Specialized metallurgical processes – compositions for use therei – Processes – Producing or purifying free metal powder or producing or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-13
2002-11-12
Griffin, Steven P. (Department: 1754)
Specialized metallurgical processes, compositions for use therei
Processes
Producing or purifying free metal powder or producing or...
C075S355000, C420S900000, C423S647000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06478844
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention relates generally to hydrogen storage alloys. More particularly, the invention relates to a new method for making hydrogen storage alloy materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Disclosed herein are hydrogen storage materials having high capacity and fast kinetics. In particular, at least a portion of the disclosure relates to modified Mg based hydrogen storage alloys and, specifically, to Mg based alloys having both hydrogen storage capacities higher than about 6 wt. % and extraordinary kinetics. Also disclosed are ways of making these materials.
These materials are made possible via application of the priniciples of disorder pioneered by Stanford R. Ovshinsky. These principles allow for tailoring of the material by controlling the particle and grain size, topology, surface states, catalytic activity, microstructure, and total interactive environments for storage capacity.
As the world's population expands and its economy increases, the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are warming the earth causing climate change. However, the global energy system is moving steadily away from the carbon-rich fuels whose combustion produces the harmful gas. Experts say atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide may be double that of the pre-industrial era by the end of the next century, but they also say the levels would be much higher except for a trend toward lower-carbon fuels that has been going on for more than 100 years. Furthermore, fossil fuels cause pollution and are a causative factor in the strategic military struggles between nations.
For nearly a century and a half, fuels with high amounts of carbon have progressively been replaced by those containing less. First wood, which is high in carbon, was eclipsed in the late 19
th
century by coal, which contains less carbon. Then oil, with a lower carbon content still, dethroned “King Coal” in the 1960's. Now analysts say that natural gas, lighter still in carbon, may be entering its heyday, and that the day of hydrogen—providing a fuel with no carbon at all—may at last be about to dawn. As a result, experts estimate the world's economy today burns less than two-thirds as much carbon per unit of energy produced as it did in 1860.
In the United States, it is estimated, that the trend toward lower-carbon fuels combined with greater energy efficiency has, since 1950, reduced by about half the amount of carbon spewed out for each unit of economic production. Thus, the decarbonization of the energy system is the single most important fact to emerge from the last 20 years of analysis of the system. It had been predicted that this evolution will produce a carbon-free energy system by the end of the 21
st
century. In the near term, hydrogen will be used in fuel cells for cars, trucks and industrial plants, just as it already provides power for orbiting spacecraft. But ultimately, hydrogen will also provide a general carbon-free fuel to cover all fuel needs.
As noted in recent newspaper articles, large industries, especially in America, have long been suspicious of claims that the globe is warming and have vociferously negated the science of climate change. Electric utilities have even tried to stoke fears among ordinary folk that international treaties on climate change would cut economic growth and cost jobs. Therefore, it is very encouraging that some of the world's biggest companies, such as Royal Dutch/Shell and BP Amoco, two large European oil firms, now state plainly what was once considered heresy: global warming is real and merits immediate action. A number of American utilities vow to find ways to reduce the harm done to the atmosphere by their power plants. DuPont, the world's biggest chemicals firm, even declared that it would voluntarily reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases to 35% of their level in 1990 within a decade. The automotive industry, which is a substantial contributor to emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants (despite its vehicular specific reductions in emissions), has now realized that change is necessary as evidenced by their electric and hybrid vehicles. In this field, the assignee of the subject invention, has developed the Ovonic nickel metal hydride battery to make electric and hybrid vehicles possible.
FIG. 1
, taken from reliable industrial sources, is a graph demonstrating society's move toward a carbon-free environment as a function of time starting with the use of wood in the early 1800s and ending in about 2010 with the beginning of a “hydrogen” economy. In the 1800s, fuel was primarily wood in which the ratio of hydrogen to carbon was about 0.1. As society switched to the use of coal and oil, the ratio of hydrogen to carbon increased first to 1.3 and then to 2. Currently, society is inching closer to the use of methane in which the hydrogen to carbon ratio is further increased to 4. However, the ultimate goal for society is to employ a carbon-free fuel, i.e., the most ubiquitous of elements, pure hydrogen. The obstacle has been the lack of solid state storage capacity and infrastructure. The inventor of the subject patent application has made this possible by inventing a 7% storage material (further improvements are very likely via additional research efforts) with exceptional absorption/desorption kinetics, that allow for the first time, a safe, high capacity means of storing, transporting and delivering pure hydrogen.
Hydrogen is the “ultimate fuel.” In fact, it is considered by most to be “THE” fuel for the next millennium, and, it is inexhaustible. Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe (over 95%) and was the first element created by the “Big-Bang.” Hydrogen can provide an inexhaustible, clean source of energy for our planet which can be produced by various processes which split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can be stored and transported in solid state form. The instant patent application makes it possible to create a complete generation/storage/transportation/delivery system for such a hydrogen based economy. For example, economical, lightweight, triple-junction amorphous silicon solar cells solar cells (an invention pioneered by Stanford R. Ovshinsky) such as those set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,679, (the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference) can be readily disposed adjacent a body of water, where their inherently high open circuit voltage can be used to dissociate water into its constituent gases, and collect the hydrogen so produced. Also, by placing these high efficiency solar panels on nearby farms, in water, or on land. Electricity can be generated to transport and pump the hydrogen into metal hydride storage beds that include the inventive metal hydride alloys disclosed herein. The ultra-high capacities of these alloys allow this hydrogen to be stored in solid form for transport by barge, tanker, train or truck in safe, economical form for ultimate use. Energy is the basic necessity of life and civilization for any society today and the use of hydrogen in the manner described herein as the basic source of energy would end wars fought for control of fossil fuels. Instead of “from well to wheel,” the phrase now recited will be “from source to wheel.”
In the past considerable attention has been given to the use of hydrogen as a fuel or fuel supplement. While the world's oil reserves are depletable, the supply of hydrogen remains virtually unlimited. Hydrogen can be produced from coal, natural gas and other hydrocarbons, or formed by the electrolysis of water, preferably via energy from the sun which is composed mainly of hydrogen and can itself be thought of as a giant hydrogen “furnace”. Moreover hydrogen can be produced without the use of fossil fuels, such as by the electrolysis of water using nuclear or solar energy, or any other form of economical energy (e.g. wind, waves, geothermal, etc.). Furthermore, hydrogen, although presently more expensive than petroleum, is an inherently low cost fuel. Hydrogen has the highest density of energy per un
Energy Conversion Devices Inc.
Griffin Steven P.
Medina Maribel
Schlazer Philip H.
Siskind Marvin S.
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