Hydrogen generator

• US 7,323,148 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Protonex Technology Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Millennium Cell Inc.
• Inventors: Kelly, Michael T., Shah, Shailesh A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldarola; Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leung; Jennifer A.
• Application Number:
  US10/701,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20040120889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 422/211
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/42 Catalysts within the flow path
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/02 Hollow fibre modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/08 Hollow fibre membranes manufacture of hollow fibres D01D5/24, D01F1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0053 Details of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/2475 Membrane reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/2485 Monolithic reactors
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/041 In-situ membrane purification during hydrogen production
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0465 Composition of the impurity
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/047 the impurity being carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/066 with fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/065 from a hydride
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/501 by diffusion
• 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

Abstract

A hydrogen generator capable of operating in any orientation and having no moving parts includes a catalyst retaining structure. The catalyst retaining structure is disposed in a housing and serves to separate the housing into a fuel holding portion and a hydrogen chamber. The catalyst retaining structure also includes one or more pores, each pore being in communication with the fuel holding and hydrogen chambers. A catalyst, that promotes the generation of hydrogen gas upon contact with the fuel, is disposed within the pores. The fuel enters the pores and thereupon generates hydrogen gas which passes into the hydrogen chamber. Contact of the fuel with the catalyst in the pores may be controlled and the position of the fuel-hydrogen interface within the pore may be moved so as to regulate the generation of hydrogen. The catalyst retaining structure can take different forms, including one or more hollow elongated members or plates, and may further incorporate hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic membranes.

Claims

1. A hydrogen gas generator comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a member comprising at least one set of flat plates which separates said housing into a fuel holding chamber and a hydrogen chamber, wherein each of the at least one set of flat plates comprises a hydrophilic plate, a catalyst plate, and a hydrophobic plate, said plate set being laminated together, and said hydrophilic plate having a first surface facing the fuel holding chamber and said hydrophobic plate having a second surface facing the hydrogen chamber, said hydrophilic plate having at least one first pore formed therein which communicates with said first surface and said catalyst plate, said catalyst plate having at least one second pore formed therein which communicates with said hydrophilic plate and said hydrophobic plate;

(c) a fuel solution in said fuel holding chamber;

(d) said catalyst plate having a catalyst disposed on the surface which promotes the generation of hydrogen upon contact with said fuel solution; and

(e) said fuel holding chamber being structured to permit fuel solution movement to said first surface such that said fuel solution passes into said first pore thereby contacting the catalyst on said catalyst plate to generate hydrogen which passes into said hydrogen chamber.

2. The hydrogen gas generator of claim 1 wherein said hydrophobic plate is permeable to hydrogen.

3. The hydrogen generator of claim 1 wherein said plate set is held together in a frame.

4. The hydrogen generator of claim 1 wherein said catalyst is disposed within said at least one second pore.