High-performance hydrolysis fuel formulation for micro fuel cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9624450-B2
Application number	US-201414202613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a hydrogen generating fuel comprising grains comprising a promoter and AlH 3 , each grain having a size between 1 and 10 μm. In some embodiments, the grains can be pressed into a porous pellet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A porous hydrogen generating fuel pellet comprising a plurality of grains comprising a combination of a promoter selected from the group consisting of ionic metal hydride, a covalent metal hydride, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a metal hydroxide, and combinations thereof, with AlH 3 , each grain having a grain size by diameter between 1 and 10 μm, the plurality of grains being pressed into a porous hydrogen generating fuel pellet;
wherein:
the pellet has a density of 0.7 to 0.92 g/cm 3 ; and
the promoter mass percentage is between 0.7% and 10.0% of the mass of AlH 3 present in the porous hydrogen generating fuel pellet.

2. The hydrogen generating fuel of claim 1 , wherein the promoter is capable of generating hydroxide ions.

3. The hydrogen generating fuel of claim 1 and further comprising at least one of sintered metal or ceramic plugs disposed in the porous pellet.

4. The hydrogen generating fuel of claim 1 , wherein the promoter comprises LiH.

5. The hydrogen generating fuel of claim 1 , wherein the promoter comprises LiAlH 4 .

6. The hydrogen generating fuel of claim 1 , wherein the promoter comprises NaOH.

7. A method comprising:
obtaining a powder comprising a combination of a promoter selected from the group consisting of ionic metal hydride, a covalent metal hydride, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a metal hydroxide, and combinations thereof, and AlH 3 , the powder broken down into a plurality of grains, each grain having a grain size by diameter between 1 and 10 μm; and
forming a porous hydrogen generating pellet from the powder;
wherein:
the pellet has a density of 0.7 to 0.92 g/cm 3 ; and
the promoter mass percentage is between 0.7% and 10.0% of the mass of AlH 3 present in the powder.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the promoter comprises LiH.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the promoter comprises LiAlH 4 .

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the promoter comprises NaOH.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising adding at least one of sintered metal or ceramic plugs to the powder prior to forming the porous pellet.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Eickhoff Steven J
• Swanson Stephen Kenyon

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/362

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C01B3/065 Primary

  by reaction of inorganic compounds with hydrides · CPC title

• Y02E50/30

  Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel · CPC title

• C10L5/44 Primary

  on vegetable substances · CPC title