Boiler

Abstract

Provided is a boiler that performs heating using a heat-emitting means in which a heat-emitting body is provided inside a container, the boiler making it possible to suitably fill a circulation path that includes the container as a portion thereof with a required gas. A boiler comprising a heat-emitting body, a container in the interior of which the heat-emitting body is provided and which can be filled with a gas having a high specific heat, and a circulation path that serves as a path in which the gas circulates and that includes the container as a portion thereof, the boiler being such that when a filling action to fill the circulation path with the gas is performed, the circulation amount in the circulation path and the concentration of the gas are monitored.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a boiler.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, boilers have been widely used for various applications including industrial and commercial use. In a boiler, a heat generating means for heating is provided, and as one form of this heat generating means, there is an example in which a heating element (reactant) having a plurality of metal nanoparticles made of a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy formed on its surface is provided inside a container.

[0003] In addition, various specific forms of such heat generating means can be cited. As an example, a heat generating body (reactant) having a plurality of metal nanoparticles made of a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy formed on its surface is provided inside a container, which is disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a heat generating system. According to Patent Document 1, in this heat generating system, it is described that hydrogen atoms are occluded in the metal nanoparticles by supplying a hydrogen-based gas contributing to heat generation into the container, and excess heat is generated.

[0004] As also described in Patent Document 1, there has been a report that a heat generating reaction occurred by providing a heat generating body made of palladium inside a container, supplying deuterium gas into this container, and heating the inside of the container. In addition, regarding the heat generating phenomenon of generating excess heat (output enthalpy higher than the input enthalpy) using a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy, the details of the mechanism of generating excess heat have been discussed among researchers in various countries, and it has been reported that the heat generating phenomenon has occurred.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In a boiler that performs heating by heating means provided with a heating element inside a container, for example, for the purpose of activating the movement of the gas inside the container and promoting heat transfer, it can be effective to fill a circulation path including a part of the inside of the container with the gas and circulate this gas. In particular, when the above reaction body is adopted as the heating element, from the viewpoint of promoting the reaction that generates excess heat, it is important to fill the circulation path with a hydrogen-based gas and circulate it.

[0007] As an operation for filling the circulation path with the necessary gas (hydrogen-based gas in the above example), for example, an operation of opening a bleed valve provided in the circulation path and supplying the necessary gas to the circulation path while circulating the gas in the circulation path can be mentioned. Thereby, it is possible to gradually replace the gas existing in the circulation path with the necessary gas and fill the circulation path with the necessary gas.

[0008] When performing such an operation, it is necessary to monitor the degree of filling of the necessary gas in the circulation path and continue the operation until it is appropriately filled. However, if there is a problem with this monitoring, it is difficult to appropriately fill the gas. For example, if the operation is interrupted at a stage where the supply of the necessary gas is still insufficient, the gas cannot be appropriately filled. On the other hand, if the operation is continued until the supply becomes excessive, not only will there be a wasteful supply, but there is also a risk that the startup time of the boiler will become longer than necessary.

[0009] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a boiler that performs heating by heating means provided with a heating element inside a container, and aims to be able to appropriately fill a circulation path including a part of the inside of the container with the necessary gas.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The boiler according to the present invention includes a heating element, a container in which the heating element is provided and that can be filled with a gas having a higher specific heat than air inside, and a circulation path that includes part of the inside of the container as a path through which the gas circulates. When a controller (control means) performs a filling operation of filling the circulation path with the gas, the circulation amount in the circulation path and the concentration of the gas are monitored.

[0011] According to this configuration, heating is performed by a heating means in which a heating element is provided inside the container, and it is possible to appropriately fill the circulation path that includes part of the inside of the container with the necessary gas. Here, the "circulation amount" refers to the flow rate of the gas (in the case where a plurality of gases are mixed, the mixed gas of these) circulating in the circulation path.

[0012] More specifically, as the above configuration, a device for exhausting the exhaust from the circulation path is provided, and as the filling operation, the gas is supplied to the circulation path while exhausting the exhaust. The controller may be configured to stop the exhaust when the circulation amount and the concentration satisfy a predetermined condition. Note that the "device for exhausting the exhaust" may include, for example, a bleed valve or a vacuum pump.

[0013] More specifically, as the above configuration, the controller may be configured to monitor the circulation amount based on the pressure difference between the downstream side and the upstream side of the heating element in the circulation path or a gas flow meter provided in the circulation path.

[0014] More specifically, as the above configuration, the gas is a hydrogen-based gas, the heating element is provided with metal nanoparticles made of hydrogen storage metals on the surface, and the metal nanoparticles are a reactant that occludes hydrogen atoms and generates excess heat. Note that the hydrogen-based gas in the present application refers to deuterium gas, light hydrogen gas, or a mixed gas thereof. Also, the "hydrogen storage metals" in the present application means hydrogen storage metals such as Pd, Ni, Pt, Ti, or a hydrogen storage alloy containing one or more of these.

[0015] More specifically, as the above configuration, the controller may be configured to fill the circulation path with purge gas prior to executing the filling operation. According to this configuration, it becomes possible to safely supply the hydrogen-based gas into the circulation path.

[0016] More specifically, as the above configuration, the controller may be configured to control the calorific value of the heating element based on the pressure of the steam supplied to the outside after the execution of the filling operation.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the boiler according to the present invention, heating is performed by a heating means provided with a heating element in a container, and it becomes possible to appropriately fill a necessary gas in a circulation path including a part of the inside of the container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] The boilers according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the respective drawings.

[0020] 1. First Embodiment First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a boiler 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in this figure, the boiler 1 includes a container 11, a reactant 12, a heater 13, a gas path 14, a flame arrester 14a, a purge gas corresponding valve 15a, a hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b, a gas pump 16, a gas filter 17, a relief valve 18, and a controller 50. In addition, the boiler 1 is provided with a separator pressure sensor 30, a first pressure sensor 31, and a second pressure sensor 32 as sensors for detecting pressure, and a first temperature sensor 41 and a second temperature sensor 42 as sensors for detecting temperature.

[0021] Note that the container 11 and its internal state in FIG. 1 (the same applies to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 described later) are represented as a schematic cross-sectional view when the container 11 is cut by a plane that generally bisects it, and the up-down, left-right directions (the up-down direction coincides with the vertical direction) are as shown in this figure. Also, the dashed-dotted line shown in FIG. 1 (the same applies to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7) schematically shows the arrangement of the heat transfer tube 22a.

[0022] The container 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape having bottoms at both upper and lower ends with the up-down direction as the axial direction when viewed as a whole, and is formed so that gas can be sealed inside. More specifically described, the container 11 has a cylindrical side wall 11a formed by a heat transfer tube 22a described later, the upper side of the side wall 11a is closed by an upper bottom 11b, and the lower side of the side wall 11a is closed by a lower bottom 11c. In this embodiment, as an example, the side wall 11a of the container 11 is cylindrical, but it may be formed in other cylindrical shapes. Also, a can body cover may be installed on the outer periphery of the side wall 11a, and a heat insulating material may be provided between the side wall 11a and the can body cover.

[0023] The reaction body 12 is configured by providing a large number of metal nanoparticles on the surface of a carrier that is entirely formed in a fine mesh shape. This carrier is applied with hydrogen storage alloys (hydrogen storage metals or hydrogen storage alloys) as the material, and is formed in a cylindrical shape having bottoms at both upper and lower ends with the vertical direction as the axial direction. The upper surface of the reaction body 12 is connected to the gas path 14, and it is possible to send the gas that has flowed into the reaction body 12 through the mesh-like gaps of the reaction body 12 into the gas path 14.

[0024] In the example of this embodiment, inside the container 11, three reaction bodies 12 are provided so as to be arranged in the left-right direction. Since the above-mentioned carrier is formed in a mesh shape, the reaction body 12 has a large number of holes (mesh-like gaps in the example of this embodiment) through which gas can permeate.

[0025] The heater 13 is spirally wound around the side surface of the reaction body 12 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and is formed to generate heat using the supplied electric power. As the heater 13, for example, a ceramic heater can be adopted. When the heater 13 generates heat, the reaction body 12 can be heated, and the temperature of the reaction body 12 can be raised to a predetermined reaction temperature at which a reaction for generating excess heat, which will be described later, is likely to occur. The controller 50 can adjust the temperature of the heater 13 by controlling the supply power to the heater 13.

[0026] The control of the supply power to the heater 13 by the controller 50 may be performed so as to bring the temperature of the heater 13 closer to the target value. For example, the controller 50 detects the temperature of the heater 13, and when this detected value is lower than the target value, the supply power to the heater 13 may be increased, and when this detected value is higher than the target value, the supply power to the heater 13 may be decreased.

[0027] The gas path 14 is provided outside the container 11 and forms a gas circulation path (hereinafter referred to as "circulation path S") that includes a part of the inside of the container 11. One end is connected to the upper surface of each reactant 12, and the other end is connected to the inside of the container 11. More specifically, each part of the gas path 14 connected to the upper surface of each reactant 12 merges inside the container 11, becomes a single path, penetrates the upper bottom 11b, and then further penetrates the lower bottom 11c through the gas pump 16 and the gas filter 17 in sequence, and is connected to the inside of the container 11.

[0028] The gas pump 16 has its rotation speed controlled by, for example, inverter control, and enables the gas in the gas path 14 to flow from the upstream side to the downstream side (that is, in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow in FIG. 1) at a flow rate corresponding to this rotation speed. Note that the controller 50 can adjust the circulation amount (circulation flow rate) of the gas in the circulation path S by controlling the rotation speed of the gas pump 16.

[0029] The control of the rotation speed by the controller 50 may be performed so as to bring the circulation amount of the gas in the circulation path S closer to the target value. For example, the controller 50 detects the circulation amount, and when this detected value is lower than the target value, it increases the rotation speed of the gas pump 16 to increase the circulation amount, and when this detected value is higher than the target value, it decreases the rotation speed of the gas pump 16 to decrease the circulation amount.

[0030] The gas filter 17 removes impurities contained in the gas in the gas path 14 (especially those that become factors inhibiting the reaction that generates excessive heat in the reactant 12). The separator 21 receives the steam generated when water is heated as it passes through the heat transfer tube 22a, and performs gas-liquid separation (separation of the drain contained in the steam) on this steam. The steam that has undergone gas-liquid separation in the separator 21 can be supplied outside the boiler 1.

[0031] The water path 22 is a path of water that connects from the water receiving part 23 to the separator 21. A part of the water path 22 is the heat transfer tube 22a that forms the side wall 11a described above. Also, in the middle of the water path 22, a water pump 24 is arranged at a position closest to the downstream side of the water receiving part 23. Among the water path 22, in the path upstream of the heat transfer tube 22a, the liquid water supplied from the water receiving part 23 flows, and in the path downstream of the heat transfer tube 22a (between the container 11 and the separator 21), the water (steam) heated and vaporized by the heat transfer tube 22a flows.

[0032] The water receiving part 23 is adapted to appropriately receive the supply of water that is the source of steam from the outside, and allows the supplied water to flow into the water path 22. The water pump 24 causes the water in the water path 22 to flow from the upstream side to the downstream side (that is, in the direction indicated by the solid line arrow in FIG. 1).

[0033] The heat transfer tube 22a extends spirally from the lower bottom part 11c toward the upper bottom part 11b so as to form the cylindrical side wall 11a of the container 11. That is, the heat transfer tube 22a extends spirally so as to advance in the axial direction (vertical direction) of the cylindrical side wall 11a without a gap between the portions of the heat transfer tubes 22a adjacent to each other vertically. In the example of this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the inner wall of the heat transfer tube 22a is a quadrangle, but it may be circular or other shapes.

[0034] The detector 25 can detect the presence or absence of danger factors such as flames and ignition sources in the container 11, and can also detect the concentrations of various gases (at least purge gas and hydrogen-based gas) in the container 11.

[0035] At a predetermined position upstream of the gas pump 16 in the gas path 14 (a position downstream of the second pressure sensor 32), a purge gas corresponding valve 15a and a hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b are connected in parallel via a frame arrester 14a. In the example shown in FIG. 1, only one purge gas corresponding valve 15a and one hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b are arranged, but for improving safety etc., a plurality of them may be arranged in series. Purge gas (nitrogen in the example of this embodiment) is supplied from an external supply source to the upstream side of the purge gas corresponding valve 15a. For example, when the purge gas is supplied from a tank in which the purge gas is stored in advance, this tank becomes the supply source of the purge gas.

[0036] On the other hand, hydrogen-based gas (deuterium gas, light hydrogen gas, or a mixed gas thereof) is supplied from an external supply source to the upstream side of the hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b. For example, when the hydrogen-based gas is supplied from a tank in which the hydrogen-based gas is stored in advance, this tank becomes the supply source of the hydrogen-based gas.

[0037] The opening and closing of the purge gas corresponding valve 15a and the hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b are controlled by the controller 50. When the purge gas corresponding valve 15a is in the open state, the purge gas is supplied to the gas path 14 via the purge gas corresponding valve 15a and the frame arrester 14a, but it is not supplied when the purge gas corresponding valve 15a is in the closed state. On the other hand, when the hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b is in the open state, the hydrogen-based gas is supplied to the gas path 14 via the hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b and the frame arrester 14a, but it is not supplied when the hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b is in the closed state.

[0038] A bleed valve 18 is connected to a predetermined position downstream of the gas filter 17 in the gas path 14. The opening and closing of the bleed valve 18 are controlled by the controller 50. When the bleed valve 18 is in the open state, the gas in the gas path 14 is exhausted, and when the bleed valve 18 is in the closed state, the exhaust is stopped. When the pressure in the gas path 14 is made lower than the atmospheric pressure, a vacuum pump or a vacuum valve may be applied instead of the bleed valve 18. These bleed valves, vacuum pumps, and vacuum valves are an example of a device that enables the exhaust from the circulation path S.

[0039] The separator pressure sensor 30 is a sensor that detects the pressure in the separator 21. In a situation where steam is generated, it continuously detects the pressure of the steam supplied from the separator 21 to the outside (hereinafter referred to as "steam pressure"). Note that, with respect to the amount of steam (steam load) required from the outside, in a situation where the supply amount of steam from the boiler 1 is large, the detected value (the value of the steam pressure) of the separator pressure sensor 30 becomes high, and conversely, in a situation where the supply amount of steam from the boiler 1 is small, the detected value of the separator pressure sensor 30 becomes low.

[0040] The first pressure sensor 31 is a sensor that detects the pressure inside the container 11, and the second pressure sensor 32 is a sensor that detects the pressure inside the gas path 14 at a predetermined position (a position upstream of the gas pump 16). In the following description, the pressure value detected by the separator pressure sensor 30 may be referred to as "pressure Ps", the pressure value detected by the first pressure sensor 31 may be referred to as "pressure P1", and the pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor 32 may be referred to as "pressure P2". Also, the first temperature sensor 41 is arranged to detect the temperature of the reactant 12, and the second temperature sensor 42 is arranged to detect the temperature inside the gas path 14. The detection information of these pressures and temperatures is sent to the controller 50.

[0041] The controller 50 includes an arithmetic processing unit and the like, acquires information such as various detected values, and appropriately controls each part of the boiler 1 based on the information. The specific control content by the controller 50 will become clear from the following description.

[0042] Next, the main operations of the boiler 1 will be described in order by dividing them into the normal operation, the start-up operation, and the shutdown operation.

[0043] <Normal operation> First, the normal operation of the boiler 1 will be described. At the start of the normal operation, the start-up operation described later is executed in advance, the circulation path S is filled with a hydrogen-based gas, and an appropriate amount of water is supplied to the water path 22.

[0044] The controller 50 drives the gas pump 16 and circulates the hydrogen-based gas filled in the circulation path S in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow in FIG. 1. At this time, inside the container 11, after the hydrogen-based gas flows into the inside through the mesh-like gaps (numerous holes) of the reactant 12, it is sent into the gas path 14 connected to the upper part of the reactant 12.

[0045] At the same time, the controller 50 drives the heater 13 to heat the reactant 12. In this way, when the reactant 12 is heated by the heater 13 with the hydrogen-based gas supplied inside the container 11, hydrogen atoms are occluded in the metal nanoparticles provided in the reactant 12, and the reactant 12 generates excess heat above the heating temperature by the heater 13. In this way, the reactant 12 functions as a heating element when the reaction for generating excess heat is performed. The principle of this reaction for generating excess heat is the same as, for example, the principle of the reaction for generating excess heat disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0046] When the hydrogen-based gas in the circulation path S passes through the gas filter 17, impurities are removed. Therefore, the highly pure hydrogen-based gas with impurities removed is continuously supplied into the container 11. Thereby, it is possible to stably supply a highly pure hydrogen-based gas to the reactant 12, maintain a state in which it is easy to induce the output of excess heat, and effectively heat the reactant 12.

[0047] Also, in parallel with the operation of heating the reactant 12 described above, the controller 50 drives the water pump 24 so that the water in the water path 22 flows in the direction indicated by the solid arrow in FIG. 1. When the water flowing in the water path 22 passes through the heat transfer tube 22a forming the side wall 11a of the container 11, it is heated by the heat generated by the reactant 12. That is, the heat generated by the reactant 12 is transmitted to the heat transfer tube 22a by convection (heat transfer), heat conduction, and radiation by the hydrogen-based gas in the container 11, and the water flowing through the inside thereof is heated by the heat transfer tube 22a that has become high temperature.

[0048] FIG. 2 schematically shows the flow path of water through the heat transfer tube 22a by solid arrows. As shown in this figure, the water that has entered the heat transfer tube 22a from the inlet α (the lowermost part of the heat transfer tube 22a) of the heat transfer tube 22a advances along the passage in the heat transfer tube 22a that extends in a spiral shape, and is discharged as steam from the outlet β (the uppermost part of the heat transfer tube 22a) of the heat transfer tube 22a toward the separator 21. At this time, the water passing through the heat transfer tube 22a receives heat from the heat transfer tube 22a (the side wall 11a of the container) heated by the heat generated by the reactant 12, and its temperature rises.

[0049] In this way, the water flowing through the water path 22 is heated when passing through the heat transfer tube 22a and its temperature rises, and finally becomes steam. This steam is sent into the separator 21, and after the dryness is increased by gas-liquid separation, it is supplied to the outside of the boiler 1.

[0050] The amount of steam supplied from the separator 21 to the outside can be adjusted according to, for example, the required amount of steam from the outside. Also, the controller 50 causes water to be sequentially supplied to the water receiving part 23 by the amount of steam supplied to the outside, that is, by the amount by which the water has decreased. Thereby, the boiler 1 can continuously generate steam and supply it to the outside.

[0051] Here, the heat generation amount of the reactant 12 varies depending on the temperature of the heater 13 and the circulation amount of the hydrogen-based gas. That is, the higher the temperature of the heater 13, the more the reaction that generates excess heat in the reactant 12 is promoted, and the heat generation amount of the reactant 12 increases. Also, the larger the circulation amount of the hydrogen-based gas, the more hydrogen-based gas in the container 11 acts on the reactant 12, the reaction that generates excess heat is promoted, and the heat generation amount of the reactant 12 increases. Further, the larger the heat generation amount of the reactant 12, the more the heating of the water in the heat transfer tube 22a is promoted, more steam is generated, and the steam pressure increases.

[0052] Utilizing this, the controller 50 controls the heat generation amount of the reactant 12 so that the vapor pressure becomes appropriate (so that the pressure Ps falls within a preset appropriate range). More specifically, the controller 50 continuously acquires information on the pressure Ps (the detected value of the vapor pressure) and monitors whether this detected value falls within the appropriate range. This appropriate range is preferably set appropriately in advance according to the specifications of the boiler 1, the steam load, etc.

[0053] And when the detected value exceeds the appropriate range, the controller 50 adjusts to lower the temperature of the heater 13 and adjusts to decrease the circulation amount of the hydrogen-based gas. By executing these adjustments, the heat generation amount of the reactant 12 decreases, and the vapor pressure decreases and approaches the appropriate range. On the other hand, when the detected value is below the appropriate range, the controller 50 adjusts to raise the temperature of the heater 13 and adjusts to increase the circulation amount of the hydrogen-based gas. By executing these adjustments, the heat generation amount of the reactant 12 increases, and the vapor pressure increases and approaches the appropriate range. By such feedback control, it is possible to maintain the vapor pressure within the appropriate range.

[0054] Note that the temperature adjustment of the heater 13 can be realized by appropriately changing the power supplied to the heater 13. Also, the adjustment of the circulation amount of the hydrogen-based gas can be realized by appropriately changing the rotation speed of the gas pump 16. As described above, the controller 50 adjusts both items of the temperature of the heater 13 and the circulation amount of the hydrogen-based gas according to the pressure Ps. Thereby, it is possible to control the heat generation amount of the reactant 12 by changing both items in a well-balanced manner. However, depending on various circumstances, instead of adjusting both of the above items, only one of the items may be adjusted. Also, it may be arbitrarily set which of these items to adjust.

[0055] <Operation start operation> Next, the operation start operation of the boiler 1 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3.

[0056] When an operation for starting the operation of the boiler 1 (for example, a predetermined switch operation) is performed, the controller 50 causes water to be supplied from the outside to the water receiving portion 23 and supplies water to the water path 22 until the water level reaches a specified value (step S1). Thereby, an appropriate amount of water can be supplied to the heat transfer tube 22a before the heat transfer tube 22a becomes high temperature due to the heat of the reactant 12.

[0057] Furthermore, the controller 50 determines whether or not the pressure Ps is equal to or less than a predetermined standby value Z (step S2). The standby value Z is set to about 0.8 MPa, for example. When the pressure Ps exceeds the standby value Z, steam supply from the boiler 1 to the outside is unnecessary, and the operation for steam supply should be in a standby state.

[0058] If the pressure Ps is equal to or less than the standby value Z (Yes in step S2), next, the controller 50 checks for abnormalities inside the container 11 (step S3). Note that the check for the presence or absence of abnormalities inside the container 11 (the presence or absence of risk factors such as flames and ignition sources) is performed based on the detection information of the detector 25. If there is an abnormality, the controller 50 may temporarily stop the operation start operation and notify the outside (for example, the administrator of the boiler 1) that there is an abnormality.

[0059] If there is no abnormality inside the container 11, next, the controller 50 causes purging in the circulation path S with the purge gas to be performed (step S4). More specifically, the controller 50 opens the purge gas corresponding valve 15a so that the purge gas is supplied into the gas path 14.

[0060] Thereafter, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the supply of the purge gas, or when the concentration of the purge gas (the value detected by the detector 25) exceeds the specified value, it is considered that the purging has been sufficiently performed, and the controller 50 closes the purge gas corresponding valve 15a. Thereby, the purging process is completed. In this way, by filling the circulation path S with the purge gas prior to the operation of step S5 described later, it becomes possible to safely supply the hydrogen-based gas into the circulation path S.

[0061] Next, the controller 50 starts driving the heater 13 and supplying the hydrogen-based gas into the circulation path S (step S5). More specifically, the controller 50 supplies power to the heater 13 and opens the hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b so that the hydrogen-based gas is supplied into the gas path 14. Note that the power supply to the heater 13 is performed to such an extent that the heater 13 is maintained at a predetermined temperature (a temperature at which safety can be ensured and which is lower than that during normal operation) until the operation of step S9 described later is performed.

[0062] In parallel with the supply of the hydrogen-based gas into the circulation path S, the controller 50 monitors whether or not the pressure P1 has reached a specified value or more (step S6). When the specified value is reached, it is considered that the gas pump 16 is in an appropriately available state, and the controller 50 opens the bleed valve 18 and starts driving the gas pump 16 (step S7). Thereby, the circulation of the gas in the circulation path S is promoted. In this way, by supplying the hydrogen-based gas into the circulation path S with the bleed valve 18 open, it is possible to fill the circulation path S with the hydrogen-based gas while gradually discharging the purge gas from the bleed valve 18. This operation corresponds to the filling operation according to the present invention.

[0063] Thereafter, the controller 50 monitors whether both the circulation amount V1 in the circulation path S and the concentration V2 of the hydrogen-based gas in the circulation path S satisfy predetermined reference conditions (step S8). The circulation amount V1 is the circulation amount of the gas in the circulation path S (in the situation where the hydrogen-based gas and the purge gas are mixed, this is the mixed gas of these), and the concentration V2 is the concentration of the hydrogen-based gas in the gas in the circulation path S and can be detected by the detector 25.

[0064] In this embodiment, the first and second pressure sensors 31 and 32 are used to determine that the circulation volume V1 satisfies the reference conditions when the difference between the pressure P2 and the pressure P1 becomes equal to or greater than a specified value. The difference between the pressure P2 and the pressure P1 corresponds to the pressure difference between the downstream side (upstream side of the gas pump 16) and the upstream side (downstream side of the gas pump 16) of the reactant 12 in the circulation path S. This pressure difference is greatly affected by the pressure loss in a large number of holes of the reactant 12, and becomes larger as the circulation volume in the circulation path S increases.

[0065] Since the pressure difference is thus closely related to the circulation volume V1, it is possible to monitor the circulation volume V1 by monitoring the pressure difference. However, a gas flow meter may be installed in the circulation path S, and the circulation volume V1 may be monitored by monitoring the detected value of the gas flow meter instead of the difference between the pressures P2 and P1. In this case, it may be determined that the circulation volume V1 satisfies the reference conditions when the detected value of the gas flow meter becomes equal to or greater than a specified value. Regarding the concentration V2, it is determined that the reference conditions are satisfied when the concentration of the hydrogen-based gas detected by the detector 25 becomes equal to or greater than a specified value.

[0066] As described above, in this embodiment, when performing the filling operation of filling the hydrogen-based gas in the circulation path S, both the circulation volume V1 and the concentration V2 are monitored. Therefore, from the viewpoints of both the absolute amount and the ratio, it is possible to accurately determine whether the hydrogen-based gas is appropriately filled in the circulation path S, and it is possible to supply the hydrogen-based gas with as little excess or deficiency as possible.

[0067] When both the circulation amount V1 and the concentration V2 become equal to or greater than the specified values (Yes in step S8), almost no purge gas remains in the circulation path S, and it is considered that the hydrogen-based gas is sufficiently filled. The controller 50 closes the bleed valve 18 (step S9). Thus, in the present embodiment, as the filling operation, while exhausting from the circulation path S, the hydrogen-based gas is supplied to the circulation path S, but when the circulation amount V1 and the concentration V2 satisfy the above reference conditions, the exhaust is stopped. Thereby, the filling operation for filling the hydrogen-based gas in the circulation path S is completed, and thereafter, in the boiler 1, the operation of the normal operation described above is performed.

[0068] In the present embodiment, in the operation of step S5, when starting the supply of the hydrogen-based gas into the circulation path S, the driving of the heater 13 is also started, so that the startup time of the boiler 1 can be shortened. However, when it is difficult to ensure safety when driving the heater 13 while the hydrogen-based gas is being filled, or when the temperature of the reactant 12 can be increased sufficiently quickly by the heater 13, the driving of the heater 13 may be started after the operation of step S9.

[0069] <Operation stop operation> The boiler 1 performing the operation of the normal operation described above enters a stopped state through a predetermined operation stop operation when stopping the operation. Examples of the situation for stopping the operation include when the pressure Ps exceeds the standby value Z described above. The operation stop operation of the boiler 1 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4.

[0070] First, the controller 50 stops driving the heater 13 (step S21). Further, the controller 50 closes the hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 15b to stop the supply of hydrogen-based gas into the gas path 14 (step S22). After that, the controller 50 opens the bleed valve 18 to perform purging in the circulation path S with the purge gas (step S23). More specifically, the controller 50 opens the purge gas corresponding valve 15a to supply the purge gas into the gas path 14. Thereby, the supply of the purge gas into the circulation path S and the exhaust through the bleed valve 18 are performed simultaneously, and the hydrogen-based gas existing in the circulation path S is gradually replaced with the purge gas.

[0071] When a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the supply of the purge gas, or when the concentration of the purge gas (the value detected by the detector 25) exceeds a specified value, it is considered that the purging has been sufficiently performed, and the controller 50 closes the purge gas corresponding valve 15a. Thereby, the purging process is completed. After that, the controller 50 stops driving the gas pump 16 (step S24), and thereby the boiler 1 is in a state where the operation has stopped.

[0072] When restarting the operation of the boiler 1 after stopping the operation, the above-described operation start operation may be performed again. However, in the boiler 1 at this time, since the purging in the circulation path S has been completed in the previous operation stop operation and the water that has been supplied remains in the water path 22, the operations in step S1 and step S4 in the operation start operation may be omitted.

[0073] 2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment except for the form of the heating element and related points. In the following description, emphasis will be placed on the description of matters different from the first embodiment, and the description of matters common to the first embodiment may be omitted.

[0074] FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the boiler 2 in the second embodiment. In the boiler 1 of the first embodiment, the reactant 12 was adopted as the heating element, but in the second embodiment, a general heating element 12a is adopted instead. Here, the heating element 12a is, for example, a halogen heater that generates heat when power is supplied. Also, for the sake of convenience, the shape and dimensions of the heating element 12a are assumed to be the same as those of the reactant 12. When applying the heating element 12a as the heating body, it is not necessary to generate excess heat as in the first embodiment, and since there is no need for something corresponding to the heater 13, its installation is omitted. Also, the upstream end of the gas path 14 in the second embodiment is connected to the upper bottom 11b instead of the heating element 12a and is connected to the space inside the container 11.

[0075] In the boiler 2, the heat transfer tube 22a is heated by the heat emitted from the heating element 12a instead of the reactant 12, and the water passing through the heat transfer tube 22a will have its temperature rise as heat is transferred from the heat transfer tube 22a (the side wall 11a of the container). Also, in this form, the reaction for generating the excess heat described above is not necessary, and by directly controlling the temperature of the heating element 12a through power control, the water can be appropriately heated to generate steam.

[0076] Also, in the boiler 2, the controller 50 can control the calorific value of the heating element 12a (heating body) by adjusting the power supplied to the heating element 12a. Therefore, the controller 50 in the second embodiment controls the calorific value of the heating element 12a so that the steam pressure becomes appropriate. More specifically, the controller 50 continuously acquires information on the pressure Ps (the detected value of the steam pressure) and monitors whether this detected value is within the appropriate range.

[0077] When the detected value exceeds the appropriate range, the controller 50 adjusts to lower the temperature of the heating element 12a. By executing this adjustment, the calorific value of the heating element 12a decreases, and the steam pressure drops and approaches the appropriate range. On the other hand, when the detected value is below the appropriate range, the controller 50 adjusts to raise the temperature of the heating element 12a. By executing this adjustment, the calorific value of the heating element 12a increases, and the steam pressure rises and approaches the appropriate range. In this way, it is possible to control the calorific value of the heating element 12a so that the steam pressure becomes appropriate.

[0078] Also in the second embodiment, it is possible to execute the same operation start operation (steps S1 to S9) and operation stop operation (steps S21 to S24) as in the first embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, instead of starting the drive of the heater 13 in step S5, the drive of the heating element 12a may be started, and instead of performing the operation of step S21, the drive of the heating element 12a may be stopped.

[0079] 3. Others The boilers 1 and 2 of each embodiment described above include a heating element and a container 11 in which this heating element is provided, and heat the supplied water (an example of a fluid) to generate steam. Further, in each of the boilers 1 and 2, there is provided a heat transfer tube 22a that is heated by the heat generated by the heating element in an environment where a gas having a higher specific heat than air (hydrogen-based gas in the example of this embodiment) fills the inside of the container 11, and the water (the water that becomes the source of steam) passing through the heat transfer tube 22a is heated. For example, under the conditions of 200°C and 1 atm, the specific heat of air is about 1,026 J / Kg°C, while the specific heat of hydrogen is about 14,528 J / Kg°C, which is much higher than the specific heat of air. Also, as the heating element, the reactor 12 is adopted in the boiler 1, and the heating element 12a is adopted in the boiler 2.

[0080] According to each of the boilers 1 and 2, although steam is generated by heating water by heating means provided with a heating element inside the container 11, the heat generated by the heating element can be efficiently transferred to the water. As a result, the heat generated by the heating element can be efficiently transferred to the water that is the source of the steam.

[0081] Furthermore, since the inside of the container 11 is filled with a gas having a higher specific heat than air, heat transfer is better compared to the case where the container is filled with ordinary air, and the heat generated by the heating element can be efficiently transferred to the water that is the source of the steam. Also, since the specific heat is high, the temperature of the gas hardly fluctuates, and heat can be transferred to the water more stably.

[0082] Also, since the heat transfer pipe 22a forms the entire circumference of the cylindrical side wall 11a, the heat generated by the heating element can be efficiently transferred to the water that is the source of the steam. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the heat transfer pipe 22a is arranged surrounding the heating element, it covers almost all regions of the entire circumference of the side wall 11a, and the heat generated by the heating element can be transferred to the water that is the source of the steam as efficiently as possible without waste. In each of the above embodiments, the heat transfer pipe extends in a spiral shape and is arranged surrounding the heating element, but the form of surrounding the heating element is not limited to this. For example, a form in which a plurality of heat transfer pipes extending in the vertical direction surround the heating element may be adopted.

[0083] Also, in each of the above embodiments, the side wall 11a for sealing the gas in the container 11 is formed by the heat transfer pipe 22a. Instead, the side wall 11a may be provided separately from the heat transfer pipe 22a, and the heat transfer pipe 22a may be provided inside this side wall 11a. Even in this case, in an environment where the inside of the container 11 is filled with a gas having a higher specific heat than air, the heat transfer pipe 22a can be heated by the heat generated by the heating element. Also, in this case, the heat transfer pipe 22a does not need to serve as the side wall 11a, but it is preferable that there is a gap between the portions of the heat transfer pipes 22a adjacent to each other vertically so that the heat transfer pipe 22a can receive more heat from the heating element.

[0084] Also, in each of the boilers 1 and 2, in the circulation path S (the circulation path formed by the inside of the container 11 and the gas path 14), the gas is circulated. As a result, it is expected that the movement of the gas in the container 11 is activated, and heat transfer from the gas to the side wall 11a becomes more effective. In the boiler 2, since a reaction that generates excessive heat is not required, a gas other than a hydrogen-based gas may be employed as the gas having a higher specific heat than the air described above.

[0085] Also, each of the boilers 1 and 2 is provided with a controller 50 that controls the calorific value of the heating element, so that water can be appropriately heated according to various situations. In particular, in each of the above-described embodiments, since the calorific value is controlled based on the steam pressure (the pressure of the steam supplied to the outside), it is easy to control the calorific value so as to optimize the steam pressure. However, the control of the calorific value of the heating element according to the present invention is not limited to the control based on the steam pressure, and may be control based on various other information.

[0086] In each of the above-described embodiments, water that is the source of steam is caused to flow through the water path 22 including the heat transfer pipe 22a. Instead, a heat medium Y may be caused to flow through a heat medium path including the heat transfer pipe, and the water that is the source of steam may be heated using this heat medium Y. A schematic configuration diagram of the boiler configured in this way is illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0087] In the boiler 1a shown in Fig. 6, a heat medium path 40 is provided instead of the water path 22, and a heat exchanger 60 is provided instead of the separator 21. The heat exchanger 60 has a part of the heat medium path 40 through which the heat medium Y flows, and receives water supply from the outside (supply of water that becomes the source of steam). Note that the heat medium Y circulates through the heat medium path 40 including the heat transfer tube 40a as shown by the solid line arrow in Fig. 6. The configuration and arrangement form of the heat transfer tube 40a are the same as those of the heat transfer tube 22a in the first embodiment. Thereby, it is possible to send the heat medium Y heated by the reactant 12 (heating element) to the heat exchanger 60, heat the supplied water with the heat medium Y to generate steam, and supply it to the outside. Note that the heat exchanger 60 may be configured not only to generate steam by heating water but also to generate hot water.

[0088] As the heat exchanger 60, for example, a plate type or shell and tube type heat exchanger may be employed, or various types of steam generators may be employed. As an example of this steam generator, it has a storage space for storing the supplied water and a tubular body through which the heat medium is disposed in the storage space, and the heat of the heat medium is transmitted to the stored water through the tubular body. In the boiler 1a shown in Fig. 6, a separator pressure sensor 30 is provided in the heat exchanger 60, and the controller 50 may control the calorific value of the heating element based on the steam pressure (pressure Ps) detected in the heat exchanger 60 in the same manner as in the case of the first embodiment.

[0089] Although the heat exchanger 60 is provided in the heat medium path 40 in the boiler 1a, by providing the side wall 11a that is not the heat transfer tube 22a instead of the heat medium path 40 including the heat transfer tube 22a and providing the heat exchanger 60 in the circulation path S, it is also possible to heat the water supplied to the heat exchanger 60 to generate steam. A schematic configuration diagram of the boiler 1b configured in this way is illustrated in Fig. 7. Note that the description may focus on the differences from the boiler 1a, and the description of common matters may be omitted.

[0090] In the boiler 1b shown in Fig. 7, the container 11 has a cylindrical side wall 11a on its side surface. The upper side of the side wall 11a is closed by the upper bottom 11b, and the lower side of the side wall 11a is closed by the lower bottom 11c. In the boiler 1b, as an example, the side wall 11a of the container 11 is cylindrical, but it may be formed in other cylindrical shapes. Also, a can body cover may be installed on the outer periphery of the side wall 11a, and a heat insulating material may be provided between the side wall 11a and the can body cover.

[0091] In the heat exchanger 60, a part of the gas path 14 is arranged, and it is configured such that water that becomes the source of steam is supplied. Thus, the heat exchanger 60 can heat the water to generate steam by exchanging heat between the gas in the gas path 14 and the supplied water, and supply the steam to the outside of the boiler 1b. Note that the heat exchanger 60 in the present embodiment is specified to generate steam by heating water, but instead, a heat exchanger that generates hot water by heating water may be adopted.

[0092] In the boiler 1b, the amount of steam supplied from the heat exchanger 60 to the outside may be adjustable based on the information of the detected value of the heat exchanger pressure sensor 33 that detects the pressure of the steam supplied to the outside (steam pressure). When the supply amount of steam from the heat exchanger 60 is large with respect to the required amount of steam (steam load) from the outside, the detected value of the heat exchanger pressure sensor 33 (the value of the steam pressure) becomes high. Conversely, when the supply amount of steam from the heat exchanger 60 is small, the detected value of the heat exchanger pressure sensor 33 becomes low. Therefore, when the detected value of the heat exchanger pressure sensor 33 is smaller than the appropriate value, the heat generation amount of the reactant 12 is increased to increase the steam generation amount, and when the detected value of the heat exchanger pressure sensor 33 is larger than the appropriate value, it can be realized by decreasing the heat generation amount of the reactant 12 to reduce the steam generation amount.

[0093] Incidentally, the calorific value of the reactant 12 can be controlled by adjusting the temperature of the heater 13 or the circulation rate of the gas described above. The higher the temperature of the heater 13 or the greater the circulation rate, the greater the calorific value of the reactant 12 can be increased. Further, in the heat exchanger 60, water is sequentially supplied by the amount of steam supplied to the outside, that is, by the amount of water decreased, and it is possible to continuously generate steam and supply it to the outside.

[0094] Also, in the boilers 1a and 1b, it is possible to execute the same operation start operation (Steps S1 to S9) and operation stop operation (Steps S21 to S24) as those in the first embodiment.

[0095] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. That is, the above embodiments should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, the boiler according to the present invention can be applied not only to a boiler that generates steam as in the above embodiment, but also to a hot water boiler, a heat medium boiler, and the like. The technical scope of the present invention is shown not by the description of the above embodiments but by the claims, and it should be understood that all modifications belonging to the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included.

Industrial Applicability

[0096] The present invention can be used for boilers for various applications.

Explanation of Signs

[0097] 1, 1a, 1b, 2 Boilers 11 Container 11a Side Wall 11b Upper Bottom 11c Lower Bottom 12 Reactant 12a Heating Element 13 Heater 14 Gas Path 14a Frame Arrester 15a purge gas corresponding valve 15b hydrogen-based gas corresponding valve 16 gas pump 17 gas filter 18 bleed valve 21 separator 22 water path 22a heat transfer tube 23 water receiving part 24 water pump 25 detector 30 separator pressure sensor 31 first pressure sensor 32 second pressure sensor 33 heat exchanger pressure sensor 40 heat medium path 40a heat transfer tube 41 first temperature sensor 42 second temperature sensor 50 controller 60 heat exchanger

Claims

1. A heating element, a container provided with the heating element therein and capable of being filled with a hydrogen-based gas therein, a circulation path including a part of the inside of the container as a path through which the gas circulates, and a controller that monitors the circulation amount in the circulation path and the concentration of the gas when performing a filling operation of filling the circulation path with the gas. The heating element, is a reactant in which metal nanoparticles made of hydrogen storage metals are provided on the surface, and hydrogen atoms are occluded in the metal nanoparticles to generate excess heat. The controller is characterized in that, prior to execution of the filling operation, the circulation path is filled with a purge gas. A boiler.

2. The boiler according to claim 1, wherein a device for exhausting the exhaust gas from the circulation path is provided, and as the filling operation, the gas is supplied to the circulation path while exhausting the exhaust gas. The controller is characterized in that the exhaust is stopped when the circulation amount and the concentration satisfy predetermined conditions. A boiler.

3. The controller according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the controller monitors the circulation amount based on a pressure difference between the downstream side and the upstream side of the heating element in the circulation path or a gas flow meter provided in the circulation path. Boiler.

4. The boiler according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the controller controls the calorific value of the heating element based on the pressure of the steam supplied to the outside after the execution of the filling operation. A boiler.

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