Humidity and/or hydrogen control products, and production
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing humidity control methods, such as non-deliquescing desiccants and humectants, fail to precisely maintain constant humidity levels due to their inability to adjust for water vapor gains or losses, while saturated solutions and deliquescents have limitations like messiness, instability, and limited transportability.
Innovation Solution
A humidity control system comprising a solid phase particulate composite of a micro-galvanic couple and a deliquescent solid, where the micro-galvanic couple reacts with water vapor to remove it as metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas, maintaining relative humidity within a design range without liquid water contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If non-deliquescing desiccants are used for humidity control, then the system maintains structural stability and ease of handling, but it fails to precisely maintain constant humidity levels due to inability to adjust for water vapor gains or losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses deliquescent materials that change their physical state from solid to liquid solution when exposed to water vapor, thereby dynamically adjusting their water absorption capacity. This parameter change allows the system to automatically adapt to varying humidity conditions without complex mechanical adjustments, achieving precise humidity control through inherent material properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The deliquescent material automatically activates upon contact with water vapor, absorbing moisture and dissolving itself to form a saturated solution that maintains equilibrium humidity. This self-activating mechanism eliminates the need for external control systems or manual adjustments, achieving precise humidity control through the material's intrinsic behavior.
2Measurement precision
If saturated solutions are used for humidity control, then precise humidity levels can be maintained, but the system becomes messy and has limited transportability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent confines the liquid saturated solution within a sealed porous container or capsule, creating a localized liquid environment while maintaining a solid external form. This allows the system to transport easily as a solid-like unit while locally providing the precise humidity control benefits of saturated solutions through controlled vapor exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses sealed porous containers or capsules to enclose the liquid saturated solution. These flexible or rigid shells protect the liquid from spillage during transport while allowing water vapor to pass through the porous structure, enabling both easy handling and precise humidity control.
3Reliability
If deliquescent materials are used for humidity control, then automatic activation and precise humidity maintenance are achieved, but the system transitions to liquid state causing messiness and handling difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent confines the liquid deliquescent material within a sealed porous container or capsule, creating a localized liquid environment while maintaining a solid external form. This allows the system to maintain automatic activation capabilities while improving handling ease through the protective enclosure that prevents spillage and maintains structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses sealed porous containers or capsules to enclose the liquid deliquescent material. These shells protect the liquid from leakage during handling and transport while allowing water vapor to penetrate through the porous structure, enabling both automatic activation and easy handling.
4Reliability
If solid phase particulate composite is used to remove water vapor, then the system maintains constant relative humidity without liquid water contact, but the reaction between metal and water vapor must be carefully controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses deliquescent materials that undergo a parameter change from solid to liquid solution when exposed to water vapor. This transformation naturally regulates the reaction between metal and water vapor, as the deliquescent material dissolves the metal in a controlled manner, achieving humidity stability without complex reaction control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The deliquescent material automatically activates upon contact with water vapor, dissolving the metal in a self-regulating process. The saturation point of the deliquescent material inherently controls the reaction rate and extent, eliminating the need for external control mechanisms while maintaining reliable humidity stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively maintains a constant relative humidity in a sealed environment for an extended period, even with sources or sinks of water vapor, by using micro-galvanic couples and deliquescent materials to regulate water vapor levels, offering improved precision and stability compared to prior methods.
Implementation Method 1
the deliquescent solid absorbs water vapor from the environment and dissolves in the absorbed water to form a saturated solution
Implementation Method 2
the micro-galvanic couple reacts with water vapor to remove it as metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas
Data Source
AI summary
A product for controlling humidity in an environment is a composite of micro-galvanic couples with a desiccant. When the humidity in the environment rises above deliquescent's unique deliquescence relative humidity (DRH), the deliquescent substance dissolves into a solution in response to an increase in humidity in the environment above said (mutual) deliquescence relative humidity point of said deliquescent substance(s), and, the micro-galvanic couples react with said solution into a metallic compound and hydrogen. Whereby at least some to all of the dissolved deliquescent returns to solid phase, and the humidity in the environment is maintained at or near the DRH. The micro-galvanic couples can be produced in a molten salt electrolysis bath. Electro-catalytic hydrogenation achieved by reacting a reactant with said micro-galvanic couples into a metallic compound and hydrogen, whereby at least some to all of hydrogen hydrogenates the reactant into a hydrogenated product.