US4254086A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Endothermal water decomposition unit for producing hydrogen and oxygen
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1978-12-27
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Granted: 1981-03-03
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Expires: 1998-12-27
Abstract
Abstract The manufacture of hydrogen and oxygen by the dissociation of water vapor at elevated temperatures followed by separation of hydrogen from the water vapor and the oxygen produced using a hydrogen permeable membrane is improved by increasing the surface area of the membrane exposed to the dissociation gas mixture. One way of increasing the surface area of contact, according to the present invention, is to form a hydrogen permeable membrane coated on one side of a porous refractory wafer with an inlet hole through the wafer connecting a beginning of the maze and an outlet at the end of the maze facing the opposite direction from the inlet. A number of these wafers are then stacked or replicated front-to-back with each outlet corresponding to the inlet of the next wafer to give a compact and efficient hydrogen diffusion separator.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred P. Sanders
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 09:02
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/22; B01D63/00; B01D63/08; B01D63/087; C; C01; C01B; C01B3/00; C01B3/02; C01B3/04; C01B3/042; C01B3/045; C01B3/50; C01B3/501; B01D2313/00; B01D2313/42; C01B2203/00; C01B2203/04; C01B2203/0405; C01B2203/041; C01B2203/0465; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/36; Y02P; Y02P20/00; Y02P20/10; Y02P20/133; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24273; Y10T428/24322; Y10T428/24479; Y10T428/2457
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A coated article comprising a porous refractory base material with a hydrogen permeable membrane coated on portions thereof, said base material having at least first and second flat surfaces, said base material having a top and a bottom, a hole extending through said base material at the top thereof, a grooved maze in at least one of said flat surfaces extending from said hole at the top of the bottom and said grooved maze coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
A coated article comprising a porous refractory base material with a hydrogen permeable membrane coated on portions thereof, said base material having at least first and second flat surfaces, said base material having a top and a bottom, a hole extending through said base material at the top thereof, a grooved maze in at least one of said flat surfaces extending from said hole at the top of the bottom and said grooved maze coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The coated article of claim 1, wherein said base material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, thorium oxide, titanium oxide, uranium oxide, spinel, iridium, rhodium, chromium and platinum.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The coated article of claim 1, wherein said hydrogen permeable membrane is selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium and alloys of silver and palladium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The coated article of claim 1, wherein circular portions at the centers of said flat surfaces are uncoated and the remainder of said flat surfaces and the edges of said base material are coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The coated article of claim 1, wherein a circular portion at the center of said second flat surface having said maze is uncoated and the remainder of said flat surfaces and the edges of said base material are coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The coated article of claim 1, wherein said coated grooved maze is in said second flat surface and said first flat surface is coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The coated article of claim 4, wherein said hydrogen permeable membrane has a thickness of about 0.0005-0.005 inches.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The coated article of claim 7, wherein said hydrogen permeable membrane has a thickness of about 0.001-0.003 inches.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for separating hydrogen from a hydrogen containing gas mixture comprising a plurality of wafers stacked back-to-front, each of said wafers comprising a porous refractory base material with a hydrogen permeable membrane coated on portions thereof, said base material having at least first and second flat surfaces, said base material having a top and a bottom, a hole extending through said base material at the top thereof and defining an inlet, a grooved maze in said second flat surface extending from said hole at the top of the said bottom and defining an outlet at the termination thereof, said grooved maze and said first flat surface coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane and said outlets of successive wafers registered with said inlets of successive wafers in said plurality.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
129 words
An apparatus for separating hydrogen from a hydrogen containing gas mixture comprising a plurality of wafers stacked back-to-front, each of said wafers comprising a porous refractory base material with a hydrogen permeable membrane coated on portions thereof, said base material having at least first and second flat surfaces, said base material having a top and a bottom, a hole extending through said base material at the top thereof and defining an inlet, a grooved maze in said second flat surface extending from said hole at the top of the said bottom and defining an outlet at the termination thereof, said grooved maze and said first flat surface coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane and said outlets of successive wafers registered with said inlets of successive wafers in said plurality.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a circle of uncoated base material is located on said first and second flat surfaces at the center thereof and the remainder of the said flat surfaces and the edges of said base material are coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a circle of uncoated base material is located on said second flat surface at the center thereof and the remainder of said flat surfaces and the edges of said base material are coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
207 words
An apparatus for separating hydrogen and oxygen from thermally dissociating water vapor comprising: (a) a closed furnace chamber; (b) means for heating said chamber; (c) means for introducing water vapor into said chamber; (d) means for removing hydrogen from said chamber; (e) means for removing oxygen from said chamber; (f) means for separating hydrogen and oxygen from thermally dissociating water vapor comprising a plurality of wafers stacked back-to-front, each of said wafers comprising a porous refractory base material with a hydrogen permeable membrane coated on portions thereof, said base material having at least first and second flat surfaces, said base material having a top and a bottom, a hole extending through said base meterial at the top thereof and defining an inlet, a grooved maze in said second flat surface extending from said hole at the top to said bottom and defining an outlet at the termination thereof, said grooved maze and said first flat surface coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane and said outlets and successive wafers registered with said inlets of successive wafers in said plurality, the first of said inlets connected with said means for introducing water vapor and the last of said outlets connected to said means for removing oxygen from said chamber.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
207 words
An apparatus for separating hydrogen and oxygen from thermally dissociating water vapor comprising: (a) a closed furnace chamber; (b) means for heating said chamber; (c) means for introducing water vapor into said chamber; (d) means for removing hydrogen from said chamber; (e) means for removing oxygen from said chamber; (f) means for separating hydrogen and oxygen from thermally dissociating water vapor comprising a plurality of wafers stacked back-to-front, each of said wafers comprising a porous refractory base material with a hydrogen permeable membrane coated on portions thereof, said base material having at least first and second flat surfaces, said base material having a top and a bottom, a hole extending through said base meterial at the top thereof and defining an inlet, a grooved maze in said second flat surface extending from said hole at the top to said bottom and defining an outlet at the termination thereof, said grooved maze and said first flat surface coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane and said outlets and successive wafers registered with said inlets of successive wafers in said plurality, the first of said inlets connected with said means for introducing water vapor and the last of said outlets connected to said means for removing oxygen from said chamber.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a circle of uncoated base material is located on said first and second surfaces at the center thereof and the remainder of said flat surfaces and the edges of said base material are coated with said hydrogen permeable membrane, said circles connected with said means for removing hydrogen from said chamber.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-03-02 | 1984-09-01 | 1985-03-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-03-02 | 1988-09-01 | 1989-03-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-03-02 | 1992-09-01 | 1993-03-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |