Gaseous ammonia production system and gaseous ammonia production method

Abstract

A gaseous ammonia production system (1) comprises: a pump (12) that boosts the pressure of a liquid ammonia; and a heat exchanger (30) that exchanges heat between a first heat medium (M1) and the liquid ammonia that has been boosted in pressure by the pump (12), thereby vaporizing the liquid ammonia and producing a gaseous ammonia heated until reaching the superheated state.

Description

Gaseous ammonia production system and gaseous ammonia production method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gaseous ammonia production system and a gaseous ammonia production method.

[0002] It is known that power can be obtained by burning ammonia as fuel in a combustor. Ammonia does not contain carbon in its molecules and does not produce carbon dioxide when burned. Therefore, including ammonia in the fuel can reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Conventionally, when ammonia is used as fuel for devices such as gas turbines, it has been known to produce gaseous ammonia by vaporizing liquid ammonia.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel supply device that vaporizes liquid ammonia using a vaporizer and supplies gaseous ammonia to a burner of a boiler.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-177893

[0005] Conventionally, in a process for producing gaseous ammonia, a horizontal shell-and-tube heat exchanger is used as the vaporizer, with a heat medium placed on the tube side and ammonia placed on the shell side to extract saturated gaseous ammonia. However, since gaseous ammonia in a saturated state is unstable, it needs to be superheated before being supplied to the ammonia supply destination. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, in order to adjust the ammonia gas temperature to the required temperature in the combustor to which the gaseous ammonia is supplied, it is necessary to provide a superheater separate from the vaporizer to superheat the ammonia, which increases the number of heat source control steps and production equipment, and increases production costs.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a gaseous ammonia manufacturing system and a gaseous ammonia manufacturing method that reduce manufacturing costs by suppressing an increase in the heat source control process and manufacturing equipment.

[0007] A gaseous ammonia producing system according to the present disclosure produces gaseous ammonia. The gaseous ammonia producing system includes a pump that pressurizes liquid ammonia. The gaseous ammonia producing system includes a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between a first heat medium and the liquid ammonia pressurized by the pump, thereby vaporizing the liquid ammonia and producing gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state.

[0008] The gaseous ammonia producing system may include a gas flow rate adjuster that supplies gaseous ammonia to an ammonia supply destination and adjusts the flow rate of the gaseous ammonia produced by the heat exchanger that is supplied to the ammonia supply destination.The gaseous ammonia producing system may include a first flow rate adjuster that adjusts the flow rate of the first heat medium that is supplied to the heat exchanger based on the temperature of the gaseous ammonia that is supplied to the ammonia supply destination.

[0009] The gaseous ammonia producing system may include a preheater that heats liquid ammonia supplied to the heat exchanger with a second heat medium obtained by cooling the first heat medium M1 through heat exchange.

[0010] In the gaseous ammonia producing system, a first heat medium passage that supplies the first heat medium to the heat exchanger may be provided with a first branch portion, and a second heat medium passage that supplies the second heat medium from the heat exchanger to the preheater may be provided with a second branch portion. The third heat medium passage may be connected to the first branch portion and the second branch portion without passing through the heat exchanger.

[0011] The third heat medium flow path may include a second flow rate adjusting unit that adjusts the flow rate of the third heat medium based on the temperature of the liquid ammonia supplied from the preheater to the heat exchanger.

[0012] The heat exchanger may be a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and heat exchange may be carried out by flowing a heat medium through the shell side and flowing liquid ammonia through the tube side.

[0013] A gaseous ammonia producing method according to the present disclosure produces gaseous ammonia. The gaseous ammonia producing method includes a liquid ammonia pressurization step of pressurizing liquid ammonia with a pump. The gaseous ammonia producing method also includes a gaseous ammonia producing step of vaporizing the liquid ammonia by exchanging heat between a first heat medium and the liquid ammonia pressurized by the pump in a heat exchanger, thereby producing gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state.

[0014] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a gaseous ammonia manufacturing system and a gaseous ammonia manufacturing method that reduce manufacturing costs by suppressing an increase in the heat source control process and manufacturing equipment.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a gaseous ammonia producing system according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a gaseous ammonia producing system according to a second embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a gaseous ammonia producing system according to a third embodiment.

[0016] Hereinafter, several exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional proportions of the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0017] First Embodiment First, a gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to this embodiment includes an ammonia flow path LA, an ammonia tank 11, a pump 12, and a heat exchanger 30. The ammonia flow path LA is provided with the ammonia tank 11, the pump 12, and the heat exchanger 30 in this order. The gaseous ammonia producing system 1 produces liquid ammonia LNH ３ from gaseous ammonia GNH ３ The ammonia produced in the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 is supplied to an ammonia supply destination (not shown) via a gaseous ammonia supply port 19.

[0018] Ammonia is stored in a liquid state in the ammonia tank 11. Ammonia may be stored in the ammonia tank 11 with trace amounts of water and ammonia present. Alternatively, ammonia may be present in the form of aqueous ammonia. The ammonia supply source does not necessarily have to be a component of the ammonia tank 11. In other words, the ammonia tank 11 may take in ammonia from an externally installed ammonia supply source. The ammonia tank 11 and the pump 12 are connected via an ammonia flow path LA, and the ammonia in the ammonia tank 11 is supplied to the pump 12 via the ammonia flow path LA.

[0019] The pump 12 increases the pressure of the ammonia supplied from the ammonia tank 11. The pump 12 can increase the pressure of the ammonia in accordance with the pressure required at the ammonia supply destination. The pump 12 and the heat exchanger 30 are connected via an ammonia flow path LA, and the ammonia pressurized by the pump 12 is supplied to the heat exchanger 30 via the ammonia flow path LA.

[0020] The heat exchanger 30 vaporizes the liquid ammonia and produces gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state by exchanging heat between the first heat medium M1 and liquid ammonia pressurized by the pump 12. Specifically, the heat exchanger 30 vaporizes the liquid ammonia supplied from the ammonia tank 11 and pressurized by the pump 12 and heats it to a superheated state. At this time, heat is exchanged between the heat of the liquid ammonia and the heat of the first heat medium M1, and the first heat medium M1 is cooled.

[0021] The type of heat exchanger 30 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a vertical type or a horizontal type. The heat exchanger 30 is connected to an ammonia flow path LA to which liquid ammonia is supplied, and to an ammonia flow path LA to supply gaseous ammonia to the gaseous ammonia supply port 19, so that ammonia passes through the heat exchanger 30. The heat exchanger 30 and the gaseous ammonia supply port 19 are connected via the ammonia flow path LA, and gaseous ammonia vaporized in the heat exchanger 30 and heated to a superheated state is supplied to the gaseous ammonia supply port 19. Then, in the heat exchanger 30, the ammonia can be heated to the required temperature at the ammonia supply destination.

[0022] Meanwhile, the heat exchanger 30 is connected to the first heat medium passage L1 and the second heat medium passage L2, so that the first heat medium M1 passes through the heat exchanger 30. The first heat medium M1 passes through the first heat medium passage L1 and is supplied to the heat exchanger 30. Then, the first heat medium M1 cooled by heat exchange in the heat exchanger 30 passes through the second heat medium passage L2 as the second heat medium M2 and is discharged.

[0023] As described above, the heat exchanger 30 vaporizes liquid ammonia and produces gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state. A superheated state refers to a state in which ammonia is heated to a temperature higher than the saturated state temperature. If gaseous ammonia is produced in a saturated state and supplied to the ammonia supply destination, the gaseous ammonia is unstable and easily reverts to liquid ammonia, which may cause problems for the equipment at the ammonia supply destination. Therefore, by producing gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state and supplying it to the ammonia supply destination, a stable gaseous state can be maintained even if there are slight temperature changes when used at the ammonia supply destination. The temperature at which ammonia is heated to a superheated state is not particularly limited, and ammonia may be heated to a temperature required by the ammonia supply destination depending on the specifications of the ammonia supply destination, etc. In this way, the gaseous ammonia production system 1 does not need to include both a vaporizer and a superheater as in the conventional system, and liquid ammonia can be vaporized and heated to a superheated state in the same heat exchanger.

[0024] From the viewpoint of producing gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state, the heat exchanger 30 is preferably a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. A shell-and-tube heat exchanger is also called a multi-tube heat exchanger, and is generally a heat exchanger in which a large number of thin heat transfer tubes are arranged in a thick cylindrical body. The body side is the shell and the heat transfer tube side is the tube, and heat exchange is performed between a fluid on the shell side and a fluid on the tube side. In the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to this embodiment, the heat exchanger 30 is preferably a shell-and-tube heat exchanger in which the first heat medium M1 flows on the shell side and ammonia flows on the tube side to perform heat exchange.

[0025] Furthermore, among shell-and-tube heat exchangers, a vertical once-through type is more preferable for the heat exchanger 30. By using the vertical once-through type heat exchanger 30, as described above, it is possible not only to vaporize liquid ammonia and produce gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state within the same heat exchanger, but also to reduce the installation space of the production equipment.

[0026] 1, an ammonia flow path LA for supplying liquid ammonia may be connected to the lower part of the heat exchanger 30, and an ammonia flow path LA for supplying gaseous ammonia to the gaseous ammonia supply port 19 may be connected to the upper part of the heat exchanger 30. In other words, ammonia may pass through the heat exchanger 30 from the lower part to the upper part.

[0027] On the other hand, when the heat exchanger 30 is a vertical once-through type, as shown in Fig. 1 , the first heat medium flow path L1 may be connected to the upper part of the heat exchanger 30, and the second heat medium flow path L2 may be connected to the lower part of the heat exchanger 30. In other words, the first heat medium M1 may pass through the heat exchanger 30 from the top to the bottom.

[0028] The first heat medium M1 is a fluid. The type of the first heat medium M1 is not particularly limited and may include at least one of a gas and a liquid. The gas contained in the first heat medium M1 may include, for example, steam, steam from a heat recovery boiler, or reheated steam generated by heating steam from the outlet of a steam turbine again in the heat recovery boiler. Furthermore, the gas contained in the first heat medium M1 may include outside air. Furthermore, the liquid contained in the first heat medium M1 may include, for example, hot water, or hot water generated from the reheated steam. Furthermore, the liquid contained in the first heat medium M1 may include, for example, seawater, brackish water, fresh water, cooling water after equipment cooling, industrial water, or tap water.

[0029] When the first heat medium M1 contains a gas, a state change occurs when the first heat medium M1 is cooled, and part or all of the first heat medium M1 may become liquid in the heat exchanger 30. In other words, even when the first heat medium M1 contains a gas, a liquid level of the first heat medium M1 may be formed in the heat exchanger 30. By managing the level of the liquid level of the first heat medium M1, it is possible to control the flow rate of the first heat medium M1.

[0030] 1 includes one heat exchanger 30, but may include a plurality of heat exchangers 30 in parallel. By providing the heat exchanger 30 divided into a plurality of units, it is possible to flexibly adjust the load on each heat exchanger 30, and it is possible to further improve the controllability of heating.

[0031] The gaseous ammonia producing system 1 supplies gaseous ammonia to an ammonia supply destination (not shown). The gaseous ammonia supply port 19 is provided downstream of the heat exchanger 30 in the ammonia flow path LA. The gaseous ammonia supply port 19 is connected to the ammonia supply destination, and the gaseous ammonia produced in the heat exchanger 30 is supplied to the ammonia supply destination via the gaseous ammonia supply port 19. The ammonia supply destination may be a combustor included in a combustion furnace such as a gas turbine, a boiler, a gas engine, or an industrial furnace, or a reactor such as a heat exchange reactor.

[0032] That is, it is possible to provide an ammonia utilization system including the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 and an ammonia supply destination that uses the gaseous ammonia produced in the gaseous ammonia producing system 1. For example, when the ammonia supply destination is a combustor, it is possible to provide a combustion system including the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 and a combustor that combusts the gaseous ammonia produced in the gaseous ammonia producing system 1. Furthermore, when the ammonia supply destination is a reactor, it is possible to provide a reaction system including the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 and a reactor that generates a reaction product from a raw material that contains the gaseous ammonia produced in the gaseous ammonia producing system 1.

[0033] The gaseous ammonia producing system 1 may include a first flow rate adjuster 40 that adjusts the flow rate of the first heat medium M1 supplied to the heat exchanger 30 based on the temperature of the gaseous ammonia supplied to the ammonia supply destination. The first flow rate adjuster 40 can adjust the temperature at which the gaseous ammonia produced in the heat exchanger 30 is supplied to the ammonia supply destination. The first flow rate adjuster 40 may include a first flow rate adjustment valve 42 and a first flow rate adjuster 41.

[0034] The first flow rate adjustment valve 42 is provided in the first heat medium flow path L1 upstream of the heat exchanger 30. The first flow rate adjustment valve 42 adjusts the flow rate of the first heat medium M1 by, for example, adjusting its opening degree.

[0035] The first flow rate controller 41 is connected in the ammonia flow path LA between the heat exchanger 30 and the gaseous ammonia supply port 19. The first flow rate controller 41 may control the first flow rate control valve 42 based on the temperature at which the gaseous ammonia heated in the heat exchanger 30 is supplied to the ammonia supply destination, to adjust the flow rate of the first heat medium M1 supplied to the heat exchanger 30. The first flow rate controller 41 may adjust the flow rate of the first heat medium M1 supplied to the heat exchanger 30, for example, by controlling the aperture of the first flow rate control valve 42. The first flow rate controller 41 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory). The CPU can read a temperature adjustment program or the like recorded in the ROM and execute temperature adjustment.

[0036] In this way, the first flow rate adjuster 40 may adjust the flow rate of the first heat medium M1 supplied to the heat exchanger 30 based on the temperature of the gaseous ammonia supplied to the ammonia supply destination. Fluctuations in the flow rate of ammonia may cause fluctuations in the temperature of the ammonia supplied to the ammonia supply destination. However, according to the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 of this embodiment, the temperature of ammonia can be adjusted by the first flow rate adjuster 40. Therefore, according to the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 of this embodiment, gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state can be produced in accordance with the temperature required by the ammonia supply destination, and supplied to the ammonia supply destination.

[0037] The gaseous ammonia producing system 1 may include a gas flow rate adjuster 50 that adjusts the flow rate at which gaseous ammonia produced by the heat exchanger 30 is supplied to the ammonia supply destination. The gas flow rate adjuster 50 makes it possible to supply an appropriate amount of gaseous ammonia to the ammonia supply destination at a flow rate according to the load of the ammonia supply destination. The gas flow rate adjuster 50 is disposed in the ammonia flow path LA downstream of the heat exchanger 30. The gas flow rate adjuster 50 may include a second flow rate control valve 52 and a second flow rate adjuster 51. Although the gas flow rate adjuster 50 is disposed downstream of the first flow rate adjuster 41 in FIG. 1 , the first flow rate adjuster 41 may be disposed downstream of the gas flow rate adjuster 50.

[0038] The second flow rate control valve 52 is provided in the ammonia flow path LA between the heat exchanger 30 and the gaseous ammonia supply port 19. The second flow rate control valve 52 adjusts the flow rate of gaseous ammonia supplied from the gaseous ammonia supply port 19, for example, by adjusting its aperture. The second flow rate controller 51 is connected in the ammonia flow path LA between the second flow rate control valve 52 and the gaseous ammonia supply port 19. The second flow rate controller 51 may control the second flow rate control valve 52 based on the flow rate of gaseous ammonia flowing from the second flow rate control valve 52 to the gaseous ammonia supply port 19 in the ammonia flow path LA, thereby adjusting the flow rate of gaseous ammonia supplied to the ammonia supply destination. The second flow rate controller 51 may adjust the flow rate of gaseous ammonia supplied to the ammonia supply destination, for example, by controlling the aperture of the second flow rate control valve 52. The second flow rate controller 51 includes a CPU, RAM, and ROM, and the CPU can read a flow rate adjustment program or the like recorded in the ROM and execute flow rate adjustment.

[0039] As described above, the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to this embodiment produces gaseous ammonia. The gaseous ammonia producing system includes a pump that pressurizes liquid ammonia. The gaseous ammonia producing system includes a heat exchanger that vaporizes liquid ammonia and produces gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state by heat exchange between a first heat medium and liquid ammonia pressurized by the pump. Therefore, the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 makes it possible to vaporize ammonia and heat it to a superheated state within the same heat exchanger. Therefore, the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 can provide a gaseous ammonia producing system that reduces production costs by suppressing an increase in the heat source control process and production equipment.

[0040] The gaseous ammonia producing method according to this embodiment produces gaseous ammonia. The gaseous ammonia producing method includes a liquid ammonia pressurization step of pressurizing liquid ammonia with a pump. The gaseous ammonia producing method also includes a gaseous ammonia producing step of vaporizing the liquid ammonia by exchanging heat between a first heat medium and the liquid ammonia pressurized by the pump in a heat exchanger, thereby producing gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state.

[0041] In the liquid ammonia pressurization step, the pump 12 increases the pressure of the ammonia in accordance with the pressure required at the ammonia supply destination, as described above.

[0042] In the gaseous ammonia production step, the liquid ammonia is vaporized and gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state is produced by heat exchange between the first heat medium and liquid ammonia pressurized by a pump in the heat exchanger 30. Therefore, the temperature of the ammonia can be heated in the heat exchanger 30 to the required temperature at the ammonia supply destination.

[0043] Therefore, according to the method for producing gaseous ammonia of the present embodiment, it is possible to vaporize ammonia and heat it to a superheated state in the same heat exchanger. Therefore, the method for producing gaseous ammonia of the present embodiment can provide a method for producing gaseous ammonia that reduces production costs by suppressing an increase in the heat source control process and production equipment.

[0044] Second Embodiment Next, a gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In the description of the second embodiment, the description of the same parts as those in the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0045] 2 , the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to this embodiment differs from the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a preheater 20. Unless otherwise specified, the other points are the same as those of the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to the first embodiment, and therefore, description thereof will be omitted.

[0046] The gaseous ammonia producing system 1 may include a preheater 20. The preheater 20 preheats the liquid ammonia to be supplied to the heat exchanger 30. With this configuration, the liquid ammonia can be gradually heated by the preheater 20 and the heat exchanger 30. The preheater 20 is provided between the pump 12 and the heat exchanger 30 in the ammonia flow path LA. The preheater 20 heats the liquid ammonia, which is supplied from the ammonia tank 11 and pressurized by the pump 12, to a temperature range where the liquid ammonia will not vaporize.

[0047] The liquid ammonia in the preheater 20 may be heated by a second heat medium M2 obtained by cooling the first heat medium M1 through heat exchange in the heat exchanger 30. That is, the liquid ammonia in the preheater 20 may be heated by the second heat medium M2 supplied from the heat exchanger 30. Specifically, a second heat medium flow path L2 is connected to the preheater 20, and the second heat medium M2 passes through the second heat medium flow path L2. Then, in the preheater 20, heat is exchanged between the heat of the liquid ammonia and the heat of the second heat medium M2, so that the liquid ammonia is heated and the second heat medium M2 is cooled. The preheater 20 and the heat exchanger 30 are connected via an ammonia flow path LA, and the ammonia heated in the preheater 20 is supplied to the heat exchanger 30.

[0048] As described above, the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to the present embodiment may include the preheater 20 that heats the liquid ammonia supplied to the heat exchanger 30. The gaseous ammonia producing system 1 may include the preheater 20 that heats the liquid ammonia supplied to the heat exchanger 30 by the second heat medium M2 obtained by cooling the first heat medium M1 through heat exchange. With this configuration, the liquid ammonia can be gradually heated by the preheater 20 and the heat exchanger 30, and the controllability of heating can be improved.

[0049] [Third embodiment] Next, a gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. In the description of the third embodiment, the description of the same parts as those of the first and second embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0050] 3, the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to this embodiment is different from the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to the second embodiment in that it includes a first branch section B1, a second branch section B2, a third heat medium flow path L3, and a second flow rate adjuster 60. Unless otherwise specified, the other points are the same as those of the gaseous ammonia producing systems 1 according to the first and second embodiments, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] 3 , the first heat medium flow path L1 that supplies the first heat medium M1 to the heat exchanger 30 may be provided with a first branch portion B1, and the second heat medium flow path L2 that supplies the second heat medium M2 from the heat exchanger 30 to the preheater 20 may be provided with a second branch portion B2. Furthermore, the third heat medium flow path L3 may be connected to the first branch portion B1 and the second branch portion B2 without passing through the heat exchanger 30. In other words, the third heat medium flow path L3 may be a bypass line that connects the first heat medium flow path L1 and the second heat medium flow path L2 without passing through the heat exchanger 30. The first heat medium M1 passes through the third heat medium flow path L3 via the first branch portion B1 as the third heat medium M3. Then, the second heat medium M2, which is the first heat medium M1 cooled by heat exchange in the heat exchanger 30, and the third heat medium M3, which has passed through the third heat medium flow path L3, join together at the second branch section B2 and pass through the second heat medium flow path L2, heating the liquid ammonia in the preheater 20.

[0052] The gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to the present embodiment may include a second flow rate adjuster 60 that adjusts the flow rate of the third heat medium M3 based on the temperature of the liquid ammonia supplied from the preheater 20 to the heat exchanger 30. The second flow rate adjuster 60 can adjust the temperature of the liquid ammonia supplied from the preheater 20 to the heat exchanger 30. The second flow rate adjuster 60 may include a third flow rate adjustment valve 62 and a third flow rate adjuster 61.

[0053] The third flow rate control valve 62 is provided in the third heat medium flow path L3, through which the third heat medium M3 flows, between the first branch portion B1 and the second branch portion B2. The third flow rate control valve 62 adjusts the flow rate of the third heat medium M3 by, for example, adjusting its opening degree.

[0054] The third flow rate controller 61 is connected in the ammonia flow path LA between the preheater 20 and the heat exchanger 30. The third flow rate controller 61 may control the third flow rate control valve 62 based on the temperature of the liquid ammonia supplied from the preheater 20 to the heat exchanger 30 to adjust the flow rate of the third heat medium M3. The third flow rate controller 61 may adjust the flow rate of the third heat medium M3, for example, by controlling the aperture of the third flow rate control valve 62. The third flow rate controller 61 may include a CPU, RAM, and ROM. The CPU can read out a temperature adjustment program or the like recorded in the ROM and execute temperature adjustment.

[0055] As described above, the second heat medium M2 obtained by cooling the first heat medium M1 through heat exchange in the heat exchanger 30 and the third heat medium M3 that has passed through the third heat medium flow path L3 join at the second branch section B2, pass through the second heat medium flow path L2, and heat the liquid ammonia in the preheater 20. Therefore, by adjusting the flow rate of the third heat medium M3 using the second flow rate adjuster 60, the flow rate of the second heat medium M2 supplied to the preheater 20 can be indirectly adjusted. That is, the second flow rate adjuster 60 may control the third flow rate adjuster valve 62 based on the temperature of the liquid ammonia supplied from the preheater 20 to the heat exchanger 30, and adjust the flow rate of the third heat medium M3 to indirectly adjust the flow rate of the second heat medium M2 supplied to the preheater 20. Fluctuations in the flow rate of ammonia may cause fluctuations in the temperature of the gaseous ammonia supplied to the ammonia supply destination. However, according to the gaseous ammonia producing system 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to directly introduce a high-temperature heat source into the preheater 20, making it easier to increase the temperature of the liquid ammonia supplied from the preheater 20 to the heat exchanger 30. Therefore, even if the heat transfer area of ​​the heat exchanger 30 is insufficient, the heating capacity can be compensated for, and gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state in accordance with the temperature required by the ammonia supply destination can be produced and supplied to the ammonia supply destination.

[0056] As described above, in the gaseous ammonia production system 1 according to this embodiment, the first heat medium flow path L1 that supplies the first heat medium M1 to the heat exchanger 30 may be provided with a first branch section B1. Furthermore, in the gaseous ammonia production system 1, the second heat medium flow path L2 that supplies the second heat medium M2 from the heat exchanger 30 to the preheater 20 may be provided with a second branch section B2. Furthermore, the third heat medium flow path L3 may be connected to the first branch section B1 and the second branch section B2 without passing through the heat exchanger 30. The first heat medium M1 may pass through the third heat medium flow path L3 as the third heat medium M3 via the first branch section B1. The gaseous ammonia production system 1 may include a second flow rate adjuster 60 that adjusts the flow rate of the third heat medium M3 based on the temperature of the liquid ammonia supplied from the preheater 20 to the heat exchanger 30. With this configuration, the liquid ammonia can be gradually heated by the preheater 20 and the heat exchanger 30, further improving the controllability of heating.

[0057] Although several embodiments have been described, the embodiments can be modified or varied based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments and all features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined, unless they contradict each other.

[0058] The present disclosure can contribute, for example, to Goal 7 of the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Ensure access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all" and Goal 13, "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts."

[0059] The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-112386 (filing date: July 12, 2024) are incorporated herein by reference.

[0060] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Gaseous ammonia production system 12 Pump 20 Preheater 30 Heat exchanger 40 First flow rate adjustment unit 50 Gas flow rate adjustment unit 60 Second flow rate adjustment unit B1 First branching unit B2 Second branching unit L1 First heat medium flow path L2 Second heat medium flow path L3 Third heat medium flow path M1 First heat medium M2 Second heat medium M3 Third heat medium

Claims

1. A gaseous ammonia production system for producing gaseous ammonia, comprising: a pump that pressurizes liquid ammonia; and a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between a first heat medium and the liquid ammonia pressurized by the pump, thereby vaporizing the liquid ammonia and producing the gaseous ammonia heated to a superheated state.

2. The gaseous ammonia manufacturing system according to claim 1, comprising: a gas flow rate adjusting unit that supplies the gaseous ammonia to an ammonia supply destination and adjusts a flow rate at which the gaseous ammonia produced by the heat exchanger is supplied to the ammonia supply destination; and a first flow rate adjusting unit that adjusts a flow rate of the first heat medium supplied to the heat exchanger based on a temperature of the gaseous ammonia supplied to the ammonia supply destination.

3. The gaseous ammonia production system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a preheater that heats the liquid ammonia supplied to the heat exchanger with a second heat medium obtained by cooling the first heat medium through heat exchange.

4. The gaseous ammonia production system according to claim 3, wherein a first heat medium flow path that supplies the first heat medium to the heat exchanger is provided with a first branch portion, a second heat medium flow path that supplies the second heat medium from the heat exchanger to the preheater is provided with a second branch portion, and a third heat medium flow path is connected to the first branch portion and the second branch portion without passing through the heat exchanger.

5. The gaseous ammonia manufacturing system according to claim 4, wherein the first heat medium passes through the third heat medium flow path as a third heat medium via the first branch portion, and the gaseous ammonia manufacturing system comprises a second flow rate adjusting unit that adjusts the flow rate of the third heat medium based on the temperature of the liquid ammonia supplied from the preheater to the heat exchanger.

6. The gaseous ammonia production system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heat exchanger is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and heat exchange is performed by flowing the first heat medium through the shell side and flowing the liquid ammonia through the tube side.

7. A gaseous ammonia production method for producing gaseous ammonia, the method comprising: a liquid ammonia pressurization step of pressurizing liquid ammonia with a pump; and a gaseous ammonia production step of exchanging heat between a first heat medium and the liquid ammonia pressurized by the pump in a heat exchanger, thereby vaporizing the liquid ammonia and heating it to a superheated state to produce the gaseous ammonia.

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