Claims
- 1. A method for hydrogen storage, comprising:
providing water and hydrogen gas to a containment volume; reducing the temperature of the water and hydrogen gas to form a hydrogen clathrate at a first cryogenic temperature and a first pressure; and maintaining the hydrogen clathrate at second cryogenic temperature within a temperature range of up to 250 K to effect hydrogen storage.
- 2. The method for hydrogen storage of claim 1, further comprising:
isobarically quenching the hydrogen clathrate from the first cryogenic temperature to the second cryogenic temperature.
- 3. The method for hydrogen storage of claim 1, further comprising:
isothermally quenching the hydrogen clathrate from the first pressure to a quenched pressure within a quench pressure range of 35 MPa to 10 kPa.
- 4. The method for hydrogen storage of claim 1, wherein the first pressure is between 100-600 MPa and the first cryogenic temperature is between 77 K-250 K.
- 5. The method for hydrogen storage of claim 1, further comprising:
adding a seed material to the containment volume.
- 6. The method for hydrogen storage of claim 5, wherein the seed material is a clathrate, the first pressure is between 10-100 kPa and the first cryogenic temperature is between 77 K-250 K.
- 7. The method for hydrogen storage of claim 6, wherein the seed material is added in an amount less than or equal to 5% by volume of the mixture of hydrogen and water.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen hydrate is a clathrate.
- 9. A method for hydrogen storage, comprising:
providing a containment volume having a specified volume; partially filling the containment volume with water; providing hydrogen gas to the specified volume; cooling the containment to a first cryogenic temperature in a cryogenic temperature range of up to 250 K to form a hydrogen hydrate; and maintaining the hydrogen hydrate within pressure range of 35 MPa to 0.01 MPa to effect hydrogen storage.
- 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
pressurizing the containment volume to a first pressure within a pressure range of 100-600 MPa; and quenching the first pressure on the hydrogen hydrate to a quenched pressure within a quenched pressure range of 35 MPa to 0.01 MPa.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein pressurizing the containment volume vessel is performed in a pressure vessel using a compressor.
- 12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
quenching the first cryogenic temperature to a quenched temperature within a quenched temperature range of 77 K to 250 K.
- 13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
adding a seed and stabilizer material to the containment volume.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the seed material is a clathrate.
- 15. The method for hydrogen storage of claim 13, wherein the seed material is added in an amount less than or equal to 5% of the specified volume.
- 16. The method for hydrogen storage of claim 9, wherein the step of partially filling the containment volume with water provides water in an amount equal to 20 to 70% of the specified volume.
- 17. The method of claim 9, wherein the hydrogen hydrate is a clathrate.
- 18. A method for hydrogen storage, comprising:
providing a containment volume having a specified volume; partially filling the containment volume with water; providing hydrogen gas to the containment volume; pressurizing the containment volume to a first pressure within a pressure range of 100-600 MPa; cooling the containment volume to a first cryogenic temperature within a moderate cryogenic temperature range of 77 K to 250 K to form a hydrogen hydrate; quenching the first pressure in the containment volume to a quenched pressure within a pressure range of 35 MPa to 0.01 MPa; and maintaining the hydrogen hydrate within the moderate cryogenic temperature range to effect hydrogen storage.
- 19. The method of claim 18, wherein calibration material is added to the containment volume during the step of partially filling the containment volume with water.
- 20. The method of claim 18, wherein pressurizing the containment volume vessel is performed using a compressor.
- 21. The method of claim 18, wherein said maintaining is performed using liquid nitrogen.
- 22. A low-pressure hydrogen hydrate, comprising:
H2O molecules; H2 molecules; and a unit cell including polyhedron cages of hydrogen-bonded frameworks of the H2O molecules built around the H2 molecules.
- 23. The low-pressure hydrogen hydrate according to claim 22, wherein there are at least two different cage structures.
- 24. The low-pressure hydrogen hydrate according to claim 22, wherein the molar ratio of H2 molecules to H2O molecules is greater than 0.4.
- 25. The low-pressure hydrogen hydrate according to claim 22, wherein the unit cell is a sI unit cell.
- 26. The low-pressure hydrogen hydrate according to claim 22, wherein the unit cell is a sH unit cell.
- 27. The low-pressure hydrogen hydrate according to claim 22, wherein the unit cell is a sII unit cell.
- 28. The low-pressure hydrogen hydrate according to claim 27, wherein the sII unit cell includes 136H2O molecules that form frameworks around eight hexakaidodecahedron and sixteen pentagonal dodecahedron cages, wherein some of the cages are more than doubly occupied with H2 molecules.
- 29. The low-pressure hydrogen hydrate according to claim 22, wherein approximately 50 g/L of H2 molecules are stored for later recovery.
- 30. The low-pressure hydrogen hydrate according to claim 22, wherein the unit cell includes a clathrate.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
[0001] This invention was made with Government support under Grant No. EAR-8920239, awarded by the National Science Foundation, and Grant No. NAG5-6891, awarded by NASA. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60330749 |
Oct 2001 |
US |
|
60413557 |
Sep 2002 |
US |