JP2002364943A - Container for hydrogen storage material and its filling method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container for hydrogen storage material excellent in heat conduction capacity, low in sensible heat loss and stable in hydrogen flow rate. SOLUTION: The container for hydrogen storage material comprises a container having an opening for filling the hydrogen storage material, a hydrogen passage for making hydrogen flow into and out of the container, a filter connected to the passage and disposed in the container for making hydrogen pass through, and a heating medium passage for passing a heating medium into the container to effect heat exchange with the hydrogen storage material. In the container, the hydrogen storage material filled in the container is present in the circumference of the heating medium passage in a larger amount than in the circumference of the filter.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hydrogen storage material container filled with a hydrogen storage material, and more particularly, to a heat pump or the like utilizing a heat generation / absorption function when the hydrogen storage material stores and releases hydrogen. The present invention relates to a heat exchange container to be used and a method for filling a hydrogen storage material into a hydrogen storage material container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a heat pump device of a compression type, an absorption type and the like are well known. Among them, the heat pump device composed of a heat exchange container filled with a hydrogen storage material has low vibration, low noise, power saving, effective use of waste energy,
In addition, attention has been paid from the viewpoint of reduction in environmental load. Also, compared to gas cylinders filled with high-pressure hydrogen gas, the amount of hydrogen sealed per unit volume is larger, and a low-pressure, highly safe hydrogen storage material container that uses a hydrogen storage material can supply hydrogen gas, such as fuel cells. Developed as a source.

[0003] A conventional hydrogen storage material container will be described below. A schematic configuration of a conventional general hydrogen storage material container is well known as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-247570). The hydrogen storage material container shown in FIG. 8 has a structure in which a hydrogen storage material 2 is filled in a container 1, a heat medium pipe 3 is arranged around the hydrogen storage material 2, and a hydrogen inlet / outlet 5 to which a filter 4 is attached is provided. It is. The hydrogen storage material container shown in FIG. 9 has a structure in which a heat medium flow path 3 ′ is provided around a container 1 ′ filled with the hydrogen storage material 2 to exchange heat with the hydrogen storage material 2.

For example, when hydrogen introduced from the hydrogen pipe 5 in the hydrogen storage material container shown in FIG. Used for heating and hot water. Further, when hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage material 2, heat is deprived to generate cold heat, and the cold heat is transmitted to the heat medium in the heat medium pipe 3 and used for cooling and freezing. Conversely, when the heat of the heat medium in the heat medium pipe 3 is given to the hydrogen storage material 2, hydrogen is released from the hydrogen storage material 2,
It can be used as hydrogen gas. In the case of storing hydrogen, hydrogen can be effectively stored by cooling with a heat medium while flowing hydrogen gas through the hydrogen storage material 2.

[0005]

In a heat pump device and a hydrogen storage container using the above-mentioned hydrogen storage material, the heat transfer performance and heat capacity of the heat exchange container greatly affect the performance of the device. For example, in the case of a heat pump device, since the hydrogen storage material repeatedly moves up and down in temperature, the sensible heat loss of the heat exchange container is large, which is a major factor in reducing the heat utilization efficiency of the heat pump device. The heat utilization efficiency is the ratio of the output heat to the input heat. Therefore, in order to improve the performance of the apparatus, it is necessary to increase the heat transfer performance of the heat exchange container and to reduce the heat capacity as much as possible. However, since a hydrogen pressure is applied to the container, a pressure-resistant structure is required, and there is a limit in reducing the heat capacity.

When hydrogen enters and exits from the container,
Since hydrogen tries to move at once without controlling the flow rate, the flow rate of hydrogen is large at the beginning of the flow of hydrogen, and then decreases rapidly after a while, and the hydrogen flow rate is not stable. In addition, activation of the hydrogen storage material generally involves:
Since the pressure is higher than the normal operating pressure, the thickness of the heat exchange container needs to be increased. For this reason, there is also a problem that the weight of the heat exchange container increases, the heat capacity increases, and the sensible heat loss increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen storage material container having an excellent heat transfer performance, a small sensible heat loss, and a stable hydrogen flow rate by solving the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling a hydrogen storage material into a hydrogen storage material container, which can provide a lightweight hydrogen storage material container having a small sensible heat loss.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a hydrogen storage material container according to the present invention is provided with a container provided with a filling port for filling the hydrogen storage material, and allows hydrogen to enter and leave the container. A hydrogen passage, a filter connected to the hydrogen passage, and configured to pass hydrogen provided in the container, and a heat medium passage for flowing a heat medium into the container and exchanging heat with the hydrogen storage material. The hydrogen storage material filled in the container is present more around the heat medium passage than around the filter.

In order to reduce sensible heat loss, it is preferable to further provide a heat insulating material on the inner surface of the container. In order to prevent clogging of the filter, it is preferable that a shielding plate through which hydrogen can pass is further provided between the heat medium passage in the container and the filter. In order to obtain a stable hydrogen flow rate, it is preferable that one or both of the hydrogen passage and the heat medium passage further include a control unit for adjusting the flow rate. To reduce waste of alloy and reduce sensible heat loss,
Further, it is preferable that a filler is provided in a portion of the container that does not contribute to heat transfer to the heat medium.

The method for filling a hydrogen storage material according to the present invention is a hydrogen storage material container having a heat medium passage for filling a hydrogen storage material and flowing a heat medium into the container to exchange heat with the hydrogen storage material. Is filled with a hydrogen storage material previously activated outside the container. The present invention also provides a hydrogen storage material container which is filled with a hydrogen storage material and has a heat medium passage for flowing a heat medium into the container to exchange heat with the hydrogen storage material. The present invention provides a method of filling and mixing a hydrogenated hydrogen storage material and an inactive hydrogen storage material.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, a container for a hydrogen storage material and a method for filling the container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 The structure of a hydrogen storage material container according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. The container 11 is filled with a hydrogen storage material 13 (hereinafter, represented by a hydrogen storage alloy and referred to as an alloy) from a filling port 12. A heat medium passage 14 for flowing a heat medium and exchanging heat with the alloy is provided in the container 11, and the heat medium passage 14 is provided with fins 18.
In the vicinity of the filling port 12, a hydrogen passage 16 for letting hydrogen in and out is arranged. Also, in the container,
A filter 15 for passing hydrogen is provided, and is connected to a hydrogen passage 16. Examples of the filter include a porous sintered metal. Then, the hydrogen storage material container is installed such that the filter in the hydrogen storage material container is positioned above the installation surface.

Next, the operation when the hydrogen storage material container according to the first embodiment is used for a heat pump will be described. Prepare at least two containers for hydrogen storage material,
When a heating medium is flowed into a heating medium passage in one container (not shown) to heat the alloy, hydrogen in the alloy is released. This hydrogen passes through a hydrogen pipe connecting the hydrogen paths of each other,
Is sent to the hydrogen storage material container shown in FIG. And hydrogen is
The hydrogen enters the container 11 through the hydrogen passage 16, passes through the filter 15, and is stored in the alloy 13. The occlusion heat generated at this time is recovered by the heat medium flowing in the heat medium passage 14 and used for hot water supply and heating. Conversely, when one of the containers is cooled, the alloy in that container absorbs hydrogen, so a differential pressure is generated between the two containers, and hydrogen is released from the alloy 13 in the container 11,
Hydrogen moves into the other container. Cold heat generated when the alloy 13 in the container 11 releases hydrogen is recovered by a heat medium flowing through the heat medium passage 14 and used for cooling and freezing. The heating and cooling are performed intermittently by repeating this, but since the alloy 13 and the container 11 repeat the temperature change,
When the heat capacity is large, the generated heat is consumed, and the amount of heat taken out to the outside such as cooling and heating is reduced.

Therefore, by adopting the structure as in the first embodiment, the alloy 13 fills the lower portion where the heat medium passage 14 is disposed, rather than the upper portion where the filter 15 is disposed, due to the influence of gravity. Therefore, the fin 18 is more present around the heat medium passage 14 and the fin portion 18 than around the filter 15. Therefore, the heat exchange between the alloy 13 and the heat medium flowing in the heat medium passage 14 is efficiently performed, so that the heat transfer performance of the container is improved and the sensible heat loss can be reduced. It is to be noted that the alloy 13 is larger than the surroundings of the filter 15 in the heat medium passage 14 and the fin 18.
, The filter 15 in the hydrogen storage material container does not necessarily have to be located above the installation surface. In particular, when hydrogen is released from the inside of the alloy 13, the hydrogen accompanied by the cold reaches the filter 15 after coming into contact with the heat medium passage 14 and the fin 18 as much as possible, and is sent out of the container 11 through the hydrogen passage 16. To be
Cold heat can be efficiently transmitted to the heat medium. as a result,
Heat utilization efficiency is improved, and efficient cooling and heating operation can be performed.

Embodiment 2 The structure of a hydrogen storage material container according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, a heat insulating layer 17 is provided inside the container 11 of the first embodiment. With such a structure, the influence of the temperature change of the alloy is
1, the sensible heat loss due to the heat capacity of the container can be reduced. Further, since heat radiation loss to the outside can be reduced, heat insulation outside the container can be reduced.

<< Embodiment 3 >> The configuration of a hydrogen storage material container according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, a shield plate 19 is provided between the heat medium passage 14 and the filter 15 in the container 11 of the first embodiment. Here, the hydrogen gas molecules and the alloy 13 may be mixed with the hydrogen gas molecules and the alloy 13 due to the difference in size and mass between the particles.
The structure is such that particles are separated and most of the hydrogen gas that has passed through the shielding plate reaches the filter 15. With such a configuration, clogging of the filter can be prevented, and smooth entry and exit of hydrogen gas can be performed for a long period of time. Also, the size of the filter can be reduced.

Embodiment 4 The structure of a hydrogen storage material container according to Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to FIG. Container 1 of hydrogen passage 16 in the first embodiment
1 is provided with a valve 20 outside. Hydrogen passes through hydrogen passage 16
When entering and exiting through the valve 20 and fully open,
Since hydrogen flows at once due to the influence of the pressure difference of hydrogen generated in the container, the flow rate of hydrogen is large at the beginning of the flow of hydrogen, and decreases rapidly after a while, and the flow rate of hydrogen is unstable. To prevent this, the opening of the valve 20 is adjusted according to the load. With such a configuration, the hydrogen flow rate can be adjusted, and a hydrogen flow rate suitable for the application can be stably obtained.

Although the valve for hydrogen storage material in the present invention has the valve 20 mounted on the hydrogen passage 16 in the above embodiment, the flow rate of the heat medium can also be adjusted by mounting a valve on the heat medium passage 14. By doing so, the hydrogen flow rate can be adjusted. Further, an orifice, a thin tube, or a regulator may be used instead of the valve 20. further,
In order to adjust the opening degree of the valve, a combination using a sensor for sensing the pressure and flow rate of hydrogen, the temperature of hydrogen or the heat medium, and a circuit for controlling the opening degree of the valve may be used.

<< Embodiment 5 >> The configuration of a hydrogen storage material container according to Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to FIG. In the fifth embodiment, in the container 11 of the first embodiment, a portion that does not contribute much to heat transfer away from the heat medium passage 14 is filled with a filler 21 such as glass wool, and an alloy existing near the heat medium passage 14 13 is increased. With such a configuration, waste of the alloy can be reduced, and sensible heat loss can be reduced.

Embodiment 6 A method for filling an alloy into a hydrogen storage material container according to Embodiment 6 will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the alloy activated in advance outside the hydrogen storage material container is filled in the hydrogen storage material container. With such a filling method, it is not necessary to increase the pressure in the hydrogen storage material container to activate the alloy, so that it is not necessary to increase the thickness of the hydrogen storage material container. Therefore, since the heat capacity can be reduced by reducing the weight, it is possible to obtain a hydrogen storage material container with small sensible heat loss.

Embodiment 7 A method for filling an alloy into a hydrogen storage material container according to Embodiment 7 will be described. In the seventh embodiment, an alloy activated in advance outside the hydrogen storage material container and an inactive alloy are mixed and filled in the hydrogen storage material container. By such a filling method, the activation of the inactive alloy becomes easy under the influence of the activated alloy, so that the thickness of the hydrogen storage material container is not increased more than necessary. Therefore, since the heat capacity can be reduced by reducing the weight,
It is possible to obtain a hydrogen storage material container having a small sensible heat loss.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hydrogen storage material container having excellent heat transfer performance, low sensible heat loss, and stable hydrogen flow. In addition, low sensible heat loss,
It is possible to provide a method for filling the hydrogen storage material into the hydrogen storage material container, which provides a lightweight hydrogen storage material container.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container for a hydrogen storage material according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hydrogen storage material container.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container for a hydrogen storage material according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the hydrogen storage material container.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a hydrogen storage material container according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a hydrogen storage material container according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container for a hydrogen storage material according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a conventional hydrogen storage material container.

FIG. 9 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of another conventional hydrogen storage material container.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1 ', 11 Container 12 Filling port 2, 13 Alloy 3, 3', 14 Heat medium passage 15 Filter 16 Hydrogen passage 17 Heat insulation layer 18 Fin 19 Shield plate 20 Valve 21 Filler

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiaki Yamamoto 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3E072 EA10 3L093 NN05 PP00 QQ07 RR01 4G040 AA11

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A container provided with a filling port for filling a hydrogen storage material, a hydrogen passage through which hydrogen enters and leaves the container, and a hydrogen passage connected to the hydrogen passage and disposed in the container. And a heat medium passage for flowing a heat medium into the container and exchanging heat with the hydrogen storage material, wherein the hydrogen storage material filled in the container is closer to the heat medium passage than to the periphery of the filter. A container for a hydrogen storage material, which is abundant in the surroundings. 2. The hydrogen storage material container according to claim 1, wherein a heat insulating material is provided on an inner surface of the container. 3. A shielding plate through which hydrogen can pass is provided between the heat medium passage and the filter in the container.
A container for a hydrogen storage material as described in the above. 4. The hydrogen storage material container according to claim 1, further comprising a controller for adjusting a flow rate in one or both of the hydrogen passage and the heat medium passage. 5. The hydrogen storage material container according to claim 1, wherein a filler is provided in a portion of the container that does not contribute to heat transfer to the heat medium. 6. A hydrogen storage material container, which is filled with a hydrogen storage material and has a heat medium passage for flowing a heat medium into the container and exchanging heat with the hydrogen storage material, is activated outside the container in advance. A method for filling the hydrogen storage material with the filled hydrogen storage material. 7. A hydrogen storage material container, which is filled with a hydrogen storage material and has a heat medium passage for flowing a heat medium into the container and exchanging heat with the hydrogen storage material, is activated outside the container in advance. And filling the mixed hydrogen storage material and the inactive hydrogen storage material.