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BlackLight Process
BlackLight Power, Inc. has created a potentially commercially competitive, nonpolluting new primary source of energy that forms a prior undiscovered form of hydrogen called "hydrino" which is very likely the identity of the dark matter of the universe. This BlackLight Process of releasing chemical energy from hydrogen generates power either as electricity or heat with power densities and performance comparable to those of batteries and conventional central power plants, respectively. The only consumable, the hydrogen fuel, is obtainable from water due to the enormous net energy release relative to combustion. Two hundred times more energy and power is released per H2-forming hydrino than forming water. Thus, water can be used as the stored hydrogen, generated on demand using 0.5% of the electrical output at a nominal consumption rate of one-millionth of a liter per second per kilowatt electric power. Moreover, molecular hydrino gas and novel hydrogen compounds with potential commercial applications are the by-products. The former is very stable and self-vents from the atmosphere to space due to its high buoyancy and mobility. The BlackLight Process offers a potentially efficient, clean, and versatile energy source. Initial power applications of its technology are on-site residential and commercial electric power production. The Company has developed three systems to generate electricity powered by forming hydrinos: one electrochemical and two thermal systems.
The CIHT Hydrogen Fuel Cell
BlackLight Power has developed a breakthrough in direct production of electricity from reacting hydrogen to form hydrinos called a CIHT (Catalyst Induced Hydrino Transition) cell. The cost is forecast at $25 per kW with no dependence on the electrical grid, fuels infrastructure, Sun, wind, or other external variable power sources allowing the CIHT cell to be autonomous. This clean sustainable technology, independent of existing conventional infrastructure can be directly deployed on site and is ideal to power smaller scale systems. Rapid dissemination of CIHT direct electric at nominal historic cost is expected by deploying many autonomous distributed units that circumvent the economy-of-scale constraints for thermal to electric conversion and the electrical grid. It is expected that CIHT will competitively, economically, logistically, and environmentally displace essentially all power sources of all sizes: thermal, electrical, automotive, marine, rail, aviation, and aerospace. For example, a CIHT electric car is expected to have a range of 1500 miles on a liter of water. This direct application of the BlackLight Process to motive power has the potential of unsurpassed capability in terms of range, capital cost, power, logistics, and pollution abatement to zero, including zero carbon dioxide emission. Moreover, power systems become uniquely interchangeable (e.g. a motive cell may also be used for stationary power).
View Paper.
Rather than being limited by conventional thermal-based systems, a paradigm shifting technology called CIHT is enabled by the unique attributes of the catalyzed hydrino transition. The exchange reactions are the basis of a unique electrochemical cell wherein the power is developed by the reaction of hydrogen to form hydrinos. Being direct electric, the capital costs are projected to be about $25 per kW electric, about two percent of thermal systems, with no infrastructure requirements, and the system is deployable for essentially any application at any scale. In general, the chemical power released during the formation of hydrinos from hydrogen can be harnessed for motive power by several types of systems. The BlackLight Process has four principal applications to motive power, (i) on-board powering of the drive train with the game-changing CIHT technology, (ii) charging of electric vehicle batteries (iii) generation of combustible fuels, specifically hydrogen gas by electrolysis of water, and (iv) a hybrid electrical vehicle powered by heat that is converted to electricity to charge batteries that drive electric motors. The advantages and disadvantages are considered for the most to least competitive design.
In addition, solid fuel chemistries have been developed that are very efficient at liberating thermal energy from forming hydrinos, and these fuels have been validated to be thermally regenerative. Chemistries and engineering designs have been developed for two thermal-Rankine systems. One comprises a multi-tube thermally interacting bundle of cells wherein the hydrino reactions are maintained and regenerated alternatively in batch-mode in a given cell of the bundle of cells. Heat from the power production phase of a thermally reversible cycle provides the energy for regeneration of the initial reactants from the products. Since there are reactants undergoing both modes at any given time, the thermal power output of the system comprising a bundle of cells is constant. The capital costs are projected to be about $1400 kW electric. The other system comprises an array of reactor cells wherein power and regeneration chemistries occur synchronously in each cell, and each cell outputs constant power. The capital costs are projected to be about $1050 kW electric. Based on the observed energy gain and successful thermal regeneration of the solid fuel, the Company believes that environmentally friendly distributed and central power plants can be operated continuously as power and regeneration reactions are maintained in synchrony. The system may be self-contained except that only the hydrogen consumed in forming hydrinos needs to be replaced as molecular hydrino is released. Due to the independence from fuels infrastructure and the absence of any pollution whatsoever, new power-generation business opportunities of distributed generation may exist even at thermal power scales that are achievable in the nearer term using modification of readily available commercial equipment.
Arising from the unique energetics and products of the reaction, other anticipated commercial applications of the BlackLight Process are in lasers and specialty chemicals.
The engineering papers entitled “BlackLight Power Motive” regarding motive power applications of BlackLight technology including CIHT and “BlackLight Power Multi-cell Thermally Coupled Reactor” and “BlackLight Power Continuous Thermal Power System” regarding intermittent and continuous power cycles provide further details of these designs. View Business Presentation for an overview of hydrino theory, supporting data, engineered power systems, and licensing (also see Business & Licensing).
View Paper.
The design and cost estimates compared to other systems of an energy producing reactor system are presented. Heat from hydrino reactions within individual cells provide both the reactor power and the heat for regeneration of the reactants. These processes occur continuously over a plurality of cells in different phases of the processes. The hydrino reactions are maintained and regenerated in a batch mode using thermally-coupled multi-cells arranged in bundles wherein cells in the power-production phase of the cycle heat cells in the regeneration phase. In this intermittent cell power design, the thermal power is statistically constant as the cell number becomes large, or the cell cycle is controlled to achieve steady power. The conversion of thermal power to electrical power requires the use of a heat engine exploiting a cycle such as a Rankine, Brayton, Stirling, or steam-engine cycle. Due to the temperatures, economy goal, and efficiency, the Rankine cycle is the most practical and can produce electricity from a steam source at 30–40% efficiency with a component capital cost of about $300 per kW electric. Conservatively, assuming a conversion efficiency of 25%, the total cost with the addition of the boiler and chemical components is estimated at $1,380 per kW electric. The system applications for distributed power (1 to 10 MW electric) and central generation retrofit and green-field projects are projected to be very competitive relative to existing power sources and systems.
View Paper.
The specifics of a continuous hydrino reaction system design are presented. Heat from the hydrino reactions within individual cells provide both reactor power and the heat for regeneration of the reactants. These processes occur continuously, and the power from each cell is constant. The conversion of thermal power to electrical power requires the use of a heat engine exploiting a cycle such as a Rankine, Brayton, Stirling, or steam-engine cycle. Due to the temperatures, economy goal, and efficiency, the Rankine cycle is the most practical and can produce electricity at 30–40% efficiency with a component capital cost of about $300 per kW electric. Conservatively, assuming a conversion efficiency of 25% the total cost with the addition of the boiler and chemical components is estimated at $1064 per kW electric.
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Technical
Presentation - Summary
(large file)
Technical
Presentation
(large file)
Summary of recent experimental results and overview of BlackLight
technology with updated animations.
Business
Presentation
(large file) An overview of BlackLight's business, technology
and market potential.
Technical
Papers
Submitted and published journal articles on experimental studies
of BlackLight technology.
BlackLight
Process
Watch animations showing the chemical process inside the prototype
BlackLight reactors.
Theory
Resources
Learn more about the theory with animations,
spreadsheets, book chapters, etc.
CIHT Cell Concept Vehicle
Multi-Cell Thermally Coupled Reactor Power Plant
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Continuous Thermal Reactor Power Plant
Multi-Cell Thermally Coupled Reactor
Continuous Thermal Power System
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