JPH0748128A - Electromagnetic induction hydrogen release device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] By electromagnetic induction heating, the entire hydrogen storage alloy that stores hydrogen is quickly heated, and the stored hydrogen is quickly released. When the magnetic permeability is low including hydrogen, the heat-generating metal with high magnetic permeability is also used to release hydrogen by heat conduction from the heat-generating metal that has generated heat, and then the permeability is increased by releasing hydrogen. When the hydrogen storage alloy generates heat, heating proceeds in a chain reaction to release hydrogen. [Structure] A coil (4) connected to an AC power source (3) is wound on the outside of a case (2), and a hydrogen storage alloy (1) which stores hydrogen is installed inside the case (2). .

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention uses electromagnetic induction heating to
The present invention relates to a device for heating a hydrogen storage alloy that stores hydrogen to release hydrogen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of means for releasing hydrogen from a hydrogen storage alloy storing hydrogen, a method of heating a hydrogen storage alloy storing hydrogen to raise its temperature is known. Conventionally, as the heating method, a heating method using an electric resistance such as a heat pipe, a heat pump, and a heater has been devised. In all of these, the heat of the heating element is transferred to the entire hydrogen storage alloy by heat conduction of the hydrogen storage alloy itself.

However, the thermal conductivity of the hydrogen storage alloy is extremely poor as compared with that of copper, aluminum, iron, etc. In the above method, the heat is not transferred quickly, so the heating proceeds only slowly and the release of hydrogen is slow. The solution is to increase the contact area with the hydrogen storage alloy by providing a heat conduction plate, mix metal powder with high thermal conductivity, or add foam metal to improve the thermal conductivity of the hydrogen storage alloy. Various methods have been devised to improve the thermal conductivity, but none of them is beyond the scope of improving the thermal conductivity.

Particularly, a magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloy having a large hydrogen storage capacity is required to release hydrogen from 300 to 45 degrees Celsius.
Since a high temperature of 0 degrees is required and it is difficult to obtain the heat source,
It has also been a hindrance to the use of magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloys having a large hydrogen storage capacity.

[0005]

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to quickly and efficiently heat a hydrogen storage alloy which is storing hydrogen, and to quickly release the stored hydrogen. The point is whether to give heat to the hydrogen storage alloy which is storing hydrogen like this.

[0006]

In order to solve such a problem, the electromagnetic induction hydrogen desorption device of the present invention uses electromagnetic induction heating as the heating means. Its basic components are
A coil (4) connected to a hydrogen storage alloy (1), a case (2) containing the hydrogen storage alloy, and an AC power supply (3).

The shape of the coil (4), the case (2), the hydrogen storage alloy (1), and the positions of the hydrogen storage alloy (1) are different from each other by those skilled in the art. It may be embedded in the hydrogen storage alloy (1), may be formed by inserting the spiral coil (4) into the case (2), or may be attached. The hydrogen storage alloy (1) may be in the form of block, crushed material or powder.

Further, it is more effective to embed or stick a heat-generating metal (5) for the purpose of promoting heating of the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen storage alloy (1). The heat-generating metal (5) may have any shape such as a metal rod, a metal plate, and a metal foil.

[0009]

When an alternating current is applied to the coil, the hydrogen storage alloy itself, which is storing hydrogen due to electromagnetic induction heating, generates heat and hydrogen is released. It is well known that electromagnetic induction heating can change the depth at which it can be heated by selecting an appropriate frequency, but by selecting a frequency that can heat the entire hydrogen storage alloy that is storing hydrogen, hydrogen is generated when power is applied. Electric power is distributed to the entire hydrogen-absorbing alloy that is being occluded, and is rapidly heated throughout, so that hydrogen is quickly released.

However, when the permeability of the hydrogen storage alloy storing hydrogen is low, induction heating may be difficult to perform. In such a case, by embedding or sticking a metal with a high magnetic permeability in a hydrogen storage alloy, and then applying an alternating current to the coil, the metal for heat generation with a high magnetic permeability first generates heat, and that heat is generated in It is transmitted to the hydrogen storage alloy and begins to release hydrogen. At this point, the heating of the hydrogen storage alloy depends on heat conduction, but since the permeability of the hydrogen storage alloy increases as it releases hydrogen, the degree of heat generation due to electromagnetic induction heating of the hydrogen storage alloy itself also increases as hydrogen is released. , More hydrogen is released,
Hydrogen release from the hydrogen storage alloy proceeds in a chain reaction.

Further, by further applying this, the position of the coil,
If they are installed in consideration of the position of the heat-generating metal, the skin effect due to induction heating, and the direction in which heating proceeds in a chain reaction, heating can proceed more efficiently. For example, as in Example 7 described later, when a rod-shaped heat-generating metal embedded in the center of a hydrogen storage alloy that stores hydrogen is heated by electromagnetic induction heating, first the center metal rod is Fever.
Then, the heat is conducted concentrically from the inside to the outside of the hydrogen storage alloy that is storing hydrogen around the metal rod. At this time, the hydrogen-absorbing alloy that is absorbing hydrogen releases hydrogen from the heated portion due to heat conduction from the metal rod, and the hydrogen-absorbing alloy that began to release hydrogen increases the magnetic permeability, so the electromagnetic induction heating As a result, the hydrogen storage alloy itself begins to generate heat, and the above chain reaction of further releasing hydrogen spreads concentrically. On the other hand, in electromagnetic induction heating, it is known that a so-called skin effect, in which the outer peripheral portion of a portion having a high magnetic permeability is heated, can be generated by considering the characteristics of the object to be heated and selecting the frequency. Utilizing this skin effect, only near the boundary between the part of the hydrogen storage alloy that has released hydrogen in the above-mentioned concentric form and has a high magnetic permeability and the part of low magnetic permeability that has not yet released hydrogen. Since it can be heated, the central part from which hydrogen has been released is not heated and wasteful heat energy is not needed.

Further, considering the frequency to be applied, the hydrogen storage alloy which stores hydrogen can be heated in the form of block, crushed material or powder. However, the frequency varies depending on the shape, size, and output of the hydrogen storage alloy that stores hydrogen and must be corrected by those skilled in the art.

[0013]

EXAMPLE 1 FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing Example 1. In the first embodiment, the AC power supply (3) is provided outside the case (2).
The coil (4) connected to is wound, and the hydrogen storage alloy (1) which stores hydrogen is installed inside the case (4). An alternating current is passed through the coil (4) to heat the hydrogen storage alloy (1) which stores hydrogen by electromagnetic induction heating to release hydrogen and take out hydrogen from the port (6).

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the second embodiment. In Example 2, the coil (4) connected to the AC power supply (3) is embedded in the hydrogen storage alloy (1) that stores hydrogen in the case (2). An alternating current is passed through the coil (4) to heat the hydrogen storage alloy (1) which stores hydrogen by electromagnetic induction heating to release hydrogen and take out hydrogen from the port (6).

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the coil (4) has a spiral shape and is arranged along the case (2) containing the hydrogen storage alloy (1) which stores hydrogen. In this way, the coil (4)
Since the case (2) containing the hydrogen storage alloy and the case (2) containing the hydrogen storage alloy can be separated from each other, the case (2) of the hydrogen storage alloy that has finished releasing hydrogen is removed and another hydrogen storage alloy storing hydrogen. A cassette type device such as attaching the case (2) can be considered.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the coil (4) is formed into a spiral shape, and the coil (4) is inserted into the recess of the case (2) containing the hydrogen storage alloy (1) storing hydrogen. Even in this case, a cassette type device can be considered as in the third embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the coil (4) of the first embodiment is embedded in the case (2).

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the sixth embodiment. The example 6 is the same as the example 1 except that a disc-shaped metal plate is embedded in the hydrogen storage alloy (1) as the heat-generating metal (5). Considering the embedding interval and the number of the heat-generating metal (5), hydrogen may be released only by heat conduction from the heat-generating metal (5).

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a seventh embodiment. The example 7 is the same as the example 1 except that a metal rod as a heat-generating metal (5) is installed at the center of the hydrogen storage alloy (1). When installed in such a position, as shown in the column of action, the heat generating metal (5) first generates heat. Next, heat is transferred to the hydrogen storage alloy (1) around it and is heated to release hydrogen, and when the magnetic permeability of that portion increases, heat generation further proceeds due to electromagnetic induction heating. Then, the heating can be proceeded concentrically so that the hydrogen storage alloy (1) which is storing hydrogen around it is further heated.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing an eighth embodiment. In the eighth embodiment, a metal plate or a metal foil as the heat-generating metal (5) is placed on the opposite side of the coil (4) with the hydrogen storage alloy (1) sandwiched in the structure of the third embodiment. is there.
When installed in such a position, as shown in the column of action,
First, the heat-generating metal (5) generates heat. Next, a hydrogen storage alloy (1) which stores hydrogen in contact with the heat-generating metal (5)
When heat is transferred to and heated, hydrogen is released, and when the magnetic permeability of that portion increases, heat generation further proceeds due to electromagnetic induction heating. Then, heating can be further advanced in the direction of the coil so that the hydrogen storage alloy adjacent to the hydrogen storage alloy is further heated. When heating is performed so as to approach the coil in this way, due to the skin effect, the part of high permeability that is releasing hydrogen is heated, the part that has finished releasing hydrogen is not heated, and no wasted heat energy is needed. .

In this embodiment, hydrogen is taken out using the mouth (6), but it goes without saying that those skilled in the art can modify the method of taking out hydrogen such as the shape of the mouth (6) and the connecting method. The hydrogen storage alloy may be a block, crushed material,
It may be in powder form.

[0022]

The present invention is characterized in that the hydrogen storage alloy which stores hydrogen is directly heated by electromagnetic induction heating. The method of electromagnetic induction heating itself has good thermal efficiency, and since it does not rely on heat conduction, it makes use of this feature to immediately improve the efficiency of the entire hydrogen storage alloy that absorbs hydrogen only by applying power. It can be heated well and release hydrogen quickly. If the magnetic permeability is low and it is difficult to perform induction heating in the state of absorbing hydrogen, the heat generating metal is used to generate heat first, and the heat is transmitted to the hydrogen absorbing alloy that is absorbing hydrogen. Since the hydrogen storage alloy that has started to release hydrogen and has started to release hydrogen has an increased magnetic permeability, the hydrogen storage alloy further heats in a chain reaction as if the hydrogen storage alloy generates heat, and hydrogen is released rapidly. Further, since the heat generation temperature is determined by the amount of input electric power, a high temperature can be obtained relatively easily, and a hydrogen storage alloy that has a large hydrogen storage amount but requires a high temperature for release can also be used.
Moreover, since the heating source is electricity, it is only necessary to connect a power source when releasing hydrogen, and the device is simple.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Hydrogen Storage Alloy 2 Case 3 AC Power Supply 4 Coil 5 Heating Metal 6 Ports

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] October 11, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Claims]

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electromagnetic induction hydrogen desorption device, characterized in that a hydrogen storage alloy storing hydrogen is heated by electromagnetic induction heating. 2. An electromagnetic induction hydrogen desorption device according to claim 1, wherein a heat generating metal is used.