Ammonia supply system

Abstract

This technology provides a way to heat a pressure regulator with a simple configuration. [Solution] The ammonia supply system comprises a vaporizer for vaporizing liquid ammonia and a pressure regulator for adjusting the pressure of the gaseous ammonia after vaporization by the vaporizer. The vaporizer has a spiral ammonia flow path through which liquid ammonia and gaseous ammonia flow. The pressure regulator is located inside the spiral ammonia flow path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an ammonia supply system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vaporized gas fuel supply device. The vaporized gas fuel supply device of Patent Document 1 includes a main heat exchanger using engine cooling water as a heat source and a sub heat exchanger using an electric heater as a heat source, and a pressure regulating mechanism for adjusting the vaporized gas produced by either or both of these two heat exchangers to a predetermined pressure.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the vaporized gas fuel supply device of Patent Document 1, when the vaporized gas is depressurized to a predetermined pressure by the pressure regulating mechanism, the temperature of the vaporized gas may decrease. For example, the temperature of the vaporized gas may decrease due to adiabatic expansion when the vaporized gas is depressurized. Further, when the temperature of the vaporized gas decreases, the temperature of the pressure regulating mechanism decreases accordingly, which may cause problems. For example, when the temperature of the pressure regulating mechanism decreases, seal rubbers and the like, which are components of the pressure regulating mechanism, may harden, and the airtightness of the pressure regulating mechanism may decrease.

[0005] Therefore, this specification provides a technology that can warm up a pressure regulator with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In a first aspect of this technology, the ammonia supply system includes a vaporizer for vaporizing liquid ammonia and a pressure regulator for adjusting the pressure of the gaseous ammonia after it has been vaporized by the vaporizer. The vaporizer has a spiral ammonia flow path through which liquid ammonia and gaseous ammonia flow. The pressure regulator is located inside the spiral ammonia flow path.

[0007] With this configuration, the pressure regulator can be warmed by the heat from the vaporizer. The pressure regulator can be warmed with a simple configuration in which it is placed inside the spiral ammonia flow path.

[0008] In a second embodiment, the vaporizer may further include a spiral heat transfer fluid channel provided around the ammonia flow path, as in the first embodiment.

[0009] With this configuration, the heat from the heat transfer fluid flowing through the heat transfer fluid channel can vaporize the liquid ammonia flowing through the ammonia channel. This allows for the vaporization of liquid ammonia with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A schematic perspective view showing the ammonia supply system of the example. [Figure 2] A schematic cross-sectional view (section II-II in Figure 1) of the ammonia supply system of the example. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of the ammonia channel and heat transfer fluid channel in the example (section III-III in Figure 1). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The ammonia supply system 2 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ammonia supply system 2 is equipped with a vaporizer 10 and a pressure regulator 30. The ammonia supply system 2 is a system that supplies gaseous ammonia produced by the vaporizer 10 to the recipient. The ammonia supply system 2 is a system that adjusts the pressure of gaseous ammonia with the pressure regulator 30 and supplies the gaseous ammonia after pressure adjustment to the recipient.

[0012] The vaporizer 10 is a device that produces gaseous ammonia by vaporizing liquid ammonia. The vaporizer 10 includes a spirally wound tube 12. The tube 12 includes a spirally wound main body 12a, an inlet 12b connected to one end of the main body 12a, and an outlet 12c connected to the other end of the main body 12a. The inlet 12b, the main body 12a, and the outlet 12c are integral and continuous.

[0013] The vaporizer 10 further comprises an inlet member 20 and an outlet member 22 for ammonia, attached to the pipe 12, and an inlet member 24 and an outlet member 26 for a heat transfer medium, also attached to the pipe 12. The inlet member 20 for ammonia is connected to the inlet portion 12b of the pipe 12, and the outlet member 22 for ammonia is connected to the outlet portion 12c of the pipe 12. Similarly, the inlet member 24 for the heat transfer medium is connected to the inlet portion 12b of the pipe 12, and the outlet member 26 for the heat transfer medium is connected to the outlet portion 12c of the pipe 12.

[0014] The ammonia inlet member 20 is connected to a liquid ammonia supply source via a connecting pipe (not shown). Liquid ammonia is supplied from the liquid ammonia supply source to the inlet member 20 via the connecting pipe (not shown). Liquid ammonia is introduced into the pipe 12 through the ammonia inlet member 20. The ammonia outlet member 22 is connected to the inlet member 34 of a pressure regulator 30 (described later) via a connecting pipe (not shown).

[0015] The inlet member 24 for the heat transfer medium is connected to a heat transfer medium supply source (e.g., a car engine radiator) via a connecting pipe (not shown). The heat transfer medium is supplied from the heat transfer medium supply source to the inlet member 24 via the connecting pipe (not shown). The heat transfer medium is introduced into the inside of the pipe 12 through the inlet member 24 for the heat transfer medium. The outlet member 26 for the heat transfer medium is connected to a heat transfer medium discharge destination (e.g., a car engine radiator) via a connecting pipe (not shown). The heat transfer medium discharged from the outlet member 26 for the heat transfer medium is sent to the heat transfer medium discharge destination via a connecting pipe (not shown).

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the tube 12 of the vaporizer 10 comprises an inner tube 13 and an outer tube 15. The inner tube 13 is located inside the outer tube 15, and the outer tube 15 is located outside the inner tube 13. The outer tube 15 is arranged around the inner tube 13, surrounding it. The outer tube 15 covers the inner tube 13.

[0017] The inner pipe 13 is equipped with an ammonia passage 14 through which ammonia (e.g., liquid ammonia and gaseous ammonia) flows. The outer pipe 15 is equipped with a heat transfer medium passage 16 through which a heat transfer medium (e.g., coolant for an automobile engine) flows. Inside the pipe 12, the ammonia passage 14 is located inside the heat transfer medium passage 16, and the heat transfer medium passage 16 is located outside the ammonia passage 14.

[0018] The ammonia flow path 14 is located in the center of the pipe 12. The heat medium flow path 16 is located on the periphery of the pipe 12. The heat medium flow path 16 is located around the ammonia flow path 14 and surrounds it. The heat medium flow path 16 covers the ammonia flow path 14. In this embodiment, the heat medium flow path 16 is divided into a plurality of flow paths 16a in the circumferential direction of the pipe 12. In a modified example, the heat medium flow path 16 does not need to be divided into a plurality of flow paths in the circumferential direction of the pipe 12.

[0019] Next, the pressure regulator 30 will be described. The pressure regulator 30 is a device that adjusts (for example, reduces the pressure) the pressure of the gaseous ammonia generated by the vaporizer 10. The pressure regulator 30 reduces the pressure of the gaseous ammonia, for example, by adiabatically expanding the gaseous ammonia. The pressure regulator 30 is disposed inside the spiral tube 12 of the vaporizer 10. The pressure regulator 30 is disposed inside the spiral ammonia flow path 14 and the heat medium flow path 16. The pressure regulator 30 is surrounded by the spiral tube 12.

[0020] The pressure regulator 30 includes a main body 32 and a pressure regulating valve 38 disposed inside the main body 32. The pressure regulator 30 also includes an inlet member 34 and an outlet member 36 for ammonia that are attached to the main body 32. The gaseous ammonia before pressure reduction is introduced into the main body 32 through the inlet member 34, and the gaseous ammonia after pressure reduction is led out of the main body 32 through the outlet member 36. The configuration of the pressure regulator 30 is not particularly limited as long as it can adjust the pressure of the gaseous ammonia.

[0021] The inlet member 34 of the pressure regulator 30 is connected to the outlet member 22 for ammonia of the vaporizer 10 via a connecting pipe (not shown). The gaseous ammonia led out from the outlet member 22 for ammonia of the vaporizer 10 is sent to the inlet member 34 of the pressure regulator 30 through the connecting pipe (not shown). The gaseous ammonia is introduced into the main body 32 through the inlet member 34. The outlet member 36 of the pressure regulator 30 is connected to the supply destination of the gaseous ammonia via a connecting pipe (not shown). The gaseous ammonia led out from the outlet member 36 of the pressure regulator 30 is sent to the supply destination of the gaseous ammonia through the connecting pipe (not shown).

[0022] In the ammonia supply system 2 having the above-described configuration, liquid ammonia is introduced into the ammonia flow path 14 through the inlet member 20 for ammonia of the vaporizer 10. Further, a heat medium is introduced into the heat medium flow path 16 through the inlet member 24 for the heat medium. The liquid ammonia introduced into the ammonia flow path 14 is heated by the heat of the heat medium flowing through the heat medium flow path 16 during the process of flowing through the ammonia flow path 14 and vaporizes. Thereby, gaseous ammonia is generated. The generated gaseous ammonia is led out to the outside of the pipe 12 of the vaporizer 10 through the outlet member 22 for ammonia.

[0023] Also, in the above-described ammonia supply system 2, the pressure regulator 30 disposed inside the spiral pipe 12 is heated by the heat of the heat medium flowing through the heat medium flow path 16 of the vaporizer 10. Thereby, the pressure regulator 30 is warmed.

[0024] (Effect) As described above, the ammonia supply system 2 of the embodiment has been described. As is clear from the above description, the vaporizer 10 of the ammonia supply system 2 includes a spiral ammonia flow path 14 through which liquid ammonia and gaseous ammonia flow. The pressure regulator 30 is disposed inside the spiral ammonia flow path 14. According to this configuration, the pressure regulator 30 can be warmed by the heat of the vaporizer 10. The pressure regulator 30 can be warmed with a simple configuration in which the pressure regulator 30 is only disposed inside the spiral ammonia flow path 14.

[0025] The vaporizer 10 includes a spiral heat medium flow path 16 provided around the ammonia flow path 14. According to this configuration, the heat of the heat medium flowing through the heat medium flow path 16 can vaporize the liquid ammonia flowing through the ammonia flow path 14. The liquid ammonia can be vaporized with a simple configuration.

[0026] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technologies described in the claims include various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving even one of these objectives itself constitutes technical usefulness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 2: Ammonia supply system, 10: Vaporizer, 12: Pipe, 12a: Main body, 12b: Inlet, 12c: Outlet, 13: Inner pipe, 14: Ammonia flow path, 15: Outer pipe, 16: Heat transfer fluid flow path, 16a: Flow path, 20: Inlet component, 22: Outlet component, 24: Inlet component, 26: Outlet component, 30: Pressure regulator, 32: Main body, 34: Inlet component, 36: Outlet component, 38: Pressure regulating valve

Claims

1. A vaporizer that vaporizes liquid ammonia, The system includes a pressure regulator that adjusts the pressure of the gaseous ammonia after it has been vaporized by the vaporizer, The vaporizer is equipped with a spiral ammonia flow path through which liquid ammonia and gaseous ammonia flow. The pressure regulator is located inside the spiral ammonia flow path in the ammonia supply system.

2. The ammonia supply system according to claim 1, The ammonia supply system further comprises a spiral heat transfer fluid channel provided around the ammonia flow path of the vaporizer.

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