The researchers of Nizhyn Laboratories of Scanning Devices Ltd develop the molecular and quantum-electronic electropower technologies and equipment, which are based on the use of power properties of molecules, atoms, ions and other elementary particles of matter for the receipt of electric current with the use of renewable sun energy.

The known existent Solar Macro Power Technologies and Equipment and Photonic Technologies for direct Electric Power Production have considerable failings and limitations. Thus solar thermal stations use the indirect methods of electric current receipt that lowers their power efficiency. The photovoltaic systems use the direct methods of electric current receipt, but have low efficiency of light-electric signal transformation and high cost.

The overcoming of lacks of existent power heliotechnologies may be achieved in the solar power systems, which use active gas mixtures as a working body.

An idea of using of active gas mixtures as a working body is not new. The gas mixtures were widely used in molecular lasers, which make use of electronic, vibrational or rotational energy levels in molecules. The molecules can be excited by an electric discharge, as in the case of the N₂ or CO₂ laser, by chemical reactions, as in the HF or DF lasers, or by another laser, as in the CH3F far IR laser.

In Nizhyn Laboratories of Scanning Devices, ltd the researchers, directed by Vasil Sidorov, Candidate of Technical Sciences in Electrical and Optical engineering, study two different molecular gas discharge power technologies of receiving an industrial electric current.

The first technology is named Controlled electrical gas discharge under concentrated ionizing solar radiation. It is based on the phenomenon of ionization of gas mixture under the action of the concentrated ionizing sun radiation and forming of the guided electric discharge in the closed gas environment. Gas discharges are localized near the electrodes of a cavity. A self-maintained discharge in the form of a thin channel with large amount of branches is named a spark discharge. A discharge is characterized by the creation of a plenty of heat and luminescence of gas. He arises up between two electrodes located in gas (in an atmosphere) at the gradual increase of voltage between them to the level, at which the disruption of gas is taking place and an electric spark appears.

High-quality explanation of mechanism of spark discharge is given by a streamer theory. In accordance to this theory an electronic avalanche, that was engaged near a cathode, ionizes and excites the atoms and molecules of gas. These atoms and molecules radiate quanta that are sent in the direction of anode with velocity of light. These quanta ionize gas, giving birth of a new avalanche of electrons. In the volume of gas the streamers (large stratifications of the ionized gas) are born. Uniting streamers are forming the ways, where electronic avalanches move one after other and after joining together form a spark discharge. Next to negative streamers, which are directed from a cathode to anode, the positive streamers also exist, that move in opposite direction.

In an optically transparent cavity of the gas discharge electrogenerator the system of electrodes captures the charged particles and forms electromotive force and electric current in an electric circle.

The second technology is named Controlled electrical gas discharge under multiphotonic laser ionization radiation. It is based on the method of multiphotonic ionization in gases under laser radiation that occurs in an electromagnetic resonator under action of the concentrated sun radiation. Multiphotonic ionization forms the guided electric gas discharge in the closed gas environment. A frequency of laser radiation is usually insufficient to ensure the ionization by absorption of one photon. But extraordinarily high density of stream of photons in a laser beam gives a possibility ensuring ionization conditions by simultaneous absorption of a few photons by means of multiphotonic ionization.

A pilot plant includes a cavity (discharge tube) filled by gas mixture. The filling gas within the discharge tube consists of carbon dioxide CO₂ (10…20 %); nitrogen N₂ (10…20%); hydrogen H₂ and/or Xe (a few percent); helium He (the remainder of the gas mixture). This mixture corresponds to that of Carbon dioxide laser, which is the highest power continous wave laser that is currently available. The active laser medium is a gas discharge which is water cooled in higher power applications. The CO₂ laser can be constructed to have powers between milliwatts and gigawatts. It is also very easy to actively Q-switch a CO₂ laser, giving rise to Q-switched peak powers 100 to 1000 times higher than the equivalent continuous wave laser of any particular design.

The population inversion in the laser cavity filled by carbon dioxide gas mixture is achieved by the following sequence. Primarily multiphotonic ionization frees a few initiating electrons. They are accelerated by the electromagnetic field of light wave, shock and in addition to the light excite (ionize) the molecules and atoms. Electron impact excites vibrational motion of the nitrogen. Because nitrogen is a homonuclear molecule, it cannot lose this energy by photon emission, and its excited vibrational levels are therefore metastable and live for a long time. Collisional energy transfer between the nitrogen and the carbon dioxide molecule causes vibrational excitation of the carbon dioxide, with sufficient efficiency to lead to the desired population inversion necessary for laser operation.

On the base of these two technologies the Solar Gas Discharge Electrical Power Station and Coherent Solar Gas Discharge Electrical Power Station are created.

The scientists consider the power efficiency of those technologies is in the limits of 30…40 %. In future it may grow to 40…60 %.

Vasil Sidorov E-mail: sidorovvasil@gmail.com

on March 07, 2009   in queltanews.com