Design support device and design support method for hydrogen compression systems

Abstract

To provide a design support device and a design support method for a hydrogen compression system suitable for designing the hydrogen compression system using hydrogen storage alloy.SOLUTION: A design support device 1 includes an input section 11, a storage section 12, a calculation section 13 and an output section 14. The input section 11 is configured to specify any one parameter of a parameter set necessary for calculating a hydrogen amount present in each part of a hydrogen compression system as an output parameter and enable input of remaining parameters as an input parameter. The calculation section is configured to enable calculation of the output parameter that causes a total of the hydrogen amounts present in the respective parts in a storage state where hydrogen is stored in hydrogen storage alloy and a total of the hydrogen amounts present in the respective parts in a release state where hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage alloy to become equal to each other, on the basis of the input parameter stored in the storage section 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a design support apparatus and a design support method for a hydrogen compression system. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, there are growing concerns about the environmental load caused by the use of fossil fuels, and the use of hydrogen, which has a lower environmental load, as an energy source has been under consideration. However, hydrogen is a gas under normal temperature and normal pressure conditions and has a low density, so it is necessary to pressurize hydrogen to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure when storing the hydrogen in a tank or using it as fuel.

[0003] Mechanical compressors are generally used for pressurizing hydrogen. On the other hand, methods for pressurizing hydrogen using a hydrogen storage alloy that can reversibly store and release hydrogen have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a hydrogen pressurization system that includes a plurality of storage containers that house a hydrogen storage alloy, are configured to be capable of heating and cooling the hydrogen storage alloy, and have different operating pressures, and a pressure accumulator capable of storing high-pressure hydrogen gas. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0004] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-19884 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the hydrogen pressurization system of Patent Document 1, the pressure of hydrogen gas is increased by repeating the operation of causing the hydrogen storage alloy to store hydrogen while the hydrogen storage alloy is cooled and maintained at a low temperature, and then heating the hydrogen storage alloy to release hydrogen. Such a compression operation is completely different from compressing hydrogen using a mechanical compressor, therefore the design of a hydrogen pressurization system using a hydrogen storage alloy needs to be performed by a method different from that used when employing a mechanical compressor.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a hydrogen compression system design support device and design support method suitable for designing a hydrogen compression system using a hydrogen storage alloy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a design support device for a hydrogen compression system used in designing a hydrogen compression system comprising: a hydrogen storage section equipped with a hydrogen storage alloy; a hydrogen tank configured to store hydrogen; hydrogen piping connecting the hydrogen storage section and the hydrogen tank; and a hydrogen port connected to the hydrogen piping. The design support device includes an input unit configured to allow the user to specify one parameter from a parameter set, which includes the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen storage alloy can store in the hydrogen storage unit, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage unit in the storage state when the hydrogen storage alloy has absorbed hydrogen, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage unit in the release state when hydrogen has been released from the hydrogen storage alloy, the volume of the hydrogen piping, the volume of the hydrogen tank, the temperature and pressure of each part of the hydrogen compression system in the storage state, and the temperature and pressure of each part in the release state, as an output parameter, while inputting the remaining parameters as input parameters. A storage unit configured to hold information input from the input unit, A calculation unit configured to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each of the parts in the storage state and the release state, respectively, based on the input parameters held in the storage unit, and then calculate the output parameters such that the total amount of hydrogen present in each of the parts in the storage state is equal to the total amount of hydrogen present in each of the parts in the release state. The design support device for a hydrogen compression system includes an output unit configured to output the aforementioned output parameters.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a design support method for a hydrogen compression system used in designing a hydrogen compression system comprising: a hydrogen storage section equipped with a hydrogen storage alloy; a hydrogen tank configured to store hydrogen; hydrogen piping connecting the hydrogen storage section and the hydrogen tank; and a hydrogen port connected to the hydrogen piping. A parameter input step involves specifying one parameter as an output parameter and the remaining parameters as input parameters from a parameter set that includes: the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen storage alloy can absorb in the hydrogen storage section; the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section in the storage state when the hydrogen storage alloy has absorbed hydrogen; the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section in the release state when hydrogen has been released from the hydrogen storage alloy; the volume of the hydrogen piping; the volume of the hydrogen tank; the temperature and pressure of each part of the hydrogen compression system in the storage state; and the temperature and pressure of each part in the release state. A hydrogen amount calculation step that uses the input parameters to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each part in the storage state and the release state, respectively. The present invention relates to a hydrogen compression system design support method, comprising: an output parameter calculation step of calculating an output parameter such that the total amount of hydrogen present in each part in the storage state is equal to the total amount of hydrogen present in each part in the release state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] When compressing hydrogen using a hydrogen compression system with a hydrogen storage alloy, the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system in the storage state is equal to the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system in the release state. The hydrogen compression system design support device and design support method can use this constraint on the amount of hydrogen as a constraint condition to calculate output parameters that are consistent with the input parameters based on the input parameters. By examining the parameter set consisting of the output parameters and input parameters calculated in this way, it is possible to evaluate the feasibility of the hydrogen compression system derived from this parameter set and the expected performance.

[0010] As described above, according to the above embodiment, it is possible to provide a design support device and design support method for a hydrogen compression system that is suitable for designing a hydrogen compression system using a hydrogen storage alloy. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the hydrogen compression system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of storing hydrogen in a hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen compression system of Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of releasing hydrogen from the hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen compression system of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the design support device for the hydrogen compression system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the design support device for the hydrogen compression system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an implementation example in the design support device of Embodiment 1, where the volume of the hydrogen tank is specified as an output parameter. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an implementation example when the pressure in the system in a discharged state is specified as an output parameter in the design support apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an implementation example of the design support apparatus according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an implementation example of the design support apparatus according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a change in pressure in a hydrogen tank obtained by the design support apparatus according to Embodiment 3 when hydrogen release from a hydrogen storage alloy is repeatedly performed. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a main part of a hydrogen compression system according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of causing a hydrogen storage alloy to store hydrogen in the hydrogen compression system according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of releasing hydrogen from a hydrogen storage alloy in the hydrogen compression system according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an implementation example when the pressure in the system when hydrogen is released from a hydrogen storage alloy is specified as an output parameter in the design support apparatus according to Embodiment 4. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] (Embodiment 1) An embodiment according to the design support apparatus and design support method for the hydrogen compression system will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0013] A. Hydrogen Compression System The design support apparatus of the present embodiment is configured to be applicable to the design of the hydrogen compression system 8 shown in FIG. 1. The hydrogen compression system 8 includes a hydrogen storage unit 81 provided with a hydrogen storage alloy 811, a hydrogen tank 83 configured to be capable of storing hydrogen, a hydrogen pipe 82 connecting the hydrogen storage unit 81 and the hydrogen tank 83, and a hydrogen port 84 connected to the hydrogen pipe 82.

[0014] The hydrogen storage unit 81 has a hydrogen storage alloy 811 inside. Although not shown in the figure, the hydrogen storage unit 81 also has a temperature control unit for changing the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy 811. The hydrogen storage unit 81 is configured to reversibly absorb hydrogen supplied from outside the hydrogen storage unit 81 and release hydrogen to the outside of the hydrogen storage unit 81 by changing the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy 811.

[0015] The hydrogen tank 83 is configured to store hydrogen supplied from outside the hydrogen tank 83 in a gaseous state.

[0016] In the hydrogen compression system 8, the hydrogen storage unit 81 and the hydrogen tank 83 are connected via hydrogen piping 82. In this embodiment of the hydrogen compression system 8, the hydrogen piping 82 consists of a single pipe, as shown in Figure 1. Although not shown in the figure, the hydrogen piping 82 may consist of two or more parts. An on-off valve 812, which can be opened and closed, is provided between the hydrogen storage unit 81 and the hydrogen piping 82. In addition, an on-off valve 831, which can be opened and closed, is provided between the hydrogen tank 83 and the hydrogen piping 82.

[0017] Furthermore, a hydrogen port 84 is connected to the hydrogen piping 82. The hydrogen port 84 is configured to be openable and closable, allowing hydrogen to be introduced into the hydrogen compression system 8 from the outside and hydrogen to be discharged from the system to the outside.

[0018] The hydrogen compression system 8 in this embodiment can compress hydrogen in the following manner, for example. First, hydrogen is introduced into the system of the hydrogen compression system 8 from the hydrogen port 84 with the hydrogen port 84 and the on-off valve 812 open and the on-off valve 831 closed. The hydrogen H2 introduced into the system is guided to the hydrogen storage section 81 through the hydrogen piping 82, as shown in Figure 2. At this time, by maintaining the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 placed in the hydrogen storage section 81 below a predetermined temperature determined according to the type of hydrogen storage alloy 811, hydrogen can be absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy 811. The state in which hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in this manner is called the "storage state".

[0019] After the hydrogen storage of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 is complete, the hydrogen port 84 is closed and the on / off valve 831 is opened. In this state, the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 placed in the hydrogen storage section 81 is raised to a predetermined temperature determined according to the type of hydrogen storage alloy 811, thereby releasing the hydrogen H2 stored in the hydrogen storage alloy 811. The hydrogen H2 released from the hydrogen storage alloy 811 is guided to the hydrogen tank 83 through the hydrogen piping 82, as shown in Figure 3. This state in which hydrogen has been released from the hydrogen storage alloy 811 is called the "release state".

[0020] After the release of hydrogen from the hydrogen storage alloy 811 is complete, the hydrogen released from the hydrogen storage alloy 811 can be stored in the hydrogen tank by closing the on / off valve 831.

[0021] By repeatedly performing the above operations, the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 8 can be increased. As a result, the hydrogen pressure in the hydrogen tank 83 can be increased.

[0022] B.Design support equipment As shown in Figure 4, the design support device 1 of this embodiment includes an input unit 11, a storage unit 12, an arithmetic unit 13, and an output unit 14. The specific form of the design support device 1 is not particularly limited, but for example, a general-purpose electronic computer can be configured as the design support device 1.

[0023] (1) Input section As shown in Figure 4, the input unit 11 in this embodiment is connected to the arithmetic unit 13 and the storage unit 12. The design support device 1 in this embodiment is configured so that data input by the user from the input unit 11 is held in the storage unit 12 according to the instructions of the arithmetic unit 13. The specific form of the input unit 11 is not particularly limited. For example, the input unit 11 may be an input device in an electronic computer, such as a keyboard, mouse, or touchpad.

[0024] In the design support device 1, in order to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state and the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in the release state, as described later, at least the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen storage alloy 811 can store, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 in the storage state (i.e., the volume obtained by subtracting the volume of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 from the total volume of the hydrogen storage section 81), the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 in the release state, the volume of the hydrogen piping 82, the volume of the hydrogen tank 83, the temperature and pressure of each part in the storage state, and the temperature and pressure of each part in the release state are required.

[0025] Accordingly, the input unit 11 is configured so that the user can specify one parameter from the parameter set, which includes the parameters necessary for calculating the amount of hydrogen as described above, as an output parameter, and input the remaining parameters as input parameters. This allows the calculation unit 13 to calculate output parameters that can be used to evaluate the feasibility and assumed performance of the hydrogen compression system 8.

[0026] The output parameter specified in the input unit 11 may be, for example, the volume of the hydrogen tank 83. In this case, the volume of the hydrogen tank 83 calculated by the design support device 1 will be the smallest value among the values ​​required to achieve the pressure of the hydrogen tank 83 in the release state, which is input as an input parameter, that is, the pressure to be obtained by compressing hydrogen. Therefore, by making the volume of the hydrogen tank 83 smaller than the value obtained in this way, it can be evaluated that the pressure of the compressed hydrogen can be made to be greater than or equal to the desired pressure.

[0027] Furthermore, for example, by setting the pressure of the hydrogen tank 83 in the release state to the same value as the pressure of the hydrogen piping 82 in the storage state, it is possible to calculate the maximum volume of the hydrogen tank 83 in which hydrogen cannot be compressed. Therefore, it can be evaluated that the hydrogen pressure can be increased by making the volume of the hydrogen tank 83 smaller than the value obtained in this way.

[0028] Furthermore, the output parameter specified in the input unit 11 may be, for example, the pressure of the hydrogen tank 83 in the release state. In this case, the pressure of the hydrogen tank 83 calculated by the design support device 1 will be the pressure of the hydrogen obtained when the hydrogen is compressed by the hydrogen compression system 8. Therefore, the assumed performance of the hydrogen compression system 8 can be evaluated using the hydrogen pressure calculated by the design support device 1.

[0029] The input unit 11 may be configured to accept other parameters in addition to the input parameters described above. Parameters that can be input to the input unit 11 in addition to those described above include, for example, the type of hydrogen storage alloy 811, the density of hydrogen at a certain temperature and pressure, the total volume of the hydrogen storage section 81, the volume fraction of hydrogen storage alloy 811 present in the hydrogen storage section 81 when no hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy 811, the volume expansion rate of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 when hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy 811, the pipe passage time which is the time required for hydrogen to pass through the hydrogen pipe 82, and the port passage time which is the time required for hydrogen to pass through the hydrogen port 84. The methods for using these parameters will be described later.

[0030] (2) Storage section The storage unit 12 in this embodiment is connected to the input unit 11 and the arithmetic unit 13, and is configured to hold information input from the input unit 11. The specific form of the storage unit 12 is not particularly limited. For example, the storage unit 12 may be the main memory in a computer, such as volatile memory. Alternatively, the storage unit 12 may be an auxiliary storage device in a computer, such as a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, or a removable non-volatile memory.

[0031] The information stored in the memory unit 12 includes at least the input parameters and the types of output parameters described above. The memory unit 12 may also be configured to store parameters other than the input and output parameters described above. Furthermore, the memory unit 12 may be configured to store programs for controlling the operation of the arithmetic unit 13.

[0032] The memory unit 12 may have a hydrogen density database pre-stored, which contains multiple records of temperature, pressure, and the hydrogen density corresponding to these temperatures and pressures. In this case, when the calculation unit 13 calculates the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8, it can refer to the hydrogen density database and obtain the hydrogen density corresponding to the temperature and pressure input as input parameters. By using the hydrogen density obtained in this way, the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 can be calculated more simply and accurately. Records in the hydrogen density database can be created, for example, based on "Isothermal Properties for Hydrogen" in "NIST Standard Reference Database Number 69" published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

[0033] Furthermore, the memory unit 12 may have an alloy database pre-stored, which contains multiple records of the type of hydrogen storage alloy 811 and the amount of hydrogen absorbed per unit amount of the hydrogen storage alloy 811. In this case, when the calculation unit 13 calculates the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8, it can refer to the alloy database and calculate the amount of hydrogen that can be absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811 corresponding to the type of hydrogen storage alloy 811 input to the input unit 11. By using the amount of hydrogen that can be absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811 obtained in this way as one of the input parameters, the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 can be calculated more simply and accurately.

[0034] (3) Arithmetic section The arithmetic unit 13 in this embodiment is connected to the input unit 11, the storage unit 12, and the output unit 14. The arithmetic unit 13 is configured to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in both the absorption and release states based on the input parameters held in the storage unit 12, and then to calculate output parameters such that the total amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in the absorption state is equal to the total amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in the release state. The specific form of the arithmetic unit 13 is not particularly limited. For example, the arithmetic unit 13 may be an arithmetic unit in an electronic computer, such as a central processing unit. Furthermore, the operation of the arithmetic unit 13 can be realized, for example, by a program held in the storage unit 12.

[0035] The calculation unit 13 in this embodiment can calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8, for example, as follows.

[0036] The hydrogen in the hydrogen storage section 81 exists either in an atomic state absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811, or in a gaseous state not absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811. Therefore, the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen storage section 81 can be calculated by determining the amount of hydrogen absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811 and the amount of hydrogen existing as a gas, and then summing these two amounts.

[0037] The amount of hydrogen absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the storage state is equal to the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen storage alloy 811 can absorb. Therefore, if the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen storage alloy 811 can absorb is input as an input parameter, the calculation unit 13 can use this amount as the amount of hydrogen absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the storage state. Also, for example, if the amount of hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the hydrogen storage unit 81 and the amount of hydrogen absorbed per unit amount of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 are input as input parameters, the calculation unit 13 can use the product of these values ​​as the amount of hydrogen absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the storage state.

[0038] When the alloy database is stored in the memory unit 12, it is preferable that the calculation unit 13 is configured to calculate the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen-absorbing alloy 811 can absorb using the input parameters and the hydrogen storage amount stored in the alloy database. In this case, the operation of the design support device 1 can be made simpler.

[0039] The method for calculating the amount of hydrogen using the alloy database is as follows. First, the calculation unit 13 compares the type of hydrogen storage alloy 811 entered as an input parameter with the records in the alloy database and extracts the record corresponding to the type of hydrogen storage alloy 811 entered as an input parameter. By multiplying the amount of hydrogen absorbed in the extracted record by the amount of hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the hydrogen storage unit 811 entered as an input parameter, the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen storage alloy 811 can absorb can be calculated.

[0040] On the other hand, the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the release state does not store hydrogen. Therefore, the calculation unit 13 sets the amount of hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the release state to zero.

[0041] The amount of hydrogen present as a gas in the hydrogen storage unit 81 can be calculated, for example, using the ideal gas law based on the effective volume of the hydrogen storage unit 81 and the pressure and temperature inside the hydrogen storage unit 81. Therefore, the calculation unit 13 can calculate the amount of hydrogen present as a gas in the hydrogen storage unit 81 from the effective volume of the hydrogen storage unit 81 and the pressure and temperature inside the hydrogen storage unit 81, which are input as input parameters. Furthermore, if the hydrogen density corresponding to the temperature and pressure inside the hydrogen storage unit 81 is input as an input parameter, the calculation unit 13 can use the value obtained by multiplying the effective volume of the hydrogen storage unit 81 by the hydrogen density as the amount of hydrogen present as a gas.

[0042] The hydrogen in the hydrogen piping 82 and the hydrogen in the hydrogen tank 83 all exist as gases. Therefore, the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen piping 82 and the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank 83 can be calculated using the same method as the method for calculating the amount of hydrogen present as a gas in the hydrogen storage unit 81 described above, except that the volume of the hydrogen piping 82 or the volume of the hydrogen tank 83 is used instead of the effective volume of the hydrogen storage unit 81.

[0043] The calculation unit 13 calculates, for example, the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state and the compression state, respectively, as described above, and then calculates output parameters such that the total amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state is equal to the total amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 8 in the compression state.

[0044] The method for calculating the output parameters is not particularly limited, and various methods can be employed. For example, if the output parameters can be derived analytically or algebraically, the analytical or algebraic solution can be used as the output parameters. Alternatively, the output parameters can be calculated using various numerical methods, such as Newton's method, the bisection method, or Gauss's elimination method. Furthermore, it is possible to derive output parameters that satisfy the aforementioned constraints by trial and error, for example, by changing the values ​​of the output parameters in various ways.

[0045] When calculating output parameters using numerical methods or trial-and-error methods, it may not be possible to obtain output parameters that strictly satisfy the aforementioned constraints. Even in such cases, if the difference between the total amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state and the total amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 8 in the compressed state is sufficiently small compared to the total amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state, the aforementioned constraints can be considered to be satisfied. More specifically, the difference between the total amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state and the total amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 8 in the compressed state should be within ±2% of the total amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state. The output parameters obtained in this way are considered to have sufficient accuracy for practical purposes when examining the hydrogen compression system 8.

[0046] When the storage unit 12 holds the hydrogen density database, it is preferable that the calculation unit 13 is configured to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in both the absorption and release states, using the input parameters and the hydrogen density held in the hydrogen density database. In this case, the operation of the design support device 1 can be made simpler. In addition, in this case, the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 can be calculated more accurately, and the accuracy of the output parameters can be further improved.

[0047] The method for calculating the amount of hydrogen using a hydrogen density database is as follows: First, the calculation unit 13 compares the temperature and pressure of the part to be calculated, which are input as input parameters, with the records in the hydrogen density database and extracts the records corresponding to the temperature and pressure of the input parameters. In this case, if the hydrogen density database does not contain any records that exactly match the temperature and pressure of the input parameters, for example, the unit can extract the record with the temperature and pressure that is closest to the temperature and pressure of the input parameters from among the records in the hydrogen density database.

[0048] By multiplying the hydrogen density in the extracted record by the volume of the part to be calculated, which is input as an input parameter, the amount of hydrogen present as a gas in the part to be calculated can be determined.

[0049] Furthermore, if the total volume of the hydrogen storage section 81, the volume fraction of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 present in the hydrogen storage section 81 in the release state, and the volume expansion rate of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy 811 are input from the input section 11, it is preferable that the calculation section 13 is configured to calculate the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 in both the storage state and the release state based on these parameters, and to be able to use this effective volume as an input parameter.

[0050] Hydrogen storage alloy 811 generally has the property of expanding in volume when it absorbs hydrogen. Therefore, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 in the hydrogen storage state is smaller than the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 in the release state by the amount by which the hydrogen storage alloy 811 has expanded.

[0051] Therefore, if the volume expansion rate of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 when hydrogen is absorbed into it is known, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in both the absorption and release states can be calculated more accurately by using this volume expansion rate, the total volume of the hydrogen storage section 81, and the volume fraction of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 present in the hydrogen storage section 81 in the release state. Furthermore, by using the effective volume obtained in this way as an input parameter, the accuracy of the output parameter can be further improved.

[0052] The method for calculating the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 is as follows: The volume of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the release state is the product of the total volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 and the volume fraction of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the release state. Therefore, to calculate the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 in the release state, one simply subtracts the volume of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the release state from the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81. Furthermore, the amount of volume expansion of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the storage state can be obtained, for example, by multiplying the volume of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the release state by the volume expansion rate of the hydrogen storage alloy 811. Therefore, to calculate the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 in the storage state, one simply subtracts the volume of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the release state and the amount of volume expansion of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 in the storage state from the total volume of the hydrogen storage section 81.

[0053] (4) Output section In this configuration, the output unit 14 is connected to the calculation unit 13 and is configured to output the output parameters calculated by the calculation unit 13.

[0054] The specific form of the output unit 14 is not particularly limited. For example, the output unit 14 may be a display device in a computer, such as a display screen. Alternatively, the output unit 14 may be a display device that also functions as an input device, such as a touch panel.

[0055] C. Design support methods for hydrogen compression systems Next, a design support method for a hydrogen compression system will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the design support method includes a parameter input step S1, a hydrogen quantity calculation step S2, and an output parameter calculation step S3.

[0056] (1) Parameter input step S1 In the parameter input step S1, one parameter from the parameter set is designated as an output parameter, and the remaining parameters are designated as input parameters. For example, when performing the design support method using the design support device 1, the user only needs to input the type of output parameter and the input parameters into the input unit 11.

[0057] (2) Hydrogen amount calculation step S2 In hydrogen amount calculation step S2, the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in both the storage state and the release state is calculated using the input parameters. When the design support method is implemented using the design support device 1, the calculation unit 13 of the design support device 1 performs the above-mentioned calculations to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8.

[0058] (3) Output parameter calculation step S3 In the output parameter calculation step S3, output parameters are calculated such that the sum of the amounts of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state, obtained in step S2, is equal to the sum of the amounts of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in the release state. When the design support method is implemented using the design support device 1, the calculation unit 13 of the design support device 1 can calculate output parameters that satisfy the constraint conditions by performing the aforementioned calculations.

[0059] D. Implementation Example The operation of the calculation unit 13 of the design support device 1 can be implemented, for example, using spreadsheet software running on a general-purpose computer. An example of implementing the operation of the calculation unit 13 using spreadsheet software is shown below.

[0060] Table T1 of the spreadsheet software shown in Figure 6 is displayed on the output unit 14 of the design support device 1. Columns B to E of Table T1 correspond to the effective volume, temperature, pressure, hydrogen density, and amount of hydrogen in each part in the storage state, while columns F to K correspond to the effective volume, temperature, pressure, hydrogen density, and amount of hydrogen in each part in the release state. Rows 3 to 7 of Table T1 correspond to each part of the hydrogen compression system 8: the hydrogen storage unit 81, the hydrogen storage alloy within the hydrogen storage unit 81, the hydrogen piping 82, and the hydrogen tank 83, respectively. Cell F7 of Table T1 corresponds to the total amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state, and cell K7 corresponds to the total amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 in the storage state.

[0061] Table T1 shows the operation of the calculation unit 13 when calculating the volume of the hydrogen tank 83 as an output parameter, when hydrogen absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy is released and stored in the hydrogen tank 83 from a state where no hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen tank 83. The desired values ​​should be entered into the cells corresponding to the input parameters in Table T1 via the input unit 11. In Table T1, for convenience, the input parameters are written as (input). Note that in Table T1, the calculation is performed under the condition that no hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen tank 83 in the storage state, so 0 is entered in cell D6 of Table T1. Also, in the hydrogen compression system 8 in the release state, it can be assumed that all the hydrogen absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811 has been released, so 0 should be entered in cell K4 of Table T1.

[0062] The cells corresponding to the input parameters can also contain formulas that cause the calculation unit 13 to calculate the input parameters based on parameters separately entered by the user. Furthermore, the cells corresponding to the input parameters can also contain formulas configured to derive the input parameters by referring to a hydrogen density database or alloy database stored in a location not shown in Table T1.

[0063] For example, since the pressure in the hydrogen piping 82 in the storage state is equal to the pressure in the hydrogen storage unit 81 in the storage state, a calculation formula referencing cell D3 was entered in cell D5 of Table T1. Also, in Table T1, calculations are performed assuming that the pressure within the hydrogen compression system 8 in the release state is equal to the pressure in the hydrogen storage unit 81 and hydrogen piping 82 in the storage state, so calculation formulas referencing cell D3 were entered in cells I3, I5, and I6. In addition, in Table T1, for cells where the same value can be used as an input parameter, a calculation formula referencing the corresponding cell was entered.

[0064] Furthermore, in Table T1, cells F3, F5, F6, K3, and K6 were entered with formulas configured to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each part by multiplying the effective volume of each part by the density of hydrogen, and cell F7 was entered with a formula configured to calculate the total amount of hydrogen in each part in the storage state.

[0065] Here, since the hydrogen compression system 8 satisfies the aforementioned constraints, the total amount of hydrogen in the absorbed state is equal to the total amount of hydrogen in the released state. Therefore, the cell K7, which corresponds to the total amount of hydrogen in the released state, should be entered with a formula that references cell F7, i.e., the total amount of hydrogen in the absorbed state. Furthermore, the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank 83 in the released state can be calculated by subtracting the amount of hydrogen in the hydrogen storage section 81 (i.e., the value of cell K3), the amount of hydrogen absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy 811 (i.e., the value of cell K4), and the amount of hydrogen in the hydrogen piping 82 (i.e., the value of cell K5) from the total amount of hydrogen (i.e., the value of cell K7). Therefore, the cell K6, which corresponds to the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank 83 in the released state, was entered with a formula configured to perform the above calculation.

[0066] Furthermore, the volume of the hydrogen tank 83 can be calculated by dividing the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank 83 in the release state by the density of hydrogen. Therefore, in Table T1, cell G6, which corresponds to the volume of the hydrogen tank 83 in the release state, is entered with a calculation formula configured to perform the above calculation.

[0067] When input parameters are entered into the table configured in this way, the calculation unit 13 first calculates the amount of hydrogen in each part other than the hydrogen tank in the release state based on the calculation formula entered in the cell. Then, the calculation unit 13 calculates the amount of hydrogen in the hydrogen tank in the release state that is consistent with these values. By dividing this value by the density of hydrogen in the hydrogen tank in the release state, the volume of the hydrogen tank 83 can be calculated.

[0068] In Figure 6, the calculation is performed by setting the pressure within the hydrogen compression system 8 when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy to the same value as the pressure within the system when hydrogen is released. Therefore, if the capacity of the hydrogen tank 83 calculated in this way is adopted, the pressure within the system after the hydrogen compression operation will be the same as the pressure before compression. Thus, if the capacity of the hydrogen tank 83 is smaller than the value calculated in this way, it can be determined that it is possible to increase the hydrogen pressure after the hydrogen compression operation.

[0069] Furthermore, Table T2, shown in Figure 7, implements the operation of the calculation unit 13 when the pressure inside the hydrogen tank 83 in the release state is specified as an output parameter when releasing the hydrogen absorbed by the hydrogen storage alloy and filling the hydrogen tank 83. In Table T2, cell I6, which corresponds to the output parameter, is left blank. Also, in the release state, the pressure inside the hydrogen storage unit 81, the pressure inside the hydrogen piping 82, and the pressure inside the hydrogen tank 83 are equal. Therefore, calculation formulas that refer to cell I6 are entered into cells I3 and I5, which correspond to the pressures of the above parts in the release state.

[0070] Furthermore, cells E3, E5, E6, J3, J5, and J6, which correspond to the hydrogen densities of each part in the storage and release states, contain formulas that obtain the hydrogen density by referring to a database. In Table T2, formulas that refer to a database are abbreviated as (DB). Then, cell K7, which corresponds to the total amount of hydrogen in the release state, contains a formula configured to calculate the total amount of hydrogen in the release state. Except for these points, Table T2 has the same configuration as Table T1 shown in Figure 6.

[0071] When input parameters are entered into the table T2 configured in this way, the calculation unit 13 first calculates the amount of hydrogen in each part of the storage state. On the other hand, the amount of hydrogen in each part of the release state is calculated by entering a value into cell I6 corresponding to the output parameter. Therefore, for example, by entering various values ​​into cell I6, the output parameter value can be determined by trial and error such that the total amount of hydrogen in the system in the storage state and the total amount of hydrogen in the system in the release state are substantially equal. Alternatively, instead of this method, a numerical solution method can be used to determine the output parameter that satisfies the aforementioned constraint conditions.

[0072] The output parameters calculated using Table T2 represent the pressure within the system after hydrogen compression, assuming that the configuration of each part of the hydrogen compression system 8 is fixed. Therefore, the compression performance of the hydrogen compression system 8 can be evaluated based on the values ​​calculated in this way.

[0073] (Embodiment 2) In this embodiment, with reference to Figure 8, an example of a design support device 102 for a hydrogen compression system, configured to calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen flowing into a hydrogen tank when releasing hydrogen from a hydrogen storage alloy, will be described. Note that, unless otherwise specified, any symbols used in this embodiment and subsequent embodiments that are the same as those used in previously described embodiments represent the same components as those in the previously described embodiments.

[0074] The design support device 102 in this embodiment has an input unit, a storage unit, an arithmetic unit, and an output unit. The configuration of the storage unit and the output unit in the design support device is the same as the configuration of each unit in Embodiment 1.

[0075] The input section of the design support device 102 is further configured to allow input of the time it takes for hydrogen to pass through the hydrogen piping. In addition, the calculation unit is configured to perform the same operations as the calculation unit 13 of Embodiment 1, and to calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen flowing into the hydrogen tank when releasing hydrogen from the hydrogen storage alloy, based on the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank in the storage state, the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank in the release state, and the time it takes for hydrogen to pass through the piping.

[0076] In other words, the parameter set used in the design support device 102 further includes the piping passage time. The design support device 102 in this embodiment is configured to perform a piping flow rate calculation step that uses the aforementioned data to calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen flowing into the hydrogen tank when hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage alloy.

[0077] The operation of the design support device 102 in this embodiment will be described in more detail. First, the calculation unit in this embodiment performs the same operation as the calculation unit 13 in Embodiment 1 to calculate output parameters. Next, the calculation unit performs a piping flow rate calculation step. In the piping flow rate calculation step, the calculation unit first calculates the amount of hydrogen that flows into the hydrogen tank when hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage alloy by subtracting the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen storage tank in the storage state from the amount of hydrogen present in the release state hydrogen tank. Then, the calculation unit calculates the average flow rate of hydrogen that flows into the hydrogen tank when hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage alloy by dividing the amount of hydrogen that flows into the hydrogen tank when hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage alloy by the piping passage time.

[0078] Figure 8 shows an example of Table T3 in which the operation of the calculation unit of this embodiment is implemented. In addition to cells having the same configuration as Table T2 shown in Figure 7, Table T3 includes cell J9 used for inputting the piping passage time and cell K9 used for calculating the average flow rate of hydrogen flowing into the hydrogen tank. Cell K9 is input with a calculation formula configured to calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen flowing into the hydrogen tank when hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage alloy by dividing the difference between the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank in the release state (i.e., the value of cell K6) and the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank in the storage state (i.e., the value of cell F6) by the piping passage time (i.e., the value of cell J9). By inputting the desired input parameters into such a Table T3, the output parameters and the average flow rate of hydrogen can be calculated.

[0079] Note that in Table T3, the unit for the average hydrogen flow rate is given as mol / min, but the unit for the average flow rate is not limited to this unit. For example, by performing an appropriate unit conversion, the average hydrogen flow rate can be expressed as Nm³. 3 Output can also be generated using units such as time or sccm.

[0080] (Embodiment 3) In this embodiment, with reference to Figures 9 to 10, an example of a design support device 103 for a hydrogen compression system having a calculation unit configured to calculate the pressure fluctuations in a hydrogen tank when hydrogen compression is repeatedly performed will be described.

[0081] The design support device 103 in this embodiment has an input unit, a storage unit, a calculation unit, and an output unit, although these are not shown in the figures. The configuration of the storage unit and the output unit in the design support device 103 is the same as the configuration of each unit in Embodiment 1.

[0082] The calculation unit in the design support device 103 is configured to calculate the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state as an output parameter. Furthermore, the calculation unit is configured to input the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state, which was calculated as an output parameter, as the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the storage state in the next calculation of the output parameter, and to repeatedly perform the calculation of the output parameter. In addition, by repeatedly calculating the pressure of the hydrogen tank in this manner, the calculation unit is configured to calculate the fluctuation of the pressure of the hydrogen tank when hydrogen compression is repeatedly performed.

[0083] Furthermore, the input unit of the design support device 103 is configured to allow input of the port transit time during which hydrogen passes through the hydrogen port when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy. In addition, the calculation unit of this embodiment is configured to calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen passing through the hydrogen port when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy, based on the total amount of hydrogen in the release state in the part through which hydrogen flows when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy, which is calculated in one of the calculations of the multiple output parameters, the total amount of hydrogen in the storage state in the part through which hydrogen flows when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy, which is calculated in the next calculation of the said calculation, and the port transit time.

[0084] In other words, the parameter set used in the design support device 103 also includes port transit time. The design support device 103 in this embodiment is configured to perform a port flow rate calculation step that uses the aforementioned data to calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen passing through the hydrogen port when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy.

[0085] The operation of the design support device 103 in this embodiment will now be described in more detail. First, the calculation unit in this embodiment performs the same operation as the calculation unit 13 in Embodiment 1 and calculates the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state as an output parameter. Next, the calculation unit prepares the input parameters to be used for the calculation of the output parameter a second time. At this time, the calculation unit updates the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the storage state, which is one of the input parameters used in the first calculation, to the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state, which was output in the first calculation, while maintaining the same values ​​for the other input parameters as in the first calculation. Using the input parameters prepared in this way, the calculation unit calculates the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state as an output parameter in the same manner as in the first calculation. The number of times the calculation of the output parameter in the calculation unit is repeated can be set in advance by the user, for example.

[0086] The design support device 103 performs a port flow rate calculation step along with the calculation of the output parameters described above. In the port flow rate calculation step, the calculation unit first calculates the total amount of hydrogen in the release state in the part into which hydrogen flows when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy, which is calculated when the output parameters are calculated each time. In the hydrogen compression system 8 to which this embodiment of the design support device 103 is applied, as shown in Figure 2, when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy, the hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen port 84 flows into the hydrogen piping 82 and the hydrogen storage section 81. Therefore, the calculation unit calculates the sum of the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen piping 82 in the release state and the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen storage section 81, which are calculated when the output parameters are calculated each time.

[0087] Furthermore, the calculation unit calculates the total amount of hydrogen in the storage state in the section where hydrogen flows in when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy, which is calculated when the output parameters are calculated for each cycle. In other words, the calculation unit calculates the sum of the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen storage pipe 82 and the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen storage section 81, which are calculated when the output parameters are calculated for each cycle.

[0088] Subsequently, the calculation unit subtracts the sum of the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen piping 82 in the release state and the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen storage unit 81, which was calculated during the previous calculation of the output parameters for the time the sum was calculated, from the sum of the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen piping 82 in the storage state and the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen storage unit 81. In the hydrogen compression system 8, as shown in Figure 3, after transferring hydrogen from the hydrogen storage alloy to the hydrogen tank, and then as shown in Figure 2, when hydrogen is again stored in the hydrogen storage alloy, some hydrogen remains in the hydrogen piping 82 and the hydrogen storage unit 81. Therefore, by subtracting the sum of the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen piping 82 in the release state and the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen storage unit 81, which was calculated during the previous calculation of the output parameters for the time the sum was calculated, from the sum of the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen piping 82 in the storage state and the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen storage unit 81, the amount of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen port 84 when hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy can be estimated. The calculation unit can then calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen passing through the hydrogen port when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy by dividing the amount of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen port 84, which has been estimated in this way, by the time it takes for the hydrogen to pass through the port.

[0089] Figure 9 shows an example of Table T4 in which the operation of the calculation unit of this embodiment is implemented. As shown in Figure 9, when the calculation of output parameters is repeated, Table T4 contains groups of cells with the same configuration as in Figure 7, for the desired number of repetitions. For example, in Figure 9, rows 1 to 9 of Table T4 contain cells used for the first calculation, and rows 10 to 18 contain cells used for the second calculation. The configuration of the cells used for the first calculation is the same as that of Table T3 shown in Figure 8.

[0090] In the cell group used for the second calculation, cell D15, which represents the hydrogen pressure in the hydrogen storage tank, contains a formula that references the output parameter from the previous calculation, i.e., cell I6, which represents the hydrogen pressure in the hydrogen release tank in the first calculation. Similarly, the cells for other input parameters in the cell group used for the second calculation contain formulas that reference the corresponding input parameter cells from the previous calculation. By inputting these formulas into the cell group used for the second calculation, the pressure in the hydrogen storage tank is updated to the pressure in the release tank output in the first calculation, while maintaining the other input parameters during subsequent calculations.

[0091] Furthermore, the cell group used for the second calculation includes cell E18, which is used to input the port transit time, and cell F18, which is used to calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen passing through the hydrogen port. The cell used to calculate the average flow rate has a formula entered into it that is configured to perform the calculations described above.

[0092] Although not shown in the diagram, Table T4 contains a set of cells configured to allow calculations from the third time onward. The configuration of the cell set used for the third and subsequent calculations is the same as the configuration of the cell set used for the second calculation.

[0093] Figure 10 schematically shows an example of a graph showing the relationship between the number of calculation iterations and the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state at each iteration, obtained by repeatedly calculating the output parameters. The vertical axis of Figure 10 represents the ratio of the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state calculated in each calculation to the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state calculated in the first calculation as a baseline. The horizontal axis of Figure 10 represents the number of iterations of the calculation of the output parameters as described above, and the number of iterations of the calculation of the output parameters corresponds to the number of hydrogen compressions. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, by repeatedly performing the calculation described above, it is possible to calculate the fluctuation of the hydrogen tank pressure when hydrogen compression is repeatedly performed and to evaluate the assumed performance of the hydrogen compression system.

[0094] (Embodiment 4) In this embodiment, an example of a hydrogen compression system design support device 104 configured to be applicable to a hydrogen compression system 804 having a different configuration from the hydrogen compression system 8 of Embodiment 1 is described.

[0095] A. Hydrogen compression system The design support device 104 of this embodiment is configured to be applicable to the design of the hydrogen compression system 804 shown in Figure 11. The hydrogen compression system 804 includes a hydrogen storage unit 81, a hydrogen tank 83, a hydrogen pipe 85 connecting the hydrogen storage unit 81 and the hydrogen tank 83, and a hydrogen port 84 connected to the hydrogen pipe 85. The hydrogen pipe 85 consists of two pipe sections: a first pipe section 851 connected to both the hydrogen storage unit 81 and the hydrogen port 84, and a second pipe section 852 connected to the first pipe section 851 and the hydrogen tank 83.

[0096] The configuration of the hydrogen storage unit 81, hydrogen tank 83, and hydrogen port 84 in the hydrogen compression system 804 is the same as the configuration of each part in the hydrogen compression system 8 shown in Embodiment 1.

[0097] In the hydrogen compression system 804, an on-off valve 812 is provided between the hydrogen storage unit 81 and the first piping section 851 of the hydrogen piping 85, and it is also provided between the hydrogen tank 83 and the second piping section 852 of the hydrogen piping 85, and it is also provided between the first piping section 851.

[0098] The hydrogen compression system 804 in this embodiment can compress hydrogen in the following manner, for example. First, hydrogen is introduced into the system of the hydrogen compression system 804 from the hydrogen port 84 with the hydrogen port 84 and the on-off valve 812 open and the on-off valves 831 and 853 closed. The hydrogen introduced into the system is guided to the hydrogen storage section 81 through the first piping section 851 of the hydrogen piping 85, as shown in Figure 12. At this time, hydrogen can be absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy 811 by maintaining the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 placed in the hydrogen storage section 811 to a predetermined temperature determined according to the type of hydrogen storage alloy 811.

[0099] After the hydrogen storage in the hydrogen storage alloy 811 is complete, the hydrogen port 84 is closed and the on-off valves 831 and 853 are opened. In this state, the temperature of the hydrogen storage alloy 811 located in the hydrogen storage section 81 is raised to a predetermined temperature determined according to the type of hydrogen storage alloy 811, thereby releasing the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage alloy 811. The hydrogen released from the hydrogen storage alloy 811 is guided to the hydrogen tank 83 through the first piping section 851 and the second piping section 852 of the hydrogen piping 85, as shown in Figure 13.

[0100] After the release of hydrogen from the hydrogen storage alloy 811 is complete, the hydrogen released from the hydrogen storage alloy 811 can be stored in the hydrogen tank 83 by closing the on-off valves 831 and 853.

[0101] By repeatedly performing the above operations, the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen compression system 804 can be increased. As a result, the hydrogen pressure in the hydrogen tank 83 can be increased.

[0102] B.Design support equipment The design support device 104 has an input unit, a storage unit, a calculation unit, and an output unit. The configuration of the storage unit and the output unit in the design support device is the same as the configuration of each unit in the design support device 103 of Embodiment 3.

[0103] In the design support device 104, in order to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 804 in the storage state and the amount of hydrogen present in each part of the hydrogen compression system 804 in the release state, at least the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen storage alloy 811 can store, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 in the storage state, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section 81 in the release state, the volume of the first piping section 851 of the hydrogen piping 85, the volume of the second piping section 852, the volume of the hydrogen tank 83, the temperature and pressure of each part in the storage state, and the temperature and pressure of each part in the release state are required.

[0104] Therefore, the input section of the design support device 104 has the same configuration as the input section of the design support device 103 in Embodiment 3, except that it uses a parameter set that includes the volume, temperature, and pressure of each section of the hydrogen piping 85 instead of the volume, temperature, and pressure of the hydrogen piping 82. Furthermore, the calculation section of the design support device 104 has the same configuration as the calculation section of the design support device 103 in Embodiment 3, except that it uses the aforementioned parameter set to calculate the output parameters.

[0105] C. Implementation Example Figure 14 shows an example of Table T5 in which the operation of the calculation unit of this embodiment is implemented. As mentioned above, in the hydrogen compression system 804 targeted by the design support device 104 of this embodiment, the hydrogen piping 85 is divided into two piping sections: the first piping section 851 and the second piping section 852. Therefore, in Table T5, the row corresponding to the hydrogen piping in Table T4 shown in Figure 9 is divided into a row corresponding to the first piping section 851 and a row corresponding to the second piping section 852. The configuration of the other parts of Table T5 is the same as in Table T4.

[0106] By inputting the aforementioned input parameters into Table T5 configured in this way and calculating the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state as an output parameter, it is possible to calculate the pressure fluctuations in the hydrogen tank 83 when hydrogen compression is repeatedly performed, the average flow rate of hydrogen passing through the hydrogen port 84 when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy 811, and the average flow rate of hydrogen passing through the hydrogen piping 85 when hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage alloy 811.

[0107] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be applied to various embodiments without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0108] 1, 102, 103, 104 Design support equipment 11 Input section 12 Storage section 13 Arithmetic section 14 Output section

Claims

1. A hydrogen compression system design support device used in designing a hydrogen compression system comprising: a hydrogen storage section equipped with a hydrogen storage alloy; a hydrogen tank configured to store hydrogen; hydrogen piping connecting the hydrogen storage section and the hydrogen tank; and a hydrogen port connected to the hydrogen piping, The design support device includes an input unit configured to allow the user to specify one parameter from a parameter set, which includes the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen storage alloy can store in the hydrogen storage unit, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage unit in the storage state when the hydrogen storage alloy has absorbed hydrogen, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage unit in the release state when hydrogen has been released from the hydrogen storage alloy, the volume of the hydrogen piping, the volume of the hydrogen tank, the temperature and pressure of each part of the hydrogen compression system in the storage state, and the temperature and pressure of each part in the release state, as an output parameter, while inputting the remaining parameters as input parameters. A storage unit configured to hold information input from the input unit, A calculation unit configured to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each of the parts in the storage state and the release state, respectively, based on the input parameters held in the storage unit, and then calculate the output parameters such that the total amount of hydrogen present in each of the parts in the storage state is equal to the total amount of hydrogen present in each of the parts in the release state. A design support device for a hydrogen compression system, comprising an output unit configured to output the aforementioned output parameters.

2. The hydrogen compression system design support device according to claim 1, wherein the output parameter is the volume of the hydrogen tank.

3. The hydrogen compression system design support device according to claim 1, wherein the output parameter is the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state.

4. The design support device for a hydrogen compression system according to claim 3, wherein the calculation unit is configured to input the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state, which has been calculated as the output parameter, as the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the storage state for the next calculation of the output parameter, and to repeatedly perform the calculation of the output parameter, thereby enabling the calculation of fluctuations in the pressure of the hydrogen tank when hydrogen compression is repeatedly performed.

5. The design support device for a hydrogen compression system according to any one of claims 4, wherein the input unit is configured to accept input of the port transit time for which hydrogen passes through the hydrogen port, and the calculation unit is configured to calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen passing through the hydrogen port when hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy, based on the total amount of hydrogen in the release state in the portion through which hydrogen flows when hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy, calculated in one of the calculations of the multiple output parameters, the total amount of hydrogen in the storage state in the portion through which hydrogen flows when hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy, calculated in the next calculation of the calculation, and the port transit time.

6. The design support device for a hydrogen compression system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the storage unit has in advance stored a hydrogen density database comprising a plurality of records consisting of temperature, pressure, and hydrogen density corresponding to these temperature and pressure, and the calculation unit is configured to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each of the storage state and the release state using the input parameters and the hydrogen density stored in the hydrogen density database.

7. The design support device for a hydrogen compression system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the input unit is further configured to accept input of the total volume of the hydrogen storage unit, the volume fraction of the hydrogen storage alloy present in the hydrogen storage unit in the release state, and the volume expansion rate of the hydrogen storage alloy when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy, and the calculation unit is configured to use the effective volume of the hydrogen storage unit in the storage state and the release state, calculated based on these parameters, as the input parameter.

8. The design support device for a hydrogen compression system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the input unit is further configured to allow input of the time it takes for hydrogen to pass through the hydrogen piping, and the calculation unit is configured to calculate the average flow rate of hydrogen flowing into the hydrogen tank when releasing hydrogen from the hydrogen storage alloy, based on the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank in the storage state, the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank in the release state, and the time it takes to pass through the piping.

9. A hydrogen compression system design support method used in designing a hydrogen compression system comprising: a hydrogen storage section equipped with a hydrogen storage alloy; a hydrogen tank configured to store hydrogen; hydrogen piping connecting the hydrogen storage section and the hydrogen tank; and a hydrogen port connected to the hydrogen piping, A parameter input step involves specifying one parameter as an output parameter and the remaining parameters as input parameters from a parameter set that includes: the amount of hydrogen that the hydrogen storage alloy can absorb in the hydrogen storage section; the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section in the storage state when the hydrogen storage alloy has absorbed hydrogen; the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section in the release state when hydrogen has been released from the hydrogen storage alloy; the volume of the hydrogen piping; the volume of the hydrogen tank; the temperature and pressure of each part of the hydrogen compression system in the storage state; and the temperature and pressure of each part in the release state. A hydrogen amount calculation step that uses the input parameters to calculate the amount of hydrogen present in each part in the storage state and the release state, respectively. A method for supporting the design of a hydrogen compression system, comprising: an output parameter calculation step of calculating an output parameter such that the total amount of hydrogen present in each part in the storage state is equal to the total amount of hydrogen present in each part in the release state.

10. The design support method for a hydrogen compression system according to claim 9, wherein in the parameter input step, the volume of the hydrogen tank is specified as the output parameter.

11. The design support method for a hydrogen compression system according to claim 9, wherein in the parameter input step, the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state is specified as the output parameter.

12. A method for supporting the design of a hydrogen compression system according to claim 11, wherein the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the release state, which has been calculated as the output parameter in the output parameter calculation step, is input as the pressure of the hydrogen tank in the storage state in the next calculation of the output parameter, and the calculation of the output parameter is repeated to calculate the fluctuation of the pressure of the hydrogen tank when hydrogen compression is repeated.

13. A design support method for a hydrogen compression system according to claim 12, wherein the parameter set further includes a port transit time for which hydrogen passes through the hydrogen port, and the design support method further includes a port flow rate calculation step for calculating the average flow rate of hydrogen passing through the hydrogen port when hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy, based on the total amount of hydrogen in the release state in the portion through which hydrogen flows when hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy, calculated in any of the calculations of the multiple output parameter calculations, the total amount of hydrogen in the storage state in the portion through which hydrogen flows when hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy, calculated in the next calculation of the calculation, and the port transit time.

14. The parameter set further includes the total volume of the hydrogen storage section, the volume fraction of the hydrogen storage alloy present in the hydrogen storage section in the release state, and the volume expansion rate of the hydrogen storage alloy when hydrogen is absorbed into the hydrogen storage alloy, and in the hydrogen amount calculation step, the effective volume of the hydrogen storage section in the storage state and the release state, calculated based on these parameters, is used as the input parameter, the design support method for a hydrogen compression system according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

15. A design support method for a hydrogen compression system according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the parameter set further includes a pipe passage time for which hydrogen passes through the hydrogen pipe, and the design support method further includes a pipe flow rate calculation step for calculating the average flow rate of hydrogen flowing into the hydrogen tank when releasing hydrogen from the hydrogen storage alloy, based on the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank in the storage state, the amount of hydrogen present in the hydrogen tank in the release state, and the pipe passage time.

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