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WO2025034888A1 - Hydrogen powered water heater with self-generating hydrogen - Google Patents

Hydrogen powered water heater with self-generating hydrogen Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2025034888A1
WO2025034888A1 PCT/US2024/041323 US2024041323W WO2025034888A1 WO 2025034888 A1 WO2025034888 A1 WO 2025034888A1 US 2024041323 W US2024041323 W US 2024041323W WO 2025034888 A1 WO2025034888 A1 WO 2025034888A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
water
hydrogen
burner
water heater
hydrogen generator
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2024/041323
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Christopher M. HAYDEN
Shubham Srivastava
Govinda Mahajan
Harsha Satyanarayana
Atilhan Manay
John LEGER
Alex VANDENBERG
Original Assignee
Rheem Manufacturing Company
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Rheem Manufacturing Company filed Critical Rheem Manufacturing Company
Publication of WO2025034888A1 publication Critical patent/WO2025034888A1/en

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
    • F24H1/00—Water heaters, e.g. boilers, continuous-flow heaters or water-storage heaters
    • F24H1/0027—Water heaters, e.g. boilers, continuous-flow heaters or water-storage heaters using fluid fuel
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B13/00—Oxygen; Ozone; Oxides or hydroxides in general
    • C01B13/02—Preparation of oxygen
    • C01B13/0203—Preparation of oxygen from inorganic compounds
    • C01B13/0207—Water
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B3/00—Hydrogen; Gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen; Separation of hydrogen from mixtures containing it; Purification of hydrogen
    • C01B3/02—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen
    • C01B3/06—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen by reaction of inorganic compounds containing electro-positively bound hydrogen, e.g. water, acids, bases, ammonia, with inorganic reducing agents
    • C01B3/068—Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing a substantial proportion of hydrogen by reaction of inorganic compounds containing electro-positively bound hydrogen, e.g. water, acids, bases, ammonia, with inorganic reducing agents the hydrogen being generated from the water as a result of a cyclus of reactions, not covered by groups C01B3/063 or C01B3/105
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/02—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating
    • C02F1/04—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating by distillation or evaporation
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/44—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis
    • C02F1/441—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis by reverse osmosis
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/46—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods
    • C02F1/461—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by electrochemical methods by electrolysis
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B1/00—Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
    • C25B1/01—Products
    • C25B1/02—Hydrogen or oxygen
    • C25B1/04—Hydrogen or oxygen by electrolysis of water
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B15/00—Operating or servicing cells
    • C25B15/02—Process control or regulation
    • C25B15/021—Process control or regulation of heating or cooling
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/02—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating
    • C02F1/04—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating by distillation or evaporation
    • C02F1/14—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating by distillation or evaporation using solar energy
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/70—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by reduction
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2303/00—Specific treatment goals
    • C02F2303/10—Energy recovery
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/28—Anaerobic digestion processes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F3/32—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage characterised by the animals or plants used, e.g. algae
    • C02F3/322—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage characterised by the animals or plants used, e.g. algae use of algae

Definitions

  • the present disclosure is directed generally to water heaters and more particularly to systems, methods, and devices for self-generating hydrogen-powered water heaters.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic of an exemplary water heater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic of an exemplary water heater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic of an exemplary water heater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic of an exemplary water heater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for heating water in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram of a controller in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • This disclosure relates generally to water heaters.
  • the water heater is configured to generate hydrogen and subsequently use the generated hydrogen to heat water.
  • hydrogen may be generated on-demand to supply a burner for heating the water, without the need for storing hydrogen locally.
  • the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator is sufficient to meet the demands of the water heater and therefore represent an entirely “green” water heating process.
  • the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator contributes to a reduced reliance on non-renewable resources.
  • Some conventional water heaters for residential use include a water tank, inlet and outlet ports, and a means (e g., a burner, heat pump, and/or electric element) for heating water in the tank. As heated water is discharged from the water heater for use by a consumer, cold water is used to fill the tank and is heated for future use.
  • a means e g., a burner, heat pump, and/or electric element
  • the vast majority of residential water heaters rely on municipal electricity or municipal natural gas for heat generation. In general, electrical heat generation is among the least efficient heating methods, so natural gas is generally preferred as the more efficient residential hot water heater option.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • FIG. 1 A block diagram illustrating an exemplary water heater.
  • a water heater may include a water purifier configured to purify a first water stream to produce a purified water stream.
  • the water purifier may be a distillation apparatus, such as a distillation column.
  • the water purifier may be a reverse osmosis apparatus.
  • the water purifier may be another purification mechanism, such as a chemical-based purifier, ultraviolet purification, or another purification technique. Any suitable water purifier may be used herein.
  • the water heater includes a hydrogen generator configured to produce hydrogen from the purified water stream.
  • the hydrogen generator may be, for example, an electrolysis apparatus designed to decompose the water in the purified water stream into oxygen and hydrogen gas, such as a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, solid oxide electrolyzer, or the like.
  • PEM polymer electrolyte membrane
  • the hydrogen generator may be, for example, a reactor configured to produce hydrogen through a reaction between water and aluminum, gallium, ferrosilicon, or another suitable metal or alloy.
  • the hydrogen generator may be, for example, an alkaline electrolysis (AEL) electrolyzer configured to generate hydrogen gas by passing an electric current through an alkaline solution such as potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide.
  • AEL alkaline electrolysis
  • the hydrogen generator may be, for example, a photoelectrolyzer configured to split water using a light-sensitive semiconductor material such as silicon or gallium arsenide.
  • the hydrogen generator may be, for example, a bioreactor charged with bacteria and/or algae capable of metabolizing water to produce hydrogen through photosynthesis, fermentation, or the like.
  • the hydrogen generator may be, for example, a thermochemical water splitting apparatus configured for heating a metal oxide, such as iron oxide or cerium oxide, to split water into oxygen and hydrogen gas.
  • the hydrogen generator is further configured to collect and condense moisture in the surrounding ambient air when the ambient air is humid, and thereby produce hydrogen from the ambient humid air supply. Any suitable hydrogen generator may be used herein.
  • hydrogen production by direct electrochemical splitting of water may use a relatively high-voltage (e.g., 1.23 V).
  • a low-voltage hydrogen generator may be used herein.
  • the hydrogen generator may be an electrolysis apparatus configured to generate hydrogen using low-voltage (e.g., less than 1.23V). Any suitable voltage may be used herein. The voltage and current are correlated through the Ohm's Law.
  • the water heater includes a burner configured to burn a fuel to heat a cold water stream, thereby producing a heated water stream.
  • a “cold water stream” refers to any stream or source of water intended to be heated. Although the “cold water stream” is referred to herein as “cold,” it does not need to be any particular temperature in order to be heated by the water heaters disclosed herein.
  • the fuel used in the burner may include hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator, also referred to herein as “locally-generated hydrogen.” In embodiments in which the hydrogen generator is an electrolysis apparatus, the fuel used in the burner may include oxygen produced by the electrolysis apparatus.
  • the fuel for the burner may be supplemented with municipal hydrogen or another municipal fuel source like natural gas.
  • the water heater includes a mixing valve configured to adjust a ratio of hydrogen source so that the water heater may be powered exclusively by locally-generated hydrogen, exclusively by municipal hydrogen, or any ratio therebetween.
  • the burner may be a hybrid burner capable of using multiple fuel sources to produce heat.
  • the fuel sources may be blended together.
  • the burner may use one fuel source at a time to produce heat.
  • the burner may have a plurality of flame-generating or heat-generating components, each configured to use one or more types of fuel sources.
  • since the hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generator is produced on-demand, no hydrogen storage is used, and no hydrogen storage apparatus is present proximal to the water heater.
  • the water heater burner includes one or more orifices.
  • the one or more orifices may be connected to hydrogen feed source so that hydrogen flows through the one or more orifices.
  • each orifice When ignited, each orifice may house a flame and may be at least partially responsible for heating the water in the water heater.
  • the one or more orifices have an adjustable opening size. The size of the orifice affects the size of the flame that extends from the orifice. Furthermore, the size of the orifice affects how efficiently the hydrogen fuel is burned.
  • the concentration of hydrogen in a given fuel source affects how the hydrogen gas is burned; thus, locally-generated hydrogen may be most efficiently burned with a first orifice opening size, while municipal hydrogen may be most efficiently burned with a second orifice opening size.
  • an intermediate orifice opening size may be used.
  • the water heater includes a fuel controller configured to determine a demand for hot water and to control the mixing valve and the size of the one or more orifices in response to the demand for hot water. For example, in periods of high demand characterized by high consumption of hot water stored in the water tank, the fuel controller may adjust the valve so that a greater proportion of the fuel is sourced from a municipal fuel source. In this way, the water heater is configured to burn fuel that is more readily available and/or more potent so that the water is heated more quickly. In contrast, in periods of low demand characterized by little-to-no hot water usage, the fuel controller may adjust the valve so that a greater proportion of the fuel is sourced from locally-generated hydrogen.
  • the water heater may rely exclusively on locally-generated hydrogen when the only fuel demand is for maintaining the temperature of water that has already been heated.
  • the fuel controller may be configured to simultaneously adjust the size of the one or more orifices in response to the demand for hot water and adjusting the valve. For example, when the demand for hot water is low and only locally-generated hydrogen gas is used for fuel, the one or more orifices may be adjusted to have a small size and therefore a smaller flame.
  • water vapor in the flue gas that is produced by the burner while the cold water stream is heated may be condensed, collected, and supplied to the hydrogen generator.
  • the water vapor in the flue gas produced by the burner when condensed, may already be “purified” for hydrogen generation purposes.
  • the water heater includes an electrical energy storage apparatus configured to provide energy to the water purifier, hydrogen generator, and/or the burner.
  • the electrical energy storage apparatus may be a battery, an inverter, a rectifier, a capacitor, or another apparatus suitable for storing electrical energy. Any suitable electrical energy storage apparatus may be used herein.
  • more than one electrical energy storage apparatus may be present, and each of the electrical storage apparatuses may be the same type (e.g., two batteries) or different types (e.g., a battery and a rectifier) depending on whether the electrical energy supplied to the water heater is direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC), and/or depending on whether the electrical energy demands of a particular component requires the electricity to be DC or AC.
  • DC direct current
  • AC alternating current
  • the hydrogen generator may be an electrolysis apparatus that requires DC electrical energy, so a rectifier may be necessary to convert AC electrical current to DC electrical current.
  • the energy provided to the electrical energy storage apparatus may be provided entirely by solar energy. In other embodiments, the energy provided to the electrical energy storage apparatus may be provided entirely by wind energy and/or hydroelectric energy.
  • a combination of renewable energy sources may be used for electricity generation. Any suitable renewable energy source may be used herein. In this manner, when solar energy or another renewable energy source is exclusively used to provide energy to the electrical energy storage apparatus, the water heater may be powered entirely by renewable energy. In some embodiments, such as in periods of high demand, the energy provided to the electrical energy storage apparatus may be produced by renewable energy, municipal electrical energy, another electrical energy source, or a combination thereof.
  • the purified water stream that is used for the generation of hydrogen may be subsequently supplied to the burner and heated.
  • the purified water stream produced by the water purifier and used in the hydrogen generator may be the cold water stream that is heated by the burner.
  • the cold water stream is a domestic water supply, locally collected water, or a combination thereof.
  • methods for heating water including methods for heating water using hydrogen generated on-site (e.g., at the water heater) and on-demand.
  • the methods include supplying a first water stream to a water purifier to produce a purified water stream.
  • the water may be supplied by a utility or the like.
  • the water may be collected in a reservoir and supplied to the water purifier as needed.
  • the water may be supplied by any suitable source.
  • the water purifier may be a distillation apparatus, such as a distillation column.
  • the water purifier may be a reverse osmosis apparatus.
  • the water purifier may be another purification mechanism, such as a chemi cal -based purifier, ultraviolet purification, or another purification technique. Any suitable water purifier may be used herein.
  • the methods include generating hydrogen from the purified water stream using a hydrogen generator.
  • the hydrogen generator may be, for example, an electrolysis apparatus designed to decompose the water in the purified water stream into oxygen and hydrogen gas.
  • Electrolysis apparatuses operate by ionizing water using electricity, separating water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
  • Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers for example, react water at an anode to form oxygen gas, which is collected as it bubbles from the water, and hydrogen ions, which flow through the PEM to the cathode, where the hydrogen ions combine with electrons to form hydrogen gas.
  • Solid oxide electrolyzers utilize a solid ceramic membrane that, when heated, selectively conducts oxygen ions from steam through the membrane to combine with electrons and form oxygen gas.
  • Alkaline electrolysis (AEL) electrolyzers pass an electric current through an alkaline solution such as potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide to generate hydrogen gas.
  • Photoelectrolyzers use light-sensitive semiconductors to split water into oxygen gas and hydrogen gas.
  • Bioreactors may be charged with bacteria and/or algae capable of metabolizing water to produce hydrogen gas through photosynthesis, fermentation, or another similar metabolic process.
  • Thermochemical water splitters heat a metal oxide such as iron oxide to split water into oxygen and hydrogen gas. The hydrogen that is left behind is extracted in the form of hydrogen gas.
  • the step of generating hydrogen may include collecting and condensing moisture in the surrounding ambient air when the ambient air is humid, and thereby producing hydrogen from the ambient humid air supply.
  • a dehumidifier may be incorporated proximal to the hydrogen generator for collecting moisture from the ambient air.
  • a fan and coils may be incorporated within the hydrogen generator for drawing in ambient air and condensing the moisture in that air for use in the hydrogen generator.
  • a humidity sensor may be included that determines if the humidity in the ambient air is high enough to justify consumption of energy for extracting that humidity.
  • the methods include heating a cold water stream.
  • heating the cold water stream includes supplying hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator to a burner that is configured to burn the hydrogen and generate heat. The heat generated by the burner by burning the hydrogen may be used to heat the cold water stream and thereby produce a heated water stream.
  • heating the cold water stream includes burning oxygen produced by the electrolysis apparatus.
  • heating the cold water stream includes burning hydrogen and oxygen (if present) produced by the hydrogen generator. In these embodiments, no additional fuel is used in the method beyond the products of the hydrogen generation step.
  • the methods include supplementing the hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generator with municipal hydrogen or another municipal fuel source such as natural gas.
  • the burner is configured to burn both hydrogen and another fuel source simultaneously, either through a common heat generation component by blending the fuel sources or by using a plurality of heat generation components that are each configured to burn a particular fuel source.
  • the methods do not include any hydrogen storage step.
  • the step of heating the cold water stream produces flue gas as the water is heated and the flue gas includes water vapor.
  • This water vapor may be condensed into a condensate that may be recirculated to the hydrogen generator for additional hydrogen generation. Therefore, in some embodiments, the burner produces a flue gas with water vapor and the method includes condensing the water vapor into a condensate and supplying the collected condensate to the hydrogen generator to supplement the first water stream.
  • the cold water stream that is heated by the burner is the portion of the purified water stream that exits the hydrogen generator after being used in the hydrogen generation step.
  • the methods include collecting electrical energy in an electrical energy storage apparatus and supplying the electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage apparatus to the water purifier, the hydrogen generator, and/or the burner.
  • the electrical energy storage apparatus may be a battery, an inverter, a rectifier, a capacitor, or another apparatus suitable for storing electrical energy.
  • more than one electrical energy storage apparatus may be used for storage and supplying the electrical energy
  • each of the electrical storage apparatuses may be the same type (e.g., two batteries) or different types (e g., a battery and a rectifier) depending on whether the electrical energy supplied to the water heater is direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC), and/or depending on whether the electrical energy demands of a particular component requires the electricity to be DC or AC.
  • the step of collecting electrical energy includes collecting solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, or another renewable energy source. When exclusively renewable energy is used to provide energy to the electrical energy storage apparatus, the water heater may be powered entirely by renewable energy.
  • the step of collecting electrical energy may include collection of renewable energy, municipal electrical energy, another electrical energy source, or a combination thereof.
  • the methods include supplying electrical energy to the energy storage apparatus to supplement the renewable energy.
  • water is used throughout this specification, it is to be understood that other fluids may take the place of the term “water” as used herein. Therefore, although described as a water heating system, it is to be understood that the systems and methods described herein can apply to fluids other than water. Further, it is also to be understood that the term “fluid” can replace the term “water” as used herein unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
  • the fluid heating systems may include gas furnaces, electric heating elements or the like for heating the fluid.
  • FIG. 1 depicts a schematic for a water heater 100.
  • the water heater 100 may be used to produce water in residential, commercial, and/or industrial applications. Generally speaking, the water heater 100 may heat water.
  • the water heater 100 may include a cold water inlet, a burner, and a hot water outlet. The burner may be configured to heat the cold water, which is provided to the hot water outlet as heated water.
  • the water heater 100 may include a water purifier 102, a hydrogen generator 104, a burner 106, and/or an electrical energy storage apparatus 108.
  • the water purifier 102 may be configured to purify a first water stream 110 to produce a purified water stream 112.
  • the water purifier 102 may be a distillation apparatus, a reverse osmosis apparatus, or another suitable purification apparatus.
  • the water purifier 102 may also be configured to collect and condense moisture in the surrounding ambient air if the humidity is high enough to enable such condensation.
  • the first water stream 110 may be a domestic water supply, locally collected water, a combination thereof, or another suitable water source.
  • the hydrogen generator 104 may be configured to produce a fuel stream 114 from the purified water stream 112.
  • the fuel stream 114 may include hydrogen.
  • the hydrogen generator 104 may be an electrolysis apparatus configured to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water so that the fuel stream 114 includes both hydrogen and oxygen.
  • the electrolysis apparatus may be further configured to collect water from an ambient air supply and produce hydrogen from the collected water if the humidity in the ambient air is high enough to justify the consumption of electrical energy necessary to dehumidify the air.
  • the burner 106 may be configured to burn the fuel 114 to heat a cold water stream 116 to produce a heated water stream 118.
  • the cold water stream 116 may be a domestic water supply, locally collected water, a combination thereof, or another suitable water source.
  • the burner 106 may be configured to burn exclusively the fuel 114 produced by the hydrogen generator 104, which may include hydrogen, oxygen, or a combination thereof.
  • An electrical energy storage apparatus 108 is configured to store energy 120 and provide stored energy 122 to the water purifier 102, the hydrogen generator 104, and/or the burner 106.
  • energy 120 may be provided entirely from renewable energy, such as solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, or the like, or it may include a combination of renewable energy, municipal electrical energy, or another electricity source.
  • the electrical energy storage apparatus 108 may be a battery, an inverter, a rectifier, or another suitable electrical energy storage apparatus.
  • FIG. 2 depicts a water heater 200, with like reference numbers referring to similar structures as those depicted in FIG. 1.
  • the water heater 200 includes a condensate stream 202 produced by the burner 106. Since the condensate 202 is collected by the condensation of water vapor that is present in the flue gas produced during the water heating process in the burner, it is already “pure” enough for use in the hydrogen generator 104.
  • FIG. 2 also depicts a cold water stream 204 exiting the hydrogen generator, representing the purified water stream 112 after hydrogen generation being used as the water source for being heated by the burner 106. Thus, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, there is no external cold water stream passing into the water heater 200.
  • FIG. 3 depicts a water heater 300, with like reference numbers referring to similar structures as those depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • the water heater 300 includes a supplemental fuel stream 302 providing additional fuel to the burner 106.
  • the supplemental fuel stream 302 may include municipal hydrogen, natural gas, or another suitable fuel source that may be used by the burner 106 to heat the cold water stream 116 and produce the heated water stream 118.
  • the supplemental fuel may be used in periods where hot water is in high demand.
  • additional external fuel the ability to generate hydrogen on-site still realizes benefits in fuel consumption, particularly when considered over long periods of time that include both high periods of hot water demand and low periods of hot water demand.
  • FIG. 4 depicts a water heater 400, like reference numbers referring to similar structures as those depicted in FIGS. 1-3.
  • the water heater 400 includes a mixing valve 402 configured to adjust a ratio of fuel 114 and supplemental fuel 302 before providing a mixed fuel 404 to the burner 106.
  • a fuel controller 406 may be configured to determine a demand for hot water produced by the burner 106 and adjust either the mixing valve 402 or one or more orifices in the burner 106 in response to the demand for hot water.
  • FIGS. 1-4 depict various embodiments of the water heater having different components and/or feed streams, it should be understood that the recitation of the embodiments in FIGS. 1-4, to the exclusion of other embodiments or combinations of elements, is in the interest of brevity only.
  • the water heater may include a supplemental fuel stream, as depicted in FIG. 3, in addition to a condensate stream, as depicted in FIG. 2. Any combination of elements as described herein may be used depending on the application.
  • FIG. 5 depicts a schematic for an exemplary method for heating water 500.
  • the method 500 includes, in step 502, supplying water to a water purifier. Since the water purifier likely needs to be powered, step 504 includes collecting electrical energy, and step 506 includes supplying electrical energy to the water purifier, hydrogen generator, and/or the burner. In step 508, the method includes purifying the water in the water purifier.
  • the method includes generating fuel from the purified water using a hydrogen generator.
  • the fuel may be hydrogen, a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen depending on the hydrogen generation method used.
  • the generated fuel may be stored.
  • the generated hydrogen may be stored to accumulate usable volumes of the generated fuel.
  • the method includes supplying the fuel generated by the hydrogen generator to the burner. Since the burner is configured to heat a cold water stream by burning the fuel, step 514 includes supplying cold water to the burner. In step 516, the method includes heating the cold water in the burner.
  • the method may include, in step 518, supplying the burner with additional fuel, such as municipal hydrogen, municipal natural gas, or another fuel source.
  • the method may include, in step 520, collecting the water vapor in the flue gas produced by the burner, condensing the water vapor into water, and supplying the water to the hydrogen generator.
  • FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram of a controller 600 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the controller 600 may be incorporated into the systems described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-4.
  • the controller 600 may include a plurality of components, including, but not limited to a processor 602 and memory 604.
  • the memory 604 may be configured to store a program and/or instructions associated with the functions and methods described herein.
  • the processor 602 may be configured to execute the program and/or instructions stored in the memory 604.
  • the memory 604 can include one or more suitable types of memory (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, floppy disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash memory, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), and the like) for storing files including the operating system, application programs (including, for example, a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, and or other applications, as necessary), executable instructions and data.
  • RAM random access memory
  • ROM read only memory
  • PROM programmable read-only memory
  • EPROM erasable programmable read-only memory
  • EEPROM electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
  • magnetic disks e.g., magnetic disks, optical disks, floppy disks, hard disks,
  • the controller 600 may be a computing device configured to receive data, determine actions based on the received data, and output a control signal instructing one or more system components to perform one or more actions.
  • the controller 600 may be a part of the water heaters 100, 200, 300, and 400, and the controller 600 may be in communication with at least some of the system components.
  • the controller 600 may be in communication with the water purifier 102, the hydrogen generator 104, the burner 106, the electrical energy storage apparatus 108, the mixing valve 402, and/or the fuel controller 406.
  • the controller 600 may be configured to send and receive wireless or wired signals, and the signals may be analog or digital signals.
  • the wireless signals may include BluetoothTM, BLE, WiFiTM, ZigBeeTM, infrared, microwave radio, laser, or any other type of wireless communication signals as may be suitable for a particular system application.
  • the hardwired signals can include communication signals between any directly wired connections between the controller 600 and other system components.
  • the controller 600 can have a hard-wired 24 Volts Direct Current (VDC) connection to the components described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-4.
  • VDC Volts Direct Current
  • the controller 600 may communicate with the components installed in the water heaters 100, 200, 300, and 400 via a digital connection.
  • the digital connection can include a connection such as an Ethernet or a serial connection and can utilize any suitable communication protocol for the system application, such as Modbus, fieldbus, PROFIBUS, SafetyBus, Ethernet/IP, and/or the like.
  • the controller 600 can utilize a combination of wireless, hard-wired, and analog or digital communication signals to communicate with and control the various system components.
  • the above configurations are given merely as non-limiting examples and the actual configuration can vary depending on the particular system application.

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Abstract

Water heaters and associated methods are provided including water heaters having a hydrogen generator and a burner configured to burn hydrogen. In certain embodiments, a water heater is disclosed any may include a water purifier configured to purify a first water stream to produce a purified water stream, a hydrogen generator configured to produce hydrogen from the purified water stream, a burner configured to burn fuel to heat a cold water stream to produce a heated water stream, and an electrical energy storage apparatus configured to provide energy to the water purifier, the hydrogen generator, and/or the burner.

Description

HYDROGEN POWERED WATER HEATER WITH SELF-GENERATING HYDROGEN
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to and the benefit of US provisional application No. 63/518,012, filed August 7, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure is directed generally to water heaters and more particularly to systems, methods, and devices for self-generating hydrogen-powered water heaters.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Despite recent trends in renewable energy growth, domestic or on-site water heaters continue to predominantly rely on municipal electricity and/or municipal natural gas for the generation of heat for heating water. Although municipal electricity may rely, at least in part, on renewable energy, a consumer has no control over the presence and degree of renewable energy usage for the production of their municipal electricity short of moving to a location where renewable energy is more prevalent.
[0004] One solution for increasing the use of renewable energy in the heating of water is to burn hydrogen produced by electrolysis. However, this solution is typically implemented in the form of a hydrogen gas reservoir or storage connected to a burner configured to heat a volume of water. This solution therefore carries risks associated with the safe storage of hydrogen, which poses both an inhalation risk as well as a flammable risk. As a result, residential consumers are not likely to adopt a hydrogen-based solution.
[0005] Therefore, it would be desirable to eliminate the risk of hydrogen gas storage in applications in which hydrogen gas is desired as a renewable energy source for water heaters.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The detailed description is set forth with respect to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and/or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and/or components may not be present in various embodiments. Elements and/or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic of an exemplary water heater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic of an exemplary water heater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a schematic of an exemplary water heater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a schematic of an exemplary water heater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for heating water in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram of a controller in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] This disclosure relates generally to water heaters. In some instances, the water heater is configured to generate hydrogen and subsequently use the generated hydrogen to heat water. By including a water purifier and a hydrogen generator in the water heater, hydrogen may be generated on-demand to supply a burner for heating the water, without the need for storing hydrogen locally. In some instances, such as in periods of low demand, the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator is sufficient to meet the demands of the water heater and therefore represent an entirely “green” water heating process. In some instances, such as in periods of high demand and/or when renewable electricity is unavailable, the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator contributes to a reduced reliance on non-renewable resources.
[0014] Some conventional water heaters for residential use include a water tank, inlet and outlet ports, and a means (e g., a burner, heat pump, and/or electric element) for heating water in the tank. As heated water is discharged from the water heater for use by a consumer, cold water is used to fill the tank and is heated for future use. The vast majority of residential water heaters rely on municipal electricity or municipal natural gas for heat generation. In general, electrical heat generation is among the least efficient heating methods, so natural gas is generally preferred as the more efficient residential hot water heater option.
[0015] Other conventional water heaters are tankless, instead providing near-instantaneous heating of water. When hot water is desired such as, for example, by turning on a hot water faucet, cold water flows through a heat exchanger having a heating element. Like tank-based water heaters, the primary means for heating the water in a tankless water heater is an electrical heating element, a gas burner and/or a heat pump, with the natural gas burner having superior efficiency. However, whether a tank-based or tankless water heater is used, natural gas cannot be generated on-site and must be supplied by a municipal service provider.
[0016] In some aspects, a water heater is disclosed. The water heater may include a water purifier configured to purify a first water stream to produce a purified water stream. The water purifier may be a distillation apparatus, such as a distillation column. The water purifier may be a reverse osmosis apparatus. The water purifier may be another purification mechanism, such as a chemical-based purifier, ultraviolet purification, or another purification technique. Any suitable water purifier may be used herein.
[0017] In some embodiments, the water heater includes a hydrogen generator configured to produce hydrogen from the purified water stream. The hydrogen generator may be, for example, an electrolysis apparatus designed to decompose the water in the purified water stream into oxygen and hydrogen gas, such as a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, solid oxide electrolyzer, or the like. The hydrogen generator may be, for example, a reactor configured to produce hydrogen through a reaction between water and aluminum, gallium, ferrosilicon, or another suitable metal or alloy. The hydrogen generator may be, for example, an alkaline electrolysis (AEL) electrolyzer configured to generate hydrogen gas by passing an electric current through an alkaline solution such as potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. The hydrogen generator may be, for example, a photoelectrolyzer configured to split water using a light-sensitive semiconductor material such as silicon or gallium arsenide. The hydrogen generator may be, for example, a bioreactor charged with bacteria and/or algae capable of metabolizing water to produce hydrogen through photosynthesis, fermentation, or the like. The hydrogen generator may be, for example, a thermochemical water splitting apparatus configured for heating a metal oxide, such as iron oxide or cerium oxide, to split water into oxygen and hydrogen gas. In some embodiments, the hydrogen generator is further configured to collect and condense moisture in the surrounding ambient air when the ambient air is humid, and thereby produce hydrogen from the ambient humid air supply. Any suitable hydrogen generator may be used herein.
[0018] In some instances, hydrogen production by direct electrochemical splitting of water (H2O) may use a relatively high-voltage (e.g., 1.23 V). In a preferred embodiment, a low-voltage hydrogen generator may be used herein. For example, in some instances, the hydrogen generator may be an electrolysis apparatus configured to generate hydrogen using low-voltage (e.g., less than 1.23V). Any suitable voltage may be used herein. The voltage and current are correlated through the Ohm's Law.
[0019] In some embodiments, the water heater includes a burner configured to burn a fuel to heat a cold water stream, thereby producing a heated water stream. As used herein, a “cold water stream” refers to any stream or source of water intended to be heated. Although the “cold water stream” is referred to herein as “cold,” it does not need to be any particular temperature in order to be heated by the water heaters disclosed herein. The fuel used in the burner may include hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator, also referred to herein as “locally-generated hydrogen.” In embodiments in which the hydrogen generator is an electrolysis apparatus, the fuel used in the burner may include oxygen produced by the electrolysis apparatus. In some embodiments, such as in periods of high demand, the fuel for the burner may be supplemented with municipal hydrogen or another municipal fuel source like natural gas. In some embodiments, the water heater includes a mixing valve configured to adjust a ratio of hydrogen source so that the water heater may be powered exclusively by locally-generated hydrogen, exclusively by municipal hydrogen, or any ratio therebetween. In this manner, the burner may be a hybrid burner capable of using multiple fuel sources to produce heat. For example, in some instances, the fuel sources may be blended together. In other instances, the burner may use one fuel source at a time to produce heat. In other instances, the burner may have a plurality of flame-generating or heat-generating components, each configured to use one or more types of fuel sources. In some embodiments, since the hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generator is produced on-demand, no hydrogen storage is used, and no hydrogen storage apparatus is present proximal to the water heater.
[0020] In some embodiments, the water heater burner includes one or more orifices. The one or more orifices may be connected to hydrogen feed source so that hydrogen flows through the one or more orifices. When ignited, each orifice may house a flame and may be at least partially responsible for heating the water in the water heater. In some embodiments, the one or more orifices have an adjustable opening size. The size of the orifice affects the size of the flame that extends from the orifice. Furthermore, the size of the orifice affects how efficiently the hydrogen fuel is burned. Without intending to be bound by any particular theory, the concentration of hydrogen in a given fuel source affects how the hydrogen gas is burned; thus, locally-generated hydrogen may be most efficiently burned with a first orifice opening size, while municipal hydrogen may be most efficiently burned with a second orifice opening size. In embodiments in which a mixture of locally-generated hydrogen is mixed with municipal hydrogen, such as during periods of high demand), an intermediate orifice opening size may be used.
[0021] In some embodiments, the water heater includes a fuel controller configured to determine a demand for hot water and to control the mixing valve and the size of the one or more orifices in response to the demand for hot water. For example, in periods of high demand characterized by high consumption of hot water stored in the water tank, the fuel controller may adjust the valve so that a greater proportion of the fuel is sourced from a municipal fuel source. In this way, the water heater is configured to burn fuel that is more readily available and/or more potent so that the water is heated more quickly. In contrast, in periods of low demand characterized by little-to-no hot water usage, the fuel controller may adjust the valve so that a greater proportion of the fuel is sourced from locally-generated hydrogen. Thus, the water heater may rely exclusively on locally-generated hydrogen when the only fuel demand is for maintaining the temperature of water that has already been heated. Further still, the fuel controller may be configured to simultaneously adjust the size of the one or more orifices in response to the demand for hot water and adjusting the valve. For example, when the demand for hot water is low and only locally-generated hydrogen gas is used for fuel, the one or more orifices may be adjusted to have a small size and therefore a smaller flame.
[0022] In some embodiments, water vapor in the flue gas that is produced by the burner while the cold water stream is heated may be condensed, collected, and supplied to the hydrogen generator. Without intending to be bound by any particular theory, the water vapor in the flue gas produced by the burner, when condensed, may already be “purified” for hydrogen generation purposes. By recycling condensed water from the burner to the hydrogen generator, some amount of energy savings is realized because no additional energy is needed to purify the condensate.
[0023] In some embodiments, the water heater includes an electrical energy storage apparatus configured to provide energy to the water purifier, hydrogen generator, and/or the burner. The electrical energy storage apparatus may be a battery, an inverter, a rectifier, a capacitor, or another apparatus suitable for storing electrical energy. Any suitable electrical energy storage apparatus may be used herein. In some embodiments, more than one electrical energy storage apparatus may be present, and each of the electrical storage apparatuses may be the same type (e.g., two batteries) or different types (e.g., a battery and a rectifier) depending on whether the electrical energy supplied to the water heater is direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC), and/or depending on whether the electrical energy demands of a particular component requires the electricity to be DC or AC. For example, in some embodiments, the hydrogen generator may be an electrolysis apparatus that requires DC electrical energy, so a rectifier may be necessary to convert AC electrical current to DC electrical current. In some embodiments, the energy provided to the electrical energy storage apparatus may be provided entirely by solar energy. In other embodiments, the energy provided to the electrical energy storage apparatus may be provided entirely by wind energy and/or hydroelectric energy. In some embodiments, a combination of renewable energy sources may be used for electricity generation. Any suitable renewable energy source may be used herein. In this manner, when solar energy or another renewable energy source is exclusively used to provide energy to the electrical energy storage apparatus, the water heater may be powered entirely by renewable energy. In some embodiments, such as in periods of high demand, the energy provided to the electrical energy storage apparatus may be produced by renewable energy, municipal electrical energy, another electrical energy source, or a combination thereof.
[0024] In some embodiments, the purified water stream that is used for the generation of hydrogen may be subsequently supplied to the burner and heated. In other words, the purified water stream produced by the water purifier and used in the hydrogen generator may be the cold water stream that is heated by the burner. In other embodiments, the cold water stream is a domestic water supply, locally collected water, or a combination thereof.
[0025] In another aspect, methods for heating water are disclosed herein, including methods for heating water using hydrogen generated on-site (e.g., at the water heater) and on-demand. In some embodiments, the methods include supplying a first water stream to a water purifier to produce a purified water stream. In some instances, the water may be supplied by a utility or the like. In other instances, the water may be collected in a reservoir and supplied to the water purifier as needed. The water may be supplied by any suitable source. In some instances, the water purifier may be a distillation apparatus, such as a distillation column. In other instances, the water purifier may be a reverse osmosis apparatus. The water purifier may be another purification mechanism, such as a chemi cal -based purifier, ultraviolet purification, or another purification technique. Any suitable water purifier may be used herein.
[0026] In some embodiments, the methods include generating hydrogen from the purified water stream using a hydrogen generator. The hydrogen generator may be, for example, an electrolysis apparatus designed to decompose the water in the purified water stream into oxygen and hydrogen gas. Electrolysis apparatuses operate by ionizing water using electricity, separating water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, for example, react water at an anode to form oxygen gas, which is collected as it bubbles from the water, and hydrogen ions, which flow through the PEM to the cathode, where the hydrogen ions combine with electrons to form hydrogen gas. Solid oxide electrolyzers utilize a solid ceramic membrane that, when heated, selectively conducts oxygen ions from steam through the membrane to combine with electrons and form oxygen gas. Alkaline electrolysis (AEL) electrolyzers pass an electric current through an alkaline solution such as potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide to generate hydrogen gas. Photoelectrolyzers use light-sensitive semiconductors to split water into oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. Bioreactors may be charged with bacteria and/or algae capable of metabolizing water to produce hydrogen gas through photosynthesis, fermentation, or another similar metabolic process. Thermochemical water splitters heat a metal oxide such as iron oxide to split water into oxygen and hydrogen gas. The hydrogen that is left behind is extracted in the form of hydrogen gas.
[0027] In some embodiments, the step of generating hydrogen may include collecting and condensing moisture in the surrounding ambient air when the ambient air is humid, and thereby producing hydrogen from the ambient humid air supply. For example, a dehumidifier may be incorporated proximal to the hydrogen generator for collecting moisture from the ambient air. A fan and coils may be incorporated within the hydrogen generator for drawing in ambient air and condensing the moisture in that air for use in the hydrogen generator. A humidity sensor may be included that determines if the humidity in the ambient air is high enough to justify consumption of energy for extracting that humidity.
[0028] In some embodiments, the methods include heating a cold water stream. In some instances, heating the cold water stream includes supplying hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator to a burner that is configured to burn the hydrogen and generate heat. The heat generated by the burner by burning the hydrogen may be used to heat the cold water stream and thereby produce a heated water stream. In some embodiments, such as when an electrolysis apparatus is used in the hydrogen generation step, heating the cold water stream includes burning oxygen produced by the electrolysis apparatus. In some embodiments, heating the cold water stream includes burning hydrogen and oxygen (if present) produced by the hydrogen generator. In these embodiments, no additional fuel is used in the method beyond the products of the hydrogen generation step. In some embodiments, such as periods of high demand, the methods include supplementing the hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generator with municipal hydrogen or another municipal fuel source such as natural gas. In some embodiments, the burner is configured to burn both hydrogen and another fuel source simultaneously, either through a common heat generation component by blending the fuel sources or by using a plurality of heat generation components that are each configured to burn a particular fuel source. In some embodiments, since the hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generator is produced on-demand, the methods do not include any hydrogen storage step.
[0029] In some embodiments, the step of heating the cold water stream produces flue gas as the water is heated and the flue gas includes water vapor. This water vapor may be condensed into a condensate that may be recirculated to the hydrogen generator for additional hydrogen generation. Therefore, in some embodiments, the burner produces a flue gas with water vapor and the method includes condensing the water vapor into a condensate and supplying the collected condensate to the hydrogen generator to supplement the first water stream.
[0030] In some embodiments, the cold water stream that is heated by the burner is the portion of the purified water stream that exits the hydrogen generator after being used in the hydrogen generation step.
[0031] In some embodiments, the methods include collecting electrical energy in an electrical energy storage apparatus and supplying the electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage apparatus to the water purifier, the hydrogen generator, and/or the burner. The electrical energy storage apparatus may be a battery, an inverter, a rectifier, a capacitor, or another apparatus suitable for storing electrical energy. In some embodiments, more than one electrical energy storage apparatus may be used for storage and supplying the electrical energy, and each of the electrical storage apparatuses may be the same type (e.g., two batteries) or different types (e g., a battery and a rectifier) depending on whether the electrical energy supplied to the water heater is direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC), and/or depending on whether the electrical energy demands of a particular component requires the electricity to be DC or AC. In some embodiments, the step of collecting electrical energy includes collecting solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, or another renewable energy source. When exclusively renewable energy is used to provide energy to the electrical energy storage apparatus, the water heater may be powered entirely by renewable energy. In some embodiments, such as in periods of high demand, the step of collecting electrical energy may include collection of renewable energy, municipal electrical energy, another electrical energy source, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the methods include supplying electrical energy to the energy storage apparatus to supplement the renewable energy.
[0032] Although the term “water” is used throughout this specification, it is to be understood that other fluids may take the place of the term “water” as used herein. Therefore, although described as a water heating system, it is to be understood that the systems and methods described herein can apply to fluids other than water. Further, it is also to be understood that the term “fluid” can replace the term “water” as used herein unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The fluid heating systems may include gas furnaces, electric heating elements or the like for heating the fluid.
[0033] Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 depicts a schematic for a water heater 100. The water heater 100 may be used to produce water in residential, commercial, and/or industrial applications. Generally speaking, the water heater 100 may heat water. For example, the water heater 100 may include a cold water inlet, a burner, and a hot water outlet. The burner may be configured to heat the cold water, which is provided to the hot water outlet as heated water. [0034] In certain embodiments, the water heater 100 may include a water purifier 102, a hydrogen generator 104, a burner 106, and/or an electrical energy storage apparatus 108. The water purifier 102 may be configured to purify a first water stream 110 to produce a purified water stream 112. As described herein, the water purifier 102 may be a distillation apparatus, a reverse osmosis apparatus, or another suitable purification apparatus. The water purifier 102 may also be configured to collect and condense moisture in the surrounding ambient air if the humidity is high enough to enable such condensation. The first water stream 110 may be a domestic water supply, locally collected water, a combination thereof, or another suitable water source.
[0035] The hydrogen generator 104 may be configured to produce a fuel stream 114 from the purified water stream 112. The fuel stream 114 may include hydrogen. For example, the hydrogen generator 104 may be an electrolysis apparatus configured to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water so that the fuel stream 114 includes both hydrogen and oxygen. The electrolysis apparatus may be further configured to collect water from an ambient air supply and produce hydrogen from the collected water if the humidity in the ambient air is high enough to justify the consumption of electrical energy necessary to dehumidify the air.
[0036] The burner 106 may be configured to burn the fuel 114 to heat a cold water stream 116 to produce a heated water stream 118. The cold water stream 116 may be a domestic water supply, locally collected water, a combination thereof, or another suitable water source. The burner 106 may be configured to burn exclusively the fuel 114 produced by the hydrogen generator 104, which may include hydrogen, oxygen, or a combination thereof.
[0037] An electrical energy storage apparatus 108 is configured to store energy 120 and provide stored energy 122 to the water purifier 102, the hydrogen generator 104, and/or the burner 106. As described herein, energy 120 may be provided entirely from renewable energy, such as solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, or the like, or it may include a combination of renewable energy, municipal electrical energy, or another electricity source. The electrical energy storage apparatus 108 may be a battery, an inverter, a rectifier, or another suitable electrical energy storage apparatus.
[0038] FIG. 2 depicts a water heater 200, with like reference numbers referring to similar structures as those depicted in FIG. 1. The water heater 200 includes a condensate stream 202 produced by the burner 106. Since the condensate 202 is collected by the condensation of water vapor that is present in the flue gas produced during the water heating process in the burner, it is already “pure” enough for use in the hydrogen generator 104. FIG. 2 also depicts a cold water stream 204 exiting the hydrogen generator, representing the purified water stream 112 after hydrogen generation being used as the water source for being heated by the burner 106. Thus, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, there is no external cold water stream passing into the water heater 200.
[0039] FIG. 3 depicts a water heater 300, with like reference numbers referring to similar structures as those depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. The water heater 300 includes a supplemental fuel stream 302 providing additional fuel to the burner 106. The supplemental fuel stream 302 may include municipal hydrogen, natural gas, or another suitable fuel source that may be used by the burner 106 to heat the cold water stream 116 and produce the heated water stream 118. The supplemental fuel may be used in periods where hot water is in high demand. Despite using additional external fuel, the ability to generate hydrogen on-site still realizes benefits in fuel consumption, particularly when considered over long periods of time that include both high periods of hot water demand and low periods of hot water demand.
[0040] FIG. 4 depicts a water heater 400, like reference numbers referring to similar structures as those depicted in FIGS. 1-3. The water heater 400 includes a mixing valve 402 configured to adjust a ratio of fuel 114 and supplemental fuel 302 before providing a mixed fuel 404 to the burner 106. A fuel controller 406 may be configured to determine a demand for hot water produced by the burner 106 and adjust either the mixing valve 402 or one or more orifices in the burner 106 in response to the demand for hot water.
[0041] Although FIGS. 1-4 depict various embodiments of the water heater having different components and/or feed streams, it should be understood that the recitation of the embodiments in FIGS. 1-4, to the exclusion of other embodiments or combinations of elements, is in the interest of brevity only. For example, the water heater may include a supplemental fuel stream, as depicted in FIG. 3, in addition to a condensate stream, as depicted in FIG. 2. Any combination of elements as described herein may be used depending on the application.
[0042] FIG. 5 depicts a schematic for an exemplary method for heating water 500. The method 500 includes, in step 502, supplying water to a water purifier. Since the water purifier likely needs to be powered, step 504 includes collecting electrical energy, and step 506 includes supplying electrical energy to the water purifier, hydrogen generator, and/or the burner. In step 508, the method includes purifying the water in the water purifier.
[0043] In step 510, the method includes generating fuel from the purified water using a hydrogen generator. As described herein, the fuel may be hydrogen, a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen depending on the hydrogen generation method used. In step 511, the generated fuel may be stored. For example, the generated hydrogen may be stored to accumulate usable volumes of the generated fuel. In step 512, the method includes supplying the fuel generated by the hydrogen generator to the burner. Since the burner is configured to heat a cold water stream by burning the fuel, step 514 includes supplying cold water to the burner. In step 516, the method includes heating the cold water in the burner.
[0044] In some embodiments, as described herein, the method may include, in step 518, supplying the burner with additional fuel, such as municipal hydrogen, municipal natural gas, or another fuel source. In some embodiments, as described herein, the method may include, in step 520, collecting the water vapor in the flue gas produced by the burner, condensing the water vapor into water, and supplying the water to the hydrogen generator.
[0045] The systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented by one or more controllers or other computing devices. In some instances, the controller may detect water demand and may activate the water heater 100 to operate in one of several operation modes disclosed herein. FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram of a controller 600 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The controller 600 may be incorporated into the systems described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-4. The controller 600 may include a plurality of components, including, but not limited to a processor 602 and memory 604. The memory 604 may be configured to store a program and/or instructions associated with the functions and methods described herein. The processor 602 may be configured to execute the program and/or instructions stored in the memory 604. The memory 604 can include one or more suitable types of memory (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, floppy disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash memory, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), and the like) for storing files including the operating system, application programs (including, for example, a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, and or other applications, as necessary), executable instructions and data. One, some, or all of the processing techniques or methods described herein can be implemented as a combination of executable instructions and data within the memory 604.
[0046] In this manner, the controller 600 may be a computing device configured to receive data, determine actions based on the received data, and output a control signal instructing one or more system components to perform one or more actions. As discussed above, the controller 600 may be a part of the water heaters 100, 200, 300, and 400, and the controller 600 may be in communication with at least some of the system components. For example, the controller 600 may be in communication with the water purifier 102, the hydrogen generator 104, the burner 106, the electrical energy storage apparatus 108, the mixing valve 402, and/or the fuel controller 406.
[0047] In some aspects, the controller 600 may be configured to send and receive wireless or wired signals, and the signals may be analog or digital signals. The wireless signals may include Bluetooth™, BLE, WiFi™, ZigBee™, infrared, microwave radio, laser, or any other type of wireless communication signals as may be suitable for a particular system application. The hardwired signals can include communication signals between any directly wired connections between the controller 600 and other system components. For example, the controller 600 can have a hard-wired 24 Volts Direct Current (VDC) connection to the components described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-4.
[0048] Alternatively, the controller 600 may communicate with the components installed in the water heaters 100, 200, 300, and 400 via a digital connection. The digital connection can include a connection such as an Ethernet or a serial connection and can utilize any suitable communication protocol for the system application, such as Modbus, fieldbus, PROFIBUS, SafetyBus, Ethernet/IP, and/or the like. Furthermore, the controller 600 can utilize a combination of wireless, hard-wired, and analog or digital communication signals to communicate with and control the various system components. The above configurations are given merely as non-limiting examples and the actual configuration can vary depending on the particular system application.
[0049] Modifications and variations of the methods and devices described herein will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the foregoing detailed description. Such modifications and variations are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims. It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and that numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the disclosure.
[0050] Although specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described, numerous other modifications and alternative embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, any of the functionality described with respect to a particular device or component may be performed by another device or component. Further, while specific device characteristics have been described, embodiments of the disclosure may relate to numerous other device characteristics. Further, although embodiments have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the embodiments. Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments could include, while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.

Claims

CLAIMS That which is claimed is:
1. A water heater comprising: a water purifier configured to purify a first water stream to produce a purified water stream; a hydrogen generator configured to produce hydrogen from the purified water stream; a burner configured to burn fuel to heat a cold water stream to produce a heated water stream; and an electrical energy storage apparatus configured to provide energy to the water purifier, the hydrogen generator, and/or the burner.
2. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the water purifier comprises a distillation apparatus.
3. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the water purifier comprises a reverse osmosis apparatus.
4. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the first water stream comprises a domestic water supply, locally collected water, or a combination thereof.
5. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the cold water stream comprises a domestic water supply, locally collected water, or a combination thereof.
6. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the cold water stream comprises the purified water stream.
7. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen generator comprises an electrolysis apparatus.
8. The water heater of claim 7, wherein the electrolysis apparatus comprises a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, solid oxide electrolyzer, an alkaline electrolysis (AEL) electrolyzer, or a photoelectrolyzer.
9. The water heater of claim 7, wherein the electrolysis apparatus is configured to produce hydrogen from an ambient humid air supply.
10. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen generator comprises a reactor configured to produce hydrogen through a reaction between water and aluminum, gallium, ferrosilicon, or another suitable metal or alloy.
11. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen generator comprises a bioreactor charged with bacteria and/or algae capable of metabolizing water to produce hydrogen.
12. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen generator comprises a thermochemical water splitting apparatus configured for heating a metal oxide to split water into oxygen and hydrogen gas.
13. The water heater of claim 1, wherein water vapor in a flue gas produced by the burner is condensed into water and provided to the hydrogen generator for additional hydrogen generation.
14. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy storage apparatus is a battery.
15. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy storage apparatus is an inverter or a rectifier.
16. The water heater of claim 1, wherein energy provided to the electrical energy storage apparatus comprises solar energy.
17. The water heater of claim 1 , wherein energy provided to the electrical energy storage apparatus comprises solar energy, municipal electrical energy, or a combination thereof.
18. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the fuel burned in the burner comprises hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator.
19. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the fuel burned in the burner comprises hydrogen and oxygen produced by the hydrogen generator.
20. The water heater of claim 1, wherein the fuel burned in the burner comprises hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator, oxygen produced by the hydrogen generator, municipal hydrogen, another municipal fuel source, or a combination thereof.
21. The water heater of claim 1, further comprising a mixing valve configured to adjust a ratio of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator and fuel sourced from municipal sources.
22. The water heater of claim 21, further comprising a controller configured to determine a demand for hot water and control the mixing valve in response to the demand for hot water.
23. The water heater of claim 22, wherein the burner further comprises one or more orifices, each orifice having an adjustable opening size, and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the opening size of the one or more orifices in response to the demand for hot water.
24. The water heater of claim 1, wherein no hydrogen is stored inside or proximal to the water heater.
25. A method for heating water, the method comprising: providing the water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 24; supplying the first water stream to the water heater, supplying solar energy to the energy storage apparatus, supplying energy stored in the energy storage apparatus to the purifier, the hydrogen generator, and/or the burner, purifying the first water stream to produce a purified water stream generating hydrogen from the purified water stream using the hydrogen generator, and heating a cold water stream using a burner configured to bum the hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generator, wherein the fuel burned in the burner comprises the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator.
26. The method of claim 25, further comprising supplying electrical energy to the energy storage apparatus to supplement the solar energy.
27. The method of claim 25, further comprising supplying municipal hydrogen or another municipal fuel source to the burner to supplement the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator.
28. A method of heating water, the method comprising: supplying a first water stream to a water purifier to produce a purified water stream; generating hydrogen from the purified water stream using a hydrogen generator; heating a cold water stream, wherein heating the cold water stream comprises: supplying the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator to a burner configured to generate heat by burning the hydrogen, and heating the cold water stream using the burner.
29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: collecting electrical energy in an electrical energy storage apparatus, and supplying the electrical energy in the electrical energy storage apparatus to the water purifier, hydrogen generator, and/or the burner.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of collecting electrical energy comprises collecting solar energy.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein the energy collected in the energy storage apparatus comprises solar energy, municipal electrical energy, or a combination thereof.
32. The method of claim 28, further comprising: collecting a water vapor in a flue gas produced by the burner, condensing the water vapor into a condensate, and supplying the condensate to the hydrogen generator for additional hydrogen generation.
33. The method of claim 28, wherein the heat generated by the burner comprises heat generated by burning the hydrogen and any oxygen produced by the hydrogen generator.
34. The method of claim 28, wherein the heat generated by the burner comprises heat generated by burning the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator, heat generated by burning oxygen produced by the hydrogen generator, heat generated by burning municipal hydrogen, heat generated by burning another municipal fuel source, or a combination thereof.
35. The method of claim 28, wherein the heat generated by the burner comprises heat generated by burning the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator and a municipal fuel source, and wherein the method further comprises: detecting, with a controller, a demand for hot water; and in response to the demand for hot water, adjusting a mixing valve with the controller to change a ratio of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generator and fuel from the municipal fuel source.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein the burner comprises one or more orifices, each orifice having an adjustable opening size, and wherein the method further comprises: in response to the demand for hot water, adjusting, with the controller, the opening size of the one or more orifices.
37. The method of claim 28, wherein the hydrogen generator comprises an electrolysis apparatus.
38. The method of claim 28, wherein the cold water stream comprises the purified water stream.
PCT/US2024/041323 2023-08-07 2024-08-07 Hydrogen powered water heater with self-generating hydrogen WO2025034888A1 (en)

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