Apparatus for the Separation, and Storage of Hydrogen Gas

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to the production and storage of hydrogen, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for separating, accumulating, compressing and storing hydrogen gas with a minimum amount of attendance.

2. Description of Prior Art

Present methods of separating hydrogen are by various chemical processes or by pressure differential and filtering processes.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for separating, accumulating, compressing and storing hydrogen gas whereby this may be done automatically and reliably. These and other objects are preferably accomplished by filling a vertical gas container column with a mixture of gases containing among others hydrogen gas, wherein aforesaid vertical gas container column consists of a number of gas container cells interconnected to each other, each cell separation membrane having one or more orifices allowing a free flow gas movement up and down within the column, further wherein by having to pass through the separator cell membrane orifices such flow of gas taking place very slowly and consequently diminishing any developing gas turbulence within the gas cell column, and further wherein the lower density and lighter gas hydrogen may be pumped from the column and the change in gas layer content, when the higher density heavier gas appears is sensed thus, automatically stopping the pumping out and subsequent compression of gases. This is being done in a manner which allows for a definite wide safety margin by using two or more probes or sensing units.

The drawing is a vertical sectional, partly-schematic view of preferred apparatus for carrying out the techniques of my invention.

Referring to the drawing a gas cell column tower 10 is shown, which is held in a vertical position by being anchored vertically in a concrete base 39 at ground elevation. Gas cell column tower 10 is affixed with reinforcing structural members 11 and is affixed at it's top end with a means 13 to provide a base for a vertical bearing shaft 14 which may be used to attach a windturbine device to tower 10. Tower 10 contains numerous cells one placed on top of the other which thusly put together represent a hollow, airtight container positioned vertically and subdivided into numerous cells. Each cell is in gaseous communication with the adjoining cell by a number of orifices each cell separation membrane 42 is equipped with. 35 and 34 are gas turbulence dissipation membranes placed underneath hydrogen suction line 12. 21 is a motor compressor pump which is activated periodically and sequentially subject to sensing reaction of oxygen content sensing probe units 15 and 17. 22 is a check valve set between compressor unit 21 and hydrogen storage tank 23. 36 is a ventline equipped with pressure relief valve 37. 15 and 17 are connected to electric control box 19 by control connections 16 and 18. 24 and 20 are supply current leads for compressor unit 21. 33 is a waste gas exhaust line portion shaped like a U-tube which is affixed with filler pipe 40 and shut off valve 41, and also drain valve 43. Line 32 is the remainder of the waste gas exhaust line connecting into 33. The bottom section of U-tube 33 contains a volume of water for the purpose of acting as a flame retarder and to take on the function of a liquid check valve. 33 originates from a point at the bottommost segment of cell column 10 connecting into the remaining exhaustline segment 32 the eventual exhaust orifice of which ends at an elevation equal or close to the top elevation of hydrogen suction line 12. 25 is a gas mix feed line leading from the gas mix bubble chamber 26 and discharging into the gas cell column at an elevation near it's bottom segment. 29 is the gas mix bubble chamber column line connecting to hydrolizer unit 30. 27 is filler tank for water feed column line 28. 31 is the U-shaped segment of water feed column line 28 connecting into the hydrolizer unit 30 at it's bottom. 38 is water level sensor unit attached to filler tank 27. 44 is watersupply pump for 27 shown with pipe connection 45. 46 are sensor unit control connections to 44. 47 is hydrolizer feed current interruptor unit. 48 are feed current leads for hydrolizer unit 30. In operation the apparatus and method herein described functions as follows: Hydrolizer unit 30 fractures water contained in this unit into hydrogen, oxygen and other gases. This gas mix automatically rises upwards into the gas mix bubble chamber 26 through bubblechamber column line 29. From chamber 26 this gas mix by being slightly pressurized continues into gas cell column 10 and enters it at an elevation somewhere near the bottom segment of column 10. The gas column 10 now is being filled with aforesaid gas mix. Since hydrogen is lighter than any other gases it tends to collect and concentrate in the top part of said gas cell column. Since during this process the gas cell column is absolutely airtight against the outside atmosphere the herein as wastegas considered gases oxygen, nitrogen et al now concentrated at the bottom part of the gas cell column are slowly exiting out of 10 through the water lock or check contained in 33. When the hydrogen gas concentration becomes strong enough to displace all remnants of oxygen contained in the gas cell which sensor probe unit 17 is inserted into and said sensor probe then triggers a switching mechanism that in turn switches current to motor compressor unit 21 the concentrated hydrogen gas in the upper cell or cells of 10 is subsequently pumped out through suction line 12. When the hydrogen content concentration within the gas cell which sensor probe 15 is inserted into reaches a level of dilution with oxygen sensor probe 15 will then trigger the switch mechanism in control box 19 to interrupt the feed current to motor compressor pump 21 until such time that sensor probe 17 again senses the concentration of hydrogen content in it's gas cell to be totally devoid of oxygen and therefore starting another pumping cycle as described before. It goes without saying that there may be sensors attached to this system for other functions such as for instance a sensor that triggers a complete shutdown of the whole apparatus after storage tank 23 is filled completely at a predetermined pressure setting. The purpose for unit 47 is to, by interrupting the feed current to hydrolizer cell 30 periodically, allow the gas bubbles attendant to the electrolysis process to overcome tendency of the cathode respectively anode part of unit 30 to overly attract such bubbles by the ionization effect, therefore allowing the gas bubbles to rise more freely into bubble chamber 26. Also it should be self evident how sensing unit 38 would trigger water supply pump 44 when the water level in tank 27 is below the predetermined elevation. 40 and 41 of course are for refilling knee segment 33 when it becomes necessary, which function could also be made automatic. 34 and 35 are the gas turbulence dissipation membranes which are there for the purpose of pumping the hydrogen gas in a complete layer rather than as a turbulent and therefore diluted mass of gas.