Hydrogen generator utilizing solar energy to dissociate water

Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 7, No. 12, pp. 995-998, 1982. Printed in Great Britain.

0360-3199/82/120995-04 $03.00/0 Pergamon Press Ltd. © 1982 International Association for Hydrogen Energy.

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providing a closed cycle reactant regenerative process wherein the primary energy input is thermal and a smaller electrical energy input is required for an electrolysis step. The process is a hybrid copper oxide-copper sulfate water splitting cycle using copper oxide reactant in the reactions producing both hydrogen and oxygen providing two phase reaction products in each step.

THERMOELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESS USING COPPER OXIDE FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN FROM WATER S E; Foh, M M; Mazumder, J B Pangborn, assigned to Gas Research Institute

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HYDROGEN GENERATOR UTILIZING SOLAR ENERGY TO DISSOCIATE WATER P Genequand, D M Gross, MoillebeauParc, Switzerland assigned to Battelle Memorial Institute

A thermoelectrochemical process for production of hydrogen and oxygen from water 995

996

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PC-I" No. PCT/CH78/00036 Sec. 371 Date Jul. 3, 1980 Sec. 102(e) Date Jun. 30, 1980 PCT Filed Nov. 3, 1978 PCT Pub. No. WO80/00957 PCT Pub. Date May 15, 1980. Hydrogen is produced by dissociation of water in a rotary tubular reactor (1) having a receiving end covered by a cap (2) transparent to solar radiation and provided with a small window (12) connecting a collecting chamber (3) to an opaque insulated heating chamber (5). The tubular reactor (1) constitutes a black chamber provided with two series of tubes (7, 8) for heating and dissociating the water. Tubes (7) have a porous section (7a) for separating hydrogen by molecular diffusion according to Knudsen's principle. The concentrated solar radiation entering through the small window (12) falls on one end of the tubes (7, 8) and is largely absorbed by multiple reflections on these tubes. A slow rotation of the reactor (1) enables the bending forces and stresses due to the weight to be compensated.

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A system is described for the conversion of the energy in the wind over oceanic regions into hydrogen which can be used as a supplement to or replacement for fossil fuels. The system is based on the use of modified sailing vessels which serve as water electrolysis plants. In operation, the wind propels the vessel through the water in the manner common to all sailing vessels except that the vessel in this system does not carry a mast and does not need the ballasting characteristic of conventional sailcraft. The propulsion of the vessel causes an immersed screw propeller to power an electromagnetic generator, the electric current from which electrolytically decomposes water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is stored on board the vessel by allowing it to combine with suitable metal alloys such as the Fe-Ti alloys to form a hydride. The metal alloy hydride is stored in cannisters which are allowed to desorb their hydrogen at sea for use as a fuel source, or alternatively may be discharged ashore through pipelines at suitable intervals.

4335093 PROCESS OF CONVERTING WIND ENERGY TO ELEMENTAL HYDROGEN AND APPARATUS THEREFOR

ACID BASE PRODUCTION UNIT

R E Salomon, assigned to Temple University

P C Melanson, assigned to PureCycle Corporation

4336115