A quasi-liquid of gas in bubbles of nanometer-scale, and devices and processes for making the quasi-liquid. A device comprises a channel plate (30) through which an operating gas flows to form micrometer-sized bubbles in a liquid. The bubbles are compressed to nanometer scale by action of cooling and pressure in a hydrophobic liquid (20) or are further fragmented to nanometer scale by a laser. Alternatively, a device has vertical water column having a bottom insertion tube, a bottom exit port, a top extraction port, and a water inflow tube; and, a centrifuge adjoining the top extraction port. A storage gas is diffused into pores of a low-density, solid-content material such as aerogel. The material is then introduced through the bottom insertion tube into an underwater environment creating cavities and a quasi-liquid.
The invention is a continuous process for producing methane from an underground coal bed or an above ground carbon-containing resource using hydrogen as a recycling working fluid. For an underground coal seam, the process includes injecting (220) hydrogen into the coal seam to form a reaction effluent of methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide; extracting the reaction effluent (230) for processing above ground; cleaning the reaction effluent (120); cooling the cleaned reaction effluent (130) and processing it through a water gas shift reactor (140); separating (150) hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide into separate streams; producing the carbon dioxide stream (160) as a product gas; processing a first portion (170) of the methane stream in a steam reformer, water gas shift reactor and gas separator (180) to produce segregated flows of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, combining the segregated hydrogen flow with the separated hydrogen stream (190); heating and repressurizing (200) the combined hydrogen stream to the temperature and pressure of the hydrogen in the first step; producing a second portion (210) of said methane stream as a product gas; and injecting (220) the combined hydrogen stream into the underground coal bed to continue the process.
A device and method of using the device to convert gasoline to hydrogen with zero carbon dioxide emissions and are suitable for co-location at a gasoline filling station. The device has a plasma reactor (100); a container (140); a port to withdraw hydrogen (101) from the plasma reactor; a fuel cell (150); and, a means for storing hydrogen. The method of using the device includes steps for introducing gasoline into the plasma reactor; cracking the gasoline; holding carbon in the container; withdrawing hydrogen from the plasma reactor to supply a first portion to a fuel cell and a second portion that is further divided into a third portion that is recycled back to the plasma reactor and a fourth portion that is sent to the means for storing hydrogen; and, producing electricity to operate the plasma reactor using the first portion of hydrogen as fuel in the fuel cell.
An ammonia and fertilizer production process is based on partial oxidation of fossil fuel, which co-produces polycarbonsuboxide. The four step process is low-cost and low-carbon-dioxide emission. It comprises the steps of reacting fossil fuel with oxygen in air and steam in an electric discharge plasma to produce a gas exit stream of polycarbonsuboxide, hydrogen with associated nitrogen (110); cooling the gas stream to condense and separate the polycarbonsuboxide as a solid polymer (120); compressing the gas stream to pressures for synthesis of ammonia (140); and, converting the gas stream to ammonia by employing a catalytic converter (150). Optional steps involve gas cleanup, which include removal of contaminants from the gas stream and adding hydrogen or nitrogen to the gas stream to adjust the ratio of hydrogen to nitrogen to three to one, respectively, prior to converting the gas stream to ammonia (130).
A device and method of using the device enable the in-situ extraction of hydrocarbons from oil sands and other hydrocarbon resources. The preferred embodiment of the device includes at least two electrodes of tubular form wherein said electrodes are porous and capable of being inserted into the ground; a source of electrical current to apply to the electrodes; and a means for extracting the hydrocarbons from the tubular electrodes. In the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the electrodes are inserted into the oil deposit and connected to an electrical potential difference sufficient to drive an electric current between in-ground electrodes. Current is then flowed between the electrodes. The pressure gradient, resulting from heating the oil-bearing fluid, drives product into the tubular electrodes where it is removed.