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US 10,767,271 B2Granted
Electrolysis reactor system
AssigneeInovi, Inc.
InventorsFrank Edward Gordon, Harper John Whitehouse, Stanislaw Szpak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This application relates to the production, storage, and controlled release of hydrogen for use in the hydrogen economy. More specifically, it relates to a novel electrolysis system design that utilizes electrolysis of ionized vapors and gasses to produce and store hydrogen in a hydrogen host material and the capability to reverse the electrolysis potential to provide safe, controlled hydrogen release.
Claims13
A gas or vapor electrolysis reactor system, comprising:
- an electrolyte containing at least one of a gas or a vapor, each of which including hydrogen or isotopes of hydrogen and ions thereof;
- a reactor vessel having a heater to heat said reactor vessel and a chamber within which to contain said electrolyte, said reactor vessel including an electrolyte inlet and an electrolyte outlet that enable the electrolyte to flow into and flow out of the chamber of said reactor vessel;
- at least one counter-electrode and at least one working electrode located within the chamber of said reactor vessel and electrically isolated from one another, said at least one counter and working electrodes lying in fluidic communication with said electrolyte, said at least one working electrode being comprised of a hydrogen host material to store hydrogen;
- a source of electrical potential or electrical current communicating with said at least one counter-electrode and said at least one working electrode to thereby create an electric field to establish electrolysis between said electrodes whereby the hydrogen ions are transported from said electrolyte to said working electrode to be stored by and produce heat in said working electrode;
- a sensor and control subsystem including at least one temperature sensor to monitor the temperature of said gas or vapor electrolysis reactor system and provide output signals to control said reactor system depending upon the temperature thereof;
- and
- a thermal management subsystem communicating with said sensor and control subsystem and responsive to the output signals provided thereby to control the temperature of said at least one working electrode, said thermal management subsystem including a heater driver to cause the heater of said reactor vessel to heat said working electrode to increase the hydrogen diffusivity of the hydrogen host material and a source of cooling fluid to cool said working electrode to reduce the hydrogen diffusivity of the hydrogen host material.
4 more elements
A gas or vapor electrolysis reactor system, comprising:
- an electrolyte containing at least one of a gas or a vapor, each of which including hydrogen or isotopes of hydrogen and the ions thereof;
- a reactor vessel having a heater to heat said reactor vessel and a chamber within which to contain said electrolyte, said reactor vessel including an electrolyte inlet and an electrolyte outlet that enable the electrolyte to flow into and flow out of the chamber of said reactor vessel;
- at least one counter-electrode and at least one working electrode located within the chamber of said reactor vessel and electrically isolated from one another, said at least one counter and working electrodes lying in fluidic communication with the electrolyte, said at teas one working electrode being comprised of a hydrogen host material to store hydrogen therewithin and release the stored hydrogen therefrom;
- a source of electrical potential or electrical current communicating with said at least one counter-electrode and said at least one working electrode to create an, electric field to establish electrolysis between said electrodes, said source of electrical potential or electrical current being adjustable to correspondingly adjust the electric field and thereby provide a controlled release of the hydrogen stored within the hydrogen host material of said working electrode;
- a sensor and control subsystem including at least one temperature sensor to monitor the temperature of said working electrode said temperature and control subsystem providing output signals to control the temperature of said working electrode;
- and
- a thermal management subsystem communicating with said sensor and control subsystem and responsive to the output signals provided thereby and including a heater driver to cause the heater of said reactor vessel to heat said working electrode to increase the hydrogen diffusivity of the hydrogen host material, the output signals provided by said sensor and control subsystem also adjusting the electric field created by said source of electrical potential or electrical current to provide a controlled release of the hydrogen stored by said hydrogen host material.
4 more elements
A gas or vapor electrolysis reactor system, comprising:
- an electrolyte containing at least one of a gas or a vapor, each of which including hydrogen or isotopes of hydrogen and ions thereof;
- a reactor vessel having a heater to heat said reactor vessel and a chamber within which to contain said electrolyte, said reactor vessel including an electrolyte inlet and an electrolyte outlet that enable the electrolyte to flow into and flow out of the reactor vessel;
- at least one counter-electrode and at least one working electrode located within the chamber of said reactor vessel and electrically isolated from one another, said at least one counter and working electrodes lying in fluidic communication with said electrolyte, said at least one working electrode being comprised of a hydrogen host material to store hydrogen;
- a source of electrical potential or electrical current communicating with said at least one counter-electrode and said at least one working electrode to thereby create an electric field to establish electrolysis between said electrodes whereby the hydrogen ions are transported from said electrolyte to said at least one working electrode to be stored in the hydrogen host material of said at least one working electrode to heat said working electrode;
- a source of magnetic field to permeate the at least one working electrode in order to interact with the atoms in both the hydrogen host material from which the at least one working electrode is comprised and the hydrogen that is stored in said hydrogen host material;
- a sensor and control subsystem including at least one temperature sensor to monitor the temperature of said gas or vapor electrolysis reactor system and provide output signals to co said reactor system depending upon the temperature thereof;
- and
- a thermal management subsystem communicating with said sensor and control subsystem and responsive to the output signals provided thereby to control the temperature of said at least one working electrode, said thermal management subsystem including a heater driver to cause the heater of said reactor vessel to heat said working electrode to increase the hydrogen diffusivity of the hydrogen host material and a source of cooling fluid to cool said working electrode to reduce the hydrogen diffusivity of the hydrogen host material.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.