Westinghouse Savannah River Company

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC

The United States of America as Represented by the United States

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Westinghouse Savannah River

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Leung Kit Heung

George G Wicks

Rana Mohtadi

Xin Xiao

Kenji Nakamura

Henry T Sessions

Myung W Lee

Ragaiy Zidan

Steven M Serkiz

David M Immel

Ray F Schumacher

Sharon H Redd

Glenn L Enz

Rana F Mohtadi

Thermal cycling devices are provided. In one embodiment, a thermal cycling device includes a packed tube comprising an inlet portion defining an inlet and an outlet portion defining an outlet. The packed tube is provided in a double coil arrangement, wherein the double coil arrangement causes radially neighboring turns of the packed tube to have opposing flow directions therethrough. The thermal cycling device further includes a cooling device disposed axially adjacent to the packed tube, and a heating device disposed axially adjacent to the packed tube opposite the cooling device.

Thermal cycling device

A material for the storage and release of gases comprises a plurality of hollow elements, each hollow element comprising a porous wall enclosing an interior cavity, the interior cavity including structures of a solid-state storage material. In particular examples, the storage material is a hydrogen storage material, such as a solid state hydride. An improved method for forming such materials includes the solution diffusion of a storage material solution through a porous wall of a hollow element into an interior cavity.

Gas storage materials, including hydrogen storage materials

Porous wall hollow glass microspheres are provided as a template for formation of nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes, In addition, the carbon nanotubes in combination with the porous wall hollow glass microsphere provides an additional reaction template with respect to carbon nanotubes.

Porous wall hollow glass microspheres as a medium or substrate for storage and formation of novel materials

The apparatus and process for separating hydrogen isotopes is provided using dual columns, each column having an opposite hydrogen isotopic effect such that when a hydrogen isotope mixture feedstock is cycled between the two respective columns, two different hydrogen isotopes are separated from the feedstock.

Apparatus and process for separating hydrogen isotopes

A material for the storage and release of gases comprises a plurality of hollow elements, each hollow element comprising a porous wall enclosing an interior cavity, the interior cavity including structures of a solid-state storage material. In particular examples, the storage material is a hydrogen storage material such as a solid state hydride. An improved method for forming such materials includes the solution diffusion of a storage material solution through a porous wall of a hollow element into an interior cavity.

A porous wall hollow glass microsphere is provided having a diameter range of between 1 to 200 microns, a density of between 1.0 to 2.0 gm/cc, a porous-wall structure having wall openings defining an average pore size of between 10 to 1000 angstroms, and which contains therein a hydrogen storage material. The porous-wall structure facilitates the introduction of a hydrogen storage material into the interior of the porous wall hollow glass microsphere. In this manner, the resulting hollow glass microsphere can provide a membrane for the selective transport of hydrogen through the porous walls of the microsphere, the small pore size preventing gaseous or liquid contaminants from entering the interior of the hollow glass microsphere.

Hollow porous-wall glass microspheres for hydrogen storage

A hydrogen storage composition based on a metal hydride dispersed in an aerogel prepared by a sol-gel process. The starting material for the aerogel is an organometallic compound, including the alkoxysilanes, organometals of the form M(OR)x and MOxRy, where R is an alkyl group of the form C H , M is an oxide-forming metal, n, x, and y are integers, and y is two less than the valence of M. A sol is prepared by combining the starting material, alcohol, water, and an acid. The sol is conditioned to the proper viscosity and a hydride in the form of a fine powder is added. The mixture is polymerized and dried under supercritical conditions. The final product is a composition having a hydride uniformly dispersed throughout an inert, stable and highly porous matrix. It is capable of absorbing up to 30 moles of hydrogen per kilogram at room temperature and pressure, rapidly and reversibly. Hydrogen absorbed by the composition can be readily be recovered by heat or evacuation.

Hydrogen storage composition and method

A rechargeable device that stores and discharges hydrogen is described. The device stores hydrogen in a solid form and supplies hydrogen as a gas when needed. The solid storage medium may be metal hydride in a ground particle form that avoids the need for compaction or other treatment. Dividers partition a container into separate chambers, each provided with a matrix, formed from an appropriate material like a thermally-conductive aluminum foam, which forms a number of cells. For proper chamber size, the ratio of chamber length to container diameter should be between about 0.5 and 2. Metal hydride particles (or other hydrogen storage medium) may be placed within the cells, which help prevent excessive particle settling. The container is provided with a hydrogen transfer port through which hydrogen gas passes upon either discharging from or charging of the metal hydride particles. A filter may be placed within the port to allow hydrogen to flow but prevent particles from escaping. A heat transferring surface is formed by, for instance, a channel that is thermally coupled with the aluminum foam. Fluid flows through the channel to deliver or remove heat during the respective hydrogen discharging or charging processes.

Apparatus and methods for storing and releasing hydrogen

A device for separating gases, especially isotopes, by thermal cycling of a separation column using a pressure vessel mounted vertically and having baffled sources for cold and heat. Coils at the top are cooled with a fluid such as liquid nitrogen. Coils at the bottom are either electrical resistance coils or a tubular heat exchange. The sources are shrouded with an insulated &ldquo;top hat&rdquo; and simultaneously opened and closed at the outlets to cool or heat the separation column. Alternatively, the sources for cold and heat are mounted separately outside the vessel and an external loop is provided for each circuit.

Induced natural convection thermal cycling device

A method for absorbing hydrogen from an enclosed environment comprising providing a vessel; providing a hydrogen storage composition in communication with a vessel, the hydrogen storage composition further comprising a matrix defining a pore size which permits the passage of hydrogen gas while blocking the passage of gaseous poisons; placing a material within the vessel, the material evolving hydrogen gas; sealing the vessel; and absorbing the hydrogen gas released into the vessel by the hydrogen storage composition. A container for absorbing evolved hydrogen gas comprising: a vessel having an interior and adapted for receiving materials which release hydrogen gas; a hydrogen absorbing composition in communication with the interior, the composition defining a matrix surrounding a hydrogen absorber, the matrix permitting the passage of hydrogen gas while excluding gaseous poisons; wherein, when the vessel is sealed, hydrogen gas, which is released into the vessel interior, is absorbed by the hydrogen absorbing composition.

Container and method for absorbing and reducing hydrogen concentration

A hydrogen storage composition is provided which defines a physical sol-gel matrix having an average pore size of less than 3.5 angstroms which effectively excludes gaseous metal hydride poisons while permitting hydrogen gas to enter. The composition is useful for separating hydrogen gas from diverse gas streams which may have contaminants that would otherwise render the hydrogen absorbing material inactive.

Composition for absorbing hydrogen from gas mixtures

A silica embedded metal hydride composition and a method for making such a composition. The composition is made via the following process: A quantity of fumed silica is blended with water to make a paste. After adding metal hydride particles, the paste is dried to form a solid. According to one embodiment of the invention, the solid is ground into granules for use of the product in hydrogen storage. Alternatively, the paste can be molded into plates or cylinders and then dried for use of the product as a hydrogen filter. Where mechanical strength is required, the paste can be impregnated in a porous substrate or wire network.

Method and composition in which metal hydride particles are embedded in

A hydrogen absorbing composition. The composition comprises a porous glass matrix, made by a sol-gel process, having a hydrogen-absorbing material dispersed throughout the matrix. A sol, made from tetraethyl orthosilicate, is mixed with a hydrogen-absorbing material and solidified to form a porous glass matrix with the hydrogen-absorbing material dispersed uniformly throughout the matrix. The glass matrix has pores large enough to allow gases having hydrogen to pass through the matrix, yet small enough to hold the particles dispersed within the matrix so that the hydrogen-absorbing particles are not released during repeated hydrogen absorption/desorption cycles.

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Aiken, SC, United States of America

Leung Kit Heung