Commercializable power source from forming new states of hydrogen

The data from a broad spectrum of investigational techniques strongly and consistently indicates that hydrogen can exist in lower-energy states than previously thought possible. The predicted reaction involves a resonant, nonradiative energy transfer from otherwise stable atomic hydrogen to a catalyst capable of accepting the energy. The product is H(1/p  ), fractional Rydberg states of atomic hydrogen called “hydrino atoms” wherein n=(1/2,1/3,1/4,…1/p)n=(1/2,1/3,1/4,…1/p) (p ≤ 137 is an integer) replaces the well-known parameter n = integer in the Rydberg equation for hydrogen excited states. Atomic lithium and molecular NaH served as catalysts since they meet the catalyst criterion—a chemical or physical process with an enthalpy change equal to an integer multiple m of the potential energy of atomic hydrogen, 27.2 eV (e.g. m = 3 for Li and m = 2 for NaH). Specific predictions based on closed-form equations for energy levels of the corresponding hydrino hydride ions H−(1/4) of novel alkali halido hydrino hydride compounds (MH*X; M = Li or Na, X = halide) and molecular hydrino H2(1/4) were tested using chemically generated catalysis reactants.First, Li catalyst was tested. Li and LiNH2 were used as a source of atomic lithium and hydrogen atoms. Using water-flow, batch calorimetry, the measured power from 1 g Li, 0.5 g LiNH2, 10 g LiBr, and 15 g Pd/Al2O3 was about 160 W with an energy balance of ΔH = −19.1 kJ. The observed energy balance was 4.4 times the maximum theoretical energy based on known chemistry. Next, Raney nickel (R-Ni) served as a dissociator when the power reaction mixture was used in chemical synthesis wherein LiBr acted as a getter of the catalysis product H(1/4) to form LiH*X as well as to trap H2(1/4) in the crystal. The ToF-SIMs showed LiH*X peaks. The 1H MAS NMR of LiH*Br and LiH*I showed a large distinct upfield resonance at about −2.5 ppm that matched H−(1/4) in a LiX matrix. An NMR peak at 1.13 ppm matched interstitial H2(1/4), and the rotation frequency of H2(1/4) of 42 times that of ordinary H2 was observed at 1989 cm−1 in the FTIR spectrum. The XPS spectrum recorded on the LiH*Br crystals showed peaks at about 9.5 eV and 12.3 eV that could not be assigned to any known elements based on the absence of any other primary element peaks, but matched the binding energy of H−(1/4) in two chemical environments. A further signature of the energetic process was the observation of the formation of a plasma called a resonant transfer- or rt-plasma at low temperatures (e.g. ≈103 K) and very low field strengths of about 1–2 V/cm when atomic Li was present with atomic hydrogen. Time-dependent line broadening of the H Balmer α line was observed corresponding to extraordinarily fast H(>40 eV).NaH uniquely achieves high kinetics since the catalyst reaction relies on the release of the intrinsic H, which concomitantly undergoes the transition to form H(1/3) that further reacts to form H(1/4). High-temperature differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed on ionic NaH under a helium atmosphere at an extremely slow temperature ramp rate (0.1 °C/min) to increase the amount of molecular NaH formation. A novel exothermic effect of −177 kJ/mole NaH was observed in the temperature range of 640 °C–825 °C. To achieve high power, R-Ni having a surface area of about 100 m2/g was surface-coated with NaOH and reacted with Na metal to form NaH. Using water-flow, batch calorimetry, the measured power from 15 g of R-Ni was about 0.5 kW with an energy balance of ΔH = −36 kJ compared to ΔH ≈ 0 kJ from the R-Ni starting material, R-NiAl alloy, when reacted with Na metal. The observed energy balance of the NaH reaction was −1.6 × 104 kJ/mole H2, over 66 times the −241.8 kJ/mole H2 enthalpy of combustion. With an increase in NaOH doping to 0.5 wt%, the Al of the R-Ni intermetallic served to replace Na metal as a reductant to generate the NaH catalyst. When heated to 60 °C, 15 g of the composite catalyst material required no additive to release 11.7 kJ of excess energy and develop a power of 0.25 kW. The energy scaled linearly and the power increased nonlinearly wherein the reaction of 1 kg 0.5 wt% NaoH-doped R-Ni liberated 753.1 kJ of energy to develop a power in excess of 50 kW. Solution NMR on product gases dissolved in DMF-d7 showed H2(1/4) at 1.2 ppm.The ToF-SIMs showed sodium hydrino hydride, NaHx, peaks. The 1H MAS NMR spectra of NaH*Br and NaH*Cl showed large distinct upfield resonance at −3.6 ppm and −4 ppm, respectively, that matched H−(1/4), and an NMR peak at 1.1 ppm matched H2(1/4). NaH*Cl from reaction of NaCl and the solid acid KHSO4 as the only source of hydrogen comprised two fractional hydrogen states. The H−(1/4) NMR peak was observed at −3.97 ppm, and the H−(1/3) peak was also present at −3.15 ppm. The corresponding H2(1/4) and H2(1/3) peaks were observed at 1.15 ppm and 1.7 ppm, respectively. 1H NMR of NaH*F dissolved in DMF-d7 showed isolated H2(1/4) and H−(1/4) at 1.2 ppm and –3.86 ppm, respectively, wherein the absence of any solid matrix effect or the possibility of alternative assignments confirmed the solid NMR assignments. The XPS spectrum recorded on NaH*Br showed the H−(1/4) peaks at about 9.5 eV and 12.3 eV that matched the results from LiH*Br and KH*I; whereas, sodium hydrino hydride showed two fractional hydrogen states additionally having the H−(1/3) XPS peak at 6 eV in the absence of a halide peak. The predicted rotational transitions having energies of 42 times those of ordinary H2 were also observed from H2(1/4) which was excited using a 12.5 keV electron beam.