Hydrogen generator and product conditioning method
First Claim
1. A method for conditioning hydrogen generated using a hydrogen generator, said hydrogen generator comprising a solid fuel mixture, a liquid reactant, a first liquid delivery mechanism (LDM), a reaction zone wherein the solid fuel mixture reacts with the liquid reactant that is delivered by the LDM, and a product separation media fluidly coupled to the reaction zone by a fluid junction that degasses a product stream;
- 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 the method comprising the steps of;
determining a liquid reactant flow rate;
determining a product generation rate;
adjusting the liquid reactant flow rate electrically based on a ratio of the liquid reactant flow rate to the product generation rate; and
passing the product stream through the product separation media.
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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.
165 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for conditioning hydrogen generated using a hydrogen generator, said hydrogen generator comprising a solid fuel mixture, a liquid reactant, a first liquid delivery mechanism (LDM), a reaction zone wherein the solid fuel mixture reacts with the liquid reactant that is delivered by the LDM, and a product separation media fluidly coupled to the reaction zone by a fluid junction that degasses a product stream;
- 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 the method comprising the steps of;
determining a liquid reactant flow rate; determining a product generation rate; adjusting the liquid reactant flow rate electrically based on a ratio of the liquid reactant flow rate to the product generation rate; and passing the product stream through the product separation media. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- 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 the method comprising the steps of;
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21. A method for conditioning hydrogen generated using a hydrogen generator, said hydrogen generator comprising a solid fuel mixture, a liquid reactant, a liquid delivery mechanism (LDM), a movable boundary interface (MBI), 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 wherein the solid fuel mixture reacts with the liquid reactant, and a product separation media fluidly coupled to the reaction zone by a fluid junction that degasses a product stream, wherein the MBI comprises of an elastic membrane disposed about the solid fuel mixture;
- the method comprising the steps of;
determining a liquid reactant flow rate; determining a product generation rate; adjusting the liquid reactant flow rate electrically based on a ratio of the liquid reactant flow rate to the product generation rate; and passing the product stream through the product separation media.
- the method comprising the steps of;
Specification