JP4792632B2 - Hydrogen gas generator - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for hydrolyzing or thermally decomposing a metal hydride to generate hydrogen-rich hydrogen gas, particularly fuel gas for a fuel cell.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a fuel cell that obtains an electromotive force by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, hydrogen gas is required as a fuel. As an example of a system for generating hydrogen gas, a configuration using a metal hydride, so-called chemical hydride, is known.
[0003]
A chemical hydride is a compound of an alkali metal or a complex metal and hydrogen, and is a substance having a property of generating hydrogen by hydrolysis or thermal decomposition. It is known as a material with a very high energy density. According to recent research, as chemical hydride, NaH, NaBH_FourNaAlH_FourLiAlH_Four, LiBH_Four, LiH, CaH₂, AlH_Three, MgH₂Metal hydrides such as are known.
[0004]
For example, NaBH, a kind of metal hydride_FourIs hydrolyzed according to the following reaction formula to produce hydrogen and metal containing products.
NaBH_Four+ 2H₂O → 4H₂+ NaBO₂
NaBO₂Actually has the property of taking up water, so in practice 1 mole of NaBH_Four2 mol or more of H₂O, usually about 6 moles is required. The metal-containing product means a substance containing the same metal element as that contained in the metal hydride among substances generated by the reaction. In the above reaction, NaBO is used.₂Corresponds to this.
[0005]
In the hydrolysis of a metal hydride, the reaction product covers the surface of the metal hydride, and the reaction stops midway. It has been confirmed that the reaction rate, that is, the ratio of the substance reacted in the total metal hydride is usually only about 50%. In recent years, studies have been made to improve the reaction rate using a catalyst.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Conventional systems focus on how to perform metal hydride decomposition reactions and improve the reaction rate, and the effects of metal-containing products produced in the reaction are not considered at all. It wasn't. Accordingly, there are various problems shown below.
[0007]
In the decomposition of metal hydride, the pressure inside the reactor becomes very high, and the produced hydrogen flows out from the reactor very vigorously. At this time, due to the momentum of hydrogen spillage, metal-containing products and residual water remaining without being subjected to the reaction may be spilled together. The gas flowing out of the reactor is a mixture of these, and the hydrogen purity is low. When such a mixture is supplied to a device that uses hydrogen gas such as a fuel cell, the hydrogen purity is low, so that the operation efficiency of the device may be reduced, or the device may be adversely affected by impurities. . Moreover, since the metal-containing product is a solid, it may cause clogging of piping. Furthermore, if excess water is discharged as a mixture, the water cannot be reused, and the volume of the tank for storing the water required for hydrolysis is increased, which leads to an increase in the size of the entire apparatus.
[0008]
In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to suppress adverse effects caused by a mixture flowing out from a hydrogen gas generator using a metal hydride.
[0009]
[Means for solving the problems and their functions and effects]
In order to solve at least a part of the above-described problem, in the present invention, as a first configuration, in a hydrogen gas generation apparatus that generates hydrogen-rich hydrogen gas using a metal hydride, a reactor, an impurity removal unit, It was set as the structure provided with. The reactor is a mechanism for performing a hydrolysis reaction or thermal reaction of a metal hydride. This reaction produces a metal-containing product and hydrogen in the reactor. The impurity removing means removes at least a part of the metal-containing product from the mixture produced by the reaction. As a result, the purity of the hydrogen gas can be improved, and the operation efficiency of a device that uses the hydrogen gas such as a fuel cell can be improved. The impact of these metal-containing products on these devices can be mitigated. Defects such as clogging of pipes due to accumulation of metal-containing products can also be suppressed. The impurities do not need to be completely removed, and it is sufficient that at least a part of the impurities is removed as long as the adverse effects caused by the metal-containing product can be alleviated.
[0010]
In this specification, “hydrogen” means a pure gas generated by a decomposition reaction of a metal hydride or the like, and a gas that is rich in hydrogen but mixed with impurities is referred to as “hydrogen gas”.
[0011]
The removal of impurities can be realized by various methods. For example, it is possible to apply a flow path configuration that inhibits the flow of the mixture and locally generates a portion having a low flow rate. In the part where the flow rate is low, the impurities fall by their weight and are separated from hydrogen. Although it is possible to remove impurities using a so-called filter or the like, in this case, it is desirable to provide a means for alleviating clogging by the metal-containing product.
[0012]
The present invention is applicable to both hydrolysis and thermal decomposition of metal hydrides. In particular, it is highly useful when the hydrolysis reaction of the metal hydride is performed in the presence of a catalyst. This is because in the presence of a catalyst, the reaction proceeds very vigorously, and the mixture tends to contain more metal-containing products and residual water. As such a catalyst, platinum-based, ruthenium-based, titania-based, platinum-titania-based, or the like can be used. When the reaction is carried out by passing a mixed solution of metal hydride and water through a reactor carrying these catalysts, a large amount of impurities are mixed, so the effectiveness of the present invention is very high.
[0013]
In the present invention, when the metal hydride is hydrolyzed, it is preferable to remove at least a part of the metal-containing product and water from the mixture by the impurity removing means and to separate them. By removing water from the mixture, the hydrogen purity can be further improved. Moreover, water can be reused for the hydrolysis reaction by separating the metal-containing product and water. Therefore, the volume of the water tank for hydrolysis can be reduced, and the hydrogen gas generator can be downsized.
[0014]
Separation of the metal-containing product and water can be achieved in various ways.
As a 1st aspect, it can isolate | separate by reducing the solubility of the metal containing product with respect to water. By reducing the solubility, the metal-containing product can be precipitated and separated.
[0015]
The solubility can be reduced, for example, by cooling the mixture. In general, since the solubility is temperature-dependent, the solubility can be reduced by lowering the temperature. For cooling, either air cooling or liquid cooling may be used.
[0016]
The solubility can also be reduced by adiabatic expansion of the mixture. Solubility can be reduced by the temperature drop accompanying adiabatic expansion. Adiabatic expansion can be performed, for example, by locally increasing the cross-sectional area of the flow path of the mixture. Once the mixture is stored in a variable volume container, the volume may be increased rapidly.
[0017]
As a 2nd aspect, it can isolate | separate using the difference in specific gravity of a metal containing product and water. For example, it is possible to adopt a mode in which the mixture is allowed to stand and the metal-containing product and water are separated into layers. Alternatively, the metal-containing product may be centrifuged. Centrifugation may be performed by rotating a container enclosing the mixture, or by applying a centrifugal force by spiraling the flow path of the mixture.
[0018]
In the present invention, in order to reduce the size of the apparatus, it is desirable to adopt a configuration in which the separated metal-containing product is stored in the metal hydride storage unit. In other words, the first storage part for storing the metal hydride and the second storage part for storing the metal-containing product are used, and the second storage part is provided in the first storage part and is configured by a movable wall having a variable volume. It is desirable to do. As the reaction proceeds, the amount of metal hydride decreases and the amount of metal-containing product increases. By providing the variable-volume second storage section in the first storage section, both the metal hydride and the metal-containing product can be stored without wasting space. The variable volume configuration may be, for example, a configuration in which a rigid wall that partitions the first storage unit and the second storage unit is moved, or the second storage unit is configured by an elastic bag or the like, and the metal-containing product It is good also as a structure which a 2nd storage part expand | swells according to quantity.
[0019]
The present invention can be configured in such a manner that water is added to the metal hydride in the reactor, or an aqueous solution of the metal hydride is stored in advance and the reaction is promoted by the action of the catalyst supported in the reactor. It can also be configured in a manner. In the latter case, an aqueous solution of metal hydride is stored in the first storage unit. In this case, it is preferable that the movable wall of the second storage unit is a semipermeable membrane having selective water permeability. If it carries out like this, since the water contained in a metal containing product osmose | permeates a 1st storage part, it can be reused for a hydrolysis.
[0020]
As a second configuration, the present invention stores water for hydrolysis in a hydrogen gas generation device that generates hydrogen gas using a hydrolysis reaction that generates a metal-containing product and hydrogen from a metal hydride. And a spray mechanism for spraying the metal hydride powder at a high speed.
[0021]
The metal hydride injected into the water is hydrolyzed to produce hydrogen and a metal-containing product. This reaction occurs while the metal hydride travels in the water at the injected momentum. Accordingly, the metal-containing product peels off from the surface of the metal hydride due to the frictional force of water and settles on the bottom of the reactor. As a result, according to the second configuration, the metal-containing product can be separated in parallel with the reaction while improving the reaction rate by peeling the metal-containing product. Furthermore, if the reaction is carried out intermittently to sufficiently precipitate the metal-containing product, there is an advantage that the water in the upper layer can be subsequently used for hydrolysis.
[0022]
The present invention may be configured as a fuel cell system in combination with a fuel cell in addition to the above-described aspect of the hydrogen gas generation device. Moreover, it can also be comprised as a moving body which moves the electric power from a fuel cell as an energy source. In addition, you may comprise with the aspect of the hydrogen gas production | generation method using a metal hydride.
[0023]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A. First embodiment:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a first embodiment. This fuel cell system includes a fuel cell 8 and a hydrogen gas generator. The fuel cell 8 is a device that generates electricity by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen supplied to the anode 8a and oxygen in the air supplied to the cathode 8c. As the fuel cell 8, a solid polymer fuel cell is used, but various types of fuel cells such as a phosphoric acid type can be applied.
[0024]
The hydrogen gas generator hydrolyzes a metal hydride called chemical hydride to generate hydrogen gas. In this example, NaBH_FourWas used as a metal hydride. NaBH_FourIs hydrolyzed to hydrogen and NaBO₂Is generated. NaBO₂Is a metal-containing product containing metal, in this case Na, contained in the metal hydride. Hereinafter, in the examples, NaBO₂Is simply referred to as the product.
[0025]
The metal hydride is stored in a powder state in the metal hydride tank 1. This powder is supplied to the reactor 3 through a pipe. A valve 2 for adjusting the supply amount is provided in the pipe. A configuration may be adopted in which the metal hydride is supplied to the reactor 3 using a pump capable of conveying powder, for example, a pump using an ultrasonic motor.
[0026]
Water for hydrolyzing the metal hydride is stored in the water tank 4 and supplied to the reactor 3 by the pump 5. A check valve 6 is provided in the pipe for supplying water.
[0027]
The reactor 3 is a container for performing hydrolysis of a metal hydride. A large amount of hydrogen is generated by the reaction, and the inside becomes a high pressure. The reactor 3 has a structure that can withstand this pressure. In this embodiment, a catalyst for promoting the hydrolysis reaction is supported inside the reactor 3. As the catalyst, for example, platinum-based, ruthenium-based, titania-based, platinum-titania-based, and the like can be used.
[0028]
Since a large amount of hydrogen is generated in the reactor 3 in a short time, the product and water flow out so as to be involved in hydrogen. Depending on the required output of the fuel cell 8, the amount of hydrogen may reach several hundred liters / minute. The mixture of hydrogen, product and water is conveyed to the separator 10 by piping.
[0029]
The separator 10 is a unit that removes products and water from the mixture and increases the purity of hydrogen gas. The separator 10 is composed of a sealed container. In the container, an obstruction plate 11 for preventing the flow is provided in front of the supply port to which the mixture is supplied. The inhibition plate 11 has a function of preventing the mixture from passing through the separator 10 without removing the product and water. In the figure, a state in which the mixture is provided perpendicular to the flow direction of the mixture is illustrated, but it can be installed in various directions as long as the velocity component in the outlet direction of the separator 10 can be suppressed. Moreover, the number of sheets does not matter. A mechanism other than a plate may be used as long as the above-described speed component can be suppressed.
[0030]
The interior of the separator 10 is divided into a layer separation chamber 13 and a water extraction chamber 14 by a partition wall 12. When the flow is inhibited by the inhibition plate 11, the product and water that have been entrained in the hydrogen and fall down to the layer separation chamber 13. The hydrogen gas is separated into the upper layer of the separator 10 and flows out from the outlet in a state where the purity is improved. This hydrogen gas is supplied to the anode 8 a of the fuel cell 8.
[0031]
The product dissolves only in a certain amount in water. Therefore, when the separator 10 is allowed to stand, the product precipitates at the bottom of the layer separation chamber 13, and the upper layer becomes an aqueous solution of the product. When the amount of water in the layer separation chamber 13 exceeds the height of the partition wall 12, the upper aqueous solution flows into the water extraction chamber 14. The separator 10 separates the product and water by such a mechanism. The standing is not limited to a completely vibration-free state. It is sufficient that the partition wall 12 is placed in a vibration state low enough to separate the product and the supernatant solution. The partition wall 12 may be configured using a semipermeable membrane that selectively permeates water, and the product and water may be separated by the action of the membrane.
[0032]
The water separated into the water extraction chamber 14 is returned to the water tank 4 and used again for hydrolysis. Although the separated water is strictly an aqueous solution of the product, it has been confirmed that the dissolved product has no influence on the hydrolysis.
[0033]
According to the fuel cell system of the first embodiment described above, the purity of the hydrogen gas produced by hydrolysis can be improved and supplied to the fuel cell 8. Accordingly, the power generation of the fuel cell 8 can be performed efficiently. In addition, clogging of the piping due to the product and adverse effects on the fuel cell 8 can be avoided.
[0034]
In the first embodiment, water in the mixture can be separated and reused for hydrolysis. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the volume of the water tank 4 and to reduce the size of the entire apparatus.
[0035]
B. Second embodiment:
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the separator is different from that of the first embodiment. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.
[0036]
The separator 22 of the second embodiment separates water and the product using the temperature dependency of the solubility of the product in water. As illustrated, the separator 22 is a container having a cross-sectional area that is extremely larger than the piping 21 through which the mixture is conveyed from the reactor 3. When the mixture supplied from the pipe 21 enters the separator 22, the flow rate rapidly decreases due to the difference in cross-sectional area, and adiabatic expansion occurs. As the flow rate decreases, the product and water in the mixture fall to the bottom of the separator 22 and accumulate. Moreover, since the temperature of hydrogen gas falls by adiabatic expansion, the inside of the separator 22 becomes a relatively low temperature. In general, the lower the temperature, the lower the solubility, so that the product precipitates at the bottom of the separator 22 due to the temperature decrease accompanying adiabatic expansion. The water vapor remaining in the hydrogen gas is also condensed and the product is deposited and removed together. The hydrogen gas from which impurities have been removed is supplied to the fuel cell 8 from the outlet through the pipe 23. The water separated from the product at the bottom of the separator 22 may be collected in the water tank 4 as in the first embodiment.
[0037]
If the cross-sectional area of the separator 22 is appropriately set within a range in which impurities can be removed and the product and water can be sufficiently separated in consideration of the flow rate reduction effect of the mixture and the temperature reduction effect due to adiabatic expansion of hydrogen gas. Good.
[0038]
According to the system of the second embodiment, the same advantages as in the first embodiment can be obtained by separating the product and water. The second embodiment also has the advantage that the separator 22 has a relatively simple structure.
[0039]
In the second embodiment, the case where the single separator 22 is provided is illustrated, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a plurality of separators are arranged in series in the axial direction to improve the purity step by step.
[0040]
C. Third embodiment:
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a third embodiment. The configuration of the fuel cell 8 is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the hydrogen gas generator is different from that of the first embodiment.
[0041]
In the third embodiment, the metal hydride is stored in the fuel tank 31 in a state of being mixed with water in advance. In the present embodiment, this mixed liquid is referred to as fuel. In the fuel tank 31, environmental conditions such as temperature and pH during storage are adjusted to a range in which the progress of hydrolysis of the metal hydride can be suppressed.
[0042]
The mixed liquid of metal hydride and water is supplied to the reactor 34 by the pump 33. Unlike the first embodiment in which powdered metal hydride is supplied to the reactor, the use of liquid fuel has the advantage that the amount supplied to the reactor 34 can be controlled relatively easily and accurately.
[0043]
In the reactor 34, a catalyst for promoting hydrolysis is supported inside. The fuel reacts abruptly in the reactor 34 by the action of this catalyst to produce a mixture of hydrogen, product and water. This mixture is supplied to the separator 35.
[0044]
The separator 35 of the third embodiment separates the product and water using the temperature dependence of the solubility of the product. The separator 35 is supplied with the mixture perpendicular to the axial direction. As a result, the outer wall of the separator 35 has the same effect as the inhibition plate 11 in the first embodiment, and the flow rate of the mixture can be reduced. The product and water fall to the bottom of the separator 35 due to the decrease in flow velocity, and the hydrogen gas is separated into the upper layer of the separator 35. The separated hydrogen gas is supplied to the anode 8 a of the fuel cell 8 through the pipe 38.
[0045]
The separator 35 is forcibly air-cooled by a fan 36 from the outside. Due to this temperature drop, the product precipitates at the bottom of the separator 35 and is separated from water. Although illustration is omitted, the layer-separated water is collected in the fuel tank 31. The fan 36 may be omitted, and the separator 35 may be naturally cooled by being installed in a state where it can be easily in contact with outside air. The separator 35 may be provided with a liquid cooling mechanism.
[0046]
The product separated by the separator 35 is collected in the product tank 32 by the pipe 37. The product tank 32 is provided inside the fuel tank 31. In the present embodiment, the product tank 32 is configured to be variable in volume by a bag of elastic material. Since the amount of product increases with fuel consumption, this allows both fuel and product to be stored without wasting space. The product tank 32 only needs to have a variable volume, and an elastic material may be configured by partitioning the fuel tank 31 with a rigid movable wall.
[0047]
In this embodiment, the product tank 32 is formed of a semipermeable membrane that selectively permeates water. By doing so, water in the product that could not be sufficiently separated by the separator 35 permeates the semipermeable membrane to the fuel side. Therefore, more water can be reused for hydrolysis.
[0048]
According to the configuration of the third embodiment, the same advantages as those of the first embodiment can be obtained by removing impurities. Further, by using the product tank 32 with a variable volume, it is possible to reduce the waste of the space required for storing the fuel and the product and to reduce the size of the apparatus.
[0049]
In the third embodiment, a case where water and a product are separated by using a semipermeable membrane and air cooling is illustrated, but a configuration may be adopted in which only one of them is used to separate both. The mixed liquid of metal hydride and water can be used as fuel in other embodiments. Conversely, also in the third embodiment, it is possible to adopt a mode in which the metal hydride and water are mixed in the reactor.
[0050]
D. Fourth embodiment:
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a fourth embodiment. The configuration of the fuel cell 8 is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the hydrogen gas generator is different from that of the first embodiment.
[0051]
In the fourth embodiment, a large amount of water is stored in the reactor 44. The metal hydride tank 41 stores metal hydride in a powder state. This powder is injected at high speed from the nozzle 43 into the water of the reactor 44 by the pump 42. In the figure, the injected metal hydride is indicated by a black circle. The jetted metal hydride is hydrolyzed while proceeding in water at the jetted momentum to produce a product and hydrogen. As the product travels in water, the product peels from the surface of the metal hydride due to the frictional force of water. In the figure, product peeling is indicated by broken lines. The exfoliated product is deposited at the bottom of the reactor 44. High-speed injection can prevent the product from completely covering the surface of the metal hydride, and can improve the reaction rate.
[0052]
After the metal hydride injection, the product precipitates at the bottom of the reactor 44, and the next injection is performed after the water and the product are separated. That is, the reaction is performed intermittently. The produced hydrogen gas is stored in the upper layer of the reactor 44 and is gradually supplied to the fuel cell 8 at a constant pressure by the pressure regulating valve 45. In the fourth embodiment, the reactor 44 also functions as a hydrogen tank that stores hydrogen gas, and also functions as a separator that separates hydrogen gas from water and products. The reactor 44 is formed with a volume capable of stably supplying hydrogen gas in consideration of such action.
[0053]
Although intermittent injection of the metal hydride can be performed periodically, in the fourth embodiment, the injection is controlled according to the amount of hydrogen in the reactor 44. Such control is performed by the control unit 47. The control unit 47 is a microcomputer having a CPU, RAM, and ROM therein. The control unit 47 controls the operation of the pump 42 according to predetermined software, and injects metal hydride intermittently. In order to perform this control, a signal from a pressure sensor 46 that detects the pressure in the reactor 44 is input to the control unit 47.
[0054]
The outline of the control processing in this embodiment is also shown in the figure. The chart in the control unit 47 shows the operation state of the pump according to the fluctuation of the hydrogen amount in the reactor 44. It is assumed that the pump 42 is operated at time t0. Since the metal hydride is injected and hydrolyzed by the operation of the pump 42, the amount of hydrogen in the reactor 44 increases. The increase in the amount of hydrogen is detected by the pressure sensor 46 using the pressure as a parameter.
[0055]
When the amount of hydrogen reaches a preset upper limit PH (time t1), the operation of the pump 42 is stopped. This upper limit value can be arbitrarily set in consideration of the capacity capable of stably supplying hydrogen gas until the product is sufficiently precipitated. After the pump 42 is stopped, the amount of hydrogen in the reactor 44 is reduced with the consumption of hydrogen gas in the fuel cell 8. During this time, the product and water are separated in the reactor 44.
[0056]
When the amount of hydrogen reaches a preset lower limit PL (time t2), the control unit operates the pump 42 again to generate hydrogen gas. The lower limit PL can be arbitrarily set in consideration of the supply stability of hydrogen gas in the time lag from the start of operation of the pump 42 to the start of generation of hydrogen gas. Thus, the pump 42 is operated intermittently so that the amount of hydrogen in the reactor 44 is maintained between the lower limit value PL and the upper limit value PH.
[0057]
According to the fourth embodiment, since the reactor 44 has a function of separating hydrogen from a product and water, high-purity hydrogen gas can be supplied to the fuel cell 8. Also, adverse effects due to the product can be avoided. Unlike the first to third embodiments, since a separator is not required, there is also an advantage of a simple system configuration.
[0058]
E. Example 5:
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a fifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the separator. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.
[0059]
The separator 51 centrifuges them using the difference in specific gravity of hydrogen gas, product and water. Centrifugation can be performed, for example, by rotating a container enclosing a mixture of hydrogen gas, a product and water. In the fifth embodiment, centrifugal separation is realized with a simple configuration by using a flow path on which centrifugal force acts.
[0060]
As illustrated, the separator 51 is formed of a cylindrical container. A flow path is formed in the container so that the mixture flows spirally as indicated by an arrow in the figure. The mixture is supplied from the outer peripheral side of the separator 51 and flows out from the central portion through the spiral flow path. While flowing through this spiral flow path, centrifugal force acts on the mixture. Since the specific gravity is larger in the order of hydrogen, water, and product, the centrifuged product accumulates on the outer peripheral wall of the spiral flow path, and water accumulates inside thereof.
[0061]
According to the fifth embodiment, there is an advantage that the purity of hydrogen gas can be improved with a relatively simple configuration.
[0062]
As mentioned above, although the various Example of this invention was described, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to these Examples, and can take a various structure in the range which does not deviate from the meaning. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the metal hydride is hydrolyzed is illustrated, but the impurity separation mechanism can be applied to an apparatus that generates hydrogen by thermal decomposition. In the above-described embodiment, the case where fuel gas for a fuel cell is generated has been illustrated. However, the hydrogen gas generation device of the present invention can be applied to various devices that can use hydrogen. It is also possible to mount the system exemplified in the embodiment on a moving body that moves using the power of the fuel cell as an energy source.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a second embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a third embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a fourth embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel cell system as a fifth embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... Metal hydride tank
2 ... Valve
3 ... Reactor
4 ... Water tank
5 ... Pump
6. Check valve
8. Fuel cell
8c ... Cathode
8a ... Anode
10 ... Separator
11 ... Inhibition plate
12 ... Partition wall
13 ... Layer separation chamber
14 ... Water extraction chamber
21 ... Piping
22 ... Separator
23 ... Piping
31 ... Fuel tank
32 ... Product tank
33 ... Pump
34 ... Reactor
35 ... Separator
36 ... Fan
37 ... Piping
38 ... Piping
41 ... Metal hydride tank
42 ... Pump
43 ... Nozzle
44 ... Reactor
45 ... Pressure control valve
46 ... Pressure sensor
47 ... Control unit
51. Separator

Claims (5)

A hydrogen gas generation device that generates hydrogen gas using a hydrolysis reaction or a thermal decomposition reaction that generates a metal-containing product and hydrogen from a metal hydride,
A reactor for performing the decomposition reaction;
An impurity removing means for improving the purity of hydrogen gas by removing the metal-containing product from the mixture produced by the reaction,
A first storage for storing metal hydride supplied to the reactor;
A second reservoir for storing the separated metal-containing product,
The second storage unit is a hydrogen gas generating device provided in the first storage unit and configured by a movable wall having a variable volume. The hydrogen gas generation device according to claim 1 ,
The first storage unit stores an aqueous solution of the metal hydride,
The movable wall of the second storage unit is a hydrogen gas generation device that is a semipermeable membrane having selective permeability to water. A hydrogen gas generator that generates hydrogen gas using a hydrolysis reaction that generates a metal-containing product and hydrogen from a metal hydride,
A reactor for storing the water for hydrolysis;
A hydrogen gas generation apparatus comprising: an injection mechanism that injects the metal hydride powder into the reactor at a high speed. A hydrogen gas generation method using metal hydride,
(A) producing a mixture containing a metal-containing product, water, and hydrogen by a hydrolysis reaction from a metal hydride;
(B) A method for generating hydrogen gas, comprising: receiving a mixture generated by the reaction, removing the metal-containing product and water from the mixture, and separating the two. A hydrogen gas generation method using metal hydride,
A method for generating hydrogen gas, wherein the metal hydride is injected at a high speed into a reactor storing water.

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