A system for reducing ammonia gas

Abstract

The present invention provides an ammonia gas reduction system comprising: an ammonia gas discharge line for transporting ammonia gas discharged from an ammonia tank in a ship; a fuel discharge line for transporting fuel supplied from a fuel tank provided in the ship; a combustion unit into which ammonia gas and fuel are introduced through the fuel discharge line and the ammonia gas discharge line, and which reduces and discharges ammonia gas using the fuel; a vent line for transporting gas treated and discharged from the combustion unit; a vent mast connected to the vent line for discharging gas to the outside; and a control unit for controlling the fuel supply amount of the fuel tank to supply fuel to the combustion unit in correspondence with the amount of ammonia gas discharged from the ammonia tank.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ammonia gas reduction system, and more specifically, to an ammonia gas reduction system capable of reducing and discharging toxic ammonia gas in the event of an emergency situation in which ammonia fuel stored in an ammonia tank on a ship is to be discharged. Background Technology

[0002] In general, as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) strengthens regulations on the emission of greenhouse gases and various air pollutants, the shipbuilding and shipping industries are increasingly using new types of ship fuels, such as clean energy sources like natural gas and petroleum gas.

[0003] As such, various gases used as alternative fuels are typically utilized in the form of liquefied gas, with their volume significantly reduced to enable effective use on ships, and ships store this liquefied gas fuel in a liquid state in fuel tanks.

[0004] Meanwhile, Fig. 1 illustrates a conventional ship (10) using ammonia fuel.

[0005] Referring to FIG. 1, a ship (10) has recently been developed and is in use, which is equipped with an ammonia tank (11) inside the ship and supplies fuel stored in the ammonia tank (11) to an engine (12) to generate propulsion power.

[0006] Ammonia fuel is receiving significant attention as a clean alternative fuel due to its high effectiveness in reducing carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional fossil fuels.

[0007] However, in the case of a ship (10) that uses ammonia fuel, if an emergency situation such as a fire or explosion occurs on board and the ammonia fuel stored in the ammonia tank (11) is inevitably discharged through the vent mast (13), there is a problem that human casualties may occur due to the discharge of toxic ammonia gas.

[0008] Therefore, a vessel (10) operating an ammonia tank (11) requires a method to reduce and discharge toxic ammonia gas in case of emergency. Prior art literature

[0009] Registered Patent No. 10-2111525 (Registration Date: May 11, 2020) "Fuel Supply System for Eco-friendly Ships" The problem to be solved

[0010] The present invention aims to provide an ammonia gas reduction system, specifically an ammonia gas reduction system capable of reducing and discharging toxic ammonia gas in the event of an emergency situation where ammonia fuel stored in an ammonia tank is to be discharged.

[0011] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0012] To solve the problem described above, the present invention provides an ammonia gas reduction system comprising: an ammonia gas discharge line for transporting ammonia gas discharged from an ammonia tank in a ship when ammonia gas is discharged; a fuel discharge line for transporting fuel supplied from a fuel tank provided in the ship; a combustion unit into which ammonia gas and fuel are introduced through the fuel discharge line and the ammonia gas discharge line, and which reduces and discharges ammonia gas using the fuel; a vent line for transporting gas treated and discharged from the combustion unit; a vent mast connected to the vent line for discharging gas to the outside; and a control unit for controlling the fuel supply amount of the fuel tank to supply fuel to the combustion unit in correspondence with the amount of ammonia gas discharged from the ammonia tank.

[0013] In addition, the combustion unit includes a burner that burns fuel to generate nitrogen oxides, and provides an ammonia gas reduction system that reduces ammonia gas using nitrogen oxides.

[0014] In addition, the combustion unit provides an ammonia gas reduction system that burns ammonia gas through a burner.

[0015] Additionally, the system further includes a sensor unit equipped in an ammonia gas discharge line for detecting the amount of ammonia gas emitted in an emergency from an ammonia tank, and a control unit for adjusting the amount of fuel supplied from a fuel tank to a combustion unit to generate an amount of nitrogen oxide corresponding to the amount of ammonia gas emitted detected by the sensor unit, thereby providing an ammonia gas reduction system.

[0016] Additionally, the system further comprises an auxiliary sensor unit equipped in a vent line and detecting the amount of ammonia contained in the gas processed and discharged from the combustion unit, and a recovery line connected between the vent line and the combustion unit to recover the gas discharged through the vent line to the combustion unit, and a control unit that, when the amount of ammonia detected by the auxiliary sensor unit is greater than or equal to a preset amount, recirculates the gas discharged through the vent line to the combustion unit through the recovery line to reduce the ammonia gas. Effects of the invention

[0017] The ammonia gas reduction system according to an embodiment of the present invention can effectively prevent human casualties that may occur due to the emission of toxic ammonia gas by introducing ammonia gas that has vaporized and is discharged from the ammonia tank into the combustion section when a dangerous situation, such as a fire or explosion on a ship, occurs and the ammonia fuel stored in the ammonia tank is urgently and forcibly discharged, and by reducing and discharging the ammonia gas using nitrogen oxides generated by burning the fuel in the combustion section.

[0018] The effects obtainable from the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0019] Figure 1 illustrates a conventional ship using ammonia fuel. Figure 2 illustrates the overall configuration of an ammonia gas reduction system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates the process of removing ammonia gas through a combustion unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which an auxiliary sensor unit and a recovery line are additionally provided in an ammonia gas reduction system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0021] The detailed description disclosed below, together with the attached drawings, is intended to describe exemplary embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiment in which the present invention can be practiced.

[0022] In order to clearly explain the invention in the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation may be omitted, and the same reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0023] In embodiments of the present invention, expressions such as “or”, “at least one”, etc. may represent one of the words listed together or a combination of two or more.

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates the overall configuration of an ammonia gas reduction system (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 illustrates the process of removing ammonia gas through a combustion unit (130) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The ammonia gas reduction system (100) according to the present invention can be easily applied to a ship equipped with a heterogeneous fuel engine (230) that can selectively use ammonia fuel and fuel.

[0026] The ammonia gas reduction system (100) of the present invention can effectively reduce ammonia gas and discharge it into the atmosphere to prevent casualties caused by toxic gas in the event of an emergency situation in which ammonia fuel stored in an ammonia tank (210) is discharged due to a fire or explosion inside a ship.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an ammonia gas reduction system (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an ammonia gas discharge line (110), a fuel discharge line (120), a combustion unit (130), and a control unit (140).

[0028] The ammonia gas discharge line (110) is connected between the ammonia tank (210) and the combustion unit (130) provided in the vessel, so that the ammonia gas discharged in an emergency from the ammonia tank (210) can be transferred to the combustion unit (130).

[0029] Here, the ammonia tank (210) stores ammonia fuel, i.e., liquefied ammonia, and can supply the ammonia fuel to the engine (230) through a fuel supply system (not shown).

[0030] In addition, when an emergency situation such as a fire or explosion occurs on the ship, the ammonia fuel stored in the ammonia tank (210) is discharged as an emergency, and the ammonia gas discharged and vaporized from the ammonia tank (210) can be introduced into the combustion section (130) through the ammonia gas discharge line (110).

[0031] The fuel discharge line (120) is connected between the fuel tank (220) and the combustion unit (130) provided in the vessel, so that fuel supplied from the fuel tank (220) can be transferred to the combustion unit (130).

[0032] Here, the fuel tank (220) stores fuel such as heavy oil, diesel, LNG, LPG, and ethane, and can supply fuel to the engine (230) through a fuel supply system (not shown).

[0033] At this time, the engine (230) equipped in the vessel of the present embodiment is a heterogeneous fuel engine (230) that selectively uses ammonia fuel stored in an ammonia tank (210) and fuel stored in a fuel tank (220), and can provide propulsion power for the vessel by operating in an ammonia fuel mode or a general fuel mode.

[0034] Additionally, the fuel tank (220) can supply fuel to the combustion unit (130) through the fuel discharge line (120) in the event of an emergency such as a fire or explosion inside the ship.

[0035] Specifically, the fuel tank (220) can supply fuel to an engine (230) or a combustion unit (130) inside the ship through a fuel supply system (not shown) connected to the fuel tank (220), and when supplying fuel to the combustion unit (130), the fuel supply system (not shown) operates according to the control of the control unit (140) described later to supply an appropriate amount of fuel to the combustion unit (130) through the fuel discharge line (120).

[0036] Fuel and ammonia gas, which are transported through the fuel discharge line (120) and the ammonia gas discharge line (110) respectively, are introduced into the combustion section (130), and the ammonia gas can be reduced and discharged using the fuel.

[0037] Specifically, referring to FIG. 3, the combustion unit (130) may be equipped with a burner (131) that burns fuel inside, and a fuel discharge line (120) may be connected to the burner (131) to supply fuel.

[0038] In addition, an ammonia gas discharge line (110) is connected to the combustion section (130), so that ammonia gas transported through the ammonia gas discharge line (110) can be introduced into the combustion section (130).

[0039] Accordingly, the burner (131) in the combustion section (130) burns the fuel supplied through the fuel discharge line (120), and the nitrogen oxide contained in the exhaust gas generated during this process can be used to reduce the ammonia gas flowing into the combustion section (130).

[0040] At this time, within the combustion section (130), nitrogen oxides and ammonia gas can react and be converted into nitrogen and water vapor, and the converted gas can be discharged to the outside through the vent mast (170) via the vent line (160) connected to the combustion section (130).

[0041] Furthermore, the ammonia gas flowing into the combustion section (130) can be burned by the burner (131), and the ammonia components can be burned and converted into nitrogen and water vapor, thereby reducing the ammonia gas.

[0042] The control unit (140) can control the fuel supply amount of the fuel tank (220) to supply fuel to the combustion unit (130) in response to the amount of ammonia gas discharged from the ammonia tank (210).

[0043] At this time, a sensor unit (150) capable of detecting the amount of ammonia gas discharged in an emergency from an ammonia tank (210) may be provided on the ammonia gas discharge line (110).

[0044] Additionally, the control unit (140) can control the fuel supply system (not shown) of the fuel tank (220) to adjust the amount of fuel supplied from the fuel tank (220) to the combustor through the fuel supply system (not shown).

[0045] Accordingly, in the event that an emergency situation occurs in which the ammonia fuel stored in the ammonia tank (210) is discharged due to a fire or explosion inside the ship, the sensor unit (150) can detect the amount of ammonia gas discharged from the ammonia tank (210) under the control of the control unit (140) and transmit the detected value to the control unit (140).

[0046] In addition, the control unit (140) can calculate the amount of nitrogen oxide corresponding to the amount of ammonia gas emitted using the detection value transmitted from the sensor unit (150), and can control the fuel supply system (not shown) of the fuel tank (220) to supply fuel capable of generating the calculated amount of nitrogen oxide to the combustion unit (130), thereby controlling the amount of fuel supplied from the fuel tank (220) to the combustion unit (130).

[0047] At this time, fuel supplied from the fuel tank (220) under the control of the control unit (140) flows into the combustion unit (130) through the fuel discharge line (120) and is burned by the burner (131) to generate nitrogen oxides, and the nitrogen oxides react with the ammonia gas discharged from the ammonia tank (210) through the ammonia gas discharge line (110) to the combustion unit (130) to reduce the ammonia gas.

[0048] Furthermore, the burner (131) of the combustion unit (130) can increase the ammonia reduction efficiency by burning the ammonia component, and the gas discharged with reduced ammonia component within the combustion unit (130) can be discharged to the outside through the vent mast (170) via the vent line (160) connected to the combustion unit (130).

[0049] The ammonia gas reduction system (100) according to the present embodiment can effectively prevent human casualties that may occur due to the discharge of toxic ammonia gas by introducing the ammonia gas that is vaporized and discharged from the ammonia tank (210) into the combustion section (130) when the ammonia fuel stored in the ammonia tank (210) is urgently and forcibly discharged to suppress the occurrence of a larger accident in the event of a dangerous situation such as a fire or explosion inside the ship, and by reducing and discharging the ammonia gas using nitrogen oxides generated by burning the fuel in the combustion section (130).

[0050] Meanwhile, FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which an auxiliary sensor unit (180) and a recovery line (190) are additionally provided in an ammonia gas reduction system (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 4, the ammonia gas reduction system (100) according to the present embodiment may further include an auxiliary sensor unit (180) provided in a vent line (160) and a recovery line (190) for recovering gas flowing into the vent line (160) to a combustion unit (130).

[0052] Here, the auxiliary sensor unit (180) can detect the amount of ammonia contained in the gas processed in the combustion unit (130) and discharged to the vent line (160), and can transmit the detected value to the control unit (140).

[0053] Additionally, the recovery line (190) is connected between the vent line (160) and the combustion section (130), and an opening / closing valve (191) may be provided at the branching point between the recovery line (190) and the vent line (160).

[0054] At this time, the opening / closing valve (191) can selectively open or close the recovery line (190) and the vent line (160) according to the control of the control unit (140).

[0055] Accordingly, when the gas processed in the combustion unit (130) is discharged through the vent line (160), the auxiliary sensor unit (180) provided in the vent line (160) can detect the ammonia component contained in the discharged gas and transmit the detection value to the control unit (140).

[0056] In addition, the control unit (140) can use the detection value transmitted from the auxiliary sensor unit (180) to close the vent line (160) and open the recovery line (190) through the opening / closing valve (191) when the amount of ammonia contained in the gas is greater than a preset amount, thereby allowing the gas discharged from the combustion unit (130) to the vent line (160) to be reintroduced to the combustion unit (130) through the recovery line (190).

[0057] Additionally, the gas that has been reintroduced into the combustion section (130) can be discharged through the vent line (160) with the ammonia component removed by reacting with or being burned within the combustion section (130). At this time, the vent line (160) is opened so that the gas discharged from the combustion section (130) can pass through the vent line (160) and be discharged to the outside through the vent mast (170).

[0058] That is, in this embodiment, the gas discharged through the vent line (160) after the ammonia component is reduced in the combustion unit (130) is detected again, and if the ammonia component is detected in an amount greater than a preset amount, it can be recirculated to the combustion unit (130) through the recovery line (190) for treatment, thereby further increasing the ammonia reduction effect.

[0059] As described above, the ammonia gas reduction system (100) according to the embodiment of the present invention can effectively prevent human casualties that may occur due to the discharge of toxic ammonia gas by introducing the ammonia gas that is vaporized and discharged from the ammonia tank (210) into the combustion section (130) when a dangerous situation such as a fire or explosion occurs in a ship and the ammonia fuel stored in the ammonia tank (210) is urgently and forcibly discharged, and by using the nitrogen oxide generated by burning the fuel in the combustion section (130) to reduce and discharge the ammonia gas.

[0060] The embodiments of the invention disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples provided to facilitate the explanation of the technical content of the invention and to aid in understanding the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0061] Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be interpreted as including all modifications or variations derived based on the technical concept of the present invention, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein. Explanation of the symbols

[0062] 100: Ammonia gas reduction system 110: Ammonia gas exhaust line 120: Fuel discharge line 130: Combustion section 140 : Control unit 150 : Sensor unit 160 : Ventline 170 : Ventmast 180: Auxiliary sensor unit 190: Recovery line

Claims

Claim 1 An ammonia gas reduction system comprising: an ammonia gas discharge line for transporting the ammonia gas discharged from an ammonia tank within a ship; a fuel discharge line for transporting fuel supplied from a fuel tank provided within the ship; a combustion unit through which ammonia gas and fuel are introduced through the fuel discharge line and the ammonia gas discharge line, and which reduces and discharges the ammonia gas using the fuel; a vent line for transporting the gas treated and discharged from the combustion unit; a vent mast connected to the vent line for discharging the gas to the outside; a sensor unit provided in the ammonia gas discharge line for detecting the amount of ammonia gas discharged from the ammonia tank; and a control unit for adjusting the amount of fuel supplied from the fuel tank to the combustion unit to generate an amount of nitrogen oxide corresponding to the amount of ammonia gas discharged detected by the sensor unit. Claim 2 In claim 1, the combustion unit comprises a burner that burns fuel to generate nitrogen oxides, and an ammonia gas reduction system that reduces ammonia gas using the nitrogen oxides. Claim 3 In Clause 2, the combustion unit is an ammonia gas reduction system that burns the ammonia gas through the burner. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 An ammonia gas reduction system according to claim 1, further comprising: an auxiliary sensor unit provided in the vent line and detecting the amount of ammonia contained in the gas processed and discharged from the combustion unit; and a recovery line connected between the vent line and the combustion unit for recovering the gas discharged through the vent line to the combustion unit, wherein the control unit reintroduces the gas discharged through the vent line to the combustion unit through the recovery line when the amount of ammonia detected by the auxiliary sensor unit is greater than or equal to a preset amount.

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