Processing equipment and fuel supply system

Abstract

To make it possible to supply hydrogen adjusted in suitable humidity conditions with downsizing and low cost.SOLUTION: In a state that a lower closure member 13 is arranged so as to be positioned lower than an upper closure member 14, an outer space S1 works as a "first separation tank" for storing water after separating a water W1, which is discharged together with an oxygen O from a hydrogen generator, from the oxygen O, and an inner space S2 works as a "second separation tank" for storing water after separating a water W2, which is discharged together with a hydrogen gas G from the hydrogen generator, from the hydrogen gas G. The water W1 in the "first separation tank" and the water W2 in the "second separation tank" can be heat-exchanged through an inner cylindrical member 12. The "first separation tank" is configured so as to be able to be connected to a pipe 5 for supplying the stored water W1 as a "raw water" to the hydrogen generator. The "second separation tank" is configured so that the hydrogen gas G can surface in the stored water W2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device that processes hydrogen and oxygen discharged from a hydrogen generator, and a fuel supply system configured to include such a processing device and a hydrogen generator.

Background Art

[0002] For example, the following patent document discloses a device for generating hydrogen that supplies hydrogen gas to a supply target such as a detector in a gas chromatograph. In this hydrogen generator, pure water stored in a water supply tank is supplied to an electrolytic cell, and a configuration is adopted in which this pure water is electrolyzed in the electrolytic cell to generate hydrogen.

[0003] In this case, in this type of device, water is discharged from the electrolytic cell together with hydrogen and oxygen generated by electrolysis. Therefore, in this hydrogen generator, hydrogen containing moisture discharged from the electrolytic cell is caused to flow into a moisture separation unit to separate the moisture, and for the hydrogen from which the moisture has been separated, after passing through a drying unit, it is supplied to the supply target, and for the separated moisture, it is returned to the water supply tank and supplied again to the electrolytic cell together with the water in the water supply tank. Also, in this hydrogen generator, oxygen containing moisture discharged from the electrolytic cell is caused to flow into the water supply tank to separate the moisture, and for the oxygen from which the moisture has been separated, it is released from the water supply tank, and for the separated moisture, it is supplied again to the electrolytic cell together with the water in the water supply tank. Thereby, in this hydrogen generator, it is possible to effectively utilize the moisture discharged from the electrolytic cell together with hydrogen and oxygen as a raw material for generating hydrogen.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the hydrogen generator disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document has the following problems that need to be solved.

[0006] Specifically, the hydrogen generator disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document employs a configuration in which, in a water tank that stores pure water supplied to the electrolytic cell, water discharged from the electrolytic cell along with oxygen is separated from the oxygen, and water discharged from the electrolytic cell along with hydrogen is separated from the hydrogen in a water separation unit. In this case, the water tank and the water separation unit are installed separately and independently in this hydrogen generator. Therefore, this hydrogen generator requires space to be secured for the water tank and space to be secured for the water separation unit, which results in the problem that it is difficult to miniaturize the device.

[0007] Furthermore, among the supplies to which hydrogen is supplied by this type of device, it is preferable that a large amount of liquid-phase moisture (water droplets) is not supplied along with the hydrogen, but that hydrogen containing an appropriate amount of gaseous moisture (hydrogen at a suitable humidity) is supplied. For example, in a fuel cell that generates electricity by reacting hydrogen and oxygen, when a large amount of liquid-phase moisture (water droplets) is supplied along with the hydrogen, the presence of water droplets flowing into the hydrogen channel increases the resistance to hydrogen passage, making it impossible to react with hydrogen in proportion to the required amount of power generation. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid supplying a large amount of liquid-phase moisture (water droplets) along with the hydrogen. On the other hand, when low-humidity hydrogen is supplied, it can lead to a decrease in power generation efficiency due to drying up of the MEA (membrane electrode assembly). Therefore, it is necessary to supply hydrogen containing an appropriate amount of gaseous moisture (hydrogen at a suitable humidity).

[0008] In this case, the hydrogen generator described above separates the liquid-phase water discharged from the electrolytic cell along with the hydrogen in the water separation section, and by passing the hydrogen through the water stored in this section, a certain amount of gaseous-phase water is incorporated into the hydrogen. However, in order to sufficiently increase the humidity of the hydrogen discharged from the water separation section, it is necessary to sufficiently raise the temperature of the water in the water separation section through which the hydrogen passes, and the hydrogen passing through the water. For this reason, in the configuration of the hydrogen generator described above, when attempting to supply hydrogen adjusted to a suitable humidity, it is necessary to separately install an electric heater or the like to heat at least one of the water in the water separation section and the hydrogen passing through it, which results in the problem of increased manufacturing and running costs for the device.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the problems that need to be solved, and its main objective is to provide a processing device and a fuel supply system that can supply hydrogen adjusted to a suitable humidity at a low cost while being miniaturized. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the apparatus according to claim 1 comprises an outer cylindrical member, an inner cylindrical member disposed within the outer cylindrical member, a first closing member that closes the opening at one end of the outer cylindrical member and the opening at one end of the inner cylindrical member, and a second closing member that closes the opening at the other end of the outer cylindrical member and the opening at the other end of the inner cylindrical member, wherein the apparatus is installed such that the first closing member is located below the second closing member, and either the first space between the outer cylindrical member and the inner cylindrical member or the second space within the inner cylindrical member is a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen by electrolyzing raw water. The first separation tank functions as a first separation tank that separates and stores water discharged with oxygen from the oxygen, and the other of the first and second spaces functions as a second separation tank that separates and stores water discharged from the hydrogen from the hydrogen, and the water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank are configured to be able to exchange heat through the inner cylindrical member, the first separation tank is configured to be able to connect to a water supply pipe that supplies the stored water to the hydrogen generator as the raw material water, and the second separation tank is configured so that the hydrogen floats in the stored water.

[0011] The apparatus according to claim 2 is configured such that, in the apparatus according to claim 1, the first space functions as a first separation tank and the second space functions as a second separation tank.

[0012] The apparatus according to claim 3 is the apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water supply channel capable of supplying water stored in the second separation tank to the first separation tank.

[0013] The fuel supply system according to claim 4 comprises the processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and the hydrogen generator, and is configured to supply the hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen generator and passed through the second separation tank in the processing device to the target of supply. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The apparatus according to claim 1 comprises an outer cylindrical member, an inner cylindrical member disposed inside the outer cylindrical member, a first closing member that closes the opening at one end of the outer cylindrical member and the opening at one end of the inner cylindrical member, and a second closing member that closes the opening at the other end of the outer cylindrical member and the opening at the other end of the inner cylindrical member, wherein, when the first closing member is positioned below the second closing member, either the first space between the outer cylindrical member and the inner cylindrical member or the second space inside the inner cylindrical member is discharged from the hydrogen generator along with oxygen. The first separation tank functions as a first separation tank for separating and storing water from oxygen, and the other of the first and second spaces functions as a second separation tank for separating and storing water discharged from the hydrogen from the hydrogen generator. The water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank are configured to be able to exchange heat via an inner cylindrical member. The first separation tank is configured to be able to connect to a water supply pipe that supplies the stored water to the hydrogen generator as raw material water, and the second separation tank is configured so that hydrogen floats in the stored water.

[0015] Furthermore, the fuel supply system according to claim 4 comprises the above-mentioned processing device and a hydrogen generator, and is configured to supply hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen generator and passed through the second separation tank in the processing device to the target of supply.

[0016] Therefore, according to the processing apparatus described in claim 1 and the fuel supply system described in claim 4, compared to a configuration in which a container for storing water supplied to the hydrogen generator and a separation tank for separating water discharged from the hydrogen generator together with oxygen (a water supply tank in the configuration disclosed in the aforementioned patent document) and a separation tank for separating water discharged from the hydrogen generator together with hydrogen (a water separation unit in the configuration disclosed in the aforementioned patent document) are separately arranged, the space occupied by the first and second spaces formed by the double-pipe structure can be reduced, thereby significantly miniaturizing the fuel supply system. Furthermore, since the water in the second separation tank for humidifying the hydrogen can be heated by heat exchange with the water in the first separation tank without using a heating source such as an electric heater, the manufacturing and operating costs of the fuel supply system can be significantly reduced while supplying hydrogen at a suitable humidity to the target.

[0017] Furthermore, in the apparatus according to claim 2, the first space functions as a first separation tank, and the second space functions as a second separation tank. Therefore, according to the apparatus according to claim 2, and the fuel supply system equipped with such an apparatus, the entire perimeter of the second separation tank is surrounded by the first separation tank, which allows for suitable heat exchange between the water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank. As a result, the temperature of the water in the second separation tank can be sufficiently raised, and the humidity of the hydrogen supplied to the target can be reliably increased to a suitable humidity. In addition, since the heat contained in the water in the first separation tank can be dissipated into the atmosphere through the outer cylindrical member, the situation in which the temperature of the water supplied to the hydrogen generator becomes excessively high can be avoided, and a decrease in the hydrogen generation efficiency by the hydrogen generator can be suitably avoided.

[0018] Furthermore, the processing device according to claim 3 includes a water supply path capable of supplying the water stored in the second separation tank to the first separation tank. Therefore, according to the processing device according to claim 3 and the fuel supply system provided with such a processing device, not only the water discharged from the hydrogen generator together with oxygen but also the water discharged from the hydrogen generator together with hydrogen can be effectively utilized as raw materials for electrolysis in the hydrogen generator.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the hydrogen supply system 1. [Figure 2] It is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the processing device 3.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the processing device and the fuel supply system will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] The hydrogen supply system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a "fuel supply system" and is configured to be able to supply hydrogen gas (hydrogen) G to a fuel cell unit X, which is an example of a "supply target". This hydrogen supply system 1 includes a hydrogen generator 2, a processing device 3, a post-processing device 4, pipes 5, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, on-off valves 8a, 8b, and a control device 9.

[0022] In this case, the pipe 5 is an example of a "water supply pipe" and is connected so as to be able to supply the water W stored in the processing device 3 to the hydrogen generator 2 as "water as a raw material for generating hydrogen by electrolysis" as described later. Further, the pipe 6a is connected so that the oxygen O discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 containing the water W1 flows into the processing device 3, and the pipe 6b is connected so that the oxygen O discharged from the processing device 3 flows into the post-processing device 4. Also, the pipe 7a is connected so that the hydrogen gas G discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 containing the water W2 flows into the processing device 3, and the pipe 7b is connected so that the hydrogen gas G discharged from the processing device 3 can be supplied to the fuel cell unit X.

[0023] On the one hand, the hydrogen generator 2 is an example of a "hydrogen generator that electrolyzes raw material water to generate hydrogen", and similar to the electrolytic cell in the hydrogen generator disclosed in the aforementioned patent document, it is configured to be able to electrolyze the water W (pure water) supplied from the processing device 3 through the pipe 5 to generate hydrogen gas G. Regarding the configuration of the hydrogen generator 2 and the procedure of the electrolysis treatment, etc., since they are the same as those of known configurations such as the aforementioned electrolytic cell and its treatment procedure, detailed description is omitted. Since the efficiency of electrolysis decreases and the production efficiency of hydrogen gas G decreases if the temperature of the water W used as a raw material by the hydrogen generator 2 is too high, as will be described later, the pipe 5 for supplying the water W from the processing device 3 to the hydrogen generator 2 is preferably formed of a material with high thermal conductivity (a material with high heat dissipation property) so that the temperature of the passing water W can be decreased.

[0024] The processing device 3 is an example of a "processing device", and as will be described later, it is configured to process the hydrogen gas G and oxygen O discharged from the hydrogen generator 2, supply the hydrogen gas G to the fuel cell unit X, and discharge the oxygen O to the post-processing device 4. As shown in FIG. 2, this processing device 3 includes an outer cylindrical member 11, an inner cylindrical member 12, a lower closing member 13, an upper closing member 14, a water level sensor 15, a pipe 16, and an on-off valve 17.

[0025] The outer cylindrical member 11 corresponds to the "outer cylindrical member" and, for example, is formed in a cylindrical shape. The inner cylindrical member 12 corresponds to the "inner cylindrical member" and, for example, is formed in a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the outer cylindrical member 11 and is disposed inside the outer cylindrical member 11. In this case, in the processing apparatus 3 of this example, both the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 are made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as metal (for example, surface-treated aluminum). Furthermore, in the processing apparatus 3 of this example, protrusions (fins: not shown) are provided on at least one (for example, both) of the inner and outer surfaces of the outer cylindrical member 11 to increase the surface area, and protrusions (fins: not shown) are provided on at least one (for example, both) of the inner and outer surfaces of the inner cylindrical member 12 to increase the surface area.

[0026] Furthermore, the lower closing member 13 is an example of a "first closing member" and is configured to be able to close one end (lower end) of the outer cylindrical member 11 and one end (lower end) of the inner cylindrical member 12. Furthermore, the upper closing member 14 is an example of a "second closing member" and is configured to be able to close the other end (upper end) of the outer cylindrical member 11 and the other end (upper end) of the inner cylindrical member 12. In this case, in the processing apparatus 3 of this example, both the lower closing member 13 and the upper closing member 14 are formed from a low thermal conductivity material such as a resin material (for example, acrylic resin or polyvinyl chloride resin) (a material with low heat dissipation: a material with lower thermal conductivity than the material constituting the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12).

[0027] In this case, the processing apparatus 3 of this example is configured such that the lower closing member 13 is positioned below the upper closing member 14 (for example, the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 are upright so that their cylindrical lengths coincide with the vertical direction), and a configuration is adopted in which water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 together with oxygen O is separated from oxygen O in the outer space S1 between the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 (an example of the "first space") (an example of a configuration in which the "first space" as "either the first space or the second space" functions as the "first separation tank"). Furthermore, the processing apparatus 3 of this example is configured in which water W2 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 together with hydrogen gas G is separated from hydrogen gas G in the inner space S2 within the inner cylindrical member 12 (an example of the "second space") (an example of a configuration in which the "second space" as "either the other space of the first space or the second space" functions as the "second separation tank").

[0028] Furthermore, in the apparatus 3 of this example, the apparatus is configured to store water W for electrolysis, which is supplied to the hydrogen generator 2, in the outer space S1, and the above-mentioned piping 5 is connected to supply the water W stored in the outer space S1 to the hydrogen generator 2. In addition, in the apparatus 3 of this example, the apparatus is configured to store water W2 separated from hydrogen gas G in the inner space S2, and the hydrogen gas G is configured to float in the water W2 stored in the inner space S2. Furthermore, in the apparatus 3 of this example, in which the outer space S1 and the inner space S2 are separated only by the inner cylindrical member 12, it is possible to exchange heat between the water W1 in the outer space S1 and the water W2 in the inner space S2 via the inner cylindrical member 12 (an example of a configuration in which "the water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank are configured to exchange heat via the inner cylindrical member").

[0029] The water level sensor 15 detects the amount of water W2 stored in the inner space S2 and outputs a detection signal to the control device 9. In this example, the processing device 3 is configured such that the water level sensor 15 is a float sensor and outputs a detection signal to the control device 9 when the amount of water W2 reaches a predetermined amount. The piping 16 is a pipe that constitutes a "water supply channel capable of supplying water stored in the second separation tank to the first separation tank," with one end communicating with the inner space S2 and the other end communicating with the outer space S1, and is equipped with an on / off valve 17 that is controlled to open and close by the control device 9.

[0030] The aftertreatment device 4 is configured, for example, to dilute the oxygen O discharged from the treatment device 3 to a predetermined oxygen concentration by mixing it with the atmosphere and then releasing it into the atmosphere. In environments where the direct release of oxygen O into the atmosphere is permitted, the aftertreatment device 4 may be omitted. Alternatively, instead of the aftertreatment device 4, a configuration can be adopted in which oxygen O discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 is supplied to the fuel cell unit X as fuel. The on / off valve 8a is controlled by the control device 9 to allow / regulate the supply of water W from the treatment device 3 to the hydrogen generator 2. The on / off valve 8b is controlled by the control device 9 to allow / regulate the supply of hydrogen gas G from the treatment device 3 to the fuel cell unit X.

[0031] The control device 9 comprehensively controls the hydrogen supply system 1. Specifically, the control device 9 controls the generation of hydrogen gas G by the hydrogen generator 2 (electrolysis of water W), the supply of water W to the hydrogen generator 2 by controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve 8a, the supply of hydrogen gas G to the fuel cell unit X by controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve 8b, and the transfer of water W2 from the inner space S2 to the outer space S1 by controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve 17 based on the detection signal from the water level sensor 15.

[0032] When supplying hydrogen gas G to the fuel cell unit X by this hydrogen supply system 1, as shown in Figure 2, a sufficient amount of water W to be supplied as raw material for electrolysis in the hydrogen generator 2 is stored in the outer space S1, and a small amount of water W necessary for humidifying the hydrogen gas G is stored in the inner space S2. In this state, the control device 9 moves the on / off valves 8a and 8b from the closed state to the open state, and controls the hydrogen generator 2 to start the generation of hydrogen gas G. As a result, raw material water W is supplied from the outer space S1 of the processing device 3 to the hydrogen generator 2 via the piping 5, and this water W is electrolyzed in the hydrogen generator 2, causing hydrogen gas G and oxygen O to be discharged from the hydrogen generator 2.

[0033] At this time, water W1 is discharged along with oxygen O into the piping 6a that guides the oxygen O discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 to the treatment device 3. This gas-liquid mixed fluid of oxygen O and water W1 is allowed to flow into the outer space S1 from piping 6a connected to the lower closing member 13 of the treatment device 3, and is separated into oxygen O and water W1 as it rises through the outer space S1 toward piping 6b connected to the upper closing member 14 of the treatment device 3. The separated oxygen O is then discharged from the outer space S1 into piping 6b and flows into the post-treatment device 4. As a result, as described above, the oxygen O mixed with the atmosphere to a predetermined oxygen concentration in the post-treatment device 4 is released into the atmosphere. The separated water W1 is stored in the outer space S1 so that it can be supplied to the hydrogen generator 2 as a raw material, and is supplied to the hydrogen generator 2 via piping 5 for electrolysis.

[0034] Furthermore, water W2 is discharged along with the hydrogen gas G discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 into the piping 7a that guides the hydrogen gas G to the processing device 3. This gas-liquid mixed fluid of hydrogen gas G and water W2 is allowed to flow into the inner space S2 from piping 7a connected to the lower closing member 13 of the processing device 3, and is separated into hydrogen gas G and water W2 as it rises through the inner space S2 toward piping 7b connected to the upper closing member 14 of the processing device 3. The separated hydrogen gas G is then discharged from the inner space S2 into piping 7b and supplied to the fuel cell unit X. As a result, the hydrogen gas G supplied from the hydrogen supply system 1 reacts with the atmosphere (oxygen) in the fuel cell unit X to generate electricity. The separated water W2 is stored in the inner space S2.

[0035] In this case, as described above, the gas-liquid mixed fluid of oxygen O and water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 and flowing into the outer space S1 via piping 6a is at a higher temperature than the gas-liquid mixed fluid of hydrogen gas G and water W2 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 and flowing into the inner space S2 via piping 7a. Furthermore, when hydrogen gas G is generated by the hydrogen generator 2, the amount of water W1 discharged per unit time along with oxygen O is greater than the amount of water W2 discharged per unit time along with hydrogen gas G. Also, as mentioned above, in the processing apparatus 3 of this example, the outer space S1 and the inner space S2 are separated only by an inner cylindrical member 12, and a configuration is adopted in which water W (water W1) in the outer space S1 and water W (water W2) in the inner space S2 exchange heat with each other via the inner cylindrical member 12.

[0036] Therefore, when the gas-liquid mixed fluid of oxygen O and water W1 is continuously flowing into the outer space S1, and the gas-liquid mixed fluid of hydrogen gas G and water W2 is continuously flowing into the inner space S2, the water W2 in the inner space S2 is sufficiently heated by heat exchange with the water W1 in the outer space S1. In this case, as mentioned above, in the apparatus 3 of this example, the inner cylindrical member 12 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, and protrusions (fins) are provided on both its inner and outer surfaces to increase the surface area of ​​the inner cylindrical member 12. Therefore, the water W1 in the outer space S1 and the water W2 in the inner space S2, separated by the inner cylindrical member 12, exchange heat effectively, and the temperature of the water W2 in the inner space S2 is sufficiently raised. As a result, the hydrogen gas G, which can float within the water W2 stored in the inner space S2, contains sufficient moisture in the gaseous phase, achieving sufficient humidity. In this state, it is supplied to the fuel cell unit X via piping 7b, thereby reliably preventing the MEA from drying up.

[0037] Furthermore, in order to humidify the hydrogen gas G, which can be made to float in the inner space S2 (water W2) as described above, to a suitable humidity, it is preferable to avoid an excessive drop in the temperature of the hydrogen gas G and water W2 before they flow into the inner space S2. Therefore, it is preferable to form the piping 7a that carries the hydrogen gas G and water W2 from the hydrogen generator 2 to the treatment device 3 with a low thermal conductivity material (a material with low heat dissipation). Also, if the temperature of the hydrogen gas G, which has been sufficiently humidified in the treatment device 3, drops before it is supplied to the fuel cell unit X, the water in the gas phase contained in the hydrogen gas G will change into a liquid phase and flow into the fuel cell unit X as water droplets. In such a state, the water in the liquid phase (water droplets) may become a resistance to the passage of the hydrogen gas G, so it is preferable to form the piping 7b that supplies the hydrogen gas G from the treatment device 3 to the fuel cell unit X with a low thermal conductivity material (a material with low heat dissipation).

[0038] On the other hand, when the supply of hydrogen gas G to the fuel cell unit X continues as described above, the amount of water W2 stored in the inner space S2, which is discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 along with the hydrogen gas G, gradually increases. Furthermore, when the water level sensor 15 detects that the amount of water W2 stored in the inner space S2 has reached a predetermined amount, it outputs a detection signal to the control device 9. In response, the control device 9 moves the on / off valve 17 from the closed state to the open state. At this time, the water W2 in the inner space S2 is sent to the outer space S1 via the piping 16 and stored in the outer space S1 as part of the water W supplied to the hydrogen generator 2. Regarding the transfer of water W2 from the inner space S2 to the outer space S1, a configuration can be adopted in which the water is transferred by utilizing the internal pressure applied to the inner space S2 due to the inflow of hydrogen gas G, etc., or a configuration can be adopted in which the water is forcibly transferred by a liquid-phase pump (not shown). This makes it possible to effectively utilize not only the water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 along with oxygen O, but also the water W2 discharged along with hydrogen gas G as raw material water W.

[0039] In this case, as mentioned above, if the temperature of the water W used as a raw material for generating hydrogen gas G by the hydrogen generator 2 is too high, the efficiency of electrolysis of the water W decreases, and the efficiency of hydrogen gas G generation decreases. However, in the hydrogen supply system 1 of this example, the temperature of the high-temperature water W1 is sufficiently reduced by heat exchange with water W2 which is at a lower temperature than water W1. Furthermore, in the hydrogen supply system 1 of this example, as described above, a configuration is adopted in which water W2 supplied from the inner space S2 is combined with water W1 in the outer space S1 before being supplied to the hydrogen generator 2. Therefore, unlike a configuration in which only water W1 in the outer space S1 is used as a raw material for generating hydrogen gas G without heat exchange with water W2 in the inner space S2, the hydrogen supply system 1 of this example effectively avoids the situation in which excessively high-temperature water W (water W1, W2) that would reduce the efficiency of electrolysis is supplied to the hydrogen generator 2.

[0040] Furthermore, in the apparatus 3 of this example, as mentioned above, the outer cylindrical member 11 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, and protrusions (fins) are provided on both its inner and outer surfaces to increase the surface area of ​​the outer cylindrical member 11. Therefore, the water W1 in the outer space S1 separated by the outer cylindrical member 11 and the atmosphere surrounding the apparatus 3 are suitably heat-exchanged, preventing the water W1 in the outer space S1 from becoming excessively hot, and thereby reliably preventing the supply of excessively hot water W (water W1, W2) to the hydrogen generator 2.

[0041] Furthermore, when power generation by the fuel cell unit X is stopped, that is, when the supply of hydrogen gas G to the fuel cell unit X is no longer needed, the control device 9 switches the on-off valves 8a and 8b from the open state to the closed state. At this time, the supply of water W from the processing device 3 (outer space S1) to the hydrogen generator 2 via the piping 5 is stopped, and the supply of hydrogen gas G from the processing device 3 (inner space S2) to the fuel cell unit X via the piping 7b is also stopped. In addition, when the on-off valve 8b is switched to the closed state, the water W2 in the processing device 3 (inner space S2) is prevented from volatilizing and flowing into the fuel cell unit X via the piping 7b. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary consumption of water W2, which is used for humidifying hydrogen gas G and as a raw material for electrolysis by the hydrogen generator 2.

[0042] Thus, the processing apparatus 3 comprises an outer cylindrical member 11, an inner cylindrical member 12 disposed inside the outer cylindrical member 11, a lower closing member 13 that closes the opening at one end (lower end) of the outer cylindrical member 11 and the opening at one end (lower end) of the inner cylindrical member 12, and an upper closing member 14 that closes the opening at the other end (upper end) of the outer cylindrical member 11 and the opening at the other end (upper end) of the inner cylindrical member 12. When the lower closing member 13 is installed below the upper closing member 14, either the outer space S1 (first space) between the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 or the inner space S2 (second space) inside the inner cylindrical member 12 (in this example, the outer space S1) is connected to the hydrogen generator 2 The first separation tank functions as a "first separation tank" that separates and stores water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 along with oxygen O, and the other of the outer space S1 and inner space S2 (in this example, the inner space S2) functions as a "second separation tank" that separates and stores water W2 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 along with hydrogen gas G, and the water W1 in the "first separation tank" and the water W2 in the "second separation tank" are configured to be able to exchange heat via an inner cylindrical member 12, the first separation tank is configured to be able to connect a pipe 5 that supplies the stored water W1 to the hydrogen generator 2 as "raw material water", and the second separation tank is configured so that hydrogen gas G floats in the stored water W2.

[0043] Therefore, with this processing device 3 and hydrogen supply system 1, compared to a configuration in which a container for storing water W supplied to the hydrogen generator 2 and a separation tank (a water supply tank in the configuration disclosed in the aforementioned patent document) for separating water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 together with oxygen O, and a separation tank (a water separation unit in the configuration disclosed in the aforementioned patent document) for separating water W1 discharged from the hydrogen gas G from the hydrogen gas G, the outer space S1 and inner space S2 formed by the double-pipe structure can be used as the "first separation tank" and the "second separation tank," thereby reducing the space occupied by both separation tanks and making the hydrogen supply system 1 sufficiently compact. Furthermore, since the water W2 in the inner space S2 for humidifying the hydrogen gas G can be heated by heat exchange with the water W1 in the outer space S1 without using a heat source such as an electric heater, the manufacturing cost and operating cost of the hydrogen supply system 1 can be sufficiently reduced while supplying hydrogen gas G with a suitable humidity to the fuel cell unit X.

[0044] Furthermore, in this processing device 3, the outer space S1 functions as a "first separation tank," and the inner space S2 functions as a "second separation tank." Therefore, with this processing device 3 and hydrogen supply system 1, the entire perimeter of the inner space S2 (second separation tank) is surrounded by the outer space S1 (first separation tank), allowing for effective heat exchange between the water W in the outer space S1 and the water W in the inner space S2. As a result, the temperature of the water W in the inner space S2 can be sufficiently raised, and the humidity of the hydrogen gas G supplied to the fuel cell unit X can be reliably increased to a suitable level. In addition, since the heat contained in the water W1 in the "first separation tank" can be released into the atmosphere via the outer cylindrical member 11, the temperature of the water W (water W1, W2) supplied to the hydrogen generator 2 can be avoided, and a decrease in the hydrogen gas G production efficiency by the hydrogen generator 2 can be effectively avoided.

[0045] Furthermore, this processing device 3 is equipped with a "water supply channel (pipe 16 in this example)" that can supply water W2 stored in the "second separation tank" to the "first separation tank". Therefore, with this processing device 3 and hydrogen supply system 1, not only water W1 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 along with oxygen O, but also water W2 discharged from the hydrogen generator 2 along with hydrogen gas G can be effectively utilized as raw material for electrolysis in the hydrogen generator 2.

[0046] The configuration of the "processing device" and "fuel supply system" is not limited to the examples of the configurations of the processing device 3 and hydrogen supply system 1 described above.

[0047] For example, we have described an example in which the processing device 3 is installed upright so that the cylindrical lengths of the outer cylindrical member 11 and the inner cylindrical member 12 coincide with the vertical direction. However, the processing device 3 can also be installed at an angle, as long as the condition that "the lower closing member 13 is located below the upper closing member 14" is met. Even in a processing device 3 installed in such a position, the humidity of the hydrogen gas G that is introduced into the inner space S2 can be sufficiently increased when it is made to float in the water W2. Furthermore, although we have described an example in which the water W2 separated from the hydrogen gas G in the inner space S2 is sent to the outer space S1 via piping 16 and supplied from the outer space S1 to the hydrogen generator 2 as "raw water," it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which, when a specified amount of water W2 is stored in the inner space S2, this water W2 is directly supplied from the inner space S2 to the hydrogen generator 2 (example of a configuration without a "water supply channel": not shown).

[0048] Furthermore, although we have described an example of a processing device 3 configured such that the outer space S1 functions as the "first separation tank" and the inner space S2 functions as the "second separation tank," it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the inner space S2 (second space) functions as the "first separation tank" and the outer space S1 (first space) functions as the "second separation tank" (not shown). In addition, although we have described an example of a configuration that supplies hydrogen gas G to a fuel cell unit X, the "target of supply" is not limited to the "fuel cell unit," and for example, hydrogen gas G that does not contain moisture from liquid transport and has a sufficiently high humidity can also be supplied to a "hydrogen combustion engine," etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1. Hydrogen supply system 2. Hydrogen generator 3 Processing Unit 4. Post-processing device 5,6a,6b,7a,7b,16 Piping 8a, 8b, 17 Shut-off valves 9 Control device 11 Outer cylindrical member 12 Inner cylindrical member 13. Lower closing member 14 Upper closing member 15 Water level sensor G Hydrogen gas Oxygen S1 outer space S2 inner space W,W1,W2 Water X Fuel Cell Unit

Claims

1. Outer cylindrical member, An inner cylindrical member disposed within the outer cylindrical member, A first closing member that closes the opening at one end of the outer cylindrical member and the opening at one end of the inner cylindrical member, The system includes a second closing member that closes the opening at the other end of the outer cylindrical member and the opening at the other end of the inner cylindrical member, In a state in which the first blocking member is positioned below the second blocking member, the first space between the outer cylindrical member and the inner cylindrical member and the second space within the inner cylindrical member function as a first separation tank for storing water discharged from a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen by electrolyzing raw water, separating it from the oxygen, and the other space between the first and second spaces function as a second separation tank for storing water discharged from the hydrogen generator, separating it from the hydrogen, and the water in the first separation tank and the water in the second separation tank are configured to be able to exchange heat via the inner cylindrical member. The first separation tank is configured to be connectable to a water supply pipe that supplies the stored water to the hydrogen generator as the raw material water. The second separation tank is a processing apparatus configured to allow the hydrogen to float in the stored water.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first space functions as a first separation tank and the second space functions as a second separation tank.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a water supply channel capable of supplying water stored in the second separation tank to the first separation tank.

4. The apparatus comprises the processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and the hydrogen generator, A fuel supply system configured to supply the hydrogen discharged from the hydrogen generator and passed through the second separation tank in the treatment device to a target.

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