JP2006327871A - Apparatus and method for generating hydrogen - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for generating hydrogen, with which stopping of a hydrogen generation reaction and the control of the reaction velocity can be satisfactorily performed with a simple apparatus constitution; and a method for generating hydrogen. <P>SOLUTION: In the apparatus for generating hydrogen by reacting a solid hydrogen generating agent 1 and a reaction liquid 2, a first storage part 10 for storing the hydrogen generating agent 1 by partitioning it into a plurality of partitions, a second storage part 20 for storing the reaction liquid 2 by partitioning it into a plurality of partitions, and a partition means 30 having a partition member 31 for partitioning each partition 11 of the first storage part 10 and each partition 21 of the second storage part 20 and releasing the partition member 31 to sequentially bring the agent stored in each partition 11 of the first storage part 10 into contact with the liquid stored in each partition 21 of the second storage part 20 is provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hydrogen generator and a hydrogen generation method for generating hydrogen by reacting a solid hydrogen generator such as metal with a reaction liquid such as water, and in particular, as a technique for supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell. Useful.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a hydrogen generator for generating hydrogen by bringing a hydrogen generator such as iron into contact with water, a tank for storing water, a reaction container for storing a hydrogen generator, and the reaction container from the tank 2. Description of the Related Art A hydrogen generator including an introduction pipe for supplying water to the water is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this hydrogen generator, water is supplied from a tank to iron particles or the like accommodated in a reaction vessel using a pump or the like.

  However, in this apparatus, once water is supplied to the reaction vessel, it is difficult to stop the reaction, and even if the amount of water supplied is controlled, it is difficult to keep the hydrogen generation rate constant. Met.

  Further, as a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen gas by reaction of water and aluminum, an apparatus that reacts water and aluminum while producing a new surface by cutting aluminum in water or the like is known (for example, , See Patent Document 2).

  In this hydrogen generator, although the reaction rate is easier to control than in the device of Patent Document 1, the device is large and complicated, so it is not suitable for a small hydrogen generator. In addition, since the contact between water and the hydrogen generator cannot be completely blocked, it is difficult to say that the reaction rate can be controlled sufficiently.

JP 2004-149394 A JP 2001-31401 A

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen generation apparatus and a hydrogen generation method capable of satisfactorily stopping the hydrogen generation reaction and controlling the speed with a simple apparatus configuration.

The above object can be achieved by the present invention as described below.
That is, the hydrogen generator of the present invention is a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen by reacting a solid hydrogen generator and a reaction solution, and a first storage unit that stores the hydrogen generator in a plurality of sections, A second housing part that divides the reaction liquid into a plurality of parts, a partition member that partitions each section of the first housing part and each section of the second housing part, and releases the partition member Partitioning means for enabling the respective compartments of the first housing part and the compartments of the second housing part to sequentially contact with each other.

  According to the hydrogen generator of the present invention, the hydrogen generating agent and the reaction liquid are stored in a plurality of sections, and the partition members can be released so that the respective sections can be sequentially brought into contact with each other. By controlling, the rate control of the hydrogen generation reaction can be performed satisfactorily. Further, by stopping the release of the partition member, the hydrogen generation reaction can be stopped quickly without wasting material. Furthermore, since it is mainly comprised by a pair of accommodating part and partition member divided into plurality, it becomes a simple apparatus structure and can respond easily to size reduction and weight reduction. The partition member may be released automatically or manually.

  In the above, each section of the first housing section and each section of the second housing section are arranged in an annular shape so that the sections face each other, and the partition member having the opening is rotated to sequentially turn the partition members. It is preferable to provide partition means that can be released. By arranging each section in an annular shape and having a partition member having an opening, the partition member can be released by its turning operation, and automation of the partition means is facilitated. In addition, the device configuration is simpler, and it is possible to more easily cope with the reduction in size and weight.

  In that case, it is preferable that the said partition means is provided with the drive part which rotates the said partition member automatically. By automatically rotating the partition member by the driving unit, each of the divided containers in the first container and each of the divided containers in the second container can be automatically and sequentially brought into contact with each other.

  In addition, each section of the first housing section and each section of the second housing section are arranged in one or a plurality of rows so that the sections face each other, and the partition member is sequentially released by sliding the partition member. It is preferable to provide partition means that can By arranging each section in one or a plurality of rows and sliding the partition member, the partition member can be released by the sliding operation, and automation of the partition means is facilitated. In addition, the device configuration is simpler, and it is possible to more easily cope with the reduction in size and weight.

  On the other hand, the hydrogen generation method of the present invention is a hydrogen generation method in which a solid hydrogen generator and a reaction liquid are reacted to generate hydrogen, and the hydrogen generator is divided into a plurality of parts and stored, and the reaction liquid is The hydrogen generating agent accommodated in a plurality of sections is stored, and the hydrogen generating agent stored in each section and the reaction liquid are sequentially brought into contact with each other.

  According to the hydrogen generation method of the present invention, the hydrogen generating agent and the reaction liquid are accommodated in a plurality of sections, and the contents in each section are sequentially brought into contact with each other. Therefore, the hydrogen generation reaction is controlled by controlling the contact timing. The speed control can be performed satisfactorily. Further, by interrupting the contact, the hydrogen generation reaction can be stopped quickly without wasting materials. In addition, you may perform the contact between the accommodation of each division automatically or manually.

  Another hydrogen generation method of the present invention is a hydrogen generation method in which hydrogen is generated by reacting a solid hydrogen generator and a reaction liquid, and the reaction between the hydrogen generator and the reaction liquid is divided into a plurality of parts. And the reaction is successively continued at the timing at which the amount of hydrogen generated by each reaction overlaps. According to this hydrogen generation method, the rate of the hydrogen generation reaction can be favorably controlled by controlling the timing of each reaction. Further, by interrupting the reaction, the hydrogen generation reaction can be stopped quickly without wasting materials.

  On the other hand, the hydrogen supply method of the present invention is characterized in that hydrogen generated by any of the hydrogen generation methods described above is supplied to the fuel cell. According to the hydrogen supply method of the present invention, by controlling the timing of each reaction, it is possible to satisfactorily control the speed of the hydrogen generation reaction and stably supply the fuel gas to the fuel cell. In addition, by interrupting the reaction, the hydrogen generation reaction can be stopped quickly without wasting materials, so that fuel gas can be suitably supplied to fuel cells that are frequently started and stopped. .

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the hydrogen generator of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a graph for explaining the stop of hydrogen generation reaction and speed control in the present invention.

  The hydrogen generator of the present invention is a device for generating hydrogen by reacting a solid hydrogen generator and a reaction solution. As a solid hydrogen generator, metal particles that react with water to generate hydrogen, for example, one or more metal particles selected from Fe, Al, Mg, Zn, Si, etc., and these were partially oxidized Metal particles can be mentioned. Further, the hydrogen generator may contain a catalyst component. The hydrogen generator may be in the form of powder, granulated, or tableted.

  Any reaction solution may be used as long as it reacts with a hydrogen generating agent to generate hydrogen, and examples thereof include water and an aqueous solution containing an acid. The mixing ratio of the hydrogen generating agent and the reaction solution can be appropriately determined according to the type of reaction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hydrogen generator of the present invention includes a first storage unit 10 that stores the hydrogen generating agent 1 in a plurality of sections and a second storage section 20 that stores the reaction liquid 2 in a plurality of sections. With. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which each section 11 of the first housing portion 10 and each section 21 of the second housing portion 20 are annularly arranged so that the sections face each other.

  In the first accommodating portion 10, each section 11 is formed by the radially formed partition walls 12, and these are arranged in an annular shape. The first accommodating portion 10 has no bottom surface, and the partition member 31 is disposed at the bottom, so that the spherical hydrogen generating agent 1 can be accommodated.

  Further, the upper surface of the first accommodating portion 10 is closed by the lid member 13, and the generated hydrogen gas is taken out via the hydrogen gas collecting portion 14 and the discharge pipe 15 provided in the lid member 13.

  In the second accommodating portion 20, each section 21 is formed by a radially formed partition wall 22, and these are arranged in an annular shape. The second storage unit 20 has a bottom surface 23 and is configured to store the reaction solution 2. In addition, an insertion portion 24 through which the drive shaft 32 a can be inserted is provided in the center of the second housing portion 20. The peripheral wall 25 of the second storage part 20 and the peripheral wall 16 of the first storage part 10 are preferably in an airtight state, for example, by fitting.

  The hydrogen generator of the present invention further includes partition means 30 having a partition member 31 that partitions each section 11 of the first storage section 10 and each section 21 of the second storage section 20. The partition means 30 releases the partition member 31 so that the respective compartments in the first housing part 10 and the respective compartments in the second housing part 20 can be brought into contact with each other in sequence. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which a partition unit 30 that can sequentially release the partition member 31 by automatically rotating the partition member 31 having the opening 31a by the drive unit 32 is shown.

  In the illustrated example, the partition member 31 has a circular shape having a slightly smaller diameter than the peripheral wall 16 and the like of the first housing portion 10. However, the partition member 31 may have a polygonal shape as long as it can prevent the hydrogen generating agent 1 from falling. . Moreover, although the shape of the opening part 31a is a fan shape, as long as it is a shape which can drop the hydrogen generating agent 1, any shape may be sufficient as it. The opening 31a may correspond to one section of each section 11 or may correspond to a plurality of sections.

  The partitioning unit 30 may be manually operated without providing the driving unit 32, but it is preferable to provide the driving unit 32 and automatically perform the rotation operation. The drive unit 32 may be an electric motor or the like, but it is preferable to use a mechanical drive device such as a spiral spring as shown in FIG.

  In such a spiral spring type drive unit 32, the input unit 32b is rotated to accumulate mechanical energy in the spiral spring, and the drive shaft 32a is rotated at a constant speed by its elastic restoring force. The rotation of the drive shaft 32a can be stopped by the stopper 32c, and energy can be maintained in this state. Further, by releasing the stopper 32c, the drive shaft 32a can be rotated again at a constant speed.

  The partition member 31 is connected to the drive shaft 32a, and the partition member 31 is rotated so that each of the compartmented items (hydrogen generating agents) of the first storage unit 10 is supplied to the second storage unit 20 through the opening 31a. It falls to each section 21 in turn. The dropped hydrogen generating agent comes into contact with the reaction liquid 2 accommodated in each section 21 and reacts to generate hydrogen gas. The generated hydrogen gas flows out into the first accommodating portion 10 through the opening 31 a and is discharged through the hydrogen gas collecting portion 14 and the discharge pipe 15 provided in the lid member 13.

  At this time, as shown in the graph of FIG. 2, the reaction for each section has a hydrogen generation rate with a peak, but the reaction for each section is sequentially performed to obtain a substantially constant hydrogen generation rate as a total. be able to. Further, the hydrogen generation rate can be easily controlled by increasing or decreasing the reaction interval for each section. Furthermore, by stopping the reaction for each section, the reaction can be stopped without wasting materials, and the reaction can be easily started again.

  The hydrogen generation method of the present invention can be suitably performed using the hydrogen generation apparatus as described above. That is, the hydrogen generation method of the present invention is a hydrogen generation method in which a solid hydrogen generator and a reaction liquid are reacted to generate hydrogen, and the hydrogen generator is divided into a plurality of parts and stored, and the reaction liquid is stored. The hydrogen generating agent accommodated in a plurality of sections is stored, and the hydrogen generating agent stored in each section and the reaction liquid are sequentially brought into contact with each other.

  According to the present invention, the hydrogen generation reaction can be stopped and the speed control can be satisfactorily performed with a simple apparatus configuration, and therefore, it can be suitably used for the purpose of supplying the generated hydrogen gas to the fuel cell. In addition, since it can be easily reduced in size and weight because of its simple apparatus configuration, it is particularly preferably used for supplying hydrogen gas to a fuel cell serving as a power source for portable devices.

  For this reason, the hydrogen supply method of the present invention of the present invention is characterized in that hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generation method of the present invention is supplied to the fuel cell.

[Other Embodiments]
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the sections of the first housing portion and the sections of the second housing portion are arranged in an annular shape, and the partition member is sequentially released by rotating the partition member having the opening. However, in the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, each section 11 of the first housing portion 10 and each section 21 of the second housing portion 20 are arranged in one row (or a plurality of rows), and each section is The partition member 30 may be provided so that the partition member 31 can be sequentially released by sliding the partition member 31.

  Also in this embodiment, it is preferable to slide the cutting member 31 automatically by providing a drive unit. For example, the sheet-like partition member 31 may be continuously wound up by the drive roll 33. The generated hydrogen gas can be taken out from the discharge pipe communicating with the first accommodating portion 10 as in the above-described embodiment.

  (2) Moreover, in embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the 1st accommodating part 10 is arrange | positioned in the lower side, the powdery hydrogen generating agent 1 is accommodated, and the reaction liquid 2 is sealed.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the second accommodating portion 20 is provided with substantially hemispherical sections 21 at intervals, and each section 21 is sealed by a partition member 31 such as a film. The partition member 31 includes a break tape 31b. By pulling the break tape 31b, the partition member 31 is sequentially broken. The breaking tape 31 b can be taken up by the drive roll 33.

  When the partition member 31 is broken, the reaction solution 2 flows down to the respective sections 11 of the first storage unit 10, and hydrogen gas is generated by contact with the hydrogen generating agent 1. In addition, the 2nd accommodating part 20 may be made into the structure as shown in FIG.4 (b), and you may make it seal the hydrogen generating agent 1 to each division 21. FIG.

  (3) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which any one of the first housing portion, the second housing portion, and the partition member is configured as a separate body has been described. However, in the present invention, for example, three films are used. In addition, it is possible to seal and integrate each section while interposing the hydrogen generating agent and the reaction liquid between the films. Using such an integrated housing film, hydrogen can be generated by sequentially breaking the partition member from the outside and sequentially bringing the hydrogen generating agent and the reaction liquid into contact with each other.

  As a method of sequentially breaking the partition member from the outside, for example, the reaction liquid is disposed on the lower side, the hydrogen generating agent is disposed on the upper side, and the uppermost film (first housing portion) and the intermediate film (partition member) May be opened with a sharp blade or a needle. As a result, the partition member can be released and both can be brought into contact with each other, and the hydrogen gas generated from the opening of the uppermost film can be taken out.

  (4) In the above-described embodiment, the hydrogen generating agent is divided into a plurality of parts and stored, and the reaction liquid is divided into a plurality of parts and stored, and the hydrogen generating agent and the reaction liquid stored in each section are sequentially contacted. Although an example of the hydrogen generation method is shown, the hydrogen generation method of the present invention is a hydrogen generation method in which hydrogen is generated by reacting a solid hydrogen generator and a reaction solution. The reaction may be performed in a plurality of steps, and at that time, the reaction may be continued successively at the timing at which the amount of hydrogen generated by each reaction overlaps.

  In that case, it is not necessary to divide the reaction solution in advance. For example, a method of intermittently supplying the reaction solution to the hydrogen generating agent may be used.

Examples and the like specifically showing the configuration and effects of the present invention will be described below. In addition, the evaluation item in an Example etc. measured as follows.
(1) Hydrogen generation amount After the generated hydrogen gas was dried through a silica gel dryer, the instantaneous hydrogen generation flow rate and the total hydrogen generation amount were measured with a mass flow meter (manufactured by KOT-LOC).

Example 1
99 parts by weight of aluminum powder (manufactured by High-Purity Chemical Laboratory: average particle size 3 μm) and 1 part by weight of calcium oxide are mixed, and 0.1 g of the mixture is compressed to a bulk density of 1 g / cm ³ . Particles were obtained. 0.3 g of pure water was put in a beaker in advance, and 0.1 g of this hydrogen generating agent was added at 10 minute intervals (total 5 times). FIG. 5 shows changes with time in the hydrogen generation rate and the total amount of hydrogen generation at this time. As shown in FIG. 5, each reaction shows a hydrogen generation rate as indicated by a dotted line, but the total amount of hydrogen generation increases at a substantially constant rate by continuing the reaction sequentially at the timing when the hydrogen generation amount overlaps. I found out.

The exploded perspective view which shows an example of the hydrogen generator of the present invention Graph for explaining stop and speed control of hydrogen generation reaction in the present invention The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the other example of the hydrogen generator of this invention It is a figure which shows the other example of the hydrogen generator of this invention, (a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, (b) is a principal part perspective view. The graph which shows the time-dependent change of the hydrogen generation rate and the hydrogen generation total amount in an Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hydrogen generating agent 2 Reaction liquid 10 1st accommodating part 11 Each division | segmentation 20 of a 1st accommodating part 2nd accommodating part 21 Each division | segmentation 30 of a 2nd accommodating part Partition means 31 Partition member 31a Opening part 32 Drive part

Claims (7)

In a hydrogen generator that generates hydrogen by reacting a solid hydrogen generator and a reaction solution,
A first accommodating portion that divides and accommodates the hydrogen generating agent, a second accommodating portion that divides and accommodates the reaction liquid, a plurality of the first accommodating portions, and a second accommodating portion. Partitioning means for partitioning each section, releasing the partitioning member, and sequentially allowing each section container of the first housing section and each section container of the second housing section to contact each other; A hydrogen generator characterized by comprising:   The sections of the first storage section and the sections of the second storage section are arranged in an annular shape so that the sections face each other, and the partition members having the openings are rotated to sequentially release the partition members. The hydrogen generator according to claim 1, further comprising partition means capable of   The hydrogen generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the partitioning unit includes a drive unit that automatically rotates the partitioning member.   The sections of the first housing part and the sections of the second housing part are arranged in one row or in a plurality of rows so that the sections face each other, and the partition member can be sequentially released by sliding the partition member. The hydrogen generator according to claim 1, further comprising a partitioning means. In a hydrogen generation method of generating hydrogen by reacting a solid hydrogen generator and a reaction solution,
The hydrogen generating agent is divided into a plurality of parts and the reaction liquid is divided into a plurality of parts, and the hydrogen generating agent and the reaction liquid stored in each section are sequentially brought into contact with each other. How it occurs. In a hydrogen generation method of generating hydrogen by reacting a solid hydrogen generator and a reaction solution,
A hydrogen generation method characterized in that the reaction between the hydrogen generating agent and the reaction liquid is performed in a plurality of steps, and at that time, the reactions are sequentially continued at a timing at which the amount of hydrogen generated by each reaction overlaps.   A hydrogen supply method for supplying hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generation method according to claim 6 or 7 to a fuel cell.

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