GB1441931A - Electrochemical generator - Google Patents

Abstract

1441931 Chemical reactions in an electric field AVCO CORP 21 Sept 1973 [25 Sept 1972] 44432/73 Heading C1A [Also in Divisions C5 H1 and H5] In an electrochemical generator, a reactive gas is passed through an electric field and there irradiated with pulses of electrons, each pulse of electrons making the gas conductive, and in the interval between each pulse of electrons, the electric field is reduced until the gas is no longer conductive when the field again increases. Ozone, hydrazine, hydrogen peroxide and cyanogen are produced from suitable feedstocks. A high voltage source 13 charges capacitor 12 at a rate determined by choke 18 to establish the required electric field across electrodes 20, 21. Each pulse of electrodes from gun 14 causes the gas between electrodes 20, 21 to become conductive and to discharge capacitor 12. Circuit characteristics are so arranged that the electric field is re-established before the next succeeding pulse of electrons (Fig. 4, not shown). In electron gun 14 thermionic electrons are produced from filaments 27 on a non-conducting plate 28 in a conductive enclosure 26 and accelerated towards anode 45. They then pass through diaphragm 47 to the space between electrodes 20, 21. The output of a pulse control circuit is applied to reticulated grid 35 to determine the energy and pulse rate of the electrons. Within reactor cavity 11, arcuate members 36, 37 function to provide a smooth laminar flow of gas through the cavity.