US 12,276,247 B2Granted

Utilizing hydrostatic and hydraulic pressure to generate energy, and associated systems, devices, and methods

OwnerJohn Bushnellinventor

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Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for utilizing hydrostatic and/or hydraulic pressure to generate energy and to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen are disclosed herein. A representative industrial system can comprise a storage tank containing fluid, a separator piston having a first separator compartment configured to be fluidically coupled to the storage tank and a second separator compartment, and a pressure intensifier. The pressure intensifier includes a first compartment, and a second compartment fluidically coupled to the second separator compartment. The second compartment of the pressure intensifier includes a pressure concentrator having a housing, a piston head member including arms, a plurality of cylinders each defined in part by the housing, and a drive piston head portion. Pressurized water may be depressurized by sending it through fine bore friction channels to produce water vapor and/or steam, which may then be injected into plasma reactors that separate water into hydrogen and oxygen. Some embodiments may involve injecting a catalyst into the plasma reactors with the water vapor and/or steam.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An industrial system for utilizing hydraulic and/or hydrostatic pressure to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen, the system comprising:

a source of pressurized fluid;
a pressure concentrator including—
a housing;
a piston head member within the housing and including arms and a drive piston portion;
at least one chamber, each such chamber defined at least in part by the housing of the pressure concentrator, wherein each of the chambers is operably coupled to a corresponding arm of the piston head member, and wherein each of the chambers and the corresponding arm of the piston head member at least in part define a first compartment configured to receive fluid from the source of pressurized fluid, and a second compartment spaced apart from the first compartment by the corresponding arm of the piston head member;
and
at least one biasing member in each second compartment exerting a force against the corresponding arm of the piston head member in a direction toward the first compartment of the corresponding arm;
a compression chamber fluidically isolated from the pressure concentrator, wherein the compression chamber is configured to contain a compressed fluid that is subjected to pressure from the drive piston portion;
at least one decompression chamber in fluid communication with the compression chamber;
a manifold coupled between the compression chamber and the at least one decompression chamber,
a friction channel downstream from each decompression chamber;
and
a plasma reactor fluidically coupled to each friction channel, each plasma reactor configured to disassociate steam and/or water vapor into at least one of hydrogen or oxygen.

10 more elements

A method of utilizing pressurized fluid to generate energy comprising the steps of:

a) providing fluid under pressure into a first compartment of a chamber located within a pressure concentrator, said first compartment being separated from a second compartment of said chamber by an arm of a movable piston member, said piston member having a drive portion extending into a separate pressure chamber that is fluidly isolated from said pressure concentrator;
b) said fluid under pressure moving said arm toward said second compartment, and moving said drive portion into said pressure chamber to compress water contained therein;
c) allowing said compressed water to travel from said separate pressure chamber to at least one decompression chamber to convert said water into water vapor;
d) transferring said water vapor from said decompression chamber to at least one friction channel downstream from each decompression chamber;
e) transferring said water vapor from said at least one friction channel to at least one plasma reactor, each such plasma reactor configured to disassociate said water vapor into hydrogen and oxygen;
and
f) transferring the hydrogen from each such plasma reactor to a hydrogen storage unit.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/800,471Filed 12 Aug 2024 · continuation in part
Priority: 12 Jan 2023
Published: US 2024/0240605 A15 Dec 2024
Granted: 15 Apr 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

F03B 17/025
Using hydrostatic thrust: and reciprocating motion
F15B 3/00
Intensifiers or fluid-pressure converters
F05B 2220/61
Application: for hydrogen and/or oxygen production
F05B 2220/709
In combination with: piezoelectric means

Family

Application18/153,966Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Jan 2023
Application18/365,431Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Aug 2023
Application18/409,722Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Jan 2024
US 2024/0401558 A1Pre-grant publication · published 5 Dec 2024
US 12,060,861 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 11,746,740 B1Parent of this continuation
Application18/365,431Parent of this continuation
US 12,338,785 B2Related patent
US 2024/0240605 A1Published application
US 2024/0240606 A1Published application
US 12,276,247 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.