Method of generating hydrogen gas from sodium borohydride

Patent · Mon Dec 10 23:00:00 EST 2007

OSTI ID:921027

Kravitz, Stanley H ^[1]; Hecht, Andrew M ^[2]; Sylwester, Alan P ^[3]; Bell, Nelson S ^[3]

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1. Placitas, NM
2. Sandia Park, NM
3. Albuquerque, NM

A compact solid source of hydrogen gas, where the gas is generated by contacting water with micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in the presence of a catalyst, such as cobalt or ruthenium. The micro-disperse particles can have a substantially uniform diameter of 1-10 microns, and preferably about 3-5 microns. Ruthenium or cobalt catalytic nanoparticles can be incorporated in the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride, which allows a rapid and complete reaction to occur without the problems associated with caking and scaling of the surface by the reactant product sodium metaborate. A closed loop water management system can be used to recycle wastewater from a PEM fuel cell to supply water for reacting with the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in a compact hydrogen gas generator. Capillary forces can wick water from a water reservoir into a packed bed of micro-disperse fuel particles, eliminating the need for using an active pump.

• Research Organization: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Sponsoring Organization: United States Department of Energy
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Patent Number(s): 7,306,780
• Application Number: 10/830,989
• OSTI ID: 921027
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English