The quantum-electronic and molecular power technologies and equipment are the more promising to receive clear sustainable energy in near future. For simplicity the term quantum-electronic power technologies and equipment are attributed here mainly to photovoltaic solar sells and the term molecular power technologies and equipment are attributed to other methods and technical decisions that provide the direct receive of electrical current using only the energetic properties of molecules, atoms and other elementary particles of matter. Though this division is not strict and needs in more precise definition in future.

In the article Electrokinetic hydrogenerators (Queltanews.com) the electrokinetic methods and devices for extraction of energy of moving water developed in Nizhyn Laboratories of Scanning Devices were described. They are based on the electrokinetic phenomena, arising up in the dispersive systems that are expressed in appearance of difference of potentials in direction of relative motion of phases under action of mechanical forces. The streaming potential is formed by isolated electrolyte, moving through porous body from one isolated Sylphon type chamber into the other under pressure of outer water flux. A source of all these effects - the well known interfacial 'double layer' of charges.

A double layer (DL, also called electrical double layer, EDL) is a structure that appears on the surface of an object when it is placed into a liquid (Fig.1). This object might be a solid particle or porous body. This structure consists of two parallel layers of ions. One layer (either positive or negative) coincides with the surface of the object. It is surface charge. The other layer is in the fluid. It electrically screens the first one. It is diffuse, because it forms under the influence of electric attraction and thermal motion of free ions in fluid. It is called the diffuse layer. Interfacial DL is usually most apparent in systems with high surface area.

The charges appeared on the phases boundary may be accumulated and used to form the electric current.

To provide the stable renovation of interfacial 'double layer' of charges the outer source of energy – the pressure of moving water, for example, of river is used.

A chart of electrokinetic power system that is built in such manner concludes working body (water), electrokinetics cell, accumulator of charges and electric current inverter.

Moving water (molecules) passes the kinetic energy as pressure to electrolyte of electrokinetic cell. Electrolyte when going under pressure through electrokinetic cell capillaries forms on the boundary of phases a streaming potential. Charges, which arise up in a double layer, are accumulated and given to inverter to form of industrial current suitable for consumption. 

Structurally electrokinetic cell (Fig.2) consists of two identical chambers 1 and 2, one of which in the initial state is filled by an electrolyte, capillary system, systems of electrodes and systems of knocking over (trigger). Sylphon type chambers 1 and 2 can change an internal volume under pressure of moving water on their external walls.

The electrokinetic cell works as follows. In initial position an electrolyte is found in a chamber 1. In the absence of dynamic water pressure the static pressure operates on external walls A1 and A2 accordingly of chambers 1 and 2. An electrolyte from a chamber 1 does not flow out. Electric potential on electrodes is equals a zero.

After electrokinetic cell is placed in the stream of water so that the vector of speed of stream is directed along the axis of an electrokinetic cell, athwart to the external wall A1 of chamber 1. At appearance of water pressure on the external wall A1 of the chamber 1 the action of two forces appears - static pressure R_st and dynamic pressure R_d of a mobile water. Under action of dynamic pressure a chamber (volume) 1 compresses and changes (toward reduction) the internal volume. An electrolyte under action of pressure is moving from a chamber 1 through the capillary system into a chamber 2. As a result on the output of the capillary system a double electric layer appears that can be observed as an electric current on the electrokinetic cell electrodes, when loading resistance is connected to the electrodes.

After the devastation of chamber 1 an «inverting» trigger system under action of water pressure revolves electrokinetic cell round it center of the masses so that begins water pressure is perceived by the external wall A2 of a chamber 2. In this case the process of pumping of electrolyte begins from a chamber 2 in a chamber 1. Depending on the choice of type of electrolyte and electrodes it is possible to get streaming potential of opposite sign on an electrode.

This main positive property of this chart - the direct production of electrical current. But the described chart has also a limitation – the necessity of use of moving water flux, for example, of river, to provide stable renovation of interfacial 'double layer'.

The attempt of taking advantage of inner thermal energy of liquid was also failed. The point is that in liquids kinetic energy of molecules practically is equal to their potential energy; therefore motion of molecules is complicated. They oscillate around instantaneous equilibrium state which changes in time. Thus in a liquid there is the well-organized disposing of only neighboring molecules. Vibrations of molecules in relation to position of the instantaneous equilibrium state are limited by some volume that is equals to free space between the neighboring molecules. Position displacement of the state of instantaneous equilibrium for some time is equal to the middle distance between molecules 10^{-10 m. The only thermal} oscillating mode of move of liquid molecules around instantaneous equilibrium state do not provides the stable renovation of interfacial 'double layer' of charges.

To overcome these limitations the researchers of Nizhyn Laboratories of Scanning Devices proposed to utilize the energy of surface tension for creation of liquid flux. The power possibilities of surface layer are explicated by the work, which is necessary to transfer the molecules from the volume phase into a boundary layer. This transfer of molecules goes to the increase of surface energy – creation of surplus of energy of particles within the boundary layer in comparison with their energy in the volume of liquid. The energy of surface tension that appears on the boundary of two phases (liquid and solid) is transformed into the motion of water flux by use of the capillary structure.

With the purpose to increase the effectiveness of hydrodynamic capillary structure and to boost the speed of water lifting through the capillaries the team of Nizhyn Laboratories of Scanning Devices researches very thin (nano)tubes and hope to receive the capillary structures with significantly improved properties. The point is that the character of interaction of molecules of liquid moving in very thin tubes with other molecules of liquid and of material of capillaries walls differs significantly. In limit, when the sizes of capillaries become close to the sizes of molecules of liquid, the surface tension on the boundary of phases increases by factor of 10.

In the narrow cylinder vessels (capillaries) of radius r the level of moistening liquid is higher, than in the large vessel, connected with them on a value h = 2σ cosθ/(rρg), where ρ – density of liquid, g – acceleration of gravity and σ –surface tension. Thus the level of lifting of water h is determined by the radius of capillaries. The smaller is the radius of capillaries, the higher will be the level of water and vice versa (fig.3).

The principle of the creation of the electrical double layer (EDL) on the surfaces of a capillary structure sucking the liquid is illustrated on the Fig.4. On the Fig.5 the chart of the closed cycle surface tension pumped electrokinetic cell for e-energy production is shown.

The energy effectiveness and power capability of capillary pumped electrokinetic system may be defined by calculation of work necessary to lift (pump) the appointed mass of liquid on the fixed level in a unit of time. 

The use of nanotubes for pumping of liquid gives the possibility of direct production of electrical current in near future. The systems of molecular power engineering that are built in accordance with described technology have low cost and provide the possibility of industrial and domestic use in the necessary interval of time, in a necessary amount and in a necessary place.

The systems considered here work in closed volume and in closed space. So they are ecologically safe. In particular as a working liquid the salt water is used. The chemical composition of that liquid is close to that of sea water.

By Vasil Sidorov on October 14, 2009 in Queltanews.com

sidorovvasil@gmail.com