Hydrogen Production System Equipped with a Mixing Chamber for Multi-pressure Hydrogen Produced from a Hybrid Water Electrolysis System

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hydrogen production system equipped with a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system, which can purify hydrogen of different pressures produced in different types of water electrolysis systems, such as PEM, AEM, and AWE, into high-purity hydrogen through a single hydrogen purification system. A hydrogen production system equipped with a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system according to the present invention for solving the above problems comprises: a power supply unit that receives power from an external source; a plurality of water electrolysis systems configured by selecting two or more different methods among PEM, AEM, and AWE methods, or having different system pressures; a mixing chamber in which multi-pressure hydrogen produced by each of the plurality of water electrolysis systems is mixed; and a hydrogen purification system that supplies the hydrogen mixed through the mixing chamber and purifies it into high-purity hydrogen.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydrogen production system equipped with a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system, and more specifically, to a hydrogen production system for purifying hydrogen of different pressures produced in AWE (Alkaline Water Electrolysis), AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis), and PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis) water electrolysis systems, respectively, into high-purity hydrogen using a single hydrogen purification system. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, water electrolysis systems are designed to produce hydrogen and oxygen by electrolyzing water. To increase the electricity production efficiency of these systems, systems are being developed that produce hydrogen by receiving power from eco-friendly power generation systems, such as wind and solar power plants, instead of relying on external grid power from sources like KEPCO.

[0003] In addition, water electrolysis systems are classified into PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis), AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis), and AWE (Alkaline Water Electrolysis) methods. While the AWE method has the disadvantage of a relatively high minimum operating load, it has the advantage of enabling large-scale and stable hydrogen production. On the other hand, the PEM and AEM methods have the advantage of a relatively low minimum operating load, but they have the disadvantage of high system costs and small unit stack capacities.

[0004] Therefore, recently, hybrid water electrolysis systems are being developed that utilize the advantages of PEM, AEM, and AWE water electrolysis systems while complementing their disadvantages.

[0005] As prior art for the above purpose, Registered Patent Publication No. 2544816 discloses a hydrogen production system having water electrolysis facilities with different operating characteristics and a method of operating the same (hereinafter referred to as the 'Patent Document').

[0006] The above patent document comprises: a first type of water electrolysis facility; a second type of water electrolysis facility different from the first type; a hydrogen storage tank SOC estimation unit that estimates the current State of Charge (SOC) of a hydrogen storage tank that stores hydrogen produced from the first type of water electrolysis facility and the second type of water electrolysis facility; a hydrogen demand forecasting unit that predicts the hourly hydrogen demand of a hydrogen demand location to receive hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage tank; a TOU receiving unit that receives the time-of-use (TOU) electricity rate of a power supply company; and a schedule generation unit that generates a schedule for each of the first type of water electrolysis facility and the second type of water electrolysis facility based on the operating characteristics of the first type of water electrolysis facility, the operating characteristics of the second type of water electrolysis facility, the current SOC of the hydrogen storage tank, the hourly hydrogen demand of the hydrogen demand location, and the TOU, so as to minimize total power consumption during a preset time from the present. The method comprises a water electrolysis facility control unit that controls the first type of water electrolysis facility and the second type of water electrolysis facility according to a schedule generated by the schedule generation unit, wherein the first type of water electrolysis facility includes at least one AEL (ALK) water electrolysis device and the second type of water electrolysis facility includes at least one PEMEL (PEM) water electrolysis device, wherein the amount of hydrogen produced in the first type of water electrolysis facility is the total amount of hydrogen produced by the at least one AEL (ALK) water electrolysis device and the amount of hydrogen produced in the second type of water electrolysis facility is the total amount of hydrogen produced by the at least one PEMEL (PEM) water electrolysis device.

[0007] However, the aforementioned patent document describes the production of hydrogen through different types of water electrolysis systems. Since the hydrogen produced through these different systems differs in pressure and flow rate due to different operating characteristics, it is necessary to use separate hydrogen purification systems or supply hydrogen alternately to purify the produced hydrogen into high-purity hydrogen. Consequently, there is a problem in that the cost of constructing the hydrogen purification system increases or the time required for hydrogen purification increases.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to develop a hydrogen production system with an improved structure that can purify hydrogen of different pressures produced from different types of water electrolysis systems into high-purity hydrogen using a single hydrogen purification system. Prior art literature

[0009] KR 10-2544816 B1 (2023. 06. 13.)KR 10-2025-0084095 A (2025. 06. 10.)KR 10-2896813 B1 (2025. 12. 02.)KR 10-0896455 B1 (2009. 04.) 29.) The problem to be solved

[0010] The present invention was devised to solve the problems of the conventional hybrid water electrolysis system as described above. The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a hydrogen production system equipped with a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system, which can purify hydrogen of different pressures produced in different types of water electrolysis systems, such as PEM, AEM, and AWE, into high-purity hydrogen through a single hydrogen purification system. means of solving the problem

[0011] A hydrogen production system equipped with a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system according to the present invention for solving the above problems comprises: a power supply unit that receives power from an external source; a plurality of water electrolysis systems configured in two or more different ways among PEM, AEM, and AWE methods or having different system pressures; a mixing chamber in which multi-pressure hydrogen produced in each of the plurality of water electrolysis systems is mixed; and a hydrogen purification system that supplies the mixed hydrogen through the mixing chamber and purifies it into high-purity hydrogen.

[0012] Another feature of the present invention is that multiple buffer tanks are further installed in the flow path between the plurality of water electrolysis systems and the mixing chamber, wherein multiple pressure hydrogen produced by each of the plurality of water electrolysis systems is stored.

[0013] In addition, another feature of the present invention is that a pressure regulating device for controlling the hydrogen pressure within the flow path is further installed in the flow path between the plurality of water electrolysis systems and the plurality of buffer tanks.

[0014] In addition, another feature of the present invention is that a pretreatment device is further installed in the flow path between the mixing chamber and the buffer tank to remove foreign substances, including trace particles contained in hydrogen and electrode residues. Effects of the invention

[0015] According to the present invention, when operating a water electrolysis system of the PEM, AEM, and AWE types in an integrated manner, hydrogen of multiple pressures produced through each system is supplied in synchronization with the pressure of a buffer tank through a pressure regulator, then mixed in a mixing chamber and supplied to a single hydrogen purification system. Thus, hydrogen produced from different types of water electrolysis systems can be purified to high purity without delay, and thereby, the equipment can be simplified relatively compared to the conventional method, and there is an advantage of improving hydrogen production efficiency. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a hydrogen production system equipped with a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a power prediction supply unit according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] The present invention aims to provide a hydrogen production system equipped with a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system, which can purify hydrogen of different pressures produced in different types of water electrolysis systems, such as PEM, AEM, and AWE, into high-purity hydrogen through a single hydrogen purification system. As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention includes a power supply unit (10), a water electrolysis system (20), a mixing chamber (30), a hydrogen purification system (40), a buffer tank (50), a pressure regulator (60), and a pretreatment device (70).

[0019] The power supply unit (10) is configured to supply power to the water electrolysis system (20) described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply unit (10) may include an eco-friendly power generation system (11) that produces renewable energy power by being selected from one or more of wind power, solar power, wave power, and tidal power generation, and an external power grid (12) that receives grid power from KEPCO or the Korea Power Exchange.

[0020] And the power supply unit (10) may further include a power prediction supply unit (13) composed of a control device including a processor, memory and a communication module to selectively store surplus power or supply grid power according to the amount of power supplied through the eco-friendly power generation system (11).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, this power prediction and supply unit (13) comprises a renewable energy generation amount prediction unit (13A) that predicts the amount of renewable energy generated through an eco-friendly power generation system (11) based on real-time weather data from the meteorological agency, an external power information collection unit (13B) that collects real-time power rate information of grid power supplied through an external power grid (12) and information on the supply and demand status of grid power, an energy storage device status detection unit (13C) that detects the charge rate, charge / dischargeable power, and temperature of an energy storage device (16), a power supply switching unit (13D) that causes one of the power selected among renewable energy, grid, and energy storage device to be supplied to a water electrolysis system (20) described later, and controls the power supplied to the water electrolysis system (20) by controlling the operation of the power supply switching unit (13D) based on information obtained through the renewable energy generation amount prediction unit (13A), the external power information collection unit (13B), and the energy storage device status detection unit (13C). It can be configured to include a control unit (13E).

[0022] At this time, the control unit (13E) is configured to collect real-time weather information from the meteorological agency, and thereby the real-time power generation amount of the eco-friendly power generation system (11) is predicted through the power prediction supply unit (13).

[0023] And the power supply unit (10) may be configured to include a transformer (14) that converts the voltage of the power supplied to the water electrolysis system (4) to a preset voltage, an AC / DC converter (18) that converts AC power to DC power and a rectifier (18), and also a power conversion device (15) for storing the surplus power converted through the transformer (14) in an energy storage device (16).

[0024] Through the configuration of the power supply unit (10) as described above, the amount of power produced in the eco-friendly power generation system (11) is predicted, and one of the selected powers, either grid power or eco-friendly power, is controlled to be supplied to the water electrolysis system (20). By doing so, the amount of grid power used to produce hydrogen through the water electrolysis system (20) can be reduced, thereby lowering the production cost of hydrogen.

[0025] In addition, at the same time, surplus electricity produced in the eco-friendly power generation system (11) can be controlled to be stored in the energy storage device (16) and then supplied to the water electrolysis system (20) when necessary, thereby increasing the efficiency of using the eco-friendly electricity produced in the eco-friendly power generation system (11).

[0026] The water electrolysis system (20) is configured to produce hydrogen by electrolyzing water when power is supplied from the power supply unit (10). This water electrolysis system (10) may be configured with two or more different methods among the known PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis), AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis), and AWE (Alkaline Water Electrolysis) methods, or may be configured to have different system pressures.

[0027] At this time, the AEM and AWE methods can be configured as atmospheric pressure type and pressurized type (~32 bar), and the PEM method can be configured as atmospheric pressure type and pressurized type (~32 bar or higher).

[0028] This water electrolysis system (20) is configured to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity and comprises a water electrolysis stack in which a plurality of cells are stacked, including an anode electrode (not shown), a cathode electrode (not shown), a membrane (not shown), a separator (not shown), an end plate (not shown), and a gasket (not shown).

[0029] The mixing chamber (30) is configured to mix hydrogen of multiple pressures produced in each of the multiple water electrolysis systems (20) configured in different ways and supply it to a single hydrogen purification system (40) described later.

[0030] This mixing chamber (30) is configured as a tank having a predetermined size and is installed on a hydrogen flow path connecting a plurality of water electrolysis systems (20) and a hydrogen purification system (40), and a check valve (not shown) may be installed in the flow path connected to the mixing chamber (30) so that hydrogen introduced into the mixing chamber (30) does not flow back.

[0031] Through the mixing chamber (30) described above, hydrogen of multiple pressures produced by multiple water electrolysis systems (20) having different operating characteristics is mixed inside the mixing chamber (30) and the pressure and flow rate are controlled to be constant, and then supplied to the hydrogen purification system (40) described later, thereby enabling stable operation of the hydrogen purification system (40).

[0032] A hydrogen purification system (40, TSA) is configured to purify hydrogen mixed through a mixing chamber (30) into high-purity hydrogen. This hydrogen purification system (40) may be configured to include a catalytic reaction tank (not shown) for converting and removing residual oxygen contained in the hydrogen into water, a cooler (not shown) and a heat exchanger (not shown) for cooling the hydrogen and water that have passed through the catalytic reaction tank, a gas-liquid separator (not shown) for separating the gaseous hydrogen and liquid water that have been cooled through the heat exchanger, a dryer (not shown) for adsorbing and removing moisture contained in the hydrogen supplied through the gas-liquid separator, and a buffer tank (not shown) for storing the high-purity hydrogen purified through the dryer.

[0033] The buffer tank (50) is configured to store hydrogen of multiple pressures produced through multiple water electrolysis systems (20) and supply it to the mixing chamber (30) at a constant flow rate, and as shown in FIG. 1, each of these buffer tanks (50) is installed on the flow path connecting the multiple water electrolysis systems (20) and the mixing chamber (30).

[0034] Additionally, a check valve may be installed in the flow path between the buffer tank (50) and the plurality of water electrolysis systems (20) to prevent backflow of hydrogen stored in the buffer tank (50).

[0035] In addition, a pressure sensor (not shown) for detecting the pressure of hydrogen stored inside the buffer tank (50) may be installed, and a control valve (not shown) in which the opening amount of the flow path is controlled by a control unit may be installed on the flow path connecting the buffer tank (50) and the mixing chamber (30).

[0036] The pressure regulating device (60) is installed in the flow path between a plurality of water electrolysis systems (20) and a plurality of buffer tanks (50) and is configured to regulate hydrogen of multiple pressures to a preset pressure and supply it to the buffer tanks (50).

[0037] Through this pressure regulating device (60), the pressure of hydrogen stored inside a plurality of buffer tanks (50) is maintained at a constant level according to a preset pressure, and thereby, the pressure and flow rate of hydrogen supplied to the mixing chamber (30) are maintained at a constant level simply by supplying a constant flow rate from the buffer tanks (50) to the mixing chamber (30).

[0038] The pressure regulating device (60) described above can be easily selected and implemented by a person skilled in the art from among various types of pressure regulating devices that are known and widely used, such as pressure reducing valves, back pressure valves, safety valves, and relief valves, and therefore, a detailed description of the configuration of the pressure regulating device (60) is omitted.

[0039] The pretreatment device (70) is installed on the flow path between the mixing chamber (30) and the buffer tank (50). Although there are almost no impurities in PEM and AEM type water electrolysis systems, in the case of an alkaline (AWE, or ALK) water electrolysis system, foreign substances such as trace particles, electrode residues, and minute amounts of electrolyte mist (KOH mist) may be contained in the hydrogen. Therefore, the pretreatment device (70) is configured to remove foreign substances contained in the hydrogen produced in the alkaline (AWE, or ALK) water electrolysis system.

[0040] This pretreatment device (70) may be configured to include a cartridge filter, a dryer, and a scrubber, and through this, foreign substances contained in the hydrogen are naturally adsorbed and removed during the process in which hydrogen stored in the buffer tank (50) is supplied to the mixing chamber (30).

[0041] As explained above, in the integrated operation of PEM, AEM, and AWE type water electrolysis systems, hydrogen of multiple pressures produced through each system is supplied in synchronization with the pressure of a buffer tank through a pressure regulator, then mixed in a mixing chamber and supplied to a single hydrogen purification system. Consequently, hydrogen produced from different types of water electrolysis systems can be purified to high purity without delay, thereby simplifying the equipment relatively compared to conventional methods and improving hydrogen production efficiency.

[0042] For the convenience of explanation, drawings illustrating preferred embodiments and configurations shown in the drawings have been described above using reference numerals and names; however, as this is merely one embodiment according to the present invention, the scope of the rights should not be interpreted as being limited to the shapes shown in the drawings and the names assigned thereto. It is considered entirely obvious that modifications to various shapes predictable from the description of the invention and simple substitutions with configurations having the same function fall within the scope of modifications that a person skilled in the art can easily implement. Explanation of the symbols

[0043] 10: Power Supply Unit 11: Eco-friendly Power Generation System 12: External power grid 13: Power forecasting and supply unit 13A: Renewable Energy Generation Forecasting Unit 13B: External Power Information Collection Unit 13C: Energy storage device status detection unit 13D: Power supply switching unit 13E: Control unit 14: Transformer 15: Power converter 16: Energy storage device 17: AC / DC converter 18: Rectifier 20: Water electrolysis system 21: First water electrolysis system 22: Second water electrolysis system 30: Mixing chamber 40: Hydrogen purification system 50: Buffer tank 60: Pressure regulator 70: Pretreatment device

Claims

Claim 1 A hydrogen production system equipped with a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system, comprising: a power supply unit (10) receiving power from an external source; a plurality of water electrolysis systems (20) configured with two or more different methods among PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis), AEM (Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis), and AWE (Alkaline Water Electrolysis) or having different system pressures; a mixing chamber (30) in which multi-pressure hydrogen produced by each of the plurality of water electrolysis systems (20) is mixed; and a hydrogen purification system (40) in which the hydrogen mixed through the mixing chamber (30) is supplied and purified into high-purity hydrogen; wherein a plurality of buffer tanks (50) in which multi-pressure hydrogen produced by each of the plurality of water electrolysis systems (20) is stored are installed in the flow path between the plurality of water electrolysis systems (20) and the mixing chamber (30). Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A hydrogen production system having a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system, characterized in that, in claim 1, a pressure regulating device (60) for regulating hydrogen pressure within a flow path is further installed in a flow path between the plurality of water electrolysis systems (20) and the plurality of buffer tanks (50). Claim 4 A hydrogen production system having a mixing chamber for multi-pressure hydrogen produced in a hybrid water electrolysis system, characterized in that, in claim 1, a pretreatment device (70) for removing foreign substances including trace particles contained in hydrogen and electrode residues is further installed in the flow path between the mixing chamber (30) and the buffer tank (50).

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