Hydrogen Storage Element for a Hydrogen Store

Abstract

The hydrogen storage element for a hydrogen store comprises a pressed article having a hydrogen-storing first material and having a thermally conductive second material, wherein the second material is in thermal contact with the hydrogen-storing first material and has, in some regions, a different three-dimensional distribution within the pressed article.

Claims

1. A hydrogen storage element for a hydrogen storage means comprising: a compact comprising a first material having hydrogen storage capacity and comprising a heat-conducting second material, wherein the second material is in thermal contact with the first material having hydrogen storage capacity and has, in some regions, a different three-dimensional distribution within the compact.

2. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional distribution of the second material has repeating sections and each section has three-dimensional distributions.

3. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-conducting second material takes the form of a layer, film or ribbon.

4. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 3, wherein the layer, film and/or ribbon is arranged primarily in a plane of extension of any shape, with subregions of the layer, film and/or ribbon having one or more alignments differing from this plane of extension.

5. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 3, wherein the layer, film and/or ribbon has a helical or screw form and is embedded into the first material having hydrogen storage capacity.

6. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-conducting second material takes the form of a free-flowing material and/or of a bed in the compact prior to pressing thereof.

7. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 6, wherein the heat-conducting second material has an additive which prevents alloy formation of the heat-conducting second material with the first material having hydrogen storage capacity.

8. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat-conducting second material comprises aluminum or an aluminum alloy, in that the first material having hydrogen storage capacity comprises magnesium or a magnesium alloy, and in that the additive comprises graphite, expandable graphite and/or naturally expanded graphite which separates the aluminum or the aluminum alloy from the magnesium or magnesium alloy.

9. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 7, wherein the additive is arranged as a separating layer between the first material having hydrogen storage capacity and the heat-conducting second material.

10. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-conducting second material is permeable to at least hydrogen, preferably with horizontal alignment of lenticular graphite particles on filling, such that it is possible to utilize conduction of heat in the direction of a hexagonal lattice structure of a graphite structure.

11. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat-conducting second material is permeable to a fluid, especially a liquid- and/or gas-comprising heat carrier flow for removal of heat in the course of hydrogenation and for supply of heat in the course of dehydrogenation of the first material having hydrogen storage capacity.

12. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compact comprises a third material having heat carrier transport capacity, which is permeable to a fluid, especially a liquid- and/or gas-comprising heat carrier flow for removal of heat in the course of hydrogenation and for supply of heat in the course of dehydrogenation of the first material having hydrogen storage capacity, and in that the third material having heat carrier transport capacity is arranged adjacent to the first material having hydrogen storage capacity and/or to the heat-conducting second material of the compact therein.

13. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 11, wherein the third material having heat carrier transport capacity and/or the heat-conducting second material is porous and/or has open and/or closed cells.

14. The hydrogen storage element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material having hydrogen storage capacity comprises a polymer as binder for hydrogenatable material of the first material having hydrogen storage capacity.

Description

[0087] Further advantageous configurations and also features are apparent from the figures which follow and the corresponding description. The individual features that are apparent from the figures and the description are merely illustrative and not restricted to the particular configuration. Instead, one or more features from one or more figures can be combined with other features from the above description to give further configurations. Therefore, the features are specified not in a restrictive manner but merely by way of example. The figures show:

[0088] FIG. 1 a schematic view of a section of a hydrogen storage means having alternating layers,

[0089] FIG. 2 a schematic view of a section of another hydrogen storage means or another portion of the hydrogen storage means according to FIG. 1 with a schematic representation of another layer arrangement having a non-planar 3-D form, and

[0090] FIG. 3 a first and second layer shown in schematic form, having a gradient.

[0091] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a detail of a layer stack of a hydrogen storage means 1 having a plurality of cylindrically repeating layer sequences composed of one or more hydrogen storage components. For example, a first layer 2, a second layer 3 and a third layer 4 are each arranged in an alternating manner. As shown in this example, the first layer 2 comprises, for example, a heat-storing material, the second layer 3 a heat-removing material and the third layer 4 a gas-permeable material as gas-guiding layer. Compression, especially isostatic compression, makes it possible for there to be very intimate contact between the heat-conducting layer and the hydrogen-storing layer.

[0092] FIG. 2 shows a detail 5 of another or an identical hydrogen storage means with a schematic representation of another layer arrangement which is non-planar. As elucidated above, for example, a material may be supplied in such a way that a relative movement between cavity and material supply is executed. In this way, as shown, a helical layer is generated in a surrounding support layer. It is also possible to generate other geometries along an axis of the cavity. The helical layer has heat-conducting and/or gas-conducting properties. For production of a helical structure or another structure, preference is given to using an apparatus and a process as disclosed, for example, by DE 10 2014 006 374, to which reference is made in the context of the disclosure.

[0093] FIG. 3 shows a detail from a compressed sandwich structure 6 with a first layer 7 and a second layer 8. Between the first layer 7 and second layer 8, a groove 9 has been drawn with the aid of a body pulled through the two layers, which has led to formation of a gradient 10 in the sandwich structure. The gradient formation is indicated by the finer shading. Subsequent compression of these two layers prior to new supply of further layer-forming material results in particularly intensive safeguarding of the gradient in the sandwich structure.

[0094] The invention and various configurations of the invention will be apparent from the groups of features specified hereinafter, it being possible to combine individual features from one group with individual features from the other groups and/or with features of other embodiments and configurations disclosed in the above description of the invention (additions and omissions). [0095] 1. A hydrogen storage means having a hydrogen-permeable structure, preferably a porous structure, which is present as a component in the hydrogen storage means and serves for flow of a hydrogenous gas. [0096] 2. The hydrogen storage means, preferably according to point 1, characterized in that it comprises a first material and a second material at separate locations from one another, each of which form separate layers adjacent to one another, preferably abutting one another, the first material comprising a primarily hydrogen-storing material and the second material being a primarily heat-conducting material, with the primarily heat-conducting material extending preferably from the interior of the hydrogen storage means to an exterior of the hydrogen storage means. [0097] 3. The hydrogen storage means according to point 1 or 2, characterized in that a gradient is formed between the first and second layers, along which a transition from the first to the second layer is accomplished via a change in the respective material content of the first and second materials. [0098] 4. The hydrogen storage means preferably according to point 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the hydrogen storage means has components in the form of a core-shell structure, in which the core comprises a first material and the shell comprises a different second material, the first material and/or the second material comprising a hydrogen-storing material, the components preferably being selected from the group comprising powders, granules, flakes, fibers and/or other geometries. [0099] 5. The hydrogen storage means according to point 4, characterized in that the second material of the shell comprises a polymer configured so as to be at least hydrogen-permeable. [0100] 6. The hydrogen storage means according to point 4 or 5, characterized in that the core comprises a primarily heat-conducting material and the shell a primarily hydrogen-storing material. [0101] 7. The hydrogen storage means according to point 3, characterized in that the core comprises a primarily hydrogen-storing material and the shell a primarily heat-conducting material, the heat-conducting material being hydrogen-permeable. [0102] 8. The hydrogen storage means according to any of the preceding points, characterized in that hydrogen-storing material has a hydrogen-permeable coating which prevents oxidation of the hydrogen-storing material, the coating preferably being hydrogen-storing. [0103] 9. A process for producing a hydrogen storage means, preferably a hydrogen storage means according to any of the preceding points, wherein separate layers comprising hydrogen-storing material and heat-conducting material are introduced into a press mold and these are compressed together to generate a sandwich structure, the heat-conducting material, on use of the sandwich structure as hydrogen storage means, assuming the task of conducting heat, preferably in the directions of expansion of the heat-conducting layer of the hydrogen storage means. [0104] 10. The process according to point 9, characterized in that a metal powder and/or normal natural graphite is utilized as heat-conducting material, wherein, in the case of utilization of normal natural graphite, the lenticular particles thereof are preferably aligned horizontally on filling, such that it is possible to efficiently utilize conduction of heat in the direction of a hexagonal lattice structure of the graphite structure. [0105] 11. The process according to point 9 or 10, characterized in that, alternatively or additionally, one or more films composed of a rolled expanded graphite, flakes of a rolled expanded graphite and/or a graphite fabric are introduced into the sandwich structure as heat-conducting material. [0106] 12. The process according to any of the preceding points, characterized in that one or more layers of a material that remains porous can be introduced into the sandwich structure as gas-guiding layers and compressed as well. [0107] 13. The process according to any of the preceding points, characterized in that two or more sandwich structures are pressed separately from one another and then arranged in a common vessel. [0108] 14. The process according to any of the preceding points, characterized in that the layers are compacted by means of a rotary compression or a revolving press. [0109] 15. The process according to any of the preceding points, characterized in that the layers are compressed isostatically. [0110] 16. The process according to any of the preceding points, characterized in that at least one low-temperature hydride and/or a high-temperature hydride is used for the hydrogen-storing material.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0111] 1 hydrogen storage element [0112] 2 first layer of the hydrogen storage element [0113] 3 second layer of the hydrogen storage element [0114] 4 third layer of the hydrogen storage element [0115] 5 section of a hydrogen storage means [0116] 6 sandwich structure [0117] 7 first layer of the sandwich structure [0118] 8 second layer of the sandwich structure [0119] 9 groove [0120] 10 gradient formation in the sandwich structure