United States Patent: 3888750
First, as a foreword, we excerpt a passage taken from the body of this United States Patent, awarded to Pittsburgh's Westinghouse Electric Corporation:
"This application relates to an application Ser. No. 437,575 for Conversion Of Coal Into Hydrocarbons filed concurrently herewith to Andrew R. Jones (herein called Jones application) and assigned to Westinghouse Electric Corporation."
The patent application noted above did result in the award of another United States Patent, for the conversion of Coal into more versatile hydrocarbons, which specifically utilizes Hydrogen to hydrogenate carbonaceous Coal extracts; Hydrogen that is economically produced using the technology specified by this United States Patent.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 3,888,750 - Electrolytic Decomposition of Water
Date: June, 1975
Inventors: Lee Brecher and Christopher Wu, Pennsylvania
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh
Abstract: Electrolysis and catalytic thermochemistry are combined to decompose water while minimizing the energy demanded to accomplish the decomposition. The electrolyte is H2SO3 produced by supplying SO2 and the water to be decomposed to the electrolyzer. The H2SO3 is ionized and oxidized in the electrolyzer into SO4 and H+ ions and electrons. Hydrogen is derived from the negative electrode of the electrolyzer. The SO4 is combined with H+ to form H2SO4. The H2SO4 is removed from the electrolyzer to the thermochemical unit, concentrated and decomposed predominately into H2O, SO2 and O2. The SO2 is liquefied and thus separated from the O2 which is derived from the thermochemical apparatus. The liquid SO2 is vaporized and returned to the electrolyzer.
Claims: 1. The method of decomposing water into hydrogen and oxygen with apparatus including electrolytic means having positive and negative electrodes and thermochemical means, the said method comprising supplying water to said electrolytic means, supplying sulfur dioxide to said electrolytic means to form with the water an ionized electrolytic solution including sulfurous acid and H+ ions, impressing a potential between said positive and negative electrodes to supply energy to form hydrogen gas at said negative electrode and to oxidize sulfurous acid to sulfuric acid at the positive electrode of said negative electrode, deriving said hydrogen gas from said electrolytic means, transferring said sulfuric acid from said electrolytic means to said thermochemical means, decomposing said sulfuric acid in said thermochemical means into water, sulfur dioxide and oxygen, deriving said last-named oxygen from said thermochemical means, and transferring said last-named formed sulfur dioxide to said electrolytic means.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sulfuric acid derived from the electrolytic means is concentrated by the thermochemical means prior to being decomposed.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sulfur dioxide is separated from the oxygen by liquefying the sulfur dioxide while the oxygen remains in gaseous phase.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein energy is supplied to the thermochemical means to decompose the sulfuric acid and the residual energy left from the decomposition is supplied to generate electrical energy.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein energy derived by cooling the products of the decomposition of the sulfuric acid is also supplied to generate electrical energy.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein the electrical energy is generated by turbine means and the feed fluid for said turbine means absorbs heat from the products of the decomposition of the sulfuric acid to cool said sulfuric acid.
Background: This invention relates to the chemical art and has particular relationship to the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen. Jones application discloses the conversion of coal into hydrocarbons by reacting the coal with hydrogen. Hydrogen is readily obtained by decomposing water. It is an object of this invention to produce hydrogen for coal conversion into hydrocarbons, and for other purposes, by decomposition of water at a minimum cost in energy.
It is an object of this invention to overcome ... disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a method and apparatus for producing hydrogen efficiently by decomposing water and which shall not require substantial quantities of fossil fuel or such objectionable and costly chemicals as mercury."
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And, again, as will be confirmed in a dispatch soon to follow, this method was developed specifically so that Coal could be more economically hydrogenated, converted, into hydrocarbon fuels. Unmentioned by Westinghouse, but not too obvious for us to point out, the economical Hydrogen thus produced, using electricity, in a solution of Sulfur Dioxide, specifically for the hydrogenation and liquefaction of Coal, utilizes, respectively, both a product and a common by-product of Coal use.
We do note that, wherever possible, Westinghouse, predictably and, given one of their old business focuses, understandably, specifies the use of electricity generated by nuclear reactors.
We say "nuts" to nukes. Herein is genuine opportunity for Wind, Solar or Hydro to generate juice for a specific and focused use that could make a real difference. And, again, if their promise falls short, we still have plenty of Coal.
But, to repeat a question we have asked, in similar ways, before: Just how good do Coal conversion technologies have to get before we actually start using them to, by using a domestic resource, free ourselves from economic domination both by foreign OPEC powers, and, by alien, in terms of shared American goals and objectives, multi-national Big Oil corporations?
Seriously: Just how good does CoalTL technology, for the supply of needed hydrocarbons, have to get to be better than the situation we have now?