Gas generation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267701-B2
Application number	US-201816753238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2018
Priority date	Oct 18, 2017
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A catalytic device includes a hollow body, a piston housed in the hollow body, a catalyst of a gas generation reaction based on bringing a reactive liquid into contact with the catalyst, the catalyst being housed in a catalysis chamber, the piston and the hollow body defining a hermetic compression chamber for containing a compressible fluid, and being mobile relative to one another between a closed position in which the catalysis chamber is tight to the reactive liquid, and an open position for the entry of the reactive liquid into the catalysis chamber. The catalytic device is conformed to switch from the open position to the closed position, respectively from the closed position to the open position, when the compressible fluid is contained in the compression chamber and a force applied to the piston is greater than or equal to, respectively less than, a closure force.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas generation apparatus comprising:
an enclosure,
a hollow body,
a piston, and
a catalyst,
the enclosure defining an interior space containing a reactive liquid,
the piston being housed in the hollow body,
the piston and the hollow body defining a catalysis chamber and a compression chamber,
the catalyst being housed in the catalysis chamber,
the piston being mobile between a closed position in which the catalysis chamber is leakproof to the reactive liquid, and at least an open position in which the reactive liquid enters the catalysis chamber and contacts the catalyst for generating the gas,
the compression chamber containing a compressible fluid and being closed and leakproof to the compressible fluid, the compressible fluid acting as a spring which opposes closure of the catalysis chamber,
a pressure of the compressible fluid being greater than 1.1 bar in an extreme open position where the piston is at an end of its stroke, and
the enclosure comprising a gas discharge aperture provided at a distance from the catalysis chamber.

2. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is suitable for catalyzing hydrolysis of an aqueous solution comprising a hydride.

3. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the catalyst comprises more than 95.0% of a metal chosen from among platinum, ruthenium, cobalt, nickel and alloys thereof.

4. The gas generation apparatus e according to claim 1 , the compressible fluid being a gas.

5. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 4 , the compressible fluid being chosen from among an inert gas and air.

6. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a relief valve configured to drain the compressible fluid from the compression chamber.

7. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising an abutment disposed so that the piston bears against said abutment in the extreme open position.

8. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the compressible fluid in the compression chamber in the closed position is greater than the pressure of the compressible fluid in the compression chamber in the extreme open position.

9. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is fixed to the piston and/or to the hollow body.

10. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is disposed on a catalysis support, in the form of a block of a thickness greater than 1 mm, or is in the form of a covering having a thickness less than 1 mm.

11. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a percentage by weight of the catalyst, expressed on the basis of a sum of the weight of the catalysis support and weight of the catalyst, is greater than 50.0%.

12. The gas generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the piston comprises a cover, the cover being supported over the hollow body in the closed position and completely blocking the catalysis chamber, and being disposed at a distance from the hollow body in the open position.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the piston, the hollow body and the catalyst are disposed at least partially in the interior space of the enclosure.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the piston is closer to a free surface of the reactive liquid in the closed position than in the open position.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the piston, the hollow body and the catalyst are disposed fully in the interior space of the enclosure.

16. A gas generation method based on bringing a reactive liquid into contact with a catalyst of a gas generation reaction, the method comprising the following successive steps:
providing the apparatus according to claim 1 , and
placing the catalysis chamber in the open position, so that the reactive liquid enters into contact with the catalyst.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein:
the gas is dihydrogen,
the catalyst is suitable for catalyzing hydrolysis of an aqueous solution comprising a hydride, and
the reactive liquid is an aqueous solution comprising a hydride.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Bouvier Michael
• Capron Philippe
• Delmas Jerome
• Mathieu Vincent
• Rougeaux Isabelle

Classifications

• H01M8/065

  by dissolution of metals or alloys; by dehydriding metallic substances · CPC title

• Y02E60/36

  Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis · CPC title

• C01B3/065 Primary

  by reaction of inorganic compounds with hydrides · CPC title

• B01J16/005

  in the presence of catalytically active bodies, e.g. porous plates · CPC title

• H01M8/04216

  characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent · CPC title