Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T07:41:51.294Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Magnesium-Hydride Slurry Technology for Hydrogen Storage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

A. Krishnan ,
X. G. Lu ,
U. B. Pal  and
A. W. McClaine
A. Krishnan
Affiliation:
Safe Hydrogen, LLC Lexington, MA 02420
X. G. Lu
Affiliation:
Safe Hydrogen, LLC Lexington, MA 02420
U. B. Pal
Affiliation:
Safe Hydrogen, LLC Lexington, MA 02420
A. W. McClaine
Affiliation:
Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Boston University, Brookline, MA 02446
Get access

Abstract

Magnesium hydride particles are suspended in an oil-based medium with dispersants to create a slurry that has great potential for hydrogen production and storage. Hydrogen is generated whenever needed by mixing the magnesium hydride slurry with water in a mixer. The byproduct is benign magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia). The primary purpose of the slurry is to moderate the reaction, allow thermal management and make it pumpable so it can be transported and metered like liquids so that the existing transportation infrastructure can be used. Thus, the magnesium hydride slurry lends itself well for automotive applications in conjunction with fuel cells. For such large-volume automotive applications, the success and economic viability of employing magnesium hydride slurry to transport and store hydrogen will depend on developing an effective recycling system for the magnesium hydroxide by-products. This paper discusses the feasibility of employing the Solid-Oxide-Oxygen-Ion-Conducting-Membrane (SOM) process for converting the by-product magnesium hydroxide to magnesium and regenerating the magnesium hydride slurry. The SOM process, in principle, utilizes a tubular yttria-stabilized-zirconia-based solid-oxide-fuel-cell as an anode in the temperature range 1100 – 1300 °C. The magnesium hydroxide is dissolved in a molten ionic flux and with the application of an electrical potential between an inert cathode in the flux and the anode, the oxygen ions are pumped out of the flux through the zirconia membrane and are oxidized at the anode. Magnesium vapor evolves at the cathode and is condensed in a separate chamber (condenser). By performing in-situ reforming of gaseous hydrocarbons within the tubular zirconia anode one can minimize the electrical power required for the electrolysis and generate the required hydrogen needed to convert the magnesium vapors in the condenser back to magnesium hydride.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 837: Symposium N – Materials for Hydrogen Storage – 2004 , 2004 , N5.7
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Jones, R. H. “Hydrogen Storage – A Critical Challenge to the Hydrogen Economy”, Advanced Materials for Energy Conversion II, TMS 2004, 53 (2004)Google Scholar
2. McClaine, A. W., Brown, K., Tullmann, S. H., “Chemical Hydride Slurry for Hydrogen Storage”, Fuel Cells 2003, The Third Annual BCC Conference: Fuel Cells and the Hydrogen Infrastructure, Business Communications Co., Inc., Stamford, CT, 31 March – 1 April 2003 Google Scholar
3. Kramer, D. A., “Magnesium Metal – Mineral Commodity surveys”, United States Geological Survey, January 2005 Google Scholar
4. Woolley, D.E., Pal, U.B. and Kenney, G. B., J. of Metals, 53, 32 (2001)Google Scholar
5. Oberg, K. E., Boorstein, W. M., Rapp, R. A., Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B 4, 75 (1973).Google Scholar
6. Minck, R.W., U.S. Patent no 4108743 (22 August, 1972)Google Scholar
7. Poa, D.S., U.S. Patent no 4995948 (26 February 1991)Google Scholar
8. Sammells, A.F., U.S. Patent no 4804448 (14 February 1989)Google Scholar
9. Marincek, B., U.S. Patent no 3562135 (15 May 1971)Google Scholar