Apparatus for the separation, and storage of hydrogen gas

Claim 1

Apparatus for separating, accumulating, compressing and storing hydrogen gas comprising: a vertical, airtight gas cell container column wherein the individual gas cell containers are stacked one on top of the other, each gas cell being in gaseous communication with the adjoining cell; a means to keep said gas cells separated from each other yet in gaseous communication; a structural means to keep said gas cell container column in a stable vertical position; a waste gas exhaust duct exiting said gas cell container column at an elevation at or near it's bottom said waste gas exhaust duct within it's bottom segment including a means to effect a check valve effect; a segment at the bottom of waste gas exhaust duct at the exit point out of gas cell container column having a U-tube configuration wherein the bottom part of said U-shaped duct is kept filled with a volume of liquid which assumes the function of a check valve; a motor compressor pump connected to a hydrogen outlet suction duct exiting at the top of aforesaid gas cell container column aforesaid motor compressor pump pumping hydrogen gas periodically into a storage tank wherein a check valve is inserted into the duct connection between motor compressor pump and the storage tank; a gas mixture input feed duct discharging into the gas cell container column at an elevation near the lower segment of said gas cell container column; a means to channel electric signals in conjunction with electric feed current switching mechanism to hydrogen motor compressor which means are connected by control connections to two oxygen content sensor probe relais units inserted into two gas cells in the uppermost segment of the gas cell container column and containing switching mechanism for turning off respectively on supply current to the motor compressor pump aforesaid means to channel electric signals in conjunction with electric feed current switching mechanism, said switching mechanism turning off respectively on supply current to the motor compressor pump depending on which sensing signal it receives; two oxygen content sensor probe relais units inserted into two gas cell containers in the uppermost segment of the gas cell container column in such a manner that the first oxygen content sensor probe relais unit is inserted into a gas cell within the upper segment of the gas cell container column, which gas cell is located at an elevation below the elevation of yet another gas cell of said gas cell container column, which said other gas cell has inserted into it the second and upper oxygen content sensor probe relais unit; and a preprogrammed arrangement of functions wherein the first or lower oxygen content sensor probe relais unit upon finding no traces of oxygen within the gas cell it is inserted into sends a signal to the electric control means which effects the switching on of supply current to the motor compressor pump and wherein the second or upper oxygen content sensor probe relais unit upon subsequently finding traces of oxygen within the gas cell it is inserted into sends a signal to the electric control means which effects the switching off of the supply current to the motor compressor pump thereby stopping the hydrogen pumping action until the hydrogen content is concentrated enough again to repeat the pumping cycle of the compressor, further wherein upon sensing a complete absence of oxygen in it's gas cell after the hydrogen in the upper gas cell containers has been replenished the first or lower oxygen content sensor probe relais unit sends a corresponding signal again to the electric control signal conductors thereby switching on supply current again to the motor compressor pump repeating aforementioned function and followed by the second or upper oxygen content sensor probe relais unit again sending a switch-off signal to the electric control signal conducting means and switching mechanism upon the recurrence of oxygen dilution in it's cell.