Hydrogen reactors including flexible membranes
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsMark Donahue, Erik Limpaecher, Eric Morgan, Erin Looney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some embodiments, a reactor and/or related may generate pressurized hydrogen within an internal volume by combining water and a water reactive material. In some embodiments, the reactor may include a flexible porous membrane configured to contain water reactive material disposed in an internal volume. In some embodiments, the reactor may include a support configured to support a water reactive material in an internal volume.
Claims23
A reactor for producing hydrogen gas, the reactor comprising:
- a housing including an internal volume;
- a flexible porous membrane disposed in the internal volume, wherein the flexible porous membrane divides the internal volume into a first volume and a second volume;
- a support configured to support a water reactive material in the first volume;
- an outlet formed in the housing, wherein the outlet is in fluid communication with the first volume, and wherein the outlet is in fluid communication with the second volume through the flexible porous membrane.
A method of producing hydrogen gas, the method comprising:
- combining a water reactive material and a liquid in a first volume to produce hydrogen gas and a waste material in the first volume, wherein the first volume is formed by a first portion of a housing and a flexible porous membrane;
- diffusing the waste material across a flexible porous membrane from the first volume to a second volume formed by a second portion of the housing and the flexible porous membrane.
A flexible reactor for producing hydrogen gas, the reactor comprising:
- a flexible water impermeable membrane with an internal volume configured to contain a water reactive material and water to produce hydrogen in the internal volume;
- and
- a flexible support sleeve, wherein the flexible water impermeable membrane is disposed in the flexible support sleeve, and wherein a tensile strength of the flexible support sleeve is greater than a tensile strength of the flexible water impermeable membrane in at least one direction to support a pressure of the produced hydrogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.