Hydrogen generating apparatus

• US 20030235724A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited (Lb-shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Shibata, Alan, Ord, Jason S., Roman, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 7,097,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/129
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/065 from a hydride
• 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: H01M 8/1007 with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage
• 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

A hydrogen generating apparatus includes a chemical reaction chamber, a chemical solution reservoir, and an unpowered pressure producing member for moving a chemical solution from the chemical solution reservoir to the chemical reaction chamber.

Claims

1. A hydrogen generating apparatus comprising:

a chemical reaction chamber;

a chemical solution reservoir; and

an unpowered pressure producing member for moving a chemical solution from said chemical solution reservoir to said chemical reaction chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chemical solution is contained in said chemical solution reservoir and comprises an aqueous metal hydride.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said aqueous metal hydride comprises sodium borohydride.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a catalyst in said chemical reaction chamber for facilitating the reaction of said sodium borohydride into hydrogen gas.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said catalyst comprises ruthenium.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a fuel cell coupled to said hydrogen generating apparatus and wherein said hydrogen gas is provided to said fuel cell.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chemical solution reservoir is contained by said chemical reaction chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chemical solution reservoir comprises a flexible bag.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said chemical reaction chamber comprises a flexible bag.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said pressure producing member comprises a spring adjacent to said flexible bag.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a plate disposed between said spring and said flexible bag.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, where said flexible bag comprises a spring-bag.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said spring-bag comprises an elastomer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control valve disposed in a fluid communication path between said chemical solution reservoir and said reaction chamber.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said control valve is a micro-valve operable at variable frequencies, pulse widths, or aperture sizes by a controller.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said controller monitors a stack voltage of a fuel cell and adjusts one or more of said frequency, pulse width, or aperture size of said micro-valve in response to changes in said stack voltage.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said controller increases said frequency, pulse width, or aperture size of said micro-valve in response to a monitored stack voltage above a predetermined threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said controller decreases said frequency, pulse width, or aperture size of said micro-valve in response to a monitored stack voltage below a predetermined threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said controller monitors one or more of user settings, configuration settings, hydrogen gas pressure, fuel cell current, and fuel cell power;

and adjusts one or more of said frequency, pulse width, or aperture size of said micro-valve in response to monitored changes.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a battery to power said controller.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a check valve disposed in said communication path between said control valve and said chemical reaction chamber.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said chemical reaction chamber is rigid.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said chemical reaction chamber and said chemical solution reservoir comprise respective portions of a cylinder separated by a piston.

24. An electrical current generating apparatus comprising:

a fuel cell; and

a spring-bag hydrogen generator for providing hydrogen gas to said fuel cell.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said spring-bag hydrogen generator further comprises a reaction chamber and a fuel solution reservoir disposed within said reaction chamber.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said fuel solution reservoir is maintained at a pressure greater than a pressure in said reaction chamber by a biasing force applied to said fuel solution reservoir.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said biasing force is provided by said fuel solution reservoir, wherein said fuel solution reservoir comprises a flexible bag expanded within an elastic limit of said flexible bag.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said biasing force is provided by a spring.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said spring is in direct contact with said fuel solution reservoir.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said spring supplies said biasing force to said fuel solution reservoir indirectly.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a pressure plate disposed between said fuel solution reservoir and said spring.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a mixture of aqueous sodium borohydride disposed in said fuel solution reservoir and a catalyst disposed in said reaction chamber.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a fluid communication path between said fuel solution reservoir and said reaction chamber, wherein a control valve is disposed along said fluid communication path.

34. A method of generating hydrogen comprising applying a biasing force to a flexible bag containing a fuel solution to move said fuel solution from said flexible bag to a reaction chamber.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising controlling a valve disposed between said flexible bag and said reaction chamber to meter the movement of said fuel solution from said flexible bag to said reaction chamber.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising monitoring one or more of a fuel cell stack voltage, user settings, configuration settings, hydrogen gas pressure, fuel cell current, and fuel cell power;

and controlling said valve according to said monitoring.

37. A method of controlling hydrogen generation comprising:

measuring a fuel cell characteristic;

determining whether said fuel cell characteristic is within predetermined parameters;

changing one or more of an opening frequency, an opening pulse width, and an aperture size of a micro-valve in response to said fuel cell characteristic; and

applying a biasing force to a chemical solution container to move said chemical solution through said micro-valve .

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said fuel cell characteristic includes one or more of:

stack voltage, fuel cell current, and fuel cell power.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising measuring a hydrogen gas pressure and changing one or more of said opening frequency, opening pulse width, and aperture size in response to said hydrogen gas pressure.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising monitoring one or more of:

user settings and configuration settings; and

changing one or more of said opening frequency, opening pulse width, and aperture size in response to said user settings and configuration settings.

41. A method of controlling hydrogen generation comprising:

measuring a fuel cell stack voltage;

determining whether said fuel cell stack voltage is below a predetermined threshold;

changing an opening frequency of a micro-valve supplying a hydrogen-bearing solution to a reaction chamber in response to said fuel cell stack voltage; and

applying a biasing force to a hydrogen-bearing solution container to move said hydrogen-bearing solution through said micro-valve.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising changing said opening frequency of said micro-valve a second time when fuel cell stack voltage is below a second predetermined threshold.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein said hydrogen-bearing solution is contained in a spring-bag.

44. A fuel cell cartridge comprising:

a chemical reaction chamber;

a chemical solution reservoir; and

an unpowered pressure producing member for moving a chemical solution from said chemical solution reservoir to said chemical reaction chamber.

45. The cartridge of claim 44, wherein said chemical reaction chamber is rigid and said chemical solution reservoir is flexible and contained within said chemical reaction chamber.

46. The cartridge of claim 45, wherein the effective volume of said chemical reaction chamber increases and the effective volume of said chemical solution reservoir decreases as said chemical solution moves from said chemical solution reservoir to said chemical reaction chamber.

47. The cartridge of claim 44, wherein said pressure producing member is a spring.

48. The cartridge of claim 44, further comprising a valve and a controller for controlling the movement of said chemical solution from said chemical solution reservoir to said chemical reaction chamber.

49. A hydrogen generating apparatus comprising:

means for containing a chemical reaction;

means for containing a chemical solution;

means for storing mechanical potential energy;

and means for converting said mechanical potential energy to pressure for moving said chemical solution from said means for containing a chemical solution to said means for containing a chemical reaction.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein said means for containing a chemical solution is disposed within said means for containing a chemical reaction.

51. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein said chemical solution is an aqueous metal hydride.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said means for containing a chemical reaction comprises catalyst means disposed therein for increasing the rate of hydrogen gas production from said aqueous metal hydride.

53. A fuel cell apparatus comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

an electrolyte disposed between said anode and said cathode;

a hydrogen generation source, said hydrogen generation source comprising;

a chemical reaction chamber;

a chemical solution reservoir; and

an unpowered pressure producing member for moving a chemical solution from said chemical solution reservoir to said chemical reaction chamber.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, where said chemical solution reservoir comprises a flexible bag and said pressure producing member comprises a spring.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein said flexible bag is contained within said chemical reaction chamber.