A HYDROGEN COOLED HYDRIDE STORAGE UNIT INCORPORATING POROUS ENCAPSULANT MATERIAL TO PREVENT ALLOY ENTRAINMENT

• Main Authors: HOLLAND, ARTHUR, STEPHENSON, TREVOR, STETSON, NED, T
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 11.09.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ALLOYS; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; ELECTRICITY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED,LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL; HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS,IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT; HEATING; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS; VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED ORSOLIDIFIED GASES; WEAPONS

A hydrogen gas cooled hydrogen storage element which includes a hydrogen storage alloy material in which hydrogen flow channels are provided. The flow channels provide pathways through the hydrogen storage material to allow for high speed hydrogen gas flow. A portion of the high speed hydrogen flow is stored within the storage material which releases its heat of hydride formation. The remainder of the hydrogen flows through the hydrogen storage material at a sufficient mass flow rate to remove the heat of hydride formation. The unit also includes an encapsulant to prevent any loose particles of the storage material from becoming entrained in the high flow rate hydrogen.