Fuel blends for hydrogen generators

a hydrogen generator and fuel blend technology, applied in the field of fuel blends for hydrogen generators, can solve the problems of reduced hydrogen storage capacity, reduced water present and available for maintaining the borate product in solution, and reduced water content for hydrogen generation, so as to facilitate fuels, maximize the solubility of borate, and high gravimetric hydrogen storage

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-06-23
MILLENNIUM CELL
View PDF5 Cites 78 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] In accordance with the present invention, there are provided fuel blends for hydrogen generation comprising a mixture of boron hydrides, including at least one borohydride salt with a positive ion selected from the group consisting of alkali metal cations, alkaline earth metal cations, aluminum cation and ammonium cation such that the mixture possesses a predetermined molar ratio of solvated positive ionic charges (+IC) to boron atoms, whereby the solubility of the borate is maximized. Such fuel blends facilitate fuels with high gravimetric hydrogen st...

Problems solved by technology

However, as the hydrolysis progresses and water is consumed as shown in Equation 1, the amount of water present and available to maintain the borate product in solution decreases.
As a result of the potential for the borate product to precipitate from solution, the concentrations of sodium borohydride ...

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Fuel blends for hydrogen generators
  • Fuel blends for hydrogen generators
  • Fuel blends for hydrogen generators

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

Generic Procedure for Hydrogen Generation from Fuel Blends

[0029] A generic description of a hydrogen generation test is described, using sodium borohydride, decaborane, sodium hydroxide and water in the fuel blend as a sample system. Fuel blends are made in open air. The water and stabilizing sodium hydroxide are initially mixed, decaborane is added thereto, followed by the proper amount of sodium borohydride to deliver the desired ratio.

[0030] To catalytically discharge the fuel blend, a Parr reactor resting on a hot plate is employed. The reactor incorporates two thermocouples that operated continuously during the run, one measuring the temperature of the fuel solution, and the other measuring the temperature of the head-space near the top of the reactor. The second thermocouple controls a cooling loop circulating through the reactor that is activated when the second thermocouple records a threshold temperature of 95° C. As a practical matter, however, even with the hot plate t...

example 2

7.0 wt-% Hydrogen, +IC / B Ratio=0.8

[0032] The following were mixed according to the procedure of Example 1 to yield 100 g of a fuel blend capable of delivering 7.0 weight-% H2, with a sodium to boron ratio of 0.8: sodium borohydride 27.16 g; sodium hydroxide 3 g; decaborane(14) 3.34 g and water 66.5 g. Each mole of sodium borohydride yields four moles of hydrogen according to the equation (1) above

NaBH4+2H2O→NaBO2+4H2  (1)

And each mole of decaborane(14) yields twenty-two moles of hydrogen according to equation (2)

B10H14+15H2O→5B2O3+22H2  (2)

[0033] The hydrogen storage capacity of this blend is determined by calculating the total number of moles of H2 produced and divided by the initial weight of the blend. 27.16⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢NaBH4⁡(1⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢NaBH437.83⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢NaBH4)⁢(4⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢H21⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢NaBH4)⁢(2.0158⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢H21⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢H2)=5.79⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢H2⁢ ⁢from⁢ ⁢NaBH43.34⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢B10⁢H14⁡(1⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢B10⁢H14122.21⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢B10⁢H14)⁢(22⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢H21⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢B10⁢H14)⁢(2.0158⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢H21⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢H2)=1.21⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢...

example 3

6.8 wt-% Hydrogen, +IC / B Ratio=0.25

[0035] The following were mixed according to the procedure of Example 1 to yield 100 g of a fuel blend capable of delivering 6.8 weight-% H2, with a sodium to boron ratio of 0.25: sodium triborohydride 13.74 g; sodium dodecahydrododecaborate 13.74 g and water 76.09 g. Each mole of sodium dodecahydrododecaborate yields twenty-five moles of hydrogen according to equation (3)

Na2B12H12+19H2O→2NaBO2+5B2O3+25H2  (3)

And each mole of sodium triborohydride yields nine moles of hydrogen according to equation (4)

NaB3H8+5H2O→NaBO2+B2O3+9H2  (4)

[0036] The hydrogen storage capacity of this blend is determined by calculating the total number of moles of H2 produced and divided by the initial weight of the blend. 10.17⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢Na2⁢B12⁢H12⁡(1⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢Na2⁢B12⁢H12187.79⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢Na2⁢B12⁢H12)⁢(25⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢H21⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢Na2⁢B12⁢H12) ⁢(2.0158⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢H21⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢H2)=2.87⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢H2⁢ ⁢from⁢ ⁢Na2⁢B12⁢H1213.74⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢NaB3⁢H8⁡(1⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢NaB3⁢H863.48⁢ ⁢g⁢ ⁢NaB3⁢H8)⁢(9⁢ ⁢mol⁢ ⁢H21...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

PUM

No PUM Login to view more

Abstract

The present invention relates to improved aqueous fuels for hydrogen generators and a method for using them in the production of hydrogen. The present invention also relates to a system of using the subject aqueous fuels to generate hydrogen gas for use in a fuel cell or other device. The subject fuels contain a mixture of boron hydrides, at least one of which is a metal salt, including metal borohydrides, higher boranes and metal higher boron hydrides. The subject aqueous fuels contain a mixture of boron hydrides having a positive ionic charge (+IC) to boron ratio of between 0.2 and 0.4 or between 0.6 and 0.99. Preferred fuels contain a mixture of boron hydrides having an (+IC) to boron ratio between 0.2 and 0.3 or between 0.7 and 0.8. Mixtures containing a metal borohydride also contain a metal hydroxide to stability it against premature hydrolysis in the aqueous fuel media.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a blend of borohydride salts for use in the generation of hydrogen. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] It has been known for about fifty years that a variety of boron hydrides, hereafter borohydrides, especially their metal salts, are useful in the generation of hydrogen. It is also recognized that hydrogen generation takes place via hydrolysis generally catalyzed by acid or metals, as reported by Schlesinger, et al. in “Sodium Borohydride: Its Hydrolysis and Its Use as a Reducing Agent in the Generation of Hydrogen”, J. Am. Chem. Soc., Vol 75, pp 215-219, 1953, and G. W. Parshall in, “Hydrogen Generation by Hydrolysis or Alcoholysis of a Polyhydropolyborate-Group VIII Metal Mixture” U.S. Pat. No. 3,166,514. This early work has been improved upon by the development of systems for the controlled generation of hydrogen on an as-needed basis. U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,033 describes controlling the generation of hydrogen by contac...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to view more
IPC IPC(8): C01B3/06C10L1/32
CPCY02E60/362C01B3/065Y02E60/36C10L1/32
Inventor KELLY, MICHAEL T.WU, YINGBRADY, JASON C.HAWTHORNE, M. FREDERICK
Owner MILLENNIUM CELL
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Try Eureka
PatSnap group products

Browse by: Latest US Patents, China's latest patents, Technical Efficacy Thesaurus, Application Domain, Technology Topic.

© 2024 PatSnap. All rights reserved.Legal|Privacy policy|Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement|Sitemap