JP2023035712A - Buoyancy power generation device utilizing bubbles and buoyancy power generating method utilizing bubbles - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a buoyancy power generation device that has little influence on the natural environment and little influence on climates, and exerts excellent energy efficiency.SOLUTION: A buoyancy power generation device is provided with: a water storage tank configured to be able to store water therein; a fuel gas introduction part, a fuel gas recovery part positioned above the water level of the water that can be stored, and a fuel gas discharge part linked to the fuel gas recovery part; and a bubble receiving part, a belt connected to the bubble receiving part, a rotary body connected to the belt, and a generator linked to the rotary body. The fuel gas introduction part is configured to be able to introduce, into the water storage tank, a fuel gas which is obtained by vaporization of a liquefied gas and is compressed. Bubbles of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction part to the water storage tank are received by the bubble receiving part. The buoyant force of the bubbles moves the belt connected to the bubble receiving part, and rotates the rotary body connected to the belt, so that power is generated by the generator linked to the rotary body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a buoyancy power generation device using air bubbles and a buoyancy power generation method using air bubbles.

In recent years, thermal power generation requires a large amount of fossil fuel, and problems such as the emission of a large amount of carbon dioxide, which is a cause of global warming, have been recognized. There are various risks associated with nuclear power generation, and the cost of facility construction, decommissioning, and reprocessing is enormous, raising doubts about its efficiency.

Such energy and environmental issues have been attracting attention, and in 2015, the United Nations Summit adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)). There is a demand for the use of renewable energy to replace energy sources that have a large environmental impact.

However, there are many hurdles in using renewable energy mainly instead of conventional energy. Photovoltaic power generation is greatly affected by the weather, and there are problems such as being unable to generate power at night. Wind power generation has problems such as the fact that it cannot generate power when there is no wind, and that the amount of power generated is affected by wind speed. Conventional hydroelectric power generation has problems such as the destruction of the natural environment due to dam construction, and the amount of power generation being affected by the amount of rainfall and water storage.

On the other hand, buoyancy power generation, in which the buoyancy of air bubbles is used to rotate a rotating body in water to generate power, is being studied as one of the renewable energy sources that are less affected by the weather and have less impact on the environment.

As buoyancy power generation, air bubbles are put into a bucket with reduced water resistance, and the buoyancy of the air bubbles is used to rotate a rotating body (Patent Document 1). A buoyancy generator (Patent Document 2) has been proposed.

JP 2019-138293 A JP 2007-138883 A

However, in the device of Patent Document 1, an air pump connected externally to the bottom of the device is used to generate bubbles. There is a problem of energy efficiency in which the output energy from the buoyancy power generation device is smaller than the input energy for the generation. Since the apparatus of Patent Document 2 uses a water wheel, it has the same problems as conventional hydroelectric power generation, such as destruction of the natural environment due to the construction of a dam, and the amount of power generated depends on the climate such as the amount of rainfall and water storage.

Therefore, there is a demand for a buoyancy generator that has less impact on the natural environment, less impact on the climate, and is more energy efficient than ever before.

The gist of the present invention is as follows.
(1) a water tank configured to store water;
a fuel gas introduction part, a fuel gas recovery part positioned above the surface of the water that can be stored, a fuel gas discharge part connected to the fuel gas recovery part, an air bubble receiving part, and a bubble receiving part connected to the air bubble receiving part a belt connected to the belt, a rotating body connected to the belt, and a generator connected to the rotating body;
The fuel gas introduction unit is configured to be capable of introducing pressurized fuel gas obtained by vaporizing liquefied gas into the water tank,
The fuel gas recovery unit is configured to recover the fuel gas introduced into the water tank above the surface of water that can be stored in the water tank,
The fuel gas discharge unit is configured to be able to discharge the fuel gas collected by the fuel gas collection unit to the outside,
Bubbles of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction portion into the water tank are received by the bubble receiving portion, and the belt connected to the bubble receiving portion is moved by the buoyancy of the bubbles to rotate the belt connected to the belt. A buoyancy generator that rotates a body and generates power with the generator that is connected to the rotating body.
(2) introducing the pressurized fuel gas obtained by vaporizing the liquefied gas into water in a water tank to form air bubbles in the water;
Receiving the air bubbles with an air bubble receiver arranged inside the water tank;
A belt connected to the air bubble receiver is moved by the buoyancy of the air bubbles to rotate a rotating body connected to the belt to generate electricity with a generator connected to the rotating body;
A buoyancy power generation method, comprising recovering the fuel gas introduced into the water as the bubbles above a surface of the water, and discharging the recovered fuel gas to the outside.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide installation of a buoyancy power generator that has less impact on the natural environment, less impact on the climate, and is more energy efficient than before.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of this device. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of the device. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of this device. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of a bubble receiver in this device. FIG. 5 is an example of an LNG power generation system including the buoyancy power generation device of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure includes a water storage tank configured to store water, a fuel gas introduction section, a fuel gas recovery section positioned above the surface of the water that can be stored, and a fuel gas connected to the fuel gas recovery section. A discharge section, an air bubble receiving section, a belt connected to the air bubble receiving section, a rotating body connected to the belt, and a generator connected to the rotating body, wherein the fuel gas introducing section supplies liquefied gas. The vaporized and pressurized fuel gas is capable of being introduced into the water tank, and the fuel gas recovery unit reduces the fuel gas introduced into the water tank above the surface of the water that can be stored in the water tank. The fuel gas discharge section is configured to be capable of being collected at an upper portion, and the fuel gas discharge section is configured to be capable of discharging the fuel gas collected by the fuel gas collection section to the outside, and the fuel introduced from the fuel gas introduction section into the water tank. The air bubbles of the gas are received by the air bubble receiver, the belt connected to the air bubble receiver is moved by the buoyancy of the air bubbles, the rotor connected to the belt is rotated, and the power generator connected to the rotor is rotated. The target is a buoyancy power generation device that generates power with a machine.

The fuel gas used in the present system is pressurized fuel gas in conventional systems such as LNG power plants where liquefied gas is vaporized and used as fuel gas. BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in order to transport fuel gas from a production site to a consumption site or to simplify the handling of fuel gas, the produced gaseous fuel gas is cooled and liquefied at the production site. When liquefying fuel gas, it costs a lot and uses a lot of energy.

According to this device, it is possible to generate electric power using part of the pressure generated when the liquefied fuel gas is returned to gas. According to this device, a part of the energy used to liquefy the fuel gas at the production site can be utilized, so it has less impact on the natural environment, less impact on the climate, and energy efficiency than before. excellent power generation is possible. A power generation method using this device will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of this device. A buoyancy generator 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a box-shaped water tank 10 . The buoyancy generator 100 includes a water tank 10 capable of storing water 14, a fuel gas introduction portion 11, a fuel gas recovery portion 16 positioned above the surface of the water 14 capable of being stored, and a fuel gas recovery portion 16. A fuel gas discharge section 12 connected to a gas recovery section 16 is provided. In the buoyancy generator 100 shown in FIG. 1 , the fuel gas introduction section 11 , the fuel gas recovery section 16 and the fuel gas discharge section 12 are provided in the water tank 10 .

The buoyancy generator 100 also includes an air bubble receiver 20, a belt 30 connected to the air bubble receiver 20, a rotating body 40 rotating in conjunction with movement of the belt, and a generator (not shown) connected to the rotating body 40. )including. There is one or a plurality of bubble receivers 20, preferably a plurality. In the buoyancy power generation device 100 shown in FIG. The generator may be located either inside or outside the reservoir 10 .

Gas fuel gas to which pressure is applied is introduced into the water 14 from the fuel gas introduction part 11 to form bubbles 15 . Air bubbles 15 formed in the water 14 are received by the air bubble receiver 20, and the buoyancy of the air bubbles 15 is used to move the belt 30 connected to the air bubble receiver 20. - 特許庁As the belt 30 moves, the rotating body 40 that rotates in conjunction with the movement of the belt 30 rotates, and the generator connected to the rotating body 40 generates electricity. At least two rotating bodies 40 can be installed above and below near the water surface and near the lower fuel gas introduction section 11 . The belt 30 can be arranged so as to go around at least two rotating bodies 40 arranged one above the other.

The fuel gas recovery section 16 recovers the fuel gas coming out of the water surface of the water tank 10 , and the fuel gas is discharged from the fuel gas discharge section 12 connected to the fuel gas recovery section 16 . The discharged fuel gas is used for power generation in conventional systems. The fuel gas recovered by the fuel gas recovery portion 16 can be discharged so as to be pushed out from the fuel gas discharge portion 12 by the pressure of the fuel gas that is successively emitted from the water surface.

The shape and material of the water tank 10 shown in FIG. There is no particular limitation as long as it has a pressure-tight sealed structure that does not leak into the water. The material of the water tank 10 can be, for example, steel used in conventional LNG tanks or conventional LNG conduits or piping (hereinafter collectively referred to as piping). The shape of the water tank 10 can be, for example, a cylindrical shape, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, or a combination thereof.

When a pressure higher than the water pressure inside the water tank 10 is applied from the external pipe connected to the fuel gas introduction part 11, the fuel gas introduction part 11 introduces the fuel gas from the external pipe into the water tank 10. can be introduced, and the water inside the water tank 10 does not leak to the external piping side connected to the fuel gas introduction portion 11 (on-off valve). The apparatus preferably comprises a controller capable of opening and closing said valve. The valve can be opened and closed manually or electrically. When the valve is electrically opened and closed, electric power for operation may be obtained from the outside, but preferably electric power generated by the generator of the device may be used.

The fuel gas introduction part 11 can be arranged at the bottom of the water tank 10 and/or at the side of the water tank 10 . The fuel gas introduction part 11 arranged on the side of the water tank 10 is preferably horizontally movable. Air bubbles can be introduced into the air bubble receiver 20 positioned relatively above the water tank 10 by horizontally moving the fuel gas introduction part 11 positioned relatively above the side of the water tank 10 . The buoyant force is proportional to the volume of the bubble (the cube of the radius of the bubble), and the drag force is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the bubble (the square of the radius of the bubble) and the square of the rising speed. Therefore, the larger the bubble radius, the greater the buoyancy. The closer to the water surface, the smaller the water pressure and the larger the air bubbles, and the greater the buoyancy due to the air bubbles. It can start generating electricity by moving the belt with buoyancy. The movement of the fuel gas introduction part 11 can be performed manually or electrically. When the fuel gas introduction part 11 is electrically moved, the electric power for the operation may be obtained from the outside, or the electric power generated by the generator of the present apparatus may be used.

The water tank 10 can be provided with one or more fuel gas inlets 11 . The plurality of fuel gas inlets 11 can be arranged horizontally at the bottom of the water tank 10 and/or arranged vertically at the sides of the water tank 10 .

The pressure of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction portion 11 is higher than the water pressure in the fuel gas introduction portion 11 . The pressure of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction part 11 is higher than the pressure of the fuel gas recovered in the fuel gas recovery part 16, which is higher than the pressure corresponding to the depth from the water surface where the fuel gas introduction part 11 is located. have.

For example, in conventional LNG systems, there are approximately 1.7 MPa (17 atmospheres) conduits in the natural gas system through which natural gas (NG) is delivered to natural gas users such as power plants and factories. When this device is combined with this conventional LNG system and the depth of water stored in the water tank 10 in which the fuel gas introduction part 11 is arranged at the bottom is set to 20 m, the pressure of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction part 11 is , 17 atmospheres plus 2 atmospheres corresponding to a water depth of 20 m, which is greater than 19 atmospheres. When fuel gas having a pressure higher than 19 atmospheres is introduced from the fuel gas introduction part 11 located at the bottom of the water tank 10, the fuel gas recovered by the fuel gas recovery part 16 from the water surface of the water 14 with a depth of 20 m is , with a pressure greater than 17 atmospheres. This fuel gas above 17 atmospheres can be delivered as is or decompressed to 17 atmospheres via conduits in the natural gas system of conventional systems to power plants and factory uses. The pressure can be reduced by using a pressure reducing valve, by branching a portion of the fuel gas from a pipe for sending the fuel gas discharged from the fuel gas discharge part to another pipe, or by discharging the fuel gas to the outside. can be done. The branched or discharged gas is used in other lower pressure systems in the conventional LNG system, returned to the LNG tank and used to prevent negative pressure inside the tank, and re-liquefied by heat exchange with LNG for reuse. may be equal.

The pressure of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction portion 11 is higher than the water pressure in the fuel gas introduction portion 11 by preferably 1 atmosphere or more, more preferably 2 atmospheres or more, further preferably 3 atmospheres or more. Since the pressure of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction portion 11 is the preferable pressure, a larger amount of fuel gas bubbles can be easily introduced into the water 14 from the fuel gas introduction portion 11 . The upper limit of the pressure of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction part 11 is not particularly limited, but the higher the pressure of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction part 11, the more the amount of pressure reduction of the fuel gas discharged from the fuel gas discharge part. Since it is necessary to have a structure that can withstand higher pressures, such as the piping for sending the fuel gas and the water tank of this device, it is preferable that the water pressure in the fuel gas introduction part 11 is within plus 5 atmospheres or plus 4 atmospheres. It is within atmospheric pressure.

In conventional systems, a vaporizer (vaporizer) is used to vaporize liquid fuel gas. As the pressure of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction part 11, the pressure of the fuel gas discharged from the vaporizer for vaporizing the liquefied gas in the conventional system can be used. For example, in a conventional LNG system, LNG at minus 162°C is sent to a vaporizer by an LNG pump in an LNG tank, and passes through a vaporizer using seawater to produce 600 times the volume of room temperature natural gas (NG). become. High-pressure natural gas (NG) due to volume expansion due to vaporization is decompressed through a pressure-reducing valve and sent through a pipe to a fuel gas usage part such as a boiler. The pressure reducing valve can reduce the pressure of the high-pressure natural gas vaporized by the vaporizer in accordance with the working pressure of the use portion. The pressure at the outlet of the pressure reducing valve varies according to the natural gas consumption at the point of use, and the control device of the pressure reducing valve controls this pressure. When the consumption of natural gas in the use portion increases and the outlet pressure of the pressure reducing valve decreases, the pressure reducing valve controller opens the pressure reducing valve so as to increase the outlet pressure of the pressure reducing valve. Conversely, when the pressure at the outlet of the pressure reducing valve rises, the pressure reducing valve control device closes the pressure reducing valve to keep the value of the pressure at the outlet of the pressure reducing valve constant.

This device can be used by being incorporated between a vaporizer and a fuel gas usage section such as a boiler in a conventional system. The pressure of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction portion 11 can be adjusted by a pressure reducing valve.

Conventionally used LNG vaporizers regasify LNG by applying latent heat of vaporization and sensible heat from minus 162° C. to room temperature, and there are various types. Vaporizers include, for example, open rack type vaporizers for normal use, submerged type vaporizers for emergency use, and intermediate heat medium type vaporizers. For example, in an open rack type vaporizer, when LNG sent by an LNG pump passes through the inside of a panel in which many tubes with vertical fins are assembled in a rack shape, it is warmed by sea water flowing down the outer surface of the tube and evaporated. It is heated and discharged as gas from the upper header. The pressure of the fuel gas at the vaporizer outlet is controlled by the flow rate control on the liquid side at the vaporizer inlet. Therefore, the liquid flow rate at the inlet of the vaporizer may be controlled so that the pressure of the fuel gas at the outlet of the vaporizer becomes the desired pressure required in the fuel gas introduction section 11 .

The water depth of the water stored in the water tank can be adjusted according to the number of air bubble receivers arranged and the pressure of the fuel gas to be introduced. , still more preferably 50 m or more, even more preferably 100 m or more. The deeper the water depth, the more air bubble receivers can be arranged, and the more the buoyancy of the air bubbles can be utilized. However, the deeper the water depth, the higher the water pressure in the lower part of the water tank, so it is necessary to introduce fuel gas with a higher pressure. In addition, the deeper the water, the smaller the volume of air bubbles and the smaller the buoyancy generated, so the generator has a torque adjustment function that can reduce or eliminate the torque so that the belt can move even with a small buoyancy at the time of initial movement. is preferred.

The height of the water tank 10 in FIG. 1 may be determined according to the depth of the water stored inside. , a belt connected to the bubble receiver, a rotor connected to the belt, and optionally a generator connected to the rotor. The height of the water tank is, for example, 12-150m.

The air bubble receiver 20 may have a structure capable of receiving air bubbles of the fuel gas and moving the belt, but is preferably made of a lightweight material that is corrosion resistant to water and fuel gas. preferable. Bubble catcher 20 is preferably made of stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, or a combination thereof.

The bubble receiver 20 can be, for example, a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, a hemisphere in diameter, or the like. The size of the bubble receiver 20 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a cube with length, width and length of 1 m, or a hemisphere with a radius of 1 m.

The air bubble receiver 20 preferably moves the belt 30 connected to the air bubble receiver 20 and rotates the rotating body 40 connected to the belt 30 by the buoyancy of the air bubbles 15 received by the lowest air bubble receiver 20. More preferably, the belt 30 connected to the bubble receiver 20 is moved by the buoyancy of the bubble 15 received by the lowermost bubble receiver 20, and the belt 30 connected to the belt 30 is moved. It rotates the rotating body 40 and has a capacity for receiving air bubbles that can generate electricity with a generator connected to the rotating body 40 . The volume of air bubbles that can be received by the air bubble receiver 20 is preferably 0.1 to 10 m ³ . Assuming that the density of water is about 1000 kg/m ³ , a buoyancy force of 980-98000 N (100-10000 kg) is obtained when the air bubbles are filled in one bubble receiver with the above preferred acceptable volume.

The interval between the plurality of air bubble receivers 20 connected to the belt 30 is such that the air bubble receivers 20 can rotate together with the belt 30 and the air bubbles 15 introduced from the fuel gas inlet 11 can be sequentially received. good. The interval between the plurality of bubble receivers 20 connected to the belt 30 is preferably such that each bubble receiver 20 rotating at a steady speed with the belt 30 has a volume capable of receiving the bubbles 15 of each bubble receiver 20 . is a distance that can accommodate 70% or more, more preferably 80% or more, and even more preferably 90% or more of air bubbles.

At least some of the plurality of air bubble receivers 20 may partially have through holes 21 as shown in FIG. By providing the air bubble receiving portion 20 with the through hole 21, the air bubble receiving portion 20 receives the buoyant force of the air bubbles 15 introduced from the fuel gas introducing portion 11, while allowing part of the air bubbles 15 to pass through the other air bubble receiving portion positioned above. can be introduced into At the bottom of the water tank, the water pressure is high and the bubbles are small, so the buoyancy of the air bubbles 15 is relatively small. By introducing an air bubble 15 into the space, the device can be operated with greater buoyancy. The position of the through hole 21 is not particularly limited as long as it receives air bubbles in the air bubble receiving portion 20, but the upper region of the air bubble receiving portion 20 where air bubbles tend to gather is preferable. The size of the through hole 21 may be the same as the diameter of the air bubble 15 introduced from the fuel gas introduction portion 11 , smaller than the air bubble 15 , or larger than the air bubble 15 . The size of the through-holes 21 is determined according to the total volume of the air bubbles 15 that are successively introduced into the water 14 and received by the air-bubble receiving section 20, while the air-bubble receiving section 20 receives buoyant force, and the air bubbles reach the upper air-bubble receiving section 20. can be of such a size that it can be moved.

The through hole 21 is preferably openable and closable, and more preferably adjustable in opening degree. The degree of opening is the degree to which the through hole 21 opens. The through-hole 21 may be open in the region near the bottom of the water tank and the through-hole 21 may be closed in the region near the top of the water tank. The through hole 21 may be half open in the region near the middle of the water tank. The device preferably comprises a controller for opening and closing the through hole 21 . The opening and closing of the through hole 21 can be performed manually or electrically. When the through hole 21 is electrically opened and closed, electric power for operation may be obtained from the outside, but preferably electric power generated by the generator of this device may be used.

The shape and size of the plurality of bubble receivers 20 may be different from each other. When the horizontal dimension of some of the plurality of bubble receivers 20 is larger than the horizontal dimension of the other bubble receivers 20, the lower bubble receiver with the smaller horizontal dimension Bubbles overflowing from 20 can be received by bubble receiving portion 20 located above and having a large horizontal dimension.

At least a part of the belt 30 is placed in water, connected to the air bubble receiver 20, and has a configuration capable of moving the rotating body 40, and may be a metal chain belt, a rubber belt, or the like. can.

The rotating body 40 may be a rotating body used in a conventional generator as long as it has a structure that transmits the force of the belt to the generator.

The generator can be a conventionally used generator. The generator preferably has a torque regulation function. When the device is started, the bubbles introduced into the water tank from the fuel gas introduction part are in the lower part of the water tank, and the buoyancy of the bubbles is relatively small, so the torque of the generator may be small. The torque of the generator may be increased because the buoyancy of the air bubbles increases as the belt connected to the air bubble receiver is moved and the air bubble receiver is lifted. The generator is preferably connected with the storage device. As a result, the electricity generated by the generator can be stored in the power storage device, and the stored electricity can be transmitted to the outside when necessary.

The fuel gas introduction part 11 of the buoyancy generator 100 can be connected to the vaporization part 70 connected to the storage container of the liquefied gas in the conventional system. The vaporization section 70 is configured to vaporize the liquefied gas to generate the fuel gas and transport the vaporized fuel gas to the fuel gas introduction section 11 .

The fuel gas discharge section 12 of the buoyancy power generation device 100 can be connected to the fuel gas consumption section 80 in the conventional system. The use portion 80 can be, for example, in LNG power generation in conventional systems, a boiler, a turbine, or a combination thereof in steam power generation, gas turbine power generation, or combined cycle power generation.

The water tank 10 may be U-shaped as shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of the device. The buoyancy generator 100 shown in FIG. 2 includes an air bubble receiver 20, a belt 30 connected to the air bubble receiver 20, a rotor 40 connected to the belt, and a generator (not shown) connected to the rotor 40. including. In the buoyancy generator 100 shown in FIG. 2, one of the belt 30 connected to the air bubble receiver 20 and the rotating body 40 connected to the belt is disposed in the water tank 10, and the other rotating body 40 is The generator provided outside the water tank 10 and inside the wall portion 60 and connected to the rotating body 40 may be arranged either inside or outside the wall portion 60 .

When the water tank 10 is U-shaped as shown in FIG. The fuel gas can be recovered and discharged from the fuel gas discharge portion 12 provided in the wall portion 60 . The shape and material of the wall part 60 should include the water tank 10, the fuel gas recovery part, and the fuel gas discharge part, and have a pressure-resistant sealing structure that prevents gaseous fuel gas from leaking outside from the fuel gas discharge part. It is not particularly limited. The material of the wall 60 can be, for example, steel used in conventional LNG tanks or piping.

The wall portion 60 preferably has at least one fuel gas discharge portion 12 inside the wall portion 60 at a position where the fuel gas discharged from the surface of the water 14 can be collected between the wall portion 60 and discharged from the fuel gas discharge portion 12 . A stage partition 61 is provided. The wall portion 60 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes two stages of partition portions 61 . Since the wall portion 60 and the uppermost partition portion 61 can constitute the fuel gas recovery portion 16, the fuel gas can be discharged from the fuel gas discharge portion 12 more efficiently. The partition part 61 can also be used as a scaffold for equipment inspection.

The water tank 10 in FIG. 2 is not particularly limited as long as it has a fuel gas introduction part 11 and has a configuration capable of storing water 14 inside, and is used in a conventional LNG tank or pipe, for example. Can be made of steel.

The height of the water tank 10 in FIG. 2 may be determined according to the depth of the water 14 stored therein. The buoyancy power generation device 100 has a height capable of accommodating at least a part and one of the rotating bodies 40, and the buoyancy generator 100 is placed between the wall part 60 and the fuel gas recovery part 16, the other rotating body 40 connected to the belt, and can be of such height that it can be provided with a generator coupled to the rotating body if desired. The width of each of the U-shaped portions of the water tank 10 is such that water can flow between the air bubble receiving part 20 and the water tank so that the resistance received from the water when moving the air bubble receiving part 20 in the water of the water tank is small. It can be any width that has space for smooth movement. The width of the water tank is preferably 1.2 times or more, more preferably 1.3 times or more, still more preferably 1.4 times or more, and even more preferably 1.5 times the width of the air bubble receiving portion 20. That's it. The same applies to the width of the water tank shown in FIG. 3 below. The height of the water tank is, for example, 12-150m. Other configurations of the buoyancy generator shown in FIG. 2 are common to those in FIG.

The water tank 10 may be O-shaped as shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of the device. A buoyancy generator 100 shown in FIG. 3 includes a pipe-shaped water tank 10 capable of storing water. The pipe shape consists of flat surfaces, curved surfaces, or a combination thereof. The buoyancy generator 100 further includes a fuel gas introduction section 11 , a fuel gas recovery section 16 and a fuel gas discharge section 12 . In the buoyancy generator 100 shown in FIG. 3 , the fuel gas introduction section 11 , the fuel gas recovery section 16 and the fuel gas discharge section 12 are provided in the water tank 10 .

The buoyancy generator 100 also includes a bubble receiver 20 , a belt 30 connected to the bubble receiver 20 , a rotor 40 connected to the belt, and a generator (not shown) connected to the rotor 40 . There is one or a plurality of bubble receivers 20, preferably a plurality. In the buoyancy generator 100 shown in FIG. 3 , the bubble receiver 20 , the belt 30 connected to the bubble receiver 20 , and the rotating body 40 connected to the belt are provided in the water tank 10 and connected to the rotating body 40 . The generator may be located either inside or outside the reservoir 10 .

In the buoyancy power generation device 100 illustrated in FIG. The discharge and other configurations are similar to the buoyancy generator illustrated in FIG.

The present disclosure also includes introducing a pressurized fuel gas obtained by vaporizing a liquefied gas into water in a water tank that stores water to form air bubbles in the water; a belt connected to the air bubble receiving part is moved by the buoyancy of the air bubbles to rotate a rotating body connected to the belt, and power generation connected to the rotating body a buoyancy power generation method comprising: generating power with a machine, recovering the fuel gas introduced into the water as the bubbles above the water surface of the water, and discharging the recovered fuel gas to the outside. set to target.

The fuel gas used in the buoyancy power generation device and buoyancy power generation method of the present disclosure is preferably natural gas, propane gas, hydrogen gas, or ammonia gas. Liquefied fuel gases are liquefied natural gas, liquefied propane gas, liquefied hydrogen gas, or liquefied ammonia gas.

Liquefied natural gas (hereinafter also referred to as LNG) is a gaseous fuel gas, which is cooled to minus 162 ° C and condensed for transportation, and the volume is reduced to 1/600. It is a relatively clean fossil fuel with less _CO2 emissions and nitrogen oxides than other fossil fuels.

Natural gas is used as the main raw material for city gas, and is stored and transported as liquefied LNG after being cooled to minus 162°C. In conventional LNG power generation, LNG is transported from overseas using LNG vessels such as dedicated tankers and stored in dedicated LNG tanks at LNG bases. The LNG delivered from the LNG tank is vaporized by passing through a vaporizer, and is used as fuel for electric power or the like as natural gas at room temperature.

In conventional LNG power generation, natural gas (NG), which is vaporized LNG, is burned to form high-temperature, high-pressure steam. It can move and generate electricity.

FIG. 5 shows an example of an LNG power generation system incorporating the buoyancy power generation device of the present disclosure. In the LNG power generation system shown in FIG. 5, LNG is stored in LNG tanks 82 from LNG vessels 81 through arm loading and piping. LNG at minus 162° C. is sent from the LNG tank 82 to the vaporization section 70 by the LNG pump, passes through the vaporization section 70 to normal temperature natural gas (NG), and is sent to the buoyancy power generator 100 through piping. In the vaporization section 70, seawater is flowed on the outer surface of the heat transfer tube of the vaporizer to vaporize the LNG inside the vaporizer.

Natural gas (NG) used for buoyancy power generation in the present buoyancy power generation device 100 is sent to a natural gas usage section 80 such as a power plant or a factory. Natural gas (NG) is burned in the boiler of a power plant or factory to generate high-temperature, high-pressure steam, which is used to turn the impeller of a steam turbine to drive a generator connected to the turbine. Generate electricity.

The installation location of this device is not particularly limited as long as it is equipped with a device for vaporizing LNG, but it is a port or coast where a tanker that transports LNG calls, a power generation device using LNG, or a place adjacent to an LNG power plant. , or in a building housing gas cylinders storing LNG. Building reuse is also possible by placing the device in empty buildings, closed schools, and the like. For example, the device illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 can be placed fixedly on the skeleton of an empty building.

By installing this device in buildings such as buildings equipped with LNG cylinders and air conditioning equipment using LNG, air conditioning is performed using natural gas, and buoyancy power generation is performed simultaneously using the vaporized gas of LNG. becomes possible.

As described above, according to this device, it is possible to reuse part of the energy when natural gas (NG) is cooled and condensed into LNG. According to this device, in addition to LNG, part of the energy during liquefaction in conventional systems that use liquefied fuel gases such as liquefied propane gas (LPG), liquefied hydrogen gas, and liquefied ammonia gas can be reused. It is possible.

LPG is generally filled into storage containers such as cylinders and delivered to places of consumption such as city buildings and homes. At these places of consumption, LPG is vaporized and used as fuel gas in offices and homes. By installing this device between an LPG storage container and a place of consumption such as a city building or a home, the vaporized gas of LPG can be used for buoyancy power generation.

Liquefied hydrogen gas is generally filled into mobile storage containers such as tank trucks and delivered to places of consumption such as hydrogen stations. By installing this device between a storage container of liquefied hydrogen gas and a place of consumption such as a hydrogen station, vaporized gas of liquefied hydrogen gas can be used for buoyancy power generation.

Ammonia is easily liquefied by pressurization and cooling, and the liquefied ammonia is usually sent by pipeline, transported by tanker or tank truck, or packed in cylinders and transported. By installing this device between a storage container of liquefied ammonia and a place where ammonia gas is consumed, vaporized gas of liquefied ammonia can be used for buoyancy power generation.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 buoyancy generator 10 water tank 11 fuel gas introduction part 12 fuel gas discharge part 14 water 15 bubbles 16 fuel gas recovery part 20 bubble receiving part 21 through hole of bubble receiving part 30 belt 40 rotating body 60 wall part 61 partition part 70 vaporization Part 80 Use part 81 LNG ship 82 LNG tank

Claims (2)

a water tank configured to store water;
a fuel gas introduction part, a fuel gas recovery part positioned above the surface of the water that can be stored, a fuel gas discharge part connected to the fuel gas recovery part, an air bubble receiving part, and a bubble receiving part connected to the air bubble receiving part a belt connected to the belt, a rotating body connected to the belt, and a generator connected to the rotating body;
The fuel gas introduction unit is configured to be capable of introducing pressurized fuel gas obtained by vaporizing liquefied gas into the water tank,
The fuel gas recovery unit is configured to recover the fuel gas introduced into the water tank above the surface of water that can be stored in the water tank,
The fuel gas discharge unit is configured to be able to discharge the fuel gas collected by the fuel gas collection unit to the outside,
Bubbles of the fuel gas introduced from the fuel gas introduction portion into the water tank are received by the bubble receiving portion, and the belt connected to the bubble receiving portion is moved by the buoyancy of the bubbles to rotate the belt connected to the belt. A buoyancy generator that rotates a body and generates power with the generator that is connected to the rotating body. introducing the pressurized fuel gas obtained by vaporizing the liquefied gas into water in a water tank to form air bubbles in the water;
Receiving the air bubbles with an air bubble receiver arranged inside the water tank;
A belt connected to the air bubble receiver is moved by the buoyancy of the air bubbles to rotate a rotating body connected to the belt to generate electricity with a generator connected to the rotating body;
A buoyancy power generation method, comprising recovering the fuel gas introduced into the water as the bubbles above a surface of the water, and discharging the recovered fuel gas to the outside.

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