초록 ▼

This invention relates to a hydrogen generator system for generating hydrogen from water split reaction. The generator comprises a pressure container having a reactant water inlet, and a product hydrogen outlet. Pluralities of cells are vertically stacked inside the container; each cell contains a r

This invention relates to a hydrogen generator system for generating hydrogen from water split reaction. The generator comprises a pressure container having a reactant water inlet, and a product hydrogen outlet. Pluralities of cells are vertically stacked inside the container; each cell contains a reactant compound comprising a mechanical mixture of metal and an anti-passivation material. The reactant compound produces hydrogen gas upon contact with water, and the cells are stacked such that water entering from the inlet can rise inside the container and sequentially activate each immersed cell to produce hydrogen gas.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A hydrogen generator system for generating hydrogen from water split reaction, comprising: a) a pressure container having a water inlet for fluidly coupling to a water source and flowing water to a bottom of the container, and a product hydrogen outlet for fluidly coupling to

What is claimed is: 1. A hydrogen generator system for generating hydrogen from water split reaction, comprising: a) a pressure container having a water inlet for fluidly coupling to a water source and flowing water to a bottom of the container, and a product hydrogen outlet for fluidly coupling to a hydrogen consumer and flowing hydrogen collected inside the container to the consumer; b) a plurality of cells vertically stacked inside the container and containing a reactant compound comprising a mechanical mixture of a reactant metal and an anti-passivation material and producing hydrogen gas upon contact with water, the cells being fluidly communicative with water and hydrogen gas and stacked such that water rising from the bottom of the container sequentially activates each immersed cell to produce hydrogen gas, wherein each cell of said plurality of cells comprises a sealable internal reaction chamber for confining a selected amount of water and reactant compound therein after said cell is immersed. 2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a gas expansion device fluidly coupled to the container, the gas expansion device being calibrated to receive and store hydrogen gas produced by the generator at a selected charging pressure. 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the gas expansion device is a hydrogen storage buffer calibrated to discharge stored hydrogen to the consumer at a selected discharge pressure. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the buffer is a pressure vessel containing a metal hydride. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the reactant metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), and zinc (Zn). 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the anti-passivation material is selected from group consisting of alumina, ceramic compounds containing aluminum ions, carbon (C), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and combination thereof, magnesium oxide (MgO), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and (ZnO). 7. The system of claim 1 wherein each cell comprises a shell having a plurality of partitions inside the shell that define a plurality of compartments that each store reactant compound, the partitions being made of a semi-permeable material that is permeable to water and gas but impermeable to the reactant compound. 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the partition material is a reticular aluminum foam. 9. The system of claim 7 wherein each cell further comprises a buoyant water feed valve comprising a plate adapted for sealingly closing an opening in the top of the shell, the valve being in a depressed position that allows water into the cell when the reactant compound is dry, and is in an elevated position that closes the opening in the top of the shell to outside water when the cell is filled with water. 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the inner volume of the cell is selected to accommodate the expansion of reacted reactant compound. 11. The system of claim 9 wherein the inner volume of the cell is selected so that the expansion of reacted reactant compound elevates the water feed valve into a closed position. 12. The system of claim 7 further comprising a buoyant water drain valve located in a water drain in the bottom of the shell, the drain valve being in an open position when the cell is not immersed in water, and in an elevated position that closes the water drain when the water level outside the cell rises above the bottom of the shell. 13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a water expansion device fluidly coupled to the container and calibrated to receive and store water at a selected pressure. 14. A hydrogen generator system for generating hydrogen from water split reaction, comprising: a) a reactor comprising i) a pressure container having a water inlet for fluidly coupling to a water source and flowing water to a bottom of the container, and a product hydrogen outlet for fluidly coupling to a hydrogen consumer and flowing hydrogen collected inside the container to the consumer; and ii) a plurality of cells vertically stacked inside the container and containing a reactant compound comprising a mechanical mixture of a reactant metal and an anti-passivation material and producing hydrogen gas upon contact with water, the cells being fluidly communicative with water and hydrogen gas and stacked such that water rising from the bottom of the container sequentially activates each immersed cell to produce hydrogen gas, wherein each cell of said plurality of cells comprises a sealable internal reaction chamber for confining a selected amount of water and reactant compound therein after said cell is immersed; b) a hydrogen storage buffer fluidly coupled to the reactor, calibrated to receive and store product hydrogen gas from the reactor at a selected charging pressure, and to discharge hydrogen gas to the consumer at a selected discharge pressure; and, c) a water supply circuit fluidly coupled to the water inlet of the reactor and having a pump for delivering water from a water source to the cells. 15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a controller communicative with the pump and programmed to operate the pump to deliver water to the reactor at a rate that corresponds to the rate of hydrogen demanded from the hydrogen consumer. 16. The system of claim 15 wherein the controller operates the pump to deliver water to the cells at a rate that activates a cell to produce hydrogen around the same time the hydrogen production rate of a below activated cell begins to decline. 17. The system of claim 14 wherein the reactant metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), and zinc (Zn). 18. The system of claim 14 wherein the anti-passivation material is selected from group consisting of alumina, ceramic compounds containing aluminum ions, carbon (C), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and combination thereof, magnesium oxide (MgO), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and (ZnO). 19. The system of claim 14 further comprising a water expansion device for providing isobaric expansion inside the container, and being fluidly coupled to the water supply circuit and having a valve calibrated to open at a selected pressure to allow water from the container into the water expansion device. 20. The system of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of reactors each being fluidly coupled in parallel to the buffer and to the water supply circuit. 21. The system of claim 20 wherein each reactor comprises a water flow control valve coupled to the water supply circuit and the controller is further programmed to operate each control valve to independently control the flow of water into each reactor. 22. The system of claim 9 wherein said top of said shell comprises a lip defining said opening and wherein said plate comprises an O-ring located on an upper surface thereof, wherein said O-ring sealingly engages said lip when said plate floats upwardly to said elevated position. 23. The system of claim 1 wherein each cell of said plurality of cells comprises a valve for sealing said reaction chamber after said cell is immersed. 24. The system of claim 7 wherein each cell comprises valve means for closing an opening in the top of said shell, wherein said valve means is movable between an open position allowing water into said cell when said when said reactant compound is dry and a closed position closing said opening to outside water when said cell is filled with water. 25. The system of claim 23 when said valve means is a buoyant plate which sealingly engages said top of said shell in said closed position. 26. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said cells comprises a shell defining said internal reaction chamber, wherein said shell is formed from a thin recyclable aluminum sheet.