Hot hydrogen production apparatus

#With the advent of a space station with long-term human occupation as well as prospective extended duration spacecraft missions, the need for a simple and reliable yet powerful source of energy for consumption by a space station or spacecraft has been recognized.

#Current energy sources employed to power existing space vehicles of the aforementioned variety include solar-powered apparatus as well as nuclear energy devices, all of which may be inherently hampered by insufficient energy production or dangers associated with radiation generated by the nuclear reactor assembly.

#Accordingly, it would be desirable to have available a device or apparatus for generating a clean, product which would find utility in powering a device, which device could provide necessary power in a space vehicle.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus of the present invention for producing hot hydrogen to power a turbine or the like.

#As shown in the FIGURE, apparatus 10 comprises a reactant housing 12 having a collapsible reactant holding container 14 located therein which container holds beryllium powder as indicated by the shading. Reactant housing 12 is provided with fluid conduits 16,18, one of which (16) having valve 16' communicates with the interior 20 of housing 12 and a second (18) having valve 18' which communicates via a pipe 22 of housing 12 with the interior of container 14. One end of pipe 22, fitted with ball valve 24, communicates via conduit 25 to injector 28 in wall 26 of reactor 30 for the introduction of beryllium into injector 28. Positioned adjacent pipe 22 is an ignitor 32 for igniting reactants as same are introduced into the reactor 30. Oxygen, as a second reactant, is conveyed by conduit 27 to reactor 30 which it combines at injector 28 with the beryllium powder for reaction in reactor 30.

#About the circumference of the reactor 30, baffles 34 are positioned along the interior walls of the reactor. This will allow for cooling of the reactor during the interaction of beryllium and oxygen by the introduction of hydrogen at opening 36. As hydrogen enters the reactor via opening 36, the baffles 34 circulate the hydrogen about the interior walls of the reactor to maintain the reactor temperature at about 1500.degree. F. while the hydrogen being introduced into reactor 30 is also being heated to about 1500.degree. F. due to the interior temperature of the reactor 30.

#Opposite injector 28 is an exit port 38 for removing the heated hydrogen and reaction byproduct beryllium oxide. The chemical reaction byproduct, and hot hydrogen are conveyed by a line or conduit 40 to the filter intake port 42 of fume filter 44. A filter element 46 housed within the filter 44 serves to separate and retain the by product while releasing hot hydrogen through filter exit 48 for conveyance a long conduit 50 to a power generating device 52 which may be a gas turbine or the like.