Hydrogen storage, distribution, and recovery system

• US 8,066,946 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scott D. Redmond
• Original Assignee: Scott D. Redmond
• Inventors: Redmond, Scott D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, NINA NMN
• Application Number:
  US11/700,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20070259220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 422/105, 422/211, 422/239, 48/61, 700/266, 700/274, 429/12, 429/17, 429/18
• US Class Current: 422/105
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 7/00 Apparatus for generating gases production of inert gas mixtures B01J19/14; for generating specific gases, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. C01B, C10J ; in "air bags" on vehicles B60R21/26; for starter gas F02C7/26; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure F42B3/04
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/0005 Reversible uptake of hydrogen by an appropriate medium, i.e. based on physical or chemical sorption phenomena or on reversible chemical reactions, e.g. for hydrogen storage purposes purification of hydrogen C01B3/508; Reversible gettering of hydrogen; Reversible uptake of hydrogen by electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/0021 Carbon, e.g. active carbon, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes; Treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/0026 of one single metal or a rare earth metal; Treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/0031 Intermetallic compounds; Metal alloys; Treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/0084 Solid storage mediums characterised by their shape, e.g. pellets, sintered shaped bodies, sheets, porous compacts, spongy metals, hollow particles, solids with cavities, layered solids
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/005 for hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04201 Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04216 characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/065 by dissolution of metals or alloys; by dehydriding metallic substances
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/34 Hydrogen distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/45 Hydrogen technologies in production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2569 Control by depletion of source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6881 Automotive

Abstract

Cassette based systems and methods of hydrogen storage, distribution, and recovery are taught. A cassette or other container may contain a hydrogen storage or storing material. Information may be stored in the material and subsequently read or accessed. A probe may be used to interrogate the material. The hydrogen content or other characteristics of the material may be determined based on the interrogation. A hydrogen dispensing unit may contain a depleted cassette acceptor to accept depleted cassettes and a charged cassette dispenser to dispense charged cassettes. The dispensing unit may be implemented in a hydrogen retail store or as a standalone unit. The retail store or the unit may connect to a hydrogen network and implement various business methods, as taught herein.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a hydrogen fuel cassette, the hydrogen fuel cassette having a housing defining an interior region and a hydrogen storage material in the interior region; and

a hydrogen recovery unit having a receptacle to receive the hydrogen fuel cassette, the hydrogen recovery unit to recover hydrogen from the hydrogen storage material; and

a controller to receive information from one or more of the hydrogen fuel cassette and the hydrogen recovery unit, the controller having a storage device storing instructions that when executed cause the controller to process hydrogen fuel information associated with the hydrogen recovery unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen fuel cassette comprises a telemetry device to communicate information associated with hydrogen fuel to one or more of the hydrogen recovery unit and the controller.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit comprises a network connection to communicate information associated with hydrogen fuel to the controller via a network.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an infrared device of the hydrogen recovery unit to communicate information associated with hydrogen fuel to a hand-held device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit comprises a storage device storing instructions that when executed cause the hydrogen recovery unit to interface with a hand-held device to allow the hand-held device to access a hydrogen network through a network interface of the hydrogen recovery unit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the controller to provide information to a user through a network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the controller to allow a user to order fuel through a network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the controller to provide a refueling time to a user through a network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the controller to automatically order an additional fuel cassette for the hydrogen recovery unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the controller to allow a user to sell a portion of energy generated by the hydrogen recovery unit through a network.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for removing the hydrogen storage material from the cassette.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen storage material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of hydrides, fullerenes, nanotubes, and glass microspheres.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the hydrogen fuel cassette comprises a telemetry device to communicate information associated with hydrogen fuel to one or more of the hydrogen recovery unit and the remote controller.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit comprises a network connection to communicate information associated with hydrogen fuel to the remote controller via a network.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising an infrared device of the hydrogen recovery unit to communicate information associated with hydrogen fuel to a hand-held device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the hydrogen recovery unit comprises a storage device storing instructions that when executed cause the hydrogen recovery unit to interface with a hand-held device to allow the hand-held device to access a hydrogen network through a network interface of the hydrogen recovery unit.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the remote controller to provide information to a user through a network.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the remote controller to allow a user to order fuel through a network.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the remote controller to provide a refueling time to a user through a network.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the remote controller to automatically order an additional fuel cassette for the hydrogen recovery unit.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the remote controller to allow a user to sell a portion of energy generated by the hydrogen recovery unit through a network.

13. A system comprising:

a hydrogen fuel cassette, the hydrogen fuel cassette having a housing defining an interior region and a hydrogen producing material selected from the group consisting of hydrides, fullerenes, nanotubes, and glass microspheres, in the interior region; and

a hydrogen recovery unit to couple with the hydrogen fuel cassette and to recover hydrogen from the hydrogen producing material; and

a remote controller in communication with one or more of the hydrogen fuel cassette and the hydrogen recovery unit, the remote controller having a storage device storing instructions that when executed cause the remote controller to process information associated with hydrogen fuel communicated by said one or more of the hydrogen fuel cassette and the hydrogen recovery unit.