Fuel processing system and ship comprising same

Abstract

A fuel processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a ship comprising same, comprise: a fuel supply unit which supplies fuel stored in a fuel tank to a demand side; a fuel discharge unit which drains fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit or purges the fuel supply unit to discharge the fuel along with a purging gas; a fuel neutralization unit which neutralizes the fuel by mixing a disaster prevention material with the fuel transferred from at least one of the fuel supply unit and the fuel discharge unit; and a fuel reduction unit which processes a fluid transferred from the fuel neutralization unit and reduces the concentration of fuel contained in the fluid.

Description

Fuel processing system and ship including the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel processing system and a ship including the same.

[0002] Air pollution is becoming severe worldwide and is causing climate change. Because pollutants emitted from ships have a significant impact on air quality, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the European Union, and the United States are strengthening regulations on pollutants emitted from vessels to reduce air pollution.

[0003] As regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from ships are gradually strengthened at key milestones by 2050, it is expected that it will be difficult to comply with pollution regulations using only existing engines and fuels.

[0004] Therefore, with the application of strengthened regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from ships, the use of existing fossil fuels is expected to become difficult, making it urgent to identify alternative fuels capable of meeting future stricter regulations. As alternatives, non-fossil fuels such as ammonia (NH3), biofuels, solar energy, and wind energy are currently being considered.

[0005] Among them, ammonia is a chemical that can be produced, stored, transported, and supplied, and ammonia-fueled ships are being developed.

[0006] Conventional ammonia vessels store ammonia fuel in liquid form. Since ammonia has a boiling point lower than room temperature (at atmospheric pressure, -33°C), ammonia storage tanks must meet specific specifications to store it in liquid form. Additionally, because the inside of the tank must be kept at a low temperature to maintain the ammonia in a liquid state, the storage tank must be cooled, and a significant amount of energy is consumed during this cooling process.

[0007] Furthermore, liquid ammonia storage tanks may generate evaporative gases, which can cause the internal pressure to rise and pose a risk of explosion. Additionally, if liquid ammonia leaks out of the tank, an explosion may occur, and there is a risk of casualties due to the toxicity of the ammonia.

[0008] As such, existing ammonia vessels face issues regarding the storage of liquid ammonia fuel, engine supply of ammonia fuel, and the discharge of waste ammonia, including the need to improve equipment and operating costs, and in particular, the issue of ensuring absolute safety.

[0009] The present invention was created to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide a fuel treatment system capable of safely discharging ammonia water from an ammonia wastewater tank overboard after reducing the ammonia concentration through a separation membrane, and a vessel including the same.

[0010] The problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0011] A fuel processing system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a fuel supply unit that supplies fuel stored in a fuel tank to a demand source; a fuel discharge unit that drains the fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit or purges the fuel supply unit to discharge fuel together with purging gas; a fuel neutralization unit that neutralizes fuel delivered from at least one of the fuel supply unit and the fuel discharge unit by mixing a fire prevention substance; and a fuel reduction unit that processes a fluid delivered from the fuel neutralization unit to reduce the concentration of fuel contained in the fluid.

[0012] Specifically, the fluid is a fluid containing fuel and a disaster prevention substance, and the fuel reduction unit can supply the fluid with a reduced fuel concentration to the fuel neutralization unit or discharge it into the sea.

[0013] Specifically, the fuel reduction unit comprises at least one of a membrane separation membrane and a reverse osmosis separation membrane, and can lower the concentration of fuel contained in the fluid by separating fuel from the fluid or reducing the amount of fuel through the membrane separation membrane or the reverse osmosis separation membrane.

[0014] Specifically, the fuel reduction unit can supply the fuel separated by the membrane separation unit to the fuel neutralization unit or the fuel supply unit.

[0015] Specifically, the fuel reduction unit supplies the fluid, whose fuel concentration has been lowered by the reverse osmosis membrane, to the upstream of the fuel neutralization unit or the fuel reduction unit, and the fuel neutralization unit may use the fluid with lowered fuel concentration for fuel neutralization or mix the fluid with lowered fuel concentration with a fire prevention substance and use it for fuel neutralization.

[0016] Specifically, the fuel neutralization unit comprises a scrubber that dissolves fuel by spraying a fire-fighting substance, an absorption tank provided at the bottom of the scrubber and that dissolves fuel through a fire-fighting substance stored therein, a wastewater tank that stores wastewater in which the fuel is dissolved and discharged from at least one of the scrubber and the absorption tank, and a fire-fighting substance supply line that supplies the fire-fighting substance to the scrubber and the absorption tank, and the fuel reduction unit may include a wastewater supply line connected to the wastewater tank and a discharge line that discharges the wastewater supplied from the wastewater supply line by separating the fuel or reducing the amount of fuel, thereby lowering the concentration of fuel contained in the wastewater and discharging it into the sea.

[0017] Specifically, the fuel reduction unit may further include a re-neutralization line that supplies fuel separated from the wastewater to the scrubber and the absorption tank, and a re-supply line that supplies fuel separated from the wastewater to the fuel supply unit.

[0018] Specifically, the fuel reduction unit further includes a delivery line connected to the fire prevention material supply line, and the fire prevention material supply line can supply the fluid with a reduced fuel concentration supplied through the delivery line to the scrubber and the absorption tank, or mix the fluid with a reduced amount of fuel with a fire prevention material and supply it to the scrubber and the absorption tank.

[0019] Specifically, the fuel reduction unit further includes a recirculation line that branches off from the discharge line and is connected to the wastewater supply line, and the recirculation line can cause the fluid with reduced fuel concentration to be recirculated to the fuel reduction unit through the wastewater supply line when the concentration of the fluid with reduced fuel concentration is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0020] A vessel according to one aspect of the present invention includes the fuel processing system.

[0021] The fuel treatment system according to the present invention and the vessel including the same can safely discharge ammonia water in an ammonia wastewater tank overboard after reducing the ammonia concentration through a separation membrane.

[0022] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description in the claims.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel neutralization unit in a fuel processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the 2-1 embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the second-2nd embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the second-third embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a side view of a ship according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 8 is a plan view of a ship according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of the engine room portion of a ship according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] The objects, specific advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in assigning reference numerals to the components of each drawing in this specification, identical components are assigned the same number whenever possible, even if they are shown in different drawings. Furthermore, in describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related prior art are omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention.

[0033] In the present invention, the (gas) fuel may be a substance having a boiling point lower than room temperature at atmospheric pressure and capable of being converted into energy. For example, the fuel may include, but is not limited to, toxic ammonia, liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas, ethane, etc. However, for convenience, the fuel will be described below as being limited to ammonia.

[0034] In the drawings of the present invention, straight lines represent flow paths through which various fluids, such as fuel, refrigerant, heat transfer fluid, or purging gas, move, and can be interpreted as pipelines. Furthermore, in the present invention, pressure sensors (PT), temperature sensors (TT), flow sensors (FT), etc., may be installed at appropriate locations without limitation, and the measured values ​​from each sensor may be used in various ways without limitation for the operation of the components described below.

[0035] In addition, the present invention includes a vessel equipped with a fuel processing system described below. The vessel is a concept that includes gas carriers, merchant vessels carrying various cargo or people, FSRUs, FPSOs, bunkering vessels, offshore plants, etc.

[0036] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0037]

[0038] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system (1) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel neutralization unit in a fuel processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. For reference, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 each illustrate at least a part of the components included in one embodiment as conceptual diagrams.

[0039] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a fuel processing system (1) according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit (10), a fuel supply unit (20), a fuel discharge unit (30), a fuel neutralization unit (40), etc.

[0040] The storage unit (10) stores fuel. As previously mentioned, the fuel may be a toxic fuel such as ammonia, but is not limited thereto; however, for convenience, the fuel is selected as ammonia as the toxic fuel for the following description.

[0041] The storage unit (10) can store fuel consumed by a demand source such as an engine (E) or a boiler. At this time, the engine (E) may be an ammonia-only engine (E) or an ammonia-mixed engine (E), etc. Of course, in this specification, the engine (E) is a device that obtains energy by consuming ammonia, and can encompass turbines, fuel cells, etc.

[0042] The storage unit (10) includes a fuel tank (11), and the fuel tank (11) can store fuel in a liquid state. The fuel is a substance with a boiling point below room temperature and can be liquefied at low temperature, and the storage unit (10) may have insulation applied to at least one side, either inside or outside, to store the fuel in a liquid state. Alternatively, the fuel tank (11) can prevent the fuel from vaporizing by storing the fuel at high pressure. In this case, due to the pressure of the fuel tank (11), the pressurizing means of the fuel supply unit (20), which will be described later, may be reduced or omitted.

[0043] The fuel tank (11) may be provided to form a cargo hold inside the ship. Alternatively, the fuel tank (11) may be an independent tank provided separately inside the ship or on the deck. One or more such fuel tanks (11) may be provided, and if multiple fuel tanks (11) are provided, fuel may be consumed selectively or simultaneously. That is, the fuel tank (11) may be of type A, type B, or type C, and in addition to these independent tanks, the fuel tank (11) may also be provided as a membrane tank.

[0044] A fuel pump (not shown in the symbol) may be provided inside the fuel tank (11). Of course, the fuel pump may also be provided outside the fuel tank (11), and may be provided both inside and outside the fuel tank (11). The fuel pump can transfer fuel stored in the fuel tank (11) to the fuel supply unit (20).

[0045] Fuel can be supplied to the fuel tank (11) from the bunkering unit (12). The bunkering unit (12) includes a manifold, a loading arm, etc., provided on the deck of the hull, and through this, can receive fuel from the outside and load fuel into the fuel tank (11).

[0046] A loading line (L10) may be provided from the bunkering section (12) to the fuel tank (11), and the loading line (L10) may be insulated to prevent the vaporization of liquid fuel flowing into the fuel tank (11).

[0047] The fuel tank (11) may be a cargo tank mounted in the cargo area of ​​the hull, or a tank provided separately from the cargo tank. In the latter case, the bunkering unit (12) may transfer fuel from the cargo tank to the fuel tank (11). Additionally, if necessary, the bunkering unit (12) may return fuel from the fuel tank (11) to the cargo tank.

[0048] The fuel supply unit (20) supplies fuel stored in the storage unit (10) to a demand location. The fuel supply unit (20) can supply at least liquid fuel among the fuel stored in the fuel tank (11) to the engine (E), etc. In particular, the fuel supply unit (20) can supply fuel in liquid form to the engine (E), and the fuel supply unit (20) can adjust the state of the supplied fuel in various ways in response to changes in the specifications of the engine (E), etc.

[0049] The fuel supply unit (20) includes a supply heat exchanger (21), a supply pump (22), a filter unit (23), and a return heat exchanger. The supply heat exchanger (21) can heat or cool the fuel so that the temperature of the fuel discharged from the fuel tank (11) corresponds to the temperature required by the engine (E), etc.

[0050] The supply heat exchanger (21) may be provided between the fuel pump and the supply pump (22) to be described later, and the heating / cooling of the supply heat exchanger (21) may be controlled in consideration of the fact that some temperature increase occurs when the fuel is pressurized by the supply pump (22).

[0051] The supply pump (22) pressurizes the fuel discharged from the fuel tank (11) by the fuel pump. The supply pump (22) can pressurize the fuel to correspond to the required pressure of the engine (E). The supply pump (22) may be provided downstream of the supply heat exchanger (21) and may receive fuel having a temperature above the boiling point. However, as the fuel is sufficiently pressurized by the fuel pump, it may not vaporize even if heated in the supply heat exchanger (21). Therefore, the supply pump (22) can receive liquid fuel from the supply heat exchanger (21), pressurize it, and then supply it to the engine (E).

[0052] Of course, the arrangement of the supply pump (22) may differ from the previous case. The supply pump (22) may be provided upstream of the supply heat exchanger (21). Alternatively, it is possible to provide the supply pump (22) upstream and downstream of the supply heat exchanger (21), respectively.

[0053] The filter section (23) is provided downstream of the supply pump (22) and can filter out foreign substances contained in the fuel. At this time, foreign substances may refer to all substances that may affect the operation of the engine (E), and furthermore, may include all substances other than fuel in the fluid supplied to the engine (E).

[0054] A fuel supply line (L20) extends from a fuel pump provided within a fuel tank (11), and a supply heat exchanger (21), a supply pump (22), a filter section (23), etc. may be provided on the fuel supply line (L20). Accordingly, fuel is discharged from the fuel tank (11) while being pressurized by the fuel pump, then heated in the supply heat exchanger (21), pressurized in the supply pump (22), and then supplied in liquid form to the engine (E).

[0055] The engine (E) can burn some of the fuel supplied by the fuel supply line (L20), and excess fuel is generated. The excess fuel is fuel that has been supplied to the engine (E) but has not been burned in the engine (E), and may contain lubricating oil used in the engine (E) as it passes through at least a part of the engine (E).

[0056] Excess fuel is recovered from the engine (E) to the fuel supply unit (20). Fuel is introduced into the engine (E) through the fuel supply line (L20), and excess fuel can be recovered through the fuel recovery line (L21) extending from the engine (E) to the fuel supply unit (20).

[0057] The fuel recovery line (L21) can be connected to the fuel supply line (L20). Since the fuel flowing in through the fuel recovery line (L21) is mixed with lubricating oil, it may not be delivered to the fuel tank (11) but may be recirculated to the engine (E). The fuel recovery line (L21) can be connected upstream of the supply pump (22) from the fuel supply line (L20).

[0058] A recovery heat exchanger (24) may be provided in the fuel recovery line (L21). The recovery heat exchanger (24) can cool the fuel heated while passing through the engine (E) to a temperature suitable for supply to the supply pump (22). That is, the recovery heat exchanger (24) may be a cooler and may share a medium with the supply heat exchanger (21).

[0059] A supply valve train (SVT) may be provided upstream of the engine (E) in the fuel supply line (L20), and a return valve train (RVT) may be provided downstream of the engine (E) in the fuel recovery line (L21). The supply valve train and the return valve train may be combined and referred to as a fuel valve train (FVT).

[0060] The fuel discharge unit (30) discharges fuel between the storage unit (10) and the engine (E). The fuel discharge unit (30) can drain fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit (20), etc., or purge the fuel supply unit (20), etc., and discharge fuel along with purging gas. That is, the fuel discharge unit (30) can perform functions such as draining and purging.

[0061] The fuel discharge unit (30) can discharge fuel while the engine (E) is stopped, or can process fuel discharged from the storage unit (10) or fuel supply unit (20) to relieve overpressure.

[0062] The fuel discharge unit (30) may include an inert gas supply unit (31), a recovered fuel discharge unit (32), and a residual fuel discharge unit (33). The inert gas supply unit (31) may supply inert gas to the fuel supply line (L20) of the fuel supply unit (20) to forcibly discharge fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit (20) or the engine (E), etc.

[0063] The inert gas supply unit (31) can supply nitrogen or inert gas, etc., and can be connected to one or more points in the fuel supply unit (20). The inert gas supply unit (31) can be connected to the downstream side of the supply pump (22) in the fuel supply line (L20). In addition, the inert gas supply unit (31) can also be added to the loading line (L10) between the bunkering unit (12) and the fuel tank (11).

[0064] The recovered fuel discharge unit (32) can recover fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit (20) when fuel supply by the fuel supply unit (20) is interrupted due to reasons such as the engine (E) stopping. The recovered fuel discharge unit (32) can recover residual fuel from the fuel supply line (L20) and the fuel recovery line (L21), and recovers fuel together with inert gas.

[0065] The recovered fuel discharge section (32) includes a separator (321), a buffer tank (322), etc. The separator (321) can be branched from the fuel recovery line (L21). A recovered fuel discharge line (L31) can be branched from the fuel recovery line (L21), and the recovered fuel discharge line (L31) can be connected to the fuel neutralization section (40) after passing through the separator (321) and the buffer tank (322), etc.

[0066] When inert gas is supplied downstream of the supply pump (22) from the fuel supply line (L20), fuel remaining in part of the fuel supply line (L20), inside the engine (E), and in the fuel recovery line (L21) can be introduced into the separator (321) along with the inert gas. The separator (321) may be provided as a pressurized type and can store inert gas and fuel, etc., at a constant pressure above atmospheric pressure.

[0067] The separator (321) can function as a gas-liquid separator, and the inert gas can be discharged as a gas and the fuel can be discharged as a liquid. The liquid discharged from the separator (321) can be transferred to the fuel recovery line (L21) or the fuel supply line (L20). The liquid transferred from the separator (321) to the fuel recovery line (L21) can be joined upstream of the recovery heat exchanger (24). At this time, the liquid transferred from the separator (321) to the fuel recovery line (L21) may contain lubricating oil mixed from the engine (E).

[0068] On the other hand, the inert gas separated from the separator (321) can be discharged into the atmosphere or transferred to the fuel tank (11). The internal pressure of the fuel tank (11) may increase slightly as the inert gas is injected, and depending on the type, the fuel tank (11) may withstand the internal pressure without discharging the gaseous gas, or discharge the gaseous gas to the re-liquefaction section or to the outside.

[0069] A buffer tank (322) may be provided downstream of the separator (321). The buffer tank (322) may be used as a gas-liquid separator, just like the separator (321). However, since the separator (321) has primarily separated inert gas, fuel, and lubricating oil, the buffer tank (322) may not recover the liquid to the fuel supply unit (20). Inert gas and fuel may be introduced into the buffer tank (322), and the buffer tank (322) may transfer inert gas to the fuel tank (11), etc., and transfer fuel, etc. to the fuel neutralization unit (40).

[0070] The residual fuel discharge unit (33) can recover residual fuel remaining in the engine (E) when the engine (E) is stopped. Both the recovered fuel discharge unit (32) and the residual fuel discharge unit (33) recover fuel remaining in the engine (E), but they can be used at different times. For example, the recovered fuel discharge unit (32) can recover fuel when the engine (E) is stopped normally, and the residual fuel discharge unit (33) can recover fuel when the engine (E) is stopped in an emergency.

[0071] The residual fuel discharge unit (33) can recover fuel remaining in the engine (E) through the residual fuel discharge line (L30) branched from the fuel recovery line (L21). The residual fuel discharge unit (33) may include a knockout drum (331). When inert gas is injected upstream of the engine (E) from the fuel supply line (L20), the knockout drum (331) can recover the inert gas passing through the engine (E) along with the residual fuel of the engine (E).

[0072] The knockout drum (331) can implement a gas-liquid separator function similar to the separator (321), etc. The knockout drum (331) can separate the lubricating oil used in the engine (E), and the lubricating oil can be reintroduced into the engine (E) through the fuel supply unit (20), etc. Additionally, the knockout drum (331) can separate inert gas and fuel, and the inert gas, etc. can be delivered to the fuel tank (11).

[0073] Fuel separated from the knockout drum (331) can be transferred to the fuel neutralization unit (40). The fuel connected from the recovered fuel discharge unit (32) to the fuel neutralization unit (40) and the fuel connected from the residual fuel discharge unit (33) to the fuel neutralization unit (40) can be handled and processed differently.

[0074] The fuel neutralization unit (40) neutralizes toxic fuel. The fuel neutralization unit (40) can dilute or remove toxicity by supplying a fire prevention substance (e.g., a neutralizing agent) to the toxic fuel. Since the fuel is a toxic substance, it cannot be released directly into the atmosphere and can only be released within a certain concentration standard (e.g., 25 ppm). Therefore, the fuel neutralization unit (40) can mix water or seawater, which is a fire prevention substance, with the fuel to allow for the atmospheric release of the fuel.

[0075] The fuel neutralization unit (40) can limit the release of fuel so that fuel below a certain concentration standard is released into the atmosphere, and can also store wastewater mixed with fuel and fire prevention substances. In this case, the wastewater can be unloaded and treated when the ship is anchored on land or in a port. Hereinafter, the term "wastewater" in this specification refers to a substance mixed with fuel and fire prevention substances, and the wastewater may be, for example, ammonia water.

[0076] The fuel neutralization unit (40) includes a scrubber (41), an absorption tank (42), and a wastewater tank (43). The scrubber (41) supplies a fire-fighting agent to the fuel so that the fuel dissolves in the fire-fighting agent. In the case where the fuel is ammonia, considering that ammonia has the property of easily dissolving in water, the scrubber (41) may supply seawater or water. When using seawater as the fire-fighting agent, the scrubber (41) may be made of a corrosion-resistant material, or water may be used to eliminate the possibility of corrosion.

[0077] Fuel discharged from the fuel supply unit (20), etc., can be introduced into the scrubber (41). A fire prevention material supply line (L41) is connected to the scrubber (41), and the fire prevention material supply line (L41) can be connected to the upper part of the scrubber (41). Water, which is a fire prevention material, can be sprayed from the upper part of the scrubber (41), and fuel can be introduced from the lower part. The fuel introduced into the scrubber (41) can dissolve in the water sprayed from the upper part to produce ammonia water.

[0078] The water supplied to the scrubber (41) may be fire-fighting water provided on the ship, or water provided in the ship's fresh water tank, etc. That is, the fire-fighting material supplied to the scrubber (41) may be water used for other purposes on the ship.

[0079] Fuel delivered from the fuel supply unit (20) or fuel discharge unit (30), etc. may be introduced into the scrubber (41). One or more scrubbers (41) may be provided, and if multiple scrubbers (41) are provided, gas delivered from the recovered fuel discharge unit (32) may be introduced into one scrubber (41a), and gas delivered from the residual fuel discharge unit (33) may be introduced into another scrubber (41b).

[0080] An absorption tank (42) may be provided in at least one scrubber (41b). The absorption tank (42) may be provided at the bottom of the scrubber (41b). The absorption tank (42) may store a fire protection substance at a certain level, and fuel may flow into the absorption tank (42) or above the fire protection substance. A separate fire protection substance supply line (not shown in the symbol) may be provided inside the absorption tank (42), and a fire protection substance such as water may be filled into the absorption tank (42) at a certain level. At this time, the level of the fire protection substance may be managed to an appropriate level by a sensor, etc., provided in the absorption tank (42).

[0081] At least one scrubber (41b) can be configured so that fuel flowing into it dissolves in water sprayed from the top to produce ammonia water, which is then stored in an absorption tank (42). The ammonia water stored in the absorption tank (42) can be recirculated back to the scrubber (41b) to lower the ammonia concentration of the ammonia water.

[0082] Additionally, the absorption tank (42) can be connected to the wastewater tank (43). The ammonia water stored in the absorption tank (42) can be introduced into the wastewater tank (43). The ammonia water stored in the wastewater tank (43) can also be introduced back into the absorption tank (42) and configured to lower the ammonia concentration through the scrubber (41b).

[0083] The liquid level of the absorption tank (42) is monitored in real time by means of a level switch (LS), etc., and the liquid stored in the absorption tank (42) can be transferred to the wastewater tank (43) according to the liquid level. A wastewater transfer line (L40) may be provided between the absorption tank (42) and the wastewater tank (43), and a wastewater transfer valve (421) may be provided in the wastewater transfer line (L40). The wastewater transfer valve (421) may be opened or closed or its opening degree may be adjusted according to the liquid level of the absorption tank (42).

[0084] However, the other scrubber (41a) may be connected to the wastewater tank without passing through the absorption tank (42). That is, a wastewater transfer line (L40) may be provided from at least two scrubbers (41a, 41b) toward the wastewater tank (43), and the wastewater transfer line (L40) may pass through the absorption tank (42) on one side. The ammonia water generated from the fuel introduced into the other scrubber (41a) may be introduced into the absorption tank (42) or the wastewater tank (43). If the ammonia concentration of the ammonia water generated from the fuel introduced into the other scrubber (41a) is high, it may be configured to be recirculated back to one of the scrubbers (41b) to lower the ammonia concentration.

[0085] The wastewater tank (43) stores wastewater. The wastewater tank (43) can receive wastewater delivered from the scrubber (41). The wastewater tank (43) may store wastewater to a certain level, and at least a portion of the fuel contained in the wastewater may be vaporized within the wastewater tank (43). In this case, the gaseous fuel vaporized in the wastewater tank (43) may be circulated to the scrubber (41) or the absorption tank (42).

[0086] A gas circulation line (L42) may be provided between the wastewater tank (43) and the absorption tank (42). Fuel that is dissolved by a fire-fighting agent in the scrubber (41) or the absorption tank (42) and then separated again in the wastewater tank (43) may be recirculated into the absorption tank (42) and dissolved again by a fire-fighting agent. Therefore, the concentration of fuel in the wastewater tank (43) can be controlled within a certain level.

[0087] Some of the fuel vaporized in the wastewater tank (43) can be discharged into the atmosphere through the vent mast (44). A vent line (L43) is connected from the wastewater tank (43) to the vent mast (44), and the fuel flowing along the vent line (L43) can be controlled so that its concentration does not exceed the concentration regulated by environmental regulations. At this time, control can be achieved by controlling the concentration inside the wastewater tank (43) and controlling the flow rate discharged from the vent line (L43). If the volume of the wastewater tank (43) is sufficiently large, a separate fire prevention substance may be supplied to the wastewater tank (43) in addition to the wastewater delivered from the scrubber (41) or the absorption tank (42). Through this, the concentration of fuel in the gas vaporized within the wastewater tank (43) can be controlled.

[0088] The wastewater tank (43) can be provided by utilizing a tank already provided in the hull. For example, the wastewater tank (43) can be composed of at least one of the bow peak tank, stern peak tank, or ballast tank provided in the hull.

[0089] Meanwhile, a ship according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, and may be a ship in which the fuel consumed by a demand source such as an engine (E) or a boiler is ammonia.

[0090]

[0091] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, a fuel processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a ship including the same will be described. The fuel processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel processing system according to the second-1 embodiment, a fuel processing system according to the second-2 embodiment, and a fuel processing system according to the second-3 embodiment.

[0092] The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the preceding embodiment, and any parts omitted from the description will be replaced by the preceding content. It should be noted that this applies to other embodiments as well.

[0093] For reference, the fuel processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention of FIGS. 3 to 5 may correspond to or be connected to at least a part of the components included in the first embodiment of the present invention described in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0094] In addition, as previously mentioned, the fuel used in the fuel treatment system according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be a toxic fuel such as ammonia, but is not limited thereto; however, for convenience, the fuel is selected as ammonia as the toxic fuel for the following description.

[0095] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the 2-1 embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 3, the fuel treatment system (1) according to the second-1st embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel supply unit (20), a fuel discharge unit (30), a fuel neutralization unit (40), and a fuel reduction unit (100).

[0097] The fuel supply unit (20) can supply fuel stored in the fuel tank (11) to a demand location.

[0098] The fuel discharge unit (30) can drain the fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit (20) or purge the fuel supply unit (20) to discharge the fuel along with the purge gas.

[0099] The fuel neutralization unit (40) can neutralize fuel delivered from at least one of the fuel supply unit (20) and the fuel discharge unit (30) by mixing a fire prevention substance.

[0100] The fuel reduction unit (100) can process the fluid delivered from the fuel neutralization unit (40) to reduce the concentration of fuel contained in the fluid. The fluid may be a fluid containing fuel and a fire prevention substance.

[0101] The fuel reduction unit (100) can supply the fluid with reduced fuel concentration to the fuel neutralization unit (40) or discharge it into the sea.

[0102] The fuel reduction unit (100) may include at least one of a membrane separation membrane and a reverse osmosis separation membrane. The fuel treatment system (1) according to the second-1 embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 3 is described by selecting that the fuel reduction unit (100) is a membrane separation membrane.

[0103] A membrane separation device is a thin membrane based on a polymer material or ceramic that selectively permeates only specific molecules or ions, and can separate ammonia (NH3 or NH4+) in ammonia water by distinguishing it from other components such as water and utilizing differences in physical or chemical properties.

[0104] Membrane separation membranes can be designed with permeability and selectivity as key performance factors, taking into account the size, polarity, and charge state of ammonia, and can provide continuous, energy-efficient separation performance without separate chemical reactions.

[0105] Gas separation membranes, ion exchange membranes, and nanofiltration membranes are used for ammonia removal, and since they become NH3 or NH4+ depending on the pH, gas permeable or ion-selective membranes can be selected.

[0106] The fuel reduction unit (100) can reduce the concentration of fuel contained in the fluid by separating fuel from the fluid through a membrane separation membrane or by reducing the amount of fuel.

[0107] The fuel reduction unit (100) can supply fuel separated by a membrane separation unit to the fuel neutralization unit (40) or the fuel supply unit (20).

[0108] That is, the fuel reduction unit (100) can lower the ammonia concentration of the ammonia water by separating ammonia from the ammonia water through a membrane separation membrane, and can discharge the ammonia water with lowered ammonia concentration into the sea.

[0109] At this time, the separated ammonia can be transferred back to the fuel neutralization unit (40) to be neutralized again by a fire prevention substance, or supplied to the fuel supply unit (20) to be reused as fuel.

[0110] Below, the detailed configuration of the fuel neutralization unit (40) and the fuel reduction unit (100) is described.

[0111] The fuel neutralization unit (40) includes a scrubber (41), an absorption tank (42), a wastewater tank (43), and a disaster prevention material supply line (L41).

[0112] The scrubber (41) can dissolve the fuel by spraying a fire prevention substance. The scrubber (41) can be provided in the recovered fuel discharge section (32) and the residual fuel discharge section (33), respectively.

[0113] The absorption tank (42) is provided at the bottom of the scrubber (41) and can dissolve fuel using a fire prevention substance stored inside. The absorption tank (42) can be provided on the side of the residual fuel discharge section (33).

[0114] The wastewater tank (43) can store wastewater in which fuel is dissolved and discharged from at least one of the scrubber (41) and the absorption tank (42).

[0115] The fire prevention material supply line (L41) can supply fire prevention material to the scrubber (41) and the absorption tank (42).

[0116] The fuel reduction unit (100) may include a wastewater supply line (L110) and a discharge line (L120).

[0117] The fuel reduction unit (100) can reduce the concentration of fuel contained in wastewater by separating fuel from wastewater supplied from the wastewater supply line (L110) or by reducing the amount of fuel.

[0118] The fuel reduction unit (100) can discharge wastewater with reduced fuel concentration into the sea through the discharge line (L120).

[0119] The fuel reduction unit (100) may further include a re-neutralization line (L130) and a re-supply line (L135).

[0120] The fuel reduction unit (100) can supply fuel separated from wastewater through the re-neutralization line (L130) to the scrubber (41) and absorption tank (42).

[0121] The fuel reduction unit (100) can resupply fuel separated from wastewater to the fuel supply unit (20) through the resupply line (L135).

[0122] That is, the fuel reduction unit (100) can safely discharge ammonia water with ammonia concentration lowered below the specified concentration by lowering the ammonia concentration of the ammonia water in the wastewater tank (43) through a membrane separation membrane.

[0123] The fuel reduction unit (100) can supply the ammonia fuel separated through the membrane separation unit back to the scrubber (41) or absorption tank (42) to neutralize it, or supply it to the fuel supply unit (20) to recycle it.

[0124] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the second-2nd embodiment of the present invention.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 4, the fuel treatment system (1) according to the second-2nd embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel supply unit (20), a fuel discharge unit (30), a fuel neutralization unit (40), and a fuel reduction unit (100).

[0126] The fuel supply unit (20) can supply fuel stored in the fuel tank (11) to a demand location.

[0127] The fuel discharge unit (30) can drain the fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit (20) or purge the fuel supply unit (20) to discharge the fuel along with the purge gas.

[0128] The fuel neutralization unit (40) can neutralize fuel delivered from at least one of the fuel supply unit (20) and the fuel discharge unit (30) by mixing a fire prevention substance.

[0129] The fuel reduction unit (100) can process the fluid delivered from the fuel neutralization unit (40) to reduce the concentration of fuel contained in the fluid. The fluid may be a fluid containing fuel and a fire prevention substance.

[0130] The fuel reduction unit (100) can supply the fluid with reduced fuel concentration to the fuel neutralization unit (40) or discharge it into the sea.

[0131] The fuel reduction unit (100) may include at least one of a membrane separation film and a reverse osmosis separation film. The fuel treatment system (1) according to the second-2nd embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 4 is described by selecting that the fuel reduction unit (100) is a reverse osmosis separation film.

[0132] A reverse osmosis membrane is a semipermeable polymer membrane with very fine pores (about 0.0001 μm) that allows water molecules (H₂O) to pass through while blocking most solutes (ions, organic matter, microorganisms, etc.). It is usually made of polyamide and can be used to separate pure water from a high-concentration solution by reversing the osmotic pressure through the application of high external pressure.

[0133] At this time, ammonia exists in the form of NH4+ (ammonium ion) and NH3 (non-ionic molecule), but the ratio may vary depending on the pH. Reverse osmosis membranes mainly block ammonia in the ionic (NH4+) state, and since NH4+ has a large hydration radius and carries a charge, it can be effectively blocked by the charge repulsion of the membrane and pore size filtering.

[0134] On the other hand, since NH3 has a small molecular weight and is non-ionic, it may be partially permeated depending on the selectivity of the membrane, but under conditions where the proportion of non-ionic ammonia is low (pH 7 or lower), most of the ammonia exists in the form of NH4+, so the separation efficiency can be increased.

[0135] The fuel reduction unit (100) can reduce the concentration of fuel contained in the fluid by separating fuel from the fluid through a reverse osmosis membrane or by reducing the amount of fuel.

[0136] The fuel reduction unit (100) can supply the fluid, whose fuel concentration has been lowered by a reverse osmosis membrane, to the upstream of the fuel neutralization unit (40) or the fuel reduction unit (100).

[0137] The fuel neutralization unit (40) can use the fluid with reduced fuel concentration for fuel neutralization, or mix the fluid with reduced fuel concentration with a fire prevention substance for fuel neutralization.

[0138] That is, the fuel reduction unit (100) can lower the ammonia concentration of the ammonia water by separating ammonia from the ammonia water through a reverse osmosis membrane, and can discharge the ammonia water with lowered ammonia concentration into the sea.

[0139] At this time, the ammonia water with a reduced ammonia concentration can be returned to the fuel neutralization unit (40) and used to neutralize the ammonia water by using it as a substitute for a fire prevention substance, or it can be used to neutralize the ammonia water by mixing it with other fire prevention substances.

[0140] Below, the detailed configuration of the fuel neutralization unit (40) and the fuel reduction unit (100) is described.

[0141] The fuel neutralization unit (40) includes a scrubber (41), an absorption tank (42), a wastewater tank (43), and a disaster prevention material supply line (L41).

[0142] The scrubber (41) can dissolve the fuel by spraying a fire prevention substance. The scrubber (41) can be provided in the recovered fuel discharge section (32) and the residual fuel discharge section (33), respectively.

[0143] The absorption tank (42) is provided at the bottom of the scrubber (41) and can dissolve fuel using a fire prevention substance stored inside. The absorption tank (42) can be provided on the side of the residual fuel discharge section (33).

[0144] The wastewater tank (43) can store wastewater in which fuel is dissolved and discharged from at least one of the scrubber (41) and the absorption tank (42).

[0145] The fire prevention material supply line (L41) can supply fire prevention material to the scrubber (41) and the absorption tank (42).

[0146] The fuel reduction unit (100) may include a wastewater supply line (L110) and a discharge line (L120).

[0147] The fuel reduction unit (100) can reduce the concentration of fuel contained in wastewater by separating fuel from wastewater supplied from the wastewater supply line (L110) or by reducing the amount of fuel.

[0148] The fuel reduction unit (100) can discharge wastewater with reduced fuel concentration into the sea through the discharge line (L120).

[0149] The fuel reduction unit (100) may further include a delivery line (L140) and a recirculation line (L145).

[0150] The fuel reduction unit (100) can supply a fluid with a reduced fuel concentration supplied through a delivery line (L140) connected to a material supply line to a scrubber (41) and an absorption tank (42), or mix a fluid with a reduced amount of fuel with a fire prevention material and supply it to a scrubber (41) and an absorption tank (42).

[0151] The fuel reduction unit (100) can allow the fuel-reduced fluid to be recirculated to the fuel reduction unit (100) when the concentration of the fuel-reduced fluid is greater than or equal to a predetermined value through a recirculation line that branches off from the discharge line (L120) and is connected to the wastewater supply line (L110).

[0152] That is, the fuel reduction unit (100) can safely discharge ammonia water with a reduced ammonia concentration below the specified concentration by lowering the ammonia concentration of the ammonia water in the wastewater tank (43) through a reverse osmosis membrane.

[0153] The fuel reduction unit (100) can supply ammonia water or water with a reduced ammonia concentration through a reverse osmosis membrane to the fire prevention material supply line (L41) to use as a fire prevention material or mixed with a fire prevention material, or supply it back to the fuel reduction unit (100) to reduce the ammonia concentration.

[0154] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to the second-third embodiment of the present invention.

[0155] Referring to FIG. 5, the fuel treatment system (1) according to the second-third embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel supply unit (20), a fuel discharge unit (30), a fuel neutralization unit (40), and a fuel reduction unit (100).

[0156] The fuel processing system (1) according to the second-third embodiment of the present invention may be a combination of at least a part of the fuel processing system (1) according to the second-first embodiment and the second-second embodiment.

[0157] That is, in the fuel treatment system (1) according to the second and third embodiments of the present invention, the fuel reduction unit (100) may include both a membrane separation membrane and a reverse osmosis separation membrane.

[0158] Accordingly, the fuel reduction unit (100) includes a wastewater supply line (L110) and a discharge line (L120), and may further include a delivery line (L140), a recirculation line (L145), a re-neutralization line (L130), and a re-supply line (L135).

[0159] The detailed configuration of the fuel supply unit (20), fuel discharge unit (30), fuel neutralization unit (40), and fuel reduction unit (100), as well as the wastewater supply line (L110), discharge line (L120), transfer line (L140), recirculation line (L145), re-neutralization line (L130), and re-supply line (L135), is as described above.

[0160] Meanwhile, a vessel according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel processing system according to the second-1 to second-3 embodiments of the present invention described in FIGS. 3 to 5, and may be a vessel in which the fuel consumed by a demand source such as an engine (E) or a boiler is ammonia.

[0161]

[0162] In the following, with reference to FIG. 6, a fuel processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention and a vessel including the same will be described. The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the previous embodiments, and any parts omitted from the description will be replaced by the previous content. It should be noted that this applies to other embodiments as well.

[0163] For reference, the fuel processing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 6 may correspond to or be connected to at least a part of the components included in the first embodiment of the present invention described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0164] In addition, as previously mentioned, the fuel used in the fuel treatment system according to the third embodiment of the present invention may be a toxic fuel such as ammonia, but is not limited thereto; however, for convenience, the fuel is selected as ammonia as the toxic fuel for the following description.

[0165] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of a fuel processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0166] Referring to FIG. 6, a fuel processing system (1) according to a third embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel supply unit (20), a fuel discharge unit (30), and a purging control unit (not shown).

[0167] The fuel supply unit (20) can supply fuel stored in the fuel tank (11) to a demand location.

[0168] The fuel discharge unit (30) includes a recovery fuel discharge unit (32) that drains the fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit (20) and a residual fuel discharge unit (33) that recovers the residual fuel remaining at the demand location.

[0169] The purging control unit can control purging for the fuel supply unit (20) and the demand location.

[0170] The purging control unit can discharge purging gas using the recovered fuel discharge unit (32) and then discharge purging gas using the residual fuel discharge unit (33).

[0171] The fuel processing system (1) according to the third embodiment of the present invention relates to a technology for efficiently configuring a purging path during a normal stop or emergency stop of the main engine (E) in an ammonia-propelled vessel using ammonia as fuel.

[0172] In conventional fuel processing systems (1), the purging paths were different during normal shutdown and emergency shutdown, and especially after the emergency shutdown, about 70% of the total ammonia vaporized and needed to be processed by an ammonia processing system. Accordingly, the capacity of the ammonia processing system had to be calculated based on the emergency shutdown situation, which led to the problem of over-designing the system.

[0173] In addition, the engine manufacturer requires that ammonia in the engine (E) and fuel lines be vented in a vaporized state as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency stop, because if the pressure in the sealing oil system drops during a main engine (e) blackout, there is a possibility that ammonia will flow back along the fuel lines and leak to the outside through the sealing oil.

[0174] Therefore, if rapid purging is not performed in the fuel processing system (1) during an emergency, the sealing oil pressure may continue to drop, and a problem may arise in which there is a potential risk that ammonia may pass through the sealed section and be released to the outside.

[0175] The fuel treatment system (1) according to the third embodiment of the present invention is configured to solve the above problems by first setting the ammonia purging path to the recovered fuel discharge line on the separator (321) side and then secondarily setting it to the residual fuel discharge line (L32) on the knockout drum (331) side to perform purging repeatedly, thereby improving purging efficiency and simultaneously ensuring the stability and economic efficiency of the system.

[0176] That is, in the event of an emergency stop of the conventional main engine (E), purging gas is discharged using only the residual fuel discharge unit (33), but the fuel treatment system (1) according to the third embodiment of the present invention can perform purging work quickly by discharging purging gas using the recovered fuel discharge unit (32) and then discharging purging gas using the residual fuel discharge unit (33).

[0177] The recovered fuel discharge unit (32) can drain the fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit (20) through a first discharge line connected to a demand source.

[0178] The residual fuel discharge section (33) can recover residual fuel remaining at the point of demand through a second discharge line branched off from the upstream of the first discharge line.

[0179] The purging control unit can repeatedly discharge purging gas from the first discharge line, and can alternately discharge purging gas to the first discharge line and the second discharge line.

[0180] A fuel processing system (1) according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes an inert gas supply unit (31).

[0181] The inert gas supply unit (31) is connected to at least one point in the fuel supply unit (20) and can supply purging gas to the demand location.

[0182] The purging gas may be an inert gas containing nitrogen or inert gas. However, for convenience, the following description will assume that the purging gas is nitrogen.

[0183] The discharge path of the purging gas can be formed along the thick line starting from the inert gas supply unit (31) in FIG. 6.

[0184] The first discharge line is a line connected from the main engine (E) to the fuel neutralization unit (40) along the fuel recovery line and the recovered fuel discharge line, and the second discharge line is a line connected to the fuel neutralization unit (40) along the residual fuel discharge line (L32) branching upstream of the first discharge line.

[0185] The purging control unit discharges purging gas to the first discharge line during a normal stop situation at the point of demand, and can alternately discharge purging gas to the first discharge line and the second discharge line during an emergency stop situation at the point of demand.

[0186] Specifically, the purging process after the emergency shutdown of the main engine (E) can be performed in two stages. First, in the first purging, most of the ammonia fuel is removed through the separator (321) as in the normal shutdown, and mainly liquid ammonia is removed, and the main fluid remaining in the fuel line can be discharged intensively.

[0187] Subsequently, in the second purging, the vaporized ammonia (Vapor) and a small amount of residual liquid ammonia remaining after the first purging can be directly discharged into the knockout drum (331). The number of purging cycles was determined based on the operating experience of the methanol-based dual-fuel system, and past cases showed that most of the liquid fuel is effectively removed when purging is performed three or more times for each line.

[0188] Accordingly, the purging control unit can alternately discharge purging gas to the first discharge line and the second discharge line when discharging the initial 6 purging gas cycles in an emergency stop situation at the point of demand, and can repeatedly discharge purging gas only to the second discharge line when discharging purging gas after the initial 6 cycles.

[0189] Below, the detailed configuration of the first discharge line and the second discharge line is described.

[0190] The fuel processing system (1) according to the third embodiment of the present invention may further include a fuel neutralization unit (40).

[0191] The fuel neutralization unit (40) can neutralize fuel delivered from at least one of the first discharge line and the second discharge line by mixing a fire prevention substance.

[0192] The first discharge line may include a separator (321) (N₂ Separator) and a buffer tank (322) (Buffer Tank).

[0193] The first discharge line can be sequentially connected to the main engine (E), separator (321), buffer tank (322), and fuel neutralization unit (40).

[0194] The separator (321) can be injected with nitrogen purging gas and flow along the ammonia fuel line to push out residual ammonia fuel (liquid and some gaseous).

[0195] The buffer tank (322) temporarily stores the ammonia mixed gas (purging gas + ammonia) that is pushed out from the separator (321) during the purging process, and the ammonia mixed gas can then be transferred to a subsequent process (processing or recovery).

[0196] The first discharge line is primarily operated during the initial phase of purging or normal shutdown, and can push out liquid and gaseous ammonia remaining in the ammonia fuel line with nitrogen purging gas.

[0197] The separator (321) supplies high-pressure nitrogen to advance residual ammonia in the fuel pipe, and the ammonia mixture pushed out with the purging gas can be temporarily stored in the buffer tank (322). This is to disperse the gas load that occurs instantaneously during the purging process and to keep the ammonia in a recoverable state.

[0198] The first discharge line can buffer and store the mixed gas without directly increasing the load of the ammonia treatment system (ATS), which can contribute to reducing the overall system capacity.

[0199] The second discharge line may include a knock-out drum (331) and a recovery tank (332).

[0200] The second discharge line can be sequentially connected to an upstream point adjacent to the main engine (E) in the first discharge line, a knockout drum (331), and a fuel neutralization unit (40).

[0201] The second discharge line branches off from the knockout drum (331) and connects to the recovery tank (332), and the recovery tank (332) can be connected to an upstream point of the separator (321) of the first discharge line.

[0202] The knockout drum (331) can separate and store liquid ammonia contained in the purging gas flow by gravity or cyclone.

[0203] The recovery tank (332) can recover and store liquid ammonia separated from the knockout drum (331).

[0204] The second discharge line can be utilized when rapid and direct removal is required, such as during the second stage of purging or an emergency stop.

[0205] The second discharge line can separate and collect the liquid components of the residual ammonia by gravity or cyclone through the knockout drum (331), and then transfer and store them in the recovery tank (332).

[0206] In the mixture introduced into the knockout drum (331) along with the purging gas, the liquid ammonia is physically separated, and the remaining gaseous ammonia can be transferred to a subsequent system.

[0207] The second discharge line can suppress ammonia backflow caused by a drop in sealing oil pressure after purging, and can ensure system safety by enabling rapid discharge even in emergency situations.

[0208] The purging control unit can be configured such that, in the event of an emergency stop at the point of demand, when the initial 6 purging gases are discharged, the fuel and purging gases are introduced into the separator (321) for only 3 of the initial 6 discharges, and when the purging gases are discharged after the initial 6 discharges, the fuel and purging gases are introduced into the knockout drum (331).

[0209] Specifically, assuming that nitrogen is injected a total of six times during the entire purging process, the first three batches of purging gas are transferred to and stored in the separator (321), and the subsequent three batches can be transferred to the knockout drum (331). Using the separator (321) first allows for the temporary storage of purging gas and ammonia, thereby reducing the design capacity of the automatic transmission system (ATS).

[0210] In addition, test results confirmed that the recovery time was not long even while the purging gas was stored in the separator (321), so the problem of ammonia backflow due to the drop in sealing oil pressure did not occur.

[0211] That is, the fuel treatment system (1) according to the third embodiment of the present invention can ensure safety and prevent additional ammonia leakage by rapidly performing a purging operation using the recovered fuel discharge unit (32) and the residual fuel discharge unit (33) in the event of an emergency stop of the engine (E).

[0212] Meanwhile, a ship according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a fuel processing system (1) according to the third embodiment of the present invention described in FIG. 6, and may be a ship in which the fuel consumed by a demand source such as an engine (E) or a boiler is ammonia.

[0213]

[0214] In the following, a vessel according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. The following description focuses on the differences between this embodiment and the previous embodiments, and any parts omitted from the description are replaced by the previous content. It should be noted that this applies to other embodiments as well.

[0215] For reference, the vessel according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention of FIGS. 7 to 9 may include at least a part of the fuel processing system included in the first to third embodiments of the present invention, or may include a fuel processing system connected to at least a part.

[0216] In addition, as previously mentioned, the fuel used in the vessel according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention may be a toxic fuel such as ammonia, but is not limited thereto; however, for convenience, the fuel is selected as ammonia as the toxic fuel for the following description.

[0217] FIG. 7 is a side view of a ship according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a ship according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0218] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a vessel (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a hull. The hull is a structure that forms the outer surface of the vessel (200) and is formed in a shape that is long in length and relatively small in width and height. The hull may be divided into an interior and an exterior, and cargo, an engine, etc. are provided inside the hull. In addition, a cabin (230), an engine casing (220), propulsion equipment, mooring equipment, and various other outfitting equipment or electrical equipment may be provided outside the hull.

[0219] In the present invention, the vessel (200) may be divided into a cargo area, a bow area, and a stern area. These areas encompass both the interior and exterior of the hull and may also include other structures or equipment added to the hull. The cargo area, bow area, and stern area may be a longitudinal section of the vessel (200) of the present invention. The features of the present invention for each area will be described in detail below.

[0220] The cargo area stores cargo. The cargo area may refer to the approximately central portion relative to the hull. The hull has the largest cross-section in the central portion along the longitudinal direction, and the cross-section may decrease in the forward and aft portions. In this case, the cargo area may include the central portion of the hull where the cross-section is constant in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0221] Furthermore, the cargo area may further include at least some of the forward and aft sections in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the hull is somewhat reduced. For example, the forward section of the cargo area may have a shape with a smaller cross-sectional area than other sections.

[0222] As previously explained, the cargo area can store various types of cargo without limitation. However, in this embodiment, if the vessel (200) is a liquefied petroleum gas carrier, the cargo area can store liquefied petroleum gas. To this end, a liquefied gas storage tank (240) may be provided in the cargo area. The liquefied gas storage tank (240) may be accommodated inside the hull of the cargo area. Multiple liquefied gas storage tanks (240) may be provided along the length of the hull, and adjacent liquefied gas storage tanks (240) may be spaced apart from each other by a bulkhead.

[0223] The liquefied gas storage tank (240) may be provided so that it is surrounded on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right) by the hull, and a ballast tank and a pipe duct may be provided at the bottom of the liquefied gas storage tank (240) from the hull. Additionally, the ballast tank may be provided to surround the left and right sides of the liquefied gas storage tank (240) from the hull. A fuel line, which will be described later, may be provided in the pipe duct, and the fuel passing through the pipe duct may be a substance with a boiling point above room temperature, unlike the liquefied gas which is the cargo. Therefore, the fuel line within the pipe duct may be of a form that does not require significant insulation.

[0224] A passageway for a worker to move through may be provided on the upper part of the liquefied gas storage tank (240) in the hull. Additionally, the upper surface of the liquefied gas storage tank (240) may be referred to as an inner deck, and an exposed deck exposed to the outside is provided on the upper part of the inner deck.

[0225] The liquefied gas storage tank (240) may have an octagonal cross-section to maximize volume by taking into account the cross-sectional shape of the hull. In this case, the exposed deck may also be provided to correspond to the upper polygonal structure of the liquefied gas storage tank (240). The liquefied gas storage tank (240) is provided with a dome for the outflow or inflow of liquefied gas and evaporated gas, etc., and the dome may penetrate both the inner deck and the trunk deck so that the top is exposed to the outside.

[0226] The upper deck is a portion of the hull exposed to the outside and may serve as an upper surface that separates the interior from the exterior of the hull. The upper deck may be provided above a cargo storage space formed within the hull, but it may not directly constitute the upper surface of the cargo storage space. In other words, the cargo storage space and the upper deck may be spaced apart in the vertical direction to form a space that protects the cargo.

[0227] Equipment for loading or unloading cargo may be provided on the upper deck. Additionally, additional facilities for handling cargo may be provided on the exposed deck. For example, if the cargo is liquefied petroleum gas, a manifold for transporting the cargo may be provided on the upper deck. The manifold is provided in the central part of the hull so as to facilitate easy connection with the port's transport arm when the vessel (200) is in contact with a port.

[0228] The manifold is configured to transport both the gaseous and liquid phases of liquefied gas, and may have a configuration in which gaseous lines and liquid lines are alternately arranged. The manifold may have at least three lines arranged in the forward and backward directions, and the gaseous and liquid lines may be configured in correspondence with the arrangement of the port's transfer arms.

[0229] The manifold may be provided in a form that extends toward both left and right ends from the upper deck. The manifold may be bent downward in the width direction from the outer side of the upper deck to have a height that connects to an external transfer arm, and may be extended in the left and right directions on the upper deck.

[0230] The manifold can interconnect the liquefied gas storage tank (240) and the transfer arm, and for this purpose, the manifold can be connected to a liquefied gas line extending from the dome of the liquefied gas storage tank (240). The liquefied gas line extends from the dome in a forward or rearward direction. In the liquefied gas storage tank (240) located at the rear relative to the manifold located in the center of the hull, the liquefied gas line passes through the dome and extends forward to connect to the manifold. On the other hand, in the liquefied gas storage tank (240) located in front of the manifold located in the center of the hull, the liquefied gas line passes through the dome and extends rearward to connect to the manifold. That is, the manifold integrates and connects multiple liquefied gas storage tanks (240) located in the forward and rearward directions.

[0231] On the upper deck, a vent mast (270) may be provided to discharge liquefied gas released from a liquefied gas storage tank (240) into the atmosphere. At least one vent mast (270) may be assigned to each liquefied gas storage tank (240). In the cargo area of ​​this embodiment, a total of four liquefied gas storage tanks (240) are provided, and a total of four vent masts (270) may also be provided.

[0232] If two liquefied gas storage tanks (240) are provided at the rear and front of the manifold, two vent masts (270) may be provided at the rear and front of the manifold, respectively. The vent masts (270) may be provided in the central portion in the width direction on the upper deck and may have a height above a certain level to protect workers located on the upper deck. That is, in order to prevent the liquefied gas discharged from the vent masts (270) from threatening workers, the vent masts (270) are configured to discharge liquefied gas from a height above a certain level.

[0233] The vent mast (270) can release liquefied gas to the outside when the safety valve opens in the event that the internal pressure of the liquefied gas storage tank (240) becomes excessive. Alternatively, the vent mast (270) can also release liquefied gas flowing between the liquefied gas storage tank (240) and the manifold to the outside as needed.

[0234] The liquefied gas processing room (250) can accommodate a compressor for compressing liquefied gas, a motor for operating the compressor, and a condenser or heater for cooling or heating the liquefied gas.

[0235] When a liquefied gas storage tank (240) is installed, a configuration responsible for processing such as re-liquefaction of the liquefied gas and fuel supply needs to be provided. These configurations are formed as a liquefied gas processing room (250), and the liquefied gas processing room (250) is provided on the deck.

[0236] The liquefied gas processing room (250) can accommodate a compressor for compressing liquefied gas, a motor for operating the compressor, and a condenser or heater for cooling or heating the liquefied gas.

[0237] Hereinafter, the features of the present invention will be described in detail, focusing on the engine room (210) of the vessel (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the description of the vessel (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention described in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 may be applied in the same way to the vessel (200) according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention described above, unless otherwise specifically arranged.

[0238] FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of the engine room portion of a ship according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0239] Referring to FIG. 9, a vessel (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes an engine room (210), an intake section and an auxiliary intake section (400).

[0240] The engine room (210) is provided below the deck (500) on the hull and can accommodate a propulsion system (410) and a plurality of power generation systems (420).

[0241] The intake section is provided in the propulsion unit (410) and at least part of the power generation unit (420) and can draw in internal air from the engine room (210).

[0242] The auxiliary intake section (400) is provided in at least one generator (420) and can draw in air in a separate space isolated from the engine room (210). The separate space may be an open space outside the hull.

[0243] The intake section and auxiliary intake section (400) can draw in air and deliver it to the combustion chambers of the propulsion unit (410) and the multiple power generation units (420).

[0244] A ship (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention may further include an engine casing (220) that is provided above the engine room (210) on the deck (500) and discharges exhaust from a propulsion unit (410) and a plurality of power generation units (420), and a cabin (230) that is provided in front of the engine casing (220) on the deck (500).

[0245] The inlet of the auxiliary intake section (400) may be provided on the deck (500) at the side or rear of the engine casing (220).

[0246] The inlet of the auxiliary intake unit (400) can be provided at a location spaced rearward from the cabin (230).

[0247] In a ship (200) that uses ammonia fuel, if ammonia leaks into the engine room (210), the engine will inhale air mixed with ammonia, making normal combustion difficult and eventually causing the engine to stop.

[0248] In the case of the power generation unit (420) and propulsion unit (410) inside the engine room (210), since the turbocharger compressor draws in the air inside the engine room (210) as is, there is a risk of explosion if ammonia enters the engine room (210), and as a result, the equipment may stop urgently and the emergency stop device may activate, causing the emergency diesel generator to operate.

[0249] A vessel (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention may be equipped with an auxiliary intake unit (400) that draws in air from a space other than the engine room (210) so that external air can be directly introduced to some of the power generation engines among the plurality of engines in order to prevent such a situation.

[0250] Specifically, one of the four power generation engines is equipped with an auxiliary intake section (400) (e.g., an intake duct), and the auxiliary intake section (400) can be positioned on the upper deck (500) outside the engine room (210).

[0251] The auxiliary intake section (400) can be designed to be sufficiently spaced away from spaces that are potential sources of ammonia leakage, such as the cargo handling room (250), fuel supply room (260), and exhaust mast.

[0252] Accordingly, in the ship (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, even if ammonia leaks within the engine room (210), some engines can be operated normally by receiving pure air from the outside, thereby preventing a blackout situation in which the entire power generation system stops, and thus the safety of the ship (200) and the reliability of the fuel system can be secured.

[0253] The auxiliary intake unit (400) can be connected to at least one of the multiple power generation engines (420) that is positioned to the port or starboard side of the hull.

[0254] The auxiliary intake section (400) can be extended upward from the top of at least one generator (420) and penetrate the deck (500) to communicate with the outside of the engine room (210).

[0255] A vessel (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention may further include a plurality of cargo tanks (240), a cargo handling room (250), a fuel tank, and a fuel supply room (260).

[0256] Multiple cargo tanks (240) are provided inside the hull and can be arranged in the forward and backward directions of the hull.

[0257] The cargo processing room (250) can process cargo stored in multiple cargo tanks (240).

[0258] The inlet of the auxiliary intake unit (400) can be provided at a location spaced rearward from the cargo processing room (250).

[0259] Fuel tanks are installed in the hull and can store toxic fuel.

[0260] The fuel supply room (260) is integrally provided at the rear of the cargo handling room (250) and can supply fuel stored in the fuel tank to the demand location.

[0261] The inlet of the auxiliary intake section (400) can be provided at a location spaced rearward from the fuel supply room (260).

[0262] A vessel (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention may further include a plurality of vent masts (270) allocated to a plurality of cargo tanks (240) and a cargo processing room (250) and discharging liquefied gas into the atmosphere. The plurality of vent masts (270) may be arranged in the fore-and-aft direction of the hull at a location adjacent to the plurality of cargo tanks (240) and the cargo processing room (250).

[0263] The inlet of the auxiliary intake section (400) may be provided at a position spaced rearward from the plurality of vent masts (270).

[0264] The hull may include a first deck (501) provided below the deck (500), a second deck (502) provided below the first deck (501), and a partial deck (503) provided below the second deck (502).

[0265] The propulsion unit (410) is positioned at the front inside the engine room (210), and a plurality of power generation units (420) can be positioned at the rear inside the engine room (210).

[0266] The propulsion unit (410) is positioned on the partial deck (503), extending from the partial deck (503) to the upper part of the second deck (502), and an intake duct may be provided in the engine room (210) above the first deck (501).

[0267] Multiple power generation units (420) are positioned on the second deck (502), and may be positioned extending from the second deck (502) to the upper part of the first deck (501).

[0268] The auxiliary intake section (400) may be connected to the top of at least one of the plurality of generators (420) and extended upward from the first deck (501) to penetrate the deck (500).

[0269] The auxiliary intake section (400) can be provided at a point sufficiently spaced rearward from the intake duct of the propulsion unit (410).

[0270] Meanwhile, the vessel (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention may include a fuel processing system according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention described in FIGS. 1 to 6. In addition, the vessel (200) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention may be a vessel in which the fuel consumed by a demand source, such as an engine (E) or a boiler, is ammonia, and at least some of the components may be applied to the vessel according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention.

[0271]

[0272] In addition to the embodiments described above, the present invention encompasses all embodiments resulting from a combination of the above embodiments and known technology.

[0273] Although the present invention has been described in detail through specific embodiments, this is for the purpose of specifically explaining the invention, and the invention is not limited thereto. It will be apparent that modifications or improvements can be made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the invention.

[0274] All simple variations or modifications of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention, and the specific scope of protection of the present invention will be clarified by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fuel supply unit that supplies fuel stored in a fuel tank to a demand location; A fuel discharge unit that drains the fuel remaining in the fuel supply unit or purges the fuel supply unit to discharge fuel together with purging gas; A fuel neutralization unit that neutralizes fuel delivered from at least one of the fuel supply unit and the fuel discharge unit by mixing a fire prevention substance; and A fuel treatment system comprising: a fuel reduction unit that processes a fluid delivered from the fuel neutralization unit to lower the concentration of fuel contained in the fluid.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above fluid is, It is a fluid containing fuel and fire protection materials, and The above fuel reduction unit is, A fuel processing system that supplies the above fluid with reduced fuel concentration to the above fuel neutralization unit or discharges it into the sea.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above fuel reduction unit is, A fuel processing system comprising at least one of a membrane separation membrane and a reverse osmosis separation membrane, and lowering the concentration of fuel contained in the fluid by separating fuel from the fluid or reducing the amount of fuel through the membrane separation membrane or the reverse osmosis separation membrane.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above fuel reduction unit is, A fuel processing system that supplies fuel separated by the above membrane separation membrane to the above fuel neutralization unit or the above fuel supply unit.

5. In Paragraph 3, The above fuel reduction unit is, The fluid, with its fuel concentration lowered by the reverse osmosis membrane, is supplied upstream of the fuel neutralization unit or the fuel reduction unit, and The above fuel neutralization unit is, A fuel treatment system that uses the fluid with reduced fuel concentration for fuel neutralization, or mixes the fluid with reduced fuel concentration with a fire prevention substance for fuel neutralization.

6. In Paragraph 1, The above fuel neutralization unit is, A scrubber that dissolves fuel by spraying a fire prevention substance; An absorption tank provided at the bottom of the above scrubber and dissolving fuel through a fire prevention substance stored inside; A wastewater tank for storing the fuel-dissolved wastewater discharged from at least one of the scrubber and the absorption tank; and It includes a fire protection material supply line that supplies the fire protection material to the scrubber and the absorption tank; The above fuel reduction unit is, A wastewater supply line connected to the above wastewater tank; and A fuel treatment system comprising: a discharge line that discharges the wastewater supplied from the wastewater supply line into the sea by separating the fuel from the wastewater or reducing the amount of fuel, thereby lowering the concentration of fuel contained in the wastewater.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above fuel reduction unit is, A re-neutralization line that supplies fuel separated from the above wastewater to the scrubber and the absorption tank; and A fuel treatment system further comprising a resupply line that supplies fuel separated from the wastewater to the fuel supply unit.

8. In Paragraph 6, The above fuel reduction unit is, It further includes a delivery line connected to the above-mentioned disaster prevention material supply line, and The above disaster prevention material supply line is, A fuel processing system that supplies the fluid with reduced fuel concentration supplied through the above delivery line to the scrubber and the absorption tank, or mixes the fluid with reduced fuel amount with a fire prevention substance and supplies it to the scrubber and the absorption tank.

9. In Paragraph 6, The above fuel reduction unit is, It further includes a recirculation line that branches off from the discharge line and is connected to the wastewater supply line; and The above recirculation line is, A fuel treatment system that, when the concentration of the fluid with reduced fuel concentration is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, causes the fluid with reduced fuel concentration to be recirculated to the fuel reduction unit through the wastewater supply line.

10. A vessel comprising the fuel processing system of any one of paragraphs 1 through 9.

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