Hydrogen refrigeration system and long tube trailer for gaseous hydrogen

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of hydrogen refrigeration system and gas hydrogen long tube trailer.The hydrogen refrigeration system is used to load in hydrogen transport vehicle.The pipeline system is arranged to transport low-temperature liquid stored in liquid storage tank to heat exchanger, and fan is arranged in the pipeline system to send air into the compartment of hydrogen transport vehicle after being transported to heat exchanger, whereby, low-temperature liquid obtains heat in heat exchanger and evaporates, while air obtains cold in heat exchanger and cools down, thereby cooling hydrogen storage placed in the compartment.The above-mentioned hydrogen refrigeration system can effectively avoid the temperature of the compartment of hydrogen transport vehicle being too high without excessive weight gain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of hydrogen storage and transportation, and relates to a hydrogen refrigeration system and a long-tube trailer for gaseous hydrogen. Background Technology

[0002] Hydrogen stored in trailers is susceptible to changes due to fluctuations in ambient temperature. Especially in summer or hot countries, the temperature and internal pressure inside long pipes or tanks can rise, potentially causing the safety valve (PSV) to open, resulting in greater hydrogen loss. Furthermore, some regions have regulations prohibiting trailers from being on the road when ambient temperatures exceed certain levels to prevent any risks associated with hydrogen leaks.

[0003] It is necessary to maintain a constant temperature around the environment of long pipes or storage tanks, and in particular, to cool down the surrounding environment.

[0004] One approach has been to maintain a constant temperature around the long tube by immersing it in water, as illustrated in Chinese invention patent application CN112539344A. However, this method requires a large amount of water to maintain the temperature, which would significantly increase the weight of the trailer.

[0005] The problem that needs to be solved is how to avoid excessively high temperatures in the environment surrounding this type of hydrogen, which could lead to hydrogen loss, while avoiding excessive weight gain. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a hydrogen refrigeration system that can effectively prevent the temperature inside the hydrogen transport vehicle from becoming too high while avoiding excessive weight gain.

[0007] This invention provides a hydrogen refrigeration system for use in hydrogen transport vehicles. The hydrogen refrigeration system includes a liquid storage tank, a heat exchanger, a fan, and a piping system. The piping system is configured to transport the cryogenic liquid stored in the liquid storage tank to the heat exchanger, and the fan is installed in the piping system to transport air to the heat exchanger and then into the cargo compartment of the hydrogen transport vehicle. Thereby, the cryogenic liquid gains heat and evaporates in the heat exchanger, while the air gains cooling energy and cools down in the heat exchanger, thereby cooling the hydrogen stored in the cargo compartment.

[0008] In one embodiment, the liquid storage tank is located outside the carriage. Further, the liquid storage tank is installed under the carriage.

[0009] In one embodiment, the hydrogen refrigeration system further includes a temperature control system. In the temperature control system, a temperature detector is configured to detect the temperature inside the vehicle compartment. A flow control valve is configured to regulate the flow rate of the cryogenic liquid supplied from the liquid storage tank to the heat exchanger. The controller adjusts the opening of the flow control valve based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector, and the controller also adjusts the power of the fan based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector.

[0010] In one embodiment, the piping system includes a liquid inlet pipe and an air inlet pipe. The liquid inlet pipe is configured to transport cryogenic liquid from a liquid storage tank to the outside of the vehicle compartment after evaporation in a heat exchanger. A fan is installed in the air inlet pipe so that air travels through the air inlet pipe to the heat exchanger, and then exits from the heat exchanger to the inside of the vehicle compartment.

[0011] In one embodiment, a flow regulating valve is installed on the inlet pipe between the liquid storage tank and the heat exchanger.

[0012] In one embodiment, the air intake pipe inlet is located inside the vehicle compartment, or outside the vehicle compartment.

[0013] In one embodiment, the fan is an exhaust fan, located between the outlet of the air intake duct and the heat exchanger inside the carriage.

[0014] In one embodiment, the cryogenic liquid stored in the liquid storage tank is liquid nitrogen.

[0015] This utility model also provides a long-tube trailer for gaseous hydrogen. The long-tube trailer for gaseous hydrogen includes the aforementioned hydrogen refrigeration system. The hydrogen refrigeration system is installed on the long-tube trailer in front of the hydrogen storage tube.

[0016] The aforementioned hydrogen refrigeration system, particularly when used in the aforementioned long-tube trailer for gaseous hydrogen, utilizes the cryogenic liquid in the liquid storage tank and the air delivered by a fan to efficiently exchange heat in a heat exchanger. The effectively cooled air is then introduced into the trailer, thus lowering the ambient temperature around the hydrogen (its storage container) inside the trailer and effectively preventing excessively high temperatures. Furthermore, this hydrogen refrigeration system only requires a liquid storage tank containing sufficient cryogenic liquid to provide cooling capacity. Compared to the aforementioned method of immersing the entire long tube in water, this significantly reduces the added weight, resulting in limited weight gain and preventing excessive weight increase.

[0017] Furthermore, the aforementioned liquid storage tanks are located outside the vehicle compartment, allowing for the provision of liquid storage tanks with limited volume. They can be visually inspected at any time, and if cryogenic liquids or insufficient cooling capacity are detected, they can be easily and promptly refilled. This further reduces weight gain. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The advantages and spirit of this utility model can be further understood through the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hydrogen refrigeration system provided by this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The specific embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that this utility model is not limited to the embodiments described below, and the technical concept of this utility model can be implemented in combination with other known technologies or functions, or with other technologies that are the same as those known technologies.

[0021] For example, if the first feature described subsequently in the specification is formed above or on the second feature, this can include embodiments where the first and second features are formed by direct connection, or embodiments where an additional feature is formed between the first and second features, so that the first and second features are not directly connected. Furthermore, when the first element is described in a manner connected or combined with the second element, the description includes embodiments where the first and second elements are directly connected or combined with each other, as well as embodiments where one or more other intervening elements are incorporated to indirectly connect or combine the first and second elements with each other.

[0022] It is understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and do not refer to a limitation on time sequence, quantity, or importance. They should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated, but are merely used to distinguish one technical feature from another in this technical solution. Therefore, a feature specified with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "multiple" means two or more (i.e., more than two), unless otherwise explicitly specified. Similarly, qualifiers such as "a" appearing in the text do not refer to a limitation on quantity, but rather describe technical features not previously mentioned. Likewise, unless a noun is modified by a specific quantifier, the text should be considered to include both singular and plural forms; the technical solution may include either a singular or plural number of that technical feature.

[0023] Gaseous hydrogen is typically stored and transported using tube trailers (also known as torpedo trailers). Liquid hydrogen is stored in vacuum storage trailers. However, these hydrogen transport vehicles are exposed to the external environment, making them susceptible to fluctuations in outdoor temperature, whether during transport or when stationed for storage. It's important to understand that while the text uses the terms "hydrogen transport vehicle" or "transport trailer," it doesn't imply that they must be used for transporting hydrogen; rather, they simply need to be capable of transporting hydrogen, specifically, have wheels. For example, it's possible that some users might park their hydrogen transport vehicles to store hydrogen.

[0024] The existing solutions mentioned in the background technology require the use of large amounts of water to maintain the temperature. However, in some regions, there are restrictions on the total weight of hydrogen transport vehicles, which means that to maintain a constant weight, one kilogram of hydrogen needs to be removed for every kilogram of water added.

[0025] Therefore, this invention provides a refrigeration system for hydrogen.

[0026] Figure 1 A hydrogen refrigeration system 10 according to the present invention is shown. The hydrogen refrigeration system 10 is used to load a hydrogen transport vehicle 100. The hydrogen refrigeration system 10 includes a liquid storage tank 1, a heat exchanger 2, a fan 3, and a piping system 4.

[0027] It is understood that the accompanying drawings in this article are only examples and are not necessarily drawn to scale. They should not be considered as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0028] The pipeline system 4 is configured to transport the cryogenic liquid q0 stored in the liquid storage tank 1 to the heat exchanger 2, and the fan 3 is configured in the pipeline system 4 to transport air a0 to the heat exchanger 2 and then into the compartment 101 of the hydrogen transport vehicle 100. In this way, the cryogenic liquid q0 gains heat in the heat exchanger 2 and evaporates, while the air a0 gains cold energy in the heat exchanger 2 and cools down, thereby cooling the hydrogen storage h0 stored in the compartment 101.

[0029] When the aforementioned hydrogen refrigeration system 10 is installed in the hydrogen transport vehicle 100, the cooling capacity of the cryogenic liquid q0 can be used to cool the air a0. Therefore, the cooled air a0 is then sent into the vehicle compartment 101 to cool the hydrogen storage h0 located within the compartment 101. Compared to water cooling, the cryogenic liquid q0 in the aforementioned hydrogen refrigeration system 10 provides sufficient cooling capacity and requires no other supporting equipment, significantly reducing the weight and space occupied by the entire refrigeration system, thus having minimal impact on the transportation of the hydrogen storage h0. Furthermore, the aforementioned hydrogen refrigeration system 10 is simple and convenient to construct, and can be implemented at a low cost. In addition, using a suitable cryogenic liquid q0 can effectively control costs. The aforementioned hydrogen refrigeration system 10 can significantly reduce hydrogen evaporation loss (boil-off) during transportation or when the hydrogen transport vehicle 100 is used as a fixed backup.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the liquid storage tank 1 can be installed outside the carriage 101. This facilitates loading, unloading, and filling of the cryogenic liquid q0. Furthermore, Figure 1In this configuration, the liquid storage tank 1 can be installed under the vehicle floor 102 of the carriage 101. That is, the liquid storage tank 1 can be placed or fixed to the vehicle floor 102, thus being located below the carriage 101. However, it is understood that the liquid storage tank 1 will not interfere with the movement of the hydrogen transport vehicle 100. The installation location of the liquid storage tank 1 not only reduces the amount of internal space occupied by the carriage 101 but also makes maintenance convenient and quick, whether it is filling with cryogenic liquid q0 or replacing the entire liquid storage tank 1.

[0031] The hydrogen refrigeration system 10 also includes a temperature control system 5. The temperature control system 5 includes a temperature detector 51, a flow control valve 52, and a controller 53. The temperature detector 51 is configured to detect the temperature inside the compartment 101. The flow control valve 52 is configured to regulate the flow rate of the cryogenic liquid q0 supplied from the liquid storage tank 1 to the heat exchanger 2. The controller 53 adjusts the opening of the flow control valve 52 according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector 51, thus regulating the flow rate of the cryogenic liquid q0 supplied from the liquid storage tank 1 to the heat exchanger 2. The controller 53 can also adjust the power of the fan 3 according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector 51, including opening and closing (closing, i.e., adjusting the power to zero), thus regulating the flow rate of air a0 supplied to the heat exchanger 2. The temperature control system 5 enables automatic control of the temperature inside the compartment 101, thus maintaining the temperature inside the compartment at an appropriate value.

[0032] Temperature detectors can be various sensors, such as pressure sensors, optical sensors, ultrasonic sensors, etc. The controller can be one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DAPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or combinations thereof.

[0033] The piping system 4 includes a liquid inlet pipe 41 and an air inlet pipe 42. The liquid inlet pipe 41 is configured to transport the cryogenic liquid q0 from the liquid storage tank 1 to the outside of the carriage 101 after evaporation via the heat exchanger 2. A fan 3 is installed in the air inlet pipe 42, allowing air a0 to reach the heat exchanger 2 via the air inlet pipe 42, and then exit from the heat exchanger 2 into the carriage 101. This arrangement is simple, compact, and inexpensive, facilitating the use of the cooling capacity of the cryogenic liquid q0 for cooling. The heat exchanger 2 can be installed at the top of the carriage 101, facilitating the discharge of gases formed after the evaporation of the cryogenic liquid q0, such as nitrogen gas.

[0034] When the text mentions that the piping system is configured to allow the flow of corresponding streams, it means that the piping system includes the corresponding pipes, which are shown in the diagrams as lines with arrows indicating the direction of the flow. To avoid excessive length, not every line is represented by a corresponding pipe, but the arrowed lines in the diagrams can be considered as one or more pipe segments, or one or more pipes, depending on the need. It can also be understood that the terms "pipeline," "pipeline," and "pipe segment" used in the text refer to the route for the flow of streams, without limiting the physical form of the corresponding components. For example, "pipeline" can refer to a segment of a complete pipe. A pipeline can also be a combination of multiple pipes connected sequentially. These multiple pipes can be connected by pipe fittings or other piping components such as valves. The space in the pipe fittings or other piping components through which the flow passes can also be considered part of the pipeline. For example, Figure 1 In the middle, the air intake pipe 42 actually includes the space, or channel, through which air a0 passes in the heat exchanger 2. Figure 1 The diagram also schematically illustrates the channels within heat exchanger 2 that form the liquid inlet pipe 41 and the air inlet pipe 42, but in reality, these channels are not straight as shown. In particular, heat exchanger 2 can be a finned heat exchanger, in which case the channels are usually very tortuous.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the flow regulating valve 52 is installed on the inlet pipe 41 between the liquid storage tank 1 and the heat exchanger 2. This facilitates the regulation of the flow rate of the cryogenic liquid q0.

[0036] The inlet 421 of the air intake pipe 42 can be located inside the carriage 101, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it can also be installed outside the carriage 101. That is, the air a0 sent to the heat exchanger 2 for heat exchange can come from inside the carriage 101 or from outside the carriage 101.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the fan 3 can be an exhaust fan, located between the outlet 422 of the air intake pipe 42 and the heat exchanger 2 inside the vehicle compartment 101. Using an exhaust fan, or similar device, can better ensure air circulation within the hydrogen transport vehicle 100.

[0038] Preferably, the cryogenic liquid q0 stored in the liquid storage tank 1 can be liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen is readily available, inexpensive, and highly safe.

[0039] Figure 1The hydrogen transport vehicle 100 shown is a long-tube trailer for gaseous hydrogen, and the aforementioned hydrogen refrigeration system 10 is particularly suitable for such trailers. That is, the long-tube trailer for gaseous hydrogen, as the hydrogen transport vehicle 100, can include the aforementioned hydrogen refrigeration system 10. The hydrogen refrigeration system 10 is installed on the long-tube trailer in front of the hydrogen storage tube 103. It is understood that "in front" here refers to the direction relative to the normal travel direction D0 of the hydrogen transport vehicle 100. The hydrogen storage tube 103 is also commonly referred to as a torpedo tank. When using the aforementioned hydrogen refrigeration system 10, the hydrogen storage tube 103 can be made of stainless steel. This construction is particularly advantageous for the storage of gaseous hydrogen and also for the entire transportation process of gaseous hydrogen, including loading and unloading.

[0040] Unless otherwise stated, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be understood that terms, such as those defined in common dictionaries, should be understood to have the same meaning as they have in the context of this specification and the relevant field, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly stated herein. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail.

[0041] Unless otherwise clearly indicated, each aspect or embodiment defined herein may be combined with any other aspect or embodiment. In particular, any feature indicated as preferred or advantageous may be combined with any other feature indicated as preferred or advantageous.

[0042] The embodiments described in this specification are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. All technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation should be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hydrogen refrigeration system for use in a hydrogen transport vehicle, characterized in that, The hydrogen refrigeration system includes a liquid storage tank, a heat exchanger, a fan, and a piping system. The pipeline system is configured to transport the cryogenic liquid stored in the liquid storage tank to the heat exchanger, and the fan is configured in the pipeline system to transport air to the heat exchanger and then into the compartment of the hydrogen transport vehicle. In this way, the cryogenic liquid gains heat in the heat exchanger and evaporates, while the air gains cold energy in the heat exchanger and cools down, thereby cooling the hydrogen stored in the compartment.

2. The hydrogen refrigeration system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid storage tank is located outside the carriage.

3. The hydrogen refrigeration system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid storage tank is installed under the carriage.

4. The hydrogen refrigeration system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a temperature control system, which comprises: A temperature detector is configured to detect the temperature inside the carriage. A flow regulating valve is configured to regulate the flow rate of the cryogenic liquid supplied from the liquid storage tank to the heat exchanger; and The controller adjusts the opening of the flow regulating valve according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector, and the controller also adjusts the power of the fan according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector.

5. The hydrogen refrigeration system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The piping system includes: A liquid inlet pipe, configured to transport the cryogenic liquid from the liquid storage tank to the outside of the vehicle compartment after evaporation via the heat exchanger; and An air intake duct is provided, and the fan is installed in the air intake duct so that the air can reach the heat exchanger through the air intake duct, and then exit from the heat exchanger to the carriage.

6. The hydrogen refrigeration system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A flow regulating valve is installed on the inlet pipe between the liquid storage tank and the heat exchanger.

7. The hydrogen refrigeration system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The air intake pipe can be located inside the vehicle compartment or outside the vehicle compartment.

8. The hydrogen refrigeration system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The fan is an exhaust fan, located between the outlet of the air intake pipe and the heat exchanger inside the carriage.

9. The hydrogen refrigeration system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cryogenic liquid stored in the liquid storage tank is liquid nitrogen.

10. A long-tube trailer for gaseous hydrogen, characterized in that, The system includes a hydrogen refrigeration system as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the hydrogen refrigeration system is mounted on the long tube trailer for gaseous hydrogen in front of the long tube for hydrogen storage.

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