US 12,454,762 B1Granted

Contained hydrogen generation system

AssigneeGreen Fuel, LLC

InventorGordon J. Marsh, Jr.

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Abstract

A contained hydrogen generation system (“system”) comprises a high-pressure containment vessel (“vessel”), one or more proton-exchange membrane (“PEM”) cells, an oxygen-water separator, and a passive dual regulator with relative differential venting (“regulator”). The vessel defines a hydrogen plenum. The PEM and the oxygen-water separator are disposed in the hydrogen plenum. The regulator includes a hydrogen fluid path in fluid communication with the hydrogen plenum, an exterior hydrogen storage vessel, and an exterior of the vessel, and also includes an oxygen fluid path in fluid communication with the oxygen-water separator, an exterior oxygen storage vessel, and an exterior of the vessel. The regulator regulates pressure imbalances between an oxygen-side of the system and a hydrogen-side of the system, and vents oxygen and hydrogen to an exterior of the vessel to allow collection of both hydrogen and oxygen and avoid rupture of a PEM in the one or more PEM cells.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A contained hydrogen generation system (“system”) comprising:

a high-pressure containment vessel (“vessel”) having at least one sidewall and a floor, the vessel having an exterior surface and an interior surface that at least partially defines a hydrogen plenum;
a cover opposite the floor and coupled to the at least one sidewall of the vessel, the cover defining an upper and a lower surface and having a plurality of high-pressure fittings thereon;
one or more proton-exchange membrane (PEM) cells disposed in the hydrogen plenum;
an oxygen-water separator disposed in the hydrogen plenum, the oxygen-water separator receives and stores water from an exterior of the vessel, supplies water to the one or more PEM cells, and receives oxygenated water from an anode-side of the one or more PEM cells, the oxygen-water separator includes an oxygen outlet line;
and
a passive dual regulator with relative differential venting (regulator) disposed in the hydrogen plenum, the regulator including:
a hydrogen fluid path in fluid communication with the hydrogen plenum, an exterior hydrogen storage vessel, and an exterior of the vessel;
and
an oxygen fluid path in fluid communication with the oxygen outlet line of the oxygen-water separator, an exterior oxygen storage vessel, and an exterior of the vessel;
wherein the regulator regulates pressure imbalances between an oxygen-side of the system and a hydrogen-side of the system, and vents oxygen and hydrogen to an exterior of the vessel to allow collection of both hydrogen and oxygen and avoid rupture of a PEM in the one or more PEM cells.

7 more elements

A method of generating hydrogen and oxygen at elevated pressures with a hydrogen generation system including a high-pressure containment vessel (“vessel”) defining a hydrogen plenum having a proton-exchange membrane (“PEM”) cell stack, an oxygen-water separator, and a passive dual modulating regulator (“regulator”) with relative differential venting disposed therein, said method comprising the steps of:

injecting distilled water into the oxygen-water separator;
fueling the PEM cell stack with water from the oxygen-water separator;
applying voltage to the PEM cell stack to hydrolyze water and produce hydrogen and hydrogenated water from a cathode-side of the PEM cell stack and oxygenated water from an anode-side of the PEM cell stack;
supplying the regulator with hydrogen from the hydrogen plenum;
separating oxygen gas from the oxygenated water in the oxygen-water separator and supplying the regulator with oxygen;
venting hydrogen from the regulator to an exterior of the vessel when a pressure differential between an oxygen-side of the system and the hydrogen plenum reaches a threshold level due to excess hydrogen pressure until the pressure differential falls below the threshold level;
venting oxygen from the regulator to an exterior of the vessel when a pressure differential between the oxygen-side of the system and the hydrogen plenum reaches a threshold level due to excess oxygen pressure until the pressure differential falls below the threshold level;
regulating a hydrogen discharge rate and an oxygen discharge rate to prevent pressure imbalances between an oxygen-side of the hydrogen generation system and the hydrogen plenum to avoid rupture of PEM cells within the PEM cell stack;
discharging hydrogen from the regulator to an exterior hydrogen storage vessel;
and
discharging oxygen from the regulator to an exterior oxygen storage vessel.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/194,770Filed 30 Apr 2025 · us provisional application
Priority: 30 Apr 2024
Published: US 2025/0333851 A130 Oct 2025
Granted: 28 Oct 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification31 codes

C25B 1/04
Hydrogen or oxygen: by electrolysis of water
C07C 1/041
Apparatus: reactors
C07C 1/0485
From carbon monoxide with hydrogen: set-up of reactors or accessories; Multi-step processes
C07C 29/1518
Multisteps: one step being the formation of initial mixture of carbon oxides and hydrogen for synthesis