Hydrogen generating device and power generating equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9543605-B2
Application number	US-201514742640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2015
Priority date	Aug 15, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A hydrogen generating device includes a first housing, a porous structure, a first flow-guiding structure and a heating unit. The first housing accommodates a solid reactant. The porous structure is disposed in the first housing. The first flow-guiding structure has first and second end portions opposite to each other. The first end portion is connected to the porous structure. The second end portion protrudes outside the first housing and is connected to the heating unit. A liquid reactant passing through the second end portion is gasified into a gaseous reactant through the heating unit. The gaseous reactant passing through the first end portion reaches to the porous structure and then is diffused from the porous structure into the first housing, so that the gaseous reactant and the solid reactant react and generate a hydrogen gas. A power generating equipment including the hydrogen generating device is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrogen generating device, comprising:
a first housing accommodating a solid reactant;
a porous structure disposed in the first housing;
a first flow-guiding structure having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, wherein the first end portion is connected to the porous structure, and the second end portion protrudes outside the first housing; and
a heating unit connected to the second end portion, wherein a liquid reactant is adapted to be gasified to become a gaseous reactant through the heating unit, and the gaseous reactant passes through the first flow-guiding structure to reach to the porous structure and then is diffused from the porous structure into the first housing, so that the gaseous reactant and the solid reactant react and generate a hydrogen gas.

2. The hydrogen generating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when a temperature of the porous structure is lower than a temperature value and the gaseous reactant reaches to the porous structure, the gaseous reactant is cooled and liquefied to become the liquid reactant and accommodated in the porous structure, when the temperature of the porous structure is higher than the temperature value, the liquid reactant accommodated in the porous structure is heated and gasified to become the gaseous reactant and then diffused from the porous structure into the first housing.

3. The hydrogen generating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the porous structure comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion is located between the solid reactant and the bottom portion, the bottom portion is connected to the first end portion of the first flow-guiding structure, and an outer diameter of the top portion is larger than an outer diameter of the bottom portion.

4. The hydrogen generating device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the outer diameter of the top portion is gradually decreased from the bottom portion toward the solid reactant.

5. The hydrogen generating device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a heat conductive structure, wherein the heat conductive structure is connected to the porous structure and located in the first housing, a thermal energy generated by the reaction of the gaseous reactant and the solid reactant is absorbed by the heat conductive structure and conducted to the first flow-guiding structure, so that the liquid reactant located at the first flow-guiding structure is heated and gasified to become the gaseous reactant.

6. The hydrogen generating device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the heat conductive structure is a pillar and surrounded by the solid reactant.

7. The hydrogen generating device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the porous structure comprises a powdered sintered material.

8. The hydrogen generating device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the powdered sintered material is a metal powdered sintered material.

9. A power generating equipment, comprising:
a hydrogen generating device comprising:
a first housing accommodating a solid reactant;
a porous structure disposed in the first housing;
a first flow-guiding structure having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, wherein the first end portion is connected to the porous structure, and the second end portion protrudes outside the first housing; and
a heating unit connected to the second end portion, wherein a liquid reactant is adapted to be gasified to become a gaseous reactant through the heating unit, and the gaseous reactant passes through the first flow-guiding structure to reach to the porous structure and then is diffused from the porous structure into the first housing, so that the gaseous reactant and the solid reactant react and generate a hydrogen gas; and

a fuel cell stack connected to the hydrogen generating device, wherein the hydrogen gas is transported from the hydrogen generating device to the fuel cell stack and reacts at the fuel cell stack to generate an electrical energy.

10. The power generating equipment as claimed in claim 9 , wherein when a temperature of the porous structure is lower than a temperature value and the gaseous reactant reaches to the porous structure, the gaseous reactant is cooled and liquefied to become the liquid reactant and accommodated in the porous structure, when the temperature of the porous structure is higher than the temperature value, the liquid reactant accommodated in the porous structure is heated and gasified to become the gaseous reactant and then diffused from the porous structure into the first housing.

11. The power generating equipment as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the porous structure comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion is located between the solid reactant and the bottom portion, the bottom portion is connected to the first end portion of the first flow-guiding structure, and an outer diameter of the top portion is larger than an outer diameter of the bottom portion.

12. The power generating equipment as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the outer diameter of the top portion is gradually decreased from the bottom portion toward the solid reactant.

13. The power generating equipment as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a heat conductive structure, wherein the heat conductive structure is connected to the porous structure and located in the first housing, a thermal energy generated by the reaction of the gaseous reactant and the solid reactant is absorbed by the heat conductive structure and conducted to the first flow-guiding structure, so that the liquid reactant located at the first flow-guiding structure is heated and gasified to become the gaseous reactant.

14. The power generating equipment as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the heat conductive structure is a pillar and surrounded by the solid reactant.

15. The power generating equipment as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the porous structure comprises a powdered sintered material.

16. The power generating equipment as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the powdered sintered material is a metal powdered sintered material.

17. The power generating equipment as claimed in claim 9 , comprising a filtering unit, wherein the filtering unit is connected between the hydrogen generating device and the fuel cell stack, and the hydrogen gas is transported from the hydrogen generating device to the fuel cell stack through the filtering unit.

Assignees

• Coretronic Corp

Inventors

• Chen Ying-Chieh
• Wang Chung-Ping
• Lin Yu-Hsiang

Classifications

• H01M8/0687

  Reactant purification by the use of membranes or filters · CPC title

• C01B2203/066

  with fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/065 Primary

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

• C01B3/065

  by reaction of inorganic compounds with hydrides · CPC title

• H01M8/0618

  Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming · CPC title