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This post talks about the cycle that could be used for a flux capacitor. This cycle can be "one-way" (or two or three way, etc) or a loop. I won't describe multiple-way, but in essence, media (including fuel and/or oxidizer or anything else) could be introduced from multiple directions to the flux plates.
This post focuses on One-Way Flux Cycle. This will likely be the most common build of the capacitor since it is the least complex and can provide good results if designed properly, however it will never be as efficient as a loop configuration (which we will go over later).
Any medium can be used, be that aether, gas, liquid, solid (like dust), plasma, flame, cool flame, a hybrid, or anything else.
This system can be standalone or could just be a way to derive some electrical power from another process like a jet engine or rocket or anything else for example. If standalone it should be designed to extract as much of the chemical energy from the input as possible to reach highest efficiency.
*As an update: it is probably best to choke (restrict) the flow *after* the plates (not right on the plates like the picture shows) to increase pressure on the plates. Also the restriction will speed up the flow and probably "put out" the ionization so the ionization doesn't carry on outside the plates thus shorting the circuit.
In this diagram we see the One-Way Flux Cycle. What it consists of in its most basic elements is a enclosed area (a flux capacitor can also run in an open area but this is an enclosed cycle) with any medium (most commonly fuel and oxidizer) introduced over flux plates and exhaust. Lets break down each element in the above diagram.
- Entrance: We have fuel and oxidizer introduced preferably well mixed with a minimum of pressure drop. A fan can be used to mix but that would cause a pressure drop (or it can improve the pressure if the fans are used to pressurize the compression section). The fuel and oxidizer could be pre-mixed but this significantly increases danger in case this system was to be compromised in a crash or other kind of disaster.
- Energy Storage: Next we have a capacitor and/or battery and/or anything used to store energy. This energy would be harvested from the flux plates (triboelectric plates)
- Triboelectric plates: These are the Flux plates and likely would be triboelectric or galvanic or anything else that allows ionized media to charge differentially. See my Flux Capacitor post for more info. A multiple stage design could have multiple flux plate sections.
- Compression section: This section allows for the media to be pressurized. For a compressible media this would be a smaller crossectional area, perhaps for incompressible media the crossection should be bigger due to bernoulli's principle. Fans or compressed media addition, or any other method can also be used to boost compression here to help the gasses ionize in this area. We want the gasses to be ionized here and non-ionized elsewhere so our plates don't short each-other out.
- Insulators: We don't want ionized gasses connecting plates together because this can short out our system and we loose charge. These "insulators" are anything (not necessarily insulators) that would prevent this shorting out by allowing medium to de-ionize before it leaves the section. They could even be charged or anything else to help neutralize the medium by any means (including but not limited to removal of dopants).
- Ionization catalyst: this can be anything that improves the chances that our medium is ionized near the plates and nowhere else. Here I am showing heat as a catalyst. Spark, electric/magnetic fields, chemical catalysts, or anything else can be used to catalyze ionization of the medium on/between the plates but not outside them to prevent shorting of the charge circuit. It can be introduced externally (like in the case of added heat) or can be done internally like a spark or dopant like metal ions or anything else.
- Ionized gasses: This could be any medium, not just gasses but gas will be very common. The ionization should happen between the plates and not "spill over" to other plates as this would short out our circuit. Ionization is important (but not essential to the flux capacitor or flux cycle) because it splits the charges and should allow each plate to be charged differently leading to a potential difference between 2 plates (voltage).
- Generator fan: After our "combustion" has happened on the flux plates, and from the pressure of the medium introduced in the first place, we will likely have lots of expansion and speed of the medium after ionization is complete. This mechanical energy should be harvested if desired to improve efficiency. A simple fan or turbine or anything else that can convert pressure/speed of the medium into power or another usable form, can be used. The fan can be triboelectric to help harvest some chemical energy leftover as well. Or even afterburner can be used and the exhaust used as thrust.
If a cool flame or otherwise is used, the exhaust gasses can be reformed for use later/elsewhere if desired as well.
Also the plates can move. A good example of this would be the flux plates actually in a "tesla turbine" like configuration where the plates spin. This could be a great way to sap energy from the pressure/speed of the flow as well as the chemical potential energy with the ionization between the plates at the same time. Also the spinning disk may in fact actually help us to change the properties of the medium between the plates and prevent the "shorting out" of our system.
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