Thermally driven electrokinetic energy conversion with liquid water microjects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10404193-B1
Application number	US-201615161761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	May 21, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments relate to materials, methods to prepare, and methods of use of a thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus. The electrokinetic microjet apparatus includes a reservoir; a jet assembly fluidly communicating with at least the reservoir; and a target electrode spaced from at least the jet assembly.

First claim

We claim:

1. A thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus, comprising:
a reservoir including at least one heating device;
a jet assembly fluidly communicating with at least the reservoir; and
a target electrode spaced from at least the jet assembly.

2. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 1 wherein the target electrode is spaced about 5 cm from the jet assembly.

3. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 1 wherein the jet assembly produces a charged liquid beam.

4. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 3 wherein the liquid beam travels about 5 cm in ambient air at an average linear flow velocity of about 20 m/s.

5. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 1 wherein the target is a copper plate.

6. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 1 further including a rupture disk fluidly communicating with at least the reservoir.

7. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 6 further including a pressure transducer fluidly communicating with at least the rupture disk.

8. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 7 further including a back pressure regulator fluidly communicating with the pressure transducer and the jet assembly.

9. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid microjet comprises at least one capillary having a 30 μm inner diameter.

10. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one capillary is a 30 μm inner diameter silica capillary.

11. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reservoir comprise a double-ended cylinder adapted to hold deionized water.

12. A thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus, comprising:
a reservoir including at least one heating device;
a jet assembly fluidly communicating with at least the reservoir, the liquid microjet including at least one capillary having a 30 μm inner diameter and producing a charged liquid beam; and
a target electrode spaced about 5 cm from at least the jet assembly, wherein the charged liquid beam travels about 5 cm in ambient air at an average linear flow velocity of about 20 m/s.

13. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one capillary is a 30 μm inner diameter silica capillary.

14. The thermal electrokinetic microjet apparatus of claim 13 wherein the reservoir comprises a double-ended cylinder adapted to hold deionized water.

15. A method of performing electrokinetic conversion using mechanical energy, comprising:
providing a microjet apparatus comprising:
a reservoir including at least one heating element and containing a liquid;
a jet assembly fluidly communicating with at least the reservoir, the liquid microjet including at least one capillary having a 30 μm inner diameter; and
a target electrode spaced about 5 cm from at least the jet assembly;
receiving the liquid from the reservoir;
producing a charged liquid beam from the microjet; and
striking the target at an average linear flow velocity of about 20 m/s.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising heating the liquid to about 40° C., producing pressures of about 60 PSI/° C.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the liquid comprises water.

Assignees

• Us Energy
• Us Dept Energy

Inventors

• Saykally Richard J
• Harris Stephen J

Classifications

• C01B3/042 Primary

  Decomposition of water (by electrolysis of water C25B1/04) · CPC title

• H02N3/00

  Generators in which thermal or kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy by ionisation of a fluid and removal of the charge therefrom (discharge tubes functioning as thermionic generators H01J45/00) · CPC title

• C25B9/06

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• H02N11/002 Primary

  Generators · CPC title