System for producing hydrogen making use of a stream of water
OwnerPeter Alexander Josephus Pasinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for producing hydrogen from water, making use of a stream of water such as a gulf stream or tidal stream, includes a number of submerged modules, each having a turbine that can be driven by the stream of water. The turbine is coupled to a generator for generating electrical energy. Each module may have submerged decomposition means for decomposing water into hydrogen and oxygen using the electrical energy generated. The modules are provided with means to control the depth of the modules below water level, and furthermore with means for automatically orienting the front of the modules—viewed in the longitudinal direction of the turbines—to the direction of flow of the water or an angular position deviating therefrom.
Claims21
A system for producing hydrogen from a stream of water flowing over a stream bed, the stream optionally being a gulf stream or a tidal stream, wherein the system comprises:
- (a) at least one hydrogen-generating submergible module having a front and a rear and being disposable in the stream of water for the water to flow from the front to the rear, the or each submergible module comprising:
- (i) a turbine drivable by the stream of water:
- (ii) an electricity generator coupled with the turbine to generate electricity when the turbine is driven;
- (iii) a water decomposition apparatus to decompose water into hydrogen using electricity generated by the electricity generator, the water decomposition apparatus being accommodated in the submergible module;
- and
- (iv) a depth control subsystem to adjust the depth of the submergible module in the water stream, the depth control subsystem comprising at least one ballast tank and one or more pumps to supply ballast water to, and discharge ballast water from, the at least one ballast tank.
A hydrogen-generating submergible module for use in a system for producing hydrogen from a stream of water flowing over a stream bed, the stream optionally being a gulf stream or a tidal stream, the submergible module having a front and a rear and being disposable in the stream of water for the water to flow from the front to the rear, the submergible module comprising:
- (a) a turbine drivable by the stream of water:
- (b) an electricity generator coupled with the turbine to generate electricity when the turbine is driven;
- (c) a water decomposition apparatus to decompose water into hydrogen using electricity generated by the electricity generator, the decomposition apparatus being accommodated in the submergible module;
- and
- (c) a depth control subsystem to adjust the depth of the submergible module in the water stream, the depth control subsystem comprising at least one ballast tank and one or more pumps to supply ballast water to, and discharge ballast water from, the at least one ballast tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.