Method and apparatus for providing increased thermal conductivity and heat capacity to a pressure vessel containing a hydride-forming metal material

Patent · Tue Feb 05 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5703049

Woolley, R L

A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing increased thermal conductivity and heat capacity to a pressure vessel containing a hydride-forming metal material which is capable of absorbing and storing relatively large amounts of hydrogen gas. An elongate pressure vessel, having an opening therein for charging and discharging hydrogen therefrom and valve means in combination with the opening for controlling flow of hydrogen gas to and from the container, is provided with a plurality of elongate, aluminum magnesium, or copper tubes as a tube bundle, with the longitudinal axis of the tubes being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel. The tubes are packed in the vessel so that tubes are in firm contact with adjacent tubes, and the outer tubes of the bundle are in firm contact with the longitudinal inside surfaces of the vessel as well as with adjacent tubes in the bundle. Particulate, hydride-forming, metal material substantially fills the otherwise void spaces within the tube-containing vessel. Thermal conductivity and thermal capacity of the bed of particulate material in the tube-containing vessels are increased by as much as 240% and 15%, respectively, in comparison to equivalent size beds of the same particulate material in non-tube containing vessels. An existing pressure vessel can be retrofitted with thetightly packed tubes by cutting tubes, having an outside diameter smaller than the valve opening in the pressure vessel, to lengths having a longitudinal dimension shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the pressure vessel. The lengths of tubes are inserted, one at a time, into the pressure vessel through the valve opening therein, and the inserted tubes are organized into the tightly packed tube bundle.

• Assignee: Billings Energy Research Corp
• Patent Number(s): US 4187092
• OSTI ID: 5703049
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
080201* -- Hydrogen-- Chemisorption Storage
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM
CALCIUM
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISORPTION
CONTAINERS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
COPPER
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN STORAGE
IRON
MAGNESIUM
MANGANESE
METALS
NICKEL
NONMETALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PRESSURE VESSELS
RARE EARTHS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SORPTION
SPECIFIC HEAT
STORAGE
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TITANIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUBES
VALVES