Ammonia Synthesis System With Nitrogen Buffer For Fluctuating Hydrogen
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional ammonia synthesis process requires a stable hydrogen supply, which contradicts the fluctuating hydrogen supply from green energy sources like wind, photovoltaic, and hydropower, making it challenging to ensure stable ammonia production.
Innovation Solution
An ammonia synthesis system with a hydrogen supply device, hydrogen storage containers at different pressures, and a nitrogen supply device to maintain stable pressure, allowing for the use of fluctuating hydrogen sources, including those from unstable green electricity, by introducing nitrogen to stabilize hydrogen storage and reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydrogen is generated by green electricity (wind power, photovoltaic power, hydropower), then carbon emissions are reduced and green ammonia production is achieved, but hydrogen supply becomes unstable and fluctuating
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing hydrogen in advance when green electricity is abundant and hydrogen supply is stable, then using this stored hydrogen when green electricity is scarce or unstable. The hydrogen storage container acts as a buffer that decouples the fluctuating green electricity supply from the stable ammonia production requirement, allowing the system to maintain reliable hydrogen supply for ammonia synthesis regardless of real-time green electricity availability.
2Reliability
If hydrogen storage container is used to store fluctuating hydrogen supply, then hydrogen supply stability is improved, but pressure fluctuations occur in the storage container
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces nitrogen as an intermediary substance to stabilize pressure in the hydrogen storage container. When hydrogen is stored, nitrogen is simultaneously introduced to maintain constant pressure. This intermediary approach allows the storage container to buffer hydrogen supply fluctuations without experiencing dangerous pressure variations, as nitrogen acts as a pressure-regulating mediator that compensates for hydrogen volume changes.
3Stress or pressure
If nitrogen is introduced into hydrogen storage container to maintain stable pressure, then pressure stability is improved, but hydrogen concentration is diluted
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and separates the pressure-stabilization function from the hydrogen storage function. Nitrogen is introduced solely for pressure maintenance, while hydrogen is stored separately for ammonia synthesis. The nitrogen and hydrogen remain distinct substances in the storage system, with nitrogen serving only as a pressure buffer. This extraction approach allows pressure stability to be achieved without permanently diluting the hydrogen supply, as nitrogen can be selectively added or removed without affecting hydrogen purity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple hydrogen storage containers at different pressures are used, then hydrogen supply flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the hydrogen storage function into multiple containers operating at different pressure levels (e.g., high-pressure, medium-pressure, low-pressure containers). This segmentation allows the system to flexibly adjust hydrogen supply by drawing from appropriate pressure levels based on demand, improving adaptability to varying production requirements. The segmentation principle enables fine-grained control over hydrogen delivery while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular container design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures stable ammonia production even with fluctuating hydrogen supplies, achieving 100% reuse rate of gaseous hydrogen without decompression, thereby improving technical and operational economies.
Implementation Method 1
a nitrogen supply device, configured to communicate with the hydrogen storage container to introduce nitrogen into the hydrogen storage container to maintain a stable pressure in the hydrogen storage container
Data Source
AI summary
An ammonia synthesis system and a control method thereof are provided. The ammonia synthesis system includes a hydrogen supply device, where a fluctuating amount of hydrogen is provided by the hydrogen supply device; a hydrogen storage container configured to store the hydrogen provided by the hydrogen supply device; and a nitrogen supply device configured to communicate with the hydrogen storage container to introduce nitrogen into the hydrogen storage container to maintain a stable pressure in the hydrogen storage container. The nitrogen supply device is able to introduce nitrogen into the hydrogen storage container, thus the amount of hydrogen provided is stable; in addition, the ammonia synthesis system can not only meet requirements of application scenarios where synthesis gas is produced from conventional raw material, but also be well applied to application scenarios where hydrogen for ammonia synthesis is obtained from hydrogen generation by green electricity.