Apparatus, system, and method for promoting a substantially complete reaction of an anhydrous hydride reactant

• US 8,357,213 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Molly Alonso
• Original Assignee: Trulife Incorporated (Trulife)
• Inventors: Patton, John M., Shurtleff, J. Kevin, Ladd, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, NINA NMN
• Application Number:
  US12/477,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20090304554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 48/61, 481/20, 481/74, 422/239, 422/211, 422/234, 422/236, 422/625, 422/626, 422/627, 422/630
• US Class Current: 48/61
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00017 Controlling the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00539 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/002 inside the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00213 Fixed parameter value
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00231 at the reactor inlet
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 7/02 by wet methods
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0271 in a spiral shaped bed
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/066 with fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/065 from a hydride
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/005 for hydrogen
• 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 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

The apparatus includes a liquid permeable pouch that defines a cavity for maintaining an anhydrous hydride reactant, wherein the cavity comprises a cross-section such that a point within the cross-section is separated from a perimeter of the liquid permeable pouch by no more than double the permeation distance, and a cartridge configured to receive the liquid permeable pouch and a liquid reactant such that at least a portion of the liquid permeable pouch is submerged in the liquid reactant. The system includes a plurality of pouches formed from two rectangular sheets of liquid permeable material, and each pouch has a width selected such that each point within a cross-section is separated from the sheets by no more than double the permeation distance. The method includes joining the sheets, forming one or more seals to define a cavity, disposing anhydrous hydride within the cavity, and sealing the opening.

Claims

1. An apparatus to promote a substantially complete reaction of an anhydrous reactant, the apparatus comprising:

one or more liquid permeable pouches, each of the pouches defining a cavity comprising a solid anhydrous reactant;

a housing configured to receive the one or more pouches and a liquid reactant;

one or more liquid reactant inlet ports disposed on the housing, the one or more liquid reactant inlet ports configured to deliver the liquid reactant into the housing such that the liquid reactant contacts at least a portion of the one or more pouches; and

an outlet port configured to release a gas produced by a reaction comprising the solid anhydrous reactant and the liquid reactant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid permeable pouch has at least one section formed from a liquid permeable material configured to permit passage of a liquid from one side of the material to an opposite side.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the solid anhydrous reactant has a liquid permeation distance, the liquid permeation distance comprising a distance the liquid reactant is capable of traveling in reacted solid reactant.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each cavity comprises a cross-section such that each point within the cross-section is separated from a perimeter of one of the liquid permeable pouches by no more than double the permeation distance.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more liquid permeable pouches comprise a plurality of tubular liquid permeable pouches in a side-by-side configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the housing is cylindrical and wherein the plurality of liquid permeable pouches is rolled, a longitudinal axis of the rolled plurality of liquid permeable pouches oriented coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plurality of liquid permeable pouches are disposed within the housing such that the plurality of liquid permeable pouches form one or more liquid channels directing a flow of liquid reactant around the plurality of liquid permeable pouches.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more liquid reactant inlet ports comprise a plurality of liquid conduits radially spaced about a longitudinal axis of the cartridge, each liquid conduit positioned alongside at least one tubular liquid permeable pouch.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to receive a plurality of liquid permeable pouches having different lengths, the liquid permeable pouches stacked and arranged in alternating courses such that a course gap between two stacked liquid permeable pouches does not line up with the gap in an adjacent course of liquid permeable pouches.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more liquid permeable pouches comprise a pair of opposing walls joined by a pair of opposing longitudinal seams, the width of one wall between opposing longitudinal seams configured to maintain a thin uniform distribution of solid anhydrous reactant within the cavity.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more liquid reactant inlet ports comprise a liquid conduit configured to extend from a first end of the housing to a location near an opposing second end of the housing such that the housing is filled with the liquid reactant from the second end towards the first end.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first end and an opposing second end, wherein at least one of the one or more liquid reactant inlet ports is located near the second end of the housing, such that the housing fills with the liquid reactant from the second end towards the first end.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liner disposed on the interior of the housing, the liner configured to protect the interior of the housing from corrosion from the liquid reactant and the solid anhydrous reactant.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the solid anhydrous reactant comprises a dry, powdered activating agent, the dry, powdered activating agent mixed with the solid anhydrous reactant to form a dry powder.

15. A system to promote a substantially complete reaction of an anhydrous reactant, the system comprising:

a liquid reactant supply comprising a liquid reactant;

a housing configured to receive the liquid reactant;

one or more liquid permeable pouches disposed within the housing, each of the pouches defining a cavity comprising a solid anhydrous reactant;

one or more liquid reactant inlet ports in fluid communication with the liquid reactant supply, the one or more liquid reactant inlet ports configured to deliver the liquid reactant into the housing such that the liquid reactant contacts at least a portion of the one or more pouches; and

a hydrogen outlet port configured to release hydrogen gas produced by a reaction comprising the solid anhydrous reactant and the liquid reactant.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the liquid reactant supply comprises a liquid reservoir and one or more pumps, the one or more pumps configured to provide a volume of the liquid reactant from the liquid reservoir to the one or more liquid reactant inlet ports.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a control system configured to determine the volume of the liquid reactant that the one or more pumps delivers based on a pressure of the produced hydrogen gas.

18. An apparatus to promote a substantially complete reaction of an anhydrous reactant, the apparatus comprising:

a cartridge configured to receive a liquid reactant;

one or more liquid permeable pouches disposed within the cartridge, each of the pouches defining a cavity, each of the pouches having at least one wall formed from material configured to permit passage of a liquid from one side of the material to the other side;

a solid anhydrous reactant disposed within each of the cavities, the solid anhydrous reactant having a liquid permeation distance, each of the cavities comprising a cross-section such that each point within the cross-section is separated from a perimeter of one of the pouches by no more than double the permeation distance;

one or more liquid reactant inlet ports configured to deliver the liquid reactant into the cartridge such that the liquid reactant contacts at least a portion of the one or more pouches; and

a hydrogen outlet port configured to release hydrogen gas produced by a reaction comprising the solid anhydrous reactant and the liquid reactant.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more liquid permeable pouches comprise two rectangular sheets of liquid permeable material joined at their respective perimeters, the joined sheets having one or more seams that run from a long side of the sheets to an opposing long side of the sheets to form a plurality of liquid permeable pouches, each of the cavities defined by opposite portions of the two sheets and the one or more seams.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of liquid permeable pouches are rolled from a short side of the sheets toward an opposite short side to form a spiral configuration.