Pressure energy conversion systems

Abstract

A process for performing energy conversion that converts pressure energy to produce expansive work in one or more devices selected from the group including a reversible fuel cell, expansion motor, and heat releasing combustor.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 : An energy conversion system in which electricity is used to dissociate a fluid selected from the group including water, aqueous electrolytes with a pH less than seven, and aqueous electrolytes with a pH greater than seven, vapors containing molecules of water, and compounds containing hydrogen into hydrogen and oxygen in which said hydrogen is stored as a pressurized fluid and said oxygen is stored as a pressurized fluid and wherein said oxygen is occasionally metered into a device selected from the group comprised of a reversible fuel cell, a liquid piston expander, a rotary expander, and the combustion chamber of a heat engine and wherein said hydrogen is occasionally metered into said device for the purpose selected from the group comprised of conversion of pressure energy into work, conversion of pressure energy into work, being combusted therein to accomplish conversion of heat energy into work, and conversion of pressure and heat into work.  
     
     
         2 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 1  wherein said device is provided with more than one receiver chamber and wherein said oxygen and said hydrogen are occasionally metered into each receiver chamber to be ignited and release heat to accomplish pressurization or work.  
     
     
         3 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 1  in which heat is utilized along with said electricity to dissociate water into said hydrogen and said oxygen.  
     
     
         4 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 1  in which said heat engine converts energy selected from the group including pressurized oxygen storage, pressurized hydrogen storage, and chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen combustion into work.  
     
     
         5 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 1  in which liquid piston means is utilized as one component of the combustion chamber of said heat engine.  
     
     
         6 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 1  in which said hydrogen is stored as a pressurized fluid in an integrated storage tank means comprising a tank liner means to contain fluids within, a reinforcing means to withstand pressure forces exerted by fluids contained within said liner means, a central tubular means that provides ingress and egress of fluids added or taken from said storage tank means, wherein said central tubular means is provided with a device selected from the group comprised of an excess flow shut off valve means, a solenoid operted valve means, and a manual valve means on one end and a device selected from the group comprised of a pressure relief valve means, a temperature relief valve means, and a combined temperature and pressure relief valve means on the other end of said tank means.  
     
     
         7 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 1  in which said oxygen is stored as a pressurized fluid in an integrated storage tank means comprising a tank liner means to contain fluids within, a reinforcing means to withstand pressure forces exerted by fluids contained within said liner means, a central tubular means that provides ingress and egress of fluids added or taken from said storage tank means, wherein said central tubular means is provided with a device selected from the group comprised of an excess flow shut off valve means, a solenoid operted valve means, and a manual valve means on one end and a device selected from the group comprised of a pressure relief valve means, a temperature relief valve means, and a combined temperature and pressure relief valve means on the other end of said tank means.  
     
     
         8 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 1  in which said hydrogen is occasionally metered into the fluid receiver of said device by an integrated fuel injection and spark ignition means for operation of said device in which a computer is incorporated within said integrated fuel injection and spark ignition means and is utilized to control an integrated valve means for determining the occasions when fuel flow through said integrated fuel injection and spark ignition means occurs.  
     
     
         9 : An energy conversion system in which electricity is generated by application of force to produce cyclic rectilinear motion of a moveable charge carrier means to cyclically produce close proximity to a first stationary electricity current conductor means that delivers electrical charge that is forced to cyclically flow to or from said first conductor means by cyclic proximity to said moveable charge carrier means whereas said flow of electrical charge is to a second conductor means and whereas upon cyclic arrival in close proximity by said rectilinear motion of said moveable charge carrier means electrical charge is forced from said second conductor means to be returned to said first stationary conductor means to complete one cycle of operation.  
     
     
         10 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 9  in which said force is produced by a device selected from the group comprised of a solid piston, a liquid piston and a combination of liquid piston and solid piston.  
     
     
         11 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 9  in which an electrolyzer receives said electricity to dissociate a compound.  
     
     
         12 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 9  in which an electrolyzer receives said electricity to dissociate a compound and said electrolyzer is reversible.  
     
     
         13 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 9  in which an electrolyzer is utilized to receive said electricity which is utilized to dissociate a compound and said electrolyzer is reversible to occasionally convert potential energy of pressurized chemical reactants into electricity.  
     
     
         14 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 9  in which an electrolyzer receives said electricity which is utilized to dissociate a compound to produce products with characteristics selected from the group comprised of elevated pressure, cool temperature, elevated temperature, and ambient pressure.  
     
     
         15 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 9  in which an electrolyzer receives said electricity which is utilized to dissociate a compound to produce products with characteristics selected from the group comprised of elevated pressure, cool temperature, elevated temperature, and ambient pressure and said products are selected from the group comprised of oxygen, hydrogen, a halogen, nitrogen, and mixtures of oxygen and hydrogen.  
     
     
         16 : An energy conversion system as in  claim 9  in which a heat engine produces said rectilinear force.  
     
     
         17 : The energy conversion system of  claim 9  in which said electricity is delivered to an electricity transformer.  
     
     
         18 . A fluid connector means that provides an elastomeric seal that is contained by a gland formed by a tube, an annular cavity in a component with external threads, and a surface of a nut with internal threads that engage said external threads wherein said gland is maintained by means selected from the group comprised of elastomeric thread tension provided by said internal threads engaged by said external threads, thread friction between said internal and external threads, and axial motion prevention features selected from the group selected from the group comprised of a radial pin that prevents relative thread motion, a spring that exerts a locking force to prevent relative motion between said internal and external threads, and an external lock that engages portions of said nut and portions of said component to prevent relative rotation.  
     
     
         19 : The fluid connector means of  claim 18  in which said nut secures an adapter that engages and protects said elastomeric seal.  
     
     
         20 : The fluid connector of  claim 18  in which said means for maintaining said gland can be relaxed.