Steam concentration energy converter

A steam concentration energy converter for generating electrical power from a water vapor pressure differential comprising:

• a proton conductive membrane electrode assembly, said proton conductive membrane electrode assembly having a first electrode, a second electrode, an ion conductive membrane, sandwiched between said first and second electrodes, and an ion conductive barrier layer configured to prevent the passage of molecular water through said proton conductive membrane electrode assembly;
• said first electrode being exposed to a first source of water vapor latent gas having a first water vapor partial pressure;
• said second electrode being exposed to a second source of water vapor latent gas having a second water vapor partial pressure, said second water vapor partial pressure being less than said first water vapor partial pressure, said second source of water vapor latent gas including oxygen gas;
• a housing, in the form of one of an internal combustion engine exhaust pipe or a tube with a blower creating an airstream over the tube, the housing at least partially separating the first source of water vapor latent gas and the second source of water vapor latent gas;
• and
• an electrical load/controller, said load/controller being connected between said first electrode and said second electrodes of said proton conductive membrane electrode assembly,
• whereby the load/controller extracts power from the proton conductive membrane electrode assembly as electrochemical reactions driven by the pressure difference between water entering the first electrode and exiting the second electrode, water vapor entering the first electrode from the first source of water vapor latent gas being oxidized into protons and electrons, the resulting oxygen being released back to the first source of water vapor latent gas and the protons being conducted through the membrane and the ion conductive barrier layer to the second electrode as the electrons are routed through the load/controller to the second electrode where the electrons react with oxygen to produce water, the water thus produced being released at the lower pressure of the second electrode.

A steam concentration energy converter for generating electrical power from a water vapor pressure differential comprising:

• a proton conductive membrane electrode assembly, said proton conductive membrane electrode assembly having a first electrode, a second electrode, a hydrogen conductive membrane sandwiched between said first and second electrodes, and a hydrogen permeable barrier layer configured to prevent the passage of molecular water through said proton conductive membrane electrode assembly;
• said first electrode being exposed to a first source of water vapor latent gas having a first water vapor partial pressure;
• said second electrode being exposed to a second source of water vapor latent gas having a second water vapor partial pressure, said second water vapor partial pressure being less than said first water vapor partial pressure, said second source of water vapor latent gas including oxygen gas;
• a housing, in the form of one of an internal combustion engine exhaust pipe or a tube with a blower creating an airstream over the tube, the housing at least partially separating the first source of water vapor latent gas and the second source of water vapor latent gas;
• and
• an electrical load/controller, said load/controller being connected between said first electrode and said second electrodes of said proton conductive membrane electrode assembly,
• whereby the load/controller extracts power from the proton conductive membrane electrode assembly as electrochemical reactions driven by the pressure difference between water entering the first electrode and exiting the second electrode, water vapor entering the first electrode from the first source of water vapor latent gas being oxidized into protons and electrons, the resulting oxygen being released back to the first source of water vapor latent gas and the protons being conducted through the membrane and the hydrogen permeable barrier layer to the second electrode as the electrons are routed through the load/controller to the second electrode where the electrons react with oxygen to produce water, the water thus produced being released at the lower pressure of the second electrode.