Water vapor generator and water vapor generation assembly

Abstract

This invention discloses a steam generator and a steam generation assembly, relating to the field of steam generator technology. The steam generator is used for hydrogen production via solid oxide electrolysis. The steam generator includes a porous media layer, a partition, and two side plates. The porous media layer comprises a foamed metal porous structure or a microchannel structure. An electric heater is installed on the outer wall of each side plate. The partition is made of a high-temperature resistant metal material with excellent thermal conductivity and is positioned between the two side plates. The partition forms an interconnected evaporation chamber and a steam channel. The steam channel is located at the top of the evaporation chamber. The partition forms a liquid water inlet and a steam outlet, with the steam outlet located above the liquid water inlet. The porous media layer fills the evaporation chamber. The liquid water inlet is connected to the porous media layer, and the steam outlet is connected to the steam channel. The use of electric heaters on both sides achieves uniform heating, and the porous media layer effectively prevents excessive steam pressure fluctuations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of steam generator technology, and particularly to a steam generator and a steam generation assembly. Background Technology

[0002] SOEC (Solid Oxide Electrolyzer) hydrogen production is one of the most promising high-efficiency hydrogen production technologies. Its core advantage lies in its ability to efficiently decompose water using renewable energy, achieving a hydrogen production efficiency of over 80%, far exceeding that of proton exchange membrane electrolyzers. Unlike PEM electrolyzers, which directly use liquid water, SOEC electrolysis is a high-temperature endothermic reaction. The normal operating temperature must be maintained between 600℃ and 750℃. Furthermore, before the electrolysis reaction, the liquid water must be completely converted into high-temperature steam and introduced into the electrolyzer. This is a crucial prerequisite for ensuring the normal operation of SOEC and preventing damage to its core components.

[0003] Currently, steam generators generally suffer from excessive fluctuations in output steam pressure, which fails to meet the requirements for stable system operation and directly leads to a decrease in the efficiency of hydrogen production through electrolysis and a shortened lifespan of core components.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new steam generator and steam generation assembly to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide a steam generator and a steam generation assembly, which aims to improve the technical problem of excessive steam pressure fluctuations in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of the present invention, a steam generator is provided for producing hydrogen by electrolysis in a solid oxide electrolyzer, comprising:

[0007] A porous dielectric layer, wherein the porous dielectric layer comprises a foamed metal porous structure or a microchannel structure; Two side panels, each of which has an electric heater installed on its outer wall; A partition is disposed between the two side plates, and the partition forms an interconnected evaporation chamber and a steam flow channel. The steam flow channel is disposed at the top of the evaporation chamber. The partition forms a liquid water inlet and a steam outlet, with the steam outlet located above the liquid water inlet. The porous medium layer fills the evaporation chamber. The liquid water inlet is connected to the porous medium layer, and the steam outlet is connected to the steam flow channel.

[0008] In one embodiment, the specific surface area of ​​the foamed metal porous structure is from 0.2 m² / g to 2.5 m² / g, and the porosity is from 40% to 95%. The bottom of the foamed metal porous structure is connected to the liquid water inlet, and the top of the foamed metal porous structure is connected to the steam flow channel.

[0009] In one embodiment, the porosity of the foamed metal porous structure increases from bottom to top, with the porosity of the lower part of the foamed metal porous structure being 40% to 60% and the porosity of the upper part of the foamed metal porous structure being 80% to 90%.

[0010] In one embodiment, the microchannel structure is formed by etching a high-temperature resistant metal plate. The microchannel structure includes a plurality of parallel microchannels. The aperture of a single microchannel is 10 μm to 300 μm. The inlet of each microchannel is connected to the liquid water inlet, and the outlet of each microchannel is connected to the steam flow channel.

[0011] In one embodiment, the filling height of the foamed metal porous structure is 60% to 80% of the height of the evaporation chamber, the length of the microchannel is the same as the length of the evaporation chamber, and the width of the microchannel is 80% to 90% of the width of the evaporation chamber.

[0012] In one embodiment, the electric heater is provided with an insulation layer on its exterior.

[0013] In one embodiment, the steam channel is a smooth arc-shaped channel, and both the inner wall of the evaporation chamber and the inner wall of the steam channel are polished surfaces.

[0014] In one embodiment, both the liquid water inlet and the steam outlet are connected to high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipes. The high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe connected to the liquid water inlet is equipped with a first flow regulating valve, and the high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe connected to the steam outlet is equipped with a first pressure sensor.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention also provides a steam generating combination device, comprising multiple steam generators connected in parallel as described above, wherein the liquid water inlet of each steam generator is connected to a water inlet pipe through a branch pipe, and the water inlet pipe is provided with a second flow regulating valve; the steam outlet of each steam generator is connected to an exhaust pipe through a branch pipe, and the exhaust pipe is provided with a second pressure sensor.

[0016] In the above scheme, the steam generator is used for hydrogen production by electrolysis in a solid oxide electrolyzer. The steam generator includes a porous media layer, a partition, and two side plates. The porous media layer includes a foamed metal porous structure or a microchannel structure. An electric heater is installed on the outer wall of each side plate. The partition is located between the two side plates and forms an interconnected evaporation chamber and a steam channel. The steam channel is located at the top of the evaporation chamber. The partition forms a liquid water inlet and a steam outlet. The steam outlet is located above the liquid water inlet. The porous media layer fills the evaporation chamber. The liquid water inlet is connected to the porous media layer, and the steam outlet is connected to the steam channel. Specifically, the electric heater installed on the partition is first activated, and the heating power is set to raise the heater to the required preset temperature. Then, utilizing the excellent thermal conductivity of the partition, heat is rapidly and evenly transferred to the evaporation chamber and the porous media layer inside, maintaining the overall temperature of the evaporation chamber within the preset range. This ensures a stable vaporization environment and prevents temperature fluctuations from affecting the vaporization effect. Liquid water then enters the steam generator through the liquid water inlet at the bottom of the partition and flows into the porous media layer filled in the evaporation chamber. The porous nature of the media layer allows the liquid water to spread rapidly, forming a uniform liquid film in the porous structure of the foamed metal and micro-scale droplets in the microchannel structure. This prevents liquid water from accumulating in the evaporation chamber, laying the foundation for stable vaporization. The liquid water inside the chamber undergoes a stable vaporization reaction at the gas-liquid-solid three-phase interface under continuous and uniform heating from the heater, completely transforming into high-temperature water vapor. The generated high-temperature water vapor flows upward into an independently set steam channel at the top of the evaporation chamber and is finally stably output from the steam outlet located above the liquid water inlet, and is introduced into the SOEC electrolytic cell. This invention uses a design with electric heaters arranged on both sides to achieve uniform heating in the evaporation chamber area. Combined with a porous medium layer, it provides a large number of stable vaporization interfaces for liquid water evaporation and constrains the bubble generation behavior during the vaporization process. The independent steam channel at the top stabilizes the water vapor flow. The three factors work together to effectively avoid excessive fluctuations in water vapor pressure, so that stable high-temperature water vapor is delivered to the gas inlet of the SOEC electrolytic cell, providing the required gaseous medium for the electrolysis reaction. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structure of an embodiment of the steam generator provided by the present invention; Figure 2A schematic diagram of the internal structure of an embodiment of the steam generator provided by the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of another embodiment of the steam generator provided by the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a structure of an embodiment of the steam generation combination device provided by the present invention; Figure 5 The graph shows the measured data of the evaporation pressure fluctuation of the steam generator provided by this invention.

[0019] Explanation of icon numbers: 100. Steam generator; 1. Porous media layer; 2. Baffle plate; 3. Side plate; 31. Electric heater; 21. Evaporation chamber; 22. Steam flow channel; 23. Liquid water inlet; 24. Steam outlet; 25. High-temperature resistant stainless steel piping; 200. Steam generation combination unit.

[0020] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0023] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0024] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of the present invention, please refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5This invention provides a steam generator 100 for producing hydrogen by electrolysis in a solid oxide electrolyzer. The steam generator 100 includes a porous media layer 1, a partition 2, and two side plates 3. The porous media layer 1 includes a foamed metal porous structure or a microchannel structure. An electric heater 31 is installed on the outer wall of each side plate 3. The partition 2 is made of a metal material with high temperature resistance and excellent thermal conductivity. The partition 2 is disposed between the two side plates 3. The partition 2 forms an evaporation chamber 21 and a steam channel 22 that are interconnected. The steam channel 22 is disposed at the top of the evaporation chamber 21. The partition 2 forms a liquid water inlet 23 and a steam outlet 24. The steam outlet 24 is located above the liquid water inlet 23. The porous media layer 1 fills the evaporation chamber 21. The liquid water inlet 23 is connected to the porous media layer 1, and the steam outlet 24 is connected to the steam channel 22. Specifically, the electric heater 31 installed on the partition 2 is first activated, and the heating power is set to raise the electric heater 31 to the required preset temperature. Then, utilizing the excellent thermal conductivity of the partition 2, heat is quickly and evenly transferred to the evaporation chamber 21 and the porous media layer 1 inside, maintaining the overall temperature of the evaporation chamber 21 within the preset range, ensuring a stable vaporization environment, and avoiding temperature fluctuations from affecting the vaporization effect. Then, liquid water enters the steam generator 100 from the liquid water inlet 23 at the bottom of the partition 2, and then flows into the porous media layer 1 filled in the evaporation chamber 21, directly into the pores of the porous media layer 1. The porous characteristics of the porous media layer 1 allow the liquid water to spread rapidly, forming a uniform liquid film in the porous structure of the foamed metal and forming micro-scale droplets in the microchannel structure. This prevents the liquid water from accumulating in the evaporation chamber 21, laying the foundation for stable vaporization. The liquid water in the medium layer 1 undergoes a stable vaporization reaction at the gas-liquid-solid three-phase interface under continuous and uniform heating from the heater, completely transforming into high-temperature water vapor. The generated high-temperature water vapor flows upward into the independently set steam channel 22 at the top of the evaporation chamber 21, and is finally stably output from the steam outlet 24 located above the liquid water inlet 23, and is introduced into the solid oxide electrolysis cell. This embodiment uses a design with electric heaters 31 arranged on both sides to achieve uniform heating in the evaporation chamber 21 area. The porous medium layer 1 provides a large number of stable vaporization interfaces for liquid water evaporation and constrains the bubble generation behavior during the vaporization process. The independent steam channel 22 at the top stabilizes the water vapor flow. The three work together to effectively avoid excessive fluctuations in water vapor pressure, so that stable high-temperature water vapor is delivered to the gas inlet of the SOEC electrolysis cell, providing the required gaseous medium for the electrolysis reaction.

[0025] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2In one embodiment, the specific surface area of ​​the foamed metal porous structure is from 0.2 m² / g to 2.5 m² / g, and the porosity is from 40% to 95%. The bottom of the foamed metal porous structure is connected to the liquid water inlet 23, and the top of the foamed metal porous structure is connected to the steam flow channel. The electric heaters 31 on the outer walls of the two side plates 3 are activated first. Heat is evenly transferred through the high-temperature resistant and thermally conductive metal partitions 2 to the porous foam metal structure filled in the evaporation chamber 21. After the entire foam metal reaches a stable operating temperature, liquid water is introduced into the steam generator 100 through the liquid water inlet 23, and then enters the bottom of the porous foam metal structure with a contact surface area of ​​0.2 m² / g to 2.5 m² / g and a porosity of 40% to 95%. After entering the porous foam metal structure, the liquid water spreads rapidly in the porous structure, forming a uniform liquid film. The liquid water comes into full contact with the high-temperature foam metal wall, achieving uniform vaporization. The liquid water is rapidly heated and vaporized, and the generated water vapor escapes upward along the pores, flowing from the top of the foam metal into the steam channel 22. The steam is stably delivered to the solid oxide electrolyzer via steam outlet 24. The design of heating before liquid introduction avoids the problems of incomplete initial vaporization and sudden rises and falls in steam output pressure that occur when liquid water is introduced into a cold device. With a specific surface area of ​​0.2 m² / g to 2.5 m² / g, sufficient vaporization nuclei can be provided in the limited space of the evaporation chamber 21, effectively improving the vaporization efficiency of liquid water. The porosity range of 40% to 95% can simultaneously take into account the capillary wetting effect of liquid water and the flowability of water vapor, which can effectively suppress the excessive generation and breakage of vaporization bubbles, avoid pressure fluctuations from the source, and avoid the problem of sudden pressure changes caused by a sudden increase in steam flow resistance due to excessively small pores, or insufficient vaporization nuclei and uneven heating due to excessively large pores. The synergistic effect of the two can significantly reduce pressure fluctuations in the vaporization process.

[0026] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2In one embodiment, the porosity of the foamed metal porous structure increases from bottom to top, with the lower part of the foamed metal porous structure having a porosity of 40% to 60% and the upper part having a porosity of 80% to 90%. The electric heaters 31 on the outer walls of the two side plates 3 are activated first. Heat is uniformly transferred to the foamed metal porous structure filled in the evaporation chamber 21 through the high-temperature resistant and thermally conductive metal partition 2. After the entire foamed metal reaches a stable operating temperature, liquid water is introduced into the device through the liquid water inlet 23 to contact the bottom of the foamed metal porous structure. The porosity of the foamed metal porous structure increases from bottom to top. The lower 40% to 60% low porosity range provides stronger capillary force, ensuring rapid upward wetting and transport of liquid water, accelerating the formation of the liquid film. Simultaneously, the smaller pores provide denser vaporization nuclei, allowing the incoming liquid water to be rapidly heated and vaporized. The upper part... The high porosity range of 80% to 90% can significantly reduce the flow resistance of water vapor generated during vaporization, avoiding a sudden pressure rise caused by steam accumulation. Liquid water gradually completes the vaporization process inside the gradient porosity foam metal. The generated water vapor flows smoothly through the upper high porosity region and then flows into the steam channel 22 at the top of the evaporation chamber 21. Finally, it is stably transported to the solid oxide electrolytic cell through the steam outlet 24. This gradient porosity design not only solves the contradiction between the capillary wetting ability of uniform porosity foam metal and the steam flow performance, but also further suppresses the problems of bubble coalescence and sudden pressure rise and fall during vaporization, and can control the pressure fluctuation of the output water vapor to a lower level.

[0027] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3In one embodiment, the microchannel structure is formed by etching a high-temperature resistant metal plate. The microchannel structure includes several parallel microchannels, each with a pore size of 10 μm to 300 μm. The inlet of each microchannel is connected to a liquid water inlet 23, and the outlet of each microchannel is connected to a steam channel 22. The electric heaters 31 on the outer walls of the two side plates 3 are activated first. Heat is uniformly transferred to the microchannel structure formed by etching the high-temperature resistant metal plate through the high-temperature resistant metal partition 2. After the microchannel as a whole reaches a stable operating temperature, liquid water is introduced into the device through the liquid water inlet 23 and evenly distributed into each parallel microchannel whose inlet is connected to the liquid water inlet 23. The liquid water is divided into micro-scale droplets of 10-300 μm within the microchannel, achieving micro-scale spreading of the liquid water. The diameter of the bubbles generated during vaporization is strictly limited to below 300 μm, effectively suppressing the pressure fluctuation caused by bubble breakage, allowing water vapor to escape to the steam channel in a more dispersed and stable manner. The microchannel structure prevents liquid water accumulation and ensures 100% complete vaporization. The generated water vapor flows from the outlet of each microchannel into the steam channel 22 at the top of the evaporation chamber 21, and is finally stably transported to the solid oxide electrolysis cell through the steam outlet 24. The parallel microchannel design achieves uniform distribution of liquid water, avoiding the problems of flow field deviation and uneven local heating that are prone to occur in traditional evaporation structures. The pore size range of 10μm to 300μm not only utilizes the enhanced heat transfer effect at the microscale to improve vaporization efficiency, but also avoids the problems of sudden increase in flow resistance and amplified pressure fluctuation caused by too small a pore size, or unstable vaporization interface and bubble coalescence disturbance caused by too large a pore size.

[0028] Please see Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, the filling height of the foam metal porous structure is 60% to 80% of the height of the evaporation chamber 21, the length of the microchannel is the same as the length of the evaporation chamber 21, and the width of the microchannel is 80% to 90% of the width of the evaporation chamber 21. For the structure using a porous foam metal, a filling height of 60% to 80% avoids both the problem of insufficient steam flow buffer space at the top of the evaporation chamber 21 and pressure fluctuations caused by a sudden increase in steam discharge resistance due to excessive filling and the problem of insufficient vaporization nuclei and incomplete vaporization of liquid water due to insufficient filling. For the design using a microchannel structure, the length of the microchannel is perfectly matched with the length of the evaporation chamber 21, and the width is 80% to 90% of the width of the evaporation chamber 21. This maximizes the utilization of the internal heat exchange area of ​​the evaporation chamber 21 and avoids ineffective heat exchange space, while reserving assembly margin between the microchannel and the inner wall of the partition 2, avoiding uneven local heating caused by poor fit between the microchannel edge and the partition 2. The parameter matching of the two can maximize the vaporization efficiency within the limited space of the evaporation chamber 21, while further reducing the pressure fluctuation range of the steam output, better solving the problem of excessive output pressure fluctuation in the existing steam generator 100.

[0029] In one embodiment, an insulation layer is provided on the outside of the electric heater 31. The insulation layer on the outside of the electric heater 31 can significantly reduce heat loss during the heating process, improve the overall energy utilization efficiency of the device, reduce the energy consumption of the SOEC hydrogen production system, and at the same time isolate the interference of external ambient temperature fluctuations on the temperature of the electric heater 31 and the partition 2, further stabilizing the thermal environment inside the evaporation chamber 21. Under the dual effect, the steam output pressure fluctuation can be controlled to a lower level.

[0030] Furthermore, the design of the heating surface of the electric heater 31 being perfectly matched with the contact surface of the partition 2 eliminates the air gap between the heater and the partition 2, which can significantly reduce the contact thermal resistance and ensure that the heat generated by the heater can be evenly and efficiently transferred to the entire partition 2 area. This avoids the problems of insufficient local heat transfer and local overheating caused by poor contact, and keeps the vaporization environment temperature in the evaporation chamber 21 in a uniform and stable state. This eliminates the hidden dangers of vaporization rate fluctuation and steam pressure fluctuation caused by uneven temperature from the heat source end.

[0031] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 In one embodiment, the steam channel is a smooth arc-shaped channel, and both the inner wall of the evaporation chamber 21 and the inner wall of the steam channel are polished surfaces. The smooth arc-shaped steam channel has no right-angle bends and no abrupt changes in cross-section, which can completely avoid the steam stagnation dead zone and turbulence / vortex problems caused by abrupt changes in the flow field that exist in traditional angled channels, ensuring that the water vapor maintains a stable laminar flow state during the transportation process; secondly, the inner walls of the evaporation chamber 21 and the steam channel are both polished, and the extremely low surface roughness can significantly reduce the frictional resistance of the water vapor flow, avoid the output pressure fluctuations caused by abrupt changes in steam flow resistance, and at the same time reduce the risk of condensate adhering to the wall, eliminating the hidden danger of steam carrying liquid from the root.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 3In one embodiment, both the liquid water inlet 23 and the steam outlet are connected to high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipes 25. The high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe 25 connected to the liquid water inlet 23 is equipped with a first flow regulating valve, and the high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe 25 connected to the steam outlet is equipped with a first pressure sensor. The electric heaters 31 on the outer walls of the two side plates 3 are started first. After the evaporation chamber 21 reaches a stable operating temperature, liquid water is fed into the evaporation chamber 21 through the high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe 25 connected to the liquid water inlet 23. The first flow regulating valve on the pipe can accurately control the feed flow of liquid water. After the liquid water is vaporized in the evaporation chamber 21, the generated water vapor flows into the steam channel 22 and is output from the steam outlet 24 through the same matching high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe 25 to the solid oxide electrolysis cell. The first pressure sensor on the steam outlet 24 pipe can collect the pressure parameters of the output water vapor in real time. The high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe 25 has excellent high temperature resistance, hydrogen corrosion resistance, and structural stability, which can avoid pressure abnormalities caused by pipe deformation and corrosion leakage in high temperature and humid hydrogen environment. The opening of the first flow regulating valve is dynamically adjusted through real-time feedback from the pressure sensor, and the liquid feed is dynamically adapted according to the output pressure fluctuation, further suppressing pressure fluctuations from the operation control end.

[0033] In one embodiment, the thickness of the partition 2 ranges from 5mm to 10mm. The partition 2, with a thickness between 5mm and 10mm, possesses sufficient structural rigidity and pressure-bearing capacity, maintaining structural flatness under long-term high-temperature operation. This ensures a tight fit with the heating surface and internal heat exchange structure, achieving uniform and efficient heat transfer. Furthermore, it avoids excessive thermal resistance, allowing heat to quickly diffuse across the entire heat exchange surface of the partition 2. It also responds rapidly to temperature changes during operating condition adjustments, further reducing pressure fluctuations in steam output from the heat transfer end. Simultaneously, it avoids the weight and energy consumption redundancy associated with excessive thickness, better adapting to the long-term stable operation requirements of solid oxide electrolyzer hydrogen production systems.

[0034] According to another aspect of the invention, please refer to Figure 4This aspect also provides a steam generating assembly 200, which includes multiple steam generators 100 connected in parallel as described above. The liquid water inlet 23 of each steam generator 100 is connected to the water inlet pipe through a branch pipe, and the water inlet pipe is equipped with a second flow regulating valve. The steam outlet 24 of each steam generator 100 is connected to the steam outlet pipe through a branch pipe, and the steam outlet pipe is equipped with a second pressure sensor. When the steam generating unit 200 is running, the electric heaters 31 of all parallel steam generators 100 are activated to complete preheating. Each steam generator's electric heater 31 is individually controlled. After the evaporation chambers 21 of each generator reach a stable operating temperature, the total water inlet pipeline controls the total water flow rate through the second flow regulating valve. Liquid water is evenly distributed to the liquid water inlet 23 of each steam generator 100 through branch pipelines. After the vaporization process is completed independently inside each generator, the generated steam flows through the branch pipelines of each steam outlet 24 and converges into the total steam outlet pipeline. The second pressure sensor on the steam outlet pipeline collects the pressure parameters of the total output steam in real time, and then feeds the pressure data back to the second flow regulating valve to dynamically adjust the total water inlet flow rate, achieving closed-loop control of the output pressure. This multi-parallel module... The modular design allows for flexible adjustment of the number of parallel units according to the scale of the solid oxide electrolyzer hydrogen production system, eliminating the need to redevelop evaporation devices adapted to different hydrogen production levels, thus significantly reducing the cost and development cycle of large-scale deployment. On the other hand, the design of multiple units independently vaporizing and then combining steam can naturally smooth out minor pressure fluctuations in a single generator. Combined with the pressure feedback control mechanism of the main pipeline, the pressure fluctuations of the total output steam can be controlled within a stable range. At the same time, in the event of a single unit failure, it can be switched off for maintenance without shutting down the entire unit, greatly improving the operational reliability and maintainability of the entire system. Since the steam generation combination device 200 includes all the implementation methods of all the embodiments of the steam generator 100 described above, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by all the above implementation methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0035] The above are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the technical concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A steam generator for producing hydrogen by electrolysis in a solid oxide electrolyzer, characterized in that, include: A porous medium layer (1) comprising a foamed metal porous structure or a microchannel structure; Two side plates (3), each of which has an electric heater (31) installed on its outer wall; A partition (2) is disposed between two side plates (3). The partition (2) forms an evaporation chamber (21) and a steam channel (22) that are interconnected. The steam channel (22) is disposed at the top of the evaporation chamber (21). The partition (2) forms a liquid water inlet (23) and a steam outlet (24). The steam outlet (24) is located above the liquid water inlet (23). The porous medium layer (1) fills the evaporation chamber (21). The liquid water inlet (23) is connected to the porous medium layer (1), and the steam outlet (24) is connected to the steam channel (22).

2. The steam generator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The specific surface area of ​​the foam metal porous structure is 0.2 m² / g to 2.5 m² / g, and the porosity is 40% to 95%. The bottom of the foam metal porous structure is connected to the liquid water inlet (23), and the top of the foam metal porous structure is connected to the steam channel (22).

3. The steam generator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The porosity of the foamed metal porous structure increases from bottom to top, with the porosity of the lower part of the foamed metal porous structure being 40% to 60% and the porosity of the upper part of the foamed metal porous structure being 80% to 90%.

4. The steam generator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The microchannel structure is formed by etching a high-temperature resistant metal plate. The microchannel structure includes several parallel microchannels. The aperture of a single microchannel is 10μm to 300μm. The inlet of each microchannel is connected to the liquid water inlet (23), and the outlet of each microchannel is connected to the steam flow channel (22).

5. The steam generator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The filling height of the foam metal porous structure is 60% to 80% of the height of the evaporation chamber (21), the length of the microchannel is the same as the length of the evaporation chamber (21), and the width of the microchannel is 80% to 90% of the width of the evaporation chamber (21).

6. The steam generator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The electric heater (31) is provided with an insulation layer on its exterior.

7. The steam generator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The steam channel (22) is a smooth arc-shaped channel, and the inner wall of the evaporation chamber (21) and the inner wall of the steam channel (22) are both polished surfaces.

8. The steam generator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the liquid water inlet (23) and the steam outlet (24) are connected to high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipes (25). The high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe (25) connected to the liquid water inlet (23) is equipped with a first flow regulating valve, and the high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe (25) connected to the steam outlet (24) is equipped with a first pressure sensor.

9. A steam generating assembly, characterized in that, The steam generator includes multiple steam generators connected in parallel as described in any one of claims 1 to 8. The liquid water inlet (23) of each steam generator (100) is connected to the water inlet pipe through a branch pipe, and the water inlet pipe is provided with a second flow regulating valve. The steam outlet (24) of each steam generator (100) is connected to the steam outlet pipe through a branch pipe, and the steam outlet pipe is provided with a second pressure sensor.

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