Deep sea floating type ammonia production and storage system
By using an underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device and pressure control system in the deep sea, the problems of space occupation and high cost of liquid ammonia storage in NH3 FPSO have been solved, and more efficient liquid ammonia storage and production have been achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520278106.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-30
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-02-20
AI Technical Summary
The existing ammonia storage modules of NH3 FPSOs are located inside the ship's hold, which results in high-pressure or low-temperature storage occupying a large amount of space, increasing storage costs and limiting the scale of ammonia production.
An underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device is adopted, which utilizes the pressure and temperature environment of the deep sea and uses a non-metallic flexible bladder to store liquid ammonia. Combined with check valves and regulating valves on the pipeline, the pressure is controlled to ensure that the liquid ammonia is stored in a liquid state.
This reduced the cost of liquid ammonia storage, decreased the need for shipboard space, enabled the layout of a higher-power production system, and lowered the manufacturing cost of the floating production system.
Smart Images
Figure CN223740585U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of liquid ammonia production and storage technology, specifically to a deep-sea floating ammonia production and storage system. Background Technology
[0002] The statements herein provide only background information related to this invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.
[0003] Liquid ammonia, as an extension of the hydrogen industry, is considered a new type of low-carbon fuel for the future. Deep-sea wind power resources are abundant, but transmitting electricity to land is costly and involves significant losses. Ammonia, as an important chemical raw material and clean fuel, has the characteristics of high liquefaction temperature and low liquefaction pressure, making it a superior green energy carrier suitable for large-capacity storage and transportation at sea.
[0004] Currently, international organizations have designed floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels for ammonia. NH3 FPSOs obtain electricity from offshore wind farms. This electricity powers an electrolysis unit that electrolyzes seawater to produce hydrogen, the primary raw material for producing green ammonia. Under high temperature and pressure conditions, the electrolyzed hydrogen is mixed with nitrogen and reacted using the Happer process to produce liquid ammonia. NH3 FPSOs will be permanently moored and "stationed" within the offshore wind farm; they can also be moved to other wind farms if necessary. The produced ammonia will be transferred via pipeline from the FPSO to other ammonia transport vessels for transshipment.
[0005] However, the ammonia storage modules of current NH3 FPSOs are all located inside the ship's hold, which presents the following problems:
[0006] (1) Liquid ammonia is stored in the FPSO tank using high pressure or low temperature, which occupies a large amount of ship space and has high storage costs.
[0007] (2) Under the same conditions, the storage space limits the scale of ammonia production in NH3 FPSO. Utility Model Content
[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a deep-sea floating ammonia production and storage system that can make full use of seawater pressure and a stable temperature environment to reduce the cost of liquid ammonia storage; it eliminates the need for large-volume liquid ammonia storage tanks and allows for the arrangement of a more powerful production system within a limited space.
[0009] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model is implemented through the following technical solution:
[0010] In a first aspect, embodiments of this utility model provide a deep-sea floating ammonia production and storage system, comprising:
[0011] A floating ammonia production vessel is located on the sea surface and is used to produce liquid ammonia.
[0012] The wind power generation unit, located on the sea surface, is used to supply the energy needed to produce liquid ammonia on floating ammonia production vessels at sea.
[0013] An underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device is located below the sea surface and is used to store liquid ammonia produced by a floating ammonia production vessel at sea. The water pressure provided by the seawater depth at the installation location of the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device is greater than the ammonia saturated vapor pressure corresponding to the seawater temperature at the installation location.
[0014] The liquid ammonia produced by the floating ammonia production vessel is transported via pipeline to an underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device for storage.
[0015] As a further technical solution, the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device is provided with a liquid ammonia inlet and a liquid ammonia outlet, the liquid ammonia inlet is connected to an inlet pipe, and the liquid ammonia outlet is connected to an outlet pipe.
[0016] As a further technical solution, the inlet pipe is connected to the liquid ammonia export pipeline on the water surface and the ammonia supply pipeline of the floating ammonia production vessel at sea via a riser, and the lower end of the riser is also connected to the outlet pipe.
[0017] As a further technical solution, the external transmission pipeline is connected to the ammonia supply pipeline, and an external transmission valve is installed on the external transmission pipeline.
[0018] As a further technical solution, the inlet pipe is equipped with a regulating valve with throttling and pressure reduction function, and the outlet pipe is equipped with a pressurizing pump and a check valve, with the check valve located at the outlet of the pressurizing pump.
[0019] As a further technical solution, the pressurizing pump is located near the liquid ammonia outlet of the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device and its height does not exceed the highest point of the non-metallic flexible bladder.
[0020] As a further technical solution, the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device adopts a non-metallic flexible bladder, the bottom of which is connected to an anchor chain, and the end of the anchor chain is anchored to the seabed.
[0021] As a further technical solution, the wind power generation device provides power to the offshore floating ammonia production vessel through a power transmission system.
[0022] The beneficial effects of the above-described embodiments of this utility model are as follows:
[0023] (1) Based on the physical properties of ammonia, this utility model proposes a floating production and storage vessel for ammonia at sea with an underwater flexible liquid storage device. This fully utilizes the deep-water pressure and temperature environment and uses a flexible non-metallic bladder as a liquid ammonia storage device, thereby making the manufacturing cost of FPSO lower under the same ammonia production capacity and reducing the cost of liquid ammonia storage.
[0024] (2) The liquid ammonia produced by the floating ammonia production vessel of this utility model can be stored in an underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device. During the storage process, the pressure of seawater and the stable temperature environment are fully utilized to reduce the storage cost of liquid ammonia. There is no need to set up a large volume liquid ammonia storage tank. A larger power production system can be arranged in a limited space, or the manufacturing cost of the floating production system can be reduced under the same production power.
[0025] (3) The deep-sea floating ammonia production and storage system provided by this utility model, by setting corresponding check valves and regulating valves on the pipeline connecting the floating ammonia production vessel at sea and the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device, can ensure that the pressure in the non-metallic storage bladder, inlet pipe, outlet pipe and riser is above the ammonia saturated vapor pressure by controlling the opening and closing of the valves, so as to ensure that ammonia can be stored, injected and extracted in a liquid state. Attached Figure Description
[0026] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, are used to provide a further understanding of this utility model. The illustrative embodiments of this utility model and their descriptions are used to explain this utility model and do not constitute an improper limitation of this utility model.
[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the deep-sea floating ammonia production and storage system of this utility model.
[0028] The diagram is for illustrative purposes only.
[0029] Among them, 1. Sea surface; 2. Wind power generation device; 3. Power transmission system; 4. Floating ammonia production vessel; 5. Ammonia supply pipeline; 6. Riser; 7. Inlet pipeline; 8. Regulating valve; 9. Underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device; 10. Anchor chain; 11. Pressurization pump; 12. Check valve; 13. Outlet pipeline; 14. Export valve; 15. Export pipeline. Detailed Implementation
[0030] It should be noted that the following detailed description is exemplary and intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.
[0031] Example 1
[0032] The technical concept of this utility model is as follows:
[0033] At a depth of 100 meters in the ocean, an absolute pressure of 1.1 MPa can be provided, keeping ammonia at a temperature below 28°C in a liquid state. In most sea areas, the temperature at a depth of 100 meters is below 28°C, providing a favorable temperature environment for liquid ammonia storage. Based on the physical properties of ammonia, this invention proposes a floating production ammonia storage vessel (FPSO) incorporating an underwater flexible storage device. Specifically, it fully utilizes the pressure and temperature environment of deep water, employing a flexible non-metallic bladder as the liquid ammonia storage device, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the FPSO for the same ammonia production capacity and lowering the cost of liquid ammonia storage.
[0034] In a typical embodiment of this utility model, such as Figure 1 As shown, a deep-sea floating ammonia production and storage system is provided, comprising:
[0035] 4 is a floating ammonia production vessel located above the sea surface 1, used for producing liquid ammonia.
[0036] Wind power generation device 2, located above the sea surface 1, is used to supply the energy needed to produce liquid ammonia to the floating ammonia production vessel 4.
[0037] The underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 is located below the sea surface and is used to store liquid ammonia produced by a floating ammonia production vessel at sea. The water pressure provided by the seawater depth at the installation location of the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 is greater than the ammonia saturated vapor pressure corresponding to the seawater temperature at the installation location.
[0038] The liquid ammonia produced by the floating ammonia production vessel 4 is transported via pipeline to the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 for storage.
[0039] In this embodiment, the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 is provided with a liquid ammonia inlet and a liquid ammonia outlet. The liquid ammonia inlet is connected to the inlet pipe 7, and the liquid ammonia outlet is connected to the outlet pipe 13.
[0040] Furthermore, the inlet pipe 7 is connected via the riser 6 to the surface liquid ammonia export pipe 15 and the ammonia supply pipe 5 of the offshore floating ammonia production vessel, and the lower end of the riser 6 is also connected to the outlet pipe 13.
[0041] Furthermore, the external transmission pipeline 15 is connected to the ammonia supply pipeline 5, and an external transmission valve 14 is installed on the external transmission pipeline 15.
[0042] In this embodiment, a regulating valve 8 with throttling and pressure reduction function is installed on the inlet pipe 7, and a pressurizing pump 11 and a check valve 12 are installed on the outlet pipe 13, with the check valve 12 located at the outlet of the pressurizing pump 11. The inlet pipe 7 of the flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 is equipped with a regulating valve 8. Since the ammonia supply pipe 5 of the offshore floating liquid ammonia production vessel contains liquid ammonia, this means that the pressure in the ammonia supply pipe 5 is higher than the saturated vapor pressure of ammonia. Flowing downwards through the riser 6, the gravitational potential energy of the liquid ammonia is converted into pressure energy, causing the liquid ammonia pressure in the inlet pipe 7 to further increase, potentially significantly exceeding the pressure inside the flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9. Direct entry into the flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 without throttling could damage the non-metallic bladder. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the liquid ammonia pressure entering the flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 to match the surrounding water pressure using the regulating valve 8.
[0043] Furthermore, the pressurizing pump 11 is located near the liquid ammonia outlet of the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 and its height does not exceed the highest point of the non-metallic flexible bladder; or, the pressurizing pump 11 is installed inside the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 to avoid the liquid ammonia flowing too high upwards before entering the pressurizing pump 11 for pressurization during the liquid ammonia extraction process, which would result in the pump inlet pressure being too low and the liquid ammonia in the inlet pipeline of the pressurizing pump 11 potentially vaporizing.
[0044] Furthermore, the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 adopts a non-metallic flexible bladder as an existing structure. The bottom of the non-metallic flexible bladder is connected to an anchor chain 10, and the end of the anchor chain 10 is anchored to the seabed. Since the density of liquid ammonia is less than that of seawater, in order to make the non-metallic flexible bladder storing liquid ammonia suspend at a certain stable depth in the seawater, the anchor chain 10 provides a force to suspend the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 in the water, thereby fixing the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 at a set depth below the sea surface.
[0045] In this embodiment, the wind power generation device 2 supplies power to the offshore floating ammonia production vessel 4 via the power transmission system 3.
[0046] The working principle of the deep-sea floating ammonia production and storage system provided in this embodiment is as follows:
[0047] The wind power generation device 2 generates electricity using wind energy, and the generated electricity is transmitted to the floating ammonia production vessel 4 via the power transmission system 3. The floating ammonia production vessel 4 produces liquid ammonia, and the generated liquid ammonia is injected into the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 for storage through the ammonia supply pipeline 5, riser 6, inlet pipeline 7 and regulating valve 8.
[0048] When liquid ammonia extraction and export are not required, the export valve 14 is closed. The power equipment on the offshore floating ammonia production vessel controls the pressure of the ammonia supply pipeline 5 to be above the ammonia saturated vapor pressure corresponding to the delivery temperature. Liquid ammonia is injected into the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device through the ammonia supply pipeline 5 via the riser 6, the inlet pipeline 7, and the regulating valve 8. At the same time, because of the connection to the lower end of the riser 6, the downstream outlet pipeline 13 of the pressure pump 11 outlet check valve 12 can maintain the internal pressure above the ammonia saturated vapor pressure when the transmission is stopped, thereby keeping the internal ammonia in the liquid phase.
[0049] When liquid ammonia needs to be extracted and transported, the booster pump 11 and the transport valve 14 are turned on, and the regulating valve 8 is closed. The liquid ammonia in the flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9 enters the transport pipeline 15 through the booster pump 11, the check valve 12, and the riser 6. The liquid ammonia from the floating ammonia production vessel 4 enters the transport pipeline 15 directly through the ammonia supply pipeline 5, and is then transported to surface vessels. At this time, the pressure in the inlet pipe 7 upstream of the regulating valve 8 is the same as the outlet pressure of the booster pump 11, which is higher than the saturated vapor pressure of ammonia. Therefore, although the liquid ammonia in the inlet pipe 7 stops flowing, it can still remain liquid, thereby avoiding pressure fluctuations and potential equipment damage caused by vaporization.
[0050] In the above process, the liquid ammonia produced by the floating ammonia production vessel can be stored in the underwater flexible liquid ammonia storage device 9. During the storage process, the pressure of seawater and the stable temperature environment are fully utilized to reduce the storage cost of liquid ammonia. There is no need to set up a large-volume liquid ammonia storage tank, and a higher-power production system can be arranged in a limited space, or the manufacturing cost of the floating production system can be reduced at the same production power.
[0051] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A deep offshore floating production storage ammonia system, characterized by, The application relates to a marine floating ammonia production ship, a wind power generation device and a flexible underwater liquid ammonia storage device. The marine floating ammonia production ship is located above the sea surface and is used for producing liquid ammonia. The wind power generation device is located above the sea surface and is used for providing energy required by the marine floating ammonia production ship for producing liquid ammonia. The flexible underwater liquid ammonia storage device is located below the sea surface and is used for storing liquid ammonia produced by the marine floating ammonia production ship. The marine floating ammonia production ship produces liquid ammonia which is transported to the flexible underwater liquid ammonia storage device through a pipeline.
2. The deep offshore FPS production storage ammonia system of claim 1, wherein, The flexible underwater liquid ammonia storage device is provided with a liquid ammonia inlet and a liquid ammonia outlet.
3. The deep offshore FPS production storage ammonia system of claim 2, wherein, The liquid ammonia inlet is connected with an inlet pipeline, and the liquid ammonia outlet is connected with an outlet pipeline.
4. The deep offshore floating production storage ammonia system of claim 3, wherein, The inlet pipeline is connected with a liquid ammonia offloading pipeline on the sea surface and an ammonia supply pipeline of the marine floating ammonia production ship through a riser.
5. The deep offshore floating production storage ammonia system of claim 2, wherein, The riser is further connected with the outlet pipeline at the lower end.
6. The deep offshore FPS production storage ammonia system of claim 5, wherein, The offloading pipeline is connected with the ammonia supply pipeline, and the offloading pipeline is provided with an offloading valve.
7. The deep offshore floating production storage ammonia system of claim 1, wherein, An adjusting valve with a throttling pressure reduction function is arranged on the inlet pipeline.
8. The deep offshore floating production storage ammonia system of claim 1, wherein, A pressure pump and a check valve are arranged on the outlet pipeline. The check valve is located at the outlet of the pressure pump. The pressure pump is arranged close to the liquid ammonia outlet of the flexible underwater liquid ammonia storage device and has a height not higher than the highest point of the non-metal flexible bag. The flexible underwater liquid ammonia storage device adopts a non-metal flexible bag. The bottom of the non-metal flexible bag is connected with an anchor chain. The end of the anchor chain is anchored to the sea bottom. The wind power generation device provides power to the marine floating ammonia production ship through a power transmission system.