Palladium Alloy Membrane Unit for Easy Hydrogen Purifier Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing hydrogen purification methods using palladium alloy membranes face challenges with mechanical strength degradation and frequent replacement needs, leading to inefficiencies and difficulties in maintaining airtightness during capillary replacement.
Innovation Solution
A palladium alloy membrane unit integrated with a storage structure that allows easy assembly and disassembly using joints, enabling the replacement of palladium alloy capillaries without compromising airtightness, featuring a disk-shaped tube sheet and a pure hydrogen discharge pipe, and a container with a heater for efficient hydrogen purification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the membrane thickness of palladium alloy capillaries is reduced to increase hydrogen permeation amount, then the mechanical strength of the capillaries decreases, causing destruction after long-term use
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a replaceable palladium alloy capillary assembly and a fixed storage structure. The capillary assembly can be segmented and replaced as a unit when mechanical strength degradation occurs, allowing optimization of capillary thickness for productivity without compromising long-term reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by controlling the hydrogen partial pressure difference across the membrane and monitoring the mechanical strength degradation over time. This allows determination of optimal replacement timing based on actual condition rather than fixed schedule, maximizing productivity while maintaining safety.
2Reliability
If palladium alloy capillaries are replaced frequently due to mechanical strength degradation, then the reliability of continuous operation improves, but the complexity of assembly and disassembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The palladium alloy capillary assembly is designed as a segmented, modular unit that can be easily removed and replaced. The storage structure includes features like opening/closing mechanisms and positioning structures that simplify the replacement process, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The palladium alloy capillary assembly is extracted as a separate, replaceable component from the storage structure. This allows the capillaries to be replaced independently without dismantling the entire device, reducing assembly complexity while ensuring reliability through timely replacement.
3Manufacturing precision
If palladium alloy capillaries are replaced to maintain airtightness, then the purity of hydrogen output is maintained, but the time required for replacement operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage structure is designed with preliminary features such as pre-positioned opening/closing mechanisms and alignment structures that facilitate quick replacement. The capillary assembly is prepared as a complete unit before installation, reducing on-site adjustment time and maintaining hydrogen purity without excessive time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The capillary assembly is extracted as a complete, pre-assembled unit that can be quickly replaced. This approach maintains hydrogen purity by ensuring proper sealing through the designed connection structures while minimizing replacement time by avoiding on-site assembly complexities.
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
This solution facilitates easy and efficient replacement of palladium alloy capillaries, maintaining device airtightness and extending the operational lifespan by allowing for timely replacement based on mechanical strength degradation or gas leaks, thus improving the hydrogen purification process.
Implementation Method 1
a method of producing a relatively small amount of ultrahigh-purity hydrogen gas is known, in which raw material hydrogen containing impurities is supplied to hydrogen separation membrane formed from palladium alloy membrane to collect hydrogen from the raw material hydrogen by using the hydrogen gas permselectivity
Implementation Method 2
a container having an opening formed at an end and storing the plurality of palladium alloy capillaries inserted from the opening
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is to provide a means for easily replacing palladium alloy capillaries in a hydrogen purification device formed by using hydrogen separation membrane formed from the palladium alloy capillaries. The hydrogen purification device can be easily disassembled into a palladium alloy membrane unit and a storage structure thereof. A palladium alloy membrane unit is provided with a plurality of palladium alloy capillaries, a disk-shaped tube sheet supporting the palladium alloy capillaries, a pure hydrogen discharge pipe having a cylinder being in close contact with a periphery of the tube sheet at one end, a joint connecting with a pure hydrogen outlet of the storage structure at the other end, and preferably a joint being in close contact with an opening of a container of the storage structure at a position between the cylinder and the outlet joint. The storage structure is provided with a container storing the palladium alloy membrane unit, a heater, a raw material hydrogen inlet, an impurity-containing gas outlet, and a pure hydrogen outlet, a member provided on the pure hydrogen outlet, the member connecting with a joint provided at one end of the palladium alloy membrane unit, and preferably a member provided on the opening of the container, the member being in close contact with a joint provided on the cylinder of the palladium alloy membrane unit.