Hydrogen generator and product conditioning method

• US 8,808,410 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited (Lb-shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited (Lb-shell Plc)
• Inventors: Braithwaite, Daniel, JONEMANN, Matthieu, Fabian, Tibor
• Primary Examiner(s): MERKLING, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US12/916,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 48/61
• US Class Current: 48/61
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0272 containing a non-catalytic decomposition step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0405 Purification by membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/12 Feeding the process for making hydrogen or synthesis gas
• 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

A hydrogen generator that includes a solid fuel mixture, a liquid reactant, a liquid delivery medium (LDM), a movable boundary interface (MBI), a reaction zone, wherein the MBI provides constant contact between a reacting surface of the solid fuel mixture and the liquid reactant delivered by the LDM to form the reaction zone, and a product separation media, fluidly coupled to the reaction zone by a fluid junction, that degasses a product. The hydrogen generator may further include auxiliary LDMs disposed throughout the hydrogen generator, wherein said auxiliary LDMs may be operated based on a ratio of the liquid reactant flow rate to the hydrogen generation rate.

Claims

1. A hydrogen generator comprising:

a solid fuel mixture;

a liquid reactant;

a liquid delivery medium (LDM);

a movable boundary interface (MBI);

a reaction zone, wherein the MBI provides constant contact between a reacting surface of the solid fuel mixture and the liquid reactant delivered by the LDM to form the reaction zone; and

a product separation media, fluidly coupled to the reaction zone by a fluid junction, that degasses a product;

wherein the product separation media comprises of porous foam and the pore size of the product separation media decreases with increasing distance from the fluid junction.

2. The hydrogen generator of claim 1 further comprising a secondary LDM that controls a ratio of liquid reactant delivered to hydrogen generated.

3. The hydrogen generator of claim 2, wherein the secondary LDM delivers the liquid reactant to the fluid junction.

4. The hydrogen generator of claim 1, wherein the product separation media further comprises a hydrogen separator.

5. The hydrogen generator of claim 4, wherein the hydrogen separator comprises of ePTFE.

6. The hydrogen generator of claim 4, wherein the porous foam is disposed between the fluid junction and the hydrogen separator.

7. The hydrogen generator of claim 6, wherein the product separation media further comprises a fibrous filter.

8. The hydrogen generator of claim 7, wherein the fibrous filter is disposed between the porous foam and the hydrogen separator.

9. The hydrogen generator of claim 8, wherein the fibrous filter and the porous foam are disposed around the hydrogen separator such that the hydrogen separator is substantially enclosed by the fibrous filter and the porous foam.

10. The hydrogen generator of claim 8, wherein the porous foam is hydrophobic and the fibrous filter is hydrophilic.

11. The hydrogen generator of claim 10, wherein the porous foam comprises of nylon foam, the fibrous filter comprises of acrylic yarn, and the hydrogen separator comprises of ePTFE.

12. The hydrogen generator of claim 1, wherein the solid fuel mixture comprises of solid sodium borohydride.

13. The hydrogen generator of claim 1, wherein the liquid fuel reactant comprises of water.

15. The hydrogen generator of claim 1, wherein the product separation media comprises a fibrous filter.

14. A hydrogen generator comprising:

a solid fuel mixture;

a liquid reactant;

a liquid delivery medium (LDM);

a movable boundary interface (MBI);

a reaction zone, wherein the MBI provides constant contact between a reacting surface of the solid fuel mixture and the liquid reactant delivered by the LDM to form the reaction zone; and

a product separation media, fluidly coupled to the reaction zone by a fluid junction, that degasses a product, wherein the MBI comprises of an elastic membrane disposed about the solid fuel mixture.