Energy generated from volcanic groundstates

Abstract

A novel class of energy-generating chemical processes or reactions uses cryogenically Prepared and stored materials exhibiting volcanic ground states having lifetimes exceeding several seconds. Energy generation is provided through activation of cryogenically prepared and stored material characterized by a volcanic ground potential surface in which its lowest rotation-vibration level has a lifetime sufficiently long to permit practical storage and subsequent energy release. Cryogenic preparation and storage provides that the material is kept in these lowest rotation-vibration levels, thereby avoiding thermodynamic population of the higher levels which are short-lived and therefore not suitable for practical use. In one embodiment, the He .sub.2.sup.++ v=0, J=0 level has been found to have a lifetime of 220 minutes making He.sub.2.sup.++ an ideal candidate for a fuel in which laser-induced fragmentation of He.sub.2.sup.++ into He.sup.+ +He.sup.+ fragments results in an energy release of 234 Kcal and a chain reaction. The resulting specific impulse reaches 1400 sec., which is about 3 times greater than that of hydrogen-oxygen fuel. Larger amounts of energy, as high as 1032 Kcal, can be produced when He.sub.2.sup.++ is probed with the light ground state hydrogenic species H, H.sup.-, H.sub.2 and H.sub.2.sup.+, with corresponding propellants having specific impulses greater than 2000 sec. Improvement of propulsive performance can be achieved via field-induced acceleration of the light ionic species which are the reaction products. Methods for production of cold He.sub.2.sup.++ include collisional and radiative processes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.