Evaluation device, evaluation method, and evaluation program

Abstract

This evaluation device 100 for a test piece C comprises an evaluation unit M, a gas-liquid separation tank W, introduction lines Lo, L11, L21, and a pressure adjustment unit V. The evaluation unit M measures the state of at least one of the test piece C and a fluid Fo flowing through the test piece C, and evaluates the performance of the test piece C on the basis of the measurement result of the state of at least one. The gas-liquid separation tank W performs gas-liquid separation of a gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo, which is a fluid discharged from the test piece C. The introduction lines Lo, L11, L21 are flow paths for introducing the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo into the gas-liquid separation tank W. The pressure adjustment unit V is disposed in the introduction lines Lo, L11, L21 and adjusts the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo.

Description

Evaluation Device, Evaluation Method, and Evaluation Program Cross - reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025 - 19181 filed on February 7, 2025. The entire disclosure content of these is incorporated herein by reference and made part of the disclosure of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to an evaluation device, an evaluation method, and an evaluation program.

[0003] Conventionally, a system that generates hydrogen (H ２ ) and oxygen (O ２ ) from water (H ２ O) by a decomposition reaction in an electrochemical cell is known. For example, the water electrolysis system of Japanese Patent Laid - Open Publication No. 2016 - 050348 includes a water electrolysis device (a stack of water decomposition cells) to which a DC power source is connected. The water electrolysis device electrolyzes water (pure water) to produce oxygen and high - pressure hydrogen. Oxygen is discharged together with unreacted water and leaked hydrogen. Hydrogen contains liquid moisture and is led from the water electrolysis device to a gas - liquid separation device. In the gas - liquid separation device, the liquid moisture is removed. The hydrogen sent out from the gas - liquid separation device is filled into a hydrogen fuel tank, for example, via a hydrogen lead - out pipe. Also, a pressure reducing valve and a back - pressure valve are arranged downstream of the gas - liquid separation device.

[0004] [[ID=2,0]] In recent years, an evaluation system for evaluating the performance of a specimen (a water decomposition cell) is known. The gas generated in the specimen is led to a gas - liquid separation tank in order to remove the moisture contained in the gas. In such an evaluation system, the operating state of the specimen is evaluated by measuring the generation amount and / or consumption amount of the gas based on the pressure of the gas. In that evaluation test, the pressure of the generated gas (oxygen, hydrogen, etc.) may be made higher than the normal pressure.

[0005] In the above - mentioned system, the water separated in the gas - liquid separation tank is re - supplied to the specimen (water decomposition cell) as water for the electrochemical reaction. Therefore, the conductivity of this water is monitored by a conductivity meter arranged in the gas - liquid separation tank.

[0006] However, when the gas generated in a test specimen such as a water splitting cell becomes high pressure, the inside of the gas-liquid separation tank also becomes high pressure. For example, it is not possible to return the inside of the gas-liquid separation tank to atmospheric pressure when the test specimen is under high pressure. In this case, there is a risk that the conductivity meter will become unusable due to the high pressure inside the gas-liquid separation tank. There is also a risk of damage or malfunction to the conductivity meter. Furthermore, when high-pressure gas is discharged into the gas-liquid separation tank, bubbles may form in the water stored in the gas-liquid separation tank, which may prevent the conductivity meter from accurately measuring the conductivity of the water. In addition, when resupplying the water stored in the gas-liquid separation tank to the test specimen, it becomes necessary to place an atmospheric pressure tank in the water supply path to return the water pressure to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the configuration of the water supply path becomes complicated.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to adjust the pressure of a gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from a test specimen to a gas-liquid separation tank with a simple configuration.

[0008] To achieve the above objective, an evaluation apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is an evaluation apparatus for a test specimen, comprising: an evaluation unit that measures the state of at least one of the test specimen and the fluid flowing through the test specimen and evaluates the performance of the test specimen based on the measurement results of at least one of the states; a gas-liquid separation tank that separates the gas-liquid mixed fluid, which is the fluid discharged from the test specimen, into gas-liquid; an introduction line which is a flow path for introducing the gas-liquid mixed fluid into the gas-liquid separation tank; and a pressure adjustment unit arranged in the introduction line for adjusting the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid (first configuration).

[0009] According to the evaluation device with the first configuration described above, even if the gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from the test specimen is at a high pressure, such as atmospheric pressure or higher, the pressure adjustment unit located in the introduction line can reduce the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank. In other words, the evaluation device can adjust the pressure applied to the test specimen and the pressure inside the gas-liquid separation tank separately. Therefore, the evaluation device can adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid led from the test specimen to the gas-liquid separation tank with a simple configuration and maintain it at a predetermined pressure, such as atmospheric pressure.

[0010] The evaluation apparatus with the first configuration described above further includes a circulation line that flows a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank into the test specimen, and the evaluation unit is located in at least one of the introduction line and the circulation line and has at least one of the following measuring units: a pressure measuring unit for measuring the pressure of the fluid, a current measuring unit for measuring the current supplied to the test specimen, a flow rate measuring unit for measuring the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the test specimen, and a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the fluid supplied to the test specimen, and the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank may be adjusted by the pressure adjustment unit based on the measurements taken by the measuring units (second configuration).

[0011] According to the evaluation device with the second configuration described above, the evaluation device can accurately adjust the pressure of a gas-liquid mixed fluid, which is more difficult to adjust than the pressure of a gas. For example, the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from the test specimen can be directly obtained from the measurement value of the pressure measuring unit. Also, the fluid consumption rate in the test specimen (for example, the amount of water electrolyzed per unit time) is proportional to the amount of gas generated in the test specimen and can be easily estimated from the measurement value of the current measuring unit. Furthermore, the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the test specimen has a trade-off relationship with the volume occupied by gas in the flow path of the gas-liquid mixed fluid, and therefore greatly affects the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid (especially its gaseous component). In addition, the temperature of the fluid in the test specimen greatly affects the reaction rate in the test specimen. Therefore, by adjusting the pressure adjustment unit based on at least one of these measurement values, the evaluation device can responsively and stably control the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank.

[0012] The evaluation apparatus in the second configuration described above may be configured such that the evaluation unit includes at least the pressure measuring unit, and the pressure applied to the test specimen is adjusted to a predetermined pressure value based on the measurement value from the pressure measuring unit (third configuration).

[0013] According to the evaluation device with the third configuration described above, the pressure applied to the test specimen can be adjusted based on the measurement value at the pressure measuring unit.

[0014] The evaluation device of the third configuration described above may be configured such that the pressure measuring unit is located in the introduction line, and the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank is adjusted by the pressure adjustment unit based at least on the measured value of the pressure measuring unit and a target value of the measured value (fourth configuration).

[0015] According to the evaluation device with the fourth configuration described above, the pressure adjustment unit can be, for example, feedback controlled based on the measured value of the pressure measuring unit and its target value. This allows the evaluation device to adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid supplied to the gas-liquid separation tank with greater precision.

[0016] In any of the second to fourth configurations described above, the evaluation device may be configured such that the pressure adjustment unit is controlled based on a control mode expressed by a control formula that uses the measured value from the measuring unit as a variable (fifth configuration).

[0017] According to the evaluation device with the fifth configuration described above, the evaluation device can control the pressure adjustment unit based on a control mode expressed by a control formula.

[0018] The evaluation device of any of the second to fifth configurations described above may be configured such that the pressure adjustment unit performs PID control based on the measured value, the PID control includes proportional elements, integral elements, and / or differential elements as control elements, and the measured value of the measurement unit is used for at least one of the variables of the control elements (sixth configuration).

[0019] According to the evaluation device with the sixth configuration described above, the evaluation device can control the pressure adjustment section more accurately and stably by PID control.

[0020] The evaluation device according to any of the second to sixth configurations described above includes, in which the evaluation unit comprises at least two of the pressure measuring unit, current measuring unit, flow rate measuring unit, and temperature measuring unit as the measuring unit, and a storage unit that stores corresponding information to which the control element is associated for each combination of the ranges of the measured values ​​in the measuring unit, and the pressure adjustment unit may be configured to be controlled based on at least each of the ranges of the measured values ​​and the corresponding information (seventh configuration).

[0021] According to the seventh configuration of the evaluation device described above, the control elements of the PID control can be determined according to the combination of ranges of each measurement value in the measurement unit described above. Therefore, the evaluation device can easily determine the control elements of the pressure adjustment unit and adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid led from the test specimen to the gas-liquid separation tank with a simpler configuration.

[0022] The evaluation device according to any of the second to sixth configurations described above includes an evaluation unit which comprises at least two of the pressure measuring unit, current measuring unit, flow rate measuring unit, and temperature measuring unit as measuring units, and a storage unit which stores corresponding information on the control mode of the pressure adjustment unit for each combination of the ranges of the measured values ​​from the measuring units, and the pressure adjustment unit may be configured to be controlled based on at least each of the ranges of the measured values ​​and the corresponding information (eighth configuration).

[0023] According to the evaluation device with the eighth configuration described above, the evaluation device can determine the control mode of the pressure adjustment unit according to a combination of the ranges of the measured values ​​in at least two types of measuring units. Therefore, the evaluation device can easily determine the control mode of the pressure adjustment unit and adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid led from the test specimen to the gas-liquid separation tank with a simpler configuration.

[0024] An evaluation device with any of the second to eighth configurations described above further comprises a pressure estimation unit that estimates the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid adjusted by the pressure adjustment unit based on the control conditions of the pressure adjustment unit, and the evaluation unit includes a pressure measuring unit and at least one of the current measuring unit, the flow rate measuring unit, and the temperature measuring unit as the measuring unit, and the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank may be adjusted based on at least the measurement value at the measuring unit and the difference between the pressure estimation value and the measurement value at the pressure measuring unit (ninth configuration).

[0025] According to the evaluation device with the ninth configuration described above, the evaluation device can improve the tracking and responsiveness of the pressure adjustment unit's control to pressure changes in the gas-liquid mixed fluid. Therefore, by taking into account the pressure estimate value estimated by the pressure estimation unit, the evaluation device can derive more appropriate control conditions for the pressure adjustment unit in a shorter time.

[0026] The evaluation apparatus according to any of the first to ninth configurations described above may further include a pump that sends a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank to the test specimen, and the pressure adjustment unit may be configured to reduce the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank to less than the pressure applied to the test specimen (the tenth configuration).

[0027] According to the evaluation apparatus with the 10th configuration described above, the pump can apply pressure to the fluid supplied to the test specimen. Furthermore, by making the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank lower than the pressure applied to the test specimen, it becomes less likely for bubbles to form in the gas-liquid separation tank. As a result, the measurement error of the conductivity of the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank can be reduced. In other words, the conductivity of the fluid flowing out into the circulation line can be measured more accurately.

[0028] In any of the first to tenth configurations described above, the evaluation device may be configured such that the pressure adjustment unit controls the internal pressure of the gas-liquid separation tank to normal pressure (the eleventh configuration).

[0029] According to the evaluation apparatus of the 11th configuration described above, the conductivity of the fluid in the gas-liquid separation tank can be measured using a conductivity meter with general pressure resistance. Furthermore, the liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank can be returned to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the atmospheric-pressure fluid containing the liquid component can be sent to the circulation line. Thus, it is possible to prevent the fluid from being supplied to the test specimen while still at high pressure.

[0030] In any of the first to eleventh configurations described above, the evaluation apparatus may be configured such that at least one of the pressure adjustment units on the cathode side and anode side of the test specimen is located upstream of the gas-liquid separation tank (the twelfth configuration).

[0031] According to the evaluation apparatus with the configuration of the 12th configuration described above, the evaluation apparatus can adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from the test specimen to at least one of the gas-liquid separation tanks on the cathode side and the anode side of the test specimen.

[0032] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, an evaluation method according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a gas-liquid separation step of separating the gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from the specimen in a gas-liquid separation tank; a pressure adjustment step of adjusting the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid using a pressure adjustment unit arranged in an introduction line, which is a flow path for the gas-liquid mixed fluid to flow into the gas-liquid separation tank; and an evaluation step of measuring the state of at least one of the specimen and the fluid flowing through the specimen, and evaluating the performance of the specimen based on the measurement results of at least one of the states (13th configuration).

[0033] According to the evaluation method of the 13th configuration described above, even if the gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from the test specimen is at a high pressure, for example, above atmospheric pressure, the pressure adjustment unit located in the introduction line described above can reduce the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank. Therefore, the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid led from the test specimen to the gas-liquid separation tank can be adjusted with a simple configuration and maintained at a predetermined pressure, such as atmospheric pressure.

[0034] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, an evaluation program according to one aspect of the present invention is an evaluation program that causes a computer to perform an evaluation of a test specimen, wherein the computer may be configured to function as a means for performing: a pressure adjustment step in which a pressure adjustment unit is located in an introduction line, which is a flow path for introducing the gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from the test specimen into a gas-liquid separation tank for gas-liquid separation of the gas-liquid mixed fluid; and an evaluation step in which the state of at least one of the test specimen and the fluid flowing through the test specimen is measured, and the performance of the test specimen is evaluated based on the measurement results of at least one of the states (14th configuration).

[0035] According to the evaluation program for the 14th configuration described above, even if the gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from the test specimen is at a high pressure, such as atmospheric pressure or higher, the pressure adjustment unit located in the introduction line can reduce the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank. Therefore, the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid led from the test specimen to the gas-liquid separation tank can be adjusted with a simple configuration and maintained at a predetermined pressure, such as atmospheric pressure.

[0036] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be further revealed by the embodiments described below.

[0037] According to the present invention, the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from the test specimen to the gas-liquid separation tank can be adjusted with a simple configuration.

[0038] Conceptual diagram of the evaluation device of the present invention Schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the evaluation device according to the embodiment Schematic block diagram for explaining the control example of the pressure regulating valve in control example 1 Schematic block diagram for explaining the control example of the pressure regulating valve in control example 2 Schematic block diagram for explaining the PID control example of the pressure regulating valve in control example 3 Diagram showing an example of correspondence information used4 Schematic block diagram for explaining the control example of the pressure regulating valve in control example 5 Schematic block diagram for explaining the control example of the pressure regulating valve in control example 6

[0039] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0040] <1. Embodiment> Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of the evaluation device 100 of the present invention. The evaluation device 100 is a device for evaluating the performance of a test specimen C. The evaluation device 100 comprises a fluid passage Lf, a gas-liquid separation tank W, a pressure regulating valve V, an evaluation unit M, and a control unit 3.

[0041] The fluid passage Lf carries the fluids Fi and Fo flowing through the test specimen C. The gas-liquid separation tank W separates the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo discharged from the test specimen C and stores the liquid component. This fluid Fo is an example of the "gas-liquid mixed fluid" of the present invention and may be referred to as "gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo" below. The gas component is led from the gas-liquid separation tank W to the evaluation unit M. The pressure regulating valve V is a pressure regulating unit located in the flow path between the test specimen C and the gas-liquid separation tank W (for example, the second fluid passage Lo described later) and adjusts the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo.

[0042] The evaluation unit M measures at least one of the states of the test specimen C and the fluid Fo flowing through the test specimen C, and evaluates the performance of the test specimen C based on the measurement results of at least one of the states. In addition to performance evaluation, the evaluation unit M also performs durability evaluation and / or safety evaluation, etc. Performance evaluation evaluates, for example, the reaction efficiency of the test specimen C, the adsorption performance and / or desorption performance of the test specimen C as an adsorbent, and / or the presence and / or degree of leakage of the process gas in the test specimen C. And / or, the evaluation unit M performs component analysis of the gas generated by the electrochemical reaction and / or component analysis of the fluid on the exhaust side of the test specimen C (such as a liquid component such as water). Durability evaluation evaluates the durability of the test specimen C, etc., and analyzes its deterioration state. Safety evaluation evaluates the presence or absence of ignition, heat generation, and / or the presence or absence of generation of unexpected components. Each evaluation test is carried out under certain conditions or carried out while changing the conditions. Also, the number of times of carrying out the evaluation test for the same condition may be single or plural. However, the content of the evaluation test carried out by the evaluation device 100 is not limited to the above examples, and evaluation tests other than the above can also be carried out.

[0043] The control unit 3 can receive operation inputs from an operator or the like and controls each component of the evaluation device 100. Note that, without being limited to the above examples, at least a part of the control unit 3 may be an external device instead of a component of the evaluation device 100.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid passage Lf has a first fluid passage Li, a second fluid passage Lo, and a third fluid passage Lg. The first fluid passage Li is arranged in front of the test specimen C and connected to the test specimen C, and supplies the fluid Fi to the test specimen C. The second fluid passage Lo is an example of the "introduction line" of the present invention and is arranged between the test specimen C and the gas-liquid separation tank W. In the second fluid passage Lo, the fluid Fo discharged from the test specimen C and flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank W flows, and the pressure regulating valve V is arranged. The third fluid passage Lg is arranged between the gas-liquid separation tank W and the evaluation unit M. In the third fluid passage Lg, the gas component of the fluid Fo gas-liquid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank W flows.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, the evaluation unit M includes an analysis unit M1 and a measurement unit M2. The analysis unit M1 includes gas analysis units 17 and 27, which will be described later, and analyzes the type, content, and / or content ratio of each component contained in the fluid Fo. The measurement unit M2 includes a plurality of sensors and detects the state of the specimen C itself and the environmental state of the specimen C. For example, the evaluation unit M includes, as the measurement unit M2, a pressure measurement unit P, a flow rate measurement unit Q, a temperature measurement unit T, and / or a current measurement unit A, which will be described later. In the present embodiment, the evaluation unit M includes these measurement units P, Q, T, and A, and preferably includes at least the pressure measurement unit P. The analysis results of the analysis unit M1 and / or the detection results of the measurement unit M2 are output to the control unit 3.

[0046] According to the evaluation device 100 of FIG. 1, even if the fluid Fo in the gas-liquid mixed state discharged from the specimen C is at a high pressure of normal pressure or higher, for example, the pressure regulating valve V disposed in the second fluid passage Lo between the specimen C and the gas-liquid separation tank W can reduce the pressure of the fluid Fo in the gas-liquid mixed state introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank W. That is, the evaluation device 100 can separately adjust the pressure applied to the specimen C and the pressure inside the gas-liquid separation tank W. Therefore, the pressure of the fluid Fo in the gas-liquid mixed state derived from the specimen C to the gas-liquid separation tank W can be adjusted with a simple configuration, and can be maintained at a predetermined pressure, for example.

[0047] <1-1. Evaluation Device 100> FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the evaluation device 100 according to the embodiment. The evaluation device 100 of the present embodiment is a water electrolysis evaluation device that evaluates the performance of the specimen C. The specimen C is, for example, a water electrolysis cell that electrolyzes an electrolytic solution or a water electrolysis stack composed of a plurality of water electrolysis cells. The specimen C receives a current supply from a current source Cs and electrolyzes water contained in a fluid (such as water such as an electrolytic solution) supplied from circulation pumps 14 and 24 to generate oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. Note that the electrolytic solution in the present embodiment is a solution having electrical conductivity in which a predetermined concentration of ionic substance (electrolyte) is dissolved in a liquid containing water. However, this example does not exclude a configuration in which the liquid supplied to the specimen C is pure water, nor does it exclude a configuration in which the liquid is an electrolytic solution with a very low concentration of ionic substance.

[0048] The test specimen C (water electrolysis cell) can be, for example, a PEM (proton exchange membrane) type, an alkaline type, and / or an AEM (anion exchange membrane) type. In the PEM type, the electrolyte is supplied from the anode Ea side. In the alkaline type, an alkaline solution is used as the electrolyte. In the AEM type, an anion exchange membrane is used.

[0049] The test specimen C in this embodiment is a so-called alkaline water electrolysis cell. Hydrogen gas and an alkaline solution flow from the cathode Ec side of test specimen C. Oxygen gas and an alkaline solution flow from the anode Ea side of test specimen C. The alkaline solution is, for example, a potassium hydroxide solution, but is not limited to this.

[0050] Furthermore, the evaluation device 100 can perform tests by applying any pressure to the test specimen C. For example, it can set the pressure applied to the test specimen C to atmospheric pressure (such as 1 atmosphere), reduce the pressure, or apply a high pressure higher than 1 atmosphere. In addition, the evaluation device 100 can be equipped with some pressure regulating valves V and some pressure measuring units P, etc., in the circulation lines L14, L24, etc., described later, in order to maintain the pressure applied to the test specimen C. The evaluation device 100 can apply a predetermined pressure to the test specimen C by adjusting the pressure regulating valves V based on the pressure values ​​measured by the pressure measuring units P.

[0051] In the test specimen C of the first embodiment, a mixed fluid containing hydrogen gas flows from the cathode Ec side, and a mixed fluid containing oxygen gas and water flows from the anode Ea side. The oxygen gas may contain low concentrations of leaked hydrogen and / or carbon dioxide.

[0052] As shown in Figure 2, the evaluation device 100 comprises a cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10, an anode-side gas evaluation unit 20, a control unit 3, a water storage unit 40, and a water supply line Lw. The cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10 separates hydrogen gas from the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc discharged from the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C, and performs analysis and evaluation of the hydrogen gas. The anode-side gas evaluation unit 20 separates oxygen gas from the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa discharged from the anode Ea side of the test specimen C, and analyzes and evaluates the oxygen gas. Note that the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo in Figure 1 includes the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc and the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa. The control unit 3 can receive operation input from an operator or the like, and controls each component of the evaluation device 100. The water storage unit 40 stores water with low conductivity. This water may be, for example, pure water or highly purified industrial water. Preferably, the conductivity of this water is less than or equal to the conductivity of the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank W, which will be described later.

[0053] However, the water storage units 40 are not limited to the examples given above, and there may be multiple water storage units 40, with some water storage units 40 storing water with low conductivity (or pure water) while other water storage units 40 storing water with high conductivity (for example, an electrolyte with a high concentration of ionic substances). In this way, the water storage units 40 can supply water with low conductivity (or pure water) to the fluid supply source (for example, a gas-liquid separation tank W) when the concentration of ionic substances in the fluid supplied to the test specimen C is higher than a predetermined set value. On the other hand, the water storage units 40 can supply water with high conductivity (for example, an electrolyte with a high concentration of ionic substances) to the fluid supply source when the concentration of ionic substances in the fluid supplied to the test specimen C is lower than a predetermined set value. Therefore, the conductivity (in other words, ion concentration) of the fluid supplied to the test specimen C can be maintained near a predetermined set value.

[0054] The evaluation device 100 also includes a current measuring unit A. The current measuring unit A is connected in series with a current source Cs between the cathode Ec and anode Ea of the test specimen C. The current measuring unit A measures the current supplied to the test specimen C and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 33 of the control unit 3, which will be described later.

[0055] <1-2. Cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10> The cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10 includes an introduction line L11, an discharge line L12, a supply line L13, a circulation line L14, an outlet line L15, a pressure measuring unit Pc, a pressure regulating valve Vc, a flow rate measuring unit Qc, a temperature measuring unit Tc, a gas-liquid separation tank 11, an electrical characteristic measuring unit 111, a drainage volume adjustment device 12, a supply volume adjustment device 13, a circulation pump 14, and a gas analysis unit 17. Note that the gas-liquid separation tank 11 is a gas-liquid separation tank W located in the cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10. In other words, the gas-liquid separation tank W includes the gas-liquid separation tank 11. In this disclosure, the gas-liquid separation tank 11 on the cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10 side and the gas-liquid separation tank 21 on the anode-side gas evaluation unit 20 side may be collectively referred to as "gas-liquid separation tank W".

[0056] The introduction line L11 is a flow path that introduces the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc discharged from the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C into the gas-liquid separation tank 11, and is included in the second fluid passage Lo in Figure 1. Specifically, the mixed fluid discharged from the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C is discharged into the introduction line L11. This mixed fluid contains hydrogen gas generated on the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C. The mixed fluid may also further contain water vapor and / or liquid water.

[0057] Furthermore, the introduction line L11 is equipped with a pressure measuring unit Pc and a pressure regulating valve Vc.

[0058] The pressure measuring unit Pc includes a pressure gauge and is positioned between the test specimen C and the gas-liquid separation tank 11. The pressure measuring unit Pc measures the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc (containing hydrogen gas) discharged from the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 33. In the following, the pressure measuring unit Pc of the cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10 and the pressure measuring unit Pa of the anode-side gas evaluation unit 20, which will be described later, may be collectively referred to as "pressure measuring unit P".

[0059] Here, the pressure measuring unit Pc only needs to be located in at least one of the introduction line L11 and the circulation line L14.

[0060] For example, the pressure measuring unit Pc may be located in the introduction line L11 at least either between the test specimen C and the pressure regulating valve Vc, or between the pressure regulating valve Vc and the gas-liquid separation tank 11. In detail, in Figure 2, the pressure measuring unit Pc is located between the pressure regulating valve Vc and the gas-liquid separation tank 11 in the introduction line L11, and measures the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc, which has been reduced in pressure by the pressure regulating valve Vc. Alternatively, the pressure measuring unit Pc may be located between the test specimen C and the pressure regulating valve Vc in the introduction line L11, in which case it measures the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc discharged from the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C.

[0061] Furthermore, the pressure measuring unit Pc may be located in the circulation line L14. In this case, the pressure measuring unit Pc located in the circulation line L14 measures the pressure of the fluid discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to the circulation line L14, and / or the pressure of the fluid Fic flowing into the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C, and outputs the measurement results to the control unit 33. The above-mentioned fluid includes, for example, a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 (such as the liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc), and / or the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 11.

[0062] The pressure regulating valve Vc is a pressure regulating valve V positioned between the test specimen C and the gas-liquid separation tank 11, and is controlled by the control unit 33. The pressure regulating valve Vc regulates the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc (containing hydrogen gas) discharged from the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C. In this disclosure, the pressure regulating valve Vc on the cathode side gas evaluation unit 10 and the pressure regulating valve Va on the anode side gas evaluation unit 20, which will be described later, may be collectively referred to as "pressure regulating valve V".

[0063] For example, in the cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10, the pressure regulating valve Vc is located downstream of the pressure measuring unit Pc. The pressure regulating valve Vc is controlled by the control unit 33 and adjusts the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc in the introduction line L11. For example, the pressure regulating valve Vc can reduce, increase, or maintain a constant pressure (e.g., atmospheric pressure) of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc containing hydrogen gas.

[0064] Preferably, the pressure regulating valve Vc reduces the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to less than the pressure applied to the test specimen C (on the cathode Ec side). This makes it less likely for bubbles to form in the gas-liquid separation tank 11. Therefore, for example, the measurement error of the conductivity of the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 can be reduced. In other words, the conductivity of the fluid flowing out into the circulation line L14 can be measured more accurately. However, this example does not exclude a configuration in which the pressure regulating valve Vc does not reduce the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to less than the pressure applied to the test specimen C (on the cathode Ec side).

[0065] Preferably, the pressure regulating valve Vc is controlled so that the internal pressure of the gas-liquid separation tank 11 becomes atmospheric pressure. This allows the conductivity of the fluid in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to be measured using a conductivity meter with general pressure resistance. It also allows the liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to be returned to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the atmospheric-pressure fluid containing the liquid component can be sent to the circulation line L14. Thus, it is possible to prevent the fluid from being supplied to the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C while still at high pressure. However, this example does not exclude configurations in which the pressure regulating valve Vc is not controlled so that the internal pressure of the gas-liquid separation tank 11 becomes atmospheric pressure.

[0066] The gas-liquid separation tank 11 separates the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc discharged from the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C. This gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc is introduced from the test specimen C to the gas-liquid separation tank 11 via the introduction line L11. The gas-liquid separation tank 11 separates the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc into a gas component (mainly hydrogen gas) and a liquid component (water such as an electrolyte). The separated gas component is discharged to the discharge line L15. The separated gas component may contain substances other than hydrogen (for example, water vapor). The separated liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc is stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 11. This liquid component is an electrolyte mainly composed of water, and includes electrolytes such as the piping constituting the introduction line L11, metal ions on the anode Ea side of the test specimen C, and / or substances added beforehand.

[0067] In this embodiment, an electrical properties measuring unit 111 is also located in the gas-liquid separation tank 11. The electrical properties measuring unit 111 measures the electrical properties (e.g., conductivity, resistivity, pH, etc.) of the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 11. For example, in this embodiment, the electrical properties measuring unit 111 is a conductivity meter, but it may also be a resistivity meter or a pH meter. It should be noted that the electrical properties measuring unit 111 is not limited to the examples of this embodiment and may be located in locations other than the gas-liquid separation tank 11, for example, in the circulation line L14. Also, there may be one or more electrical properties measuring units 111.

[0068] The discharge line L12 is a drainage channel for discharging the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 11. A drainage volume adjustment device 12 is located in the discharge line L12. The drainage volume adjustment device 12 adjusts the amount of fluid discharged from inside the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to the outside via the discharge line L12. In this embodiment, the drainage volume adjustment device 12 is a control valve whose opening and closing is controlled by the control unit 33. However, it is not limited to this example, and the drainage volume adjustment device 12 may be a manually operated on / off valve or a pump driven and controlled by the control unit 33.

[0069] The supply line L13 connects the water storage unit 40 and the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to enable water supply. A supply amount adjustment device 13, controlled by the control unit 33, is located in the supply line L13. The supply amount adjustment device 13 has a pump or the like and supplies water supplied from the water storage unit 40 via the water supply line Lw to the gas-liquid separation tank 11. Furthermore, the supply amount adjustment device 13 adjusts the amount of water supplied to the gas-liquid separation tank 11.

[0070] Here, the control unit 33 controls the drainage volume adjustment device 12 and the supply volume adjustment device 13 based on the electrical characteristics measured by the electrical characteristics measurement unit 111. As a result, the fluid in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 maintains its electrical characteristics at a set value. For example, the control unit 33 opens the drainage volume adjustment device 12 to discharge fluid from the gas-liquid separation tank 11. The control unit 33 also uses the supply volume adjustment device 13 to supply water from the water storage unit 40 to the gas-liquid separation tank 11.

[0071] The circulation line L14 is a flow path that allows a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 (for example, the liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc) to flow into the cathode Ec side of the specimen C, and is included in the first fluid passage Li in Figure 1. More specifically, the circulation line L14 connects the gas-liquid separation tank 11 and the cathode Ec side of the specimen C in a way that allows for water supply. The circulation line L14 is equipped with a circulation pump 14, a flow rate measuring unit Qc, and a temperature measuring unit Tc. The circulation pump 14 is a delivery device controlled by the control unit 33, and it sends the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to the specimen C (the cathode Ec side). The circulation pump 14 can apply pressure to the fluid Fic supplied to the cathode Ec side of the specimen C. The fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 includes a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 (such as the liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc), and / or water supplied from the water storage section 40. The flow rate measuring section Qc and the temperature measuring section Tc are located downstream of the circulation pump 14 (i.e., on the side of the test specimen C).

[0072] The flow rate measuring unit Qc measures the flow rate of the fluid Fic supplied from the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to the cathode Ec of the test specimen C by the circulation pump 14, and in this embodiment, measures the flow rate of the fluid Fic per unit time. The temperature measuring unit Tc measures the temperature of the fluid Fic supplied from the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to the cathode Ec of the test specimen C by the circulation pump 14. The measurement results from the flow rate measuring unit Qc and the temperature measuring unit Tc are output to the control unit 33. In the following, the flow rate measuring unit Qc on the cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10 side and the flow rate measuring unit Qa on the anode-side gas evaluation unit 20 side, which will be described later, may be collectively referred to as "flow rate measuring unit Q". Also, the temperature measuring unit Tc on the cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10 side and the temperature measuring unit Ta on the anode-side gas evaluation unit 20 side, which will be described later, may be collectively referred to as "temperature measuring unit T".

[0073] In addition, some pressure regulating valves V and some pressure measuring units P may be arranged in the circulation line L14 (see Figure 1). This makes it possible to separate the pressure applied to the test specimen C from the pressure between the aforementioned pressure regulating valves V and the gas-liquid separation tank 11 in the circulation line L14.

[0074] The discharge line L15 is included in the third fluid passage Lg in Figure 1 and discharges the gaseous components of the mixed fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to the gas analysis unit 17. The gas analysis unit 17 analyzes the gaseous components of the mixed fluid discharged from the discharge line L15. Note that the gaseous components may include substances other than hydrogen, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide. The gas analysis unit 17 has, for example, a hydrogen concentration meter. The hydrogen concentration meter measures the concentration of hydrogen contained in the fluid flowing through the discharge line L15.

[0075] According to the evaluation device 100, even if the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc (containing hydrogen gas) discharged from the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C is at a high pressure, for example, above atmospheric pressure, the pressure regulating valve Vc, located upstream of the gas-liquid separation tank 11, can reduce the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank 11, bringing it down to, for example, atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the evaluation device 100 can prevent a pressure increase inside the gas-liquid separation tank 11 and maintain the internal pressure of the gas-liquid separation tank 11 at, for example, atmospheric pressure. Consequently, the evaluation device 100 can prevent damage or malfunction of the electrical properties measuring unit 111 (especially the conductivity meter, etc.) caused by a pressure increase inside the gas-liquid separation tank 11. Furthermore, the evaluation device 100 can prevent the generation of bubbles in the liquid fluid, thereby preventing a decrease in the measurement accuracy of the conductivity of the fluid by the electrical properties measuring unit 111. In addition, the evaluation device 100 can prevent a pressure increase inside the gas-liquid separation tank 11. Therefore, the evaluation device 100 does not need to place a pressure reducing device (for example, an atmospheric pressure tank) in the circulation line L14 that supplies fluid Fic from the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C. Thus, the evaluation device 100 can prevent the configuration of the circulation line L14 from becoming complicated. As a result, the evaluation device 100 can adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc (containing hydrogen gas) that is led from the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C to the gas-liquid separation tank 11 with a simple configuration, and can, for example, set it to atmospheric pressure.

[0076] <1-3. Anode-side gas evaluation unit 20> The anode-side gas evaluation unit 20 includes an introduction line L21, an discharge line L22, a supply line L23, a circulation line L24, an outlet line L25, a pressure measuring unit Pa, a pressure regulating valve Va, a flow rate measuring unit Qa, a temperature measuring unit Ta, a gas-liquid separation tank 21, an electrical characteristic measuring unit 211, a drainage volume adjustment device 22, a supply volume adjustment device 23, a circulation pump 24, a condensation prevention unit 25, a gas flow rate measuring unit 26, and a gas analysis unit 27. Note that the gas-liquid separation tank 21 is a gas-liquid separation tank W located in the anode-side gas evaluation unit 20. In other words, the gas-liquid separation tank W includes the gas-liquid separation tank 21.

[0077] The introduction line L21 is a flow path that introduces the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa discharged from the anode Ea side of specimen C into the gas-liquid separation tank 21, and is included in the second fluid passage Lo in Figure 1. Specifically, the mixed fluid discharged from the anode Ea side of specimen C is discharged into the introduction line L21. This mixed fluid contains oxygen gas generated at the anode Ea side of specimen C and residual water. The mixed fluid may also further contain water vapor, hydrogen gas leaked from the cathode Ec side (leaked hydrogen), and / or carbon dioxide.

[0078] Furthermore, the introduction line L21 is equipped with a pressure measuring unit Pa and a pressure regulating valve Va.

[0079] The pressure measuring unit Pa includes a pressure gauge and is positioned between the test specimen C and the gas-liquid separation tank 21. The pressure measuring unit Pa measures the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa (containing oxygen gas) discharged from the anode Ea side of the test specimen C and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 33.

[0080] Here, the pressure measuring unit Pa only needs to be located in at least one of the introduction line L21 and the circulation line L24.

[0081] For example, the pressure measuring unit Pa may be located in the introduction line L21 at least either between the test specimen C and the pressure regulating valve Va, or between the pressure regulating valve Va and the gas-liquid separation tank 21. More specifically, in Figure 2, the pressure measuring unit Pa is located between the pressure regulating valve Va and the gas-liquid separation tank 21 in the introduction line L21, and measures the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa that has been reduced in pressure by the pressure regulating valve Va. Alternatively, the pressure measuring unit Pa may be located between the test specimen C and the pressure regulating valve Va in the introduction line L21, in which case it measures the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa discharged from the anode Ea side of the test specimen C.

[0082] Furthermore, the pressure measuring unit Pa may be located in the circulation line L24. In this case, the pressure measuring unit Pa located in the circulation line L24 measures the pressure of the fluid discharged from the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to the circulation line L24, and / or the pressure of the fluid Fia flowing into the anode Ea side of the test specimen C, and outputs the measurement results to the control unit 33. The above-mentioned fluid includes, for example, a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 (such as the liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa), and / or the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 21.

[0083] The pressure regulating valve Va is a pressure regulating valve V positioned between the test specimen C and the gas-liquid separation tank 21, and is controlled by the control unit 33. The pressure regulating valve Va adjusts the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa (containing oxygen gas) discharged from the anode Ea side of the test specimen C.

[0084] For example, in the anode-side gas evaluation unit 20, the pressure regulating valve Va is located downstream of the pressure measuring unit Pa. The pressure regulating valve Va is controlled by the control unit 33 and adjusts the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa in the introduction line L21. For example, the pressure regulating valve Va can reduce, increase, or maintain a constant pressure (e.g., atmospheric pressure) of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa containing oxygen gas.

[0085] Preferably, the pressure regulating valve Va reduces the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to less than the pressure applied to the test specimen C (on the anode Ea side). This makes it less likely for bubbles to form in the gas-liquid separation tank 21. Therefore, for example, the measurement error of the conductivity of the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 can be reduced. In other words, the conductivity of the fluid flowing out into the circulation line L24 can be measured more accurately. However, this example does not exclude a configuration in which the pressure regulating valve Va does not reduce the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to less than the pressure applied to the test specimen C (on the anode Ea side).

[0086] Preferably, the pressure regulating valve Va is controlled so that the internal pressure of the gas-liquid separation tank 21 becomes atmospheric pressure. This allows the conductivity of the fluid in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to be measured using a conductivity meter with general pressure resistance. It also allows the liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to be returned to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the atmospheric-pressure fluid containing the liquid component can be sent to the circulation line L24. Thus, it is possible to prevent the fluid from being supplied to the anode Ea side of the test specimen C while still at high pressure. However, this example does not exclude configurations in which the pressure regulating valve Va is not controlled so that the internal pressure of the gas-liquid separation tank 21 becomes atmospheric pressure.

[0087] The gas-liquid separation tank 21 separates the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa discharged from the anode Ea side of the test specimen C. This gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa is introduced from the test specimen C to the gas-liquid separation tank 21 via the introduction line L21. The gas-liquid separation tank 21 separates the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa into oxygen gas and liquid components (water such as electrolyte). The separated oxygen gas is discharged to the discharge line L25. The separated oxygen gas may contain substances other than oxygen (for example, water vapor, leaked hydrogen, carbon dioxide, etc.). The gas-liquid separation tank 21 also stores the separated liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa. This liquid component is a liquid whose main component is water, and includes electrolytes such as the piping constituting the introduction line L21, metal ions on the anode Ea side of the test specimen C, and / or substances that have been added beforehand.

[0088] In this embodiment, an electrical properties measuring unit 211 is also located in the gas-liquid separation tank 21. The electrical properties measuring unit 211 measures the electrical properties (e.g., conductivity, resistivity, pH, etc.) of the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 21. For example, in this embodiment, the electrical properties measuring unit 211 is a conductivity meter, but it may also be a resistivity meter or a pH meter. It should be noted that the electrical properties measuring unit 211 is not limited to the examples of this embodiment and may be located in locations other than the gas-liquid separation tank 21, for example, in the circulation line L24. Also, there may be one or more electrical properties measuring units 211.

[0089] The discharge line L22 is a drainage channel for discharging the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 21. A drainage volume adjustment device 22 is located in the discharge line L22. The drainage volume adjustment device 22 adjusts the amount of fluid discharged from inside the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to the outside via the discharge line L22. In this embodiment, the drainage volume adjustment device 22 is a control valve whose opening and closing is controlled by the control unit 33. However, it is not limited to this example, and the drainage volume adjustment device 22 may be a manually operated on / off valve or a pump driven and controlled by the control unit 33.

[0090] The supply line L23 connects the water storage unit 40 and the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to enable water supply. A supply amount adjustment device 23, controlled by the control unit 33, is located in the supply line L23. The supply amount adjustment device 23 has a pump or the like and supplies water supplied from the water storage unit 40 via the water supply line Lw to the gas-liquid separation tank 21. Furthermore, the supply amount adjustment device 23 adjusts the amount of water supplied to the gas-liquid separation tank 21.

[0091] In this embodiment, the water storage unit 40 supplies water to the gas-liquid separation tanks 11 and 21 in common, as shown in Figure 2. However, the system is not limited to this example, and the water supplied to the gas-liquid separation tank 11 on the cathode Ec side and the gas-liquid separation tank 21 on the anode Ea side may be supplied from separate water storage units 40.

[0092] Here, the control unit 33 controls the drainage volume adjustment device 22 and the supply volume adjustment device 23 based on the electrical characteristics measured by the electrical characteristics measurement unit 211. As a result, the fluid in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 maintains its electrical characteristics at the set value. For example, the control unit 33 opens the drainage volume adjustment device 22 to discharge fluid from the gas-liquid separation tank 21. The control unit 33 also uses the supply volume adjustment device 23 to supply water from the water storage unit 40 to the gas-liquid separation tank 21.

[0093] The circulation line L24 is a flow path that allows a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 (for example, the liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa) to flow into the anode Ea side of the specimen C, and is included in the first fluid passage Li in Figure 1. More specifically, the circulation line L24 connects the gas-liquid separation tank 21 and the anode Ea side of the specimen C in a way that allows for water supply. The circulation line L24 is equipped with a circulation pump 24, a flow rate measuring unit Qa, and a temperature measuring unit Ta. The circulation pump 24 is a delivery device controlled by the control unit 33, and it sends the fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to the anode Ea side of the specimen C. The circulation pump 24 can apply pressure to the fluid Fia supplied to the anode Ea side of the specimen C. The fluid stored in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 includes a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 (such as the liquid component of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa), and / or water supplied from the water storage section 40. The flow rate measuring section Qa and the temperature measuring section Ta are located downstream of the circulation pump 24 (i.e., on the side of the test specimen C).

[0094] The flow rate measuring unit Qa measures the flow rate of the fluid Fia supplied from the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to the anode Ea of the test specimen C by the circulation pump 24, and in this embodiment, measures the flow rate of the fluid Fia per unit time. The temperature measuring unit Ta measures the temperature of the fluid Fia supplied from the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to the anode Ea of the test specimen C by the circulation pump 24. The measurement results from the flow rate measuring unit Qa and the temperature measuring unit Ta are output to the control unit 33.

[0095] In addition, some pressure regulating valves V and some pressure measuring units P may be arranged in the circulation line L24 (see Figure 1). This makes it possible to separate the pressure applied to the test specimen C from the pressure between the aforementioned pressure regulating valves V and the gas-liquid separation tank 21 in the circulation line L24.

[0096] The discharge line L25 is included in the third fluid passage Lg in Figure 1 and discharges the gaseous components of the mixed fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to the gas analysis unit 27. The gas analysis unit 27 analyzes the gaseous components of the mixed fluid discharged from the discharge line L25. The gaseous components include substances other than oxygen, such as leaked hydrogen, water vapor, and carbon dioxide. The gas analysis unit 27 includes, for example, a hydrogen concentration meter and an oxygen concentration meter. The hydrogen concentration meter analyzes the concentration of low-concentration hydrogen contained in the oxygen gas. The oxygen concentration meter analyzes the concentration of oxygen contained in the oxygen gas. For example, a mass spectrometer, a thermal conduction hydrogen meter, and / or an absorption spectrometer may be used for the hydrogen concentration meter. For example, a zirconia oxygen meter and / or a magnetic oxygen meter may be used for the oxygen concentration meter. In addition, the gas analysis unit 27 may further include a carbon dioxide concentration meter, such as an infrared absorption spectrometer, to analyze the reaction efficiency between the catalyst and oxygen in the test specimen C, the degradation state of the catalyst in the test specimen C, etc. This carbon dioxide concentration meter analyzes the concentration of carbon dioxide contained in the oxygen gas discharged from the discharge line L25.

[0097] Furthermore, a condensation prevention unit 25 and a gas flow rate measuring unit 26 are arranged in the outlet line L25. The condensation prevention unit 25 is located downstream of the gas-liquid separation tank 21 in the outlet line L25 to prevent condensation in the outlet line L25 (especially the oxygen gas flowing inside it). The condensation prevention unit 25 may employ, for example, a cold trap, a heat exchanger, a heater for heating the outlet line L25, and / or an insulating material that surrounds and covers the outer surface of the outlet line L25. The gas flow rate measuring unit 26 is part of the analysis unit M1 (see Figure 1) and is located downstream of the pressure regulating valve Va in the outlet line L25 to measure the flow rate of oxygen gas supplied to the gas analysis unit 27.

[0098] According to the evaluation device 100, even if the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa (containing oxygen gas) discharged from the anode Ea side of the test specimen C is at a high pressure, for example, above atmospheric pressure, the pressure regulating valve Va located upstream of the gas-liquid separation tank 21 can reduce the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa introduced into the gas-liquid separation tank 21, bringing it down to, for example, atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the evaluation device 100 can prevent a pressure increase inside the gas-liquid separation tank 21 and maintain the internal pressure of the gas-liquid separation tank 21 at, for example, atmospheric pressure. Consequently, the evaluation device 100 can prevent damage or malfunction of the electrical properties measuring unit 211 (especially the conductivity meter, etc.) caused by a pressure increase inside the gas-liquid separation tank 21. Furthermore, the evaluation device 100 can prevent the generation of bubbles in the liquid fluid, thereby preventing a decrease in the measurement accuracy of the conductivity of the fluid by the electrical properties measuring unit 211. In addition, the evaluation device 100 can prevent a pressure increase inside the gas-liquid separation tank 21. Therefore, the evaluation device 100 does not need to place a depressurization device (for example, an atmospheric pressure tank) in the circulation line L24 that supplies fluid Fia from the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to the anode Ea side of the test specimen C. Thus, the evaluation device 100 can prevent the configuration of the circulation line L24 from becoming complicated. Consequently, the evaluation device 100 can adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa (containing oxygen gas) that is led from the anode Ea side of the test specimen C to the gas-liquid separation tank 21 with a simple configuration, and can, for example, set it to atmospheric pressure.

[0099] <1-4. Control Unit 3> The control unit 3 includes a calculation unit 30, an input unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, and a display unit 34.

[0100] The calculation unit 30 performs various calculations based on the evaluation results from the evaluation unit M, the operation input received by the input unit 31, and / or the control of the control unit 33. The evaluation results from the evaluation unit M include the analysis results from the analysis unit M1 and / or the measurement results from the measurement unit M2. The calculation unit 30 is also read-write to the storage unit 32, performs calculations based on the information stored in the storage unit 32, and can store the calculation results in the storage unit 32. Furthermore, the calculation results of the calculation unit 30 can be displayed on the display unit 34, as described later. However, this embodiment is not limited to the examples provided, and at least a portion of the calculations performed by the calculation unit 30 may be performed, for example, by the evaluation unit M and / or the control unit 33. Also, at least a portion of the calculations related to the analysis results of the analysis unit M1 may be performed by the analysis unit M1 and / or the control unit 33, etc. Also, at least a portion of the calculations related to the measurement results of the measurement unit M2 may be performed by the measurement unit M2 and / or the control unit 33, etc.

[0101] The display unit 34 informs the viewer of information by displaying various information on the display screen. For example, the display unit 34 displays the evaluation results from the evaluation unit M (for example, the analysis results from the analysis unit M1 and / or the measurement results from the measurement unit M2).

[0102] The input unit 31 receives operation input and outputs said operation input to the control unit 33.

[0103] The memory unit 32 is a non-transient storage medium that retains data even when the power supply is interrupted. The memory unit 32 stores information necessary for each component of the evaluation device 100, such as the programs and data used by the control unit 33. The memory unit 32 also stores control data for the evaluation device 100, experimental data obtained from the evaluation experiment of the test specimen C, and so on.

[0104] The control unit 33 controls the components of the evaluation device 100 that require control, based on the measurement results of various measurement units 26, P, T, Q, A, etc., provided by the evaluation device 100, as well as programs and data stored in the storage unit 32. The control unit 33 comprises a CPU, memory, A / D converter, D / A converter, and various input / output devices, and constitutes a so-called computer. For example, the program stored in the storage unit 32 causes the control unit 33, acting as a computer, to execute the evaluation method for the test specimen C in the evaluation device 100.

[0105] In this embodiment, the control unit 33 is a component of the control unit 3 and also a component of the evaluation device 100. However, the embodiment is not limited to this example, and at least some components of the control unit 33 do not have to be components of the control unit 3, nor do they have to be components of the evaluation device 100. For example, at least some components of the control unit 33 may be implemented by an external information device (for example, a personal computer) connected to the evaluation device 100 (for example, the control unit 3).

[0106] Next, the control unit 33 has a pressure control unit 331. As described above, the evaluation unit M has a pressure measuring unit P, a current measuring unit A, a flow rate measuring unit Q, and / or a temperature measuring unit T as a measuring unit M2. The pressure control unit 331 controls the pressure regulating valve V based on the measurements taken by the measuring unit M2. Through this control, the pressure control unit 331 adjusts the pressure applied to the test specimen C (on the cathode Ec side and anode Ea side) and / or the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank W.

[0107] For example, the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank 11 of the cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10 is adjusted by a pressure regulating valve Vc based on measurements taken at the pressure measuring unit Pc, the current measuring unit A, the flow rate measuring unit Qc, and / or the temperature measuring unit Tc. Preferably, the above pressure on the cathode-side gas evaluation unit 10 is adjusted based on the measurement taken at the pressure measuring unit Pc and the measurements taken at the current measuring unit A, the flow rate measuring unit Qc, and / or the temperature measuring unit Tc.

[0108] The pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank 21 of the anode-side gas evaluation unit 20 is adjusted by the pressure regulating valve Va based on the measurements taken by the pressure measuring unit Pa, the current measuring unit A, the flow rate measuring unit Qa, and / or the temperature measuring unit Ta. Preferably, the above pressure on the anode-side gas evaluation unit 20 side is adjusted based on the measurement taken by the pressure measuring unit Pa and the measurements taken by the current measuring unit A, the flow rate measuring unit Qa, and / or the temperature measuring unit Ta.

[0109] The type of control for the pressure regulating valve V(Vc, Va) is not particularly limited. For example, the control of the pressure regulating valve V(Vc, Va) may be PID control or other feedback control, or it may be feedforward control or sequence control.

[0110] In this embodiment, the pressure regulating valve Vc adjusts the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foc flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank 11 to, for example, atmospheric pressure, based on the measured values ​​at the respective measuring units Pc, A, Qc, and Tc. The pressure regulating valve Va adjusts the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Foa flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank 21 to, for example, atmospheric pressure, based on the measured values ​​at the respective measuring units Pa, A, Qa, and Ta.

[0111] Through the control described above, the evaluation device 100 can accurately adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo, which is more difficult to adjust than gas. For example, the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo discharged from the test specimen C can be directly obtained from the measurement value of the pressure measuring unit P. Also, the fluid consumption rate in the test specimen C (for example, the amount of water electrolyzed per unit time) is proportional to the amount of oxygen gas and hydrogen gas generated by water splitting and can be easily estimated from the measurement value of the current measuring unit A. Furthermore, the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the test specimen C has a trade-off relationship with the volume occupied by gas in the flow path of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo, and therefore greatly affects the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo (especially its gaseous component). In addition, the temperature of the fluid in the test specimen C greatly affects the reaction rate of water electrolysis in the test specimen C. Therefore, by adjusting the pressure regulating valve V based on at least one of these measurement values, the evaluation device 100 can responsively and stably control the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank W.

[0112] Furthermore, the control unit 33 further includes a display control unit 332. The display control unit 332 controls the display unit 34. For example, the display control unit 332 displays the evaluation results of the test specimen C on the display unit 34 based on the evaluation results from the evaluation unit M. In detail, the display control unit 332 displays on the display unit 34 the type of gas generated at the electrodes of the test specimen C, the concentration and / or amount of each gas generated, the reaction efficiency of the test specimen C, and / or the change in the performance of the test specimen C when a durability test is performed.

[0113] The types of gases and their concentrations and / or generation amounts are calculated based on the analysis results from the analysis unit M1, the measurement results from the flow rate measurement unit Q, etc. For example, the amount of gas such as hydrogen generated on the cathode Ec side is calculated based on the analysis results from the gas analysis unit 17 (and the measurement results from the flow meter placed on the lead line L15 upstream of the gas analysis unit 17). The amount of oxygen and cross-leaked hydrogen generated on the anode Ea side is calculated based on the analysis results from the gas analysis unit 27 and the measurement results from the gas flow rate measurement unit 26, etc.

[0114] Furthermore, the reaction efficiency of test specimen C is calculated based on the above-mentioned gas amount calculated by the control unit 33, the measurement results of the flow rate measuring unit Q, etc. For example, the reaction efficiency at cathode Ec is calculated based on the above-mentioned calculated hydrogen amount (and the measurement results of the flow meter placed in the lead line L15 before the gas analysis unit 17), etc. The reaction efficiency at anode Ea is calculated based on the above-mentioned calculated oxygen amount and the measurement results of the gas flow rate measuring unit 26, etc.

[0115] Furthermore, the performance changes of test specimen C when various durability tests are performed are calculated based on the concentrations of various gases generated at each electrode of test specimen C, the measurement results of the current measuring unit A, and the voltage between the cathode Ec and anode Ea of test specimen C measured by a voltmeter (not shown). The durability test is performed, for example, while a constant voltage or a constant current is continuously applied to test specimen C.

[0116] In addition, the display control unit 332 can also display on the display unit 34 the measurement results of the electrical characteristic measurement units 111 and 211, the pH change of the fluid in the gas-liquid separation tank W measured by a pH meter (not shown), and the measurement results of each measurement unit P, Q, T, and V.

[0117] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned matters to be displayed on the display unit 34 by the display control unit 311 are calculated by the calculation unit 30. However, the invention is not limited to this example, and at least a part of the above-mentioned matters may be calculated by a unit other than the calculation unit 30, for example, by the evaluation unit M and / or the control unit 33.

[0118] <1-5. Control Examples of Pressure Regulating Valve V> Next, control examples 1 to 4 of the pressure regulating valve V will be described. Note that the configuration of the above-described embodiment and the configurations of each of the control examples 1 to 4 described below can be combined arbitrarily, as long as no particular contradictions arise.

[0119] <1-5-1. Control Example 1> Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a control example of the pressure regulating valve V in Control Example 1. In Control Example 1, the evaluation unit M includes at least a pressure measuring unit P. The pressure control unit 331 controls the pressure regulating valve V based at least on the measurement value from the pressure measuring unit P and a target value of the measurement value. The target value may be set, for example, based on an operation input received by the input unit 31, or it may be stored in advance in the storage unit 32. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the difference between the measurement value from the pressure measuring unit P and its target value is calculated. The controller then uses feedback control of the pressure regulating valve V to bring the difference closer to zero. The controller is part of the function of the pressure control unit 331. The feedback control may be PID control or other types of control. Through the above-described feedback control, the evaluation device 100 can adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo led to the gas-liquid separation tank W with greater precision.

[0120] <1-5-2. Control Example 2> Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a control example of the pressure regulating valve V in Control Example 2. In Control Example 2, the pressure control unit 331 controls the pressure regulating valve V based on a control mode expressed by a control formula in which at least one of the measured values ​​of each of the measuring units P, A, Q, and T is a variable. The control mode indicates the type of control and includes feedback control, feedforward control, and / or sequence control. The measured value of the current measuring unit A affects the amount of gas generated in the test specimen C. In addition, the measured value of the flow rate measuring unit Qc and the measured value of the temperature measuring unit T affect the volume of fluid flowing in the fluid passage Lf (particularly the introduction lines L11, L21 and the circulation lines L14, L24). In this way, the evaluation device 100 can control the pressure regulating valve V based on the control mode described above.

[0121] For example, the measurement value at the pressure measuring unit P is used to calculate the difference between that value and a target value. The controller then uses feedback control of the pressure regulating valve V to bring this difference closer to zero. Here, the control elements in the feedback control are calculated by an arithmetic unit based on the measurement value of at least one of the measuring units P, A, Q, and T. In detail, the control unit 33 has an element calculation unit 333 that functions as an arithmetic unit (see Figure 2). However, the arithmetic unit is not limited to this example, and may be part of the functions of the evaluation unit M.

[0122] For example, when a pressure regulating valve V is PID controlled, the arithmetic unit calculates the control elements of the PID control (at least one of the proportional, integral, and differential elements) based on the measurement value of at least one of the respective measuring units P, A, Q, and T. In other words, the measurement value of at least one of the respective measuring units P, A, Q, and T is used as a variable for the control elements of the PID control (proportional, integral, and differential elements). This PID control includes proportional, integral, and / or differential elements as control elements. The measurement value from at least one of the aforementioned measuring units P, A, Q, and T is used for at least one of the variables of the aforementioned control elements (proportional, integral, and / or differential elements). The difference between the measurement value at the pressure measuring unit P and its target value is then brought close to zero by the PID control of the pressure regulating valve V by the controller. Although PID control was used as an example in this explanation, as mentioned above, the pressure regulating valve V may also be subjected to feedback control, feedforward control, or sequence control other than PID control. In this case, the evaluation device 100 can control the pressure regulating valve V more accurately and stably by calculating the control elements in the controller from the measured values ​​of at least one of the measurement units P, A, Q, and T.

[0123] In control example 2, the control equation is expressed as a mathematical formula, but it may also be expressed in a table format as shown in Figure 5B, which will be described later.

[0124] <1-5-3. Control Example 3> Control Example 3 describes a configuration using a tabular control formula. Figure 5A is a schematic block diagram illustrating a PID control example of a pressure regulating valve V in Control Example 3. In Control Example 3, the evaluation unit M includes at least two of the pressure measuring unit P, current measuring unit A, flow rate measuring unit Q, and temperature measuring unit T as measuring unit M2. Preferably, the evaluation unit M includes the pressure measuring unit P and at least one of the current measuring unit A, flow rate measuring unit Q, and temperature measuring unit T. In other words, the pressure control unit 331 controls the pressure regulating valve V based on at least two of the measured values ​​from the above-mentioned measuring units P, A, Q, and T. Preferably, the pressure control unit 331 controls the pressure regulating valve V based on at least the measured value from the pressure measuring unit P and the measured value from at least one other measuring unit.

[0125] Furthermore, the memory unit 32 stores correspondence information. Figure 5B shows an example of correspondence information used in control example 3. In the correspondence information of Figure 5B, a setting of a PID control element (one of control element I, control element II, control element III, or control element IV) is associated with each combination of measurement ranges of at least two of the pressure measurement unit P, current measurement unit A, flow rate measurement unit Q, and temperature measurement unit T. In Figure 5B, one control element setting is assigned to a combination of two types of measurement values ​​(temperature and current values). However, the example is not limited to this, and the control element setting may be assigned to a combination of three or four types of measurement ranges, or to a combination of the pressure value range of the pressure measurement unit P and the measurement range of one or more other measurement units M2. Furthermore, the number of measurement ranges of at least one type may be one or more. Also, the measurement values ​​that can be combined are not limited to the example in Figure 5B.

[0126] For example, in the third control example, as shown in Figure 5A, the arithmetic unit refers to the correspondence information in Figure 5B and determines the setting of the PID control element (one of control element I, control element II, control element III, or control element IV) corresponding to a combination of different types of measurement ranges. The pressure control unit 331 uses the determined control element setting to perform PID control on the pressure regulating valve V. In this way, the evaluation device 100 can determine the PID control element according to the combination of measurement ranges in the measurement unit M2 described above. Therefore, the evaluation device 100 can easily determine the control element of the pressure regulating valve V and adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo led from the test specimen C to the gas-liquid separation tank W with a simpler configuration.

[0127] Furthermore, the PID control may be set without using correspondence information as shown in Figure 5B, although this is not limited to the examples given above. For example, the control element settings may be obtained from at least one of the measured values ​​of measurement units P, A, Q, T, etc., using a control element setting model that has been machine-trained using training data in advance. The training data may be, for example, a dataset of actual measured values ​​of at least one of the measurement units P, A, Q, T, etc., or actual numerical values ​​of the control elements, and actual pressure values ​​of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo obtained for either of these. The machine learning may be performed using a regression method or deep learning using a neural network. In addition, the evaluation device 100 may be capable of reinforcement learning by incorporating a machine learning-capable configuration.

[0128] Furthermore, the correspondence information may be used to determine the control mode of the pressure regulating valve V, not limited to the examples given above. In other words, the correspondence information may be used to determine which control mode to use to control the pressure regulating valve V, from among PID control, other feedback control, feedforward control, and / or sequence control.

[0129] <1-5-4. Control Example 4> Figure 6 shows an example of the correspondence information used in Control Example 4. In the correspondence information of Control Example 4, a control mode (one of control mode I, control mode II, control mode III, or control mode IV) of the pressure regulating valve V is associated with each combination of measurement ranges of at least two of the pressure measuring unit P, current measuring unit A, flow rate measuring unit Q, and temperature measuring unit T. In Figure 6, a control mode is assigned to a combination of two types of measurement values ​​(temperature and current values). However, the example is not limited to this, and a control mode may be assigned to a combination of three or four types of measurement ranges, or to a combination of the pressure value range of the pressure measuring unit P and the measurement ranges of one or more other measuring units A, Q, and T. Furthermore, the number of measurement ranges of at least one type may be one or more. Also, the measurement values ​​that can be combined are not limited to the example in Figure 5B.

[0130] For example, the controller refers to the correspondence information in Figure 6 and controls the pressure regulating valve V based on at least the range of each measured value and the correspondence information. The arithmetic unit refers to the correspondence information in Figure 6 from different types of measurement values ​​and identifies a control mode corresponding to that combination. The controller controls the pressure regulating valve V with the identified control mode. In this way, the evaluation device 100 can determine the control mode according to the combination of ranges of each measured value in the measurement unit M2 described above. Therefore, the evaluation device 100 can easily determine the control mode of the pressure regulating valve V and adjust the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo led from the test specimen C to the gas-liquid separation tank W with a simpler configuration.

[0131] Furthermore, the controller may control the pressure regulating valve V by further considering the estimated value of the pressure that the pressure regulating valve V adjusts after control, not limited to the examples given above.

[0132] <1-5-5. Control Example 5> Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a control example of the pressure regulating valve V in Control Example 5. In Control Example 5, the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank W is adjusted based on at least the measurement value at the measurement unit M2 and the difference between the pressure estimate and the measurement value at the pressure measurement unit P. In detail, the measurement unit M2 includes a pressure measurement unit P and at least one of the measurement units A, Q, and T. The control unit 33 further includes a pressure estimation unit 334 (see Figure 2). The estimator estimates the pressure value of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo adjusted by the pressure regulating valve V based on the control conditions of the pressure regulating valve V. Hereinafter, the estimated pressure value will be referred to as the "pressure estimate". The estimator is at least a part of the function of the pressure estimation unit 334. The calculator calculates the control elements (at least one of proportional, integral, or differential elements) used in the controller based on the measurement values ​​of at least one of the measurement units P, A, Q, and T. The controller adjusts the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank W based on the control elements calculated by the calculator and the difference between the pressure estimate and the measurement value of the pressure measurement unit P.

[0133] For example, if the measurement value from the pressure measuring unit P is greater than the pressure estimate (i.e., the difference between the measurement value from the pressure measuring unit P and the pressure estimate is positive), the controller controls the pressure regulating valve V to suppress or prevent a pressure increase in the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo and / or to decrease the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo. On the other hand, if the measurement value from the pressure measuring unit P is less than the pressure estimate (i.e., the difference between the measurement value from the pressure measuring unit P and the pressure estimate is negative), the controller controls the pressure regulating valve V to suppress or prevent a pressure decrease in the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo and / or to increase the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo.

[0134] The method for estimating the pressure in the pressure estimation unit 334 is not particularly limited, and for example, a pressure model that mathematically models the pressure control of the pressure regulating valve V may be used. This pressure model outputs a pressure estimate by inputting various parameters indicated by the control information of the pressure control in the pressure regulating valve V as variables. However, the pressure estimation unit 334 may estimate the pressure estimate using known techniques, although this example is not limited to this. This control information includes, for example, control values ​​included in the control signal output from the control unit 33, and includes the valve opening degree of the pressure regulating valve V. The valve opening degree is the degree to which the valve opens in the pressure regulating valve V based on the control signal, and is expressed, for example, as the ratio of the opening cross-sectional area based on the control signal to the total opening cross-sectional area of ​​the valve body of the pressure regulating valve V.

[0135] In this way, the evaluation device 100 can improve the tracking and responsiveness of the control of the pressure regulating valve V in response to pressure changes in the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo. Therefore, by taking into account the pressure estimate value estimated by the pressure estimation unit 334, the evaluation device 100 can derive more appropriate control conditions for the pressure regulating valve V in a shorter time. Furthermore, by using feedback control of the pressure estimate value, the evaluation device 100 can also respond to pressure fluctuation factors other than the variables incorporated into the control element.

[0136] Furthermore, the control elements used in the controller may be determined by taking into further consideration the difference in pressure values ​​mentioned above.

[0137] <1-5-6. Control Example 6> Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a control example of the pressure regulating valve V in control example 6. In control example 6, the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid Fo flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank W is adjusted based on at least the measurement value at the measurement unit M2 and the difference between the pressure estimate and the measurement value at the pressure measurement unit P. However, as shown in Figure 8, the calculator calculates the control elements (at least one of proportional, integral, and differential elements) based on at least the measurement value of at least one of the measurement units P, A, Q, and T and the difference between the pressure estimate and the measurement value at the pressure measurement unit P. In other words, the measurement value of at least one of the measurement units P, A, Q, and T and the difference between the pressure estimate and the measurement value at the pressure measurement unit P are used as variables for the control elements (proportional, integral, and differential elements). In this way, the evaluation device 100 can control the pressure regulating valve V more accurately and stably by calculating the control elements with more variables.

[0138] <1-6. Other Additional Components> In addition, the evaluation device 100 may further include a temperature control member. The temperature control member adjusts the temperature of the fluid flowing through each of the lines L11-L15 and L21-L25. The temperature control member may cool the fluid, heat the fluid, or maintain the fluid's temperature. The temperature control member may be placed in a part of each of the lines L11-L15 and L21-L25, or it may be placed throughout each of the lines L11-L15 and L21-L25. The temperature control member may also be provided upstream of the test specimen C to heat the fluid flowing into the test specimen C.

[0139] Furthermore, the evaluation device 100 may also be equipped with a preheating tank. The preheating tank is located upstream of the test specimen C and stores and preheats the fluid flowing into the test specimen C. This preheating tank may also be heated by a temperature control member. This allows the evaluation device 100 to supply heated circulating water to the test specimen C.

[0140] For example, the temperature control member and / or preheating tank may adjust the fluid temperature based on the measurement values ​​from at least one of the measurement units P, Q, and T described above.

[0141] However, the above examples do not exclude configurations in which the evaluation device 100 does not have a preheating tank, nor do they exclude configurations in which the evaluation device 100 does not have a temperature control member.

[0142] <2. Remarks> Embodiments of the present invention have been described above. The above embodiments are illustrative, and various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each process, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these modifications fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0143] For example, in the above embodiment, the pressure regulating valve Vc on the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C is located upstream of the gas-liquid separation tank 11, and the pressure regulating valve Va on the anode Ea side of the test specimen C is located upstream of the gas-liquid separation tank 21. However, the embodiment is not limited to this example, and it is sufficient that the pressure regulating valves V on the cathode Ec side and / or anode Ea side of the test specimen C are located upstream of the gas-liquid separation tank W. For example, if the hydrogen gas generated on the cathode Ec side of the test specimen C does not exceed atmospheric pressure significantly, the pressure regulating valve Vc on the cathode Ec side may not be located on the inlet line L11, but on the outlet line L15, for example. Also, if the oxygen gas generated on the anode Ea side of the test specimen C does not exceed atmospheric pressure significantly, the pressure regulating valve Va on the anode Ea side may not be located on the inlet line L21, but on the outlet line L25, for example.

[0144] 100...Evaluation device, 10...Cathode side gas evaluation unit, 11...Gas-liquid separation tank, 111...Electrical characteristics measurement unit, 12...Drainage volume adjustment device, 13...Supply volume adjustment device, 14...Circulation pump, 17...Gas analysis unit, 20...Anode side gas evaluation unit, 21...Gas-liquid separation tank, 211...Electrical characteristics measurement unit, 22...Drainage volume adjustment device, 23...Supply volume adjustment device, 24...Circulation pump, 25...Condensation prevention unit, 26...Gas flow rate measurement unit, 27...Gas analysis unit, 3...Control unit, 30...Calculation unit, 31...Input unit, 32...Storage unit, 33...Control unit, 331...Pressure control unit, 332...Display control unit, 333...Element calculation unit, 334...Pressure estimation unit, 34...Display unit, 40...Water Storage section, C...Test specimen, Cs...Current source, Ea...Anode, Ec...Cathode, Lf...Fluid passage, Li...First fluid passage, Lo...Second fluid passage, Lg...Third fluid passage, L11, L21...Inlet lines, L12, L22...Discharge lines, L13, L23...Supply lines, L14, L24...Circulation lines, L15, L25...Outlet lines, Lw...Water supply line, W...Gas-liquid separation tank, Fi, Fia, Fic...Fluid, Fo, Foa, Foc...Gas-liquid mixed fluid, M...Evaluation section, M1...Analysis section, M2...Measurement section, A...Current measurement section, P, Pc, Pa...Pressure measurement section, Q, Qc, Qa...Flow rate measurement section, T, Tc, Ta...Temperature measurement section, V, Vc, Va...Pressure regulating valve (pressure regulating section)

Claims

1. An evaluation apparatus for a test specimen, comprising: an evaluation unit that measures the state of at least one of the test specimen and the fluid flowing through the test specimen and evaluates the performance of the test specimen based on the measurement results of at least one of the states; a gas-liquid separation tank that separates the gas-liquid mixed fluid, which is the fluid discharged from the test specimen, into gas-liquid and gas-liquid; an introduction line which is a flow path for introducing the gas-liquid mixed fluid into the gas-liquid separation tank; and a pressure adjustment unit arranged in the introduction line for adjusting the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid.

2. The evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a circulation line for introducing a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank into the test specimen, wherein the evaluation unit is located in at least one of the introduction line and the circulation line and includes as measuring units at least one of the following: a pressure measuring unit for measuring the pressure of the fluid; a current measuring unit for measuring the current supplied to the test specimen; a flow rate measuring unit for measuring the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the test specimen; and a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the fluid supplied to the test specimen, wherein the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank is adjusted by the pressure adjustment unit based on the measurements taken by the measuring units.

3. The evaluation device according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation unit includes at least the pressure measuring unit, and the pressure applied to the test specimen is adjusted to a predetermined pressure value based on the measurement value at the pressure measuring unit.

4. The evaluation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pressure measuring unit is located in the introduction line, and the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank is adjusted by the pressure adjusting unit based on at least the measured value of the pressure measuring unit and a target value of the measured value.

5. The evaluation apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the pressure adjustment unit is controlled based on a control mode represented by a control formula that takes the measured value in the measuring unit as a variable.

6. The evaluation device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the pressure adjustment unit performs PID control based on the measured value, the PID control includes proportional elements, integral elements, and / or differential elements as control elements, and the measured value of the measuring unit is used for at least one of the variables of the control elements.

7. The evaluation device according to claim 6, wherein the evaluation unit includes at least two of the pressure measuring unit, the current measuring unit, the flow rate measuring unit, and the temperature measuring unit as the measuring unit, and the storage unit stores corresponding information to which the control element is associated for each combination of ranges of the measured values ​​in the measuring unit, and the pressure adjustment unit is controlled based on at least each of the ranges of the measured values ​​and the corresponding information.

8. The evaluation device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the evaluation unit includes at least two of the pressure measuring unit, current measuring unit, flow rate measuring unit, and temperature measuring unit as the measuring unit, and the evaluation unit includes a storage unit that stores corresponding information on the control mode of the pressure adjustment unit for each combination of ranges of the measured values ​​in the measuring unit, and the pressure adjustment unit is controlled based on at least each range of the measured value and the corresponding information.

9. An evaluation device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, further comprising a pressure estimation unit that estimates a pressure estimate of the gas-liquid mixed fluid adjusted by the pressure adjustment unit based on the control conditions of the pressure adjustment unit, wherein the evaluation unit includes a pressure measuring unit and at least one of the current measuring unit, the flow rate measuring unit, and the temperature measuring unit as the measuring unit, and the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank is adjusted based on at least the measurement value at the measuring unit and the difference between the pressure estimate and the measurement value at the pressure measuring unit.

10. An evaluation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a pump for sending a portion of the fluid separated in the gas-liquid separation tank to the test specimen, wherein the pressure adjustment unit reduces the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid flowing into the gas-liquid separation tank to less than the pressure applied to the test specimen.

11. The evaluation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the pressure adjustment unit controls the internal pressure of the gas-liquid separation tank to be at atmospheric pressure.

12. The evaluation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein at least one of the pressure adjustment units on the cathode side and the anode side of the test specimen is located upstream of the gas-liquid separation tank.

13. An evaluation method comprising: a gas-liquid separation step of separating a gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from a test specimen in a gas-liquid separation tank; a pressure adjustment step of adjusting the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid using a pressure adjustment unit located in an introduction line which is a flow path for the gas-liquid mixed fluid to flow into the gas-liquid separation tank; and an evaluation step of measuring the state of at least one of the test specimen and the fluid flowing through the test specimen, and evaluating the performance of the test specimen based on the measurement results of at least one of the states.

14. An evaluation program for causing a computer to perform an evaluation of a test specimen, wherein the computer functions as a means for performing: a pressure adjustment step of adjusting the pressure of the gas-liquid mixed fluid by using a pressure adjustment unit located in an introduction line which is a flow path for introducing the gas-liquid mixed fluid into a gas-liquid separation tank that separates the gas-liquid mixed fluid discharged from the test specimen; and an evaluation step of measuring the state of at least one of the test specimen and the fluid flowing through the test specimen, and evaluating the performance of the test specimen based on the measurement results of at least one of the states.

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