US 4,362,689 AGranted

Production of hydrogen-based gaseous fuel

AssigneeTexas Gas Transmission Corporation

InventorsTheodor Teichmann, Henry J. Gomberg, Robert J. Teitel

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Abstract

A process for producing hydrogen-based gaseous fuel which comprises causing a fusion reaction of fusion fuel and utilizing the energy from said reaction to achieve direct dissociation of water to hydrogen and oxygen, to heat carbon containing compounds to produce carbon, and to heat carbonaceous materials to produce a carbon containing gas and thereafter combining the hydrogen and the carbon or carbon containing gas to produce a hydrogen-based gaseous fuel such as methane. The process includes utilizing thermo-chemical decomposition of water and also decomposition of water by radiolysis. The water in the system is subjected to heat in a thermo-chemical reaction and also to heat derived from heat transfer mediums to volumetric heating by radiation and to radiilytic conversion energy. An apparatus is provided to accomplish these multiple functions in conjunction with the fusion reaction.

Claims10

Dependent claims

The process of disassociating chemical materials to produce output combustible gases with D-T fusion reaction energy, comprising in combination,

(a) establishing a fusion reaction chamber and producing therein a D-T reaction producing heat and neutron radiation,
(b) placing about said reaction chamber at least two additional chambers, a first and a second chamber, isolated from the central chamber and D-T fuel but placed to receive heat and neutron radiation from said D-T reaction passing out of the reaction chamber,
(c) exposing by introduction in additional first chamber carbon containing material which will chemically react by heat and radiation energy from said D-T reaction to produce an output combustible gaseous component,
(d) exposing by introduction in said second additional chamber water which will decompose by heat and radiation energy from said D-T reaction to produce hydrogen, and
(e) removing said gaseous component from said reactor for use in outside systems requiring expenditure of said combustible gaseous component in a chemical process,
(f) placing a lithium blanket surrounding substantially said reaction chamber and said first additional chamber, passing the lithium from said blanket through a heat exchanger.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.