JP2003013269A - System and method for supplying oxygen - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a convenient technology for supplying oxygen. SOLUTION: The oxygen supply system 10 comprises an oxygen generation unit 200, which generates oxygen and hydrogen by electrolysis of water, and provides generated oxygen to a user; a hydrogen circulation unit 400, which supplies oxygen generated by the oxygen generating unit 200 to an electric power generation unit 100; the electric power generation unit 100, which generates electric power through a fuel cell by using hydrogen provided from the hydrogen circulation unit 400; a water circulation unit 300, which supplies water generated in the electric power generation unit 100 to the oxygen generation unit 200; and an electric power generation unit 500, which obtains the electric power generated by the electric power generation unit 100, and supplies the electric power necessary for the electrolysis in the oxygen generation unit 200.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an oxygen supply device and an oxygen supply method. The present invention particularly relates to an oxygen supply device for supplying oxygen to a user, and an oxygen supply method usable in the oxygen supply device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Oxygen therapy in which a high concentration of oxygen is inhaled is performed on a patient having a respiratory disease such as chronic respiratory failure. BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a device for supplying oxygen to a patient who needs home oxygen therapy, a device for concentrating oxygen in the air, a device for storing liquid oxygen, and a device for storing high-pressure compressed oxygen gas are known. Among them, a device for concentrating and supplying oxygen in the air is now widely used.

In this apparatus, first, air is introduced into an adsorption tower containing a zeolite for molecular sieving, and nitrogen is adsorbed onto the zeolite under pressure. Then, a surplus gas containing a high concentration of oxygen is introduced into another container. Subsequently, the adsorbed nitrogen is dissociated by decompression and discharged to the outside of the adsorption tower. Then, the surplus gas is again introduced into the adsorption tower to adsorb nitrogen to the zeolite under pressure. By repeating this operation, nitrogen is removed from the air and high concentration oxygen is generated.

[0004]

However, various drawbacks have been pointed out regarding this oxygen supply device. First, in this oxygen supply device, water vapor is lost along with nitrogen in the oxygen concentration process, and the humidity of the generated high-concentration oxygen becomes extremely low. Had to do. At this time, unless the water for humidification is frequently replaced, the water may become a hotbed for bacterial growth. In addition, since oxygen is concentrated mainly by removing nitrogen from the air, if a small amount of harmful components are contained in the air, they may also be concentrated and supplied to the patient. I couldn't say nothing. Moreover, since oxygen is concentrated in an open system, there is a problem that the pressure for supplying oxygen to the patient is not sufficient. Further, since relatively large noise is generated during the process of concentrating oxygen, there is a risk that it may interfere with a good night's sleep when using it at bedtime.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an oxygen supply apparatus and an oxygen supply method which can solve the above problems. This object is achieved by a combination of features described in independent claims of the invention. The dependent claims define further advantageous specific examples of the present invention.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an oxygen supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is an oxygen supply device for supplying oxygen, and oxygen is generated by electrolysis of water. And an oxygen generation unit that generates hydrogen and supplies the generated oxygen to the user, a power supply control unit that supplies the oxygen generation unit with electric energy required for electrolysis of the water, and a reaction between oxygen and hydrogen. An electric power generation unit that generates electric energy and supplies the electric energy to the electric power supply control unit, and a hydrogen circulation unit that supplies hydrogen generated in the oxygen generation unit to the electric power generation unit.

The power supply control unit may supply at least a part of the electric energy generated in the power generation unit to the oxygen generation unit. The oxygen supply device may further include a water circulation unit that supplies water to the oxygen generation unit, and the water circulation unit may acquire the water generated in the power generation unit and supply the water to the oxygen generation unit. The water circulation unit may inspect the water quality of the water supplied to the oxygen generation unit, and may notify when the water quality does not meet a predetermined standard. The power supply control unit may include a first power storage unit that stores at least a part of electric energy generated in the power generation unit. The power supply control unit may include a second power storage unit that stores electrical energy obtained from an external power source. When the amount of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen circulation unit to the power generation unit is not sufficient, the electrical energy stored in the external power supply or the second power storage unit may be supplied to the oxygen generation unit.

The oxygen supply method according to the second aspect of the present invention comprises a step of generating oxygen by electrolysis of water,
Supplying the oxygen to the user, supplying hydrogen generated by the electrolysis to a fuel cell,
The method further includes a step of obtaining air from the outside and supplying the air to the fuel cell, and a step of generating electric energy by a reaction between the hydrogen and oxygen in the air in the fuel cell.

In this method, a step of receiving a request for stopping the supply of oxygen, a step of receiving the stop request and stopping the electrolysis, and a surplus hydrogen that has already been generated by the electrolysis to the fuel cell. The method may further include a step of supplying and a step of storing the electric energy generated in the fuel cell. This method
When a request to start supplying oxygen again is received, the step of generating oxygen may be executed using the electric energy stored in the step of storing electricity.

The above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the necessary features of the present invention, and sub-combinations of these feature groups can also be the invention. Further, the expression of the present invention converted between the device, the method, the system, and the computer program is also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the scope of claims and are described in the embodiments. Not all of the combinations of features described above are essential for the solution of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an oxygen supply device 1 according to an embodiment.
An overall configuration of 0 is shown. The oxygen supply device 10 includes an oxygen supply unit 30 that generates oxygen and supplies it to a user, and a main control unit 20 that controls the oxygen supply unit 30 in a centralized manner.
With. The oxygen supply unit 30 includes a power generation unit 100, an oxygen generation unit 200, a water circulation unit 3
00, a hydrogen circulation unit 400, and a power supply control unit 500. Oxygen supply device 10 of the present embodiment
Is mainly used to supply inhaled gas containing high concentrations of oxygen to patients with chronic respiratory failure or mild respiratory failure requiring home oxygen therapy.

In FIG. 1, the broken line indicates the flow of chemical substances,
The dashed lines indicate the flow of electric energy. In addition, a part of the configuration of each unit is realized by a CPU, a memory, a program loaded in the memory, etc. of an arbitrary computer in terms of a hardware component, but here, a functional block realized by their cooperation. Is drawn. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof. These points are the same in the subsequent figures.

The power generation unit 100 uses a fuel cell to generate electrical energy by utilizing a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, and supplies the electrical energy to the power supply control unit 500. At this time, oxygen required for the chemical reaction takes in and uses the outside air, and hydrogen is obtained from the hydrogen circulation unit 400.
Unreacted oxygen is discharged to the outside, and unreacted hydrogen is sent again to the hydrogen circulation unit 400 and reused. Further, the water generated by the chemical reaction is sent to the water circulation unit 300. Since the oxygen supply device 10 of the present embodiment has a function of generating electric power by itself, it is suitable for use when going out or in an emergency such as a power outage.

The oxygen production unit 200 produces oxygen and hydrogen by electrolysis of water and supplies the produced oxygen to the user. At this time, water required for electrolysis is obtained from the water circulation unit 300, and electric energy is obtained from the power supply control unit 500. The unreacted water is sent again to the water circulation unit 300 for reuse. Oxygen generated by electrolysis is supplied to the user, and hydrogen is sent to the hydrogen circulation unit 400. As described above, the oxygen supply device 10 of the present embodiment generates oxygen by electrolysis of water and supplies it to the user. Therefore, a high-quality inhalation gas containing a high concentration of oxygen and containing very few impurities is supplied to the user. be able to. The water used for electrolysis evaporates in the electrolytic cell,
Since the inhaled gas contains a suitable amount of water vapor, it is not necessary to control the humidity by humidification. Further, since oxygen is generated in the closed system, the suction gas is supplied to the user with a certain pressure. Therefore, since a mechanism for pressurizing the suction gas is not particularly required, the structure of the device can be simplified.

The water circulation unit 300 acquires the water generated in the power generation unit 100 and supplies it to the oxygen generation unit 200. Further, water that has not been electrolyzed in the oxygen generation unit 200 is recovered and supplied to the oxygen generation unit 200 again. As described above, since the electrolysis is performed using the pure water generated by the chemical reaction of oxygen and hydrogen, it is possible to minimize the contamination of impurities and the growth of bacteria. When the intake gas is supplied from the oxygen generation unit 200 to the user, the vaporized water vapor is also supplied, so the vaporized portion is appropriately replenished to the water circulation unit 300 from the outside. At this time, the water used for electrolysis is preferably pure water containing as little impurities as possible. Therefore, the water circulation unit 300 inspects the water quality of the water to be replenished, and warns when the water quality does not meet the predetermined standard. May be issued.

The hydrogen circulation unit 400 acquires the hydrogen produced in the oxygen production unit 200 and supplies it to the electric power production unit 100. The hydrogen circulation unit 400 is
Hydrogen that has not reacted in the power generation unit 100 is recovered and supplied to the power generation unit 100 again. As described above, since hydrogen generated as a byproduct of oxygen in the oxygen generation unit 200 is used for the battery reaction in the power generation unit 100, it is not necessary to obtain hydrogen from the outside. Although hydrogen may be generated by a reforming device (not shown) using natural gas or the like as a raw material, the hydrogen generated by the oxygen generation unit 200 is reused to provide a simple structure without providing a reforming device. be able to. Hydrogen generated as a by-product of oxygen in the oxygen generation unit 200 is dangerous because it may explode when discharged to the outside. However, in the oxygen supply device 10 of the present embodiment, the hydrogen is reacted in the power generation unit 100 with oxygen. Since it is converted into water, it is highly safe.

As described above, the oxygen supply device 10 of the present embodiment successfully minimizes the resources required for operation by properly combining the electrolysis reaction of water and the cell reaction of the fuel cell. Low running cost and excellent portability. Furthermore, since the configuration is relatively simple, it is possible to provide the oxygen supply device 10 that is small, lightweight, and inexpensive.

The power supply control unit 500 acquires the electric energy generated by the power generation unit 100,
If necessary, it is charged and supplied to each part of the oxygen supply device 10. The power supply control unit 500 supplies electric energy required for electrolysis of water in the oxygen generation unit 200, and electric power required for operation of a control microprocessor, memory, pump, etc. provided in each unit. The power supply control unit 500 may acquire power from an external commercial power source as needed.

The main control unit 20 includes an oxygen supply device 10
The information necessary for control is acquired from each part of the above, and the operation of each part is controlled based on the information.

FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the power generation unit 100. The power generation unit 100 includes a fuel cell oxygen supply unit 110, a fuel cell oxygen supply control unit 120, a fuel cell 130, a fuel cell operation status acquisition unit 140, and a fuel cell control unit 150.

The fuel cell oxygen supply unit 110 is used for the fuel cell 1
Supply the oxygen required for the chemical reaction at 30. The fuel cell oxygen supply unit 110 may take in air from the outside by a pump or the like and supply the air to the fuel cell 130. The fuel cell oxygen supply unit 110 may include a filter or the like for removing solid impurities in the air.

The fuel cell oxygen supply control unit 120 controls the amount, flow velocity, concentration, temperature, etc. of oxygen supplied by the fuel cell oxygen supply unit 110 to the fuel cell 130. The fuel cell oxygen supply control unit 120 uses, as parameters necessary for control, the oxygen content of the air sucked from the outside by the pump, the temperature,
Humidity, composition, flow rate, etc. may be measured. These parameters are transmitted to the main control unit 20. The fuel cell oxygen supply control unit 120 controls the fuel cell oxygen supply unit 110 in response to an instruction from the main control unit 20. As a specific example, in order to increase the output of the fuel cell 130, the amount of oxygen to be supplied may be increased, or the air may be heated or cooled to be adjusted to a temperature suitable for the reaction. Further, the amount of oxygen supplied may be adjusted according to the amount of hydrogen stored in the hydrogen circulation unit 400.

The fuel cell 130 produces electric energy by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. As the fuel cell 130, a known polymer electrolyte fuel cell, phosphoric acid fuel cell, molten carbonate fuel cell, solid oxide fuel cell, or the like may be used. The fuel cell has a relatively low operating temperature of about 80 ° C. and a relatively high power generation efficiency of about 40%, and is therefore suitable for use at home or when going out.

The fuel cell operation status acquisition unit 140 measures output power, output voltage, output current, reaction temperature, etc. as parameters necessary for controlling the operation of the fuel cell 130.
These parameters are transmitted to the main control unit 20 and the fuel cell control unit 150. Fuel cell control unit 150
Controls the fuel cell 130 in response to an instruction from the main control unit 20 or by its own judgment. As a specific example, in order to adjust the output of the fuel cell 130, the circulation of cooling water may be controlled, or heating may be performed by a heater (not shown) or the like. As water for cooling the fuel cell 130, water used for electrolysis of water may be circulated or a separate circulation path may be provided.

FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the oxygen production unit 200. The oxygen generation unit 200 includes an oxygen supply unit 21.
0, oxygen supply control unit 220, electrolytic bath 230, electrolytic bath operation status acquisition unit 240, and electrolytic bath control unit 250.

The electrolytic cell 230 produces hydrogen and oxygen by the electrolysis reaction of water. Although any known water electrolysis tank can be used as the electrolysis tank 230, in the present embodiment, a water electrolysis tank using a solid polymer electrolyte is used. Water required for the reaction is supplied from the water circulation unit 300, and electric energy required for the reaction is supplied from the power supply control unit 500. Hydrogen generated by the reaction is sent to the hydrogen circulation unit 400, and oxygen is sent to the oxygen supply unit 210.

The oxygen supply unit 210 supplies the oxygen generated in the electrolytic cell 230 to the user as an intake gas. At this time, if necessary, a humidification process or a pressure process may be performed, but as described above, the oxygen supply device 10 of the present embodiment.
In the above, since the inhaled gas supplied to the user has sufficient humidity and pressure, these configurations need not be provided. The oxygen supply unit 210 may include a pressure control valve for adjusting the pressure of the suction gas and a filter for removing bacteria and the like.

The oxygen supply control unit 220 includes the oxygen supply unit 21.
0 controls the amount, flow velocity, concentration, temperature, humidity, etc. of the inhaled gas supplied to the user. The oxygen supply control unit 220 uses the flow rate, concentration, and
Temperature, humidity, composition, etc. may be measured. These parameters are transmitted to the main control unit 20. The oxygen supply control unit 220 controls the oxygen supply unit 210 in response to an instruction from the main control unit 20. As an example, when the flow rate of the intake gas is too high, the power supply control unit 500 reduces the power supplied to the electrolytic cell 230, and the flow rate is adjusted by a pressure adjusting valve (not shown) provided in the oxygen supply unit 210. Good. The temperature may be adjusted by a cooler or a heater (not shown) so that the temperature can be easily inhaled by the user.

The electrolytic cell operation status acquisition unit 240 is used for the electrolytic cell 2
As the parameters necessary for controlling the operation of 30, the amount of oxygen produced, the amount of hydrogen produced, the reaction temperature, etc. are measured. These parameters are transmitted to the main control unit 20 and the electrolytic cell control unit 250. Electrolyzer control unit 250
Controls the electrolytic cell 230 in response to an instruction from the main control unit 20 or by its own judgment. As a specific example, in order to adjust the electrolysis reaction in the electrolytic cell 230, the circulation of cooling water may be controlled, or heating may be performed by a heater (not shown) or the like.

FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the water circulation unit 300. The water circulation unit 300 includes a pure water tank 310,
It includes a water supply unit 320, a water quality inspection unit 330, and a water supply control unit 340.

The pure water tank 310 holds pure water necessary for electrolysis in the electrolytic cell 230. As water used for electrolysis, it is preferable to use pure water containing as few impurities as possible. Therefore, the pure water tank 310 may include a filter for removing solid impurities, an ion exchange filter for removing impurity ions, and the like in order to maintain good water quality. Moreover, you may further provide the structure for preventing the propagation of bacteria.

The water quality inspection section 330 inspects the quality of the pure water held in the pure water tank 310. Water quality inspection unit 330
Is the temperature of the water, which is a necessary parameter for water quality management.
Ionic conductivity, pH, various ion contents, etc. are measured. These parameters are transmitted to the main control unit 20 and the water supply control unit 340. A configuration may be adopted in which a warning is issued when the water quality does not meet a predetermined standard. Moreover, when the amount of water becomes smaller than a predetermined amount, a warning for urging the replenishment of water may be issued. When replenishing water from the outside, the quality of the water may be inspected in advance, and when the predetermined standard is satisfied, the pure water tank 310 may be replenished with water.

The water supply section 320 uses the water flow pump or the like to convert the water held in the pure water tank 310 into the electrolytic cell 23.
Supply to 0. The water supply control unit 340 includes the water supply unit 320.
To control. The water supply control unit 340 may control the amount of water, the temperature, the flow velocity, etc. of the water sent to the electrolytic cell 230 by the water flow pump in order to maintain the temperature in the electrolytic cell 230 at the optimum temperature for the electrolysis reaction. In order to control the temperature of water, a structure necessary for heating or cooling may be further provided.

FIG. 5 shows the internal structure of the hydrogen circulation unit 400. The hydrogen circulation unit 400 includes a hydrogen storage unit 41.
0, a hydrogen supply unit 420, a hydrogen inspection unit 430, and a hydrogen supply control unit 440.

The hydrogen storage unit 410 stores hydrogen generated by electrolysis in the electrolytic cell 230. The hydrogen storage unit 410 may include a filter or the like for removing impurities. The hydrogen inspection unit 430 inspects the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage unit 410. The hydrogen inspection unit 430 measures the temperature, humidity, pressure, residual amount, etc. of hydrogen as parameters necessary for managing hydrogen. These parameters are transmitted to the main control unit 20 and the hydrogen supply control unit 440. A configuration may be adopted in which a warning is issued when the quality of hydrogen does not meet a predetermined standard.

The hydrogen supply unit 420 supplies the hydrogen held in the hydrogen storage unit 410 to the fuel cell 130 using a gas pump or the like. The hydrogen supply control unit 440 controls the hydrogen supply unit 420. The hydrogen supply control unit 440 supplies a required amount of hydrogen according to the output power of the fuel cell 130. The hydrogen supply control unit 440 controls the fuel cell 1 in order to keep the reaction temperature of the cell reaction in the fuel cell 130 optimal.
The temperature, humidity, flow rate, etc. of hydrogen sent to 30 may be controlled. In order to control the temperature of hydrogen, you may further provide the structure required for heating and cooling.

FIG. 6 shows the internal structure of the power supply control unit 500. The power supply control unit 500 includes a first power storage unit 510, a second power storage unit 520, an AC / DC converter 530, a first switch unit 540, and a second switch unit 550.

First power storage unit 510 stores the electric energy generated in power generation unit 100.
First power storage unit 510 may include a battery for power storage, a secondary battery, a capacitor, and the like. When charging a secondary battery such as a rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery, a structure for adjusting the voltage and current suitable for charging may be provided. Without providing the first power storage unit 510, the power generation unit 100
Although the electric power may be directly supplied from the device to the oxygen generation unit 200, it is preferable that the electric power is stored and then supplied also in the sense of adjusting the current and voltage supplied to the oxygen generation unit 200.

Second power storage unit 520 stores the electric energy obtained from the external power supply. When a commercial AC power supply is used as the external power supply, AC / DC converter 530 converts AC power into DC power. When power is supplied to various motors, microprocessors, etc., the power may be supplied directly without being converted into DC power.

The first switch section 540 switches the supply destination of the output power of the AC / DC converter 530. AC
The output of the / DC converter 530 is output from the second power storage unit 52.
It is supplied to each part of the oxygen supply device 10 via 0 or the second switch part 550. Second switch unit 550
Switches the power supply source. Electric power is supplied to each unit of the oxygen supply device 10 from the first power storage unit 510, the second power storage unit 520, or an external power supply. Power may be supplied from the external power supply when connected to the external power supply, and power may be supplied from the first power storage unit 510 or the second power storage unit 520 when not connected.

The configuration of the oxygen supply device 10 has been described above. Next, the operation of this configuration will be described.

First, when a request for starting the supply of oxygen is received, main control unit 20 obtains the remaining power amounts of first power storage unit 510 and second power storage unit 520. If the amount of remaining power is sufficient, main control unit 20 controls second switch unit 550 to supply power from first power storage unit 510 or second power storage unit 520 to electrolytic cell 230.
As a result, oxygen is generated in the electrolytic cell 230 and supplied to the user. If the amount of remaining power is not sufficient, a warning may be issued to connect to an external power source to charge the battery. When the oxygen supply device 10 is connected to the external power source, the main control unit 20 operates the first switch unit 540 and the second switch unit 540.
It is also possible to control the switch unit 550 of No. 3 to directly supply electric power from the external power source to the electrolytic cell 230. At this time, the warning does not have to be issued even if the amount of remaining power in first power storage unit 510 and second power storage unit 520 is not sufficient.

The main control unit 20 sends an appropriate instruction to the water supply control section 340 based on the information transmitted from the electrolytic cell operation status acquisition section 240 and the oxygen supply control section 220 to supply water to the electrolytic cell 230. To control. Similarly, an instruction is appropriately sent to the power supply control unit 500, and the electrolytic cell 2
Control the supply of power to 30. It also sends an instruction to the oxygen supply control unit 220 as appropriate to control the supply of oxygen to the user.

Hydrogen is accumulated in the hydrogen storage unit 410 as the electrolysis in the electrolytic cell 230 progresses. When a sufficient amount of hydrogen has been accumulated for the operation of the fuel cell 130, the main control unit 20 instructs the hydrogen supply control section 440 to supply hydrogen and the fuel cell oxygen supply control section 120 to supply oxygen. . As a result, the fuel cell 130 generates electric energy. If sufficient hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage unit 410 at the time when the operation of the electrolytic cell 230 is started, the operation of the fuel cell 130 may be started at that time, but as described later, From the viewpoint of safety, when hydrogen is not stored in the hydrogen storage unit 410 when the power is off, the operation of the fuel cell 130 is started after the hydrogen is stored.

The electric energy generated in the fuel cell 130 is stored in the first power storage unit 510. Main control unit 20 monitors the remaining amount of power in first power storage unit 510 and second power storage unit 520, and determines whether the remaining amount of power is the first value.
The switch unit 540 and the second switch unit 550 are controlled to switch the power supply source. First power storage unit 510
Also, the second power storage unit 520 power remaining amount may be presented to the user. The drivable time may be calculated and presented to the user when not connected to an external power source.

Upon receiving the request for stopping the supply of oxygen, the main control unit 20 stops the power supply to the electrolytic cell 230. As a result, the production of oxygen in the electrolytic cell 230 is stopped. At this time, the supply of water to the electrolytic cell 230 may be stopped, but when the temperature of the electrolytic cell 230 is high due to the electrolysis reaction, water may be circulated for a while to cool.

If the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage unit 410 is kept stored, there is no risk that hydrogen will explode if the device is damaged in the event of a disaster such as an earthquake or fire. Therefore, even if the supply of oxygen is stopped, the fuel cell 130 continues to operate, and the hydrogen accumulated in the hydrogen storage unit 410 is used up by the fuel cell 130. The electric energy generated at this time is the first energy storage unit 510.
It is also possible to store the electric energy in the battery and use the electric energy when a request to start the supply of oxygen is made next.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the above-described embodiments are mere examples, and that various modifications can be made to the combinations of the respective constituent elements and the respective processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. This is where

As an example of a modified example, in the present embodiment, the water generated in the power generation unit 100 is sent to the water circulation unit 300 and used for electrolysis in the oxygen generation unit 200. The water circulation path of the unit 200 may be a separate system. At this time, since pure water is consumed in the oxygen generation unit 200, water may be supplemented from outside at any time.

[0051]

According to the present invention, a highly convenient oxygen supply technique can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an oxygen supply device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a power generation unit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of an oxygen generation unit.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a water circulation unit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a hydrogen circulation unit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a power supply control unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 oxygen supply device 20 Main control unit 30 oxygen supply unit 100 power generation unit 130 fuel cell 200 oxygen generation unit 230 electrolyzer 300 water circulation unit 400 Hydrogen circulation unit 500 power supply control unit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H01M 8/00 H01M 8/00 Z 8/06 8/06 R 10/44 10/44 A (72) Invention Atsushi Nagai 8-1 Kawata-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside the Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital (72) Inventor Seishiro Miyagi 208-3 Miyazato, Gushigawa City, Okinawa Prefecture Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital (72) Inventor Satoshi Kitamura 3311 Yakushiji Temple, Minamikawachi-cho, Kawachi-gun, Tochigi Prefecture F-term in Jichi Medical University (reference) 4G042 AA02 4K021 AA01 BA02 BC01 BC03 CA05 DB31 DC01 5H027 AA02 BA11 BA19 5H030 AS20 BB01 BB08

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An oxygen supply device for supplying oxygen, comprising an oxygen generation unit for generating oxygen and hydrogen by electrolysis of water and supplying the generated oxygen to a user, and an oxygen production unit required for electrolysis of the water. A power supply control unit for supplying various electric energy to the oxygen generation unit, and generating electric energy by a reaction between oxygen and hydrogen,
An oxygen supply apparatus comprising: a power generation unit that supplies the electric energy to the power supply control unit; and a hydrogen circulation unit that supplies hydrogen generated in the oxygen generation unit to the power generation unit. 2. The oxygen supply device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply control unit supplies at least a part of electric energy generated in the power generation unit to the oxygen generation unit. 3. A water circulation unit for supplying water to the oxygen generation unit, wherein the water circulation unit acquires water generated in the power generation unit and supplies the water to the oxygen generation unit. Item 2. The oxygen supply device according to item 1 or 2. 4. The water circulation unit inspects the water quality of the water supplied to the oxygen generation unit, and when the water quality does not meet a predetermined standard, the fact is notified. Oxygen supply device. 5. The power supply control unit includes a first power storage unit that stores at least a part of the electrical energy generated in the power generation unit, according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Oxygen supply device. 6. The oxygen supply device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply control unit includes a second power storage unit that stores electric energy obtained from an external power supply. 7. The electric energy stored in the external power source or the second power storage unit is supplied to the oxygen generation unit when the amount of hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen circulation unit to the power generation unit is not sufficient. The oxygen supply device according to claim 6, wherein 8. A method of supplying oxygen, comprising the steps of generating oxygen by electrolysis of water, supplying the oxygen to a user, and supplying hydrogen generated by the electrolysis to a fuel cell. A step of obtaining air from the outside and supplying the air to the fuel cell; a step of generating electric energy by a reaction between the hydrogen and oxygen in the air in the fuel cell;
A method comprising: 9. A step of receiving a request for stopping the supply of oxygen, a step of stopping the electrolysis upon receiving the stop request, and supplying surplus hydrogen already generated by the electrolysis to the fuel cell. 9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: a step of storing electric energy generated in the fuel cell.
The method described in. 10. The step of generating oxygen by using the electric energy stored in the step of storing when the request to start the supply of oxygen again is received. The method described in.