Continuous thermal compression of hydrogen

Abstract

A continuous thermal hydrogen compression system, and methods of thermally compressing hydrogen, are disclosed. A hydrogenation module accepts a hydrogen gas stream to be absorbed or adsorbed to a lean carrier stream through heat removal, thereby producing a heat output and a rich carrier stream containing absorbed or adsorbed hydrogen. A pump, connected to an output of the hydrogenation module, increases the pressure of the rich carrier stream to produce a pressurized rich carrier stream. A dehydrogenation module separates, via an addition of heat, a pressurized hydrogen gas stream from the pressurized rich carrier stream to produce a lean carrier stream. A pressure reducing device reduces the pressure of the lean carrier stream before it is returned to the hydrogenation module. The carrier stream is cycled continuously between the hydrogenation module and the dehydrogenation module.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.