Liquid hydrogen transfer system, liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using liquid hydrogen transfer system, and liquid hydrogen providing method for implementing liquid hydrogen infrastructure system

Abstract

In a liquid hydrogen transfer system, a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using the liquid hydrogen transfer system, and a liquid hydrogen providing method for implementing the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system, the liquid hydrogen transfer system includes a pipe unit connected from a transport ship to a storage tank on the ground to transfer liquid hydrogen. The pipe unit comprises: a transfer pipe which extends along the center of the pipe unit and through which the liquid hydrogen is transferred; and a cooling pipe which extends along the transfer pipe and through which a refrigerant for cooling the transfer pipe in advance before the liquid hydrogen is transferred is supplied. In this case, the temperature of the supplied refrigerant is lowered by decompressing the cooling pipe before the refrigerant is supplied.

Description

Liquid hydrogen transport system, liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using liquid hydrogen transport system, and liquid hydrogen providing method for implementing liquid hydrogen infrastructure system

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid hydrogen transport system, a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using the liquid hydrogen transport system, and a liquid hydrogen providing method for implementing the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system, and more particularly, to a liquid hydrogen transport system for effectively transporting liquid hydrogen between a liquid hydrogen transport ship and a storage tank, a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system for utilizing liquid hydrogen stored in the storage tank using the liquid hydrogen transport system to a hydrogen-using station or hydrogen city, and a method for providing liquid hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen transport ship to the hydrogen-using station or hydrogen city for implementing the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system.

[0002] With the recent acceleration of carbon neutrality and the resulting increase in the use of hydrogen, an eco-friendly fuel, numerous related technologies are being introduced. In particular, the use of hydrogen fuel is not limited to mobility, but is expanding to encompass a wide range of urban infrastructure.

[0003] Meanwhile, in order to expand the use of hydrogen, a system that minimizes the generation of boil-off gas (BOG), especially when transporting liquid hydrogen, is required.

[0004] That is, when transporting liquid hydrogen, it is necessary to insulate the liquid hydrogen transport pipe to minimize the generation of evaporation gas. In this regard, European Patent Publication No. 3,682,156 discloses the concept of cooling or insulating the pipe. In addition, Japanese Patent Registration No. 5,415,090 also discloses a technology for minimizing evaporation gas in the transport pipe through an insulation structure.

[0005] However, these insulation structures require complex piping designs to minimize heat loss to the outside. This complex design of the transport piping increases installation costs. Furthermore, even when cooling is performed, various cooling methods exist, necessitating the design of an appropriate cooling method or system.

[0006] Related prior art documents include European Patent Publication No. 3682156 and Japanese Patent Registration No. 5415090.

[0007] Accordingly, the technical problem of the present invention is conceived from this point, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a liquid hydrogen transport system for effective transport of liquid hydrogen between a liquid hydrogen transport vessel and a storage tank.

[0008] In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system that utilizes the liquid hydrogen stored in the storage tank using the liquid hydrogen transport system as a hydrogen use station or hydrogen city.

[0009] In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a method for providing liquid hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen transport vessel to a hydrogen use station or hydrogen city for implementing the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system.

[0010] In order to achieve the above-described object of the present invention, a liquid hydrogen transport system according to one embodiment includes a piping unit connected from a transport vessel to a ground storage tank to transport liquid hydrogen. The piping unit includes a transport pipe extending along the center of the piping unit and through which the liquid hydrogen is transported, and a cooling pipe extending along the transport pipe and through which a refrigerant for pre-cooling the transport pipe is supplied before the liquid hydrogen is transported. In this case, the cooling pipe is depressurized before the refrigerant is supplied to lower the temperature of the supplied refrigerant.

[0011] In one embodiment, the refrigerant may be liquid nitrogen, gaseous helium, liquid helium, boil-off gas (BOG) of the liquid hydrogen generated in the piping unit, or liquid hydrogen in the piping unit or the storage tank.

[0012] In one embodiment, the liquid nitrogen has a temperature of 63K to 77K, the transport pipe is pre-cooled to a temperature of 63K to 77K, and the liquid nitrogen supplied to the cooling pipe may be in the form of slush as it is depressurized.

[0013] In one embodiment, when the refrigerant is gaseous helium or liquid helium, the apparatus further includes a cryogenic refrigerator connected to the cooling pipe to cool the refrigerant, and a cryogenic blower or pump connected between the cryogenic refrigerator and the cooling pipe to supply the refrigerant to the cooling pipe, wherein the transport pipe can be pre-cooled to a temperature of 4K to 77K.

[0014] In one embodiment, the piping unit may further include a vacuum portion formed outside the transport piping and the cooling piping.

[0015] In one embodiment, the cooling pipe covers the entire outer surface of the transport pipe and can be extended as a double pipe together with the transport pipe.

[0016] In one embodiment, the cooling pipe may include first and second cooling pipes that are formed to protrude from the outer surface of the transport pipe, are spaced apart at regular intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the transport pipe, and are arranged alternately.

[0017] In one embodiment, the cooling pipe may include first and second cooling pipes that are formed to contact the outer surface of the transport pipe and have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the transport pipe, are spaced apart at regular intervals along the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the transport pipe, and are arranged alternately.

[0018] In one embodiment, the cooling pipe may be formed to contact the outer surface of the transport pipe and extend in a spiral shape, and have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the transport pipe.

[0019] In one embodiment, the cooling pipe may include a pair of first and second cooling pipes extending in a spiral manner and contacting an outer surface of the transport pipe, and extending adjacent to each other along the spiral direction.

[0020] In one embodiment, one of the first and second cooling pipes may be a supply pipe for supplying the refrigerant, and the other may be a recovery pipe for recovering the refrigerant.

[0021] Another embodiment of the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system for achieving the above-described object of the present invention includes a liquid hydrogen transport system, a transport device, a hydrogen use station, a power generation system, and a hydrogen city. The liquid hydrogen transport system transports liquid hydrogen from a transport vessel to a storage tank through a piping unit. The transport device receives liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen from the storage tank. The hydrogen use station is connected to the transport device and uses the gaseous hydrogen. The power generation system is connected to the transport device and uses the gaseous hydrogen to produce energy. The hydrogen city uses the energy produced by the power generation system.

[0022] In one embodiment, the system may further include a re-liquefaction unit connected to the storage tank and configured to re-liquefy gaseous hydrogen generated in the storage tank and supply liquid hydrogen to the storage tank, or to cool a refrigerant that cools the storage tank and supply it to the storage tank.

[0023] In one embodiment, liquid hydrogen stored in the storage tank may be provided to a transport pipe or cooling pipe of the piping unit to pre-cool the transport pipe, and the liquid hydrogen cooled through the transport pipe may be provided to the transport device.

[0024] In one embodiment, the boil-off gas (BOG) of liquid hydrogen generated in the storage tank is provided to the transport pipe or cooling pipe of the piping unit to pre-cool the transport pipe, and the boil-off gas (BOG) of liquid hydrogen that has cooled the transport pipe can be provided to a re-liquefaction unit that is connected to the transport device or the storage tank to re-liquefy gaseous hydrogen.

[0025] In one embodiment, the hydrogen use station may include a hydrogen charging station that provides the gaseous hydrogen as mobility, and a low-temperature logistics center that utilizes cold heat from the transport device.

[0026] In one embodiment, the hydrogen city may operate an air conditioning system using cold energy from the transport device, operate a heating system using the energy, or operate the energy as electrical energy.

[0027] In one embodiment, the transport device may be a transport device that receives liquid hydrogen stored in the storage tank and moves the liquid hydrogen to the hydrogen use station, the power generation system, or the hydrogen city.

[0028] A method for providing liquid hydrogen according to one embodiment for achieving another object of the present invention includes a step (first step) of transporting liquid hydrogen from a transport vessel to a storage tank, and a step (second step) of utilizing liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen in the storage tank. The (first step) includes a step of depressurizing a cooling pipe that extends along a transport pipe through which the liquid hydrogen is transported and to which a refrigerant is supplied, a step of supplying a refrigerant to the cooling pipe to pre-cool the transport pipe, and a step of transporting the liquid hydrogen to the storage tank through the transport pipe.

[0029] In one embodiment, the (second step) may include a step of providing liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen from the storage tank to a transport device, a step of using the gaseous hydrogen at a hydrogen use station connected to the transport device, a step of providing the gaseous hydrogen from the transport device to a power generation system, and a step of providing energy produced by the power generation system to a hydrogen city connected to the power generation system.

[0030] According to embodiments of the present invention, by cooling the transport pipe before transporting the liquid hydrogen, the generation of evaporated gas during the transport of the liquid nitrogen can be minimized.

[0031] In particular, by pre-depressurizing the cooling pipe that performs cooling of the transport pipe, the temperature of the refrigerant passing through the cooling pipe can be further lowered, thereby further improving the pre-cooling efficiency of the transport pipe.

[0032] Meanwhile, by designing the cooling pipe to extend along the outer surface of the transport pipe with uniform contact throughout and a minimum area, when liquid nitrogen is used as the refrigerant, the consumption of the liquid nitrogen can be minimized.

[0033] Furthermore, a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system capable of utilizing liquid hydrogen can be constructed through an additional transport system linked to a storage tank. In particular, by providing liquid hydrogen stored in a storage tank or gaseous hydrogen vaporized from liquid hydrogen to a hydrogen use station, an infrastructure for use in hydrogen mobility or logistics centers can be constructed.

[0034] Furthermore, by generating energy using gaseous hydrogen, it can be used immediately as electric energy or thermal energy required in hydrogen cities, and liquid hydrogen, which is currently used only in limited quantities, can be immediately supplied to various energy demand sources in the city, thereby increasing the utilization of liquid hydrogen in urban infrastructure.

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen transport system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 is a graph showing the saturation curve of nitrogen.

[0037] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the piping unit of Fig. 1.

[0038] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the piping unit of Fig. 1.

[0039] FIGS. 5a and 5b are cross-sectional and side views illustrating another example of the piping unit of FIG. 1.

[0040] Figures 6a and 6b are cross-sectional and side views illustrating another example of the piping unit of Figure 1.

[0041] FIGS. 7a and 7b are cross-sectional and side views illustrating another example of the piping unit of FIG. 1.

[0042] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using the liquid hydrogen transport system of Figure 1.

[0043] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a liquid hydrogen providing method for implementing the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system of Figure 8.

[0044] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using a liquid hydrogen transport system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using a liquid hydrogen transport system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using a liquid hydrogen transport system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] <Explanation of symbols>

[0048] 10: Liquid hydrogen transport system 20: Liquid hydrogen infrastructure system

[0049] 100: Transport ship 110: Transport pump

[0050] 200, 201, 202, 203, 204: Piping units

[0051] 210, 211, 212, 213, 214: Transport pipes

[0052] 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227: Cooling pipes

[0053] 230, 231, 233, 234: Vacuum section

[0054] 250: Cooling pump

[0055] 300: Storage tank 400: Reliquefaction unit

[0056] 500: Transport device 600: Power generation system

[0057] 700: Hydrogen Station 800: Hydrogen City

[0058] The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and takes various forms, and thus embodiments are described in detail herein. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific disclosed form, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Similar reference numerals have been used to designate similar components throughout the description of each drawing. While terms such as "first," "second," etc. may be used to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms.

[0059] The above terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. The terms used in this application are used solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0060] In this application, it should be understood that terms such as “comprise” or “consist of” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0061] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0062] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0063] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen transport system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 1, the liquid hydrogen transport system (10) according to the present embodiment is a system for transporting liquid hydrogen (LH2) between a transport ship (100) transporting liquid hydrogen and a ground storage tank (300) storing liquid hydrogen, and includes a transport pump (110), a piping unit (200), and a cooling pump (250).

[0065] The above transport pump (110) is provided on the transport ship (100) to provide the liquid hydrogen (120) to the piping unit (200), and the liquid hydrogen (240) provided through the piping unit (200) is stored in the storage tank (300) installed on the ground.

[0066] That is, the above-mentioned piping unit (200) is a pipe that is connected between a transport vessel (100) anchored on the water surface and a storage tank (300) on the ground. Since the storage tank (300) is installed adjacent to the coastline, the connection length of the above-mentioned piping unit (200) is sufficient to stably transport the liquid hydrogen.

[0067] The above cooling pump (250) is a pump for removing and depressurizing the refrigerant additionally delivered through the piping unit (200), as described later. The specific circulation of the refrigerant will be described later.

[0068] The above piping unit (200) includes a transport pipe (210) through which the liquid hydrogen is transported and a cooling pipe (220) through which the refrigerant is supplied. In this case, the cooling pipe (220) extends along the outer circumference of the transport pipe (210), so that cooling of the transport pipe (210) is performed as the refrigerant passes through the cooling pipe (220).

[0069] At this time, liquid nitrogen (LN2) may be used as the refrigerant, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and other cryogenic fluids such as helium (He), neon (Ne), oxygen (O2), and hydrogen (H2) may also be used.

[0070] However, in the case of the above liquid nitrogen, the cooling effect is relatively excellent and the cooling temperature can be effectively controlled through decompression, etc., so its usability is high. Accordingly, the use of liquid nitrogen as the refrigerant is explained below as an example.

[0071] Liquid hydrogen is transported through the above transport pipe (210). In the case of liquid hydrogen, evaporation gas is generated during the initial cooling and operation process during the transport process due to heat infiltration. Therefore, it is required to maintain the temperature of the transport pipe (210) through which the liquid hydrogen is transported relatively low.

[0072] Accordingly, in the present embodiment, after the piping unit (200) is connected to the transport ship (100), before liquid hydrogen is transported through the transport pipe (210), the transport pipe (210) is pre-cooled, i.e., pre-cooled, using the cooling pipe (220).

[0073] To this end, low-temperature liquid nitrogen is supplied through the cooling pipe (220), and the cooling pipe (220) extends along the outer surface of the transport pipe (210) in contact with it, so that pre-cooling of the transport pipe (210) is performed according to the supply of the liquid nitrogen.

[0074] Meanwhile, in the case of the above liquid nitrogen, it generally exists in a liquid state at a temperature of 77K, so liquid nitrogen having a temperature of 77K is provided through the cooling pipe (220).

[0075] Figure 2 is a graph showing the saturation curve of nitrogen.

[0076] Meanwhile, referring to Fig. 2, nitrogen has a saturation temperature of 77 K at 1 atm (0.1 MPa), and if the pressure of nitrogen is lowered in this state, the temperature changes along the saturation curve. Accordingly, it is possible to cool liquid nitrogen from 77 K (0.1 MPa) to 63 K (0.012 MPa) using this method. However, at lower pressures or temperatures, the liquid nitrogen undergoes a phase change to a solid state.

[0077] Therefore, in the present embodiment, the liquid nitrogen is further cooled to 63 K, and the liquid nitrogen in the form of a so-called slush is provided through the cooling pipe (220).

[0078] That is, before providing liquid nitrogen to the cooling pipe (220), additional depressurization is performed so that the liquid nitrogen can pass through the cooling pipe (220) in the form of slush.

[0079] Thus, the cooling temperature of the transport pipe (210) cooled through the cooling pipe (220) can be further lowered, thereby minimizing the generation of the liquid hydrogen vaporization gas transported through the transport pipe (210).

[0080] However, in order to effectively supply the liquid nitrogen (251) in the form of slush through the cooling pipe (220), the cooling pump (250) must be provided separately. That is, in order to supply the liquid nitrogen (251) in the form of slurry through the cooling pipe (22), a decompression device for reducing the pressure of the liquid nitrogen and a cooling pump (250) for supplying the liquid nitrogen in the form of slurry must be provided. In the case of the decompression device or the cooling pump (250), a configuration capable of further lowering the temperature of the liquid nitrogen to 63 K to form it in the form of slurry is sufficient, and the detailed configuration of the device or pump can be designed in various ways, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] Below, various embodiments of the piping unit (200) are described.

[0082] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the piping unit of Fig. 1.

[0083] First, referring to FIG. 3, in the piping unit (200), the transport pipe (210) extends to penetrate the center (core) of the piping unit (200), and the cooling pipe (220) extends to cover the entire outer surface of the transport pipe (210).

[0084] Accordingly, the piping unit (200) has a double piping structure in which a transport piping (210) and a cooling piping (220) are stacked, and further, since the outside of the cooling piping (220) is covered by a vacuum section (230), the entire unit can have a triple piping structure.

[0085] At this time, the cooling pipe (220) has a hollow pipe structure in which the transport pipe (210) passes through the center, and is extended to cover the entire outer circumference of the transport pipe (210), so that when the liquid nitrogen is provided through the cooling pipe (220), more effective pre-cooling of the transport pipe (210) can be performed.

[0086] That is, the cooling pipe is formed to cover the entire outer surface of the transport pipe, so that more uniform and effective pre-cooling of the transport pipe can be performed.

[0087] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the piping unit of Fig. 1.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, in the piping unit (201), the transport pipe (211) passes through the center (core) of the piping unit (201).

[0089] However, the cooling pipes (221, 222) have a structure formed in a protruding shape on the outer surface of the transport pipe (211). That is, as shown, the cooling pipes (221, 222) are integrally formed on the outer surface of the transport pipe (211), and the cross-section may have a semicircular shape.

[0090] In particular, since the cross-sectional shape has a semicircular shape, the contact area between the cooling pipe (221, 222) and the outer surface of the transport pipe (211) relatively increases, and thus the cooling effect can be improved.

[0091] In addition, the cooling pipes (221, 222) are arranged along the outer surface of the transport pipe (211) at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction, and each interval, i.e., an angle, forms 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, a total of four cooling pipes (221, 222) can extend along the outer surface of the transport pipe (211) while maintaining an angle of 90 degrees with respect to each other along the circumferential direction of the pipe.

[0092] Furthermore, the cooling pipes (221, 222) may be composed of a pair of first cooling pipes (221) which are supply pipes for supplying the liquid nitrogen, and a pair of second cooling pipes (222) which are recovery pipes for recovering the supplied liquid nitrogen, and as illustrated, the first and second cooling pipes (221, 222) may be arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the transport pipe (211).

[0093] Meanwhile, a total of four cooling pipes (221, 222) are illustrated through FIG. 4, but the number of cooling pipes may vary.

[0094] In addition, in this embodiment, a vacuum portion (231) filled with vacuum is formed on the outside of the cooling pipe (221, 222) and the transport pipe (211).

[0095] In the present embodiment, the cooling pipes (221, 222) are not formed on the entire outer surface of the transport pipe (211), but have a semicircular shape, so that sufficient pre-cooling can be performed while minimizing the volume of the entire pipe unit (201) while having a relatively wide contact surface.

[0096] FIGS. 5a and 5b are cross-sectional and side views illustrating another example of the piping unit of FIG. 1.

[0097] Referring to FIGS. 5a and 5b, in the present embodiment, in the piping unit (202), the arrangement of the cooling pipes (223, 224) is the same as in FIG. 4, but each cooling pipe (223, 224) has a circular cross-section rather than a semicircle.

[0098] That is, in the case of the present embodiment, in the piping unit (202), the transport pipe (212) passes through the center (core) of the piping unit (202).

[0099] However, the cooling pipe (223, 224) is attached and extended on the outer surface of the transport pipe (212) as a pipe structure having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the transport pipe (212). That is, as illustrated, the cooling pipe (223, 224) may be extended on the outer surface of the transport pipe (212) with a circular cross-section.

[0100] In particular, since the cross-sectional shape is circular, the space through which liquid nitrogen passes relatively increases, so a larger amount of liquid nitrogen can pass through, and thus the cooling effect can be improved.

[0101] In addition, the cooling pipes (223, 224) are arranged along the outer surface of the transport pipe (212) at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction, and each interval, i.e., an angle, forms 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, a total of four cooling pipes (223, 224) can extend along the outer surface of the transport pipe (212) while maintaining an angle of 90 degrees with respect to each other along the circumferential direction of the pipe.

[0102] Furthermore, the cooling pipes (223, 224) may be composed of a pair of first cooling pipes (223), which are supply pipes for supplying the liquid nitrogen, and a pair of second cooling pipes (224), which are recovery pipes for recovering the supplied liquid nitrogen, and as illustrated, the first and second cooling pipes (223, 224) may be arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the transport pipe (212).

[0103] Meanwhile, a total of four cooling pipes (223, 224) are illustrated through FIGS. 5a and 5b, but the number of cooling pipes may vary.

[0104] In addition, in this embodiment, a vacuum portion (232) filled with vacuum is formed on the outside of the cooling pipe (223, 224) and the transport pipe (212).

[0105] Figures 6a and 6b are cross-sectional and side views illustrating another example of the piping unit of Figure 1.

[0106] Referring to FIGS. 6a and 6b, in the present embodiment, in the piping unit (203), the cooling pipe (225) extends in a spiral shape along the outer surface of the transport pipe (213).

[0107] That is, in the case of the present embodiment, in the piping unit (203), the transport pipe (213) passes through the center (core) of the piping unit (203).

[0108] However, the cooling pipe (225) is attached to the outer surface of the transport pipe (213) as a pipe structure having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the transport pipe (213) and extends in a spiral shape. That is, as illustrated, the cooling pipe (225) extends with a circular cross-section on the outer surface of the transport pipe (213) and may extend in a spirally twisted shape along the outer surface of the transport pipe (213).

[0109] At this time, the cooling pipe (225), as shown in the drawing, can be extended in a spiral manner with a total of four cooling pipes each twisted along the outer surface of the transport pipe (213), and through this extension, the contact area with the outer surface of the transport pipe (213) can be increased, thereby improving the cooling efficiency.

[0110] In particular, since the cooling pipe (225) is spirally twisted and extended, the design of the supply system that must supply liquid nitrogen to each of the plurality of cooling pipes is simplified, and since it is sufficient to supply liquid nitrogen to one cooling pipe (225), the design of the liquid nitrogen supply system can be facilitated.

[0111] Meanwhile, although a total of four cooling pipes (225) are illustrated through FIGS. 6A and 6B, the number of cooling pipes may vary. In addition, in this embodiment, a vacuum portion (233) filled with vacuum is formed on the outside of the cooling pipe (225) and the transport pipe (213).

[0112] FIGS. 7a and 7b are cross-sectional and side views illustrating another example of the piping unit of FIG. 1.

[0113] Referring to FIGS. 7a and 7b, in the case of the present embodiment, in the piping unit (204), the cooling pipes (226, 227) extend in a spiral shape along the outer surface of the transport pipe (214) in the same manner as in FIG. 6a, but there is a difference in that a pair of cooling pipes (226, 227) extend.

[0114] That is, in the case of the present embodiment, in the piping unit (204), the transport pipe (214) passes through the center (core) of the piping unit (204).

[0115] However, the cooling pipe (226, 227) is attached to the outer surface of the transport pipe (214) as a pipe structure having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the transport pipe (214) and extends in a spiral shape. That is, as illustrated, the cooling pipe (226, 227) extends with a circular cross-section on the outer surface of the transport pipe (214) and may extend in a spirally twisted shape along the outer surface of the transport pipe (214).

[0116] At this time, the cooling pipe (226, 227) is a pair of first and second cooling pipes (226, 227) that contact each other and extend in a spiral shape along the outer surface of the transport pipe (214). At this time, the first cooling pipe (226) may be a supply pipe through which liquid nitrogen is supplied, and the second cooling pipe (227) may be a recovery pipe through which liquid nitrogen is recovered.

[0117] In the case of this embodiment, due to the structural characteristics of the cooling pipes extending in a spiral shape, the liquid nitrogen can be supplied through only one pipe and recovered through only one pipe, while being configured to contact the outer surface of the transport pipe (214) over the widest possible area, thereby enabling the supply and recovery system to be designed more simply.

[0118] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7a, a total of four pairs are formed, and the cooling pipes can be spirally twisted and extended along the outer surface of the transport pipe (214), and through this extension, the contact area with the outer surface of the transport pipe (214) can be increased, thereby improving the cooling efficiency.

[0119] Of course, although the cooling pipes extending in a total of four pairs are illustrated through Fig. 7a, the number of cooling pipes may vary. In addition, in this embodiment, a vacuum portion (234) is formed on the outside of the cooling pipes (226, 227) and the transport pipe (214) to fill a vacuum.

[0120] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using the liquid hydrogen transport system of Figure 1.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 8, the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system (20) is a system for additional transport and additional use of liquid hydrogen stored in the storage tank (300) added to the liquid hydrogen transport system (10) described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0122] That is, the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system (20) further includes, in addition to the liquid hydrogen transport system (10), a re-liquefaction unit (400), a transport device (500), a power generation system (600), a hydrogen use station (700), and a hydrogen city (800).

[0123] At this time, the liquid hydrogen transport system (10) is as described with reference to Fig. 1, so redundant description is omitted.

[0124] The above re-liquefaction unit (400) re-liquefies gaseous hydrogen between itself and the storage tank (300) and supplies liquid hydrogen. That is, the liquid hydrogen stored in the storage tank (300) naturally evaporates over time, and thus gaseous hydrogen (GH2) exists in the storage tank (300).

[0125] Accordingly, the re-liquefaction unit (400) receives gaseous hydrogen (401) present in the storage tank (300), re-liquefies it, and supplies liquid hydrogen (402) back to the storage tank (300).

[0126] In contrast, the re-liquefaction unit (400) may be supplied with refrigerant (401) that cools the storage tank (300), cool the refrigerant, and then provide refrigerant (402) to the storage tank (300).

[0127] The above transport device (500) is connected to the storage tank (300) and may be provided with liquid hydrogen (501) stored in the storage tank (300) or may be provided with gaseous hydrogen (502) naturally generated in the storage tank (300).

[0128] Thus, the transport device (500) vaporizes the liquid hydrogen (501) to change its phase into gaseous hydrogen (GH2), and provides the gaseous hydrogen to the hydrogen use station (700), the power generation system (600), or the hydrogen city (800).

[0129] In the present embodiment, since the storage tank (300) is installed on the ground adjacent to the coast, the hydrogen use station (700), as well as the power generation system (600) and the hydrogen city (800) are located relatively far away from the storage tank (300).

[0130] Accordingly, the transport device (500) may be a transport device that receives liquid hydrogen stored in the storage tank (300) and transports the liquid hydrogen to the hydrogen use station (700), power generation system (600), or hydrogen city (800). In addition, during this process or through a separate vaporization device, the liquid hydrogen stored in the transport device (500) may be vaporized into gaseous hydrogen that is ready for use.

[0131] Thus, in the hydrogen use station (700), gaseous hydrogen can be directly provided from the transport device (500) or the cold heat generated from the vaporization of liquid hydrogen can be directly utilized.

[0132] For example, the hydrogen use station (700) may include a hydrogen charging station (710), and may receive the gaseous hydrogen (503) and provide it to various hydrogen energy utilization mobilities.

[0133] In contrast, the hydrogen use station (700) may include a low-temperature logistics center (720), and the cold energy (504) may be directly utilized to maintain the low temperature of the low-temperature logistics center.

[0134] Furthermore, the cold heat generated in the above transport device (500) may be directly utilized in the hydrogen city (800), for example, it may be directly used in the operation of an air conditioning system utilizing various cold heat (506) required in the hydrogen city (800).

[0135] In addition, the power generation system (600) can receive gaseous hydrogen (505) from the transport device (500) and use it to generate energy. That is, the power generation system (600) includes a fuel cell module for power generation, through which energy can be produced.

[0136] In addition, the energy produced through the power generation system (600) can be provided to the hydrogen city (800) and used for the operation of various thermal systems (601) or used as various types of electric energy (602).

[0137] As described above, the liquid hydrogen stored in the storage tank (300) can be utilized in various infrastructures through connection with the transport device (500) and the power generation system (600), and thus, a predetermined liquid hydrogen utilization infrastructure system can be configured through this.

[0138] Below, a method for providing liquid hydrogen for implementing such a liquid hydrogen utilization infrastructure system is described. This method for providing liquid hydrogen refers to a series of methods for transporting liquid hydrogen from a carrier (100) as shown in FIG. 8 and ultimately utilizing the liquid hydrogen at a hydrogen utilization station (700) or hydrogen city (800).

[0139] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a liquid hydrogen providing method for implementing the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system of Figure 8.

[0140] Referring to FIG. 9, the method for providing liquid hydrogen includes a step (first step, S100) of transporting liquid hydrogen (LH2) from the transport vessel (100) to the storage tank (300), and a step (second step, S200) of utilizing liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen in the storage tank (300).

[0141] Specifically, in the first step (step S100), first, the cooling pipe (220) extending along the transport pipe (210) through which the liquid hydrogen (120) is transported is depressurized (step S110).

[0142] As previously explained, when the refrigerant provided through the cooling pipe (220) is liquid nitrogen, by lowering the pressure of the liquid nitrogen, liquid nitrogen having a lower temperature of 63K in the form of so-called slush can be formed.

[0143] Accordingly, by depressurizing the cooling pipe (220), liquid nitrogen in the form of slush having a temperature in the range of 63K to 77K can be formed, and thus, the cooling pipe (200) is depressurized for more effective cooling. At this time, the depressurization of the cooling pipe (200) can be accomplished using a separate depressurization device (not shown).

[0144] After this, liquid nitrogen in the form of slush as a refrigerant is supplied to the cooling pipe (220) to pre-cool the transport pipe (210) (step S120).

[0145] That is, by cooling the transport pipe (210) using the liquid nitrogen, the liquid hydrogen transported along the transport pipe (210) can be maintained at a lower temperature, thereby minimizing the generation of evaporated gas generated by heat absorption during the transport process of the liquid hydrogen.

[0146] After this, the transport pump (110) provided on the transport vessel (100) is operated to transport the liquid hydrogen (120) to the storage tank (300) through the transport pipe (210) (step S130). Thus, the liquid hydrogen (240) is stored in the storage tank (300).

[0147] After this, a step (second step, S200) of utilizing liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen in the storage tank (300) is performed.

[0148] Specifically, in the second step (step S200), liquid hydrogen (501) or gaseous hydrogen (502) of the storage tank (300) is provided to the transport device (500) (step S210).

[0149] At this time, the transport device (500) may be a transport device that receives liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen stored in the storage tank (300) and moves the liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen to the hydrogen use station (700), power generation system (600), or hydrogen city (800). In addition, as described above, during this process or through a separate vaporization device, the liquid hydrogen stored in the transport device (500) may be vaporized into gaseous hydrogen that is ready for use.

[0150] Thereafter, the gaseous hydrogen is used at the hydrogen use station (700) connected to the transport device (500) (step S220). That is, the hydrogen use station (700) may directly receive gaseous hydrogen from the transport device (500) or may directly utilize the cold heat generated from the vaporization of liquid hydrogen.

[0151] For example, if the hydrogen use station (700) is a hydrogen charging station (710), the gaseous hydrogen (503) can be provided and provided to various hydrogen energy-utilizing mobilities. Alternatively, if the hydrogen use station (700) is a low-temperature logistics center (720), the cold energy (504) can be directly utilized to maintain the low temperature of the low-temperature logistics center.

[0152] Meanwhile, as previously explained, the cold heat generated from the above-mentioned transport device (500) can be directly used for the operation of an air conditioning system using various cold heat (506) required in the above-mentioned hydrogen city (800).

[0153] After this, the gaseous hydrogen (505) of the above transport device (500) is provided to the above power generation system (600) (step S230).

[0154] Accordingly, the power generation system (600) can receive gaseous hydrogen (505) from the transfer device (500) and use it to generate energy, and can include a fuel cell module for generating energy.

[0155] After this, the energy produced through the power generation system (600) is provided to the hydrogen city (800) connected to the power generation system (600) (step S240).

[0156] That is, the energy produced through the power generation system (600) can be provided to the hydrogen city (800) and used for the operation of various thermal systems (601) or used as various types of electric energy (602).

[0157] As described above, the liquid hydrogen transported through the transport vessel (100) is primarily stored in the storage tank (300), and then the liquid hydrogen can be utilized at the hydrogen use station (700) or the hydrogen city (800), thereby forming a liquid hydrogen utilization infrastructure system through a series of liquid hydrogen provision.

[0158] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using a liquid hydrogen transport system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0159] The liquid hydrogen transport system (30) according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system (10) described with reference to FIG. 8, except that it uses ultra-low temperature gaseous helium or liquid helium as a refrigerant. Therefore, the same reference numbers are used for the same components, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0160] That is, referring to FIG. 10, ultra-low temperature gaseous helium or liquid helium can be used as the refrigerant, in which case the gaseous helium or liquid helium can have a temperature of 4K to 20K.

[0161] In the case of the above gaseous helium or liquid helium, it is cooled by a cryogenic refrigerator (260) connected to the cooling pipe (220) and supplied back to the cooling pipe (220) through a cryogenic blower or pump (261) connected to the cryogenic refrigerator (260).

[0162] At this time, as the gaseous helium or liquid helium is supplied to the cooling pipe (220), the transport pipe (210) can be pre-cooled to a temperature of 4K to 77K.

[0163] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using a liquid hydrogen transport system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0164] The liquid hydrogen transport system (40) according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system (10) described with reference to FIG. 8, except for the refrigerant provided to the transport pipe (210) and the supply state thereof. Therefore, the same reference numbers are used for the same components, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0165] That is, referring to FIG. 11, in the liquid hydrogen transport system (40), the liquid hydrogen in the storage tank (300) is supplied to the transport pipe (210) or the cooling pipe (220), so that the transport pipe (210) is cooled. In this case, the liquid hydrogen in the storage tank (300) may be 20K. Accordingly, the transport pipe (210) can be pre-cooled to a temperature of about 20K by the liquid hydrogen.

[0166] Meanwhile, the liquid hydrogen passing through the transport pipe (210) can be introduced into the transport device (500).

[0167] Through this circulation, liquid hydrogen stored in the piping unit (200), i.e., the transport piping (210) or the storage tank (300), can be directly used as the refrigerant.

[0168] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system using a liquid hydrogen transport system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0169] The liquid hydrogen transport system (50) according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as the liquid hydrogen infrastructure system (10) described with reference to FIG. 8, except for the refrigerant provided to the transport pipe (210) and the supply state thereof. Therefore, the same reference numbers are used for the same components, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0170] That is, referring to FIG. 12, in the liquid hydrogen transport system (50), the BOG (boil-off gas) of liquid hydrogen generated in the storage tank (300) is supplied to the transport pipe (210) or the cooling pipe (220), so that the transport pipe (210) is cooled. In this case, the BOG (boil-off gas) of liquid hydrogen in the storage tank (300) may be 20K, which is similar to liquid hydrogen. Accordingly, the transport pipe (210) can be pre-cooled to a temperature of about 20K by the BOG (boil-off gas) of the liquid hydrogen.

[0171] Meanwhile, the BOG (boil-off gas) of the liquid hydrogen that has passed through the transport pipe (210) can be introduced into the transport device (500) or the re-liquefaction unit (400).

[0172] Through this circulation, the BOG (boil-off gas) of liquid hydrogen generated in the piping unit (200), i.e., the transport piping (210) or the storage tank (300), can be directly used as the refrigerant.

[0173] According to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, by cooling the transport pipe before transporting the liquid hydrogen, the generation of evaporated gas during the transport of the liquid nitrogen can be minimized.

[0174] In particular, by pre-depressurizing the cooling pipe that performs cooling of the transport pipe, the temperature of the refrigerant passing through the cooling pipe can be further lowered, thereby further improving the pre-cooling efficiency of the transport pipe.

[0175] Meanwhile, by designing the cooling pipe to extend along the outer surface of the transport pipe with uniform contact throughout and a minimum area, when liquid nitrogen is used as the refrigerant, the consumption of the liquid nitrogen can be minimized.

[0176] Furthermore, a liquid hydrogen infrastructure system capable of utilizing liquid hydrogen can be constructed through an additional transport system linked to a storage tank. In particular, by providing liquid hydrogen stored in a storage tank or gaseous hydrogen vaporized from liquid hydrogen to a hydrogen use station, an infrastructure for use in hydrogen mobility or logistics centers can be constructed.

[0177] Furthermore, by generating energy using gaseous hydrogen, it can be used immediately as electric energy or thermal energy required in hydrogen cities, and liquid hydrogen, which is currently used only in limited quantities, can be immediately supplied to various energy demand sources in the city, thereby increasing the utilization of liquid hydrogen in urban infrastructure.

[0178] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below.

Claims

1. Includes a piping unit that is connected from a transport vessel to a ground storage tank and transports liquid hydrogen. The above piping unit, A transport pipe extending along the center of the above piping unit and through which the liquid hydrogen is transported; and It includes a cooling pipe that extends along the above transport pipe and is supplied with a refrigerant that pre-cools the transport pipe before the liquid hydrogen is transported. A liquid hydrogen transport system characterized in that the temperature of the supplied refrigerant is lowered by depressurizing the cooling pipe before the refrigerant is supplied.

2. In paragraph 1, A liquid hydrogen transport system, characterized in that the refrigerant is liquid nitrogen, gaseous helium, liquid helium, BOG (boil-off gas) of the liquid hydrogen generated in the piping unit, or liquid hydrogen in the piping unit or the storage tank.

3. In paragraph 2, The above liquid nitrogen has a temperature of 63K to 77K, The above transport pipe is pre-cooled to a temperature of 63K to 77K, A liquid hydrogen transport system characterized in that the liquid nitrogen supplied through the above cooling pipe is in the form of slush as the pressure is reduced.

4. In paragraph 2, If the above refrigerant is gaseous helium or liquid helium, An ultra-low temperature refrigerator connected to the above cooling pipe and cooling the refrigerant; and Further comprising a cryogenic blower or pump connected between the cryogenic refrigerator and the cooling pipe to supply the refrigerant to the cooling pipe; A liquid hydrogen transport system, characterized in that the above transport pipe is pre-cooled to a temperature of 4K to 77K.

5. In paragraph 1, the piping unit, A liquid hydrogen transport system further characterized by including a vacuum portion formed outside the transport pipe and the cooling pipe.

6. In paragraph 1, the cooling pipe, A liquid hydrogen transport system characterized in that it covers the entire outer surface of the above transport pipe and extends as a double pipe together with the above transport pipe.

7. In paragraph 1, the cooling pipe, It is formed to protrude from the outer surface of the above transportation pipe, A liquid hydrogen transport system characterized by including first and second cooling pipes that are spaced apart at regular intervals and arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the transport pipe.

8. In paragraph 1, the cooling pipe, It is in contact with the outer surface of the above transport pipe and is formed with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the above transport pipe. A liquid hydrogen transport system characterized by including first and second cooling pipes that are spaced apart at regular intervals and arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the transport pipe.

9. In paragraph 1, the cooling pipe, A liquid hydrogen transport system characterized in that it is formed in a spiral shape, in contact with the outer surface of the transport pipe, and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the transport pipe.

10. In paragraph 9, the cooling pipe, A liquid hydrogen transport system characterized by including a pair of first and second cooling pipes extending in a spiral shape while contacting the outer surface of the transport pipe and extending adjacent to each other along the spiral direction.

11. In any one of paragraphs 7, 8 and 10, A liquid hydrogen transport system, characterized in that one of the first and second cooling pipes is a supply pipe for supplying the refrigerant, and the other is a recovery pipe for recovering the refrigerant.

12. A liquid hydrogen transport system that transports liquid hydrogen through a piping unit from a transport vessel to a storage tank; A transport device that receives liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen from the above storage tank; A hydrogen use station connected to the above transport device and using the above gaseous hydrogen; A power generation system connected to the above transport device and producing energy using the above gaseous hydrogen; and A liquid hydrogen infrastructure system including a hydrogen city that utilizes energy produced by the above power generation system.

13. In paragraph 12, A liquid hydrogen infrastructure system further comprising a re-liquefaction unit that is connected to the storage tank and re-liquefies gaseous hydrogen generated in the storage tank and supplies liquid hydrogen to the storage tank, or cools a refrigerant that cools the storage tank and supplies it to the storage tank.

14. In paragraph 12, Liquid hydrogen stored in the above storage tank, Provided as a transport pipe or cooling pipe of the above piping unit to cool the transport pipe in advance, A liquid hydrogen infrastructure system characterized in that the liquid hydrogen cooled through the above transport pipe is provided to the above transport device.

15. In paragraph 12, The BOG (boil-off gas) of liquid hydrogen generated in the above storage tank, Provided as a transport pipe or cooling pipe of the above piping unit to cool the transport pipe in advance, A liquid hydrogen infrastructure system characterized in that the boil-off gas (BOG) of the liquid hydrogen that has cooled the above transport pipe is provided to a re-liquefaction unit that is connected to the above transport device or the above storage tank and re-liquefies the gaseous hydrogen.

16. In paragraph 12, the hydrogen use station, A hydrogen charging station that provides the above gaseous hydrogen as mobility; and A liquid hydrogen infrastructure system characterized by including a low-temperature logistics center utilizing cold heat from the above-mentioned transport device.

17. In paragraph 12, the hydrogen city, Operating an air conditioning system using cold heat from the above-mentioned transport device, or Operating a heating system using the above energy, or A liquid hydrogen infrastructure system characterized by operating the above energy as electrical energy.

18. In paragraph 12, the transport device, A liquid hydrogen infrastructure system characterized by a transport device that receives liquid hydrogen stored in the storage tank and transports the liquid hydrogen to the hydrogen use station, the power generation system, or the hydrogen city.

19. A step for transferring liquid hydrogen from a transport vessel to a storage tank (step 1); and It includes a step (second step) of utilizing liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen in the above storage tank, The above (step 1) is, A step of depressurizing a cooling pipe that extends along a transport pipe through which the liquid hydrogen is transported and through which a refrigerant is supplied; A step of pre-cooling the transport pipe by supplying refrigerant to the cooling pipe; and A method for providing liquid hydrogen, characterized by including a step of transporting the liquid hydrogen to the storage tank through the transport pipe.

20. In paragraph 19, the (second step) is, A step of providing liquid hydrogen or gaseous hydrogen from the above storage tank to a transport device; A step of using the gaseous hydrogen at a hydrogen use station connected to the above transport device; A step of providing the gaseous hydrogen of the above transport device to a power generation system; and A method for providing liquid hydrogen, characterized by including a step of providing energy produced in the power generation system to a hydrogen city connected to the power generation system.

Images