Ship for producing hydrogen

Abstract

A vessel (1) for producing hydrogen, the vessel (1) comprising a hydrogen production device (13), the hydrogen production device (13) comprising a cracking unit (2) for cracking a hydrogen-based compound to produce hydrogen and a cracking product, and a filtration and purification unit (3) for separating hydrogen from the cracking product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ship for producing hydrogen and a method for producing hydrogen using the ship. Background Art

[0002] Major global governments and industries are increasingly committed to decarbonizing their economies and operations around 2050.

[0003] This decarbonization trend thus drives the use of alternative technologies in the fields of road, rail, maritime, and air transportation. For example, alternative solutions such as using battery-driven electric motors to replace internal combustion engines in vehicles are being implemented.

[0004] However, the application of rechargeable batteries still has problems such as insufficient vehicle autonomy and long charging times.

[0005] Using fuel cells to power electric motors can improve the endurance of electric vehicles.

[0006] There are several types of fuel cells, such as fuel cells that convert dihydrogen, commonly known as hydrogen, methanol, or ammonia into electricity.

[0007] A fuel cell is a generator that produces electrical energy by reducing the oxidation of a fuel (such as dihydrogen) at one electrode and the reduction of an oxidant (such as dioxygen from air) at another electrode.

[0008] Alternatively, dihydrogen can also be directly used as a fuel, for example, to power the internal combustion engine of a ship or to decarbonize industrial processes.

[0009] Therefore, the production of hydrogen (or dihydrogen) and the establishment of logistics for hydrogen transportation are necessary.

[0010] Traditionally, hydrogen is produced on land and transported by trucks or natural gas pipelines. Pipelines are the traditional means of transportation for long distances. For larger quantities and longer distances, hydrogen or hydrogen-based compounds are transported by pipeline to a ship and then transported by the ship to a storage area or distribution area.

[0011] Green hydrogen is mainly supplied from remote supply centers such as Australia, Chile, Mauritania, Namibia, North Africa, and the Middle East, where the climate and geographical conditions are favorable for the development of renewable energy at low cost. The main demand centers for hydrogen are in North America, Japan, South Korea, and Western Europe.

[0012] Therefore, hydrogen supply centers and demand centers are often far apart.

[0013] In addition, hydrogen production is dangerous and strict standards need to be followed.

[0014] Document WO2019204857 is also known, which discloses an offshore hydrogen production system. The offshore hydrogen production system includes a platform fixed to the seabed or floating on the sea and anchored to the seabed. The platform is set near the coast and is equipped with a liquid ammonia storage tank for supplying ammonia by ship. The platform is also equipped with an ammonia cracking reactor to crack ammonia and produce hydrogen, and the hydrogen is transported to the shore via pipelines to be supplied to hydrogen distributors or hydrogen users. Ammonia is also used for power generation, and the generated electric energy is also transported to the shore to power charging stations.

[0015] Supplying ammonia by ship can avoid the risks associated with ammonia, which is toxic in gaseous state. Producing hydrogen offshore can also avoid the risks associated with hydrogen, especially being able to reduce damage in case of an explosion on the platform.

[0016] However, with global warming, sudden storms and severe weather phenomena have become increasingly frequent. The risk of the platform sinking is high, which may cause serious damage to the platform and even lead to an explosion of the platform. This will result in serious material losses and personnel injuries.

[0017] In addition, the supply of hydrogen is strictly limited by the hydrogen distributors located near the fixed platform. If hydrogen needs to be supplied to other sites, it must be transported to these remote sites by truck loading, which will bring the risk of explosion on the road, or transfer hydrogen through gas pipelines, but this requires a large amount of investment. Summary of the Invention

[0018] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by proposing a ship for hydrogen production, so as to ensure that the hydrogen production and storage devices are protected from bad weather and achieve flexible hydrogen supply to multiple sites. To this end, the present invention thus generally relates to a ship for hydrogen production.

[0019] According to the present invention, the ship includes a hydrogen production device, and the hydrogen production device includes a cracking unit for cracking hydrogen-based compounds to produce hydrogen and cracking products. The ship also includes a filtration and purification unit for separating hydrogen from the cracking products.

[0020] Therefore, the present invention provides a more flexible solution. The ship is movable, enabling it to sail into a sheltered port when a storm comes. Therefore, the safety of the hydrogen production facilities and the personnel on board can be guaranteed.

[0021] Hydrogen production is carried out on the high seas, which enables the protection of coastal residents and residences in case of an explosion or leakage. Since ammonia is corrosive and toxic, it is more advantageous to store ammonia at sea. Similarly, offshore hydrogen production significantly reduces the threat range to the crowd and reduces the demand for land.

[0022] In addition, since the standards for hydrogen storage and production in land-based or marine installations are different, this solution also simplifies regulatory constraints.

[0023] The ship also enables the movement of hydrogen production facilities to supply storage areas or distribution areas located at different positions and far from each other.

[0024] For example, when the ammonia or hydrogen used for propulsion in a ship or industrial device is about to run out, the ship can go for refueling.

[0025] The ship can move to a location far from the hydrogen delivery position for ammonia fuel refueling.

[0026] The present invention can avoid wasting time because the ship produces hydrogen between the fueling point and each delivery point while using green energy such as hydrogen or ammonia for propulsion.

[0027] When hydrogen is no longer needed at a certain location, the ship can be sailed away.

[0028] The ship never sails empty, unlike the supply ships in the prior art that need to return empty after sailing from the supply point fully loaded with hydrogen-based compounds to the delivery point. The ship according to the present invention is either loaded with a large amount of ammonia to be converted or a large amount of hydrogen to be delivered.

[0029] Multiple ships can be used to improve hydrogen production capacity.

[0030] The present invention also eliminates the need to build expensive and environmentally unfriendly terminals at ports in densely populated and strictly regulated areas.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the ship includes a first storage device for storing hydrogen-based compounds, a second storage device for storing hydrogen, and a third storage device for storing cracking products.

[0032] In another embodiment, the hydrogen-based compound is ammonia and the cracking product is nitrogen.

[0033] According to another embodiment, the filtration and purification unit includes a pressure swing adsorption device.

[0034] According to another embodiment, the ship includes a deck and at least one cabin. The cracking unit, the filtration and purification unit, and the second storage device are located on the deck. The first storage device is located in the cabin.

[0035] The advantage of arranging the cracking unit, the filtration and purification unit, and the first storage device on the deck is that it enables more space to be occupied than in the cabin, better access, and more effective evacuation of any possible hydrogen leakage. At the same time, the damage caused by a gas explosion outside the ship is also smaller than that inside the ship.

[0036] According to another embodiment, the cracking unit includes a plurality of movable cracking units, and the filtration and purification unit includes a plurality of movable filtration units.

[0037] According to another embodiment, the ship includes a moving device for moving the movable cracking unit and the movable filtration unit.

[0038] Therefore, the hydrogen production facility is modular.

[0039] The moving device enables the adjustment of the number of movable cracking units and movable filtration units according to the demand for hydrogen production.

[0040] The movable cracking unit and the movable filtration unit can be moved from the storage area to the hydrogen production device by the moving device to increase the hydrogen production capacity.

[0041] The movable cracking unit and the movable filtration unit can also be moved from the hydrogen production device to the maintenance area for repairing the movable cracking unit and the movable filtration unit.

[0042] The parallel use of a plurality of movable cracking units (or modules) can make the production more reliable. When one movable cracking unit fails, it can be immediately replaced by another movable cracking unit.

[0043] Arranging the cracking unit and the filtration and purification unit on the deck enables the use of a wider range of moving devices and better mobility.

[0044] The present invention also relates to a method for producing hydrogen using a ship as defined above. The method includes: the step of supplying a hydrogen-based compound to the ship, the step of cracking the hydrogen-based compound by the cracking unit to produce hydrogen and cracking products, and the step of filtering by the filtration and purification unit to separate hydrogen from the cracking products.

[0045] In one embodiment, the movable cracking unit and the movable filtration unit are moved from the storage area to the hydrogen production device to increase the hydrogen production capacity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] The following will describe the specific embodiments of the present invention in a non-limiting example manner in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

[0047] Figure 1 Schematically shows a hydrogen production ship including a hydrogen production device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 2 More schematically shows Figure 1 the ship in

[0049] Figure 3The process flow diagram of hydrogen production by a ship is shown. Detailed implementation mode

[0050] Figure 1 A ship 1 for hydrogen production is shown. The ship includes a hydrogen production device 13, and the hydrogen production device includes a cracking unit 2 for cracking hydrogen-based compounds to produce hydrogen and cracking products.

[0051] The hydrogen production device 13 further includes a filtration and purification unit 3 for separating hydrogen from the cracking products.

[0052] As used in the present invention, the term "ship" means any type of floating mobile seagoing vessel or structure equipped with a propulsion system and capable of moving on the sea or river, such as a small boat.

[0053] As Figure 2 shown, the ship 1 includes a first storage device 4 for storing hydrogen-based compounds, a second storage device 5 for storing hydrogen, and a third storage device 6 for storing cracking products.

[0054] The hydrogen-based compounds are in liquid or gaseous form.

[0055] The first storage device 4, the second storage device 5, and the third storage device 6 may include one or more storage tanks for storing pressurized liquids or gases.

[0056] Preferably, the hydrogen-based compound is ammonia (NH 3 ), and its cracking product is nitrogen.

[0057] The examples given below take ammonia as an example, but the hydrogen-based compound can also be any compound capable of producing hydrogen after a cracking operation, such as methanol (CH 3 OH) or methane (CH 4 ).

[0058] Ammonia is stored in liquid form at a low temperature (below -33 °C).

[0059] The cracking unit 2 includes a number of movable cracking units 9, also known as cracking reactors.

[0060] The cracking operation is an endothermic reaction that obtains hydrogen (or dihydrogen) by decomposing ammonia. In this known operation, a catalyst is usually required. The cracking process produces approximately 75% hydrogen and 25% nitrogen.

[0061] The filtration and purification unit 3 includes a number of movable filtration units 10.

[0062] In one embodiment, each movable filtration unit 10 includes a pressure swing adsorption device. Pressure swing adsorption, also known as PSA (an acronym for "Pressure Swing Adsorption"), is a gas mixture separation process in which a solid or liquid alternately adsorbs a gas at a given pressure and then desorbs it at a lower pressure. This process is also known.

[0063] Other filtration systems may also be employed, such as membrane separation or cryogenic separation.

[0064] The movable cracking units 9 are independent of each other, and the movable filtration units 10 are also independent of each other.

[0065] The movable cracking units 9 may be associated with the movable filtration units 10, but other configurations are also feasible.

[0066] The ship 1 includes a deck 7 and a cabin 8.

[0067] According to a possible embodiment, the cracking unit 2, the filtration and purification unit 3, and the second storage device 4 are located on the deck 7. The first storage device 5 and the third storage device 6 are located in the cabin 8 or the cargo hold of the ship 1. Other configurations are also feasible, such as the second storage device 4 being located in the cabin 8 or the cargo hold.

[0068] A cabin is an enclosed compartment of a ship for accommodating equipment, ship fuel, or supplies.

[0069] A cargo hold is a place for storing the cargo of a ship.

[0070] It is preferably stored in the cabin 8 rather than in the cargo hold.

[0071] The advantages of arranging the cracking unit 2, the filtration and purification unit 3, and the first storage device 4 on the deck 7 are that more space can be occupied, it is easier to access, and any possible hydrogen leakage can be emptied more efficiently. The damage caused by a gas explosion occurring outside the ship 1 is also smaller than that occurring inside the ship. The maintenance process is simplified and the downtime is reduced.

[0072] The movable cracking units 9 and the movable filtration units 10 can be moved on the deck 7 of the ship 1.

[0073] The ship 1 includes a moving device 11 for moving the movable cracking units 9 and the movable filtration units 10.

[0074] The moving device 11 may include one or more overhead cranes.

[0075] Each bridge crane includes a track 14, and a lifting device 15 equipped with a motor moves on this track. The lifting device 15 is configured to lift the movable cracking unit 9 or the movable filtration unit 10 by means of a cable operated by a first motor. The lifting device 15 translates along the track 14 by means of a second motor.

[0076] Other moving devices 11 are also possible, such as cranes.

[0077] Therefore, the hydrogen production device 13 is modular.

[0078] The moving device 11 can move the movable cracking unit 9 and the movable filtration unit 10 from the storage area 12 to the hydrogen production device 13 to improve the hydrogen production capacity.

[0079] The movable cracking unit 9 and the movable filtration unit 10 can also be moved from the hydrogen production device 13 to the on-board maintenance area for the repair of the movable cracking unit 9 and the movable filtration unit 10.

[0080] Therefore, the size and production capacity of the hydrogen production device 13 are modular.

[0081] Cracking is an endothermic reaction. When a new generation of catalysts achieves better performance, the movable cracking unit 9 and the movable filtration unit 10 can be replaced by more efficient devices.

[0082] The present invention also relates to a method for producing hydrogen using the ship 1 described above. As Figure 3 shown, the process includes: step E1 of supplying a hydrogen-based compound to the ship 1, step E2 of cracking the hydrogen-based compound by the cracking unit 2 to produce hydrogen and cracking products, step E3 of filtering by the filtration and purification unit 3 to separate hydrogen from the cracking products, step E4 of storing hydrogen and cracking products, and hydrogen distribution step E5.

[0083] Optionally, the propulsion system of the ship 1 can be powered by hydrogen-based compounds such as ammonia or hydrogen.

[0084] Ammonia can be supplied to the ship 1 through pipelines or other ships.

[0085] Similarly, hydrogen can be distributed or transported on land through pipelines, containers, small ships or other means to a storage point for replenishing service stations, so as to transport hydrogen to, for example, vehicles.

[0086] Alternatively, hydrogen can be distributed to other ocean-going ships to replenish storage points at greater distances.

[0087] The ship 1 can also redistribute ammonia or hydrogen to other ships to power their power systems and propulsion systems.

[0088] The ship 1 may include a loading arm 16 for loading hydrogen or hydrogen-based compounds onto other ships and also for receiving hydrogen-based compounds.

[0089] Alternatively, the ship 1 may be equipped with a stern platform for docking small boats, for example, to unload hydrogen containers onto small boats or to load containers of hydrogen-based compounds from small boats onto the ship 1. This avoids dangerous ship-to-ship operations and operations involving transfer in the dock area by means such as cranes.

Claims

1. A ship (1) for producing hydrogen, characterized in that, the ship refers to any type of floating mobile seagoing vessel or structure capable of moving on the sea or a river and equipped with a propulsion system. The ship (1) includes a hydrogen production device (13), and the hydrogen production device (13) includes a cracking unit (2) and a filtration and purification unit (3). The cracking unit is used to crack hydrogen-based compounds to produce hydrogen and cracking products, and the filtration and purification unit (3) is used to separate hydrogen from the cracking products. The ship (1) includes a first storage device (4) for storing the hydrogen-based compounds, a second storage device (5) for storing the hydrogen, and a third storage device (6) for storing the cracking products.

2. The ship (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, the hydrogen-based compound is ammonia and the cracking product is nitrogen.

3. The ship (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the filtration and purification unit (3) includes a pressure swing adsorption device.

4. The ship (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the ship (1) includes a deck (7) and at least one cabin (8). The cracking unit (2), the filtration and purification unit (3), and the second storage device (4) are all located on the deck (7), and the first storage device (5) is located in the cabin (8).

5. The ship (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, the cracking unit (2) includes a plurality of movable cracking units (9), and the filtration and purification unit (3) includes a plurality of movable filtration units (10).

6. The ship (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, the ship (1) includes a moving device (11) for moving the movable cracking unit (9) and the movable filtration unit (10).

7. The ship (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that, the moving device (11) includes at least one overhead crane.

8. A method for producing hydrogen using the ship (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, the method includes: a step (E1) of supplying a hydrogen-based compound to the ship (1), a step (E2) of cracking the hydrogen-based compound by the cracking unit (2) to produce hydrogen and cracking products, and a step (E3) of filtering by the filtration and purification unit (3) to separate hydrogen from the cracking products.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, the cracking unit (2) includes a plurality of movable cracking units (9), the filtration and purification unit (3) includes a plurality of movable filtration units (10), and the movable cracking units (9) and the movable filtration units (10) move from a storage area (12) to the hydrogen production device (13) to improve the hydrogen production capacity.

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