Integrated and modular approach for converting electrical power to ionic momentum and high differential voltage potential

Abstract

An integrated and modular approach is provided to convert electrical power to ionic momentum and a resulting high differential voltage field potential using an integrated multi-planar or axial microwave array and energetically sympathetic dielectric antennae to convert distilled liquid water to steam plasma and propagate the resulting water derived ions and electrons, steam and microwave energy into a modular energetic planar arrangement for integration into reactor vessels of various designs for the reduction of waste stream and fossil sourced feedstocks into their fundamental gaseous components and simultaneous reformation into desired synthesis or methane gas. The formed steam plasma (initiating plasma) generates electrons and ions which are propagated differentially to create a high differential voltage field potential which in conjunction with dielectric heating and far infrared radiation induced feedstock ionic polarization effects creates a series of primary feedstock reducing plasma fields for efficient plasma gasification with simultaneous product gas reformation.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one of a magnetron or array of magnetrons arranged at the end of a cylindrical shield such that, when energized, microwaves propagate into the cylinder to at least one of the right or positive Z direction, the cylindrical shield constructed of at least one of a metal or other shielding material and lined with a refractory material to protect it from high temperatures;   within the cylindrical shield an open ended, radio transparent nozzle placed such that as the microwaves propagate unobstructed into the cylinder, passing through the nozzle but are constrained by the cylindrical shield;   at least one of a pair of spheres, a series of spheres, a series of pairs of spheres, a pair of cylinders, a series of cylinders, or a series of pairs of cylinders micro-perforated and arranged within the nozzle such that the micro-perforations oppose each other and are separated by a variable air gap;   at least one of these cylinders or spheres are composed of a radio transparent material selected from the group comprising fused quartz, alumina, and the like and are hollow such that the free space interior diametric dimension is equal to or greater than one wavelength of a given dielectric fluid to be used to fill them;   the cylinders are filled with at least one of a distilled water a dielectric, or another dielectric fluid of interest from a source which provides enough pressure to maintain the cylinders quantity sufficiently full, as the distilled water is ionized and consumed in the operation of the apparatus;   the magnetrons are then provided power and activated;   microwaves propagating in the +Z direction immerse the dielectric filled cylinders in a microwave field and the cylinders concentrate the electric field lines along an axis which causes the water to quickly heat to high temperatures and water vapor or steam is propelled from the perforations;   since equal potential lines are compressed inside the cylinders and in the steam filled gap between them, the voltage gradient between them increases causing air breakdown and a resulting arcing occurs;   in the area surrounding the arcs the combination of high voltage potential and the high temperature of the steam escaping from the cylinder's perforations combine to ionize the steam into a non-thermal equilibrium plasma where the steam dissociates into electrons (e−), water vapor positive ions (H 2 O+), other positive ions (OH+, O+, H+, etc) and various neutral fragments a fraction of which are propagated differentially out of the apparatus (H);   the water volume in the cylinders (D) is consumed but is replenished and maintained by the pressure of the source (A);   additional steam (G) in various volumes, temperatures and dryness may be added to the operating apparatus to:
 1) maintain a specific operating temperature inside the apparatus, 
 2) add additional H 2 O components into a reactor vessel to meet stoichiometric requirements for integrated or downstream processes or 
 3) tune for changing impedance characteristics in the system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the steam can be added in at least one of a direct, counter current, swirl gas or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the nozzle can be varied in shape to maximize the interaction between the plasma arcs and the steam or to adjust for varying desired operating pressures and effluent velocities. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the device can be operated with the nozzles submerged in water, distilled water or other media as needed based on desired outputs. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further coupled to a circular, ring shaped enclosed structure which, as an energetic planar apparatus, would function as a modular vertical component of a sealed reduction or gasification or hydrogasification reactor vessel further comprising;
 the magnetrons emit microwaves which travel through the apparatus, coupling first with the dielectric cylinders rapidly heating the water within them, causing the emission of steam from the perforations and an increased voltage potential which causes the dielectric breakdown of the air in the separating gap resulting in arcing or the formation of an initiating steam plasma; 
 the steam plasma components including highly energetic electrons and water ions proceed differentially into the circular arrangement where some impart an ionic dissociative force to the reduction target feedstock, others impart kinetic energy to the reactor's atmospheric molecules, and yet others contribute to an increasing voltage field potential which accumulates onto one or more of the following locations depending on specific feedstock materials and specific functional intent of the apparatus and the associated mechanisms: 
 A. A refractory lining, where: 
 with the application of an externally applied rotating magnetic field, this accumulating voltage potential/charge can be made to rotate about the feedstock providing the mechanism for the induction heating of the feedstock ; 
 with a continuous ingress of electrons from the operation of the apparatus, this induction heating mechanism proceeds in an increasing fashion until the sum accumulated voltage potential/charge exceeds the dielectric properties of the vessel's atmosphere between the anode/charge and the feedstock, at which point it discharges into the feedstock; 
 repeating this accumulation/discharge process continuously; 
 B. A strategically placed accumulating anode, where: 
 protuberances can be fashioned from the reactor vessel lining to collect and discharge the accumulating voltage potential/charge to direct less random discharges to satisfy specific feedstock feeding mechanisms as determined by the final reactor vessel design; 
 repeating this process continuously; 
 C. The feedstock where: 
 accumulating voltage potential/charge can amplify the space charge effects from electronic conduction that some materials experience when immersed in a microwave field; 
 the charge accumulates in these space charge regions until the sum accumulated voltage potential/charge exceeds the dielectric properties of the feedstock material between these regions at which point the accumulated charge discharges within the feedstock itself; 
 due to variability in feedstock composition, charge location/mechanism is necessarily variable resulting in a periodic and unpredictable combination of location/mechanism; 
 the discharge represents the formation of a randomly localized and continuous series of primary reducing plasma fields which contribute to final gasification of the feedstock; 
 the ionic dissociative force imparted to the reduction target feedstock, the imparted kinetic energy to the reactor's atmospheric molecules, and the combination of the three specific mechanisms describing the accumulating charge and discharge all contribute to the increasing kinetic energy or heat of the reactor vessel; 
 microwaves that do not couple with the dielectric cylindrical antennae continue into the reactor vessel and couple with the reduction target feedstock and to a much lesser extent the atmospheric gases; 
 as the dielectric loss factor of a medium is roughly the material's ability to dissipate electric field energy in the form of heat, and since most waste stream and fossil sourced feedstocks are primarily composed of carbon, and, since most carbon based media exhibit a high dielectric loss factor, the reduction target feedstock begins to heat from coupling with the microwaves; 
 where these same types of materials show a lesser ability to conduct this accumulating heat out of the target and so hot spots and thermal runaway effects will occur, further contributing to the increased heat of the reactor interior; 
 where these effects can affect the characteristic impedance of the feedstock which can result in a decrease in the efficiency in which the microwaves and the reduction target feedstocks couple and standing waves can occur; 
 where these reflected microwaves then couple with the dielectric cylindrical antennae and further contribute to the generation of the initiating steam plasma arcs which impart more voltage potential and ionic kinetic energy (H), or heat, into the reactor vessel; 
 to a lesser extent these back reflecting microwaves can impart dielectric heating effects to the steam (G 1 , G 2 , G 3 ) in the apparatus as well; 
 since dielectric heating of a material is most effective if the material is an electric dipole and since most primarily carbon containing materials are not electric dipoles it is constructive that far-infrared radiation induces such an artificial dipole in the feedstock and is emitted by the refractory material that the apparatus is lined with, aided by the lining's surface humidity and the overall heat of the interior of the vessel, increasing the reduction target feedstock's dielectric heating susceptibility and further increasing the overall efficiency of this combined apparatus; variable reformation of resulting gaseous components into final desired end products is facilitated by the simultaneous availability of necessary reactants in the vertical convection currents of the complete reactor vessel; Apparatus can be arranged in various configurations around the circumferentially enclosed structure to maximize free space microwave constructive and directional interference. 
 
     
     
         6 . A method comprising:
 magnetrons arranged in at least one of an opposite, radial or axial fashion around a central Z axis to maximize the dielectric heating effect on electric dipoles by:
 1) the apparent rotation of the propagating E fields relative to the target dipole fixed on the Z axis forcing target dipole rotation in multiple planes, 
 2) the sequential staggering in length of the magnetron launching sections to rapidly force the target dipole species from position to anti-position (rotation), both mechanisms substantially increasing the frictional component between target species; 
   magnetron waveguide launching sections are staggered in length appropriate with the number of magnetrons used such as to provide wave crests of maximum or minimum amplitude across the Z axis to be as diametrically opposite as possible and in an alternating fashion from the previous wave crest receding across the Z axis;   an apparatus can be assembled in this fashion using as few as two magnetrons and in many unique configurations to account for specific and various dipole target media, ionic lag and to disrupt molecular rotational momentum as needed; and   a waveguide accumulators can be fashioned to adapt multiple waveguide launching sections to a single applicator or launching section as needed for a specific application depending on the desired mode of operation.   
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 constructing a plasma gasification unit at or near a problem quantity of a problem material;   using the plasma gasification unit to simultaneously process a hydrocarbonaceous material, an inert vitrifying matrix substrate, and the problem material, yielding at least one of an energetically useful synthesis gas (syngas), energetically useful heat, and a completely non-leaching vitreous slag with the introduced problem material contaminant safely and permanently sequestered with it.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the problem material is fly ash and the plasma gasification unit simultaneously processes the hydrocarbonaceous material, the inert vitrifying matrix substrate, and the fly ash, yielding the energetically useful synthesis gas (syngas), energetically useful heat, and a completely non-leaching vitreous slag with the introduced fly ash contaminant safely and permanently sequestered with it. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the problem material is asbestos and the plasma gasification unit simultaneously process hydrocarbonaceous material, an inert vitrifying matrix substrate, and asbestos, yielding the energetically useful synthesis gas (syngas), energetically useful heat, and a completely non-leaching vitreous slag with the introduced asbestos contaminants safely and permanently sequestered within it. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the problem material is radioactive waste and the plasma gasification simultaneously processes the hydrocarbonaceous material, the inert vitrifying matrix substrate, and the low level radioactive waste, yielding: energetically useful synthesis gas (syngas), energetically useful heat, and a completely non-leaching slag with the introduced low level radioactive particulate contaminants safely and permanently sequestered within it.