초록 ▼

A hydrogen purifier utilizing a hydrogen permeable membrane, and a gas-tight seal, where the seal is uses a low temperature melting point metal, which upon heating above the melting point subsequently forms a seal alloy with adjacent metals, where the alloy has a melting point above the operational

A hydrogen purifier utilizing a hydrogen permeable membrane, and a gas-tight seal, where the seal is uses a low temperature melting point metal, which upon heating above the melting point subsequently forms a seal alloy with adjacent metals, where the alloy has a melting point above the operational temperature of the purifier. The purifier further is constructed such that a degree of isolation exists between the metal that melts to form the seal and the active area of the purifier membrane, so that the active area of the purifier membrane is not corrupted. A method of forming a hydrogen purifier utilizing a hydrogen permeable membrane with a seal of the same type is also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A hydrogen purifier with a hydrogen permeable membrane with a hydrogen permeable area having an operational temperature and containing at least one gas-tight seal, where the seal comprises a metal with a solid phase above the operational temperature of the purifier, and where the seal metal compo

1. A hydrogen purifier with a hydrogen permeable membrane with a hydrogen permeable area having an operational temperature and containing at least one gas-tight seal, where the seal comprises a metal with a solid phase above the operational temperature of the purifier, and where the seal metal composition includes a layer of at least one melting element of Pb, Sn, Bi, Te, Se, In, Cd, or Zn, and a layer of at least one additional element, and said seal metal is formed by melting the at least one melting element and forming an alloy or compound with the at least one additional element, and where the purifier further includes means for isolating the at least one melting element from the hydrogen permeable area of the hydrogen permeable membrane. 2. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 1 where the final solid phase compound or alloy of the seal has a melting temperature above 300° C. 3. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 1, where the additional element has a melting temperature above 700° C. 4. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 1, where the final solid phase compound or alloy contains at least one of Pb, Sn, Bi, Te, Se, In, Cd, or Zn combined with at least one of Fe, Pd, Ag, Cu, Ni, or Au. 5. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 1, where said isolation means consist of at least one of forming the seal in selected regions of the hydrogen purifier by either selective plating with a mask, or by plating followed by selective etching or reverse plating with an etching or reverse plating mask, prior to melting the melting element; separating the melting element from the hydrogen permeable area of the hydrogen permeable membrane with a separation distance of at least 100 times the thickness of the layer of the melting element; or providing a collection trough for collection of excess liquid melting element material. 6. A hydrogen purifier module effective for purifying hydrogen from a pressurized mixed gas stream containing hydrogen, with an effective operating temperature range, comprising: a) an at least one metallic hydrogen-permeable membrane having a hydrogen permeable areab) an at least one pressurized metallic enclosure containing a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen, effective to bring the mixed gas stream containing hydrogen adjacent to said membrane;c) an at least one permeate metallic enclosure effective to receive hydrogen permeating through said metallic hydrogen-permeable membrane;d) an at least one gas inlet path for bringing a pressurized mixed gas stream containing hydrogen into said pressurized metallic enclosure, and an at least one gas exit path for removing said pressurized mixed gas stream containing hydrogen from said pressurized metallic enclosure, after the gas has transferred a portion of the hydrogen to the metallic hydrogen-permeable member;e) an at least one gas exit path for transferring permeated hydrogen out of the hydrogen purifier module where the hydrogen purifier module further comprises at least one of: f) sealing means between the pressurized metallic enclosure containing a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen and the exterior of the hydrogen purifier module;g) sealing means between the permeate metallic enclosure and the exterior of the hydrogen purifier module;h) sealing means between the pressurized metallic enclosure containing a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen and the permeate metallic enclosure; where said sealing means are accomplished by an at least one coating at least one of the metallic members with at least one element or first metal alloy, and heating the purifier to a temperature effective to form a liquid seal by melting the at least one metal element or first metal alloy, and further heating the purifier until a final solid phase compound or alloy is formed at the location of the liquid seal with a melting temperature above the effective operating temperature range of the purifier, and where the purifier further includes means for isolating the melting element from the hydrogen permeable area of the membrane. 7. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 6, where the coating has a first melting temperature below 550° C., and where the final solid phase compound or alloy has a melting temperature above 300° C. 8. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 6 where the coating has a first melting temperature below 550° C., and where the final solid phase compound or alloy has a melting temperature above 300° C., and further contains at least one of Pb, Sn, Bi, Te, Se, In, Cd, or Zn. 9. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 6, where the coating thickness contains at least one of Pb, Sn, Bi, Te, Se, In, Cd, or Zn and is between 0.1 microns and 20 microns. 10. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 6, where the coating with at least one element or first metal alloy further comprising a second element with a melting temperature above 700° C., where said second element and the at least one element or first metal alloy forms a solid phase compound or alloy with a melting temperature above the effective operating temperature range of the purifier. 11. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 6 where the final solid phase compound or alloy contains at least one of Pb, Sn, Bi, Te, Se, In, Cd, or Zn combined with at least one of Fe, Pd, Ag, Cu, Ni, or Au. 12. A hydrogen purifier as claimed in claim 6, where said isolation means consist of at least one of forming the seal in selected regions of the hydrogen purifier by either selective plating with a mask, or by plating followed by selective etching or reverse plating with an etching or reverse plating mask, prior to melting the melting element; separating the melting element from the permeable area of the hydrogen permeable membrane with a separation distance of at least 100 times the thickness of the melting element; or providing a collection trough for excess melting element material. 13. A method of forming one or more seals in a hydrogen purifier module effective for purifying hydrogen from a pressurized mixed gas stream containing hydrogen, with an effective operating temperature range, where the method comprises: providing a hydrogen purifier module comprising: a) an at least one metallic hydrogen-permeable membrane having a hydrogen permeable areab) an at least one pressurized metallic enclosure containing a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen, effective to bring the mixed gas stream containing hydrogen adjacent to said membrane;c) an at least one permeate metallic enclosure effective to receive hydrogen permeating through said metallic hydrogen-permeable membrane;d) an at least one gas inlet path for bringing a pressurized mixed gas stream containing hydrogen into said pressurized metallic enclosure, and an at least one gas exit path for removing said pressurized mixed gas stream containing hydrogen from said pressurized metallic enclosure, after the gas has transferred a portion of the hydrogen to the metallic hydrogen-permeable member;e) an at least one gas exit path for transferring permeated hydrogen out of the hydrogen purifier module where the hydrogen purifier module further comprises at least one of: f) sealing means between the pressurized metallic enclosure containing a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen and the exterior of the hydrogen purifier module;g) sealing means between the permeate metallic enclosure and the exterior of the hydrogen purifier module;h) sealing means between the pressurized metallic enclosure containing a mixed gas stream containing hydrogen and the permeate metallic enclosure; coating at least one of the metallic members with a melting element of at least one of Pb, Sn, Bi, Te, Se, In, Cd, or Zn, while isolating the melting element from the hydrogen permeable area of the membrane and heating the purifier module to a temperature sufficient to melt the coating, with the coating subsequently forming a seal of a solid phase compound or alloy at a temperature between 150° C.-700° C., where the resulting solid phase compound or alloy has a melting temperature above the upper operating temperature range of the purifier. 14. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising coating at least one of the metallic members with a second coating which forms a solid phase compound or alloy with the first coating at a temperature between 150° C. and 700° C., where the resulting solid-phase alloy or alloys have a melting temperature above the upper operating temperature range of the purifier. 15. A method of forming one or more seals in a hydrogen purifier module effective for purifying hydrogen from a pressurized mixed gas stream containing hydrogen as claimed in claim 13, where said isolation consists of at least one of forming the seal in selected regions of the hydrogen purifier by either selective plating with a mask, or by plating followed by selective etching or reverse plating with an etching or reverse plating mask, prior to melting the melting element; separating the melting element from the permeable area of the hydrogen permeable membrane with a separation distance of at least 100 times the thickness of the melting element; or providing a collection trough for excess melting element material. 16. A method of forming one or more seals in a hydrogen purifier module with a final solid phase compound or alloy as claimed in claim 13 where the compound or alloy is formed with a composition containing at least one of Pb, Sn, Bi, Te, Se, In, Cd, or Zn combined with at least one of Fe, Pd, Ag, Cu, Ni, or Au. 17. A method of forming one or more seals in a hydrogen purifier module as claimed in claim 13 where the coating contains at least one of Pb, Sn, Bi, Te, Se, In, Cd, or Zn and is between 0.1 microns and 20 microns thick.