A magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system and method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system and method. The present invention includes a vacuum heating furnace, a recovery tank, a bracket, a condenser and an exhaust system. The recovery tank and the bracket are both arranged in the vacuum heating furnace. The magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container is placed on the bracket, and its loading port is correspondingly placed above the recovery tank. The exhaust system includes an exhaust pipe and a vacuum pump. The exhaust pipe is connected to the vacuum heating furnace through the condenser, and the vacuum pump is arranged on the exhaust pipe. When the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage container reaches the end of its service life, the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage container is placed on the bracket, the heating furnace is turned on to continuously heat it, and the vacuum pump is turned on to evacuate the air. The magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material in the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage container undergoes dehydrogenation, decomposition, melting and other processes. Finally, the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material flows from the loading port to the recovery tank in liquid form, realizing the separation of the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material and the container, and completing the separate recovery of the hydrogen storage material and the container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of solid-state hydrogen storage, and in particular to a magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system and method. Background Art

[0002] Magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material is a hydrogen storage medium with high hydrogen storage capacity and good safety performance. Because it is a high-temperature hydrogen storage alloy with a maximum operating temperature of over 300 degrees Celsius, magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material is usually integrated into stainless steel pressure vessels for hydrogen charging, dehydrogenation, storage and transportation. After the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material has undergone sufficient hydrogen charging and dehydrogenation reactions, the granular magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material will eventually sinter into blocks and be tightly integrated with the internal components of the stainless steel container. When the hydrogen storage system reaches the end of its service life, due to the high chemical activity of the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material, it is easy to chemically react with oxygen or water. The organic matter such as thermal oil remaining in the container tube is also a flammable liquid. It is difficult to safely separate the magnesium alloy material from the stainless steel tank for recycling using conventional methods. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to address the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art and to provide a magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system and method.

[0004] A magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system of the present invention includes a vacuum heating furnace, a recovery tank, a bracket, a condenser and an exhaust system, wherein the recovery tank and the bracket are both arranged in the vacuum heating furnace, the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container is placed on the bracket, and its loading port is correspondingly placed above the recovery tank, and the exhaust system includes an exhaust pipe and a vacuum pump, the exhaust pipe is connected to the vacuum heating furnace, and the vacuum pump is arranged on the exhaust pipe.

[0005] Furthermore, the recovery system also includes a condenser, and the exhaust pipe is connected to the vacuum heating furnace through the condenser.

[0006] Furthermore, the exhaust system further includes a filter arranged on the exhaust pipe, and the filter is arranged between the condenser and the vacuum pump.

[0007] Furthermore, the exhaust system further includes a flame arrester arranged on the exhaust pipe, and the flame arrester is arranged at the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe.

[0008] Furthermore, the vacuum pump is an explosion-proof vacuum pump.

[0009] A magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery method employs the above-mentioned magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system; the specific operating steps are as follows:

[0010] S1, first place the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container on the bracket in the vacuum heating furnace, open the filling port, oil inlet, oil return port and hydrogen port of the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container, and the bottom of the filling port is facing the recovery tank;

[0011] S2, start the vacuum heating furnace to heat the container, and at the same time start the explosion-proof vacuum pump to exhaust the air in the heating furnace; as the temperature in the furnace rises, the heat transfer oil remaining in the heat exchange tubes, pipe box, oil inlet and oil return port of the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container begins to evaporate and is discharged from the system through the vacuum pump;

[0012] S3, raising the temperature to above 200°C and below 450°C, the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material magnesium hydride and magnesium alloy hydride begin to decompose and dehydrogenate to generate magnesium and magnesium alloy, and the hydrogen is also discharged from the system through the exhaust pipe and vacuum pump;

[0013] S4, raising the temperature to above 450°C, and the molten magnesium and magnesium alloy flow from the filling port into the recovery tank, thereby achieving the separation of the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container tank and the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material.

[0014] Furthermore, in step S4, heating is continued to melt the magnesium and the magnesium alloy into liquid, and the maximum temperature during the heating process does not exceed 1000°C.

[0015] Furthermore, the recovery system also includes a condenser, and the exhaust pipe is connected to the vacuum heating furnace through the condenser; in step S4, after the temperature is raised to 450°C, the condenser is turned on, and the vaporized magnesium alloy is cooled into a solid state through the condenser and falls back into the vacuum heating furnace.

[0016] Furthermore, the method further includes step S5, in which, when the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material is completely melted and enters the recovery tank, heating is stopped and the temperature is lowered, and the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material and the stainless steel container in the recovery tank are recovered separately.

[0017] When the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage container reaches the end of its service life, it is placed in a vacuum heating furnace, which is then turned on to continuously heat the container while the vacuum pump is turned on to evacuate the air. The magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material in the container undergoes dehydrogenation, decomposition, and melting, ultimately flowing in liquid form from the container's loading port into a recovery tank, separating the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material from the container and further allowing for the separate recovery of the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material and container.

[0018] The present invention uses vacuum heating to achieve the separation and recovery of magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material, heat transfer oil and the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container tank, avoiding the danger of combustion and explosion caused by methods such as mechanical cutting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage container.

[0021] 1. Vacuum heating furnace; 2. Magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container; 21. Filling port; 22. Heat exchange tube; 23. Magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material; 24. Pipe box; 25. Oil inlet; 26. Oil return port; 27. Hydrogen port; 3. Recovery tank; 4. Bracket; 5. Exhaust system; 51. Exhaust pipe; 52. Vacuum pump; 53. Filter; 54. Flame arrester; 6. Condenser. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings to further describe the technical solutions of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, a magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system of the present invention includes a vacuum heating furnace 1, a recovery tank 3, a bracket 4 and an exhaust system 5. The recovery tank 3 and the bracket 4 are both arranged in the vacuum heating furnace 1. The magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container 2 is placed on the bracket 4, and its filling port 21 is correspondingly placed above the recovery tank 3. The exhaust system 5 includes an exhaust pipe 51 and a vacuum pump 52. The exhaust pipe 51 is connected to the vacuum heating furnace 1, and the vacuum pump 52 is arranged on the exhaust pipe 51.

[0024] When the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage container reaches the end of its service life, it is placed in a vacuum heating furnace 1, which is then turned on to continuously heat the container, while vacuum pump 52 is simultaneously turned on to evacuate the container. The magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material within the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage container 2 undergoes dehydrogenation, decomposition, and melting processes, ultimately flowing in liquid form from the filling port 21 of the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage container 2 into the recovery tank 3, separating the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material from the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage container 2 and further enabling the separate recovery of the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material and the container.

[0025] The present invention uses vacuum heating to achieve the separation and recovery of magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material, heat transfer oil and the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container tank, avoiding the danger of combustion and explosion caused by methods such as mechanical cutting.

[0026] The recovery system may further include a condenser 6, through which the exhaust pipe 51 is connected to the vacuum heating furnace 1. After the temperature is raised to 450°C, the condenser 6 is turned on, and the vaporized magnesium alloy is cooled into a solid state through the condenser 6 and falls back into the vacuum heating furnace 1, thereby improving the recovery rate of the magnesium alloy.

[0027] The exhaust system 5 may further include a filter 53 disposed on the exhaust pipe 51 . The filter 53 is disposed between the condenser 6 and the vacuum pump 52 . The filter 53 on the exhaust pipe 51 can effectively filter the magnesium alloy powder to prevent it from entering the vacuum pump 52 .

[0028] The exhaust system 5 may further include a flame arrester 54 disposed on the exhaust pipe 51. The flame arrester 54 is disposed at the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe 51. The flame arrester 54 can prevent the discharged hydrogen and thermal oil from backfire, thereby ensuring the safety of the system.

[0029] For the safety of the system, the vacuum pump 52 may be an explosion-proof vacuum pump.

[0030] A magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery method employs the above-mentioned magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system; the specific operating steps are as follows:

[0031] S1: First, place the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container 2 on the bracket 4 in the vacuum heating furnace 1, open the filling port 21, oil inlet 25, oil return port 16 and hydrogen port 27 of the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container 2, and the bottom of the filling port 21 is directly opposite the recovery tank 3;

[0032] S2, start the vacuum heating furnace 1 to heat the container, and at the same time start the explosion-proof vacuum pump to exhaust the air in the heating furnace; during the process of increasing the temperature in the furnace, the thermal oil remaining in the heat exchange tubes, pipe box, oil inlet and oil return port of the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container 2 begins to evaporate and is discharged from the system through the vacuum pump 52;

[0033] S3, raising the temperature to above 200°C and below 450°C, the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material magnesium hydride and magnesium alloy hydride begin to decompose and dehydrogenate to generate magnesium and magnesium alloy, and the hydrogen is also discharged from the system through the exhaust pipe 51 and the vacuum pump 52;

[0034] In step S4, the temperature is raised to above 450°C, and the molten magnesium and magnesium alloy flow from the filling port 21 into the recovery tank 3, thereby separating the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container tank and the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material. In step S4, continuous heating is performed to completely melt the magnesium and magnesium alloy into a liquid. The maximum temperature during the heating process does not exceed 1000°C. 450°C-1000°C is sufficient to melt the magnesium alloy and is close to the boiling point of magnesium. Temperatures above 1000°C cause magnesium to volatilize rapidly.

[0035] The recovery system may further include a condenser 6, through which the exhaust pipe 51 is connected to the vacuum heating furnace 1.

[0036] In step S4 , after the temperature is raised to 450° C., the condenser 6 is opened, and the vaporized magnesium alloy is cooled into a solid state through the condenser 6 and falls back into the vacuum heating furnace 1 .

[0037] Finally, in order to facilitate the rapid collection of magnesium alloy hydrogen storage materials, step S5 may also be included. When the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material is completely melted and enters the recovery tank 3, heating is stopped and the temperature is lowered, and the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material and the stainless steel container in the recovery tank 3 are recovered separately.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, it should be noted that the magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage container 2 is generally a shell-and-tube heat exchanger structure made of stainless steel. The shell is filled with a magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material 23, whose components include magnesium, magnesium hydride, magnesium alloy, magnesium alloy hydride, etc. The medium in the heat exchange tubes 22, pipe box 24, oil inlet 25, and oil return port 26 is organic thermal oil. The container is also equipped with a magnesium alloy material filling port 2121 and a hydrogen gas port 27.

[0039] Any matters not mentioned above shall be subject to the existing technology.

[0040] Although some specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail through examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art of the present invention may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or replace them in similar ways, but they will not deviate from the direction of the present invention or exceed the scope defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art should understand that any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for recovering magnesium alloy hydrogen storage materials, characterized in that: A magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system is used, the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material recovery system comprising a vacuum heating furnace (1), a recovery tank (3), a bracket (4) and an exhaust system (5), wherein the recovery tank (3) and the bracket (4) are both arranged in the vacuum heating furnace (1), a magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container (2) is placed on the bracket (4), and its filling port (21) is correspondingly placed above the recovery tank (3), the exhaust system (5) comprises an exhaust pipe (51) and a vacuum pump (52), the exhaust pipe (51) is connected to the vacuum heating furnace (1), and the vacuum pump (52) is arranged on the exhaust pipe (51); the recovery system also comprises a condenser (6), and the exhaust pipe (51) is connected to the vacuum heating furnace (1) through the condenser (6); The specific steps of the recycling method are as follows: S1, first place the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container (2) on the bracket (4) in the vacuum heating furnace (1), open the filling port (21), oil inlet (25), oil return port (26) and hydrogen port (27) of the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container (2), and the lower side of the filling port (21) faces the recovery tank (3); S2, turning on the vacuum heating furnace (1) to heat the container, and at the same time turning on the explosion-proof vacuum pump to exhaust the air in the heating furnace; during the process of increasing the temperature in the furnace, the heat transfer oil remaining in the heat exchange tubes, the pipe box, the oil inlet and the oil return port of the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container (2) begins to evaporate and is discharged from the system through the vacuum pump (52); S3, raising the temperature to above 200°C and below 450°C, magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material magnesium hydride and magnesium alloy hydride begin to decompose and dehydrogenate to generate magnesium and magnesium alloy, and hydrogen is also discharged from the system through the exhaust pipe (51) and the vacuum pump (52); In step S4, the temperature is raised to above 450°C, and the molten magnesium and magnesium alloy flow from the loading port (21) into the recovery tank (3), thereby achieving the separation of the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container tank body and the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material; in step S4, after the temperature is raised to 450°C, the condenser (6) is opened, and the vaporized magnesium alloy is cooled into a solid state through the condenser (6) and falls back into the vacuum heating furnace (1).

2. A method for recovering magnesium alloy hydrogen storage materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The exhaust system (5) further comprises a filter (53) arranged on the exhaust pipe (51), wherein the filter (53) is arranged between the condenser (6) and the vacuum pump (52).

3. The method for recovering a magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material according to claim 1, wherein: The exhaust system (5) further comprises a flame arrester (54) arranged on the exhaust pipe (51), wherein the flame arrester (54) is arranged at the exhaust end of the exhaust pipe (51).

4. The method for recovering a magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material according to claim 1, wherein: The vacuum pump (52) is an explosion-proof vacuum pump.

5. The method for recovering a magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material according to claim 1, wherein: In step S4, heating is continued to melt the magnesium and the magnesium alloy into liquid, and the maximum temperature during the heating process does not exceed 1000°C.

6. A method for recovering magnesium alloy hydrogen storage materials according to claim 5, characterized in that: The method further includes step S5, wherein after the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material is completely melted and enters the recovery tank (3), heating is stopped and the temperature is lowered, and the magnesium alloy hydrogen storage material and the magnesium-based solid hydrogen storage container tank body in the recovery tank (3) are respectively recovered.

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