US 7,119,272 B2Granted

Gas specie electron-jump chemical energy converter

AssigneeNeoKismet, L.L.C.

InventorsAnthony C. Zuppero, Jawahar M. Gidwani

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for extracting energy is provided. In one aspect the method includes using chemical reactions to generate vibrationally excited molecules, such as high-quantum-number-vibrationally-excited gas molecules in a region. The vibration energy in the vibrationally excited molecules is converted into hot electrons when the excited molecules contact a conductor. A geometry is provided so that the excited molecules may travel, diffuse or wander into a conductor before loosing a useful fraction of the vibrational energy. Optionally, the generating and the converting process may be thermally separated, at least in part. The short lived hot electrons are converted into longer lived entities such as carriers and potentials in a semiconductor, where the energy is converted into a useful form.

Claims50

Dependent claims

A method of producing electrical energy, comprising:

forming a thin electrically conducting surface on one or more semiconductor elements, the thin electrically conducting surface and the one or more semiconductor elements forming a semiconductor diode;
forming a region for chemical reactions, the region including at least the thin electrically conducting surface;
conveying reactants into the region;
initiating one or more chemical reactions in the region, the chemical reactions producing one or more highly vibrationally excited reaction products;
and
removing exhaust and one or more products of the chemical reactions from the region by gas convection,
wherein the one or more highly vibrationally excited reaction products transfer reaction product energy to electrons in the thin electrically conducting surface, which electrons become energetic, travel into the one or more semiconductor elements and produce electrical energy.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/625,801Filed 23 Jul 2003 · continuation
Priority: 4 May 1999
Published: US 2005/0189011 A11 Sep 2005
Granted: 10 Oct 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H10D 48/30
Individual devices not covered by groups H10D1/00 - H10D44/00: devices controlled by electric currents or voltages
H02N 2/18
Electric machines in general using piezoelectric effect, electrostriction or magnetostriction: producing electrical output from mechanical input,…
H02N 11/002
Generators or motors not provided for elsewhere; Alleged perpetua mobilia obtained by electric or magnetic means: generators
H02S 99/00
Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Family

Application09/304,979Parent of this division · filed 4 May 1999
Application09/589,669Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Jun 2000
Application60/290,058Us provisional application · filed 10 May 2001
Application10/038,257Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Oct 2001
Application10/142,684Parent of this continuation · filed 10 May 2002
US 2005/0189011 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Sep 2005
US 6,649,823 B2Parent of this continuation
US 6,700,056 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application10/142,684Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,327,859 B1Parent of this continuation
Application10/038,257Parent of this continuation
US 6,114,620 AParent of this division
Application09/589,669Parent of this division
US 2002/0070632 A1Published application
US 2002/0121088 A1Published application
US 7,119,272 B2This patent

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