JOHNSON AMBIENT-HEAT ENGINE

摘要

An ambient-heat engine has a substantially thermally-conductive housing whose interior is divided into a high-pressure chamber and a low-pressure chamber by a substantially gas-impermeable barrier. An ionically-conductive, electrical-energy-generating mechanism forms at least a portion of the barrier. First hydrogen-storage medium is disposed within the high-pressure chamber and second hydrogen-storage medium is disposed within the low-pressure chamber. An electrical-energy storage device connected to the ionically-conductive, electrical-energy-generating mechanism is operable between a charge condition and a discharge condition. In a charge condition, hydrogen atoms within the high-pressure chamber are converted to hydrogen ions and conducted through the electrical-energy-generating mechanism to the low-pressure chamber causing electrical-energy to be generated to the electrical-energy storage device. When the electrical-energy storage device is in a discharge condition an electric current is passed through the electrical-energy-generating mechanism causing hydrogen in the low-pressure chamber to convert to hydrogen ions and conduct through the electrical-energy-generating mechanism to the high-pressure chamber.

主权项

1. An electrochemical conversion system comprising:
an electrical-energy-generating mechanism; an electrical-energy storage device connected to said electrical-energy-generating mechanism, the electrical-energy storage device being selectively operable between a charge condition and a discharge condition; and a controller system coupled to the electrical-energy-generating mechanism and the electrical-energy storage device, the controller system being configured to selectively place said electrical-energy storage device in one of said charge condition and said discharge condition, the controller system including a temperature sensor,
wherein said controller system places said electrical-energy storage device in a charge condition when said temperature sensor detects a substantial termination in an increasing temperature transient of at least a first predetermined minimum magnitude over a first predetermined period of time, andwherein the electrical-energy storage device is charged at a first temperature to produce a first voltage output and discharged at a second temperature to produce a second voltage output different from the first voltage output, thereby converting heat into electrical energy.