Hydrogen storage container and hydrogen generation device

Abstract

To provide a hydrogen storage container capable of efficiently heating a metallic hydride housed inside the container.SOLUTION: A hydrogen storage container 1 comprises a carrier 25 that carries a powdered metallic hydride that releases hydrogen when heated, and a container body 2 that houses the carrier 25. The container body 2 has an introduction window 13 that introduces microwaves emitted from an external microwave heating device 19 into the container body. The carrier 25 comprises a substrate 26 that carries the metal hydride, and a shaft part 27 that supports the substrate 26 wound in a roll manner. The shaft part 27 is made of a material that is able to be transparent to microwaves.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydrogen storage container and a hydrogen generation device using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known to use hydrogen storage alloys as a means for storing hydrogen. For example, Patent Document 1 below proposes that a hydrogen storage container (cartridge) containing a hydrogen storage alloy be detachably attached to a mobile object such as a vehicle and used as a hydrogen energy source for the mobile object. However, standard hydrogen storage alloys have low hydrogen storage density per weight (about 1.4 wt% for LaNi5), making it difficult to store the amount of hydrogen required for mobile applications.

[0003] In contrast, Mg-based hydride (MgH2) has a hydrogen storage density per weight of 7.6 wt%, which is far greater than that of standard hydrogen storage alloys, and is capable of absorbing large amounts of hydrogen. However, as pointed out in Patent Document 2 and elsewhere, repeated hydrogen absorption / desorption using Mg-based hydrides requires high temperatures of 250°C or higher. When utilizing a hydrogen storage container containing a metal hydride that absorbs / desorbs hydrogen at such high temperatures, a means for heating the metal hydride inside the container is essential. However, heating the entire container using conventional external heating methods results in high energy costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-10894 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-291705 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In light of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a hydrogen storage container capable of efficiently heating a metal hydride contained inside the container, and a hydrogen generation device using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Thus, the hydrogen storage container according to the first aspect of the present invention is defined as follows: a support that supports a powdered metal hydride that releases hydrogen when heated; a container body that accommodates the support therein; Equipped with The container body has an introduction window portion for introducing microwaves emitted from an external microwave heating device into the inside.

[0007] According to the hydrogen storage container of the first aspect defined above, microwaves are introduced into the container body through an introduction window provided in the container body, and the metal hydride is heated from inside the container, thereby enabling the metal hydride to be heated more efficiently than when the entire container is heated by a conventional external heating method.

[0008] A hydrogen storage container according to a second aspect of the present invention is defined as follows: In the hydrogen storage container defined in the first aspect, the support includes a substrate that supports a metal hydride and a shaft portion that supports the substrate wound in a roll shape; the shaft portion is microwave-transmissive; The support adjacent to the introduction window is disposed so that the end of the shaft overlaps with the introduction window when viewed in a projected view in the axial direction.

[0009] According to the hydrogen storage container of the second aspect defined in this manner, microwaves introduced into the container body through the inlet window can be transmitted in the axial direction of the shaft portion by utilizing the shaft portion of the support.

[0010] Here, when a plurality of the supports are accommodated inside the container body, the plurality of supports can be arranged in a row along the axial direction of the shaft (third aspect). In this way, microwaves can be efficiently transmitted to supports located away from the entrance window through the shaft extending in a row from the entrance window.

[0011] In this hydrogen storage container, the support may be configured to further support a heat-generating substance that absorbs microwaves and generates heat (fourth aspect). In this way, even if the metal hydride itself is hardly heated by the microwaves, the exothermic substance absorbs the microwaves and generates heat, thereby heating the entire support containing the metal hydride.

[0012] In this hydrogen storage container, the introduction window can be made of ceramics or quartz glass (fifth aspect).

[0013] In this hydrogen storage container, the container body can be provided with a heat insulating structure that suppresses heat radiation from the heated support (sixth aspect).

[0014] Furthermore, this hydrogen storage container may be configured so that the waveguide of the microwave heating device is detachable from a mounting surface of the container body that includes the introduction window portion (seventh aspect).

[0015] The hydrogen generating apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is defined as follows: a hydrogen storage container according to the first aspect; a microwave heating device that heats the support inside the container body, The microwave heating device is connected to the hydrogen storage container so that microwaves can be introduced into the container body through the introduction window. According to the hydrogen generation device of the eighth aspect defined as above, when generating hydrogen, it is not necessary to heat the entire container using an external heating method, and the metal hydride inside the container body can be efficiently heated by microwaves.

[0016] A hydrogen storage container according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is defined as follows: In a first aspect, the container further includes a heat insulating material disposed between the support and the container body. According to the hydrogen storage container of the ninth aspect defined as above, the heat radiation from the heated support is suppressed by the insulating material, so that the rate at which the support is heated by microwave heating can be effectively increased. Furthermore, there is no need to require high insulating performance from the container body, and the hydrogen storage container can be made thinner and lighter.

[0017] Here, the thermal conductivity of the heat insulating material at 100° C. can be 60 mW / m·K or less (tenth aspect). The heat insulating material can be arranged so as to surround or encase the support inside the container body (eleventh aspect).

[0018] The heat insulating material can be configured to be microwave-transmittable (twelfth aspect). In this way, the heat insulating material can be disposed between the entrance window and the support without impeding the supply of microwaves to the support, thereby enhancing the effect of suppressing heat radiation.

[0019] The heat insulating material may contain at least one of SiO2, C, BN, Si3N4, AlN, Al2O3, and ZrO2 (thirteenth aspect). Furthermore, if the heat insulating material has an aerogel structure, the thermal conductivity can be reduced, and the effect of suppressing heat radiation from the support can be enhanced (fourteenth aspect). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a hydrogen storage container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the bottom wall of the container body and the waveguide attached to the bottom wall in a separated state. [Figure 3]4 is an explanatory diagram of the hydrogen extraction operation in the hydrogen storage container. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example equipped with a stirrer. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a hydrogen storage container according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a heating test conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the heat insulating material. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a temperature profile obtained in the heating test of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing modified examples in which the mode of the support body is changed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a hydrogen storage container according to a first embodiment. The hydrogen storage container 1 in Fig. 1 is used as a hydrogen energy source for a mobile body such as a vehicle, and is detachable from the mobile body. This hydrogen storage container 1 includes a container body 2, a carrier 25 housed inside the container body 2, a coupler 11 provided at one end of the container body 2, and an introduction window 13 provided at the other end of the container body 2.

[0022] The container body 2 includes a cylindrical body 3, and a lid wall 8 and a bottom wall 9 that close both ends of the body 3. Each part of the container body 2 is made of stainless steel, and in this example, the lid wall 8, which is formed separately from the body 3, is airtightly connected to the body 3, while the bottom wall 9 is formed integrally with the body 3. The body 3 and the lid wall 8 have an insulated structure in which a vacuum insulation layer 7 is provided between the inner wall 5 and the outer wall 6. A plurality of carriers 25 containing metal hydride as a hydrogen storage alloy are accommodated in the storage space inside the container body 2 along the longitudinal direction of the container body 2.

[0023] The coupler 11 attached to the lid wall portion 8 on the left side in the drawing has an internal opening / closing valve mechanism. In this embodiment, when a mating pipe (not shown) is inserted into the front end side of the coupler 11, the internal valve opens, and the interior of the container body 2 and the mating pipe are in communication. When the mating pipe is removed from the front end of the coupler 11, the internal valve closes, and communication between the interior of the container body 2 and the mating pipe is cut off.

[0024] The hydrogen storage container 1 of this embodiment has a pressure resistance of 1 MPa, which is not subject to high-pressure gas regulations, and the pressure range for normal use is from less than 1 MPa to atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa), or from less than 1 MPa to reduced pressure (<0.1 MPa). The coupler 11, introduction window 13, etc. are airtightly attached to the container body 2 via heat-resistant rubber or resin sealing materials. Since the container body 2 is not directly heated, the sealing materials may be rubber or resin sealing materials with low heat resistance.

[0025] The introduction window 13 provided in the bottom wall 9 on the right side in the drawing is a window made of quartz glass that is permeable to microwaves, and is provided in the center of the bottom wall 9. In this embodiment, microwaves emitted from an external microwave heating device are introduced into the container body 2 through this introduction window 13. The outward surface of this bottom wall portion 9 is a mounting surface 9a to which a waveguide 16 (see Figure 2) is attached, and an engagement recess 14 is provided on the outside of the introduction window portion 13 to be used for positioning the waveguide 16 when it is attached.

[0026] 2 is a diagram showing the bottom wall 9 of the container body 2 and the waveguide 16 attached to the bottom wall 9 in a separated state. The waveguide 16 is a component that constitutes part of the microwave heating device 19, and supplies microwaves emitted from the microwave heating device 19 to the hydrogen storage container 1. The hydrogen storage container 1 and the microwave heating device 19 are connected so that microwaves can be introduced into the container body 2 through the introduction window 13, thereby constituting a hydrogen generation device 40. A flange 17 is provided at the tip of the waveguide 16, and an engaging protrusion 18 provided on this flange 17 engages with an engaging recess 14 on the container body 2 side, thereby aligning the waveguide 16 with the introduction window portion 13. In this embodiment, the waveguide 16 is attached to the hydrogen storage container 1 by a fastening member (not shown) so that the hydrogen storage container 1 and the waveguide 16 can be separated when replacing the hydrogen storage container 1. By loosening this fastening member, the waveguide 16 can be removed from the mounting surface 9a of the container body 2.

[0027] Next, a description will be given of the support 25. The support 25 is configured to include a substrate 26 that supports a metal hydride, a heat-generating substance, and a catalyst, and a shaft 27 that supports the substrate 26 wound in a roll shape.

[0028] In this embodiment, particulate magnesium hydride (MgH2) is used as the metal hydride. Magnesium hydride can absorb and release hydrogen under predetermined temperature and pressure conditions according to the following reaction formula: MgH2⇔Mg+H2 The purity of the magnesium hydride used as the raw material for the present hydrogen storage powder is not particularly limited, and commercially available magnesium hydride can be used. The metal hydride is not limited to magnesium hydride, and other metal hydrides capable of absorbing / desorbing hydrogen (e.g., lithium hydride) can also be selected. The metal hydride may be a mixture of multiple types of metal hydrides.

[0029] The catalyst is composed of a metal or metal compound that has the effect of bringing the pressure or temperature at which the metal hydride absorbs / desorbs hydrogen closer to normal pressure or temperature. In this embodiment, particulate or film-like Nb2O5 is used as the catalyst. However, the catalyst is not limited to Nb2O5, and Nb, Ti, Ti compounds, Ni, NiO, V, and V2O5 can also be used as the catalyst. Examples of Ti compounds include TiMn2, TiNb, TiFe, TiAl, TiNi, TiV, TiH2, and TiO2.

[0030] The exothermic substance is a substance that generates heat by absorbing microwaves, and carbon (C) is used in this embodiment. Carbon has both a large relative permittivity and a large dielectric loss factor, and generates heat efficiently through microwave heating. Even in cases where the metal hydride itself is hardly heated by microwaves, such as the above-mentioned magnesium hydride, the exothermic substance absorbs microwaves and generates heat, thereby heating the entire support 25 containing the metal hydride.

[0031] According to the research conducted by the inventors, it is effective to reduce the bulk density of the exothermic material in order to increase the temperature rise rate of the metal hydride. A carbon material with a bulk density of 0.2 g / cm is used as the carbon material with a low bulk density. 3 Examples of carbon black include carbon black, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanofibers. Examples of carbon black that can be used include acetylene black and ketjen black.

[0032] However, the exothermic material is not limited to carbon, and Cu, Ti, ZrH2, TiH2, LaHx, VHx, etc. can also be used. Cu and Ti have both a large relative permittivity and a large dielectric loss factor, and generate heat efficiently when heated by microwaves. ZrH2, TiH2, LaHx, and VHx are metal hydrides that easily absorb microwaves and do not easily decompose at high temperatures.

[0033] The raw materials, metal hydride, heat-generating substance, and catalyst, are pulverized and mixed in a planetary ball mill or the like, and then the required amount is added to a binder dissolved in a suitable solvent to form a paste, which is then coated to a thickness of about 50 μm on the surface of sheet-like substrate 26 and then dried. Here, substrate 26 is made of a material capable of absorbing microwaves, and in this embodiment, a 20 μm thick carbon nonwoven fabric is used. After drying, the substrate 26 with the metal hydride particles and the like attached thereto is rolled to increase the amount of alloy per unit volume.

[0034] The substrate 26 thus prepared, to which the metal hydride particles and the like are attached, is cut to an appropriate length and wound around a hollow, round shaft 27 to prepare a roll-shaped carrier 25. The shaft 27 is made of a material that is permeable to microwaves (e.g., a resin material, ceramics, etc.). 2, the support 25 adjacent to the introduction window 13 (at the right end in the figure) is disposed so that the end opening 27a of the shaft 27 overlaps with the introduction window 13 in a projected view in the axial direction. Therefore, the microwaves introduced into the container body 2 through the introduction window 13 can be transmitted in the axial direction of the shaft 27 by using the shaft 27 of the support 25.

[0035] In this embodiment, a plurality of supports 25 configured as described above are housed inside the container body 2 (see FIG. 1). The plurality of supports 25 are arranged in a row along the axial direction of the shaft portion 27. Therefore, microwaves can be efficiently transmitted through the shaft portion 27 extending in a row from the introduction window portion 13 to supports 25 located away from the introduction window portion 13 (on the left side in the drawing), and the heating temperature of the plurality of supports 25 can be made uniform.

[0036] The operation of extracting hydrogen from the hydrogen storage container 1 configured in this manner is as follows. As shown in FIG. 3, when microwaves (2.45 GHz) are emitted from the heating device 19 with the waveguide 16 connected to the bottom wall 9 of the vessel body 2, the microwaves are introduced into the vessel body 2 via the waveguide 16 and the entrance window 13. The microwaves introduced into the vessel body 2 are guided axially through the aligned shafts 27, as indicated by the arrows in the figure. Meanwhile, a portion of the microwaves penetrates the shafts 27 and travels radially outward, where they are absorbed by the heat-generating material of each support 25, causing the heat generation. As a result, the entire support, including the metal hydride, whose temperature hardly increases with microwaves, is rapidly heated by the heat generated by the heat-generating material. The metal hydride is heated to a temperature in the range of 200 to 350°C, releasing hydrogen from the metal hydride, and the released hydrogen is extracted to the outside through the coupler 11. Since the amount of hydrogen extracted to the outside depends on the temperature of the metal hydride, the amount of hydrogen extracted to the outside can be increased by increasing the microwave output from the heating device 19, and the amount of hydrogen extracted to the outside can be decreased by decreasing the microwave output.

[0037] After the hydrogen has been extracted, the hydrogen storage container 1 is removed from the vehicle, recovered, and refilled at a hydrogen filling facility. For the hydrogen filling operation, hydrogen gas is introduced into the container body 2 through the coupler 11, and microwaves (2.45 GHz) emitted from the heating device are introduced into the container body 2 through the waveguide 16 and the entrance window 13 in the same manner as in the hydrogen extraction operation, to heat the support 25 (more specifically, a metal hydride), thereby allowing hydrogen to be absorbed again. The heating temperature for hydrogen absorption is in the range of 200 to 450°C, with the higher the temperature, the better. The hydrogen gas atmosphere is preferably a pressurized atmosphere of less than 1 MPa.

[0038] As described above, in the hydrogen storage container 1 of this embodiment, microwaves are introduced into the container body 2 through the introduction window 13 provided in the container body 2, and the metal hydride is heated from inside the container. Therefore, the metal hydride can be heated more efficiently than when the entire container is heated by a conventional external heating method.

[0039] In the hydrogen storage container 1 of this embodiment, the support 25 includes a substrate 26 that supports a metal hydride and a shaft 27 that supports the rolled substrate 26, and the shaft 27 is configured as a hollow member made of a material that is permeable to microwaves. The support 25 adjacent to the introduction window 13 is arranged so that the end opening 27a of the shaft 27 overlaps with the introduction window 13 when viewed in a projected view in the axial direction. Therefore, the microwaves introduced into the container body 2 through the introduction window 13 can be transmitted in the axial direction of the shaft 27 of the support 25 by using the shaft 27 .

[0040] In addition, in the hydrogen storage container 1 of this embodiment, multiple carriers 25 are arranged in a row inside the container body 2 along the axial direction of the shaft portion 27, and microwaves can be efficiently transmitted to carriers 25 located away from the entrance window portion 13 through the shaft portion 27 extending in a row from the entrance window portion 13.

[0041] In addition, in the hydrogen storage container 1 of this embodiment, the support 25 is configured to support a heat-generating substance that absorbs microwaves and generates heat, and even if the metal hydride itself is hardly heated by microwaves, the heat-generating substance can absorb the microwaves and generate heat, thereby heating the entire support 25 including the metal hydride.

[0042] Furthermore, in the hydrogen storage container 1 of this embodiment, the container body 2 is provided with a heat insulating structure, which can suppress heat radiation from the heated support 25 to the outside.

[0043] Furthermore, the hydrogen storage container 1 and microwave heating device 19 of this embodiment are connected so that microwaves can be introduced into the container body 2 through the introduction window 13, thereby constituting a hydrogen generation device 40. When generating hydrogen, this hydrogen generation device 40 can efficiently heat the metal hydride supported on the support 25 inside the container body 2 with microwaves from inside the container, without the need to heat the entire container using an external heating method.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a modified example in which a stirrer is provided inside the container body. The agitator 30 shown in the figure includes a base 31 supported by the shafts 27 of adjacent carriers 25 and a plurality of blades 32 rotatable around the axis of the base 31, and is attached between a plurality of carriers 25, 25 arranged in a row along the axial direction. The blades 32 of the agitator 30 rotate due to thermal convection that occurs when the interior of the container body 2 is heated by microwaves, and reflect a portion of the microwaves traveling leftward in the figure within the shafts 27 of the carriers 25 as indicated by the arrows in the figure, thereby heating the surrounding area. Therefore, according to the example of FIG. 4, microwaves can be incident on the carriers 25 from various directions, allowing the carriers 25 to be uniformly heated. The agitator 30 can also be externally powered for forced agitation.

[0045] Next, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a hydrogen storage container according to a second embodiment. 5 comprises a container body 2, a carrier 25 housed inside the container body 2, a coupler 11 provided at one end of the container body 2, an introduction window 13 provided at the other end of the container body 2, and further comprises a heat insulating material 35 disposed between the carrier 25 and the container body 2. Of these components, components that are common to the configuration of the hydrogen storage container 1 according to the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0046] In this embodiment, a heat insulating material 35 is provided as a means for efficiently increasing the temperature of the support 25 (more specifically, the metal hydride supported on the support 25) housed inside the container body 2. By providing the heat insulating material 35 between the support 25 and the container body 2, heat radiation (heat leakage) from the heated, high-temperature support 25 is suppressed, and the rate at which the temperature of the support 25 is increased during microwave heating can be increased. This makes it possible to increase the hydrogen absorption rate and hydrogen desorption rate.

[0047] The insulating material 35 has a bulk density of 0.5 g / cm 2 Preferably, the insulating material has a heat resistance of 200°C or higher, and a thermal conductivity of 60 mW / m·K or lower at 100°C. Specific examples include gel, fiber, wool, or cloth insulating materials containing at least one of SiO2 (silica or quartz), C (carbon), BN (boron nitride), Si3N4 (silicon nitride), AlN (aluminum nitride), Al2O3 (alumina), and ZrO2 (zirconia).

[0048] Furthermore, by using insulating materials with an aerogel structure, it is possible to reduce thermal conductivity to 25 mW / m·K or less. An aerogel structure is a mesh-like microstructure obtained by using supercritical drying to remove the solvent from a low-density porous body in a wet state prepared using the sol-gel method, and known examples are made from SiO2 (silica), C (carbon), and Al2O3 (alumina).

[0049] From the viewpoint of suppressing heat radiation from the support 25, it is preferable to arrange the heat insulating material 35 so as to surround the periphery of the support 25. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, it is more preferable to arrange the heat insulating material 35 so as to wrap the entire support 25. When wrapping the entire support 25 in the heat insulating material, it is necessary to consider not to impede the supply of microwaves introduced into the interior through the introduction window 13 to the support 25. In this regard, if the heat insulating material 35 is made of any of SiO2, BN, Si3N4, AlN, Al2O3, and ZrO2, the heat insulating material 35 will be able to transmit microwaves. In this way, the heat insulating material 35 can also be arranged between the introduction window 13 and the support 25, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0050] Next, a heating test conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the heat insulating material will be described. To conduct the heating test, a heating element was first prepared. MgH2 as a metal hydride, Nb2O5 as a catalyst, and carbon black as a heat-generating material were used, and the resulting hydrogen storage powder was stirred and mixed so that the heat-generating material was 6% by weight. The resulting powder was then formed into pellets to form the heating element 50. Next, as shown in Fig. 6, multiple (here, three) heating elements 50 were wrapped in evaluation insulation material 55 together with thermocouples 52A and inserted into a glass test tube 58, and thermocouples 52B were also placed on the outside of insulation material 55. Microwave heating (wavelength: 2.45 GHz, output: 300 W) was then performed, and the temperature of heating element 50 inside insulation material 55 and the external temperature outside insulation material 55 were measured. The target temperature rise rate of heating element 50 was 250°C / min.

[0051] Here, three types of heat insulating materials (thicknesses of 1 mm, 3 mm, and 5 mm) made of silica and having an aerogel structure were used as the heat insulating material 55 for evaluation. The results of the evaluation are shown in FIG.

[0052] In Figure 7, the heating element temperature and external temperature when a 3 mm thick insulating material is used are shown by a solid line, the heating element temperature and external temperature when a 5 mm thick insulating material is used are shown by a dashed line, and the heating element temperature and external temperature when a 1 mm thick insulating material is used are shown by a dashed line. According to the evaluation results shown in Figure 7, for all three types of insulating material with different thicknesses, microwaves penetrated the insulating material 55 and heated the internal heating element 50. Furthermore, it is clear that the temperature difference between the inside and outside was maintained at 200°C or more, heat radiation (heat leakage) from the heated heating element was well suppressed, and the heating element 50 was able to be heated at a rate greater than the target temperature rise rate.

[0053] As described above, according to the hydrogen storage container 1B of this embodiment, the heat insulating material 35 arranged between the support 25 and the container body 2 suppresses heat radiation from the heated support 25, thereby effectively increasing the rate at which the support 25 heats up when heated by microwaves. This eliminates the need to require high thermal insulation performance from the container body 2, allowing the hydrogen storage container to be made thinner and lighter.

[0054] In the hydrogen storage container 1B of this embodiment, the insulating material 35 is arranged to surround the periphery of the support 25 or to encase the entire support 25, thereby effectively suppressing heat dissipation from the heated support 25. In the hydrogen storage container 1B of this embodiment, the insulating material 35 is made of a material that is permeable to microwaves (e.g., silica), so that the insulating material 35 can be placed between the entrance window 13 and the support 25 without impeding the supply of microwaves to the support 25, thereby enhancing the effect of suppressing heat dissipation.

[0055] Although the above embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, these are merely examples. For example, while the above embodiments have shown an example in which a stainless steel container body is used at pressures of less than 1 MPa, the container body can also be formed from a liner with gas barrier properties conforming to high-pressure gas specifications and a fiber-reinforced resin layer made of fiber-reinforced resin. In addition, while the shaft of the support 25 in the above embodiments is hollow, in some cases the shaft can be formed from a solid member or mesh-like metal member that is microwave-transparent. Furthermore, if the support 25 does not use a sheet-like substrate 26, the paste containing the metal hydride can be spheroidized, dried, and placed in the container body as shown in FIG. 8 , or the spheroidized paste can be wrapped in insulating material and placed in the container body. Various modifications of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1,1B Hydrogen storage container 2 Container body 7 Vacuum insulation layer 9a Mounting surface 13 Introduction window 16 Waveguide 19 Microwave heating equipment 25 Support 26 Base material 27 Shaft 27a End opening 35 Insulation 40 Hydrogen Generator

Claims

1. a support that supports a powdered metal hydride that releases hydrogen when heated; a container body that accommodates the support therein; Equipped with The hydrogen storage container has a container body having an introduction window portion for introducing microwaves emitted from an external microwave heating device into the container body.

2. the support includes a substrate that supports a metal hydride and a shaft portion that supports the substrate wound in a roll shape, the shaft portion is microwave-transmissive; 2. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 1, wherein the support adjacent to the inlet window is arranged so that an end of the shaft portion overlaps the inlet window when viewed in a projected view in the axial direction.

3. 3. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the carriers are housed inside the container body, and the plurality of carriers are arranged in a row along the axial direction of the shaft portion.

4. 3. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 2, wherein the support further supports a heat-generating substance that absorbs microwaves and generates heat.

5. 3. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 1, wherein the introduction window is made of ceramic or quartz glass.

6. 3. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 1, wherein the container body is provided with a heat insulating structure that suppresses heat radiation from the heated support.

7. 3. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 1, wherein a waveguide of the external microwave heating device is detachably attached to a mounting surface of the container body including the introduction window portion.

8. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 1; a microwave heating device that heats the support inside the container body, A hydrogen generating apparatus, wherein the microwave heating device is connected to the hydrogen storage container so that microwaves can be introduced into the container body through the introduction window portion.

9. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 1 , further comprising a thermal insulator disposed between the support and the container body.

10. 10. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 9, wherein the thermal insulation material has a thermal conductivity of 60 mW / m·K or less at 100°C.

11. 10. The hydrogen storage container according to claim 9, wherein the heat insulating material is arranged so as to surround or encase the support inside the container body.

12. 10. The hydrogen storage container of claim 9, wherein the insulating material is microwave transparent.

13. The heat insulating material is SiO 2 , C, BN, Si 3 N 4 , AlN, Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 The hydrogen storage container according to claim 9, which is configured to contain at least one of the following.

14. 14. The hydrogen storage container of claim 13, wherein the insulating material further comprises an aerogel structure.

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