Processing apparatus and fuel supply system

Abstract

To make it possible to supply hydrogen adjusted in suitable humidity conditions with downsizing and low cost.SOLUTION: In a state that a lower closure member 13 is arranged so as to be positioned lower than an upper closure member 14, an outer space S1 works as a "first separation tank" for storing water after separating a water W1, which is discharged together with an oxygen O from a hydrogen generator, from the oxygen O, and an inner space S2 works as a "second separation tank" for storing water after separating a water W2, which is discharged together with a hydrogen gas G from the hydrogen generator, from the hydrogen gas G. The water W1 in the "first separation tank" and the water W2 in the "second separation tank" can be heat-exchanged through an inner cylindrical member 12. The "first separation tank" is configured so as to be able to be connected to a pipe 5 for supplying the stored water W1 as a "raw water" to the hydrogen generator. The "second separation tank" is configured so that the hydrogen gas G can surface in the stored water W2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a treatment device for treating hydrogen and oxygen discharged from a hydrogen generating device, and to a fuel supply system including such a treatment device and a hydrogen generating device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, the following Patent Document discloses a hydrogen generation device that supplies hydrogen gas to a supply target such as a detector in a gas chromatograph. This hydrogen generation device employs a configuration in which pure water stored in a water supply tank is supplied to an electrolysis cell, and hydrogen is generated by electrolyzing the pure water in the electrolysis cell.

[0003] In this case, in this type of device, water is discharged from the electrolysis cell together with hydrogen and oxygen generated by electrolysis. Therefore, in this hydrogen generation device, hydrogen containing moisture discharged from the electrolysis cell is made to flow into a water separation section to separate the moisture, the hydrogen from which the moisture has been separated is passed through a drying section and then supplied to a supply target, and the separated moisture is returned to a water supply tank and resupplied to the electrolysis cell together with the water in the water supply tank. In addition, in this hydrogen generation device, oxygen containing moisture discharged from the electrolysis cell is made to flow into a water supply tank to separate the moisture, the oxygen from which the moisture has been separated is released from the water supply tank, and the separated moisture is resupplied to the electrolysis cell together with the water in the water supply tank. As a result, in this hydrogen generation device, the moisture discharged from the electrolysis cell together with hydrogen and oxygen can be effectively used as a raw material for generating hydrogen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-12287 (Pages 1-3, Figure 1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the hydrogen generating devices disclosed in the above-mentioned patent documents have the following problems to be solved.

[0006] Specifically, the hydrogen generation device disclosed in the above patent document employs a configuration in which moisture discharged together with oxygen from the electrolysis cell is separated from oxygen in a water supply tank that stores pure water to be supplied to the electrolysis cell, and moisture discharged together with hydrogen from the electrolysis cell is separated from hydrogen in a water separation unit. In this hydrogen generation device, the water supply tank and the water separation unit are installed separately. For this reason, it is necessary to secure installation space for the water supply tank and the water separation unit, respectively, and this poses the problem that it is difficult to reduce the size of the device.

[0007] In addition, among the targets to which hydrogen is supplied by this type of device, there are some that, while it is preferable that a large amount of liquid-phase moisture (water droplets) is not supplied together with hydrogen, it is preferable that hydrogen containing a moderate amount of vapor-phase moisture (hydrogen with a suitable humidity) is supplied. As an example, in a fuel cell that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen with oxygen, when a large amount of liquid-phase moisture (water droplets) is supplied together with hydrogen, the presence of water droplets flowing into the hydrogen flow path increases the resistance to hydrogen passage, making it impossible to react hydrogen according to the required amount of power generation, so it is necessary to avoid supplying a large amount of liquid-phase moisture (water droplets) together with hydrogen. On the other hand, when low-humidity hydrogen is supplied, it leads to a decrease in power generation efficiency due to drying up of the MEA (membrane electrode assembly), so it is necessary to supply hydrogen containing a moderate amount of vapor-phase moisture (hydrogen with a suitable humidity).

[0008] In this case, in the above hydrogen generating device, the liquid phase moisture discharged together with the hydrogen from the electrolysis cell is separated in the water separation section, and the hydrogen is passed through the water stored in the water separation section, resulting in a state in which a certain amount of gas phase moisture is contained in the hydrogen. However, in order to sufficiently increase the humidity of the hydrogen discharged from the water separation section, it is necessary to sufficiently increase the temperature of the water in the water separation section through which the hydrogen is passed, and the hydrogen passed through the water. For this reason, in the configuration of the above hydrogen generating device, when attempting to supply hydrogen adjusted to a suitable humidity, it is necessary to separately provide an electric heater or the like for heating at least one of the water in the water separation section and the hydrogen passed through it, which causes the problem of high manufacturing costs and running costs of the device.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems to be solved, and its main object is to provide a treatment device and a fuel supply system that are compact and capable of supplying hydrogen adjusted to a suitable humidity level at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the treatment device according to claim 1 comprises an outer tubular member, an inner tubular member disposed within the outer tubular member, a first blocking member for blocking one end opening of the outer tubular member and one end opening of the inner tubular member, and a second blocking member for blocking the other end opening of the outer tubular member and the other end opening of the inner tubular member, and in a state in which the first blocking member is disposed below the second blocking member, either one of a first space between the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member or a second space within the inner tubular member is a hydrogen generation device that electrolyzes water as a raw material to generate hydrogen. the other of the first space and the second space is configured to function as a second separation tank that separates water discharged together with the hydrogen from the hydrogen generation device and stores the water, the water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank are configured to be able to exchange heat between each other via the inner cylindrical member, the first separation tank is configured to be able to connect to a water supply piping that supplies the stored water to the hydrogen generation device as the raw water, and the second separation tank is configured so that the hydrogen floats in the stored water.

[0011] The processing apparatus according to claim 2 is the processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first space functions as the first separation tank and the second space functions as the second separation tank.

[0012] The treatment device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the treatment device according to the first aspect, further comprising a water supply passage capable of supplying water stored in the second separation tank to the first separation tank.

[0013] The fuel supply system described in claim 4 comprises a treatment device described in any one of claims 1 to 3 and the hydrogen generation device, and is configured to be able to supply the hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen generation device and passed through the second separation tank in the treatment device to a supply target. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The treatment device according to claim 1 includes an outer cylindrical member, an inner cylindrical member disposed within the outer cylindrical member, a first blocking member blocking one end opening of the outer cylindrical member and one end opening of the inner cylindrical member, and a second blocking member blocking the other end opening of the outer cylindrical member and the other end opening of the inner cylindrical member, and when the first blocking member is disposed so as to be positioned lower than the second blocking member, either one of the first space between the outer cylindrical member and the inner cylindrical member and the second space within the inner cylindrical member is discharged together with oxygen from the hydrogen generating device. The first space functions as a first separation tank that separates water discharged from the hydrogen generation device together with hydrogen from oxygen and stores the water, and the other of the first space and the second space functions as a second separation tank that separates water discharged from the hydrogen generation device together with hydrogen from hydrogen and stores the water, the water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank are configured to be able to exchange heat with each other via the inner cylindrical member, the first separation tank is configured to be able to connect to a water supply piping that supplies the stored water to the hydrogen generation device as raw water, and the second separation tank is configured so that hydrogen floats in the stored water.

[0015] In addition, the fuel supply system described in claim 4 includes the above-mentioned treatment device and a hydrogen generation device, and is configured to be able to supply hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen generation device and passed through a second separation tank in the treatment device to a supply target.

[0016] Therefore, according to the treatment device of claim 1 and the fuel supply system of claim 4, compared to a configuration in which a container for storing water to be supplied to the hydrogen generation device, a separation tank for separating water discharged together with oxygen from the hydrogen generation device (water supply tank in the configuration disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document), and a separation tank for separating water discharged together with hydrogen from the hydrogen generation device (water separation unit in the configuration disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document) are separately arranged, the first space and the second space formed by the double pipe structure function as the first and second separation tanks, thereby reducing the space occupied by both separation tanks and making the fuel supply system sufficiently compact. In addition, the water in the second separation tank for humidifying hydrogen can be heated by heat exchange with the water in the first separation tank without using a heating source such as an electric heater, so that hydrogen with a suitable humidity can be supplied to the supply target while sufficiently reducing the manufacturing cost and operating cost of the fuel supply system.

[0017] In addition, in the treatment device according to claim 2, the first space functions as the first separation tank, and the second space functions as the second separation tank. Therefore, according to the treatment device according to claim 2 and the fuel supply system including such a treatment device, the entire periphery of the second separation tank is surrounded by the first separation tank, so that the water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank can be appropriately heat exchanged. As a result, the temperature of the water in the second separation tank can be sufficiently increased, and the humidity of the hydrogen supplied to the supply target can be reliably increased to an appropriate humidity. In addition, since the heat of the water in the first separation tank can be dissipated into the atmosphere through the outer cylindrical member, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the temperature of the water supplied to the hydrogen generation device becomes excessively high, and to appropriately avoid a decrease in the efficiency of hydrogen generation by the hydrogen generation device.

[0018] Furthermore, the treatment device according to claim 3 is provided with a water supply passage capable of supplying the water stored in the second separation tank to the first separation tank. Therefore, according to the treatment device according to claim 3 and a fuel supply system equipped with such a treatment device, not only the water discharged together with oxygen from the hydrogen generation device, but also the water discharged together with hydrogen from the hydrogen generation device can be effectively utilized as a raw material for electrolysis in the hydrogen generation device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a hydrogen supply system 1. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a processing device 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a treatment device and a fuel supply system will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] 1 is an example of a "fuel supply system" and is configured to be able to supply hydrogen gas (hydrogen) G to a fuel cell unit X, which is an example of a "supply target." This hydrogen supply system 1 includes a hydrogen generation device 2, a processing device 3, a post-processing device 4, pipes 5, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, on-off valves 8a, 8b, and a control device 9.

[0022] In this case, the pipe 5 is an example of a "water supply pipe" and is connected so that the water W stored in the treatment device 3 can be supplied to the hydrogen generation device 2 as "raw water for generating hydrogen by electrolysis" as described later. The pipe 6a is connected so that oxygen O discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2 containing water W1 flows into the treatment device 3, and the pipe 6b is connected so that oxygen O discharged from the treatment device 3 flows into the post-treatment device 4. The pipe 7a is connected so that hydrogen gas G discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2 containing water W2 flows into the treatment device 3, and the pipe 7b is connected so that hydrogen gas G discharged from the treatment device 3 can be supplied to the fuel cell unit X.

[0023] On the other hand, the hydrogen generating device 2 is an example of a "hydrogen generating device that generates hydrogen by electrolyzing raw water" and is configured to generate hydrogen gas G by electrolyzing water W (pure water) supplied from the processing device 3 through the piping 5 in the same manner as the electrolysis cell in the hydrogen generating device disclosed in the aforementioned patent document. The configuration of the hydrogen generating device 2 and the procedure of the electrolysis process are similar to the known configuration of the aforementioned electrolysis cell and the procedure of the process, and therefore detailed description is omitted. If the temperature of the water W used as a raw material by the hydrogen generating device 2 is too high, the efficiency of electrolysis decreases and the generation efficiency of hydrogen gas G decreases. Therefore, as described later, it is preferable that the piping 5 that supplies the water W from the processing device 3 to the hydrogen generating device 2 is formed of a high thermal conductivity material (a material with high heat dissipation) so that the temperature of the water W passing through can be reduced.

[0024] The treatment device 3 is an example of a "treatment device" and employs a configuration in which, as described below, the hydrogen gas G and oxygen O discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2 are treated, the hydrogen gas G is supplied to the fuel cell unit X, and the oxygen O is discharged to the post-treatment device 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the treatment device 3 includes an outer cylindrical member 11, an inner cylindrical member 12, a lower blocking member 13, an upper blocking member 14, a water level sensor 15, piping 16, and an on-off valve 17.

[0025] The outer cylindrical member 11 corresponds to the "outer cylindrical member" and is formed in a cylindrical shape, for example. The inner cylindrical member 12 corresponds to the "inner cylindrical member" and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the outer cylindrical member 11 and disposed in the outer cylindrical member 11. In this case, in the processing device 3 of this example, both the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 are formed of a high thermal conductivity material such as metal (for example, aluminum subjected to surface treatment). In addition, in the processing device 3 of this example, a convex portion (fin: not shown) is provided on at least one (for example, both) of the inner and outer surfaces of the outer cylindrical member 11 to increase the surface area, and a convex portion (fin: not shown) is provided on at least one (for example, both) of the inner and outer surfaces of the inner cylindrical member 12 to increase the surface area.

[0026] The lower blocking member 13 is an example of a "first blocking member" and is configured to be able to block one end (lower end) of the outer cylindrical member 11 and one end (lower end) of the inner cylindrical member 12. The upper blocking member 14 is an example of a "second blocking member" and is configured to be able to block the other end (upper end) of the outer cylindrical member 11 and the other end (upper end) of the inner cylindrical member 12. In this case, in the processing device 3 of this example, both the lower blocking member 13 and the upper blocking member 14 are formed of a low thermal conductivity material (a material with low heat dissipation: a material with lower thermal conductivity than the material constituting the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12) such as a resin material (acrylic resin or polyvinyl chloride resin, for example).

[0027] In this case, in the treatment device 3 of this example, in a state where the lower blocking member 13 is installed so as to be located lower than the upper blocking member 14 (as an example, a state where the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 are upright so that the cylindrical length direction coincides with the vertical direction), a configuration is adopted in which the water W1 discharged together with the oxygen O from the hydrogen generation device 2 is separated from the oxygen O in the outer space S1 (an example of the "first space") between the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 (an example of a configuration in which the "first space" as "either one of the first space and the second space" functions as the "first separation tank"). Also, in the treatment device 3 of this example, in the inner space S2 (an example of the "second space") in the inner cylindrical member 12, a configuration is adopted in which the water W2 discharged together with the hydrogen gas G from the hydrogen generation device 2 is separated from the hydrogen gas G (an example of a configuration in which the "second space" as "the other of the first space and the second space" functions as the "second separation tank").

[0028] In addition, in the treatment device 3 of this example, the water W for electrolysis to be supplied to the hydrogen generation device 2 is configured to be stored in the outer space S1, and the above-mentioned piping 5 is connected to supply the water W stored in the outer space S1 to the hydrogen generation device 2. In addition, in the treatment device 3 of this example, the water W2 separated from the hydrogen gas G is configured to be stored in the inner space S2, and the hydrogen gas G is configured to float in the water W2 stored in the inner space S2. In addition, in the treatment device 3 of this example in which the outer space S1 and the inner space S2 are separated only by the inner cylindrical member 12, it is possible to mutually exchange heat between the water W1 in the outer space S1 and the water W2 in the inner space S2 through the inner cylindrical member 12 (one example of a configuration in which "the water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank are configured to be able to exchange heat through the inner cylindrical member").

[0029] The water level sensor 15 detects the amount of water W2 stored in the inner space S2 and outputs a detection signal to the control device 9. In this case, in the treatment device 3 of this example, as an example, the water level sensor 15 is configured as a float sensor, and a configuration is adopted in which a detection signal is output to the control device 9 when the amount of stored water W2 reaches a predetermined amount. The piping 16 is a piping that constitutes a "water supply channel that can supply water stored in the second separation tank to the first separation tank", one end of which is connected to the inner space S2 and the other end of which is connected to the outer space S1, and an opening / closing valve 17 that is opened and closed by the control device 9 is disposed therein.

[0030] As an example, the post-treatment device 4 is configured to execute a process of diluting the oxygen O discharged from the treatment device 3 with the atmosphere to a predetermined oxygen concentration and releasing the diluted oxygen O into the atmosphere. Note that in an environment where direct release of oxygen O into the atmosphere is permitted, the post-treatment device 4 may be unnecessary. Also, instead of the post-treatment device 4, a configuration may be adopted in which the oxygen O discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2 is supplied to the fuel cell unit X as fuel. The opening and closing valve 8a is controlled by the control device 9 to open and close, thereby allowing / restricting the supply of water W from the treatment device 3 to the hydrogen generation device 2. The opening and closing valve 8b is controlled by the control device 9 to open and close, thereby allowing / restricting the supply of hydrogen gas G from the treatment device 3 to the fuel cell unit X.

[0031] The control device 9 comprehensively controls the hydrogen supply system 1. Specifically, the control device 9 controls the generation of hydrogen gas G by the hydrogen generation device 2 (electrolysis of water W), the supply of water W to the hydrogen generation device 2 by controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve 8a, the supply of hydrogen gas G to the fuel cell unit X by controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve 8b, and the transfer of water W2 from the inner space S2 to the outer space S1 by controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve 17 based on a detection signal from the water level sensor 15.

[0032] 2, when hydrogen gas G is supplied to the fuel cell unit X by the hydrogen supply system 1, a sufficient amount of water W to be supplied as a raw material for electrolysis in the hydrogen generation device 2 is stored in the outer space S1, and a small amount of water W necessary for humidifying the hydrogen gas G is stored in the inner space S2. In this state, the control device 9 switches the on-off valves 8a, 8b from a closed state to an open state, and controls the hydrogen generation device 2 to start generating hydrogen gas G. As a result, raw material water W is supplied to the hydrogen generation device 2 from the outer space S1 of the processing device 3 via the piping 5, and the water W is electrolyzed in the hydrogen generation device 2, causing hydrogen gas G and oxygen O to be discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2.

[0033] At this time, water W1 is discharged together with oxygen O into the pipe 6a that guides oxygen O discharged from the hydrogen generating device 2 to the processing device 3. The gas-liquid mixed fluid of oxygen O and water W1 is caused to flow into the outer space S1 from the pipe 6a connected to the lower blocking member 13 of the processing device 3, and is separated into oxygen O and water W1 when it is raised in the outer space S1 toward the pipe 6b connected to the upper blocking member 14 of the processing device 3. In addition, the separated oxygen O is discharged from the outer space S1 to the pipe 6b and is caused to flow into the post-processing device 4. As a result, as described above, oxygen O mixed with the atmosphere so as to have a predetermined oxygen concentration in the post-processing device 4 is released into the atmosphere. In addition, the separated water W1 is stored in the outer space S1 so as to be able to be supplied to the hydrogen generating device 2 as a raw material, and is supplied to the hydrogen generating device 2 via the pipe 5 and electrolyzed.

[0034] In addition, water W2 is discharged together with hydrogen gas G to the pipe 7a that guides hydrogen gas G discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2 to the processing device 3. This gas-liquid mixed fluid of hydrogen gas G and water W2 is caused to flow from the pipe 7a connected to the lower blocking member 13 of the processing device 3 into the inner space S2, and is separated into hydrogen gas G and water W2 when it is raised in the inner space S2 toward the pipe 7b connected to the upper blocking member 14 of the processing device 3. In addition, the separated hydrogen gas G is discharged from the inner space S2 to the pipe 7b and supplied to the fuel cell unit X. As a result, in the fuel cell unit X, the hydrogen gas G supplied from the hydrogen supply system 1 reacts with the atmosphere (oxygen) to generate electricity. In addition, the separated water W2 is stored in the inner space S2.

[0035] In this case, the gas-liquid mixed fluid of oxygen O and water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generating device 2 and flowing into the outer space S1 through the pipe 6a as described above is at a higher temperature than the gas-liquid mixed fluid of hydrogen gas G and water W2 discharged from the hydrogen generating device 2 and flowing into the inner space S2 through the pipe 7a. In addition, when hydrogen gas G is generated by the hydrogen generating device 2, the amount of water W1 discharged together with oxygen O per unit time is greater than the amount of water W2 discharged together with hydrogen gas G per unit time. As described above, in the processing device 3 of this example, the outer space S1 and the inner space S2 are separated only by the inner cylindrical member 12, and a configuration is adopted in which the water W (water W1) in the outer space S1 and the water W (water W2) in the inner space S2 exchange heat with each other through the inner cylindrical member 12.

[0036] Therefore, when the gas-liquid mixed fluid of oxygen O and water W1 is caused to flow into the outer space S1 and the gas-liquid mixed fluid of hydrogen gas G and water W2 is caused to flow into the inner space S2 as described above, the water W2 in the inner space S2 is sufficiently heated by heat exchange with the water W1 in the outer space S1. In this case, in the treatment device 3 of this example, as described above, the inner cylindrical member 12 is formed of a high thermal conductivity material, and protrusions (fins) are provided on both the inner and outer surfaces of the inner cylindrical member 12 to increase the surface area of ​​the inner cylindrical member 12. Therefore, the water W1 in the outer space S1 and the water W2 in the inner space S2, which are separated by the inner cylindrical member 12, are suitably heat exchanged, and the temperature of the water W2 in the inner space S2 is sufficiently increased. As a result, the hydrogen gas G that is caused to float within the water W2 stored in the inner space S2 contains sufficient moisture in the gas phase and has sufficient humidity, and in this state is supplied to the fuel cell unit X via piping 7b, thereby reliably preventing the MEA from drying up.

[0037] In order to humidify the hydrogen gas G that is floated in the inner space S2 (in the water W2) to a suitable humidity level as described above, it is preferable to prevent the temperature of the hydrogen gas G and the water W2 from excessively decreasing before flowing into the inner space S2. Therefore, it is preferable to form the pipe 7a that flows the hydrogen gas G and the water W2 from the hydrogen generation device 2 to the processing device 3 from a low thermal conductivity material (a material with low heat dissipation). In addition, when the temperature of the hydrogen gas G that has been sufficiently humidified in the processing device 3 decreases before it is supplied to the fuel cell unit X, the moisture in the gas phase contained in the hydrogen gas G changes to a liquid phase and flows into the fuel cell unit X as water droplets. In such a state, the moisture (water droplets) in the liquid phase may become a resistance to the passage of the hydrogen gas G, so it is preferable to form the pipe 7b that supplies the hydrogen gas G from the processing device 3 to the fuel cell unit X from a low thermal conductivity material (a material with low heat dissipation).

[0038] On the other hand, when the supply of hydrogen gas G to the fuel cell unit X is continued as described above, the amount of water W2 discharged from the hydrogen generating device 2 together with the hydrogen gas G and separated in the inner space S2 gradually increases. When the water level sensor 15 detects that the amount of water W2 stored in the inner space S2 has reached a predetermined amount, it outputs a detection signal to the control device 9. In response to this, the control device 9 switches the on-off valve 17 from a closed state to an open state. At this time, the water W2 in the inner space S2 is sent to the outer space S1 via the piping 16 and stored in the outer space S1 as part of the water W to be supplied to the hydrogen generating device 2. For the water W2 to be sent from the inner space S2 to the outer space S1, a configuration in which the water is sent by utilizing the internal pressure applied to the inner space S2 by the inflow of hydrogen gas G or the like, or a configuration in which the water is sent forcibly by a liquid phase pump (not shown) can be adopted. This makes it possible to effectively use not only the water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generating device 2 together with the oxygen O, but also the water W2 discharged together with the hydrogen gas G as the raw water W.

[0039] In this case, as described above, if the temperature of the water W used as a raw material in generating hydrogen gas G by the hydrogen generating device 2 is too high, the efficiency of electrolysis of the water W decreases, and the generation efficiency of hydrogen gas G decreases. However, in the hydrogen supply system 1 of this example, the temperature of the high-temperature water W1 is sufficiently reduced by heat exchange with the water W2 having a lower temperature than the water W1. In addition, in the hydrogen supply system 1 of this example, as described above, a configuration is adopted in which the water W2 sent from the inner space S2 is merged with the water W1 in the outer space S1 and then supplied to the hydrogen generating device 2. Therefore, in the hydrogen supply system 1 of this example, unlike a configuration in which only the water W1 in the outer space S1 is used as a raw material for generating hydrogen gas G without heat exchange with the water W2 in the inner space S2, a situation in which water W (water W1, W2) with an excessively high temperature that reduces the efficiency of electrolysis is supplied to the hydrogen generating device 2 is suitably avoided.

[0040] Furthermore, in the treatment device 3 of this embodiment, as described above, the outer cylindrical member 11 is made of a high thermal conductivity material, and protrusions (fins) are provided on both the inner and outer surfaces of the outer cylindrical member 11 to increase the surface area of ​​the outer cylindrical member 11. Therefore, heat is appropriately exchanged between the water W1 in the outer space S1 separated by the outer cylindrical member 11 and the atmosphere surrounding the treatment device 3, preventing the water W1 in the outer space S1 from reaching an excessively high temperature, thereby reliably preventing the supply of water W (water W1, W2) at an excessively high temperature to the hydrogen generation device 2.

[0041] Furthermore, when power generation by the fuel cell unit X is stopped, that is, when it becomes unnecessary to supply hydrogen gas G to the fuel cell unit X, the control device 9 switches the on-off valves 8a, 8b from the open state to the closed state. At this time, the supply of water W from the treatment device 3 (outer space S1) to the hydrogen generation device 2 via the pipe 5 is stopped, and the supply of hydrogen gas G from the treatment device 3 (inner space S2) to the fuel cell unit X via the pipe 7b is stopped. In addition, when the on-off valve 8b is switched to the closed state, the water W2 in the treatment device 3 (inner space S2) is prevented from volatilizing and flowing into the fuel cell unit X via the pipe 7b. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary consumption of the water W2 used as a raw material for humidification of the hydrogen gas G and electrolysis by the hydrogen generation device 2.

[0042] In this manner, the processing device 3 includes an outer cylindrical member 11, an inner cylindrical member 12 disposed within the outer cylindrical member 11, a lower blocking member 13 that blocks an opening at one end (lower end) of the outer cylindrical member 11 and an opening at one end (lower end) of the inner cylindrical member 12, and an upper blocking member 14 that blocks an opening at the other end (upper end) of the outer cylindrical member 11 and an opening at the other end (upper end) of the inner cylindrical member 12. When the lower blocking member 13 is installed so as to be positioned lower than the upper blocking member 14, either one of the outer space S1 (first space) between the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 and the inner space S2 (second space) within the inner cylindrical member 12 (in this example, the outer space S1) is a hydrogen generating device 2. The "first separation tank" functions as a "first separation tank" that separates water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2 together with oxygen O from the oxygen O and stores the water, and the other of the outer space S1 and the inner space S2 (in this example, the inner space S2) functions as a "second separation tank" that separates water W2 discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2 together with hydrogen gas G from the hydrogen gas G and stores the water, and the water W1 in the "first separation tank" and the water W2 in the "second separation tank" are configured to be heat exchangeable via the inner cylindrical member 12, the "first separation tank" is configured to be connectable to a piping 5 that supplies the stored water W1 to the hydrogen generation device 2 as "raw water", and the "second separation tank" is configured so that hydrogen gas G floats up in the stored water W2.

[0043] Therefore, according to the processing device 3 and the hydrogen supply system 1, compared to a configuration in which a container for storing water W to be supplied to the hydrogen generation device 2, a separation tank for separating water W1 discharged together with oxygen O from the hydrogen generation device 2 (water supply tank in the configuration disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document), and a separation tank for separating water W1 discharged together with hydrogen gas G from the hydrogen generation device 2 from the hydrogen gas G (water separation section in the configuration disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document) are separately arranged, the outer space S1 and the inner space S2 formed by the double pipe structure function as a "first separation tank" and a "second separation tank", thereby making it possible to reduce the space occupied by both separation tanks and sufficiently miniaturize the hydrogen supply system 1. In addition, the water W2 in the inner space S2 for humidifying the hydrogen gas G can be heated by heat exchange with the water W1 in the outer space S1 without using a heating source such as an electric heater, so that hydrogen gas G with a suitable humidity can be supplied to the fuel cell unit X while sufficiently reducing the manufacturing cost and operation cost of the hydrogen supply system 1.

[0044] Moreover, in this processing device 3, the outer space S1 functions as a "first separation tank" and the inner space S2 functions as a "second separation tank". Therefore, according to this processing device 3 and hydrogen supply system 1, the entire periphery of the inner space S2 (second separation tank) is surrounded by the outer space S1 (first separation tank), so that the water W in the outer space S1 and the water W in the inner space S2 can be appropriately heat exchanged. As a result, the temperature of the water W in the inner space S2 can be sufficiently increased, and the humidity of the hydrogen gas G supplied to the fuel cell unit X can be reliably increased to an appropriate humidity. In addition, since the heat of the water W1 in the "first separation tank" can be dissipated into the atmosphere via the outer cylindrical member 11, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the temperature of the water W (water W1, W2) supplied to the hydrogen generation device 2 becomes excessively high, and thus it is possible to appropriately avoid a decrease in the generation efficiency of the hydrogen gas G by the hydrogen generation device 2.

[0045] Furthermore, the treatment device 3 is provided with a "water supply channel (piping 16 in this example)" that can supply the water W2 stored in the "second separation tank" to the "first separation tank." Therefore, according to the treatment device 3 and the hydrogen supply system 1, not only the water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2 together with oxygen O, but also the water W2 discharged from the hydrogen generation device 2 together with hydrogen gas G can be effectively used as a raw material for electrolysis in the hydrogen generation device 2.

[0046] The configurations of the "processing device" and the "fuel supply system" are not limited to the above-mentioned exemplary configurations of the processing device 3 and the hydrogen supply system 1.

[0047] For example, the processing device 3 has been described as being installed upright so that the cylindrical length direction of the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 coincides with the vertical direction, but the processing device 3 can also be installed at an angle within a range that satisfies the condition that "the lower blocking member 13 is located lower than the upper blocking member 14." Even in the processing device 3 installed in such an installation position, the humidity of the hydrogen gas G flowing into the inner space S2 can be sufficiently increased when the hydrogen gas G floats in the water W2. In addition, the water W2 separated from the hydrogen gas G in the inner space S2 is sent to the outer space S1 via the piping 16, and is supplied from the outer space S1 to the hydrogen generation device 2 as "raw water." However, when a specified amount of water W2 is stored in the inner space S2, the water W2 can also be directly supplied from the inner space S2 to the hydrogen generation device 2 (an example of a configuration without a "water supply channel": not shown).

[0048] Furthermore, the processing apparatus 3 has been described as an example in which the outer space S1 functions as a "first separation tank" and the inner space S2 functions as a "second separation tank", but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the inner space S2 (second space) functions as a "first separation tank" and the outer space S1 (first space) functions as a "second separation tank" (not shown). In addition, the configuration in which hydrogen gas G is supplied to the fuel cell unit X has been described as an example, but the "supply target" is not limited to a "fuel cell unit", and hydrogen gas G that does not contain liquid moisture and has a sufficiently high humidity can also be supplied to, for example, a "hydrogen combustion engine" or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 Hydrogen supply system 2 Hydrogen generator 3 Processing equipment 4 Aftertreatment Device 5,6a,6b,7a,7b,16 Piping 8a, 8b, 17 On-off valve 9. Control Device 11 Outer cylindrical member 12 Inner tubular member 13 Lower blocking member 14 Upper closure member 15 Water level sensor G Hydrogen gas O oxygen S1 outer space S2 inner space W,W1,W2 Water X Fuel Cell Unit

Claims

1. An outer tubular member; an inner tubular member disposed within the outer tubular member; a first closing member closing an opening on one end side of the outer cylindrical member and an opening on one end side of the inner cylindrical member; a second closing member closing an opening at the other end of the outer cylindrical member and an opening at the other end of the inner cylindrical member, In a state in which the first blocking member is installed so as to be located lower than the second blocking member, one of the first space between the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member and the second space in the inner tubular member functions as a first separation tank that separates water discharged together with oxygen from a hydrogen generation device that generates hydrogen by electrolyzing raw water and stores the water, and the other of the first space and the second space functions as a second separation tank that separates water discharged together with hydrogen from the hydrogen generation device and stores the water, and the water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank are configured to be able to exchange heat via the inner tubular member, the first separation tank is configured to be connectable to a water supply pipe for supplying the stored water to the hydrogen generation device as the raw water, The second separation tank is configured so that the hydrogen floats in the stored water.

2. 2. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first space functions as the first separation tank and the second space functions as the second separation tank.

3. 2. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water supply passage for supplying water stored in said second separation tank to said first separation tank.

4. A processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and the hydrogen generating apparatus, a fuel supply system configured to be capable of supplying the hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen generation device and passed through the second separation tank in the treatment device to a supply target.

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