Apparatus and method for creating a hydrogen network using water treatment facilities

Abstract

The invention is an apparatus and method for producing two chemical products, hypochlorite for use as a sanitizing solution and hydrogen as a fuel source for vehicles, and a system to create a hydrogen fuel network therefrom.

1 . An apparatus for producing hypochlorite and hydrogen from brine to enable the transfer of hydrogen to another location comprising: 
 a. an electrolyzer that generates hypochlorite and hydrogen, which received brine from a source of brine, and, using electricity from a source of electrical energy, evolves hydrogen and hypochlorite from the brine by passing a electrical current through the brine, the electrolyzer having an electrolyzer outlet for transporting hypochlorite in solution with spent brine, and generated hydrogen;    b. a separator that receives the hypochlorite in solution with spent brine, and generated hydrogen from the electrolyser, and separates spent brine in solution with hypochlorite from hydrogen;    c. a hydrogen conduit coupled to the separator that transports hydrogen separated by the separator to a hydrogen storage system; and    d. a hydrogen transfer device coupled to the hydrogen storage system for transferring hydrogen from the hydrogen storage system.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the source of brine comprises: 
 a. a deionizer for deionizing water in fluid communication with a source of water;    b. a salt saturator for producing brine from the water deionized by the deionizer.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a pump which draws hypochlorite in solution with spent brine from the separator for feeding hypochlorite in solution with spent brine into a water or wastewater treatment system.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen storage system comprises a compressor coupled to at least one storage vessel structured to contain hydrogen.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the hydrogen storage system comprises a chiller coupled to at least one storage vessel structured to contain hydrogen.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the hydrogen storage system comprises a compressor and a chiller that is coupled to at least one storage vessel structured to contain hydrogen.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen storage system comprises at least one storage vessel structured to contain hydrogen using solid state hydrogen storage technology, whereby hydrogen is reacted with a metal to form a metal hydride, and subsequently the metal hydride is heated to release the hydrogen.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the separator is used to store hypochlorite in solution with spent brine.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a hypochlorite storage to store hypochlorite in solution with spent brine.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a power generation module for receiving hydrogen fuel from the hydrogen storage system, and generating electrical power using fuel cells or through combustion.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen storage system comprises a hydrogen purification subsystem that collects hydrogen from the hydrogen conduit, and separates the hydrogen from non-combustible gases.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the electrolyzer comprises at least one dedicated electrolyzer solely for the production of hydrogen.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the hydrogen transfer device comprises a fueling device coupled to the hydrogen storage system for fueling a vehicle with hydrogen.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the hydrogen transfer device is designed to couple to a hydrogen storage tank on a vehicle for transportation of the hydrogen to another location.  
   
   
       15 . A method for producing hypochlorite and hydrogen comprising the steps of: 
 a. producing hypochlorite and hydrogen in an electrolyzer from brine received from a source of brine, using electricity from a source of electrical energy, evolves hydrogen and hypochlorite from the brine by passing a electrical current through the brine;    b. separating in a separator spent brine and hypochlorite in solution, and generated hydrogen received from the electrolyzer;    c. directing generated hypochlorite from the separator to a hypochlorite storage,    d. directing generated hydrogen from the separator to a hydrogen storage, and    e. filling a storage tank in or on a vehicle with hydrogen from the hydrogen storage.    
   
   
       16 . A distribution network for production, storage, and dispensing hydrogen gas, comprising: 
 a. a plurality of water treatment devices, each device having: 
 i. an electrolyzer that generates hypochlorite and hydrogen, which received brine from a source of brine, and, using electricity from a source of electrical energy, evolves hydrogen and hypochlorite from the brine by passing a electrical current through the brine;  
 ii. a separator that receives the hypochlorite in solution with spent brine and generated hydrogen from the electrolyzer, and separates spent brine in solution with hypochlorite from hydrogen;  
 iii. a hydrogen conduit coupled to the separator that transports hydrogen separated by the separator to a hydrogen storage system; and  
 iv. a hydrogen transfer device coupled to the hydrogen storage system for transferring hydrogen from the hydrogen storage system;  
   wherein the hydrogen transfer device is designed to transfer hydrogen from the hydrogen storage system to a storage tank in or on a vehicle;    wherein at least one of the water treatment devices is located at a first water or waste water treatment facility; and    wherein at least one of the water treatment devices is located at a second water or waste water treatment facility located a distance away from the first water or waste water treatment facility.