Water Reactive Hydrogen Generation System and Method With Separation of Waste Products From Water Reactive Materials

Abstract

A water reactive hydrogen generation system includes devices and methods to combine reactant fuel materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. The generated hydrogen is used in a fuel cell or other application. The water reactive hydrogen generation system includes a reactant fuel chamber, a reactor chamber (zone), a water solution inlet, a hydrogen output port, and a material delivery device. The material delivery device can include a drive screw and a sliding piston to move the fuel material into the reactor zone when a reaction is initiated. As the reaction takes place, the reaction waste product is removed from the reaction zone to allow additional reactant fuel materials and aqueous solutions to be introduced and to continue the hydrogen-generating reaction. A reaction waste product created is exchanged for additional reactant fuel material at determined intervals to allow the reaction to continue until the reactant fuel is exhausted.

The claimed invention is: 
     
         1 . A method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products comprising:
 feeding a reactant fuel material from a powder chamber to a reactor zone with a reactant fuel material handling slitted or flapped diaphragm device;   providing a water solution to the reactor zone;   combining the water solution and the reactant fuel material directly in the reactor zone to generate hydrogen; and,   removing a reaction waste product from the reactor zone that was created by the reaction of the reactant fuel and the water solution with a reaction waste product removal device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1  wherein the reactant fuel material includes a stabilized alkali metal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 2 , wherein the stabilized alkali metal includes sodium silicide or sodium silica gel, and optionally a coreactant. 
     
     
         4 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1 , wherein the reactant fuel material includes sodium borohydride, and optionally a coreactant. 
     
     
         5 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 4 , wherein the water solution includes a catalyst. 
     
     
         6 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1 , wherein the reactant fuel material is at least one of a pellet, ball, brick, paste, slurry, liquid, chip, and flake. 
     
     
         7 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 6 , wherein feeding the reactant fuel material to the reactor zone includes the reactant fuel material handling device receiving the reactant fuel material in the form of at least one of a pellet, ball, brick, paste, slurry, liquid, chip, and flake to facilitate reactant material movement to the reactor zone. 
     
     
         8 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1 , wherein removing the reaction waste product includes removing sodium silicate. 
     
     
         9 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1 , wherein the reactant fuel material comprises a water soluble polymer or a wax coating. 
     
     
         10 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1 , wherein feeding the reactant fuel material to the reactor zone includes replenishing the reactant fuel material in the reactor zone as the reaction progresses. 
     
     
         11 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 10  further comprising: synchronizing delivery of a volume of reactant fuel material to the reactor zone and removal of a volume of reaction waste product from the reactor zone. 
     
     
         12 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1  further comprising: replenishing the water solution in the reactor zone as the reaction progresses. 
     
     
         13 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1  further comprising: preventing water vapor from flowing from the reactor zone to the reactant fuel material outside the reactor zone. 
     
     
         14 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1  further comprising: separating hydrogen from the reactant fuel material, water solution, and reaction waste product with a separator membrane. 
     
     
         15 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1  further comprising: passing the hydrogen through the water solution to provide at least one of filtration of chemicals or particles, condensation of water vapor, and reduction of hydrogen stream temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1 , wherein feeding the reactant fuel material to a reactor zone includes moving the reactant fuel material into the reactor zone with at least one of a sliding piston and an auger. 
     
     
         17 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1 , wherein feeding the reactant fuel material to a reactor zone includes pumping the reactant fuel material using at least one of a peristaltic pump and a pinch valve. 
     
     
         18 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 1  further comprising: housing the reactant fuel material in a fuel material container at the start of the reaction; housing a combination of the reactant fuel material and the reaction waste product in the fuel material container during the reaction; and housing the reaction waste product in the fuel material container at the end of the reaction. 
     
     
         19 . The method of generating hydrogen and separating reaction waste products of  claim 7  further comprising: regulating pressure of the reaction waste product with a valve as the reaction waste product is moved to the fuel material container.