Method and system for generating hydrogen by dispensing solid and liquid fuel components

• US 20040047801A1
• Filed: 04/02/2002
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Protonex Technology Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Millennium Cell Inc.
• Inventors: Petillo, Stephen C., Petillo, Phillip J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,282,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 423/657
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 16/00 Chemical processes in general for reacting liquids with non- particulate solids, e.g. sheet material; Apparatus specially adapted therefor B01J19/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00752 Feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 7/02 by wet methods
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0035 Periodical feeding or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0045 by means of a rotary device in the flow channel
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/065 from a hydride
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis

Abstract

Hydrogen is generated through the use of a fuel solution that is prepared using solid fuel component, e.g., a metal borohydride, and a liquid fuel component, e.g. water. Both of these components are dispensed in response to control signals. The solid fuel component can take different forms, including but not limited to granules, pellets and powder. Various devices, which operate in response to control signals, are disclosed for dispensing predetermined amounts of the solid and liquid components. Advantageously, this solution can be prepared, as needed, so as to obviate the need for storing and disposing of large amounts of highly alkaline fuel and discharged fuel solutions.

Claims

1. A system for generating hydrogen comprising

a chamber;

a hydrogen outlet connected to said chamber; and

a first and a second dispenser for respectively providing predetermined amounts of a solid fuel component and a liquid fuel component to said chamber, the mixture of said solid fuel component and said liquid fuel component capable of generating hydrogen via a chemical reaction, each dispenser being operative in response to a predetermined condition.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined amount of said solid fuel component and the predetermined amount of said liquid fuel component are different.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined amount of said solid fuel component and the predetermined amount of said liquid fuel component are the same.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said solid fuel component is a metal hydride and said liquid fuel component comprises water.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said metal hydride is one or more metal hydrides selected from the group consisting of LiBH₄, KBH₄, NH₄BH₄, (CH₃)₄NBH₄, NaAlH₄, KAlH₄, NaGaH₄, LiGaH₄, and KGaH₄.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said metal hydride is sodium borohydride.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said solid fuel component is in powder form.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said solid fuel component is in granular form.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said solid fuel component is in pellet form.

10. The system of claim 1 further including a catalyst chamber disposed between said chamber and said hydrogen outlet, said catalyst chamber including a catalyst of the type that accelerates the generation of hydrogen from the mixture of said solid and liquid fuel components.

11. The system of claim 10 further includes a catalyst chamber serially connected to a separator, said catalyst chamber being connected to said chamber and said separator being connected to said hydrogen outlet, said catalyst chamber including a catalyst of the type that accelerates the generation of hydrogen from said solid and liquid fuel components, and said separator separating said hydrogen from other byproducts of said chemical reaction of said solid and liquid fuel components.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said chamber includes a mechanism for accelerating the mixing of said solid and liquid fuel components.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said mechanism includes a stirring element that operates in response to magnetic forces.

14. The system of claim 10 further including a third dispenser for providing a stabilizer to said chamber that raises the pH of the mixture of said solid fuel component and said liquid fuel component, said third dispenser being operative in a manner coordinated with the operation of said first and second dispensers.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the liquid fuel component also includes a stabilizer that raises the pH of the mixture of said solid fuel component and said liquid fuel component.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the solid fuel component also includes a stabilizer that raises the pH of the mixture of said solid fuel component and said liquid fuel component.

17. The system of claim 10 further including a pump for pumping said mixture of liquid and solid fuel components to said catalyst chamber.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined condition is a condition indicative of a need to generate hydrogen.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined condition is a predetermined level of the mixture of said liquid and said solid fuel components in said chamber.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said first dispenser includes a rotational cylinder.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said rotational cylinder has a trough that accepts said solid fuel component from a source at first position and provides this fuel component to said chamber at a second position.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said rotational cylinder includes sealing members that inhibit the entry of moisture from said chamber into said storage tank when said rotational cylinder rotates between said first position and said second position.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said first dispenser includes a mechanism for successively providing pellets of said solid fuel component one after the other to a predetermined position and further including an actuator mechanism for displacing each pellet in said predetermined position into said chamber.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said mechanism utilizes a spring member to successively provide said pellets to said predetermined position.

25. A generator for producing hydrogen from a chemical reaction of a solid complex metal hydride and a liquid including water, said generator comprising:

a chamber for receiving a first predetermined amount of the solid complex metal hydride and a second predetermined amount of a liquid comprising water from a dispensing mechanism responsive to a predetermined condition, these received fuel components forming a mixture in said chamber; and

a hydrogen outlet connected to said catalyst chamber.

26. The generator of claim 25 further including a catalyst chamber disposed between said chamber and said hydrogen outlet, said catalyst chamber having a catalyst for receiving said mixture, and said catalyst being of the type that accelerates the generation of hydrogen from said mixture of the solid complex metal hydride in solution.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said first predetermined amount of the solid complex metal hydride and said second predetermined amount of said liquid are different.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein said first predetermined amount of the solid complex metal hydride and said second predetermined amount of said liquid are the same.

29. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein the pH value of the mixture of said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid in said chamber is less than 13.

30. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein the solid complex metal hydride is in the form of powder.

31. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein the solid complex metal hydride is in the form of pellets.

32. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein the solid complex metal hydride is in the form of granules.

33. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein said chamber further includes a mixing mechanism for promoting the dissolution of the solid complex metal hydride into said liquid.

34. The hydrogen generator of claim 26 wherein the pH value of the mixture of said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid in said chamber is not less than 13.

35. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein the dispensing mechanism includes one for dispensing a stabilizer to raises the pH value of the mixture of said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid.

36. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein the liquid also includes a chemical stabilizer that raises the pH value of the mixture of said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid.

37. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein the dispensing mechanism dispenses a combination of the complex metal hydride and a stabilizer, both combined in a solid form, said stabilizer being one that raises the pH value of the mixture of said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid.

38. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 further includes a separator disposed between said catalyst chamber and said hydrogen outlet for separating said hydrogen from other byproducts of said chemical reaction of said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid.

39. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 further comprising a mechanism for selectively providing the mixture of said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid to said catalyst chamber.

40. The hydrogen generator of claim 39 wherein the mechanism is a pump.

41. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein said chamber further comprises a mechanism that mixes the solid complex metal hydride and said liquid.

42. The hydrogen generator of claim 25 wherein the dispensing mechanism includes a rotational cylinder.

43. The hydrogen generator of claim 42 wherein the rotational cylinder comprises a cylinder having a trough that receives the solid complex metal hydride from a source at a first position of said rotational cylinder and dispenses the solid complex metal hydride to said chamber at a second position of said rotational cylinder.

44. The system of claim 25 wherein the dispensing mechanism successively provides pellets of said solid complex metal hydride one after the other to a predetermined position and displaces each pellet in said predetermined position into said chamber.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein the dispensing mechanism utilizes a spring member to successively provide said pellets to said predetermined position.

46. A dispensing mechanism comprising a cylinder rotatably mounted within a housing, said cylinder adapted for dispensing a predetermined amount of a solid from a storage tank to a receiver, said cylinder having a trough for receiving the solid;

and

said housing having a first opening for allowing the trough to receive said solid when the trough overlaps with said first opening in said housing having a second opening for allowing said trough to dispense said solid when the trough overlaps said second opening.

47. The dispensing mechanism of claim 46 wherein said cylinder further includes a plurality of sealing members that extend between said cylinder and said housing and preclude moisture in said receiver from entering the storage tank via said dispensing mechanism.

48. A dispensing mechanism comprising

a magazine member for storing and successively providing a plurality of pellets comprising a complex metal hydride to a predetermined location;

and

an actuator mechanism responsive to a control signal for displacing each pellet in said predetermined location to a second location.

49. A method for generating hydrogen from at least one solid complex metal hydride, the method comprising the steps of:

dispensing a first predetermined amount of the solid complex metal hydride from a first source to a chamber in response to a predetermined condition; and

dispensing a second predetermined amount of a liquid comprising water to said chamber in response to said predetermined condition, the dispensed amounts of solid complex metal hydride and liquid forming a mixture.

50. The method of claim 49 further including the step of mixing said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid in said chamber.

51. The method of claim 49 further including the step of exposing the mixture of said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid to a catalyst that promotes the generation of hydrogen.

52. A method of generating hydrogen from a solid complex metal hydride and a liquid including water, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a solid complex metal hydride and a liquid comprising water; and

receiving in a chamber a predetermined amount of the solid complex metal hydride and a predetermined amount of a liquid comprising water from dispensing mechanisms in response to a predetermined condition.

53. The method of claim 52 further including the step of exposing said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid in said chamber to a catalyst, said catalyst being of the type that accelerates the generation of hydrogen from the solid complex metal hydride in solution.

54. Hydrogen generated by the method of receiving in a chamber a first predetermined amount of the solid complex metal hydride and a second predetermined amount of a liquid comprising water from a dispensing mechanism in response to a predetermined condition, the dispensed amounts of solid complex metal hydride and liquid forming a mixture;

and exposing the mixture of said solid complex metal hydride and said liquid to a catalyst, said catalyst being of the type that accelerates the generation of hydrogen from the mixture.