Space-filling Polyhedral Sorbents for Gas Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas sorbent systems face challenges in maximizing storage capacity and flow rates due to the mismatch between gas flow through free spaces and porous media, with conventional methods like using spherical particles limiting packing density and complicating fabrication.
Innovation Solution
The use of space-filling polyhedral-shaped sorbent microliths with reproducible aplanarities in a close-packed array to create an interstitial manifold, optimizing the geometry of free spaces and porous convection to balance flow rates and storage capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If spherical particles are used to increase surface area to volume ratio, then gas flow rate is improved, but packing density is limited to maximum 0.74
Solution Approach 1:
The sorbent material is divided into polyhedral particles with specific geometric shapes (such as truncated octahedra, cubes, or other space-filling polyhedra) that can pack more efficiently than spheres. These segmented polyhedral structures allow for higher packing densities while maintaining adequate interstitial spaces for gas flow, resolving the contradiction between flow rate and packing density.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from spherical geometry to polyhedral geometry, utilizing the additional dimensional freedom of polyhedral shapes to optimize both packing arrangement and interstitial space configuration. This geometric transformation enables simultaneous optimization of packing density and gas flow pathways through controlled aplanarities on particle surfaces.
2Quantity of substance
If sorbent completely fills the vessel to maximize storage capacity, then storage capacity is maximized, but gas flow rate decreases due to lack of ullage
Solution Approach 1:
The polyhedral particles are designed with specific local geometric features (aplanarities) on their surfaces that create optimized interstitial spaces when packed. These local geometric modifications ensure that even at high packing densities, adequate free volume and flow pathways are maintained throughout the sorbent bed, allowing simultaneous maximization of storage capacity and gas flow rate.
3Quantity of substance
If spherical particles with two discrete radii are used to increase packing density to 0.82, then packing density is improved, but fabrication complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses monodisperse polyhedral particles with uniform geometry and size distribution, eliminating the need for complex multi-size particle mixtures. This homogeneous approach achieves high packing density through the inherent space-filling capability of polyhedral shapes while significantly simplifying fabrication and particle handling compared to heterogeneous spherical particle systems.
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 approach achieves a higher packing density and optimal gas flow rates by controlling the volume and geometry of interstitial spaces, significantly improving the storage and purification of gases compared to conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
flow through the sorbent by porous convection
Implementation Method 2
flow through the apertures and ullage by free convection
Implementation Method 3
solid sorbent materials... for adsorbing or desorbing gas
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Solid sorbents, systems, and methods for pumping, storage, and purification of gases are disclosed. They derive from the dynamics of porous and free convection for specific gas/sorbent combinations and use space filling polyhedral microliths with facial aplanarities to produce sorbent arrays with interpenetrating interstitial manifolds of voids.