Patent AT-503701-B1 (AT)
Title: Accumulating and selective release of hydrogen, comprises releasing hydrogen from hollow micro-spheres filled with hydrogen at high pressure by supply of heat energy to micro-spheres and conducting hydrogen to a hydrogen consumption unit
IPC: F17C11/00
Filed: 2006-08-14
Granted: 2007-12-15
Abstract: Accumulating and selective release of hydrogen in a required quantity comprises: metering and combining water, hydrogen and hollow micro-spheres mixture from a first storage tank and a hydrogen containing and hydrogen-releasing reagent from a second storage tank into a reaction vessel using pumps, where the hydrogen is released from the hollow micro-spheres that are filled with hydrogen at a high pressure by selective supply of heat energy to the hollow micro-spheres; conducting the hydrogen into a hydrogen consumption unit; and discharging the final reaction mixture into a collection tank. Accumulating and selective release of hydrogen in a required quantity comprises: metering and combining pumpable water, hydrogen and hollow micro-spheres mixture from a first storage tank with a hydrogen containing and hydrogen-releasing reagent from a second storage tank into a reaction vessel using pumps, where the hydrogen is released from the hollow micro-spheres that are filled with hydrogen at a high pressure of 500-1000 bar, preferably 700-900 bar by selective supply of heat energy to the hollow micro-spheres, the hollow micro-spheres, which are made of glass or plastic, are provided or coated at least partly with a small quantity of a catalyst that facilitates the release of hydrogen, the hydrogen is stored in a first storage tank in a liquid matrix that is composed of water and surrounds the hollow micro-spheres, the hydrogen containing reagent that reacts in contact with water under release of hydrogen and is composed of hydrides and water, the reaction of hydrogen containing reagent with water produces hydrogen and oxide of the hydrogen containing reagent, the reaction of water and the hydrogen releasing reagent produces water and oxide of the hydrogen releasing reagent along with the development of hydrogen and local reaction heat at or in the walls of the hollow micro-spheres, so the walls are hydrogen permeable and the hydrogen is released from the hollow micro-spheres; conducting the hydrogen into a hydrogen consumption unit; and discharging the final reaction mixture that is composed of oxide of the hydrogen or water-containing and water-releasing substance, water and hollow micro-spheres into a collection tank. Independent claims are included for: (1) a device for accumulation and release of hydrogen, comprising: a first storage tank (3) with a pumpable filling (30) of a reagent, preferably hydride, preferably sodium boranate that contains chemically bound hydrogen and releases the same upon reaction with water; a second storage tank (4) with at least a pumpable filling (40) of hollow micro-spheres, which are filled with hydrogen under high pressure and which are present in an essentially dense packing with or in an intermediate space-filling matrix of water; and discharge lines with metering pumps and/or valves lead out of each of the two storage containers, into a reaction tank for the reaction of the fillings of both the storage tanks, where the reaction tank is designed with a discharge line, which has a control valve or the like and meant to transport the developing and released hydrogen to a hydrogen consumption unit and also preferably with a discharge line, which has a metering pump and/or a control valve and is meant to transport the mixture of the oxide of the hydrogen-containing reagent, preferably sodium boroxide, and hollow micro-spheres that are formed in the reaction into a collection tank, where the metering pumps and/or control valves in the lines can be controlled and regulated individually or in a coordinated manner by a central control unit; and (2) hollow micro-spheres, which are made of glass or plastic, filled with hydrogen at a high pressure of 500-1000 bar in their cavities and whose walls are incorporated or coated at least partly with a catalyst that facilitates the release of hydrogen by the reaction of water with a hydride, preferably sodium boranate, under development of heat for the implementation of the procedure in the device.