Portable hydrogen generator
First Claim
1. A hydrogen generator, comprising:
- a thermally isolated container;
a first chemical hydride placed in said thermally isolated container;
heating means for heating said first chemical hydride to a predetermined temperature;
a water supply for hydrolysis of said first chemical hydride only after said first chemical hydride reaches said predetermined temperature;
buffer means for recovering hydrogen from said container; and
control means for controlling the rate of hydrogen generation by said hydrogen generator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hydrogen generator employs substantially adiabatic hydrolysis and thermal decomposition of chemical hydrides to provide a controllable generation of hydrogen from a small, lightweight container. The hydrogen generator includes a thermally isolated container for containing a chemical hydride, a preheater to heat the chemical hydride to a predetermined temperature before the chemical hydride is hydrolyzed, a water supply controlled to maintain substantially adiabatic and controlled generation of hydrogen from said chemical hydride, and a buffer to supply an initial flow of hydrogen during generator start-up, absorb excess hydrogen during generator shut-down, and to smooth the hydrogen flow due to changing loads.
151 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A hydrogen generator, comprising:
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a thermally isolated container; a first chemical hydride placed in said thermally isolated container; heating means for heating said first chemical hydride to a predetermined temperature; a water supply for hydrolysis of said first chemical hydride only after said first chemical hydride reaches said predetermined temperature; buffer means for recovering hydrogen from said container; and control means for controlling the rate of hydrogen generation by said hydrogen generator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A hydrogen generator, comprising:
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a thermally isolated container; a water source having a water conduit for supplying water into said container; a first chemical hydride placed in said container; a control for operation of said water source; a chemical composition positioned in said container between said first chemical hydride and an outlet of said water conduit, said chemical composition including components to react exothermically with water supplied into said container to heat said first chemical hydride, said control operating said water source to supply water to said container, prior to hydrolysis of said first chemical hydride, to generate within said container a temperature sufficient to prevent said first chemical hydride from forming unstable products when said first chemical hydride is hydrolyzed and thereafter at a rate to maintain an adiabatic generation of hydrogen by said first chemical hydride; and recovery means for recovering hydrogen from said container. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A hydrogen generator, comprising:
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a thermally isolated container; a first chemical hydride placed in said container; a water supply for hydrolysis of said first chemical hydride, said water supply including a water source for supplying water into said container via a water conduit; a hydrogen conduit coupled to said container for supplying a flow of hydrogen from said container; control means for controlling the supply of water to said container to obtain an adiabatic generation of hydrogen from said first chemical hydride; and buffer means coupled to said hydrogen conduit, said buffer means containing a rechargeable hydride for generating hydrogen upon initial start-up of said hydrogen generator, and for absorbing excess hydrogen generated after said water source is stopped from supplying water into said container containing said first chemical hydride. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A small, lightweight, controllable hydrogen generator, comprising:
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a container forming a dewar having an outer shell and an inner vessel defining a vacuum space therebetween, and having thermal insulating material positioned in said vacuum space; a first chemical hydride placed in said inner vessel; heating means for heating said first chemical hydride to a predetermined temperature sufficient to prevent said first chemical hydride from undergoing unstable reactions when hydrolyzed; a water supply for hydrolysis of said first chemical hydride only after a temperature of said first chemical hydride reaches said predetermined temperature, said water supply including a water pump for supplying water into said inner vessel via a water conduit; a hydrogen conduit coupled to said inner vessel for supplying a flow of hydrogen from said inner vessel; control means for controlling said water pump and the generation of hydrogen; and buffer means coupled to said inner vessel, said buffer means containing a rechargeable hydride for generating hydrogen prior to the temperature of said first chemical hydride reaching said predetermined temperature, for absorbing excess hydrogen after said water pump is stopped from supplying water to said container, and for smoothing the hydrogen flow due to changing load demands. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification