System and method for electrolyzing water

Abstract

Systems and methods for electrolyzing water into hydrogen are disclosed. Hydrogen production efficiency is enhanced by maintaining a vacuum pressure on the tank holding the water being electrolyzed, and also by generating a plasma between the electrolysis plates.

1 . An electrolysis apparatus comprising:
 an electrical power source;   an electrolysis cell containing at least one anode and at least one cathode, the at least one anode and at least one cathode in electrical communication with the power source, the electrolysis cell having at least one aperture for the introduction of a fluid to undergo electrolysis; and at least one aperture for the removal of gases;   at least one condensation hood disposed within the electrolysis cell; and   a pump in fluid communication with the at least one aperture for the removal of gases, the pump having sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.1 atmosphere.   
     
     
         2 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pump has sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.08 atmosphere. 
     
     
         3 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pump has sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.05 atmosphere. 
     
     
         4 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pump has sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.03 atmosphere. 
     
     
         5 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pump has sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.01 atmosphere. 
     
     
         6 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one anode and at least one cathode comprise recycled palladium coated hard drives. 
     
     
         7 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of screens within the electrolysis cell, each of the plurality of screens having pore sizes between 1 and 500 microns, and being disposed such that gases rising in the electrolysis cell pass through screens having increasingly smaller pores. 
     
     
         8 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the pores in the plurality of screens are generally square in shape, and wherein adjacent screens are oriented such that the axis of their respective pores are rotated with respect to one another. 
     
     
         9 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one condensation hood is generally conical in shape, and has holes that permit gases to continue to rise above the condensation hood to exit the electrolysis cell through the at least one aperture for the removal of gases. 
     
     
         10 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a fluid circuit for removing liquid from the electrolysis cell, cooling the liquid removed, and returning the cooled liquid to the electrolysis cell. 
     
     
         11 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first tank for holding water to undergo electrolysis, the first tank being in fluid communication with the at least one aperture for the introduction of fluid into the electrolysis cell;   a second tank for holding a liquid chemical to be mixed with the water to undergo electrolysis, the second tank being in fluid communication with the at least one aperture for the introduction of fluid into the electrolysis cell.   
     
     
         12 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical power source has sufficient capacity to generate a plasma between the at least one anode and the at least one cathode. 
     
     
         13 . An electrolysis apparatus comprising:
 an electrical power source;   an electrolysis cell containing at least one anode and at least one cathode, the at least one anode and at least one cathode in electrical communication with the power source, the electrolysis cell having at least one aperture for the introduction of a fluid to undergo electrolysis; and at least one aperture for the removal of gases; and   a pump in fluid communication with the at least one aperture for the removal of gases, the pump having sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.1 atmosphere.   
     
     
         14 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the pump has sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.08 atmosphere. 
     
     
         15 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the pump has sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.05 atmosphere. 
     
     
         16 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the pump has sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.03 atmosphere. 
     
     
         17 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the pump has sufficient capacity to reduce the pressure in the electrolysis cell to less than at least 0.01 atmosphere. 
     
     
         18 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one anode and at least one cathode comprise recycled palladium coated hard drives. 
     
     
         19 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of screens within the electrolysis cell, each of the plurality of screens having pore sizes between 1 and 500 microns, and being disposed such that gases rising in the electrolysis cell pass through screens having increasingly smaller pores. 
     
     
         20 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the pores in the plurality of screens are generally square in shape, and wherein adjacent screens are oriented such that the axis of their respective pores are rotated with respect to one another. 
     
     
         21 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising at least one condensation hood disposed within the electrolysis cell. 
     
     
         22 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one condensation hood is generally conical in shape, and has holes that permit gases to continue to rise above the condensation hood to exit the electrolysis cell through the at least one aperture for the removal of gases. 
     
     
         23 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a fluid circuit for removing liquid from the electrolysis cell, cooling the liquid removed, and returning the cooled liquid to the electrolysis cell. 
     
     
         24 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a first tank for holding water to undergo electrolysis, the first tank being in fluid communication with the at least one aperture for the introduction of fluid into the electrolysis cell;   a second tank for holding a liquid chemical to be mixed with the water to undergo electrolysis, the second tank being in fluid communication with the at least one aperture for the introduction of fluid into the electrolysis cell.   
     
     
         25 . The electrolysis apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the electrical power source has sufficient capacity to generate a plasma between the at least one anode and the at least one cathode.