A propulsion system is provided and includes a solid hydride storage unit from which gaseous hydrogen fuel is drawn, an engine comprising a combustion chamber and a piping system to draw the gaseous hydrogen fuel from the solid hydride storage unit, the piping system being interposed between the solid hydride storage unit and the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber is receptive of the gaseous hydrogen fuel drawn from the solid hydride storage unit by the piping system and is configured to combust the gaseous hydrogen fuel to drive an operation of the engine.

A hydride heat engine produces electricity from a heat source, such as a solar heater. A plurality of metal hydride reservoirs are heated by the heating device and a working fluid comprises hydrogen is incrementally move from one metal hydride reservoir to a success metal hydride reservoir. The working fluid is passed, at a high pressure, from the last of the plurality of metal hydride reservoirs to an electro-chemical-expander. The electro-chemical-expander has an anode, a cathode, and an ionomer therebetween. The hydrogen is passed from the anode at high pressure to the cathode at lower pressure and electricity is generated. The solar heater may be a solar water heater and the hot water may heat the metal hydride reservoirs to move the hydrogen. The working fluid may move in a closed loop.

The nanocomposite system for hydrogen storage is a composite of MgH.sub.2 powder with ZrNi.sub.5 powder and a combination of Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, TiC and VC. Preferably, the MgH.sub.2 is in nanocrystalline form and the ZrNi.sub.5 is significantly in a Friauf-Laves phase. The nanocomposite system is formed by combining the MgH.sub.2 powder with the ZrNi.sub.5, Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, TiC and VC, preferably in amounts of 4 wt. % ZrNi.sub.5+1 wt. % Nb.sub.2O.sub.5+0.5 wt. % TiC+0.5 wt. % VC, to form a mixture, and then performing reactive ball milling on the mixture. Preferably, the reactive ball milling is performed for a period of 50 hours.

A solid-gas reaction substance-filled reactor includes a core part in which heat medium heat-transfer tubes and spacers are alternately stacked, a gas introduction/discharge part that communicates with opening ends of the spacers, and a heat medium introduction/discharge part that communicates with heat medium flow paths. Filled bodies including metallic foil bags and a solid-gas reaction substance filled in the bags are inserted into the spacers. At least the filled bodies and the heat medium heat-transfer tubes are brazed to each other. The solid-gas reaction substance-filled reactor is obtained by stacking the filled bodies with the solid-gas reaction substance filled into the metallic bags, the heat medium heat-transfer tubes, and the spacers in a predetermined order and then brazing them.

A palladium hydride nanomaterial includes nanostructures having a chemical composition represented by the formula: M.sub.y-Pd.sub.xH.sub.z, where M is at least one metal different from palladium; x has a non-zero value in the range of 0 to 5; y has a value in the range of 0 to 5; and z has a non-zero value in the range of 0 to 5.

A system and method for producing hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas and a single or hybrid hydrogen active material based aqueous suspension from pre-prepared effervescent tablets are provided. The produced H.sub.2 gas can be stored in a tank or directly utilized in a fuel cell, whereas the produced suspension can be employed as an advanced heat transfer fluid in a variety of thermal applications. The effervescent tablets can be fabricated with a homogeneously mixed and well-compressed mixture of hydrogen active metallic particles and effervescent powder in a sealed container to prevent air and humidity from reacting with the raw materials. As a result of the chemical reaction between the tablet and water, H.sub.2 gas (in the form of bubbles) and the hydrogen active material-based suspension are produced simultaneously. This system results in two products that can be used individually or all at once by integrating the different system components together.

A solid hydrogen reaction system and method of liberating hydrogen gas includes the utilization of a reactor having a body that defines a reaction chamber, having a first narrow end and a second wider end such that the reactor has an increasing cross-sectional area from the first end toward the second end, for facilitating a reaction to liberate hydrogen gas stored in a hydrogen storage solid located within the reaction chamber.

A method for making a metal-hydride slurry includes adding metal to a liquid carrier to create a metal slurry and hydriding the metal in the metal slurry to create a metal-hydride slurry. In some embodiments, a metal hydride is added to the liquid carrier of the metal slurry prior to hydriding the metal. The metal can be magnesium and the metal hydride can be magnesium hydride.

A heat generating cell includes: a support having tubular shape; and a multilayer film formed on an inner peripheral surface of the support for generating heat by occlusion and discharge of hydrogen. A heat generating device includes: a plurality of the heat generating cells; a sealed container; a plurality of separators dividing an inside of the sealed container into a first space, a second space, and a third space in an axial direction of the sealed container, the first space and the second space being locating at both ends in the axial direction in the sealed container; and a heater for heating each of the plurality of heat generating cells. The plurality of heat generating cells penetrate through the plurality of separators, and both ends of each of the plurality of heat generating cells in an axial direction are respectively opened to the first space and the second space.

A hydride heat engine produces electricity from a heat source, such as a solar heater. A plurality of metal hydride reservoirs are heated by the heating device and a working fluid comprises hydrogen is incrementally move from one metal hydride reservoir to a success metal hydride reservoir. The working fluid is passed, at a high pressure, from the last of the plurality of metal hydride reservoirs to an electro-chemical-expander. The electro-chemical-expander has an anode, a cathode, and an ionomer therebetween. The hydrogen is passed from the anode at high pressure to the cathode at lower pressure and electricity is generated. The solar heater may be a solar water heater and the hot water may heat the metal hydride reservoirs to move the hydrogen. The working fluid may move in a closed loop.