Hydrogen as a Bouyant Energy Source.

[sm0ky2]

The following system is designed to utilize a change in pressure between the liquid phase of water
and the gas phase of Hydrogen (H/H2) and Oxygen (O/O2) in a pressurized electrolysis vessel.


In an ideal reversible fuel cell (where E in ~= E out) electrolysis is performed.
The gas products are separated into two vessels, one of hydrogen and one of oxygen.


System tolerances are tested and a maximum vessel pressure is determined.


The Hydrogen line is fitted with 2 pressure valves, the oxygen line with one.
And both storage tanks are attached.
Attached to the second hydrogen line is the system drawn below.


Where-in a known volume of Hydrogen gas at system pressure is used to fill a balloon.
The balloon is of sufficient size that, when inflated fully, has a buoyant force capable of
lifting mass x.


For simplicity the height is restricted to within a reasonable height.


Such that the Hydrogen balloon lifts mass x to height h.
At which point a valve transmits a portion of the hydrogen gas into a
gas line leading to another storage tank below.


The bouyant force of the system has decreased significantly,
such that the gravitational force is increased in the downward vector.
Both balloon and mass x now drop height h
We multiply this times buoyancy adjusted gravitational force
and output energy E.
At the expense of a drop in pressure from the vessel pressure down to
the pressure defined by the tensile strength of the balloon and the change in
a volume of gas necessary to facilitate the change in buoyancy.


See illustration:


(Edit coming in a few minutes when I draw a sketch)

[sm0ky2]

This is a rough sketch of the apparatus:

[sm0ky2]

a Generator can be attached so that the falling mass (m + balloon + hoses)
produces energy according to the equation:  E=mfh
Where f is the buoyancy adjusted force of gravity.

[kajunbee]

There was a question brought up on another forum as to whether a balloon expanding as it ascends through water accelerates. And whether this would give more out than in. A concrete answer was never given, but according to Wikipedia a partially inflated bag does accelerate as external pressure drops and it expands. Whether this translates into a gain I could not say. But I don't think it will, what might appear to be a gain is part of the energy required to inflate it at depth. But using a combustible gas instead of air adds another dimension to things. You could extract some amount of energy with lift of the gas and consume it as it descends. I wouldn't be able to crunch the numbers. But your a pretty sharp cookie and shouldn't have trouble with the math and coming up with something realistic.. I'm having some brain f**ts on how this could possibly work, but I'll wait till I've thought it through first.
Search lifting bag on Wikipedia if your interested.

This forum has been around awhile, so I'm sure this dead horse has been beaten before.

[kajunbee]

This company wants to use balloons for energy storage. http://https://www.google.com/amp/s/spectrum.ieee.org/energy/renewables/hydrostor-wants-to-stash-energy-in-underwater-bags.amp.html