Direct Energy Conversion from Hydrocarbon Fuels using Electromagnetic Waves

Energy of hydrocarbon fuels converted directly from chemical form to electrical form

Patent application no. - 336/BOM/99

A C - H bond is formed by mutual sharing of an electron from carbon item and hence no electron is released when the bond breaks, energy is released in the form of heat.

To break a molecular bond, some energy is required which is done by igniting the fuel. The energy provided is activation energy. When activation energy is provided to the fuel molecule, the C- H bond breaks and releases heat energy.

When a bond breaks the electron shared by carbon and hydrogen atom goes back to the carbon atom. An electron goes into lower orbit of the atom, which is the lowest energy state. The electron shared in covalent bond does not have energy sufficient to escape from the atom, hence electron emits the extra energy and jumps to the lower Energy State. Therefore the hydrocarbon fuel energy is normally extracted in the form of heat by burning the fuel.

To extract energy from hydrocarbon fuel in the form of electricity, the shared electron in C - H bond should have sufficient energy so that it can escape from atom leaving behind an H+ ion. (the free electron and H+ ion form an electric current source). To make an electron jump out of C - H bond, sufficient amount of energy is required to be provided from outside. (catalytic quantum ) The catalytic quantum of energy provided externally makes an electron 'stronger ' to escape from the hydrogen atom. If this is achieved, the electron has energy that is equal to sum of bond energy and the catalytic quantum (Energy of an electron = Catalytic quantum + Bond energy). The catalytic quantum is re-used to extract bond energies as the catalytic quantum used for the next cycle is generated from the energy extracted.

Ionization energy for an isolated H atom is 1310 kJ / mole. for one H atom, ionization energy is 2.1749 x 10^-18J/ atom. When hydrogen forms a bond with carbon atom, the shared electron has some energy in the bond. The energy in one C -H bond is 0.3699 x 10^-18 J / bond . To ionize the H atom, the amount of external energy (catalytic quantum) is provided which is equal to the difference between the bond energy of C - H bond and ionization energy of the H atom.

           Ionization energy        -      Bond energy                  =   Catalytic quantum
         (2.1749 x 10^-18) J/ atom -  (0.3699 x 10^-18) J/ CH bond =   1.805 x 10^-18J/ atom

Hence, the external energy to be provided is 1.805 x 10^-18 J / atom. i.e. per C-H bond since each bond has one hydrogen atom.
For energy provided in the form of electromagnetic waves. The frequency and wavelength of the electromagnetic wave is,

      E= hf, (E= energy of wave, h= Plank's constant, f= frequency of wave.)
      J = 6.625 x 10x frequency of wave
Hence ,
      f= 2.7 x 10¹⁵ cycles / second
     wavelength = c/f, (c = speed of electromagnetic wave = 2.97 x 10m/s)
     wavelength is 1.090 x 10 m = 1090^o A.
An electron in C - H bond has only 17% (0.3699 x 10^-18) of Ionization energy Hydrogen atom. Remaining 83% (1.805 x 10^-18 J ) energy is provided externally in the form of electromagnetic waves.
        Energy in C-H bond + catalytic quantum = Ionization energy + (H⁺ ion)

The chemical energy stored in Carbon-Hydrogen bonds of liquid hydrocarbon fuel molecule is converted into electrical energy. The liquid hydrocarbon fuel is exposed to collimated electromagnetic waves in absence of air. The wavelength of incident collimated electromagnetic wave is 1090^o A units(1090 x 10^-10 m). The electromagnetic wave transfer its energy to the electron in the chemical bond between Carbon and Hydrogen. The electron absorbs the energy and jumps out of the hydrogen atom.

The Hydrogen atom becomes a positive Hydrogen ion. And the electron becomes a free electron. The liquid fuel is kept in a magnetic field while it is exposed to electromagnetic waves. The magnetic field directs these free electrons towards a metal plate, that acts as a metal electron collector and as an electrode. The positive Hydrogen ions are directed towards a synthetic membrane (proton exchange membrane). The synthetic membrane passes only positive Hydrogen ions through it. While passing through the membrane, positive Hydrogen ion gains an electron from the membrane and combines with Oxygen atoms in the air which is on the other side of the membrane (the Hydrogen ion gives it's positive electrical charge to the membrane).

The membrane, which also acts as an electrode, gets positive electrical charge. The metal electron collector becomes negatively charged due to excess electrons collected on it. The two electrodes are connected through an electrical circuit. An electrical current flows through the circuit, which is energy source.

Part of the electrical energy is consumed to generate electromagnetic waves that are used for energy conversion and remaining part of energy is available for use.