Patent · US Expired

Hydrogen generator utilizing solar energy to dissociate water

US4332775A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 3, 1980
Grant dateJun 1, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 3, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P20/133
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

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.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.