Abstract: A regenerative heat exchange apparatus for use with a hydrogen storing material is presented. The apparatus includes a regenerator chamber packed with a heat storing material, and the regenerator chamber is disposed in between a high temperature fluid pathway and a low temperature fluid pathway of a heat exchanger. The high temperature fluid pathway is connected to a heat source and the low temperature fluid pathway is connected to a heat utilizing system. The regenerator chamber is connected via a pressure controlling mechanism to a hydrogen reservoir.Excess heat of the high temperature fluid can be stored by a decomposition reaction (endothermic reaction) of the hydrogen storing material to discharge hydrogen, and a deficiency in the quantity of heat required for the low temperature fluid can be supplemented by a hydrogenation reaction (exothermic reaction) of the hydrogen storing material to absorb the discharged hydrogen.

Abstract: A method and equipment are disclosed herein which liquefy and separate air through the use of a multiple rectifying tower system comprising a high pressure tower and a low pressure tower. The rectifying regions of the high pressure tower and the low pressure tower are divided into an equal number (at least two) of segments and gases at the tops of the respective segments of the high pressure tower are permitted to exchange heat with circulating liquids or liquid oxygen at the bottoms of the respective segments of the low pressure tower and to evaporate the circulating liquids or the liquid oxygen. The gases are then condensed to provide a circulating liquid for the low pressure tower.