Loading patent…
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsJames J. Reilly, Edward W. Grohse, John R. Johnson, Warren E. Winsche, deceased
Estimating the term…
The reversible reaction M+x/2 H.sub.2 .rarw..fwdarw.MH.sub.x, wherein M is a reversible metal hydride former that forms a hydride MH.sub.x in the presence of H.sub.2, generally used to store and recall H.sub.2, is found to proceed under an inert liquid, thereby reducing contamination, providing better temperature control, providing in situ mobility of the reactants, and increasing flexibility in process design. Thus, a slurry of particles of a metal hydride former with an inert solvent is subjected to a temperature and pressure controlled atmosphere containing H.sub.2, to store hydrogen and to release previously stored hydrogen. The direction of the flow of the H.sub.2 through the liquid is dependent upon the H.sub.2 pressure in the gas phase at a given temperature. When the actual H.sub.2 pressure is above the equilibrium absorption pressure of the respective hydride the reaction proceeds to the right, i.e., the metal hydride is formed and hydrogen is stored in the solid particles. When the actual pressure in the gas phase is below the equilibrium dissociation pressure of the respective hydride the reaction proceeds to the left, the metal hydride is decomposed and hydrogen is released into the gas phase.
The process of selectively storing and releasing hydrogen in metal hydride formers that reversibly react with hydrogen to form hydrides and release hydrogen, comprising in combination the steps of:
The process of selectively storing and releasing hydrogen in metal hydride formers that reversibly react with hydrogen to form hydrides and release hydrogen, comprising in combination the steps of:
A process for exchanging hydrogen between an inert liquid selected from the group consisting of silicone based liquids, saturated organic liquids which may be fluorinated, kerosene, and water and an immobile compact of a metal hydride former capable of reversibly absorbing and desorbing hydrogen comprising contacting the liquid phase with hydrogen gas in a vessel separate from that containing said immobile compact, flowing the liquid through the immobile compact to effect the exchange of hydrogen, with the direction of the exchange depending at any given temperature on the pressure of the hydrogen in the gas phase.
A process for selectively absorbing hydrogen from gas mixtures containing H.sub.2 and gaseous components from the group consisting of light molecular weight hydrocarbons, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.