Alloys or metallic compositions – Magnesium base
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-08
2003-09-30
Wyszomierski, George (Department: 1742)
Alloys or metallic compositions
Magnesium base
C420S900000, C075S230000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06627148
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to materials useful for hydrogen storage, their use in forming further, densified or compacted, products useful for hydrogen storage and safe transport as well as processes for accomplishing their production and safe storage and transport.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A patent entitled “A Hydrogen-Based Ecosystem” filed Nov. 22, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,442 ('442), having common assignment and inventors with this application describes new magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys with high hydrogen charge/discharge kinetics and remarkably high hydrogen storage capacity. Such material provides the basis for an entire national and international infrastructure based upon that inventive newly developed hydrogen storage capacity and means for using such materials made available by hydrogen storage alloys which have surmounted the chemical, physical, electronic and catalytic barriers previously believed to have been insoluble. Such alloys are fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,929 ('929), entitled “High Storage Capacity Alloys Enabling a Hydrogen-Based Ecosystem”, filed Nov. 6, 1999 for Ovshinsky et al. That patent relates generally and specifically to alloys which solve the, up to now, unanswered problem of having sufficient hydrogen storage capacity with exceptionally fast kinetics to permit the safe and efficient storage of hydrogen to provide fuel for a hydrogen-based economy. The invention herein described takes the advancements of the previously mentioned patent, as well as other useful hydrogen storage materials and advances the art to the next level by making hydrogen storage materials safer, and more easily handled, transported, and used. The revolutionary breakthrough to provide the enhanced storage and kinetic combination became possible only by considering the materials as a system in which chemical modifiers and the principles of disorder and local order, as pioneered by Stanford R. Ovshinsky (one of the instant inventors), in a manner to provide the necessary catalytic locally ordered environments. Such use of the Ovshinsky principles include the design of surfaces for high kinetic and catalytic activity while at the same time, designing bulk characteristics for high levels of storage capacity and high rate charge/discharge cycling. In other words, these principles allowed 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. The invention of highly kinetic high capacity hydrogen storage materials made possible the hydrogen ecosystem, planning for which created the needs which are met by the practice of the current invention as described herein.
Fuel types and choices about them made over the past several generations in the industrialized nations of the world have created problems which, colloquially, are now “coming home to roost”.
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. Furthermore, fluctuating energy costs are a source of economic instability worldwide
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, despite the fact that carbon based duels are still being used by the automotive industry.
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. The present invention shortens that period to a matter of years. 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, among others, initially took the position that international treaties on climate change would cut economic growth and cost jobs. A dramatic shift has now occurred, in which the problems are acknowledged and efforts are now being made to solve them. 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, the enabling battery making electric and hybrid vehicles possible.
While hydrogen has wide potential application as a fuel, a major drawback in its utilization, especially in mobile uses such as the powering of vehicles, has been the lack of an acceptable lightweight hydrogen storage medium. Storage of hydrogen as a compressed gas involves the use of large and heavy vessels. Thus, as shown in
FIG. 1
, compressed hydrogen at 5000 psi only has a hydrogen density of 31 g/liter. Additionally, large and very expensive compressors are required to store hydrogen as a compressed gas and compressed hydrogen gas is a very great explosion/fire hazzard.
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%). 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. For example, economical, lightweight, triple-junction amorphous silicon solar cells solar cells (an invention pioneered by Stanford R. Ovshinsky, one of the instant inventors) 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 thei
Myasnikov Vitaliy
Ovshinsky Stanford R.
Stetson Ned T.
Young Rosa T.
Combs-Morillo Janelle
Energy Conversion Devices Inc.
Mau II Frederick W.
Schumaker David W.
Siskind Marvin S.
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