Abstract: A dense hydrogen-permeable layer, such as palladium or palladium alloy, is deposited on a porous hollow fiber. A porous hollow fiber is defined as having an inner diameter of approximately 30 microns to approximately 1500 microns and an outer diameter of approximately 100 microns to approximately 2000 microns. This allows an order-of-magnitude increase in the surface per volume ratio in a hydrogen separation or purification module, or a membrane reformer or reactor.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a housing partially above and below the ground containing a fuel cell beneath ground level and a fuel tank disposed above the fuel cell. The fuel cell may be accessed by raising it to above ground level with a fuel cell vertical displacement device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for purifying a CO2 rich gas stream in a catalytic oxidizer. In this process, flammable contaminants that are present in the CO2 rich gas stream are oxidized when the CO2 rich gas stream is injected along with a precisely measured amount of substantially pure oxygen into the catalytic oxidizer. As a result, a purified CO2 rich gas stream is produced which depending upon the amount of oxygen injected contains only minor traces of residual oxygen or minor traces of the flammable contaminants. This process is useful for purifying high-pressure residue streams from membrane water-gas shift reactors, membrane reformers, or sorbent enhanced reformers, where the pressurized CO2 rich gas stream also contains amounts of hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. The process is also suitable for purifying CO2 permeate streams from reverse selectivity polymeric membranes that are used to separate CO2 from gas mixtures that contain CO2, H2 and CH4.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a housing partially above and below the ground containing a fuel cell beneath ground level and a fuel tank disposed above the fuel cell.

Abstract: A compressed gas delivery vehicle includes a cooling system designed to cool the interior of a gas storage vessel containing adsorbent or absorbent material during filling of the vessel.

Abstract: A compressed gas delivery vehicle has a cooling system that cools an interior of a gas storage vessel during filling of the vessel with the gas wherein the gas is sorbed by a sorbent material comprising an adsorbent or an absorbent.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a method of forming a single crystal of a ceramic, semiconductive or magnetic material. The method according to the invention comprises the steps of (a) compacting a nanocrystalline powder comprising particles having an average particle size of 0.05 to 20 &mgr;m and each formed of an agglomerate of grains with each grain comprising a nanocrystal of a ceramic, semiconductive or magnetic material; and (b) sintering the compacted powder obtained in step (a) at a temperature sufficient to cause an exaggerated growth of at least one of the grains, thereby obtaining at least one single crystal of aforesaid material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a ceramic material in powder form comprising particles having an average particle size of 0.1 to 30 &mgr;m and each formed of an agglomerate of grains with each grain comprising a nanocrystal of a ceramic material of formula (I): Si3-xAlxOyNz, wherein 0≦x≦3, 0≦y≦6 and 0≦z≦4, with the proviso that when x is 0 or 3, y cannot be 0. The ceramic material in powder form according to the invention is suitable for use in the production of ceramic bodies by powder metallurgy, as well as in the formation of heat-resistant coatings by thermal deposition. The ceramic bodies and coatings obtained have improved resistance to thermal shocks.