Self-power generation system using ethanol or green ammonia as fuel

Abstract

The present invention relates to a self-power generation system designed to rapidly produce electricity by directly supplying the hydrogen generated through the electrolysis of ethanol or green ammonia, as it is, to a stack and to enable the produced electricity to be supplied and utilized by power-demanding facilities such as households, factories, or electric vehicle charging stations. The self-power generation system is configured to include: a reformer for generating hydrogen by electrolyzing ethanol or green ammonia; a stack composed of one or more fuel cells that induce an electrochemical reaction between the hydrogen supplied through a transfer pipe connected to the reformer and oxygen from air supplied externally thus to produce electricity and heat; an air supply unit for delivering air to the stack, and a power control unit for supplying the electricity produced in the stack to external sources and storing excess electricity.

Description

Self-powered system using ethanol or green ammonia as fuel

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-power generation system using ethanol or green ammonia as fuel, and more specifically, to a self-power generation system that can quickly produce electricity by supplying hydrogen produced by electrolyzing ethanol or green ammonia as is to a stack, and can supply the produced electricity to power demand sources such as homes, factories, or electric vehicle charging stations for use.

[0002]

[0003] In the production of electricity, which is essential to human life, thermal power generation using coal or natural gas accounts for the largest proportion, followed by nuclear power generation using nuclear energy.

[0004] However, thermal power generation inevitably causes environmental pollution, and nuclear power generation can cause a huge disaster in the form of a radioactive leak in the event of an accident. Therefore, recently, eco-friendly power generation using solar and wind power sources has been attracting attention as an alternative.

[0005] However, various problems, such as high unit costs of power generation, low power generation efficiency, and the need for large-scale facilities, are acting as major obstacles to a full-scale transition to eco-friendly power generation such as solar and wind power.

[0006] Therefore, it is expected that hydrogen power generation, which has many advantages such as being environmentally friendly, high power generation efficiency, long-term storage, and relatively easy to transport, can be an alternative.

[0007] For reference, with regard to hydrogen power generation as mentioned above, inventions such as “Self-generation system and control method thereof” in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2004-0009647 and “Self-generation system” in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2004-0009655 have been proposed and published.

[0008] That is, the above-mentioned Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2004-0009647 proposes an invention regarding a system and control method that sends a portion of the electricity produced using a stack to a charger so that charging can occur simultaneously with the supply of electricity, and when the charger is fully charged, stops the operation of the stack and supplies electricity by the charger at the same time, thereby preventing waste of fuel and resulting in an increase in power generation efficiency.

[0009] In addition, the above-mentioned Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2004-0009655 proposes an invention regarding a system that supplies the necessary power when the stack is initially driven or whenever the load output changes, thereby enabling rapid operation, thereby generating the effect of increasing energy efficiency.

[0010] However, since the above-mentioned prior inventions are configured to combust fossil fuels for the purpose of producing hydrogen, an intermediate product used in the production of electricity, it is difficult to say that they are actually environmentally friendly power generation methods, and they have the problem that the process of combusting fossil fuels inevitably produces soot substances that cause environmental pollution.

[0011] Of course, additional equipment can be installed to capture soot particles, but 100% complete removal is not guaranteed, and ongoing costs for equipment and maintenance are incurred.

[0012] Therefore, in order to generate hydrogen power in a truly eco-friendly manner, it is desirable to generate hydrogen in a way other than using fossil fuels. Consequently, new inventions related to eco-friendly hydrogen power generation methods are required.

[0013]

[0014] As described above, prior inventions suggesting a power generation method using hydrogen have a problem in that they are difficult to call them eco-friendly power generation methods because they are configured to burn fossil fuels for the purpose of producing hydrogen, and there is a problem that soot substances that inevitably cause environmental pollution are generated in the process of burning fossil fuels, and there is a problem that costs for processing the soot substances are continuously incurred. Therefore, the present invention aims to suggest a solution to the above problems.

[0015]

[0016] The present invention, in order to achieve the above-described object, proposes a self-power generation system using ethanol or green ammonia as fuel, characterized by comprising: a reformer for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing ethanol or green ammonia; a stack comprising one or more fuel cells for generating electricity and heat by causing an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen supplied through a transport pipe connected to the reformer and oxygen in the air supplied from the outside; an air supply device for supplying air to the stack; and a power control device for supplying electricity produced in the stack to the outside and storing the remaining electricity.

[0017] At this time, the reformer is characterized in that it is configured in a form including a tank in which ethanol or green ammonia is stored in a liquid state; an electrolytic cell equipped with an anode and a cathode current supply, in which electrolysis of ethanol or green ammonia supplied thereto occurs; a supply unit that supplies a certain amount of ethanol or green ammonia stored in the tank to the electrolytic cell; and a hydrogen chamber in which hydrogen produced as a result of electrolysis of ethanol or green ammonia is collected.

[0018] In addition, the supply unit is characterized in that it is configured in a form that includes a supply pipe that connects the tank and the electrolytic cell to form a supply path for ethanol or green ammonia and is configured to be opened and closed by an automatic valve; a tank level gauge that measures the liquid level of ethanol or green ammonia inside the tank to generate and transmit a first measurement value; an electrolytic cell level gauge that measures the liquid level of ethanol or green ammonia inside the electrolytic cell to generate and transmit a second measurement value; a display unit that is installed on the outer surface of the reformer and displays a signal of insufficient ethanol or green ammonia in one or more ways; and a supply control unit that compares the received measurement value with a reference value and controls the automatic valve of the supply pipe and the display unit according to a preset process.

[0019]

[0020] The self-generation system using ethanol or ammonia as fuel according to the present invention is configured to produce hydrogen by electrolyzing ethanol or green ammonia instead of fossil fuels that generate soot when burned, so it does not generate soot that causes environmental pollution, and as a result, it has the effect of producing electricity in an environmentally friendly manner.

[0021] In addition, the liquid level inside the tank and the liquid level inside the electrolytic cell are simultaneously measured and automatically responded to, thereby enabling smooth supply of ethanol or green ammonia to the electrolytic cell, and the display unit allows the user to replenish ethanol or green ammonia to a tank with a low liquid level.

[0022]

[0023] Figure 1 is a basic configuration diagram of a self-power generation system using ethanol or green ammonia as fuel according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of the inside of the reformer constituting the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the arrangement order of devices provided for the purpose of supplying oxygen to the stack constituting the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 is a basic configuration diagram of a power control device constituting the present invention.

[0027] Figures 5 and 6 are exemplary diagrams showing an operational embodiment of a power control device constituting the present invention.

[0028]

[0029] The present invention relates to a self-power generation system using ethanol or green ammonia as fuel, and is characterized by comprising: a reformer (100) that produces hydrogen by electrolyzing ethanol or green ammonia; a stack (200) comprising one or more fuel cells that generate electricity and heat by causing an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen supplied through a conveying pipe connected to the reformer (100) and oxygen in air supplied from the outside; an air supply device (300) that supplies air to the stack (200); and a power control device (400) that supplies electricity produced in the stack (200) to the outside and stores the remaining electricity.

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0031] First, the reformer (100) illustrated in FIG. 1 is a device that produces hydrogen using fuel, and is characterized in that it is configured to use an electrolysis method using ethanol or ammonia as fuel for producing hydrogen.

[0032] That is, hydrogen for power generation is usually produced by using a combustion reaction targeting hydrocarbon fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. This method is cost-effective, but it has the problem of causing the generation of soot along with the consumption of resources.

[0033] Accordingly, the present invention is configured to utilize an electrolysis method for ethanol or ammonia, thereby enabling the production of hydrogen with a purity close to 100% without the generation of soot substances.

[0034] At this time, the ammonia used in the present invention is green ammonia produced by mixing nitrogen with hydrogen produced by decomposing water through electrolysis, and can be used for electrolysis in an electrolytic cell (120) when electricity production is required while stored in a liquid state like ethanol.

[0035] More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the reformer (100) may be configured to include a tank (110) in which ethanol or green ammonia is stored, an electrolytic cell (120) equipped with an anode feeder and a cathode feeder in which electrolysis of the supplied ethanol or green ammonia occurs, a supply unit (130) that supplies a certain amount of ethanol or green ammonia stored in the tank (110) to the electrolytic cell (120), and a hydrogen chamber (140) in which hydrogen produced by electrolysis of ethanol or green ammonia is collected, and a transfer pipe (150) that allows the hydrogen collected in the hydrogen chamber (140) to be transferred to the stack (200) may be connected to the outside.

[0036] That is, ethanol or green ammonia (hereinafter referred to as “liquid”) stored in a liquid state in the tank (110) can be electrolyzed by direct current flowing through the supply unit while being supplied to the electrolytic cell (120) in whole or in part by the supply unit (130), and the hydrogen produced as a result can be separated from oxygen by the separation membrane and collected in the hydrogen chamber (140) provided on the upper side of the electrolytic cell (120).

[0037] And depending on whether the transfer pipe (150) configured to be opened and closed by an automatic valve is opened or closed, the hydrogen may be immediately transferred to the stack (200) or may remain inside the hydrogen chamber (140) until a certain amount or more is collected.

[0038] As one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the supply unit (130) forms a supply path for a liquid by connecting a tank (110) and an electrolytic cell (120), and may be configured to include a supply pipe (131) configured to be opened and closed by an automatic valve, a tank level gauge (132) that measures the liquid level of the liquid inside the tank (110) and generates and transmits a first measurement value, and an electrolytic cell level gauge (133) that measures the liquid level of the liquid inside the electrolytic cell (120) and generates and transmits a second measurement value.

[0039] In addition, the supply unit (130) may be configured to further include a display unit (134) installed on the outer surface of the reformer (100) to indicate a liquid shortage signal in one or more ways, and a supply control unit (135) that compares the received measurement value with a reference value and controls the automatic valve of the supply pipe (131) and the display unit (134) according to a preset process.

[0040] At this time, the tank (110) installed outside or inside the reformer (100) and the electrolytic cell (120) installed inside can be installed so that a height difference is formed between them, so that the supply pipe (131) connects the lower part of the tank (110) and the upper part of the electrolytic cell (120), and a tank level gauge (132) and an electrolytic cell level gauge (133) can be installed in each of the tank (110) and the electrolytic cell (120) in a form suitable for the measurement method.

[0041] Accordingly, the current liquid level of ethanol or green ammonia remaining in the tank (110) and electrolytic cell (120) can be measured, and based on the measured value, control of the supply control unit (135) for at least one of the automatic valve of the supply pipe (131) or the display unit (134) can occur.

[0042] At this time, the supply control unit (135) can use the received first measurement value and second measurement value to distinguish the state of the tank (110) and the electrolytic cell (120) into a first state in which the liquid level of ethanol or green ammonia is measured above a reference value, and a second state in which the liquid level is measured below the reference value.

[0043] And when the tank (110) is in the first state and the electrolytic cell (120) is in the first state at the same time, the automatic valve of the supply pipe (131) can be controlled to remain in the closed state or to be in the closed state, and when the tank (110) is in the first state and the electrolytic cell (120) is in the second state at the same time, the automatic valve of the supply pipe (131) can be controlled to be in the open state.

[0044] In addition, the control unit can control the automatic valve of the supply pipe (131) to remain closed or to be closed when the tank (110) is in the second state and the electrolytic cell (120) is in the first state at the same time, and can control the automatic valve of the supply pipe (131) to be open and to be displayed at the same time when the tank (110) is in the second state and the electrolytic cell (120) is in the second state at the same time.

[0045] Accordingly, in a situation where continuous production of hydrogen is required for the purpose of producing electricity, the supply of ethanol or green ammonia to the electrolyzer (120) can be automatically continued, and replenishment of ethanol or ammonia or replacement of the tank (110) itself to maintain that state can be caused by a user who confirms the blinking or alarm sound of the display (134).

[0046] Meanwhile, a first detection sensor for detecting a nitrogen component and a second detection sensor for detecting an ethanol component may be provided inside the tank (110) for the purpose of preventing the supply of green ammonia when the tank is filled with ethanol, and conversely, for the purpose of preventing the supply of ethanol when the tank is filled with green ammonia.

[0047] And, a liquid display unit that receives a signal transmitted from a first detection sensor or a second detection sensor and displays a specific indication may be provided on the inlet side of the tank (110).

[0048] At this time, it is desirable to adopt a character display method that allows the clearest identification as the display method of the liquid display unit to prevent user confusion, but it is said that there are no restrictions on the display method.

[0049] In addition, the stack (200) illustrated in FIG. 1 is a known power generation device that consumes fuel to produce electricity, and is characterized in that it is configured to utilize an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen supplied from a reformer (100) and oxygen supplied from an air supply device (300) in producing electricity.

[0050] That is, the stack (200) is composed of one or more fuel cells each having an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte positioned between the anode and the cathode, and generates direct current electricity, water, and heat as a result of an oxidation reaction of hydrogen supplied through the fuel electrode and a reduction reaction of oxygen in the air supplied through the air electrode.

[0051] The production of electricity by the stack (200) according to the above method can be maintained continuously as long as the supply of hydrogen and oxygen continues, and since no soot is generated in the process, there is no need to install separate equipment for purifying the soot.

[0052] At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, in order to produce electricity by the stack (200), an air supply device (300) that supplies external air to the stack (200) must be provided, and between the air supply device (300) and the stack (200), an air filter (310) and a membrane humidifier (320) are preferably provided in a form as shown in FIG. 3 for the purpose of preventing damage to the inside of the stack (200) and improving power generation efficiency.

[0053] That is, the external air supplied to the stack (200) by the air supply device (300) passes through an air filter (310) that filters out dust and chemicals, is purified, passes through a membrane humidifier (320), and in a humidified state, can diffuse inside through a gas diffusion layer provided in the stack (200).

[0054] Accordingly, damage to the device and a decrease in power generation efficiency due to the inflow of foreign substances into the stack (200) can be prevented, and in addition, a decrease in power generation efficiency due to the inflow of dry air can also be prevented.

[0055] In addition, the present invention may be configured to further include a plurality of heat exchangers that recover heat generated from the reformer (100) and stack (200) to generate hot water through heat exchange.

[0056] That is, in the electrolytic cell (120) inside the reformer (100), high-temperature heat is generated by electrolysis, and in the stack (200), high-temperature heat is generated by an electrochemical reaction that produces electricity. This heat is recovered and used to increase the temperature of water passing through the heat exchanger along the pipe, so that it can be used for purposes such as heating at home or bathing water.

[0057] In addition, the power control device (400) illustrated in FIG. 1 is a power control device that supplies electricity produced in the stack (200) to the outside and stores the remaining electricity, and enables electricity to be used immediately in power consuming facilities such as homes or factories equipped with the present invention or in electric vehicle charging devices, but allows the remaining electricity in the power consuming facilities to be stored in a battery (440) so that it can be used or sold when needed.

[0058] That is, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the power control device (400) may be configured to include a converter (410) that converts direct current electricity produced in the stack (200) into a preset voltage according to a control signal, an inverter (420) that converts the direct current electricity converted into a preset first voltage into alternating current electricity, a distributor (430) that distributes and supplies the direct current electricity converted into a preset second voltage to the inverter (420) and a battery (440), and a battery (440) that stores the direct current electricity supplied by the distributor (430).

[0059] In addition, the power control device (400) may be configured to include a main supply line (450) that connects the converter (410) and the inverter (420) in a form that has a first on / off switch at the stop, an auxiliary supply line (460) that connects the converter (410) and the distributor (430) in a form that has a second on / off switch at the stop, and a smart meter (470) that is installed on a meter of a power consumption facility to monitor power demand.

[0060] And the power control device (400) may be configured to include a power control unit (480) that communicates with a smart meter (470) and controls a first opening / closing switch or a second opening / closing switch to supply power to a power consuming facility or simultaneously supply power to a power consuming facility and a battery (440) according to the confirmed power demand, and transmits a control signal accordingly to a converter (410) to cause conversion to a first voltage or a second voltage.

[0061] More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the power control unit (480) can cause the first on / off switch to be turned ON and the second on / off switch to be turned OFF at the initial stage of operation, thereby allowing the DC electricity produced in the stack (200) to be supplied to the inverter (420) via the converter (410).

[0062] At this time, the power control unit (480) is configured to receive the power demand of the power consuming facility in real time through the smart meter (470), and maintains the current control state in a situation where the power demand of the power consuming facility is measured to be higher than a preset reference value.

[0063] Accordingly, the direct current electricity converted to the first voltage can be continuously supplied to the inverter (420), and in a state converted to alternating current electricity by the inverter (420), it can be supplied to a power consumption facility and used for various purposes such as driving a mechanical device or lighting.

[0064] However, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the power control unit (480) can control the first on / off switch to be in the OFF state and the second on / off switch to be in the ON state when the power demand of the power consumption facility measured by the smart meter (470) falls below a preset reference value.

[0065] Accordingly, the direct current produced in the stack (200) is converted into 2 voltages through the converter (410) and supplied to the distributor (430) and then distributed to the converter (410) and the battery (440), thereby enabling the supply of power to the power consumption facility and the charging of the battery (440) to occur simultaneously.

[0066] At this time, a small converter for increasing or decreasing the voltage required for supplying or charging electricity may be additionally provided between the distributor (430) and the inverter (420) or between the distributor (430) and the battery (440) as needed.

[0067] Thereafter, when the power demand of the power consumption facility is measured to be higher than a preset reference value, the power control unit (480) controls the first opening / closing switch to be turned ON and the second opening / closing switch to be turned OFF, thereby supplying current only to the power consumption facility.

[0068] In addition, the electricity charged in the battery (440) in the above manner can be supplied to and used by power consumption facilities when the production of electricity by the stack (200) is interrupted or the production amount is insufficient, or can be sold by being transmitted to related facilities such as power plants.

[0069] The embodiments introduced above are provided as examples so that the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be sufficiently conveyed to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and may be embodied in other forms.

[0070] In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts that are not related to the explanation are omitted from the drawings, and in the drawings, the width, length, thickness, etc. of components may be expressed in an exaggerated or reduced form for convenience.

[0071] Additionally, identical reference numbers throughout the specification represent identical components.

Claims

1. A reformer (100) that produces hydrogen by electrolyzing ethanol or green ammonia; A stack (200) comprising one or more fuel cells that generate electricity and heat by causing an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen supplied through a transfer pipe (150) connected to the reformer (100) and oxygen in the air supplied from the outside; An air supply device (300) for supplying air to the above stack (200); and It is configured to include a power control device (400) that supplies electricity produced in the above stack (200) to the outside and stores the remaining electricity; The above reformer (100) is, A tank (110) in which ethanol or green ammonia is stored in a liquid state; An electrolytic cell (120) equipped with positive and negative current feeders, in which electrolysis of ethanol or green ammonia supplied internally occurs; A supply unit (130) that supplies a certain amount of ethanol or green ammonia stored in the above tank (110) to the electrolytic cell (120); and, It is composed of a hydrogen chamber (140) in which hydrogen produced as a result of electrolysis of ethanol or green ammonia is collected, The above supply unit (130) is A supply pipe (131) that connects the above tank (110) and the above electrolytic cell (120) to form a supply path for ethanol or green ammonia, and is configured to be opened and closed by an automatic valve; A tank level gauge (132) for measuring the liquid level of ethanol or green ammonia inside the tank (110) and generating and transmitting a first measurement value; An electrolytic cell level gauge (133) that measures the liquid level of ethanol or green ammonia inside the electrolytic cell (120) and generates and transmits a second measurement value; An indicator (134) installed on the outer surface of the reformer (100) to indicate a lack of ethanol or green ammonia in one or more ways; and It is configured to include a supply control unit (135) that compares the received measurement value with a reference value and controls the automatic valve of the supply pipe (131) and the display unit (134) according to a preset process, Inside the above tank (110), a first detection sensor for detecting a nitrogen component and a second detection sensor for detecting an ethanol component are provided to prevent the supply of green ammonia when the inside of the tank (110) is filled with ethanol, and conversely, to prevent the supply of ethanol when the inside of the tank (110) is filled with green ammonia. A self-power generation system using ethanol or ammonia as fuel, characterized in that a liquid display unit is provided on the inlet side of the above tank (110) to receive a signal transmitted from a first detection sensor or a second detection sensor and display a specific indication.

2. In paragraph 1, An air filter (310) that filters out dust and chemicals in the air supplied from the air supply device (300); and A self-power generation system using ethanol or ammonia as fuel, characterized by further including a membrane humidifier (320) that humidifies dry air that has passed through the above air filter (310).

3. In paragraph 1, A self-power generation system using ethanol or ammonia as fuel, characterized by further including a plurality of heat exchangers that recover heat generated in the above reformer (100) and the above stack (200) to generate hot water and supply it to the outside through heat exchange.

4. In paragraph 1, The above power control device (400) is A converter (410) that converts direct current produced in the above stack (200) into a preset voltage according to a control signal; An inverter (420) that converts direct current converted to a preset first voltage into alternating current; A distributor (430) that distributes and supplies direct current electricity converted to a preset second voltage to an inverter (420) and a battery (440); A battery (440) that stores direct current electricity supplied by the above distributor (430); A main supply line (450) connecting the converter (410) and the inverter (420) in a form in which the first open / close switch is provided at a stop; An auxiliary supply line (460) connecting the converter (410) and the distributor (430) in the form of a second open / close switch being provided at the stop; A smart meter (470) installed on a meter of a power consuming facility to monitor power demand; and A self-power generation system using ethanol or ammonia as fuel, characterized by comprising a power control unit (480) configured to control a first open / close switch or a second open / close switch so that power is supplied to a power consumption facility or simultaneously to a power consumption facility and a battery (440) according to the power demand confirmed by communicating with the smart meter (470), and to transmit a control signal accordingly to a converter (410) so that conversion to a first voltage or a second voltage occurs.

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