US5800576A
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Water clusters and uses therefor
Assignee: Hydroelectron Ventures Inc
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Filing: 1996-11-13
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Granted: 1998-09-01
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Expires: 2016-11-13
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides water cluster compositions characterized by high oxygen reactivity due to protruding, delocalized pπ orbitals. The invention also provides methods of producing the structures. The invention further provides methods of using the water clusters, for example in combustion, and compositions associated therewith.
Inventors
- 👤 Keith H. Johnson
- 👤 Bin Zhang
- 👤 Harry C. Clark
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 06:49
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10L; C10L1/00; C10L1/32; C10L1/328
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 51
Claim 1
Independent Claim
31 words
A composition comprising: fuel; water clusters dispersed within the fuel, the clusters being characterized by having protruding delocalized pπ orbitals and having an average diameter of less than about 20 Å.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
31 words
A composition comprising: fuel; water clusters dispersed within the fuel, the clusters being characterized by having protruding delocalized pπ orbitals and having an average diameter of less than about 20 Å.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein each water cluster comprises between about 5 and 300 water molecules.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composition of claim 2 wherein each water cluster comprises between about 20 and 100 water molecules.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The composition of claim 3 wherein each water cluster comprises about 20 water molecules.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the water clusters contain arrangements of water molecules having at least partial pentagonal symmetry.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The composition of claim 5 wherein the water clusters contain arrangements of water molecules having at least partial pentagonal dodecahedral symmetry.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composition of claim 6 wherein each water cluster comprises at least one pentagonal dodecahedral water cluster.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The composition of claim 7 wherein each water cluster comprises about 20 water molecules, arranged as a pentagonal dodecahedron.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composition of claim 1 prepared by a method comprising: providing the water clusters; and dispersing the water clusters in the fuel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The composition of claim 9 wherein the step of providing comprises inducing oxygen-oxygen vibrational modes having vibrational frequencies in the near infrared to microwave region.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The composition of claim 10 wherein the step of providing comprises inducing oxygen-oxygen vibrational modes having vibrational frequencies in the range of about 5 cm -1 to 250 cm -1 .
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The composition of claim 10 wherein the step of inducing comprises applying an external field.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composition of claim 10 wherein the step of inducing comprises inducing the oxygen-oxygen vibrational modes intrinsically through the dynamical Jahn-Teller effect.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The composition of claim 9 wherein the step of providing comprises ejecting water from a hypersonic nozzle so that pentagonal dodecahedral water structures are produced.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composition of claim 14, wherein the step of ejecting comprises ejecting water from a hypersonic nozzle that comprises a catalytic material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The composition of claim 15 wherein the catalytic material is selected from the group consisting of nickel and nickel alloys.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The composition of claim 9, wherein the step of providing comprises providing pentagonal dodecahedral water clusters.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
44 words
The composition of claim 17 wherein the step of providing pentagonal dodecahedral water clusters comprises a method selected from the group consisting of clathration, addition of a surfactant, application of an electric spark of sufficient voltage and appropriate frequency, and application of ultrasonic waves.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The composition of claim 9, claim 14 or claim 15 wherein the step of providing comprises steps of: providing neutral clusters; and ionizing the neutral clusters.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
The composition of claim 1 or wherein the composition contains at least about 5% water.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition contains at least about 20-30% water.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition contains at least about 50% water.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the water clusters comprise a mixture of water with an alcohol.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
The composition of claim 23 wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of methanol and ethanol.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
11 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the fuel comprises a hydrocarbon.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
12 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the fuel comprises gasoline or diesel.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
10 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein the fuel comprises diesel.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
33 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein combustion of the composition in a standard diesel engine produces reduced particulate and NO x emissions as compared with combustion of pure diesel fuel in the engine.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
24 words
The composition of claim 1 further comprising an additive selected to improve a characteristic selected from the group consisting of stability, combustibility, and lubricity.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
21 words
A composition comprising: diesel; and water clusters having an average dimension of less than about 20 Å dispersed within the fuel.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
A composition comprising: diesel; and water clusters having an average dimension of less than about 20 Å dispersed within the fuel.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
The composition of claim 30 wherein the water clusters have an average dimension of less than about 10 Å.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composition of claim 31 wherein the water clusters have an average dimension of about 4-7 Å.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composition of claim 30 wherein the water clusters are characterized by having protruding, delocalized pπ orbitals.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composition of claim 30 wherein the water clusters have between about 5 and 300 water molecules.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composition of claim 30 wherein the water clusters have between about 20 and 100 water molecules.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
14 words
The composition of claim 30 wherein the water clusters have approximately 20 water molecules.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
25 words
The composition of any one of claims 34-36 wherein at least some of the water molecules are arranged in structures having at least pentagonal symmetry.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
12 words
The composition of claim 37 wherein the structures have pentagonal dodecahedral symmetry.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
21 words
The composition of claim 38 wherein the each water cluster comprises about 20 water molecules arranged in a pentagonal dodecahedral structure.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
34 words
A method of providing water clusters characterized by having protruding, delocalized pπ orbitals, the method comprising steps of: providing liquid water; and ejecting the liquid water from a hypersonic nozzle comprising a catalytic material.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
34 words
A method of providing water clusters characterized by having protruding, delocalized pπ orbitals, the method comprising steps of: providing liquid water; and ejecting the liquid water from a hypersonic nozzle comprising a catalytic material.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 40 wherein the catalytic material is selected from the group consisting of nickel and nickel alloys.
Claim 45
Independent Claim
49 words
A method of increasing efficiency of fuel combustion, the method comprising steps of: providing water clusters characterized by having protruding delocalized pπ orbitals; and exposing the water clusters to fuel in a manner that allows overlap between the protruding pπ water cluster orbitals and orbitals associated with fuel carbons.
Claim 46
Independent Claim
49 words
A method of increasing efficiency of fuel combustion, the method comprising steps of: providing water clusters characterized by having protruding delocalized pπ orbitals; and exposing the water clusters to fuel in a manner that allows overlap between the protruding pπ water cluster orbitals and orbitals associated with fuel carbons.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
70 words
An engine comprising: a chamber; a water cluster injector characterized in that, when liquid water is introduced into the engine it passes through the water cluster injector in a manner that ejects water clusters characterized by having protruding delocalized pπ orbitals into the chamber; and a fuel injector, that injects fuel into the chamber in a manner that exposes fuel carbon orbitals to interaction with the water cluster pπ orbitals.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
70 words
An engine comprising: a chamber; a water cluster injector characterized in that, when liquid water is introduced into the engine it passes through the water cluster injector in a manner that ejects water clusters characterized by having protruding delocalized pπ orbitals into the chamber; and a fuel injector, that injects fuel into the chamber in a manner that exposes fuel carbon orbitals to interaction with the water cluster pπ orbitals.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
14 words
The engine of claim 43 wherein the water cluster injector comprises a hypersonic nozzle.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
13 words
The engine of claim 44 wherein the hypersonic nozzle comprises a catalytic material.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
21 words
The engine of claim 43 wherein the water cluster ejector is adapted to produce water clusters comprising pentagonal dodecahedral water structures.
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