Hydrogen gas storage equipment, hydrogen gas supply system, and power supply system

Abstract

This system avoids both a decrease in the amount of hydrogen gas released per unit time from the storage unit and a decrease in the amount of hydrogen gas stored per unit time in the storage unit. [Solution] The system includes a heat pump 24 capable of cooling the heat transfer fluid Bc and heating the heat transfer fluid Bh, and the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 is configured such that a hydrogen storage alloy is housed in a storage container to enable the storage and release of hydrogen gas Gh, and is equipped with a temperature control unit capable of cooling the storage container by heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid Bc and heating the storage container by heat exchange with the heat storage agent Bs heated by heat transfer from the heat transfer fluid Bh, and is configured to perform a cooling process to lower the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy by cooling the storage container when storing hydrogen gas Gh, and a heating process to raise the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy by heating the storage container when releasing hydrogen gas Gh, and separate and independent flow paths for the heat transfer fluid Bc and the heat storage agent Bs are provided so that the heat transfer fluid Bc and the heat storage agent Bs do not mix.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydrogen gas storage device including a storage unit provided with a storage container capable of storing hydrogen gas, a hydrogen gas supply system configured to include the hydrogen gas storage device and supply hydrogen gas to a supply target, and a power supply system configured to supply power generated by generating electricity using the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen gas storage device as fuel to a power supply target.

Background Art

[0002] The applicant has disclosed in the following prior application a power supply device capable of supplying hydrogen gas from a hydrogen canister capable of storing hydrogen gas by causing a hydrogen storage alloy in a pressure vessel to absorb hydrogen gas to a fuel cell power generation unit and generating electricity in the fuel cell power generation unit using this hydrogen gas (hydrogen) as fuel.

[0003] In this case, when hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage alloy (when hydrogen gas is supplied from the hydrogen canister to the fuel cell power generation unit), the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy decreases due to an endothermic reaction. Further, it is known that the hydrogen release rate of the hydrogen storage alloy (the amount of hydrogen gas released from the hydrogen canister per unit time) decreases as the temperature thereof decreases. Therefore, in the power supply device disclosed by the applicant, air supplied to the power generation cells of the fuel cell power generation unit and reacted with hydrogen, or air passed through the cooling cells for cooling the power generation cells is used as a heating fluid, and the hydrogen canister is heated by heat exchange with this air, thereby adopting a configuration to avoid an excessive temperature drop of the hydrogen storage alloy during hydrogen release. Thereby, in the power supply device disclosed by the applicant, it is possible to stably supply hydrogen gas from the hydrogen canister to the fuel cell power generation unit and continue suitable power generation. Prior Application 1

[0004] Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-015782

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the power supply device disclosed by the applicant has the following issues that need improvement.

[0006] Specifically, the power supply device disclosed by the applicant employs a configuration that ensures a stable supply of hydrogen gas by avoiding an excessive temperature drop of the hydrogen storage alloy and by using the heat generated by the power generation in the fuel cell power generation unit to heat the hydrogen canister (hydrogen storage alloy) when supplying hydrogen gas from the hydrogen canister to the fuel cell power generation unit (when releasing hydrogen from the hydrogen storage alloy). In this case, as an example, the power supply device disclosed by the applicant employs a configuration in which a "hydrogen canister filled with hydrogen gas" provided by the hydrogen gas provider is connected to the canister connection unit to supply hydrogen gas to the fuel cell power generation unit.

[0007] On the other hand, the applicant has prototyped a system that generates hydrogen gas at the site of hydrogen gas use (in the example of the power supply device above, the installation site of the fuel cell power generation unit), stores it in a hydrogen canister (hydrogen storage alloy), and can supply the stored hydrogen gas to the target of supply, such as the fuel cell power generation unit. According to the system prototyped by the applicant, when power supply from the fuel cell power generation unit is not required, hydrogen gas is generated by a hydrogen gas generator and stored in a hydrogen canister, and when power supply is required, the stored hydrogen gas can be supplied from the hydrogen canister to the fuel cell power generation unit to generate electricity. As a result, unlike the power supply device disclosed by the applicant, it is possible to eliminate the need to replace a hydrogen canister that has consumed hydrogen gas through power generation with a hydrogen canister that is filled with hydrogen gas.

[0008] In this case, when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy (when the generated hydrogen gas is stored in the hydrogen canister), the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy rises due to an exothermic reaction. It is also known that as the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy rises, the hydrogen absorption rate (the amount of hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen canister per unit time) decreases. For this reason, although it is possible to avoid a decrease in the amount of hydrogen gas supplied per unit time from the hydrogen canister by heating the hydrogen canister (hydrogen storage alloy) when power is generated by the fuel cell power generation unit, as in the power supply device disclosed by the applicant, when hydrogen gas is stored in the hydrogen canister, the amount of hydrogen gas stored per unit time decreases due to the temperature rise of the hydrogen storage alloy. Therefore, it may be difficult to store a sufficient amount of hydrogen gas in the hydrogen canister to continue power generation during the time when power supply from the fuel cell power generation unit is not required. Therefore, it is preferable to improve this point.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems that need to be addressed, and its main objective is to provide a hydrogen gas storage device, a hydrogen gas supply system, and a power supply system that can suitably avoid both a decrease in the amount of hydrogen gas released per unit time from the storage unit (hydrogen canister) and a decrease in the amount of hydrogen gas stored in the storage unit per unit time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the hydrogen gas storage apparatus according to claim 1 comprises a storage section equipped with a storage container capable of storing hydrogen gas supplied from a supply source, configured to supply the hydrogen gas stored in the storage section to a target, and comprising a plurality of adsorption towers containing adsorbents that adsorb and remove moisture contained in the hydrogen gas, and configured to perform an adsorption removal process in which moisture contained in the hydrogen gas supplied from the supply source and stored in the storage section is adsorbed onto the adsorbent contained in one of the adsorption towers and removed from the hydrogen gas, and a heating regeneration type adsorption capacity regeneration process in which moisture adsorbed onto the adsorbent contained in one of the other adsorption towers is released from the adsorbent to regenerate the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent, comprising a hydrogen gas cooling section for cooling the hydrogen gas flowing into the adsorption towers that perform the adsorption removal process, a hydrogen gas heating section for heating the hydrogen gas flowing into the adsorption towers that perform the adsorption capacity regeneration process, and a hydrogen gas cooling section for heat exchange with the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen gas cooling section Therefore, the storage unit is equipped with a heat pump capable of cooling a cooling heat transfer fluid for cooling the hydrogen gas and heating a heating heat transfer fluid for heating the hydrogen gas by heat exchange with the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen gas heating unit, and the storage unit is equipped with a storage container in which a hydrogen storage alloy is housed, and is configured to allow the storage of the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen storage alloy and the release of the hydrogen gas from the hydrogen storage alloy, and also allows for the cooling of the hydrogen storage alloy by heat exchange with the cooling heat transfer fluid and the heating of the hydrogen storage alloy by heat exchange with the heating heat transfer fluid The device is equipped with a temperature control unit capable of generating heat, and is configured to perform a cooling process by which the temperature control unit cools the hydrogen storage alloy when hydrogen gas is stored in the storage unit, and a heating process by which the temperature control unit heats the hydrogen storage alloy when hydrogen gas is released from the storage unit. The temperature control unit is provided with separate and independent channels for a cooling heat transfer fluid through which the cooling heat transfer fluid passes and a heating heat transfer fluid through which the heating heat transfer fluid passes, so that the cooling heat transfer fluid and the heating heat transfer fluid do not mix.

[0011] The hydrogen gas storage device according to claim 2 is the hydrogen gas storage device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises a storage container and a container mounting unit to which the storage container is detachably attached, and the temperature control unit is configured to cool the hydrogen storage alloy inside the storage container by cooling the storage container, which is provided with a cooling spiral tube section arranged to surround the storage container attached to the container mounting unit and to constitute the cooling heat transfer fluid flow path, and is configured to heat the hydrogen storage alloy inside the storage container by heating the storage container, which is provided with a heating spiral tube section arranged to surround the storage container attached to the container mounting unit and to constitute the heating heat transfer fluid flow path.

[0012] The hydrogen gas storage apparatus according to claim 3 is the hydrogen gas storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage section is provided with the cooling heat transfer fluid flow path and the heating heat transfer fluid flow path that constitute the temperature control section, respectively, in the hydrogen storage alloy housing section within the storage container.

[0013] The hydrogen gas storage apparatus according to claim 4 is configured such that the hydrogen storage alloy can be heated by passing a second heat transfer liquid, which is a heat transfer liquid for heating, through a heat exchange with the first heat transfer liquid for heating heated by the heat pump, and which is capable of storing the heat transferred from the first heat transfer liquid.

[0014] The hydrogen gas supply system according to claim 5 comprises a hydrogen gas storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and an electrolysis treatment device as the supply source that generates the hydrogen gas by electrolyzing raw water.

[0015] The hydrogen gas supply system according to claim 6 is the hydrogen gas supply system according to claim 5, further comprising an oxygen cooling unit that cools the oxygen exhausted from the electrolysis apparatus during the generation of hydrogen gas in the electrolysis apparatus by heat exchange with the cooling heat transfer fluid cooled by the heat pump in the hydrogen gas storage device.

[0016] The power supply system according to claim 7 comprises a hydrogen gas storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and a fuel cell configured to be supplied with the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen gas storage device, which is configured to perform power generation processing using the hydrogen gas as fuel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The hydrogen gas storage apparatus according to claim 1 comprises a hydrogen gas cooling unit for cooling the hydrogen gas flowing into an adsorption tower for adsorption removal processing, a hydrogen gas heating unit for heating the hydrogen gas flowing into an adsorption tower for adsorption capacity regeneration processing, and a heat pump capable of cooling a cooling heat transfer liquid that cools the hydrogen gas by heat exchange with the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen gas cooling unit, and heating a heating heat transfer liquid that heats the hydrogen gas by heat exchange with the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen gas heating unit, wherein the storage unit is configured to house a hydrogen storage alloy in a storage container, enabling the storage of hydrogen gas into the hydrogen storage alloy and the release of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen storage alloy. Furthermore, the system is equipped with a temperature control unit capable of cooling the hydrogen storage alloy by heat exchange with a cooling heat transfer fluid and heating the hydrogen storage alloy by heat exchange with a heating heat transfer fluid. The system is configured to perform a cooling process by the temperature control unit when storing hydrogen gas in the storage unit and a heating process by the temperature control unit when releasing hydrogen gas from the storage unit. The temperature control unit is provided with separate and independent channels for the cooling heat transfer fluid and the heating heat transfer fluid, so that the cooling heat transfer fluid and the heating heat transfer fluid do not mix.

[0018] Therefore, according to the hydrogen gas storage device described in claim 1, when hydrogen gas is released from the storage section, a decrease in the hydrogen gas release efficiency can be suitably avoided by supplying a heating fluid heated with a heat pump as a heat source to the heating fluid flow path to heat the hydrogen storage alloy, and when hydrogen gas is stored in the storage section, a decrease in the hydrogen gas storage efficiency can be suitably avoided by supplying a cooling fluid cooled with a heat pump as a cold source to the cooling fluid flow path to cool the hydrogen storage alloy. Furthermore, by arranging the cooling heat transfer fluid channel and the heating heat transfer fluid channel separately and independently, the cooling heat transfer fluid and the heating heat transfer fluid do not mix in the temperature control section. Therefore, when transitioning from a heating state to a cooling state of the hydrogen storage alloy, the hydrogen storage alloy can be immediately cooled by supplying a low-temperature cooling heat transfer fluid to the cooling heat transfer fluid channel, and when transitioning from a cooling state to a heating state of the hydrogen storage alloy, the hydrogen storage alloy can be immediately heated by supplying a high-temperature heating heat transfer fluid to the heating heat transfer fluid channel. In addition, different types of liquids (fluids) can be used as the cooling heat transfer fluid and the heating heat transfer fluid.

[0019] In the hydrogen gas storage apparatus according to claim 2, the storage unit comprises a storage container and a container mounting unit to which the storage container is detachably attached, and the temperature control unit is configured to cool the hydrogen storage alloy inside the storage container by cooling the storage container with a cooling spiral tube section arranged to surround the storage container attached to the container mounting unit and forming a cooling heat transfer fluid flow path, and to heat the storage container with a heating spiral tube section arranged to surround the storage container attached to the container mounting unit and forming a heating heat transfer fluid flow path, thereby heating the hydrogen storage alloy inside the storage container. Therefore, according to the hydrogen gas storage device described in claim 2, unlike a storage unit in which a storage container is fixedly installed in the hydrogen gas storage device, a storage container filled with hydrogen gas elsewhere can be attached to the container attachment unit and hydrogen gas can be supplied to the target. At that time, the hydrogen storage alloy can be heated by heating the storage container via a heating fluid channel to efficiently release hydrogen gas, and the hydrogen storage alloy can be cooled by cooling the storage container via a cooling fluid channel. After efficiently storing the hydrogen gas supplied from the supply source, the storage container containing the hydrogen gas can be removed from the container attachment unit and transported to any desired location for use.

[0020] In the hydrogen gas storage device described in claim 3, the cooling fluid flow path and the heating fluid flow path constituting the temperature control section are provided in the hydrogen storage alloy containment section within the storage container, respectively, thereby constituting the storage section. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the hydrogen storage alloy in the pressure vessel (storage container) is cooled / heated via the pressure vessel, the hydrogen storage alloy can be cooled in a short time from the start of the cooling process, and the hydrogen storage alloy can be heated in a short time from the start of the heating process. Furthermore, even if the pressure vessel containing the hydrogen storage alloy has an insulating structure, the hydrogen storage alloy can be reliably cooled / heated, thus effectively avoiding interference with the cooling of the hydrogen storage alloy due to heat absorption from outside the pressure vessel during the cooling process, and interference with the heating of the hydrogen storage alloy due to heat dissipation to the outside of the pressure vessel during the heating process.

[0021] In the hydrogen gas storage device according to claim 4, the temperature control unit is configured to heat the hydrogen storage alloy by passing a second heat transfer fluid, which is a heat transfer fluid for heating that is capable of storing heat transferred from the first heat transfer fluid through heat exchange with the first heat transfer fluid, which is a heat transfer fluid for heating that is heated by a heat pump, through a heat transfer fluid flow path. Therefore, according to the hydrogen gas storage device according to claim 4, even in situations where the heat pump cannot be operated or where cooling of the cooling heat transfer fluid by the heat pump is unnecessary, the hydrogen storage alloy can be suitably heated by utilizing the heat stored in the second heat transfer fluid without operating the heat pump.

[0022] The hydrogen gas supply system according to claim 5 comprises the above-mentioned hydrogen gas storage device and an electrolysis treatment device as a supply source that generates hydrogen gas by electrolyzing raw water. Therefore, unlike hydrogen gas supply systems in which hydrogen gas generated elsewhere is transported to the installation location of the hydrogen gas storage device and stored in a storage container by the hydrogen gas storage device, or storage containers containing hydrogen gas are transported to the installation location of the hydrogen gas storage device and attached to the container mounting section, the hydrogen gas supply system according to claim 5 can generate the hydrogen gas required at the target of supply by the electrolysis treatment device at the installation location of the hydrogen gas storage device (storage container). As a result, the cost of supplying hydrogen gas to the target of supply can be reduced by eliminating the need for transporting hydrogen gas and storage containers.

[0023] The hydrogen gas supply system according to claim 6 includes an oxygen cooling unit that cools the oxygen exhausted from the electrolysis apparatus during hydrogen gas generation in the electrolysis apparatus by heat exchange with a cooling fluid cooled by a heat pump in the hydrogen gas storage device. Therefore, according to the hydrogen gas supply system according to claim 6, the water separated from the oxygen by cooling can be effectively utilized as raw water for hydrogen gas generation in the electrolysis apparatus, thereby reducing the cost of hydrogen gas generation.

[0024] In the power supply system according to claim 7, the above hydrogen gas storage device and a fuel cell as a supply target configured to be capable of performing a power generation process using hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen gas storage device are provided. Therefore, according to the power supply system according to claim 7, hydrogen gas required for power generation in the fuel cell can be stably supplied from the hydrogen gas storage device, so that power can be stably supplied from the fuel cell to the power supply target.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] It is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the power supply system S1. [Figure 2] It is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the hydrogen gas generation device 1. [Figure 3] It is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the hydrogen gas storage device 2. [Figure 4] It is a plan view of the hydrogen gas storage section 23. [Figure 5] It is an external perspective view of the hydrogen canister C and the spiral tubes 31c, 31h. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the adsorption removal process in the adsorption tower 22a and the adsorption capacity regeneration process for the adsorption tower 22b. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the adsorption removal process in the adsorption tower 22b and the adsorption capacity regeneration process for the adsorption tower 22a. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration of the hydrogen gas storage section 23A. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration of the hydrogen gas storage section 23B (hydrogen canister Ca).

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of a hydrogen gas storage device, a hydrogen gas supply system, and a power supply system will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] First, the configuration of the power supply system S1 will be explained with reference to the attached diagram.

[0028] The power supply system S1 shown in Figure 1 is an example of a "power supply system" and is configured to perform a series of processes including the generation of hydrogen gas Gh, the storage of the generated hydrogen gas Gh, and the generation of electricity using the stored hydrogen gas Gh (power supply to the target X). Specifically, the power supply system S1 is composed of a hydrogen gas generator 1, a hydrogen gas storage device 2, a fuel cell power generation unit 3, a switching device 4, and a control device 5.

[0029] The hydrogen gas generator 1 is an example of a "supply source (electrolysis treatment device as a supply source)," and is configured to generate hydrogen gas GH by electrolyzing raw water using electricity supplied from a solar power generation device Spg. In this example, in order to reduce the burden on the global environment and to enable operation even in places where it is difficult to supply electricity from commercial AC, a configuration is adopted in which hydrogen gas GH is generated using electricity supplied from a solar power generation device Spg. However, instead of the solar power generation device Spg, a configuration can be adopted that utilizes various renewable energy sources supplied from wind power generation devices, geothermal power generation devices, wave power generation devices, etc. As shown in Figure 2, the hydrogen gas generator 1 is equipped with a water purifier 11, a raw water tank 12, an electrolysis treatment device 13, and a heat exchanger 14.

[0030] The water purifier 11 is configured to purify tap water and other water sources to produce raw water W (pure water), which is an example of "raw water." The raw water tank 12 is configured to store the raw water W produced by the water purifier 11. The electrolysis treatment device 13 is configured to produce hydrogen gas Gh by electrolyzing the raw water W using electricity supplied from the solar power generation device Spg. The heat exchanger 14 is an example of an "oxygen cooling unit," and increases the relative humidity of oxygen Go by cooling the oxygen Go exhausted from the electrolysis treatment device 13 by heat exchange with a low-temperature heat transfer fluid Bc supplied from the hydrogen gas storage device 2, as described later. In this example, the hydrogen gas generator 1 (power supply system S1) employs a configuration in which, as an example, the raw water W discharged from the electrolysis treatment device 13 together with oxygen Go, and the water that has changed into the liquid phase due to the increase in the relative humidity of oxygen Go caused by cooling in the heat exchanger 14, are introduced into the raw water tank 12 together with oxygen Go, thereby effectively utilizing them as raw water W for generating hydrogen gas Gh in the electrolysis treatment device 13.

[0031] The hydrogen gas storage device 2 is an example of a "hydrogen gas storage device" and is configured to remove moisture from the hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the hydrogen gas generator 1 and store it, and to supply the stored hydrogen gas Gh to a "supply target" such as the fuel cell power generation unit 3. As shown in Figure 3, the hydrogen gas storage device 2 includes a gas-liquid separation tank 21, adsorption towers 22a, 22b, a hydrogen gas storage unit 23, a heat pump 24, heat exchangers 25a, 25b, a heat storage unit 26, and solenoid valves 27a~27i, 28a~28c, 29ca~29cc, 29h.

[0032] The gas-liquid separation tank 21 separates the raw water W discharged from the hydrogen gas generator 1 together with the hydrogen gas Gh from the hydrogen gas Gh, and also functions as a "hydrogen gas cooling unit" as described later, increasing the relative humidity of the hydrogen gas Gh by cooling the hydrogen gas Gh that flows into the adsorption tower 22 (either adsorption tower 22a or 22b) that performs the "adsorption removal treatment" through heat exchange with the low-temperature heat transfer fluid Bc cooled by the heat pump 24. In this example, the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (power supply system S1) employs a configuration in which, for example, raw water W separated from hydrogen gas Gh in the gas-liquid separation tank 21, and water that has changed into the liquid phase due to the increase in relative humidity of hydrogen gas Gh caused by cooling in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 are stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 21, and when a predetermined amount of water (raw water W) has been stored, the control device 5 moves the solenoid valve 21a to the open state, thereby allowing the water (raw water W) in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to flow into the raw water tank 12 of the hydrogen gas generator 1, and is effectively utilized as raw water W for generating hydrogen gas Gh in the hydrogen gas generator 1 (electrolysis treatment device 13).

[0033] Adsorption towers 22a and 22b (hereinafter also referred to as "adsorption tower 22" when not distinguished) are examples of "multiple adsorption towers" and consist of pressure vessels containing "zeolite (synthetic zeolite) or the like, which is an example of "adsorbent material". In this case, the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (power supply system S1) of this example is configured to perform an "adsorption removal treatment" in which the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 21 is passed through either adsorption tower 22a or 22b to adsorb and remove any remaining moisture in the hydrogen gas Gh onto the adsorbent material in the adsorption tower 22, and an "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" using a heating regeneration method is performed in which the hydrogen gas Gh heated by heat exchange with a high-temperature heat transfer fluid Bh heated by the heat pump 24 is passed through the other of adsorption towers 22a or 22b (the adsorption tower 22 in which the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent material has decreased) to release moisture from the adsorbent material in the adsorption tower 22 and regenerate its adsorption capacity. The specific details of the "adsorption removal treatment" and "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" will be explained in detail later.

[0034] The hydrogen gas storage unit 23 is an example of a "storage unit" and, as shown in Figure 4, comprises a plurality of hydrogen canisters C, a plurality of mounting units 30 to which the hydrogen canisters C are attached (an example of a "container mounting unit to which storage containers are detachably attached"), and a plurality of spiral tubes 31c, 31h arranged to surround the hydrogen canisters C attached to the mounting units 30. The hydrogen canister C is an example of a "storage container" and is composed of a pressure vessel containing a hydrogen storage alloy, and is configured to allow the absorption of hydrogen gas Gh into the hydrogen storage alloy and the release of hydrogen gas Gh from the hydrogen storage alloy. In this example, in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (power supply system S1), the hydrogen canister C is composed of a cylindrical pressure vessel as an example.

[0035] The spiral tube 31c is an example of a "cooling spiral tube section constituting a cooling heat transfer fluid flow path," and as described later, it is arranged to allow the passage of a heat transfer fluid Bc (an example of a "cooling heat transfer fluid") cooled using the heat pump 24 as a cooling source. The spiral tube 31h is an example of a "heating spiral tube section constituting a heating heat transfer fluid flow path," and as described later, it is arranged to allow the passage of a heat storage agent Bs (an example of a "heating heat transfer fluid") heated by heat exchange with a heat transfer fluid Bh heated using the heat pump 24 as a heat source.

[0036] In this example, the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (power supply system S1) has spiral tubes 31c and 31h working together to form a "temperature control section". These spiral tubes 31c and 31h form separate and independent refrigerant flow paths so that the heat transfer fluid Bc in spiral tube 31c and the heat transfer fluid Bh in spiral tube 31h do not mix. Furthermore, in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 of this example, as shown in Figure 5, the spiral tubes 31c and 31h are formed so that they do not touch each other, and their inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the hydrogen canister C, so that they surround the hydrogen canister C mounted on the mounting section 30 and are in close proximity to the hydrogen canister C. As a result, the hydrogen gas storage device 2 of this example is able to suitably cool and heat the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C via the hydrogen canister C (storage container).

[0037] Furthermore, in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 of this example, the hydrogen gas storage section 23 is equipped with a mounting section 30 for detachably attaching the hydrogen canister C as described above, and spiral tubes 31c and 31h are arranged so as not to hinder the attachment and detachment of the hydrogen canister C to the mounting section 30. As a result, in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (power supply system S1) of this example, not only hydrogen gas Gh generated by the hydrogen gas generator 1 can be supplied, but also hydrogen canister C filled with hydrogen gas Gh can be attached to the mounting section 30 and supplied to the fuel cell power generation section 3, etc. In addition to supplying to the fuel cell power generation section 3, etc., it is possible to remove the hydrogen canister C that has stored hydrogen gas Gh in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 from the mounting section 30 and use the hydrogen gas Gh in the hydrogen canister C in other devices.

[0038] The heat pump 24 is an example of a "heat pump" and is configured to include a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator (not shown). As shown in Figure 3, the heat pump 24 functions as a cooling source capable of cooling the heat transfer fluid Bc (an example of a "cooling heat transfer fluid") which cools hydrogen gas Gh by heat exchange with hydrogen gas Gh in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 as a "hydrogen gas cooling section", cools the hydrogen canister C (hydrogen storage alloy) by passing it through the spiral tube 31c of the hydrogen gas storage section 23, and cools oxygen Go by heat exchange in the heat exchanger 14 of the hydrogen gas generator 1 as described above. It also functions as a heating source capable of heating the heat transfer fluid Bh (an example of a "heating heat transfer fluid") which heats hydrogen gas Gh by heat exchange with hydrogen gas Gh in the heat exchanger 25a as a "hydrogen gas heating section", as described later, and heats the hydrogen canister C (hydrogen storage alloy) via the heat storage agent Bs that passes through the spiral tube 31h. Since the detailed configuration and operation of the heat pump 24 are publicly known, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0039] As described above, the heat exchanger 25a corresponds to the "hydrogen gas heating section" and heats the hydrogen gas Gh that flows into the adsorption tower 22, which performs the "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment," by heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid Bh heated by the heat pump 24. The heat exchanger 25b heats the heat storage agent Bs in the heat storage section 26 by heat exchange with the high-temperature heat transfer fluid Bh heated by the heat pump 24. The heat storage section 26 is equipped with a pump 26a and a solenoid valve 26b and is configured to store heat in the heat storage agent Bs (an example of the "second heat transfer fluid as a heat transfer fluid for heating") by heat exchange in the heat exchanger 25b with the heat transfer fluid Bh (an example of the "first heat transfer fluid as a heat transfer fluid for heating") heated by the heat pump 24, and is also configured to heat the hydrogen canister C (hydrogen storage alloy) by heat dissipation from the heat storage agent Bs in the spiral tube 31h. In configurations where the heat storage unit 26 is absent, the heat transfer fluid Bh can be supplied directly to the spiral tube 31h or the like as a "heating heat transfer fluid" instead of the heat storage agent Bs to heat the hydrogen canister C (hydrogen storage alloy) (not shown).

[0040] Solenoid valves 27a to 27i switch between a flow path that guides the low-temperature hydrogen gas Gh cooled in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to the adsorption tower 22 where "adsorption removal treatment" is performed, and a flow path that guides the high-temperature hydrogen gas Gh heated in the heat exchanger 25a to the adsorption tower 22 where "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" is performed, according to the control of the control device 5. Solenoid valves 28a and 28b switch between a flow path that allows the hydrogen gas Gh from which moisture has been removed by the "adsorption removal treatment" in either adsorption tower 22 to flow into the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (a flow path that stores the hydrogen gas Gh in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23), and a flow path that supplies the hydrogen gas Gh stored in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 to the fuel cell power generation unit 3, according to the control of the control device 5. Solenoid valve 28c allows / regulates the inflow of hydrogen gas Gh into the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 and the outflow of hydrogen gas Gh from the hydrogen gas storage unit 23, according to the control of the control device 5.

[0041] Solenoid valve 29ca, under the control of control device 5, allows / restricts the inflow of heat transfer fluid Bc cooled by heat pump 24 into gas-liquid separation tank 21; solenoid valve 29cb, under the control of control device 5, allows / restricts the inflow of heat transfer fluid Bc into hydrogen gas storage section 23 (spiral tube 31c); and solenoid valve 29cc, under the control of control device 5, allows / restricts the inflow of heat transfer fluid Bc into hydrogen gas generator 1 (heat exchanger 14). Solenoid valve 29h, under the control of control device 5, allows / restricts the inflow of heat transfer fluid Bh heated by heat pump 24 into heat exchangers 25a and 25b. Note that the valve mechanisms of each solenoid valve 21a, 27a~27i, 28a~28c, 29h, etc. in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 of this example can also be replaced with various valve mechanisms such as electric valves, proportional control valves, and three-way valves. Furthermore, the number and location of the valve mechanisms installed in the hydrogen gas storage device are not limited to the configuration shown in this example, and can be modified as needed.

[0042] The fuel cell power generation unit 3 is an example of a "supply target (fuel cell as a supply target)" and is configured to perform power generation processing using hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the hydrogen gas storage device 2 as fuel. Since the principle of power generation in the fuel cell power generation unit 3 is well known, a detailed explanation is omitted. The switching device 4, under the control of the control device 5, supplies either (or both) the power generated by the photovoltaic power generation device Spg and the power generated by the fuel cell power generation unit 3 to the power supply target X. The control device 5 comprehensively controls the power supply system S1. Specifically, the control device 5 controls the generation of hydrogen gas Gh by the hydrogen gas generator 1, the storage and release (supply) of hydrogen gas Gh by the hydrogen gas storage device 2, power generation by the fuel cell power generation unit 3, and the power supply to the power supply target X by the switching device 4.

[0043] In this example, the power supply system S1 consists of a hydrogen gas generator 1, a hydrogen gas storage device 2, and a control device 5, which together constitute a "hydrogen gas supply system," and a power supply system consisting of a hydrogen gas storage device 2, a fuel cell power generation unit 3, a switching device 4, and a control device 5, which together constitute a "power supply system."

[0044] Next, the power supply to the target X by the power supply system S1 will be explained with reference to the attached diagram.

[0045] In this power supply system S1, the control device 5 is configured to perform the following actions depending on the amount of electricity required by the power supply target X and the amount of electricity generated by the solar power generation device Spg: generating hydrogen gas Gh by the hydrogen gas generator 1, storing the generated hydrogen gas Gh in the hydrogen gas storage device 2, releasing (supplying) hydrogen gas Gh from the hydrogen gas storage device 2, and generating electricity (supplying power to the power supply target X) by the fuel cell power generation unit 3. In this power supply system S1, by switching the solenoid valve 28c to the closed state, it is also possible to perform only the "adsorption removal process" on the hydrogen gas Gh generated by the hydrogen gas generator 1 in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (hydrogen gas storage unit 23) and immediately supply it to the fuel cell power generation unit 3 without storing or releasing (supplying) hydrogen gas Gh from the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (hydrogen gas storage unit 23), but the explanation of this operation mode will be omitted.

[0046] For example, during the daytime when the solar power generation device Spg can generate sufficient power, the control device 5 controls the switching device 4 to supply the power generated by the solar power generation device Spg to the power supply target X, and uses a portion of that power to generate hydrogen gas Gh using the hydrogen gas generator 1, store the generated hydrogen gas Gh in the hydrogen gas storage device 2, and store heat in the heat storage unit 26. Specifically, the control device 5 controls the heat pump 24 of the hydrogen gas storage device 2 to start cooling the heat transfer fluid Bc and heating the heat transfer fluid Bh, and controls the electrolysis treatment device 13 of the hydrogen gas generator 1 to start generating hydrogen gas Gh.

[0047] In this process, the raw water W, which has been purified by the pure water unit 11 and stored in the raw water tank 12, is used as raw material for electrolysis in the electrolysis treatment device 13, resulting in the discharge of hydrogen gas Gh and oxygen Go from the electrolysis treatment device 13. In this case, the discharged hydrogen gas Gh and oxygen Go contain a small amount of raw water W and gaseous moisture that were not electrolyzed. Therefore, in the power supply system S1 of this example, the moisture discharged from the electrolysis treatment device 13 along with oxygen Go is allowed to flow into the raw water tank 12 along with the oxygen Go. The moisture discharged along with hydrogen gas Gh is separated from the hydrogen gas Gh in the hydrogen gas storage device 2, and then sent from the hydrogen gas storage device 2 to the hydrogen gas generator 1 and into the raw water tank 12.

[0048] Specifically, the control device 5 opens the solenoid valve 29cc of the hydrogen gas storage device 2 while the hydrogen gas generator 1 is performing electrolysis. At this time, a portion of the low-temperature heat transfer fluid Bc cooled by the heat pump 24 is supplied to the heat exchanger 14 of the hydrogen gas generator 1, and the oxygen Go discharged from the electrolysis treatment device 13 is cooled by heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid Bc, increasing its relative humidity. As a result, some of the water in the gaseous phase contained in the oxygen Go becomes water in the liquid phase, and the water (raw water W) discharged from the electrolysis treatment device 13 along with the oxygen Go flows into the raw water tank 12 along with the oxygen Go. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the incoming water (raw water W) as raw water W for the electrolysis treatment in the electrolysis treatment device 13. In addition, the oxygen Go that has flowed into the raw water tank 12 is released into the atmosphere through an exhaust port (not shown), for example.

[0049] Furthermore, the control device 5 removes moisture contained in the hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the hydrogen gas generator 1 to the hydrogen gas storage device 2 in the hydrogen gas storage device 2. In this case, the power supply system S1 of this example employs a configuration in which, prior to storing the hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the hydrogen gas generator 1 in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23, moisture is removed from the hydrogen gas Gh in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 and moisture is removed from the hydrogen gas Gh by "adsorption removal treatment" in one of the adsorption towers 22. Specifically, the control device 5 allows the hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the hydrogen gas generator 1 to flow into the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (hydrogen canister C) by switching the solenoid valve 28b to the closed state and switching the solenoid valve 28a to the open state.

[0050] At this time, the hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the hydrogen gas generator 1 to the hydrogen gas storage device 2, and a small amount of raw water W discharged from the hydrogen gas generator 1 along with the hydrogen gas Gh, are introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank 21, where the raw water W is separated from the hydrogen gas Gh. In addition, the control device 5 opens the solenoid valve 29ca, thereby supplying a portion of the low-temperature heat transfer fluid Bc cooled by the heat pump 24 to the gas-liquid separation tank 21 (more specifically, a heat absorber not shown in the gas-liquid separation tank 21). At this time, the hydrogen gas Gh introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank 21 is cooled by heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid Bc, increasing its relative humidity, so that some of the water in the gas phase of the hydrogen gas Gh becomes water in the liquid phase and is separated from the hydrogen gas Gh. As described above, the water (raw water W) separated from the hydrogen gas Gh in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 is stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 21, and when a specified amount is stored, the solenoid valve 21a is opened, thereby sending the water from the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (gas-liquid separation tank 21) to the hydrogen gas generator 1 (raw water tank 12).

[0051] Furthermore, the low-temperature, high-humidity hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 21 is subjected to an "adsorption removal process" in one of the adsorption towers 22 to remove moisture, and then flows into the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (hydrogen canister C) by passing through solenoid valves 28a and 28c. Specifically, as an example, when the control device 5 performs an "adsorption removal process" in the adsorption tower 22a, it closes solenoid valves 27b, 27c, 27f, and 27g, and opens solenoid valves 27a, 27d, 27e, and 27h, as shown in Figure 6. At this time, the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 21 flows into the adsorption tower 22a by passing through solenoid valve 27a, and after moisture is adsorbed by the adsorbent material in the adsorption tower 22a, it flows into the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 by passing through solenoid valves 27e, 28a, and 28c in that order. This effectively prevents situations in which moisture in the liquid phase or high-humidity hydrogen gas Gh flows into the hydrogen gas storage section 23, which would reduce the hydrogen storage efficiency of the hydrogen storage alloy.

[0052] At this time, the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 22b has adsorbed moisture adsorbed from hydrogen gas Gh when the "adsorption removal treatment" was performed in the adsorption tower 22b, resulting in a reduced adsorption capacity of the adsorption tower 22b. Therefore, in the power supply system S1 of this example, a configuration is adopted in which an "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" targeting the adsorption tower 22b is performed in parallel with the "adsorption removal treatment" in the adsorption tower 22a. Specifically, a portion of the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 21 (for example, about 5% of the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 21) is passed through the heat exchanger 25a, where its temperature is raised by heat exchange with the high-temperature heat transfer fluid Bh heated by the heat pump 24. This high-temperature hydrogen gas Gh passes through the solenoid valve 27i and flows into the adsorption tower 22b, heating the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 22b. As a result of removing moisture from the adsorbent, the adsorption capacity of the adsorption tower 22b is regenerated.

[0053] Furthermore, the moisture released from the adsorbent is released into the atmosphere along with the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the adsorption tower 22b, for example. In this case, as in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 of this example, by releasing the hydrogen gas Gh used in the "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" into a low-pressure area such as the atmosphere, moisture can be smoothly released from the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 22 where the "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" is being performed, and its adsorption capacity can be suitably regenerated in a short time.

[0054] On the other hand, when the control device 5 performs the "adsorption removal process" in the adsorption tower 22b, as shown in Figure 7, it switches solenoid valves 27a, 27d, 27e, and 27h to the closed state and solenoid valves 27b, 27c, 27f, and 27g to the open state. At this time, the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 21 passes through solenoid valve 27b and flows into the adsorption tower 22b, where moisture is adsorbed by the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 22b, and then passes through solenoid valves 27f, 28a, and 28c in that order and flows into the hydrogen gas storage unit 23. This effectively avoids a situation where moisture in the liquid phase or high-humidity hydrogen gas Gh flows into the hydrogen gas storage unit 23, which would reduce the hydrogen storage efficiency of the hydrogen storage alloy.

[0055] At this time, in parallel with the "adsorption removal treatment" in the adsorption tower 22b, an "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" is performed on the adsorption tower 22a. Specifically, a portion of the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 21 is passed through the heat exchanger 25a, where its temperature is raised through heat exchange with the high-temperature heat transfer fluid Bh heated by the heat pump 24. This high-temperature hydrogen gas Gh passes through the solenoid valve 27g and flows into the adsorption tower 22a, heating the adsorbent material inside the adsorption tower 22a. As a result, moisture is released from the adsorbent material, and the adsorption capacity of the adsorption tower 22a is regenerated. In addition, the moisture released from the adsorbent material is released into the atmosphere along with the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the adsorption tower 22a, for example.

[0056] In this example, the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (power supply system S1) employs a configuration in which, in both the "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" targeting adsorption tower 22b and the "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" targeting adsorption tower 22a, a portion of the heat from the heat transfer fluid Bh heated by the heat pump 24 is stored in the heat storage agent Bs in the heat storage unit 26. Specifically, the control device 5 operates the pump 26a in parallel with the "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" in either adsorption tower 22, with the solenoid valve 26b in the closed state. At this time, the heat storage agent Bs, which is transported by the pump 26a, is heated up by heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid Bh in the heat exchanger 25b, resulting in heat being stored in the heat storage agent Bs.

[0057] Furthermore, as described above, hydrogen gas Gh from which moisture has been removed by the "adsorption removal treatment" in one of the adsorption towers 22 is flowed into the hydrogen gas storage section 23, and hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C. At this time, it is known that in the hydrogen storage alloy used in this type of device (system), as mentioned above, the temperature rises due to an exothermic reaction during hydrogen storage, and when the temperature rises, the hydrogen storage rate (the amount of hydrogen gas Gh stored in the hydrogen canister C per unit time) decreases. Therefore, in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (power supply system S1) of this example, a configuration is adopted in which a cooling treatment of the hydrogen canister C (hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C) is performed in parallel with the "adsorption removal treatment" and "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment" described above.

[0058] Specifically, the control device 5, while restricting the flow of the high-temperature heat storage agent Bs into the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (spiral tube 31h) by closing the solenoid valve 26b of the heat storage unit 26 as described above, opens the solenoid valve 29cb. At this time, a portion of the low-temperature heat transfer fluid Bc cooled by the heat pump 24 passes through the spiral tube 31c in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23, causing the heat from the hydrogen canister C surrounded by the spiral tube 31c (thermal heat generated by the exothermic reaction due to hydrogen storage) to be absorbed by the heat transfer fluid Bc, cooling the hydrogen canister C (storage container) and the hydrogen storage alloy inside the hydrogen canister C (an example of "cooling treatment"). This effectively avoids a decrease in the storage efficiency of the hydrogen storage alloy inside the hydrogen canister C (i.e., a decrease in the amount of hydrogen gas Gh stored in the hydrogen canister C per unit time).

[0059] By continuing the above process, when a sufficient amount of hydrogen gas Gh is stored in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (each hydrogen canister C) and a sufficient amount of heat is stored in the heat storage agent Bs in the heat storage unit 26, the control device 5 terminates the generation of hydrogen gas Gh by the hydrogen gas generator 1 and the storage of hydrogen gas Gh by the hydrogen gas storage unit 2.

[0060] On the other hand, at night or when it is difficult for the solar power generation device Spg to generate sufficient power, the control device 5 releases (supplies) hydrogen gas Gh from the hydrogen gas storage device 2 and causes the fuel cell power generation unit 3 to generate power (supply power to the power supply target X), and controls the switching device 4 to supply the power generated by the fuel cell power generation unit 3 to the power supply target X. Specifically, with the heat pump 24 of the hydrogen gas storage device 2 stopped, the control device 5 keeps the solenoid valve 28c in the open state, switches the solenoid valve 28a to the closed state, and switches the solenoid valve 28b to the open state, thereby supplying hydrogen gas Gh stored in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (hydrogen canister C) from the hydrogen gas storage device 2 to the fuel cell power generation unit 3, and controls the fuel cell power generation unit 3 to start generating power using hydrogen gas Gh as fuel.

[0061] In this case, it is known that in hydrogen storage alloys used in this type of device (system), as mentioned above, the temperature decreases due to an endothermic reaction when hydrogen is released, and when the temperature decreases, the hydrogen release rate (the amount of hydrogen gas released per unit time from the hydrogen canister C) decreases. Therefore, in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (power supply system S1) of this example, a configuration is adopted in which the hydrogen canister C (hydrogen storage alloy inside the hydrogen canister C) is heated when hydrogen gas Gh is supplied from the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (hydrogen canister C) to the supply target such as the fuel cell power generation unit 3.

[0062] Specifically, the control device 5, as an example, opens the solenoid valve 26b when the pump 26a of the heat storage unit 26 is operated using electricity generated by the fuel cell power generation unit 3. At this time, the high-temperature heat storage agent Bs, which has stored a sufficient amount of heat through heat transfer from the heat transfer fluid Bh heated by the heat pump 24, passes through the spiral tube 31h in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23, thereby heating the hydrogen canister C surrounded by the spiral tube 31h and heating the hydrogen storage alloy inside the hydrogen canister C (an example of "heat treatment"). This prevents a decrease in the efficiency of hydrogen release from the hydrogen storage alloy inside the hydrogen canister C (i.e., a decrease in the amount of hydrogen gas Gh supplied to the fuel cell power generation unit 3 per unit time), and enables the fuel cell power generation unit 3 to perform suitable power generation.

[0063] Furthermore, the control device 5 controls the switching device 4 to supply the electricity generated by the fuel cell power generation unit 3 to the power supply target X. This makes it possible to stably supply the necessary electricity from the fuel cell power generation unit 3 to the power supply target X even when it is difficult to generate electricity using the solar power generation device Spg.

[0064] Here, even if a configuration is adopted in which a "cooling heat transfer fluid channel" (such as a spiral tube) through which the heat transfer fluid Bc passes and a "heating heat transfer fluid channel" (such as a spiral tube) through which the heat storage agent Bs (or heat transfer fluid Bh) passes are shared, the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C can be cooled and heated by changing the temperature of the heat transfer fluid passing through the shared "heat transfer fluid channel".

[0065] However, in a configuration that allows a "heat transfer fluid channel," when switching from a state where hydrogen gas Gh is stored in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (i.e., a state where a low-temperature heat transfer fluid is supplied and passed through the shared "heat transfer fluid channel") to a state where hydrogen gas Gh is supplied from the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (i.e., a state where a high-temperature heat transfer fluid is supplied and passed through the shared "heat transfer fluid channel"), the temperature of the shared "heat transfer fluid channel" is low, and in addition, the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C cannot be sufficiently heated until the low-temperature heat transfer fluid remaining in the "heat transfer fluid channel" is replaced by the high-temperature heat transfer fluid. Similarly, when switching from a state in which hydrogen gas Gh is supplied from the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (a state in which high-temperature heat transfer fluid is supplied and passed through the shared "heat transfer fluid flow path") to a state in which hydrogen gas Gh is stored in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (a state in which low-temperature heat transfer fluid is supplied and passed through the shared "heat transfer fluid flow path"), the shared "heat transfer fluid flow path" is at a high temperature, and the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C cannot be sufficiently cooled until the high-temperature heat transfer fluid remaining in the "heat transfer fluid flow path" is replaced by the low-temperature heat transfer fluid.

[0066] In contrast, in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (power supply system S1) of this example, as described above, a spiral tube 31c is provided that constitutes a "cooling heat transfer fluid channel" through which a heat transfer fluid Bc for cooling the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C passes when hydrogen gas Gh is stored in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (when it is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy), and a spiral tube 31h is provided that constitutes a "heating heat transfer fluid channel" through which a heat storage agent Bs for heating the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C passes when hydrogen gas Gh is supplied from the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (when it is released from the hydrogen storage alloy).

[0067] Therefore, when switching from a state in which hydrogen gas Gh is stored in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (i.e., a state in which low-temperature heat transfer fluid Bc is supplied to and passed through the spiral tube 31c) to a state in which hydrogen gas Gh is supplied from the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (i.e., a state in which high-temperature heat transfer fluid Bh is supplied to and passed through the spiral tube 31h), the spiral tube 31h does not become excessively cold, and the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C can be rapidly heated by the high-temperature heat transfer fluid Bh supplied to the spiral tube 31h independently of the heat transfer fluid Bc in the spiral tube 31c. Similarly, when switching from a state in which hydrogen gas Gh is supplied from the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (a state in which high-temperature heat transfer fluid Bh is supplied to and passed through the spiral tube 31h) to a state in which hydrogen gas Gh is stored in the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 (a state in which low-temperature heat transfer fluid Bc is supplied to and passed through the spiral tube 31c), the spiral tube 31c does not become excessively hot, and the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C can be rapidly cooled by the low-temperature heat transfer fluid Bc supplied to the spiral tube 31c independently of the heat transfer fluid Bh in the spiral tube 31h.

[0068] Furthermore, by configuring the spiral tubes 31c and 31h ("cooling heat transfer fluid channel" and "heating heat transfer fluid channel") separately and independently, the "cooling heat transfer fluid" and the "heating heat transfer fluid" do not mix. Therefore, different liquids (fluids) suitable for their respective applications can be used as the "cooling heat transfer fluid" and the "heating heat transfer fluid," as in the heat transfer fluid Bc and heat storage agent Bs in this example. In particular, when a configuration using the heat storage agent Bs as the "heating heat transfer fluid" is adopted, as in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 of this example, the situation in which the heat storage capacity of the heat storage agent Bs decreases due to mixing with the heat transfer fluid Bc can be reliably avoided. Therefore, a state in which the hydrogen canister C can be suitably heated using the heat stored in the heat storage section 26 can be maintained for a long period of time.

[0069] Thus, the hydrogen gas storage device 2 includes a gas-liquid separation tank 21 for cooling the hydrogen gas Gh that flows into the adsorption tower 22 for "adsorption removal treatment", a heat exchanger 25a for heating the hydrogen gas Gh that flows into the adsorption tower 22 for "adsorption capacity regeneration treatment", and a heat pump 24 capable of cooling the heat transfer fluid Bc that cools the hydrogen gas Gh by heat exchange with the hydrogen gas Gh in the gas-liquid separation tank 21, and heating the heat transfer fluid Bh that heats the hydrogen gas Gh by heat exchange with the hydrogen gas Gh in the heat exchanger 25a. The hydrogen gas storage unit 23 is configured such that a hydrogen storage alloy is contained in a hydrogen canister C, allowing for the storage of hydrogen gas Gh in the hydrogen storage alloy and the release of hydrogen gas Gh from the hydrogen storage alloy, and also allows for the cooling of the hydrogen storage alloy by heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid Bc, The system is equipped with a "temperature control section" (spiral tubes 31c, 31h) that enables heating of the hydrogen storage alloy by heat exchange with the heat storage agent Bs, which is heated by heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid Bh. The system is configured to perform a "cooling process" in which the spiral tube 31c cools the hydrogen storage alloy when hydrogen gas Gh is stored in the hydrogen gas storage section 23, and a "heating process" in which the spiral tube 31h heats the hydrogen storage alloy when hydrogen gas Gh is released from the hydrogen gas storage section 23. The "temperature control section" is provided with a spiral tube 31c (cooling heat transfer fluid channel) through which the heat transfer fluid Bc passes and a spiral tube 31h (heating heat transfer fluid channel) through which the heat storage agent Bs passes, separately and independently, so that the heat transfer fluid Bc and the heat storage agent Bs do not mix.

[0070] Therefore, with this hydrogen gas storage device 2, when hydrogen gas Gh is released from the hydrogen gas storage section 23, a heat storage agent Bs heated using the heat pump 24 as a heat source is supplied to the spiral tube 31h to heat the hydrogen storage alloy (hydrogen canister C), thereby suitably avoiding a decrease in the hydrogen gas Gh release efficiency. Furthermore, when hydrogen gas Gh is stored in the hydrogen gas storage section 23, a heat transfer fluid Bc cooled using the heat pump 24 as a cooling source is supplied to the spiral tube 31c to cool the hydrogen storage alloy (hydrogen canister C), thereby suitably avoiding a decrease in the hydrogen gas Gh storage efficiency. Furthermore, by arranging the spiral tube 31c as the "cooling heat transfer fluid channel" and the spiral tube 31h as the "heating heat transfer fluid channel" separately and independently, the "cooling heat transfer fluid (heat transfer fluid Bc in this example)" and the "heat transfer fluid (heat storage agent Bs in this example)" do not mix in the "temperature control section." As a result, when transitioning from a heated state to a cooled state of the hydrogen storage alloy, the hydrogen storage alloy can be immediately cooled by supplying the low-temperature heat transfer fluid Bc to the spiral tube 31c, and when transitioning from a cooled state to a heated state of the hydrogen storage alloy, the hydrogen storage alloy can be immediately heated by supplying the high-temperature heat storage agent Bs to the spiral tube 31h. In addition, different types of liquids (fluids) can be used as the "cooling heat transfer fluid (heat transfer fluid Bc)" and the "heat transfer fluid (heat storage agent Bs)."

[0071] Furthermore, in this hydrogen gas storage device 2, the hydrogen gas storage section 23 is configured to include a hydrogen canister C and a mounting section 30 to which the hydrogen canister C is detachably attached. The "temperature control section" is configured to cool the hydrogen storage alloy inside the hydrogen canister C by cooling the hydrogen canister C (storage container) using a spiral tube 31c (cooling spiral tube section) which is arranged to surround the hydrogen canister C attached to the mounting section 30 and constitutes a "cooling heat transfer fluid flow path". It is also configured to heat the hydrogen storage alloy inside the hydrogen canister C by heating the hydrogen canister C (storage container) using a spiral tube 31h (heating spiral tube section) which is arranged to surround the hydrogen canister C attached to the mounting section 30 and constitutes a "heating heat transfer fluid flow path". Therefore, unlike a "storage unit" in which a "storage container" is fixedly installed in a "hydrogen gas storage device," this hydrogen gas storage device 2 allows hydrogen gas Gh to be supplied to a "supply target" such as a fuel cell power generation unit 3 by attaching a hydrogen canister C, which has been filled with hydrogen gas Gh elsewhere, to the attachment unit 30. At the same time, the hydrogen storage alloy is heated by heating the hydrogen canister C (storage container) via the spiral tube 31h, allowing for efficient release of hydrogen gas Gh. Simultaneously, the hydrogen storage alloy is cooled by cooling the hydrogen canister C via the spiral tube 31c, while efficiently storing the hydrogen gas Gh supplied from a "supply source" such as a hydrogen gas generator 1. After that, the hydrogen canister C containing the stored hydrogen gas Gh can be removed from the attachment unit 30 and transported to any desired location for use.

[0072] Furthermore, in this hydrogen gas storage device 2, the "temperature control unit" is configured to allow the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C to be heated by passing a heat storage agent Bs, which is a "heating heat transfer fluid" capable of storing heat transferred from the heat transfer fluid Bh through heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid Bh heated by the heat pump 24, through a spiral tube 31h. Therefore, with this hydrogen gas storage device 2, even in situations where the heat pump 24 cannot be operated or where cooling of the heat transfer fluid Bc by the heat pump 24 is unnecessary, the hydrogen storage alloy can be suitably heated by utilizing the heat stored in the heat storage agent Bs without operating the heat pump 24.

[0073] Furthermore, this power supply system S1 (hydrogen gas supply system) includes the hydrogen gas storage device 2 described above and a hydrogen gas generator 1 (electrolysis treatment device) which serves as a "supply source" for generating hydrogen gas Gh by electrolyzing raw water W. Therefore, unlike a "hydrogen gas supply system" in which hydrogen gas Gh generated elsewhere is transported to the installation location of the hydrogen gas storage device 2 and stored in a hydrogen canister C by the hydrogen gas storage device 2, or hydrogen canister C containing stored hydrogen gas Gh is transported to the installation location of the hydrogen gas storage device 2 and attached to the mounting unit 30, this power supply system S1 allows the hydrogen gas Gh required for the fuel cell power generation unit 3 and the like to be generated by the hydrogen gas generator 1 at the installation location of the hydrogen gas storage device 2 (hydrogen canister C). As a result, the cost of supplying hydrogen gas Gh to the fuel cell power generation unit 3 and the like can be reduced because the transport work of hydrogen gas Gh and hydrogen canister C is unnecessary.

[0074] Furthermore, this power supply system S1 (hydrogen gas supply system) is equipped with a heat exchanger 14 (oxygen cooling unit) that cools the oxygen Go exhausted from the hydrogen gas generator 1 when hydrogen gas Gh is generated in the hydrogen gas generator 1 by heat exchange with the heat transfer fluid Bc cooled by the heat pump 24 in the hydrogen gas storage device 2. Therefore, with this power supply system S1, the water separated from oxygen Go by cooling can be effectively utilized as raw water W for generating hydrogen gas Gh in the electrolysis treatment device 13, thereby reducing the cost of generating hydrogen gas Gh.

[0075] Furthermore, this power supply system S1 (power supply system) includes the hydrogen gas storage device 2 described above, and a fuel cell power generation unit 3 (fuel cell) configured to perform power generation processing using hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the hydrogen gas storage device 2 as fuel, which is the target of the power supply.Therefore, with this power supply system S1, hydrogen gas Gh necessary for power generation in the fuel cell power generation unit 3 can be stably supplied from the hydrogen gas storage device 2, and thus power can be stably supplied from the fuel cell power generation unit 3 to the power supply target X.

[0076] Furthermore, the configurations of the "hydrogen gas storage device," "hydrogen gas supply system," and "power supply system" are not limited to the example of the power supply system S1 (hydrogen gas generator 1, hydrogen gas storage device 2, fuel cell power generation unit 3, switching device 4, and control device 5) described above.

[0077] For example, the hydrogen gas storage unit 23 was described using as an example configuration that includes a spiral tube 31c as a "cooling spiral tube section" constituting a "cooling heat transfer fluid flow path" and a spiral tube 31h as a "heating spiral tube section" constituting a "heating heat transfer fluid flow path," and a "temperature control section" that cools the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C, which serves as a "storage container," via the spiral tube 31c and heats the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C via the spiral tube 31h. However, instead of this configuration, a configuration can be adopted in which the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen canister C is cooled / heated by a "temperature control section" that includes a storage section 41c capable of storing a heat transfer fluid Bc for cooling the hydrogen canister C and a storage section 41h capable of storing a heat transfer fluid Bh for heating the hydrogen canister C, as shown in Figure 8 of the hydrogen gas storage unit 23A. In this configuration, by partitioning the liquid tank so that the heat transfer fluid Bc in the liquid reservoir 41c and the heat transfer fluid Bh in the liquid reservoir 41h do not mix, the same effect as when using spiral tubes 31c and 31h for cooling / heating can be achieved.

[0078] Furthermore, although we have described an example of a configuration equipped with hydrogen gas storage units 23 and 23A that have a "temperature control unit" that cools / heats the hydrogen storage alloy inside the hydrogen canister C (storage container) by cooling / heating the hydrogen canister C (storage container), it is also possible to configure the hydrogen gas storage unit 23B shown in Figure 9 with a "temperature control unit" that can directly cool / heat the hydrogen storage alloy inside the hydrogen canister Ca (another example of a "storage container"). In this case, as an example, in this hydrogen canister Ca, the spiral tube 51c that constitutes the "cooling heat transfer fluid flow path" and the spiral tube 51h that constitutes the "heating heat transfer fluid flow path" are housed together with the hydrogen storage alloy inside a pressure vessel with an insulating structure ("hydrogen storage alloy housing section"). Therefore, in this "storage section" equipped with a hydrogen canister Ca, the hydrogen storage alloy can be directly cooled during the "cooling process" by passing the heat transfer fluid Bc through the spiral tube 51c, and the hydrogen storage alloy can be directly heated during the "heating process" by passing the heat storage agent Bs (or heat transfer fluid Bh) through the spiral tube 51h.

[0079] In this way, the "cooling heat transfer fluid channel (spiral tube 51c)" and the "heating heat transfer fluid channel (spiral tube 51h)" that constitute the "temperature control section" are provided in the hydrogen storage alloy containment section within the hydrogen canister Ca, respectively, thereby constituting a "storage section." Compared to a configuration in which the hydrogen storage alloy in the pressure vessel is cooled / heated via the pressure vessel, the hydrogen storage alloy can be cooled in a short time from the start of the "cooling process," and the hydrogen storage alloy can be heated in a short time from the start of the "heating process." Furthermore, even if the pressure vessel containing the hydrogen storage alloy has an insulating structure, the hydrogen storage alloy can be reliably cooled / heated. This effectively avoids the cooling of the hydrogen storage alloy being hindered by heat absorption from outside the pressure vessel during the "cooling process," and the heating of the hydrogen storage alloy being hindered by heat dissipation to the outside of the pressure vessel during the "heating process."

[0080] Alternatively, instead of the configuration described above for the hydrogen canister Ca, in which spiral tubes 51c and 51h are housed together with the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen storage alloy housing, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the inside of the pressure vessel is partitioned to provide a space for housing the hydrogen storage alloy, a space through which a cooling heat transfer fluid can pass, and a space through which a heating heat transfer fluid can pass, thereby enabling the cooling / heating of the hydrogen storage alloy.

[0081] Furthermore, although we have described a power supply system S1 equipped with a hydrogen gas generator 1, a hydrogen gas storage device 2, and a fuel cell power generation unit 3 as an example, it is also possible to configure a "hydrogen gas supply system" equipped with a hydrogen gas generator 1 and a hydrogen gas storage device 2 that can supply hydrogen gas Gh from the hydrogen gas storage device 2 to various "supply targets" other than the fuel cell power generation unit 3, or a "power supply system" equipped with a hydrogen gas storage device 2 and a fuel cell power generation unit 3 that stores hydrogen gas Gh supplied from various "supply sources" other than the hydrogen gas generator 1 in the hydrogen gas storage device 2 and supplies it to the fuel cell power generation unit 3. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0082] S1 Power supply system 1. Hydrogen gas generator 2. Hydrogen gas storage device 3. Fuel Cell Power Generation Unit 4. Switching device 5 Control device 11 Water purifier 12. Raw water tank 13 Electrolysis Apparatus 14,25a,25b heat exchanger 21 Gas-liquid separation tank 21a, 27a~27i, 28a~28c, 29h Solenoid valve 22a,22b Adsorption tower 23, 23A, 23B Hydrogen gas storage section 24 Heat pumps 26 Heat storage section 26a Pump 26b Solenoid valve 30,30a Mounting part 31c, 31h, 51c, 51h spiral tubes 41c,41h Liquid storage part Bc heat transfer liquid Bh heat transfer liquid Bs heat storage agent C,Ca Hydrogen Canister Gh Hydrogen gas Go Oxygen Spg Solar Power Generation System X Power supply target W raw water

Claims

1. A hydrogen gas storage device comprising a storage section equipped with a storage container capable of storing hydrogen gas supplied from a supply source, configured to supply the hydrogen gas stored in the storage section to a target, and comprising a plurality of adsorption towers containing adsorbents that adsorb and remove moisture contained in the hydrogen gas, configured to perform an adsorption removal process in which moisture contained in the hydrogen gas supplied from the supply source and stored in the storage section is adsorbed onto the adsorbent contained in one of the adsorption towers and removed from the hydrogen gas, and a heating regeneration type adsorption capacity regeneration process in which moisture adsorbed onto the adsorbent contained in one of the other adsorption towers is released from the adsorbent to regenerate the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent, A hydrogen gas cooling unit for cooling the hydrogen gas that flows into the adsorption tower for the adsorption removal process, A hydrogen gas heating unit that heats the hydrogen gas that is introduced into the adsorption tower for the adsorption capacity regeneration process, The system includes a heat pump capable of cooling a cooling fluid that cools the hydrogen gas by heat exchange with the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen gas cooling section, and heating a heating fluid that heats the hydrogen gas by heat exchange with the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen gas heating section. The storage unit is configured such that a hydrogen storage alloy is housed in the storage container, allowing for the storage of hydrogen gas into the hydrogen storage alloy and the release of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen storage alloy. It also includes a temperature control unit capable of cooling the hydrogen storage alloy by heat exchange with a cooling heat transfer fluid and heating the hydrogen storage alloy by heat exchange with a heating heat transfer fluid. The storage unit is configured to perform a cooling process by the temperature control unit when storing hydrogen gas, and a heating process by the temperature control unit when releasing hydrogen gas from the storage unit. The temperature control unit is a hydrogen gas storage device in which a cooling heat transfer fluid passage through which the cooling heat transfer fluid passes and a heating heat transfer fluid passage through which the heating heat transfer fluid passes are provided separately and independently, so that the cooling heat transfer fluid and the heating heat transfer fluid do not mix.

2. The storage unit comprises a storage container and a container mounting unit to which the storage container is detachably attached. The hydrogen gas storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature adjustment unit is configured to cool the hydrogen storage alloy inside the storage container by cooling the storage container, which is arranged to surround the storage container mounted on the container mounting unit and constitutes the cooling heat transfer fluid flow path, and is configured to heat the hydrogen storage alloy inside the storage container by heating the storage container, which is arranged to surround the storage container mounted on the container mounting unit and constitutes the heating heat transfer fluid flow path.

3. The hydrogen gas storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is provided with the cooling heat transfer fluid flow path and the heating heat transfer fluid flow path that constitute the temperature control unit, respectively, in the hydrogen storage alloy housing within the storage container.

4. The hydrogen gas storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature adjustment unit is configured to heat the hydrogen storage alloy by allowing a second heat transfer fluid, which is a heat transfer fluid for heating and capable of storing heat transferred from the first heat transfer fluid through heat exchange with the first heat transfer fluid for heating, to pass through the heat transfer fluid flow path.

5. A hydrogen gas storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A hydrogen gas supply system comprising an electrolysis treatment apparatus as a supply source that generates hydrogen gas by electrolyzing raw water.

6. The hydrogen gas supply system according to claim 5, further comprising an oxygen cooling unit that cools the oxygen exhausted from the electrolysis apparatus during the generation of hydrogen gas in the electrolysis apparatus by heat exchange with the cooling heat transfer fluid cooled by the heat pump in the hydrogen gas storage device.

7. A hydrogen gas storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A power supply system comprising a fuel cell, which is the target of the supply, and is configured to perform power generation processing using the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen gas storage device as fuel.

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