Leak hydrogen absorbing device, hydrogen energy utilization system and leak hydrogen absorbing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764646-B2
Application number	US-201514932989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	Dec 15, 2014
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A leak hydrogen absorbing device is provided and includes an absorbing tank, having a gas inlet and a gas outlet; a spacer, disposed inside the absorbing tank, and partitioning an interior of the absorbing tank into multiple spaces; a hydrogen absorbing material, disposed in the spaces; a connecting tube, disposed on the spacer, and connecting the spaces; a pump, pumping a hydrogen-containing gas leaked in a closed environment to the absorbing tank through the gas inlet to be flowed through the spaces inside the absorbing tank, so that the hydrogen gas contained in the hydrogen-containing gas is absorbed by the hydrogen absorbing material; and a depressurizing portion, disposed at a terminal end of the absorbing tank, and storing a hydrogen-free gas passed through the hydrogen absorbing material. The hydrogen-free gas is discharged through the gas outlet when reaching a predetermined pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A leak hydrogen absorbing device for a closed environment, comprising:
an absorbing tank, having a gas inlet and a gas outlet;
a spacer, disposed inside the absorbing tank, and partitioning an interior of the absorbing tank into a plurality of spaces;
a hydrogen absorbing material, disposed in the spaces;
a connecting tube, disposed on the spacer, and connecting the spaces;
a pump, pumping a hydrogen-containing gas leaked in the closed environment to the absorbing tank through the gas inlet to be flowed through the spaces inside the absorbing tank, so that a hydrogen gas contained in the hydrogen-containing gas is absorbed by the hydrogen absorbing material; and
a depressurizing portion, disposed at a terminal end of the absorbing tank, storing a hydrogen-free gas passed through the hydrogen absorbing material, and discharging the hydrogen-free gas through the gas outlet when the hydrogen-free gas reaches a predetermined pressure.

2. The leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer is plural, and
the spacers are disposed inside the absorbing tank in an arrangement with interval from each other.

3. The leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting tube is plural, and
a predetermined distance is provided between positions of the connecting tubes respectively disposed on adjacent two of the spacers.

4. The leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one heater, disposed at one side of the absorbing tank, and
the heater heating the hydrogen absorbing material in order to release the absorbed hydrogen gas from the hydrogen absorbing material.

5. The leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter, disposed in front of the gas inlet of the absorbing tank.

6. The leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter screen, disposed on at least one end of the communicating tube.

7. The leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydrogen gas detector, configured to detect the hydrogen-containing gas leaked in the closed environment.

8. The leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen absorbing material is in form of powder, grain or ingot.

9. The leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen absorbing material is selected from a combination of a first material and a second material, wherein
the first material is selected from Ti, La, Mg, Sr, Li, Cr, Ir, Ca and Pd, and
the second material is selected from Ag, Ni, Au, Pt, Cu, Co, Al, Fe, V, Mn and As.

10. A hydrogen energy utilization system for a closed environment, comprising:
a hydrogen gas storage device;
a hydrogen gas utilization device, connecting to the hydrogen gas storage device through a hydrogen gas transportation pipeline; and
the leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 , connected to a position where the hydrogen-containing gas is leaked in the closed environment.

11. The hydrogen energy utilization system according to claim 10 , wherein the leak hydrogen absorbing device and the hydrogen gas transportation pipeline are connected in parallel to each other.

12. The hydrogen energy utilization system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a manual valve and a motor valve, disposed in sequence on the hydrogen gas transportation pipeline,
an upstream of the manual valve being connected to the hydrogen gas storage device, and
a downstream of the motor valve being connected to the hydrogen gas utilization device.

13. The hydrogen energy utilization system according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a three-way valve, having a first port, a second port and a third port,
the first port being connected to the pump,
the second port being connected to a position between the manual valve and the manual valve, and
the third port being connected to the position where the hydrogen-containing gas is leaked in the closed environment.

14. The hydrogen energy utilization system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a hydrogen gas detector, configured to detect the hydrogen-containing gas leaked in the closed environment.

15. The hydrogen energy utilization system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a containment, surrounding the hydrogen gas storage device and the hydrogen gas utilization device,
the leak hydrogen absorbing device being connected on the containment.

16. The hydrogen energy utilization system according to claim 10 , wherein at least two of the leak hydrogen absorbing devices are disposed so as to switch between the at least two leak hydrogen absorbing devices.

17. A leak hydrogen absorbing method, comprising:
providing the leak hydrogen absorbing device according to claim 1 ;
when detecting that the leaked hydrogen-containing gas is present in the closed environment, activating the pump to start pumping the hydrogen-containing gas to the absorbing tank;
passing the hydrogen-containing gas to flow through the spaces inside the absorbing tank, so that the hydrogen gas contained in the hydrogen-containing gas is absorbed by the hydrogen absorbing material; and
storing the hydrogen-free gas passed through the hydrogen absorbing material, and discharging the hydrogen-free gas through the gas outlet when the hydrogen-free gas reaches the predetermined pressure.

18. The leak hydrogen absorbing method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
passing the hydrogen-containing gas through a filter for filtering before entering the absorbing tank.

19. The leak hydrogen absorbing method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a hydrogen absorbing material reduction step, for heating the hydrogen absorbing material to a predetermined temperature in order to release the absorbed hydrogen gas from the hydrogen absorbing material.

20. The leak hydrogen absorbing method according to claim 17 , wherein the predetermined pressure is equal to or below 10 bar.

Assignees

• Ind Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Lo Kai-Fan
• Huang Chien-Yun

Classifications

• H01M8/04664

  Failure or abnormal function · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• B60L3/0053 Primary

  relating to fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04201

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title