Gas generating device and system for generating non-oxidizing gas

Abstract

To provide a power generation device capable of collectively supplying required energy and substances to a device or a system of a supply destination.SOLUTION: A power generation device 2 includes a hydrogen gas generation unit 42 that electrolyzes water vapor at pressure above atmospheric pressure to generate hydrogen gas at pressure above atmospheric pressure, a high-pressure hydrogen tank that receives and stores this hydrogen gas, a power generation unit 3 including a fuel cell that receives hydrogen gas stored in the high-pressure hydrogen tank, generates electric power using fuel containing the received hydrogen gas at pressure above the atmospheric pressure and gas containing oxygen, and discharges exhaust gas, and an inert gas supply unit that converts at least a part of the exhaust gas into gas with reduced or substantially zero oxygen content and supplies it to the outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for a power generation device that supplies power to a device or system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the use of fuel cells has become more widespread. For example, fuel cell vehicles have been put to practical use, and household fuel cell equipment is also becoming more widespread. Not only can fuel cells generate electricity with high efficiency, but they also make it possible to eliminate or significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, unlike conventional power generation methods that use internal combustion engines. For this reason, fuel cells are expected to play a major role in realizing a low-carbon society in the future.

[0003] The inventors of the present application have focused on the potential of fuel cells and have invented a soldering device that utilizes a fuel cell, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. This soldering device utilizes not only the electricity generated by the fuel cell, but also the exhaust gas generated by the power generation, which is supplied to the soldering device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-233549 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-164987 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Furthermore, the inventors of the present application have realized that by using a fuel cell, it is possible to collectively or collectively supply energy and materials required by various devices and systems to the devices and systems.

[0006] In other words, they discovered that a vast range of applications could be opened up by rethinking fuel cells not just as a means of generating electricity, but also as a means of preparing and providing needed energy and materials in parallel with electricity.

[0007] The inventors also realized that by adding various apparatuses and devices to the fuel cell, it would be possible to construct an apparatus or system that can solve conventional or long-standing problems in the apparatus or system at the destination.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a power generation device that can supply required energy and materials collectively or collectively to a destination device or system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to the present invention, there is provided a gas generating apparatus for generating a non-oxidizing gas to be supplied to a supply destination of the non-oxidizing gas, comprising: a hydrogen gas generating unit that electrolyzes water vapor at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure to generate hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure; a power generation unit including a fuel cell that receives hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure, generates electricity using a fuel containing the received hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure and a gas containing oxygen, and discharges exhaust gas; a heat transfer unit that transfers heat generated when generating the electric power to the hydrogen gas generation unit; an inert gas supply unit that converts at least a portion of the exhaust gas into a gas having a reduced or substantially zero oxygen content to generate the non-oxidizing gas; It is equipped with The water vapor having a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure that is electrolyzed by the hydrogen gas generating unit contains water (H2O) generated when generating the electricity. By heat transfer section This is water vapor that has been heated by the heat transferred to the hydrogen gas generating section. A gas generating device is provided. Here, the above fuel cell is also preferably a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC).

[0011] Also , according to the present invention Gas Generation In the device one As an embodiment, Gas Generation The device further includes a solar cell unit having a solar cell and a heat exchange means capable of transferring generated heat to the outside, The hydrogen gas generator uses the heat generated during the generation of electricity. was heated by Water vapor, and heat from the heat exchange means It was also heated by It is also preferable to electrolyze water vapor using at least the electricity generated by a solar cell.

[0014] The present invention also provides a gas generation system for generating a non-oxidizing gas to be supplied to a destination of the non-oxidizing gas, the system comprising: a hydrogen gas generating unit that electrolyzes water vapor at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure to generate hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure; a power generation unit including a fuel cell that receives hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure, generates electricity using a fuel containing the received hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure and a gas containing oxygen, and discharges exhaust gas; a heat transfer unit that transfers heat generated when generating the electric power to the hydrogen gas generation unit; an inert gas supply unit that converts at least a portion of the exhaust gas into a gas having a reduced or substantially zero oxygen content to generate the non-oxidizing gas; It is equipped with The water vapor having a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure that is electrolyzed by the hydrogen gas generating unit contains water (H2O) generated when generating the electricity. By heat transfer section This is water vapor that has been heated by the heat transferred to the hydrogen gas generating section. A gas generating system is provided.

[0015] According to the present invention, there is further provided a power generation device for supplying power used in a processing device or system that processes a workpiece by placing the workpiece in a heated medium, the power generation device comprising: a power generation unit including a fuel cell that generates the electric power using the supplied fuel and a gas containing oxygen and discharges an exhaust gas; an inert gas supply unit that converts at least a portion of the exhaust gas into an inert gas for covering at least the surface of the medium containing the workpiece and supplies the inert gas to the processing device or system; A power generation device comprising:

[0016] As one embodiment of the power generating apparatus according to the present invention, the power generating apparatus further includes a hydrogen gas generating unit that processes a supplied material to generate hydrogen gas, It is also preferable that the power generation section generates the electricity by using at least a portion of the generated hydrogen gas as fuel.

[0017] In addition, it is also preferable that the power generation device according to the present invention further comprises an oxygen removal section which obtains a portion of the hydrogen gas generated in the hydrogen gas generation section and reacts the hydrogen gas with the oxygen gas content in the exhaust gas discharged from the power generation section, thereby reducing the oxygen content in the exhaust gas or reducing it to approximately zero.

[0018] Furthermore, in the above embodiment relating to hydrogen gas, it is also preferable that the power generation device further includes a control unit that controls the amount of hydrogen gas supplied to the power generation unit and the amount of gas containing oxygen supplied to the power generation unit so as to reduce or make substantially zero the oxygen content in the exhaust gas discharged from the power generation unit. It is also preferable that the power generation device further includes a hydrogen removal unit that reduces or makes substantially zero the hydrogen content in the exhaust gas with the reduced or made substantially zero oxygen content.

[0019] Furthermore, in the embodiment relating to the above hydrogen gas, it is also preferable that the power generation apparatus further includes a hydrogen supply section that supplies a portion of the generated hydrogen gas to the above processing apparatus or system so as to mix the portion with the medium and suppress oxidation of the medium.

[0020] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment relating to hydrogen gas, it is also preferable that the hydrogen gas generating unit includes an electrolysis unit that uses electric power from an external or internally installed solar cell or storage battery or commercial electric power to electrolyze supplied water or water vapor to generate hydrogen. It is also preferable that the present power generating device further includes an electrolysis heat transfer unit that transfers heat generated during electric power generation by the power generating unit to the electrolysis unit.

[0021] Furthermore, as another embodiment, it is also preferable that the power generation device of the present invention further includes a processing heat transfer section that transfers heat generated during power generation by the power generation section to the above-mentioned processing device or system so that the heat can be used to heat the medium.

[0022] The present invention also provides a fryer, which is a processing device or system, including the power generation device described above.

[0023] According to the present invention, there is further provided a power generation system for supplying power used in a processing device or system that processes a workpiece by placing the workpiece in a heated medium, the power generation system comprising: a power generation unit including a fuel cell that generates the electric power using the supplied fuel and a gas containing oxygen and discharges an exhaust gas; an inert gas supply unit that converts at least a portion of the exhaust gas into an inert gas for covering at least the surface of the medium containing the workpiece and supplies the inert gas to the processing device or system; A power generation system comprising:

[0024] According to the present invention, there is also provided a power generation device that supplies electric power to a processing device or system that heats an object to be heated in a non-oxidizing atmosphere with electric power to perform processing, comprising: a hydrogen gas generating unit that processes the supplied material to generate hydrogen gas; a power generation unit including a fuel cell that generates the electric power using the generated hydrogen gas and a gas containing oxygen and discharges an exhaust gas; An inert gas supply unit that converts at least a portion of the exhaust gas into an inert gas that can be used as the non-oxidizing atmosphere and supplies the inert gas to a processing device or system; a hydrogen supply unit that supplies a portion of the generated hydrogen gas to the processing device or system for use as the non-oxidizing atmosphere; A power generation device comprising:

[0025] As one embodiment of the power generation device according to the present invention, it is also preferable that the power generation device further comprises an oxygen removal section that acquires a portion of the hydrogen gas generated in the hydrogen gas generation section and reacts the hydrogen gas with the oxygen gas content in the exhaust gas discharged from the power generation section, thereby reducing the oxygen content in the exhaust gas or reducing it to approximately zero.

[0026] In another embodiment of the power generating device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the power generating device further comprises a control unit that controls the amount of hydrogen gas and the amount of gas containing oxygen supplied to the power generating unit so as to reduce or reduce to zero the oxygen content in the exhaust gas discharged from the power generating unit. It is also preferable that the power generating device further comprises a hydrogen removal unit that reduces or reduces to zero the hydrogen content in the exhaust gas with the reduced or reduced oxygen content.

[0027] Furthermore, as yet another embodiment of the power generation apparatus according to the present invention, it is also preferable that the power generation apparatus further includes a hydrogen supply section that supplies a portion of the generated hydrogen gas to the processing apparatus or system described above so as to mix the hydrogen gas with the medium and suppress oxidation of the medium.

[0028] Furthermore, as yet another embodiment of the power generation apparatus according to the present invention, it is also preferable that the power generation apparatus further includes a processing heat transfer section that transfers heat generated during the generation of electricity by the power generation section to the above-mentioned processing device or system so that the heat can be used to heat the object to be heated.

[0029] According to the present invention, there is also provided an atmospheric furnace, which is a processing apparatus or system, including the above-mentioned power generation apparatus.

[0030] According to the present invention, there is further provided a power generation system for supplying electric power to a processing device or system that heats an object to be heated by electric power in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to perform processing, comprising: a hydrogen gas generating unit that processes the supplied material to generate hydrogen gas; a power generation unit including a fuel cell that generates the electric power using the generated hydrogen gas and a gas containing oxygen and discharges an exhaust gas; An inert gas supply unit that converts at least a portion of the exhaust gas into an inert gas that can be used as the non-oxidizing atmosphere and supplies the inert gas to the processing device or system; a hydrogen supply unit that supplies a portion of the generated hydrogen gas to the processing device or system for use as the non-oxidizing atmosphere; A power generation system comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0031] According to the power generation device, power generation system, and processing device or system equipped with the power generation device or system of the present invention, it is possible to supply the required energy and materials collectively to the destination device or system. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining various embodiments of a power generation device and a power generation system according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a power generating device and a processing device according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the off-gas treatment in the power generation device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the power generating device and processing device according to the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 10 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the power generating device and processing device according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of a destination device according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of a power generation device (system) and a store-related system serving as a supply destination system according to the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of an electrolysis unit according to the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic diagram showing still another embodiment of the power generating device and processing device according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of a power generation device (system) according to the present invention and a hospital-related system serving as a supply destination system. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of a power generation device (system) and a hydroponic cultivation system as a supply destination system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, the same components are indicated by the same reference numerals. Also, components that may have similar structures and functions may be indicated by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios within and between components in the drawings are arbitrary for ease of viewing the drawings.

[0034] [Power generation systems and equipment] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining various embodiments of a power generation device and a power generation system according to the present invention.

[0035] According to FIG. 1, a power generation system 1 or a power generation device 2 according to the present invention includes: (A) a fuel cell unit 3 as a power generation section, including a fuel cell 30 that generates electricity using supplied fuel (e.g., hydrogen gas) and oxygen-containing gas (e.g., air) and discharges exhaust gas (off-gas); (B) a gas reforming unit 31 as a hydrogen gas generating section that processes a supplied material (e.g., a hydrocarbon gas such as city gas (commercial gas)) to generate hydrogen gas; (C) a hydrogen removal unit 32 for removing or reducing the hydrogen content in the off-gas (exhaust gas); (D) an oxygen removal unit 33 for removing or reducing the oxygen content in the off-gas (exhaust gas); (E) a heat exchange unit 34 as a processing heat transfer section that transfers heat generated during the generation of electricity by the fuel cell 30 to a destination device or system for use in the device or system; (F) a solar cell unit 41 including a solar cell that generates electricity using sunlight, the solar cell unit 41 being installed externally or internally; (G) an electrolysis unit 42 as an electrolysis section that generates hydrogen by electrolyzing supplied water or water vapor using power from a solar cell unit 41 or a storage battery installed externally or internally; (H) A power storage unit 51 that stores and accumulates power from the solar cell unit 41, the fuel cell unit 3, etc. (I) a heat storage unit 52 that stores and accumulates heat from the solar cell unit 41, the fuel cell unit 3, etc.; (J) A thermoelectric power generation unit 53 that generates electricity using heat from the solar cell unit 41, the fuel cell unit 3, etc. It is equipped with:

[0036] Here, the power generation system 1 or the power generation device 2 has the fuel cell unit (U) 3 (A) as an essential unit, but the other units (B) to (J) are appropriately selected or combined according to the type of energy or material to be supplied to the destination device or system, or according to the requirements within the system or device. This makes it possible to supply the required energy or material to the destination device or system in a lump or batch.

[0037] Incidentally, the power generation system 1 is configured as a whole consisting of multiple devices each including at least one of the adopted units including the fuel cell unit 3, while the power generation device 2 is configured as a single device containing all of the adopted units including the fuel cell unit. Hereinafter, a possible embodiment will be described as the invention device 2, but the same content naturally applies to the power generation system 1.

[0038] In addition, (C) hydrogen removal unit 32 and (D) oxygen removal unit 33 also function as an "inert gas supply unit" that converts at least a portion of the off-gas into an inert gas used in a destination device or system and supplies the gas to the destination device or system. Incidentally, an embodiment is possible in which these units are not required, but even in that case, some kind of processing (such as dehumidification) will be performed on the off-gas. In this case, the processing unit that performs this processing will function as the "inert gas supply unit."

[0039] Furthermore, (B) gas reforming unit 31 and (C) hydrogen removal unit 32 may also function as a "hydrogen supply" that supplies a portion of the generated hydrogen gas to a destination device or system for use in the destination device or system.

[0040] In addition to or instead of its function as a processing heat transfer section, (E) heat exchange unit 34 also preferably functions as an electrolysis heat transfer section that transfers heat generated during power generation by fuel cell 30 to (G) electrolysis unit 42. The above components (A) to (J) will be described in detail below.

[0041] First, the fuel cell 30 provided in the (A) fuel cell unit 3 has a hydrogen electrode (anode) and an air electrode (cathode) with an electrolyte sandwiched therebetween, and generates DC power by inducing a cell reaction between a hydrogen-containing gas (reformed hydrogen) and oxygen (O2) in the taken-in air. The cell system of this fuel cell 30 may be a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) system, a phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) system, a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) system, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system, or the like.

[0042] Here, the PEFC system operates at a relatively low temperature and the cell size can be made compact, so it is widely used in fuel cell vehicles. In addition, the SOFC system has high power generation efficiency, usually operates at about 700 to about 1000°C, and the off-gas discharged is also at a very high temperature. Furthermore, the PEFC system and the PAFC system use platinum (P t A platinum-based material is generally used. This platinum-based material generally deteriorates when exposed to carbon monoxide (CO), so a CO decomposition and removal means is usually further provided.

[0043] This CO conversion and removal means uses a CO conversion catalyst or the like to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide gas contained in the hydrogen-containing gas supplied as fuel to the fuel cell 30. In addition, a CO selective oxidation means may be provided that further reduces the carbon monoxide concentration using a CO selective oxidation catalyst. On the other hand, when the SOFC system or the MCFC system is adopted, at least a platinum-based material is not used as a catalyst, and therefore such a CO conversion and removal means is not required.

[0044] As a modification of the fuel cell 30, it is also possible to configure a multi-stage (multiple-stage) fuel cell by combining or connecting fuel cells of different or the same cell types. For example, it is also preferable to configure the fuel cell 30 by combining the PEFC type and the SOFC type in order to keep the power generation efficiency, the temperature of the generated heat, the off-gas composition, and even the cell size within the design range.

[0045] Furthermore, a fuel cell unit of ENE-FARM (registered trademark), which is a commercially available fuel cell cogeneration system, may be used as the fuel cell unit 3. Also, for example, a fuel cell power generation system such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-180911 may be used.

[0046] Furthermore, it is also preferable that the fuel cell unit 3 includes an inverter that converts the generated DC power into AC power when AC power is required in the supply destination device or system, and even when DC power is required, it is also preferable that the fuel cell unit 3 includes a stabilization circuit that adjusts the generated DC power to the required stable power.

[0047] In any case, the fuel cell unit 3 is capable of supplying electric power, heat, and off-gas to a destination device or system. The off-gas may be treated as described below and supplied as nitrogen gas (inert gas), hydrogen gas, and / or oxygen gas. It is also possible to supply a portion of the electric power generated by the fuel cell unit 3 to the electrolysis unit 42.

[0048] Furthermore, it is also preferable that the fuel cell unit 3 supplies the pure water (steam) generated by the fuel cell reaction to a destination device or system. A part of the generated pure water (steam) may be supplied to the electrolysis unit .

[0049] Also, (B) the gas reforming unit 31 takes in a hydrocarbon gas such as city gas or LPG, mixes this hydrocarbon gas with steam, and generates a hydrogen-containing gas mainly composed of hydrogen (H2) from this mixed gas by a steam reforming reaction. The gas reforming unit 31 may supply the generated hydrogen-containing gas to the fuel cell unit 3, or may further supply the hydrogen-containing gas to a destination device or system.

[0050] Here, it is also preferable that the gas reforming unit 31 extracts hydrogen gas from the generated hydrogen-containing gas using a hydrogen separation filter or the like described later, and supplies high purity hydrogen to the fuel cell unit 3 or a destination device or system.

[0051] In addition, (C) the hydrogen removal unit 32 removes and reduces the hydrogen gas content in the hydrogen off-gas discharged from the hydrogen electrode among the off-gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 3. By removing the hydrogen gas content, it becomes possible to relax measures to prevent hydrogen explosions when using the off-gas, for example.

[0052] Specifically, the hydrogen removal unit 32 may remove hydrogen gas using a filter (hydrogen separation membrane) that allows small molecules such as hydrogen and helium to pass while blocking larger molecules such as nitrogen. Incidentally, as this hydrogen separation membrane, for example, a commercially available hollow fiber membrane made of a polymer material such as aromatic polyimide can be used.

[0053] Here, it is also preferable to configure the hydrogen gas component removed from the off-gas in the hydrogen removal unit 32 so that it can be supplied to a destination device or system, or can be reused as fuel for the fuel cell 40. As a further modification, in the hydrogen removal unit 32, the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen off-gas and the oxygen gas in the air off-gas may be combusted, for example, by an electric heating section, and the hydrogen gas component in the off-gas may be converted into water vapor (moisture) for processing.

[0054] In addition, the (D) oxygen removal unit 33 removes the oxygen gas (not consumed at the air electrode) contained in the air off-gas discharged from the air electrode of the exhaust gas of the fuel cell unit 3. (a) Using oxygen scavengers, oxygen absorbers, or oxygen absorbing cartridges, or (b) Using powder or tiny pieces or pieces of easily oxidizable metals such as iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), or manganese (Mn), Eliminate / reduce.

[0055] As a modified embodiment, the oxygen removal unit 33 may separate and remove oxygen gas using a commercially available hollow fiber membrane (so-called nitrogen enrichment membrane) made of a polymer material such as polyimide that allows oxygen to pass through more easily than nitrogen in air. Furthermore, oxygen gas can also be separated and removed by an oxygen separation filter made of a zirconia solid electrolyte or a BaO-SrO-CoO-Fe2O3-based composite oxide.

[0056] As described above, the off-gas from which hydrogen gas and oxygen gas have been removed by the hydrogen removal unit 32 and the oxygen removal unit 33 can be supplied to a destination device or system as, for example, high-purity nitrogen gas. Although not shown, it is also preferable to provide a dehumidification unit that removes and reduces water vapor (moisture) from the off-gas.

[0057] Furthermore, (E) the heat exchange unit 34 receives heat (reaction heat) generated in the fuel cell 30 and transfers it to a heat exchange fluid filled in the heat exchange tube. The heat exchange fluid is then circulated in the heat exchange tube extending to the destination device or system, thereby supplying heat to the destination device or system. Note that the circulation of the heat exchange fluid may be performed using, for example, electric power generated by the fuel cell unit 3.

[0058] Furthermore, (F) the solar cell unit 41 includes a solar cell that converts light energy such as sunlight into electricity, and supplies the generated electricity to the electrolysis unit 42 or stores it in the electricity storage unit 51. The solar cell unit 41 also preferably includes a heat exchange tube filled with a heat exchange fluid and a light collector that concentrates light energy on the heat exchange tube, and stores the generated heat in the heat storage unit 52 via the heat exchange fluid or transfers it to the thermoelectric power generation unit 53 for generating electricity.

[0059] Furthermore, the (G) electrolysis unit 42 can decompose the supplied water or water vapor (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) by electrolysis using the supplied power, and can supply the generated hydrogen to the fuel cell unit 3 or to a destination device or system. The generated oxygen may also be supplied to a destination device or system. Furthermore, it is also possible to use a carbon electrode as the electrolysis electrode from which oxygen is generated, oxidize carbon to generate carbon dioxide (CO2), and supply this carbon dioxide to a destination device or system.

[0060] Incidentally, it is also preferable that the electrolysis unit 42 uses the supplied heat to generate steam for electrolysis or to increase the temperature of the water to be electrolyzed, thereby improving the efficiency of hydrogen generation in electrolysis. In addition, in this case, it is also preferable to monitor and control the temperature of the electrolysis cell and the entire unit in order to avoid the occurrence of explosions, etc., due to heating of the electrolyte, etc. Furthermore, it is also possible to perform electrolysis processing without using an electrolyte by increasing the voltage applied between the electrodes, thereby eliminating the need for monitoring and maintenance of the electrolyte.

[0061] Furthermore, the electrolysis unit 42 may temporarily store the generated hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in a cylinder and release them appropriately when necessary. For example, it is possible to store hydrogen generated using power from the solar cell unit 41 in a cylinder during the day and supply hydrogen to the fuel cell unit 3, etc., after nightfall.

[0062] In addition, the (H) power storage unit 51 includes a secondary battery such as a lead storage battery or a lithium ion battery, and stores the power generated by the solar cell unit 41 and the fuel cell unit 3. It is also preferable that the power stored here is appropriately supplied to a destination device or system or the electrolysis unit 42.

[0063] Moreover, (I) the heat storage unit 52 has a heat storage section made of a known latent heat storage material such as zeolite, and stores heat generated in the solar cell unit 41 and the fuel cell unit 3 in this heat storage section. It is also preferable that the heat stored here is appropriately supplied to a destination device or system or the electrolysis unit 42. Furthermore, it is also possible to supply this heat to the power storage unit 51 to keep the secondary battery cells of the power storage unit warm, thereby maintaining and improving the power storage efficiency of the power storage unit 51.

[0064] In addition, the (J) thermoelectric generating unit 53 is provided with a thermoelectric module including a thermoelectric element that converts heat into electricity using the Seebeck effect (the reverse action of the Peltier effect), and receives heat from the solar cell unit 41 (heat exchange unit 34) or the fuel cell unit 3 to generate electricity. It is also preferable that the generated electricity is appropriately supplied to a supply destination device or system or the electrolysis unit 42. Here, the thermoelectric element is specifically an element that supplies heat to one of two junctions in a conductor such as a bismuth (Bi)·tellurium (Te)-based, lead (Pb)·tellurium-based, or silicon (Si)·germanium (Ge)-based conductor, generates a potential difference between the junctions, and extracts electricity. Usually, in a thermoelectric module, a plurality of thermoelectric elements are electrically connected in series so as to obtain a voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

[0065] In this way, the thermoelectric generating unit 53 generates electricity by the thermoelectric module without relying on moving parts or chemical reactions, so it can be used as a maintenance-free unit and a stable power generation source. It is particularly useful as a supplementary power source when the fuel cell unit 3 malfunctions or during disasters or emergencies when the solar cell unit 41 cannot be used.

[0066] Incidentally, the above-mentioned destination devices or systems correspond to the fryer 61, the fryer 65, the showcase 68, the convenience store 6, the atmosphere furnace 71, the hospital 8, the autoclave 81, the hydroponic cultivation system 9, and the hydroponic cultivation unit 91, which will be described in detail later. However, it is needless to say that the destination devices or systems to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to these.

[0067] Various possible embodiments of the power generation device 2 (power generation system 1) have been outlined above using Fig. 1. In any case, depending on the embodiment, it can be understood that the entire power generation device 2 (power generation system 1), and further the entire combination of the power generation device 2 (power generation system 1) and the destination device or system, exhibit the appearance of a single artificial ecosystem. In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to construct a device or system that is as efficient or waste-free as a natural ecosystem in terms of the generation and consumption of energy and materials.

[0068] [Flyer] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the power generating device and processing device according to the present invention.

[0069] 2(A), a processing system is configured as a whole by combining the power generation device 2 according to the present invention with a fryer 61. Among them, the fryer 61 is a processing device or processing system that performs frying as a processing process by putting a workpiece to be fried (e.g., food ingredients such as potatoes, vegetables, and fruits) into frying oil, which is a heated medium, to produce fried food.

[0070] Specifically, the flyer 61: (61a) An oil tank 611 containing frying oil; (61b) a heater 612 and a heat exchange tube 613 for heating the frying oil in the oil tank 611; (61c) a temperature controller 614 for adjusting the temperature of the frying oil based on the sensor output from a temperature sensor 614a installed in the frying oil; (61d) A power line 615 for supplying power from the power generation device 2 to the heater 612 (temperature controller 614); (61e) A nitrogen supply pipe 621 for supplying the nitrogen gas sent from the power generation device 2 into the fryer 61 as an inert gas for covering at least the surface of the frying oil containing the fried object; (61f) a blower 622 for transferring nitrogen gas in the nitrogen supply pipe 621 into the fryer 61; (61g) A cooler 623 for cooling the nitrogen gas blown in order to rapidly cool the fried food after frying; (61h) A hydrogen supply pipe 631 that supplies hydrogen gas sent from the power generation device 2 into the oil tank 611 (frying oil) in order to mix the hydrogen gas with the frying oil and suppress oxidation of the frying oil; (61i) A conveyor 641 for moving the object to be fried to put it in the frying oil in the oil tank 611 and for removing the object to be fried (fried food) from the oil tank 611 after the frying process is completed. It is equipped with:

[0071] Also, as shown in FIG. 2(A), the fryer 61 may further include a paddle for transporting the objects to be fried in the frying oil, and a damper for exhausting the supplied nitrogen gas outside the device after using it as an inert atmosphere.

[0072] On the other hand, the power generation device 2 is (2a) a fuel cell unit (U) 3 including a fuel cell 30, an air filter 36 for supplying filtered air to the fuel cell 30, and an inverter 37 for converting DC power generated by the fuel cell 30 into AC power; (2b) a gas reforming unit 31; (2c) a hydrogen removal unit 32 and an oxygen removal unit 33 as an inert gas supply unit that treats off-gas from the fuel cell 30 and supplies it as nitrogen gas to the fryer 61 (nitrogen supply pipe 621); (2d) a heat exchange unit 34 as a processing heat transfer section that extracts heat generated from the fuel cell 30 and supplies it to the fryer 61 (heat exchange tube 613); (2e) A distributor 35 as a hydrogen supply unit that supplies hydrogen gas generated in the gas reforming unit 31 (or extracted in the hydrogen removal unit 32) to the fuel cell 30 and / or the fryer 61 (hydrogen supply pipe 631). The flyer 61 further includes a control unit 20 that controls the driving of these components and the activation of their functions in an integrated manner.

[0073] Incidentally, when the above-mentioned components (2a) to (2e) are provided across multiple devices, these components constitute the power generation system 1. Moreover, the above-mentioned components (2a) to (2e) may be included in a flyer 61, and may constitute the processing device or processing system as a whole as shown in FIG. 2(A).

[0074] With the configuration described above, the power generation device 2 can appropriately supply the forms of energy (electricity, heat) and materials (nitrogen, hydrogen) required by the flyer 61, either collectively or in a lump sum, to the flyer 61, as shown in Figure 2(B).

[0075] That is, in many cases, energy and materials have been supplied from separate equipment to a specific device or system that is the supply destination, but in this embodiment, the required materials can be supplied together or collectively. As a result, it is possible to easily build a more stable supply system that suppresses increases in supply costs.

[0076] As another embodiment of the power generation device 2 (power generation system 1), it is also preferable to provide an electrolysis unit 42 (FIG. 1, FIG. 8 described later) instead of or together with the gas reforming unit 31 as a source of hydrogen gas to the fuel cell 30. Here, it is also preferable that the electrolysis unit 42 utilizes power from a solar cell unit 41 (FIG. 1) or a storage battery installed externally or internally, or commercial power, as power for electrolysis. Also, a heat exchanger may be provided as an electrolysis heat transfer section that transfers heat generated during power generation by the fuel cell 30 to the solar cell unit 41.

[0077] Furthermore, it is also preferable to set the molar ratio of hydrogen (H2) introduced from the gas reforming unit 31 to the fuel cell 30 and oxygen (O2) in the air also introduced to the fuel cell 30 to a value greater than 2 (i.e., to have an excess of hydrogen in the fuel cell 30), so that a mixture of the remaining nitrogen in the air and hydrogen that has reacted excessively is discharged as off-gas. The oxygen gas content in this off-gas is approximately zero. Note that such adjustment of the molar ratio may be performed by the distributor 35' in accordance with instructions from the control unit 20.

[0078] Incidentally, as is the case with fuel cells in fuel cell vehicles, the ratio of hydrogen gas and oxygen gas (in the air) supplied to a fuel cell is usually determined so that there is an excess of oxygen (air) in the cell reaction and the hydrogen is used up (burned to completion). In contrast, in this embodiment, the exact opposite is true, and an excess of hydrogen gas (fuel) is supplied so that the oxygen (air) is used up. This makes it possible to provide the destination device or system with off-gas in which the amount of unnecessary or harmful oxygen gas in the destination device or system has been sufficiently reduced or reduced to nearly zero.

[0079] Next, the hydrogen gas component is removed from the mixed gas of nitrogen and hydrogen by the hydrogen removal unit 32, so that high-purity nitrogen gas can be sent to the fryer 61. The hydrogen gas component removed here is sent to the fuel cell unit 3 by the distributor 35 through piping, and may be reused as fuel for the fuel cell 30.

[0080] As a modified embodiment, it is also possible to suppress oxidation of the frying oil, as will be described later, by mixing this mixed gas of nitrogen and hydrogen into the frying oil, for example, via the nitrogen supply pipe 621. In the above-mentioned case, since the oxygen is almost completely consumed, for example, it is possible to configure the system without providing the oxygen removal unit 33.

[0081] Incidentally, various cell types can be used as the fuel cell 30, but it is also preferable to use, for example, a SOFC type fuel cell that has high power generation efficiency and can output very high temperature heat, or a PEFC type fuel cell that operates at a relatively low temperature but can be easily made compact. When a SOFC type fuel cell 30 is used, the cell reaction temperature is very high, about 700 to about 1000°C, so that, for example, the main heating of the base for frying oil can be performed by using this cell reaction heat using the heat exchange unit 34 and the heat exchange tube 613.

[0082] Next, a description will be given of the unique features of the fryer 61 according to the present invention. Conventionally, the following three points have been important issues in fryers for producing food. (A) A fryer requires a stable, large amount of power to continuously maintain a temperature of, for example, around 200 degrees Celsius. For example, measures are required to prevent damage to the food being fried even if the supply of commercial electricity is stopped due to a power outage or other reason. (i) It is necessary to ensure the safety of foods processed (fried) in deep fryers. (c) It is necessary to minimize the oxidation of the frying oil used in the fryer and ensure the life of the oil.

[0083] First, regarding the above problem (A), the fryer 61 can of course draw in commercial power to operate the heater 612 etc., but it can also receive large amounts of power from the fuel cell unit 3 via power line 615. In addition, to maintain the temperature of the frying oil, it receives a large amount of heat from the fuel cell unit 3 via heat exchange pipe 613, helping to maintain the high temperature of the frying oil. In this way, the fryer 61 certainly solves this problem (A).

[0084] Next, the above problem (A) will be described in more detail. For example, JP 2008-302131 A points out that "It has been found that if fried ingredients such as potatoes, root vegetables, vegetables, and fruits are kept at high temperatures after frying, acrylamide is produced in the fried products. There is a demand for suppressing the production of acrylamide, and in order to suppress the production of acrylamide, it is necessary to cool the fried products as quickly as possible after frying."

[0085] It has been known that when foods that are high in carbohydrates are cooked at high temperatures (above 120°C), asparagine, a type of amino acid in the food, reacts with reducing sugars such as glucose and fructose to form acrylamide.

[0086] This acrylamide has neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and mutagenicity (carcinogenicity), and its generation must be sufficiently suppressed. In response to this, the fryer 61 can receive a large amount of nitrogen gas from the fuel cell unit 3 via the nitrogen supply pipe 621, and further, can spray this large amount of nitrogen gas cooled by the cooler 623 onto the fried food after the frying process, thereby rapidly cooling the fried food. As a result, the generation of acrylamide in the fried food is suppressed.

[0087] It is also possible to lower the temperature of the nitrogen gas supplied through the nitrogen supply pipe 621 by extracting a considerable amount of heat from the nitrogen gas generated by the fuel cell 30 through the heat exchange unit 34. In this case, low-temperature nitrogen gas can be sprayed onto the fried food without using the cooler 623. Furthermore, in a different embodiment from the above, when hydrogen gas from a liquefied hydrogen cylinder is used instead of the hydrogen gas generated by the gas reforming unit 31, the nitrogen gas supplied through the nitrogen supply pipe 621 can be lowered in temperature by using this extremely low-temperature liquefied hydrogen.

[0088] In addition, in the fryer 61, the nitrogen gas supplied through the nitrogen supply pipe 621 fills the entire frying space, including the oil tank 611 and the surrounding conveyor 641, thereby suppressing oxidation of the objects to be fried before and during the frying process and of the fried foods after the frying process.

[0089] Next, regarding the above problem (c), the fryer 61 receives nitrogen gas as an inert gas from the fuel cell unit 3 via the nitrogen supply pipe 621 and supplies it into the oil tank 611 so as to cover the surface of the frying oil containing the items to be fried. This makes it possible to prevent the hot frying oil from coming into contact with, for example, oxygen in the air, and suppress oxidation of the frying oil.

[0090] Furthermore, as disclosed in, for example, JP 2003-24219 A, it has been found that "supplying hydrogen into oil" "can significantly suppress the chain reaction of oil oxidation by reacting the hydrogen with free radicals such as peroxy radicals that are generated during the oxidation of the oil." In particular, in unsaturated fatty acids, which are abundant in vegetable oils, oxidation is suppressed by blocking one end of the carbon double bond with hydrogen.

[0091] In this regard, the fryer 61 can mix the hydrogen gas received from the power generation device 2 via the hydrogen supply pipe 631 into the frying oil. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress oxidation of the frying oil.

[0092] Here, the amount of hydrogen mixed into the frying oil through the hydrogen supply pipe 631 is set to be minute, and it is preferable to devise a method so that the hydrogen gas does not come into contact with air (oxygen) inside the hydrogen supply pipe 631 and in the hydrogen release hole. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of dangerous conditions such as hydrogen explosions. As a modified embodiment, it is also preferable to mix nitrogen gas, which is an inert gas supplied through the nitrogen supply pipe 621, into the frying oil to suppress oxidation of the oil.

[0093] Furthermore, as a modified embodiment, the fryer 61 may include electrodes in the oil tank 611 capable of applying a high voltage (strong electric field) to the frying oil. This high voltage (strong electric field) is, for example, in the range of 1 to 10 kV and can be generated using a large amount of DC power received from the fuel cell unit 3 via the power line 615. Of course, AC power converted by the inverter 37 may also be used. As one example of the oxidation suppression effect of applying such a high voltage, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-88769 discloses that oxidation of cooking oil can be suppressed by inserting a high-potential generating plate having a high negative DC potential into the cooking oil.

[0094] In this way, the power generation device 2 (power generation system 1) can efficiently supply DC power to a destination device or system that requires DC power (which can usually be obtained by converting commercial power).

[0095] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the off-gas treatment in the power generation device 2. In FIG.

[0096] 3, distributor 35' monitors the concentration of oxygen remaining in the off-gas by oxygen concentration measurement sensor 351. Based on the measured residual oxygen concentration, distributor 35' supplies to oxygen removal unit 33' an amount of hydrogen gas supplied from gas reforming unit 31 that reacts just enough with the oxygen gas in the off-gas per unit time (twice the number of moles of residual oxygen gas per unit time).

[0097] This oxygen removal unit 33' mixes the off-gas with hydrogen gas supplied from the distributor 35', and converts the oxygen (O2) in the off-gas into moisture (H2O) by reacting the mixture in an environment where the mixture comes into contact with a catalyst containing heated platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), ruthenium (Ru), copper (Cu), or the like. Next, the moisture is removed by a dehumidifier, producing high-purity nitrogen gas, which can be sent to the fryer 61.

[0098] By the way, according to the calculations of the inventors, nitrogen gas with a purity of 99.9% is 10m 3 / hour into the oxygen removal unit 33', in order to increase the purity of this nitrogen gas to 99.999%, hydrogen gas must be increased by 1.98 x 10 -3 m 3 / hour.

[0099] The off-gas treatment using the oxygen removal unit 33' described above can be applied not only to the fryer 61 (FIG. 2) but also to the fryer 65 (FIGS. 4 and 5) and the atmospheric furnace 71 (FIG. 9) described later. In any case, depending on the required oxygen partial pressure and hydrogen partial pressure in the off-gas, off-gas treatment can be performed with a simple configuration without providing an additional oxygen removal unit or hydrogen removal unit. Of course, an embodiment may be adopted in which the hydrogen removal unit 32 and / or the oxygen removal unit 33 are provided in parallel to reduce hydrogen and / or oxygen to approximately zero.

[0100] 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams showing another embodiment of the power generating device and processing device according to the present invention, in which Fig. 4(A), Fig. 4(B) and Fig. 5 are respectively a front view, a side view and a top view of the device (flyer 65) of this embodiment.

[0101] According to the embodiment shown in these drawings, the power generation device 2 and a simple fryer 65 used in convenience stores, small shops, etc., constitute a processing system. Incidentally, the power generation device 2 may be included in the fryer 65, and the whole may be integrated into a fryer device. In this case, it is also preferable to use a PEFC type fuel cell 40, which can be easily made compact.

[0102] The oil tank 651 of the fryer 65 contains frying oil for preparing fried foods, and is equipped with a mesh basket with a handle for putting foods to be fried into and taking them out of the frying oil. Furthermore, a heater 652 is provided at the bottom of the oil tank 651. This heater 652 receives AC power or commercial power supplied from the fuel cell unit 3 via the inverter 37 after adjusting the power with a power regulator 656, and uses this power to heat the frying oil.

[0103] Here, the power regulator 656 controls the usage ratio between the supplied AC power and commercial power depending on, for example, the temperature of the frying oil, the set temperature instructed via the operation panel, and further the presence or absence of a power outage, etc. Basically, it is also preferable to be programmed to mainly use the AC power from the fuel cell unit 3, and to use commercial power in addition if there is a shortage, etc.

[0104] Furthermore, a heat exchange pipe 653 is provided in addition to the heater 652 at the bottom of the oil tank 651 of the fryer 65. The heat exchange pipe 653 transfers heat supplied from the fuel cell unit 3 via the heat exchange unit 34 to the frying oil by a heat exchange medium circulating inside the pipe, thereby heating the frying oil. As a result, for example, when the frying oil is heated to a set temperature by electricity, the base temperature of the frying oil can be kept high, making it possible to save electricity.

[0105] Furthermore, the nitrogen supply pipe 654 of the fryer 65 supplies nitrogen gas, which is supplied from the fuel cell unit 3 via the hydrogen removal unit 32, into the oil tank 651 so as to cover the surface of the frying oil. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the nitrogen supply pipe 654 is arranged so as to go around the periphery of the oil tank 651, and can release nitrogen gas toward the frying oil from a number of holes opened in the pipe. This allows the surface of the frying oil to be filled with nitrogen gas while the fried food is being prepared, and the frying oil and the fried food can be isolated from the outside air. As a result, the oxidation of the frying oil and the fried food caused by oxygen in the air is suppressed, the service life of the frying oil is significantly extended, and the quality of the fried food is improved.

[0106] Here, the nitrogen gas supplied through the nitrogen supply pipe 654 is generated through the hydrogen removal unit 32. At this time, the molar ratio of hydrogen (H2) introduced from the gas reforming unit 31 to the fuel cell 30 to oxygen (O2) in the air also introduced to the fuel cell 30 is set to a value greater than 2 (i.e., there is an excess of hydrogen in the fuel cell 30), and a mixed gas of the remaining nitrogen in the air and hydrogen that has reacted excessively is discharged as off-gas. The oxygen gas content in this off-gas is approximately zero. Incidentally, such an adjustment of the molar ratio may be performed by the distributor 35 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 20.

[0107] Next, by further removing hydrogen gas from this mixed gas of nitrogen and hydrogen in the hydrogen removal unit 32, high purity nitrogen gas can be sent to the fryer 65 via the nitrogen supply pipe 654.

[0108] By mixing the hydrogen gas removed by the hydrogen removal unit 32 into the frying oil via the hydrogen supply pipe 655, it is possible to suppress oxidation of the frying oil, as described in relation to the fryer 61. The removed hydrogen gas may also be reused as fuel for the fuel cell 40 via the distributor 35.

[0109] In the fryer 65, a waste oil hole is provided at the bottom of the oil tank 651, and the frying oil that has passed its expiration date can be taken out from the waste oil hole by opening the waste oil valve, filtered through an oil residue separation net, and stored in a waste oil tank. Also, the fryer 65 may be provided with a plurality of oil tanks 651. In this case, for example, the fryer configuration described above can be one unit, and the fryer 65 can be formed by connecting a plurality of units.

[0110] [Showcase] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of a destination device according to the present invention.

[0111] 6 shows a showcase 68 installed in a store such as a convenience store. The showcase 68 is a transparent case in which fried foods prepared in a fryer 65 are stored in a warm state and displayed to customers. A nitrogen supply pipe 681 of the showcase 68 supplies nitrogen gas from the power generation device 2 into the booth in which the fried foods are placed, filling the booth with nitrogen gas. This significantly suppresses oxidation of the fried foods caused by oxygen in the air, and maintains the quality of the fried foods.

[0112] The heat exchange pipe 682 also transfers heat from the heat exchange unit 34 of the power generation device 2 into the booth where the fried foods are placed to heat the nitrogen gas in the booth and keep the fried foods warm. It is also preferable that the heat exchange pipe 682 heats and keeps warm the beverages in the high-temperature water supplier 69 installed alongside the frying booth. It is also preferable that the heating lamp 683 is supplied with power from the power generation device 2 and radiates visible light and infrared rays to illuminate the fried foods for display and to heat and keep them warm.

[0113] As described above, the power generation device 2 can supply required energy and materials collectively or collectively to various devices and equipment installed in a store such as a convenience store. Next, an embodiment will be described in which a store to which energy and materials are supplied from the power generation system 1 or the power generation device 2 is regarded as a system.

[0114] [Store-related systems] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of a power generation device (system) according to the present invention and a store-related system serving as a supply destination system.

[0115] 7, a convenience store (store) 6 as a supply destination system including a fryer 65, a showcase 68, etc. is supplied with required energy and materials from the power generation system 1 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the power generation system 1 is (1a) a solar cell unit 41; (1b) an electrolysis unit 42 that performs electrolysis using the power generated by the solar cell unit 41; (1c) an oxygen tank for storing oxygen gas generated by the electrolysis unit 42; (1d) a high-pressure hydrogen tank and a low-pressure hydrogen tank for storing hydrogen gas generated in the electrolysis unit 42; (1e) a fuel cell unit 3 that generates electricity using hydrogen obtained from such a hydrogen tank; (1f) a hydrogen removal unit 32 for removing hydrogen gas from the off-gas of the fuel cell unit 3; (1g) a nitrogen tank for storing the nitrogen gas generated in the hydrogen removal unit 32; (1h) a pure water tank for storing the pure water generated by the fuel cell unit 3; (1i) a heat exchange unit 34 for recovering heat generated in the fuel cell unit 3; It is equipped with:

[0116] Incidentally, these components (1a)-(1i) may be provided in a single device and may be regarded as the power generation device 2. Also, the convenience store 6 may include these components (1a)-(1i) and may be regarded as a single system. The high-pressure hydrogen tank and low-pressure hydrogen tank described in (1d) above may be used together or selected depending on the cell type and power generation form of the fuel cell 30, or only one may be provided in advance.

[0117] Convenience store 6 is supplied with electricity from fuel cell unit 3 via power lines, nitrogen gas from the nitrogen tank via a nitrogen supply pipe, hydrogen gas from hydrogen removal unit 32 via a hydrogen supply pipe, oxygen gas from the oxygen tank via an oxygen supply pipe, pure water from the pure water tank via a pure water supply pipe, and heat from heat exchange unit 34 via a heat exchange pipe. In convenience store 6, these supplied energies and materials are distributed to in-store devices and equipment such as fryers 65 and showcases 68 for use.

[0118] Here, it is also preferable that the nitrogen gas, hydrogen gas, and oxygen gas are stored in a tank. For example, hydrogen gas may be stored in the hydrogen tank during the day when the solar cell unit 41 is capable of generating electricity, and then at night, the stored hydrogen gas may be used to generate electricity in the fuel cell unit 3, and the electricity, nitrogen gas, heat, and the like may be supplied to the fryer 65 in the convenience store, which is also operated at night.

[0119] It is also possible to generate electricity in the fuel cell unit 3 during the day, store the generated electricity in the power storage unit 51 (Figure 1), store the generated nitrogen gas in a nitrogen tank, and store the generated heat in the heat storage unit 52 (Figure 1), and then supply these energy materials to the convenience store 6 at night.

[0120] [Electrolysis unit] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the electrolysis unit according to the present invention.

[0121] 8(A), the electrolysis unit 42 of this embodiment includes an electrolysis cell 421, a parabolic reflector 422, and a heat absorption tube 423. In this embodiment, the electrolysis cell 421 is configured to be capable of electrolyzing water vapor. Specifically, the electrolysis cell 421 converts water vapor maintained at high pressure at the negative electrode into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen ions (O 2- ) and the oxygen ions that reach the positive electrode via the electrolyte are released as oxygen (O2).

[0122] By electrolyzing water vapor in this way, the efficiency of hydrogen generation is greatly improved compared to the decomposition of liquid water. The efficiency is also improved by increasing the temperature of the electrolyte with the heat from the water vapor. The DC power required for electrolysis may be obtained by converting commercial power, but in this embodiment it can be obtained from the solar cell unit 41.

[0123] Here, the water vapor supplied to the electrolysis cell 421 can be generated by heating water (pure water) passing through a heat absorption tube 423 using sunlight concentrated by a parabolic reflector 422. The parabolic reflector that can be used is not limited to the point focus type as shown in Fig. 8(A). For example, it is also possible to use a parabolic reflector 422' with focal points aligned on a line as shown in Fig. 8(B) and to place a heat absorption tube 423' at this line position to generate water vapor.

[0124] By utilizing the units described above, for example, it is possible for the solar cell unit 41 and the electrolysis unit 42 to generate hydrogen gas during the day when they are capable of generating electricity and producing water vapor, and store the hydrogen gas in a hydrogen tank, and then at night, the stored hydrogen gas can be used to generate electricity in the fuel cell unit 3.

[0125] At least a part of the heat for generating water vapor and / or at least a part of the heat for warming the electrolyte can be allocated from the fuel cell unit 3 (heat storage unit 52, heat exchange unit 34). Also, depending on the power usage status and hydrogen gas storage status, at least a part of the power used in the electrolysis unit 42 can be provided by the fuel cell unit 3 (power storage unit 51).

[0126] The technical matters related to the electrolysis unit 42 as described above can be summarized as follows. [Technical matter 1] A power generation device that supplies power used in processing to a processing device that heats an object to be heated in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, A hydrogen gas generating unit that generates hydrogen by electrolyzing water or water vapor using power from a solar cell installed externally or internally; a power generation unit including a fuel cell that generates the electric power using the generated hydrogen gas and a gas containing oxygen and discharges an exhaust gas; an inert gas supplying section that converts at least a part of the exhaust gas into an inert gas that can be used as the non-oxidizing atmosphere and supplies the inert gas to the processing device; A power generating device comprising: [Technical matters 2] 2. The power generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hydrogen supplying section that supplies a portion of the generated hydrogen gas to the processing device for use as the non-oxidizing atmosphere. [Technical matter 3] The processing device is a processing device that processes an object to be heated by putting the object to be heated into a heated medium, The power generation device further includes a hydrogen supply unit that supplies a portion of the generated hydrogen gas to the processing device so as to mix the hydrogen gas with the medium and suppress oxidation of the medium. A power generating device according to Technical Item 1. [Technical matter 4] The power generation device described in any one of Technical Items 1 to 3 is characterized in that it further includes a heat transfer section that transfers heat generated during electricity generation by the power generation section to the hydrogen gas generation section. [Technical matter 5] The power generation device described in any one of Technical Items 1 to 4 is characterized in that the power generation device further includes a processing heat transfer section that transfers heat generated during power generation by the power generation section to the processing device so that the heat can be used to heat the object to be heated.

[0127] [Atmosphere furnace] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing still another embodiment of the power generating device and processing device according to the present invention.

[0128] 9(A), a processing system as a whole is configured by combining the power generation device 2 according to the present invention with an atmospheric heat treatment furnace (atmosphere furnace) 71. Among these, the atmospheric furnace 71 is a high-temperature furnace for carrying out heat processing (heat treatment) in a non-oxidizing atmosphere in order to perform transformation control suited to the product on a steel material that is an object to be heated (object to be heat treated) in this embodiment.

[0129] Nitrogen gas as an inert gas and hydrogen gas as a reducing gas are introduced into the atmospheric furnace 71 so that the steel material is not oxidized during the processing step, and hydrogen gas or the like is also introduced as a process gas. Note that the components of the power generation device 2 and the components of the atmospheric furnace 71 in Fig. 9 may all be combined to form one processing device (atmospheric furnace).

[0130] Specifically, the atmospheric furnace 71 is (71a) a front chamber into which a purge gas can be introduced for introducing ferrous materials through a gate including a gate opening / closing plate; (71b) A plurality of atmosphere chambers each separated by partitions to provide a unique process environment (e.g., temperature, etc.), and further equipped with a stirring fan to make the atmosphere in the chamber uniform; (71c) a rear chamber into which a purge gas can be introduced for carrying out the heat-treated steel material through a gate including a gate opening / closing plate; (71d) A mixer / distributor 711 that receives nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas supplied from the power generation device 2 and distributes each of them to a required atmosphere chamber via a nitrogen / hydrogen supply pipe 712, or generates a mixed gas of nitrogen and hydrogen and supplies it to a required atmosphere chamber; (71e) A roller hearth 721 that transports the steel material from the front chamber through a plurality of atmosphere chambers to the rear chamber along a heat treatment process path, and heats the steel material to a temperature set according to its position; (71f) a roller hearth control unit 722 that receives power supplied from the power generation device 2 (inverter 37) via a power line 723, supplies power for the conveying operation and the heating operation to the roller hearth 721, and controls these operations; (71g) A heat exchange tube 731 that transfers heat supplied from the power generation device 2 (heat exchange unit 34) to the atmosphere chamber and heats the steel material or assists the heating operation by the roller hearth 721; It is equipped with:

[0131] 2 in terms of configuration and function, and may also be regarded as part of the power generation system 1, depending on the embodiment. However, in FIG. 9, the hydrogen removal unit 32 supplies the remaining nitrogen gas, obtained by removing hydrogen gas from the off-gas discharged from the fuel cell unit 3, to a mixer / distributor 711. Furthermore, the separated hydrogen gas is reused as fuel for power generation via a distributor 35.

[0132] The hydrogen removal unit 32 may supply the separated hydrogen gas to the mixer / distributor 711 so that the hydrogen gas is used as a reducing gas. Furthermore, it is also preferable that a part of the hydrogen gas generated in the gas reforming unit 31 is supplied to the mixer / distributor 711 via the distributor 35.

[0133] 9(B), the power generation device 2 can supply energy (electricity, heat) and materials (nitrogen, hydrogen) in the form required by the atmospheric furnace 71 collectively or collectively to the atmospheric furnace 71 as appropriate. As a result, it is possible to easily establish a more stable supply system that suppresses increases in supply costs.

[0134] In particular, the atmosphere furnace 71 usually consumes large amounts of electricity, inert gas (nitrogen gas), and hydrogen gas (reducing gas), and therefore requires huge costs to procure these. In contrast, the power generation device 2 makes it possible to significantly reduce these procurement costs.

[0135] As another embodiment of the power generation device 2 (power generation system 1), it is also preferable to provide an electrolysis unit 42 (FIGS. 1 and 8) instead of or together with the gas reforming unit 31 as a source of hydrogen gas to the fuel cell 30. Furthermore, it is also preferable that the electrolysis unit 42 utilizes electric power from a solar cell unit 41 (FIG. 1) or a storage battery installed externally or internally, or commercial electric power, as electric power for electrolysis. A heat exchanger may also be provided as an electrolysis heat transfer section that transfers heat generated during electric power generation by the fuel cell 30 to the solar cell unit 41.

[0136] Furthermore, it is also preferable to set the molar ratio of hydrogen (H2) introduced from the gas reforming unit 31 to the fuel cell 30 and oxygen (O2) in the air also introduced to the fuel cell 30 to a value greater than 2 (i.e., to have an excess of hydrogen in the fuel cell 30), so that a mixed gas of the remaining nitrogen in the air and hydrogen that has reacted excessively is discharged as off-gas. The oxygen gas content in this mixed gas is approximately zero. Incidentally, such an adjustment of the molar ratio may be performed by the distributor 35 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 20.

[0137] Next, the hydrogen gas is removed from this mixed gas of nitrogen and hydrogen in the hydrogen removal unit 32, so that high-purity nitrogen gas can be sent to the atmosphere furnace 71. The removed hydrogen gas is sent to the fuel cell unit 3 by the distributor 35 through piping, and may be reused as fuel for the fuel cell 30.

[0138] Incidentally, in this embodiment, it is also preferable to adopt an SOFC type fuel cell, which has high power generation efficiency and a very high cell reaction temperature (about 700 to about 1000°C), as the fuel cell 30. In this case, the high-temperature reaction heat may be recovered using the heat exchange unit 34 and transferred to the atmosphere furnace via the heat exchange tube 731, thereby sufficiently increasing the base temperature during the heat treatment by the roller hearth 721. This makes it possible to achieve power saving in the atmosphere furnace 71.

[0139] Next, a description will be given of the unique features of the atmospheric furnace 71 according to the present invention. Conventionally, the following three points have been important issues in atmospheric heat treatment furnaces. (A) Atmospheric heat treatment furnaces also require stable, large amounts of power. For example, measures are needed to prevent damage to the steel materials being manufactured even if the power supply is stopped due to a power outage or a breakdown in thermal power generation facilities. (a) During heat treatment, oxidation of iron (Fe) and oxidation / decarburization of carbon (C) in steel materials must be avoided as much as possible.

[0140] First, regarding the above problem (A), the atmospheric furnace 71 can receive a large amount of power from the fuel cell unit 3 via the power line 723, without requiring commercial power or an attached thermal power plant, or separately from these. It also receives a large amount of heat from the fuel cell unit 3 via the heat exchange tube 731, ensuring a considerable amount of the heat required for high-temperature heat treatment. In this way, the atmospheric furnace 71 reliably solves this problem (A).

[0141] Regarding the above problem (a), it is well known that even stainless steel materials are susceptible to oxidation in high-temperature environments exceeding 700° C. In fact, at temperatures higher than this, it is practically impossible to reduce the oxygen partial pressure to zero, making it difficult to suppress oxidation and decarburization of steel materials simply by generating a nitrogen gas atmosphere.

[0142] In contrast, the atmosphere furnace 71 can supply a mixed gas of nitrogen and hydrogen into the atmosphere chamber by the mixer / distributor 711. That is, the atmosphere chamber can be filled not only with an inert atmosphere of nitrogen gas, but also with a reducing atmosphere of hydrogen gas. In this way, the atmosphere furnace 71 also reliably solves the problem (a). Incidentally, in order to more reliably prevent oxidation of the ferrous material, it is also preferable that the mixer / distributor 711 has a function of removing molecular gas components containing oxygen atoms, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide.

[0143] Of course, the atmosphere furnace 71 can also supply only nitrogen gas into the atmosphere chamber by the mixer / distributor 711. In this case, in order to suppress the oxidation of the ferrous material as described above, it is necessary to almost completely remove the oxygen gas content in the nitrogen gas and increase the purity of the nitrogen gas as much as possible. In this embodiment, as described above, in the power generation device 2, the molar ratio of hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) introduced into the fuel cell 30 is set to a value greater than 2, and further, the hydrogen gas content is removed from this off-gas by the hydrogen removal unit 32, so that high-purity nitrogen gas can be sent to the atmosphere furnace 71.

[0144] As a modified embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 3, it is also preferable to subject the oxygen in the off-gas to a catalytic reaction or combustion reaction with a portion of the hydrogen gas produced in the gas reforming unit 31 in the oxygen removal unit 33, and remove it as water.

[0145] Furthermore, as another embodiment of the power generation device 2, it is also preferable to provide an electrolysis unit 42 (FIGS. 1 and 8) that uses power from an externally or internally installed solar cell unit 41 (FIG. 1), power from a power storage unit 51 (FIG. 1), or commercial power to electrolyze supplied water or water vapor to generate hydrogen. A heat exchange unit 34 (FIG. 1) may also be provided as an electrolysis heat transfer section that transfers heat generated during power generation by the fuel cell 40 to the electrolysis unit 42.

[0146] Finally, below, a hospital-related system (FIG. 10) and a hydroponic cultivation system (FIG. 11) will be described as examples of the destination device or system according to the present invention.

[0147] [Hospital-related systems] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of a power generating device (system) according to the present invention and a hospital-related system serving as a supply destination system.

[0148] According to FIG. 10, a hospital (medical service provider) 8 as a supply destination system (hospital-related system) including an autoclave 81 (to be described later) is supplied with required energy and materials from a power generation system 1 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the power generation system 1 is (1a) a solar cell unit 41; (1b) an electrolysis unit 42 that performs electrolysis using the power generated by the solar cell unit 41; (1c) an oxygen tank for storing oxygen gas generated by the electrolysis unit 42; (1d) a high-pressure hydrogen tank and a low-pressure hydrogen tank for storing hydrogen gas generated in the electrolysis unit 42; (1e) a fuel cell unit 3 that generates electricity using hydrogen obtained from such a hydrogen tank; (1f) a hydrogen removal unit 32 for removing hydrogen gas from the off-gas of the fuel cell unit 3; (1g) a nitrogen tank for storing the nitrogen gas generated in the hydrogen removal unit 32; (1h) a pure water tank for storing the pure water generated by the fuel cell unit 3; (1i) a heat exchange unit 34 for recovering heat generated in the fuel cell unit 3; It is equipped with:

[0149] Incidentally, these components (1a)-(1i) may be provided in one device and may be regarded as the power generation device 2. Also, the hospital 8 may include these components (1a)-(1i) and may be regarded as one system. The high-pressure hydrogen tank and the low-pressure hydrogen tank may be used together or separately depending on the cell type and power generation form of the fuel cell 30, or only one of them may be provided in advance.

[0150] The hospital 8 is supplied with power from the fuel cell unit 3 via a power line, nitrogen gas from the nitrogen tank via a nitrogen supply pipe, oxygen gas from the oxygen tank via an oxygen supply pipe, pure water from the pure water tank via a pure water supply pipe, and heat from the heat exchange unit 34 via a heat exchange pipe. In the hospital 8, these supplied energies and materials are distributed and used by in-hospital devices and equipment such as an autoclave 81, which will be described later. Furthermore, if necessary, hydrogen gas may be supplied to the hospital 8 from the hydrogen removal unit 32 via a hydrogen supply pipe.

[0151] Here, it is also preferable that the nitrogen gas, hydrogen gas, and oxygen gas are stored in a tank. For example, hydrogen gas may be stored in the hydrogen tank during the day when the solar cell unit 41 is capable of generating electricity, and then at night, the stored hydrogen gas may be used to generate electricity in the fuel cell unit 3, and electricity, nitrogen gas, heat, and the like may be supplied to devices and equipment in the hospital 8 that are also operated at night.

[0152] It is also possible to generate electricity in the fuel cell unit 3 during the day, store the generated electricity in the power storage unit 51 (Figure 1), store the generated nitrogen gas in a nitrogen tank, and further store the generated heat in the heat storage unit 52 (Figure 1), and then supply these energy materials to the hospital 8 at night.

[0153] In particular, in hospitals 8, even when commercial power is cut off due to a power outage or the like, a continuous supply of power is required for emergency surgery, etc. According to this embodiment, for example, hydrogen gas is stored in a hydrogen tank by utilizing a solar cell unit 41 and an electrolysis unit 42 installed in a large rooftop space of the hospital 8, and, for example, in an emergency, the fuel cell unit 3 can be operated to supply power to in-hospital devices and facilities. Of course, power can also be provided in a form that complements commercial power during normal times. In this case, commercial power saving is also achieved for in-hospital devices and facilities.

[0154] Furthermore, the hospital 8 usually requires heat (heat source) for room heating and hot water supply. In this embodiment, it is possible to provide such heat (heat source) from the heat exchange unit 34 via a heat exchange pipe.

[0155] Furthermore, in the hospital 8, a mixed gas (artificial air) of pure oxygen and pure nitrogen with a mixing ratio suited to each case is required as the gas to be inhaled by the patient. According to this embodiment, a gas close to pure nitrogen can be provided from the nitrogen tank that receives nitrogen gas from the hydrogen removal unit 32. Also, pure oxygen (or gas close to it) can be provided from the oxygen tank that receives oxygen gas from the electrolysis unit 42.

[0156] Furthermore, as a circumstance specific to medical institutions, pure water (RO water) produced using a reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) is widely used in various medical procedures in each medical department in the hospital 8. According to this embodiment, pure water that can be used as a raw material for RO water or that can supplement RO water can be provided from the pure water tank that receives pure water (water vapor) from the fuel cell unit 3.

[0157] Furthermore, the pure water (steam) supplied from the fuel cell unit 3 can be used as washing water or rinsing water for washing or rinsing various instruments collected from operating rooms, outpatient clinics, wards, etc. of the hospital 8. It may also be used as raw water for clean steam in the autoclave 81.

[0158] Here, an autoclave is a high-pressure steam sterilizer that cleans and / or sterilizes objects in heated water or in an atmosphere of steam generated from the heated water. For example, first, as a preliminary vacuum process, the residual air in the cleaning / sterilization chamber containing the objects is discharged by a vacuum pump, and then high-temperature clean steam generated from pure water is introduced to create a high-temperature, high-pressure state of steam in the cleaning / sterilization chamber, where the objects are cleaned and / or sterilized.

[0159] The power generation system 1 can provide the pure water that is the raw material of the clean steam and the electric power to operate the heater and the vacuum pump for heating the pure water to generate the clean steam, all together or in a lump, to the autoclave 81. Naturally, the power generation system 1 can also provide at least the pure water and the electric power for operating the device, all together or in a lump, to devices that handle pure water other than autoclaves.

[0160] Furthermore, the pure water (steam) supplied from the fuel cell unit 3 can be used in the hospital 8 as water for adjusting medicines, water for washing instruments, water for dialysis, etc., or as a raw material for these. Incidentally, the above-described pure water used in the hospital 8 has a predetermined water quality standard set according to its use, and even if the pure water (steam) is supplied from the fuel cell unit 3, the pure water (steam) is provided after further undergoing a predetermined process to make the water quality satisfy the standard. For example, water for dialysis must be pure water that complies with a predetermined ISO standard, and in particular, it requires processes such as water softening and ultrafiltration to remove endotoxins, chloramines, etc., and prevent the onset of complications in dialysis patients.

[0161] The technical matters relating to the power generation system 2 and the hospital 8 as described above can be summarized as follows. [Technical matter 1] A power generation unit that supplies electricity, water, and nitrogen to equipment, facilities, or structures that use electricity, water, and nitrogen to provide services or produce products; a power generation unit including a fuel cell that generates the electric power using the supplied fuel and air and discharges exhaust gas and water; A nitrogen supply unit that removes or reduces components other than nitrogen from at least a portion of the exhaust gas and supplies the nitrogen to the medical device, equipment, or building; A water supply unit that supplies at least a portion of the discharged water to the device, equipment, or building; A power generating device comprising: [Technical matters 2] The power generation device described in Technical Item 1, characterized in that the device, facility or building to which the electricity, water and nitrogen are provided is a medical device, medical equipment or a hospital. [Technical matter 3] A power generation device that supplies power to an apparatus for cleaning and / or sterilizing an object in heated water or in an atmosphere of steam generated from the heated water, the power generation device comprising: a power generation unit including a fuel cell that generates at least the electric power using the supplied fuel and a gas containing oxygen and discharges water; a water supply unit that supplies at least a portion of the discharged water to the device as a raw material for the heated water; A power generating device comprising: [Technical matter 4] A high-pressure steam sterilizer equipped with a power generation device as described in Technical Details 3.

[0162] [Hydroponic cultivation system] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of a power generation device (system) according to the present invention and a hydroponic cultivation system as a supply destination system.

[0163] According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 11, the power generation device 2 (power generation system 1) previously described with reference to Fig. 1 supplies electricity, heat, nitrogen gas, hydrogen gas, water (pure water), and carbon dioxide gas to the hydroponic cultivation system 9. Incidentally, the power generation device 2 of this embodiment includes a rainwater recovery unit 43, which will be described later, in addition to the various constituent units shown in Fig. 1.

[0164] This hydroponic cultivation system 9 is (9a) A hydroponic cultivation unit 91 including a cultivation table 911 that enables hydroponic cultivation of plants such as medicinal herbs and vegetables, and an LED lighting device 912 as a photosynthetic light source; (9b) a purification unit 93 and a nitrogen fixation unit 92; (9c) fertilizer unit 94 and It is equipped with:

[0165] Of these, hydroponic cultivation unit 91 is (9a1) generating a carbon dioxide-rich environment suitable for plant growth using the carbon dioxide gas received from the power generation device 2; (9a2) In that environment, the water required for cultivation in the cultivation table 911 is obtained by using the water supplied from the power generation device 2. (9a3) Using the heat received from the power generation device 2, the air temperature and the water temperature in the carbon dioxide-rich environment and the cultivation water are controlled to be suitable for plant growth; (9a4) The LED lighting device 912 is driven by the power supplied from the power generation device 2, and illumination light having a wavelength band and intensity change suitable for the growth of the target plant is realized.

[0166] The nitrogen fixation unit 92 receives nitrogen gas (or off-gas) from the power generation device 2, and fixes the nitrogen content in the nitrogen gas by using hydrogen gas, electricity, and heat supplied from the power generation device 2. Specifically, in accordance with the known Haber Bosch process, the nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas can be heated to high temperature (about 400 to about 600°C) and high pressure (about 200 to about 400 atm) by using both electricity and heat supplied from the power generation device 2, and reacted under a catalyst such as an iron (Fe)-based catalyst to produce ammonia (NH3).

[0167] Conventionally, this nitrogen fixation process was not an easy process to carry out because it required not only a large amount of nitrogen and hydrogen but also a large amount of energy, including the production of hydrogen gas from fossil fuels. However, according to this embodiment, not only the raw materials for nitrogen fixation but also the large amount of energy required can be prepared in a lump or batch in the form of electricity and heat and provided to the nitrogen fixation unit 92, so that this nitrogen fixation process can be carried out more easily.

[0168] Incidentally, the hydrogen gas used in the nitrogen fixation unit 92 is not limited to that produced in the electrolysis unit 42, and may be, for example, hydrogen gas separated from the off-gas of the fuel cell unit 3 by the hydrogen removal unit 32 (FIG. 1) or hydrogen gas produced in the gas reforming unit 31 (FIG. 1). Of course, the hydrogen gas may be obtained from a hydrogen tank in which these types of hydrogen gas are collectively stored.

[0169] The purification unit 93 also collects excrement from people and animals that have ingested medicines and foods, including medicinal herbs and vegetables, cultivated in the hydroponic cultivation unit 91, and generates raw materials for fertilizer production in the fertilizer production unit 94. Furthermore, the fertilizer production unit 94 obtains ammonia and fertilizer raw materials from the nitrogen fixation unit 92 and the purification unit 93, respectively, and produces nitrogen fertilizer, potassium fertilizer, and phosphate fertilizer under a known fertilizer cycle.

[0170] Incidentally, if seawater is available, the fertilizer unit 94 may obtain potassium from the seawater to produce potash fertilizer. Also, if igneous rock is available, it is possible to produce potash fertilizer or phosphate fertilizer using potassium and phosphate contained in the igneous rock.

[0171] These manufactured fertilizers may be sold as products, or may be supplied to the cultivation table 911 while automatically adjusting the amount of the fertilizer. In the cultivation table 911, cultivation water is generated using the supplied fertilizer and water supplied from the power generation device 2 as raw materials. Incidentally, this water can also be supplied by dripping it from above the cultivation table 911 as artificial rain in the hydroponic cultivation unit 91, for example.

[0172] In addition, the cultivation stand 911 may use the power supplied from the power generation device 2 to drive the movement device of the cultivation bed 911a, and move the cultivation bed 911a up and down in accordance with the water level of the cultivation water and the growth degree of the target plant. This maintains a cultivation water environment suitable for growth, and prevents, for example, root rot. Such adjustment of the vertical position of the cultivation bed 911a is also effective when cultivating medicinal herbs of root vegetables and vegetables. For example, liquorice (kanzo) is a medicinal herb with high added value as an ingredient of Chinese herbal medicine, but its roots usually grow to 1m or more. Therefore, considerable effort is required for harvesting in soil cultivation, and the water level of the cultivation water is also a problem in hydroponic cultivation. Even with such liquorice, it is possible to easily harvest it after it has grown sufficiently by adjusting the position of the cultivation bed 911a in accordance with the growth of the roots.

[0173] Furthermore, as another embodiment, it is also possible to cultivate plankton or fish in an aquarium in the cultivation stand 911 or in a separately installed aquarium with a similarly regulated environment. For example, oxygen generated by cultivating a large amount of phytoplankton may be collected and stored in an oxygen tank provided in the power generation device 2, for example.

[0174] Here, (although already explained using FIG. 1), by using a carbon electrode as the positive electrode where oxygen gas is normally generated, the generated oxygen binds with the carbon of the electrode to generate carbon dioxide in the electrolysis unit 42 (electrolysis cell 421) shown in FIG. 11 as well. In this embodiment, this carbon dioxide is supplied to the hydroponic cultivation unit 91 to promote the growth of the target plant, but it is also possible to configure a recycle system in which the carbon consumed in the carbon electrode is replenished with carbon including carbon (such as starch) fixed by the grown plant.

[0175] Furthermore, the rainwater collection unit 43 of the power generation device 2 (power generation system 1) shown in FIG. 11 collects rainwater to utilize rain as a water resource, and stores it in a pure water tank (or a water tank) in the power generation device 2. (a) Using filters and ion exchange devices to make the water more pure, (b) Distillation using the heat of the electricity storage unit 51, (c) Adjusting the pH using ammonia produced in the nitrogen fixation unit 92 It is also preferable to store the water after adjusting its quality to a predetermined range by using a water supply.

[0176] Furthermore, the rainwater collection unit 43 may be installed, for example, on the roof of a high-rise building as a component of the power generation system 1. In this case, it is also preferable to allow the collected rainwater to fall through a water pipe toward a tank installed on the ground, install a micro-hydroelectric power generation device midway to generate power using the potential energy of the rainwater, and store the generated power in the power storage unit 51.

[0177] Various aspects that can be implemented in the system consisting of the power generation device 2 (power generation system 1) and the hydroponic cultivation system 9 have been described above with reference to Fig. 11. In any case, it will be understood that depending on the aspect, the power generation device 2 (power generation system 1) and the hydroponic cultivation system 9 present an aspect of a single artificial ecosystem.

[0178] Therefore, for example, if an energy and material cycle system that is independent of the external environment (to a certain extent or for a long period of time) is constructed using this invention, it will be possible to establish a production system for desired plants, etc., even in environments such as polar regions, isolated islands, deserts, and even outer space, satellites, planetary surfaces, etc. In any case, it will be possible to construct devices and systems that are efficient in terms of the generation and consumption of energy and materials.

[0179] The technical matters related to the hydroponic cultivation system 9 as described above can be summarized as follows. [Technical matter 1] A power generation device or system that supplies power required for cultivation to a cultivation device for cultivating a plant, a power generation unit including a fuel cell that generates the electric power using the supplied fuel and air and discharges water; A water supply unit that supplies at least a portion of the discharged water to the cultivation device or system; A power generation device or system comprising: [Technical matters 2] A cultivation system comprising the power generation device or system described in Technical Item 1 and the cultivation device, a nitrogen fixation unit that fixes nitrogen gas contained in exhaust gas discharged from the power generation unit; a fertilizer unit that uses the nitrides produced by fixation in the nitrogen fixation unit to produce fertilizer to be used in the cultivation device; The cultivation system further comprises: [Technical matter 3] A method for fixing nitrogen using a fuel cell that generates electricity using fuel and air and an electrolysis device that can electrolyze water or water vapor, comprising the steps of: obtaining nitrogen gas contained in exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell and hydrogen gas generated in the electrolysis device; using the electric power generated by the fuel cell to heat the nitrogen gas and the hydrogen gas to a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure; The nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas in this state are reacted in the presence of a specific catalyst. A method for fixing nitrogen comprising the steps of: [Technical matter 4] The nitrogen fixation method according to Technical Item 3, wherein the electrolysis device electrolyzes water or water vapor using electricity generated by a solar cell installed in advance, and generates the hydrogen gas.

[0180] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to supply to a destination device or system not only the electricity generated by a power generation unit (fuel cell unit) equipped with a fuel cell, but also the energy and materials required by the destination device or system, in a lump or batch manner.

[0181] Of course, the supply destination device or system is not limited to those described above. For example, a laser processing device or system that generates a processing laser by electric power and sprays nitrogen gas onto a workpiece during processing also falls under this supply destination device or system. According to the present invention, it is possible to easily meet the requirements of a supply destination device or system that requires at least a large amount of electric power and a large amount of nitrogen gas.

[0182] It should be noted that all of the above-described embodiments are illustrative of the present invention and are not limiting, and the present invention can be embodied in various other modified and altered forms. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0183] 1. Power generation system 2. Power generation equipment 20 Control section 3 Fuel cell unit (power generation section) 30 fuel cells 31 Gas Reforming Unit 32 Hydrogen Removal Unit 33, 33' Oxygen removal unit 34 Heat Exchange Unit 35, 35' distributor 351 Oxygen concentration measurement sensor 36 Air Filter 37 Inverter 38 Nitrogen Tank 41 Solar cell unit 421 Electrolysis Cell 422, 422' Parabolic reflector 423, 423' Heat absorption tube 42 Electrolysis Unit 43 Rainwater harvesting unit 51 Energy storage unit 52 Heat storage unit 53 Thermoelectric power generation unit 6. Convenience Stores 61, 65 Flyer 611, 651 Oil tank 612, 652 Heater 613, 653, 682, 731 heat exchange tube 614 Temperature Controller 614a Temperature Sensor 615, 723 Power Lines 621, 654, 681 Nitrogen supply pipe 622 Blower 623 Cooler 631, 655 Hydrogen supply pipe 641 Conveyor 656 Power regulator 68 Showcase 683 Heating lamp 69 High temperature water supply device 71 Atmosphere Furnace 711 Mixer / Distributor 712 Nitrogen / hydrogen supply pipe 721 Roller Hearth 722 Roller hearth control section 8. Hospital 9. Hydroponic Cultivation System 91 Hydroponic Cultivation Unit 911 Cultivation stand 911a Cultivation bed 912 LED lighting equipment 92 Nitrogen Fixation Unit 93 Purification Unit 94 Composting Unit

Claims

1. A gas generator for generating a non-oxidizing gas to be supplied to a destination of the non-oxidizing gas, comprising: a hydrogen gas generating unit that electrolyzes water vapor at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure to generate hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure; a power generation unit including a fuel cell that receives hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure, generates electricity using a fuel containing the received hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure and a gas containing oxygen, and discharges exhaust gas; a heat transfer unit that transfers heat generated when generating the electric power to the hydrogen gas generation unit; an inert gas supply unit that converts at least a portion of the exhaust gas into a gas having a reduced or substantially zero oxygen content to generate the non-oxidizing gas; It is equipped with The water vapor having a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure that is electrolyzed by the hydrogen gas generating unit is water (H 2 O), and the water vapor is heated by heat generated when generating the electric power and transferred to the hydrogen gas generating unit by the heat transfer unit. A gas generating device characterized by:

2. The gas generating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the fuel cell is a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC).

3. The gas generating apparatus further includes a solar cell unit having a solar cell and a heat exchange means capable of transferring generated heat to the outside, The gas generating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hydrogen gas generating unit electrolyzes water vapor whose temperature has been raised by heat generated when generating the electricity and whose temperature has also been raised by heat from the heat exchange means, using at least the electricity generated by the solar cell.

4. 1. A gas generation system for generating a non-oxidizing gas to be supplied to a destination of the non-oxidizing gas, comprising: a hydrogen gas generating unit that electrolyzes water vapor at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure to generate hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure; a power generation unit including a fuel cell that receives hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure, generates electricity using a fuel containing the received hydrogen gas at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure and a gas containing oxygen, and discharges exhaust gas; a heat transfer unit that transfers heat generated when generating the electric power to the hydrogen gas generation unit; an inert gas supply unit that converts at least a portion of the exhaust gas into a gas having a reduced or substantially zero oxygen content to generate the non-oxidizing gas; It is equipped with The water vapor having a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure that is electrolyzed by the hydrogen gas generating unit is water (H 2 O), and the water vapor is heated by heat generated when generating the electric power and transferred to the hydrogen gas generating unit by the heat transfer unit. A gas generating system comprising:

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