# US 8,771,636 B2 · Chemical processes and reactors for efficiently producing hydrogen fuels and structural materials, and associated systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,636 B2 - Document ID: US8771636B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/684,987 - Filed: 2012-11-26 - Published: 2013-07-11 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2008-01-07 - Assignees: McAlister Technologies, LLC - Applicants: McAlister Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Roy Edward McAlister - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771636B2 ## CPC - C01B 3/24: of hydrocarbons - B01J 4/002: {Nozzle-type elements (nozzle-type reactors B01J19/26)} - B01J 19/127: {Sunlight; Visible light} - B01J 19/2415: {Tubular reactors} - B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites - C01B 3/0021: Elemental carbon, e.g. active carbon, carbon nanotubes or fullerenes - C01B 3/047: Decomposition of ammonia - F01N 5/02: the devices using heat - F02M 21/0206: {Non-hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. hydrogen, ammonia or carbon monoxide} - F02M 21/0227: {Means to treat or clean gaseous fuels or fuel systems, e.g. removal of tar, cracking, reforming or enriching} - F02M 27/02: by catalysts - F02M 51/0671: {the armature having an elongated valve body attached thereto} - F02M 57/06: the devices being sparking plugs - B01J 2219/00135: Electric resistance heaters - B01J 2219/00157: by means of a burner - B01J 2219/00159: controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling - B01J 2219/00162: controlling the pressure - B01J 2219/00164: controlling the flow - C01B 2203/0277: containing a catalytic decomposition step - C01B 2203/0805: Methods of heating the process for making hydrogen or synthesis gas - C01B 2203/1241: Natural gas or methane - F01N 2240/22: a condensation chamber - F02B 2075/125: {Direct injection in the combustion chamber for spark ignition engines, i.e. not in pre-combustion chamber} - Y02E 60/32: Hydrogen storage - Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis - Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines - Y02P 20/133: Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - Y02T 10/30: Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Chemical processes and reactors for efficiently producing hydrogen fuels and structural materials and associated systems and methods. A representative process includes dissociating a hydrogen donor into dissociation products by adding energy to the hydrogen donor, wherein the energy includes waste heat generated by a process other than dissociating the hydrogen donor. The process can further include providing, from the dissociation products, a structural building block and/or a hydrogen-based fuel, with the structural building block based on carbon, nitrogen, boron, silicon, sulfur, and/or a transition metal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing a hydrogen donor, comprising: dissociating a first hydrogen donor mass into first dissociation products by adding energy to the first hydrogen donor mass, wherein the energy includes waste heat generated by a combustion process carried out in a combustion chamber; from the first dissociation products, providing: (a) a structural building block; and (b) a hydrogen-based fuel; transferring heat from at least one component selected from the group consisting of the structural building block, the hydrogen-based fuel, and the first dissociation products to a second hydrogen donor mass; dissociating the second hydrogen donor mass into second dissociation products; and from the structural building block, providing an architectural construct. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising supplementing the waste heat with heat obtained from a sustainable, renewable energy source. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein supplementing the waste heat includes supplementing the waste heat with solar energy. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein supplementing the waste heat includes supplementing the waste heat with wind energy. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first hydrogen donor mass has a first energy and the hydrogen-based fuel has a second energy greater than the first. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein the first energy includes a first dissociation energy and wherein the second energy includes a second dissociation energy. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the structural building block and the hydrogen-based fuel from the dissociation products. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein providing the architectural construct includes forming a graphene construct from dissociated carbon, and wherein the process further comprises: adsorbing hydrogen to the graphene construct; releasing the hydrogen from the graphene construct; and combusting the hydrogen to provide energy for dissociating the second hydrogen donor mass. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first hydrogen donor mass includes ammonia. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first hydrogen donor mass includes hydrocarbon. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising adding steam to the first hydrogen donor mass. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein dissociating a first hydrogen donor mass includes dissociating a first hydrocarbon mass. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein dissociating a first hydrocarbon mass includes dissociating a first methane mass. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the first hydrogen donor mass includes a first mass of diesel fuel, and the second hydrogen donor mass includes a second mass of diesel fuel and wherein the method further comprises adding hydrogen obtained from dissociating the first mass of diesel fuel to the second mass of diesel fuel to aid in dissociating the second mass of diesel fuel. ### Claim 15 A method for processing a hydrocarbon, comprising: dissociating a first hydrocarbon mass into first dissociation products by adding energy to the first hydrocarbon mass, wherein the energy includes: (a) waste heat generated by a combustion process carried out in a combustion chamber; and (b) energy from a sustainable energy source, and wherein the first hydrocarbon mass has a first dissociation energy; from the first dissociation products, providing: (a) a carbon-based structural building block; and (b) a hydrogen-based fuel having a second dissociation energy greater than the first dissociation energy; transferring heat from at least one of the carbon-based structural building block, the hydrogen-based fuel, and the dissociation products to a second hydrocarbon mass; dissociating the second hydrocarbon mass into second dissociation products; and from the structural building block, providing an architectural construct. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein: dissociating a first hydrocarbon mass includes dissociating a first mass of methane; dissociating a second hydrocarbon mass includes dissociating a second mass of methane; and providing a hydrogen-based fuel includes providing hydrogen released by dissociating the first mass of methane; and wherein the method further comprises: forming graphene from carbon released by dissociating the first mass of methane.