Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgarians patent technology for extraction of mineral deposits and Brown’s gas from seawater

"Created from water and turned again to water, producing clean energy” is the way Bulgarian Ilia Valkov described the so-called Brown’s gas. He is known as Australian scientist Yull Brown because he immigrated to Australia in the middle of the 20th century. There in the 1970s he was experimenting with producing oxyhydrogen from water through electrolysis, separating the water molecule into a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen at a ratio of 2:1. This gas mixture is also known as Brown’s gas and when ignited, it converts to water vapor and releases energy. The scientist, however, claimed to have found a method to use implosion characteristics of the gas for producing energy. The scientific community remained skeptical to these claims that contradict laws of thermodynamics and chemistry. Still, Brown’s gas has a number of applications and is used for metal cutting and welding.

Two Bulgarian scientists have recently developed and patented an installation for extraction of Brown’s gas and mineral deposits from seawater. With their project, funded under the "Innovation and Competitiveness" Operational Program in Bulgaria, engineers Chavdar Kamenarov and Plamen Kamenarov have achieved success in the field of renewable energy sources:

Chavdar Kamenarov

“Initially our goal was extracting energy from water, but in the process it turned out that extracted mineral deposits are more valuable than the gas itself,” engineer Chavdar Kamenarov says. "So, instead of getting energy, we received mineral resources. This is how the idea to use the gas in the process of extraction of minerals was born. We obtain these minerals in the form of sludge, extremely rich in polymetals.”

The interesting thing here is that the technology allows selective accumulation of certain metals at the expense of others. Another great advantage is that the technology does not pollute the environment but actually can be used to purify highly polluted industrial waters:

“In addition to extraction of mineral resources, clean drinkable water can be extracted from the sea,” Kamenarov continues. “At a later stage, the technology can be used as an installation for incinerating household waste and converting it into thermal or electrical energy. The very presence of Brown’s gas reduces toxicity but does not remove it completely and construction of air purification installations is required. In addition to the listed applications, the installation we have created can also be used for cleaning tailings ponds where extremely harmful radioactive waste is accumulated. Brown’s gas is successfully used in China to neutralize waste from nuclear power plants.”

At the end of September the invention will be presented in Plovdiv to the scientific community and industry representatives.

English: Alexander Markov

Photos: private library



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Medical staff shortages: Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

The European Public Health Week (EUPHW), an initiative organized and coordinated by the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), is taking place for the 6 th time May 13-17. It aims to raise awareness about public health and promote..

published on 5/14/24 1:11 PM

Three orphaned bear cubs released back into the wild in the Rila Mountains

Three rescued bear cubs were released back into the wild in the Rila Mountains, the Four Paws foundation said. During several joint operations, cubs Nikola, Misho and Aneta were caught and cared for in specialized centers in Bulgaria and abroad. The..

published on 5/14/24 11:13 AM

Bulgarian Sunday schools exchange good practices at a forum in the UK

The role of language in preserving national identity abroad, theory and practice in Bulgarian language lessons, was the focus of a forum in the United Kingdom dedicated to cooperation between state institutions, non-governmental organizations and..

published on 5/13/24 5:51 PM