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The Water Fuel Cell :: View topic - How does the VIC function? Part I: History of the VIC
Quoted Below: Edited to shorten (kept relevant sections)
Part I: History of the VIC
This is my first part of 3 parts about the VIC.
How does the VIC function?
First let's start with the time line of his US and EU patents (chronologically ordered according to filing date)
03.07.75 US3970070 Solar heating system
04.02.80 US4275950 Light-guide lens
07.04.80 US4265224 Multi-stage solar storage system
17.02.82 US4389981 Hydrogen Gas Injector System for internal Combustion Engine
24.07.82 US4465455 Start-up, shut-down for a hydrogen gas burner
25.08.82 US4421474 Hydrogen Gas Burner
14.12.82 EP0098897 Electrical generator utilizing magnetized particles
14.12.82 EP0101761 An apparatus for generating gases from water and for controlled burning of said gases
14.12.82 EP0103656 Resonant cavity for a hydrogen generator
14.12.82 EP0106917 Gas electrical hydrogen generator
14.12.82 EP0111573 Hydrogen generator system
14.12.82 EP0111574 Combustion system for mechanical drive systems using gaseous hydrogen as fuel
08.02.83 EP0086439 Hydrogen gas injector system for internal combustion engine
29.07.83 US4613779 Electrical Pulse Generator
15.03.84 EP0122472 Combustion system for mechanical drive systems using gaseous hydrogen as fuel
05.11.84 US4613304 Gas electrical hydrogen generator
25.03.85 US4798661 Gas generator voltage control circuit
05.08.87 US4826581 Controlled process for the production of thermal energy from gases and apparatus useful therefore
16.06.88 US4936961 Method for the production of a fuel gas
15.06.89 EP0381722 Process and apparatus for the production of fuel gas and the enhanced release of thermal energy from such gas
15.06.89 US5149407 Process and apparatus for the production of fuel gas and the enhanced release of thermal energy from such gas
02.11.90 US5293857 Hydrogen gas fuel and management system for an internal combustion engine utilizing hydrogen gas fuel
02.11.90 WO9207861 Control And Drive Circuits For A Hydrogen Gas Fuel Producing Cell
...
It looks like he first used straight DC Electrolysis, but he worked on the problem of the burning rate of Hydrogen, which burns much faster than fossil fuel or gas. He discovered, that by mixing the combusted gases together with the Hydrogen he could adjust the burn rate to whatever rate one likes and so be able to retrofit a hydrogen system to any already available conventional system. Additionally he developed the quenching circuit to prevent a backfiring of the burning gases, which replaces the usual (rubber) tube. But actually this isn't a new invention as this quenching effect was already long known in chemistry before.
...
US4421474 * How to adjust the burn rate of a Hydrogen burner by collecting and mixing the combusted gases to the Hydrogen.
...
Then he came suddenly on the idea to use rippling DC current, which gets additionally pulsed with a duty cycle, for electrolysis... Maybe he accidentally at one point just used the rippling rectified current from a transformer without using a capacitor to smooth it and he had just the idea that maybe by pulsing one can increase the efficiency or maybe he got inspired by the ideas of Henry Puharich (Patent US4394230), who patented a water electrolysis process which is 100% efficient (water doesn't get warm anymore). ...Also Stan states in the vids, that in this time he informed himself as much about water and hydrogen production as he could. Therefore it is very likely that he stumbled across Puharich's patent. Another point which indicates Stan knew the Puharich patent may be, that in a later Patent (US4798661) he even cites Puharich's patent as reference.
Puharich used an AC current, with an amplitude modulation of a lower frequency (additionally the strength of the modulation changes with a period of 3s). The interesting thing about the Puharich-System is, that when the water gets polarized, it (the water itself) rectifies the AC current to DC pulses (quite amazing). This rectified pulses he also shows in a diagram in the patent. If Stan really got his idea by Puharich, then maybe he got the idea wrong and thought Puharich is using only DC pulses (I thought the same when I first read Puharichs' patent) and tried to replicate this DC pulsing waveform.
As Stan wasn't very skilled in the art and maybe couldn't replicate this complex waveform he maybe simplified this idea of Amplitude Modulation by just switching the pulses completely on and off at a certain frequency and neglecting the change of strength of this modulation.
He did this pulsing with the help of a mechanical turning wheel(see Patent EP0111573, Fig 5), which shows how crude his electronic skills actually were at this time.
He now studied exactly this system and measured the influence of the different variables (e.g. different water types, plate distances, Electrode geometry, ... (EP0111573))
He discovered, that the geometry of the electrodes has a big influence on the efficiency. He came to the conclusion that cluster tubular, or even spherical electrodes are optimal (EP0111573 & EP0103656). He thought that the geometry is so important that he even applied a patent only about the geometry of the electrodes (EP0103656). He also discovered, that the optimal rippling frequency is dependant on the geometry (distance) of the electrodes, and that the frequency had to be in resonance with the electrodes to get optimal efficiency. From this time on, he called the Electrodes "Resonant Cavities". He said the distance between the electrodes has to be a multiple of the wavelength of the frequency. He explained himself the improvement of efficiency by the mechanical shaking impact due to the resonant movement of the water molecules...
Fact is, as Puharich also showed: This Resonance actually really increases the efficiency of the electrolysis.
...
Based on Patent EP0111573, he then patented his previous patent ideas again (to power a car, Hydrogen burner), but this time with the addition of the rippling pulsed DC Electrolyzing, whereas the pulsing is still done mechanically (EP0101761, EP0111574, EP0122472)
How he up until now generated the DC rippled current, I don't know. Maybe he just used the rectified mains current. But it seems like he wanted to be more variable in his DC rippled current. So he invented an "Electrical Pulse Generator" and patented it (US4613779). ...
For he then discovered (or someone told him), that a car alternator does actually exactly do this. You can adjust the output voltage by adjusting the voltage on the rotor and you can adjust the frequency by changing the rotation speed (alternators have electromagnets instead of permanent magnets in the rotor, to be able to adjust the output voltage according to the speed/load).
It looks like in the meantime Stan (taught) himself some basic knowledge about electronics. So he now started to do the pulsing with the help of an SCR. So he got now the same system as before, but much more variable due to the usage of an alternator for the generation of the rippled current and the SCR for pulsing. But I'm not sure if he really understood how an alternator works. ...
in the "dune buggy vid" he states, when he talks about the power used, that he's only inputting 5V and maybe 2 Amps or so (the current with which he powered the rotor). ...
But he missed the fact, that the energy that is coming out of the alternator is ...from the motor (that) is turning the alternator! So we actually have no clue how much power he really pumped in the WFC in this "dune buggy vid". ...
Due to the pulsing he maybe got very near to 100% efficiency (Puharich) and therefore the water did not get warm. ...
Addition: In the meantime another document surfaced (International Independent Test Evaluation Report). And in it it is clearly indicated how much power the motor had which was driving the alternator: It was 2kW. That's a lot...and would very probably be enough to generate enough hydrogen to be able to run a car on idle.
But then he discovered an effect which changed everything: When he introduced a variable resistor between the neg electrode and "Ground", then the hydrogen production suddenly started to increase (at a certain adjusted resistance) although he was now limiting the current by this resistor. ...
Between the plates of the new resistor or "Current Limiting Device" he filled a resin mixed with some conducting material with some resistance which was about the value he had adjusted before with the external resistor. He then put some (insulation) on the circuit electrode, so that it cannot get anymore in direct electrical contact with the water. He still used the variable resistance, so that he could adjust the total resistance to the ...optimal production. He called this double electrode (sandwich) with resistance in between the "electron inhibitor". And it seemed like this really increased the production of the hydrogen at the same time by really decreasing the needed amps.
Excerpt from patent US4798661:
[...]In the generation of the hydrogen and oxygen gases to an infinite limit, as yet not fully appreciated, the upper level of amplitude of the voltage is removed with the utilization of the electron inhibitor of Fig 7.[...]
...
He discovered, that there exist certain voltage levels at which the current through the cell suddenly rises. ...
Stan continually increased the voltage until at a certain voltage level he saw a sudden rise in amperage, and then explained how he could get rid of this amperage rise with the help of different means:
Level 1 (2.5V): By using rippled DC current instead of straight DC
Level 2 (4V): By pulsing the rippled DC current at a certain duty cycle
Level 3 (5.5V): By separately (sequentially) isolated connection of the + electrodes of the different WFC's (in a multi cell configuration)
Level 4 (7V): With the addition of an inline resistor between neg electrode and ground
Level 5 (8.5V): With the help of a resistive neg electrode ("electron inhibitor")
Level 6 (???V): By resonance of the resonant cavity (WFC) with the rippling frequency and/or pulsing frequency.
He also says in this patent, that the voltage levels indicated are dependent on the WFC geometry. And for a bigger cell he got voltage levels up to 45V.
In this patent he also introduced the improvement of not (allowing) voltage to 0V during duty cycle off pulsing but to a residual voltage. He actually also introduced the variation of the voltage amplitude used during the pulsing. This change of amplitude he suggested to do with the help of a transformer with several secondary taps and some TRIAC's to get the voltage in some discrete steps...
For better adjustment he also suggested to construct the WFC so, that one electrode plate can be moved.
He also introduced a "blocking diode" in the connection to the pos electrode, so that the WFC cannot discharge through this connection, when the applied voltage is lower than the potential of the WFC.
...The first few explained systems still have the - electrode on the inside, but the last one (Fig 6) has now the neg electrode on the outside. From now on he always had the neg electrode on the outside.
The Water Fuel Cell :: View topic - How does the VIC function? Part I: History of the VIC
Quoted Below: Edited to shorten (kept relevant sections)
Part I: History of the VIC
This is my first part of 3 parts about the VIC.
How does the VIC function?
First let's start with the time line of his US and EU patents (chronologically ordered according to filing date)
03.07.75 US3970070 Solar heating system
04.02.80 US4275950 Light-guide lens
07.04.80 US4265224 Multi-stage solar storage system
17.02.82 US4389981 Hydrogen Gas Injector System for internal Combustion Engine
24.07.82 US4465455 Start-up, shut-down for a hydrogen gas burner
25.08.82 US4421474 Hydrogen Gas Burner
14.12.82 EP0098897 Electrical generator utilizing magnetized particles
14.12.82 EP0101761 An apparatus for generating gases from water and for controlled burning of said gases
14.12.82 EP0103656 Resonant cavity for a hydrogen generator
14.12.82 EP0106917 Gas electrical hydrogen generator
14.12.82 EP0111573 Hydrogen generator system
14.12.82 EP0111574 Combustion system for mechanical drive systems using gaseous hydrogen as fuel
08.02.83 EP0086439 Hydrogen gas injector system for internal combustion engine
29.07.83 US4613779 Electrical Pulse Generator
15.03.84 EP0122472 Combustion system for mechanical drive systems using gaseous hydrogen as fuel
05.11.84 US4613304 Gas electrical hydrogen generator
25.03.85 US4798661 Gas generator voltage control circuit
05.08.87 US4826581 Controlled process for the production of thermal energy from gases and apparatus useful therefore
16.06.88 US4936961 Method for the production of a fuel gas
15.06.89 EP0381722 Process and apparatus for the production of fuel gas and the enhanced release of thermal energy from such gas
15.06.89 US5149407 Process and apparatus for the production of fuel gas and the enhanced release of thermal energy from such gas
02.11.90 US5293857 Hydrogen gas fuel and management system for an internal combustion engine utilizing hydrogen gas fuel
02.11.90 WO9207861 Control And Drive Circuits For A Hydrogen Gas Fuel Producing Cell
...
It looks like he first used straight DC Electrolysis, but he worked on the problem of the burning rate of Hydrogen, which burns much faster than fossil fuel or gas. He discovered, that by mixing the combusted gases together with the Hydrogen he could adjust the burn rate to whatever rate one likes and so be able to retrofit a hydrogen system to any already available conventional system. Additionally he developed the quenching circuit to prevent a backfiring of the burning gases, which replaces the usual (rubber) tube. But actually this isn't a new invention as this quenching effect was already long known in chemistry before.
...
US4421474 * How to adjust the burn rate of a Hydrogen burner by collecting and mixing the combusted gases to the Hydrogen.
...
Then he came suddenly on the idea to use rippling DC current, which gets additionally pulsed with a duty cycle, for electrolysis... Maybe he accidentally at one point just used the rippling rectified current from a transformer without using a capacitor to smooth it and he had just the idea that maybe by pulsing one can increase the efficiency or maybe he got inspired by the ideas of Henry Puharich (Patent US4394230), who patented a water electrolysis process which is 100% efficient (water doesn't get warm anymore). ...Also Stan states in the vids, that in this time he informed himself as much about water and hydrogen production as he could. Therefore it is very likely that he stumbled across Puharich's patent. Another point which indicates Stan knew the Puharich patent may be, that in a later Patent (US4798661) he even cites Puharich's patent as reference.
Puharich used an AC current, with an amplitude modulation of a lower frequency (additionally the strength of the modulation changes with a period of 3s). The interesting thing about the Puharich-System is, that when the water gets polarized, it (the water itself) rectifies the AC current to DC pulses (quite amazing). This rectified pulses he also shows in a diagram in the patent. If Stan really got his idea by Puharich, then maybe he got the idea wrong and thought Puharich is using only DC pulses (I thought the same when I first read Puharichs' patent) and tried to replicate this DC pulsing waveform.
As Stan wasn't very skilled in the art and maybe couldn't replicate this complex waveform he maybe simplified this idea of Amplitude Modulation by just switching the pulses completely on and off at a certain frequency and neglecting the change of strength of this modulation.
He did this pulsing with the help of a mechanical turning wheel(see Patent EP0111573, Fig 5), which shows how crude his electronic skills actually were at this time.
He now studied exactly this system and measured the influence of the different variables (e.g. different water types, plate distances, Electrode geometry, ... (EP0111573))
He discovered, that the geometry of the electrodes has a big influence on the efficiency. He came to the conclusion that cluster tubular, or even spherical electrodes are optimal (EP0111573 & EP0103656). He thought that the geometry is so important that he even applied a patent only about the geometry of the electrodes (EP0103656). He also discovered, that the optimal rippling frequency is dependant on the geometry (distance) of the electrodes, and that the frequency had to be in resonance with the electrodes to get optimal efficiency. From this time on, he called the Electrodes "Resonant Cavities". He said the distance between the electrodes has to be a multiple of the wavelength of the frequency. He explained himself the improvement of efficiency by the mechanical shaking impact due to the resonant movement of the water molecules...
Fact is, as Puharich also showed: This Resonance actually really increases the efficiency of the electrolysis.
...
Based on Patent EP0111573, he then patented his previous patent ideas again (to power a car, Hydrogen burner), but this time with the addition of the rippling pulsed DC Electrolyzing, whereas the pulsing is still done mechanically (EP0101761, EP0111574, EP0122472)
How he up until now generated the DC rippled current, I don't know. Maybe he just used the rectified mains current. But it seems like he wanted to be more variable in his DC rippled current. So he invented an "Electrical Pulse Generator" and patented it (US4613779). ...
For he then discovered (or someone told him), that a car alternator does actually exactly do this. You can adjust the output voltage by adjusting the voltage on the rotor and you can adjust the frequency by changing the rotation speed (alternators have electromagnets instead of permanent magnets in the rotor, to be able to adjust the output voltage according to the speed/load).
It looks like in the meantime Stan (taught) himself some basic knowledge about electronics. So he now started to do the pulsing with the help of an SCR. So he got now the same system as before, but much more variable due to the usage of an alternator for the generation of the rippled current and the SCR for pulsing. But I'm not sure if he really understood how an alternator works. ...
in the "dune buggy vid" he states, when he talks about the power used, that he's only inputting 5V and maybe 2 Amps or so (the current with which he powered the rotor). ...
But he missed the fact, that the energy that is coming out of the alternator is ...from the motor (that) is turning the alternator! So we actually have no clue how much power he really pumped in the WFC in this "dune buggy vid". ...
Due to the pulsing he maybe got very near to 100% efficiency (Puharich) and therefore the water did not get warm. ...
Addition: In the meantime another document surfaced (International Independent Test Evaluation Report). And in it it is clearly indicated how much power the motor had which was driving the alternator: It was 2kW. That's a lot...and would very probably be enough to generate enough hydrogen to be able to run a car on idle.
But then he discovered an effect which changed everything: When he introduced a variable resistor between the neg electrode and "Ground", then the hydrogen production suddenly started to increase (at a certain adjusted resistance) although he was now limiting the current by this resistor. ...
Between the plates of the new resistor or "Current Limiting Device" he filled a resin mixed with some conducting material with some resistance which was about the value he had adjusted before with the external resistor. He then put some (insulation) on the circuit electrode, so that it cannot get anymore in direct electrical contact with the water. He still used the variable resistance, so that he could adjust the total resistance to the ...optimal production. He called this double electrode (sandwich) with resistance in between the "electron inhibitor". And it seemed like this really increased the production of the hydrogen at the same time by really decreasing the needed amps.
Excerpt from patent US4798661:
[...]In the generation of the hydrogen and oxygen gases to an infinite limit, as yet not fully appreciated, the upper level of amplitude of the voltage is removed with the utilization of the electron inhibitor of Fig 7.[...]
...
He discovered, that there exist certain voltage levels at which the current through the cell suddenly rises. ...
Stan continually increased the voltage until at a certain voltage level he saw a sudden rise in amperage, and then explained how he could get rid of this amperage rise with the help of different means:
Level 1 (2.5V): By using rippled DC current instead of straight DC
Level 2 (4V): By pulsing the rippled DC current at a certain duty cycle
Level 3 (5.5V): By separately (sequentially) isolated connection of the + electrodes of the different WFC's (in a multi cell configuration)
Level 4 (7V): With the addition of an inline resistor between neg electrode and ground
Level 5 (8.5V): With the help of a resistive neg electrode ("electron inhibitor")
Level 6 (???V): By resonance of the resonant cavity (WFC) with the rippling frequency and/or pulsing frequency.
He also says in this patent, that the voltage levels indicated are dependent on the WFC geometry. And for a bigger cell he got voltage levels up to 45V.
In this patent he also introduced the improvement of not (allowing) voltage to 0V during duty cycle off pulsing but to a residual voltage. He actually also introduced the variation of the voltage amplitude used during the pulsing. This change of amplitude he suggested to do with the help of a transformer with several secondary taps and some TRIAC's to get the voltage in some discrete steps...
For better adjustment he also suggested to construct the WFC so, that one electrode plate can be moved.
He also introduced a "blocking diode" in the connection to the pos electrode, so that the WFC cannot discharge through this connection, when the applied voltage is lower than the potential of the WFC.
...The first few explained systems still have the - electrode on the inside, but the last one (Fig 6) has now the neg electrode on the outside. From now on he always had the neg electrode on the outside.
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