Hydrogen gas supply device and hydrogen gas supply system

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to supply hydrogen gas from which impurities such as moisture and oxygen are suitably removed to a supply object that requires highly pure hydrogen gas.　The present invention is provided with solenoid valves 7a, 7b which adjust the detection position of oxygen by an oxygen detection unit 8 and the flow rate of hydrogen gas Gh to a storage unit 20 in accordance with the control of a control unit 9, and is configured such that "a removal unit (a gas-liquid separation tank 3, a hollow fiber membrane filter 4, an oxygen removal filter 5, and a moisture removal filter 6)" and the oxygen detection unit 8 are housed in a housing 10, and the hydrogen gas Gh passed through the detection position is discharged into the housing 10. The hollow fiber membrane filter 4 is disposed so that the moisture separated from the hydrogen gas Gh can be discharged into the housing 10. When the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas Gh specified on the basis of the detection result by the oxygen detection unit 8 reaches a predetermined allowable purity for supply, the control unit 9 controls the solenoid valves 7a, 7b to supply the high purity hydrogen gas Gh to the storage unit 20.

Description

Hydrogen gas supply device and hydrogen gas supply system

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydrogen gas supply device configured to supply high-purity hydrogen gas, from which impurities contained in hydrogen gas have been removed, to a target, and to a hydrogen gas supply system comprising such a hydrogen gas supply device and an electrolysis treatment device that generates hydrogen gas by electrolysis.

[0002] For example, the following patent document discloses a hydrogen generation system configured to produce high-pressure hydrogen by electrolyzing pure water generated from city water (publicly operated tap water) using a pure water supply device, and to store the generated hydrogen (hydrogen gas) in a hydrogen tank or the like for supply to fuel cell vehicles and the like. This hydrogen generation system comprises a water electrolyzer that generates hydrogen gas from pure water, a gas-liquid separator that removes moisture contained in the hydrogen gas generated by the water electrolyzer, a water adsorption device that adsorbs and removes moisture contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the gas-liquid separator, and a hydrogen tank capable of storing the hydrogen gas that has passed through the water adsorption device. In this case, the gas-liquid separator and water adsorption device are arranged in the hydrogen gas flow path from the water electrolyzer to the hydrogen tank, thereby preventing hydrogen gas containing a large amount of moisture from flowing into the hydrogen tank.

[0003] Furthermore, it is known that in water electrolysis devices (electrolysis treatment devices) used in this type of system, immediately after the start of the hydrogen gas generation process (electrolysis process), the amount of impurities such as oxygen in the generated hydrogen gas is large, resulting in a low purity of hydrogen gas. Therefore, in this hydrogen generation system, a back pressure valve mechanism is provided in the upstream portion of the hydrogen gas flow path generated in the water electrolysis device. This mechanism is designed to discharge the hydrogen gas through a hydrogen discharge channel when the pressure of the hydrogen gas in the flow path has not reached a predetermined pressure immediately after the start of the generation process. In addition, this hydrogen generation system is designed so that the flow of hydrogen gas toward the hydrogen tank is permitted only after a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the generation process and the pressure of the hydrogen gas in the flow path has reached or exceeded a predetermined pressure.

[0004] Further, in this hydrogen generation system, an oxygen concentration meter for detecting oxygen contained in hydrogen gas (identifying the oxygen concentration of hydrogen gas) is disposed between the water electrolysis device and the gas-liquid separator in the flow path of hydrogen gas. In addition to the pressure conditions of the hydrogen gas in the flow path as described above, when the oxygen concentration specified by the oxygen concentration meter becomes an oxygen concentration that can be used in the solid polymer fuel cell, a configuration is adopted in which the flow of hydrogen gas toward the hydrogen tank by the back pressure valve mechanism is allowed. With these configurations, this hydrogen generation system attempts to avoid a situation where "hydrogen gas containing a large amount of impurities such as oxygen (low purity hydrogen gas)" generated immediately after the start of the generation process by the water electrolysis device flows into the hydrogen tank.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-053378 (pages 4-7, FIGS. 1-4)

[0006] However, the hydrogen generation system disclosed in the above patent document has the following problems to be solved. Specifically, in this hydrogen generation system, as described above, the flow of hydrogen gas toward the hydrogen tank is restricted until the oxygen concentration of the hydrogen gas generated by the water electrolysis device becomes less than or equal to a predefined concentration and the pressure of the hydrogen gas becomes greater than or equal to a predefined pressure, in an attempt to avoid a situation where hydrogen gas containing a large amount of impurities such as oxygen flows into the hydrogen tank.

[0007] In this case, in the hydrogen generation system disclosed in the above patent document, the oxygen concentration meter for detecting the oxygen concentration is disposed between the water electrolysis device and the gas-liquid separator. Therefore, in this hydrogen generation system, the detection of the oxygen concentration by the oxygen concentration meter is performed on "hydrogen gas containing a large amount of moisture" after being discharged from the water electrolysis device and before the moisture is separated in the gas-liquid separator. For this reason, in this hydrogen generation system, there is a possibility that a large amount of moisture adheres to the oxygen concentration meter, and in such a state, it becomes difficult to accurately detect the amount of oxygen contained in the hydrogen gas. As a result, in this hydrogen generation system, the detection of the amount of oxygen contained in the hydrogen gas may be incorrect, and there is a possibility that hydrogen gas in a state where the amount of oxygen has not sufficiently decreased may flow into the hydrogen tank.

[0008] In this hydrogen generation system, fuel cell vehicles (fuel cells), which are envisioned as the target recipients of the hydrogen gas produced, can still achieve their purpose (such as power generation using hydrogen gas) even if the supplied hydrogen gas contains a certain amount of impurities such as oxygen and water. However, hydrogen gas intended for use as a carrier gas in gas chromatography, or as a reducing gas in photolithography and CDV processes for semiconductor devices, needs to be of a sufficiently higher hydrogen purity (sufficiently lower content of impurities such as water and oxygen) than the hydrogen gas used as fuel gas in fuel cells. Therefore, as mentioned above, in the hydrogen generation system described, where there is a risk of oxygen-containing hydrogen gas flowing into the hydrogen tank, there is a problem in that it is difficult to supply hydrogen gas to targets that require high-purity hydrogen gas, such as gas chromatography.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the problems that need to be solved, and its main objective is to provide a hydrogen gas supply device and a hydrogen gas supply system that can supply hydrogen gas from which impurities such as water and oxygen have been suitably removed to a target that requires high-purity hydrogen gas.

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the hydrogen gas supply device according to the present invention is a hydrogen gas supply device configured to supply hydrogen gas to a target after the impurity removal treatment, which includes an impurity removal processing unit capable of performing an impurity removal treatment to remove impurities contained in hydrogen gas supplied from a supply source, and an oxygen detection unit for detecting oxygen in the hydrogen gas after the impurity removal treatment, a control unit for controlling the supply mode of the hydrogen gas to the target according to the detection result by the oxygen detection unit, a housing for housing at least the removal processing unit and the oxygen detection unit, and a flow rate adjustment unit that adjusts the oxygen detection processing position by the oxygen detection unit and the flow rate of the hydrogen gas to the target according to the control of the control unit, wherein the removal processing unit includes a first removal processing unit having a gas-liquid separation tank for separating and removing water as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas supplied from the supply source, and the hydrogen gas contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the first removal processing unit. The system comprises a second removal processing unit having a hollow fiber membrane filter for separating and removing water as an impurity from the hydrogen gas, a third removal processing unit having an oxygen removal filter for removing oxygen as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the second removal processing unit by catalytic reaction, and a fourth removal processing unit having a water removal filter for adsorbing and removing water as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the third removal processing unit, wherein the hydrogen gas that has passed through the detection processing position is released into the housing, the hollow fiber membrane filter is arranged in the second removal processing unit so that the water separated from the hydrogen gas can be released into the housing, the control unit determines the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas based on the detection result by the oxygen detection unit, and controls the flow rate adjustment unit to supply high-purity hydrogen gas to the target when the determined hydrogen purity reaches a predetermined supply allowable purity.

[0011] Furthermore, in the hydrogen gas supply device according to the present invention, the control unit performs a purity notification process that notifies purity information that can identify the hydrogen purity when predetermined notification conditions are met.

[0012] Furthermore, in the hydrogen gas supply device according to the present invention, the fourth removal processing unit comprises at least activated alumina as an adsorbent, and the moisture removal filter is configured accordingly.

[0013] Furthermore, the hydrogen gas supply system according to the present invention comprises one of the above-mentioned hydrogen gas supply devices and an electrolysis treatment device as the supply source that generates the hydrogen gas by electrolyzing raw water.

[0014] Furthermore, the hydrogen gas supply system according to the present invention includes a water storage tank capable of storing the raw water, the water storage tank and the electrolysis treatment device are housed within the enclosure, and the system is configured such that oxygen generated during the production of hydrogen gas in the electrolysis treatment device is discharged outside the enclosure via the water storage tank.

[0015] The hydrogen gas supply device according to the present invention includes: an oxygen detection unit that detects oxygen in hydrogen gas after an impurity removal process that removes impurities contained in the hydrogen gas supplied from a supply source; a control unit that controls the hydrogen gas supply mode to the target according to the detection result by the oxygen detection unit; a housing that houses at least a removal processing unit that performs the impurity removal process and an oxygen detection unit; and a flow rate adjustment unit that adjusts the oxygen detection processing position by the oxygen detection unit and the flow rate of hydrogen gas to the target according to the control of the control unit, wherein the removal processing unit has a first removal processing unit having a gas-liquid separation tank that separates and removes water as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas supplied from the supply source; and a hollow fiber membrane filter that separates and removes water as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the first removal processing unit. The system comprises a second removal processing unit having a filter, a third removal processing unit having an oxygen removal filter that removes oxygen as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the second removal processing unit by catalytic reaction, and a fourth removal processing unit having a moisture removal filter that adsorbs and removes moisture as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the third removal processing unit, and is configured so that the hydrogen gas that has passed through the detection processing position is released into the housing, the second removal processing unit is equipped with a hollow fiber membrane filter so that moisture separated from the hydrogen gas can be released into the housing, and the control unit determines the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas based on the detection result by the oxygen detection unit, and controls the flow rate adjustment unit to supply high-purity hydrogen gas to the target when the determined hydrogen purity reaches a predetermined supply allowable purity.

[0016] Therefore, according to the hydrogen gas supply device of the present invention, by adopting a configuration in which the oxygen contained in hydrogen gas from which moisture has been removed by the removal processing unit (first removal processing unit, second removal processing unit, and fourth removal processing unit) is detected by the oxygen detection unit, it is possible to avoid a situation in which hydrogen gas containing a large amount of moisture flows into the oxygen detection processing position of the oxygen detection unit, thereby enabling accurate detection of whether or not oxygen is contained in the hydrogen gas and to what extent oxygen is contained. Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which the hydrogen gas from which oxygen detection by the oxygen detection unit has completed, i.e., hydrogen gas from which moisture has been removed by the removal processing unit is discharged into the housing that houses the second removal processing unit, the partial pressure of water vapor outside the hollow fiber membrane filter in the second removal processing unit can be sufficiently reduced, and moisture contained in the hydrogen gas passing inside the hollow fiber membrane filter can be suitably released to the surroundings of the hollow fiber membrane filter (second removal processing unit) (a mixture of the atmosphere and hydrogen gas inside the housing). This significantly improves the moisture removal capacity of the second removal unit, allowing for effective removal of moisture contained in the hydrogen gas. This prevents moisture from adhering to the third removal unit, thus maintaining the oxygen removal capacity of the third removal unit in a favorable state. Furthermore, by employing a configuration in which hydrogen gas is supplied to the target when the hydrogen purity, determined based on the detection results from the oxygen detection unit, reaches the supply-permissible purity, the situation of supplying low-purity hydrogen gas containing a large amount of oxygen can be reliably avoided.

[0017] Furthermore, in the hydrogen gas supply device according to the present invention, the control unit performs a purity notification process that notifies purity information that can identify the hydrogen purity when predetermined notification conditions are met. Therefore, the hydrogen gas supply device according to the present invention makes it possible for the user to reliably and easily recognize whether or not high-purity hydrogen gas that has reached the supply-permissible purity is being supplied to the target.

[0018] Furthermore, in the hydrogen gas supply device according to the present invention, the fourth removal section comprises a moisture removal filter with at least activated alumina as an adsorbent. Therefore, according to the hydrogen gas supply device according to the present invention, not only moisture, which is the main target of removal, but also carbon dioxide contained in the hydrogen gas can be suitably removed in the fourth removal section. As a result, even higher purity hydrogen gas can be supplied to the target.

[0019] Furthermore, the hydrogen gas supply system according to the present invention comprises the above-mentioned hydrogen gas supply device and an electrolysis treatment device that serves as a supply source for generating hydrogen gas by electrolyzing raw water. Therefore, unlike generation devices (supply sources) that generate hydrogen gas by reforming fossil fuels or thermal decomposition of biomass, the hydrogen gas supply system according to the present invention can easily generate and supply hydrogen gas to the target using an electrolysis treatment device with a relatively simple configuration. As a result, the hydrogen gas supply system can be made more compact, making it easier to store and transport.

[0020] Furthermore, the hydrogen gas supply system according to the present invention is equipped with a water storage tank capable of storing raw water, and the water storage tank and the electrolysis treatment device are housed within the enclosure, and the oxygen generated when hydrogen gas is produced in the electrolysis treatment device is discharged to the outside of the enclosure via the water storage tank. Therefore, according to the hydrogen gas supply system according to the present invention, oxygen can be discharged to the outside of the enclosure from a water inlet to the water storage tank without providing a dedicated exhaust port or the like for discharging oxygen discharged from the electrolysis treatment device housed within the enclosure, and it is possible to suitably avoid a state in which the hydrogen gas discharged into the enclosure after oxygen detection by the oxygen detection unit has completed and the oxygen discharged from the electrolysis treatment device are mixed inside the enclosure.

[0021] This is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the hydrogen gas supply system 100.

[0022] The embodiments of the hydrogen gas supply device and hydrogen gas supply system will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0023] First, the configuration of the hydrogen gas supply system 100 will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

[0024] The hydrogen gas supply system 100 shown in Figure 1 is an example of a "hydrogen gas supply system," and as will be described later, it is configured to perform tasks such as generating hydrogen gas Gh, removing impurities from the generated hydrogen gas Gh, and supplying the high-purity hydrogen gas Gh from which impurities have been removed to a storage unit 20 (a hydrogen gas tank: hydrogen gas canister, which is an example of a "supply target"). In this example, the hydrogen gas supply system 100 employs a configuration that allows hydrogen gas Gh to be supplied to a detachable storage unit 20, but instead of a storage unit 20, a configuration that directly supplies hydrogen gas Gh to "various devices requiring high-purity hydrogen gas (another example of a "supply target")" such as a gas chromatograph can also be adopted.

[0025] This hydrogen gas supply system 100 comprises a raw water tank 1, an electrolysis treatment device 2, a gas-liquid separation tank 3, a hollow fiber membrane filter 4, an oxygen removal filter 5, a moisture removal filter 6, solenoid valves 7a and 7b, an oxygen detection unit 8, and a control unit 9. These components 1 to 9 are housed and packaged within a housing 10. In this example, the components 3 to 10, excluding the raw water tank 1 and the electrolysis treatment device 2, constitute the "hydrogen gas supply device." Furthermore, in this example, the gas-liquid separation tank 3, the hollow fiber membrane filter 4, the oxygen removal filter 5, and the moisture removal filter 6 work together to form a "removal processing unit capable of performing impurity removal processing to remove impurities contained in the hydrogen gas supplied from the supply source."

[0026] The raw water tank 1 is an example of a "water storage tank" and is configured to store raw water W (an example of "raw water") that does not contain impurities and is produced by a pure water generator (pure water purifier) ​​or the like (not shown). In this case, the hydrogen gas supply system 100 of this example has a water inlet (not shown) opening in the housing 10 that allows raw water W to be supplied to the raw water tank 1 housed in the housing 10. From this water inlet, air is drawn in as the amount of raw water W in the raw water tank 1 decreases, and oxygen Go, which is discharged from the electrolysis treatment device 2 and guided into the raw water tank 1, is also discharged, as will be described later. Alternatively, a vent for drawing air into the raw water tank 1 and for discharging oxygen Go from the raw water tank 1 can be provided separately from the water inlet.

[0027] The electrolysis processing apparatus 2 is an example of an "electrolysis processing apparatus as a supply source," and is configured to generate hydrogen gas Gh by electrolyzing raw water W stored in the raw water tank 1 according to the control of the control unit 9. In this case, in this type of "electrolysis processing apparatus," when hydrogen gas Gh is generated by electrolysis, oxygen Go is generated along with the hydrogen gas Gh, and a small amount of raw water W is discharged along with the hydrogen gas Gh and oxygen Go. Therefore, in the hydrogen gas supply system 100 of this example, as will be described later, the raw water W discharged along with the hydrogen gas Gh is separated from the hydrogen gas Gh in the gas-liquid separation tank 3, the separated raw water W is flowed into the raw water tank 1, and the raw water W discharged along with oxygen Go is also flowed into the raw water tank 1 along with oxygen Go, thereby effectively utilizing it as raw water W used in the electrolysis process in the electrolysis processing apparatus 2.

[0028] The gas-liquid separation tank 3 is an example of a gas-liquid separation tank that constitutes the "first removal processing unit," and is configured to separate and remove raw water W (liquid droplets of water) discharged from the electrolysis processing unit 2 together with hydrogen gas Gh, as described above, and to store the removed raw water W. In this case, the hydrogen gas supply system 100 of this example has a solenoid valve 3a installed in the water supply piping from the gas-liquid separation tank 3 to the raw water tank 1, and the control unit 9 is configured to send the raw water W from the gas-liquid separation tank 3 to the raw water tank 1 when it determines that a specified amount of raw water W has been stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 3 based on the sensor signal of a water level sensor (not shown).

[0029] The hollow fiber membrane filter 4 is an example of a hollow fiber membrane filter that constitutes the "second removal processing unit," and separates and removes the water vapor contained in the hydrogen gas Gh from the hydrogen gas Gh after the raw water W (liquid droplet-like moisture) has been removed when it passes through the gas-liquid separation tank 3. Specifically, in the hollow fiber membrane filter 4 of this example, when the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 3 passes through a tubular section made of a non-porous hollow fiber membrane, the difference between the partial pressure of water vapor in the hydrogen gas Gh inside the tubular section and the partial pressure of water vapor in the atmosphere inside the housing 10 causes moisture to move from the inside of the tubular section to the outside of the tubular section where the partial pressure of water vapor is lower, and is released around the tubular section (inside the housing 10), thereby removing moisture from the hydrogen gas Gh inside the tubular section.

[0030] In this case, although the amount of water contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 3 is small, when this small amount of water reaches the oxygen removal filter 5, it not only becomes difficult to remove oxygen effectively in the oxygen removal filter 5, but it may also lead to a situation where the "oxygen removal capacity" of the oxygen removal filter 5 decreases rapidly. For this reason, in the hydrogen gas supply system 100 of this example, a hollow fiber membrane filter 4 is provided between the gas-liquid separation tank 3 and the oxygen removal filter 5 in order to sufficiently reduce the amount of water contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 3 that reaches the oxygen removal filter 5.

[0031] The oxygen removal filter 5 is an example of an oxygen removal filter that constitutes the "third removal processing unit," and removes oxygen contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the hollow fiber membrane filter 4 from the hydrogen gas Gh by a catalytic reaction. In this case, in the oxygen removal filter 5 that removes oxygen from the hydrogen gas Gh by a catalytic reaction, a small amount of water is generated by the reaction between the oxygen to be removed and the hydrogen gas Gh.

[0032] The moisture removal filter 6 is an example of a "moisture removal filter" that constitutes the "fourth removal processing unit," and it adsorbs and removes moisture contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the oxygen removal filter 5 (mainly moisture generated by the catalytic reaction in the oxygen removal filter 5). In this case, the hydrogen gas supply system 100 of this example has, as an example, two adsorption units: an adsorption unit filled with activated alumina granules (an example of "activated alumina") as a moisture adsorbent, and an adsorption unit filled with synthetic zeolite (molecular sieve) granules as a moisture adsorbent, arranged in this order along the flow direction of the hydrogen gas Gh. Note that the above adsorbents are not limited to granules, but can be in various shapes such as powder, rod, and plate.

[0033] Solenoid valves 7a and 7b are examples of "flow rate adjustment units," where solenoid valve 7a, in accordance with the control unit 9, allows / regulates the flow of hydrogen gas Gh, which has passed through the moisture removal filter 6, to the "oxygen detection processing position by the oxygen detection unit 8," and solenoid valve 7b, in accordance with the control unit 9, allows / regulates the flow (supply) of hydrogen gas Gh, which has passed through the moisture removal filter 6, to the storage unit 20.

[0034] In this case, the hydrogen gas supply system 100 of this example employs a configuration in which, when the solenoid valve 7a is moved to the open state and the solenoid valve 7b is moved to the closed state, the entire amount of hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 is directed toward the "oxygen detection processing position by the oxygen detection unit 8", and when the solenoid valve 7a is moved to the closed state and the solenoid valve 7b is moved to the open state, the entire amount of hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 is directed toward the storage unit 20 (an example of adjusting the "detection processing position and the flow rate of hydrogen gas to the supply target"). Instead of this configuration, for example, by replacing the on / off valve solenoid valve 7a with a flow rate adjustment valve whose opening degree can be adjusted and configuring a "flow rate adjustment unit", it is possible to move the solenoid valve 7b to the open state and arbitrarily change the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve, so that a portion of the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 is directed toward the storage unit 20, while the other portion of the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 is directed toward the "oxygen detection processing position by the oxygen detection unit 8".

[0035] The oxygen detection unit 8 is an example of an "oxygen detection unit that detects oxygen in hydrogen gas after impurity removal treatment." In the hydrogen gas supply system 100 of this example, the oxygen detection unit 8 is configured with a galvanic cell-type oxygen sensor as an example. In this case, the hydrogen gas supply system 100 of this example has a flow path for hydrogen gas Gh such that the hydrogen gas Gh (hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the oxygen detection processing position) that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 and whose oxygen detection by the oxygen detection unit 8 has been completed is released into the housing 10.

[0036] The control unit 9 is an example of a "control unit" and comprehensively controls the hydrogen gas supply system 100. Specifically, the control unit 9 controls the electrolysis processing unit 2 to generate hydrogen gas Gh, and determines the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas Gh based on the detection results by the oxygen detection unit 8 for the hydrogen gas Gh generated by the electrolysis processing unit 2 and passed through the "removal processing unit". Furthermore, the control unit 9 restricts the supply of the hydrogen gas Gh to the storage unit 20 when the determined hydrogen purity does not reach a predetermined supply-permissible purity, and allows the supply of the hydrogen gas Gh to the storage unit 20 when the determined hydrogen purity reaches a predetermined supply-permissible purity (an example of "controlling the hydrogen gas supply method to the target according to the detection results by the oxygen detection unit").

[0037] In practice, the amount of moisture contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the "removal processing unit" described above is identified, and the supply of hydrogen gas Gh to the storage unit 20 is permitted only when the amount of moisture is below a predetermined level. However, in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration of the "hydrogen gas supply device" and "hydrogen gas supply system," the explanation of how to identify this amount of moisture and how to permit / regulate the supply of hydrogen gas Gh to the storage unit 20 based on the identified result will be omitted.

[0038] Furthermore, as an example, the control unit 9 executes a "purity notification process" to sequentially display the specified hydrogen purity (as an example, a numerical value indicating purity) on an unillustrated display unit when the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas Gh identified based on the detection result by the oxygen detection unit 8 does not reach the supply-permissible purity (an example of when "pre-defined notification conditions are met"). Also, when the hydrogen purity of the specified hydrogen gas Gh reaches the supply-permissible purity and the supply of this hydrogen gas Gh to the storage unit 20 is permitted, the control unit 9 executes a "purity notification process" to have the oxygen detection unit 8 detect the oxygen contained in the hydrogen gas Gh at a predetermined time interval (another example of when "pre-defined notification conditions are met"), and to identify the hydrogen purity based on the detection result and display it on the display unit.

[0039] Furthermore, regarding the display (notification) of hydrogen purity, instead of performing the notification each time the hydrogen purity is determined, a configuration can be adopted in which the determined hydrogen purity is displayed when the determined hydrogen purity falls below the specified purity (another example of "when the predetermined notification conditions are met"), or when the determined hydrogen purity reaches the specified purity (another example of "when the predetermined notification conditions are met"). In addition, instead of (or in addition to) the "purity notification processing at predetermined time intervals" when hydrogen gas Gh is allowed to be supplied to the storage unit 20, the determined hydrogen purity can be displayed based on the detection result by the oxygen detection unit 8 when a purity display switch (not shown) is operated (another example of "when the predetermined notification conditions are met").

[0040] Next, the operating principle of the hydrogen gas supply system 100 will be explained with reference to the attached diagram.

[0041] When generating hydrogen gas Gh and supplying (filling) it to the storage unit 20 using this hydrogen gas supply system 100, first, raw water W is supplied from the aforementioned water inlet to store a sufficient amount of raw water W in the raw water tank 1. In this state, when the processing start switch on the operation unit (not shown) is operated, the control unit 9 controls the electrolysis processing device 2 to start the electrolysis process (hydrogen gas Gh generation process). Since the hydrogen gas Gh generation process (electrolysis process) by the electrolysis processing device 2 is well known, a detailed explanation is omitted. In this case, at this point in time of processing start, the control unit 9 moves the solenoid valve 7b to the closed state and the solenoid valve 7a to the open state. As a result, the hydrogen gas Gh generated by the electrolysis processing device 2 passes through the gas-liquid separation tank 3, the hollow fiber membrane filter 4, the oxygen removal filter 5, the moisture removal filter 6, and the solenoid valve 7a in that order, and oxygen is detected at the oxygen detection processing position by the oxygen detection unit 8, after which a flow path is formed for release into the housing 10.

[0042] In this case, as described above, during the electrolysis process (hydrogen gas Gh generation process) by the electrolysis apparatus 2, oxygen Go is generated together with the hydrogen gas Gh, and a small amount of raw water W is discharged from the electrolysis apparatus 2 together with the hydrogen gas Gh and oxygen Go. At this time, the oxygen Go discharged from the electrolysis apparatus 2 containing the raw water W is caused to flow into the raw water tank 1, so that the raw water W discharged together with the oxygen Go mixes with the raw water W stored in the raw water tank 1 and is reused as the raw water W for the electrolysis process in the electrolysis apparatus 2. Thereby, the expensive raw water W generated by a pure water generation apparatus or the like is effectively utilized.

[0043] In addition, the oxygen Go that has flowed into the raw water tank 1 together with the raw water W is exhausted outside the housing 10 from a water supply port (or a ventilation port for taking in the atmosphere or the like) provided in the raw water tank 1. Thereby, without providing a dedicated exhaust port for exhausting the oxygen Go discharged from the electrolysis apparatus 2 outside the housing 10, the oxygen Go discharged from the electrolysis apparatus 2 and the hydrogen gas Gh exhausted into the housing 10 after the detection of oxygen by the oxygen detection unit 8 are in a state of being mixed inside the housing 10 (a state in which the oxygen Go and the hydrogen gas Gh can react inside the housing 10), which can be preferably avoided.

[0044] On the other hand, when the hydrogen gas Gh discharged from the electrolysis apparatus 2 containing the raw water W passes through the gas-liquid separation tank 3, the raw water W (droplet-like moisture) is separated and removed. Further, the separated raw water W is stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 3, and when the amount of water stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 3 reaches a specified amount, the electromagnetic valve 3a is shifted to an open state by the control unit 9, and the raw water W flows from the gas-liquid separation tank 3 into the raw water tank 1. As a result, most of the moisture discharged from the electrolysis apparatus 2 together with the hydrogen gas Gh is also reused as the raw water W for the electrolysis process in the electrolysis apparatus 2, and thus the expensive raw water W is effectively utilized.

[0045] Furthermore, when the hydrogen gas Gh passes through the gas-liquid separation tank 3, moisture is removed when it passes through the hollow fiber membrane filter 4, oxygen is removed when it passes through the oxygen removal filter 5, and moisture generated in the oxygen removal filter 5 is removed when it passes through the moisture removal filter 6. As a result, unlike the hydrogen generation system described above, in which the oxygen concentration is detected by an oxygen concentration meter on "hydrogen gas containing a large amount of moisture" before moisture is separated in the gas-liquid separator, the hydrogen gas Gh from which moisture has been suitably removed reaches the oxygen detection processing position by the oxygen detection unit 8, making it possible to accurately detect the oxygen contained in this hydrogen gas Gh.

[0046] In this case, the moisture removal filter 6 used in the hydrogen gas supply system 100 of this example is configured to have an adsorption section filled with activated alumina granules as a moisture "adsorbent," as described above. It has been confirmed that the activated alumina used in this adsorption section not only has the ability to adsorb and remove moisture, but also has the ability to suitably adsorb and remove carbon dioxide contained in the hydrogen gas Gh. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide, which is an "impurity," is reduced in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 by passing through the adsorption section of activated alumina granules.

[0047] In addition, as described above, the hydrogen gas Gh that has completed the detection of oxygen at the detection processing position is discharged into the housing 10. At this time, in this hydrogen gas supply system 100, a hollow fiber membrane filter 4 for removing moisture contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 3 is disposed in the housing 10. Therefore, the hydrogen gas Gh from which moisture has been sufficiently removed when passing through the gas-liquid separation tank 3, the hollow fiber membrane filter 4, and the moisture removal filter 6 is discharged into the housing 10 after the detection of oxygen at the detection processing position, so that the relative humidity of the "mixture of air and hydrogen gas Gh" around the hollow fiber membrane filter 4 decreases, and the water vapor partial pressure in the housing 10 becomes sufficiently lower than the water vapor partial pressure of the hydrogen gas Gh passing through the hollow fiber membrane filter 4. For this reason, moisture can be preferably separated from the hydrogen gas Gh passing through the hollow fiber membrane filter 4 and preferably discharged to the "mixture" in the housing 10 (around the hollow fiber membrane filter 4). As a result, the removal of moisture from the hydrogen gas Gh in the hollow fiber membrane filter 4 is further preferably performed. Thereby, the amount of moisture reaching the oxygen removal filter 5 together with the hydrogen gas Gh is sufficiently reduced, and it is possible to accurately detect whether the hydrogen gas Gh contains oxygen and how much oxygen is contained therein.

[0048] On the other hand, based on the oxygen detection result by the oxygen detection unit 8, the control unit 9 specifies the amount of oxygen contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6, and based on the specified amount of oxygen, specifies the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas Gh and causes a display unit (not shown) to display the hydrogen purity. In this case, immediately after the start of the generation process by the electrolysis processing device 2, since the amount of oxygen contained in the hydrogen gas Gh discharged from the electrolysis processing device 2 is large, this oxygen cannot be sufficiently removed by the oxygen removal filter 5, and the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 becomes low. Therefore, immediately after the start of the generation process by the electrolysis processing device 2, the low purity hydrogen purity specified by the control unit 9 is sequentially displayed on the display unit. Thereby, a person who sees this display can surely and easily recognize that a high purity hydrogen gas Gh is not being generated.

[0049] Furthermore, after some time has elapsed since the start of the generation process by the electrolysis apparatus 2, when it becomes possible to generate hydrogen gas Gh with a sufficiently reduced amount of oxygen, the oxygen contained in the hydrogen gas Gh can be suitably removed by the oxygen removal filter 5, and the amount of oxygen detected by the oxygen detection unit 8 decreases sufficiently. At this time, the control unit 9 displays the hydrogen purity identified based on the detection result by the oxygen detection unit 8 on the display unit, and when the identified hydrogen purity reaches the supply-permissible purity, it switches the solenoid valve 7a to the closed state and the solenoid valve 7b to the open state. As a result, a flow path is formed in which the hydrogen gas Gh generated by the electrolysis apparatus 2 passes through the gas-liquid separation tank 3, the hollow fiber membrane filter 4, the oxygen removal filter 5, the moisture removal filter 6, and the solenoid valve 7b in this order, and is discharged (supplied) from the hydrogen gas supply system 100 to the storage unit 20.

[0050] As a result, high-purity hydrogen gas Gh, which has undergone moisture removal by the gas-liquid separation tank 3, hollow fiber membrane filter 4, and moisture removal filter 6, and oxygen removal by the oxygen removal filter 5, is supplied to the storage unit 20 and stored. Furthermore, anyone who looks at the hydrogen purity displayed on the display unit can easily and reliably recognize that high-purity hydrogen gas Gh has been generated and is being stored in the storage unit 20.

[0051] Furthermore, as described above, when hydrogen gas Gh is supplied from the hydrogen gas supply system 100 to the storage unit 20 for storage, the control unit 9 causes the oxygen detection unit 8 to detect oxygen contained in the hydrogen gas Gh at predetermined time intervals, and determines the hydrogen purity based on the detection results and displays it on the display unit. Specifically, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the time when the determination of the hydrogen purity was completed and the solenoid valve 7a was moved to the closed state and the solenoid valve 7b was moved to the open state (the time when the supply of hydrogen gas Gh to the storage unit 20 was started), the control unit 9 moves the solenoid valve 7b to the closed state and the solenoid valve 7a to the open state, supplying the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 to the oxygen detection processing position of the oxygen detection unit 8, causing the oxygen detection unit 8 to detect oxygen, and determining the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas Gh based on the detection results of the oxygen detection unit 8, and displays the determined hydrogen purity on the display unit.

[0052] In this case, if the identified hydrogen purity is below the supply-permissible purity, that is, if the oxygen concentration in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 is high and the hydrogen gas Gh is of low purity, the control unit 9 maintains the state in which the solenoid valve 7b is closed and the solenoid valve 7a is open, and repeatedly identifies the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas Gh based on the oxygen detection result by the oxygen detection unit 8. This prevents low-purity hydrogen gas Gh that does not meet the supply-permissible purity from being supplied to and stored in the storage unit 20, and allows anyone who looks at the hydrogen purity displayed on the display unit to easily and reliably recognize that the system is not in a state where high-purity hydrogen gas Gh is being produced.

[0053] On the other hand, when the specified hydrogen purity reaches the supply-permissible purity, that is, when the oxygen concentration in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 is low and the hydrogen gas Gh is of high purity, the control unit 9 switches the solenoid valve 7a to the closed state and the solenoid valve 7b to the open state. As a result, the state in which high-purity hydrogen gas Gh is supplied from the hydrogen gas supply system 100 to the storage unit 20 and stored is resumed, and anyone who looks at the hydrogen purity displayed on the display unit can reliably and easily recognize that a state in which high-purity hydrogen gas Gh is being produced is achieved.

[0054] Subsequently, when a sufficient amount of hydrogen gas Gh is stored in the storage unit 20 connected to the hydrogen gas supply system 100, the control unit 9 stops the generation of hydrogen gas Gh by the electrolysis processing device 2, closes the solenoid valve 7b, and lights up a "filling completion indicator" (not shown) to notify that the storage of hydrogen gas Gh in the storage unit 20 is complete. In this example, the hydrogen gas supply system 100 employs a configuration in which, as an example, it determines that a sufficient amount of hydrogen gas Gh has been stored in the storage unit 20 (that the storage of hydrogen gas Gh in the storage unit 20 is complete) when the pressure of the hydrogen gas Gh in the storage unit 20 reaches a predetermined pressure. Alternatively, a configuration can be adopted in which it determines that the storage of hydrogen gas Gh in the storage unit 20 is complete when, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply of hydrogen gas Gh to the storage unit 20 was stopped, the pressure of the hydrogen gas Gh in the storage unit 20 is maintained at or above a predetermined pressure.

[0055] Thus, the "hydrogen gas supply device" in this hydrogen gas supply system 100 includes an oxygen detection unit 8 that detects oxygen in hydrogen gas Gh after an "impurity removal process" which removes impurities contained in the hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the "supply source (in this example, the electrolysis processing device 2)", a control unit 9 that controls the mode of supplying hydrogen gas Gh to the "supply target (for example, the storage unit 20)" according to the detection result by the oxygen detection unit 8, a housing 10 that houses the "removal processing unit (in this example, a gas-liquid separation tank 3, a hollow fiber membrane filter 4, an oxygen removal filter 5, and a moisture removal filter 6)" that performs the "impurity removal process" and the oxygen detection unit 8, and solenoid valves 7a and 7b that adjust the oxygen detection processing position by the oxygen detection unit 8 and the flow rate of hydrogen gas Gh to the "supply target" according to the control unit 9, and the "removal processing unit" separates and removes moisture as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the "supply source" from the hydrogen gas Gh. The system comprises a liquid separation tank 3, a hollow fiber membrane filter 4 that separates and removes water as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the gas-liquid separation tank 3, an oxygen removal filter 5 that removes oxygen as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the hollow fiber membrane filter 4 by catalytic reaction, and a moisture removal filter 6 that adsorbs and removes water as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the oxygen removal filter 5. The system is configured such that the hydrogen gas Gh that has passed through the above detection processing position is released into the housing 10, and the hollow fiber membrane filter 4 is arranged so that the water separated from the hydrogen gas Gh can be released into the housing 10. The control unit 9 determines the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas Gh based on the detection result by the oxygen detection unit 8, and controls the solenoid valves 7a and 7b to supply high-purity hydrogen gas Gh to the "supply target" when the determined hydrogen purity reaches a predetermined supply allowable purity.

[0056] Therefore, according to the "hydrogen gas supply device," by adopting a configuration in which the oxygen contained in hydrogen gas Gh from which moisture has been removed by the "removal processing unit (gas-liquid separation tank 3, hollow fiber membrane filter 4, and moisture removal filter 6)" is detected by the oxygen detection unit 8, it is possible to avoid a situation in which hydrogen gas Gh containing a large amount of moisture flows into the oxygen detection processing position of the oxygen detection unit 8, thereby enabling accurate detection of whether or not oxygen is contained in the hydrogen gas Gh and to what extent oxygen is contained. Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which the hydrogen gas Gh from which oxygen detection by the oxygen detection unit 8 has completed, i.e., hydrogen gas Gh from which moisture has been removed by the "removal processing unit," is discharged into the housing 10 in which the hollow fiber membrane filter 4 is housed, the partial pressure of water vapor on the outside of the hollow fiber membrane in the hollow fiber membrane filter 4 can be sufficiently reduced, and the moisture contained in the hydrogen gas Gh that passes inside the hollow fiber membrane can be suitably released to the surroundings of the hollow fiber membrane (hollow fiber membrane filter 4) (the mixture of the atmosphere and hydrogen gas Gh inside the housing 10). This significantly improves the moisture removal capacity of the hollow fiber membrane filter 4, allowing for the effective removal of moisture contained in the hydrogen gas Gh, thereby preventing moisture from adhering to the oxygen removal filter 5 and maintaining the oxygen removal capacity of the oxygen removal filter 5 in an optimal state. Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which hydrogen gas Gh is supplied to the "supply target" such as the storage unit 20 when the hydrogen purity, determined based on the detection results of the oxygen detection unit 8, reaches the supply-permissible purity, the situation in which low-purity hydrogen gas Gh containing a large amount of oxygen is supplied can be reliably avoided.

[0057] Furthermore, in the hydrogen gas supply device of this hydrogen gas supply system 100, the control unit 9 performs a "purity notification process" that notifies purity information that can identify the hydrogen purity when predetermined "notification conditions" are met. Therefore, with this "hydrogen gas supply device," the user can be reliably and easily informed whether or not high-purity hydrogen gas Gh that has reached the supply-permissible purity is being supplied to the "supply target" such as the storage unit 20.

[0058] Furthermore, in the hydrogen gas supply device of this hydrogen gas supply system 100, the moisture removal filter 6 is configured to include at least activated alumina (in this example, activated alumina granules) as an adsorbent. Therefore, with this hydrogen gas supply device, not only moisture, which is the main target of removal, but also carbon dioxide contained in the hydrogen gas Gh can be suitably removed by the moisture removal filter 6. As a result, even higher purity hydrogen gas Gh can be supplied to the "supply target" such as the storage unit 20.

[0059] Furthermore, this hydrogen gas supply system 100 includes the above-mentioned "hydrogen gas supply device" and an electrolysis treatment device 2 that serves as a "supply source" for generating hydrogen gas Gh by electrolyzing raw water W. Therefore, unlike generation devices (supply sources) that generate hydrogen gas Gh by reforming fossil fuels or thermal decomposition of biomass, this hydrogen gas supply system 100 can easily generate hydrogen gas Gh using the relatively simple electrolysis treatment device 2 and supply it to "supply targets" such as the storage unit 20. As a result, the hydrogen gas supply system 100 can be made more compact, making it easier to store and transport.

[0060] Furthermore, this hydrogen gas supply system 100 includes a raw water tank 1 capable of storing raw water W, and the raw water tank 1 and the electrolysis treatment device 2 are housed within the housing 10. The system is configured such that oxygen Go generated during the production of hydrogen gas Gh in the electrolysis treatment device 2 is discharged outside the housing 10 via the raw water tank 1. Therefore, with this hydrogen gas supply system 100, oxygen Go discharged from the electrolysis treatment device 2 housed within the housing 10 can be discharged outside the housing 10 from a water inlet to the raw water tank 1, without the need to provide a dedicated exhaust port or the like. In addition, it is possible to suitably avoid a state in which the hydrogen gas Gh discharged into the housing 10 after the oxygen detection unit 8 has completed the detection of oxygen and the oxygen Go discharged from the electrolysis treatment device 2 are mixed inside the housing 10.

[0061] The configuration of the "hydrogen gas supply device" and the "hydrogen gas supply system" is not limited to the example of the configuration of the hydrogen gas supply system 100 described above.

[0062] For example, the explanation described a configuration in which a moisture removal filter 6 is provided as the "fourth removal processing unit," having two adsorption sections: one equipped with activated alumina (for example, activated alumina granules) as an adsorbent, and the other equipped with synthetic zeolite (for example, synthetic zeolite granules) as an adsorbent. However, the "fourth removal processing unit" can also be configured by providing only one of the activated alumina adsorption section and the synthetic zeolite adsorption section, or by combining one or both of the activated alumina adsorption section and the synthetic zeolite adsorption section with an adsorption section equipped with an adsorbent other than activated alumina or synthetic zeolite. In this case, by using an adsorbent other than activated alumina or synthetic zeolite that is suitable for removing the impurities to be removed, it becomes possible to supply high-purity hydrogen gas Gh from which impurities other than moisture, oxygen, and carbon dioxide have also been suitably removed.

[0063] Furthermore, although the explanation described an example in which all of the components 1 to 9 are housed and packaged within the housing 10, it is also possible to package only the other components 3 to 8 within the housing, without housing the raw water tank 1, the electrolysis processing device 2, and the control unit 9 within the housing (not shown). Also, although the explanation described an example in which a raw water tank 1 capable of storing the raw water W used during electrolysis processing by the electrolysis processing device 2 is provided, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which, instead of a "storage tank" such as the raw water tank 1, a supply pipe for "raw water" capable of generating high-purity hydrogen gas Gh is directly connected to the electrolysis processing device 2, and the "raw water" supplied through the supply pipe is electrolyzed to generate hydrogen gas Gh (not shown).

[0064] Furthermore, although we have described an example configuration in which an electrolysis processing device 2 capable of generating hydrogen gas Gh by electrolysis is provided, and impurities such as water and oxygen contained in the supplied hydrogen gas Gh are removed using this electrolysis processing device 2 as a "supply source", it is also possible to configure the system without providing an "electrolysis processing device" like the electrolysis processing device 2, by connecting an "electrolysis processing device" as an external device, or a "storage unit: hydrogen gas canister" in which the hydrogen gas Gh generated in the external device is stored, to a "removal processing unit (gas-liquid separation tank 3, hollow fiber membrane filter 4, oxygen removal filter 5, and water removal filter 6 in the hydrogen gas supply system 100) as a "supply source", and removing "impurities" such as water and oxygen contained in the hydrogen gas Gh supplied from the "supply source" in the "removal processing unit", thereby enabling the supply of high-purity hydrogen gas Gh to "supply targets" such as the storage unit 20 (not shown).

[0065] Furthermore, although the explanation described an example in which hydrogen gas Gh (hydrogen gas Gh from which various impurities have been removed by the "removal processing unit") that has passed through the moisture removal filter 6 is directly supplied to the storage unit 20 as the "target of supply," instead of such a configuration, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a "storage unit" other than the storage unit 20, which is capable of storing hydrogen gas Gh from which various impurities have been removed by the "removal processing unit," is provided as a component of the "hydrogen gas supply device" or "hydrogen gas supply system," and the hydrogen gas Gh stored in this "storage unit" is supplied to various "targets of supply (including the "storage unit" such as the storage unit 20 in the above example)" (not shown).

[0066] Furthermore, while we have explained using as an example a configuration in which a "purity notification process" is performed to display a numerical value indicating the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas Gh identified based on the detection results of the oxygen detection unit 8 on the display unit, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which, instead of such a configuration (or in addition to such a configuration), at least one of an indicator that lights up when the identified hydrogen purity reaches the supply-permissible purity and an indicator that lights up when the identified hydrogen purity does not reach the supply-permissible purity is provided, and a "purity notification process" is performed to notify the identified hydrogen purity by lighting up or extinguishing the indicators. Alternatively, a configuration can be adopted in which a notification sound is emitted according to the identified hydrogen purity, or the identified hydrogen purity is notified by voice, as part of the "purity notification process".

[0067] According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid a situation in which hydrogen gas containing a large amount of moisture flows into the oxygen detection processing position of the oxygen detection unit, and to correctly detect whether or not oxygen is contained in the hydrogen gas and to what extent it is contained. Furthermore, the partial pressure of water vapor outside the hollow fiber membrane filter in the second removal processing unit can be sufficiently reduced, and the moisture contained in the hydrogen gas passing through the inside of the hollow fiber membrane filter can be suitably released to the surroundings of the hollow fiber membrane filter (second removal processing unit) (a mixture of the atmosphere and hydrogen gas inside the housing). As a result, the moisture removal capacity is sufficiently improved, and moisture contained in the hydrogen gas can be suitably removed. At the same time, the adhesion of moisture to the third removal processing unit can be avoided, and the oxygen removal capacity can be maintained in a suitable state, thus reliably avoiding a situation in which low-purity hydrogen gas containing a large amount of oxygen is supplied. This makes it possible to widely apply this invention to hydrogen gas supply devices and hydrogen gas supply systems.

[0068] 100 Hydrogen Gas Supply System 1 Raw Water Tank 2 Electrolysis Treatment Device 3 Gas-Liquid Separation Tanks 3a, 7a, 7b Solenoid Valves 4 Hollow Fiber Membrane Filter 5 Oxygen Removal Filter 6 Moisture Removal Filter 8 Oxygen Detection Unit 9 Control Unit 10 Housing 20 Storage Unit Gh Hydrogen Gas Go Oxygen W Raw Water

Claims

1. A hydrogen gas supply device configured to supply hydrogen gas to a target after impurity removal processing, which includes a removal processing unit capable of performing impurity removal processing to remove impurities contained in hydrogen gas supplied from a supply source, the device comprising: an oxygen detection unit for detecting oxygen in the hydrogen gas after impurity removal processing; a control unit for controlling the supply mode of the hydrogen gas to the target according to the detection result by the oxygen detection unit; a housing for housing at least the removal processing unit and the oxygen detection unit; and a flow rate adjustment unit that adjusts the oxygen detection processing position by the oxygen detection unit and the flow rate of the hydrogen gas to the target according to the control of the control unit, wherein the removal processing unit comprises: a first removal processing unit having a gas-liquid separation tank for separating and removing water as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas supplied from the supply source; and a second removal processing unit having a hollow fiber membrane filter for separating and removing water as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the first removal processing unit. A hydrogen gas supply device comprising: a third removal processing unit having an oxygen removal filter that removes oxygen as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the second removal processing unit by catalytic reaction; and a fourth removal processing unit having a moisture removal filter that adsorbs and removes moisture as an impurity contained in the hydrogen gas that has passed through the third removal processing unit, wherein the hydrogen gas that has passed through the detection processing position is discharged into the housing, the second removal processing unit is provided with the hollow fiber membrane filter so that moisture separated from the hydrogen gas can be discharged into the housing, and the control unit determines the hydrogen purity of the hydrogen gas based on the detection result by the oxygen detection unit, and controls the flow rate adjustment unit to supply high-purity hydrogen gas to the target when the determined hydrogen purity reaches a predetermined supply allowable purity.

2. The hydrogen gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs a purity notification process that notifies purity information that can identify the hydrogen purity when predetermined notification conditions are met.

3. The hydrogen gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the fourth removal processing unit comprises at least activated alumina as an adsorbent and the moisture removal filter is configured accordingly.

4. A hydrogen gas supply system comprising a hydrogen gas supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and an electrolysis treatment device as the supply source that generates the hydrogen gas by electrolyzing raw water.

5. The hydrogen gas supply system according to claim 4, comprising a water storage tank capable of storing the raw water, wherein the water storage tank and the electrolysis treatment apparatus are housed within the casing, and the system is configured such that oxygen generated during the generation of hydrogen gas in the electrolysis treatment apparatus is discharged outside the casing via the water storage tank.

Images