Device for sampling and enriching impurities in hydrogen comprising hydrogen-permeable membrane

摘要

Provided herein are methods and devices to enrich trace quantities of impurities in gaseous mixtures, such as hydrogen fuel. The methods and devices rely on concentration of impurities so as to allow the detection of the impurities using commonly-available detection methods.

主权项

1. A device for increasing the concentration of impurities in a batch of hydrogen gas, the device comprising:
a first container having an interior void having a first volume V1 adapted to receive the batch at a first pressure Phi, wherein the batch contains hydrogen gas and an unknown quantity of trace impurities; a second container downstream and in fluid communication with the first container, wherein the second container has an interior void having a second volume V2 and, wherein the void of the second container is in fluid communication with a hydrogen-permeable membrane that allows passage of hydrogen gas into a first conduit, said membrane impermeable to the impurities, wherein the interior void of the second container is not in physical communication with the first conduit, wherein hydrogen gas and impurities are retained in the interior void of the second container at a second pressure PLo lower than the first pressure; a second conduit in fluid communication with and downstream from the second container; and an analytical device downstream from and in fluid communication with the second conduit wherein the analytical device, and wherein the system comprising the first and second containers is a reversibly closeable system wherein no further gas is permitted into the system during treatment of an aliquot wherein impurities retained in the interior void of the second chamber are concentrated by a factor ofPh⁢⁢i⁢V1Pl⁢⁢o⁢V2  with respect to the concentration of the impurities of the batch of hydrogen gas.