Dehydrogenation reactor and apparatus comprising the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a reactor apparatus, which may include: a first shell configured to contain one of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution; a second shell configured to contain another of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution, wherein the second shell is different from the first shell; and a coupling assembly configured to selectively fluidly connect the first shell and the second shell.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0186758, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 16, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a dehydrogenation reactor and an apparatus including the reactor, and more specifically, to a miniaturized and simplified dehydrogenation reactor and an apparatus including the reactor. Background Technology

[0004] The background information provided is for the purpose of enhancing understanding of the background of this invention and should not be construed as an admission that it corresponds to prior art known to those skilled in the art.

[0005] Due to the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental pollution, the demand for new renewable alternative energy sources is increasing, and hydrogen is receiving much attention as a new renewable alternative energy source.

[0006] Fuel cells and hydrogen combustion devices use hydrogen as a reactant gas. In order to apply fuel cells and hydrogen combustion devices to vehicles, various electronic products, etc., a stable and continuous hydrogen supply technology is required.

[0007] To supply hydrogen to equipment that uses hydrogen, a method can be used to receive hydrogen from a separately installed hydrogen supply facility as needed. In this method, compressed hydrogen or liquefied hydrogen can be used to store the hydrogen.

[0008] The method of generating hydrogen through a chemical reaction by injecting an acidic aqueous solution into a reaction vessel containing hydrides can be used to supply hydrogen to fuel cells or hydrogen combustion devices.

[0009] Methods for generating hydrogen using hydrides may include: generating hydrogen by heating metal hydrides, generating hydrogen through catalytic reactions of chemical hydrides, etc. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a miniaturized and structurally simplified dehydrogenation reactor and an apparatus including the reactor.

[0011] According to the present invention, a reactor apparatus may include: a first shell configured to contain one of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution; a second shell configured to contain another of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution, wherein the second shell is different from the first shell; and a coupling assembly configured to selectively fluidly connect the first shell and the second shell.

[0012] In this device, a second housing is disposed inside a first housing, and a coupling assembly is disposed within the second housing. The coupling assembly may include: an adjusting plate configured to surround an outer surface of the second housing, wherein the adjusting plate has an adjusting communication hole corresponding to a housing communication hole formed on the outer surface of the second housing; and a latching assembly configured to move the adjusting plate.

[0013] In this device, the latch assembly may include: a latch protrusion formed on an adjusting plate; a latch configured to engage with the latch protrusion; and an adjusting valve configured to move the latch. The device may also include: a first reactant inlet formed in a first housing, through which one of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution is injected; a second reactant inlet formed in a second housing, through which another of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution is injected; and a hydrogen outlet formed in the first housing, through which hydrogen is discharged.

[0014] In this device, a first reactant inlet is located at the lower part of the first housing, a second reactant inlet is located at the lower part of the second housing, and a hydrogen outlet is located at the upper part of the first housing. The connection assembly may include an adjustment plate located at the lower part of the second housing, wherein the adjustment plate has an adjustment communication hole corresponding to a housing communication hole formed at the lower part of the second housing; and a latching assembly configured to move the adjustment plate.

[0015] In this device, the latch assembly may include: a latch protrusion formed on an adjusting plate; a latch configured to engage with the latch protrusion; and an adjusting valve configured to move the latch. The device may also include: a first reactant inlet formed in a first housing, through which one of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution is injected; a second reactant inlet formed in a second housing, through which another of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution is injected; and a hydrogen outlet formed in the first housing, through which hydrogen is discharged.

[0016] In this device, a first reactant inlet is located on a side of the first housing, a second reactant inlet is located on a side of the second housing, and a hydrogen outlet is located at the top of the first housing. The connecting assembly may include multiple adjusting plates, each located on one of the two sides of the second housing, each adjusting plate having an adjusting communication hole formed on one of the two sides of the second housing, corresponding to a housing communication hole formed on the other side of the two sides of the second housing; and multiple latching assemblies, each configured to move the adjusting plates.

[0017] In this device, each of the plurality of latching assemblies may include: a latch protrusion formed on a corresponding adjusting plate; a latch configured to engage with the latch protrusion; and an adjusting valve configured to move the latch. The device may also include: a first reactant inlet formed in a first housing, through which one of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution is injected; a second reactant inlet formed in a second housing, through which another of the chemical hydride or acidic aqueous solution is injected; and a hydrogen outlet formed in the first housing, through which hydrogen is discharged.

[0018] According to the present invention, an apparatus may include: a first housing configured to receive one of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution; a second housing configured to receive the other of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution, wherein the second housing is disposed adjacent to and physically isolated from the first housing; and a coupling assembly configured to selectively fluidly connect the first housing and the second housing.

[0019] In the device, the connecting assembly may include: a partition wall configured to physically isolate the first housing from the second housing, wherein a housing communication hole is formed in the partition wall; an adjusting plate having an adjusting communication hole corresponding to the housing communication hole, wherein the adjusting plate is configured to move at the partition wall; and a latching assembly configured to move the adjusting plate.

[0020] In this device, the latching assembly may include: an adjusting boss configured to be fixedly connected to an adjusting plate; and an adjusting plug configured to be screwed to the adjusting boss. In this device, the connecting assembly is implemented in the form of a quick-connect coupling.

[0021] In this device, the connecting components may include: a partition wall disposed between a first housing and a second housing; an adjusting plate disposed adjacent to the partition wall; and a latching assembly configured to move the adjusting plate, wherein the first housing and the second housing are physically isolated by the partition wall and the adjusting plate, and wherein the first housing and the second housing are selectively in fluid communication by controlling the movement of the adjusting plate by the latching assembly.

[0022] According to the present invention, an apparatus may include: a first housing configured to contain a first reactant; a second housing configured to contain a second reactant; a plate located between the first housing and the second housing, the plate being configured to selectively open a channel between the first housing and the second housing to induce a reaction between the first reactant and the second reactant; and an outlet formed in at least one of the first housing and the second housing, the outlet being configured to discharge hydrogen gas generated by the reaction.

[0023] In this device, the plate is configured to move by rotating a threaded plug connected to the plate, and the first and second housings are configured to extend in a predetermined direction to facilitate heat dissipation without the need for a dedicated cooling assembly.

[0024] Furthermore, the effects obtained or predicted through embodiments of the invention are disclosed, directly or implicitly, in the detailed description of the invention. That is, various effects predicted according to the invention will be disclosed in the detailed description below. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings are for reference only and are used to describe embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the technical concept of the present invention should not be limited to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reaction apparatus according to an embodiment is shown.

[0027] Figure 2 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor according to the first embodiment is shown.

[0028] Figure 3 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor according to the second embodiment is shown.

[0029] Figure 4 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor according to a third embodiment is shown.

[0030] Figure 5 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor according to the fourth embodiment is shown.

[0031] Figure 6 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor according to the fifth embodiment is shown.

[0032] Figure 7 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor according to the sixth embodiment is shown.

[0033] Figure 8 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor according to the seventh embodiment is shown.

[0034] Figure 9 An exemplary computing system (e.g., a computing device for a reaction device, vehicle, or any other device) is shown.

[0035] The accompanying drawings referenced above are not necessarily drawn to scale, but should be understood as providing a simplified representation of various preferred features illustrating the basic principles of the invention. For example, specific design features of the invention, including specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the specific intended application and the specific intended environment. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to limit the invention. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms used herein also include the plural forms. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The term “and / or” as used herein includes any one or all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0037] For the purposes of this application and claims, the exemplary phrases “at least one: A; B; or C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” are used, which means “at least one A, or at least one B, or at least one C, or any combination of at least one A, at least one B, and at least one C.” Furthermore, exemplary phrases as used herein, such as “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” etc., may refer to each listed item or all possible combinations of listed items. For example, “at least one of A or B” may refer to (1) at least one A; (2) at least one B; or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0038] The invention has been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, enabling those skilled in the art to readily practice it. However, the invention can be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0039] For the purpose of clearly describing the invention, parts or components that are not relevant to the description have been omitted, and throughout the specification, the same or similar constituent elements are indicated by the same reference numerals.

[0040] For ease of description, the dimensions and thicknesses of each element in the accompanying drawings are arbitrarily shown, therefore the invention is not necessarily limited to what is shown in the drawings. For clarity, the thickness of some parts and areas in the drawings has been exaggerated.

[0041] The suffixes “module” and “part” are used interchangeably for ease of description and do not have any distinguishing meaning or function.

[0042] Furthermore, in describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, detailed descriptions of related known technologies will be omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification.

[0043] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are intended only to facilitate an easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification. The technical concepts disclosed in this specification are not limited by the drawings and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives within the scope of the concepts and techniques of this invention.

[0044] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second can be used to describe a variety of elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms.

[0045] In the following description, unless an explicit term such as “a” or “single” is used, a term described in the singular may be interpreted as either singular or plural.

[0046] The terminology is used only to distinguish one component from another.

[0047] The dehydrogenation reaction apparatus according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reaction apparatus according to an embodiment is shown.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, the dehydrogenation reaction apparatus according to the embodiment may include: a dehydrogenation reactor 100 that generates hydrogen gas by reacting a chemical hydride with an acidic aqueous solution; and a buffer tank 50 for temporarily storing the hydrogen gas generated in the dehydrogenation reactor 100.

[0050] The interior of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 may be filled with a chemical hydride and an acidic aqueous solution. In an embodiment, the chemical hydride and the acidic aqueous solution contained inside the dehydrogenation reactor 100 may be stored separately, and a chemical reaction may occur between the chemical hydride and the acidic aqueous solution if necessary (e.g., by aligning or opening internal flow paths, rotating valves, or activating sealing mechanisms, etc.). The structure of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 for achieving this selective mixing will be described later.

[0051] Chemical hydrides can be solid, for example, they can be in any form such as powder, granular material, drops, microcapsules, pellets, or tablets. Alternatively, chemical hydrides can be in the form of an aqueous solution dissolved in water. If necessary, the reaction of the chemical hydride can be slowed down by increasing the pH by adding an alkaline material (e.g., NaOH, NaBO2, KOH, LiOH, CsOH, or RbOH) to the water.

[0052] Chemical hydrides can be any compound that hydrolyzes to produce hydrogen gas and hydrolysis products. For example, chemical hydrides can include NaBH4, LiBH4, KBH4, NH4BH4, NH3BH3, (CH3)4NH4BH4, NaAlH4, LiAlH4, KAlH4, Ca(BH4)2, Mg(BH4)2, NaGaH4, LiGaH4, KGaH4, LiH, CaH2, MgH2, or mixtures thereof.

[0053] Acidic aqueous solutions can shorten the half-life of chemical hydrides by adjusting their pH, thereby promoting dehydrogenation reactions.

[0054] The acid can be an inorganic acid (e.g., sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, boric acid, or hydrochloric acid); an organic acid (e.g., heteropoly acids, acetic acid, formic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, ascorbic acid, lactic acid, oxalic acid, succinic acid, or taurine); or a mixture thereof. Formic acid (HCOOH) can be used because its molecular weight is smaller than that of hydrogen ions, thus helping to reduce the weight of the device, and it is safer to handle at high concentrations than hydrochloric acid.

[0055] Formic acid can be a weak acid, and it can be used relatively safely by maintaining it at a low pH under the conditions described in this invention. Furthermore, since formic acid can be synthesized from collected carbon dioxide via hydrogenation, it may be an important material for carbon dioxide reuse / recycling. Additionally, formate can be converted to bicarbonate via a dehydrogenation reaction, in which case additional hydrogen can be obtained.

[0056] The buffer tank 50 can temporarily store the hydrogen generated in the dehydrogenation reactor 100, and if necessary, the hydrogen stored in the buffer tank 50 can be supplied to a hydrogen supply target (e.g., a fuel cell, a hydrogen combustion device, a portable generator, or a home heating system). For this purpose, the dehydrogenation reactor 100 and the buffer tank 50 can be fluidly connected.

[0057] A purification device (or refining device) 20, a gas-liquid separator 30, and a back pressure regulator 40 may be installed between the buffer tank 50 and the dehydrogenation reactor 100.

[0058] Purification device 20 can remove byproducts (such as carbon monoxide, ammonia, formaldehyde, or particulate matter) generated during hydrogen gasification in dehydrogenation reactor 100.

[0059] For this purpose, purification device 20 can be a methane converter that removes carbon monoxide generated in dehydrogenation reactor 100. When the hydride undergoes a dehydrogenation reaction with an acidic aqueous solution in dehydrogenation reactor 100 to generate hydrogen, the methane converter can convert carbon monoxide, generated as a byproduct, into methane. In the methane converter, hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases discharged from dehydrogenation reactor 100 can pass through a catalyst, thereby converting carbon monoxide into methane. The catalyst of the methane converter can include at least one of nickel (Ni), ruthenium (Ru), cobalt (Co), rhodium (Rh), and iron (Fe). The catalyst can be solid; for example, it can be any form of particulate material, droplets, microcapsules, pellets, or a porous monolithic structure. Alternatively, purification device 20 can be a gas filter that removes impurities such as acidic gases or water vapor.

[0060] The gas-liquid separator 30 can be installed between the purification device 20 and the buffer tank 50, and can remove moisture and other condensable components (e.g., water vapor, residual acid mist or entrained droplets) contained in the hydrogen produced by the dehydrogenation reactor 100.

[0061] The back pressure regulator 40 may be located upstream of the buffer tank 50 and may increase the internal pressure of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 to a specific pressure (e.g., 10 bar, 20 bar or higher) to ensure stable extraction of hydrogen from the dehydrogenation reactor 100 and maintain adequate supply pressure to downstream equipment (e.g., fuel cells or hydrogen burners).

[0062] The construction of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] Figure 2 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to a first embodiment is shown.

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown, the dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the first embodiment may include a first shell 110, a second shell 120 physically isolated from the first shell 110, and a regulating device 130 that selectively fluidly connects the first shell 110 and the second shell 120.

[0065] The first shell 110 can contain either a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution. The first shell 110 can be implemented using a vessel with relatively elevated temperature and relatively elevated pressure, so that the dehydrogenation reaction takes place under high temperature and high pressure conditions. For example, the first shell 110 can be cylindrical, spherical, cuboid, or polygonal, etc. Specifically, the first shell 110 can be cylindrical.

[0066] The second shell 120 may be disposed inside the first shell 110, and may contain either the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution within the second shell 120. The second shell 120 may be implemented using a vessel with relatively elevated temperature and relatively elevated pressure, allowing the dehydrogenation reaction to proceed under high temperature and high pressure conditions. For example, the second shell 120 may be cylindrical, spherical, cuboid, or polygonal, etc. Specifically, the second shell 120 may be cylindrical.

[0067] The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be formed as elongated (slender) cylinders extending in the vertical direction. In the first embodiment, the vertical length (hereinafter referred to as "vertical length") and the horizontal length (hereinafter referred to as "horizontal length") of each of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can have a predetermined ratio (e.g., 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, or 7:1, etc.). For example, the ratio of the vertical length to the horizontal length of each of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be from 4:1 to 7:1. Since the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are formed to be longer in the vertical direction, the heat generated by the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be easily discharged to the outside, and the separate thermal conditioning device 130 (e.g., radiator, cooling jacket, or heat exchanger, etc.) used for cooling the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be eliminated. Therefore, the overall size of the dehydrogenation reactor can be simplified, and its manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0068] The adjustment device 130 may include an adjustment plate 131 disposed around the outside of the second housing 120 to selectively fluidly connect the first housing 110 and the second housing 120; and a movement device 140 configured to move the adjustment plate 131.

[0069] The adjusting plate 131 may be formed into a cylindrical shape corresponding to the appearance (e.g., outer surface) of the second housing 120, and an adjusting communication hole 132 may be formed on the adjusting plate 131, which corresponds to the housing communication hole 123 formed on the outer surface of the second housing 120. The adjusting plate 131 may be configured to be movable in a vertical direction on the outer surface of the second housing 120.

[0070] The moving device 140 can move the adjusting plate 131 such that the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 and the adjusting communication hole 132 of the adjusting plate 131 are selectively fluidly connected. For this purpose, the moving device 140 may include: a latching protrusion 141 formed on the adjusting plate 131, a latch 143 engaging with the latching protrusion 141, and an adjusting valve 145 configured to open or move the latch 143.

[0071] The latch protrusion 141 may be formed to protrude outward in the radial direction of the adjusting plate 131, and the latch 143 may be fixed and snapped into the latch protrusion 141. The regulating valve 145 may be threadedly connected to the latch 143. If necessary, the regulating valve 145 may be controlled by a drive unit, which may be implemented by an electric motor, hydraulic motor, solenoid, pneumatic actuator or other type of mechanical actuator.

[0072] If necessary, the latch protrusion can be replaced with a latch groove with a recessed shape formed on the adjustment plate 131, and the latch 143 can be fixed and snapped into the latch groove.

[0073] If the regulating valve 145 is rotated by the drive unit, the latch 143 can move vertically, causing the regulating plate 131 to move vertically. If the regulating plate 131 moves in one direction (e.g., upward), the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 can be blocked (e.g., covered and sealed) by the regulating plate 131. Therefore, the chemical hydride (or acidic aqueous solution) contained in the first housing 110 and the acidic aqueous solution (or chemical hydride) contained in the second housing 120 may not react (e.g., not mix), and hydrogen gas may not be generated.

[0074] If the adjusting plate 131 moves in another direction (e.g., downward), the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 and the adjusting communication hole 132 of the adjusting plate 131 can communicate with each other. Therefore, the chemical hydride contained in the first housing 110 can flow into the second housing 120, or the acidic aqueous solution contained in the second housing 120 can flow into the first housing 110. Hydrogen gas can be generated by reacting the chemical hydride in the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 with the acidic aqueous solution.

[0075] In the first embodiment, the hydrogen generation rate (e.g., the hydrogen generation speed) can be adjusted by adjusting the area of ​​the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 and the adjustment communication hole 132 of the adjustment plate 131 connected to each other by the moving device 140.

[0076] On the other hand, the first housing 110 may have a first reactant inlet 111 configured to inject one of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution into the first housing 110; a second reactant inlet 112 configured to inject another of a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution into the second housing 120; and a hydrogen outlet configured to discharge hydrogen generated within the first housing 110 and the second housing 120. The hydrogen outlet 113 may include a discharge valve 115, which can selectively open the hydrogen outlet 113 according to its operation. The discharge valve 115 may be implemented using a ball valve, a solenoid valve, a gate valve, a needle valve, or a quick-connect coupling. The discharge valve 115 can be opened or closed manually by an operator, or by an actuator (e.g., an electric actuator, a pneumatic actuator, or a remote control system).

[0077] The first reactant inlet 111 and the second reactant inlet 112 may be formed in the lower part of the first housing 110, and the hydrogen outlet 113 may be formed in the upper part of the first housing 110. The first reactant inlet 111 may be configured to surround the outer side of the second reactant inlet 112 in the radial direction. The second reactant inlet 112 may be formed to penetrate the first housing 110 and be in fluid connection with the second housing 120.

[0078] The first reactant inlet 111 and the second reactant inlet 112 can be selectively opened. For this purpose, the first reactant inlet 111 and the second reactant inlet 112 may include an injection valve 114. The injection valve 114 can be opened or closed manually by an operator, or it can be opened or closed by a drive unit (e.g., an electric actuator, a hydraulic actuator, or a pneumatic actuator).

[0079] If the first reactant inlet 111 is opened, a chemical hydride (or an acidic aqueous solution) can be supplied to the first housing 110. If the second reactant inlet 112 is opened, an acidic aqueous solution (or a chemical hydride) can be supplied to the second housing 120.

[0080] The dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0081] Figure 3 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to a second embodiment is shown. Because... Figure 3 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the second embodiment and Figure 2 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the first embodiment is substantially similar, therefore only the following description is provided. Figure 3 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the second embodiment and Figure 2 Different parts of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the first embodiment are shown.

[0082] refer to Figure 3 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the second embodiment may include a first shell 110, a second shell 120 physically isolated from the first shell 110, and a regulating device 130 configured to selectively establish fluid communication between the first shell 110 and the second shell 120.

[0083] The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be formed as elongated (slender) cylinders extending in the left-right direction. In the second embodiment, the vertical length (hereinafter referred to as "vertical length") and the left-right length (hereinafter referred to as "horizontal length") of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can have a predetermined ratio (e.g., 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, or 1:7, etc.). For example, the ratio of the vertical length to the horizontal length of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be 1:4 to 1:7. Since the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are formed to be longer in the left-right direction, the heat generated by the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be easily discharged to the outside, and the separate thermal conditioning device 130 (e.g., cooling pipe, fan unit, or radiator, etc.) used for cooling the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be eliminated. Therefore, the overall size of the dehydrogenation reactor can be simplified, and its manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0084] The adjustment device 130 may include: an adjustment plate 131 disposed at the lower part of the second housing 120 for selectively fluidly connecting the first housing 110 and the second housing 120; and a moving device 140 configured to move the adjustment plate 131.

[0085] The adjusting plate 131 can be formed in an arc shape or a flat plate shape corresponding to the lower surface of the second housing 120, and an adjusting communication hole 132 can be formed on the adjusting plate 131, which corresponds to the housing communication hole 123 formed in the lower part of the second housing 120. The adjusting plate 131 can be configured to be movable in the left-right direction in the lower part of the second housing 120.

[0086] The moving device 140 is movable to adjust the regulating plate 131 such that the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 and the adjusting communication hole 132 of the regulating plate 131 are selectively fluidly connected. For this purpose, the moving device 140 may include: a latching protrusion 141 formed on the regulating plate 131; a latch 143 engaging with the latching protrusion 141; and a regulating valve 145 for actuating or moving the latch 143.

[0087] Since the construction of the mobile device 140 is the same as that of the first embodiment, its detailed description is omitted.

[0088] If the regulating valve 145 is rotated by the drive unit, the latch 143 can move in the left-right direction, causing the regulating plate 131 to move in the left-right direction. If the regulating plate 131 moves in one direction (e.g., to the right), the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 may be blocked (e.g., covered and sealed) by the regulating plate 131. Therefore, the chemical hydride (or acidic aqueous solution) contained in the first housing 110 and the acidic aqueous solution (or chemical hydride) contained in the second housing 120 may not mix, and hydrogen gas may not be generated.

[0089] If the adjusting plate 131 moves in another direction (e.g., to the left), the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 and the adjusting communication hole 132 of the adjusting plate 131 can communicate with each other. Therefore, the chemical hydride contained in the first housing 110 can flow into the second housing 120, or the acidic aqueous solution contained in the second housing 120 can flow into the first housing 110. Hydrogen gas can be generated by reacting the chemical hydride in the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 with the acidic aqueous solution.

[0090] In the second embodiment, the hydrogen generation rate or speed can be adjusted by adjusting the area (e.g., overlapping area) of the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 and the adjustment communication hole 132 of the adjustment plate 131 that are interconnected by the moving device 140.

[0091] On the other hand, similar to the first embodiment, the dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the second embodiment may include a first reactant inlet 111, a second reactant inlet 112, and a hydrogen outlet 113. As in the first embodiment, the first reactant inlet 111 and the second reactant inlet 112 may include a sample injection valve 114, and the hydrogen outlet 113 may include a discharge valve 115.

[0092] The first reactant inlet 111 and the second reactant inlet 112 may be formed on the side of the first housing 110, and the hydrogen outlet 113 may be formed on the upper part of the first housing 110. The first reactant inlet 111 may be configured to surround the outside of the second reactant inlet 112 in the radial direction (e.g., arranged concentrically with a common shaft or mounting port, etc.).

[0093] The dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the third embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0094] Figure 4 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to a third embodiment is shown. Because... Figure 4 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the third embodiment and Figure 2 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the first embodiment is substantially similar, therefore only the following description is provided. Figure 4 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the third embodiment and Figure 2 Different parts of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the first embodiment are shown.

[0095] refer to Figure 4 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the third embodiment may include a first shell 110, a second shell 120 physically isolated from the first shell 110, and a regulating device 130 configured to selectively establish fluid communication between the first shell 110 and the second shell 120.

[0096] The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be formed as elongated (slender) cylinders extending in the left-right direction. In the third embodiment, the vertical length (hereinafter referred to as "vertical length") and the left-right length (hereinafter referred to as "horizontal length") of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can have a predetermined ratio (e.g., 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, or 1:7, etc.). For example, the ratio of the vertical length to the horizontal length of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be 1:4 to 1:7. Since the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are formed to be longer in the left-right direction, the heat generated by the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be easily discharged to the outside, and the separate thermal conditioning device 130 (e.g., fan, radiator, or coolant system, etc.) used for cooling the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be eliminated. Therefore, the overall size of the dehydrogenation reactor can be simplified, and its manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0097] The adjustment device 130 may include: an adjustment plate 131 disposed on the side of the second housing 120 for selectively fluidly connecting the first housing 110 and the second housing 120; and a moving device 140 configured to move the adjustment plate 131. In a third embodiment, the adjustment plate 131 may be disposed on both sides of the second housing 120.

[0098] The adjusting plate 131 may be formed as a flat plate corresponding to the side of the second housing 120, and an adjusting communication hole 132 may be formed on the adjusting plate 131, which corresponds to the housing communication hole 123 formed in the lower part of the second housing 120. The adjusting plate 131 may be configured to be movable in the vertical direction along the side of the second housing 120 to selectively align with or block the housing communication hole 123.

[0099] The moving device 140 is movable to adjust the regulating plate 131 such that the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 is in selective fluid communication with the regulating communication hole 132 of the regulating plate 131. For this purpose, the moving device 140 may include: a latching protrusion 141 formed on the regulating plate 131; a latch 143 engaging (e.g., snap-fitting) with the latching protrusion 141; and a regulating valve 145 configured to actuate (e.g., move) the latch 143.

[0100] Since the construction and operation of the mobile device 140 are the same as those in the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0101] In the third embodiment, the hydrogen generation rate (e.g., the speed of hydrogen generation) can be adjusted by adjusting the area of ​​the housing communication hole 123 of the second housing 120 and the adjustment communication hole 132 of the adjustment plate 131 connected to each other by the moving device 140.

[0102] On the other hand, similar to the first embodiment, the dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the third embodiment may include a first reactant inlet 111, a second reactant inlet 112, and a hydrogen outlet 113. As in the first embodiment, the first reactant inlet 111 and the second reactant inlet 112 may include a sample injection valve 114, and the hydrogen outlet 113 may include a discharge valve 115.

[0103] The first reactant inlet 111 and the second reactant inlet 112 can be formed in the lower part of the first housing 110, and the hydrogen outlet 113 can be formed in the upper part of the first housing 110. The first reactant inlet 111 can be configured to surround the outer side of the second reactant inlet 112 in the radial direction (e.g., concentric arrangement to achieve compact multifluid injection, etc.). In a third embodiment, since the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are formed to be longer in the left-right direction, a plurality of first reactant inlets 111 and a plurality of second reactant inlets 112 can be formed in the lower part of the first housing 110 (e.g., two first reactant inlets 111 and two second reactant inlets 112, or more, depending on flow requirements, etc.).

[0104] The dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the fourth embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0105] Figure 5 An example of the construction of a dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to a fourth embodiment is shown. Because... Figure 5 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the fourth embodiment and Figure 2 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the first embodiment is substantially similar, therefore only the following description is provided. Figure 5 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the fourth embodiment and Figure 2 Different parts of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the first embodiment are shown.

[0106] refer to Figure 5 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the fourth embodiment may include a first shell 110, a second shell 120 disposed adjacent to and physically isolated from the first shell 110, and a regulating device 130 configured to selectively establish fluid communication between the first shell 110 and the second shell 120.

[0107] The first shell 110 can contain either a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution. The first shell 110 can be implemented using a high-temperature and high-pressure vessel, allowing the dehydrogenation reaction to proceed under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions (e.g., above 80°C and 1.5 atm, etc.). For example, the first shell 110 can be cylindrical, spherical, cuboid, or polygonal; specifically, the first shell 110 can be cylindrical (e.g., to facilitate uniform pressure distribution and ease of manufacture, etc.).

[0108] The second housing 120 may be disposed adjacent to the first housing 110, and may contain either the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution within the second housing 120 (e.g., if the first housing contains the chemical hydride, the second housing contains the acidic aqueous solution, and vice versa). The second housing 120 may be implemented using a high-temperature and high-pressure vessel, such that the dehydrogenation reaction takes place under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions (e.g., conditions similar to or matching those maintained in the first housing 110, such as above 80°C and 1.5 atm). For example, the second housing 120 may be cylindrical, spherical, cuboid, or polygonal; specifically, the second housing 120 may be cylindrical (e.g., to ensure structural consistency with the first housing 110 and to facilitate compact integration).

[0109] A partition wall 160 may be provided between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120, and the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 may be physically isolated by the partition wall 160. A partition wall connecting hole 163 may be formed on the partition wall 160 (for example, to selectively mix chemical hydrides with acidic aqueous solutions through a controllable interface).

[0110] The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be formed as elongated (slender) cylinders extending in the vertical direction. In the fourth embodiment, the vertical length (hereinafter referred to as "vertical length") and the horizontal length (hereinafter referred to as "horizontal length") of each of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can have a predetermined ratio (e.g., 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, or 7:1, etc.). For example, the ratio of the vertical length to the horizontal length of each of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be 4:1 to 7:1 (e.g., to efficiently utilize space and promote natural convection, etc.). Since the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are formed to be longer in the vertical direction, the heat generated by the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be effectively discharged to the outside, and the separate thermal conditioning device 130 (e.g., cooling fan, radiator, or insulation jacket, etc.) used for cooling the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be eliminated. Therefore, the overall size of the dehydrogenation reactor can be reduced, and its manufacturing cost can be lowered.

[0111] The adjustment device 130 may include: a partition wall 160 disposed between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 to selectively fluidly connect the first housing 110 and the second housing 120; an adjustment plate 131 movably disposed on the partition wall 160 (e.g., slidably, pivotally, or rotatably mounted); and a moving device 140 configured to move the adjustment plate 131.

[0112] The adjusting plate 131 may be formed as a flat plate corresponding to the partition wall 160, and an adjusting communication hole 132 may be formed on the adjusting plate 131, which corresponds to the partition wall communication hole 163 formed on the partition wall 160 (e.g., for alignment and creating a controlled channel for mixing, etc.). The adjusting plate 131 may be configured to be movable in the left-right direction on the partition wall 160.

[0113] The moving device 140 may include an adjusting boss 147 fixedly connected to the adjusting plate 131, and an adjusting plug 148 threadedly connected to the adjusting boss 147.

[0114] The adjusting boss 147 can be formed by extending from the adjusting plate 131, and the adjusting plug 148 can be threaded to the adjusting boss 147, so that the adjusting plate 131 can be moved in the left and right direction by rotating the adjusting plug 148 (e.g., by manual rotation or by an automatic driver such as a stepper motor). If necessary, the adjusting plug 148 can be controlled by a drive unit.

[0115] If the regulating valve 145 is rotated by the drive unit, the latch 143 can move in the left-right direction, causing the regulating plate 131 to move in the left-right direction. If the regulating plate 131 moves in one direction (e.g., to the right), the partition wall communication hole 163 of the partition wall 160 may be covered and blocked by the regulating plate 131 (e.g., to prevent premature mixing of reactants such as NaBH4 and formic acid, or NH3BH3 and acetic acid). Therefore, the chemical hydride (or acidic aqueous solution) contained in the first housing 110 remains separate from the acidic aqueous solution (or chemical hydride) contained in the second housing 120 and does not react, thereby preventing the generation of hydrogen gas (e.g., for storage before intentionally activating the hydrogen production reaction, etc.).

[0116] If the adjusting plate 131 moves in another direction (e.g., to the left), the partition wall communication hole 163 of the partition wall 160 and the adjusting communication hole 132 of the adjusting plate 131 can become aligned and communicate with each other. Therefore, the chemical hydride contained in the first housing 110 can flow into the second housing 120, or the acidic aqueous solution contained in the second housing 120 can flow into the first housing 110. Hydrogen gas can be generated by reacting the chemical hydride in the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 with the acidic aqueous solution (e.g., by NaBH4 with formic acid, NH3BH3 with hydrochloric acid, or LiAlH4 with citric acid, etc.).

[0117] In the fourth embodiment, the hydrogen generation rate can be adjusted by adjusting the area of ​​the interconnection between the partition wall connecting hole 163 of the partition wall 160 and the adjustment connecting hole 132 of the adjustment plate 131 (for example, by changing the overlap area between the holes to adjust the reaction rate).

[0118] If necessary, the partition wall connecting hole 163 and the adjustment connecting hole 132 may not be formed on the partition wall 160 and the adjustment plate 131. In this case, the partition wall 160 and the adjustment plate 131 may be configured to overlap or be in close contact with each other, and the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 may be physically isolated by the partition wall 160 and the adjustment plate 131. The adjustment plate 131 may be moved by the moving device 140, thereby selectively connecting the first housing 110 and the second housing 120.

[0119] If the adjusting plate 131 is moved to the right by the moving device 140, the partition wall 160 and the adjusting plate 131 can overlap or come into close contact with each other (e.g., creating a physical seal to prevent fluid flow and mixing, etc.). If the partition wall 160 and the adjusting plate 131 overlap or come into close contact with each other, the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be physically isolated such that the first reactant and the second reactant do not react with each other (e.g., do not mix) and no hydrogen is generated.

[0120] If the adjusting plate 131 is moved to the left by the moving device 140, a gap (or void) can be created between the partition wall 160 and the adjusting plate 131. The first reactant and the second reactant (e.g., NaBH4 and HCOOH, or LiAlH4 and H2SO4, etc.) can mix through this gap to generate hydrogen gas. In this case, the hydrogen generation rate can be adjusted by adjusting the size (e.g., width or area) of the gap between the partition wall 160 and the adjusting plate 131.

[0121] On the other hand, the dehydrogenation reactor according to the fourth embodiment may include a first reactant inlet 111 and a hydrogen outlet 113. Similar to the first embodiment, the first reactant inlet 111 may include an injection valve 114 (e.g., a solenoid valve, needle valve, or ball valve, etc.), and the hydrogen outlet 113 may include an exhaust valve 115 (e.g., a quick-connector or check valve, etc.).

[0122] The first reactant inlet 111 may be located at the lower part of the first housing 110, and the hydrogen outlet 113 may be located at the upper part of the second housing 120. If necessary, the hydrogen outlet 113 may also be used as a reactant inlet for injecting reactants (e.g., in cases where reverse flow is required for system startup or maintenance purposes).

[0123] The dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the fifth embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0124] Figure 6 A structural example of a dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to a fifth embodiment is shown. Because... Figure 6 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the fifth embodiment and Figure 5The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the fourth embodiment is substantially similar, therefore only the following description is provided. Figure 6 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the fifth embodiment Figure 5 Different parts of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the fourth embodiment are shown.

[0125] refer to Figure 6 According to the fifth embodiment, the dehydrogenation reactor 100 may include a first shell 110, a second shell 120 disposed adjacent to and physically isolated from the first shell 110, and a regulating device 130 that selectively fluidly connects the first shell 110 and the second shell 120 (e.g., through a valve, plate mechanism or sliding structure).

[0126] A partition wall 160 may be disposed between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120, and the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 may be physically separated by the partition wall 160. A partition wall connecting hole 163 may be formed on the partition wall 160 (e.g., a circular, elliptical or rectangular opening, etc.).

[0127] The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be formed as elongated (slender) cylinders extending in the left-right direction. In the fifth embodiment, the vertical length (hereinafter referred to as "vertical length") and the left-right length (hereinafter referred to as "horizontal length") of each of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can have a predetermined ratio (e.g., 1:4 to 1:7, etc.). For example, the ratio of the vertical length to the horizontal length of each of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be 1:4 to 1:7 (e.g., 1:4, 1:5.5, or 1:7, etc.). Since the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are formed to be longer in the left-right direction, the heat generated by the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be easily discharged to the outside, and the separate heat conditioning device 130 for cooling the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be eliminated. Therefore, the overall size of the dehydrogenation reactor can be simplified, and its manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0128] The construction and operation of the moving device 140 can be generally similar to those of the fourth embodiment. However, in the fifth embodiment, the adjusting plate 131 can be configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the partition wall 160 (e.g., by sliding, rotating, or lifting).

[0129] Furthermore, the first reactant inlet 111 may be formed in the lower part of the first housing 110, and the hydrogen outlet 113 may be formed in the upper part of the second housing 120 (e.g., opposite sides to facilitate vertical flow, etc.). Similar to the first embodiment, the first reactant inlet 111 may include an injection valve 114, and the hydrogen outlet 113 may include an exhaust valve 115 (e.g., a solenoid valve, a ball valve, or a quick-connector, etc.).

[0130] If necessary, hydrogen outlet 113 may be formed on the side of the second housing 120 (e.g., a transverse cylindrical wall, end cap, or peripheral flange, etc.) (see Figure 7 (Sixth embodiment). If necessary, the hydrogen outlet 113 may include a filter for filtering reactants (e.g., residual liquids or unreacted reactants).

[0131] If the hydrogen outlet 113 is formed on the side of the second housing 120, both hydrogen and trace reactants can be discharged simultaneously through the hydrogen outlet 113. The filter can be formed with very small pore sizes (e.g., pore sizes of 1 micrometer, 0.5 micrometers, or even 0.1 micrometers). Because the reactants pass through the filter, the discharge of reactants through the hydrogen outlet 113 can be prevented (e.g., to ensure the gas phase purity of downstream systems).

[0132] The dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the seventh embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0133] Figure 8 A structural example of a dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to a seventh embodiment is shown. Because... Figure 8 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the seventh embodiment and Figure 5 The dehydrogenation reactor 100 shown according to the fourth embodiment is generally similar, therefore only its exemplary construction and structure are described below. Figure 5 Different parts of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 according to the fourth embodiment are shown.

[0134] refer to Figure 8 According to the seventh embodiment, the dehydrogenation reactor 100 may include a first shell 110, a second shell 120 disposed adjacent to and physically isolated from the first shell 110, and a regulating device 130 configured to selectively establish or interrupt fluid communication between the first shell 110 and the second shell 120.

[0135] The first housing 110 can be disposed on the upper part of the second housing 120, and the adjusting device 130 can be disposed between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120.

[0136] The adjusting device 130 may be a quick coupler 150 disposed between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 to selectively fluidly connect the first housing 110 and the second housing 120. The quick coupler 150 may be activated by a drive unit.

[0137] If the quick connector 150 is disengaged by the drive unit (e.g., released or separated), the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 can be physically isolated, and the chemical hydride (or acidic aqueous solution) contained in the first housing 110 and the acidic aqueous solution (or chemical hydride) contained in the second housing 120 can not react and can not generate hydrogen gas.

[0138] If the quick-connector 150 engages (e.g., is connected) via the drive section, the chemical hydride contained in the first housing 110 can flow into the second housing 120, or the acidic aqueous solution contained in the second housing 120 can flow into the first housing 110. Hydrogen gas can be generated by reacting the chemical hydride in the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 with the acidic aqueous solution.

[0139] According to the dehydrogenation reactor 100 and dehydrogenation reaction apparatus including the reactor of this embodiment, the first reactant (e.g., a chemical hydride, such as sodium borohydride, lithium aluminum hydride, or calcium hydride) and the second reactant (e.g., an acidic aqueous solution, such as hydrochloric acid solution, sulfuric acid solution, or acetic acid solution) can be isolated and stored in the first shell 110 and the second shell 120 of the dehydrogenation reactor 100, which can be selectively fluidly connected by a regulating device 130. Therefore, the separate pumps (e.g., peristaltic pumps, diaphragm pumps, or piston pumps) and / or separate storage tanks (e.g., chemical supply tanks or liquid feed tanks) for supplying the acidic aqueous solution to the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be eliminated. Therefore, a compact size for the dehydrogenation reaction apparatus can be achieved, and its manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0140] Furthermore, since the horizontal and vertical lengths of the first shell 110 and the second shell 120 of the dehydrogenation reactor 100 are respectively formed to be relatively long in a predetermined direction and in a predetermined ratio (e.g., 1:4, 1:5, or 1:7, etc.), the heat generated by the dehydrogenation reactor 100 can be easily discharged to the outside. Therefore, the thermal conditioning device 130 (e.g., radiator, heat sink, or cooling circulation loop, etc.) can be eliminated, thereby reducing the overall size of the dehydrogenation reactor and lowering its manufacturing cost.

[0141] Figure 9 An exemplary computing system (e.g., a computing device for a reaction apparatus, vehicle, or any other device) is illustrated. One or more controllers, processors, etc., described herein, such as one or more components of a reaction apparatus, one or more components of a vehicle, or any other components and devices disclosed herein, may be provided by… Figure 9 The exemplary computing system shown is implemented or implemented therein.

[0142] The computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, a memory 1300, a user interface input device 1400, a user interface output device 1500, a storage device 1600, and a network interface 1700 interconnected via a bus 1200.

[0143] Processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device that processes instructions stored in memory 1300 and / or storage device 1600. Memory 1300 and storage device 1600 may each include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, memory 1300 may include read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM).

[0144] A communication interface (also known as a communication device, communicator, communication module, communication unit, etc.), such as a network interface 1700, allows software and / or data to be transferred between the device and one or more external devices, and / or between one or more components of the device. A communication interface may include a receiver, transmitter, transceiver, modem, network interface or adapter (e.g., an Ethernet adapter), radio transceiver, antenna, communication port, PCMCIA slot, and card, etc. Software and data transmitted through the communication interface may be in the form of signals, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, infrared, or other signals that can be received by the communication interface. These signals can be provided to the communication interface through the device's communication path, which may be implemented, for example, using wires or cables, optical fibers, cellular links, radio frequency (RF) links, and / or other communication channels. The communication interface can communicate using one or more communication protocols, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G New Radio (NR), Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), Controller Area Network (CAN), or Local Interconnect Network (LIN).

[0145] Therefore, the operation of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments disclosed in this specification can be directly implemented by hardware modules, software modules, or a combination of hardware modules and software modules by processor 1100. Software modules may reside on storage media (e.g., memory 1300 and / or storage device 1600), such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically EPROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disk drives, removable disks, or optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM).

[0146] The storage medium can be coupled to the processor 1100. The processor 1100 can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium can be integrated with the processor 1100. The processor and storage medium can be implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC can be located in the user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can be implemented by separate components in the user terminal.

[0147] The dehydrogenation reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a first shell containing one of a chemical hydride and an acidic aqueous solution; a second shell containing the other of the chemical hydride and the acidic aqueous solution, and the second shell being physically isolated from the first shell; and a regulating device selectively fluidly connecting the first shell and the second shell.

[0148] In some embodiments, the second housing may be disposed within the first housing, and the adjustment device may be disposed within the second housing.

[0149] In some embodiments, the adjustment device may include: an adjustment plate configured to surround the outer side of the second housing and having an adjustment communication hole corresponding to a housing communication hole formed on the outer side of the second housing; and a moving device for moving the adjustment plate.

[0150] In some embodiments, the moving device may include: a latching protrusion formed on an adjusting plate; a latch engaging with the latching protrusion; and an adjusting valve for moving the latch.

[0151] In some embodiments, the dehydrogenation reactor may further include: a first reactant inlet formed in a first shell, through which one of a chemical hydride and an acidic aqueous solution is injected; a second reactant inlet formed in a second shell, through which another of a chemical hydride and an acidic aqueous solution is injected; and a hydrogen outlet formed in the first shell, through which hydrogen is discharged.

[0152] In some embodiments, a first reactant inlet may be located at the lower part of the first housing, a second reactant inlet may be located at the lower part of the second housing, and a hydrogen outlet may be located at the upper part of the first housing.

[0153] In some embodiments, the adjustment device may include: an adjustment plate disposed at the lower part of the second housing and having an adjustment communication hole corresponding to the housing communication hole formed at the lower part of the second housing; and a moving device for moving the adjustment plate.

[0154] In some embodiments, the moving device may include: a latching protrusion formed on an adjusting plate; a latch engaging with the latching protrusion; and an adjusting valve for moving the latch.

[0155] In some embodiments, the dehydrogenation reactor may further include: a first reactant inlet formed in a first shell, through which one of a chemical hydride and an acidic aqueous solution is injected; a second reactant inlet formed in a second shell, through which another of a chemical hydride and an acidic aqueous solution is injected; and a hydrogen outlet formed in the first shell, through which hydrogen is discharged.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first reactant inlet may be located on the side of the first housing, the second reactant inlet may be located on the side of the second housing, and the hydrogen outlet may be located at the top of the first housing.

[0157] In some embodiments, the adjustment device may include: adjustment plates, each adjustment plate being disposed on both sides of the second housing and having adjustment communication holes corresponding to housing communication holes formed on both sides of the second housing; and a plurality of moving devices, which respectively move the adjustment plates.

[0158] In some embodiments, each moving device may include: a latching protrusion formed on an adjusting plate; a latch engaging with the latching protrusion; and an adjusting valve for moving the latch.

[0159] In some embodiments, the dehydrogenation reactor may further include: a first reactant inlet formed in a first shell, through which one of a chemical hydride and an acidic aqueous solution is injected; a second reactant inlet formed in a second shell, through which another of a chemical hydride and an acidic aqueous solution is injected; and a hydrogen outlet formed in the first shell, through which hydrogen is discharged.

[0160] According to another embodiment, the dehydrogenation reactor includes: a first shell containing one of a chemical hydride and an acidic aqueous solution; a second shell containing the other of the chemical hydride and the acidic aqueous solution, the second shell being disposed adjacent to and physically isolated from the first shell; and a regulating device that selectively fluidly connects the first shell and the second shell.

[0161] In some embodiments, the adjusting device may include: a partition wall that physically separates the first housing and the second housing, the partition wall having a housing communication hole; an adjusting plate having an adjusting communication hole corresponding to the housing communication hole, and the adjusting plate being movable at the partition wall; and a moving device for moving the adjusting plate.

[0162] In some embodiments, the moving device may include: an adjusting boss fixedly connected to the adjusting plate; and an adjusting plug threadedly connected to the adjusting boss.

[0163] In some embodiments, the adjustment device may be implemented using a quick coupler.

[0164] In some embodiments, the adjusting device may include a partition wall disposed between a first housing and a second housing, an adjusting plate disposed adjacent to the partition wall, and a moving device for moving the adjusting plate. The first housing and the second housing may be physically isolated by the partition wall and the adjusting plate, and the first housing and the second housing may be selectively connected by the moving device.

[0165] According to one embodiment, the dehydrogenation reaction apparatus includes a dehydrogenation reactor.

[0166] According to this embodiment, the first and second reactants can be isolated and stored within the first and second shells of the dehydrogenation reactor, and the first and second shells can be selectively fluidly connected via a regulating device. Therefore, a separate component for supplying the acidic aqueous solution can be eliminated, thereby reducing the overall size of the dehydrogenation reactor and lowering its manufacturing cost.

[0167] While the invention has been described in conjunction with embodiments now considered practical, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but rather is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A reactor apparatus, the apparatus comprising: The first shell is configured to contain either a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution; A second housing is configured to contain either the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution, wherein the second housing is different from the first housing; as well as A coupling assembly configured to selectively fluidly connect the first housing and the second housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second housing is disposed inside the first housing, and wherein the coupling assembly is disposed in the second housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the coupling component comprises: An adjustment plate is configured to surround the outer surface of the second housing, wherein the adjustment plate has an adjustment communication hole formed corresponding to a housing communication hole formed on the outer surface of the second housing; as well as A latch assembly configured to move the adjusting plate.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the latch assembly comprises: A latching protrusion is formed on the adjustment plate; A latch configured to engage with the latch protrusion; as well as A regulating valve is configured to move the latch.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: A first reactant inlet is formed in the first housing, and one of the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution is injected into the first reactant inlet; A second reactant inlet is formed in the second housing, wherein the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution is injected into the second reactant inlet; as well as A hydrogen outlet is formed in the first housing, through which hydrogen is discharged.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: The first reactant inlet is located at the lower part of the first shell. The second reactant inlet is located in the lower part of the second shell, and The hydrogen outlet is located at the upper part of the first housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the coupling component comprises: An adjustment plate is disposed at the lower part of the second housing, wherein the adjustment plate has an adjustment communication hole formed corresponding to the housing communication hole formed at the lower part of the second housing; as well as A latch assembly configured to move the adjusting plate.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the latch assembly comprises: A latching protrusion is formed on the adjustment plate; A latch configured to engage with the latch protrusion; as well as A regulating valve is configured to move the latch.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: A first reactant inlet is formed in the first housing, and one of the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution is injected into the first reactant inlet; A second reactant inlet is formed in the second housing, wherein the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution is injected into the second reactant inlet; as well as A hydrogen outlet is formed in the first housing, through which hydrogen is discharged.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: The first reactant inlet is located on the side of the first housing. The second reactant inlet is located on the side of the second shell, and The hydrogen outlet is located at the upper part of the first housing.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupling component comprises: Multiple adjustment plates are respectively disposed on two sides of the second housing, wherein each of the multiple adjustment plates has an adjustment communication hole formed on one side of the two sides of the second housing, and the adjustment communication hole corresponds to a housing communication hole formed on the other side of the two sides of the second housing; as well as Multiple latching assemblies are configured to move the adjusting plate.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of latching assemblies comprises: A latching protrusion is formed on a corresponding adjusting plate; A latch configured to engage with the latch protrusion; as well as A regulating valve is configured to move the latch.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: A first reactant inlet is formed in the first housing, and one of the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution is injected into the first reactant inlet; A second reactant inlet is formed in the second housing, wherein the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution is injected into the second reactant inlet; as well as A hydrogen outlet is formed in the first housing, through which hydrogen is discharged.

14. An apparatus comprising: The first shell is configured to receive either a chemical hydride or an acidic aqueous solution; A second housing is configured to receive either the chemical hydride or the acidic aqueous solution, wherein the second housing is disposed adjacent to the first housing and physically isolated from the first housing; as well as A coupling assembly configured to selectively fluidly connect the first housing and the second housing.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the coupling component comprises: A partition wall is configured to physically isolate the first housing from the second housing, wherein a housing communication hole is formed in the partition wall; An adjusting plate having an adjusting communication hole corresponding to the communication hole of the housing, wherein the adjusting plate is configured to move at the partition wall; as well as A latch assembly configured to move the adjusting plate.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the latch assembly comprises: An adjusting boss is configured to be fixedly connected to the adjusting plate; as well as An adjusting plug is configured to be screwed to the adjusting boss.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the coupling component is implemented in the form of a quick coupler.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the coupling component comprises: A partition wall is disposed between the first housing and the second housing; An adjustment plate is disposed adjacent to the partition wall; as well as A latch assembly configured to move the adjusting plate; The first housing and the second housing are physically separated by the partition wall and the adjustment plate; and The first housing and the second housing are selectively in fluid communication by the movement of the adjusting plate controlled by the latch assembly.

19. An apparatus comprising: The first shell is configured to contain the first reactant; The second shell is configured to contain the second reactant; A plate, located between the first housing and the second housing, is configured to selectively open a channel between the first housing and the second housing to induce a reaction between the first reactant and the second reactant; as well as An outlet is formed in at least one of the first and second housings, and the outlet is configured to discharge hydrogen gas generated by the reaction.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: The plate is configured to move by rotation of a threaded plug connected to the plate, and The first and second housings are configured to extend in a predetermined direction to facilitate heat dissipation without the need for dedicated cooling components.

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