Fuel processing system and ship including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fuel processing system and a ship comprising the same, comprising: a fuel supply unit for supplying fuel discharged from a fuel storage tank to a demand site; a fuel recovery unit that recovers the remaining fuel returned from the demand location; and a fuel processing unit for collecting the fuel output from the fuel supply unit or the fuel recovery unit, the fuel processing unit including a plurality of absorption tanks for generating waste water by collecting the fuel with water, the fuel output from the fuel supply unit or the fuel recovery unit sequentially passes through the plurality of absorption tanks and is dissolved in water stored in the absorption tanks, thereby converting the fuel into waste water.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a fuel processing system and a ship including the same. Background Technology

[0002] Global air pollution is becoming increasingly severe and is contributing to climate change. Because pollutants emitted from ships have a significant impact on air pollution, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the European Union, the United States, and other organizations are strengthening regulations on pollutants emitted from ships in order to reduce air pollution.

[0003] As greenhouse gas emission regulations for ships are progressively tightened at key milestones by 2050, it is anticipated that existing engines and fuels alone will be insufficient to comply with these regulations.

[0004] Therefore, with the adoption of stricter regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from ships, the use of existing fossil fuels is expected to become difficult, necessitating the search for alternative fuels that can meet future stringent regulations. Currently being considered as alternative fuels are non-fossil fuels such as ammonia (NH3), biofuels, solar energy, and wind power.

[0005] Ammonia, as a chemical substance that can be produced, stored, transported, and supplied, is being developed into ammonia-fueled ships.

[0006] Existing ammonia-fueled ships store ammonia fuel as liquid. Since ammonia has a boiling point below room temperature (-33°C at atmospheric pressure), the fuel storage tanks must meet certain specifications to maintain this liquid state. Furthermore, keeping the ammonia liquid requires maintaining a low temperature inside the tanks, necessitating cooling, a process that consumes a significant amount of energy.

[0007] In addition, liquid ammonia storage tanks may produce vaporized gas inside the tank, and the pressure inside the tank may rise due to the vaporized gas, which may lead to a tank explosion. When liquid ammonia leaks to the outside of the tank, it may explode, and due to the toxicity of ammonia, it may endanger human life.

[0008] It is evident that existing ammonia ships suffer from limitations in terms of low efficiency in terms of equipment and operating costs, as well as low facility safety, when storing liquid ammonia fuel and supplying ammonia fuel to engines. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention was made to solve the problems in the prior art as described above, and its object is to provide a fuel handling system and a ship including the same, which can ensure a stable and reliable fuel supply when ammonia is used as fuel for an engine.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a fuel processing system includes: a fuel supply unit for supplying fuel discharged from a fuel storage tank to a demand location; a fuel recovery unit for recovering residual fuel returned from the demand location; and a fuel processing unit for capturing fuel vented from the fuel supply unit or the fuel recovery unit, the fuel processing unit including a plurality of absorption tanks, the plurality of absorption tanks using water to capture fuel to generate wastewater, the fuel processing unit causing fuel vented from the fuel supply unit or the fuel recovery unit to pass sequentially through the plurality of absorption tanks and dissolve in water stored in the absorption tanks, thereby converting it into wastewater.

[0011] Specifically, the aforementioned multiple absorption tanks may have a fuel concentration that decreases relatively from upstream to downstream, based on the flow of fuel output from the aforementioned fuel supply unit or the aforementioned fuel recovery unit.

[0012] Specifically, the aforementioned multiple absorption tanks can be stacked in the height direction and configured such that each absorption tank can be separated.

[0013] Specifically, the plurality of absorption tanks may include: a first absorption tank containing water and into which fuel output from the fuel supply unit or the fuel recovery unit flows; and a second absorption tank containing water and into which gas not absorbed by the water in the first absorption tank flows.

[0014] Specifically, the first absorption tank can be located below the second absorption tank, and when the fuel concentration in the wastewater is above a certain level, it is separated based on the second absorption tank.

[0015] Specifically, the fuel treatment unit may include an nth absorption tank, which stores water for gas that is not absorbed by the water in the first absorption tank (which is also the second absorption tank), and discharges the gas that is not absorbed by the water in the nth absorption tank into the atmosphere at a concentration less than a certain level.

[0016] A ship according to one aspect of the invention includes the aforementioned fuel handling system.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, a fuel handling system includes: a fuel supply unit for supplying fuel discharged from a fuel storage tank to an engine; a fuel recovery unit for recovering residual fuel returning from the engine; and a purging unit for purging the fuel supply unit and the fuel recovery unit, the fuel recovery unit including a collection tank for storing at least a portion of the residual fuel returning from the engine, and the purging unit including a purging compressor for compressing purging gas and injecting the purging gas into the fuel supply unit, thereby conveying fuel remaining in the purging target area before and after the engine to the collection tank.

[0018] Specifically, the aforementioned purging compressor can draw in the purging gas injected into the purging target area and transport it to the outside of the purging target area after the purging of the aforementioned target area is completed.

[0019] Specifically, the aforementioned purging compressor can draw in the purging gas injected into the aforementioned purging target area and transport it to the aforementioned collection tank after the purging of the aforementioned purging target area is completed.

[0020] Specifically, the purging unit may further include a purging drum that delivers purging gas to the fuel supply unit. The purging compressor can compress the purging gas stored in the collection tank and inject it into the fuel supply unit through the purging drum, thereby delivering the fuel remaining in the purging target area to the collection tank. When the purging target area is purged, the purging compressor can, with the flow from the fuel recovery unit to the collection tank cut off, draw and deliver the purging gas stored in the purging target area and the purging drum to the collection tank.

[0021] Specifically, it may include a purging line that connects the collection tank to the purging drum and passes through the purging compressor. The purging line may be configured to achieve the following flows: a first flow from the collection tank through the purging compressor to the purging drum; or a second flow from the purging drum through the purging compressor to the collection tank.

[0022] Specifically, the purge line can achieve the following flow: a first flow in which the inlet end of the purge compressor is connected to the collection tank and the outlet end of the purge compressor is connected to the purge drum; or a second flow in which the inlet end of the purge compressor is connected to the purge drum and the outlet end of the purge compressor is connected to the collection tank.

[0023] Specifically, it may also include a fuel processing unit that captures fuel output from the fuel supply unit or the fuel recovery unit, and the fuel processing unit may receive and process fuel that flows into the collection tank during purging.

[0024] Specifically, the aforementioned fuel processing unit can use water to capture fuel to generate fuel water, and discharge fuel with a certain concentration to the outside.

[0025] A ship according to one aspect of the present invention has the above-described fuel handling system.

[0026] According to one aspect of the invention, a fuel handling system includes: a fuel supply unit that supplies fuel discharged from a fuel storage tank to a point of demand; and a boiler that uses the fuel to generate steam, the boiler having an oxidation catalyst and using an exothermic oxidation reaction of the fuel to convert water into steam.

[0027] Specifically, the aforementioned fuel handling system may further include a fuel recovery unit that recovers surplus fuel returned from the aforementioned demand, and at least one of the aforementioned fuel supply unit and the aforementioned fuel recovery unit may supply fuel to the aforementioned boiler.

[0028] Specifically, the fuel recovery unit may include a collection tank that stores at least a portion of the remaining fuel returned from the demand and supplies at least a portion of the remaining fuel flowing into the collection tank to the boiler.

[0029] Specifically, the fuel handling system may include a mixer that mixes the fuel to be supplied to the boiler with air and delivers it to the boiler.

[0030] Specifically, the aforementioned mixer can dilute the fuel with air to below the lower explosive limit and supply it to the aforementioned boiler, which can be manufactured to explosion-proof safety specifications.

[0031] Specifically, the fuel recovery unit may include a collection tank that stores at least a portion of the remaining fuel returned from the demand. The fuel recovery unit may also include a buffer tank that receives fuel from the collection tank and delivers it to the mixer or the boiler.

[0032] Specifically, the fuel processing system may further include a fuel processing unit that captures fuel discharged from the fuel supply unit or the fuel recovery unit, and uses water to capture the fuel to generate wastewater, which is then transported to the mixer or the boiler.

[0033] Specifically, the mixer can receive gaseous fuel discharged from the fuel storage tank, mix the fuel with air, and deliver it to the boiler.

[0034] Specifically, the boiler may further include a steam generator that uses high-temperature exhaust gas discharged from the oxidation catalyst to vaporize water; and a fuel heat exchanger that uses exhaust gas supplied from the oxidation catalyst to the steam generator to heat the fuel flowing into the oxidation catalyst.

[0035] Specifically, the fuel processing system may also include a preheater that uses steam generated by the boiler to preheat the fuel flowing into the mixer or the oxidation catalyst.

[0036] A ship according to one aspect of the present invention has the above-described fuel handling system.

[0037] The fuel treatment system according to the present invention, and the ship including the same, can not only effectively supply ammonia to ammonia engines, but also perform excellently in exhaust treatment, purging, etc. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 6 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 7 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 8 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 9 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 10 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 11 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 12 This is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 13 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 14 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 15 This is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the fourteenth embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The objectives, specific advantages, and novel features of this invention will become clearer from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. When labeling the constituent elements in the various figures in this specification, it should be noted that the same constituent elements, even those shown in other figures, should be labeled using the same reference numerals whenever possible. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, detailed descriptions of relevant prior art are omitted where it is determined that such detailed descriptions would obscure the essence of the invention.

[0054] While ammonia can be used as the fuel in this invention, it is not limited to this. The fuel can include all kinds of substances with low boiling points and water solubility, such as methanol and ethanol.

[0055] This invention includes vessels equipped with the fuel handling systems described below. Here, "vessel" refers to all concepts including ammonia carriers, merchant ships that transport cargo or people but not ammonia, FSRUs, FPSOs, bunkering vessels, offshore plants, etc.

[0056] Although not shown in the figures of this invention, pressure sensors (PT), temperature sensors (TT), flow sensors (FT), etc., can obviously be placed in appropriate locations without limitation, and the measurements obtained by each sensor can be used in a variety of ways without limitation for the operation of the configuration described below.

[0057] Furthermore, in the figures of this invention, straight lines represent the flow paths of various fluids such as ammonia or heat transfer media, and non-explosive gases, which can be interpreted as pipelines.

[0058] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Reference Figure 1 The fuel processing system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel storage tank 10, a fuel supply unit 20, a fuel recovery unit 30, an exhaust treatment unit 40, and a fuel processing unit 60.

[0061] Fuel storage tank 10 stores ammonia. Ammonia is used as fuel consumed by engines such as engine E. Engine E can be an ammonia-dedicated engine E or an ammonia-mixed engine E, etc. Of course, in this specification, engine E, as an internal combustion engine that consumes ammonia to obtain energy, is interpreted to include turbines, etc. Furthermore, the demand points include various consumption points other than engine E.

[0062] The fuel storage tank 10 stores ammonia in a liquid state, and for this purpose, insulation may be used on at least one side, inside and outside the fuel storage tank 10. Alternatively, the fuel storage tank 10 can prevent the liquefaction of ammonia by storing ammonia at high pressure, in which case the low-pressure pump 21 of the fuel supply unit 20, described later, can be reduced or omitted.

[0063] Fuel storage tank 10 can be configured to form a cargo hold inside the ship, or it can be a separate fuel tank located inside the ship or on the deck. There can be more than one such fuel storage tank 10, and when multiple fuel storage tanks 10 are provided, ammonia can be consumed in an alternative manner or simultaneously.

[0064] A bunkering station (not shown) is connected to fuel storage tank 10. The bunkering station supplies ammonia from an external fuel injection source to fuel storage tank 10. The external fuel injection source can be an ammonia supply source on land or an ammonia bunkering vessel at sea.

[0065] The fuel storage tank 10 may be equipped with a pressure regulating unit 11. The pressure regulating unit 11 may be a PBU (Pressure Build-up Unit) that increases the internal pressure of the fuel storage tank 10 by injecting ammonia discharged from the fuel storage tank 10 after heating or vaporizing it, or a subcooler that returns the ammonia after cooling / subcooling.

[0066] In addition, the pressure regulating unit 11 can be a reliquefaction device 111 that reliquefies the gaseous ammonia (evaporated gas) discharged from the fuel storage tank 10 and returns it to the fuel storage tank 10. When using the reliquefaction device 111, a gas phase processing line L11 can be connected between the reliquefaction device 111 and the fuel storage tank 10. The pressure regulating unit 11 can ensure the safety of the ammonia fuel supply by raising or lowering the internal pressure of the fuel storage tank 10.

[0067] The fuel supply unit 20 supplies ammonia from the fuel storage tank 10 to the engine E. The fuel supply unit 20 can supply liquid ammonia stored in the fuel storage tank 10 to the engine E. Specifically, considering the current specifications of the engine E which consumes ammonia, the fuel supply unit 20 is configured to supply ammonia to the engine E in a liquid state. Of course, the fuel supply unit 20 can adjust the state of the ammonia in various ways to correspond to changes in the specifications of the engine E.

[0068] The fuel supply unit 20 includes a low-pressure pump 21. The low-pressure pump 21 is responsible for extracting ammonia stored in the fuel storage tank 10 to the outside, and can be configured as a fixed-capacity type or a variable-capacity type (VFD).

[0069] The low-pressure pump 21 can be configured inside the fuel storage tank 10, but it can also be configured downstream of the fuel storage tank 10, unlike the illustration. Furthermore, depending on the type and internal pressure of the fuel storage tank 10, the low-pressure pump 21 can be omitted, as described above.

[0070] The low-pressure pump 21 can be configured in multiple ways, as shown in the figure, to achieve a structure that allows for mutual backup. Alternatively, multiple low-pressure pumps 21 can be configured to operate simultaneously to share the load. Or, multiple low-pressure pumps 21 can be connected in series to adopt a multi-stage pressurization method.

[0071] The fuel supply unit 20 also includes a high-pressure pump 22 and a heat exchanger 23. The high-pressure pump 22 pressurizes the ammonia, which has been pressurized by the low-pressure pump 21, in a manner corresponding to the required pressure of the engine E. One or more high-pressure pumps 22 may be provided, similar to the description of the low-pressure pump 21, either in series or in parallel.

[0072] The high-pressure pump 22 can be configured as a variable-capacity type, and its load can vary according to the measurement value of a flow meter that can be installed between the low-pressure pump 21 and the high-pressure pump 22. In this case, the flow meter can be installed at a location that reflects the flow rate of the residual ammonia recovered by the fuel recovery unit 30.

[0073] The fuel recovery unit 30, described later, can deliver the residual ammonia discharged from engine E to high-pressure pump 22. However, high-pressure pump 22 is not designed to receive gaseous media. Therefore, the ammonia upstream of high-pressure pump 22 must exist only in liquid form. To this end, the temperature and pressure upstream of high-pressure pump 22 can be effectively controlled.

[0074] As an example, the ammonia recovered by the fuel recovery unit 30 can be cooled, and the ammonia pressure upstream of the high-pressure pump 22 is kept high. By increasing the boiling point of ammonia, vaporization can be suppressed.

[0075] Heat exchanger 23 regulates the temperature of ammonia. Heat exchanger 23 can be located upstream of high-pressure pump 22, that is, between low-pressure pump 21 and high-pressure pump 22. Alternatively, heat exchanger 23 can be located downstream of high-pressure pump 22, or both upstream and downstream of high-pressure pump 22. Heat exchanger 23 regulates the temperature of ammonia to correspond to the required temperature of engine E by utilizing unrestricted heat transfer media such as ethylene glycol water (GW), seawater, fresh water, and steam.

[0076] Heat exchanger 23 can be a heater for heating ammonia. Generally, the required temperature of engine E is higher than the storage temperature of fuel storage tank 10 (below the boiling point of ammonia at atmospheric pressure). The temperature rise generated by pressurization by low-pressure pump 21 and high-pressure pump 22 alone is insufficient to match the required temperature of engine E. Therefore, heat exchanger 23 can be used.

[0077] However, the heat exchanger 23 can be located upstream of the high-pressure pump 22, and the temperature of the ammonia can be appropriately adjusted so that no gaseous ammonia flows into the high-pressure pump 22. In this case, the heat exchanger 23 controls the heating temperature of the ammonia taking into account the situation that the ammonia is recovered by the fuel recovery unit 30.

[0078] A heat exchanger 23 can be supplied with a heat medium for heating ammonia. That is, the heat exchanger 23 can be configured to allow the heat medium and ammonia to exchange heat with each other.

[0079] Alternatively, the heat exchanger 23 can be a water bath type heater in which ammonia passes through a water tank containing water. In this case, a water bath type steam heater that heats the internal water into steam, or a water bath type electric heater that uses electricity generated from a generator E or similar source to heat the internal water, can be used as the water bath type heater.

[0080] The fuel supply unit 20 is equipped with a valve for adjusting the supply flow of ammonia, etc., immediately in front of the engine E. This valve can be referred to as the fuel supply valve assembly (SVT).

[0081] Alternatively, the line that is equipped with the high-pressure pump 22 and heat exchanger 23 included in the fuel supply unit 20 and supplies ammonia from the liquefied gas storage tank to the engine E can be defined as the fuel supply line L10.

[0082] The fuel recovery unit 30 recovers the remaining ammonia returned from the engine E. Currently developed or under-development ammonia engines E receive and consume ammonia in liquid form, and to ensure a stable flow rate, they are designed to further receive the remaining amount.

[0083] At this point, the remaining ammonia may be discharged from engine E after passing through at least a portion of it. In this case, the lubricating oil used in engine E may be mixed with the ammonia. Therefore, the remaining ammonia discharged from engine E is in a contaminated state, and returning it to the fuel storage tank 10 is not preferable.

[0084] However, this remaining ammonia is in a state where it can be consumed in engine E. Therefore, the fuel recovery unit 30 transports the remaining ammonia discharged from engine E to the fuel supply unit 20. Specifically, the fuel recovery unit 30 can transport the remaining ammonia to the high-pressure pump 22 in the fuel supply unit 20. This ammonia transport is achieved through the fuel recovery line L20. A cooler 31, a collection tank 32, etc., may be installed in the fuel recovery line L20.

[0085] Cooler 31 cools the residual ammonia discharged from engine E. Since the residual ammonia has passed through engine E, it may be in a state of being heated by the heat released by engine E. If it were to flow directly back into high-pressure pump 22, it could cause gaseous ammonia to flow into high-pressure pump 22. Therefore, cooler 31 cools the residual ammonia with water or the like before delivering it between low-pressure pump 21 and high-pressure pump 22 in fuel supply section 20 to prevent gaseous ammonia from flowing into high-pressure pump 22.

[0086] A collection tank 32 is temporarily used to store ammonia in parallel with a portion of the fuel recovery line L20. The collection tank 32 branches upstream of the high-pressure pump 22, based on the flow of ammonia from engine E to the high-pressure pump 22. The collection tank 32 stores and performs gas-liquid separation on at least a portion of the residual ammonia returning from engine E, thereby preventing gaseous ammonia from flowing into the high-pressure pump 22.

[0087] Alternatively, the collection tank 32 can also be configured to remove lubricating oil contained in the residual ammonia. The collection tank 32 may have a structure including a gas-liquid separator and a knock-out drum. In this case, the residual ammonia first flows into the gas-liquid separator to separate the gaseous ammonia, and at least a portion of the liquid residual ammonia flows into the knock-out drum to separate the lubricating oil. That is, the separation of gaseous ammonia and lubricating oil described above can be achieved by other structures, but for ease of explanation, the structures that achieve these functions are referred to as the collection tank 32.

[0088] The fuel recovery unit 30 is equipped with valves for regulating the return flow of ammonia immediately downstream of the engine E. These valves can be referred to as a fuel return valve group (RVT). In particular, the fuel supply valve group (SVT) and the fuel return valve group can be encompassed and defined as a fuel valve group (FVT).

[0089] The exhaust treatment unit 40 treats the exhaust gas discharged from the engine E. The exhaust gas from the engine E may include various particulate matter and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other environmental pollutants. The exhaust treatment unit 40 can appropriately treat the pollutants in the exhaust gas by means of filtration, chemical reactions, etc.

[0090] As an example, the exhaust treatment unit 40 may be a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) device 41 or an SCR generator, etc. However, in this embodiment, the exhaust treatment unit 40 may be configured to include at least an SCR 41, and ammonia or the like may be used as the reducing agent.

[0091] The reducing agent used in the exhaust treatment unit 40 can be a reducing agent supplied separately from the outside, or it can be a reducing agent supplied from the fuel supply unit 20, etc. That is, the fuel supply unit 20 can supply at least a portion of the ammonia flowing toward the engine E to the exhaust treatment unit 40.

[0092] Therefore, the exhaust treatment unit 40 can use at least a portion of the ammonia supplied from the fuel supply unit 20 to the engine E as a reducing agent. For this purpose, a fuel delivery line L30 can be provided between the fuel supply unit 20 and the exhaust treatment unit 40.

[0093] Fuel delivery line L30 can branch off from fuel supply line L10 between low-pressure pump 21 and high-pressure pump 22, and may be equipped with filters and pressure regulating valves (PCV), etc. For reference, the filters and pressure regulating valves used to deliver ammonia to SCR 41 can be collectively defined as ammonia delivery section 44.

[0094] Additionally, fuel delivery line L30 can supply an appropriate amount of ammonia to SCR41 via metering unit 42. Metering unit 42 can not only regulate the amount of ammonia supplied to SCR41, but also regulate the concentration of ammonia as a reducing agent.

[0095] For this purpose, the metering unit 42 can mix compressed air into ammonia. The exhaust treatment unit 40 may further include an air supply unit 43 for supplying (compressed) air to the metering unit 42, the air supply unit 43 being an air fan or an air compressor, etc.

[0096] The metering unit 42 can mix compressed air with ammonia and supply a reducing agent with an appropriate ammonia ratio to the SCR 41. This effectively removes nitrogen oxides from the engine exhaust.

[0097] The exhaust treatment unit 40 may include a fuel return line L31 that returns fuel from the fuel delivery line L30 to the fuel storage tank 10. The fuel return line L31 may recover a portion of the ammonia into the fuel storage tank 10 upstream of the metering unit 42. Thus, the exhaust treatment unit 40 is able to have a pressure regulation function for the fuel storage tank 10.

[0098] In particular, the fuel return line L31 may be equipped with a return heat exchanger 45. When the fuel storage tank 10 is under low pressure, the return heat exchanger 45 can restore the internal pressure of the fuel storage tank 10 to an appropriate level by heating at least a portion of the ammonia supplied to the fuel delivery line L30.

[0099] Of course, the fuel return line L31 can be configured to pass through the return heat exchanger 45 or at least partially bypass it. Therefore, in order to maintain the pressure of the fuel storage tank 10 within a certain range, the exhaust treatment unit 40 can be used.

[0100] Additionally, the fuel return line L31 can be connected to the pressure regulating unit 11. The pressure regulating unit 11 can be a reliquefaction device 111, and the fuel return line L31 can transport at least a portion of the ammonia flowing along the fuel delivery line L30 to the pressure regulating unit 11, so that it is liquefied / subcooled and returned to the fuel storage tank 10. This process can be carried out when the internal pressure of the fuel storage tank 10 is high.

[0101] This exhaust treatment unit 40 can fully purify the exhaust gas from the engine E before releasing it into the atmosphere. The exhaust gas purified by the exhaust treatment unit 40 is discharged to the outside through a chimney of a certain height, and is treated in a way that does not cause harm to human beings.

[0102] The fuel processing unit 60 can store ammonia discharged from the ammonia storage or ammonia flow section during normal or emergency stops. The fuel processing unit 60 can utilize water for efficient ammonia processing.

[0103] Ammonia is readily soluble in water and is converted into ammonia water (wastewater). Taking advantage of this, the fuel treatment unit 60 can collect ammonia discharged from the fuel supply unit 20 or the fuel recovery unit 30 by dissolving it in water.

[0104] The fuel treatment unit 60 can be a scrubber 61 that converts ammonia into ammonia water by injecting water into the ammonia for collection. Alternatively, the fuel treatment unit 60 can be an absorption tank 62 that uses water to collect ammonia and generate ammonia water. Of course, the fuel treatment unit 60 can also be a combination of the scrubber 61 and the absorption tank 62, etc.

[0105] The fuel processing unit 60 of the present invention is referred to hereinafter. Figure 13 A more detailed description will be provided in another embodiment, and will be omitted here. However, in Figure 13 The contents of the fuel processing unit 60 described herein can be applied to all embodiments included in this invention.

[0106] As described above, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the ammonia supplied to the engine E as fuel is supplied to the SCR41, wherein at least a portion of the ammonia supplied to the SCR41 is heated or cooled and then recycled back to the fuel storage tank 10, thereby enabling appropriate adjustment of the pressure of the fuel storage tank 10.

[0107] Figure 2 This is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0108] The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the previous embodiments, with omitted descriptions remaining the same as those described above. This also applies to other embodiments described below.

[0109] Reference Figure 2 In the fuel processing system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the fuel delivery line L30 can extend from the fuel storage tank 10 instead of branching from the fuel supply line L10. In this case, a pump (not indicated in the drawings) can be provided at the inflow end of the fuel delivery line L30 for supplying ammonia as a reducing agent to the SCR 41.

[0110] Additionally, the fuel delivery line L30 may be equipped with a filter and a pressure regulating valve, as described above. Furthermore, a delivery heat exchanger 46 is provided in the fuel delivery line L30 to allow for appropriate regulation of the temperature of the ammonia supplied to the SCR 41.

[0111] Figure 3 This is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0112] Reference Figure 3 The fuel handling system 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is similar to the first embodiment in that the fuel delivery line L30 branches off from the fuel supply line L10 between the low-pressure pump 21 and the high-pressure pump 22.

[0113] However, in this embodiment, the fuel delivery line L30 can branch off from between the heat exchanger 23 and the high-pressure pump 22 in the fuel supply section 20, especially from downstream of the point where the fuel supply line L10 merges with the fuel recovery line L20.

[0114] In this case, the ammonia flowing into the fuel delivery line L30 can have a temperature and pressure corresponding to the ammonia flowing into the high-pressure pump 22. Therefore, the pressure regulating valve installed on the fuel delivery line L30 can generally be responsible for pressure reduction.

[0115] Figure 4 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0116] Reference Figure 4 In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the fuel handling system 1, compared with the third embodiment, has a fuel delivery line L30 that extends from the pressure regulating unit 11.

[0117] The pressure regulating unit 11 can be a reliquefaction unit 111. Ammonia discharged from the fuel storage tank 10 in the gas phase and compressed and cooled in the reliquefaction unit 111 before being depressurized can be supplied to the SCR 41 via the fuel delivery line L30. Thus, the pressure regulating unit 11 of this embodiment can prevent unnecessary depressurization, thereby increasing the reliquefaction efficiency.

[0118] In this case, a filter and a pressure regulating valve are installed on the fuel delivery line L30. The filter and other components can be located downstream of the point where the ammonia flowing from the reliquefaction unit 111 and the ammonia flowing upstream from the high-pressure pump 22 can merge.

[0119] Figure 5 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0120] Reference Figure 5The fuel processing system 1 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is the same as that in the third embodiment, having an exhaust treatment section 40 configured to deliver ammonia from upstream of the high-pressure pump 22 to the SCR 41.

[0121] However, in this embodiment, the exhaust treatment unit 40 can use a vaporizer 47 instead of the metering unit 42. That is, unlike other embodiments that supply ammonia to the SCR 41 in a liquid state, the exhaust treatment unit 40 can supply ammonia to the SCR 41 in a gaseous phase. In this case, the exhaust treatment unit 40 can more effectively control the flow rate of ammonia supplied to the SCR 41.

[0122] In addition, the exhaust treatment unit 40 can receive gaseous ammonia generated in the fuel storage tank 10 and deliver it to the SCR 41. Thus, the exhaust treatment unit 40 can eliminate overpressure in the fuel storage tank 10, thereby achieving pressure control of the fuel storage tank 10.

[0123] Figure 6 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0124] Reference Figure 6 The fuel processing system 1 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention is described in the same way as that in the fifth embodiment, and can supply the vaporized ammonia from the fuel supply unit 20 to the SCR 41.

[0125] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an air supply unit 43 may be provided, and an ammonia / air mixer 48 may be provided downstream of the vaporizer 47. The exhaust treatment unit 40 of the ammonia / air mixer 48 can be used to dilute the vaporized ammonia in the vaporizer 47 with air and supply it to the SCR 41.

[0126] As described above, the exhaust treatment unit 40 of this embodiment can improve mixing efficiency by diluting ammonia with air. Furthermore, since the concentration of ammonia is reduced through dilution, the need for a safety system can be reduced.

[0127] In another embodiment of the present invention, a structure may be further included in which ammonia discharged from the fuel supply unit 20 or the fuel recovery unit 30 is used as a reducing agent.

[0128] That is, by supplying at least a portion of the ammonia delivered to the exhaust mast (not shown) to the SCR 41 through the exhaust treatment unit 40, it can be used for the purification of nitrogen oxides and the like contained in the exhaust of the engine E.

[0129] Figure 7 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0130] Reference Figure 7The fuel processing system 1 involved in the seventh embodiment of the present invention differs from other embodiments in that the collection tank 32 performs a condensation function.

[0131] In this embodiment, the collection tank 32 functions as a condenser to receive and reliquefy the gaseous ammonia discharged from the fuel storage tank 10. The collection tank 32 can store residual ammonia returning from the engine E in a liquid state. However, the residual ammonia flowing from the engine E into the collection tank 32 is at a relatively high temperature before passing through the cooler 31, but due to the high pressure, it remains liquid. Therefore, the gaseous ammonia flowing from the fuel storage tank 10 into the collection tank 32 can also be liquefied in the collection tank 32.

[0132] In this embodiment, the pressure regulating unit 11 can be a reliquefaction device 111, which can be equipped with a compressor 112 and a condenser 113 for reliquefying the gaseous ammonia discharged from the fuel storage tank 10.

[0133] At this time, the gaseous ammonia compressed by the compressor 112 can be transported to the collection tank 32 through the gas phase conveying line L12, and changes into a liquid state under the internal pressure of the collection tank 32. That is, the ammonia generated in the fuel storage tank 10 flows into the collection tank 32 through a part of the gas phase processing line L11, the compressor 112, and the gas phase conveying line L12.

[0134] However, in order to improve the liquefaction efficiency of gaseous ammonia, the collection tank 32 can also receive liquid ammonia from upstream of the high-pressure pump 22, in addition to the high-temperature residual ammonia flowing in from the engine E. For this purpose, a fuel branch line L14 can be provided upstream of the heat exchanger 23 in the fuel supply line L10.

[0135] Therefore, the fuel supply unit 20 can transport at least a portion of the liquid ammonia in the fuel storage tank 10 upstream of the high-pressure pump 22 and the heat exchanger 23 to the collection tank 32. Thus, the collection tank 32 can maintain the pressure and temperature conditions necessary for condensation when gaseous ammonia flows in.

[0136] When the internal pressure of the collection tank 32 increases, the boiling point of ammonia increases, which is conducive to liquefaction. In addition, residual ammonia is recovered from the collection tank 32 to the high-pressure pump 22. When the internal pressure of the collection tank 32 is maintained at a high pressure, the inflow pressure of the high-pressure pump 22 increases, which reduces the possibility of it flowing into the high-pressure pump 22 in the gas phase.

[0137] To increase the internal pressure of the collection tank 32, the fuel supply unit 20 can supply at least a portion of the ammonia pressurized by the high-pressure pump 22 to the collection tank 32. That is, in addition to connecting the fuel branch line L14 to the collection tank 32 upstream of the heat exchanger 23, the fuel branch line L14 can also be connected to the collection tank 32 downstream of the high-pressure pump 22. However, the former fuel branch line L14 is a low-pressure line, while the latter fuel branch line L14 is a high-pressure line.

[0138] Therefore, the collection tank 32 partially stores the remaining high-temperature / high-pressure liquid ammonia returning from the engine E, and receives low-temperature / low-pressure liquid ammonia upstream of the heat exchanger 23, as well as high-temperature / high-pressure liquid ammonia downstream of the high-pressure pump 22.

[0139] The collection tank 32 can control the inflow of liquid ammonia based on various sensors, thereby maintaining the internal pressure and internal temperature appropriately, and the gaseous ammonia branching off from the reliquefaction unit 111 can flow into this collection tank 32 to generate condensation of gaseous ammonia.

[0140] Therefore, in this embodiment, the reliquefaction device 111 liquefies the gaseous ammonia discharged from the fuel storage tank 10 and recovers the liquefied ammonia back into the fuel storage tank 10, or the reliquefaction device 111 compresses the gaseous ammonia and delivers it to the collection tank 32, thus reducing the load on the condenser 113 included in the reliquefaction device 111.

[0141] In addition, the reliquefaction unit 111 can bypass the fuel storage tank 10 and deliver at least a portion of the liquefied ammonia to the fuel supply unit 20, instead of recycling it back to the fuel storage tank 10. When the ammonia liquefied by the reliquefaction unit 111 flows into the interior of the fuel storage tank 10, it is depressurized to the internal pressure of the fuel storage tank 10, at which point flash gas is generated, thereby generating gaseous ammonia again.

[0142] In contrast, in this embodiment, a portion of the liquefied ammonia is fed directly to the heat exchanger 23 as fuel, rather than being injected into the fuel storage tank 10. This suppresses the generation of flash gas within the fuel storage tank 10 and improves reliquefaction efficiency. For this purpose, the reliquefaction unit 111 branches off from the gas phase processing line L11, which connects downstream of the condenser 113 to the fuel storage tank 10, into a liquid transport line L13. One end of the liquid transport line L13 extends downstream of the condenser 113, and the other end connects to the fuel supply line L10, thereby enabling the liquefied ammonia to be transported from the fuel supply section 20 to the upstream of the heat exchanger 23.

[0143] Figure 8 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[0144] Reference Figure 8The fuel processing system 1 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention also includes a boiler 50 that uses ammonia to generate steam.

[0145] At this time, instead of generating steam by boiling water through the combustion of ammonia and other fuels (HFO, MGO, LNG, LPG, etc.), boiler 50 can have an oxidation catalyst 52 and utilize the exothermic oxidation reaction of ammonia.

[0146] That is, the boiler 50 utilizes the fact that the ammonia flowing into the oxidation catalyst 52 releases heat during the oxidation reaction to convert water into steam. Therefore, the boiler 50 is configured to include a steam generator 51 and an oxidation catalyst 52.

[0147] Boiler 50 can generate steam by receiving ammonia from at least one of fuel supply section 20 and fuel recovery section 30. As an example, boiler 50 receives ammonia from fuel supply line L10, which is a branch of low-pressure pump 21 in fuel supply section 20.

[0148] Alternatively, the gas phase processing line L11, which discharges gaseous ammonia from the fuel storage tank 10, can also supply ammonia to the boiler 50. That is, the gas phase processing line L11 can extend from the fuel storage tank 10 or the pressure regulating unit 11 (e.g., the reliquefaction unit 111) toward the boiler 50, so that gaseous ammonia can be supplied as fuel to the boiler 50.

[0149] Boiler 50 includes mixer 53. Mixer 53 can mix air with liquid ammonia supplied from fuel supply unit 20 or fuel recovery unit 30 or gaseous ammonia supplied from pressure treatment unit, thereby enabling ammonia to be supplied to boiler 50 at a concentration maintained below the lower explosive limit (LEL).

[0150] Existing boilers using combustion methods require maintaining the ammonia concentration above a certain level. However, in this embodiment, due to the use of oxidation catalyst 52, ammonia can be exothermic even at low concentrations.

[0151] Therefore, in this embodiment, by diluting the concentration of ammonia flowing into the boiler 50 with air, the risk of explosion can be eliminated. Thus, the portion of the boiler 50 in this embodiment is designated as an explosion-proof safe area, and by using it as a gas-safe machinery space (a lower level than ESD-protected machinery safe space), system simplification is achieved. Furthermore, the boiler 50 can be configured to explosion-proof safety specifications. In addition, not only the boiler 50, but also all electrical equipment and other components within the housing housing the boiler 50 can be configured to explosion-proof safety specifications. Moreover, in situations where personnel access is restricted, a housing housing specifically designed to ensure explosion safety may be unnecessary.

[0152] Ammonia can be supplied from the fuel recovery unit 30 toward the boiler 50 via the collection tank 32. That is, the collection tank 32 can supply at least a portion of the remaining ammonia flowing into it to the boiler 50.

[0153] Boiler 50 may also include a buffer tank 54, which can receive ammonia from collection tank 32 and then transport it to mixer 53 or boiler 50. When the ammonia fuel supply is normally stopped, ammonia can flow into collection tank 32, but at this time, the ammonia in collection tank 32 flows into boiler 50 through buffer tank 54.

[0154] Furthermore, the fuel processing system 1 of the present invention can supply ammonia from the fuel processing unit 60 to the boiler 50. The fuel processing unit 60 can capture ammonia discharged from the fuel supply unit 20 or the fuel recovery unit 30 during an emergency shutdown as described above, and the ammonia captured by the fuel processing unit 60 is transported to the boiler 50 via the mixer 53 if necessary.

[0155] However, the ammonia captured by the fuel processing unit 60 can be in the form of ammonia water, so the ammonia water is transported to the mixer 53 or the boiler 50. In this case, in order to convert the ammonia water into ammonia, a dryer (not shown in the figure) that removes water by means of vaporization or the like can be installed downstream of the fuel processing unit 60.

[0156] To improve steam generation efficiency, boiler 50 can use high-temperature exhaust gas (above 300°C) downstream of oxidation catalyst 52 to heat the ammonia flowing into oxidation catalyst 52. In this case, the exhaust gas can consist of water and nitrogen, etc.

[0157] A fuel heat exchanger 55 can be installed downstream of the oxidation catalyst 52. The fuel heat exchanger 55 can use the high-temperature exhaust gas supplied from the oxidation catalyst 52 to the steam generator 51 to heat the ammonia flowing from the mixer 53 into the oxidation catalyst 52.

[0158] As described above, in this embodiment, steam is generated by exothermic oxidation rather than by burning ammonia, thereby ensuring that the ammonia flowing into the boiler 50 is below the lower explosive limit (LEL). Therefore, the boiler 50 can be configured to explosion-proof safety standards, and the space where the boiler 50 is located is defined as an explosion-proof safety zone, thereby eliminating the need for explosion-proof equipment and explosion-proof response facilities.

[0159] Figure 9 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention.

[0160] Below, in Figures 9 to 12 In, including Figure 8 The boiler 50 mentioned in the text, but not the same as... Figure 8 In comparison, some structural differences still exist. (Refer to...) Figure 9 The fuel processing system 1 according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention, compared with the eighth embodiment described above, further includes a preheater 56 and a sprayer 57.

[0161] The preheater 56 preheats the ammonia flowing into the oxidation catalyst 52. In the aforementioned eighth embodiment, a heater (not shown in the figure) may also be included upstream of the oxidation catalyst 52 to achieve the preheating function, but the difference in the preheater 56 of this embodiment is that it utilizes the steam generated by the boiler 50 that consumes ammonia.

[0162] That is, the preheater 56 in this embodiment receives at least a portion of the remaining portion of the steam discharged from the steam generator 51, excluding the flow rate supplied to the steam consumption point. Thus, the preheater 56 is able to heat the ammonia mixed with air in the mixer 53 before it flows into the oxidation catalyst 52.

[0163] As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, a heater can also be added between the preheater 56 and the oxidation catalyst 52. Thus, the ammonia mixed with air in the mixer 53 is initially preheated by steam, and then secondarily preheated by a heater utilizing an unrestricted heat source other than steam. The ammonia, after being preheated twice, is oxidized exothermically in the oxidation catalyst 52, thus contributing to the generation of steam.

[0164] Conversely, the heater can also be a steam heater. That is, in this embodiment, after ammonia is discharged from the mixer 53, it is initially preheated by steam in the preheater 56, and then preheated a second time by steam in the heater. At this time, the amount of steam supplied from the steam generator 51 to the preheater 56 and the heater can be actively controlled based on the temperature of the ammonia, the required temperature / demand of the steam, etc.

[0165] Figure 10This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention.

[0166] Reference Figure 10 Compared with the aforementioned ninth embodiment, the fuel processing system 1 according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention may have a preheater 56 located upstream of the mixer 53.

[0167] The preheater 56 can preheat the ammonia flowing into the mixer 53 using steam generated from the boiler 50. At this time, the ammonia preheated by the preheater 56 can be liquid ammonia discharged from the fuel storage tank 10, or at least a portion of the ammonia to be supplied to the fuel supply unit 20.

[0168] Alternatively, the preheater 56 can also preheat gaseous ammonia supplied from the fuel storage tank 10 or pressure regulating unit 11, unlike the illustration. In this case, the gas phase delivery line L12 can merge with the liquid ammonia upstream of the preheater 56. That is, the gas phase delivery line L12 can be connected upstream of the preheater 56 in the fuel supply line L10.

[0169] Figure 11 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0170] Reference Figure 11 In the fuel processing system 1 according to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention, the buffer tank 54 receives ammonia supplied from at least a portion of the fuel supply unit 20 and the fuel recovery unit 30, and supplies it to the mixer 53 or the boiler 50.

[0171] In terms of supplying ammonia from the buffer tank 54 to the mixer 53, this embodiment can be similar to the eighth embodiment. However, in the case of the aforementioned eighth embodiment, ammonia discharged during normal or emergency shutdown is used, while in this embodiment, ammonia in the purging gas discharged during purging can be used.

[0172] The present invention may include a purging unit 70, which will be described below. Figure 15 The purging unit 70 is a structure that uses purging gases, such as inert gases or nitrogen, to purge the fuel supply unit 20 and the fuel recovery unit 30.

[0173] During the purging process, at least a portion of the ammonia that was originally present in the fuel supply section 20 and the fuel recovery section 30 is discharged together with the purging gas. At this time, the ammonia discharged together with the purging gas can be transported to the buffer tank 54.

[0174] The purge gas / ammonia supplied to the buffer tank 54 can be delivered from the collection tank 32 located in the fuel recovery section 30. Since the collection tank 32 maintains a certain pressure (around 20 bar), if the pressure is increased above this level during purging, ammonia and purge gas can be discharged. At this time, to prevent overpressure, the ammonia / purge gas discharged from the collection tank 32 can be supplied to the buffer tank 54. The buffer tank 54 supplies the ammonia received from the collection tank 32 to the boiler 50, thus maintaining a certain pressure in the collection tank 32 even during purging.

[0175] However, in this embodiment, the buffer tank 54 can be omitted. In this case, the ammonia / purge gas discharged from the collection tank 32 to eliminate overpressure can be fed to the mixer 53. In this case, considering that the ammonia has been diluted by the purge gas, the mixer 53 can use less air at a lower flow rate than in other embodiments for dilution.

[0176] In this embodiment, without the buffer tank 54, the ammonia from the collection tank 32 can be transported to the fuel processing unit 60, and the ammonia water collected by the fuel processing unit 60 can be transported to the mixer 53. Alternatively, the ammonia water can be supplied to the mixer 53 after water has been separated through vaporization, as described below.

[0177] Figure 12 This is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention.

[0178] Reference Figure 12 The fuel processing system 1 according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention supplies ammonia to the boiler 50 using the fuel processing unit 60.

[0179] The fuel processing unit 60 can receive and capture ammonia discharged from the fuel supply unit 20 and the fuel recovery unit 30, etc. The fuel processing unit 60 can capture ammonia by dissolving it in water to form ammonia water.

[0180] At this time, the ammonia water generated by the fuel processing unit 60 is supplied to the mixer 53 or the boiler 50. However, in this embodiment, the water may be removed and only the ammonia may be supplied to the mixer 53, instead of being directly supplied to the mixer 53 in a state of ammonia and water mixture.

[0181] Therefore, a dryer (not shown in the figure) can be provided between the fuel processing unit 60 and the mixer 53. The dryer can have a vaporization function, as can be seen in the description of the eighth embodiment above.

[0182] Therefore, the ammonia discharged from the fuel supply section 20 and other parts and transported to the fuel processing section 60 is in the form of ammonia water that is soluble in water, but after the water is removed by vaporization or the like, it is transported to the mixer 53.

[0183] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when an emergency purge is performed inside the engine E in an ESD (Emergency Shutdown) state, if ammonia flow is not permitted due to a malfunction of components such as the wire or valve to be recovered to the collection tank 32, the purge gas can also be sent to the fuel treatment unit 60, and the fuel treatment unit 60 can capture the ammonia.

[0184] That is, in this embodiment, the fuel treatment unit 60 can capture ammonia discharged from the fuel supply unit 20, etc. when the system stops and transport it to the mixer 53, or it can capture ammonia / purge gas discharged from the fuel recovery unit 30, etc. when the system is purged and transport it to the mixer 53.

[0185] For reference, although the lines for ammonia flow during discharge and purging are shown separately in this invention, the discharge line L40 and the purging line L50 may share at least a portion of each other. That is, similar to the description above, ammonia transported via the discharge line L40 or the purging line L50 can be transported to the mixer 53 via the fuel processing unit 60. Conversely, the collection tank 32 may also perform the function of transporting ammonia transported via the discharge line L40, other than the purging line L50, to the mixer 53.

[0186] In addition, the discharge process described in this specification is for removing ammonia remaining in the ammonia flow line, while the purging process is for cleaning the ammonia flow line with inert gas. Purging can be performed continuously after discharge.

[0187] At this time, during discharge, ammonia is transported to the fuel processing unit 60 for reuse as fuel, and during purging, ammonia can be transported to the collection tank 32 for discharge treatment. However, as mentioned above, the present invention can be modified in any way.

[0188] Figure 13 as well as Figure 14 This is a conceptual diagram of the fuel processing system according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.

[0189] Figure 13 This is a conceptual diagram showing various forms of fuel processing unit 60 that can be included in the fuel processing system 1 according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 To Figure 13 The graph shows a comparison of the performance of the fuel processing unit 60.

[0190] Reference Figure 13 as well as Figure 14 The fuel treatment system 1 according to the thirteenth embodiment of the present invention may include at least one of a scrubber 61 and an absorber 62 as a fuel treatment unit 60. In this regard, as described above... Figure 1 It has been described in [etc.].

[0191] The fuel treatment unit 60 captures ammonia discharged from the fuel supply unit 20 or fuel recovery unit 30 during discharge or purging. Since ammonia is a toxic substance, its emission into the atmosphere is prohibited at concentrations exceeding a certain level. Therefore, the fuel treatment unit 60 captures ammonia discharged from the fuel supply unit 20, etc., to prevent its release into the atmosphere.

[0192] Because ammonia is soluble in water, the fuel treatment unit 60 can use water to capture ammonia. The fuel treatment unit 60 uses at least one of the following methods: spraying water onto ammonia and injecting ammonia into water.

[0193] To adopt the former approach, the fuel treatment unit 60 may include a scrubber 61; to adopt the latter approach, the fuel treatment unit 60 may include an absorber tank 62.

[0194] like Figure 13 As shown in (A), the scrubber 61 has a space for ammonia to flow into, into which water can be sprayed. When water is sprayed onto ammonia, the ammonia dissolves in the water and is converted into ammonia water. Therefore, the scrubber 61 can generate ammonia water on its lower side, and the ammonia water is discharged through the outlet at the lower part of the scrubber 61.

[0195] like Figure 14 As shown in (A), when the ammonia flow rate is constant, the ammonia capture performance of the scrubber 61 is also constant. When the ammonia flow rate changes, if the flow rate of water flowing into the scrubber 61 cannot be changed appropriately, the ammonia capture performance may decrease. That is, the scrubber 61 can be used when the ammonia flow rate is constant.

[0196] In other words, the washer 61 has the following disadvantages: when the flow rate of water sprayed from inside the washer 61 is kept constant, the performance cannot remain constant if the ammonia injection flow rate changes. Conversely, it is not easy to adjust the water spray rate in consideration of the ammonia injection flow rate, and it is also not preferred from a cost perspective.

[0197] like Figure 13 As shown in (C), the absorption tank 62 stores a certain amount of water inside. Ammonia can be injected into the water in the absorption tank 62, and the injected ammonia will dissolve in the water. Therefore, the water stored in the absorption tank 62 is converted into ammonia water, and the ammonia concentration of the ammonia water gradually increases according to the amount of ammonia injected.

[0198] Since the absorption tank 62 utilizes a stored amount of water, therefore... Figure 14As shown in (C), with the increase of ammonia injection, the internal ammonia concentration increases, and conversely, the absorption performance can only decrease. That is, if water is not continuously circulated in the absorption tank 62, the absorption function of the absorption tank 62 for ammonia will have a limit. Therefore, when the absorption tank 62 has absorbed ammonia concentrations above a certain level, the internal ammonia water needs to be discarded and then refilled with water.

[0199] In order to eliminate the shortcomings of the scrubber 61 and the absorber 62 described above, the fuel treatment unit 60 can, as follows: Figure 13 As shown in (B), it has a form that integrates the washer 61 and the absorption tank 62.

[0200] In this case, a scrubber 61 is installed at the top and an absorption tank 62 is installed at the bottom. Ammonia is injected into the water stored in the absorption tank 62. When the ammonia capture performance of the ammonia water in the absorption tank 62 decreases, the ammonia cannot be absorbed by the absorption tank 62 and moves upward. At this time, the water sprayed from the scrubber 61 can be used to further capture the ammonia.

[0201] When the washer 61 and the absorber tank 62 are integrated, it can be like... Figure 14 As shown in (B), the high initial flow rate of ammonia is handled by the absorption tank 62. In addition, if only the absorption tank 62 is used, the ammonia absorption performance will decrease after the initial flow, but at this time, the scrubber 61 can be used to compensate for the ammonia absorption performance after the initial flow.

[0202] When the scrubber 61 and the absorption tank 62 are integrated, both large-capacity absorption of ammonia based on the absorption tank 62 and continuous capture of ammonia based on the scrubber 61 can be achieved. However, there is a limitation in that the absorption tank 62 needs to be prepared in a large capacity to take into account the amount of water sprayed from the scrubber 61 in order to be used in combination with the scrubber 61.

[0203] To improve this, the fuel processing unit 60 can be as follows: Figure 13 As shown in (D), multiple absorption tanks 62 are provided. That is, the fuel processing unit 60 is equipped with multiple absorption tanks 62 that use water to capture ammonia to generate ammonia water.

[0204] At this time, the multiple absorption tanks 62 can be configured in multiple stages. Therefore, ammonia discharged from the fuel supply unit 20, etc., passes through the multiple absorption tanks 62 sequentially. That is, ammonia can be dissolved in the upstream absorption tank 62 of the multiple absorption tanks 62 and converted into ammonia water, or ammonia can be dissolved in the downstream absorption tank 62 of the multiple absorption tanks 62 and converted into ammonia water.

[0205] Therefore, the multiple absorption tanks 62 can have an ammonia concentration that decreases relatively from upstream to downstream, based on the flow of ammonia discharged from the fuel supply section 20 or the fuel recovery section 30.

[0206] Multiple absorption tanks 62 can be stacked vertically, allowing gas not absorbed by lower absorption tanks 62 to be transported to upper absorption tanks 62. For this purpose, a line (not shown in the accompanying drawings) for supplying ammonia to the water in another absorption tank 62 located above it can be provided above any absorption tank 62. This line can connect the absorption tanks 62 sequentially.

[0207] For example, a plurality of absorption tanks 62 may have a first absorption tank 62 that stores water internally and into which ammonia flows from the fuel supply unit 20 or the fuel recovery unit 30 into the water, and a second absorption tank 62 disposed above the first absorption tank 62. The second absorption tank 62, like the first absorption tank 62, also stores water internally, and gas that has not been absorbed by the water in the first absorption tank 62 may flow into the second absorption tank 62.

[0208] Additionally, the fuel processing unit 60 may include an nth absorber 62. The nth absorber 62 may be a second absorber 62 or a third absorber 62, and in the accompanying drawings, it may be a sixth absorber 62.

[0209] The nth absorption tank 62 stores water internally, and gas that has not been absorbed by the water in the first absorption tank 62 and the second absorption tank 62 flows into the nth absorption tank 62. In other words, the nth absorption tank 62 can receive gaseous ammonia that has not been captured by the (n-1)th absorption tank 62.

[0210] The fuel processing unit 60 may have a total of n absorption tanks 62, so that gaseous ammonia not captured by the water in the nth absorption tank 62 can be discharged into the atmosphere at a concentration below a certain level. That is, the fuel processing unit 60 has a first absorption tank 62 to an nth absorption tank 62, with the nth absorption tank 62 constituting the final stage of ammonia capture. Therefore, the nth absorption tank 62 needs to process the ammonia that it failed to capture, at which point the gaseous ammonia is discharged into the atmosphere from the nth absorption tank 62 within the permissible atmospheric emission range.

[0211] The fuel processing unit 60 includes a plurality of absorption tanks 62 arranged in a manner that allows them to be separated from each other. In addition, the plurality of absorption tanks 62 may be stacked vertically, or, if there are no problems in the transport of gaseous ammonia, they may be arranged in a direction other than vertically.

[0212] Alternatively, multiple absorption tanks 62 can be configured at intervals and not structurally connected or linked to each other, but only connected by lines, thus making it easy to set them apart from each other.

[0213] In this case, the absorption tank 62 is configured to be disposed of separately. That is, the first absorption tank 62, located at the upstream end of the fuel processing unit 60, will reach a certain ammonia concentration before the second absorption tank 62 located downstream of it. When the ammonia concentration inside the first absorption tank 62 rises to the concentration required for disposal, the first absorption tank 62 can be separated from the second absorption tank 62 and disposed of separately.

[0214] In this case, the ammonia discharged from the fuel supply unit 20, etc., can flow directly into the second absorption tank 62. For this purpose, the discharge line L40 can be connected to the second absorption tank 62 after being separated from the first absorption tank 62 during the removal process.

[0215] Alternatively, the discharge line L40 can be connected to the first absorption tank 62 to the nth absorption tank 62 respectively, initially only open to the first absorption tank 62, and then when the first absorption tank 62 is discarded, the flow to the first absorption tank 62 is cut off and switched to only open to the second absorption tank 62.

[0216] When using multiple absorption tanks 62 as described above, such as Figure 14 As shown in (D), although the overall ammonia absorption performance will gradually decrease, the initial large-capacity ammonia capture can be achieved without problems.

[0217] Furthermore, each absorber 62 exhibits a different ammonia concentration, but when a high-concentration absorber 62 is discarded, the fuel processing unit 60 achieves an overall decrease in ammonia concentration. Therefore, the fuel processing unit 60 can ensure successful ammonia capture until all absorber 62s are discarded.

[0218] Therefore, utilizing Figure 13 The (D) form of the fuel treatment unit 60 solves the existing problem of a sharp decrease in ammonia capture performance when the ammonia concentration in the water stored in the absorption tank 62 increases.

[0219] Figure 15 This is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the fourteenth embodiment of the present invention.

[0220] Reference Figure 15 The fuel processing system 1 according to the fourteenth embodiment of the present invention has a purging unit 70 that uses a collection tank 32 to perform purging.

[0221] The purging unit 70 injects inert gas or nitrogen, or other purging gases, into the purging target area before and after the engine E. The purging target area may include the area between the FVT and the engine E, as well as a portion upstream of the SVT and a portion downstream of the RVT. There are no particular limitations on this.

[0222] The purging unit 70 injects purging gas into the fuel supply unit 20 to remove residual ammonia in the purging target area. The purging gas injected into the fuel supply unit 20 and the residual ammonia in the fuel supply unit 20 flow together and pass through the engine E before moving to the fuel recovery unit 30. Afterward, the purging gas and ammonia can flow into the collection tank 32 provided in the fuel recovery unit 30.

[0223] Collection tank 32 can store purge gas and ammonia, which can then be discharged when necessary. Collection tank 32 allows ammonia to be released into the atmosphere at a concentration below a certain level. The ammonia discharged from collection tank 32 can then be released into the atmosphere via a discharge mast.

[0224] Conversely, during purging, the ammonia flowing into the collection tank 32 can also be transported to the fuel processing unit 60 for treatment. At this time, the fuel processing unit 60 receives the purging gas and ammonia flowing into the collection tank 32, causing the ammonia to be absorbed by water. Afterwards, the fuel processing unit 60 can supply the ammonia solution to the boiler 50, etc., which is similar to the process described above. Figure 8 The descriptions are the same.

[0225] Ammonia can be supplied directly from the collection tank 32 to the discharge mast, or it can be discharged from the collection tank 32 to the atmosphere via the fuel treatment unit 60. The fuel treatment unit 60 can use water to capture ammonia to generate ammonia water and discharge ammonia at a concentration below a certain level to the outside, which is consistent with the aforementioned... Figure 13 The descriptions in the same way are the same.

[0226] However, in this embodiment, by employing a purging drum 71 and a purging compressor 72 provided in the purging section 70, the discharge of ammonia into the atmosphere through the collection tank 32 or the fuel treatment section 60 can be suppressed or omitted.

[0227] The purge drum 71 delivers purge gas to the fuel supply section 20. The purge drum 71 can be configured between the purge compressor 72 and the fuel supply section 20 to temporarily store the purge gas compressed by the purge compressor 72 and then inject it into the fuel supply section 20.

[0228] The purging compressor 72 compresses the purging gas. Specifically, after the purging compressor 72 compresses the purging gas, it is injected into the fuel supply section 20, so that the ammonia remaining in the purging target area before and after the engine E is transported to the collection tank 32.

[0229] For this purpose, the purging unit 70 is equipped with a purging line L50. The purging line L50 connects the collection tank 32 to the purging compressor 72, and connects from the purging compressor 72 to the fuel supply unit 20 so that the purging gas flows into the fuel supply unit 20. In addition, it connects from the fuel recovery unit 30 to the purging compressor 72 via the collection tank 32.

[0230] In addition, when the purging of the target purging zone is completed, the purging compressor 72 draws in the purging gas injected into the target purging zone and delivers it to the collection tank 32. For this purpose, the purging line L50 can be connected from the fuel recovery unit 30 to the collection tank 32 via the purging compressor 72.

[0231] That is, the purging unit 70 of this embodiment can switch the flow of purging gas to the purging target area and the collection tank 32 before and after purging. For example, the purging compressor 72 compresses the purging gas stored in the collection tank 32 during purging. The purging compressor 72 delivers the compressed purging gas to the purging drum 71, and the purging gas flowing into the purging drum 71 is injected into the fuel supply unit 20. In this case, the ammonia remaining in the purging target area is delivered to the collection tank 32 along with the purging gas. This is similar to... Figure 15 The upper part and the central part are shown in the same way.

[0232] Afterwards, once the purging of the target area is complete, the flow from the fuel recovery unit 30 to the collection tank 32 is cut off by valves and other components. At this time, the purging compressor 72, as in... Figure 15 As shown at the lower end, the purge gas stored in the purge target area and the purge drum 71 is drawn and transported to the collection tank 32.

[0233] Therefore, the collection tank 32 contains the purging gas before purging, and then receives and stores the ammonia that was originally left in the purging zone during purging. In this case, the ammonia is filled in corresponding to the amount of purging gas discharged, so the internal pressure remains constant or slightly increases.

[0234] When purging is complete, the collection tank 32 stores purging gas in addition to the ammonia that was originally filled inside. In this case, the collection tank 32 may be slightly pressurized, while the purged area may be depressurized due to the suction of purging gas by the purging compressor 72.

[0235] After purging is completed, when all the purging gas is delivered to the collection tank 32, the purging gas that was originally left in the purged area is recovered by the collection tank 32. Then, the ammonia originally stored in the collection tank 32 is reused as fuel for engine E. Therefore, the collection tank 32 returns to its main state of storing purging gas and can be prepared for the next purging.

[0236] In this case, even without performing the atmospheric discharge through the exhaust mast as mentioned above, this embodiment can still successfully perform the purging of the target area.

[0237] However, for this purpose, the purge line L50 is configured to connect the purge compressor 72, the collection tank 32, and the purge drum 71 in both forward and reverse directions. For example, the purge line L50 is configured to selectively achieve the following flows: a first flow from the collection tank 32 through the purge compressor 72 to the purge drum 71; and a second flow from the purge drum 71 through the purge compressor 72 to the collection tank 32.

[0238] That is, the purge line L50 can achieve a first flow by connecting the inlet end of the purge compressor 72 to the collection tank 32 and the outlet end of the purge compressor 72 to the purge drum 71. Alternatively, the purge line L50 can achieve a second flow by connecting the inlet end of the purge compressor 72 to the purge drum 71 and the outlet end of the purge compressor 72 to the collection tank 32.

[0239] In the first flow, the purge gas originally stored in the collection tank 32 is drawn into the purge compressor 72 and compressed, then injected into the purge target area via the purge drum 71. At this time, the ammonia remaining in the purge target area flows into the collection tank 32.

[0240] Conversely, in the second flow, the purge gas in the purge target area is drawn through the purge drum 71 to the purge compressor 72, where it is compressed and then injected into the collection tank 32. At this time, the collection tank 32 contains residual ammonia, so its internal pressure may rise slightly as more purge gas is injected.

[0241] In this embodiment, during purging, ammonia can be discharged from the collection tank 32 through the fuel treatment unit 60 to the discharge mast at a safe level. Alternatively, in this embodiment, a purging compressor 72, a purging drum 71, and a collection tank 32 are used to process all purging gas and residual ammonia in the purging zone via the collection tank 32. Therefore, in this embodiment, the delivery of ammonia from the collection tank 32 to the discharge mast can be omitted or minimized.

[0242] In addition to the embodiments described above, the present invention also includes all embodiments resulting from combinations of the above embodiments and combinations of at least any one embodiment with known technologies.

[0243] The present invention has been described in detail above through specific embodiments, but this is only for the purpose of specific description of the present invention. The present invention is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make modifications or improvements, which is obvious.

[0244] Simple variations or modifications of the present invention are all within the scope of the present invention, and the specific scope of protection of the present invention will become clearer through the accompanying technical solutions.

Claims

1. A fuel treatment system, wherein comprising: a fuel supply section that supplies fuel discharged from a fuel storage tank to a demand; a fuel recovery section that recovers surplus fuel returned from the demand; and a fuel treatment section that traps fuel output from the fuel supply section or the fuel recovery section, the fuel treatment section includes a plurality of absorption tanks that trap fuel with water to generate waste water, the fuel treatment section causes fuel output from the fuel supply section or the fuel recovery section to sequentially pass through the plurality of absorption tanks to dissolve in water stored in the absorption tanks, thereby being converted into waste water.

2. The fuel treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of absorption tanks have fuel concentration that relatively decreases toward the downstream from the upstream based on flow of fuel output from the fuel supply section or the fuel recovery section.

3. The fuel treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of absorption tanks are stacked in a height direction and are provided so that the absorption tanks can be separated respectively.

4. The fuel treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of absorption tanks include: a first absorption tank that stores water inside and through which fuel output from the fuel supply section or the fuel recovery section flows; and a second absorption tank that stores water inside and through which gas that is not absorbed by the water in the first absorption tank flows.

5. The fuel treatment system according to claim 4, wherein the first absorption tank is provided below the second absorption tank and is separated from the second absorption tank when fuel concentration in the waste water is a certain concentration or more.

6. A fuel processing system, wherein comprising: a fuel supply section that supplies fuel discharged from a fuel storage tank to an engine; a fuel recovery section that recovers surplus fuel returned from the engine; and a purge section that purges the fuel supply section and the fuel recovery section, the fuel recovery section includes a collection tank that stores at least a part of the surplus fuel returned from the engine, the purge section includes a purge compressor that compresses purge gas, the purge compressor compresses the purge gas and injects it into the fuel supply section, thereby transporting fuel remaining in a purge target section before and after the engine to the collection tank.

7. The fuel treatment system according to claim 6, wherein the purge compressor sucks and transports the purge gas injected into the purge target section to the outside of the purge target section when the purge of the purge target section is completed.

8. The fuel treatment system according to claim 7, wherein the purge compressor sucks and transports the purge gas injected into the purge target section to the collection tank when the purge of the purge target section is completed.

9. The fuel treatment system according to claim 6, wherein the purge section further includes a purge drum that transports the purge gas to the fuel supply section, The purge compressor compresses and injects purge gas stored in the collection tank into the fuel supply section via the purge drum, thereby transporting fuel remaining in the purge target section to the collection tank, The purge compressor sucks and transports purge gas stored in the purge target section and the purge drum to the collection tank in a state where inflow from the fuel recovery section to the collection tank is cut off when the purge of the purge target section is completed.

10. A fuel processing system, wherein comprises: a fuel supply section that supplies fuel discharged from a fuel storage tank to a demand; and a boiler that generates steam using fuel, the boiler has an oxidation catalyst and converts water into steam using an oxidation exothermic reaction of fuel.

11. The fuel handling system according to claim 10, wherein the fuel handling system further includes a fuel recovery section that recovers remaining fuel returned from the demand, at least either one of the fuel supply section and the fuel recovery section supplies fuel to the boiler.

12. The fuel handling system according to claim 10, wherein the fuel recovery section includes a collection tank that stores at least a part of the remaining fuel returned from the demand, the collection tank supplies at least a part of the remaining fuel flowing inside to the boiler.

13. The fuel handling system according to claim 10, wherein the fuel handling system includes a mixer that mixes air with fuel to be supplied to the boiler and transports the fuel to the boiler.

14. The fuel handling system according to claim 13, wherein the mixer dilutes fuel with air to below a lower explosive limit and supplies the fuel to the boiler, the boiler is manufactured in an explosion-proof safety standard.

15. A marine vessel, wherein, having the fuel handling system according to claim 1.

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