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Richard W. Treharne
Charlton K. McKibben
Donald R. Moles
Se esti desarrollando un proceso disexiado para
producir fertilizante a base de nitr6gena usando solo
aire, agua, cal y energia ekctrica obtenida de la
energia de1 agua. El proceso se basa en la
combination de1 nitr6geno y otigeno de1 aire para
formar 6xidos de nitr6geno en un arco de descarga
ekirica. Los 6xidos de nitrdgeno son luego cap-
turados en agua conteniendo cal para producir
nitrato de calcio coma fertilizante en una soluci6n
acuitica. Se esti desarrollando el sistema para re-
querir solo la disponibilidad de 10s componentes y
relativamente baja tecnologia. A diferencia de 10s
procesos comerciales de hoy dia para la producck
de fertilizantes de nitrbgeno, el sistema en desarrollo
no requiere gas natural ni nin@n combustible de
origen de f6siles.
Antecedentes
Los Laboratorios de Investigation Charles F. Ket-
tering de Yellow Springs, Ohio, USA estin desar-
rollando un proceso destinado a producir fertilizante
de nitr6geno obtenido mediante la energia de1 agua
usando ~610 aire, agua, cal y energia electrica. El
principio b&sic0 envuelto en el proceso en desarrollo
es similar al m6todo de la naturaleza para combinar
el nitr6geno y el oxigeno de1 aire por medio de la
descarga de un rekmpago que transforma o “fija” el
nitr6geno a una forma utilizable coma fertilizante
para las plantas. En la unidad de producci6n de1 fer-
tilizante a base de nitr6geno que esti en desarrollo,
se combina el nitr6geno y el otigeno de1 aire para
produrir 6xidos de nitr6geno en una descarga de ar-
co el&trico, electrificada por una turbina
hidroelktrica. La Figura 1 ilustra un diagrama in-
dicando el proceso de1 sistema de producci6n de1 fer-
tilizante a base de nitr6geno.
El proceso esquematizado en la Figura 1 es una
forma modificada de un proceso de arco ekctricol,2
usado comercialmente en g-ran escala com-
241
Richard W. Treharne
Charlton K. McKibben
Donald R. Moles
A process under development to produce
nitrogen fertilizer using only air, water, limestone
and electrical energy obtained from water power
was described by Dr. Richard W. Traharne. The
process may be used effectively during slack-
demand periods. It is based on combining the
nitrogen and oxygen of air to form nitrogen ox-
ides in an electrical arc discharge. The nitrogen
oxides then are trapped in mater containing lime-
stone to produce calcium nitrate fertilizer in
water solution. The system is being developed to
require only readily available components and
relatively low technology. Unlike present day
commercial processes for the production of
nitrogen fertilizer, the system being developed
does not require natural gas or any other fossil
fuel.
Background
A process designed to produce nitrogen fer-
tilizer using only air, water, limestone and elec-
trical energy obtained from water power is being
developed by the Charles F. Kettering Research
Laboratory, Yellow Springs, Ohio, USA. The basic
principle involved in the process being developed
is similar to nature’s way of combining the
nitrogen and oxygen of air via a lightning
discharge which transforms or “fixes” nitrogen
into a form usable as fertilizer by plants. In the
nitrogen fertilizer production unit being
developed, the nitrogen and oxygen of air are
combined to produce nitrogen oxides in an elec-
tric arc discharge powered by a hydro-electric tur-
bine. A flow diagram of the nitrogen fertilizer pro-
duction system is shown in Figure 1.
The process outlined in Figure 1 is a modified
form of an electric arc process192 used commer-
cially on a relatively large scale in the early part
of this century in several Scandinavian countries
where hydro-power is abundant. The Scandina-