US 8,940,243 B1 · Reforming chamber with constant electric discharge to generate hydrogen

Abstract

A circuit applies an electric field to a reforming chamber housing a hydrocarbon-water mixture to cause molecular breakdown and create a feed of hydrogen and carbon and dioxide that can be supplied to fuel cells. The circuit includes a DC-to-DC converter, a DC-to-AC inverter and a transformer to transform available input voltage to a control voltage that can be used to apply the electric field to the mixture in the reforming chamber. The signal supplied to the DC-to-AC inverter is monitored to determine whether enough voltage is supplied to create an electrical discharge in the reforming chamber. If an electrical discharge exists, the variables to the circuit is left alone or decreased until the signal indicates the electrical discharge is no longer present. If no electrical discharge exists, the variable input voltage is increased until an electrical discharge is detected.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a voltage supply configured to generate a variable voltage;
a cold plasma reforming chamber housing a chemical mixture comprising hydrocarbon and water for generation of hydrogen from the chemical mixture;
a drive circuit configured to receive the variable voltage and configured to generate a drive signal for application to the cold plasma reforming chamber;
a sensor configured to sense an operational parameter of the drive circuit;
and
a controller configured to calculate a time rate of change of the operational parameter and make a determination that an electrical discharge is occurring in the cold plasma reforming chamber based on the time rate of change of the operational parameter being positive, wherein the controller is configured to control the variable voltage in response to said electrical discharge determination and maintain the generation of the hydrogen from the chemical mixture in the cold plasma reforming chamber.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reforming chamber with constant electric discharge to generate hydrogen

Life of this patent

Reforming chamber with constant electric discharge to generate hydrogen

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10