Hydrogen storage method and system

• Main Author: DRNEVICH RAYMOND FRANCIS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.03.2016
• Subjects: BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; CONVEYING; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED,LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HEATING; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING; VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED ORSOLIDIFIED GASES; WEAPONS

A method and system for storing and supplying hydrogen to a hydrogen pipeline in which a compressed hydrogen feed stream is introduced into a salt cavern for storage and a stored hydrogen stream is retrieved from the salt cavern and reintroduced into the hydrogen pipeline. A minimum quantity of stored hydrogen is maintained in the salt cavern to produce a stagnant layer having a carbon dioxide content along the cavern wall and the top of a residual brine layer located within the salt cavern. The compressed hydrogen feed stream is introduced into the salt cavern and the stored hydrogen stream is withdrawn without disturbing the stagnant layer to prevent carbon dioxide contamination from being drawn into the stored hydrogen stream being reintroduced into the hydrogen pipeline. This allows the stored hydrogen stream to be reintroduced into the hydrogen pipeline without carbon dioxide removal.