Hydrogen stations and refrigeration systems for hydrogen stations

Abstract

To provide a hydrogen station that can realize high energy efficiency by restraining the generation of boil-off gas in a liquid hydrogen supply pipe.SOLUTION: A hydrogen station comprises a liquid hydrogen supply pipe for supplying liquid hydrogen to a liquid hydrogen pump from a liquid hydrogen tank, and a refrigerator. The hydrogen station is configured so as to cool the liquid hydrogen supply pipe by using cold generated in the refrigerator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hydrogen station and a refrigeration system for a hydrogen station.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration of a hydrogen station for filling hydrogen into a fuel cell vehicle or the like. In this hydrogen station, liquid hydrogen supplied from a liquid hydrogen storage tank through a liquid hydrogen supply pipe is pressurized by a liquid hydrogen pump and supplied to an evaporator (vaporizer), and high-pressure hydrogen gas generated in the evaporator is supplied to a fuel cell vehicle or the like through a flow controller.

[0003] Also, in the hydrogen station described in Patent Document 1, before filling hydrogen into a fuel cell vehicle or the like, in order to pre-cool (precool) the liquid hydrogen supply pipe and the liquid hydrogen pump, liquid hydrogen is supplied from the liquid hydrogen storage tank to the liquid hydrogen supply pipe, the liquid hydrogen pump, and the vaporizer, and the low-temperature gas from the vaporizer is returned to the liquid hydrogen storage tank, thereby reducing the loss of hydrogen gas caused by the above precooling.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the hydrogen station described in Patent Document 1, the loss of hydrogen gas due to precooling of liquid hydrogen supply piping, etc., can be reduced. However, the liquid hydrogen supplied to the liquid hydrogen supply piping, etc., for precooling purposes vaporizes into hydrogen gas (boil-off gas). Therefore, in order to supply this boil-off gas to fuel cell vehicles, etc., it is necessary to compress the boil-off gas with a compressor separate from the liquid hydrogen pump. When compressing boil-off gas with a compressor, the compression power per mole of hydrogen tends to be higher than when compressing liquid hydrogen with a liquid hydrogen pump, which reduces the energy efficiency of the hydrogen station.

[0006] In view of the circumstances described above, at least one embodiment of this disclosure aims to provide a hydrogen station and a refrigeration system for a hydrogen station that can achieve high energy efficiency by suppressing the generation of boil-off gas in liquid hydrogen supply piping. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a hydrogen station according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure is A liquid hydrogen supply piping for supplying liquid hydrogen from a liquid hydrogen storage tank to a liquid hydrogen pump, Equipped with a refrigerator, The system is configured to cool the liquid hydrogen supply piping using the cold energy generated by the aforementioned refrigerator.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the refrigeration system for hydrogen stations according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure is A refrigeration system for a hydrogen station for cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping of a hydrogen station, Refrigeration unit, A heat exchange unit configured to cool hydrogen gas by heat exchange with the refrigerant of the aforementioned refrigerator, A cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe configured to supply the hydrogen gas cooled in the heat exchange section to the liquid hydrogen supply pipe, A cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe is configured to recover the hydrogen gas that has passed through the liquid hydrogen supply pipe and return it to the heat exchange section, It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a hydrogen station and a refrigeration system for a hydrogen station are provided that can achieve high energy efficiency by suppressing the generation of boil-off gas in the liquid hydrogen supply piping. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of a hydrogen station 2 according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 23. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing a refrigerator system 22A, which is an example of the configuration of the refrigerator system 22 described above. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a cross-sectional configuration of a liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 applicable to the refrigeration system 22A. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the relationship between the length L1 of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen pump 8 and the length L2 of the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing a refrigerator system 22B, which is an example of the configuration of the refrigerator system 22 described above. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a cross-sectional configuration of a liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 applicable to the refrigeration system 22B. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the relationship between the length L1 of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen pump 8 and the length L3 of the section in the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 where the pre-cooling line 62 is provided. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing a modified version of hydrogen station 2. [Figure 10]It is a schematic diagram for explaining the case where the heat exchange part 66 is provided in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55. [Figure 11] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the case where the heat exchange part 66 is provided in the pipe 51. [Figure 12] It is a schematic diagram for explaining a modified example of the refrigerator system 22A. [Figure 13] It is a schematic diagram showing another modified example of the hydrogen station 2. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram showing still another modified example of the hydrogen station 2.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, but are merely illustrative examples. For example, expressions representing relative or absolute arrangements such as "in a certain direction", "along a certain direction", "parallel", "orthogonal", "center", "concentric", or "coaxial" not only strictly represent such arrangements, but also represent a state of being relatively displaced with tolerances or at an angle or distance such that the same function can be obtained. For example, expressions representing that things such as "identical", "equal", and "homogeneous" are in an equal state not only strictly represent an equal state, but also represent a state in which there are tolerances or differences such that the same function can be obtained. For example, expressions representing shapes such as a rectangular shape or a cylindrical shape not only represent shapes such as a rectangular shape or a cylindrical shape in a geometrically strict sense, but also represent shapes including concave and convex portions, chamfered portions, etc., within a range where the same effect can be obtained. On the other hand, the expressions "comprising", "having", "including", or "possessing" one component are not exclusive expressions excluding the existence of other components.

[0012] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a hydrogen station 2 according to one embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the hydrogen station 2 includes a liquid hydrogen storage tank 4, liquid hydrogen supply piping 6, liquid hydrogen pump 8, liquid hydrogen supply piping 10, evaporator 12 (heater), hydrogen gas supply piping 14, dispenser 16, BOG recovery line 18, compressor 20 (BOG recovery device), refrigeration system 22, and control device 23.

[0013] The liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 is configured to store liquid hydrogen. Liquid hydrogen transported by transport vehicles such as hydrogen tankers or hydrogen trailers is filled into and stored in the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4.

[0014] The liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 connects the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 and the liquid hydrogen pump 8, and is configured to supply liquid hydrogen stored in the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen pump 8. The temperature and pressure of the liquid hydrogen supplied from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 are not particularly limited, but may be approximately -253°C and 0.1 MPa, for example.

[0015] The liquid hydrogen pump 8 is configured to pressurize the liquid hydrogen supplied from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 via the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6. The temperature and pressure of the liquid hydrogen discharged from the liquid hydrogen pump 8 are not particularly limited, but may be approximately -220°C and 90 MPa, for example. By pressurizing the liquid hydrogen using the liquid hydrogen pump 8, the compression power can be reduced compared to pressurizing hydrogen gas with a compressor, allowing for a smaller hydrogen station 2 configuration, which is advantageous even when installed underground. Furthermore, because liquid hydrogen has a higher density than hydrogen gas, it is easier to accommodate larger capacities.

[0016] The liquid hydrogen supply piping 10 connects the liquid hydrogen pump 8 and the evaporator 12, and is configured to supply the liquid hydrogen discharged from the liquid hydrogen pump 8 to the evaporator 12.

[0017] The evaporator 12 is configured to evaporate liquid hydrogen supplied from the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 10 by heat exchange, thereby generating hydrogen gas. The temperature and pressure of the hydrogen gas supplied from the evaporator 12 to the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 10 are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, at room temperature or below, and at around 90 MPa.

[0018] The hydrogen gas supply piping 14 connects the evaporator 12 and the dispenser 16, and is configured to supply high-pressure hydrogen gas generated in the evaporator 12 to the dispenser 16.

[0019] Hydrogen gas supplied from the evaporator 12 to the dispenser 16 via the hydrogen gas supply piping 14 is then supplied to the hydrogen receiving container 19 of a fuel cell vehicle or the like, with the flow rate controlled by the dispenser 16.

[0020] The BOG recovery line 18 connects the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 and the hydrogen gas supply piping 14. The BOG recovery line 18 is equipped with a compressor 20 as a BOG recovery device. The BOG recovery line 18 is configured to supply hydrogen gas (boil-off gas) vaporized in the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the compressor 20, and to supply the pressurized hydrogen gas from the compressor 20 to the hydrogen gas supply piping 14. The BOG recovery line 18 is also connected to the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 upstream of the compressor 20, and supplies the boil-off gas from the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 to the compressor 20 when boil-off gas is present in the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0021] The refrigeration system 22 includes a chiller 24 for cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 and is configured to use the cold energy generated by the chiller 24 to cool the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0022] The control device 23 is configured to control various parts of the hydrogen station 2, and the control details of the control device 23 will be described later. The control device 23 is configured using a computer that includes a processor 72, RAM (Random Access Memory) 74, ROM (Read Only Memory) 76, HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 78, input I / F 80, and output I / F 82, which are connected to each other via a bus 84, as shown in Figure 2, for example. The hardware configuration of the control device 23 is not limited to the above and may be configured by a combination of a control circuit and a storage device. The control device 23 is also configured by a computer executing programs that realize each of the functions of the control device 23. Each function of the control device 23 described below is realized by loading a program held in ROM 76 into RAM 74 and executing it with the processor 72, as well as reading and writing data to RAM 74 and ROM 76.

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a refrigerator system 22A, which is an example of the configuration of the refrigerator system 22 described above. In the example shown in Figure 3, the refrigeration system 22A includes a Brayton-type refrigerator 24, a circulation line 26 for circulating hydrogen gas, and a heat exchanger 28 (first heat exchange section) configured to cool the hydrogen gas in the circulation line 26 by heat exchange with the refrigerant of the refrigerator 24.

[0024] The chiller 24 comprises a turbine unit 30, a water-cooled heat exchanger 32, a regenerative heat exchanger 34, and piping connecting them.

[0025] The turbine unit 30 comprises a motor 40, a compressor 42, and an expansion turbine 44. The compressor 42 and the expansion turbine 44 are connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 40 and rotate coaxially. The outlet side of the compressor 42 is connected to one end of piping 46. The other end of piping 46 is connected to the inlet of the high-temperature side passage of the water-cooled heat exchanger 32. The outlet of the high-temperature side passage is connected to one end of piping 48. The other end of piping 48 is connected to the inlet of the high-temperature side passage of the regenerative heat exchanger 34. The outlet of the high-temperature side passage is connected to one end of piping 49. The other end of piping 49 is connected to the inlet of the expansion turbine 44. The outlet of the expansion turbine 44 is connected to one end of piping 50. The other end of piping 50 is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature side passage of the heat exchanger 28. The outlet of the low-temperature side passage is connected to one end of piping 51. The other end of piping 51 is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature side passage of the regenerative heat exchanger 34. The outlet of the low-temperature side passage is connected to one end of piping 52. The other end of the pipe 52 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 42.

[0026] A refrigerator 24 with this configuration operates as follows: The refrigerant circulation system (including the piping 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, and 52) is filled with a refrigerant (e.g., nitrogen or air) with a dew point lower than the temperature of the part where the temperature is lowest during operation, as the working gas for the refrigerator 24. When the motor 40 is driven, the compressor 42 and expansion turbine 44 rotate. The compressor 42 draws in the refrigerant from piping 52, compresses it, and discharges it into piping 46. The compressed refrigerant is deheated by exchanging heat with cooler cooling water in a water-cooled heat exchanger 32. The deheated refrigerant exchanges heat with refrigerant flowing in from piping 51 in a regenerative heat exchanger 34. The refrigerant exiting the regenerative heat exchanger 34 expands in the expansion turbine 44 to become a cool refrigerant, which is then supplied to piping 50. The refrigerant in piping 50 cools the hydrogen gas flowing through the circulation line 26 by exchanging heat with it in the heat exchanger 28. The refrigerant discharged from the heat exchanger 28 is introduced into the regenerative heat exchanger 34, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant introduced from the piping 48, and then flows into the piping 52.

[0027] The circulation line 26 includes a liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53, which is a portion of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6; a cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54 connecting the hydrogen gas outlet (outlet of the high-temperature side flow path) in the heat exchanger 28 to the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53; and a cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 connecting the hydrogen gas inlet (inlet of the high-temperature side flow path) in the heat exchanger 28 to the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53. In the illustrated example, the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 is connected to the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 downstream of the point where the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 and the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54 are connected. The cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54 supplies hydrogen gas cooled in the heat exchanger 28 to the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53. The cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 is configured to recover the hydrogen gas that has passed through the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53 (hydrogen gas supplied from the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54 to the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53) and return it to the heat exchanger 28. Thus, the circulation line 26 is composed of a cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54, a liquid hydrogen supply pipe section 53, a cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55, and the high-temperature side flow path (hydrogen gas side flow path) of the heat exchanger 28.

[0028] In the illustrated example, the refrigeration system 22A is equipped with a hydrogen blower 56 (air blower) for circulating hydrogen gas in the circulation line 26, and the hydrogen blower 56 is installed in the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54. The refrigeration system 22A further includes a cooling hydrogen gas supply valve 58 installed in the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54 and a cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve 59 installed in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55. Furthermore, the hydrogen station 2 further includes a liquid hydrogen supply valve 60 installed upstream of the point where the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54 is connected in the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6.

[0029] At the hydrogen station 2 described above, the control device 23 executes a pre-cool mode to pre-cool the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 and the liquid hydrogen pump 8 before starting operation of the liquid hydrogen pump 8.

[0030] In pre-cool mode, the control device 23 controls the liquid hydrogen supply valve 60 to a closed state and controls the cooling hydrogen gas supply valve 58 and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve 59 to an open state. In addition, in pre-cool mode, the control device 23 operates the motor 40 and the hydrogen blower 56 with the liquid hydrogen pump 8 stopped. This allows the hydrogen gas remaining in the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 to be circulated to the circulation line 26 by the hydrogen blower 56, even with the supply of liquid hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen pump 8 stopped. As a result, the low-temperature hydrogen gas cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant of the chiller 24 in the heat exchanger 28 circulates in the circulation line 26, thus cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6. Furthermore, the liquid hydrogen pump 8 is equipped with a check valve 9 to prevent backflow. In pre-cool mode, the pressure difference across the check valve 9 is smaller than the minimum operating pressure of the check valve 9 (the threshold pressure difference before and after the check valve 9 opens). Therefore, in pre-cool mode, hydrogen gas does not flow from the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 to the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 10.

[0031] The control device 23 executes a pre-cool mode to complete the pre-cooling of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6, and then executes a normal operation mode. In the normal operation mode, the control device 23 stops the operation of the hydrogen blower 56 and controls the cooling hydrogen gas supply valve 58 and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve 59 to a closed state. In addition, in the normal operation mode, the control device 23 controls the liquid hydrogen supply valve 60 to an open state and operates the liquid hydrogen pump 8. This allows liquid hydrogen to be supplied from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen pump 8 via the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6, and prevents liquid hydrogen from flowing from the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 into the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping 54 and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping 55.

[0032] As explained above, in the hydrogen station 2, the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 can be cooled (precooled) using the cold energy generated by the chiller 24 before operating the liquid hydrogen pump 8. Compared to the conventional precooling method in which liquid hydrogen is flowed from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6, the generation of boil-off gas due to the vaporization of liquid hydrogen in the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 can be suppressed, thereby achieving high energy efficiency in the hydrogen station.

[0033] Furthermore, when precooling the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6, the hydrogen gas remaining in the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 is circulated in the circulation line 26. This allows the hydrogen gas to be cooled in the heat exchanger 28 using the refrigerant from the refrigerator 24, and the cooled hydrogen gas is then flowed into the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 to cool it. Therefore, compared to, for example, supplying the refrigerant from the refrigerator 24 into the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 for precooling, it is possible to avoid the refrigerant from the refrigerator 24 affecting the downstream side of the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6.

[0034] In some embodiments, the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 shown in Figure 3 may have a double-pipe structure including an inner pipe 63 (liquid hydrogen line) for supplying liquid hydrogen and an outer pipe 64 covering the inner pipe 63, as shown in Figure 4, for example, and the space between the inner pipe 63 and the outer pipe 64 may be a vacuum layer acting as an insulating layer. In this case, the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping 54 is connected to the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 to supply hydrogen gas to the inner pipe 63, and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping 55 is connected to the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 to recover hydrogen gas from the inner pipe 63. Thus, with the configurations shown in Figures 3 and 4, by providing a circulation line 26 through which hydrogen gas can be circulated, the structure of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 can be simplified compared to the configurations shown in Figures 6 and 7, which will be described later.

[0035] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5, for example, if the length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen pump 8 is L1 and the length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53 is L2, the refrigeration system 22A may satisfy L2 / L1 > 0.5, more preferably L2 / L1 > 0.7, and even more preferably L2 / L1 > 0.8. This allows for a larger length of the section of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 cooled by hydrogen gas (length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53) when precooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6, enabling efficient cooling of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6. Therefore, the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 can be effectively cooled while suppressing the generation of boil-off gas in the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6. The length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53 refers to the length from the point where the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping 54 is connected to the point where the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping 55 is connected in the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0036] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a refrigeration system 22B, which is an example of the configuration of the refrigeration system 22 described above. In the configuration shown in Figure 6, the reference numerals that are common with the configurations of the refrigeration system 22A shown in Figure 3 indicate the same configurations as those of the refrigeration system 22A shown in Figure 3, unless otherwise specified, and their explanation is omitted.

[0037] The refrigeration system 22B shown in Figure 6 differs from the refrigeration system 22A in that it does not have a circulation line 26, and the refrigerator 24 of the refrigeration system 22B includes a pre-cooling line 62 provided along a portion of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0038] In the configuration shown in Figure 6, the outlet of the expansion turbine 44 is connected to one end of the pipe 50. The other end of the pipe 50 is connected to the inlet of the pre-cooling line 62. The outlet of the pre-cooling line 62 is connected to one end of the pipe 51. The other end of the pipe 51 is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature side flow path of the regenerative heat exchanger 34.

[0039] In the refrigeration system 22B, the low-temperature refrigerant (nitrogen or air) exiting the expansion turbine 44 is supplied to the pre-cooling line 62 via the piping 50, and the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 can be cooled by flowing the low-temperature refrigerant through the pre-cooling line 62.

[0040] In the configuration shown in Figure 6, the control device 23 executes a pre-cool mode to pre-cool the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 and the liquid hydrogen pump 8 before starting operation of the liquid hydrogen pump 8.

[0041] In pre-cool mode, the control device 23 controls the liquid hydrogen supply valve 60 to a closed state. Also in pre-cool mode, the control device 23 drives the motor 40 with the liquid hydrogen pump 8 stopped. This allows the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 to be cooled by flowing the low-temperature refrigerant from the chiller 24 into the pre-cooling line 62 while the supply of liquid hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen pump 8 is stopped.

[0042] Furthermore, the control device 23 executes a pre-cool mode to complete the pre-cooling of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6, and then executes a normal operation mode. In normal operation mode, the control device controls the liquid hydrogen supply valve 60 to an open state and operates the liquid hydrogen pump 8. This allows liquid hydrogen to be supplied from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen pump 8 via the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0043] According to the hydrogen station 2 equipped with the above-described refrigeration system 22B, the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 can be cooled (precooled) using the cold energy generated by the refrigeration unit 24 before operating the liquid hydrogen pump 8. Compared to the conventional precooling method in which liquid hydrogen is flowed from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 for precooling purposes, the generation of boil-off gas due to the vaporization of liquid hydrogen in the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 can be suppressed, thereby achieving high energy efficiency for the hydrogen station.

[0044] Furthermore, compared to the configuration shown in Figure 3, since there is no need to provide a hydrogen gas circulation line 26, etc., it is possible to suppress the need to enlarge the equipment for precooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6. Also, compared to, for example, supplying refrigerant from the chiller 24 into the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 for precooling, it is possible to avoid the refrigerant from the chiller 24 affecting the downstream side of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7, for example, the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 includes an inner pipe 63 (liquid hydrogen line) for supplying liquid hydrogen and an outer pipe 64 covering the inner pipe 63, with the space between the inner pipe 63 and the outer pipe 64 being a vacuum layer acting as an insulating layer. In this case, the pre-cooling line 62 is provided inside the outer pipe 64, along the inner pipe 63 and adjacent to the inner pipe 63. The pre-cooling line 62 may be provided spirally along the outer surface of the inner pipe 63, for example, so as to wind around the inner pipe 63, or it may be provided along the inner pipe 63 so as to extend parallel to the inner pipe 63.

[0046] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 8, for example, if L1 is the length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 from the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 to the liquid hydrogen pump 8, and L3 is the length of the section in the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 where the pre-cooling line 62 is provided, then the refrigeration system 22A may satisfy L3 / L1 > 0.5, more preferably L3 / L1 > 0.7, and even more preferably L3 / L1 > 0.8. This allows for a larger length of the section in the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 that is cooled by the pre-cooling line 62 during pre-cooling of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6, thereby enabling efficient cooling of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0047] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 9, for example, the hydrogen station 2 may further include a heat exchange unit 66 configured to cool the hydrogen gas flowing through the hydrogen gas supply pipe 14 by heat exchange. This heat exchange unit 66 may be provided in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 (see Figure 3), as shown in Figure 10, for example. In this case, the heat exchange unit 66 may be configured, for example, by wrapping a portion of the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 around the hydrogen gas supply pipe 14. This makes it possible to cool the hydrogen gas flowing through the hydrogen gas supply pipe 14 using the low-temperature hydrogen gas recovered from the liquid hydrogen supply pipe section 53 (see Figure 3) in the pre-cool mode.

[0048] In other embodiments, for example, as shown in Figure 11, the heat exchange section 66 may be provided in the piping 51 (see Figure 3 or Figure 6). In this case, the heat exchange section 66 may be configured, for example, by wrapping a portion of the piping 51 around the hydrogen gas supply piping 14. This allows the hydrogen gas flowing through the hydrogen gas supply piping 14 to be cooled using the refrigerant that has exited the low-temperature side flow path of the heat exchanger 28 (see Figure 3) or the refrigerant that has exited the pre-cooling line 62 (see Figure 6). This cools the hydrogen gas supplied to the dispenser 16, thereby suppressing the pressure rise in the hydrogen receiving container 19 when supplying hydrogen from the dispenser 16 to the hydrogen receiving container 19 of a fuel cell vehicle or the like, and increasing the hydrogen filling rate into the hydrogen receiving container 19.

[0049] The direction of the hydrogen gas or refrigerant flow in the heat exchange section 66 may be forward relative to the direction of hydrogen gas flow in the hydrogen gas supply pipe 14, as shown in Figure 10, or reverse relative to the direction of hydrogen gas flow in the hydrogen gas supply pipe 14, as shown in Figure 11. For example, by setting the direction of the hydrogen gas or refrigerant flow in the low-temperature side flow path of the heat exchange section 66 to be reverse relative to the direction of hydrogen gas flow in the hydrogen gas supply pipe 14, as shown in Figure 11, the hydrogen gas in the hydrogen gas supply pipe 14 can be efficiently cooled.

[0050] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also includes modified forms of the embodiments described above, as well as forms that combine these forms as appropriate.

[0051] For example, in some of the embodiments described above, a Brayton-type refrigerator was used as an example for the refrigerator 24, but the type of refrigerator is not particularly limited and may be an absorption refrigerator, for example.

[0052] Furthermore, as partially shown in Figure 12, for example, in the above-mentioned refrigeration system 22A, one end of the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 may be connected to the upstream side of the check valve 9 in the liquid hydrogen pump 8, and the other end of the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 may be connected to the inlet of the high-temperature side flow path (hydrogen gas inlet) of the heat exchanger 28 (see Figure 3). As a result, in the above-mentioned pre-cooling mode, the hydrogen gas supplied from the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54 to the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 is recovered by the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 through the liquid hydrogen pump 8 and returned to the inlet of the high-temperature side flow path of the heat exchanger 28. Therefore, the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6 and the liquid hydrogen pump 8 can be effectively cooled using the cold energy generated by the refrigeration unit 24.

[0053] Furthermore, in the configuration shown in Figure 3, for example, the hydrogen blower 56 may be provided in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 instead of the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54.

[0054] Furthermore, in the configuration shown in Figure 3, for example, the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53 may be at least a portion of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6, or it may be the entire length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6. Also, in the configuration shown in Figure 6, for example, the pre-cooling line 62 may be provided along at least a portion of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6, or it may be provided along at least a portion of the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0055] In some embodiments, when applying the refrigeration system 22 shown in Figure 3 to the hydrogen station 2 described with reference to Figures 9 and 10, the system may further include, for example, a first bypass line 85, a second bypass line 86, and valves 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, and 92, as shown in Figure 13.

[0056] In this case, the first bypass line 85 connects the upstream position of the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53 in the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping 54 to the downstream position of the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53 in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping 55. The second bypass line 86 connects the position between the connection point of the first bypass line 85 and the heat exchange section 66 in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping 55 to the downstream position of the heat exchange section 66 in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping 55. Valve 87 is provided in the first bypass line 85, and valve 88 is provided in the second bypass line 86. Valve 89 is provided between the connection point of the first bypass line 85 in the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping 54 and the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53. Valve 90 is provided between the connection point of the first bypass line 85 in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping 55 and the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53. Valve 91 is located upstream of the heat exchange section 66 in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping 55 and downstream of the point where it connects to the second bypass line 86. Valve 92 is located downstream of the heat exchange section 66 in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping 55 and upstream of the point where it connects to the second bypass line 86.

[0057] According to the configuration shown in Figure 13, the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 and the hydrogen gas supply piping 14 can be cooled simultaneously or individually as needed. For example, by closing valves 87, 91, and 92 and opening valves 88, 89, and 90, only the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 can be cooled without cooling the hydrogen gas supply piping 14. Alternatively, by opening valves 87, 91, and 92 and closing valves 88, 89, and 90, only the hydrogen gas supply piping 14 can be cooled without cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0058] In some embodiments, when the refrigeration system 22 shown in Figure 6 is applied to the hydrogen station 2 described with reference to Figures 9 and 11, a first bypass line 93, a second bypass line 94, and valves 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 may be further provided, for example, as shown in Figure 14.

[0059] In this case, the first bypass line 93 connects the upstream position of the pre-cooling line 62 in the piping 50 to the downstream position of the pre-cooling line 62 in the piping 51. The second bypass line 94 connects the position between the connection point of the first bypass line 85 and the heat exchange section 66 in the piping 51 to the downstream position of the heat exchange section 66 in the piping 51. Valve 95 is provided on the first bypass line 93, and valve 96 is provided on the second bypass line 94. Valve 97 is provided between the connection point of the first bypass line 93 and the pre-cooling line 62 in the piping 50. Valve 98 is provided between the connection point of the first bypass line 93 and the pre-cooling line 62 in the piping 51. Valve 99 is provided upstream of the heat exchange section 66 in the piping 51 and downstream of the connection point of the second bypass line 86. Valve 100 is provided downstream of the heat exchange section 66 in the piping 51 and upstream of the connection point of the second bypass line 94.

[0060] According to the configuration shown in Figure 14, the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 and the hydrogen gas supply piping 14 can be cooled simultaneously or individually as needed. For example, by closing valves 95, 99, and 100 and opening valves 96, 97, and 98, only the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 can be cooled without cooling the hydrogen gas supply piping 14. Alternatively, by opening valves 95, 99, and 100 and closing valves 96, 97, and 98, only the hydrogen gas supply piping 14 can be cooled without cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6.

[0061] The contents described in each of the above embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows:

[0062] (1) A hydrogen station according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure (e.g., hydrogen station 2 described above) A liquid hydrogen supply pipe (e.g., the liquid hydrogen supply pipe 6) for supplying liquid hydrogen from a liquid hydrogen storage tank (e.g., the liquid hydrogen storage tank 4 described above) to a liquid hydrogen pump (e.g., the liquid hydrogen pump 8 described above), Equipped with a refrigerator (for example, the refrigerator 24 mentioned above), The system is configured to cool the liquid hydrogen supply piping using the cold energy generated by the aforementioned refrigerator.

[0063] According to the hydrogen station described in (1) above, the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be cooled (precooled) using the cold energy generated by the chiller before operating the liquid hydrogen pump. Therefore, compared to the conventional precooling method in which liquid hydrogen is flowed from the liquid hydrogen storage tank to the liquid hydrogen supply piping, the generation of boil-off gas due to the vaporization of liquid hydrogen in the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be suppressed, and the hydrogen station can achieve high energy efficiency.

[0064] (2) In some embodiments, at the hydrogen station described in (1) above, The aforementioned hydrogen station is A circulation line for circulating hydrogen gas (for example, the circulation line 26 mentioned above), A heat exchange unit (for example, the heat exchanger 28 described above) configured to cool the hydrogen gas in the circulation line using the refrigerant of the refrigerator, Equipped with, The aforementioned circulation line is, A liquid hydrogen supply piping section (for example, the liquid hydrogen supply piping section 53 described above), which is at least a portion of the liquid hydrogen supply piping, A cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe (for example, the above-described cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54) is configured to supply the hydrogen gas cooled in the heat exchange section to the liquid hydrogen supply piping section, A cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe (for example, the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 described above) is configured to recover the hydrogen gas that has passed through the liquid hydrogen supply pipe and return it to the heat exchange section, Includes.

[0065] According to the hydrogen station described in (2) above, when precooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping, the hydrogen gas remaining in the liquid hydrogen supply piping is circulated in a circulation line, the hydrogen gas is cooled in the heat exchange section using the refrigerant of the chiller, and the cooled hydrogen gas is then flowed into the liquid hydrogen supply piping to cool it. For this reason, compared to, for example, supplying the refrigerant of the chiller into the liquid hydrogen supply piping for precooling, it is possible to avoid the refrigerant of the chiller affecting the downstream side of the liquid hydrogen supply piping. Furthermore, compared to, for example, a case where a precooling line is provided along at least a portion of the liquid hydrogen supply piping and the refrigerant of the chiller is flowed through the precooling line to precool the liquid hydrogen supply piping (configuration in (10) described later), it is not necessary to provide a precooling line along the liquid hydrogen supply piping. If a precooling line is provided along the liquid hydrogen supply piping, the structure of the liquid hydrogen supply piping tends to become more complex in order to ensure the thermal insulation of the liquid hydrogen supply piping, which tends to lead to higher costs. In contrast, with the configuration described in (2) above, there is no need to provide a pre-cooling line along the liquid hydrogen supply piping, thus suppressing the complexity and cost of the liquid hydrogen supply piping structure.

[0066] (3) In some embodiments, in the hydrogen station described in (2) above, This includes a blower (for example, the hydrogen blower 56 described above) installed in the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping or the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping.

[0067] According to the hydrogen station described in (3) above, hydrogen gas can be efficiently circulated in the circulation line by a blower, and the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be effectively cooled. This effectively suppresses the generation of boil-off gas due to the vaporization of liquid hydrogen in the liquid hydrogen supply piping, and enables high energy efficiency for the hydrogen station.

[0068] (4) In some embodiments, in the hydrogen station described in (2) or (3) above, A cooling hydrogen gas supply valve (for example, the cooling hydrogen gas supply valve 58 described above) is provided in the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping, A cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve (for example, the cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve 59 described above) is provided in the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping, It is further equipped with [this feature].

[0069] According to the hydrogen station described in (4) above, by opening the cooling hydrogen gas supply valve and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve, low-temperature hydrogen gas can be circulated in the circulation line to precool the liquid hydrogen supply piping. In addition, by opening the cooling hydrogen gas supply valve and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve, it is possible to prevent liquid hydrogen from flowing from the liquid hydrogen supply piping into the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping when liquid hydrogen is supplied to the liquid hydrogen supply piping.

[0070] (5) In some embodiments, in a hydrogen station described in any of (2) to (4) above, The system further includes a liquid hydrogen supply valve (for example, the liquid hydrogen supply valve 60 described above) located upstream of the point where the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe is connected in the liquid hydrogen supply piping.

[0071] According to the hydrogen station described in (5) above, by controlling the liquid hydrogen supply valve to a closed state when circulating hydrogen gas in the circulation line, the generation of boil-off gas in the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be suppressed while the liquid hydrogen supply piping section can be cooled with low-temperature hydrogen gas.

[0072] (6) In some embodiments, at the hydrogen station described in (5) above, The control device (e.g., the control device 23 described above) is further configured to perform a pre-cool mode for cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping before starting operation of the liquid hydrogen pump, The control device is configured to control the liquid hydrogen supply valve to a closed state and to control the cooling hydrogen gas supply valve and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve to an open state in the pre-cool mode.

[0073] According to the hydrogen station described in (6) above, in pre-cool mode, the liquid hydrogen supply valve is controlled to be in a closed state, while the cooling hydrogen gas supply valve and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve are controlled to be in an open state. This suppresses the generation of boil-off gas in the liquid hydrogen supply piping, and low-temperature hydrogen gas is circulated in the circulation line to pre-cool the liquid hydrogen supply piping.

[0074] (7) In some embodiments, in the hydrogen station described in (6) above, The control device is configured to operate the blower while the liquid hydrogen pump is stopped in the pre-cool mode.

[0075] According to the hydrogen station described in (7) above, in pre-cool mode, hydrogen gas can be efficiently circulated in the circulation line by a blower, and the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be effectively cooled. This effectively suppresses the generation of boil-off gas due to the vaporization of liquid hydrogen in the liquid hydrogen supply piping, and enables high energy efficiency of the hydrogen station.

[0076] (8) In some embodiments, in a hydrogen station described in any of (2) to (7) above, The hydrogen station is provided with a hydrogen gas supply pipe (for example, the hydrogen gas supply pipe 14) that connects an evaporator (for example, the evaporator 12 described above) for evaporating the liquid hydrogen discharged from the liquid hydrogen pump and a dispenser (for example, the dispenser 16 described above) for supplying the hydrogen gas generated by the evaporation of the liquid hydrogen in the evaporator to a hydrogen receiving container (for example, the hydrogen receiving container 19 described above). The hydrogen station further includes a heat exchange unit (for example, the heat exchange unit 66 described above) configured to cool the hydrogen gas flowing through the hydrogen gas supply pipe using the hydrogen gas recovered from the liquid hydrogen supply pipe or the refrigerant that has exited the heat exchange unit.

[0077] According to the hydrogen station described in (8) above, the hydrogen gas supplied to the dispenser can be cooled, which suppresses the pressure rise in the hydrogen receiving container when supplying hydrogen from the dispenser to the hydrogen receiving container such as a fuel cell vehicle, and increases the rate at which hydrogen is filled into the hydrogen receiving container.

[0078] (9) In some embodiments, in a hydrogen station described in any of (2) to (8) above, If L1 is the length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping from the liquid hydrogen storage tank to the liquid hydrogen pump, and L2 is the length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping section, then L2 / L1 > 0.5 is satisfied.

[0079] According to the hydrogen station described in (9) above, when precooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping, the length of the section cooled by hydrogen gas in the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be increased, and the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be cooled efficiently.

[0080] (10) In some embodiments, in the hydrogen station described in (1) above, The refrigerator includes a pre-cooling line (e.g., the pre-cooling line 62 described above) provided along at least a portion of the liquid hydrogen supply piping, and is configured to cool the liquid hydrogen supply piping by flowing a refrigerant through the pre-cooling line.

[0081] According to the hydrogen station described in (10) above, compared to the configuration described in (2) above, there is no need to install a hydrogen gas circulation line, etc., so it is possible to suppress the need to enlarge the equipment for precooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping. In addition, compared to, for example, supplying refrigerant from a chiller into the liquid hydrogen supply piping for precooling, it is possible to avoid the chiller's refrigerant affecting the downstream side of the liquid hydrogen supply piping.

[0082] (11) In some embodiments, in the hydrogen station described in (10) above, If L1 is the length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping from the liquid hydrogen storage tank to the liquid hydrogen pump, and L3 is the length of the section in the liquid hydrogen supply piping where the pre-cooling line is provided, then L3 / L1 > 0.5 is satisfied.

[0083] According to the hydrogen station described in (11) above, when precooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping, the length of the section cooled by the precooling line in the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be increased, and the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be cooled efficiently.

[0084] (12) In some embodiments, in the hydrogen station described in (10) or (11) above, The hydrogen station is provided with a hydrogen gas supply pipe (for example, the hydrogen gas supply pipe 14) that connects an evaporator (for example, the evaporator 12 described above) for evaporating the liquid hydrogen discharged from the liquid hydrogen pump and a dispenser (for example, the dispenser 16 described above) for supplying the hydrogen gas generated by the evaporation of the liquid hydrogen in the evaporator to a hydrogen receiving container (for example, the hydrogen receiving container 19 described above). The hydrogen station includes a heat exchange unit (for example, the heat exchange unit 66 described above) configured to cool the hydrogen gas flowing through the hydrogen gas supply pipe using the refrigerant after it has passed through the pre-cooling line.

[0085] According to the hydrogen station described in (12) above, the hydrogen gas supplied to the dispenser can be cooled, which suppresses the pressure rise in the hydrogen receiving container when supplying hydrogen from the dispenser to the hydrogen receiving container such as a fuel cell vehicle, and increases the rate at which hydrogen is filled into the hydrogen receiving container.

[0086] (13) A refrigeration system for a hydrogen station according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure (for example, the refrigeration system 22A described above) A refrigeration system for a hydrogen station (for example, the liquid hydrogen supply piping 6 described above) for cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping of a hydrogen station (for example, the hydrogen station 2 described above), A refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 24 mentioned above) and A first heat exchange unit (for example, the heat exchanger 28 described above) configured to cool hydrogen gas by heat exchange with the refrigerant of the aforementioned refrigerator, A cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe (for example, the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe 54 described above) is configured to supply the hydrogen gas cooled in the heat exchange section to the liquid hydrogen supply pipe, A cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe (for example, the cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe 55 described above) is configured to recover the hydrogen gas that has passed through the liquid hydrogen supply pipe and return it to the heat exchange section. It is equipped with.

[0087] According to the refrigeration system for hydrogen stations described in (13) above, when precooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping, the hydrogen gas remaining in the liquid hydrogen supply piping is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant of the refrigeration unit in the heat exchange section, and the cooled hydrogen gas is supplied to the liquid hydrogen supply piping from the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping, thereby cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping. Therefore, compared to the conventional precooling method in which liquid hydrogen is flowed from a liquid hydrogen storage tank to the liquid hydrogen supply piping for precooling purposes, the generation of boil-off gas due to vaporization of liquid hydrogen in the liquid hydrogen supply piping can be suppressed, and high energy efficiency can be achieved at the hydrogen station.

[0088] Furthermore, compared to, for example, supplying refrigerant from a chiller into the liquid hydrogen supply piping for precooling, it is possible to avoid the chiller's refrigerant affecting the downstream side of the liquid hydrogen supply piping. Also, compared to, for example, a case where precooling of the liquid hydrogen supply piping is performed by providing a precooling line along at least a portion of the liquid hydrogen supply piping and flowing refrigerant from a chiller through the precooling line (configuration (10) above), it is not necessary to provide a precooling line along the liquid hydrogen supply piping. If a precooling line is provided along the liquid hydrogen supply piping, the structure of the liquid hydrogen supply piping tends to become more complex in order to ensure the thermal insulation of the liquid hydrogen supply piping, which tends to lead to higher costs. In contrast, with the configuration (13) above, it is not necessary to provide a precooling line along the liquid hydrogen supply piping, so the complexity and cost of the liquid hydrogen supply piping structure can be suppressed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0089] 2 Hydrogen Stations 4. Liquid hydrogen storage tank 6. Liquid hydrogen supply piping 8. Liquid hydrogen pump 10 Liquid hydrogen supply piping 12 Evaporator 14 Hydrogen gas supply piping 16 dispensers 18 BOG Recovery Line 19 Hydrogen receiving vessel 20,42 Compressor 22, 22A, 22B Refrigeration System 23 Control device 24 Refrigeration unit 26 Circulation Line 28 Heat exchanger (heat exchange section or first heat exchange section) 30 Turbine Units 32 Water-cooled heat exchanger 34 Regenerative heat exchanger 40 motors 44 Expansion Turbine 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 Piping 53 Liquid hydrogen supply piping section 54 Hydrogen gas supply piping for cooling 55 Hydrogen gas recovery piping for cooling 56 Hydrogen blower 58 Hydrogen gas supply valve for cooling 59. Hydrogen gas recovery valve for cooling 60 Liquid hydrogen supply valve 62 Pre-cooling line 63 Inner tube 64 Outer tube 66 Heat exchange section (second heat exchange section) 72 processors 74 RAM 76 ROM 78 HDD 80 Input Interfaces 82 Output Interfaces 84 Bus 85,93 First Bypass Line 86,94 Second Bypass Line 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 valves

Claims

1. A liquid hydrogen supply piping for supplying liquid hydrogen from a liquid hydrogen storage tank to a liquid hydrogen pump, Equipped with a refrigerator, The system is configured to cool the liquid hydrogen supply piping using the cold energy generated by the aforementioned refrigerator, A circulation line for circulating hydrogen gas, A first heat exchange unit configured to cool the hydrogen gas in the circulation line using the refrigerant of the aforementioned refrigerator, Equipped with, The aforementioned circulation line is, The liquid hydrogen supply piping section, which is at least a portion of the aforementioned liquid hydrogen supply piping, A cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe configured to supply the hydrogen gas cooled in the first heat exchange section to the liquid hydrogen supply piping section, A cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe is configured to recover the hydrogen gas that has passed through the liquid hydrogen supply piping section and return it to the first heat exchange section, including, Hydrogen station.

2. The hydrogen station according to claim 1, further comprising a blower installed in the cooling hydrogen gas supply piping or the cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping.

3. A cooling hydrogen gas supply valve is provided in the aforementioned cooling hydrogen gas supply piping, A cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve is provided in the aforementioned cooling hydrogen gas recovery piping, The hydrogen station according to claim 2, further comprising the above.

4. The hydrogen station according to claim 3, further comprising a liquid hydrogen supply valve provided upstream of the point where the cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe is connected in the liquid hydrogen supply pipe.

5. The control device is further configured to perform a pre-cool mode for cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping before starting operation of the liquid hydrogen pump, The hydrogen station according to claim 4, wherein the control device is configured to control the liquid hydrogen supply valve to a closed state and to control the cooling hydrogen gas supply valve and the cooling hydrogen gas recovery valve to an open state in the pre-cool mode.

6. The hydrogen station according to claim 5, wherein the control device is configured to operate the blower while the liquid hydrogen pump is stopped in the pre-cool mode.

7. The hydrogen station is equipped with a hydrogen gas supply piping that connects an evaporator for evaporating the liquid hydrogen discharged from the liquid hydrogen pump and a dispenser for supplying the hydrogen gas generated by the evaporation of the liquid hydrogen in the evaporator to a hydrogen receiving container. The hydrogen station according to claim 1, further comprising a second heat exchange unit configured to cool the hydrogen gas flowing through the hydrogen gas supply pipe using the hydrogen gas recovered from the liquid hydrogen supply pipe or the refrigerant that has exited the first heat exchange unit.

8. The hydrogen station according to claim 1, wherein L1 is the length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping from the liquid hydrogen storage tank to the liquid hydrogen pump, and L2 is the length of the liquid hydrogen supply piping section, and L2 / L1 > 0.

5.

9. A refrigeration system for a hydrogen station for cooling the liquid hydrogen supply piping of a hydrogen station, Refrigeration unit, A first heat exchange unit configured to cool hydrogen gas by heat exchange with the refrigerant of the aforementioned refrigerator, A cooling hydrogen gas supply pipe configured to supply the hydrogen gas cooled in the first heat exchange section to the liquid hydrogen supply pipe, A cooling hydrogen gas recovery pipe is configured to recover the hydrogen gas that has passed through the liquid hydrogen supply pipe and return it to the first heat exchange section, A refrigeration system for hydrogen stations, equipped with the following features.

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