Thermal energy storage systems employing metal hydrides
AssigneeAllied Chemical Corporation
InventorGeorge G. Libowitz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Thermal energy storage systems employing metal hydrides are useful for storing thermal energy produced, for example, by solar radiation. The metal hydrides, examples of which include FeTiH and the VH-VH.sub.2 reaction system, evidence ease of reversibility of the metal-hydrogen reaction and have relatively high heats of formation. An additional advantage of the metal hydrides over other thermal storage materials is that the metal hydrides permit a greater degree of control to be exercised over the rate of heat evolution when needed.
Claims19
A reversible, closed thermal energy storage system for supplying heat to a living space comprising:
- a. means for containing a material, said containing means exposed to an external source of heat, said material comprising at least one metal hydride capable of reversible dissociation into metal plus hydrogen gas and having a heat of formation of at least -5 kcal/mole, said external source of heat adapted to heat said material to a temperature sufficient to cause said dissociation of said material;
- b. means for storing said hydrogen gas separate from said metal and apart from said living space;
- c. means for communicating between said containing means and said storing means;
- and
- d. means for controllably recombining substantially all of said hydrogen gas with said metal in said containing means to regenerate substantially all of said metal hydride to produce heat, with additional means for transporting said produced heat to said living space.
A process for reversibly storing heat and releasing heat in a closed cycle to a living space comprising:
- a. heating at least one metal hydride (1) maintained in a container, (2) capable of reversible dissociation into metal plus hydrogen gas and (3) having a heat of formation of at least -5 kcal/mole to a temperature sufficient to cause said dissociation;
- b. storing said hydrogen gas in a means separate from said metal and apart from said living space for a period of time;
- c. controllably recombining substantially all of said hydrogen gas with said metal in said container to regenerate substantially all of said metal hydride to produce heat;
- and
- d. transporting said produced heat from said recombination to said living space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.