Liquefied fluid manufacturing equipment
A compact liquefied fluid production device uses heat exchange with liquefied hydrogen to produce nitrogen and oxygen on-site, addressing the cost and space issues of large-scale facilities, achieving cost-effective and efficient production.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2021209131
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-12-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-30
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-12-23
Smart Images

Figure 0007808957000001 
Figure 0007808957000002 
Figure 0007808957000003
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a liquefied fluid. [Background technology]
[0002] For example, hydrogen gas may be used as an energy source in power generation facilities installed inside various factories. When large amounts of hydrogen gas are used for various purposes, not limited to such power generation purposes, it is generally transported in the form of liquefied hydrogen stored in an insulated storage tank or insulated container from a gas plant that produces liquefied gas to a plant that uses the hydrogen gas, where it is stored appropriately and used as room-temperature hydrogen gas after heat exchange with the atmosphere or water in an evaporator.
[0003] As described above, when liquefied hydrogen is subjected to heat exchange with the atmosphere or water, the cold generated by the heat exchange is generally lost without being utilized, or may be utilized for purposes such as cooling a gas turbine for power generation or for indoor air conditioning (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0004] The above-mentioned bulk transport of liquefied hydrogen is expected to increase further in the future, depending on the applications at various factories.
[0005] Similarly to hydrogen gas, nitrogen gas and oxygen gas, which are used in large quantities in factories, are generally transported from industrial gas manufacturing plants, etc., to factories, etc., where the gas is used, in the form of liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen stored in insulated storage tanks or insulated containers, and are then stored appropriately before use. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-021433 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0007] On the other hand, transporting large quantities of liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen from an industrial gas production plant to a factory or the like that uses the gas involves transportation costs, as with hydrogen gas, and also increases production costs.
[0008] Therefore, for example, at a factory or other location where liquefied hydrogen is used (on-site), it is conceivable that the liquefied hydrogen could be vaporized by heat exchange to obtain hydrogen gas, and the cold energy generated when the temperature is returned to room temperature could be effectively utilized to produce liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen using air as a raw material. In this way, by producing liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen at the site of gas use by utilizing the cold energy generated by heat exchange with liquefied hydrogen, it is possible to eliminate the transportation costs of liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen and to significantly reduce production costs.
[0009] However, liquefied nitrogen and liquefied oxygen production facilities, which consist of large cryogenic air separation units with rectification columns, such as those found in industrial gas production plants, have the problem of being extremely expensive to install and requiring a large amount of space.
[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a liquefied fluid production device that does not require large equipment such as a rectification column, has a small and simple configuration, can be operated on-site in a factory or the like that uses industrial gas, and is capable of producing liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen by effectively utilizing the cold energy generated during heat exchange with liquefied hydrogen. [Means for solving the problem]
[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following aspects. That is, the invention according to claim 1 comprises a liquefied hydrogen storage tank, a liquefied hydrogen discharge line for discharging liquefied hydrogen from the liquefied hydrogen storage tank, a first liquefied nitrogen storage tank, a liquefied nitrogen discharge line for discharging liquefied nitrogen from the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank, a first heat exchange means for exchanging heat between the liquefied hydrogen discharged in the liquefied hydrogen discharge line and the liquefied nitrogen discharged in the liquefied nitrogen discharge line, an air compressor, a second heat exchange means for exchanging heat between the liquefied nitrogen discharged from the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank and compressed air discharged from the air compressor between the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank and the first heat exchange means in the liquefied nitrogen discharge line, and liquefied air obtained by cooling the compressed air in the second heat exchange means. a condenser into which low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the gas-liquid separation tank and low-purity oxygen gas discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank are introduced; a liquefied oxygen storage tank for storing the liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the condenser; a liquefied oxygen storage tank for storing the liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the condenser; a liquefier that receives the liquefied oxygen discharged from the liquefied oxygen storage tank and cooled by a cooling means, and condenses the oxygen by achieving gas-liquid equilibrium between the liquefied oxygen, the low-purity nitrogen gas discharged from the upper part of the condenser, and the low-purity nitrogen gas discharged from the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tank; and third heat exchange means for exchanging heat between the nitrogen gas discharged from the liquefier and supercooled liquefied nitrogen cooled by the first heat exchange means.
[0012] The invention of claim 2 is a liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that it further has a second liquefied nitrogen storage tank for storing the liquefied nitrogen cooled by the third heat exchange means.
[0013] The invention of claim 3 is a liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises a gas-liquid mixing means for mixing the low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the gas-liquid separation tank with the low-purity oxygen gas discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank.
[0014] The invention of claim 4 is a liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has a gas-liquid separation means in the gas-liquid separation tank that separates the liquefied air into gas and liquid after the compressed air is cooled and liquefied by the second heat exchange means.
[0015] The invention of claim 5 provides a hydrogen storage system including a liquefied hydrogen storage tank, a liquefied hydrogen outlet line for discharging liquefied hydrogen from the liquefied hydrogen storage tank, an air compressor, a fifth heat exchange means for exchanging heat between compressed air discharged from the air compressor and the liquefied hydrogen discharged in the liquefied hydrogen outlet line, a gas-liquid separation tank for storing liquefied air obtained by cooling the compressed air by the fifth heat exchange means, a condenser into which low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from a lower portion of the gas-liquid separation tank and low-purity oxygen gas discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank are introduced, and a lower portion of the condenser a liquefied oxygen storage tank for storing liquefied oxygen delivered from the condenser; a liquefier that receives the liquefied oxygen delivered from the liquefied oxygen storage tank and cooled by a cooling means, and condenses the oxygen by achieving gas-liquid equilibrium between the liquefied oxygen and the low-purity nitrogen gas delivered from the upper part of the condenser and the low-purity nitrogen gas delivered from the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tank; and sixth heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the nitrogen gas delivered from the liquefier and the supercooled liquefied air cooled by the fifth heat exchanger.
[0016] The invention of claim 6 is a liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that it further has a second liquefied nitrogen storage tank for storing the liquefied nitrogen cooled by the sixth heat exchange means.
[0017] The invention of claim 7 is the liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a gas-liquid mixing means for mixing the low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the gas-liquid separation tank with the low-purity oxygen gas discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank.
[0018] The invention of claim 8 is a liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that it has a gas-liquid separation means in the gas-liquid separation tank that separates the liquefied air into gas and liquid after compressed air is cooled and liquefied by the fifth heat exchange means. [Effects of the Invention]
[0019] By adopting the above-described configuration, the liquefied fluid production apparatus according to the present invention does not require large facilities such as a rectification column, and can be operated on-site in a factory that uses industrial gases, etc., with a small and simple configuration. Furthermore, by producing liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen by effectively utilizing the cold energy generated during heat exchange with liquefied hydrogen, transportation costs are eliminated and significant power savings are achieved, thereby reducing the production costs of liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram for explaining a liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the manufacturing apparatus. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a liquefied fluid production apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic cutaway view for explaining the liquefaction action of a liquefier provided in the production apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the manufacturing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] An apparatus for producing a liquefied fluid according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The drawings used in the following description may show characteristic portions enlarged for ease of understanding, and the dimensional proportions of the components may not be the same as those in reality. Furthermore, the materials exemplified in the following description are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to them. Appropriate modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.
[0022] First Embodiment The liquefied fluid production apparatus of the first embodiment will be specifically described below by giving an example of its overall configuration and operation method.
[0023] [Overall configuration of liquefied fluid manufacturing equipment] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the manufacturing apparatus) 1 of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a liquefier 11 provided in the manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, which is a diagram that simply explains the liquefaction action of the liquefier 11.
[0024] The manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment produces hydrogen gas used as energy on-site in, for example, power generation facilities installed inside various factories by exchanging heat with liquefied hydrogen. Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment produces liquefied nitrogen and liquefied oxygen by using the cold energy generated when liquefied hydrogen is vaporized by heat exchange and the obtained hydrogen gas is returned to room temperature.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is roughly configured to include a liquefied hydrogen storage tank 2, a liquefied hydrogen discharge line F1, a first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3, a liquefied nitrogen discharge line F2, a first heat exchanger (first heat exchange means) 4, an air compressor 5, a second heat exchanger (second heat exchange means) 6, a gas-liquid separation tank 7, a condenser 8, a liquefied oxygen storage tank 9, a cooler (cooling means) 10, a liquefier 11, and a third heat exchanger (third heat exchange means) 12.
[0026] The liquefied hydrogen storage tank 2 stores liquefied hydrogen LH2 produced at a gas production plant or the like, and is composed of, for example, a vacuum double-structure insulated storage tank into which liquefied hydrogen LH2 contained in an insulated storage tank or insulated container (not shown) can be injected through an inlet (not shown). A liquefied hydrogen output line F1 that outputs liquefied hydrogen LH2 from the liquefied hydrogen storage tank 2 is connected to the liquefied hydrogen storage tank 2, and in the illustrated example, the other end of the liquefied hydrogen output line F1 is connected to a first heat exchanger 4, the details of which will be described later.
[0027] The liquefied hydrogen storage tank 2 has a vacuum double structure to minimize evaporation of the liquefied hydrogen due to heat intrusion. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the liquefied hydrogen storage tank 2, but a stainless steel material that is resistant to hydrogen embrittlement can be appropriately selected and used. The size of the liquefied hydrogen storage tank 2 can also be set appropriately taking into account the amount of liquefied hydrogen LH2 that can be stored.
[0028] The first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3 stores liquefied nitrogen LN2 therein, and in the illustrated example, liquefied nitrogen LN2 is introduced from a second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13, the details of which will be described later, via a liquefied nitrogen line F3. The first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3 also outputs liquefied nitrogen LN2 via a liquefied nitrogen output line F2 toward a second heat exchanger 6, the details of which will be described later.
[0029] As with the liquefied hydrogen tank 2, the first liquefied nitrogen tank 3 is not particularly limited in terms of material, and for example, a vacuum double-walled heat-insulating tank made of stainless steel may be appropriately adopted. The size of the first liquefied nitrogen tank 3 may also be appropriately set taking into consideration the capacity of liquefied nitrogen LN2 to be stored.
[0030] The liquefied nitrogen LN2 stored in the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3 has a ratio (concentration) of, for example, about 99% N2 and about 1% Ar.
[0031] In addition, a valve V4 for controlling the flow of liquefied nitrogen LN2 introduced from the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 to the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3 is provided in the path of the liquefied nitrogen line F3.
[0032] The first heat exchanger 4 exchanges heat between the liquefied hydrogen LH2 discharged through the liquefied hydrogen discharge line F1 and the liquefied nitrogen LN2 discharged through the liquefied nitrogen discharge line F2. A supercooled liquefied nitrogen introduction line F7 is connected to one outlet side of the first heat exchanger 4, which is in communication with a nitrogen gas line F6, which will be described in detail later, for introducing cooled liquefied nitrogen LN2 into a third heat exchanger 12, which will be described later. A temperature detector TD3 is provided in the path of this supercooled liquefied nitrogen introduction line F7 for measuring the temperature of the liquefied nitrogen LN2 supercooled in the first heat exchanger 4.
[0033] Furthermore, a hydrogen gas outlet line F9 for discharging hydrogen gas GH2 toward a location of use within a factory is connected to the other outlet side of the first heat exchanger 4, which is in communication with the liquefied hydrogen outlet line F1. In the path of this hydrogen gas outlet line F9, a temperature detector TD1 for measuring the temperature of the hydrogen gas GH2 vaporized by heat exchange in the first heat exchanger 4, a valve V1 for controlling the flow of the hydrogen gas GH2, and a hydrogen gas tank 17 for adjusting the flow rate of the hydrogen gas GH2 are provided, in this order from the first heat exchanger 4 side. Of these, the hydrogen gas tank 17 functions as a buffer for maintaining a constant supply pressure of the hydrogen gas GH2, and is composed of a tank equipped with a pressure gauge PD1.
[0034] The first heat exchanger 4 is not particularly limited, and any heat exchanger generally used in this field can be used without any restrictions.
[0035] The air compressor 5 generates compressed air (Air) by compressing atmospheric air (air) taken in from the outside, and for example, a general compressor is used. The air compressor 5 takes in air from an air inlet (not shown), compresses the air using a rotary compression mechanism consisting of an impeller, etc., to generate compressed air Air, and delivers the compressed air Air to the second heat exchanger 6 described later via a compressed air inlet line F4.
[0036] In the example shown in FIG. 1, an adsorber 14, an air tank 15, a control valve CV5, and a fourth heat exchanger 16 are provided in this order from the air compressor 5 side between the air compressor 5 and the second heat exchanger 6 in the compressed air introduction line F4.
[0037] The adsorber 14 adsorbs moisture and carbon dioxide contained in the compressed air generated by the air compressor 5, and is composed of, for example, a conventionally known adsorbent, filter, etc. that are generally used for industrial purposes.
[0038] The air tank 15 functions as a buffer that keeps the supply pressure of the compressed air Air generated by the air compressor 5 constant, and is composed of a tank equipped with a pressure gauge PD4.
[0039] The control valve CV5 controls the flow rate of compressed air Air introduced into the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the second heat exchanger 6, which will be described later, and is implemented by a conventionally known electromagnetic valve or the like.
[0040] The fourth heat exchanger 16 preliminarily exchanges heat with the compressed air (Air) before it is introduced into the second heat exchanger 6 to cool it. In the fourth heat exchanger 16 in the illustrated example, the compressed air Air introduced through the compressed air introduction line F4 is cooled by heat exchange, and this compressed air Air is introduced into the second heat exchanger 6 via the compressed air introduction line F4.
[0041] The fourth heat exchanger 16 shown in the figure is configured to receive high-purity liquefied oxygen extracted from the gas-liquid separation tank 7 (details of which will be described later) and exchange heat with compressed air (Air) introduced from the air compressor 5. Specifically, the fourth heat exchanger 16 is connected to a low-purity liquefied oxygen outlet line F10, which introduces low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 from the gas-liquid separation tank 7 (details of which will be described later). The low-purity liquefied oxygen outlet line F10 is further configured to introduce the low-purity oxygen gas HGO2 extracted from the gas-liquid separation tank 7 and subjected to heat exchange in the fourth heat exchanger 16 into a condenser 8 (details of which will be described later). A control valve CV7 for controlling the flow rate of the low-purity oxygen gas HGO2 and a gas-liquid mixer 85 are provided between the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the condenser 8, in this order from the fourth heat exchanger 16 side.
[0042] The fourth heat exchanger 16 is not particularly limited, as is the first heat exchanger 4, and any heat exchanger generally used in this field can be used without any restrictions.
[0043] The second heat exchanger 6 is located between the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3 and the first heat exchanger 4 in the liquefied nitrogen discharge line F2, and performs heat exchange between the liquefied nitrogen LN2 discharged from the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3 and the compressed air Air discharged from the air compressor 5.
[0044] A nitrogen gas line F6 is connected to one outlet side of the second heat exchanger 6, which is in communication with the liquefied nitrogen outlet line F2, for introducing the nitrogen gas GN2 heated by heat exchange into the first heat exchanger 4. In the path of this nitrogen gas line F6, a temperature detector TD2 for measuring the temperature of the nitrogen gas GN2 heated in the second heat exchanger 6 and a control valve CV2 for controlling the flow rate of the nitrogen gas GN2 are provided in this order from the second heat exchanger 6 side.
[0045] Furthermore, a liquefied air introduction line F5 is connected to the other outlet side of the second heat exchanger 6, which is in communication with the compressed air introduction line F4, for introducing the liquefied air LAir, which is liquefied by cooling the compressed air Air through heat exchange, into the gas-liquid separation tank 7, the details of which will be described later. A temperature detector TD4 is provided in the path of this liquefied air introduction line F5 for measuring the temperature of the liquefied air LAir liquefied in the second heat exchanger 6.
[0046] As with the first heat exchanger 4, the second heat exchanger 6 is not particularly limited, and any heat exchanger generally used in this field can be used without any restrictions.
[0047] The gas-liquid separation tank 7 stores liquefied air LAir obtained by cooling and liquefying the compressed air Air in the second heat exchanger 6. Specifically, a liquefied air inlet line F5 is connected to the top of the gas-liquid separation tank 7 for introducing liquefied air L Air into the tank. A low-purity liquefied oxygen outlet line F10 is connected to the bottom of the gas-liquid separation tank 7 for extracting low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 after gas-liquid separation. Furthermore, in the illustrated example, a low-purity liquefied oxygen inlet line F11 is connected to the bottom of the gas-liquid separation tank 7 for introducing the low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 after gas-liquid separation into a condenser 8 (described below). A control valve CV8 is provided in the low-purity liquefied oxygen inlet line F11 for controlling the flow rate of the low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2.
[0048] The gas-liquid separation tank 7 in the illustrated example is also provided with a liquid level sensor LD2 for detecting the liquid level of the low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 therein, and a pressure gauge PD5 for detecting the pressure inside the tank. Furthermore, a low-purity nitrogen gas discharge line F12 for discharging the low-purity nitrogen gas HGN2 after gas-liquid separation to the outside is connected to the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tank 7. A valve V6 for controlling the discharge amount of the low-purity nitrogen gas HGN2 from the gas-liquid separation tank 7 is provided in the route of the low-purity nitrogen gas discharge line F12.
[0049] The gas-liquid separation tank 7 in the illustrated example is further provided with a gas-liquid separator (gas-liquid separating means) 75. This gas-liquid separator 75 separates the liquefied air L Air, which is obtained by cooling and liquefying the compressed air Air in the second heat exchanger 6 within the gas-liquid separation tank 7, into gas and liquid, and introduces the liquefied air L Air into the gas-liquid separation tank 7 in this state.
[0050] A low-purity nitrogen gas inlet line F15 is connected to the top of the gas-liquid separation tank 7 for introducing the low-purity nitrogen gas HGN2 after gas-liquid separation into a liquefier 11, the details of which will be described later. A control valve CV12 for controlling the flow rate of the low-purity nitrogen gas HGN2 and a pressure gauge PD3 for measuring the internal pressure of the liquefier 11, which is provided downstream, are provided in the route of this low-purity nitrogen gas inlet line F15.
[0051] Condenser 8 receives low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 discharged from the lower part of gas-liquid separation vessel 7 and low-purity oxygen gas HGO2 discharged from gas-liquid separation vessel 7 and vaporized through heat exchange in fourth heat exchanger 16. In the illustrated example, low-purity oxygen gas inlet line F26 and low-purity liquefied oxygen inlet line F11 are connected to gas-liquid mixer 85, and after the low-purity oxygen gas HGO2 and low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 are mixed in this gas-liquid mixer 85, low-purity oxygen is introduced in a gas-liquid two-phase flow state into the lower part of condenser 8 through mixed fluid inlet line F22 connected to gas-liquid mixer 85.
[0052] Furthermore, a nitrogen gas merging line F17 is connected to the top of the condenser 8 for merging the nitrogen gas GN2 with the low-purity nitrogen gas introduction line F15 described above. A liquefied oxygen introduction line F13 for introducing liquefied oxygen LO2 into a liquefied oxygen storage tank 9 (described later) is connected to the bottom plate at the bottom of the condenser 8. A valve V11 for controlling the flow rate of the liquefied oxygen LO2 is provided in the path of this liquefied oxygen introduction line F13. The condenser 8 is also provided with a liquid level sensor LD4 for detecting the liquid level of the liquefied oxygen LO2 inside. Furthermore, the condenser 8 is connected to a liquefied oxygen dropping line F18 for introducing liquefied oxygen LO2 liquefied in a liquefier 11 described below into the inside.
[0053] The liquefied oxygen storage tank 9 is connected to the above-mentioned liquefied oxygen introduction line F13, and thereby stores the liquefied oxygen LO2 that is discharged from the lower part of the condenser 8. In addition, the liquefied oxygen storage tank 9 is connected to a liquefied oxygen introduction line F14 for introducing liquefied oxygen LO2 into a cooler 10, which will be described later.
[0054] The liquefier 11 is supplied with liquefied oxygen LO2 that has been extracted from the liquefied oxygen storage tank 9 and stored in the cooler 10, and condenses oxygen O2 by achieving gas-liquid equilibrium between the liquefied oxygen LO2 and the low-purity nitrogen gas HGN2 extracted from the top of the condenser 8 and the low-purity nitrogen gas HGN2 extracted from the top of the gas-liquid separation tank 7.
[0055] 1, the liquefier 11 is connected to the above-mentioned low-purity nitrogen gas introduction line F15, and is also connected to a cooling line F19 through which liquefied oxygen LO2 circulates between the liquefier 11 and the cooler 10. In addition, a nitrogen gas line F16 is connected to the outlet side of the nitrogen gas GN2 in the liquefier 11 for introducing this nitrogen gas GN2 into the third heat exchanger 12. In addition, the liquefier 11 is connected to a liquefied oxygen drip line F18 for causing the liquefied oxygen LO2 liquefied inside to fall toward the condenser 8 and for introducing it into the condenser 8, as described above.
[0056] As shown in the example of FIG. 2, liquefier 11 has an uneven cross section and is made up of a stacked structure of three plate fins 11A, 11B, and 11C that are spaced apart and arranged approximately parallel to each other. That is, liquefied oxygen LO2 stored in the cooler 10 is introduced into the gap between plate fins 11A and 11B so as to rise from the bottom to the top, and low-purity nitrogen gas HGN2 is introduced into the gap between plate fins 11B and 11C so as to rise from the bottom to the top. As a result, heat exchange occurs with plate fin 11B as the boundary, oxygen O2 is condensed in the gap between plate fin 11B and plate fin 11C, and the liquefied oxygen LO2 falls downward and is introduced into condenser 8 via liquefied oxygen drip line F18.
[0057] Liquefaction device 11 has a large heat exchange area relative to the size of the components by adopting a configuration consisting of plate fins 11A, 11B, and 11C with the uneven cross section described above. This allows for excellent heat exchange efficiency with a simple and compact configuration, making it possible to effectively liquefy oxygen.
[0058] Furthermore, the liquefied oxygen LO2 introduced into the gap between the plate fins 11A and 11B is vaporized by heat exchange to become oxygen gas GO2, and is introduced into the cooler 10 again. Here, the cooler 10 is not particularly limited, but for example, a drum-type cooler can be used. 1 also includes a liquid level sensor LD3 that detects the liquid level of liquefied oxygen LO2 inside, and a pressure gauge PD6 that detects the internal pressure. Furthermore, an oxygen gas discharge line F20 for discharging oxygen gas GO2 to the outside is connected to the top of the cooler 10. A valve V10 for controlling the discharge amount of oxygen gas GO2 is provided in the path of this oxygen gas discharge line F20.
[0059] The third heat exchanger 12 exchanges heat between the nitrogen gas GN2 delivered from the liquefier 11 and the supercooled liquefied nitrogen OLN2 cooled by the first heat exchanger 4. Specifically, the third heat exchanger 12 receives nitrogen gas GN2 from the liquefier 11 via the nitrogen gas line F16 and exchanges heat with the supercooled liquefied nitrogen OLN2 introduced via the above-mentioned supercooled liquefied nitrogen introduction line F7. As a result, the nitrogen gas GN2 introduced from the liquefier 11 is cooled to generate liquefied nitrogen LN2, which is introduced into the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 via the liquefied nitrogen line F27. In addition, the liquefied nitrogen LN2 introduced via the supercooled liquefied nitrogen introduction line F7 and which has exchanged heat with the nitrogen gas GN2 is introduced into the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 via the liquefied nitrogen line F8.
[0060] Similarly to the first heat exchanger 4 and the second heat exchanger 6, the third heat exchanger 12 is not particularly limited, and any heat exchanger generally used in this field can be used without any restrictions.
[0061] The second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 is cooled by the third heat exchanger 12 and stores the liquefied liquefied nitrogen LN2. As described above, the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 is connected to the third heat exchanger 12 via the liquefied nitrogen line F8 and the liquefied nitrogen line F27. In addition, as described above, the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 is connected to the liquefied nitrogen line F3 for introducing the liquefied nitrogen LN2 stored therein into the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3.
[0062] The liquefied nitrogen LN2 stored in the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 has the same ratio (concentration) as the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3, for example, N2: about 99% and Ar: about 1%.
[0063] 1, the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 is provided with a liquid level sensor LD1 that detects the liquid level of the liquefied nitrogen LN2 stored therein. The second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 is also provided with a pressure gauge PD2 that measures the internal pressure. Furthermore, a nitrogen gas discharge line F21 for discharging the nitrogen gas GN2 remaining inside is connected to the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13. A valve V3 for controlling the discharge amount of the nitrogen gas GN2 is provided in the path of this nitrogen gas discharge line F21.
[0064] Although not shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a control unit that adjusts each control valve and opens and closes each valve based on detection signals input from the above-mentioned temperature detectors, liquid level sensors, and pressure gauges.
[0065] [Method of operating a liquefied fluid production apparatus] Next, an example of the method of operating the above-mentioned manufacturing apparatus 1 under the following operating conditions will be described. The manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can be operated, for example, according to the procedures and conditions shown in (1) to (19) below.
[0066] (1) First, for example, when hydrogen gas GH2 is used for purposes such as power generation equipment in a factory, the pressure P1 in the hydrogen gas tank 17 measured by the pressure gauge PD1 drops.
[0067] (2) When the pressure P1 in the hydrogen gas tank 17 drops to a preset pressure (for example, 0.13 MPa), the control unit (not shown) opens the valve V1, and liquefied hydrogen LH2 is introduced into the first heat exchanger 4.
[0068] (3) When the outlet temperature T1 of the first heat exchanger 4 detected by the temperature detector TD1 falls below a predetermined temperature (e.g., 0°C), the control unit opens the control valve CV2 installed in the path of the nitrogen gas line F6.
[0069] (4) The control valve CV2 installed in the path of the nitrogen gas line F6 controls the flow rate of the nitrogen gas GN2 so that the outlet temperature T3 of the first heat exchanger 4 detected by the temperature detector TD3 becomes a preset temperature (e.g., -200°C) by the control unit.
[0070] (5) Liquefied nitrogen LN2 is introduced from the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3 to the second heat exchanger 6 via the liquefied nitrogen discharge line F2, and when the outlet temperature T2 of the second heat exchanger 6 detected by the temperature detector TD2 becomes lower than a predetermined temperature (e.g., 0°C), the control unit opens the control valve CV5 installed in the path of the compressed air introduction line F4.
[0071] (6) The control valve CV5 has its opening controlled by the control unit so that the outlet temperature T4 of the second heat exchanger 6 detected by the temperature detector TD4 becomes a preset temperature (for example, −172° C.).
[0072] (7) The compressed air (Air) introduced from the air compressor 5 to the second heat exchanger 6 via the compressed air introduction line F4 is partially liquefied in the second heat exchanger 6 to become liquefied air (LAir), which is then introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank 7, which has a vacuum double structure, via the liquefied air introduction line F5 and the gas-liquid separator 75.
[0073] (8) The pressure P5 in the gas-liquid separation tank 7 measured by the pressure gauge PD5 is maintained at a preset pressure (for example, 0.22 MPa) by the control unit controlling the opening and closing of the valve V6.
[0074] (9) The control unit controls the opening of the control valve CV7 provided in the path of the low-purity oxygen gas introduction line F26 and the control valve CV8 provided in the path of the low-purity liquefied oxygen introduction line F11 so that the liquid level L2 of the fluid in the gas-liquid separation tank 7 detected by the liquid level sensor LD2 becomes a predetermined height.
[0075] (10) When the control valve CV7 installed in the low-purity oxygen gas inlet line F26 opens, the fourth heat exchanger 16 exchanges heat between the low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 in the gas-liquid separation tank 7 and the compressed air (air) that is the raw air, and the low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 changes from a liquid to a gas (low-purity oxygen gas) at a temperature close to room temperature (for example, 10°C).
[0076] (11) The openings of the control valves CV7 and CV8 are programmed in the control unit at a preset opening ratio (for example, CV7:CV8=1:3) calculated to achieve an optimal gas-liquid mixture ratio, and the low-purity oxygen gas HGO2 and low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 are mixed in the gas-liquid mixer 85 and introduced into the condenser 8.
[0077] (12) The control valve CV12 installed in the path of the low-purity nitrogen gas introduction line F15 has its opening controlled by the control unit so that the pressure P3 inside the liquefier 11 measured by the pressure gauge PD3 becomes a preset pressure (e.g., 0.2 MPa).
[0078] (13) The cooler 10 and the liquefier 11 are designed and installed to be at the same height. The height of the liquid level L3 of the liquefied oxygen LO2 in the cooler 10 is managed by a liquid level sensor LD3 (for example, 2 / 3 of the internal height of the cooler 10), and when the liquid level L3 is below a set value, the valve V9 is open, and when the liquid level L3 is above the set value, the valve V9 is closed.
[0079] (14) The pressure P6 inside the cooler 10 measured by the pressure gauge PD6 is set to a constant low value in conjunction with the pressure inside the liquefier 11 measured by the pressure gauge PD3 (for example, P6 (MPa) = P3 (MPa) - 0.04 MPa).
[0080] (15) The pressure P6 inside the cooler 10 is maintained at a preset pressure (for example, 0.16 MPa) by the control unit controlling the opening and closing of the valve V10.
[0081] (16) The height of the liquid level L4 of the liquefied oxygen LO2 in the condenser 8, which is detected by the liquid level sensor LD4, is maintained at a constant height by the control unit controlling the opening and closing of the valve V11.
[0082] (17) The nitrogen gas GN2 discharged from the liquefier 11 is cooled in the third heat exchanger 12 by heat exchange with the supercooled liquefied nitrogen OLN2 discharged from the first heat exchanger 4, and becomes liquefied nitrogen LN2.
[0083] (18) The liquefied nitrogen LN2 discharged from the third heat exchanger 12 via the liquefied nitrogen line F8 and the liquefied nitrogen LN2 discharged via the liquefied nitrogen line F27 are both introduced into the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13.
[0084] (19) The pressure P2 in the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 measured by the pressure gauge PD2 is controlled at a preset pressure (for example, 0.15 MPa) during cycle operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1. On the other hand, when the cycle of the manufacturing apparatus 1 is stopped, the pressure P2 in the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 is increased by a self-pressurizing line (not shown), and the control unit opens the valve V4 provided in the path of the liquefied nitrogen line F3, thereby transferring liquefied nitrogen LN2 from the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 to the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3.
[0085] [Action and effect] The liquefied fluid production apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes the liquefier 11 described above, and by adopting a configuration that does not require large equipment such as a rectification column, a smaller, more space-saving, simpler, and less expensive apparatus can be realized. That is, the production apparatus 1 of this embodiment does not perform precise air separation like the rectification column provided in conventional liquefied fluid production apparatus, but performs air separation using the liquefier 11 with a simple configuration having a plate-fin heat exchanger configuration, making it possible to significantly reduce the size compared to conventional apparatuses. Therefore, the production apparatus 1 can be installed in, for example, a factory that uses industrial gas and operated on-site.
[0086] In addition, the cold energy generated when liquefied hydrogen LH2 is heat exchanged to obtain hydrogen gas GH2 can be effectively utilized to produce liquefied nitrogen LN2 and liquefied oxygen LO2. Therefore, compared to producing liquefied fluids at a gas plant and then transporting them to a gas-using plant, no transportation costs are incurred, significant power savings can be achieved, and the cost of producing liquefied fluids can be reduced. Furthermore, by using a configuration that does not use complex equipment, it is possible to realize a device that is easy to maintain and has a low frequency of failures. In addition, liquefied nitrogen (LN2) and liquefied oxygen (LO2) can be produced in accordance with the amount of cold energy required based on the amount of liquefied hydrogen (LH2) used within the factory, so even if there are fluctuations in the amount of liquefied hydrogen (LH2) consumed, it is possible to produce liquefied nitrogen (LN2) and liquefied oxygen (LO2) with excellent production efficiency.
[0087] In addition, since the system is configured to have separate storage tanks for liquefied nitrogen (LN2) and liquefied oxygen (LO2), the cold energy used in producing liquefied hydrogen (LH2) can be converted to generate each liquefied fluid, which can then be stored and preserved. Furthermore, since the gas-liquid mixer 85 is provided at the inlet of the liquefied oxygen LO2 and compressed air Air in the condenser 8, a significant improvement in the processing performance of the condenser 8 can be expected.
[0088] Furthermore, although not shown, for example, if a low-pressure column is provided in the flow path of the liquefied oxygen LO2, it becomes possible to produce high-purity liquefied oxygen LO2.
[0089] Furthermore, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, if a configuration is adopted in which a second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 is further provided in addition to the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3, it becomes possible to produce liquefied nitrogen LN2 with excellent production efficiency, for example, depending on the amount of liquefied nitrogen LN2 used in the factory.
[0090] In this embodiment, by providing a gas-liquid mixer 85 inside the gas-liquid separation tank 7, low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 and low-purity oxygen gas HGO2 can be effectively mixed and introduced into the condenser 8 in a gas-liquid two-phase flow state, making it possible to produce liquefied oxygen LO2 with excellent production efficiency.
[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gas-liquid separator 75 is provided inside the gas-liquid separation tank 7, so that the liquefied air LAir introduced from the second heat exchanger 6 is effectively separated into gas and liquid. This increases the efficiency of gas-liquid separation of the liquefied air LAir inside the gas-liquid separation tank 7, contributing to increased production efficiency of both liquefied nitrogen LN2 and liquefied oxygen LO2.
[0092] <Second embodiment> The liquefied fluid production apparatus of the second embodiment will be specifically described below by giving an example of its overall configuration and operation method. In the following description, the same components as those of the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 (and FIG. 2) will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.
[0093] [Overall configuration of liquefied fluid manufacturing equipment] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a liquefied fluid production apparatus 1A of this embodiment. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the liquefier 11 shown in FIG. 2 is used as the liquefier, similar to the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
[0094] As shown in FIG. 3, the production apparatus 1A of this embodiment is roughly configured to include a liquefied hydrogen storage tank 2, a liquefied hydrogen discharge line F1, an air compressor 5, a fifth heat exchanger (fifth heat exchange means) 4A, a gas-liquid separation tank 7, a liquefied oxygen storage tank 9, a cooler (cooling means) 10, a liquefier 11, and a sixth heat exchanger (sixth heat exchange means) 12A.
[0095] The manufacturing apparatus 1A of this embodiment differs from the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment in that it does not have a configuration equivalent to the second heat exchanger 6 shown in Fig. 1. The manufacturing apparatus 1A of this embodiment also differs from the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment in that it does not have the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank 3 shown in Fig. 1. Accordingly, the manufacturing apparatus 1A of this embodiment differs from the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment in that compressed air Air is cooled by the fifth heat exchanger 4A and the sixth heat exchanger 12A, and the liquefied air LAir is introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank 7.
[0096] The fifth heat exchanger 4A provided in the manufacturing apparatus 1A of this embodiment is configured to perform heat exchange between the compressed air Air discharged from the air compressor 5 and the liquefied hydrogen LH2 discharged in the liquefied hydrogen discharge line F1.
[0097] In addition, the sixth heat exchanger 12A provided in the manufacturing apparatus 1A of this embodiment is configured to perform heat exchange between the nitrogen gas GN2 derived from the liquefier 11 and the supercooled liquefied air OLAir cooled by the fifth heat exchanger 4A.
[0098] That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the manufacturing apparatus 1A of this embodiment, compressed air Air is generated by an air compressor 5 and cooled by heat exchange with low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank 7 in a fourth heat exchanger 16, and is introduced into a fifth heat exchanger 4A via a compressed air line F23.
[0099] The subcooled liquefied air OLAir cooled by heat exchange with liquefied hydrogen LH2 in the fifth heat exchanger 4A is introduced into the sixth heat exchanger 12A via the subcooled liquefied air line F24, and exchanges heat with nitrogen gas GN2 introduced into the sixth heat exchanger 12A from the liquefier 11 via the nitrogen gas line F16. The liquefied air LAair that has undergone heat exchange in the sixth heat exchanger 12A is introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank 7 via the liquefied air line F25 and the gas-liquid separator 75.
[0100] Other configurations of the manufacturing apparatus 1A of this embodiment are similar to those of the manufacturing apparatus 1 described in the first embodiment above.
[0101] [Method of operating a liquefied fluid production apparatus] Next, an example of the method of operating the above-mentioned manufacturing apparatus 1A under the following operating conditions will be described. The manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can be operated, for example, according to the procedures and conditions shown in (1) to (18) below.
[0102] (1) First, as in the first embodiment, when hydrogen gas GH2 is used for purposes such as power generation equipment in a factory, the pressure P1 in the hydrogen gas tank 17 measured by the pressure gauge PD1 drops.
[0103] (2) When the pressure P1 in the hydrogen gas tank 17 drops to a preset pressure (e.g., 0.13 MPa), the control unit (not shown) opens the valve V1, and liquefied hydrogen LH2 is introduced into the fifth heat exchanger 4A.
[0104] (3) When the outlet temperature T1 of the fifth heat exchanger 4A detected by the temperature detector TD1 falls below a preset temperature (e.g., 0°C), the control unit opens the control valve CV2 installed in the compressed air line F23, and compressed air Air is introduced into the fifth heat exchanger 4A.
[0105] (4) The compressed air Air introduced into the fifth heat exchanger 4A is cooled by heat exchange and liquefied to become supercooled liquefied air OLAir, and then slightly warmed in the sixth heat exchanger 12A to become a gas-liquid mixture.
[0106] (5) The control valve CV2 provided in the path of the compressed air line F23 controls the flow rate of the compressed air Air so that the outlet temperature T4 of the sixth heat exchanger 12A detected by the temperature detector TD4 becomes a preset temperature (e.g., −172°C) by the control unit.
[0107] (6) The liquefied air LAir in a gas-liquid mixed state discharged from the sixth heat exchanger 12A is introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank 7 having a vacuum double structure via the liquefied air line F25 and the gas-liquid separator 75.
[0108] (7) The pressure P5 in the gas-liquid separation tank 7 measured by the pressure gauge PD5 is maintained at a preset pressure (for example, 0.22 MPa) by the control unit controlling the opening and closing of the valve V6.
[0109] (8) The control unit controls the opening of the control valve CV7 provided in the path of the low-purity oxygen gas introduction line F26 and the control valve CV8 provided in the path of the low-purity liquefied oxygen introduction line F11 so that the liquid level L2 of the fluid in the gas-liquid separation tank 7 detected by the liquid level sensor LD2 becomes a predetermined height.
[0110] (9) When the control valve CV7 installed in the low-purity oxygen gas inlet line F26 opens, the fourth heat exchanger 16 exchanges heat between the low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 in the gas-liquid separation tank 7 and the compressed air (air) that is the raw air, and the low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 changes from a liquid to a gas (low-purity oxygen gas) at a temperature close to room temperature (for example, 10°C).
[0111] (10) The openings of the control valves CV7 and CV8 are programmed in the control unit at a preset opening ratio (for example, CV7:CV8=1:3) calculated to achieve an optimal gas-liquid mixture ratio, and the low-purity oxygen gas HGO2 and low-purity liquefied oxygen HLO2 are mixed in the gas-liquid mixer 85 and introduced into the condenser 8 in a gas-liquid two-phase flow state.
[0112] (11) The control valve CV12 installed in the path of the low-purity nitrogen gas inlet line F15 has its opening controlled by the control unit so that the pressure P3 inside the liquefier 11 measured by the pressure gauge PD3 becomes a preset pressure (e.g., 0.2 MPa).
[0113] (12) The cooler 10 and the liquefier 11 are designed and installed to be at the same height, as in the case of the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the height of the liquid level L3 of the liquefied oxygen LO2 in the cooler 10 is managed by a liquid level sensor LD3 (for example, 2 / 3 of the internal height of the cooler 10), and when the liquid level L3 is below a set value, the valve V9 is open, and when the liquid level L3 is above the set value, the valve V9 is closed.
[0114] (13) The pressure P6 inside the cooler 10 measured by the pressure gauge PD6 is set to a constant low value in conjunction with the pressure inside the liquefier 11 measured by the pressure gauge PD3 (for example, P6 (MPa) = P3 (MPa) - 0.04 MPa).
[0115] (14) The pressure P6 inside the cooler 10 is maintained at a preset pressure (for example, 0.16 MPa) by the control unit controlling the opening and closing of the valve V10.
[0116] (15) The height of the liquid level L4 of the liquefied oxygen LO2 in the condenser 8, which is detected by the liquid level sensor LD4, is maintained at a constant height by the control unit controlling the opening and closing of the valve V11.
[0117] (16) The nitrogen gas GN2 discharged from the liquefier 11 is cooled in the sixth heat exchanger 12A by heat exchange with the supercooled liquefied air OLAir discharged from the fifth heat exchanger 4A, and becomes liquefied nitrogen LN2.
[0118] (17) The liquefied nitrogen LN2 discharged from the sixth heat exchanger 12A via the liquefied nitrogen line F27 is introduced into the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13.
[0119] (18) The pressure P2 in the second liquefied nitrogen storage tank 13 measured by the pressure gauge PD2 is controlled at a preset pressure (for example, 0.15 MPa).
[0120] [Action and effect] According to the liquefied fluid production apparatus 1A of this embodiment, by being provided with the above-described configuration, the same actions and effects as those of the production apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, according to the manufacturing apparatus 1A of this embodiment, the fifth heat exchanger 4A is configured to perform heat exchange between liquefied hydrogen LH2 and compressed air Air, and to vaporize the liquefied hydrogen LH2 to generate hydrogen gas GH2, so the entire apparatus has a simple configuration, making it possible to further reduce the size and cost.
[0121] <Other aspects of the present invention> Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention as set forth in the claims. [Industrial Applicability]
[0122] The liquefied fluid production apparatus of the present invention does not require large equipment such as a rectification column, and has a small and simple configuration, allowing it to be operated on-site in factories that use industrial gases, and is capable of producing liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen by effectively utilizing the cold heat generated during heat exchange with liquefied hydrogen. Therefore, the liquefied fluid production apparatus of the present invention is extremely useful for, for example, on-site production of hydrogen gas used as energy in power generation facilities installed inside various factories by heat exchanging liquefied hydrogen, and for producing liquefied nitrogen or liquefied oxygen inside various factories. [Explanation of symbols]
[0123] 1, 1A... Liquefied fluid manufacturing equipment (manufacturing equipment) 2...Liquefied hydrogen storage tank 3...First liquid nitrogen storage tank 4...First heat exchanger (first heat exchange means) 4A...Fifth heat exchanger (fifth heat exchange means) 5...Air compressor 6...Second heat exchanger (second heat exchange means) 7…Gas-liquid separation tank 75... Gas-liquid separator (gas-liquid separation means) 8...Condenser 85…Gas-liquid mixer 9...Liquefied oxygen storage tank 10...Cooler 11...Liquifier 11A, 11B, 11C...Plate fins 12...Third heat exchanger (third heat exchange means) 12A...sixth heat exchanger (sixth heat exchange means) 13...Second liquid nitrogen storage tank 14...Adsorber 15...Air tank 16...Fourth heat exchanger 17...Hydrogen gas tank F1: Liquid hydrogen extraction line F2: Liquid nitrogen extraction line F3: Liquid nitrogen line F4...Compressed air introduction line F5...Liquefied air introduction line F6...Nitrogen gas line F7: Supercooled liquefied nitrogen introduction line F8: Liquid nitrogen line F9: Hydrogen gas extraction line F10: Low-purity liquefied oxygen extraction line F11: Low-purity liquid oxygen introduction line F12: Low-purity nitrogen gas discharge line F13: Liquid oxygen introduction line F14: Liquid oxygen introduction line F15: Low-purity nitrogen gas introduction line F16...Nitrogen gas line F17: Nitrogen gas confluence line F18: Liquid oxygen drip line F19…Cooling line F20: Oxygen gas discharge line F21...Nitrogen gas exhaust line F22: Mixed fluid introduction line F23…Compressed air line F24…Supercooled liquefied air line F25...Liquefied air line F26...Low purity oxygen gas introduction line F27...Liquid nitrogen line TD1, TD2, TD3, TD4...Temperature detectors PD1, PD2, PD3, PD4, PD5, PD6...Pressure gauges LD1, LD2, LD3, LD4...Liquid level sensors CV2, CV5, CV7, CV8...Control valves V1, V3, V4, V6, V9, V10, V11... Valves LH2...liquefied hydrogen GH2...hydrogen gas LN2...liquefied nitrogen OLN2: Supercooled liquefied nitrogen GN2: Nitrogen gas HGN2: Low-purity nitrogen gas LO2: Liquid oxygen HLO2: Low-purity liquefied oxygen GO2: Oxygen gas HGO2: Low-purity oxygen gas Air…Compressed air LAir...liquefied air OLAir: Supercooled liquefied air
Claims
1. a liquefied hydrogen storage tank; a liquefied hydrogen discharge line for discharging liquefied hydrogen from the liquefied hydrogen storage tank; a first liquefied nitrogen storage tank; a liquefied nitrogen discharge line for discharging liquefied nitrogen from the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank; a first heat exchange means for exchanging heat between the liquefied hydrogen discharged through the liquefied hydrogen discharge line and the liquefied nitrogen discharged through the liquefied nitrogen discharge line; An air compressor, a second heat exchange means, located between the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank and the first heat exchange means in the liquefied nitrogen discharge line, for exchanging heat between the liquefied nitrogen discharged from the first liquefied nitrogen storage tank and the compressed air discharged from the air compressor; a gas-liquid separation tank for storing liquefied air obtained by cooling the compressed air in the second heat exchange means; a condenser into which one low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the gas-liquid separation tank and another low-purity oxygen gas obtained by vaporizing the low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank through heat exchange are introduced; a liquefied oxygen storage tank for storing the liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the condenser; a liquefier that receives the liquefied oxygen that has been extracted from the liquefied oxygen storage tank and cooled by a cooling means, and that condenses oxygen by achieving gas-liquid equilibrium between the liquefied oxygen, the low-purity nitrogen gas extracted from an upper portion of the condenser, and the low-purity nitrogen gas extracted from an upper portion of the gas-liquid separation tank; a third heat exchange means for performing heat exchange between the nitrogen gas discharged from the liquefier and the supercooled liquefied nitrogen cooled by the first heat exchange means.
2. 2. The liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second liquefied nitrogen storage tank for storing the liquefied nitrogen cooled by the third heat exchange means.
3. 3. The liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gas-liquid mixing means for mixing the first low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the gas-liquid separation tank with the low-purity oxygen gas obtained by vaporizing the second low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank through heat exchange.
4. The liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the gas-liquid separation tank has a gas-liquid separation means for separating the liquefied air into gas and liquid after the compressed air is cooled and liquefied by the second heat exchange means.
5. a liquefied hydrogen storage tank; a liquefied hydrogen discharge line for discharging liquefied hydrogen from the liquefied hydrogen storage tank; An air compressor, a fifth heat exchange means for exchanging heat between the compressed air discharged from the air compressor and the liquefied hydrogen discharged through the liquefied hydrogen discharge line; a gas-liquid separation tank that stores liquefied air obtained by cooling the compressed air by the fifth heat exchange means; a condenser into which one low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the gas-liquid separation tank and another low-purity oxygen gas obtained by vaporizing the low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank through heat exchange are introduced; a liquefied oxygen storage tank for storing the liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the condenser; a liquefier that receives the liquefied oxygen that has been extracted from the liquefied oxygen storage tank and cooled by a cooling means, and that condenses oxygen by achieving gas-liquid equilibrium between the liquefied oxygen, the low-purity nitrogen gas extracted from an upper portion of the condenser, and the low-purity nitrogen gas extracted from an upper portion of the gas-liquid separation tank; a sixth heat exchange means for exchanging heat between the nitrogen gas discharged from the liquefier and the subcooled liquefied air cooled by the fifth heat exchange means.
6. 6. The liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a second liquefied nitrogen storage tank for storing the liquefied nitrogen cooled by the sixth heat exchange means.
7. 7. The liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a gas-liquid mixing means for mixing the one low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the lower part of the gas-liquid separation tank with the low-purity oxygen gas obtained by vaporizing the other low-purity liquefied oxygen discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank through heat exchange.
8. The liquefied fluid manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the gas-liquid separation tank has a gas-liquid separation means for separating the liquefied air into gas and liquid, the liquefied air being cooled by the sixth heat exchange means.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
JP1990116691U
Gas liquefaction device and method
JP2004132602A
Fluid separating device
JP2006250457A
Heat exchange equipment, power generation facility and heat exchange method
JP2020051674A
Liquefied gas vaporizer
JP2021021433A