Combined hydrogen storage - compression system for the filling of high pressure hydrogen tanks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022205592-A1
Application number	US-202017601824-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 24, 2020
Priority date	Apr 8, 2019
Publication date	Jun 30, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present relates to a combined hydrogen storage-compression unit suitable for the filling of high-pressure (350 bar and beyond) hydrogen vessels. It includes a containment vessel filled with a hydrogen storage alloy, a heating system, a cooling system and a thermal management system. The same shall be connected directly to the hydrogen supply (e.g. an electrolyser) on one side and to the end consumer on the other side. Moreover, it offers the possibility for intermediate storage of at least one time the maximal quantity of hydrogen that is to be supplied at high pressure in a single step.

First claim

1 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . A combined hydrogen storage-compression module with a variable output pressure comprising
a pressurized vessel presenting at least one inlet/outlet port in order to supply/remove hydrogen, a hydrogen storage alloy placed within the vessel, a heating system adapted to increase the temperature of the storage system in order to increase the pressure and a cooling system that can remove the heat of reaction during absorption and/or reduce the pressure of the system on demand, whereby cooling and heating of the vessel decrease and increase, respectively, the pressure inside the vessel because of the thermodynamic characteristics of the hydrogen storage alloy, a thermal management system for the control of said heating and said cooling system, a heat spreader within the pressurized vessel adapted to facilitate heat transfer within the hydrogen storage alloy, and one or more pressure sensors and temperature sensors that measure the temperature and pressure in the pressurized vessel and provide measurement data to the thermal management system, wherein the thermal management system, by controlling the temperature of the vessel and its content, is adapted to permit a progressive ramp up of the pressure in the pressurized vessel to be filled, thereby maintain a pressure differential between the storage-compression unit and the high pressure hydrogen tank to be filled of less than or equal to 100 bar throughout the filling process, where filled means that the pressure inside the vessel has reached its maximal rated pressure.

16 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 15 , wherein where hydrogen is supplied by an electrolyzer or a reformer or any equivalent hydrogen source, and where hydrogen is removed to fill a high pressure hydrogen tank, such as but not limited to a hydrogen vehicle tank.

17 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 15 , wherein the hydrogen storage alloy presents an absorption plateau pressure less than or equal to 5 bar at 25° C. and a desorption plateau pressure greater than or equal to 350 bar at a temperature less than or equal to 260° C.

18 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 15 , wherein the hydrogen storage alloy presents a desorption plateau pressure greater than or equal to 700 bar at a temperature less than or equal to 320° C.

19 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 15 , wherein the hydrogen storage alloy presents a hydrogen storage capacity greater than or equal to 1 kg hydrogen or, a hydrogen storage capacity greater than or equal to 5 kg hydrogen.

20 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 15 , wherein the hydrogen storage alloy is comprised in the class of AB2 materials or AB5 materials.

21 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 19 , wherein the AB2 material A is Titanium which may or may not be partially substituted with Zirconium or any other element and B includes a plurality of components selected from the group consisting of Vanadium, Manganese, Iron, Cobalt and Nickel or any other element and whereby in the AB5 material A is Lanthanum which can be partially substituted with Cerium, Neodymium and/or any other element and B is Nickel which can be partially substituted with at least one component or a plurality of components selected from the group consisting of Cobalt, Aluminium, Manganese and Iron or any other element.

22 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 15 , wherein the heating system is adapted to enable the desorption of the full hydrogen capacity of the storage system in less than or equal to five minute when the overpressure is greater or equal to 1 bar.

23 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 15 , wherein the heating system is adapted to enable the desorption of the full hydrogen capacity of the storage system in less than or equal to 20 minutes when the overpressure is greater or equal to 1 bar.

24 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 15 , wherein the cooling system is adapted to enable the filling of the full hydrogen capacity of the storage system in less than or equal to five minutes with an overpressure of less than or equal to 1 bar.

25 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression module according to claim 15 , wherein the pressure differential progressive ramp up of the pressure in the vessels to be filled, is maintained under 10 bar.

26 . A combined hydrogen storage-compression system, wherein several individual modules according to claim 15 , are connected in parallel or in series.

27 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression system of 26, where at least two pressure containment vessels are connected and working in a sequence where one containment vessel is absorbing hydrogen while the other is desorbing hydrogen.

28 . The combined hydrogen storage-compression system of 27, wherein, heat is transferred from the colder desorbing containment vessel to the hotter absorbing containment vessel using a heat pump.

Assignees

• Ecole Polytechnique Fed Lausanne Epfl

Inventors

• Gallandat Noris
• Züttel Andreas

Classifications

• F17C2221/011

  Oxygen · CPC title

• F17C2265/065

  for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks · CPC title

• F17C13/026

  having the temperature as the parameter · CPC title

• F17C2227/0339

  using the same fluid · CPC title

• F17C11/005 Primary

  for hydrogen · CPC title