JP2022113171A - Liquefied hydrogen production vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

To solve restriction in use of natural energy with power generation cost being extremely high when compared to existing energy power generation such as thermal power generation by coal, oil, or natural gas or nuclear power generation, etc., so as to facilitate desired use of natural energy such as wind power as a measure for global warming.SOLUTION: A liquefied hydrogen production vessel is configured to be able to: generate electric power by using natural energy such as wind power and wave force; generate hydrogen with the electric power by water electrolysis; liquefy hydrogen to manufacture liquefied hydrogen; and temporarily store the liquefied hydrogen. The liquefied hydrogen manufacturing vessel provides an integrated system capable of generating liquefied hydrogen usable as energy source in place of existing energy at lower cost than the existing energy by positively using strong winds such as tropical low atmospheric pressure or typhoons with wind power which is natural energy existing at high density infinitely, through full utilization of the existing ship building technology, latest meteorology, communication satellite information, and artificial intelligence.

Description

The present invention relates to a liquefied hydrogen production ship that produces liquefied hydrogen using wind power, which is natural energy on the sea. In particular, the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention can be used in a time and place where strong wind power, which is natural energy, can be obtained indefinitely and concentratedly, for example, in the South Pacific in summer when strong winds occur, such as typhoons and low pressure systems. By tracking , it is possible to generate electricity using natural energy, electrolyze water with that electricity to create hydrogen, and liquefy the hydrogen to produce liquefied hydrogen at a very low cost and temporarily store it. The liquefied hydrogen produced will be provided as a fuel to replace existing fossil fuels, contributing to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the prevention of global warming.

At present, global warming is becoming a problem, and the reduction of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated by the use of fossil fuels, which is the main cause thereof, is being called for. Power generation using natural energy such as sunlight, wind power, wave power, and geothermal energy (hereinafter collectively referred to as new energy) is considered promising as a powerful means of reducing energy consumption, and its ratio is increasing year by year. . However, its usage rate is still only about 10% of the total power generation. This is because the cost of new energy power generation is extremely high compared to existing power generation such as thermal power generation and nuclear power generation using coal, oil, natural gas, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as existing energy). For this reason, today, new energy power generation is currently used only in places and regions where it is difficult to install existing energy power generation as a means of environmental measures and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which is one of the causes of global warming. The reality is that it is being implemented politically as a means of reducing economic costs to some extent. According to the NHK Special Climate Catastrophic program aired on January 9, 2021, ``The Japanese supercomputer Earth Simulator, which boasts the world's fastest calculation speed as a warning of the Earth Simulator, lies in our future. Predicting the crisis in detail: 100 years from now, the world's CO2 concentration will double, the temperature will rise by a maximum of 4.2 degrees, the temperature in Tokyo will reach that of Amami Oshima, and the number of midsummer days will exceed 100. Rise in temperature will bring a sudden increase in the number of deaths due to heatwaves around the world,” including the opinions of world-renowned environmental scientists. Global warming countermeasures are absolutely necessary, and above all, urgent. Despite such an urgent problem, it is not believed that existing power generation (existing energy) can be fully replaced in the future unless a method that can compete economically with existing power generation (existing energy) is developed, and that is the current economic situation. It is scientifically correct.
In order to solve such problems, especially the problem of cost, as a result of earnest consideration and study, the present invention was completed as a comprehensive system by comprehensively overlooking existing knowledge and technology, and skillfully combining and applying them. It is. Effects and applications of the present invention will be individually described below.

As a representative conventional technology, for example, photovoltaic power generation is widely used as a household power supply by solar panels attached to the roof of each home, due to government subsidies, but photovoltaic power generation for all energy consumption is only a few percent of the total power generation, and it is not expected that this ratio will rise dramatically in the future. This technology uses the energy from the sun (solar constant), which is 1,360W per 1m2 of the earth's area. It is simply converted into electricity and used as power generation. The energy density of sunlight is so low that a tremendous amount of land is required to install a power generation device for industrial use, and the cost of electricity obtained from it is also higher than thermal power generation using coal, oil, natural gas, etc., nuclear power generation, etc. It is more than double, sometimes nearly four times, compared to existing power generation (existing energy) in Japan. Photovoltaic power generation itself does not emit carbon dioxide and does not emit noise, but it is known that a large amount of energy is used in the process of manufacturing high-purity silicon panels, which are essential equipment for converting sunlight into electricity. In addition, since solar power generation cannot generate power at night when there is no light or in rainy weather, it is necessary to integrate it with a power storage device, and it is thought that its use will be limited due to cost issues in the future.
On the other hand, wind power generation is more popular than solar power generation worldwide. Wind power is also widely distributed on the ground with a low energy density, but it has the advantage of being able to generate power even at night as long as there is wind. Adoption is progressing in European countries where density is low and environmental awareness is high. However, it is not widely used in Japan, which has a high population density, due to problems such as noise from power generation equipment, countermeasures against strong winds such as typhoons, earthquake countermeasures, and scenery. Offshore wind power generation is considered to be suitable for Japan, which is surrounded by the sea on all sides, in the sense that it utilizes the power of the wind. Offshore wind power generation is also being introduced, especially in Europe, but in Japan it is still at the demonstration test stage, apart from its future potential. At a public-private council held on December 15, 2020, the Japanese government set a challenging goal of increasing the number of offshore wind power facilities to 45 million kilowatts at maximum by 2040, and making the power generation cost lower than existing thermal power generation. is up. However, when trying to actually implement it in Japan, problems such as environmental assessment and compensation for fisheries along the coast, the problem of deep waters near Japan, countermeasures against typhoons that are growing in size year by year, countermeasures against earthquakes and tsunamis, and measures against offshore power generation equipment There are many unsolved problems such as power transmission to land and transmission loss countermeasures, and furthermore, there is the continued use of established existing power generation (existing energy) and further progress in technological innovation there, and in the case of new investment However, offshore wind power generation is easy unless there is strong policy support such as government subsidies aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions, especially when comparing investment effects with the latest existing power generation (existing energy) using natural gas. is not expected to spread to This is because new energy generation does not have a cost advantage over existing energy generation that has already been established. cannot be disseminated to In order to realize the Japanese government's pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, unless there are any particular technological innovations in the future, the costs that will be higher than those of existing energy power generation will have to be covered by the national budget and eventually the public. There is a high possibility that they will be compensated with additional burdens, and considering the problems facing the earth, it is considered unavoidable. In particular, it is predicted that strong winds with wind speeds of 70 m/sec or more will frequently strike in the future due to a huge typhoon, which will increase the cost of measures for offshore facilities. Also, unlike Europe, Japan is an earthquake-prone country, and many scholars predict that the possibility of an earthquake and accompanying tsunami is not just a mere possibility, but that it will actually occur with a high probability. In the first place, there is the issue of whether it is possible to take countermeasures against giant tsunamis, and in the end, it is possible that damage insurance will be taken out at that time. In addition, the higher the ratio of offshore wind power generation, the more immeasurable the impact on the Japanese economy in the event of a disaster. It is essential for the continuation of the Japanese economy to maintain it as such, and the cost is also high.

In other words, the cost competitiveness of existing power generation (existing energy), which has been established through many years of technological development and is still rapidly progressing, is strong. At present, there is no natural energy (new energy) power generation that can compete with it in terms of cost, except for some old hydroelectric power generation. Conventional natural energy (new energy) uses sunlight, ground wind power, offshore wind power, geothermal power, etc., which exist widely and at low density on the earth, to generate power using a large area, and then to existing power transmission equipment. It is connected and used as normal electricity, and naturally the infrastructure becomes huge, and as a result, the investment amount and management cost such as maintenance become huge, and in the long run, it is cost effective compared to existing power generation (existing energy). be disadvantageous to

Among them, the "Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field" opened in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) uses a vast area of 180,000 m2 to generate 20 MW of solar power. The facility that produces 1,200 Nm3 (at rated operation) of hydrogen with electricity is a facility that produces hydrogen as a means of storing the unstable energy of sunlight, and is oriented toward environmental measures and regional development. However, the hydrogen obtained here is 3 to 4 times more expensive than the conventional hydrogen from naphtha steam cracking, caustic soda electrolysis by-product hydrogen, and coke oven gas. Rather than being competitive, it is a research facility that looks ahead to the future. Furthermore, it is a symbolic facility that suggests the idea and direction that hydrogen should be used instead of fossil fuels as a response to global warming and environmental problems.

In view of the above-mentioned current situation, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a system that can supply energy at a lower cost than existing power generation (existing energy) and that uses natural energy in an environmentally friendly manner without emitting carbon dioxide. It is to provide a liquefied hydrogen production ship as a means for that. In particular, instead of passively using natural energy that exists widely and at low density on the earth, human beings think of it as a disaster or even a disaster, and preferentially avoiding it, but huge energy such as typhoons With the idea of reversing the strong wind, it is possible to actively use it as an infinite natural energy source, convert that energy into liquefied hydrogen that can be transported and stored, and use it as an energy raw material for power generation and fuel. It is to provide a liquefied hydrogen manufacturing vessel.

There have been many proposals for the idea of ships that use offshore wind power to generate power and utilize it. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-159224 "Wind-Powered Sailing Ship", a post equipped with a wind power generator on the hull and a mooring rope with a high-altitude wind power generator are installed, and the power generated by the wind power is used to propel the ship's propulsion propeller. A powered wind-powered sailing vessel' has been proposed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-189884 "Water surface navigation wind and hydraulic power generator and wind power generator" drives a horizontal axis rotating windmill with wind power to sail a ship, and hydroelectric power is generated by means of the water power generated by the navigation of the ship. is proposed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-6795 proposes a “ship equipped with a wind power generator” as a method of improving water navigation and water transportation that rely solely on conventional fossil fuels.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-326535 “Ship with Wind Power Generator” has been proposed to make effective use of wind power and to provide at least part of the electric power required on board.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-29101 proposes a method for transporting and installing an offshore wind power generation facility and a transportation and installation barge for the offshore wind power generation facility.
All of these utilize offshore wind power and use the energy mainly as power for the ship or as part of the power. Strong winds such as typhoons are also mentioned in offshore wind power.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-349272 "Offshore Wind Power Generation System" proposes a method of accumulating electric power obtained by wind power generation in a truck equipped with a secondary battery for an electric vehicle, and then discharging the accumulated electric power to the land and using the truck. . In this case, it is intended to use the electric power obtained from the offshore wind power generation on land as it is in the storage battery.
However, all of these proposals are based on the purpose of the present invention, which is to "make liquefied hydrogen using natural energy and use the liquefied hydrogen to generate thermal power generation and nuclear power generation using fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas." It will be produced at a lower cost than energy, and will replace the existing energy, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and eventually contribute to the prevention of global warming.” It is essential to track and utilize the winds of existing tropical cyclones and typhoons", and try to change the industrial structure itself of the "technical idea using the laws of nature" of the systemized present invention. It is something completely different.
Both the existing proposals and the proposal of the present invention make use of the same natural phenomena and laws of nature. However, existing proposals cannot achieve the object of the present invention, and the purpose of use is different in the first place.

The liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is
(a) Equipped with a power generation device that uses strong wind and/or wave power with a wind speed of 10m/sec or more,
(b) Equipped with a water electrolysis device for producing hydrogen using generated power,
(c) Equipped with a refrigeration device to liquefy the generated hydrogen,
(d) Equipped with a storage tank to store the liquefied hydrogen produced onboard,
(e) A liquefied hydrogen production vessel that satisfies the requirement that it can run at a speed of 15 km/h or more.
especially,
(a) Equipped with a power generation device that uses strong wind and/or wave power with a wind speed of 10m/sec or more,
(b) Equipped with a water electrolysis device for producing hydrogen using generated power,
(c) Equipped with a refrigeration device to liquefy the generated hydrogen,
(d) Equipped with a storage tank to store the liquefied hydrogen produced onboard,
(e) The liquefied hydrogen production ship according to claim 1, which has a deck area of 500 square meters or more and is capable of sailing at a speed of 15 km/h or more.
especially,
(a) Equipped with a power generation device that can withstand strong winds in tropical cyclones and typhoons with wind speeds of 10m/sec to 50m/sec.
(b) Equipped with a water electrolysis device for producing hydrogen using generated power,
(c) Equipped with a refrigeration device to liquefy the generated hydrogen,
(d) Equipped with a storage tank to store the liquefied hydrogen produced onboard,
(e) The liquefied hydrogen production ship according to claim 1, which has a deck area of 1,000 square meters or more and is capable of sailing at a speed of 15 km/h or more.

In other words, in the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention, in view of the purpose of the present invention, the use of strong winds caused by typhoons, which mankind considers to be a disaster, is positively used for the opposite purpose, and existing knowledge, technology, and By ingeniously combining equipment, it is possible to achieve surprising quantitative, qualitative, and economic effects that could not be achieved with the respective conventional technologies.

The purpose of the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is to supply energy at a lower cost than existing power generation (existing energy), and it mainly uses strong wind and / or wave power of tropical cyclones and typhoons with wind speeds of 10 m / sec or more. Considering the energy used by mankind, there is no doubt that there is an infinite amount of such energy, so the greater the ability to collect that energy, the more cost can be reduced. The total deck area of the ship, which is related to the collection site, is particularly important along with the performance of the wind turbine. and
The liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention includes a power generator utilizing wind power and/or wave power, a water electrolyzer utilizing substantially all of the electric power generated onboard, and a water electrolyzer for liquefying substantially all of the hydrogen generated therein. Equipped with refrigeration equipment and a storage tank to store almost all of the liquefied hydrogen produced on board for a certain period of time, it can be sailed to follow strong winds such as tropical cyclones and typhoons. Normal speed is 15-60 km/h or more.

In principle, the power generator using wind power and/or wave power in the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention rotates a windmill of a propeller type, multi-blade type, Darrieus type, Savonius type, etc. It is possible to apply and use existing commercialized technology and publicly known technology in a system that transmits to a generator to generate electricity, but a normal wind power generator consists of 2 to 3 blades (usually 3 blades), A propeller type made by combining carbon fiber and glass reinforced fiber (FRP) in metal is common, and the diameter of the windmill is 50m to 100m or more, and the wind speed is mainly 2 to 15m/sec. It is reported that the amount of power generated by this device increases in proportion to the wind speed at wind speeds of 2 to 10 m/s, but at higher wind speeds, the power generation hardly increases. On the contrary, during strong winds such as typhoons, the blades of the windmill are folded or the entire device is fixed and stopped. In recent years, the diameter of ordinary wind power generators, which are installed independently of each other, is increasing more and more in order to increase the power generation capacity. On the other hand, in the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention, strong winds of 10 to 15 m / sec or more of tropical cyclones, winds of typhoons with maximum wind speeds of 34 knots (17.2 m / sec) or more, and maximum wind speeds of 64 knots (33 m / sec) or more wind such as hurricanes and cyclones, preferably strong winds of 10 to 60 m / sec or more, more preferably 10 to 50 m / sec, that is, strong winds within the storm zone of typhoons and tropical cyclones It is mainly intended for active use, and in order to allow these windmills to be arranged in multiple rows, depending on the situation, in multiple tiers on the deck of the ship, the windmills should have a diameter of 20m or less, preferably 10m. The following multi-wing type (three blades or more), etc., which are small, have high equipment strength and high rotational performance, can also be preferably used. Since the amount of wind energy is proportional to the cube of the wind speed, in the case of strong winds of 10 m/sec or more, sometimes 40 m/sec, or even over 45 m/sec, which the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is directed to, even if the diameter is small, the strong wind can be efficiently handled. It is possible to catch it well, and even if the surface that hits the wind (the wind contact area of the same blade) is the same, it is about twice as much as the wind force of 2 to 15 m/s or less that is used by ordinary wind turbines. Therefore, the downsizing of blades does not lead to a decrease in power generation efficiency. Rather, downsizing leads to cost reductions because the mechanical and structural strength of the wing is increased, and the manufacturing cost can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, in the case of typhoon wind, it is usually wind and rain, and it is possible to obtain high-speed rotation with much higher torque than the dry wind that ordinary wind turbines on land or offshore receive, and the power generation capacity per wind turbine is Even if blades that are less than half the size of blades used in normal wind power generation are used, the power can be increased several times over 500 kw to 5000 kw of normal wind power generation. Furthermore, by making the wind turbines smaller, it is possible not only to significantly reduce the manufacturing cost of the blades, but also to dramatically increase the number of wind turbines that can be installed on a single ship, thereby increasing the deck space of the ship. It is possible to install about 10 to 1000 units depending on the type and arrangement method. Therefore, the power generation capacity per liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention can be increased from 6,000 kw to 5,000,000 kw or more, and can be increased several times depending on the efficiency of the windmill.

On the other hand, even if the unit price of wind turbines is naturally reduced, increasing the number of wind turbines will increase the amount of investment and increase the costs for their management and maintenance, which will be reflected in manufacturing costs. In the case of normal wind power generation, suitable wind conditions are said to be relatively high average wind speed, stable wind direction, and low turbulence intensity. In order to make optimum use of the strong winds that are blowing, rather than directly generating the usual kinetic energy obtained by the wind turbines individually as in wind turbines, the ship of the present invention has many wind turbines within very close distance. Since it has the characteristic of being located in a large rotating shaft, it is possible to adopt a functional method that concentrates the kinetic energy on a larger rotating shaft and averages the energy to move a huge turbine. It is possible to increase it further. For example, in hydroelectric power generation, the power of water falling from a high dam is used to rotate a water turbine to drive a generator. It is possible to use a windmill that is susceptible to wind power), and it is possible to achieve smaller blades and higher efficiency. In the case of the wind used in the present invention, not just weak wind, but mainly tropical cyclones and typhoons, the pressure due to the wind and rain is strong, even if not as strong as the water pressure, and has a wider width than the water wheel in hydroelectric power generation. By designing and manufacturing blades and using them, it is possible to generate electricity using the same principle as turning a water wheel. Furthermore, in the case of a typhoon, the typhoon wind in the northern hemisphere of the earth blows continuously and strongly in the counterclockwise direction, which makes it easy to use. As in the case of sailing a yacht, ships can easily be swept in the desired direction by using that force. may also be available.

On the other hand, since strong winds cannot be obtained throughout the year, the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is designed to maximize power generation by installing wind turbines directed to strong winds and wind turbines directed to ordinary offshore winds of 15 m/s or less. is also possible. Of course, other than typhoons, winds from tropical cyclones, which are the eggs of typhoons, can also be used. It is reported that the period until the typhoon disappears is about 5 days (data from the Japan Meteorological Agency), and the strong winds of the typhoon can be used for 125 days or less per year at the maximum. Of course, normal wind power generators installed on land or offshore may not be usable due to no wind, strong wind, wind direction, snowfall, etc. Onshore wind power generation in Japan has a capacity factor of 20 to 30. It is reported that offshore wind power generation is about 10% higher than that, and the maximum number of days that strong winds can be used for typhoons is 125 days or less per year (34%). . Furthermore, if the offshore wind of 15m/sec or less, which is stronger than onshore wind, is used, it is possible to increase the utilization rate even higher than that of ordinary onshore or offshore wind power generators.

As for the water electrolyzer used in the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention, it is commercially possible to use an existing high-performance electrolyzer. For example, in the case of a commercially available HYDROSPRING manufactured by Hitachi Zosen (the size is about 2.33m in width and 12m in length), one set can generate a maximum of 200Nm3/h of hydrogen. The amount of electricity used at this 200 Nm3/h is about 1000 kwh, and the amount of hydrogen generated per year is simply converted to 480,000 Nm3 (42 tons). In the present invention, the number corresponding to the maximum power generation capacity of the ship of the present invention is 1 to 5000 (=5000000kw÷1000kw) for this electrolyzer. When installed and used on a ship similar to a mammoth tanker, which will be described later, about 1000 electrolyzers can be installed. In fact, it is also possible to custom-order and install a water electrolyzer with an equivalent electrolysis capacity suitable for the ship of the invention based on such technology. In any case, the amount of hydrogen generated is 40 to 42,000 tons or more. The liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is oriented toward a method that can compete economically with existing power generation (existing energy), and is oriented toward the use of the strong winds of typhoons, and the wind energy of typhoons is truly infinite. It is preferable that the amount of hydrogen generated is 40 to 42,000 tons or more in order to maximize power generation by utilizing the infinite energy right in front of us and convert it into hydrogen as much as possible.

The liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is equipped with a refrigeration system for immediately and continuously liquefying the generated hydrogen gas. The boiling point of hydrogen is -253°C, and it liquefies at a temperature below -253°C, and it liquefies at a temperature higher than that under pressure. It is possible to use existing facilities and technologies as they are or to custom order them.At present, the world's largest gas compression liquefaction method is commercially available with a refrigeration capacity of 60 tons/day. , the number of devices required for the ship of the present invention is about 1 to 700. Actually, based on such technology, a refrigerating device having an equivalent refrigerating capacity suitable for the ship may be appropriately installed. Instead of liquefied hydrogen, it is also possible to store hydrogen as compressed hydrogen that is confined at a pressure of 700 atmospheres or more.

The liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is equipped with a storage tank for temporarily storing the produced low-temperature liquefied hydrogen. Existing equipment can be used for such low-temperature liquefied hydrogen storage tanks, and the liquid density of liquefied hydrogen is 70.8 kg/m3. In the case of a 11200m3 spherical liquefied hydrogen storage tank (outer spherical shell diameter of about 30m), one tank can store up to 634 tons of liquefied hydrogen even if it is assumed to be 80% of the capacity. In this liquefied hydrogen production ship, in order to transfer the produced liquefied hydrogen to other transport ships and onshore storage facilities as appropriate, storage of 1 to 10 units with a capacity of about 1/10 of the annual production capacity of this liquefied hydrogen production ship Equipped with a tank. It is not necessary to maximize the spherical shell diameter of the outer tank, and it can be easily designed and adopted in consideration of the space inside the ship and the frequency of port calls of the liquefied hydrogen production ship.

The liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention can run at a speed of 15 km/h or more to follow tropical cyclones and typhoons. As mentioned above, the number of typhoons that occur in the northwestern Pacific Ocean is about 25 per year, and the period from generation to disappearance is about 5 days. Although there are many typhoons, their range is wide, and the courses of subsequent tropical cyclones and typhoons are more diverse. Therefore, in order to make effective use of tropical cyclones and typhoon winds, it is preferable for liquefied hydrogen production ships to track typhoons. However, the radius of a typhoon with a wind speed of 15 m/s or more is 500 km for a large typhoon, and 800 km for a very large typhoon. can. Moreover, advances in meteorological satellites and meteorology have made it possible to predict with astonishing accuracy the location of tropical cyclones, which are the eggs of typhoons, and the direction of travel after they develop into typhoons. It is possible to make the follow-up traveling distance in the shortest possible, and to use the wind reliably and efficiently. Moreover, in the case of typhoons in the northern hemisphere, the wind is blowing in a counterclockwise direction, which can also be used for ship navigation. The stereotype that it is reckless and dangerous to approach a typhoon by boat in order to take advantage of its winds is a completely banal notion in view of such technological progress. Surprisingly, if we apply advances in meteorological satellites and meteorology, for example, even if the optimal design wind speed for a liquefied hydrogen production ship is in the range of 15m/sec to 40m/sec, we can use weather information and communication satellites. This allows the ship to be placed within a specific positional range within the typhoon storm zone with its favorable wind speed for a long period of time. Moreover, typhoons (typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones, etc.) in the northern hemisphere of the earth have a counterclockwise wind direction. Because of the characteristics of the typhoon vortex, there is an aspect that makes it easier than contacting the typhoon on land. Of course, this is a natural phenomenon, and unexpected gusts of wind can naturally occur not only in the lateral direction, but also in the vertical direction. Corresponding hull and windmill strength is required. From this point of view as well, downsizing of the wind turbine is preferable. In particular, the destruction of the blades of the wind turbines placed on the deck leads to the destruction of other wind turbines, so strength and work accuracy are important. However, these things are the same for wind power generators placed on land or offshore, and the knowledge can be used. There is no way to escape from the violent winds and waves of a huge typhoon, which is expected to reach 100 m/sec wind speed, earthquakes and tsunamis in the future, and the risk of total destruction or partial damage is extremely high. The foundation work, equipment measures and management to prevent damage to the building are rather large and troublesome. The cost burden is very large. In the past, I have seen many times in Japan newspaper photos of huge windmills that were destroyed by typhoons. there is This shows that Japan is a completely different and severe environmental situation from Europe, where there are no typhoons or earthquakes, although it is an advanced country in wind power generation. On the other hand, the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is capable of running and incorporates advanced technology such as communication satellites, so it can avoid the effects of such a huge typhoon and the tsunami caused by an earthquake, and needs the energy at the optimum wind speed. You can use it as much as you like. Such things can never be known by imagining only with the stereotype that typhoons are dangerous, and it is also a stereotype that facilities on land and offshore are safer than facilities on ships.

The liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention aims at a method that can compete economically with existing power generation (existing energy), and for that purpose, the cost per 1 kg of hydrogen should be 300 yen (26.7 yen/Nm3) or less. Although needed, the more windmills for power generation equipment that can be placed on a ship in order to harness as much of the infinite energy of typhoons as possible, the lower the cost of producing liquefied hydrogen obtained. Such simplicity is due to the fact that wind energy as a raw material (resource) is infinite and free. However, in the case of normal offshore wind power generation, the cost does not decrease as the number increases. This is because the unit price and the fixed cost of on-site management will decrease.In order to reduce the cost of offshore wind power generation equipment, it depends on how efficiently the wind can be captured and how it can be converted into electricity. . However, the basis is different from increasing the number of wind turbines to lower the cost in the present invention. Methods for increasing the number of wind turbines in the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention include reducing the unit diameter of the wind turbines and installing the wind turbines on the ship in multiple stages. In addition, it is preferable to increase the deck area of the base ship, and for that purpose, it is preferable to increase the size as much as possible within the safe range for navigation, and this can also be handled without problems with existing commercialization technology.

It is preferable that the liquefied hydrogen producing ship of the present invention be large in order to utilize unlimited energy such as a typhoon as much as possible. The liquefied hydrogen producing ship of the present invention includes a wind power generator, a water electrolyzer using electric power generated onboard, a refrigerating device for liquefying the generated hydrogen, and a storage for storing the liquefied hydrogen produced on board. It is equipped with a tank, but in order to maximize the use of wind power, it is a facility for obtaining infinite energy, so the efficiency of the wind turbines placed on the deck of the ship is increased and the number of wind turbines is increased. Other electrolyzers, refrigeration equipment for liquefying the generated hydrogen, and storage tanks for storing the liquefied hydrogen produced on board can be selected from existing commercialized equipment and placed. The interior of the ship located below the deck of the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the invention is vast in proportion to the size of the deck, and the height to the ceiling there is usually 15m to 20m because the draft is about 10m. This poses no problem in terms of location, and rather creates a surplus of space. Suffice it to say, hydrogen is a combustible gas, and its explosive concentration range is 4.0 to 75% in the air, so sufficient care must be taken in terms of facilities and handling. It is easy to reduce the hydrogen concentration inside the ship at sea to 0.1% or less, let alone 4.0% or less. The number of wind turbines to be arranged on the deck is influenced by the rotor diameter of the wind turbines and the method of arrangement, for example, whether they are arranged in parallel in a single tier or in multiple tiers, and above all, is determined by the width of the deck. Conventional onshore and offshore wind turbines are spaced widely to capture less wind, but in the case of the present invention, the spacing between one wind turbine and its neighbor is essentially used to track where strong winds are located. can be any distance that does not collide with each other, and the same can be said for up and down. Such features are fundamentally different from existing wind power plants. The relationship between deck area and cost should be 500m2 or more. This is not due to the economy of scale and the experience curve effect, which is that "expanding the scale of production reduces the fixed cost ratio and lowers the production cost per unit," but in the present invention, it is superior to existing energy. The aim is to secure a large deck area in order to increase the number of wind turbines for harvesting natural energy to produce liquid hydrogen at low cost. This is possible because the 'raw material', strong wind, is available indefinitely and free of charge. In normal offshore wind power generation, increasing the number does not reduce the cost, and increasing the diameter of the wind turbines has been adopted as a way to reduce costs. There is also an optimization range, which is completely different from the present invention. As will be described later, in consideration of the past performance of large ships in Japan, the total deck area is preferably 1,000 m2 or more in order to further enhance the effect of the present invention and obtain liquefied hydrogen at a lower cost. 20,000 m@2 or more, which is the same as that of a mammoth tanker, or more is particularly preferable.

The liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is preferably as large as a mammoth tanker or larger in order to secure a large deck area in order to increase the number of wind turbines. Surrounded by the sea, Japan has long been a shipbuilding powerhouse with excellent shipbuilding technology and many large ships. For example, the world's largest battleship Yamato was launched in 1940 with a total length of 264.40 m and a maximum width of 38.9 m (calculated deck area of 10,246 m2). It is imagined that this ship was a battleship and capable of carrying a large amount of heavy objects such as cannons, but the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention is overwhelmingly simple and simple in construction compared to it. light weight. The Nissho Maru, an oil tanker built in 1960, is 326 meters long, 49.8 meters wide (calculated deck area: 16,234 m2), and has a speed of 16.79 knots (31 km/h). The world's largest Norwegian-flagged oil tanker, Knock Nevis, is 458.45 meters long, 68.8 meters wide (calculated deck area 31,541 m2), and has a speed of 13 to 16 knots (24 to 29 km/h). The largest passenger ship, "Oasis of the Seas," is 361.0m long, 46.9m wide (calculated deck area: 16,930m2), 72m high and has a speed of 37km/h. In particular, in the case of a simple structure such as an oil tanker, it can be constructed with a relatively low investment, and the speed of 15 km or more according to the present invention can be achieved without problems. Most of the liquefied hydrogen producing ships of the present invention also have existing wind turbine generators, water electrolyzers using electricity generated on board, refrigeration equipment for liquefying the generated hydrogen, and storage of liquefied hydrogen produced on board. It is a hull that merely provides a place to mount and install a storage tank, so there is no problem in construction, and it is easy to add necessary reinforcements.

For example, if the total length is 458.45 meters and the width is 68.8 meters, which is the same as the oil tanker Knock Nevis, 45 x 6 = 270 wind turbines with a diameter of 10 m can be installed in a single stage. Alternatively, if three stages are used, 540 units and 810 units can be installed, respectively. Even with a three-tier arrangement, the additional height is only about 30m. More windmills can be installed if the diameter of the windmill is smaller than 10 m. In the case of existing oil tankers, if the ship were to be destroyed, the damage to the environment would be enormous. At that time, there is a risk of seawater pollution and huge damages, but in the case of the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention, even if it is destroyed, almost nothing that pollutes the environment will come out. is volatilized into the atmosphere along with the oxygen produced at the same time, and most of the installed equipment will only damage existing facilities, and it is possible to avoid shallow water without passing through narrow straits such as the Suez Canal and Panama Canal. It has a simple structure that is strong enough to prevent destruction by wave force, and it is possible to make it larger than the oil tanker Knock Nevis, which is preferable. Even though it is important to use the strong winds of a typhoon, it is built with the world's most advanced shipbuilding technology, sailed using the latest meteorology, communication satellite information, and artificial intelligence, and the wind turbine design is considered. Since the optimum operation is performed under such conditions, neither the risk of destruction nor the destruction of the environment can be considered. The ability to make full use of the latest meteorology, communication satellite information, and artificial intelligence, as well as the ability to navigate, make the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention more advantageous than wind power generation, which is fixed on the ocean and cannot escape from strong winds. is.

Hereinafter, an example will be described as an example by assembling the constituent elements of the liquefied hydrogen production ship of the present invention described in the text, but the present invention is not limited to the example. For comparative examples, the most advanced technologies and plans in the world today are cited as they are published.

It is 460 meters long, 70 meters wide, 10 meters draft (deck area 32, 200 m2), and has a hull of almost the same size as the largest existing tanker, with a cruising speed of 20 knots (37 km/h). Then, 38 four-blade windmills with a diameter of 10 m and a power generation capacity of 2000 kw are arranged in a row, arranged in five rows in parallel, and arranged in two stages (total of 380 units) to generate power (760,000 kw) /hr), 760 existing electrolyzers with a hydrogen generation capacity of 200 Nm3/h are installed in the space below the deck (hydrogen generation capacity of 152,000 Nm3/h), and the refrigeration capacity to freeze this hydrogen. Installed 6 existing refrigeration equipment using the gas compression liquefaction method of 60 tons/day (302 tons/day production volume), and 2 11,200m3 spherical liquefied hydrogen storage tanks (outer spherical shell diameter: approx. 30m), the largest in the existing equipment. (total liquefied hydrogen storage capacity of 18,000 tons) installed. We sequentially receive typhoon information from meteorological satellites and make full use of AI (artificial intelligence) using computers to track and navigate the position where wind speeds of 10m/sec to 40m/sec are optimal due to tropical cyclones and typhoons. It will operate and produce up to 29,032 tons/year of liquefied hydrogen.
The estimated investment amount is 77 billion yen, and the production cost of liquefied hydrogen will be 300 yen/kg or less.

Comparative example 1

The "Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field" opened by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture has a vast area of 180,000m2 and generates 20MW of solar power, generating 1,200Nm3 of electricity. (during rated operation) to produce hydrogen. Although not disclosed, the production cost of liquefied hydrogen is estimated to be about 1000 to 3000 yen/kg. A possible advantage is that the obtained hydrogen can be used directly at the production site.

Comparative example 2

In September 2020, the European Commission announced a proposal to aim for net zero greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) emissions by 2050 and to set a greenhouse gas emission reduction target of at least 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. In October, an agreement was reached at the Council of EU Environment Ministers. In response to this, the Japanese government announced a long-term vision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to virtually zero by 2050. At a public-private council held on December 15, 2020, the goal is to increase the number of offshore wind power facilities to a maximum of 45 million kilowatts across Japan by 2040, and to make power generation costs lower than existing thermal power generation.
In terms of technology, there are many precedents in Europe, but unlike in Europe, Japan currently has special circumstances such as typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis, so it will be considered in the future.

Claims (3)

It is a liquefied hydrogen production vessel,
(a) Equipped with power generators that utilize strong wind speeds of 10 m/s or more,
(b) Equipped with a water electrolysis device for producing hydrogen using generated power,
(c) Equipped with a refrigeration device to liquefy the generated hydrogen,
(d) Equipped with a storage tank to store the liquefied hydrogen produced onboard,
(e) A liquefied hydrogen production ship that satisfies the requirement that it can run at a speed of 15 km/h or more. (a) Equipped with power generators that utilize strong wind speeds of 10 m/s or more,
(b) Equipped with a water electrolysis device for producing hydrogen using generated power,
(c) Equipped with a refrigeration device to liquefy the generated hydrogen,
(d) Equipped with a storage tank to store the liquefied hydrogen produced onboard,
(e) The liquefied hydrogen producing ship according to Claim 1, which satisfies the requirements that the deck area is 500 square meters or more and that it can travel at a speed of 15 km/h or more. (a) Equipped with a power generation device that can withstand strong winds in tropical cyclones and typhoons with wind speeds of 10m/sec to 50m/sec.
(b) Equipped with a water electrolysis device for producing hydrogen using generated power,
(c) Equipped with a refrigeration device to liquefy the generated hydrogen,
(d) Equipped with a storage tank to store the liquefied hydrogen produced onboard,
(e) The liquefied hydrogen producing ship according to claim 1, which has a deck area of 1,000 square meters or more and is capable of sailing at a speed of 15 km/h or more.