Hydride-dehydride power system and methods

A method for deriving power and refrigeration from a low-grade thermal energy source comprising:

• combining hydrogen gas with a hydride-forming material under conditions of temperature and pressure such that a hydride saturated with, and in equilibrium with, hydrogen gas is formed;
• heating the hydride at constant volume to a temperature above the equilibrium temperature of the hydride to chemically compress the hydrogen gas;
• transferring heat to the hydride and concurrently releasing the hydrogen gas therefrom;
• concurrently conveying the released hydrogen gas from the hydride to a power producing expansion device;
• expanding the hydrogen gas through said power producing expansion device to produce power and cool the hydrogen gas;
• and
• after release of substantially all of the hydrogen gas from the hydride, cooling the spent hydride under substantially constant volume to effect chemical decompression thereof;
• then
• cyclically repeating the foregoing steps.

In a nuclear reactor system including a heat exchange coolant pump for circulating a coolant fluid to a nuclear reactor, an improved bottoming unit which comprises:

• at least one hydride-dehydride reactor containing a hydride forming material;
• means for conveying the heated coolant fluid from the nuclear reactor to the hydride-dehydride reactor to periodically heat the hydride-dehydride reactor;
• means for periodically cooling the hydride-dehydride reactor in alternating sequence with the heating of the hydride-dehydride reactor;
• a gas expansion power device connected to said hydride-dehydride reactor for receiving pressurized hydrogen gas therefrom;
• and
• means for recycling hydrogen gas from said gas expansion power device to said hydride-dehydride reactor.