Cargo ship

Abstract

A cargo transport ship is provided with a hull, a hydrogen fuel tank that stores hydrogen fuel, a fuel cell power generation unit that has a casing capable of being sealed and a fuel cell disposed inside the casing, and a power conversion device that supplies electric power generated by the fuel cell power generation unit to at least one of a propulsion motor and an in-ship electric power load. When a region below a first height defined from a portion of an upper deck of the hull located above a cargo hold is defined as a deck-hazardous area from cargo, the hydrogen fuel tank is disposed in the hull between a front end and a rear end of the cargo hold, the fuel cell power generation unit is disposed between the front end and the rear end of the cargo hold in a state in which a region in which the fuel cell is disposed is avoided from the deck-hazardous area, and is disposed above the upper deck.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a cargo transport vessel equipped with a fuel cell. Background Technology

[0002] It has been proposed for ships to be equipped with fuel cells, with all or part of the electricity generated by the fuel cells used for propulsion or as onboard power. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquefied gas carrier equipped with a power generation device using a fuel cell. In this liquefied gas carrier, the vaporized gas generated in the cargo tank is converted into fuel gas and then supplied to the anode of the fuel cell, while the oxidizing gas is supplied to the cathode of the fuel cell, thereby generating electricity in the fuel cell. The electricity generated is then supplied to the propulsion motor and the living quarters through a power distribution system.

[0003] In the liquefied gas carrier of Patent Document 1, a power generation device using fuel cells is configured on the exposed deck, with a portion of the power generation device located above the cargo tanks.

[0004] Existing technical documents:

[0005] Patent documents:

[0006] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-109792. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem the invention aims to solve:

[0008] The interiors of cargo tanks storing liquefied gases or heavy oil are areas where hazardous atmospheres are continuously present under normal conditions. These areas are designated as hazardous locations, and various restrictions are imposed on the installation of electrical equipment to enhance safety. Areas equipped with fuel cells are not designated as hazardous locations but may generate explosive gas mixtures; therefore, it is appropriate to classify them as hazardous locations. In areas designated as hazardous locations, the installation of equipment is subject to constraints; therefore, it is ideal to keep hazardous locations on ships as small as possible.

[0009] This disclosure was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a structure for a cargo ship that carries liquefied gas or heavy oil, wherein the cargo hold is located in a dangerous area of ​​the cargo, and which is equipped with a fuel cell to suppress the expansion of the dangerous area.

[0010] Solution methods:

[0011] One aspect of this disclosure regarding cargo transport vessels is characterized by having:

[0012] The hull has a cargo hold that serves as a dangerous location for the cargo, where at least one cargo tank is located, and an engine room located aft of the cargo hold.

[0013] A propulsion electric motor, which is located in the machine room;

[0014] Hydrogen fuel tank, used to store hydrogen fuel;

[0015] A fuel cell power generation unit having a hermetically sealable housing and a fuel cell disposed within the housing that generates electricity using hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen fuel tank and oxygen from the air; and

[0016] A power conversion device that supplies electricity generated by the fuel cell power generation unit to at least one of the propulsion motor and the ship's electrical loads, wherein the hydrogen fuel tank is disposed in the hull between the fore and aft of the cargo hold when the area below a first height defined from the portion of the upper deck of the hull above the cargo hold is designated as a deck hazard originating from the cargo, and the fuel cell power generation unit is disposed between the fore and aft of the cargo hold, and above the upper deck, when the fuel cell is avoided from the deck hazard.

[0017] Invention effects:

[0018] According to this disclosure, it is possible to propose a structure for a cargo ship that suppresses the expansion of dangerous areas originating from cargo and is equipped with a fuel cell. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a side view schematic diagram illustrating the overall structure of a cargo transport ship according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of a hydrogen power generation system;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the designated hazardous areas on deck and cargo areas on a cargo transport ship;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a side view schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the cargo transport ship of Modified Example 1;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a side view schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the cargo transport ship in Modified Example 2;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a side view schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the cargo transport ship in variant example 3. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] [Schematic diagram of cargo transport ship 1]

[0027] Figure 1 This is a side view schematic diagram illustrating the overall structure of a cargo transport ship according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 The cargo transport vessel 1 shown has a hull 11, a superstructure 20 installed on the hull 11, and a propeller 14 and a rudder 15 installed at the stern end of the hull 11. An engine room 13 is installed at the stern of the hull 11, and a cargo hold 12 is installed on the bow 17 side of the engine room 13.

[0028] A propulsion electric motor 25 is installed in the engine room 13. The propulsion electric motor 25 drives the propeller 14 to rotate. In addition, the cargo transport ship 1 in this embodiment is an electric propulsion ship. The cargo transport ship 1 can also be a hybrid propulsion ship equipped with a hybrid propulsion system that combines a diesel engine, an electric motor, and a battery.

[0029] Above the engine room 13 is a superstructure 20 protruding upwards from the hull 11. The superstructure 20 houses a living area 2 and a bridge 3.

[0030] Cargo tanks 16 are provided in cargo hold 12. The cargo ship 1 of this embodiment is a liquefied gas carrier, and liquefied gas is stored in cargo tanks 16. Examples of liquefied gases include liquefied hydrogen, LNG, etc. However, the cargo is not limited to liquefied gas. For example, if the cargo ship 1 is an oil tanker, heavy oil may also be stored in cargo tanks 16. Figure 1 The image shows a square cargo container 16, but the shape of the cargo container 16 is not limited to square. It can also be spherical, elliptical, or cylindrical with both ends closed by hemispheres (i.e., capsule-shaped).

[0031] The cargo ship 1 is equipped with a hydrogen power generation system 6. The electricity generated by the hydrogen power generation system 6 is supplied to at least one of the propulsion motor 25 and the ship's electrical load 26. The hydrogen power generation system 6 consists of a fuel cell power generation unit 61, at least one hydrogen storage module 62, a power conversion device 63, and a battery 65.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of hydrogen power generation system 6. (For example...) Figure 2As shown, the hydrogen storage module 62 includes a hydrogen fuel tank 621 containing hydrogen fuel and a tank valve 622 located at the inlet and outlet of the hydrogen fuel tank 621. The hydrogen fuel is stored in the hydrogen fuel tank 621 as a gas or liquid. The hydrogen fuel tank 621 is connected to a fuel cell power generation unit 61 via piping, and the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen fuel tank 621 is supplied to the fuel cell power generation unit 61 via piping. The supply / stop of hydrogen from the hydrogen fuel tank 621 to the fuel cell power generation unit 61 is switched by opening and closing the tank valve 622. The hydrogen storage module 62 can also be configured to supply hydrogen to hydrogen utilization equipment other than the hydrogen power generation system 6 mounted on the cargo transport ship 1. An example of such hydrogen utilization equipment is a hydrogen boiler configured in the engine room 13.

[0033] The fuel cell power generation unit 61 includes a fuel cell 611, a radiator 612, a high-pressure hydrogen device 613, and a system control device 614, all housed within a sealable casing 610. The casing 610 forms a closed area in which the fuel cell 611 is configured.

[0034] Fuel cell 611 has multiple fuel cell units that receive a supply of hydrogen and cause the hydrogen to undergo an electrochemical reaction with oxygen in the air to generate direct current (DC) electricity. Radiator 612 regulates the temperature of fuel cell 611 to a suitable temperature for power generation. For example, a cooling medium circulates between radiator 612 and fuel cell 611. High-pressure hydrogen equipment 613 regulates the pressure of hydrogen supplied from hydrogen storage module 62 and supplies it to fuel cell 611. System control device 614 controls the power generation of fuel cell 611. System control device 614 controls high-pressure hydrogen equipment 613 and tank valve 622 to supply fuel cell 611 with hydrogen and oxygen for power generation corresponding to the load. Furthermore, system control device 614 activates radiator 612 to maintain a suitable temperature for fuel cell 611. Additionally, system control device 614 sends commands to power conversion device 63 to extract power from fuel cell 611.

[0035] The power conversion device 63 has multiple input and output systems, converting the voltage, current, and frequency of the input power and outputting it. For example, the system control device 614 calculates instructions to the power conversion device 63 based on the load status of the main switchboard 27 or the charging status of the battery 65. The power conversion device 63, according to the instructions from the system control device 614, extracts DC power from the fuel cell 611, converts (or regulates) the voltage of the DC power, and supplies it to the main switchboard 27. Power is supplied from the main switchboard 27 to the propulsion motor 25 via wiring. Furthermore, power is supplied from the main switchboard 27 to the ship's electrical load 26 via wiring. Here, voltage conversion may include at least one of DC to DC conversion, AC to DC conversion, DC to AC conversion, AC to AC conversion, voltage conversion, and power regulation. In addition, the power conversion device 63 stores the remaining portion of the generated power in the battery 65. The power stored in the battery 65 can be extracted by the power conversion device 63 as needed and supplied to the main switchboard 27.

[0036] [Configuration of Hydrogen Power Generation System 6]

[0037] Here, the configuration of the hydrogen power generation system 6 on the cargo transport ship 1 will be described in detail. First, the dangerous areas 100 on the deck and the cargo area 101 on the cargo transport ship 1 will be described. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the dangerous areas 100 on the deck and the cargo area 101 as specified in the cargo transport ship 1.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, the upper deck 18 is the exposed deck covering the upper surface of the hull 11. The area below a first height X [m] defined from the portion of the upper deck 18 above the cargo hold 12 is defined as the "deck danger area 100" originating from the cargo. More specifically, the area enclosed by a plane S1 parallel to the beam direction, extending Y [m] forward from the front of the cargo hold 12, and a plane S2 parallel to the beam direction, extending Y [m] aft from the rear of the cargo hold 12, and below the first height X [m] from the upper deck 18, is defined as the deck danger area 100. However, when a portion of the outer surface of the cargo tank 16 extends upward beyond the upper deck 18, the deck danger area 100 for the protruding portion of the cargo tank 16 is defined as the area below the first height X [m] from the outer surface of the cargo tank 16. The deck danger area 100 is... Figure 3 The area shown in the shaded area is in the middle. X and Y are values ​​determined by rules, but for example, they can be set to X = 2.4 and Y = 3.

[0039] The area enclosed by a plane S3 parallel to the ship's beam direction at the front end of the cargo hold 12 and a plane S4 parallel to the ship's beam direction at the rear end of the cargo hold 12 is defined as "Cargo Section Area 101". Cargo Section Area 101 is... Figure 3 The cargo area 101 is indicated by a thick double-dotted line. In addition to the cargo hold 12 of the hull 11, the cargo area 101 also includes the portion of the upper deck 18 above the cargo hold 12, and the portion of the space above the upper deck 18 that is also above the cargo hold 12.

[0040] return Figure 1 The fuel cell power generation unit 61 is positioned above the upper deck 18 in the cargo area 101, with the fuel cell 611 substantially avoided from the hazardous location 100 on the deck. Figure 1 In the example shown, to ensure that the entire fuel cell power generation unit 61, including the fuel cell 611, is positioned upwards from the hazardous area 100 on the deck, the fuel cell power generation unit 61 is supported from below by at least one support column 71 erected on the upper deck 18. In other words, the fuel cell power generation unit 61 is mounted on at least one support column 71 erected on the upper deck 18. The support column 71 has a second height H that is greater than or equal to a first height X [m]. Thus, the fuel cell power generation unit 61 mounted on the support column 71 is positioned at a height higher than the first height X from the upper deck 18. Furthermore, since the fuel cell power generation unit 61 is positioned forward of the bridge 3, it is ideal that the second height H is greater than or equal to the first height X [m] and is as small as possible, so that the view from the bridge 3 is not obstructed by the fuel cell power generation unit 61.

[0041] To ensure adequate clearance between the fuel cell power generation unit 61 and the upper deck 18, when multiple support columns 71 are used, they are left open to each other. In other words, the multiple support columns 71 are horizontally separated from each other to a degree that allows crew members to pass through. Furthermore, the vertical distance between the upper deck 18 and the fuel cell power generation unit 61, separated by the support columns 71, is a height that allows crew members wearing safety boots and helmets to pass through comfortably. This ensures visual visibility and accessibility on the upper deck 18 below the fuel cell power generation unit 61, allowing crew members to pass and work below it. Additionally, the structure of the support columns 71 is not limited to the above; they can also be block-shaped with passageways or frame-shaped without walls.

[0042] The hydrogen storage module 62 is located in cargo section area 101. Figure 1In the example shown, the hydrogen storage module 62 is positioned on the bow 17 side relative to the fuel cell power generation unit 61. Within the hydrogen storage module 62, the lower portion of the hydrogen fuel tank 621 is located below the upper deck 18, while the upper portion protrudes upwards from the upper deck 18. This arrangement, by embedding a portion of the hydrogen fuel tank 621 within the upper deck 18, ensures that the hydrogen fuel tank 621 has a volume sufficient to hold the amount of hydrogen necessary for navigation, and minimizes the height at which the hydrogen fuel tank 621 protrudes from the upper deck 18 to ensure forward visibility from the bridge 3.

[0043] The power conversion device 63 and the battery 65 are disposed in the machine room 13. However, the power conversion device 63 may also be disposed in the living area 2. Alternatively, the power conversion device 63 may also be disposed within the housing 610 of the fuel cell power generation unit 61. When the power conversion device 63 is disposed within the housing 610, two independent spaces are formed within the housing 610, one of which can accommodate the power conversion device 63, and the other can accommodate the fuel cell power generation unit 61.

[0044] As explained above, the cargo transport vessel 1 of this disclosure is characterized by having:

[0045] The hull 11 has a cargo hold 12 which serves as a dangerous location for the cargo, where at least one cargo tank 16 is located, and an engine room 13 located aft of the cargo hold 12.

[0046] The propulsion motor 25 is located in the machine room 13;

[0047] Hydrogen fuel tank 621, which stores hydrogen fuel;

[0048] A fuel cell power generation unit 61 includes a hermetically sealable housing 610 and a fuel cell 611 disposed within the housing 610 that generates electricity using hydrogen supplied from a hydrogen fuel tank 621 and oxygen from the air; and

[0049] The power conversion device 63 supplies electricity generated by the fuel cell power generation unit 61 to at least one of the propulsion motor 25 and the ship's electrical load 26, when the area below a first height X defined from the portion of the upper deck 18 of the hull 11 above the cargo hold 12 is designated as a dangerous area 100 on the deck originating from the cargo.

[0050] The hydrogen fuel tank 621 is mounted on the hull 11 between the fore and aft ends of the cargo hold 12.

[0051] The fuel cell power generation unit 61 is positioned between the front and rear ends of the cargo hold 12, and above the upper deck 18, with the area where the fuel cell 611 is located away from the hazardous location 100 on the deck.

[0052] In the cargo ship 1 with the above-described structure, the area where the fuel cell 611 is installed, i.e., the internal space of the hull 610, is avoided from the hazardous area 100 on the deck. This means that the area where an explosive mixture may be generated in the fuel cell power generation unit 61 does not overlap with the hazardous area 100 on the deck originating from the cargo, ensuring safety. Furthermore, in the cargo ship 1 with the above-described structure, by placing the fuel cell power generation unit 61 between the fore and aft of the cargo hold 12 (i.e., the cargo area 101), the hazardous area originating from the fuel cell power generation unit 61 converges to the area between the fore and aft of the hazardous area 100 on the deck originating from the cargo hold 12. Thus, the hazardous area, including the hazardous area 100 on the deck, does not expand aft, i.e., to the stern side, allowing the fuel cell power generation unit 61 to be installed. Since the hazardous area does not expand to the stern side where the upper structure 20 is located, there is no need to install safety measures such as bulkheads to expand the hazardous area or rearrange surrounding equipment in existing areas that are not hazardous areas.

[0053] In the cargo ship 1 of this embodiment, the fuel cell power generation unit 61 is supported from below by at least one support column 71 erected on the upper deck 18, and the support column 71 has a second height H that is higher than the first height X.

[0054] In this way, the fuel cell power generation unit 61 is positioned upwards away from the hazardous area 100 on the deck. Therefore, even if hydrogen leaks from the fuel cell power generation unit 61, the hydrogen, being lighter than air, will not float on the upper deck 18 but will rise, thus reducing the possibility of the hydrogen igniting near the crew passing through the upper deck 18.

[0055] In the aforementioned cargo ship 1, when there are multiple support columns 71, it is ideal for the multiple support columns 71 to be open to each other so that passage is possible between the upper deck 18 and the fuel cell power generation unit 61. In this way, by making the multiple support columns 71 open to each other, traffic and visibility are ensured even when support columns 71 are provided on the upper deck 18.

[0056] Furthermore, in the cargo ship 1 of this embodiment, the lower part of the hydrogen fuel tank 621 is located below the upper deck 18, and the upper part of the hydrogen fuel tank 621 protrudes upward from the upper deck 18.

[0057] The hydrogen fuel tank 621 is installed by embedding the lower part of it in the upper deck 18, which ensures sufficient tank capacity and suppresses the amount of protrusion from the upper deck 18 upwards, thus ensuring forward visibility from the bridge 3.

[0058] The preferred embodiments have been disclosed above, but this disclosure also includes changes to the details of the specific structure and / or function of the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. The structure of the cargo transport ship 1 described above can be modified as shown in the following variations. In addition, several variations are described below, but combinations of features shown in one or more variations can also be applied to the above embodiments.

[0059] <Variation Example 1>

[0060] Figure 4 This is a side view schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the cargo transport ship 1 in Modified Example 1. Figure 4 As shown, the hydrogen power generation system 6A mounted on the cargo ship 1 in Modified Example 1 differs from the hydrogen power generation system 6 in the aforementioned embodiment in that the fuel cell power generation unit 61 is arranged in the cargo section region 101 in the range below a first height X from the upper deck 18.

[0061] In the hydrogen power generation system 6A, the housing 610a of the fuel cell power generation unit 61 stands upright or is placed on the upper deck 18 by clamps, with at least a portion overlapping the hazardous area 100 on the deck. In the hydrogen power generation system 6A, the housing 610a of the fuel cell power generation unit 61 has an airlock. Specifically, the housing 610a has multiple containers, including an inner container and an outer container, and airtight doors respectively provided in the multiple containers. Here, the multiple airtight doors are not opened simultaneously. Thus, in the housing 610a with the airlock, gas does not directly enter from the outside of the housing 610a to the inside, nor does it directly exit from the inside of the housing 610a to the outside. Therefore, although the housing 610a is located in the hazardous area 100 on the deck, the area within the housing 610a where the fuel cell 611 is located becomes a space with an atmosphere independent of the hazardous area 100 on the deck. That is, in the hydrogen power generation system 6A, it can be considered that the area where the fuel cell 611 is located is substantially avoided from the hazardous area 100 on the deck.

[0062] <Variation Example 2>

[0063] Figure 5 This is a side view schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the cargo transport ship 1 in variant example 2. Figure 5 As shown, the hydrogen power generation system 6B mounted on the cargo transport ship 1 in Modified Example 2 differs from the hydrogen power generation system 6 of the aforementioned embodiment in that the hydrogen storage module 62 is disposed above the upper deck 18 in the cargo section region 101. More specifically, in the hydrogen power generation system 6B, the hydrogen fuel tank 621 of the hydrogen storage module 62 is supported on the upper deck 18 via a support member 72.

[0064] In the cargo ship 1 of Variation 2, the capacity of the hydrogen fuel tank 621 is limited so that the forward view from the bridge 3 is not obstructed by the hydrogen fuel tank 621. In this case, to eliminate the shortage of hydrogen fuel, the evaporated gas from the cargo tank 16 can be used as fuel to supplement the hydrogen fuel tank 621, as described in Variation 3 below.

[0065] <Variation Example 3>

[0066] Figure 6 This is a side view schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the cargo transport ship 1 in variant example 6. (See diagram below.) Figure 6 As shown, the hydrogen power generation system 6C mounted on the cargo transport ship 1 in Modified Example 3 differs from the hydrogen power generation system 6 in the aforementioned embodiment in that the cargo tank 16 and the hydrogen fuel tank 621 are connected by a pipe that transports the evaporated gas in the cargo tank 16 to the hydrogen fuel tank 621.

[0067] In the hydrogen power generation system 6C, a branch pipe 42 of the evaporation gas pipe 41 connected to the cargo tank 16 is connected to the hydrogen fuel tank 621 of the hydrogen storage module 62. An on / off valve 43 and a compressor 44 are installed on the branch pipe 42. Through this structure, the evaporation gas from the cargo tank 16 is compressed by the compressor 44 and sent to the hydrogen fuel tank 621, filling the hydrogen fuel tank 621. Furthermore, if the liquefied gas stored in the cargo tank 16 is liquefied hydrogen, hydrogen as evaporation gas is sent to the hydrogen fuel tank 621; if the liquefied gas stored in the cargo tank 16 is LNG, a reformer is installed on the branch pipe 42, and the evaporation gas is converted into hydrogen after passing through the reformer and then supplied to the hydrogen fuel tank 621. In the hydrogen power generation system 6C, it is possible to switch between refueling the hydrogen fuel tank 621 from land-based or sea-based refueling equipment and refueling the hydrogen fuel tank 621 from the cargo tank 16.

Claims

1. A cargo transport ship, characterized in that, have: The hull has a cargo hold that serves as a dangerous location for the cargo, where at least one cargo tank is located, and an engine room located aft of the cargo hold. A propulsion electric motor, which is located in the machine room; Hydrogen fuel tank, used to store hydrogen fuel; A fuel cell power generation unit having a hermetically sealable housing and a fuel cell disposed within the housing that generates electricity using hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen fuel tank and oxygen from the air. as well as A power conversion device that supplies electricity generated by the fuel cell power generation unit to at least one of the propulsion motor and the ship's electrical load. When an area below a first height defined from the portion of the upper deck of the hull above the cargo hold is designated as a dangerous area on the deck originating from the cargo, The hydrogen fuel tanks are disposed within the hull between the fore and aft ends of the cargo hold. The fuel cell power generation unit is positioned between the front and rear ends of the cargo hold, and above the upper deck, with the area where the fuel cell is located being avoided from dangerous areas on the deck.

2. The cargo transport vessel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shell is supported from below by at least one support column erected on the upper deck, the support column having a second height higher than the first height.

3. The cargo transport vessel according to claim 2, characterized in that, Multiple support columns are provided, and the support columns are open to each other.

4. The cargo transport vessel according to claim 1, wherein, The shell has an airlock chamber consisting of multiple containers and airtight doors respectively provided on the multiple containers. The hull is configured such that at least a portion of it overlaps with hazardous locations on the deck.

5. The cargo transport vessel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The lower part of the hydrogen fuel tank is located below the upper deck, and the upper part of the hydrogen fuel tank protrudes upward from the upper deck.

6. The cargo transport vessel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The cargo tank and the hydrogen fuel tank are connected by a piping system that supplies evaporated gas from the cargo tank to the hydrogen fuel tank.

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