Methanol direct current power generation system and electrically driven mobile machine

Abstract

The application discloses a methanol direct-current power generation system and a mobile machine driven by electric power, and relates to the field of power generation systems. The system comprises a methanol reformer, which can receive externally input methanol fuel and generate hydrogen-rich gas by using the methanol fuel; a hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, which can receive and store the hydrogen-rich gas generated by the methanol reformer at a constant pressure; a hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, which can receive the hydrogen-rich gas from the methanol reformer and / or the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, and burn the received hydrogen-rich gas to generate mechanical power and output the mechanical power through a power output end; a direct-current generator, which is connected with the power output end of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, and is provided with a first power output end capable of outputting direct-current power; and a controller, which is electrically connected with the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and the direct-current generator, and can control the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and the direct-current generator respectively. The system forms a high-efficiency and reliable methanol fuel utilization mode.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of direct current power generation, in particular to a methanol direct current power generation system and a mobile machine driven by electric power. BACKGROUND

[0002] Mobile machines, including road vehicles (such as cars), off-road vehicles (such as loaders), ships (such as tourist passenger ships), and aircraft (such as unmanned aerial vehicles), etc., generally use traditional gasoline-fueled internal combustion engines for direct driving. With the development of the times, more and more attention is paid to environmental protection, and the use of clean and environmentally friendly new energy power has become a trend in the industry.

[0003] Existing new energy power mostly uses electric driving mode of power batteries, which is widely used and rapidly developed. In addition, methanol is also an excellent clean fuel. In theory, methanol combustion only produces CO2 and H2O. Compared with gasoline engines, methanol fuel engines will greatly improve engine emissions, especially the emission of pollutants will be greatly reduced. However, due to the large latent heat of vaporization of methanol, the same mass of methanol liquid vaporization absorbs 3.58 times the heat of gasoline. At the same time, the flash point of methanol is low, and it is very difficult to start a methanol engine from a cold state when the ambient temperature is lower than 15℃. In addition, the corrosion and wear problems of pure methanol internal combustion engines are difficult to solve.

[0004] An existing cold start scheme of a methanol engine is a gasoline-methanol dual-fuel engine. When the ambient temperature is lower than a set temperature, gasoline is used to start a hot engine, and then switched to methanol fuel. However, this scheme increases the complexity of the system because it needs to use two sets of controllers and control strategies for gasoline and methanol.

[0005] Therefore, the present application is proposed. SUMMARY

[0006] The purpose of the present application is to provide a methanol direct current power generation system and a mobile machine driven by electric power, which can convert methanol as fuel into electric energy, avoid the corrosion and wear problems of directly using methanol as fuel for internal combustion engines, and the system complexity problem caused by dual fuel, thereby solving the above technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] The purpose of the present application is achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0008] A methanol direct current power generation system, comprising:

[0009] A methanol reformer is provided with a methanol fuel inlet and a hydrogen-rich gas outlet, and can receive externally input methanol fuel and generate hydrogen-rich gas using the methanol fuel;

[0010] A hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is connected with the hydrogen-rich gas outlet of the methanol reformer, and can receive and store the hydrogen-rich gas generated by the methanol reformer at a constant pressure;

[0011] A hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine is connected with the methanol reformer and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber respectively, and can receive the hydrogen-rich gas from the methanol reformer and / or the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, and burn the received hydrogen-rich gas as fuel to generate mechanical power through a power output end;

[0012] A direct current generator is connected with the power output end of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, and is provided with a first power output end and can output direct current power;

[0013] A controller is electrically connected with the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and the direct current generator respectively, and can control the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and the direct current generator respectively.

[0014] A mobile machine driven by electric power comprises a driving motor for providing moving power, and further comprises the methanol direct current power generation system provided by the present application, and the power output end of the methanol direct current power generation system is electrically connected with the power input end of the driving motor.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the methanol direct current power generation system and the mobile machine driven by electric power provided by the present application have the following beneficial effects:

[0016] By arranging the organically connected methanol reformer, hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, direct current generator and controller, a methanol direct current power generation system capable of using methanol reforming to generate hydrogen-rich gas is formed, and the methanol direct current power generation system can eliminate the low-temperature cold start difficulty and wear and corrosion problem of the pure methanol internal combustion engine by using methanol reforming in combination with the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine; by changing the pure methanol internal combustion engine into an internal combustion engine mainly burning hydrogen-rich gas, the pure methanol internal combustion engine with frequent original working conditions is changed into a part of the direct current generator with relatively stable operating conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiment description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative effort based on these drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of the methanol direct current power generation system provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in the figure;

[0019] Figure 2A schematic block diagram of one example of a methanol direct current power generation system provided by embodiments of the present application, wherein the system does not include a power battery;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of another example of a methanol direct current power generation system provided by embodiments of the present application, wherein the system includes a power battery.

[0021] Reference numerals: 100 - methanol direct current power generation system; 110 - methanol reformer; 111 - evaporation chamber; 112 - catalytic chamber; 113 - methanol fuel pump; 114 - methanol fuel storage tank; 115 - heat exchange assembly; 116 - electric heater; 117 - booster pump; 120 - hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber; 121 - stop valve; 130 - hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine; 140 - direct current generator; 150 - controller; 160 - power battery; 210 - drive motor; 220 - power battery. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in combination with the specific contents of the present application; obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments, which do not constitute a limitation to the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making any creative efforts fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0023] First, the terms possibly used in the present text are explained as follows:

[0024] The term "and / or" means either of the two or both can be realized, for example, X and / or Y means three cases including "X" or "Y" or "X and Y".

[0025] The terms "include", "contain", "have", "possess" or other similar semantic descriptions should be interpreted as non-exclusive inclusion. For example: including a technical feature element (such as raw materials, components, ingredients, carriers, dosage forms, materials, sizes, parts, components, mechanisms, devices, steps, processes, methods, reaction conditions, processing conditions, parameters, algorithms, signals, data, products or articles, etc.) should be interpreted as not only including the explicitly listed technical feature element, but also including other technical feature elements not explicitly listed in the art.

[0026] The term "consisting of' shall be used in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION only to specify that the named technical features are all that is deemed as being encompassed by the claim. The use of such term in a claim shall not be interpreted as admitting that the claim is closed, and that it does not encompass technical features not expressly listed in the claim. If such term is used in a certain clause of the claim, it shall only limit the elements expressly listed in that clause, and the elements recited in other clauses shall not be excluded from the overall claim.

[0027] Unless specifically stated otherwise, the terms "mounting", "connected", "connecting", "fixed", "fixedly connected", and the like, shall be construed broadly, for example, they can be fixed connections, or detachable connections, or integrally connected; they can be mechanical connections, or electrical connections; they can be direct connections, or indirect connections through an intermediate medium, or communication between the internal elements of two components. The specific meaning of the above terms in this document can be understood according to the specific circumstances by those skilled in the art.

[0028] When the concentration, temperature, pressure, size or other parameters are expressed in the form of a numerical range, the numerical range shall be understood as specifically disclosing all ranges formed by any upper limit value, lower limit value, preferred value within the numerical range, regardless of whether the range is explicitly recited; for example, if the numerical range "2-8" is recited, the numerical range shall be interpreted as including "2-7", "2-6", "5-7", "3-4 and 6-7", "3-5 and 7", "2 and 5-7", etc. ranges. Unless otherwise stated, the numerical ranges recited herein include all integers and fractions within the numerical range, including the end values.

[0029] The terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", and the like, indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplification of description, and do not mean that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting herein.

[0030] The methanol direct current power generation system and the electrically driven mobile machine provided by the present application are described in detail below. The contents not described in detail in the embodiments of the present application are the prior art known to those skilled in the art. If no specific conditions are specified in the embodiments of the present application, the conventional conditions or the conditions recommended by the manufacturer are used. If no manufacturer is specified for the reagents or instruments used in the embodiments of the present application, they are all conventional products that can be purchased on the market.

[0031] AsFigure 1 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides a methanol direct current power generation system, comprising:

[0032] A methanol reformer, provided with a methanol fuel inlet and a hydrogen-rich gas outlet, capable of receiving externally input methanol fuel and generating hydrogen-rich gas by using the methanol fuel;

[0033] A hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, connected with the hydrogen-rich gas outlet of the methanol reformer, capable of receiving and pressure-storing the hydrogen-rich gas generated by the methanol reformer;

[0034] A hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, connected with the methanol reformer and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber respectively, capable of receiving hydrogen-rich gas from the methanol reformer and / or the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, and combusting the received hydrogen-rich gas as fuel to generate mechanical power through a power output end;

[0035] A direct current generator, connected with the power output end of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, provided with a first power output end, capable of outputting direct current power;

[0036] A controller, electrically connected with the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and the direct current generator respectively, capable of controlling the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and the direct current generator respectively.

[0037] The system further comprises a heat exchange assembly arranged at the methanol reformer, connected with the exhaust gas output end of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, capable of transferring heat of the exhaust gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to the methanol reformer through heat exchange to increase the temperature of the methanol reformer.

[0038] The system further comprises:

[0039] A power battery, electrically connected with the first power output end of the direct current generator, capable of storing the power output by the direct current generator;

[0040] The power battery is provided with a second power output end, capable of outputting direct current power.

[0041] The system further comprises:

[0042] An electric heater, arranged at the methanol reformer, electrically connected with the second power output end of the power battery, capable of heating the methanol reformer by using power.

[0043] In the system, the methanol reformer comprises:

[0044] An evaporation chamber and a catalysis chamber located downstream of the evaporation chamber, the evaporation chamber and the catalysis chamber are respectively provided with a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor;

[0045] The first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are electrically connected to the controller, and can send the acquired temperature to the controller;

[0046] The electric heater comprises a first electric heater and a second electric heater arranged at the evaporation chamber and the catalytic chamber respectively; the first electric heater and the second electric heater are electrically connected to the second power output end of the power battery, and the first electric heater and the second electric heater are electrically connected to the controller, and can be controlled by the controller according to the temperature sent by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor respectively.

[0047] In the system, the volume of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is set according to the following conditions:

[0048] (1) When the pressure in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is above the first threshold value, the hydrogen-rich gas storage amount in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is sufficient for the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to complete cold start and run to the exhaust gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine heating the methanol reformer to above the working temperature;

[0049] (2) When the pressure in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is below the first threshold pressure and above the second threshold value, the hydrogen-rich gas storage amount in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is sufficient for the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to complete cold start but insufficient for the exhaust gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to heat the methanol reformer to above the working temperature; and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is configured to have a pressure resistance value exceeding the first threshold value.

[0050] In the system, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is connected to the hydrogen-rich gas outlet of the methanol reformer through a booster pump;

[0051] The hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine is connected to the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber through a pipeline provided with a shut-off valve, and the shut-off valve is electrically connected to the controller;

[0052] The hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is provided with a pressure sensor electrically connected to the controller, and the controller can control the opening and closing of the shut-off valve according to the measurement value of the pressure sensor.

[0053] The system further comprises:

[0054] The methanol fuel storage tank is connected to the methanol fuel inlet of the methanol reformer.

[0055] The embodiment of the present application also provides a mobile machine driven by electric power, comprising a driving motor for providing moving power, and further comprising the methanol direct-current power generation system, and the power output end of the methanol direct-current power generation system is electrically connected with the power input end of the driving motor. The mobile machine can be a vehicle, a loader, a ship or an aircraft.

[0056] As can be seen from the above, the methanol direct-current power generation system and the mobile machine driven by electric power have the following advantages. The methanol direct-current power generation system is provided with an organically connected methanol reformer, a hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, a hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, a direct-current generator and a controller, and constitutes a methanol direct-current power generation system capable of using methanol reforming to generate hydrogen-rich gas. The methanol direct-current power generation system can eliminate the low-temperature cold start difficulty and the wear and corrosion problem of the pure methanol internal combustion engine by using methanol reforming in combination with the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine. The pure methanol internal combustion engine is changed into an internal combustion engine mainly burning hydrogen-rich gas, so that the pure methanol internal combustion engine with frequent original working conditions is changed into a part of the direct-current generator with relatively stable operating conditions.

[0057] In order to more clearly show the technical solutions provided by the present application and the technical effects generated, the methanol direct-current power generation system and the mobile machine driven by electric power provided by the embodiment of the present application are described in detail below with specific embodiments.

[0058] Embodiment 1

[0059] As shown in Figure 1 , the embodiment of the present application provides a methanol direct-current power generation system for a mobile machine driven by electric power, comprising:

[0060] a methanol reformer connected to a methanol fuel storage tank by a methanol fuel pump for receiving methanol fuel and generating hydrogen-rich gas by using the methanol fuel;

[0061] a hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber connected to the methanol reformer for receiving the generated hydrogen-rich gas from the methanol reformer and keeping the hydrogen-rich gas at a certain pressure;

[0062] a hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine connected to the methanol reformer and connected to the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber by a shut-off valve for receiving hydrogen-rich gas from the methanol reformer and / or the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber and burning the received hydrogen-rich gas as fuel to generate mechanical power, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine having a power output end;

[0063] a direct-current generator connected to the power output end of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to receive power therefrom and having a first power output end for outputting direct-current power, the direct-current power being capable of being used to drive a driving motor of the mobile machine;

[0064] and a controller connected to and controlling the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and the direct current generator, respectively.

[0065] By such a structure, the methanol fuel is not directly combusted in the internal combustion engine, but is reformed to produce hydrogen-rich gas as the fuel of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine; and the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine does not directly output mechanical power to the vehicle, but drives the direct current generator to generate direct current power, thereby forming a way of efficiently and reliably utilizing the methanol fuel. Moreover, the system can perfectly integrate the methanol fuel direct current power generation system into the electrically driven mobile machine, forming a new type of hybrid mobile machine which is both energy-saving and emission-reducing.

[0066] By separately setting the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber with a certain volume as described above, the cold start of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine can be quickly completed without other auxiliary heating devices, making the system more reliable and energy-saving. A particular benefit of using the specially set hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber for cold start is that the traditional hydrogen-rich gas buffer module can be omitted or minimized, ensuring the efficiency and compactness of the normal operation line from the methanol reformer to the buffer to the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine. In addition, by such a structure, the high-temperature exhaust gas discharged by the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine is fully utilized to provide the temperature conditions for the methanol reformer to produce hydrogen-rich gas, thereby significantly improving the system efficiency of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, i.e. improving the overall efficiency of the power system. It should be noted that for mobile machines used for operation, these benefits have particularly obvious commercial value.

[0067] Preferably, the above system further comprises a heat exchange assembly provided at the methanol reformer, the heat exchange assembly being connected to the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to receive the exhaust gas from the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and transfer the heat of the exhaust gas to the methanol reformer by heat exchange to increase the temperature of the methanol reformer. By providing the heat exchange assembly, the heat of the exhaust gas is fully utilized, and the efficiency of the entire methanol direct current power generation system for electrically driven mobile machines is further improved.

[0068] Preferably, the above system further comprises a power battery connected to the first power output end of the direct current generator and chargeable by the direct current power output by the direct current generator, the power battery having a second power output end and being connectable to a drive motor of the mobile machine to output power from the power battery to the drive motor.

[0069] Preferably, the system further comprises an electric heater arranged at the methanol reformer for heating the methanol reformer by electricity. Preferably, the electric heater is electrically connected to the second power output of the power battery, and the electric heater is arranged such that, in the case that the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber or the hydrogen-rich gas in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is insufficient to cold start the entire system and bring it into normal working state, the power battery can provide abundant electricity to the methanol reformer to rapidly bring the methanol reformer into working temperature.

[0070] Preferably, the methanol reformer of the system comprises an evaporation chamber and a catalytic chamber arranged downstream of the evaporation chamber, and the evaporation chamber and the catalytic chamber are respectively provided with a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, and the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are respectively electrically connected to the controller. Further, the electric heater comprises a first electric heater and a second electric heater arranged at the evaporation chamber and the catalytic chamber respectively, and the first electric heater and the second electric heater are respectively electrically connected to the second power output of the power battery and electrically connected to the controller, and the controller can control the first electric heater and the second electric heater according to the temperature values of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor respectively. This structure enables the controller to finely control the corresponding electric heater according to the respective temperatures of the evaporation chamber and the catalytic chamber, and to achieve the heating purpose in an efficient and energy-saving manner.

[0071] Preferably, in the system, the volume of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber satisfies the following conditions:

[0072] (1) When the pressure in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is above the first threshold value, the hydrogen-rich gas storage amount is sufficient for the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to complete cold start and run until the exhaust gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine heats the methanol reformer to above the working temperature;

[0073] (2) When the pressure in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is below the first threshold pressure and above the second threshold value, the hydrogen-rich gas storage amount is sufficient for the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to complete cold start but insufficient to run until the exhaust gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine heats the methanol reformer to above the working temperature; and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is configured to have a pressure resistance value exceeding the first threshold value.

[0074] Preferably, the system further comprises a third temperature sensor arranged at the methanol reformer and electrically connected to the controller, which can measure the temperature of the methanol reformer and send it to the controller. Through the third temperature sensor, the controller can efficiently and reliably control the operation of the methanol reformer.

[0075] Preferably, in the above system, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is connected to the methanol reformer through a booster pump, and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is provided with a pressure sensor, and the controller controls the opening and closing of the stop valve according to the measurement result of the pressure sensor. By providing a booster pump, the hydrogen-rich gas output from the methanol reformer can be pressurized to increase and maintain the pressure in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber; by providing a pressure sensor, the controller can automatically control the starting mode according to the measurement value of the pressure sensor to achieve efficient and reliable cold start.

[0076] Preferably, the above system further comprises: a methanol fuel storage tank connected to the methanol reformer.

[0077] Embodiment 2

[0078] The methanol direct current power generation system according to the embodiments of the present application can be used in electrically powered mobile machines such as pure electrically driven vehicles. For the sake of simplicity, the following will take electrically powered vehicles as an example for introduction.

[0079] The electrically powered vehicle includes a driving motor and in some cases a power battery. The methanol direct current power generation system according to the embodiments of the present application using methanol fuel as raw material can provide electric power for the vehicle or its power battery. The methanol direct current power generation system is a direct current power generation system using methanol fuel as raw material, in which the methanol fuel is processed to generate hydrogen-rich gas, and the hydrogen-rich gas is used to drive an internal combustion engine to drive a direct current generator to generate direct current power, which can be used to power the driving motor, and can be used to charge the power battery of the vehicle and / or the power battery possessed by the methanol direct current power generation system itself.

[0080] Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of the methanol direct current power generation system for electrically powered mobile machines according to the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 The methanol direct current power generation system 100 mainly includes the following units: 1) a methanol reformer 110 for receiving methanol fuel and generating hydrogen-rich gas using the methanol fuel; 2) a hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 for receiving hydrogen-rich gas from the methanol reformer and maintaining the hydrogen-rich gas at a certain pressure; 3) a hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 for receiving hydrogen-rich gas and burning the received hydrogen-rich gas as fuel to generate mechanical power; 4) a direct current generator 140 receiving power from the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and outputting direct current power, which can be used to drive the driving motor 210 of the mobile machine; and 5) a controller 150 connected to the above units and used to control the above units.

[0081] Next, the methanol direct current power generation system 100 will be introduced in more detail with reference to Figure 2 and Figure 3

[0082] ​The methanol reformer 110 of the methanol direct current power generation system 100 generates hydrogen-rich gas from methanol or a methanol solution, and preferably includes a vaporization chamber 111 and a catalytic chamber 112. The methanol reformer 110 is connected to a methanol fuel storage tank 114 by a methanol fuel pump 113. Optionally, the methanol fuel storage tank 114 and the methanol fuel pump 113 are part of the methanol direct current power generation system 100. As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 The vaporization chamber 111 is connected to the methanol fuel storage tank 114. The methanol fuel pump 113 is disposed between the methanol fuel storage tank 114 and the vaporization chamber 111 for pumping methanol fuel from the methanol fuel storage tank 114 to the vaporization chamber 111. Downstream of the vaporization chamber 111 is the catalytic chamber 112, and the methanol vapor generated by the vaporization chamber 111 is delivered to the catalytic chamber 112 downstream and catalytically reacted with a catalyst therein to generate hydrogen-rich gas.

[0083] In some embodiments, the methanol fuel is pure methanol. It is understood that pure methanol herein is not in an ideal state of being 100% methanol, but can contain impurities within an allowable range, for example, having a purity of 99.9% or more. Hydrogen-rich gas refers to a mixture of gases with hydrogen as the main component, but not high-purity hydrogen. The hydrogen-rich gas is mainly composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. In other embodiments, the methanol fuel can be composed of methanol and water in a certain ratio, and in this case the hydrogen-rich gas is mainly composed of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Of course, in both cases, the catalyst used will be different, and the composition of the catalyst is not the focus of the present application and will not be described in detail here.

[0084] Temperature sensors can also be provided inside the vaporization chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112, respectively, for measuring the temperature of the vaporization chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112. The temperature data is transmitted to the controller 150. In some embodiments, the controller 150 can control the operation and stop of the electric heater 116 to be described below according to the above-mentioned temperature data.

[0085] The outlet of the methanol reformer 110 is connected to a hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120. The outlet of the methanol reformer 110 is also connected to a fuel inlet of a hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130. The fuel inlet of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 is also connected to the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 through a shut-off valve 121, for example, a solenoid valve.

[0086] The hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 receives hydrogen-rich gas from the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 at cold start and starts the internal combustion engine using the hydrogen-rich gas as fuel. The output shaft of the internal combustion engine 130 is connected to a direct current generator 140. When the internal combustion engine 130 is operating, the direct current generator 140 is driven to output direct current power.

[0087] In Figure 2In the illustrated example, the DC generator 140 can provide power directly to the drive motor 210 of the mobile machine / vehicle under the control of the controller 150 as needed, or charge the power battery 220 of the mobile machine / vehicle, or provide power to the drive motor 210 while charging the power battery 220. The power battery 220 can provide power to the drive motor 210 alone or in parallel with the DC generator 140.

[0088] In Figure 3 In the illustrated example, the methanol DC power generation system 100 can further include a power battery 160, which can be connected to the output end of the DC generator 140, so that the DC power output by the DC generator 140 can charge the power battery 160, and the power battery 160 has a second power output end. The DC generator 140 can provide power directly to the drive motor 210 of the mobile machine / vehicle under the control of the controller 150 as needed, or charge the power battery 160, or provide power to the drive motor 210 while charging the power battery 160. The power battery 160 can provide power to the drive motor 210 alone or in parallel with the DC generator 140.

[0089] In some embodiments, the methanol DC power generation system 100 can further include a heat exchange assembly 115 arranged at the methanol reformer 110. The exhaust outlet of the internal combustion engine 130 is connected to the heat exchange assembly 115 through a pipeline. The high-temperature exhaust gas enters the internal passage of the heat exchange assembly 115 and then is discharged to the outside after heat exchange. The heat of the exhaust gas is transferred to the methanol reformer 110 through heat exchange to increase the temperature of the methanol reformer.

[0090] Preferably, a booster pump 117 can be used to boost the hydrogen-rich gas output by the methanol reformer 110 and input into the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120, so that the gas in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 can maintain a certain pressure.

[0091] In some embodiments, when the pressure of the hydrogen-rich gas in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 is above a first threshold, the cold start of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 can be directly performed using the hydrogen-rich gas in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120. In a preferred embodiment, the internal space of the storage chamber is large enough to meet the requirement of starting the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 for a period of time, during which the high temperature exhaust gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 can heat the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 of the methanol reformer 110 to above the working temperature through the heat exchange assembly 115. That is, the volume of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 is increased so that it not only meets the requirement of the fast cold start of the internal combustion engine, but also the duration of the high temperature exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine can meet the requirement of heating the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 of the methanol reformer 110 to the working condition. In this way, the cold start of the internal combustion engine can be quickly performed, and the requirement for the electric heater is reduced, or even the electric heater can be eliminated.

[0092] By separately setting the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber with a certain volume as described above, the cold start of the internal combustion engine can be quickly performed without other auxiliary heating devices, so that the system is more reliable and energy-saving. One particular benefit of using the specially set hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 for cold start is that the traditional hydrogen-rich gas buffer module can be eliminated, or it is set as small as possible, which can ensure the efficiency and compactness of the normal operation line from the methanol reformer 110 to the internal combustion engine. In addition, by such a structure, the high temperature exhaust gas discharged by the internal combustion engine is fully utilized to provide the temperature condition for the methanol reformer 110 to generate hydrogen-rich gas, so that the system efficiency of the internal combustion engine can be significantly improved, that is, the overall efficiency of the power system is improved. It should be noted that for mobile machinery used for operation, these benefits have particularly obvious commercial value.

[0093] In a preferred embodiment, an electromagnetic valve (not shown) can be provided between the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 and the booster pump 117, so that when the pressure of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 is below a certain threshold, the hydrogen-rich gas can be supplied to the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 by opening the electromagnetic valve controlled by the controller 150.

[0094] The controller monitors the operating state of the components during the execution of the control process. Specifically, various sensors are provided on each component of the methanol direct power generation system, such as a pressure sensor and / or a temperature sensor provided in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, a temperature sensor provided in the evaporator and the catalytic chamber, etc. The controller monitors the state of the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the internal combustion engine, the generator, the power battery by connecting to various types of sensor devices (including but not limited to: temperature, pressure, voltage, current, rotation speed, torque, accelerometer, and / or gyroscope, etc.) provided at each component. The controller also monitors the operating state of the vehicle by connecting to various types of sensor devices (including but not limited to: temperature, pressure, voltage, current, rotation speed, torque, accelerometer, and / or gyroscope, etc.) provided at various parts of the vehicle or connecting to the data module (such as the OBD system of a motor vehicle) of the vehicle.

[0095] The controller 150 can control the opening and closing of the corresponding solenoid valves according to the pressure of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 and the temperature of the evaporator chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 to determine whether the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 receives hydrogen-rich gas from the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 or the methanol reformer 110 or both at the same time.

[0096] In a preferred embodiment, the volume of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 is configured such that when the pressure in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 is above a first threshold, the amount of hydrogen-rich gas stored is sufficient for the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 to complete a cold start and operate until the exhaust gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 heats the methanol reformer 110 to above the operating temperature; when the pressure in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 is below the first threshold pressure and above a second threshold, the amount of hydrogen-rich gas stored is sufficient for the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 to complete a cold start but insufficient to operate until the exhaust gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 heats the methanol reformer 110 to above the operating temperature; and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 is configured to have a pressure resistance value beyond the first threshold. For example, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 can have a certain thickness so that it has a pressure resistance value beyond the first threshold.

[0097] When the user starts the vehicle, the pressure sensor detects the pressure of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 and sends the result to the controller. If the pressure value of the hydrogen-rich gas is not lower than the first threshold pressure, the controller opens the electromagnetic valve of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 to the internal combustion engine 130, transports the hydrogen-rich gas from the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 to the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130, and ignites the internal combustion engine, realizing the cold start of the internal combustion engine. In this embodiment, the first threshold pressure is greater than the working pressure of the internal combustion engine. After the cold start is completed, the high-temperature exhaust gas is transported through the pipeline to the heat exchange assembly 115 and heats the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112, and the temperature of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 rises. The controller obtains the temperature parameters of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 from the corresponding temperature sensors. When the temperature parameters reach the working temperature of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112, the methanol fuel pump 113 is started to pump the methanol fuel from the methanol fuel storage tank 114 into the evaporation chamber 111. The methanol fuel is vaporized in the evaporation chamber 111 to form steam, which in turn sends the methanol fuel vapor into the catalytic chamber 112 under the action of the steam pressure. The methanol fuel vapor in the catalytic chamber 112 generates hydrogen-rich gas through a chemical reaction process. Part of the hydrogen-rich gas output by the catalytic chamber 112 is input into the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 through the booster pump 117, and part of the hydrogen-rich gas is directly input into the internal combustion engine 130. When the pressure sensor 121 of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 detects that the pressure reaches above the first threshold pressure, the controller closes the booster pump 117, the electromagnetic cut-off valve (not shown) between the booster pump 117 and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120, and the cut-off valve 121, and the methanol direct-current power generation system enters the normal working state.

[0098] In the normal working process, the controller can simultaneously open the electromagnetic cut-off valve (not shown) between the booster pump 117 and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 to charge the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 until the pressure of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 reaches the predetermined pressure. In addition, the electromagnetic valve can be opened to charge the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 when the vehicle is temporarily parked or low-power running. The electromagnetic valve can also be opened to charge the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 when the vehicle is parked and the system continues to run for a period of time.

[0099] To avoid the situation where the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 does not store sufficient gas (e.g. the system is unexpectedly interrupted before the storage chamber is fully charged), resulting in the system being unable to achieve a cold start, in one embodiment, the methanol reformer 110 is provided with an electric heater 116. The electric heater 116 can be in the form of an electrically resistive wire provided on the sidewalls of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112. In some embodiments, the power battery 160 can be connected to the electric heater 116 to provide power to the electric heater 116. When the electric heater 116 is turned on, power from the power battery 160 is delivered to the electrically resistive wire of the electric heater 116 to generate heat and is delivered to the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112, thereby causing the temperature of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 to increase. In other embodiments, the electric heater 116 can also receive power from the power battery 220 of the mobile machine, for example, to perform heating, which will not be described in detail.

[0100] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the case where the electric heater 116 comprises an electrically resistive wire, as long as the electric heater 116 comprises an element that generates heat using electrical energy (referred to as an electric heating element). The electric heater 116 can be provided on the outside of the sidewalls of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 and can transfer heat to the inside of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 through a heat transfer element to heat the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112. However, the electric heater 116 can also be a component that extends into the inside of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112, which can be a straight component or a curved or coiled component.

[0101] In one embodiment, the electric heater 116 can be arranged to exchange heat with the heat exchange assembly 115 and deliver heat to the reformer 110 through the heat exchange assembly 115. By such an arrangement, the internal space of the reformer can be effectively saved, so that the reformer can be arranged to be more compact.

[0102] In one embodiment, the electric heater 116 is a two-segment heater that can be independently controlled and is used for the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112, respectively, so that the controller 150 can control the operation of the electric heater of the evaporation chamber 111 and the electric heater of the catalytic chamber 112, respectively, to achieve more optimized heating control.

[0103] When the pressure of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 is below the first threshold pressure but above the second threshold pressure, the hydrogen-rich gas in the storage chamber 120 can be sufficient to start the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130 for cold start, but insufficient to run until the exhaust gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine heats the methanol reformer above the working temperature. In this case, the controller 150 activates the electric heater 116 by providing power to the electric heater 116 from the power battery 160 and / or the power battery 220 to assist heating the reformer 110. The electric heater 116 is activated to heat the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 together with the high-temperature exhaust gas, so that the temperature of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 increases.

[0104] When the pressure of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber 120 is below the second threshold pressure, the hydrogen-rich gas in the storage chamber 120 is insufficient to start the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130. In this case, the controller 150 activates the electric heater to heat the reformer 110 by providing power to the electric heater 116 from the power battery 160 and / or the power battery 220. The electric heater 116 is activated to heat the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112, so that the temperature of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 increases.

[0105] The controller 150 obtains the temperature parameters of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112 from corresponding temperature sensors (not shown). When the temperature parameters reach the working temperature of the evaporation chamber 111 and the catalytic chamber 112, the methanol fuel pump 113 is activated to pump the methanol fuel from the methanol fuel storage tank 114 into the evaporation chamber 111. The methanol fuel vaporizes in the evaporation chamber 111 to form a vapor, which is then sent into the catalytic chamber 112 under the action of the vapor pressure. The methanol fuel vapor undergoes a chemical reaction process in the catalytic chamber 112 to generate hydrogen-rich gas. The hydrogen-rich gas output by the catalytic chamber 112 is directly delivered to the internal combustion engine 130. The controller can open the electromagnetic shut-off valve of the reformer 110 outlet to the internal combustion engine, thereby continuously providing fuel directly to the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine 130, and the methanol direct-current power generation system enters the normal working state. After entering the normal working state, the controller deactivates the electric heater, and the reformer 110 is maintained in the normal working state by heating from the high-temperature exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine.

[0106] The methanol direct-current power generation system of the present application is used for pure electric drive vehicles, but is not limited thereto, and can be used for road vehicles (such as cars), off-road vehicles (such as loaders), ships (such as tourist passenger ships), and aircraft (such as drones), etc.

[0107] The system of the present application adopts the way of methanol reforming combined with hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to eliminate the low-temperature cold start difficulty and wear and corrosion problem of pure methanol internal combustion engine. By changing the pure methanol internal combustion engine into an internal combustion engine mainly burning hydrogen-rich gas, the pure methanol internal combustion engine with frequent original working condition changes is changed into a part of the direct-current power generation device with relatively stable operating conditions. Further, the methanol direct-current power generation system can also contribute to energy security. The methanol direct-current power generation system provides a feasible solution to solve the core technical difficulties of the wide use of methanol as internal combustion engine fuel, thereby improving the possibility of methanol as a way of energy security.

[0108] The above description is merely preferred specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims. The information disclosed in the background section of the present application is only intended to deepen the understanding of the overall background of the present application, and should not be regarded as acknowledging or implying in any form that the information constitutes the prior art known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A methanol direct current power generation system, characterized by, The application relates to a hydrogen-rich gas storage system, comprising: a methanol reformer, provided with a methanol fuel inlet and a hydrogen-rich gas outlet, capable of receiving externally input methanol fuel and generating hydrogen-rich gas by using the methanol fuel; a hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, connected with the hydrogen-rich gas outlet of the methanol reformer, capable of receiving and pressure-storing the hydrogen-rich gas generated by the methanol reformer; a hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, connected with the methanol reformer and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber respectively, capable of receiving hydrogen-rich gas from the methanol reformer and / or the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, and combusting the received hydrogen-rich gas as fuel to generate mechanical power through a power output end; a direct-current generator, connected with the power output end of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, provided with a first power output end, capable of outputting direct-current power; a controller, electrically connected with the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and the direct-current generator respectively, capable of controlling the methanol reformer, the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber, the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine and the direct-current generator respectively; the volume of the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is set according to the following conditions: (1) when the pressure in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is above a first threshold value, the hydrogen-rich gas storage amount in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is sufficient for the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to complete cold start and run until the tail gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine heats the methanol reformer to above a working temperature; (2) when the pressure in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is below the first threshold value and above a second threshold value, the hydrogen-rich gas storage amount in the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is sufficient for the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to complete cold start but insufficient for the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to run until the tail gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine heats the methanol reformer to above the working temperature; and the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is configured to have a pressure resistance value exceeding the first threshold value; the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is connected with the hydrogen-rich gas outlet of the methanol reformer through a booster pump; the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine is connected with the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber through a pipeline provided with a shut-off valve, and the shut-off valve is electrically connected with the controller; the hydrogen-rich gas storage chamber is provided with a pressure sensor electrically connected with the controller, and the controller can control the opening and closing of the shut-off valve according to the measurement value of the pressure sensor.

2. The methanol direct current power generation system of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: a heat exchange assembly arranged at the methanol reformer, connected with a tail gas output end of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine, capable of transferring the heat of the tail gas of the hydrogen-rich gas internal combustion engine to the methanol reformer through heat exchange to increase the temperature of the methanol reformer.

3. The methanol direct current power generation system of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: a power battery, electrically connected with the first power output end of the direct-current generator, capable of storing the power output by the direct-current generator; the power battery is provided with a second power output end, capable of outputting direct-current power.

4. The methanol direct current power generation system of claim 3, wherein, Further comprising: an electric heater, arranged at the methanol reformer, electrically connected with the second power output end of the power battery, capable of heating the methanol reformer by using power.

5. The methanol direct current power generation system of claim 4, wherein, The methanol reformer comprises: an evaporation chamber and a catalysis chamber arranged downstream of the evaporation chamber, and the evaporation chamber and the catalysis chamber are respectively provided with a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor; The first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are electrically connected to the controller respectively, and can send the acquired temperature to the controller; The electric heater comprises a first electric heater and a second electric heater arranged at the evaporation chamber and the catalysis chamber respectively, the first electric heater and the second electric heater are electrically connected to the second power output end of the power battery respectively, and the first electric heater and the second electric heater are electrically connected to the controller respectively.

6. The methanol direct current power generation system of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, Further comprising: A methanol fuel storage tank connected to the methanol fuel inlet of the methanol reformer.

7. An electrically powered mobile machine comprising a drive motor for providing motive power, characterised in that, Further comprising: The methanol direct current power generation system of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the power output end of the methanol direct current power generation system is electrically connected to the power input end of the driving motor.

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