Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
  • H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
  • H01M8/04201—Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
  • H01M8/04216—Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F3/00—Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the manner of compacting or sintering; Apparatus specially adapted therefor ; Presses and furnaces
  • B22F3/12—Both compacting and sintering
  • B22F3/1208—Containers or coating used therefor
  • B22F3/1216—Container composition
  • B22F3/1241—Container composition layered
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F7/00—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression
  • B22F7/002—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of porous nature
  • B22F7/004—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of porous nature comprising at least one non-porous part
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F7/00—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression
  • B22F7/06—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools
  • B22F7/062—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts
  • B22F7/064—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts using an intermediate powder layer
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
  • C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen
  • C01B3/0005—Reversible uptake of hydrogen by an appropriate medium, i.e. based on physical or chemical sorption phenomena or on reversible chemical reactions, e.g. for hydrogen storage purposes ; Reversible gettering of hydrogen; Reversible uptake of hydrogen by electrodes
  • C01B3/001—Reversible uptake of hydrogen by an appropriate medium, i.e. based on physical or chemical sorption phenomena or on reversible chemical reactions, e.g. for hydrogen storage purposes ; Reversible gettering of hydrogen; Reversible uptake of hydrogen by electrodes characterised by the uptaking medium; Treatment thereof
  • C01B3/0031—Intermetallic compounds; Metal alloys; Treatment thereof
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
  • C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen
  • C01B3/0005—Reversible uptake of hydrogen by an appropriate medium, i.e. based on physical or chemical sorption phenomena or on reversible chemical reactions, e.g. for hydrogen storage purposes ; Reversible gettering of hydrogen; Reversible uptake of hydrogen by electrodes
  • C01B3/001—Reversible uptake of hydrogen by an appropriate medium, i.e. based on physical or chemical sorption phenomena or on reversible chemical reactions, e.g. for hydrogen storage purposes ; Reversible gettering of hydrogen; Reversible uptake of hydrogen by electrodes characterised by the uptaking medium; Treatment thereof
  • C01B3/0084—Solid storage mediums characterised by their shape, e.g. pellets, sintered shaped bodies, sheets, porous compacts, spongy metals, hollow particles, solids with cavities, layered solids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F2998/00—Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F2998/00—Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
  • B22F2998/10—Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
  • B22F2999/00—Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
  • Y02E60/32—Hydrogen storage
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
  • Y02E60/50—Fuel cells

Definitions

• the present invention relates to hydrogen storage alloys, and more particularly, to a reaction body of a hydrogen storage alloy for reaction with hydrogen.
• the hydrogen storage alloy makes reaction with hydrogen, to absorb/emit the hydrogen.
• the absorption/emission of the hydrogen by the hydrogen storage alloy accompanies reversible transfer of heat. That is, if the hydrogen storage alloy generates heat if the hydrogen storage alloy absorbs the hydrogen, and absorbs heat if the hydrogen storage alloy emits the hydrogen. Therefore, basically, the hydrogen storage alloy is applied to a hydrogen storage apparatus, particularly, recently, applied to room cooling/heating system by using the reversible heat absorption and generation reactions.
• such a room cooling/heating system is basically provided with a reaction container filled with the hydrogen storage alloy, and a pipeline connected to the reaction container for flow of the hydrogen.
• the alloy absorbs the hydrogen, and generates heat.
• the reaction container is heated, and at the same time with this, environmental air is also heated.
• the alloy and the reaction container are cooled, to cool the environmental air.
• Such heated or cooled air may be supplied to a room by a fan.
• the hydrogen storage alloy has the following problems in practical application.
• the hydrogen storage alloy in a state of powder, has relatively great voids between particles of the alloy while contact areas between the particles are small. Therefore, the hydrogen storage alloy has very low thermal conductivity, with a consequential low heat transfer efficiency.
• the hydrogen storage alloy expands and contracts repeatedly during absorption/emission of hydrogen, and according to this, the hydrogen storage alloy is micronized, gradually. According to this, the micronized hydrogen storage alloy is liable to infiltrate into an inside of an applied system, to cause faults, as well as drop of thermal conductivity, and air pollution.
• the powder state of the hydrogen storage alloy is not convenient for use in various systems. The powder state of alloy is very difficult, not only in installation in various systems, but also in replacement.
• An object of the present invention designed to above problems is to provide a reaction body of a hydrogen storage alloy having a high thermal conductivity.
• the object of the present invention can be achieved by providing a reaction body of a hydrogen storage alloy including powder of the hydrogen storage alloy for absorbing or emitting hydrogen, and a body having a shape of a hollow cylinder with an inside diameter and an outside diameter formed by applying a pressure to the powder.
• the body is formed by applying a pressure to the powder.
• the reaction body further includes a plurality of voids.
• the reaction body has a density equal to, or lower than 90% of density of a solid of the hydrogen storage alloy, or higher than 60% of density of a solid of the hydrogen storage alloy.
• the reaction body has a density 60 ⁇ 80% of density of a solid of the hydrogen storage alloy.
• the reaction body preferably has a length equal to, or smaller than two times of an outside diameter of the reaction body, and the reaction body preferably has an inside diameter greater than 1mm.
• the reaction body further includes chamfer formed at edges thereof, and the chamfer has a width of one tenth of the outside diameter of the reaction body.
• the reaction body further includes a binder material for cohering the powder of the hydrogen storage alloy.
• the binder material is aluminum, copper, tin, or Teflon, and includes 5% ⁇ 50% of the binder material.
• the reaction body enables to heat transfer only with heat conduction with a reaction container, and for this, preferably the reaction body further includes a coated layer in contact both with an inside surface of the reaction body, and an outside circumferential surface of the reaction body.
• powder of hydrogen storage alloy is formed into a reaction body having optimal dimensions. According to this, a heat conductivity is improved, and micronization of particles of the powder is suppressed.
• FIG 1 illustrates a perspective view of a reaction body and a reaction container of a hydrogen storage alloy in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• FIG 2 illustrates a diagram showing detail of a reaction body of a hydrogen storage alloy in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• FIG 3 illustrates a partial section showing reaction bodies of the present invention filled in a reaction container.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a reaction body and a reaction container of a hydrogen storage alloy in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram showing detail of a reaction body of a hydrogen storage alloy in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• basically the reaction body 100 of the hydrogen storage alloy is formed of powder of the hydrogen storage alloy which is to absorb or emit hydrogen.
• the powder of the hydrogen storage alloy is solidified to have a predetermined independent shape, i.e., a body for reaction with hydrogen.
• the solidification makes particles of the hydrogen storage alloy to come closer, to improve, first of all, the thermal conductivity at a single reaction body 100 substantially compared to a same volume of the powder of the hydrogen storage alloy. It is suitable that a particle size of the powder of the hydrogen storage alloy, a raw material of the reaction body 100,
• the powder of the hydrogen storage alloy is pressed at a preset pressure.
• the application of pressure makes the voids between the particles of the hydrogen storage alloy smaller, and according to this, the thermal conductivity of the particles of the hydrogen storage alloy is also improved, proportionally.
• the hydrogen is diffused into an inner side of the reaction body 100, uniformly.
• an appropriate voids between the particles of the hydrogen storage alloy is favorable. Therefore, it is required that, though the powder of the hydrogen storage alloy is compressed, the powder forms a porous reaction body 100.
• the reaction body 100 of the present invention has a plurality of voids.
• density of the reaction body 100 is equal to, or lower than 90% of density of a lump of pure hydrogen storage alloy.
• density of the reaction body 100 enables to secure a volume of voids appropriate for diffusion of the hydrogen therein. If the density of the reaction body 100 is below 60% of the density of a solid hydrogen storage alloy, resulting to have an excessive voids and too low strength, the reaction body 100 fails to form its own shape, or liable to break by an external impact. Moreover, under the same reason, the thermal conductivity is also drops substantially. Therefore, it is required that the density of the reaction body 100 is higher than 60% of the density of solid hydrogen storage alloy.
• the density of the reaction body 100 is 60 ⁇ 80% of the density of the solid hydrogen storage alloy.
• the reaction body 100 has a form of cylindrical body. That is, a geometrical shape of the reaction body 100 of the present invention can be defined with an outside diameter 'D', an inside diameter ⁇ ', and a length 'L'.
• the hollow cylindrical reaction body 100 has an inside passage 110 owing to the inside diameter 'FT.
• the inside passage passed through the reaction body 100, serves as a passage for the hydrogen. Therefore, during the hydrogen passes through the inside passage 110, the hydrogen diffuses into an inner part of the reaction body 100, to accelerate fast and uniform reaction of the hydrogen with the reaction body 100.
• the reaction body 100 has an inside circumferential surface and an outside circumferential surface owing to its characteristic of shape, the reaction body 100 has maximized areas of a heat transfer surface, and a reaction surface. Therefore, such a hollow cylindrical reaction body 100 has, not only an improved reactivity, but also an improved heat transfer characteristic (heat exchange characteristic). Because the reaction body 100 is formed of powder of hydrogen storage alloy, the greater the size, the more difficult to fabricate, and the higher the relative cost. Particularly, it is more difficult to fabricate a long reaction body 100 while appropriate strength of the reaction body is maintained. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that the length 'L' of the reaction body 100 is below two times of the outside diameter 'D' of the reaction body 100.
• the length 'L' is restricted further.
• an aspect ratio D/2:L is set to 1 :1 ⁇ 1:2. That is, the length 'L' is 1/2 ⁇ 1 times of the outside diameter 'D'.
• edges of the reaction body 100 may be chamfered 'C ⁇ for easy insertion into the reaction container 200. It is appropriate that a width of the chamfer 'C is one tenth of the outside diameter 'D' of the reaction body.
• the binder body 100 may be formed, with a binder material added thereto more.
• the binder material serving to cohere particles of the hydrogen storage alloy, leads to form the reaction body 100, more rigidly. Moreover, as described before, even if the hydrogen storage alloy is micronized due to the expansion and contraction of the hydrogen storage alloy accompanying the absorption/emission of hydrogen, the binder material prevents the micronized particles from breaking away.
• the binder material aluminum, copper, tin, or Teflon may be used. It is suitable that the reaction body 100 contains 5% ⁇ 50% of the binder material, such that a ratio of the hydrogen storage alloy to the binder material is in a range of 50:50 ⁇ 95 ⁇ 5.
• the binder material a metallic material
• uniform contact between the reaction body 100 and the reaction container 200 is not secured.
• there is a clearance between the reaction container 200 and the reaction body 100, and finishing allowances of the inside diameter of the reaction container 200 and the outside diameter 'D' of the reaction body 100 are unavoidable. Even if there are such allowances, heat can be transferred between the reaction body 100 and the reaction container 200, actually.
• heat conduction by means of contact is the most efficient for heat transfer between the reaction body 100 and the reaction container 200.
• the reaction body 100 is liable to fail to cool/heat the reaction container 200, effectively.
• the reaction body 100 further includes a coated layer 120a formed on the outside circumferential surface 120.
• the coated layer 120a placed between the reaction container 200 and the reaction body 100, is in contact both with an inside surface of the reaction container 200 and the outside circumferential surface 120 of the reaction body 100.
• the coated layer 120a may be formed by various methods, it is preferable that the coated layer 120a is formed by melting a coating material for uniform contact both with the reaction container 200 and the reaction body 110.
• the coating material starts to melt at a high temperature, (i.e., has a high melting point), it is liable that voids are formed in the coated layer 120a of the coating material.
• the voids form a thermal insulating layer, and drop the thermal conductivity of the coated layer. Therefore,
• the coating material has a melting point below 800°C. Moreover, since
• the reaction container 200 is cooled/heated by the reaction body 100 through the coated layer 120a, it is understandable that the coating material is required to have an excellent thermal conductivity.
• the coating material is placed between the reaction container 200 and the reaction body 100.
• the coating material is coated on, or attached to, an inside surface of the reaction container 200, and, thereafter, the reaction body 100 is inserted in the reaction container 200.
• the reaction body 100 may be inserted in the reaction container 200.
• the reaction container 200 (together with the coating material and the reaction body 100) is heated up to the melting point of the coating material.
• the coated layer 120a is formed under an oxygen free environment.
• the coating material is melt by the heating, and spreads between the reaction container 200 and the reaction body 100 evenly. Then, when the heating stops, the melted coating material solidifies, to form the coated layer 120a in contact both with the reaction container 100 and the reaction body 100 evenly. According to this, the coated layer 120a makes a thermal uniform connection between the reaction body 100 and the reaction container 200, enabling the reaction body 100 to heat/cool the reaction container 200 more effectively with heat conduction only. In the meantime, referring to FIGS.
• a plurality of the reaction bodies 100 are stacked in one reaction container 200.
• Serial arrangement of the plurality of the reaction bodies is favorable for enhancing the reaction efficiency.
• the hydrogen storage alloy of the present invention has a high heat conductivity, and increases a system efficiency having the hydrogen storage alloy applied thereto, too.
• the contraction/expansion of particles of the hydrogen storage alloy is suppressed in the compressed reaction body, to suppress micronization of the particles.
• the binder material in the reaction body prevents the micronized particles from breaking away.
• the hydrogen storage alloy can be used, conveniently. That is, the reaction body of the hydrogen storage alloy can be applied to various systems conveniently, and the applied reaction body can also be replaced with new one, conveniently.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
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• Materials Engineering (AREA)
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• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
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• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)

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Citations (3)

• 2004
  • 2004-03-17 WO PCT/KR2004/000566 patent/WO2005088211A1/ko active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

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