| 摘要 |
A hydrogen generator and methods of generating hydrogen are described in which a hydride is hydrolysed in a reaction chamber in an exothermic reaction by the addition of liquid water to be vaporized in the reaction chamber, and/or the added water is controlled in relation to the hydrogen generated according to a value x defined by equations, which, for a divalent metal, reads:;MH2+xH2O→(2-x)MO+(x-1)M(OH)2+2H2,;wherein M symbolizing the divalent metal and x is preferred in the interval of 1.2 to 1.3. The equation as well as the values of x depend on the sort of hydride, i.e. whether a 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-valent hydride is applied. The hydrogen generator has a reaction chamber and an operably coupled water storage vessel acting also as condenser for recycled water. |
| 主权项 |
1. A hydrogen generator, comprising:
a reaction chamber having an interior, a water supply inlet in communication with the reaction chamber and a hydrogen outlet in communication with the reaction chamber, wherein, within the interior of the reaction chamber, a metal hydride in the form of a granular material is positioned, and wherein, in series with the hydrogen outlet, within the interior of the reaction chamber, a porous material that is permeable to hydrogen but is not permeable to the hydride is positioned; a water feed pump; a water line coupled to the water supply inlet and the water feed pump; a temperature sensor in communication with the interior of the reaction chamber; a control unit in electrical communication with the water feed pump and the temperature sensor; wherein the metal hydride can be the hydride of a 1-valent metal, or a 2-valent metal, or a 3-valent metal, or a 4-valent metal, a stoichiometric factor x in the following equations being controlled within the below mentioned intervals by adjusting the water supply rate and the temperature of the reaction chamber, in relation to the hydrogen generated, the value x being defined by the following four equations:
MH+xH2O→(1-x)M2O+(2x-1)MOH+H2,M symbolizing a 1-valent metal, x being in the interval of 0.51 to 0.9,MH2+xH2O→(2-x)MO+(x-1)M(OH)2+2H2,M symbolizing a divalent metal, x being in the interval of 1.02 to 1.8,MH3+xH2O→(1⅓x)M2O3+(⅔x-1)M(OH)3+3H2,M symbolizing a 3-valent metal, x being in the interval of 1.5 to 3,MH4+xH2O→(2½x)MO2+(½x-1)M(OH)4+4H2,M symbolizing a 4-valent metal, x being in the interval of 2.04 to 3.6. |
