Ammonia supply device and ammonia facility

Abstract

This ammonia supply device comprises: a tank capable of storing liquid ammonia; a liquid delivery line capable of delivering a liquid from a liquid phase inside the tank to the outside of the tank; a gas delivery line capable of delivering a gas from a gaseous phase inside the tank to the outside of the tank; a pump provided in the liquid delivery line and pumping the liquid toward the outside of the tank; an ejector having an introduction part to which the liquid delivery line is connected and into which the liquid is introduced, a suction part to which the gas delivery line is connected and which suctions the gas, and a discharge part that discharges a mixed fluid obtained by mixing the liquid introduced from the introduction part and the gas suctioned from the suction part; and a supply line that supplies the mixed fluid discharged from the discharge part to an ammonia consumption apparatus that consumes ammonia.

Description

Ammonia supply equipment, ammonia equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-030557, filed on February 29, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] In a tank storing liquefied gas, the liquefied gas vaporizes in the tank due to external heat input, etc., generating so-called boil-off gas. To re-liquefy the generated boil-off gas and return it to the tank requires a re-liquefaction device, which is costly. For this reason, the generated boil-off gas is sometimes incinerated or used as fuel.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration including a tank and an evaporation gas treatment module. The tank stores liquefied gas, such as liquefied natural gas, and boil-off gas (evaporation gas). The evaporation gas module includes an ejector that mixes the boil-off gas in the tank with the liquefied gas discharged from the tank to create a gas-liquid mixture, and a gas-liquid separator that separates the gas-liquid mixture that has passed through the ejector into gas and liquid. The liquefied gas separated by the gas-liquid separator is recovered in the tank, and the gaseous gas is supplied to a consumer as fuel.

[0004] Korean Patent No. 102382406

[0005] However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, if there is a shortage of gas separated in the gas-liquid separator and supplied as fuel to a consumer, it is necessary to vaporize the liquefied gas in the tank to make up for the shortage. In particular, when the liquefied gas is liquefied ammonia, the latent heat is greater than that of liquefied natural gas, etc., and although the amount of boil-off gas generated in the tank is small, there is a problem in that the configuration and control become complicated in order to process this small amount of boil-off gas.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an ammonia supply device and ammonia facility that are simply configured and capable of easily treating boil-off gas of liquefied ammonia generated in a tank as fuel.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the ammonia supply apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a tank, a liquid outlet line, a gas outlet line, a pump, an ejector, and a supply line. The tank is capable of storing liquid ammonia. The liquid outlet line is capable of outleting liquid from a liquid phase in the tank to the outside of the tank. The gas outlet line is capable of outleting gas from a gas phase in the tank to the outside of the tank. The pump is provided in the liquid outlet line and pressure-feeds the liquid toward the outside of the tank. The ejector has an introduction part, a suction part, and a discharge part. The introduction part is connected to the liquid outlet line and receives the liquid. The suction part is connected to the gas outlet line and draws in the gas. The discharge part discharges a mixed fluid obtained by mixing the liquid introduced from the introduction part and the gas drawn in from the suction part. The supply line supplies the mixed fluid discharged from the discharge part to an ammonia consumer that consumes ammonia.

[0008] The ammonia facility according to the present disclosure includes the above-described ammonia supply device and the ammonia consumer.

[0009] According to the ammonia supply device and ammonia facility of the present disclosure, the boil-off gas of liquefied ammonia produced in a tank can be easily treated as fuel with a simple configuration.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to a modified example of the second embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] An ammonia supply apparatus and an ammonia facility according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. <First embodiment> (Overall configuration of the ammonia facility) As shown in Figure 1, an ammonia facility 1 according to this first embodiment includes an ammonia consumer 9 that consumes ammonia, and an ammonia supply apparatus 10A that supplies ammonia to the ammonia consumer 9. In this first embodiment, a case will be described as an example in which the ammonia facility 1 is a ship (not shown) that uses ammonia as fuel. Note that the ammonia facility 1 is not limited to a ship that uses ammonia as fuel, and may also be an ammonia carrier that transports ammonia, or any other facility that uses ammonia.

[0012] The ammonia consumer 9 consumes the ammonia supplied from the ammonia supplier 10 A. The ammonia consumer 9 of the first embodiment includes a liquid ammonia consumer 91 and an ammonia gas consumer 92 .

[0013] The liquid ammonia consumer 91 is a device that can be driven using liquid ammonia, which is at least ammonia in a liquid state, as fuel. In other words, the liquid ammonia consumer 91 is capable of consuming liquid ammonia. An example of the liquid ammonia consumer 91 is a main engine that generates propulsive force to propel a ship.

[0014] The ammonia gas consumer 92 is a device that can be driven by ammonia gas, which is at least ammonia in a gaseous state. In other words, the ammonia gas consumer 92 is capable of consuming ammonia gas. Examples of the ammonia gas consumer 92 include auxiliary machinery such as a generator that generates electricity to be supplied to the ship, and a steam turbine. Note that the liquid ammonia consumer 91 and the ammonia gas consumer 92 are not limited to the main engine or auxiliary engine, and may be other equipment capable of consuming ammonia.

[0015] (Configuration of Ammonia Supply Apparatus) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A includes a tank 2, a liquid outlet line 101, a gas outlet line 102, a pump 23, an ejector 5, and a supply line 103.

[0016] The tank 2 is capable of storing liquid ammonia. A liquid phase exists in the lower part of the tank 2, and a gas phase exists in the upper part of the tank 2. The gas phase of the tank 2 contains boil-off gas B, which is formed when the liquid L in the tank 2 evaporates due to heat input from the outside. Here, the liquid phase in the tank 2 consists essentially of liquid ammonia only. On the other hand, the gas phase of the tank 2 may contain an inert gas in addition to the boil-off gas B. An example of the inert gas is nitrogen, which is used to purge (replace) ammonia in the ammonia supply device 10A when performing maintenance on the ammonia supply device 10A. That is, the liquid L in the tank 2 may consist of only liquid ammonia, or the liquid ammonia may contain trace amounts of other components besides ammonia. Furthermore, the gas G may consist of only ammonia gas, or the ammonia gas may contain other components, such as an inert gas. A liquid ammonia supply line (not shown) for supplying liquid ammonia from outside the tank 2 to the tank 2 is connected to the tank 2.

[0017] The liquid discharge line 101 is capable of discharging the liquid L from the liquid phase within the tank 2 to the outside of the tank 2. The liquid discharge line 101 in this first embodiment discharges the liquid L within the tank 2 toward the ejector 5. Here, the liquid discharge line 101 in this embodiment includes a suction pipe 22. The suction pipe 22 extends downward from the top of the tank 2 and is inserted into the tank 2. A pump 23 is provided at the lower end of this suction pipe 22.

[0018] The pump 23 pumps the liquid L in the liquid phase in the tank 2 toward the outside of the tank 2 via the liquid discharge line 101 .

[0019] The gas discharge line 102 is capable of discharging the gas G from the gas phase inside the tank 2 to the outside of the tank 2. One end of the gas discharge line 102 is connected to the upper part of the tank 2. The gas discharge line 102 is provided so as to communicate with the gas phase in the upper part of the tank 2. On the other hand, the other end of the gas discharge line 102 is connected to the ejector 5.

[0020] The ejector 5 mixes the gas G with the liquid L. The ejector 5 has an inlet 51, a suction part 52, and a discharge part 53. A liquid outlet line 101 is connected to the inlet 51, and the liquid L pressure-fed by the pump 23 is introduced therein. A gas outlet line 102 is connected to the suction part 52, and the gas G can be sucked therein. One end of a supply line 103 is connected to the discharge part 53, and a mixed fluid M obtained by mixing the gas G and the liquid L is discharged. The liquid L introduced into the ejector 5 from the inlet 51 flows from the inlet 51 toward the discharge part 53. The ejector 5 of the first embodiment has a nozzle (not shown), and a negative pressure (in other words, a pressure region lower than the gas phase of the tank 2) is generated when the liquid L passes through the nozzle.

[0021] The suction part 52 is provided in the ejector 5 at an intermediate portion between the introduction part 51 and the discharge part 53. The suction part 52 is connected to the atmosphere around the nozzle (not shown), and the gas G in the gas discharge line 102 is sucked into the ejector 5 by the negative pressure generated by the nozzle (not shown). Then, the gas G is mixed with the liquid L sprayed from the nozzle (not shown) to form a mixed fluid M, and the mixed fluid M is discharged from the discharge part 53 after its pressure is restored by a diffuser (not shown).

[0022] Here, the gas G sucked into the suction portion 52 of the ejector 5 has a lower pressure than the gas phase of the tank 2, so a portion of the gas G may liquefy in the suction portion 52. Furthermore, under the temperature and pressure of the liquid L in the supply line 103 that has passed through the ejector 5 (for example, a temperature and pressure that can maintain the liquid L in a liquid state), the gas G mixed with the liquid L becomes lower than its saturation temperature. Therefore, the mixed fluid M generated by mixing the gas G and the liquid L is in a liquid state or substantially in a liquid state, containing a small amount of gas G that has not completely changed phase to the liquid L and remains. Note that if the gas G contains an inert gas such as nitrogen that was present in the tank 2, the mixed fluid M discharged from the discharge portion 53 may contain the inert gas as a gas. However, even in this case, all of the ammonia component of the mixed fluid M is in a liquid state or substantially in a liquid state.

[0023] The supply line 103 supplies the mixed fluid M discharged from the discharge portion 53 to the ammonia consumer 9 that consumes ammonia. In the first embodiment, the supply line 103 branches into a first supply line 104 and a second supply line 105 midway.

[0024] The first supply line 104 supplies the mixed fluid M to a liquid ammonia consumer 91 that consumes the liquid L (liquid ammonia). In the first embodiment, a pressurized tank 71, a high-pressure pump 72, a heat exchanger 73, and a fuel supply system valve device 76 are provided along the first supply line 104.

[0025] The pressurized tank 71 stores the mixed fluid M supplied from the first supply line 104 and pressurizes the stored mixed fluid M to maintain the pressure within a certain pressure range. The mixed fluid M stored in this pressurized tank 71 is maintained in a liquid state or a substantially liquid state. The pressurized tank 71 of the first embodiment uses a gas as the pressurized fluid, and when the mixed fluid M contains an inert gas, the inert gas can be separated from the liquid phase in the pressurized tank 71 to the gas phase in the pressurized tank 71.

[0026] The pressurized tank 71 is connected to an inlet pipe 74 through which gas is introduced to maintain the pressure in the pressurized tank 71 constant (in other words, within a predetermined pressure range), and an outlet pipe 75 through which the pressure in the pressurized tank 71 is released. In this embodiment, an inert gas is introduced into the pressurized tank 71 as the gas. An on-off valve 74v is provided in the inlet pipe 74, which can interrupt the introduction of at least the inert gas. The outlet pipe 75 is provided with an on-off valve 75v, which can switch communication between at least the gas phase in the pressurized tank 71 and the outside of the pressurized tank 71 (e.g., the atmosphere). The on-off valves 74v and 75v may have an opening degree adjustment function when opened in addition to an opening / closing function. The pressure of the gas phase in the pressurized tank 71 can be adjusted both to the pressure increase side and the pressure decrease side by the on-off valves 74v and 75v.

[0027] The high-pressure pump 72 pressure-feeds the mixed fluid M stored in the pressurized tank 71 toward the liquid ammonia consumer 91. In other words, the high-pressure pump 72 pressurizes the mixed fluid M to a pressure required by the liquid ammonia consumer 91. The heat exchanger 73 adjusts the temperature of the mixed fluid M compressed by the high-pressure pump 72 so that it is within the temperature range required by the liquid ammonia consumer 91. The fuel supply system valve device 76 includes a valve (not shown) capable of controlling the opening and closing of the first supply line 104 between the heat exchanger 73 and the liquid ammonia consumer 91, a double block and bleed valve (not shown), and a discharge system (not shown) capable of discharging ammonia.

[0028] A return line 106 is connected to the pressurized tank 71 of this first embodiment, and receives returned fluid (for example, liquid ammonia or a fluid containing ammonia gas) that has not been consumed by the liquid ammonia consuming equipment 91. The fluid returned through the return line 106 is separated into gas and liquid by the pressurized tank 71. A fuel return system valve device 77, a heat exchanger 78, and a pressure regulating valve 79 are provided along the return line 106. The return line 106 may be provided as needed, or may be omitted.

[0029] The fuel return system valve device 77 is provided in the return line 106 between the heat exchanger 78 and the liquid ammonia consumer 91, and similarly to the fuel supply system valve device 76, includes a valve (not shown) that can control the opening and closing of the return line 106, a double block and bleed valve (not shown), and a discharge system (not shown) that can discharge ammonia. The heat exchanger 73 and the pressure regulating valve 79 adjust the temperature and pressure of the fluid not consumed by the liquid ammonia consumer 91 to approach the temperature and pressure in the pressurized tank 71.

[0030] A first flow rate adjustment valve 104v capable of adjusting the flow rate of the mixed fluid M supplied to the pressurized tank 71 is provided in the first supply line 104 upstream of the pressurized tank 71 and closer to the pressurized tank 71 than the branch position where the first supply line 104 branches off from the second supply line 105. This first flow rate adjustment valve 104v makes it possible to adjust the amount of the mixed fluid M supplied to the liquid ammonia consumer 91 through the first supply line 104 in accordance with the amount of liquid ammonia required by the liquid ammonia consumer 91.

[0031] The second supply line 105 supplies the mixed fluid M to an ammonia gas consumer 92 that consumes ammonia gas. A vaporizer 81 and a buffer tank 82 are provided in the second supply line 105. The vaporizer 81 vaporizes the mixed fluid M. The mixed fluid M is in a fluid state or substantially in a fluid state, and the entire amount of the mixed fluid M supplied to the vaporizer 81 is vaporized. The buffer tank 82 temporarily stores the gas vaporized by the vaporizer 81, i.e., the vaporized mixed fluid M. The gas (ammonia gas) stored in this buffer tank 82 is introduced into the ammonia gas consumer 92 and consumed.

[0032] A second flow rate control valve 105v is provided in second supply line 105 upstream of vaporizer 81 and closer to vaporizer 81 than the branching position where second supply line 105 branches off from first supply line 104. This second flow rate control valve 105v makes it possible to adjust the amount of mixed fluid M supplied to vaporizer 81 through second supply line 105 in accordance with the amount of ammonia gas required by ammonia gas consumption equipment 92.

[0033] Here, the first flow control valve 104v and the second flow control valve 105v are opened and closed according to the amount of ammonia required by the ammonia consumer 9, and therefore both the first flow control valve 104v and the second flow control valve 105v may be in an open state, or only one of the first flow control valve 104v and the second flow control valve 105v may be in an open state. Also, both the first flow control valve 104v and the second flow control valve 105v may be in a closed state.

[0034] The ammonia supply apparatus 10A in the first embodiment further includes a return line 108. The return line 108 connects the tank 2 to the liquid outlet line 101 on a side closer to the tank 2 than the ejector 5. A return amount adjustment valve 108v is provided in the return line 108, which is capable of adjusting the flow rate of the liquid L returned from the liquid outlet line 101 into the tank 2 by the return line 108. In other words, the return line 108 makes it possible to return the liquid L before being introduced into the ejector 5 from the liquid outlet line 101 into the tank 2. The return line 108 and the return amount adjustment valve 108v make it possible to suppress the flow rate of the mixed fluid M in the supply line 103, for example, when the flow rate of the mixed fluid M discharged from the ejector 5 is excessive relative to the amount of ammonia required by the ammonia consumer 9.

[0035] An on-off valve 55 capable of adjusting the flow rate of the gas G discharged through the gas discharge line 102 is provided in the gas discharge line 102. The opening and closing and opening degree of the on-off valve 55 can be adjusted according to the gas phase pressure in the tank 2 detected by a pressure sensor 56 provided in the tank 2. For example, the on-off valve 55 can be opened when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 56 exceeds a preset reference value, and closed when the pressure is equal to or less than the preset reference value.

[0036] In this first embodiment, an upstream on-off valve 57 is further provided in the liquid outlet line 101 upstream of the introduction part 51 of the ejector 5. In addition, in this first embodiment, a downstream on-off valve 58 is provided in the supply line 103 downstream of the discharge part 53 of the ejector 5. By closing the upstream on-off valve 57 and the downstream on-off valve 58, it is possible to adjust the flow of the liquid L from the liquid outlet line 101 to the ejector 5 and the flow of the mixed fluid M discharged from the ejector 5.

[0037] In the first embodiment, the opening and closing, and adjustment of the opening degrees of the on-off valve 55, the upstream on-off valve 57, and the downstream on-off valve 58 are controlled by the control device 6. For example, the control device 6 performs control to close the on-off valve 55 when it is determined that the gas phase pressure in the tank 2 detected by the pressure sensor 56 has fallen below a preset reference value. Note that although the example has been given in which the control device 6 controls the opening and closing of the valves, for example, the opening and closing, and adjustment of the opening degrees of the on-off valve 55, the upstream on-off valve 57, and the downstream on-off valve 58 may be performed by an operator.

[0038] (Operation and Effect) In the ammonia supply apparatus 10A of the first embodiment, the tank 2 that stores the liquid L (liquid ammonia) stores the liquid L and boil-off gas B generated by evaporation of the liquid L in the tank 2. When the liquid L is discharged from the liquid phase in the tank 2 to the outside of the tank 2 through the liquid discharge line 101, the discharged liquid L is introduced into the ejector 5 from the introduction part 51 and discharged from the discharge part 53. When the liquid L flows from the introduction part 51 to the discharge part 53 in the ejector 5, a negative pressure is generated in the ejector 5, and the gas G discharged from the gas phase in the tank 2 to the outside of the tank 2 through the gas discharge line 102 is sucked from the suction part 52. The sucked gas G is mixed with the liquid L introduced from the introduction part 51 in the ejector 5, and a mixed fluid M is generated. The generated mixed fluid M is discharged from the discharge part 53 and supplied to the ammonia consumer 9 through the supply line 103. In the ejector 5, the gas G is mixed with the liquid L, and thereby the gas G undergoes a phase change to the liquid L. As a result, the entire mixed fluid M becomes liquid or substantially liquid. When the ammonia consumer 9 is a liquid ammonia consumer 91, the liquid mixed fluid M can be supplied to the liquid ammonia consumer 91. When the ammonia consumer 9 is an ammonia gas consumer 92, the liquid mixed fluid M can be vaporized and supplied to the ammonia gas consumer 92. In other words, it is possible to convert all of the ammonia supplied to the ammonia consumer 9 into a liquid state without using a re-liquefaction device or the like. Therefore, it is possible to effectively utilize the boil-off gas B generated in the tank 2 as fuel with a simple configuration and with ease.

[0039] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the mixed fluid M discharged from the ejector 5 is introduced into the pressurized tank 71 via the first supply line 104 and stored therein. Then, the pressure of the mixed fluid M stored in the pressurized tank 71 is maintained. Therefore, the stored mixed fluid M can be stably maintained in a liquid state or a substantially liquid state.

[0040] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the mixed fluid M generated by the ejector 5 is pressurized by the inert gas introduced into the pressurization tank 71. Therefore, when the mixed fluid M contains an inert gas, the inert gas can be separated into the gas phase of the pressurization tank 71 and easily recovered.

[0041] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a first flow rate adjustment valve 104v is provided. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the amount of liquid ammonia supplied to the liquid ammonia consumer 91 through the first supply line 104 in accordance with the amount of liquid ammonia required by the liquid ammonia consumer 91.

[0042] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the mixed fluid M produced by the ejector 5 is vaporized into ammonia gas by the vaporizer 81 provided in the second supply line 105. This allows ammonia gas to be stably supplied to the ammonia gas consuming device 92 via the second supply line 105 without being affected by the generation state of the boil-off gas B.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the second flow rate control valve 105v is provided, which allows the amount of ammonia gas supplied to the ammonia gas consumer 92 through the second supply line 105 to be appropriately adjusted according to the amount of ammonia gas required by the ammonia gas consumer 92.

[0044] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, an on-off valve 55 is provided, which makes it possible to adjust the flow rate of the gas G discharged through the gas discharge line 102 in accordance with the pressure inside the tank 2, for example.

[0045] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the flow rate of the liquid L returned from the liquid discharge line 101 to the tank 2 via the return line 108 can be adjusted by the return amount adjustment valve 108v, for example, depending on the required amount of liquid L required on the ammonia consumer 9 side.

[0046] In the ammonia facility 1 of the first embodiment, by including the ammonia supply device 10A as described above, it becomes possible to treat the boil-off gas B of the liquefied ammonia generated in the tank 2 as fuel with a simple configuration and with ease.

[0047] (Modification of First Embodiment) Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the above-described first embodiment, a case has been described in which only one set of the tank 2, the ejector 5, the liquid outlet line 101, and the gas outlet line 102 is provided. However, as in the modification of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of sets of the tank 2, the ejector 5, the liquid outlet line 101, and the gas outlet line 102 may be provided.

[0048] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of an ammonia supply apparatus and an ammonia facility according to the present disclosure will be described. In the second embodiment described below, only the configuration of the ammonia supply apparatus and the ammonia facility differs from the first embodiment, and therefore the same parts as in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. The ammonia supply apparatus 10B of the ammonia facility 1 of this second embodiment further includes a bypass line 107 in addition to the configuration of the ammonia supply apparatus 10A of the first embodiment described above.

[0049] The bypass line 107 bypasses the ejector 5 and connects the liquid outlet line 101 and the supply line 103. One end of the bypass line 107 is connected to the liquid outlet line 101 upstream of the ejector 5. The other end of the bypass line 107 is connected to the supply line 103 downstream of the ejector 5. A bypass valve 107v is provided in the bypass line 107. In this second embodiment, the opening and closing of the bypass valve 107v and the adjustment of its opening degree are controlled by the control device 6. Note that the opening and closing of the bypass valve 107v and the adjustment of its opening degree may be performed by an operator.

[0050] In such an ammonia supply apparatus 10B, the liquid L discharged from the tank 2 through the liquid discharge line 101 can be sent to the supply line 103 through the bypass line 107 without passing through the ejector 5, depending on the pressure inside the tank 2 detected by the pressure sensor 56. More specifically, when the pressure of the gas phase inside the tank 2 detected by the pressure sensor 56 becomes equal to or lower than a preset reference value, the on-off valve 55, the upstream on-off valve 57, and the downstream on-off valve 58 are closed, and the bypass valve 107v is opened. As a result, the discharge of the boil-off gas B (gas G) from the gas phase inside the tank 2 to the outside of the tank 2 is stopped, and only the liquid L from the liquid phase of the tank 2 is supplied to the ammonia consumer 9 through the liquid discharge line 101, the bypass line 107, and the supply line 103.

[0051] (Operation and Effect) In the ammonia supply device 10B of the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, it is possible to treat the boil-off gas B of the liquefied ammonia generated in the tank 2 as fuel with a simple configuration and with ease.

[0052] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, depending on the pressure inside the tank 2, the liquid L discharged from the tank 2 through the liquid discharge line 101 can be sent to the supply line 103 through the bypass line 107 without passing through the ejector 5. This makes it possible to supply the liquid L to the ammonia consumer 9 without discharging the boil-off gas B inside the tank 2 from inside the tank 2, for example, when the amount of boil-off gas B generated inside the tank 2 is small.

[0053] (Modification of Second Embodiment) Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. In the above-described second embodiment, a case has been described in which only one ejector 5 is provided for one tank 2, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, as in the modification of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 4, an ammonia supply device 10B of an ammonia facility 1 may be configured so that a plurality of ejectors 5 are provided in parallel for one tank 2. This modification of the second embodiment illustrates a case in which two pairs of ejectors 5A and 5B are provided in parallel for one tank 2, but three or more pairs of ejectors 5 may be provided in parallel.

[0054] The ammonia supply apparatus 10B according to the modified example of the second embodiment is provided with a bypass line 107 in parallel with respect to two pairs of ejectors 5A and 5B. Further, each bypass line 107 is provided with an upstream on-off valve 57 on the upstream side of the ejector 5 (5A, 5B). In such a configuration, the liquid L and the gas G can be supplied to either one of the ejectors 5 or both of the ejectors 5 by opening and closing the on-off valve 55 and the upstream on-off valve 57 depending on the amount of boil-off gas B generated from the tank 2, the pressure in the tank 2, the operating status of the ammonia consumer 9, and the like.

[0055] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of an ammonia supply apparatus and an ammonia facility according to the present disclosure will be described. The third embodiment described below differs from the first and second embodiments only in that it includes a mixer 59. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia facility according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the ammonia supply apparatus 10C of the ammonia facility 1 according to the third embodiment includes, in addition to the configuration of the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to the first embodiment, a mixer 59 in the supply line 103 downstream of the ejector 5. The mixer 59 agitates the mixed fluid M discharged from the ejector 5. An example of the mixer 59 is a static mixer. A plurality of mixers 59 may be provided.

[0056] (Operation and Effect) In the ammonia supply device 10C of the third embodiment, similarly to the first and second embodiments, it is possible to treat the boil-off gas B of the liquefied ammonia generated in the tank 2 as fuel with a simple configuration and with ease.

[0057] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the mixed fluid M discharged from the ejector 5 can be agitated by the mixer 59. This promotes mixing of the gas G into the liquid L, and makes it possible to more reliably cause the phase change of the gas G.

[0058] Other Embodiments While the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment and includes design modifications within the scope of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ammonia extractor according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the return line 108 connects the liquid outlet line 101, which is closer to the tank 2 than the ejector 5, to the tank 2. However, this configuration is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the return line 108 may include a first line 108A connecting the liquid outlet line 101, which is closer to the tank 2 than the ejector 5, to the tank 2, and a second line 108B connecting the supply line 103, which is closer to the ammonia consumer 9 than the ejector 5, to the tank 2. In this case, the return amount adjustment valve 108v may be provided by providing a first return amount adjustment valve 108VA in the first line 108A and a second return amount adjustment valve 108VB in the second line 108B. 6 illustrates a case in which both the combination of the first line 108A and the first return amount adjustment valve 108VA and the combination of the second line 108B and the second return amount adjustment valve 108VB are provided, but a configuration in which only the combination of the second line 108B and the second return amount adjustment valve 108VB is provided may also be provided. Also, while the example illustrates a case in which the first line 108A and the second line 108B are joined and connected, the first line 108A and the second line 108B may not be joined and connected, but may be connected to the tank 2 individually. Note that FIG. 6 illustrates a case in which the combination of the first line 108A and the first return amount adjustment valve 108VA and the combination of the second line 108B and the second return amount adjustment valve 108VB are applied to the first embodiment, but the invention is equally applicable to each embodiment other than the first embodiment and modified examples of each embodiment.

[0059] <Additional Notes> The ammonia supply apparatus 10A and the ammonia facility 1 described in each embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0060] (1) An ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to a first aspect includes: a tank 2 capable of storing a liquid L; a liquid outlet line 101 capable of outletting the liquid L from a liquid phase in the tank 2 to the outside of the tank 2; a gas outlet line 102 capable of outletting a gas G from a gas phase in the tank 2 to the outside of the tank 2; a pump 23 provided on the liquid outlet line 101 and pressure-feeding the liquid L toward the outside of the tank 2; an ejector 5 having an inlet part 51 connected to the liquid outlet line 101 and into which the liquid L is introduced, a suction part 52 connected to the gas outlet line 102 and which sucks the gas G, and a discharge part 53 which discharges a mixed fluid M obtained by mixing the liquid L introduced from the inlet part 51 and the gas G sucked from the suction part 52; and a supply line 103 which supplies the mixed fluid M discharged from the discharge part 53 to an ammonia consumer 9 that consumes ammonia. Examples of the ammonia consuming device 9 include an engine, a fuel cell, and a turbine.

[0061] In the ejector 5, the gas G is mixed with the liquid L, causing the temperature to drop below the saturation temperature and changing into a liquid phase. This allows the mixed fluid M to be in a liquid state or a substantially liquid state. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily and effectively utilize the boil-off gas B of the liquefied ammonia generated in the tank 2 with a simple configuration without performing complex control.

[0062] (2) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to a second aspect is the ammonia supply apparatus 10A of (1), wherein the supply line 103 includes: a first supply line 104 that supplies the mixed fluid M to a liquid ammonia consumer 91 serving as the ammonia consumer 9 that consumes the liquid L; and a pressurized tank 71 that is provided on the first supply line 104 and stores the mixed fluid M while maintaining the pressure of the mixed fluid M.

[0063] This allows the mixed fluid M to be stored while being maintained in a liquid state or a substantially liquid state in the pressurized tank 71. Therefore, the mixed fluid M stored in the pressurized tank 71 can be supplied to the liquid ammonia consumer 91 via the first supply line 104 in a liquid state or a substantially liquid state.

[0064] (3) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to a third aspect is the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to (2), wherein an inlet pipe 74 for introducing an inert gas from the outside of the pressurized tank 71 and an outlet pipe 75 for discharging the gas in the pressurized tank 71 are connected to the pressurized tank 71.

[0065] This allows the introduction of inert gas into the pressurized tank 71 and the discharge of gas from the pressurized tank 71, thereby maintaining within a certain range the pressure of the gas phase in the pressurized tank 71. Furthermore, if the mixed fluid M introduced into the pressurized tank 71 contains inert gas, the inert gas can be separated into the gas phase of the pressurized tank 71 and easily recovered.

[0066] (4) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to a fourth aspect is the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to (2) or (3), wherein the first supply line 104 further includes a first flow rate control valve 104v capable of adjusting a flow rate of the mixed fluid M supplied to the pressurized tank 71.

[0067] This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the amount of mixed fluid M supplied to the liquid ammonia consumer 91 through the first supply line 104 according to the amount of liquid ammonia required by the liquid ammonia consumer 91 .

[0068] (5) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to a fifth aspect is the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to any one of (1) to (4), in which the supply line 103 includes: a second supply line 105 that supplies the mixed fluid M to an ammonia gas consumer 92 serving as the ammonia consumer 9 that consumes ammonia gas; and a vaporizer 81 that is provided on the second supply line 105 and vaporizes the mixed fluid M.

[0069] This makes it possible to more reliably supply ammonia gas to the ammonia gas consuming equipment 92 via the second supply line 105 .

[0070] (6) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to a sixth aspect is the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to (5), wherein the second supply line 105 further includes a second flow rate control valve 105v capable of adjusting a flow rate of the mixed fluid M supplied to the vaporizer 81.

[0071] This allows the amount of ammonia gas supplied to the ammonia gas consumer 92 through the second supply line 105 to be appropriately adjusted according to the amount of ammonia gas required by the ammonia gas consumer 92.

[0072] (7) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to a seventh aspect is the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to any one of (1) to (6), further including an on-off valve 55 capable of adjusting a flow rate of the gas G discharged through the gas discharge line 102.

[0073] As a result, the flow rate of the gas G discharged through the gas discharge line 102 can be adjusted by the on-off valve 55 in accordance with, for example, the pressure inside the tank 2 .

[0074] (8) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to an eighth aspect is the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to any one of (1) to (7), further including a bypass line 107 that bypasses the ejector 5 and connects the liquid outlet line 101 and the supply line 103.

[0075] As a result, for example, depending on the pressure inside the tank 2, the liquid L discharged from the tank 2 through the liquid discharge line 101 can be sent to the supply line 103 through the bypass line 107 without passing through the ejector 5. Therefore, the liquid L can be supplied to the ammonia consumer 9 without discharging the boil-off gas B inside the tank 2 from inside the tank 2.

[0076] (9) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to a ninth aspect is the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to any one of (1) to (8), and includes a return line 108 that connects the liquid discharge line 101 on a side closer to the tank 2 than the ejector 5 or the supply line 103 on a side closer to the ammonia consumer 9 than the ejector 5 to the tank 2, and a return amount adjustment valve 108v that can adjust the flow rate of the liquid L returned from the liquid discharge line 101 into the tank 2 by the return line 108.

[0077] This allows the flow rate of the liquid L returned from the liquid discharge line 101 into the tank 2 to be adjusted by the return amount adjustment valve 108v and the return line 108, depending on, for example, the required amount of liquid L required on the ammonia consumer 9 side.

[0078] (10) The ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to a tenth aspect is the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to any one of (1) to (9), further including a mixer 59 that is provided in the supply line 103 downstream of the ejector 5 and that agitates the mixed fluid M discharged from the ejector 5.

[0079] This allows the mixed fluid M discharged from the ejector 5 to be further agitated by the mixer 59. This promotes mixing of the gas G into the liquid L, and more reliably causes the phase change of the gas G into the liquid L.

[0080] (11) An ammonia facility 1 according to an eleventh aspect includes the ammonia supply apparatus 10A according to any one of (1) to (10) and the ammonia consumer 9.

[0081] This ammonia facility 1 is equipped with the above-described ammonia supply device 10A, and thereby it is possible to treat the boil-off gas B of the liquefied ammonia produced in the tank 2 as fuel with a simple configuration and with ease.

[0082] According to the ammonia supply device and ammonia facility of the present disclosure, the boil-off gas of liquefied ammonia produced in a tank can be easily treated as fuel with a simple configuration.

[0083] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Ammonia facility 2 Tank 5 Ejector 6 Control device 9 Ammonia consumption device 10A to 10C Ammonia supply device 21 Tank body 22 Suction pipe 23 Pump 51 Inlet section 52 Suction section 53 Discharge section 55 On-off valve 56 Pressure sensor 57 Upstream on-off valve 58 Downstream on-off valve 59 Mixer 71 Pressurized tank 72 High-pressure pump 73 Heat exchanger 74 Inlet pipe 74v On-off valve 75 Discharge pipe 75v On-off valve 76 Fuel supply system valve device 77 Fuel return system valve device 78 Heat exchanger 79 Pressure regulating valve 81 Vaporizer 82 Buffer tank 91 Liquid ammonia consumption device 92 Ammonia gas consumption device 101 Liquid discharge line 102 Gas discharge line 103 Supply line 104 First supply line 104v First flow rate adjustment valve 105 Second supply line 105v Second flow rate adjustment valve 106 Return line 107 Bypass line 107v Bypass valve 108 Return line 108A First line 108B Second line 108v Return rate adjustment valve 108VA First return rate adjustment valve 108VB Second return rate adjustment valve B Boil-off gas G Gas L Liquid M Mixed fluid

Claims

1. An ammonia supply apparatus comprising: a tank capable of storing liquid ammonia; a liquid outlet line capable of extracting liquid from a liquid phase within the tank to the outside of the tank; a gas outlet line capable of extracting gas from a gas phase within the tank to the outside of the tank; a pump provided in the liquid outlet line for pressure-feeding the liquid toward the outside of the tank; an ejector having an inlet portion connected to the liquid outlet line and for introducing the liquid, a suction portion connected to the gas outlet line and for sucking the gas, and a discharge portion for discharging a mixed fluid obtained by mixing the liquid introduced from the inlet portion and the gas sucked from the suction portion; and a supply line for supplying the mixed fluid discharged from the discharge portion to an ammonia consumer that consumes ammonia.

2. The ammonia supply device according to claim 1, wherein the supply line comprises: a first supply line that supplies the mixed fluid to a liquid ammonia consumer that consumes the liquid ammonia; and a pressurized tank that is provided in the first supply line and stores the mixed fluid while maintaining the pressure of the mixed fluid.

3. The ammonia supply device according to claim 2, wherein the pressurized tank is connected to an inlet for introducing an inert gas from outside the pressurized tank and an outlet for discharging gas from inside the pressurized tank.

4. The ammonia supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first supply line further comprises a first flow rate adjustment valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of the mixed fluid supplied to the pressurized tank.

5. The ammonia supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the supply line comprises: a second supply line that supplies the mixed fluid to an ammonia gas consumer that is the ammonia consumer that consumes ammonia gas; and a vaporizer that is provided in the second supply line and vaporizes the mixed fluid.

6. The ammonia supply apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second supply line further comprises a second flow rate adjustment valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of the mixed fluid supplied to the vaporizer.

7. The ammonia supply apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an on-off valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of the gas discharged through the gas discharge line.

8. The ammonia supply apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a bypass line that bypasses the ejector and connects the liquid discharge line and the supply line.

9. The ammonia supply apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a return line connecting the tank to at least one of the liquid discharge line on a side closer to the tank than the ejector and the supply line on a side closer to the fuel consumption device than the ejector; and a return amount adjustment valve capable of adjusting the flow rate of the liquid returned from the liquid discharge line into the tank by the return line.

10. The ammonia supply apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a mixer provided in the supply line downstream of the ejector, the mixer stirring the mixed fluid discharged from the ejector.

11. An ammonia facility comprising: the ammonia supply device according to claim 1 or 2; and the ammonia consumer.

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