Billings Energy Corporation

Other

Ronald L Woolley

Vaughn R Anderson

Roger E Billings

Edward H Davis

A safety system used in motor vehicles for raising the outboard side of a passenger seat upon side impact of the vehicle by another object. The system comprises a sensor for detecting impact of the side of the vehicle by another object. The sensor activates a trigger mechanism that in turn activates a device for raising the outboard side of the seat. The outboard side of the seat, in addition to moving upwardly may also move inwardly in an arc toward the longitudinal center portion of the interior of the vehicle.

Structures for lifting outboard side of seat of motor vehicle during

A hydrogen fuel system for use in conjunction with and as an alternative to a hydrocarbon fuel system in a motor vehicle or other apparatus having a combustion unit and a mixing device for mixing hydrogen gas with air for introduction into the combustion unit. The hydrogen fuel system includes a hydrogen storage tank for holding hydrogen under pressure, a conduit for conveying hydrogen gas from the tank to the mixing unit, and a solenoid disposed in the conduit and responsive to a first signal for allowing the flow of hydrogen gas to the mixing unit, and responsive to a second signal for preventing flow of hydrogen gas to the mixing unit. Also included is a hydrocarbon fuel tank, a conduit for conveying fuel from the fuel tank to the combustion unit, and a fuel pump responsive to the first signal for preventing flow of fuel from the fuel tank to the combustion unit, and responsive to the second signal for pumping fuel to the combustion unit. A two-position, manually operable switch is provided to produce the first signal when in a first setting and the second signal when in a second setting.

Hydrogen fuel systems

A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing increased thermal conductivity and heat capacity to a pressure vessel containing a hydride-forming metal material which is capable of absorbing and storing relatively large amounts of hydrogen gas. An elongate pressure vessel, having an opening therein for charging and discharging hydrogen therefrom and valve means in combination with the opening for controlling flow of hydrogen gas to and from the container, is provided with a plurality of elongate, aluminum magnesium, or copper tubes as a tube bundle, with the longitudinal axis of the tubes being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel. The tubes are packed in the vessel so that tubes are in firm contact with adjacent tubes, and the outer tubes of the bundle are in firm contact with the longitudinal inside surfaces of the vessel as well as with adjacent tubes in the bundle. Particulate, hydride-forming, metal material substantially fills the otherwise void spaces within the tube-containing vessel. Thermal conductivity and thermal capacity of the bed of particulate material in the tube-containing vessels are increased by as much as 240% and 15%, respectively, in comparison to equivalent size beds of the same particulate material in non-tube containing vessels. An existing pressure vessel can be retrofitted with thetightly packed tubes by cutting tubes, having an outside diameter smaller than the valve opening in the pressure vessel, to lengths having a longitudinal dimension shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the pressure vessel. The lengths of tubes are inserted, one at a time, into the pressure vessel through the valve opening therein, and the inserted tubes are organized into the tightly packed tube bundle.

Method and apparatus for providing increased thermal conductivity and

A method and apparatus are disclosed for transferring heat to or from metal hydrides contained in storage containers as hydrogen gas is being charged to or withdrawn from the storage containers, wherein the hydrogen gas being charged to or withdrawn from the storage containers functions as a convective energy carrier. A plurality of the containers are connected together in flow communication in series, so that when a pressure differential is established across the series of containers, hydrogen gas associated with the metal hydride will flow from one container to the next container in the direction of the lower pressure. A pressure differential is created across the series of containers by charging hydrogen to either the first or last container in the series, or by withdrawing hydrogen from either the first or last container in a series of containers that has been previously charged with hydrogen. Hydrogen gas flowing through the conduits connecting adjacent containers is heated or cooled in heat exchanger means associated with the conduits. The pressure differential across the series of containers can be periodically reversed by periodically alternating charging hydrogen to the first and last containers of the series during the charging of said containers, and by periodically alternating the discharge of hydrogen from the first and last containers of the series when hydrogen is being withdrawn from the series of containers.

Apparatus and method for transferring heat to and from a bed of metal

A fuel supply system is provided for engines which are adapted to operate on gaseous hydrogen fuel and which utilize a fuel tank containing a metal hydride for the storage of hydrogen. The system provides for high pressure operation when the hydride in the fuel tank is fully charged with hydrogen, as well as for operation at low pressures to allow maximum utilization of the hydrogen stored in the hydride. A supply conduit, which can supply the hydrogen needed during normal operation of the engine with minimal pressure drop, connects the storage tank to the fuel intake of the engine. A bypass conduit is provided having one end thereof connected to the supply conduit and its other end reconnected to the supply conduit downstream of the first connection. Valve means are adapted to direct the flow of hydrogen either directly through the supply conduit or to divert the flow of hydrogen from the supply conduit through the bypass conduit and back to the supply conduit downstream from the valve means. A pressure regulator is included in the bypass conduit which is capable of regulating downstream pressure at a preset pressure when the upstream pressure is greater than the preset pressure. A controller monitors the downstream pressure and when the monitored pressure falls sufficiently below the preset pressure of the regulator, the controller changes the valve means so that the hydrogen flows directly through the supply conduit. Thus, when the storage tank supplies high pressure hydrogen to the supply conduit, the hydrogen is routed through pressure regulating means in the bypass conduit, and when the pressure from the storage tank decreases below the regulated pressure, the hydrogen is routed through the supply conduit thereby avoiding substantial pressure drops as it flows from the storage tank to the engine.

Hydrogen fuel supply system

An internal combustion engine designed to operate with hydrogen fuel, comprises means for mixing water in the form of droplets, spray, or mist with gaseous hydrogen. The water-containing hydrogen gas is then introduced along with air in proportion for practical internal combustion and efficient power output to the cylinders or combustion chambers of the engine for combustion. In one embodiment of the invention, water vapor is condensed from the exhaust gases from the engine, and the condensed water is used as the source of water to be mixed with hydrogen fuel so as to provide a continuing, self-supporting system. The resulting exhaust emissions from the engine are very low in oxides of nitrogen, and, in addition, engine backfiring is eliminated while the efficiency and power output of the engine is improved.

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Orem, UT, United States of America

Ronald L Woolley