Hydrogen production apparatus and hydrogen production system

Abstract

To provide a hydrogen production apparatus and a hydrogen production system capable of further reducing environmental load and operating at low cost without generating carbon dioxide.SOLUTION: A hydrogen production apparatus comprises a reactor having a reaction chamber formed therein, a gas supply part for supplying natural gas into the reaction chamber, a particle supply part for supplying particles into natural gas in the reaction chamber, a heating part for thermally decomposing methane contained in natural gas to generate hydrogen and carbon by heating the natural gas in the reaction chamber through a heat medium temperature-raised by waste heat of a high-temperature gas furnace, and an extraction part for directing hydrogen from the reaction chamber to the outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hydrogen production device and a hydrogen production system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, from the perspective of promoting carbon neutrality, the use of hydrogen as an energy source has been increasing. As one type of hydrogen used in this way for energy utilization, so-called turquoise hydrogen is known. Turquoise hydrogen is characterized by being obtained by directly thermally decomposing hydrocarbons such as methane. When producing this turquoise hydrogen, although carbon is generated as a by-product, carbon dioxide is not emitted. Therefore, the utilization of turquoise hydrogen is advantageous in promoting the above-mentioned carbon neutrality and has attracted particular attention.

[0003] As a specific example of the technology for producing hydrogen by the above method, the one described in Patent Document 1 below can be cited. In the device according to Patent Document 1 below, a raw material gas containing hydrocarbons and a catalyst are supplied into a reactor and heated, thereby thermally decomposing the hydrocarbons into hydrogen molecules and carbon molecules. As a means for heating the catalyst, a jacket through which steam or the like flows is used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In order to produce large quantities of hydrogen, a lot of heat is required to thermally decompose hydrocarbons. However, if steam or other heat sources are used to heat the catalyst as described above, the equipment may become larger and operating costs may increase in order to obtain the necessary heat. Furthermore, since fossil fuels are burned when generating steam for hydrogen production, there is a risk of carbon dioxide being produced. When generating steam using renewable energy such as solar power, hydrogen production is also affected by weather conditions, making it difficult to produce hydrogen stably.

[0006] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a hydrogen production apparatus and a large-capacity hydrogen production system that do not generate carbon dioxide, further reduce environmental impact, and can be operated at low cost and stably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the hydrogen production apparatus according to this disclosure comprises: a reactor having a reaction chamber formed inside; a gas supply unit that supplies natural gas into the reaction chamber; a particle supply unit that supplies particles into the natural gas in the reaction chamber; a heating unit that heats the natural gas in the reaction chamber via a heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of a high-temperature gas furnace, thereby thermally decomposing the methane contained in the natural gas to generate hydrogen and carbon; and an extraction unit that guides the hydrogen from the reaction chamber to the outside. The particles include catalyst particles that provide a catalytic effect for the thermal decomposition reaction of methane, and carbon removal particles that, by coming into contact with the catalyst particles, remove the carbon deposited on the surface of the catalyst particles. The hydrogen production apparatus according to this disclosure comprises a reactor having a reaction chamber formed inside; a gas supply unit for supplying natural gas into the reaction chamber; a particle supply unit for supplying particles into the natural gas in the reaction chamber; a heating unit for generating hydrogen and carbon by thermally decomposing methane contained in the natural gas by heating the natural gas in the reaction chamber via a heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of a high-temperature gas furnace; and an extraction unit for guiding the hydrogen from the reaction chamber to the outside. The gas supply unit is provided at the lower part of the reaction chamber and has a gas nozzle for ejecting the natural gas. The particle supply unit further comprises a particle supply port provided at the upper part of the reaction chamber for supplying the particles; a particle discharge port provided at the lower part of the reaction chamber for discharging the particles; and a recirculation unit for recirculating the particles from the particle discharge port toward the particle supply port. The hydrogen production apparatus according to this disclosure comprises a reactor having a reaction chamber formed inside; a gas supply unit that supplies natural gas into the reaction chamber; a particle supply unit that supplies particles into the natural gas in the reaction chamber; a heating unit that generates hydrogen and carbon by thermally decomposing methane contained in the natural gas by heating the natural gas in the reaction chamber via a heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of a high-temperature gas furnace; and an extraction unit that guides the hydrogen from the reaction chamber to the outside. The apparatus further comprises a partition wall that divides the reaction chamber into a plurality of small chambers arranged in the vertical direction; and a reducing pipe that penetrates the partition wall in the vertical direction and has a diameter in the part that overlaps with the partition wall that is smaller than the diameter of the other parts.

[0008] The hydrogen production system according to this disclosure comprises the above-mentioned hydrogen production apparatus and a high-temperature gas furnace that supplies helium gas as the heat transfer medium to the hydrogen production apparatus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a hydrogen production apparatus and a hydrogen production system that can be operated at low cost without generating carbon dioxide, further reducing the environmental impact. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a hydrogen production system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a hydrogen production apparatus according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a view of the reactor and reflux section according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, as seen from above and below. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a hydrogen production apparatus according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the VV line. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <First Embodiment> (Configuration of the hydrogen production system) Hereinafter, the hydrogen production system 1 and hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. This hydrogen production system 1 is used to produce hydrogen (turquoise hydrogen) by directly thermally decomposing hydrocarbons such as methane contained in natural gas. Furthermore, the hydrogen production system 1 utilizes the heat from the heat transfer medium (helium gas) discharged from the high-temperature gas reactor 100 (nuclear reactor) as a heat source.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the hydrogen production system 1 comprises an intermediate heat exchanger 21, a helium gas line 22, an LNG tank 23, a natural gas line 24, a hydrogen production device 10, a preheater 25, a hydrogen extraction line 26, a dust removal device 27, a cooler 28, a catalyst separator 29, and a storage tank 30.

[0013] The intermediate heat exchanger 21 is located between the primary line 101, through which primary helium gas extracted from the reactor as a cooling medium for the reactor core flows, and the helium gas line 22, through which secondary helium gas flows. Heat exchange takes place between the primary helium gas and the secondary helium gas in the intermediate heat exchanger 21. For example, the supply temperature of the primary helium gas is approximately 950°C, and the supply temperature of the secondary helium gas is approximately 850°C. The secondary helium gas is used as a heat transfer medium to heat natural gas in the hydrogen production device 10, which will be described later.

[0014] Multiple hydrogen production units 10 (two of each type, for example) and a preheater 25 are provided on the helium gas line 22. In the hydrogen production units 10, natural gas supplied from the LNG tank 23 through the natural gas line 24 is thermally decomposed by the heat of helium gas acting as a heat transfer medium to produce hydrogen and carbon. The hydrogen production units 10 are arranged in parallel on the helium gas line 22. The configuration of the hydrogen production units 10 will be described later.

[0015] The preheater 25 is located downstream of the hydrogen production device 10. The preheater 25 is installed to raise the temperature of the natural gas supplied to the hydrogen production device 10. Natural gas supplied through the natural gas line 24 and helium gas, which is used as a heat transfer medium and discharged from the hydrogen production device 10, flow into the preheater 25. In the preheater 25, the relatively low-temperature natural gas and the high-temperature helium gas exchange heat. This raises the temperature of the natural gas sent to the hydrogen production device 10 to approximately 350°C.

[0016] The dust removal device 27 is provided on the hydrogen extraction line 26 extending from the hydrogen production device 10. Hydrogen generated by the hydrogen production device 10 flows in the hydrogen extraction line 26. The dust removal device 27 is a device for removing dust contained in this hydrogen and includes a filter device (not shown) and the like. A cooler 28 is provided on the downstream side of the dust removal device 27 in the hydrogen extraction line 26. Low-temperature natural gas flowing in the natural gas line 24 flows into the cooler 28. Thereby, in the cooler 28, hydrogen and natural gas exchange heat, the hydrogen is cooled, and the natural gas is heated. As an example, the hydrogen is cooled to about 250°C, and the natural gas is heated to about 200°C.

[0017] The catalyst separator 29 classifies the particles 19 used for the thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons in the hydrogen production device 10 into catalyst particles and carbon removal particles. These particles 19 will be described later. On the downstream side of the catalyst separator 29, storage tanks 30 for storing these particles 19 are provided respectively.

[0018] (Configuration of Hydrogen Production Device) Next, the configuration of the hydrogen production device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the hydrogen production device 10 includes a reactor 11, a gas supply unit 12, a particle supply unit 13, a heating unit 14, and an extraction unit 15.

[0019] The reactor 11 is a bottomed cylindrical container extending in the vertical direction. The internal space of the reactor 11 is a reaction chamber 16. The gas supply unit 12 supplies the natural gas supplied from the above-mentioned natural gas line 24 into the reaction chamber 16. The gas supply unit 12 has a gas nozzle 17. The gas nozzle 17 is provided at the lower part of the reaction chamber 16. The gas nozzle 17 extends in a direction crossing the reaction chamber 16. The gas nozzle 17 has a plurality of ejection ports 18 that eject natural gas downward. That is, the ejection ports 18 open downward. The natural gas ejected from the gas nozzle 17 flows in the reaction chamber 16 from the bottom upward.

[0020] The particle supply unit 13 supplies particles 19 into the reaction chamber 16 filled with natural gas. The particle supply unit 13 has a particle supply port 41 located at the top of the reaction chamber 16, a particle discharge port 42 located at the bottom of the reaction chamber 16, and a reflux unit 43 that refluxes the particles 19 from the particle discharge port 42 towards the particle supply port 41. The reflux unit 43 is, for example, a screw feeder. As shown in Figure 3, multiple reflux units 43 (for example, four) are arranged on the side of the reactor 11 at intervals in the circumferential direction. In addition, the reflux unit 43 may be fitted with a water-cooling jacket to ensure heat resistance.

[0021] Here, particle 19 includes catalyst particles that provide catalytic action for the thermal decomposition reaction of hydrocarbons (methane) contained in natural gas, and carbon removal particles that remove carbon deposited on the surface of the catalyst particles. Specifically, metal catalysts such as iron, nickel, cobalt, and platinum are used as catalyst particles. Carbon is deposited on the surface of these metal catalysts as methane is thermally decomposed. The carbon removal particles flow together with the catalyst particles, come into contact with them, and physically remove the carbon by friction. The carbon removal particles have a higher hardness than the catalyst particles. Specifically, zirconia is preferably used as the carbon removal particles.

[0022] It is desirable that the carbon removal particles be present in an amount of approximately 10-20% by volume relative to the catalyst particles. Furthermore, the particle size of the catalyst particles is preferably around 100 μm. This is to prevent the catalyst particles from being blown away by the natural gas flow described above. Specifically, the preferred particle size of the catalyst particles is appropriately determined by Stokes' equation based on the natural gas flow velocity. It is desirable that the particle size of the carbon removal particles be equal to or greater than that of the catalyst particles.

[0023] The heating section 14 is provided for heating natural gas in the reaction chamber 16. The heating section 14 has an upper header pipe 51, a plurality of heat transfer tubes 52, and a lower header pipe 53. The upper header pipe 51 is provided at the top of the reaction chamber 16, and the lower header pipe 53 is provided at the bottom of the reaction chamber 16. The plurality of heat transfer tubes 52 connect the upper header pipe 51 and the lower header pipe 53 in the vertical direction. The helium gas line 22 described above is connected to the upper header pipe 51 and the lower header pipe 53. High-temperature helium gas, as a heat transfer medium, flows through the inside of the heat transfer tubes 52 from the upper header pipe 51 side to the lower header pipe 53 side. As the helium gas flows through the inside of the heat transfer tubes 52, the natural gas in the reaction chamber 16 is heated, causing a thermal decomposition reaction via catalyst particles, which decomposes the natural gas into hydrogen and carbon. Specifically, it is desirable that the temperature of the helium gas as a heat transfer medium be 600°C or higher. The hydrogen produced in the reaction chamber 16 is guided to the hydrogen extraction line 26 by an extraction unit 15 located at the top of the reactor 11.

[0024] (Effects and Benefits) Next, the operation of the hydrogen production system 1 and the hydrogen production apparatus 10 will be described. In order to operate the hydrogen production system 1, first, particles 19 and natural gas are supplied to the reaction chamber 16 of the hydrogen production apparatus 10. In this state, helium gas (secondary helium gas) produced by the operation of the nuclear reactor is supplied to the heating section 14 as a heat transfer medium. As a result, the hydrocarbons (methane) contained in the natural gas are thermally decomposed to produce hydrogen and carbon. The hydrogen is extracted from the reactor 11 by the hydrogen extraction line 26 and is either stored externally or used for various purposes as an energy source.

[0025] Carbon, a by-product of the pyrolysis reaction, precipitates on the surfaces of catalyst particles and heat transfer tubes 52. This carbon is physically removed by carbon removal particles that flow with the catalyst particles. Specifically, as the catalyst particles flow from the bottom to the top of the reaction chamber 16 due to the operation of the reflux section 43, carbon precipitated on the surface of the catalyst particles is removed by friction. Also, as the catalyst particles flow through the reaction chamber 16, carbon adhering to the surface of the heat transfer tubes 52 is removed by the carbon removal particles. After the operation of the hydrogen production system 1 is completed, the removed carbon, catalyst particles, and carbon removal particles are classified and separated by the catalyst separator 29 shown in Figure 1, and then stored in the storage tank 30.

[0026] In this process, a significant amount of heat is required to thermally decompose hydrocarbons such as methane. However, conventionally, steam or similar sources have been used to heat the catalyst. When using this type of heat source, the equipment may become larger to obtain the necessary heat, and operating costs may increase due to rising fuel costs. Furthermore, it may become necessary to burn fossil fuels to generate heat, potentially producing new carbon dioxide. To solve these problems, the above-described configurations are adopted in this embodiment.

[0027] According to the above configuration, the heat transfer medium used to heat the natural gas is heated by the waste heat from the high-temperature gas reactor 100 (nuclear reactor). By using the waste heat from the high-temperature gas reactor 100 to heat the heat transfer medium, a large amount of heat can be obtained inexpensively and continuously. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the operating costs of the hydrogen production system 1 compared to using other heat sources such as steam. Furthermore, since there is no carbon dioxide generation associated with heat generation, the environmental burden can also be greatly reduced.

[0028] Furthermore, with the above configuration, by mixing carbon removal particles with catalyst particles, carbon deposited on the surface of the catalyst particles due to the thermal decomposition of methane can be physically removed. Specifically, the carbon removal particles flow along with the catalyst particles, causing them to rub against each other. The frictional force generated at this time removes carbon from the surface of the catalyst particles. In this way, the catalyst particles can be regenerated simply by flowing the catalyst particles and carbon removal particles together. As a result, the catalytic action of the catalyst particles can be made to exert its catalytic effect permanently.

[0029] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the carbon removal particles are formed from a material having higher hardness than the metal catalyst. Specifically, zirconia is preferably used as the carbon removal particles. This reduces the possibility of the carbon removal particles chipping or wearing down when they come into contact with the catalyst particles, and allows the carbon removal particles to maintain their original properties permanently.

[0030] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the natural gas ejected from the gas nozzle 17 flows upward through the reactor 11. Meanwhile, the particles 19 are supplied into the reaction chamber 16 from the top of the chamber. In other words, the natural gas and particles 19 come into contact with each other from opposing directions. This allows for the stable maintenance of the flow state of the natural gas and particles 19. In addition, when the reflux section 43 refluxes the particles 19 from the bottom to the top of the reaction chamber 16, the catalyst particles and carbon removal particles come into contact, allowing the catalyst particles to be regenerated. This makes it possible to operate the hydrogen production apparatus 10 stably over a long period of time.

[0031] In addition, according to the above configuration, the outlet 18 of the gas nozzle 17 is configured to eject natural gas downwards. This reduces the possibility of the outlet 18 being blocked by particles 19 flowing in from above. Therefore, it becomes possible to continuously and stably eject natural gas from the gas nozzle 17.

[0032] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the helium gas, which becomes hot when used as a refrigerant in the high-temperature gas reactor 100, can be effectively utilized as a heat transfer medium in the hydrogen production system 1. This allows the hydrogen production system 1 to be operated stably and inexpensively.

[0033] Furthermore, with the above configuration, a large amount of hydrogen can be produced more efficiently by multiple hydrogen production devices 10 arranged in parallel.

[0034] The first embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above. Various changes and modifications can be made to the above configuration without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, the number of hydrogen production devices 10 in the hydrogen production system 1 described above is just an example; there may be one or three or more. Similarly, the number of reflux units 43 in the hydrogen production device 10 may be three or fewer, or five or more.

[0035] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Components similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted. As shown in Figure 4, the configuration of the hydrogen production apparatus 10 in this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment.

[0036] In the hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, a plurality of partition walls 60 (two as an example) are provided inside the reactor 11. These partition walls 60 divide the reaction chamber 16 into a plurality of (three) small chambers 61 arranged vertically. Multiple retractable tubes 62 are inserted through the partition walls 60 to allow natural gas and particles 19 to flow between the small chambers 61. The retractable tubes 62 penetrate the partition walls 60 vertically, and the diameter of the portion overlapping the partition walls 60 is set to be smaller than the diameter of the other portions. In other words, the retractable tubes 62 act like an hourglass. As a result, small amounts of particles 19 continuously flow from the upper small chamber 61 to the lower small chamber 61. In addition, a slit 64 is provided at the upper end portion 63 of the retractable tube 62. The opening width of the slit 64 is set to be larger than the particle size of the particles 19.

[0037] Furthermore, adjacent small chambers 61 are also connected by connecting pipes 65. The connecting pipes 65 pass outside the reactor 11 and connect the upper part of the lower small chamber 61 to the lower part of the upper small chamber 61. The lower end of the connecting pipe 65 is located above the lower end of the reducing pipe 62. Also, as shown in Figure 5, multiple connecting pipes 65 are provided around the outer circumference of the reactor 11 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Each connecting pipe 65 extends from one side to the other in the circumferential direction of the axis of the reactor 11, which extends vertically, as you move from the lower end to the upper end. In other words, the connecting pipes 65 extend in a twisted manner when viewed from the axial direction.

[0038] (Effects and Benefits)

[0039] According to the above configuration, the thermal decomposition of natural gas (i.e., hydrogen production) takes place in each of the multiple small chambers 61 independently. The remaining components of the natural gas thermally decomposed in the lower small chamber 61 are sent to the upper small chamber 61 through the retractable tube 62, where they are further thermally decomposed. This cycle occurs continuously between the multiple small chambers 61. As a result, the thermal decomposition of natural gas progresses upwards in the reactor 11. Therefore, it is possible to thermally decompose all of the methane contained in the natural gas and efficiently produce a large amount of hydrogen.

[0040] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the particles 19 can be circulated from the top to the bottom of the shrinking tube 62 through the slit 64 at the upper end. In other words, the particles 19 can be flowed from the upper chamber 61 to the lower chamber 61. This eliminates the need to provide a device to supply particles 19 to each chamber 61, thereby reducing the manufacturing and maintenance costs of the device.

[0041] Furthermore, with the above configuration, in addition to the shrinking pipe 62, natural gas can be flowed from the lower chamber 61 to the upper chamber 61 through the connecting pipe 65. This ensures a stable flow rate of natural gas, thereby further improving the decomposition efficiency of natural gas. Also, the lower end of the connecting pipe 65 is located above the lower end of the shrinking pipe 62. Therefore, for example, even if particles 19 accumulate at the bottom of the reaction chamber 16 when the hydrogen production apparatus 10 is shut down, the lower end of the connecting pipe 65 will not be blocked by the accumulated particles 19. This makes it possible to immediately start operation with a stable flow of natural gas at the next startup.

[0042] In addition, with the above configuration, since the connecting pipe 65 extends in a twisted manner in the circumferential direction of its vertically extending axis, a swirling flow component can be imparted to the flow of natural gas supplied from the connecting pipe 65 into the small chamber 61. This swirling flow component ensures that the natural gas and particles 19 are mixed uniformly within the reaction chamber 16. As a result, the thermal decomposition reaction occurs throughout the entire reaction chamber 16, making it possible to thermally decompose the natural gas completely. Therefore, large quantities of hydrogen can be produced even more efficiently.

[0043] The second embodiment of this disclosure has been described above. It is possible to make various changes and modifications to the above configuration without departing from the gist of this disclosure. For example, the number of small chambers 61 described in the second embodiment is just an example; there may be two or four or more. Similarly, the number of connecting pipes 65 may be determined as appropriate according to the design and specifications.

[0044] <Note> The hydrogen production apparatus 10 and hydrogen production system 1 described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0045] (1) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment comprises a reactor 11 having a reaction chamber 16 formed inside, a gas supply unit 12 that supplies natural gas into the reaction chamber 16, a particle supply unit 13 that supplies particles 19 into the natural gas in the reaction chamber 16, a heating unit 14 that generates hydrogen and carbon by thermally decomposing methane contained in the natural gas by heating the natural gas in the reaction chamber 16 via a heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of a high-temperature gas furnace 100, and an extraction unit 15 that guides the hydrogen from the reaction chamber 16 to the outside.

[0046] According to the above configuration, the heat transfer medium used to heat the natural gas is heated by the waste heat from the high-temperature gas reactor 100. By using the waste heat from the high-temperature gas reactor 100, a large amount of heat can be obtained inexpensively and continuously. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the operating costs of the hydrogen production system 1.

[0047] (2) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment is the hydrogen production apparatus 10 of (1), wherein the particles 19 include catalyst particles that produce a catalytic effect on the thermal decomposition reaction of methane, and carbon removal particles that remove the carbon deposited on the surface of the catalyst particles by coming into contact with the catalyst particles.

[0048] According to the above configuration, by mixing carbon removal particles with catalyst particles, carbon deposited on the surface of the catalyst particles due to the thermal decomposition of methane can be physically removed. As a result, the catalytic activity of the catalyst particles can be continuously maintained simply by flowing the catalyst particles and carbon removal particles together.

[0049] (3) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the third embodiment is the hydrogen production apparatus 10 of (2), wherein the catalyst particles are a metal catalyst and the carbon removal particles are made of a material having higher hardness than the metal catalyst.

[0050] According to the above configuration, the carbon removal particles are formed from a material with higher hardness than the metal catalyst. This reduces the possibility of the carbon removal particles being worn down when they come into contact with the catalyst particles, and allows the carbon removal particles to maintain their original properties permanently.

[0051] (4) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the fourth embodiment is a hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to any one embodiment of (1) to (3), wherein the gas supply unit 12 is provided in the lower part of the reaction chamber 16 and has a gas nozzle 17 for ejecting the natural gas, and the particle supply unit 13 further has a particle supply port 41 provided in the upper part of the reaction chamber 16 for supplying the particles 19, a particle discharge port 42 provided in the lower part of the reaction chamber 16 for discharging the particles 19, and a recirculation unit 43 for recirculating the particles 19 from the particle discharge port 42 toward the particle supply port 41.

[0052] According to the above configuration, the natural gas ejected from the gas nozzle 17 flows upward through the reactor 11. Meanwhile, the particles 19 are supplied into the reaction chamber 16 from the top of the chamber. This allows for the stable maintenance of the flow state of the natural gas and particles 19. Furthermore, when the reflux section 43 refluxes the particles 19 from the bottom to the top of the reaction chamber 16, the catalyst particles and carbon removal particles come into contact, allowing the catalyst particles to be regenerated.

[0053] (5) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the fifth embodiment is the hydrogen production apparatus 10 of (4), wherein the gas nozzle 17 extends in a direction that crosses the reaction chamber 16 and has a plurality of nozzles 18 that eject the natural gas downward.

[0054] According to the above configuration, the outlet 18 of the gas nozzle 17 is configured to eject natural gas downwards. This reduces the possibility of the outlet 18 being blocked by particles 19 flowing in from above.

[0055] (6) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the sixth embodiment is a hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to any one embodiment of (1) to (5), further comprising a partition wall 60 that divides the reaction chamber 16 into a plurality of small chambers 61 arranged in the vertical direction, and a reducing pipe 62 that penetrates the partition wall 60 in the vertical direction and has a diameter set smaller in the portion that overlaps with the partition wall 60 than in the diameter of the other portions.

[0056] According to the above configuration, the thermal decomposition of natural gas (i.e., hydrogen production) is carried out independently in each of the multiple small chambers 61. The remaining components of the natural gas thermally decomposed in the lower small chamber 61 are sent to the upper small chamber 61 through the retractable pipe 62 and the connecting pipe 65, where they are further thermally decomposed. This makes it possible to thermally decompose all of the methane contained in the natural gas and efficiently produce a large amount of hydrogen.

[0057] (7) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the seventh embodiment is the hydrogen production apparatus 10 of (6), further having an upper end portion provided at the upper end of the shrinking tube 62, which has a plurality of slits 64 formed thereon having a width dimension larger than the diameter of the particles 19.

[0058] With the above configuration, the particles 19 can be circulated from the top to the bottom of the shrinking tube 62 through the slit 64 at the upper end. This eliminates the need to provide a device to supply particles 19 to each small chamber 61, thereby reducing the manufacturing and maintenance costs of the device.

[0059] (8) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the eighth embodiment is the hydrogen production apparatus 10 of (6) or (7), further comprising a connecting pipe 65 that connects a pair of adjacent small chambers 61 in the vertical direction, wherein the lower end of the connecting pipe 65 is located above the lower end of the shrinking pipe 62.

[0060] With the above configuration, in addition to the shrinking pipe 62, natural gas can be flowed from the lower chamber 61 to the upper chamber 61 through the connecting pipe 65. This further improves the decomposition efficiency of natural gas. Furthermore, the lower end of the connecting pipe 65 is located above the lower end of the shrinking pipe 62. Therefore, the lower end of the connecting pipe 65 is not blocked by the accumulated particles 19. As a result, it is possible to start operation immediately with a stable flow of natural gas at startup.

[0061] (9) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the ninth embodiment is the hydrogen production apparatus 10 of (8), wherein the connecting pipe 65, when viewed from the vertical direction, extends from one side in the circumferential direction with respect to the vertically extending axis, from the lower end to the upper end.

[0062] According to the above configuration, since the connecting pipe 65 extends in a twisted manner in the circumferential direction of its vertically extending axis, a swirling flow component can be imparted to the flow of natural gas supplied from the connecting pipe 65 into the small chamber 61. As a result, the natural gas and particles 19 are efficiently mixed in the reaction chamber 16, making it possible to thermally decompose the natural gas without waste.

[0063] (10) The hydrogen production system 1 according to the tenth embodiment comprises a hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to any one embodiment of (1) to (9), and a high-temperature gas furnace 100 that supplies helium gas as the heat transfer medium to the hydrogen production apparatus 10.

[0064] According to the above configuration, the helium gas, which becomes hot when used as a coolant in the high-temperature gas reactor 100, can be effectively utilized as a heat transfer medium in the hydrogen production system 1. This allows the hydrogen production system 1 to be operated stably and inexpensively.

[0065] (11) The hydrogen production apparatus 10 according to the eleventh embodiment is the hydrogen production system 1 of (10), wherein a plurality of hydrogen production apparatuses 10 are provided in parallel with one another.

[0066] According to the above configuration, multiple hydrogen production devices 10 arranged in parallel can produce large quantities of hydrogen more efficiently. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1…Hydrogen production system 10…Hydrogen production equipment 11… Reactor 12…Gas Supply Department 13...Particle supply section 14...Heating part 15...Extraction part 16…Reaction chamber 17... Gas nozzle 18... spout 19...Particle 21...Intermediate heat exchanger 22... Helium gas line 23…LNG tanks 24… Natural gas line 25… Preheater 26…Hydrogen extraction line 27…Dust removal device 28...Cooler 29…Catalyst separator 30…Storage tank 41...Particle supply port 42…Particle outlet 43...reflux section 51… Upper header pipe 52… Heat transfer tubes 53... Lower header pipe 60...Bulkhead 61... Komuro 62…Reducing tube 63...Top end 64... Slit 65...Communication pipe 100... High-temperature gas reactor 101… Primary line

Claims

1. A reactor with a reaction chamber formed inside, A gas supply unit that supplies natural gas into the reaction chamber, A particle supply unit that supplies particles into the natural gas in the reaction chamber, A heating unit that heats the natural gas in the reaction chamber via a heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of a high-temperature gas furnace, thereby thermally decomposing the methane contained in the natural gas to generate hydrogen and carbon, An extraction unit that guides the hydrogen from the reaction chamber to the outside, Equipped with, The aforementioned particles are Catalyst particles that exhibit catalytic activity in the thermal decomposition reaction of the aforementioned methane, A carbon removal particle that removes the carbon deposited on the surface of the catalyst particle by coming into contact with the catalyst particle, A hydrogen production device that includes hydrogen.

2. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst particles are a metal catalyst, and the carbon removal particles are formed of a material having higher hardness than the metal catalyst.

3. The gas supply unit is located at the bottom of the reaction chamber and has a gas nozzle for ejecting the natural gas. The particle supply unit is A particle supply port is provided at the top of the reaction chamber for supplying the particles, A particle discharge port is provided at the lower part of the reaction chamber for discharging the particles, A recirculation section that recirculates the particles from the particle discharge port toward the particle supply port, The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. A reactor with a reaction chamber formed inside, A gas supply unit that supplies natural gas into the reaction chamber, A particle supply unit that supplies particles into the natural gas in the reaction chamber, A heating unit that heats the natural gas in the reaction chamber via a heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of a high-temperature gas furnace, thereby thermally decomposing the methane contained in the natural gas to generate hydrogen and carbon, An extraction unit that guides the hydrogen from the reaction chamber to the outside, Equipped with, The gas supply unit is located at the bottom of the reaction chamber and has a gas nozzle for ejecting the natural gas. The particle supply unit is A particle supply port is provided at the top of the reaction chamber for supplying the particles, A particle discharge port is provided at the lower part of the reaction chamber for discharging the particles, A recirculation section that recirculates the particles from the particle discharge port toward the particle supply port, A hydrogen production device that further possesses the following.

5. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gas nozzle extends in a direction traversing the reaction chamber and has a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the natural gas downward.

6. A reactor with a reaction chamber formed inside, A gas supply unit that supplies natural gas into the reaction chamber, A particle supply unit that supplies particles into the natural gas in the reaction chamber, A heating unit that heats the natural gas in the reaction chamber via a heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of a high-temperature gas furnace, thereby thermally decomposing the methane contained in the natural gas to generate hydrogen and carbon, An extraction unit that guides the hydrogen from the reaction chamber to the outside, Equipped with, The reaction chamber is divided into a plurality of small chambers arranged vertically by partition walls, A reducing pipe that penetrates the partition wall vertically, and whose diameter in the portion overlapping the partition wall is set to be smaller than the diameter of the other portions, A hydrogen production device that further possesses the following.

7. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an upper end portion provided at the upper end of the reducing tube, having a plurality of slits having a width dimension larger than the diameter of the particles.

8. It further has a connecting pipe that connects a pair of adjacent small chambers in the vertical direction, The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the lower end of the connecting pipe is located above the lower end of the reducing pipe.

9. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the connecting pipe, when viewed from above, extends from one side in the circumferential direction with respect to an axis extending in the vertical direction, from the lower end to the upper end.

10. A hydrogen production apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7, A high-temperature gas reactor that supplies helium gas as the heat transfer medium to the hydrogen production apparatus, A hydrogen production system equipped with the following features.

11. The hydrogen production system according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of the hydrogen production devices are provided in parallel with one another.

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