Evaporator and hot module comprising evaporator

Abstract

To provide an evaporator that can prevent or restrain bumping of water.SOLUTION: An evaporator 10 comprises: a main body part 11 which comprises a bottom plate part 112 comprising an upper surface 113 onto which water is dripped, and in which an internal space 111 that is a space in which water vapor is generated by evaporation of the water dripped onto the upper surface 113, and a discharge port 116 for discharging gas in the internal space 111 are formed; a water supply passage member 12 attached to the main body part 11 in order to drip the water onto the upper surface 113; and a first heater 13 for heating the water supply passage member 12. The water supply passage member 12 is constituted so as to be capable of dripping the water to two or more positions different from each other on the upper surface 113.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an evaporator and a hot module comprising the evaporator. [Background technology]

[0002] A hot module is known that includes a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) or a reversible solid oxide cell (R-SOC) and an evaporator, and produces hydrogen by electrolyzing the steam generated by the evaporator in the cell. The evaporator applied to such a hot module is configured so that water supplied from the outside is dripped onto a heated evaporation dish. The water dripped onto the evaporation dish is evaporated by the heat of the evaporation dish, and steam is generated. However, when water is dripped onto the evaporation dish, the temperature of the part of the evaporation dish that the water touches drops, but the temperature of the part that the water does not touch is maintained at a high temperature. When water touches the part that is maintained at a high temperature, bumping is caused, and this bumping may cause pulsation in the steam pressure. If pulsation occurs in the steam pressure, it may have an unexpected effect on the cell.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a fuel cell device including an SOFC and an evaporator. The evaporator described in Patent Document 1 includes an evaporator section including a supply surface to which water is supplied, a heat source that supplies heat to the evaporator section, and a water supply pipe that supplies water to the evaporator section. The water supply pipe has an outlet that opens obliquely downward. The water supply pipe is disposed at a distance from the supply surface of the evaporator section such that water discharged from the outlet is held between the outlet and the supply surface of the evaporator section by surface tension.

[0004] According to the evaporator described in Patent Document 1, the water supplied from the water supply pipe is held between the water supply pipe and the supply surface of the evaporation section by surface tension, and only the amount of water that cannot be held by surface tension falls along the supply surface. This prevents the supply surface from being cooled excessively, and stable water evaporation on the supply surface is realized. In addition, the water supplied from the water supply pipe is held in a thin, spread state between the outlet of the water supply pipe and the supply surface of the evaporation section by surface tension. This means that the water that cannot be held by surface tension flows along the supply surface while spreading without forming droplets, thereby realizing more stable water evaporation.

[0005] However, the amount of water vapor, which is a raw material for hydrogen, required in SOECs and R-SOCs is greater than the amount of water vapor required in SOFCs, making it difficult to apply the evaporator described in Patent Document 1 to an evaporator that supplies water vapor to SOECs and R-SOCs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-225123 A Summary of the Invention

[0007] (Problem to be solved by the invention) In view of the above situation, one object of the present invention is to provide an evaporator that supplies water vapor to an SOEC or R-SOC and that can prevent or suppress bumping, and a hot module equipped with this evaporator.

[0008] (Means for solving the problem) In order to achieve the above object, the evaporator according to the present invention comprises: a main body portion including an evaporation dish having a dripping surface onto which water is dripped, the main body portion including an evaporation space in which water vapor is generated by the evaporation of the water dripped onto the dripping surface, and an exhaust port for exhausting gas within the evaporation space; a water supply path member attached to the main body so that water is supplied and the supplied water drips onto the drip surface; A first heater that heats the water supply path member; Equipped with The water supply path member is configured to be able to drip water onto two or more different positions on the dripping surface.

[0009] According to the evaporator of the present invention, water is dripped at two or more positions on the drip surface, so that the temperature distribution on the drip surface can be prevented from becoming uneven, compared to a configuration in which water is dripped only at one position on the drip surface. That is, water dripped from the water supply path member and contacts the drip surface absorbs heat from the drip surface. In a configuration in which water is dripped at two or more positions on the drip surface, heat can be absorbed from a wider area of ​​the drip surface, compared to a configuration in which water is dripped only at one position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent high-temperature parts from occurring on the drip surface or to narrow the area of ​​the high-temperature parts, so that bumping of water caused by "water contacting a high-temperature part" can be prevented or suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic configuration of an evaporator. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a hot module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] <Evaporator configuration> Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an evaporator 10 according to the present embodiment. In Fig. 1, the upper side of the evaporator 10 is indicated by an arrow Up, and the lower side of the evaporator 10 is indicated by an arrow Dw. As shown in Fig. 1, the evaporator 10 includes a main body 11, a water supply path member 12, a first heater 13, and a second heater 14.

[0012] The main body 11 is a part having a hollow container-like configuration in which an internal space 111 is provided. Hydrogen and water are supplied to this internal space 111. The internal space 111 is a space in which water vapor is generated by evaporating the supplied water. The internal space 111 of the main body 11 is an example of an evaporation space of the present invention. In this embodiment, an example in which the main body 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is shown. The main body 11 has a bottom plate 112, an upper plate 114, and a side plate 115. The bottom plate 112 forms the lower wall of the main body 11, the upper plate 114 forms the upper wall of the main body 11, and the side plate 115 forms the side wall of the main body 11. The bottom plate 112 has an upper surface 113 facing upward. The bottom plate 112 and the upper plate 114 each have a flat plate-like configuration extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the bottom plate portion 112 and the top plate portion 114 each have an elongated shape (for example, a substantially rectangular shape) that is long in one direction when viewed in the up-down direction.

[0013] The water supply path member 12 is a member that forms a path for introducing water from the outside of the evaporator 10 into the internal space 111 of the main body portion 11 of the evaporator 10. The water supply path member 12 includes a plurality of water supply pipes 121. The water supply path member 12 is connected to a water supply source (not shown) so that water is supplied from the water supply source. The water supply path member 12 is configured so that water supplied from the water supply source (not shown) is distributed to the plurality of water supply pipes 121. An opening 122 is provided at one end (tip) of each water supply pipe 121. The water supply path member 12 is attached to the main body portion 11 so that water supplied from the water supply source drips from the opening 122 toward the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 of the main body portion 11.

[0014] Each water supply pipe 121 enters the internal space 111 from the upper side (upper plate 114 side) of the main body 11. The water supply pipe 121 is attached to the upper plate 114 of the main body 11 so that one end (the end on the side where the opening 122 is provided) of each water supply pipe 121 is located at a position spaced upward from the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate 112. In addition, one end of the multiple water supply pipes 121 is provided at positions spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction so that water can be dripped toward two or more positions on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate 112 that are spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction (which can also be called "a direction parallel to the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate 112"). In this embodiment, one end of the multiple water supply pipes 121 is provided so as to be aligned and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 112 and the upper plate 114. The water supply pipes 121 may be arranged in a single row in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate portion 112 and the upper plate portion 114, or in two or more rows.

[0015] The bottom plate portion 112 is an example of an evaporating dish of the present invention, and the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 is an example of a dripping surface of the present invention. The upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 is a surface configured to come into contact with water dripped from the openings 122 of each water supply pipe 121. In FIG. 1, the entire upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 is shown as a horizontal surface. However, a part or the entire upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 may be an inclined surface inclined relative to the horizontal direction. An exhaust port 116 is provided at one end of the length direction of the bottom plate portion 112 or in the vicinity thereof. The exhaust port 116 is a portion provided with an opening (a through hole communicating the outside and the inside of the main body portion 11) for discharging gas (specifically, a mixture of water vapor and hydrogen gas) in the internal space 111 of the main body portion 11 to the outside of the evaporator 10. In addition, a weir portion 118 is provided on the bottom plate portion 112. The dam portion 118 has a wall-like structure protruding upward from the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 so as to prevent liquid present inside the main body portion 11 (specifically, unvaporized water dripped from each water supply pipe 121) from flowing out from the exhaust outlet 116.

[0016] A hydrogen gas inlet 117 is provided in the main body 11. The hydrogen gas inlet 117 is a portion provided with an opening (a through hole communicating the outside and inside of the main body 11) for introducing hydrogen gas from a hydrogen gas supply source (not shown) outside the evaporator 10 into the internal space 111 of the main body 11. The hydrogen gas inlet 117 is provided at or near one of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the main body 11, the end opposite the side where the exhaust outlet 116 is provided. The hydrogen gas inlet 117 may be provided in the side plate 115 as shown in FIG. 1, or in the upper plate 114.

[0017] A first heater 13 is provided on the upper side of the main body 11. The first heater 13 is configured to heat the water flowing through each water supply pipe 121 by heating each water supply pipe 121. The first heater 13 includes a first fluid passage 131. The first fluid passage 131 is a part having a hollow cylindrical or hollow box-like configuration through which a high-temperature fluid (e.g., gas with a temperature adjusted to a predetermined temperature) for heating each water supply pipe 121 can flow in one predetermined direction. The first fluid passage 131 has an elongated shape. The first fluid passage 131 is arranged overlapping the upper side of the upper plate 114 of the main body 11 with its elongated direction approximately parallel to the elongated direction of the main body 11.

[0018] The first fluid passage 131 includes a predetermined portion of each water supply pipe 121, specifically, a part of the portion located outside (upper) the main body 11 (the portion immediately adjacent (directly above) the main body 11). In other words, the predetermined portion of each water supply pipe 121 (the portion immediately adjacent (directly above) the main body 11) penetrates the inside of the first fluid passage 131 of the first heater 13. One end of the first fluid passage 131 in the longitudinal direction (the end closer to the exhaust port 116 in the vertical direction view) is connected to a supply source of high-temperature fluid outside the evaporator 10 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a heat source), and the other end (the end farther from the exhaust port 116 in the vertical direction view) is configured to be able to discharge the high-temperature fluid. According to the first heater 13 configured as above, the high-temperature fluid supplied from an external heat source to the first fluid passage 131 flows in one direction through the first fluid passage 131 from one end (the end closer to the outlet 116) to the other end (the end farther from the outlet 116). The high-temperature fluid flowing through the first fluid passage 131 can heat the water flowing through each water supply pipe 121.

[0019] The high-temperature fluid flowing in one direction through the first fluid passage 131 decreases in temperature as it flows from the upstream side to the downstream side by exchanging heat with the water flowing through each water supply pipe 121. For this reason, the heating temperature of the water flowing through the water supply pipe 121 located at the most upstream side of the high-temperature fluid flow is the highest, and the heating temperature of the water flowing through the water supply pipe 121 decreases toward the downstream side of the high-temperature fluid flow.

[0020] Moreover, the water supply pipe 121 located near the outlet 116 among the multiple water supply pipes 121 contacts the high-temperature fluid at an upstream position of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage 131, and therefore the heating temperature is high. On the other hand, the water supply pipe 121 located far from the outlet 116 among the multiple water supply pipes 121 contacts the high-temperature fluid at a downstream position of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage 131, and therefore the heating temperature is low. Thus, in this embodiment, the water supply pipes 121 are configured to be able to make the temperatures (heating temperatures) of the water flowing through each water supply pipe 121 different from each other. In particular, the first heater 13 is configured to be able to make the heating temperature different depending on the distance from the outlet 116 to the opening 122 of the water supply pipe 121 when viewed in the up-down direction (more strictly, the distance in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body 11). Specifically, the first heater 13 is configured to heat the multiple water supply pipes 121 to different temperatures such that the heating temperature of the water supply pipes 121 provided at a position relatively closer to the exhaust outlet 116 is higher than the heating temperature of the water supply pipes 121 provided at a position relatively farther from the exhaust outlet 116. In other words, the first heater 13 heats the multiple water supply pipes 121 such that the water supply pipes 121 provided at a position closer to the exhaust outlet 116 are heated to a higher temperature.

[0021] The second heater 14 is provided below the main body 11. The second heater 14 is configured to be able to heat the bottom plate 112 of the main body 11. The second heater 14 includes a second fluid passage 141. The second fluid passage 141 includes a hollow box-like configuration through which a high-temperature fluid (e.g., high-temperature gas) for heating the bottom plate 112 can flow in a predetermined direction. The dimensions and outer shape of the second fluid passage 141 as viewed in the up-down direction are substantially the same as those of the bottom plate 112 so that substantially the entire upper surface 113 of the bottom plate 112 can be heated. That is, the second fluid passage 141 is provided so as to overlap substantially the entire area of ​​the bottom plate 112. One end of the second fluid passage 141 in the longitudinal direction (the end closer to the exhaust port 116 when viewed in the vertical direction) is connected to a heat source external to the evaporator 10, and the other end (the end farther from the exhaust port 116 when viewed in the vertical direction) is configured to be able to discharge high-temperature fluid. According to the second heater 14 configured in this way, the high-temperature fluid supplied to the second fluid passage 141 from an external heat source flows in one direction through the second fluid passage 141 from one end (the end closer to the exhaust port 116) to the other end (the end farther from the exhaust port 116). The bottom plate portion 112 can be heated by the high-temperature fluid flowing through the second fluid passage 141.

[0022] The high-temperature fluid flowing in one direction through the second fluid passage 141 is cooled by heat exchange between the bottom plate portion 112 and the water dropped onto the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112. For this reason, the temperature of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 decreases from the portion exchanging heat on the upstream side (one end side of the second fluid passage 141) of the flow of the high-temperature fluid to the portion exchanging heat on the downstream side (the other end side of the second fluid passage 141).

[0023] Further, the longitudinal direction of the second fluid passage 141 (the direction of the flow of the high-temperature fluid) and the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate portion 112 of the main body portion 11 are substantially parallel to each other. Furthermore, the exhaust port 116 provided in the main body portion 11 is located on one end side of the second fluid passage 141, i.e., on the same side as the upstream side of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the second fluid passage 141. Therefore, the heating temperature of the bottom plate portion 112 by the second heater 14 (the temperature of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112) differs depending on the distance from the exhaust port 116. Specifically, the temperature of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 heated by the second heater 14 becomes higher the closer to the exhaust port 116 and becomes lower the farther away from the exhaust port 116. In other words, the second heater 14 heats the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 so that the closer to the exhaust port 116 the higher the temperature and the farther away from the exhaust port 116 the lower the temperature.

[0024] In the present embodiment, the first heater 13 is shown to have the first fluid passage 131, but the first heater 13 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the first heater 13 may be a cylindrical electric heater. In this case, the cylindrical electric heater, which is the first heater 13, is arranged to enclose each water supply pipe 121. In addition, the second heater 14 is shown to have the second fluid passage 141, but the second heater 14 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the second heater 14 may be a planar electric heater. In this case, the electric heater is attached to contact the lower surface of the bottom plate portion 112 of the main body portion 11, so that the bottom plate portion 112 of the main body portion 11 can be heated. In addition, by varying the arrangement density of the electric heater depending on the distance from the exhaust port 116, the bottom plate portion 112 can be heated so that the temperature of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 differs depending on the distance from the exhaust port 116 when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0025] <Evaporator operation> Next, the operation of the evaporator 10 according to this embodiment will be described. A high-temperature fluid supplied from an external heat source flows in one predetermined direction through the first fluid passage 131 of the first heater 13 and the second fluid passage 141 of the second heater 14. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which both high-temperature fluids flow from the end closer to the exhaust port 116 of the first fluid passage 131 and the second fluid passage 141 toward the end farther from the exhaust port 116.

[0026] Therefore, the water supply pipes 121 provided closer to the exhaust port 116 come into contact with the high-temperature fluid at an upstream position of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage 131. Therefore, the water supply pipes 121 provided closer to the exhaust port 116 are heated to a higher temperature. At this time, the first heater 13 heats each water supply pipe 121 so that the temperature of the water flowing through each water supply pipe 121 becomes 60 to 100°C.

[0027] Furthermore, the closer a portion of the bottom plate portion 112 is to the exhaust port 116, the more heat is exchanged with the high-temperature fluid at an upstream position of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the second fluid passage 141. For this reason, the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 is heated by the second heater 14 so that the temperature becomes higher the closer it is to the exhaust port 116. At this time, the second heater 14 heats the bottom plate portion 112 so that the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 becomes 150 to 300°C (target temperature is 150 to 300°C).

[0028] Furthermore, hydrogen gas is introduced into the internal space 111 of the main body 11 from the hydrogen gas inlet 117, and water is dripped into the internal space 111 of the main body 11 through each water supply pipe 121. The temperature of the hydrogen gas introduced from the hydrogen gas inlet 117 may be room temperature. The temperature of the water flowing through each water supply pipe 121 (however, the temperature before being heated by the first heater 13) may also be room temperature.

[0029] The water flowing through each water supply pipe 121 is heated by the first heater 13. At least a portion of the water flowing through each water supply pipe 121 is heated by the first heater 13 to become water vapor and flows into the internal space 111 of the main body 11. Liquid water that does not become steam drips from an opening 122 provided at the end of each water supply pipe 121 toward the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112. The dripped water comes into contact with the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112.

[0030] The water in contact with the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 is heated by heat transferred from the second heater 14 to the bottom plate portion 112 and evaporates. As a result, water vapor is generated in the internal space 111 of the main body portion 11. Furthermore, the hydrogen gas introduced from the hydrogen gas inlet 117 mixes with the water vapor generated in the internal space 111, and the mixed hydrogen and water vapor are further heated in the internal space 111 of the main body portion 11. The mixture of water vapor and hydrogen gas then flows out (is discharged) from the outlet 116 to the outside of the main body portion 11. The temperature of the mixture of water vapor and hydrogen gas discharged from the outlet 116 is 200 to 300°C.

[0031] Since the openings 122 of the water supply pipes 121 are provided at different positions from each other in the horizontal direction (i.e., in the planar direction of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112), the positions of the water dripped from each water supply pipe 121 onto the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 (in other words, the positions where the dripped water comes into contact) also differ from each other. With this configuration, bumping of the water dripped from each water supply pipe 121 can be prevented or suppressed.

[0032] That is, in a configuration in which the water supply path member 12 includes one water supply pipe 121 and the water dropped from the one water supply pipe 121 comes into contact with one location on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112, the "position where the dropped water comes into contact" on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 and its surrounding positions (more specifically, the position directly below the opening 122 of the water supply pipe 121 and its surrounding positions) lose heat due to the contact water, so the temperature is lower than other positions. On the other hand, the positions on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 that the dropped water does not come into contact with are maintained at a high temperature because the water does not directly lose heat. And when the water dropped from the water supply pipe 121 comes into contact with a position that is maintained at a high temperature due to some cause such as vibration or shaking, there is a risk of bumping occurring there. When bumping occurs, the internal pressure of the main body portion 11 rises suddenly, and as a result, there is a risk of pulsation occurring in the pressure of the mixture of water vapor and hydrogen gas discharged from the exhaust port 116.

[0033] In contrast, according to the present embodiment, water is dripped onto two or more positions (i.e., a plurality of positions spaced apart) on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112, so that while the water is dripping, the state in which heat is constantly taken away by the water continues over a wide range of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112. Therefore, it is possible to prevent high-temperature parts from being generated on the upper surface 113 or to narrow the area of ​​the high-temperature parts, so that even if water comes into contact with an unusual position for some reason, it is possible to prevent or suppress the bumping of water. In other words, it is possible to prevent or suppress the wide range of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 from becoming abnormally high temperature, and it is possible to stabilize the temperature of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 at a temperature at which bumping of water does not occur overall.

[0034] Furthermore, with this configuration, a large amount of water can be vaporized continuously. That is, if water is dripped onto one location on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112, the contact area of ​​the dripped water is small (the area that gives heat to the water is small), so if a large amount of water is dripped continuously, the water may not be heated sufficiently and may not evaporate. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the water is dripped onto two or more locations, so the amount of water dripped onto each location can be reduced and the water can be sufficiently heated. Thus, according to this embodiment, the area for heat exchange with the water dripped from each water supply pipe 121 can be increased.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the heating temperatures of the multiple water supply pipes 121 are different so that the temperature of the water dripped from the water supply pipe 121 closest to the outlet 116 is the highest, and the temperature of the water decreases as the distance from the outlet 116 increases. In other words, the first heater 13 heats the multiple water supply pipes 121 so that the temperature of the water dripped from the water supply pipe 121 closer to the outlet 116 is higher, that is, so that the temperature of the water dripped from the water supply pipe 121 relatively closer to the outlet 116 is higher than the temperature of the water dripped from the water supply pipe 121 provided at a position relatively far from the outlet 116. With this configuration, the reliability of evaporation of the water dripped from the water supply pipe 121 close to the outlet 116 can be improved. Also, it is possible to prevent or suppress insufficiently heated water vapor from being discharged from the outlet 116.

[0036] That is, water that drops from each water supply pipe 121 and comes into contact with the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 absorbs heat from the bottom plate portion 112 and evaporates. Then, the generated water vapor flows toward the exhaust port 116 while being heated in the internal space 111. At this time, the longer the distance between the position where the water vapor is generated and the position of the exhaust port 116, the longer the time until it is exhausted from the exhaust port 116, and therefore the longer the heating time in the internal space 111. On the other hand, if the distance between the position where the water vapor is generated and the position of the exhaust port 116 is short, the heating time in the internal space 111 is short. Therefore, water vapor generated at a position with a small distance from the exhaust port 116, i.e., water vapor generated at a position relatively close to the exhaust port 116, is exhausted from the exhaust port 116 without being sufficiently heated in the internal space 111.

[0037] Here, in this embodiment, the heating temperature of the water dropped onto the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 is higher as the dropping position is closer to the exhaust port 116. Therefore, the water dropped onto the position closer to the exhaust port 116 evaporates quickly, and the temperature of the generated water vapor also rises quickly. In other words, the water dropped onto the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 from the water supply pipe 121 close to the exhaust port 116 evaporates reliably even if the heating time in the internal space 111 is short, and the temperature of the generated steam rises quickly to a desired temperature. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress insufficiently heated water vapor from being discharged from the exhaust port 116.

[0038] Furthermore, with this configuration, the area of ​​the "region exchanging heat with the dripped water" on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 can be increased. Therefore, the entire area of ​​the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 can be used for evaporating water, so that the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 can be used effectively.

[0039] The heating temperatures of the water supply pipes 121 may be different so that the temperature of the water dripping from the water supply pipes 121 is lower as the position of the water supply pipes 121 is closer to the exhaust port 116, and the temperature of the water is higher as the distance from the exhaust port 116 is greater. Similarly, the bottom plate portion 112 may be heated so that the temperature of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 is higher from the end portion closer to the exhaust port 116 toward the end portion opposite the exhaust port 116. In this case, a high-temperature fluid may be caused to flow from the end portion farther from the exhaust port 116 to the end portion near the exhaust port 116 in the first fluid passage 131 of the first heater 13 and the second fluid passage 141 of the second heater 14. With this configuration, the amount of water vapor generated increases as the distance from the exhaust port 116 increases, so that a flow of water vapor is easily generated from a position farther from the exhaust port 116 toward the exhaust port 116. This prevents or suppresses water vapor and hydrogen from accumulating in the internal space 111 of the evaporator 10. Furthermore, with such a configuration, the hydrogen gas introduced from hydrogen gas inlet 117 and the generated water vapor are easily mixed.

[0040] The heating temperature of upper surface 113 of bottom plate portion 112 by second heater 14 may be uniform.

[0041] <Hot module> Next, the hot module 25 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a hydrogen production device 20 including a hot module 25 according to the present embodiment. The hydrogen production device 20 is a device that produces hydrogen by electrolyzing a raw material gas containing water vapor using an SOEC (Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell). As shown in FIG. 2, the hydrogen production device 20 includes a water storage tank 21, a water supply pump 22, a hydrogen gas storage tank 23, a hydrogen gas supply pump 24, a hot module 25 according to the present embodiment, a power supply source 26, a heat exchanger 27, and a control device 28. The hot module 25 according to the present embodiment includes an SOEC 251 and an evaporator 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0042] The water storage tank 21 is a tank for storing water. The water storage tank 21 is connected to the water supply path member 12 of the evaporator 10 of the hot module 25 according to this embodiment via the water path 30. The water supply pump 22 is provided on the water path 30 and configured to supply the water stored in the water storage tank 21 to the evaporator 10 by operating. The hydrogen gas storage tank 23 is a tank for storing hydrogen gas for suppressing deterioration of the SOEC 251. The hydrogen gas storage tank 23 is connected to the hydrogen gas inlet 117 of the evaporator 10 via the hydrogen gas path 31. The hydrogen gas supply pump 24 is provided on the hydrogen gas path 31 and configured to supply the hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen gas storage tank 23 to the evaporator 10 by operating. The configurations of the water storage tank 21, the water supply pump 22, the hydrogen gas storage tank 23, and the hydrogen gas supply pump 24 are not particularly limited, and conventionally known configurations can be applied.

[0043] The first heater 13 and the second heater 14 of the evaporator 10 are connected to a heat source (not shown). The exhaust port 116 of the main body 11 of the evaporator 10 is connected to the fuel electrode of the SOEC 251 through the raw gas path 32. The heat source may be various machines or equipment installed in a factory or the like. In this case, the high-temperature fluid may be high-temperature exhaust gas discharged from various machines or equipment, or air heated by heat exchange with various machines or equipment. The first heater 13 heats the water flowing through the water supply pipe 121 of the water supply path member 12 by the high-temperature fluid supplied from the heat source (not shown). The second heater 14 heats the water in contact with the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate 112 of the main body 11 by the high-temperature fluid supplied from the heat source (not shown). Therefore, water supplied from the water storage tank 21 to the evaporator 10 of the hot module 25 is heated and evaporated by the first heater 13 and the second heater 14 of the evaporator 10, and becomes water vapor in the internal space 111 of the main body 11. Hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen gas storage tank 23 to the evaporator 10 is mixed with the water vapor in the internal space 111 of the main body 11 of the evaporator 10. As a result, a raw material gas containing water vapor and hydrogen gas is generated in the internal space 111 of the main body 11 of the evaporator 10. The generated raw material gas flows out from the exhaust port of the main body 11 and is supplied to the fuel electrode of the SOEC251.

[0044] The SOEC251 is an example of an electrochemical cell of the present invention. The SOEC251 includes an electrolyte layer including a solid oxide, an anode provided on one side of the electrolyte layer, and an air electrode provided on the other side of the electrolyte layer. The SOEC251 is configured to produce hydrogen by electrolyzing high-temperature steam when power is supplied from the power supply source 26, high-temperature raw material gas is introduced from the evaporator 10 to the anode, and air is introduced to the air electrode. The configuration of the SOEC251 is not particularly limited. Various conventionally known configurations can be applied to the SOEC251.

[0045] The power supply source 26 is configured to supply power for electrolyzing the raw material gas to the SOEC 251. The configuration of the power supply source 26 is not particularly limited, and various known power supply devices can be applied.

[0046] The heat exchanger 27 is provided in the fuel-side off-gas passage 33 and the raw material gas passage 32. The fuel-side off-gas passage 33 is a passage through which gas discharged from the fuel electrode of the SOEC 251 (a mixture of hydrogen generated by electrolysis in the SOEC 251 and undecomposed water vapor) flows. The heat exchanger 27 is configured to heat the raw material gas by exchanging heat between the gas discharged from the fuel electrode and the raw material gas delivered from the evaporator 10. The raw material gas is heated to 600°C to 800°C by the heat exchanger 27. The raw material gas heated to 600°C to 800°C is supplied to the SOEC 251.

[0047] The control device 28 controls each part of the hydrogen production device 20, including the water supply pump 22, the hydrogen gas supply pump 24, and the power supply source 26. The control device 28 is equipped with a computer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, and an I / F (interface). The ROM of the computer stores computer programs for controlling each part of the hydrogen production device 20 in advance. The CPU reads out the computer program stored in the ROM, expands it into the RAM, and executes it. In this way, control of each part of the hydrogen production device 20 is realized.

[0048] As described above, the evaporator 10 according to this embodiment prevents or suppresses the bumping of water. Therefore, the hot module 25 to which the evaporator 10 according to this embodiment is applied can prevent or suppress pressure pulsation (pressure fluctuation) of the source gas (mixture of water vapor and hydrogen) supplied to the SOEC 251. Therefore, the effect of the pressure pulsation of the source gas on the SOEC 251 can be reduced.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first heater 13 and the second heater 14 of the evaporator 10 are configured to receive a supply of high-temperature fluid from a heat source external to the hydrogen production device 20, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the first heater 13 and the second heater 14 may be configured to heat water using exhaust gas from the fuel electrode of the SOEC 251. In this case, a configuration in which the gas outlet of the fuel electrode of the SOEC 251 is connected to the first heater 13 and the second heater 14 can be applied.

[0050] As described above, the evaporator 10 according to this embodiment has the following features: a main body 11 including an evaporation dish (bottom plate 112) having a dripping surface (upper surface 113 of bottom plate 112) onto which water is dripped, in which an evaporation space (internal space 111) is formed, which is a space in which water vapor is generated by the evaporation of water dripped onto the dripping surface (upper surface 113 of bottom plate 112), and an exhaust port 116 for exhausting gas within the evaporation space (internal space 111); a water supply path member 12 attached to the main body portion 11 so that water is supplied and drips onto the drip surface (the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112); A first heater 13 for heating the water supply path member 12; Equipped with The water supply path member 12 is configured to be able to drip water onto two or more different positions on the drip surface (the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112).

[0051] According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent or suppress bumping of water that drips through the water supply path member 12 and contacts the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112. That is, because the dripped water contacts a plurality of points spaced apart from one another on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112, a state in which heat is constantly taken away by the water over a wide range (e.g., substantially the entirety) of the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112 continues while the water is being supplied. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress the occurrence of locally high temperature portions on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112, and therefore it is possible to prevent or suppress bumping of the dripped water.

[0052] In addition, the hot module 25 according to this embodiment has the following features: An evaporator 10 that generates water vapor by heating water supplied from the outside; an electrochemical cell (SOEC251) to which the water vapor generated in the evaporator 10 is supplied and which generates hydrogen by electrolyzing the supplied water vapor; A hot module 25 comprising: The evaporator 10 is a main body 11 including an evaporation dish (bottom plate 112) having a dripping surface (upper surface 113 of bottom plate 112) onto which water is dripped, in which an evaporation space (internal space 111) is formed, which is a space in which water vapor is generated by the evaporation of water dripped onto the dripping surface (upper surface 113 of bottom plate 112), and an exhaust port 116 for exhausting gas within the evaporation space (internal space 111); a water supply path member 12 attached to the main body portion 11 so that water is supplied and drips onto the drip surface (the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112); A first heater 13 for heating the water supply path member 12; Equipped with The water supply path member 12 is configured to be able to drip water onto two or more different positions on the drip surface (the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112).

[0053] According to the hot module 25 of this embodiment, the bumping of water is prevented in the evaporator 10, and therefore it is possible to prevent or suppress pressure pulsation (pressure fluctuation) of the source gas (mixture of water vapor and hydrogen) supplied to the electrochemical cell from the evaporator 10. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the influence of the pressure pulsation of the source gas on the electrochemical cell.

[0054] The water supply path member 12 includes a plurality of water supply pipes 121 each having an opening 122 that opens toward the dripping surface (the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112).

[0055] With this configuration, water can be dripped from the openings 122 of the multiple water supply pipes 121 toward two or more locations on the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112.

[0056] The first heater 13 heats the plurality of water supply pipes 121 to temperatures different from one another. In this case, the first heater 13 may be configured to heat the plurality of water supply pipes 121 such that the water supply pipes 121 closer to the outlet 116 are heated to a higher temperature.

[0057] With this configuration, it is possible to improve the reliability of evaporation of water dropped from the water supply pipe 121 close to the exhaust port 116. It is also possible to prevent or suppress the gas containing water vapor generated from the water dropped from the water supply pipe 121 close to the exhaust port 116 from being discharged from the exhaust port 116 while being insufficiently heated.

[0058] The first heater 13 includes a first fluid passage 131 through which a high-temperature fluid supplied from a heat source passes, The water supply pipes 121 that are closer to the outlet 116 come into contact with the high-temperature fluid at an upstream position of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage 131 .

[0059] With this configuration, the plurality of water supply pipes 121 can be heated so that the water supply pipes 121 closer to the outlet 116 are heated to a higher temperature.

[0060] The evaporator 10 may be configured to include a second heater 14 for heating the dripping surface (the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112).

[0061] With this configuration, water that drips from the water supply pipe 121 and comes into contact with the dripping surface (the upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112) is heated and evaporated, whereby water vapor can be generated.

[0062] The second heater 14 may be configured to heat the dripping surface (upper surface 113 of the bottom plate portion 112) so that the closer to the discharge port 116 the higher the temperature.

[0063] According to such a configuration, it is possible to improve the reliability of evaporation of water dropped from the water supply pipe 121 close to the exhaust port 116. In addition, it is possible to prevent or suppress the gas containing water vapor from being exhausted from the exhaust port 116 while being insufficiently heated.

[0064] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various modifications are possible.

[0065] The present invention may include the following configurations. [1] a main body portion including an evaporation dish having a dripping surface onto which water is dripped, the main body portion including an evaporation space in which water vapor is generated by the evaporation of the water dripped onto the dripping surface, and an exhaust port for exhausting gas within the evaporation space; a water supply path member attached to the main body so that water is supplied and the supplied water drips onto the drip surface; A first heater that heats the water supply path member; Equipped with An evaporator, wherein the water supply path member is configured to be able to drip water onto two or more different positions on the drip surface.

[0066] [2] [1] The evaporator according to the present invention, The water supply path member includes a plurality of water supply pipes each having an opening that opens toward the drip surface.

[0067] [3] [2] The evaporator according to the present invention, The first heater heats the plurality of water supply pipes to different temperatures.

[0068] [4] [3] The evaporator according to the present invention, The first heater heats the plurality of water supply pipes such that the water supply pipes closer to the outlet are heated to a higher temperature.

[0069] [5] [4] The evaporator according to the present invention, an evaporator, wherein the first heater has a first fluid passage through which a high-temperature fluid supplied from a heat source passes, and the plurality of water supply pipes are in contact with the high-temperature fluid at an upstream position of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage, the closer the water supply pipe is to the outlet.

[0070] [6] An evaporator according to any one of [1] to [5], An evaporator comprising a second heater for heating the dripping surface.

[0071] [7] [6] The evaporator according to the present invention, The second heater heats the dripping surface so that the temperature becomes higher as the dripping surface approaches the outlet.

[0072] [8] an evaporator that generates water vapor by heating water supplied from an outside; an electrochemical cell to which the water vapor generated in the evaporator is supplied and which generates hydrogen by electrolyzing the supplied water vapor; A hot module comprising: The evaporator comprises: a main body portion including an evaporation dish having a dripping surface onto which water is dripped, the main body portion including an evaporation space in which water vapor is generated by the evaporation of the water dripped onto the dripping surface, and an exhaust port for exhausting gas within the evaporation space; a water supply path member attached to the main body so that water is supplied and the supplied water drips onto the drip surface; A first heater that heats the water supply path member; Equipped with The hot module, wherein the water supply path member is configured to be able to drip water onto two or more different positions on the drip surface.

[0073] [9] A hot module according to [8], The water supply path member is a hot module composed of a plurality of water supply pipes each having an opening that opens toward the drip surface.

[0074]

[10] A hot module according to [9], The first heater heats the plurality of water supply pipes to different temperatures, a hot module.

[0075]

[11]

[10] A hot module according to the present invention, The first heater heats the plurality of water supply pipes such that the water supply pipes closer to the outlet are heated to a higher temperature.

[0076]

[12]

[11] A hot module according to the present invention, The first heater includes a first fluid passage through which a high-temperature fluid supplied from a heat source passes, A hot module, wherein the water supply pipes are arranged so that the closer the water supply pipes are to the exhaust port, the closer the water supply pipes are to contact the high-temperature fluid at an upstream position of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage.

[0077]

[13]

[12] A hot module according to the present invention, A hot module, wherein the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage is exhaust gas discharged from the electrochemical cell.

[0078]

[14] A hot module according to any one of [8] to

[13] , A hot module including a second heater for heating the drip surface.

[0079]

[15]

[14] A hot module according to the present invention, The second heater is a hot module that heats the dripping surface so that a portion of the dripping surface closer to the discharge port has a higher temperature. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 10... evaporator, 11... main body of evaporator, 12... water supply path member, 13... first heater, 111... internal space of main body of evaporator, 112... bottom plate of main body of evaporator, 113... upper surface of bottom plate of main body of evaporator, 116... exhaust port

Claims

1. a main body portion including an evaporation dish having a dripping surface onto which water is dripped, the main body portion including an evaporation space in which water vapor is generated by the evaporation of the water dripped onto the dripping surface, and an exhaust port for exhausting gas within the evaporation space; a water supply path member attached to the main body so that water is supplied and the supplied water drips onto the drip surface; A first heater that heats the water supply path member; Equipped with An evaporator, wherein the water supply path member is configured to be able to drip water onto two or more different positions on the drip surface.

2. 2. The evaporator of claim 1, The water supply path member includes a plurality of water supply pipes each having an opening that opens toward the drip surface.

3. The evaporator according to claim 2, The first heater heats the plurality of water supply pipes to different temperatures.

4. 4. The evaporator according to claim 3, The first heater heats the plurality of water supply pipes such that the water supply pipes closer to the outlet are heated to a higher temperature.

5. 5. The evaporator according to claim 4, The first heater includes a first fluid passage through which a high-temperature fluid supplied from a heat source passes, an evaporator, wherein the water supply pipes are arranged closer to the outlet and are in contact with the high-temperature fluid at an upstream position of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage;

6. 2. The evaporator of claim 1, An evaporator comprising a second heater for heating the dripping surface.

7. 7. The evaporator of claim 6, The second heater heats the dripping surface so that the temperature becomes higher as the dripping surface approaches the outlet.

8. an evaporator that generates water vapor by heating water supplied from an outside; an electrochemical cell to which the water vapor generated in the evaporator is supplied and which generates hydrogen by electrolyzing the supplied water vapor; A hot module comprising: The evaporator comprises: a main body portion including an evaporation dish having a dripping surface onto which water is dripped, the main body portion including an evaporation space in which water vapor is generated by the evaporation of the water dripped onto the dripping surface, and an exhaust port for exhausting gas within the evaporation space; a water supply path member attached to the main body so that water is supplied and the supplied water drips onto the drip surface; A first heater that heats the water supply path member; Equipped with A hot module, wherein the water supply path member is configured to be able to drip water onto two or more different positions on the drip surface.

9. 9. The hot module according to claim 8, The water supply path member is a hot module composed of a plurality of water supply pipes each having an opening that opens toward the drip surface.

10. 10. The hot module of claim 9, The first heater heats the plurality of water supply pipes to different temperatures, a hot module.

11. 11. The hot module of claim 10, The first heater heats the plurality of water supply pipes such that the water supply pipes closer to the outlet are heated to a higher temperature.

12. 12. The hot module of claim 11, The first heater includes a first fluid passage through which a high-temperature fluid supplied from a heat source passes, A hot module, wherein the water supply pipes are arranged so that the closer the water supply pipes are to the exhaust port, the closer the water supply pipes are to contact the high-temperature fluid at an upstream position of the flow of the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage.

13. 13. The hot module of claim 12, A hot module, wherein the high-temperature fluid passing through the first fluid passage is exhaust gas discharged from the electrochemical cell.

14. 14. The hot module of claim 13, A hot module including a second heater for heating the drip surface.

15. 15. The hot module of claim 14, The second heater is a hot module that heats the dripping surface so that a portion of the dripping surface closer to the discharge port has a higher temperature.

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