Hydrogen Purification and Storage Patent by Dr. Roger E. Billings

Filed in May 4, 1976, this patent covers an invention designed to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient system for purifying and storing hydrogen wherein little hydrogen is wasted during the process of storing the hydrogen.

The diagram shows a hydrogen purification system in which a mixture of hydrogen and impurities is applied to a container holding hydride forming material capable of adsorbing hydrogen and impurities, of releasing hydrogen at one temperature and pressure, and of releasing the impurities at another temperature and pressure. After hydrogen and impurities are adsorbed by the hydride forming material in the container, the temperature and pressure in the container are controlled to enable release of the hydrogen from the material but to prevent release of at least certain of the impurities.

The released hydrogen is then delivered to a utilization unit such as a second container or hydrogen fueled engine. The hydrogen delivered to the utilization unit is substantially purged of certain unwanted impurities.

Hydride fuel systems developed by Roger Billings

The diagram above comes from Patent # US4016836, titled “Hydride fuel systems”, filed September 8, 1975. The patent covers supplying hydrogen gas to a combustion unit which includes a mixing unit for mixing hydrogen gas with air for introduction into the combustion unit, and an exhaust manifold for carrying exhaust gases from the combustion unit to heat the hydride material in the container and cause the hydride material to release hydrogen gas.

There is a old documentary video about this system published on this Roger Billings hydrogen technology page that is very illustrative of the advantages of hydrides (see last video link titled “Metal Hydrides”). It includes a tests showing charged hydride tanks in a fire and being shot with a military rifle.

The illustrations of Roger Billings’ 1991 fuel cell car show a similar system used for the hydrogen storage. This patent may give clues about the implementation.

Roger Billings – Electrolyzing water to generate hydrogen

In honor of Earth Day today, here is the inaugural post on a blog about Roger Billings and his hydrogen work. Much of his current work remains mysterious though his background in the field is well known. Our goal here is to publish the results of our investigation with clues that might point to where things are headed in the future.

We found a patent from Roger E. Billings, dated Mar 19, 1987, and titled “Method and apparatus for electrolyzing water”.

Part 0009 in the description tells us the invention is “to provide an improved electrolyzer or electrolysis apparatus which is generally more reliable and preferably less costly than normal electrolyzers of the prior art ; to provide an electrolyzer which has improved means for supplying liquid to the anode plates and for withdrawing fluid and products formed at the anode and cathode plates ; to provide such an electrolyzer for use wherein the anode plates are not required to have alternating grooves and ridges therein ; to provide a new method for electrolysis of a liquid including water, to produce hydrogen and oxygen therefrom, through the utilization of a new electrolysis apparatus”

See the full form at: http://www.google.com/patents/EP0239169A1