Plasma_Electrolysis.pdf

Mizuno, T., T. Ohmori, and T. Akimoto. Generation of Heat and Products During Plasma Electrolysis . in Tenth

International Conference on Cold Fusion . 2003. Cambridge, MA: LENR-CANR.org. This paper was presented

at the 10th International Conference on Cold Fusion. It may be different from the version published by World

Scientific, Inc (2003) in the official Proceedings of the conference.

Generation of Heat and Products During Plasma Electrolysis

Tadahiko Mizuno, Tadayoshi Ohmori and Tadashi Akimoto

Hokkaido University, Kita-ku Kita-13 Nishi-8, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan

E-mail: mizuno@qe.eng.hokudai.ac.jp

Abstract: Direct decomposition of water is very difficult to achieve in normal conditions. Hydrogen gas

can be usually obtained by electrolysis and a pyrolysis reaction at high temperatures above 3700 degrees

Celsius. However, as we have already reported, anomalous heat generation during plasma electrolysis is

relatively easy to obtain under the right simultaneous conditions of high temperature and electrolysis. In

this paper we discuss the anomalous amount of hydrogen and oxygen gas generated during plasma

electrolysis. The generation of hydrogen in amounts exceeding FaradayÓs law is continuously observed

when the conditions such as temperature, current density, input voltage and electrode surface are suitable.

Non-Faradic generation of hydrogen gas is sometimes 80 times higher than the gas from normal

electrolysis. Excess hydrogen has proved difficult to replicate by other laboratories, although we are able

to reproduce it regularly.

Key word: plasma electrolysis, pyrolysis, hydrogen generation, current efficiency

1. Introduction

Hydrogen gas can be easily obtained by the electrolysis. However, direct decomposition of water is very

difficult in normal condition. The pyrolysis reaction occurs at high temperatures above 3700 degrees

Celsius (1, 2). We have already reported anomalous heat generation during plasma electrolysis (3, 4).

Some researchers have attempted to replicate the phenomenon, but it has been difficult for them to

generate large excess heat. They have tended to increase voltage to a very high value, around several

hundred volts, but they measured no excess heat.

We observe anomalous hydrogen and oxygen gas generation during plasma electrolysis. The generation

of hydrogen, which exceeds the Faraday law, is continuously observed when the conditions such as

temperature, current density, input voltage and electrode surface are suitable. Sometimes this non-Faradic

generation of hydrogen produces 80 times more hydrogen than normal electrolysis would. The plasma

state itself can usually be triggered fairly easily, when the input voltage is increased to 140V or above at

rather high temperature electrolysis cell (5, 6, 7). When the plasma forms, a great deal of vapor and the

hydrogen gas is released from the cell. This effluent gas removes much of the energy from the cell, and

with most conventional calorimeters this energy is not measured. This makes it difficult to calibrate, and to

establish the exact heat balance. This simultaneous heat release and the gas release are complicated and

difficult to measure. In this paper we show that anomalous hydrogen gas generation occurs during plasma

electrolysis. We will describe a heat measurement technique used during the plasma electrolysis to capture

all energy. This is important tool when replicating excess heat and other products during plasma

electrolysis.

2. Experiment

2.1 Electrolysis cell

Figure 1 shows the experimental set up. We can measure many parameters simultaneously: sample

surface temperature, neutron and x-ray emission, the mass spectrum of gas and input power and so on.

Figure 2 shows a schematic sketch of the cell and measurement system (1-2). The cell made of the Pyrex

glass, 10 cm diameter and 17 cm in height, 1000 ml capacity. A cap made of Teflon rubber was installed in

the cell. It is 7 cm in the diameter. The cap has several holes, three for platinum resistance temperature

probes (RTD), two for tube carrying flowing coolant water tube (the inlet and outlet), and one for a tube to

capture effluent hydrogen and oxygen gas, made of quartz, 5 cm in diameter and 12 cm in length. In

addition, the upper part of the tube is attached to a Teflon rubber cylinder with a water-cooled condenser

built into it, as shown in Fig. 3 and photo 4.

2.2 Measurement of hydrogen gas

A dome or funnel-shaped quartz glass surrounds the cathode, extending below it. It is 5 cm in

diameter, 12 cm in length. The effluent gas from the cathode Ï a mixture of hydrogen from electrolysis,

hydrogen and oxygen from pyrolysis, and water vapor from the intense heat Ï is captured inside the

funnel as it rises up to the surface of the electrolyte. After the gas rises to the top of the funnel, it passes

through a Teflon sleeve into a condenser. The water vapor condenses and falls back into the cell, and the

hydrogen and oxygen continues through an 8-mm diameter Tigon tube and a gas flow meter (Kofloc Corp.,

model 3100, controller model CR-700). This is a thermal flow meter; the flow detection element is a

heated tube. The minimum detectable flow rate is 0.001 cc/s, and the resolution is within 1%. The gas flow

measurement system is interfaced to a data logger, which is attached to a computer.

pyrometer

View of plasma electrolysis

Neutron counting

RTD

Flow meter

pyrometer

Cell

X-ray detector

Power meter

Power supply

Fig. 1. Photo of the experimental set up

Mass flowmeter

Q-mass

Hydrogen gas

Pt RTD

Power analyzer

Power supply

Teflon cap

Lo g ger

Computer

Quartz

pipe

Cathode

Pt anode

Flow meter

Cell

Mag.Stirrer

Water

supply

Incubator

Fig. 2. Sketch of experimental set up

After passing through the flow meter, most of the gas is flushed into the air, but a small constant volume

of the gas, typically 0.001 cc/s, is diverted to pass continuously through a needle valve and analyzed by a

quadrupole mass spectrometer.

condenser

To gas flow meter

and mass

spectrometer

Cooling water out

O2+vapor

gas out

＋－

Cooling water in

H 2 + O 2 + vapor

mixing gas

Teflon rubber cap

Teflon rubber stopper

Electrolyte level

Shrinkable Teflon cove r

Cathode room

Cell

Anode

room

H 2 Gas collector,

Quartz pipe

Pt anode

Plasma region

W cathode

Mixing gas

bubble

Fig. 3. Detail of the gas measurement

RTD: Pt resistance

thermometer, 0.001deg

glass dome

coolant coil

Pt anode

Rectangular Pt had

an integral lattice

constructed using a

15cm length of

0.1cm in diameter.

The cell is 6cm in diameter and 15cm in

height.

Fig. 4. Photo of cell

2.3 Calorimetry

As noted above, a quartz glass funnel surrounds the cathode. The anode is a mesh, wrapped around the

outside of this funnel. A Teflon tube, in turn, is wrapped around the anode mesh, and cooling water flows

through this tube. To summarize, the cathode is surrounded by a quartz glass funnel, the funnel outside

surface is wrapped in the anode mesh, and a cooling water tube is coiled around the anode mesh. A

platinum resistance temperature probes (RTD) is installed inside the tube, where the tube enters the cell

system, and another RTD is installed where the tube exits the cell. (We call this the ÐsystemÑ here because

after the cooling water passes the inlet RTD, it flows through the condenser above the cell, where it

captures a great deal of heat, then it enters the Teflon tube in the cell, then finally it exits the cell and runs

past the outlet RTD.) The temperature difference between the outlet and inlet RTDs is used to perform

flow calorimetry on the cooling water.

Another set of three RTDs are mounted in the electrolyte, at different depths in the cell, to measure cell

temperature and to perform isoperibolic calorimetry. A magnetic stirrer keeps the solution in the cell well

mixed. The amount of the heat generation was determined by combining results from the flow and

isoperibolic calorimetry and continuously comparing these two results with the input electric power.

Figure 5 shows the notional sketch of the heat measurement system. Heat out can be divided into several

factors. These are: energy required for water decomposition; heat of electrolyte; heat removed by the

coolant (the flowing cooling water in the Teflon tube); heat released from the call wall; and heat released

with the vapor that exists through the cell plug outlet hole.

Excess gas

Input

Hc: Heat of coolant

Hv: Vapor

Hg: Heat of

decomposition

Hr: Heat release

Hw:Electrolyte heat

Fig. 5. Schematic representation of heat balance

The heat balance is determined for input and output two formulas:

• Input (J) = I (current) ･ V (Volt) ･ t

• Out = Hg + Hw + HC + Hr + Hv

here, Hg = Heat of decomposition = ∫ 1.48 ･ dI ･ dt

Hw = Electrolyte heat = ∫ Ww ･ Cw ･δ T

• Ww :electrolyte weight, Cw :heat capacity, δ T :temperature difference

Hc = Heat of coolant = ∫ Wc ･ Cc ･δ T

• Wc :coolant weight, Cc :heat capacity, δ T :temperature difference

• Hr = Heat release = ∫ (Ww ･ Cw + Wc ･ Cc)Tr

• Tr: temperature change

• Hv = vapor = Wv ･ Cc

The calculation of the heat balance is relatively simple, despite the many factors that have to be taken into

account. Input power is from the electric power source only. Output is divided to several parts. The first is

Hg is heat of water decomposition. It is easily calculated from the total electric current. Hw is the

electrolyte heat energy. It is also easy to calculate, based on the difference between the solution

temperature and ambient. Hc is heat removed by the coolant. It is also easy to measure from the

temperature difference between the coolant temperature at the inlet and outlet to the flow calorimetry

system. The forth factor is Hr, heat release from the cell. This is rather complicated and can be determined

by a semi-empirical equation. The fifth factor, Hv, is heat release by vapor from the cell. This is difficult to

measure precisely. However, we have captured most of this heat directly by running the flow-calorimetry

cooling water flow through the condenser.

If there is excess hydrogen and oxygen gas, we have to measure the gas volume precisely to determine

how much energy it removes from the system. The equation for first factor, Hg, water decomposition was

based on FaradayÓs law in the first approximation. It has to be changed to account for excess gas. The new

equation can be based on the amount of hydrogen gas measured by the flow meter.

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