT
06510-2802
US
|
Family ID: |
35781448 |
Appl. No.: |
11/082558 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10988655 |
Nov 15, 2004 |
|
|
|
11082558 |
Mar 17, 2005 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
62/623 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C01B 3/00 20130101; C01B
3/0089 20130101; Y02E 60/324 20130101; Y02E 60/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/623 |
International
Class: |
F25J 3/00 20060101
F25J003/00 |
Claims
1. A system for producing, stabilizing, and concentrating
tri-atomic hydrogen comprising: a source of liquid hydrogen in the
form of para-hydrogen; means for combining said para-hydrogen with
third hydrogen atoms each having the same proton spin to form
liquid H.sub.3 molecules all with the same net magnetic
orientation; and means for maintaining said magnetic orientation in
said liquid H.sub.3 molecules with a continuous magnetic field.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said para-hydrogen source
comprises a tank containing liquid hydrogen that has been held in
liquid form long enough for hydrogen molecules to transform to said
para-hydrogen form.
3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a piping
system through which a stream of said liquid hydrogen flows and a
pump for circulating said liquid hydrogen stream through said
piping system.
4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for
concentrating said liquid H.sub.3 molecules.
5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said concentrating means
comprises a spinning tank.
6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said spinning tank has
means for extending transit time of said liquid hydrogen through
said spinning tank and for forcing the liquid hydrogen off
centerline in its passage through the spinning tank.
7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said transit time
extending and forcing means comprises a plurality of flow
baffles.
8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said combining means
comprises means for providing a flow of gaseous hydrogen, means for
dissociating hydrogen molecules and ionizing individual hydrogen
atoms in said gaseous hydrogen, and means for separating the
ionized hydrogen atoms by the spin of their protons.
9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said dissociating means
comprises an electric arc.
10. A system according to claim 8, wherein said separating means
comprises means for creating a magnetic flow field around said
gaseous hydrogen flow.
11. A system according to claim 8, wherein said combining means
further comprises means for injecting a first stream of like spin
protons into said liquid hydrogen stream.
12. A system according to claim 11, further comprising means for
discharging a second stream of opposite spin protons.
13. A system according to claim 11, further comprising means for
converting H.sub.3 ions to H.sub.3 molecules positioned downstream
of said injecting means.
14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said converting means
comprises a negatively charged grid.
15. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a storage
tank for storing concentrated liquid H.sub.3 molecules and means
for creating a magnetic field for aligning the molecules in the
direction of their third atom spin.
16. A system according to claim 1, wherein said stream of liquid
hydrogen flows through a piping system and said magnetic
orientation maintaining means comprises means for generating a
magnetic field around a portion of said piping system.
17. A process for producing, stabilizing, and concentrating
tri-atomic hydrogen comprising the steps of: providing a source of
liquid hydrogen in the form of para-hydrogen; combining said
para-hydrogen with third hydrogen atoms all with the same proton
spin to form liquid H.sub.3 molecules all with the same net
magnetic orientation; and maintaining said magnetic orientation
with a continuous magnetic field.
18. A process according to claim 17, further comprising circulating
a stream of said liquid hydrogen through a piping system to a
spinning tank.
19. A process according to claim 18, further comprising
concentrating liquid H.sub.3 molecules in said spinning tank.
20. A process according to claim 19, wherein said concentrating
step comprises passing said stream of liquid hydrogen through means
for extending the transit time of the liquid hydrogen stream
through the spinning tank and for forcing the liquid hydrogen
stream off centerline as said stream of liquid hydrogen passes
through said spinning tank.
21. A process according to claim 17, wherein said combining step
comprises providing a flow of gaseous hydrogen, passing said
hydrogen through an electric arc to dissociate hydrogen molecules
and ionizing individual hydrogen atoms, and magnetically separating
said ionized hydrogen atoms by the spin of their protons.
22. A process according to claim 21, wherein said combining step
further comprises injecting a first stream of like spin protons
into said liquid hydrogen stream.
23. A process according to claim 22, wherein said combining step
further comprises discharging a second stream of opposite spin
protons.
24. A process according to claim 17, wherein said maintaining step
comprises creating a magnetic field around a portion of the piping
through which said stream of liquid hydrogen flows.
25. A process according to claim 17, further comprising passing
said combined liquid hydrogen stream and said third hydrogen atoms
through a negatively charged grid to convert H.sub.3.sup.+ ions to
said liquid H.sub.3 molecules.
26. A process according to claim 17, further comprising storing
concentrated liquid H.sub.3 molecules in a storage tank.
27. A process according to claim 26, further comprising applying a
magnetic field to said storage tank to align the liquid H.sub.3
molecules in a direction of their third atom spin.
28. A process according to claim 26, further comprising reducing
storage temperature in said storage tank.
29. A propellant comprising liquid H.sub.3 molecules having said
molecules aligned in a direction of a third atom spin.
30. A process for forming a propellant comprising: providing a
source of liquid hydrogen in the form of para-hydrogen; passing a
stream of said liquid hydrogen through a flow system; injecting
hydrogen ions having like spin protons into the stream of said
liquid hydrogen; maintaining the spin orientation of said protons;
converting H.sub.3.sup.+ ions in said liquid hydrogen to liquid
H.sub.3 molecules which are stable at cryogenic temperature;
concentrating the liquid H.sub.3 molecules from liquid H.sub.2; and
extracting the liquid H.sub.3 molecules and storing the liquid
H.sub.3 molecules for use as a propellant.
31. A process according to claim 30, further comprising forming
said hydrogen ions having like spin protons by providing a flow of
gaseous hydrogen, passing said flow through an electric arc to
dissociate hydrogen molecules and ionize individual hydrogen atoms,
and separating the ionized hydrogen atoms by proton spin.
32. A process according to claim 31, wherein said separating step
comprises subjecting said ionized hydrogen atoms to a magnetic
field.
33. A process according to claim 32, further comprising discharging
a stream of opposite spin protons through an outlet.
34. A process according to claim 30, wherein said converting step
comprises passing said liquid hydrogen stream through a negatively
charged grid.
35. A process according to claim 30, wherein said concentrating
step comprises passing the liquid hydrogen stream into a spinning
tank having a plurality of baffles for extending the transit time
of the liquid hydrogen through the spinning tank and to force the
flowing liquid hydrogen off centerline as said liquid hydrogen
passes through said spinning tank.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/988,655, filed Nov. 15, 2004,
entitled IN-SITU TRI-ATOMIC HYDROGEN PRODUCTION, STABILIZATION AND
CONCENTRATION, By John M. Humphrey et al.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] (1) Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a system and a process for
producing, stabilizing and concentrating tri-atomic hydrogen for
high specific impulse rocket and air-breathing propulsion
systems.
[0004] (2) Prior Art
[0005] The economical exploration of space requires a substantial
increase in specific impulse because the single stage missions that
are key to the economic exploration of space lie beyond the
capabilities of LOX/LH2 propulsion systems. The relationship
between achievable payload fraction and required ideal delta V are
presented in FIGS. 1 and 2 for a range of specific impulse values
and are compared to the requirement for several important missions.
FIG. 1 uses a structure fraction ((weight of non-payload structure
and residual propellant weight)/weight of useful propellant) of 0.1
which is considered achievable for the missions listed and FIG. 2
use a structure fraction of 0.2 which is considered to be more
realistic for the recoverable single stage Earth to Low Earth Orbit
(LEO) mission.
[0006] For the mission parameters used in the study, single stage
rockets using LOX/LH2 with a specific impulse of 460 seconds and a
structure fraction of 0.1 achieve about a 6% payload fraction for
geosynchronous satellite placement and recovery and about a 3%
payload fraction for either an expendable LEO or a recoverable LEO
to lunar orbit shuttle. Such LOX/LH2 rockets are unable to achieve
any useful payload for a recoverable trans-Martian injection
mission. However increasing the Specific Impulse from 460 seconds
to 600 seconds increases the payload fractions for the above
missions from 6%/3%/0% to 15%/10%/3% respectively and increasing
the Specific Impulse to 900 seconds increases the payload fractions
to a very respectable 30%/26%/18%. As shown in FIG. 2, for the
recoverable single stage to orbit mission that is fundamental to
all deeper space missions, LOX/LH2 falls far short of achieving a
useful payload. However specific impulse values of from 750 seconds
to 900 seconds could achieve payload fractions of between 12% and
20%.
[0007] Atomic hydrogen has for many years been an illusive goal of
rocket propellant chemists. Atomic hydrogen has a theoretical
specific impulse of over 2000 seconds, but the challenges of atomic
hydrogen production and storage have yet to be overcome. Tri-atomic
hydrogen offers a potential approach to achieving a significant
fraction of the performance improvement advantages of atomic
hydrogen. Depending on the binding energy of the third hydrogen
atom, the energy release of tri-atomic hydrogen may be at best 1/3
of the energy release of atomic hydrogen. However, with specific
impulse proportional to the square root of T/M (propellant gas
stagnation temperature/molecular weight), tri-atomic hydrogen
should have a specific impulse potential of around 1000
seconds.
[0008] The economical exploration of space requires the invention
and commercialization of high thrust propulsion systems with a
specific impulse of at least 600 seconds and more desirably of 750
seconds or above. Tri-atomic hydrogen offers a potential specific
impulse in this range and may provide a quantum leap in mankind's
exploration of space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a system for producing, stabilizing, and concentrating
tri-atomic hydrogen.
[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
process for producing, stabilizing, and concentrating tri-atomic
hydrogen.
[0011] The foregoing objects are attained by the system and process
of the present invention.
[0012] In accordance with the present invention, a system for
producing, stabilizing, and concentrating tri-atomic hydrogen
broadly comprises a source of liquid hydrogen in the form of
para-hydrogen (which has oppositely directed proton spins), means
for combining the para-hydrogen with third hydrogen atoms, such
third atoms all having the same proton spin, to form H.sub.3 all
with the same net magnetic orientation, and means for maintaining
the magnetic orientation with a continuous magnetic field.
[0013] Further, in accordance with the present invention, a process
for producing, stabilizing, and concentrating tri-atomic hydrogen
broadly comprises the steps of providing a source of liquid
hydrogen in the form of para-hydrogen (which has oppositely
directed proton spins), combining the para-hydrogen with third
hydrogen atoms, such third atoms all having the same proton spin,
to form H.sub.3 all with the same net magnetic orientation, and
maintaining the magnetic orientation with a continuous magnetic
field.
[0014] Other details of the in-situ tri-atomic hydrogen production,
stabilization, and concentration system and process, as well as
other objects and advantages attendant thereto, are set forth in
the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings
wherein like reference numbers depict like elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a graph showing Delta V vs. Payload Fraction and
Isp for a Structure Fraction of 0.1;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a graph showing Delta V vs. Payload Fraction and
Isp for a Structure Fraction of 0.2; and
[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a system for
producing, stabilizing, and concentrating tri-atomic hydrogen.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0018] The present invention relates to a system and a process for
producing, stabilizing and concentrating tri-atomic hydrogen for
high specific impulse rocket and air-breathing propulsion systems
and to a propellant formed by said system and process.
[0019] FIG. 3 represents a system 10 for producing, stabilizing,
and concentrating tri-atomic hydrogen. The system 10 includes a
tank 12 of liquid hydrogen that has been held in liquid form long
enough for the hydrogen molecules to transform to para-hydrogen
where the spins of the protons in the two hydrogen atoms are in
opposite directions. A pump 14 circulates the liquid hydrogen
through a piping or flow system to and through a spinning tank 16.
While vortex flow separation is more common, the present invention
utilizes a centrifugal separation approach to minimize flow
disruption relative to the magnetic field during the separation
process. The radial acceleration equals the radius times (the
rotational speed in radians/sec).sup.2.
[0020] The spinning tank 16 preferably has a plurality of baffles
18 to extend the transit time of the liquid hydrogen through the
spinning tank 16 and, more importantly, to force the flowing liquid
hydrogen well off centerline in its passage through the spinning
tank 16. The design of the spinning tank 16, e.g. size and rotation
rate, depends on the density difference between the H.sub.2 and
H.sub.3. The spinning tank 16 provides centrifugal separation of
the liquid tri-atomic and diatomic hydrogen as a result of a
significant density difference between the liquids. Since
tri-atomic hydrogen is more dense, it can be extracted at the
periphery. Any suitable means known in the art may be used to spin
the tank 16.
[0021] A flow 20 of gaseous hydrogen passes through an electric arc
22 inside an RF field dissociator, such as an RF oscillator, before
entering a non-homogeneous magnetic flow field 24. Gas dissociation
and ionization using an RF oscillator is sometimes preferred as
this approach does not introduce material from any electrodes.
However, in some instances, the oscillating RF field may interfere
with the flow separation magnetic field. In these instances, a
simple electric discharge may be used as a preferred approach. The
voltage which is used should be high enough to both ionize and
dissociate the hydrogen so that the magnetic field can select on
proton spin.
[0022] The electric arc 22 both dissociates hydrogen molecules and
ionizes the individual hydrogen atoms. A non-homogeneous magnetic
flow field 24 separates the ionized and dissociated hydrogen atoms
by the spin of their protons.
[0023] A first hydrogen stream 26 of like spin protons is thus
created and then injected into the stream of liquid hydrogen via
passageway 27. A second hydrogen stream 28 of opposite spin protons
is simply discharged through outlet 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the
spin orientation of the protons may be maintained by a continuous
magnetic field through the passageway 27 to the spinning tank 16.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the continuous
magnetic field may be generated by a DC current through
cryogenically cooled electrical coils around the liquid hydrogen
piping or by an equivalent approach. The field generated by a DC
current through a coil of wires around the pipe generates a
continuous magnetic field to maintain the orientation of the
tri-hydrogen ions. If desired, other approaches may be used.
[0024] The object of dispersing hydrogen ions into the stream of
liquid hydrogen is to cool the hydrogen ions through collisions
with hydrogen molecules and then encourage the hydrogen ions to
associate with liquid hydrogen molecules to form H.sub.3.sup.+. The
natural repulsion of both the injected H.sup.+ ions and the newly
formed H.sub.3.sup.+ ions discourages interactions with similar
ions during this cooldown process.
[0025] Downstream of the injection point (passageway 27), the
stream of liquid hydrogen passes through a negatively charged grid
32. The negatively charged grid 32 is located far enough downstream
of the H.sup.+ injection point (passageway 27) to allow the
H.sub.3.sup.+ ions to reach thermal equilibrium with the liquid
H.sub.2. The object of the negatively charged grid 32 is to convert
the H.sub.3.sup.+ ions to liquid H.sub.3 molecules which are stable
at the cryogenic temperature of the flow.
[0026] A key feature of the present invention is the use of
para-hydrogen combined with third hydrogen atoms all with the same
proton spin to form liquid H.sub.3 molecules all with the same net
magnetic orientation, which orientation is maintained with a
continuous magnetic field. Since the liquid H.sub.3 molecules thus
created all consist of two hydrogen atoms with opposite spin (i.e.
para-hydrogen) and one atom of hydrogen all with the same spin
orientation maintained by the magnetic field, the resulting liquid
H.sub.3 molecules should be magnetically repulsive and therefore
more stable than a mixture of H.sub.3 molecules with randomly
oriented magnetic moments. The process of the present invention is
used to produce H.sub.3 molecules which exhibit long term stability
at liquid hydrogen temperatures for use as a rocket mono-propellant
or as an exothermic fuel in either rocket or air breathing
propulsion applications.
[0027] The spinning tank 16 concentrates the liquid H.sub.3 from
the liquid H.sub.2 based on the density difference of the two
liquids. This is because the spinning tank 16 acts as a kind of
centrifuge. The concentrated liquid H.sub.3 is extracted from the
periphery of the tank 16 by gradually bleeding it off and is stored
in a storage tank 34 for use as a propellant. The storage tank 34
also preferably has a continuous magnetic field about it. The
continuous magnetic field may be generated by wrapping coils of
wire 36 around the tank 34 and maintaining a DC current through the
wires 36 to align the molecules in the direction of their third
atom spin to maintain long term H.sub.3 stability. Reducing the
storage temperature further improves the long term H.sub.3
stability.
[0028] Liquid hydrogen (H.sub.2) boils at about 20 degrees Kelvin.
Keeping the temperature of the H.sub.3 close to 0 degrees Kelvin is
desirable to increase its half life, both directly and in support
of the common third proton spin construction and magnetic field
maintenance of the H.sub.3 molecule. The same refrigeration system
that produces the liquid hydrogen may be sued to maintain the
temperature that is needed.
[0029] Thermal decomposition is the baseline approach for using
liquid H.sub.3 as a propellant. When used as a rocket
monopropellant, the liquid H.sub.3 may be injected into a heated
pressurized chamber where the decomposition of H.sub.3 molecules
and the reformation of H.sub.2 molecules would create a hot stream
of low molecular weight exhaust products. When used in high
performance air breathing applications, such as ramjets and
scramjets, the decomposition of H.sub.3 molecules to H.sub.2+H and
the rapid combustion of the heated H atoms with air facilitates
both higher specific impulse and sustained combustion under
conditions that are presently difficult to achieve.
[0030] The present invention provides a process and a system to
respond to the needs for a higher specific impulse propellant for
space propulsion and high performance air breathing propulsion
applications through the production, concentration, storage and
eventual propulsive decomposition of tri-atomic hydrogen.
[0031] It is apparent that there has been provided in accordance
with the present invention an in-situ tri-atomic hydrogen
production, stabilization, and concentration system and process
which fully satisfies the objects, means, and advantages set forth
hereinbefore. While the present invention has been described in the
context of specific embodiments thereof, other alternatives,
modifications, and variations will become apparent to those skilled
in the art having read the foregoing description. Accordingly, it
is intended to embrace those alternatives, modifications, and
variations as fall within the broad scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *