초록 ▼

Moving bed hydride heat pumps and pressure pumps are described in which a hydride-forming material is transported between two or more reactor vessels. Each vessel can be maintained at a predetermined temperature, and thus, the hydride-forming material may be heated or cooled by moving it into an app

Moving bed hydride heat pumps and pressure pumps are described in which a hydride-forming material is transported between two or more reactor vessels. Each vessel can be maintained at a predetermined temperature, and thus, the hydride-forming material may be heated or cooled by moving it into an appropriately heated or cooled reactor vessel. In this way thermal cycling of reactor vessels is reduced or eliminated. Both continuously operating and moving batch hydride pumping systems are disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for cycling a hydride-forming material between a first temperature and a second temperature comprising: a plurality of reaction zones for containing the hydride-forming material, said plurality including first and second reaction zones; means for supplying heat at the first temperature

An apparatus for cycling a hydride-forming material between a first temperature and a second temperature comprising: a plurality of reaction zones for containing the hydride-forming material, said plurality including first and second reaction zones; means for supplying heat at the first temperature to the first reaction zone to promote the desorption of hydrogen from hydride-forming material in the first reaction zone; means for supplying hydrogen to the second reaction zone; means for removing hydrogen from the first reaction zone; means for removing heat at the second temperature from the second reaction zone to promote the absorption of hydrogen by hydride-forming material in the second reaction zone; transport means including first means for transporting hydride-forming material which has been at least partially dehydrided in the first reaction zone from the first reaction zone to the second reaction zone; second means, included in the transport means, for transporting hydride-forming material which has been at least partially hydrided in the second reaction zone from the second reaction zone to at least one other reaction zone, said first and second means cooperating to cycle hydride-forming material between the first and second reaction zones while permitting the first and second reaction zones to be maintained at substantially constant temperature. A method for thermally cycling a hydride-forming material between a first temperature and a second temperature in a hydride pump, said pump including a plurality of reaction zones comprising first and second reaction zones, wherein the method comprises the following steps: supplying heat at the first temperature to hydride-forming material in the first reaction zone to promote desorption of hydrogen; removing hydrogen from the first reaction zone; transporting at least partially dehydrided hydride-forming material from the first reaction zone to the second reaction zone; supplying hydrogen to the second reaction zone; removing heat at the second temperature from hydride-forming material in the second reaction zone to promote absorption of hydrogen; and transporting at least partially hydrided hydride-forming material from the second reaction zone to at least one other reaction zone such that hydride-forming material is cyclically transported between the first and second reaction zones.