Method and system for generating electrical energy from water

Abstract

Method and system for generating electrical energy from a volume of water.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 023,313, filed Jan. 24, 2008, expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT LICENSE RIGHTS[0002]This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. AT-002362 and AR-44813 awarded by the National Institutes for Health and under Contract No. N00014-05-1-0773 awarded by the Office of Naval Research. The Government has certain rights in the invention.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Satisfying the world's energy needs is a demanding endeavor. Presently, fossil fuels are responsible for supplying the bulk of these worldwide needs. However, fossil fuel supplies are finite, their consumption often has adverse environmental effects, their cost widely variable and somewhat unpredictable, and independence from them is long considered to be politically advantageous.[0004]Alternative energy sources are being actively so...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]FIG. 10A is a graph comparing pH change over time following addition of water to a NAFION® sheet; pH values were measured at 5 s intervals using a miniature pH probe positioned at three distances from the NAFION® sheet (1 mm, 5 mm, and 10 mm); a wave of protons is generated as the exclusion zone forms providing lower pH; at a distance of 1 mm, the pH drop transiently exceeds 3 pH units, which represents a hydrogen ion increase in excess of 1,000 times; and FIG. 10B is an image of a chamber containing a NAFION® tube (bottom) filled with water containing pH-sensitive dye; view is normal to the wide face of a narrow chamber; image obtained 5 min after dye-containing solution was added to the tube; the dark color indicates pH <3; the lighter colors above indicate progressively higher pH levels with near neutrality at the top;

[0023]FIG. 11 is a graph comparing potential (mV) measured as a function of distance from the surface of representative hydrophilic materials (NAFION® and poly(acrylic acid) gel) useful in the method of the invention; substances are depicted as “inside” and water is “outside;”

Problems solved by technology

However, fossil fuel supplies are finite, their consumption often has adverse environmental effects, their cost widely variable and somewhat unpredictable, and independence from them is long considered to be politically advantageous.

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