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US 4,178,987 AGranted
Moving bed hydride/dehydride systems
AssigneeStandard Oil Company (Indiana)
InventorsWalker H. Bowman, Bruce E. Sirovich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Moving bed hydride heat pumps and pressure pumps are described in which a hydride-forming material is transported between two or more reactor vessels. Each vessel can be maintained at a predetermined temperature, and thus, the hydride-forming material may be heated or cooled by moving it into an appropriately heated or cooled reactor vessel. In this way thermal cycling of reactor vessels is reduced or eliminated. Both continuously operating and moving batch hydride pumping systems are disclosed.
Claims40
An apparatus for cycling a hydride-forming material between a first temperature and a second temperature comprising:
- a plurality of reaction zones for containing the hydride-forming material, said plurality including first and second reaction zones;
- means for supplying heat at the first temperature to the first reaction zone to promote the desorption of hydrogen from hydride-forming material in the first reaction zone;
- means for supplying hydrogen to the second reaction zone;
- means for removing hydrogen from the first reaction zone;
- means for removing heat at the second temperature from the second reaction zone to promote the absorption of hydrogen by hydride-forming material in the second reaction zone;
- transport means including first means for transporting hydride-forming material which has been at least partially dehydrided in the first reaction zone from the first reaction zone to the second reaction zone;
- second means, included in the transport means, for transporting hydride-forming material which has been at least partially hydrided in the second reaction zone from the second reaction zone to at least one other reaction zone, said first and second means cooperating to cycle hydride-forming material between the first and second reaction zones while permitting the first and second reaction zones to be maintained at substantially constant temperature.
4 more elements
A method for thermally cycling a hydride-forming material between a first temperature and a second temperature in a hydride pump, said pump including a plurality of reaction zones comprising first and second reaction zones, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
- supplying heat at the first temperature to hydride-forming material in the first reaction zone to promote desorption of hydrogen;
- removing hydrogen from the first reaction zone;
- transporting at least partially dehydrided hydride-forming material from the first reaction zone to the second reaction zone;
- supplying hydrogen to the second reaction zone;
- removing heat at the second temperature from hydride-forming material in the second reaction zone to promote absorption of hydrogen;
- and
- transporting at least partially hydrided hydride-forming material from the second reaction zone to at least one other reaction zone such that hydride-forming material is cyclically transported between the first and second reaction zones.
4 more elements
A hydride pump comprising:
- a plurality of reaction zones, including first and second reaction zones;
- first means for transporting hydride-forming material from the first reaction zone to the second reaction zone;
- second means for transporting hydride-forming material from the second reaction zone to at least one other reaction zone such that hydride-forming material is cycled between the first and second reaction zones;
- means for maintaining the first reaction zone at a substantially constant temperature and pressure for a period greater than the time required for the first and second transporting means to transport hydride-forming material in a complete cycle from the first reaction zone to the second reaction zone and back, including residence time in the first reaction zone;
- means for maintaining the second reaction zone at a substantially constant temperature and pressure for a period greater than the time required for the first and second transporting means to transport hydride-forming material in a complete cycle from the second reaction zone to the first reaction zone and back, including residence time in the second reaction zone.
2 more elements
An apparatus for transferring heat energy from a first temperature to a second, higher temperature comprising:
- first reactor means for containing hydride-forming material, said first reactor means including means for drawing off hydrogen at a first pressure and means for supplying heat at the first temperature;
- second reactor means for containing hydride-forming material, said second reactor means including means for supplying hydrogen at a second pressure higher than the first pressure and means for drawing off heat at the second temperature;
- first and second conduit means extending between the first and second reactor means for transporting hydride-forming material therebetween;
- throttling means in the first conduit means for controlling the rate at which hydride-forming material moves through the first conduit means from the second reactor means to the first reactor means;
- and
- pump means in the second conduit means for transporting hydride-forming material from the first reactor means to the second reactor means in a substantially continuous stream, said first and second conduit means, throttling means, and pump means cooperating to continuously cycle hydride-forming material between the first and second reactor means to promote continuous exothermic hydride formation in the second reactor means and continuous endothermic hydride decomposition in the first reactor means.
3 more elements
An apparatus for transferring hydrogen from a first reactor means to a second reactor means comprising:
- first reactor means for containing hydride-forming material, said first reactor means including means for supplying hydrogen at a first pressure and means for drawing off heat at a first temperature;
- second reactor means for containing hydride-forming material, said second reactor means including means for drawing off hydrogen at a second pressure and means for supplying heat at a second temperature;
- first and second conduit means extending between the first and second reactor means for transporting hydride-forming material therebetween;
- throttling means in the first conduit means for controlling the rate at which hydride-forming material is transported from the second reactor means to the first reactor means through the first conduit means;
- and
- pump means in the second conduit means for transporting hydride-forming material from the first reactor means to the second reactor means in a substantially continuous stream, said first and second conduit means, throttling means, and pump means cooperating to continuously cycle hydride-forming material between the first and second reactor means to promote continuous absorption of hydrogen in the first reactor means and continuous desorption of hydrogen in the second reactor means.
3 more elements
An apparatus for transferring heat energy from a first temperature to second, higher temperature comprising:
- first reactor means for containing hydride-forming material, said first reactor means including means for drawing off hydrogen at a first pressure and means for supplying heat at the first temperature;
- second reactor means for containing hydride-forming material, said second reactor means including means for supplying hydrogen at a second pressure higher than the first pressure and means for drawing off heat at the second temperature;
- first means for transporting substantially all of the hydride-forming material contained in the first reactor means as a batch to the second reactor means;
- second means for transporting substantially all of the hydride-forming material contained in the second reactor means as a batch to the first reactor means.
1 more element
An apparatus for transferring hydrogen from a first reactor means to a second reactor means comprising:
- first reactor means for containing hydride-forming material, said first reactor means including means for supplying hydrogen at a first pressure and means for drawing off heat at a first temperature;
- second reactor means for containing hydride-forming material, said second reactor means including means for drawing off hydrogen at a second pressure and means for supplying heat at a second temperature;
- first means for transporting substantially all of the hydride-forming material contained in the first reactor means as a batch to the second reactor means;
- and
- second means for transporting substantially all of the hydride-forming material contained in the second reactor means as a batch to the first reactor means.
2 more elements
An apparatus for transferring heat energy from a first temperature to a second, higher temperature comprising:
- a first reactor vessel for containing hydride-forming material;
- a second reactor vessel situated above the first vessel for containing hydride-forming material;
- first and second heat exchangers for supplying heat to the first vessel at the first temperature and drawing off heat from the second vessel at the second temperature, respectively;
- first and second hydrogen supply means for drawing off hydrogen at a first pressure from the first vessel and supplying hydrogen at a second, higher pressure to the second vessel;
- a standpipe connected between the first and second vessels for transporting hydride-forming material from the second vessel downwards to the first vessel;
- throttling means in the standpipe for restricting the flow of hydride-forming material down the standpipe;
- a bubble lift connected between the first and second vessels for transporting hydride-forming material up from the first vessel to the second vessel;
- means for maintaining fluidized flow in the hydride-forming forming material contained in the standpipe and the bubble lift;
- and
- means for forming bubbles in the bubble lift to promote the upward movement of hydride-forming material in the bubble lift.
7 more elements
An apparatus for transferring hydrogen from a first reactor vessel to second reactor vessel comprising:
- a first reactor vessel for containing hydride-forming material;
- a second reactor vessel situated above the first vessel for containing hydride-forming material;
- first and second heat exchangers for drawing off heat from the first vessel at a first temperature and supplying heat to the second vessel at a second temperature, respectively;
- first and second hydrogen supply means for supplying hydrogen at a first pressure to the first vessel and drawing off hydrogen at a second pressure from the second vessel;
- a standpipe connected between the first and second vessels for transporting hydride-forming material from the second vessel downwards to the first vessel;
- throttling means in the standpipe for restricting the flow of hydride-forming material down the standpipe;
- a bubble lift connected between the first and second vessels for transporting hydride-forming material up from the first vessel to the second vessel;
- means for maintaining fluidized flow in the hydride-forming material contained in the standpipe and the bubble lift;
- and
- means for forming bubbles in the bubble lift to promote the upward movement of hydride-forming material in the bubble lift.
7 more elements
An apparatus for transferring heat energy from a first temperature to a second, higher temperature, comprising:
- first and second reactor vessels for containing hydride-forming material;
- first and second heat exchangers for supplying heat to the first vessel at the first temperature and drawing off heat from the second vessel at the second temperature, respectively;
- first and second hydrogen supply means for drawing off hydrogen at a first pressure from the first vessel and supplying hydrogen at a second, higher pressure to the second vessel;
- first means for transporting hydride-forming material between the first and second vessels, including a lock hopper for containing hydride-forming material;
- first and second conduits interconnecting the lock hopper with the first and second valves, respectively;
- first and second valves connected to the first and second conduits, respectively, for controlling the flow of hydride-forming material therethrough;
- and
- second means for transporting hydride-forming material between the first and second vessels.
5 more elements
An apparatus for transferring hydrogen from a first reactor vessel to a second reactor vessel comprising:
- first and second reactor vessels for containing hydride-forming material,
- first and second heat exchangers for drawing off heat from the first vessel at a first temperature and supplying heat to the second vessel at a second temperature, respectively;
- first and second hydrogen supply means for supplying hydrogen at a first pressure to the first vessel and drawing off hydrogen at a second pressure from the second vessel;
- first means for transporting hydride-forming material between the first and second vessels, including a lock hopper for containing hydride-forming material;
- first and second conduits interconnecting the lock hopper with the first and second valves, respectively;
- first and second valves connected to the first and second conduits, respectively, for controlling the flow of hydride-forming material therethrough;
- and
- second means for transporting hydride-forming material between the first and second vessels.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.