The Study of the Formation of Negatively Charged Electrolysis Hydrogen Bubbles and Their Size Control Under Microgravity Conditions for Separation of Solid Inclusions from Fluid

Abstract

The previously conducted theoretical description of the mechanism of formation of negatively charged electrolysis hydrogen bubbles and control of their size under terrestrial conditions, confirmed experimentally, permitted to conclude that negatively charged electrolysis hydrogen bubbles, floating up in a fluid, meet on their way the solid particle with dimensions much larger than the size of bubbles and induce a positive charge on the surface of the solid particle. As a result of the actions of the arising electrostatic force of attraction and the force of surface tension, a complex is formed: a solid particle, hung with negatively charged hydrogen bubbles, with a significantly increased lifting volume. The main tool of separation of solid particles from a fluid, the force of Archimedes, due to the increased lifting volumes of the formed complexes, raises the complexes to the surface of the fluid, separating solid particles from the fluid. The conducted studies permit to use these uniquely properties of electrolyzed hydrogen bubbles for cleaning of industrial waste waters and sewage, clarification of juices and vines, juice and unicellular alga concentrates production. Separation of solid inclusions from fluid under microgravity conditions plays a decisive role in the purification of fuel and special fluids from solid inclusions in the life support and power supply system of the International Space Station.However, it is impossible to take advantage of the results of previously conducted theoretical and experimental studies due to the lack, in this case, of the force of Archimedes. The paper presents a theoretical description of the mechanism of the formation of negatively charged bubbles of electrolysis hydrogen and control of their size under microgravity conditions, confirmed experimentally, which permitted to conclude that negatively charged electrolysis hydrogen bubbles, moving horizontally in the fluid from the cathode, where they were formed, to the anode due to the resulting electrostatic force of attraction between the bubbles and the anode, meet on their way a solid particle with dimensions much larger than the size of the bubbles, and induce a positive charge on the surface of the solid particle. As a result of the action of the arising electrostatic force of attraction and the force of surface tension, a negatively charged complex is formed: a solid particle hung with negatively charged hydrogen bubbles, which create a negative shield of the complex, which permits the complex to move towards to the positively charged anode. The main tool for separation of solid particles from fluid, in this case, is the conical shape of the separator, which drains all the liquid: purified in the near-cathode zone and concentrated by solid particles in the near-anode zone, into different ampoules. The conducted studies permit to construct a special concentrator-separator, capable to work on the International Space Station.