Accelerated hydrogen generation through reactive mixing of two or more fluids

• Main Author: TSANG, JOSEPH W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 06.09.2006
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; ELECTRICITY; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED,LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED ORSOLIDIFIED GASES; WEAPONS

The rate of hydrogen generation in proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cells (10) is greatly accelerated by mixing a first aqueous alkali borohydride solution with a second aqueous solutionin the presence of one or more transition metal catalysts: NaBH4 + 2H2O->4H2 + NaBO2 metal wherein the first solution comprises (a) 5 to 50 wt% MBH4, where M is an alkali metal, (b) 5 to 40 wt% alkali hydroxide or alkaline metal hydroxide, and (c) the balance water, and wherein the second solution comprises (a) 51 to 100% water, and (b) the balance, if any, comprising at least one water-soluble additive.