Miniature hydrogen generator

Abstract

A relatively small size apparatus for generating hydrogen by the reaction of a metal hydride with water vapor is disclosed. The metal hydride utilized to generate the hydrogen gas is housed in a fuel chamber of the apparatus and water vapor is introduced into the fuel chamber through a porous membrane having selected characteristics. The metal hydride reacts with the water vapor in a conventional manner to produce pure hydrogen. A variable gas pressure - liquid pressure balance means for introduction of water vapor enables automatic hydrogen generation on demand and enables complete shut down when demand ceases. The apparatus of this invention may be operated at any selected constant pressure feed rate. Further, with the apparatus of this invention the water source is effectively isolated from the metal hydride by the porous membrane, which has hydrophobic characteristics, and as a consequence, both contamination of the water source and caking of the metal hydride fuel is minimized. The apparatus of this invention can be utilized as a hydrogen or other gas source in many applications where a source of hydrogen or other gas is required but is ideally suited for regulated and pressure feed applications, for example, as the hydrogen source for the hydrogen electrode of the fuel cell.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.