Steam-water separation device and hydrogen generation system

Abstract

To provide a steam separator including a steam separation vessel, an elastic valve and a floater.SOLUTION: The interior of the steam-water separation container 110 is divided into a steam-water separation zone and a preliminary gas discharge zone, the preliminary gas discharge zone has an internal opening in communication with the steam-water separation zone, and the steam-water separation container further has an air outlet passage 116 and a steam-water inlet passage 117 in communication with the preliminary gas discharge zone, and a water outlet is provided at the bottom of the steam-water separation container. An elastic valve is provided in the preliminary gas discharge region for temporarily closing the internal opening. The floater 130 is arranged in the steam-water separation region and is capable of moving up and down in the steam-water separation region, the floater temporarily closes the drainage port, and there is a gap between the floater and an inner side wall of the steam-water separation region. The present invention also provides a hydrogen generation system including the above-described steam-water separation device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides a water-gas separator and a hydrogen generation system, and more particularly, to one capable of separating water and gas. [Background technology]

[0002] Hydrogen is currently widely used. In industry, it is currently used in fuel cells, welding, heating, and vehicle propulsion. In daily life, it is commonly combined with water. Due to the decline in petrochemical fuels and their tendency to generate pollutants, the industry has been promoting the use of hydrogen gas, particularly fuel cells, in recent years. It is hoped that fuel cell-powered vehicles will become more widespread and significantly reduce environmental pollution caused by petrochemical fuels. In daily life, the human body is often exposed to foreign substances and experiences abnormal metabolism, resulting in the constant production of harmful radicals (peroxides or peroxidized substances). These harmful radicals can cause inflammation, stiffness, aging, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Hydrogen, with its strong reducing power, can reduce cellular damage caused by harmful radicals, boost immunity, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and promote health.

[0003] However, in order to obtain pure hydrogen, hydrogen generators must remove the moisture from the hydrogen after separating the hydrogen and oxygen, and if the separation of water and pure water is incomplete, the quality of the collected hydrogen gas will be affected, which is disadvantageous for use in industry and daily life. In the prior art, for example, Taiwan Utility Model Patent No. M58332 proposes a hydrogen generator in which the moisture from the gas is not removed, which limits the fields of use. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inventors have conducted extensive research and further developed a gas-water separator and a hydrogen generation system to achieve the purpose of separating gas and water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides a water-air separation device comprising: a water-air separation container having a top and a bottom, the interior of which is partitioned into a water-air separation area and a preliminary gas discharge area adjacent to the top and having an internal opening communicating with the water-air separation area, the container further having an exhaust passage communicating with the preliminary gas discharge area, a water-air inlet passage communicating with the water-air separation area, and a drain outlet provided at the bottom and communicating with the water-air separation area; an elastic valve provided in the preliminary gas discharge area and temporarily closing the internal opening; and a floater provided in the water-air separation area, the floater being movable above and below the water-air separation area, the floater having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall connected between and surrounding the top wall and having a gap between it and an inner wall of the water-air separation area, the top wall and the bottom wall movably abutting the inner wall, and a slit between the top wall and the inner wall, and the bottom wall closing the drain outlet.

[0006] A second aspect of the present invention provides a hydrogen generation system comprising: a hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device having a hydrogen water outlet, an oxygen water outlet, and a pure water inlet; a main pure water tank communicating with the oxygen water outlet and the pure water inlet of the hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device; a water-vapor separator whose water-vapor inlet passage communicates with the hydrogen water outlet of the hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device; and at least one metal pipe member connected between the hydrogen water outlet and the water-vapor separator.

[0007] In one embodiment, the water-gas separation container includes a cylindrical body having the water-gas separation region, and a lid body sealing the cylindrical body and having the gas preliminary discharge region.

[0008] In one embodiment, both the exhaust passage and the air / water inlet passage are provided in the cover.

[0009] In one embodiment, the lid and the cylindrical body are screwed together, and an elastic leak-proof ring is interposed between the lid and the cylindrical body.

[0010] In one embodiment, the elastic valve comprises a valve member that temporarily closes the internal opening, a stopper that is installed in the gas pre-discharge area, and an elastic member whose two ends are respectively connected to the valve member and abutting against the stopper.

[0011] In one embodiment, the stopper is threadedly attached to the inner peripheral wall of the gas pre-discharge area.

[0012] In one embodiment, the elastic valve further includes an elastic leak prevention ring interposed between an outer periphery of the stopper and an inner circumferential wall of the gas preliminary discharge area.

[0013] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the water-air separation vessel has a ring shape, the side wall of the floater has a ring structure, and the top wall and the bottom wall of the floater each have a polygonal structure.

[0014] In one embodiment, the floater is hollow and includes a body and a lid that is assembled to the body.

[0015] In one embodiment, the hydrogen generation system further comprises a fan for cooling the at least one metallic pipe member.

[0016] In one embodiment, the hydrogen generation system further comprises a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the gas that has entered the water-gas separator.

[0017] In one embodiment, the hydrogen generation system further includes a humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the gas discharged from the gas-water separator.

[0018] As a result, the water-vapor separation device and hydrogen generation system of the present invention can efficiently perform water-vapor separation to obtain a highly pure gas. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded schematic view of a steam-water separation device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective schematic view of a steam-water separation device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic top view of a steam-water separation device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of a hydrogen generation system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In order to fully understand the objects, features and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the following specific examples and accompanying drawings.

[0021] 1 to 5, a first aspect of the present invention provides a water-vapor separator 100 that can be applied to a hydrogen production process for separating hydrogen water, or that can be applied to other gas production processes for performing water-vapor separation, and the water-vapor separator 100 includes a water-vapor separator vessel 110, an elastic valve 120, and a floater 130.

[0022] 2 to 5, the steam-water separation device 100 includes a steam-water separation vessel 110 having a top 111 and a bottom 112, the interior of which is partitioned into a steam-water separation region 113 and a gas preliminary discharge region 114. The gas preliminary discharge region 114 is adjacent to the top 111 and has an internal opening 115 communicating with the steam-water separation region 113. The steam-water separation vessel 110 further includes an exhaust passage 116, a steam-water inlet passage 117, and a drain port 118. The exhaust passage 116 communicates with the gas preliminary discharge passage 114, the steam-water inlet passage 117 supplies a gas-water mixture (a mixture of gas and water) to the steam-water separation region 113, and the drain port 118 is provided in the bottom 112 and communicates with the steam-water separation region 113. The elastic valve 120 is provided in the gas preliminary discharge area 114 and temporarily closes the internal opening 115. The floater 130 is provided in the water-air separation area 113 and is movable up and down within the water-air separation area 113. The floater 130 has a top wall 131, a bottom wall 132, and a side wall 133 that is connected to and surrounds the top wall 131 and the bottom wall 132. A gap G1 is provided between the side wall 133 and an inner wall 113a of the water-air separation area 113, the top wall 131 and the bottom wall 132 movably abut against the inner wall 113a, and a slit G2 that closes the drain port 118 is provided between the top wall 131, the bottom wall 132, and the inner wall 113a.

[0023] 6 and 1, a second aspect of the present invention provides a hydrogen generation system 10 including a hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device 200, a main pure water tank 300, and the above-mentioned water-air separator 100, and may further include at least one metal pipe member 400, a fan 500, a temperature sensor 610, and a humidity sensor 620. The hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device 200 has a hydrogen-water outlet 210, an oxygen-water outlet 220, and a pure water inlet 230. The main pure water tank 300 is connected to the oxygen-water outlet 220 and the pure water inlet 230 of the hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device 200. The water-air inlet passage 117 of the water separator 100 is connected to the hydrogen-water outlet 210 of the hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device 200. The hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device 200 may include a proton exchange membrane (not shown) that separates hydrogen and oxygen from water. The hydrogen generation system 10 may further include an electrical control unit (not shown), an electrical switch (not shown), and a power supply unit (not shown). The electrical control unit may electrically connect and control the proton exchange membrane, and the electrical switch and the power supply unit may be electrically connected to the electrical control unit.

[0024] In this embodiment, at least one metal pipe member 400 is connected between the steam-water inlet passage 117 and the hydrogen-water outlet 210, and a fan 500 blows air through the metal pipe member 400 to cool it. Alternatively, a plurality of metal pipe members 400 may be installed to achieve a better cooling effect. Preferably, the metal pipe members 400 are made of stainless steel or titanium alloy. The temperature sensor 610 is used to detect the temperature of the gas flowing into the steam-water separation device 100. Therefore, the temperature sensor 610 may be connected to one end of the metal pipe member 400 closest to the steam-water separation device 100, or may be installed in the steam-water inlet passage 117. The temperature sensor 610 may be, but is not limited to, a thermal resistance thermometer, a thermocouple thermometer, or the like, as long as it can measure the temperature and transmit the value to the electrical control unit. The humidity sensor 620 is used to detect the humidity of the gas discharged from the water-air separation device 100, and therefore can be disposed in the exhaust passage 116. The temperature sensor may be, but is not limited to, a capacitance-type hygrometer, a resistance-type hygrometer, or the like, as long as it can measure the humidity and transmit the value to the electrical control unit.

[0025] As the gas-water mixture continues to enter the water-air separation area 113 through the water-air inlet passage 117, the air pressure in the water-air separation area 113 increases, pushing out the elastic valve 120, causing the gas in the gas-water mixture to enter the preliminary gas discharge area 114 and be discharged through the exhaust passage 116. Because the saturated vapor pressure of water is constant, as the air pressure increases, the partial pressure of water vapor increases but does not exceed the saturated vapor pressure. When the partial pressure of water vapor reaches the saturated vapor pressure, more water vapor enters the water-air separation area 113 and condenses into liquid water without increasing the partial pressure of water vapor. Next, the liquid water is stored in the water-air separation area 113 by gravity through the gap G1 and slit G2 of the floater 130, causing the floater 130 to float, and the drain port 118 is opened to drain the liquid water. As a result, the water-gas separator 100 and hydrogen generation system 10 of the present invention can efficiently separate water and gas, such as hydrogen, based on the principle of automatic drainage due to the dew point under pressure and physical properties.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, in one embodiment, the water-air separation container 110 includes a cylindrical body 110a and a cover 110b sealing the cylindrical body 110a. The cylindrical body 110a includes the water-air separation region 113, and the cover 110b includes the preliminary gas discharge region 114. The cover 110b and the cylindrical body 110a are screwed together, and an elastic leak-proof ring 140, such as an O-ring, is interposed between the cover 110b and the cylindrical body 110a. A mating stepped structure may be formed between the cover 110b and the cylindrical body 110a to accommodate the leak-proof ring 140. The exhaust passage 116 and the water-air inlet passage 117 may both be provided in the cover 110b. Specifically, the water-air separation container 110 may be assembled to facilitate removal and inspection, but is not limited thereto.

[0027] 1, 4, and 5, in one embodiment, the elastic valve 120 may include a valve member 121, a stopper 122, and an elastic member 123. The valve member 121 temporarily closes the internal opening 115. The stopper 122 is provided in the gas preliminary discharge region 114. Both ends of the elastic member 123 are respectively connected to the valve member 121 and abut against the stopper 122 so that the valve member 121 temporarily closes the internal opening 115. When the air pressure in the air-water separation region 113 continues to increase beyond the elastic force of the elastic member 123, the valve member 121 is pushed up and away from the internal opening 115. The elastic member 123 may be, but is not limited to, a coil spring.

[0028] 4 and 5, in one embodiment, the stopper 122 is threadedly engaged with the inner circumferential wall of the gas pre-discharge region 114, and the depth of engagement between the stopper 122 and the gas pre-discharge region 114 is adjusted to adjust the elastic force of the elastic member 123 on the valve member 121. Specifically, the stopper 122 may have a groove 124 for accommodating the elastic member 123, with a portion of the elastic member 123 residing in the groove 124 and the remainder protruding from the groove 124. An elastic leak-stop ring 127, such as an O-ring, may be interposed between the outer periphery of the stopper 122 and the inner circumferential wall of the gas pre-discharge region 114. The stopper 122 may have a fitting groove 1221 into which the leak-stop ring 127 is fitted.

[0029] 1, 4, and 5, in one embodiment, the water-air separation device 100 may further include a protective cover 150. The protective cover 150 may be assembled to the cover body 110b so as to cover the elastic valve 120 and the gas preliminary discharge area 114. The protective cover 150 may be screwed or engaged with the cover body 110b, for example, to facilitate installation or maintenance of the elastic valve 120.

[0030] 1, 4, and 5, in one embodiment, the water-air separation region 113 of the water-air separation vessel 100 has an annular inner wall 113a, and the side wall 133 of the floater 130 has an annular structure. The diameter of the side wall 133 of the floater 130 is smaller than the diameter of the inner wall 113a of the water-air separation region 133, forming a gap G1. The top wall 131 and bottom wall 132 of the floater 130 may each have a polygonal structure so that the floater 130 moves only up and down without tilting when floating on the water surface. The top wall 131 and the bottom wall 132 abut against the inner wall 113a of the water-air separation area 113 through multiple polygonal rotations, maintaining the balance of the floater 130 in the water-air separation area 113. However, water can collect below through slits G2 between multiple sides of the polygon and the inner wall 113a of the water-air separation area 113, and through a gap G1 between the floater 130 and the inner wall 113a of the water-air separation area 113. The floater 130 is a hollow cylinder as a whole, and its interior may be filled with, for example, water or an object (not shown), such as a metal block. The floater 130 includes a main body 134 and a lid 135 assembled to the main body 134. The lid 135 may be screwed or engaged with the main body 134, for example. The main body 134 and the lid 135, which are assembled together, can be used to adjust the overall weight of the floater 130 by increasing or decreasing the weight of the object filled inside the floater 130 as needed, and this is convenient for determining the point at which the floater 130 floats up in accordance with the elastic force of the elastic valve 120.

[0031] The operating principle of the present invention is related to the saturated vapor pressure of water, which decreases with decreasing temperature. Therefore, the metal pipe member 400 and the fan 500 cool the gas entering the water-steam separator 100 so that more moisture is discharged from the water-steam separator 100. Specifically, after the gas flows out of the hydrogen water outlet 210, it enters the metal pipe member 400. Because the metal pipe member 400 is cooled by the fan 500, the gas passing through the metal pipe member 400 is also cooled accordingly. Then, even if the cooled gas continues to enter the water-steam separator 100 and the pressure in the water-steam separation region 113 of the water-steam separator 100 increases, if the partial pressure of water does not exceed the saturated vapor pressure, more condensed water may be produced. On the other hand, the gas inside the metal pipe member 400 may also condense due to a drop in temperature and accumulate inside the metal pipe member 400, but by continuing to supply gas using the hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device 200, the liquid water accumulated in the metal pipe member 400 can be pushed out into the gas-water separation area 113.

[0032] The present invention can also manage the operating conditions of the water-air separation vessel 100 and the fan 500 using the temperature sensor 610 and the humidity sensor 620. If the temperature sensor 610 detects that the temperature of the gas entering the water-air separation vessel 100 is high, or if the humidity sensor 620 detects that the humidity of the gas discharged from the water-air separation vessel 100 is high, the rotation speed of the fan 500 can be increased to stabilize the quality of the gas being supplied.

[0033] Although the present invention has been disclosed above as a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art should understand that this embodiment is only used to explain the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that any equivalent changes and replacements to this embodiment should be included in the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is determined by the scope of the patent application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10: Hydrogen generation system 100: Steam water separation equipment 110: Air-water separation container 110a: Cylinder 110b: Lid body 111:Top 112: Bottom 113: Air-water separation area 113a:Inner wall 114: Gas preliminary discharge area 115: Internal opening 116: Exhaust passage 117: Air and water entrance passage 118: Drain 120: Elastic valve 121: Valve member 122: Stopper 1221:Mating groove 123: Elastic member 124: Groove 127: Leak stop ring 130: Floater 131: Top wall 132: Bottom wall 133: Side wall 134: Main body 135: Lid 140: Leak prevention ring 150: Protective lid 200: Hydrogen and oxygen gas supply device 210: Hydrogen water outlet 220: Oxygen water outlet 230: Pure water inlet 300: Main pure water tank 400: Metal pipe components 500: Fan 610: Temperature sensor 620: Humidity sensor AA, BB: cross section lines G1: Gap G2: Slit

Claims

1. an air-water separation container having a top and a bottom, the interior of which is divided into an air-water separation region and a gas preliminary discharge region adjacent to the top and having an internal opening communicating with the air-water separation region, the container further having an exhaust passage communicating with the gas preliminary discharge region, an air-water inlet passage communicating with the air-water separation region, and a drain port provided at the bottom and communicating with the air-water separation region; an elastic valve provided in the gas preliminary discharge area for temporarily closing the internal opening; a floater provided in the water-air separation area, movable up and down in the water-air separation area, having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall connected to and surrounding the top wall and having a gap between it and an inner wall of the water-air separation area, wherein the top wall and the bottom wall movably abut against the inner wall, and a slit is formed between the top wall and the inner wall, and the bottom wall closes the drain outlet; Equipped with The floater is hollow and comprises a main body and a lid body attached to the main body.

2. The steam-water separator according to claim 1, The steam-water separation container includes a cylindrical body having the steam-water separation region, and a lid body that seals the cylindrical body and has the gas preliminary discharge region, and both the exhaust passage and the steam-water inlet passage are provided in the lid body.

3. The steam-water separator according to claim 1, The elastic valve is a valve member for temporarily closing the internal opening; a stopper disposed in the gas preliminary discharge area; an elastic member having both ends connected to the valve member and abutting against the stopper; A steam-water separator comprising:

4. The steam-water separation device according to claim 3, The elastic valve has elasticity, and further includes a leak prevention ring interposed between an outer periphery of the stopper and an inner circumferential wall of the gas preliminary discharge area.

5. The steam-water separator according to claim 1, The water-vapor separator has an inner wall of an annular shape, a side wall of the floater has an annular structure, and a top wall and a bottom wall of the floater each have a polygonal structure.

6. a hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device having a hydrogen water outlet, an oxygen water outlet, and a pure water inlet; a main pure water tank communicating with the oxygen water outlet and the pure water inlet of the hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device; The steam-water separator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the steam-water inlet passage is connected to the hydrogen-water outlet of the hydrogen-oxygen gas supply device; at least one metal pipe member connected between the hydrogen water outlet and the steam separator; A hydrogen generation system comprising:

7. 7. The hydrogen generation system according to claim 6, The hydrogen generation system further comprising a fan for cooling the at least one metallic pipe member.

8. 7. The hydrogen generation system according to claim 6, The hydrogen generation system further comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the gas that has entered the water-gas separator.

9. 7. The hydrogen generation system according to claim 6, The hydrogen generation system further comprises a humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the gas discharged from the gas-water separator.

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