Hydrogen generator and information management system

Abstract

A hydrogen generation part 12 generates hydrogen by reacting a hydrogen carrier with a liquid including water. A body part 10 has the hydrogen generation part 12. A recovery container 14 is attachable to and detachable from the body part 10 and recovers a composition including by-products generated together with hydrogen in the hydrogen generation part 12. A detection part 13 detects the recovery amount of the composition recovered from the hydrogen generation part 12 by the recovery container 14. A memory 17 is provided in the recovery container 14 and stores information on the recovery amount. Consequently, the recovery amount of the recovery container 14 that recovers the composition including by-products generated at the time of hydrogen generation can be grasped.

Description

Hydrogen generation device and information management system

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydrogen generation device that generates hydrogen, and an information management system that includes the hydrogen generation device.

[0002] A hydrogen generating device has been proposed that is equipped with a removable fuel cartridge and has a memory section that stores the amount of water supplied or the remaining amount of hydrogen that can be generated (Patent Document 1).

[0003] International Publication No. 2010 / 026945

[0004] However, in hydrogen generation devices that use metal hydrides such as sodium borohydride as fuel, compositions (reaction products) containing by-products such as sodium metaborate are also generated during hydrogen generation. Such compositions are collected in a collection container. In the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to determine the timing for replacing the fuel cartridge from the amount of water supplied or the remaining amount of hydrogen that can be generated, but it is not possible to determine the timing for replacing the collection container.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that makes it possible to grasp the amount of a composition collected in a collection container that collects a composition containing by-products generated during hydrogen generation.

[0006] The hydrogen generation device of the present invention comprises a hydrogen generation unit that generates hydrogen by reacting a hydrogen carrier with a liquid containing water, a main body unit having the hydrogen generation unit, a collection container that is detachable from the main body unit and that collects a composition containing by-products generated together with hydrogen in the hydrogen generation unit, a detection unit that detects the amount of composition collected by the collection container from the hydrogen generation unit, and a memory unit that is provided in the collection container and stores information regarding the amount collected.

[0007] The information management system of the present invention is an information management system comprising a hydrogen generation device that generates hydrogen and an information collection device communicatively connected to the hydrogen generation device, wherein the hydrogen generation device comprises: a hydrogen generation unit that generates hydrogen by reacting a hydrogen carrier with a liquid containing water; a main body unit having the hydrogen generation unit; a collection container that is detachable from the main body unit and collects a composition containing by-products generated together with hydrogen in the hydrogen generation unit; an identification information unit provided in the collection container that contains information related to the identification of the collection container; a detection unit that detects the amount of composition collected by the collection container from the hydrogen generation unit; and a transmission unit that transmits information related to the collection amount and information related to the identification of the collection container, and the information collection device comprises a receiving unit that receives the information transmitted from the transmission unit and a memory unit that stores information related to the collection container and the collection amount based on the information received by the receiving unit.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to grasp the amount of a composition containing a by-product generated during hydrogen generation collected in a collection vessel.

[0009] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a hydrogen generation apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information management system according to a second embodiment.

[0010] First Embodiment A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . First, hydrogen has attracted attention as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels. This is because, unlike fossil fuels, hydrogen does not produce carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, when burned. One system that uses hydrogen as an energy source that has been put into practical use is the fuel cell vehicle. A fuel cell vehicle is a vehicle that generates electricity using hydrogen as a raw material and runs on an electric motor using the generated electricity. Many fuel cell vehicles store hydrogen, the energy source, in a hydrogen tank, and generate electricity by feeding the hydrogen from the hydrogen tank into a fuel cell. The hydrogen tank stores hydrogen by compressing it at a high pressure, such as 70 MPa (700 times atmospheric pressure).

[0011] One of the challenges of hydrogen as an energy source is its low energy density. The volumetric energy density of hydrogen is about 1 / 3000 of that of gasoline, so even if a 70 MPa hydrogen tank is used, only about 1 / 5 of the energy of gasoline can be extracted from the same volume. For this reason, fuel cell vehicles using hydrogen tanks generally require more frequent refueling than vehicles using gasoline.

[0012] For this reason, various substances (i.e., hydrogen carriers) that can transport hydrogen at a higher energy density than hydrogen tanks are being investigated. For example, ammonia, methylcyclohexane, and borohydrides such as sodium borohydride are known as hydrogen carriers, and hydrogen carriers are transported instead of hydrogen itself, and hydrogen is extracted from the hydrogen carrier when it is used.

[0013] [Hydrogen Carrier] Among hydrogen carriers, metal hydrides such as sodium borohydride are widely known, from which hydrogen can be easily extracted by adding water. One known method for obtaining hydrogen by hydrolyzing sodium borohydride is to dissolve sodium borohydride in water and use it as an aqueous solution. However, this method requires a larger amount of water than theoretically required by the reaction formula, resulting in a decrease in the actual volumetric energy density. Therefore, in this embodiment, as described below, hydrogen is generated by adding a liquid containing water to the hydrogen carrier in a hydrogen generation device (specifically, by pouring a liquid containing water onto the hydrogen carrier).

[0014] Examples of hydrogen carriers that generate hydrogen when a water-containing liquid is added include the following. For example, solid metal hydrides such as sodium borohydride, potassium borohydride, lithium borohydride, zinc borohydride, lithium aluminum hydride, sodium aluminum hydride, magnesium aluminum hydride, calcium aluminum hydride, magnesium hydride, lithium hydride, sodium hydride, and calcium hydride, and metal powders such as aluminum, zinc, calcium, and magnesium can be used alone or in combination. Additives such as a reaction accelerator and a desiccant may also be used together with the hydrogen carrier.

[0015] Furthermore, the hydrogen carrier of this embodiment may be either solid or liquid, but is preferably solid. As a solid hydrogen carrier, a solid such as a powder or granule is desirable, but a solid such as a sheet, pellet, or paste can also be used. As a powder, a particle size of approximately 10 μm to 10 mm can be used, with a particle size of approximately 10 μm to 3 mm, and even more preferably a particle size of approximately 10 μm to 100 μm. Furthermore, when used in sheet or pellet form, it is preferable to increase the surface area and the contact area with the water-containing liquid by subjecting the carrier to surface roughening or porous treatment, etc., in order to enhance reactivity with the water-containing liquid.

[0016] The hydrogen carrier of this embodiment is a substance that generates by-products (reaction products) other than hydrogen, such as liquid, gel, or solid, after hydrogen is generated by a chemical reaction.

[0017] In this embodiment, sodium borohydride powder with an average particle size of 50 μm was used as the solid hydrogen carrier. The powdered sodium borohydride reacts with water to generate hydrogen. The reacted sodium borohydride changes into sodium metaborate, a by-product. Water not used in the reaction remains. This reaction can be expressed by the following chemical formula: NaBH4 (sodium borohydride) + 2H2O (water) → NaBO2 (sodium metaborate) + 4H2 (hydrogen) ... (1)

[0018] This reaction (chemical formula (1)) is known to be accelerated by a Raney catalyst made from metals such as nickel, cobalt, and copper, or an acidic solution such as citric acid or acetic acid. In this embodiment, a larger amount of water than in formula (1) is added to ensure efficient hydrolysis throughout, and the by-product is a liquid sodium metaborate solution.

[0019] [Water-containing liquid] The "water-containing liquid" in this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid that reacts with the hydrogen carrier when applied and generates hydrogen. That is, the water-containing liquid may be water alone. Furthermore, two or more types of water-containing liquid may be prepared. By preparing two or more types of water-containing liquid, the rate of hydrogen generation can be adjusted.

[0020] The water-containing liquid may contain a water-soluble organic solvent. Examples include alcohols, polyalkylene glycols, glycol ethers, nitrogen-containing compounds, and sulfur-containing compounds. Two or more selected from these may be mixed and used. By including a water-soluble organic solvent, the surface tension and the boiling and melting points of the water-containing liquid can be adjusted, thereby optimizing the reaction with the hydrogen carrier.

[0021] A surfactant can be added to the aqueous liquid, which can reduce the surface tension of the aqueous liquid, increasing the contact area with the hydrogen carrier and enabling an efficient reaction.

[0022] The aqueous liquid may contain a water-soluble acidic substance. The acidic substance acts as a positive catalyst in the reaction between the aqueous liquid and the hydrogen carrier. The hydrogen generation speed can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of the aqueous liquid containing the acidic substance. In particular, the hydrogen generation speed can be increased by adjusting the pH obtained by the aqueous liquid and the hydrogen carrier to less than 9.0. Examples of acids that can be used include, but are not limited to, various acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, boric acid, and organic acids.

[0023] The aqueous liquid may contain a water-soluble basic substance. The basic substance acts as a negative catalyst in the reaction between the aqueous liquid and the hydrogen carrier. The speed of hydrogen generation can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of the aqueous liquid containing the basic substance. In particular, the speed of hydrogen generation can be slowed by setting the pH obtained by the aqueous liquid and the hydrogen carrier to 9.0 or higher. Examples of bases that can be used include, but are not limited to, various bases such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and aqueous ammonia.

[0024] The water-containing liquid may contain a buffer solution. The buffer solution acts to suppress pH changes during the reaction between the water-containing liquid and the hydrogen carrier. The speed of hydrogen generation can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of the buffer-containing liquid. Examples of buffer solutions include, but are not limited to, phosphate buffer, glycine buffer, Good's buffer, Tris buffer, and ammonia buffer.

[0025] In addition to the above components, the water-containing liquid may contain various additives such as antifoaming agents, pH adjusters, viscosity adjusters, rust inhibitors, preservatives, antifungal agents, antioxidants, and antireducing agents, as needed.

[0026] [Hydrogen Generator] The hydrogen generator 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the hydrogen generator 1 of this embodiment. In this diagram, solid lines indicate the exchange of tangible substances such as hydrogen carriers, water, and hydrogen, while dotted lines indicate the exchange of intangible substances such as information and signals.

[0027] The hydrogen generator 1 has a main body 10, a hydrogen carrier supply unit 11, a hydrogen generation unit 12, a detection unit 13, a collection container 14, a control unit 15, and a display unit 16. In addition, a water supply unit 21 and a fuel cell system 22 are connected to the hydrogen generator 1 as external mechanisms. The following describes the hydrogen generator 1 that uses powdered sodium borohydride as fuel and as a hydrogen carrier.

[0028] In the hydrogen generator 1, the hydrogen carrier is sent from the hydrogen carrier supply unit 11 to the hydrogen generation unit 12, where it mixes with a water-containing liquid supplied from a water supply unit 21 (an external mechanism) and generates hydrogen and by-products through a hydrolysis reaction. The control unit 15 controls conditions such as the amount of hydrogen generated in the hydrogen generation unit 12, the amount of hydrogen carrier supplied from the hydrogen carrier supply unit 11, the amount of water-containing solution, and the reaction rate. In this embodiment, the supply amounts of the hydrogen carrier and water-containing solution can be adjusted on the hydrogen generation unit 12 side via the control unit 15.

[0029] The hydrogen generated in the hydrogen generation unit 12 is then sent to a fuel cell system 22 as an external mechanism. The fuel cell system 22 generates electricity using the hydrogen generated in the hydrogen generation unit 12, and is an example of an apparatus that utilizes the hydrogen generated in the hydrogen generation device 1. A composition containing by-products (reaction products) generated during hydrogen generation (in this embodiment, a liquid containing by-products and unreacted water) is collected in a collection container 14.

[0030] The detection unit 13 detects the amount of the composition containing by-products in the collection container 14. That is, the amount of the liquid containing the by-products and unreacted water sent to the collection container 14 is measured by the detection unit 13 as a composition containing by-products, and is sent as information to the control unit 15 together with the reaction ratio of the hydrogen carrier and the solution containing water in the hydrogen generation unit 12. This information is calculated in the control unit 15, and information such as the amount of recovery and the amount of by-products accumulated in the collection container 14 is stored in the memory 17, which is a nonvolatile memory attached to the collection container 14.

[0031] The display unit 16 also displays information about the amount of hydrogen collected by the collection container 14, such as the remaining amount of hydrogen collected in the collection container 14 and the amount of hydrogen collected that is OVER. In this embodiment, information about the amount of hydrogen collected and the amount of hydrogen collected that is close to OVER, taking into account the capacity of the collection container 14, is sent to the display unit 16, and the information is displayed on the display unit 16. The components and functions of the hydrogen generation device 1 will be described in more detail below with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

[0032] [Main body] The main body 10 is equipped with the above-mentioned hydrogen carrier supply unit 11, hydrogen generation unit 12, detection unit 13, collection container 14, control unit 15, and display unit 16. As will be described later, the collection container 14 is detachable from the main body 10. The hydrogen carrier supply unit 11 may also be detachable from the main body 10.

[0033] [Hydrogen Carrier Supply Unit] The hydrogen carrier supply unit 11 is a container that can store a hydrogen carrier and is detachable from the hydrogen generation device 1. The hydrogen carrier is sent from the hydrogen carrier supply unit 11 to the hydrogen generation unit 12 by its own weight, and the supply amount can be adjusted by an on-off valve attached to the hydrogen generation unit 12 side. The storage container is preferably made of metal from the viewpoint of preventing static electricity, but a resin container that has been treated with anti-static measures is also acceptable.

[0034] [Water Supply Unit] The water supply unit 21 has the function of being able to supply a "liquid containing water" from a tap, a water tank, etc., and a filter or the like is installed in the flow path to remove foreign matter, etc. In addition, the water supply unit 21 may have a function of adjusting the temperature of the supplied liquid containing water, such as a heater or chiller, for the purpose of promoting and stabilizing the hydrolysis reaction. The amount of liquid containing water supplied can be adjusted by an on-off valve attached to the hydrogen generation unit 12 side.

[0035] [Hydrogen Generator] The hydrogen generator 12 has a function of generating hydrogen through a hydrolysis reaction between a hydrogen carrier and a solution containing water. The hydrogen generator 12 has a reaction section (e.g., a container) 12a that reacts the hydrogen carrier with a solution containing water. When generating hydrogen, first, the hydrogen carrier is supplied to the reaction section 12a from the hydrogen carrier supply section 11, and a liquid containing water is also supplied to the reaction section 12a from the water supply section 21. Next, the hydrogen carrier and water are mixed in the reaction section 12a. The reaction section 12a is equipped with a stirring blade or the like to promote mixing, so that the hydrogen carrier and the liquid containing water can be mixed smoothly.

[0036] In the reaction section 12a, when the hydrogen carrier and the liquid containing water are mixed, a hydrolysis reaction occurs, generating hydrogen. The generated hydrogen moves upward in the reaction section 12a, so a hydrogen outlet is provided above the reaction section 12a. The hydrogen outlet is connected to an external fuel cell system 22, and the hydrogen generated in the reaction section 12a is sent to the fuel cell system 22.

[0037] On the other hand, a delivery port is provided below the reaction section 12a for delivering a liquid containing by-products and water produced by the hydrolysis reaction. The delivery port is provided with an on-off valve, and the liquid containing by-products and water produced in the reaction section 12a collects below and, when the on-off valve is opened, passes through the delivery port and is delivered to the collection container 14.

[0038] This valve closes when hydrogen is being generated and opens when hydrogen generation has stopped. The appropriate timing for opening and closing the valve can be determined by measuring the amount of hydrogen carrier supplied and the amount of hydrogen generated.

[0039] The reaction section 12a of the hydrogen generation section 12 is required to be heat resistant in consideration of the heat generated by the hydrolysis reaction. It is also required to be able to prevent static electricity in order to prevent the generated hydrogen from igniting. Therefore, it is preferable that the inner wall of the reaction section 12a is made of metal.

[0040] In order to promote the hydrolysis reaction, a device for heating the mixed solution of the hydrogen carrier and water may be added to the hydrogen generating unit 12. Furthermore, the hydrogen generating unit 12 may have an internal transport unit such as a screw conveyor or a transport belt for transporting the hydrogen carrier, and may be configured to supply a water-containing liquid to the hydrogen carrier transported by the transport unit.

[0041] [Detection Unit] The detection unit 13 is a sensor installed in the collection container 14, and has the function of detecting the amount of the composition containing by-products (in this embodiment, a liquid containing by-products and water) accumulating in the collection container 14, i.e., the amount of the composition recovered from the hydrogen generation unit 12. Specifically, the sensor used as the detection unit 13 is, for example, an ultrasonic, radio wave, laser, or capacitance sensor that senses the position of the liquid surface of the composition inside the collection container 14. The detection unit 13 sends information related to the detected recovery amount to the control unit 15.

[0042] In the control unit 15, this information is used for processes such as calculation of by-products, remaining storage volume, and displaying a warning that the recovered volume (storage volume) is over, as will be described later. That is, the control unit 15 calculates the volume of the composition including by-products based on the information detected by the detection unit 13 in combination with information such as container information.

[0043] Furthermore, the detection unit 13 may be a weight system that measures the weight of the collection container 14 including the contents. In this system, the weight of the composition including by-products is calculated based on the increase or decrease in weight. In any sensor, the measured volume or weight information can be used in combination with the reaction information of the hydrogen carrier and the water-containing liquid in the hydrogen generation unit 12 to calculate information such as the amount of the composition including by-products, the amount of by-products, and the remaining capacity.

[0044] The detection unit 13 can also use a digital counting method. This is a method for predicting the amount of composition, including by-products after hydrogen removal, based on reaction information between the hydrogen carrier and the water-containing liquid in the hydrogen generation unit 12. The amount of hydrogen generated can be predicted from the amount of hydrogen carrier, and the amount of water-containing liquid can be determined, so the amount of composition including by-products can also be predicted. However, this method cannot fully capture information such as water evaporation after collection, so it is less accurate than the method using the above sensor.

[0045] [Collection Container] The collection container 14 is a container that can contain a composition containing by-products, such as a liquid containing by-products and unreacted water, sent from the hydrogen generation unit 12, and is a container that can be attached to and detached from the main body 10 of the hydrogen generation device 1. In other words, the collection container 14 is attachable to and detachable from the main body 10, and collects a composition containing by-products that is generated together with hydrogen in the hydrogen generation unit 12.

[0046] Furthermore, collection container 14 has memory 17 as a storage unit that stores information regarding the amount collected by collection container 14. Memory 17 is provided in collection container 14. The information regarding the amount collected is information such as the amount of composition containing by-products, the amount of by-products, or the remaining amount. This information may also include identification information unique to collection container 14, which is necessary when storing information such as the amount of composition containing by-products, the amount of by-products, or the remaining amount in the information collection device.

[0047] The memory 17 is, for example, a nonvolatile memory. Examples of nonvolatile memories include semiconductor memories such as EEPROM and flash memory, magnetically rewritable magnetic tape media, and ferroelectric memories such as FeRAM, and any of these can be used. The memory 17 is preferably readable from the outside, and is preferably readable by a reading device such as a commonly used RFID reader, for example, as with an RFID tag.

[0048] A reader / writer 18 for the memory 17 is installed on the main body 10 side to read and write data from and to the memory 17. The reader / writer 18 is connected to the control unit 15, and information about the collection container measured by the detection unit 13 is sent to the control unit 15, and the control unit 15 can store the information in the memory 17 via the reader / writer 18.

[0049] Furthermore, the identification information unique to each collection container 14 refers to, for example, a lot number for each container. The identification information can be written in any manner, such as numbers, letters, or symbols, a barcode, or a two-dimensional code. The identification information is sent to the control unit 15 via a light-receiving device such as an image recognition or laser system, or via input from a keyboard or the like.

[0050] There are no particular restrictions on the material of the collection container 14, and it can be made of metal or resin without any problem. However, depending on the type of hydrogen carrier used, the by-product may be flammable. In this case, a metal container or a resin container with anti-static measures is preferable from the viewpoint of preventing static electricity. Furthermore, if the hydrolysis reaction of the hydrogen carrier and the liquid containing water is an exothermic reaction, it is preferable to use a heat-resistant container. Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the shape of the collection container 14, but there is no particular problem as long as it allows the sensor used in the detection unit 13 to function without any problems.

[0051] [Control Unit] The control unit 15 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 15a, RAM (Random Access Memory), storage, a communication interface, a signal transmitting unit, a signal receiving unit, etc. The control unit 15 receives information such as the reaction ratio obtained in the hydrogen generation apparatus 1 and information such as the amount of hydrogen required from the fuel cell system, etc., and transmits control commands to the entire hydrogen generation apparatus, as well as transmitting calculated information to the display unit 16 and the fuel cell system 22. The display unit 16 displays the remaining capacity of the collection container 14 and a warning that the collection amount is over, based on the information transmitted from the control unit 15. In addition, the memory 17 of the collection container 14 stores information such as the amount of the composition containing by-products and the amount of by-products, based on the information transmitted from the control unit 15.

[0052] The CPU 15a serving as a calculation unit calculates the amount of by-products contained in the composition collected in the collection container 14, based on the amount of the composition collected detected by the detection unit 13. Specifically, the CPU 15a calculates the amount of by-products from the reaction ratio between the hydrogen carrier and the water-containing liquid and the amount of the composition collected detected by the detection unit 13. The control unit 15 stores the amount of by-products calculated by the CPU 15a in the memory 17 provided in the collection container 14. That is, the information related to the collected amount stored in the memory 17 includes the amount of by-products calculated by the CPU 15a.

[0053] [Display Unit] The display unit 16 has a function of receiving and displaying information related to the hydrogen generation unit 12, the detection unit 13, and the collection container 14 via the control unit 15. In particular, in this embodiment, the display unit 16 can display information related to the capacity of the collection container 14. The information related to the capacity is at least one of the amount of composition that can be collected in the collection container 14 at that time and information indicating that the amount of composition collected in the collection container 14 has exceeded a predetermined amount (collection amount OVER warning). The information related to the capacity may also be information related to the replacement time of the collection container 14 at that time (remaining capacity).

[0054] That is, the display unit 16 is not particularly limited as long as it can display information such as the amount of composition including by-products collected in the collection container 14, the amount of by-products, the remaining storage volume, and a collection volume over warning. It may be possible to display all of this information, or only one of these pieces of information. The remaining storage volume indicates how much composition can be stored in the collection container 14. The amount of composition, the amount of by-products, and the remaining storage volume may be displayed numerically or graphically, such as a bar graph or a pie chart.

[0055] Furthermore, the "predetermined amount" in the information indicating that the amount of composition recovered in the recovery container 14 has exceeded a predetermined amount is, for example, an amount that is set in advance as an amount that is less than the full amount so that the recovered composition does not overflow from the recovery container 14. Note that the control unit 15 stops operation of the hydrogen generation apparatus 1 at the point in time when the recovery amount OVER warning is issued.

[0056] The above-mentioned "predetermined amount" may be a predetermined amount, for example, taking into consideration the period from when this information is displayed until when it is expected that the next collection container 14 will be ready. In this way, the period during which the hydrogen generation apparatus 1 is shut down until the next collection container 14 is replaced can be shortened. In this case, it is preferable to display the information when the predetermined amount is exceeded, and then display the information indicating that the collection container 14 is full again when the collection amount is close to full, and to stop the operation of the hydrogen generation apparatus 1 at this point.

[0057] Furthermore, the information regarding the replacement timing of the collection container 14 may be, in addition to the remaining capacity described above, information indicating the replacement timing of the collection container 14, for example, by estimating the replacement timing from the usage record up to that point and the remaining capacity, and indicating the replacement date, the time until replacement, etc. Furthermore, if the information is warning information, it may be notified by sound instead of or in addition to the display.

[0058] The display method of the display unit 16 may be at least one or more of a display such as a liquid crystal display or an LED display, or a simple display such as a fluorescent display tube, a liquid crystal display, or an LED display. The display unit 16 may also be a device that can display quantities using a meter or the like. Furthermore, as a warning display, there is no particular problem with LED lamps, rotating lights, or speakers that emit warning sounds.

[0059] [Example] Next, an example (Example) of a specific example of the present embodiment described above will be described. In this Example, a weight sensor was used as the detection unit 13, and a readable / writable RFID (radio frequency identification) tag was used as the memory 17 built into the collection container 14. The hydrogen carrier was sodium borohydride. In this Example, the operation of displaying the collection amount OVER of the composition including by-products in the hydrogen generation device 1 with this configuration on the display unit 16 will be described in detail.

[0060] First, sodium borohydride is supplied from the hydrogen carrier supply unit 11, and water is supplied from the water supply unit 21. At this time, the respective supply amounts are supplied at a predetermined ratio. This information is sent to the control unit 15. Next, in the hydrogen generation unit 12, sodium borohydride and water are stirred, causing a hydrolysis reaction and generating hydrogen. When the reaction is complete, the by-product, sodium metaborate, is sent to the recovery container 14 in the form of a solution of water.

[0061] The weight sensor of the detection unit 13 measures the weight of each collection container 14, and the change in weight (measured value - container weight) is measured as the amount of sodium metaborate solution. Information on the amount of sodium metaborate solution is sent to the control unit 15, which calculates the amount of sodium metaborate (amount of by-product) and the amount of water according to the reaction ratio between the amount of sodium borohydride and the amount of water. The calculation method will be explained using Tables 1 and 2.

[0062] Table 1 shows the weight ratio of each component calculated from the molecular weight of each component in the reaction of the aforementioned chemical formula (1), and the volume ratio divided by each specific gravity. In actual hydrogen generation devices 1, a large amount of water is often added to facilitate the hydrolysis reaction, and Table 2 shows the weight ratio of each component when this reaction is assumed. Here, the amount of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) supplied is designated as A, and the amount of water (H2O) supplied is designated as B.

[0063] In other words, Table 2 shows that if the ratio of supplied sodium borohydride (NaBH4) to supplied water (HO) is known, the weight of each component of the recovered composition (sodium metaborate solution), sodium metaborate (NaBO2) and water (HO), can be calculated from the amount of sodium metaborate solution measured by detection unit 13. Furthermore, since the specific gravities of each component are known, the volumes of sodium metaborate and water can also be calculated. Furthermore, if the supplied sodium borohydride or water contains additives such as a catalyst or pH adjuster, these can be calculated separately from the above formula. Furthermore, if the additives change the reaction formula, a new formula can be used to perform the same calculation as above.

[0064] Furthermore, it is not a problem if the sensor of the detection unit 13 does not measure weight but indirectly measures volume, such as a liquid level sensor; it is sufficient to calculate the weight using the specific gravity of each component from the volume calculated using the shape information of the storage container and the measurement value.

[0065] Next, the weight of sodium metaborate, the weight of water, the weight of the sodium metaborate solution, and the volume of the sodium metaborate solution calculated by the CPU 15a of the control unit 15 are stored in the memory 17 built into the collection container 14. At this time, if the volume of the sodium metaborate solution exceeds a certain amount relative to the capacity of the collection container 14, a warning of the amount recovered is displayed on the display unit 16. Furthermore, it is also possible to constantly display the remaining amount to be collected in the collection container 14 on the display unit 16 based on information on the volume of the collection container 14 and the volume of the sodium metaborate solution.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is no problem even in cases where the water in collection container 14 partially evaporates when hydrogen generation apparatus 1 is stopped for an extended period of time. Since the last information from when hydrogen generation apparatus 1 was operating remains in memory 17 of collection container 14, the difference between the newly measured amount of sodium metaborate solution and the amount of sodium metaborate solution in memory 17 is counted as the decrease in the amount of water, and it is possible to newly calculate the current weight of sodium metaborate, the weight of water, the weight of sodium metaborate solution, and the volume of the sodium metaborate solution.

[0067] Furthermore, even if the recovery container 14 is replaced with another one that is in use, it is possible to calculate the current weight of sodium metaborate, the weight of water, the weight of the sodium metaborate solution, and the volume of the sodium metaborate solution based on the information in the memory 17, just as in the case where the hydrogen generation device 1 has been stopped for a long period of time.

[0068] In this embodiment, the amount of composition collected in the collection container 14, which collects a composition including by-products generated during hydrogen generation, can be determined. That is, the amount of composition portion collected in the collection container 14 is detected by the detection unit 13 and stored in the memory 17. Therefore, by reading the information stored in the memory 17, the amount of composition contained in the collection container 14 can be determined. Therefore, the timing for replacing the collection container 14 can be determined, and, for example, overflow of the composition from the collection container 14 can be prevented. Furthermore, even if the collection container 14 that has partially collected the composition is used in another device, the amount of composition contained in the collection container 14 can be determined from the information in the memory 17, and therefore overflow of the composition portion from the collection container 14 can be prevented even if the collection container 14 is used in another device partway through.

[0069] Furthermore, if the control unit 15 calculates the amount of by-products from the composition and stores this information in the memory 17 of the collection container 14, this is useful for reusing the by-products, etc. For example, if the by-product is sodium metaborate, knowing how much sodium metaborate is contained in the collection container 14 makes it possible to determine how much sodium borohydride can be regenerated when regenerating sodium borohydride. Furthermore, sodium metaborate can be used for other purposes as well as for regenerating sodium borohydride, and it may be bought and sold. In this case, knowing the amount of sodium metaborate contained in the collection container 14 can be used to calculate the price at the time of purchase and sale.

[0070] Second Embodiment A second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In the first embodiment described above, information regarding the amount of recovered composition was stored in the memory 17 of the recovery container 14. In contrast, in the present embodiment, information regarding the identification of the recovery container 14 and information regarding the recovery amount detected by the detection unit 13 are transmitted to an information collection device 23 provided outside the hydrogen generation apparatus 1A, and the information collection device 23 manages the amount of recovered composition stored in the recovery container 14. Since the other configurations and functions are the same as those of the first embodiment described above, the same reference numerals are used to designate similar configurations, and descriptions thereof will be omitted or simplified. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0071] Similar to the configuration of the first embodiment, the hydrogen generation apparatus 1A of this embodiment has a main body 10, a hydrogen carrier supply unit 11, a hydrogen generation unit 12, a detection unit 13, a collection container 14, a control unit 15, and a display unit 16. A water supply unit 21 and a fuel cell system 22 are connected to the hydrogen generation apparatus 1A as external mechanisms. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an information collection device 23 is communicatively connected to the hydrogen generation apparatus 1A. That is, in this embodiment, an information management system 100 is configured by communicatively connecting the hydrogen generation apparatus 1A and the information collection device 23.

[0072] The information collection device 23 is, for example, an external terminal such as a personal computer connected to the hydrogen generation device 1A, or an external server installed at a location different from the location where the hydrogen generation device 1A is installed, via an internet line, etc. Such information collection device 23 has the function of acquiring information from the hydrogen generation device 1A, storing the acquired information, and performing calculations based on the acquired information.

[0073] The collection container 14 is provided with an identification information section 14a that contains information related to the identification of the collection container 14 (i.e., identification information specific to each collection container 14). In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, information related to the amount of composition collected in the collection container 14 is not stored on the collection container 14 side. Therefore, the identification information section 14a only needs to be able to identify the collection container 14, and may be, for example, a number assigned to each container. In this case, for example, a sheet with a number printed thereon may be attached to the collection container 14, or the number may be printed directly on the surface of the collection container 14.

[0074] That is, in this embodiment, the identification information unique to each collection container 14 refers to, for example, a lot number for each container. The identification information can be written in any manner, such as by using numbers, letters, or symbols, a barcode, or a two-dimensional code. The identification information is sent to the control unit 15 via image recognition, a light-receiving device such as a laser system, or input from a keyboard, and is then transmitted to the information collection device 23. The identification information unit 14a may have a memory that stores information related to the identification of the collection container 14. In this case, it is preferable that the memory be externally readable, such as an RFID tag.

[0075] As in the first embodiment, the control unit 15 has a CPU 15a and RAM as a calculation unit, and receives information such as the reaction ratio obtained in the hydrogen generation device 1A and information such as the amount of hydrogen required from the fuel cell system, etc., and has the function of issuing control commands to the entire hydrogen generation device and transmitting calculated information to the display unit 16, the fuel cell system 22, and the information collection device 23.

[0076] 2 illustrates a signal transmitting unit 15b as a transmitting unit and a first transmitting unit, and a signal receiving unit 15c as a second receiving unit. The signal transmitting unit 15b transmits information regarding the amount of composition recovered in the collection container 14 detected by the detection unit 13, and information regarding the identification of the collection container 14 written in the identification information section 14a of the collection container 14, to the information collecting device 23. The signal receiving unit 15c is capable of receiving the information transmitted from the information collecting device 23.

[0077] The information collecting device 23 has a CPU 23a, a memory 23b as a storage unit, a signal transmitting unit 23c as a second transmitting unit, and a signal receiving unit 23d as a receiving unit and a first receiving unit. The CPU 23a controls the entire information collecting device 23. The signal receiving unit 23d receives information transmitted from the signal transmitting unit 15b of the hydrogen generation device 1A. The memory 23b stores information related to the collection container 14 and the amount of the composition collected in the collection container 14 in association with each other based on the information received by the signal receiving unit 23d. Furthermore, when the collection container 14 is replaced, the information collecting device 23 stores the information related to the collection amount received by the signal receiving unit 23d after replacement in the memory 23b as information related to the replaced collection container 14 based on information related to the identification of the collection container 14.

[0078] The CPU 15a of the hydrogen generation apparatus 1A calculates the amount of by-products contained in the composition collected in the collection container 14, based on the information on the collection amount in the collection container 14 detected by the detection unit 13 and the information on the identification of the collection container 14. The calculation method used here is the same as the calculation method used by the CPU 15a of the control unit 15 in the first embodiment. The calculation result by the CPU 15a is transmitted to the information collection device 23 via the signal transmission unit 15b and stored in the memory 23b of the information collection device 23.

[0079] The calculation of the amount of by-products contained in the composition may be performed by the CPU 23a of the information collecting device 23. That is, the CPU 23a may calculate the amount of by-products contained in the composition collected in the collection container 14 based on information on the collection amount in the collection container 14 transmitted from the hydrogen generation device 1A and information on the identification of the collection container 14. In this case, the CPU 23a stores the calculated amount of by-products in the memory 23b.

[0080] In either case, memory 23b of information collecting device 23 stores information regarding the recovery amount, including the amount of by-products contained in the composition recovered in recovery container 14. Then, signal transmitting unit 23c of information collecting device 23 can transmit the information regarding the recovery amount stored in memory 23b and information regarding the identification of recovery container 14 to signal receiving unit 15c of hydrogen generation apparatus 1A.

[0081] Display unit 16 of hydrogen generation apparatus 1A displays information related to the capacity of collection container 14 based on information received by signal receiving unit 15c. That is, display unit 16 can display information such as the amount of composition containing by-products collected in collection container 14, the amount of by-products, the remaining capacity, and a collection capacity over warning, as in the first embodiment. The capacity may be calculated by CPU 15a of hydrogen generation apparatus 1A or by CPU 23a of information collection device 23, as in the first embodiment.

[0082] As in the first embodiment, the information regarding the storage capacity displayed on the display unit 16 is at least one of the amount of composition that can be collected in the collection container 14 at that time and information indicating that the amount of composition collected in the collection container 14 has exceeded a predetermined amount, or information regarding the time to replace the collection container at that time, etc. Other content regarding the display unit 16 is also the same as in the first embodiment.

[0083] Next, a specific example of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, first, the identification information of each collection container 14 is read, and the control unit 15 recognizes the identification information of each collection container. Thereafter, the hydrogen generation device 1 starts operation, and sodium borohydride and water are supplied to the hydrogen generation unit 12, causing a hydrolysis reaction. The post-reaction waste fuel (a composition containing by-products, in this embodiment, a sodium metaborate solution) is sent to the collection container 14.

[0084] Here, as in the first embodiment, information on the reaction ratio and information on the weight of the sodium metaborate solution are sent to the control unit 15. Thereafter, the CPU 15a calculates the weight of sodium metaborate, the weight of water, the weight of the sodium metaborate solution, the volume of the sodium metaborate solution, etc. This information is then linked to the identification information of the collection container 14, transmitted to the information collection device 23 via the Internet or the like, and stored therein.

[0085] If the hydrogen generation apparatus 1A is stopped for an extended period of time or is replaced with another collection container 14 that is in use, the control unit 15 of the hydrogen generation apparatus 1A can obtain information from the information collection device 23 based on the identification information of the collection container 14, and as in the first embodiment, it is possible to recalculate the current weight of sodium metaborate, the weight of water, the weight of the sodium metaborate solution, and the volume of the sodium metaborate solution.

[0086] In addition, in this embodiment, by sending information such as the installation location of each hydrogen generation device 1A to the information collection device 23, it is possible to know the timing for replacing the collection containers 14 of the hydrogen generation devices 1A located in multiple locations, and this can also be used, for example, to estimate the optimal route for delivering replacement collection containers 14 or used collection containers 14.

[0087] In this embodiment, too, the amount of hydrogen collected in the collection container 14, which collects a composition containing by-products generated during hydrogen generation, can be determined. That is, in this embodiment, information regarding the amount of hydrogen collected in the collection container 14 along with the identification information of the collection container 14 is sent to the information collection device 23, allowing the information collection device 23 to manage each collection container 14. Therefore, the control unit 15 of the hydrogen generation apparatus 1A can obtain information about the collection container 14 by appropriately obtaining information from the information collection device 23, and can appropriately determine the amount of hydrogen collected in the collection container 14 even when the collection container 14 is replaced, for example.

[0088] In addition, in this embodiment, it is possible to centrally manage multiple hydrogen generation devices 1A installed in different locations using the information collection device 23. For example, by monitoring information on the collection containers 14 used in each hydrogen generation device 1A in real time, it becomes easier to appropriately determine the replacement timing and delivery rules for each collection container 14.

[0089] The hydrogen generation device according to the present invention is suitable for use as a hydrogen generation device that generates hydrogen. The information management system according to the present invention is also suitable for use as an information management system including a hydrogen generation device.

[0090] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A... Hydrogen generation device 10... Main body 12... Hydrogen generation unit 13... Detection unit 14... Collection container 14a... Identification information unit 15... Control unit 15a... CPU (calculation unit) 15b... Signal transmission unit (transmission unit, first transmission unit) 15c... Signal reception unit (second reception unit) 16... Display unit 17... Memory (storage unit) 23... Information collection device 23b... Memory (storage unit) 23c... Signal transmission unit (second transmission unit) 23d... Signal reception unit (first reception unit) 100... Information management system

Claims

1. A hydrogen generation device comprising: a hydrogen generation unit that generates hydrogen by reacting a hydrogen carrier with a liquid containing water; a main body unit having the hydrogen generation unit; a collection container that is detachable from the main body unit and that collects a composition containing a by-product generated together with hydrogen in the hydrogen generation unit; a detection unit that detects the amount of the composition collected from the hydrogen generation unit by the collection container; and a memory unit that is provided in the collection container and that stores information regarding the amount collected.

2. A hydrogen generating apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a calculation unit that calculates the amount of by-products contained in the composition recovered in the recovery container based on the recovery amount detected by the detection unit, and the information regarding the recovery amount includes the amount of by-products calculated by the calculation unit.

3. The hydrogen generating device according to claim 2, wherein the calculation unit calculates the amount of the by-product from the reaction ratio between the hydrogen carrier and the water-containing liquid and the recovery amount detected by the detection unit.

4. The hydrogen generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a display unit capable of displaying information relating to the capacity of the recovery container.

5. A hydrogen generating apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein the information regarding the capacity is at least one of the amount of the composition that can be recovered in the recovery container at that time and information indicating that the amount of the composition recovered in the recovery container has exceeded a predetermined amount.

6. The hydrogen generating device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the information regarding the capacity is information regarding the time to replace the recovery container at that point in time.

7. The hydrogen generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the hydrogen carrier is sodium borohydride and the by-product is sodium metaborate.

8. An information management system comprising a hydrogen generation device that generates hydrogen and an information collection device communicatively connected to the hydrogen generation device, wherein the hydrogen generation device comprises: a hydrogen generation unit that generates hydrogen by reacting a hydrogen carrier with a liquid containing water; a main body unit having the hydrogen generation unit; a collection container that is detachable from the main body unit and collects a composition containing a by-product generated together with hydrogen in the hydrogen generation unit; an identification information unit provided on the collection container that is information related to the identification of the collection container; a detection unit that detects the amount of composition collected by the collection container from the hydrogen generation unit; and a transmission unit that transmits information related to the collection amount and information related to the identification of the collection container; and the information collection device comprises: a receiving unit that receives the information transmitted from the transmission unit; and a memory unit that stores information related to the collection container and the collection amount based on the information received by the receiving unit.

9. An information management system as described in claim 8, wherein when the collection container is replaced, the information collecting device stores in the memory unit the information regarding the collection amount received by the receiving unit after the replacement based on information regarding the identification of the collection container as information regarding the replaced collection container.

10. An information management system as described in claim 8 or 9, wherein the hydrogen generation device further has a calculation unit that calculates the amount of by-products contained in the composition recovered in the collection container based on information regarding the recovery amount and information regarding the identification of the collection container, and the information regarding the recovery amount includes the amount of the by-products calculated by the calculation unit.

11. An information management system as described in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the transmitting unit is a first transmitting unit, the receiving unit is a first receiving unit, the information collecting device further has a second transmitting unit capable of transmitting information regarding the recovery amount stored in the memory unit and information regarding the identification of the recovery container, and the hydrogen generating device further has a second receiving unit capable of receiving information transmitted from the second transmitting unit and a display unit that displays information regarding the capacity of the recovery container based on the information received by the second receiving unit.

12. An information management system as described in claim 11, wherein the information regarding the capacity is at least one of the amount of the composition that can be collected in the collection container at that time and information indicating that the amount of the composition collected in the collection container has exceeded a predetermined amount.

13. An information management system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the information regarding the capacity is information regarding the time to replace the collection container at that time.

14. An information management system according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the hydrogen carrier is sodium borohydride, and the by-product is sodium metaborate.

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