JP2769985B2 - Energy conversion method and apparatus using hydrogen storage metal - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention mainly relates to the storage and storage of hydrogen.
The present invention relates to a reaction for generating a metal hydride from hydrogen and a hydrogen storage metal used for a transportation system and an energy recovery / power conversion system, and an energy conversion method and an energy conversion device using a reverse reaction thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The applicant of the present invention has previously proposed an energy conversion method and a conversion apparatus of this kind in a container of 10 to 50 mm.
A proposal has been made in which a packed layer of small pieces of hydrogen storage metal having a diameter of about 10 mm is provided, hydrogen gas is circulated through this layer, and a heat medium is poured down from above the layer (Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-6).
3674). The packing layer is configured to be fixed on a perforated plate when fixing the small lump pieces, and to be moved by the circulation line with the outside when being moved.

[0003]

In the above proposal, the hydrogen gas and the heat medium are in direct contact with the hydrogen storage metal.
Although the heat exchange efficiency and the reaction efficiency are good, the small pieces of the hydrogen-absorbing metal need to be exchanged at an appropriate time because the molding changes with the lapse of the use time. Originally, it is not preferable in terms of cost to form the hydrogen storage metal into small lump pieces.
As the hydrogen storage metal, La-Ni-Al alloy or the like is used,
Generally, this is formed into a small lump piece and subjected to Cu plating or the like, and if necessary, further pressed to form a flat piece.

The present invention can be used at low cost because non-molded hydrogen storage metal powder can be used, and maintains good heat exchange efficiency and reaction efficiency due to direct contact of the hydrogen storage metal with hydrogen gas and a heat medium. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for converting energy using a hydrogen storage metal that can be used.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a hydrogen storage metal is placed in a container having an inlet and an outlet for a heat medium and an outlet for a hydrogen gas, and the hydrogen gas and the heat medium are circulated through the container. In the method of converting metal hydride from hydrogen storage metal and hydrogen while performing the energy conversion by using the reverse reaction, a plurality of shelves are arranged alternately on the left and right in multiple stages up and down in a container. The above object was achieved by placing the powder of the hydrogen storage metal in a thin layer on each shelf and immersing the hydrogen storage metal in the heat medium from above the container and flowing it down. The hydrogen storage metal powder may be placed on the shelf in a thin layer to prevent it from falling, or may be sequentially moved down to the lower shelf together with the heat medium. In this case, the hydrogen storage metal and the heat are introduced into the inlet. Connect a separator to separate the medium,
The container may be provided with a supply port for supplying the hydrogen storage metal separated by the separator on the uppermost shelf of the shelf. Further, in order to carry out the reaction continuously, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which a plurality of the containers are provided and the hydrogen storage metal separated by the separator is supplied to another container.

[0006]

When the powder of the hydrogen storage metal is placed in a thin layer on a shelf in a container, hydrogen gas is introduced into the container from the outlet, and a cooled heat medium is introduced from the inlet. Since the powder is soaked and overflows sequentially from the shelf and flows down, the powder generates an occlusion reaction of hydrogen and generates heat, and the heat medium is heated by the reaction heat, so that the heat medium can be used as a heat source.
After the powder becomes a metal hydride by this reaction, when a heated heat medium is introduced from the inlet and overflows from the shelf, reaction heat is supplied to the powder, and the powder undergoes a hydrogen releasing reaction, Therefore, the flowing heat medium is cooled, so that the heat medium can be used as a cold heat source. The powder may be placed in a thin layer so as not to fall from the shelf, or may be dropped together with the heat medium flowing down the shelf to separate the powder and the heat medium by a separator. Therefore, energy conversion can be performed at low cost, and good thermal efficiency can be maintained. When a plurality of the containers are prepared and the hydrogen storage metal separated by the separator is circulated in these containers, the same energy conversion can be continuously performed in each container for a long time.

[0007]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a container provided with a heat medium inlet 2 and a hydrogen gas outlet 3 at the upper side and a heat medium outlet 4 at the lower side. Is provided with a plurality of flat shelves 5 that are multistage and alternately protrude from the left and right wall surfaces. Each of the shelves 5 has, for example, La-Ni-
The Al alloy powder 6 is placed in a thin layer. The inlet 2 is
The inlet 2 and the outlet 4 were connected via a circulation circuit 8 outside the vessel 1 so that the heat medium 7 was widely poured down onto the powder 6 on the uppermost shelf 5. The circulation circuit 8 is provided with a circulation pump 9 and a heat exchanger 10, and heat exchange with the heat exchanger 10 allows hot or cold water to be obtained in the external piping 11. The shelf 5 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a rising edge 12 for preventing the thin layered powder 6 placed thereon from falling. Further, in order to prevent the movement of the hydrogen storage metal, an appropriate film may be used on the layer surface. As the heat medium 7, water or an organic solvent, silicon, or a stable solution such as n. Tridecane is used.

When the hydrogen storage metal is caused to undergo a hydrogen storage reaction or a hydrogen release reaction by the above configuration, hydrogen gas is introduced into the vessel 1 from the hydrogen gas outlet 3 and cooled by the heat exchanger 10. The medium 7 is poured from the inlet 2 into the layered powder 6 of the hydrogen storage metal on the uppermost shelf 5, and the heat medium 7 overflowing from the uppermost shelf sequentially permeates the layer of the powder 6 on the lower shelf. Finally, the powder 6 is taken out from the outlet 4 to the outside and the heat of reaction of the powder 6 is absorbed by the flowing heat medium, so that the powder 6 absorbs hydrogen, and conversely, the heat exchanger 10
When the heat medium heated in step is dropped, the powder 6 is heated to release the absorbed hydrogen.

When heat is recovered from the powder 6,
Pressurized hydrogen gas is introduced into the container 1 to cause the powder 6 to perform a hydrogen storage reaction, and the heat generated thereby is absorbed by the heat medium flowing down, and the fluid in the external piping 11 is heated by the heat exchanger 10. When the hydrogen gas in the container 1 is depressurized, the powder 6 has an endothermic effect due to the hydrogen release reaction, and the heat medium poured down to the powder 6 is cooled.
The fluid in the external piping 11 of the heat exchanger 10 can be cooled. In an actual example, the powder 6 is a layer having a thickness of 30 mm or less, depending on the type of the heat medium. The relationship between the reaction rate and time when the hydrogen storage reaction was performed by flowing 1.3 cc of a 30 ° C. water heating medium to 10 g of the La-Ni-Al alloy powder 6 is shown as a curve A in FIG. The relationship between the reaction rate and the time when 1.3 cc of a heating medium of n. Tridecane at 30 ° C. was flowed into 10 g of the same powder was as shown by a curve B in FIG. Further, under the same conditions, the one plated with Cu on the powder is better, and the curve C is obtained in the case of a heating medium of water,
In the case of tridecane, curve D was obtained. In contrast, La-N
A small lump piece having a diameter of 20 mm pressed with Cu plating was used as the i-Al alloy, and 0.5 cc of water was flowed per 10 g of the lump piece to perform a hydrogen storage reaction. The relationship between the reaction rate and the time when the hydrogen storage reaction was carried out by flowing 5 cc of n. Tridecane was as shown by curves E and F, respectively. As is clear from this, even with the powder, a suitable surface treatment, a suitable heat medium, and a suitable thin layered form provided a reaction rate not much different from that of the small pieces.

[0010] Since the hydrogen storage metal is a powder having a large surface area, it has a large contact area with a heat medium or hydrogen gas, increases the amount of absorbed hydrogen, and does not lower the energy conversion efficiency. Since there is no need for molding, the hydrogen storage metal can be inexpensive and the maintenance cost can be low.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the powder 6 is also dropped together with the heat medium. The shelf 5 does not have the edge 12 as shown in FIG. 1 and is connected to the outlet 4 for the heat medium. In the circulation circuit 8, a separator 13 for separating the heat medium and the powder 6 is interposed, and the powder 6 separated by the separator 13 is circulated above the uppermost shelf 5 above the container 1. And a powder supply port 14 for supply. In this case, since the powder 6 itself is agitated by dropping from the shelf 5, the contact efficiency with the hydrogen gas and the heat medium is increased, and not only the energy exchange efficiency is improved, but also the powder 6 is separated in the separator. The powder can be exchanged without opening the container 1. Reference numeral 15 denotes a transport device.

In the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, two containers 1 may be provided, and a heat medium heated by using excess energy such as late-night power in the powder in one container 1 is used. The hydrogen release reaction is caused by the above, the hydrogen gas released by this is guided into the other container 1 and occluded, and the hydrogen release reaction is caused to occur in the powder in the daytime during the day. It can perform cold storage heat. Furthermore, if the powder 6 is moved from one of the plurality of containers 1 to the other as shown in FIG. 4, the hydrogen storage reaction is continuously performed in one of the containers, and the hydrogen release reaction is continuously performed in the other container. be able to.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of shelves are alternately arranged on the upper and lower sides in a container provided with an inlet and an outlet for the heat medium and an outlet for the hydrogen gas. Since the heat medium is immersed in the hydrogen storage metal powder placed in a thin layer on each shelf and allowed to flow down, energy conversion can be performed at low cost using inexpensive powder as the hydrogen storage metal, and the powder is stored on the shelf. It is inexpensive and easy to exchange the powder by flowing it along with the heat medium along.The inlet and outlet are arranged above and below the container, and the powder of the hydrogen storage metal is formed into a thin layer in the container. By adopting a configuration in which a plurality of shelves are provided alternately on the upper and lower sides in multiple stages, an energy conversion device using powdered hydrogen storage metal can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.
According to the configuration of claim 7, there is an effect that the same energy conversion can be continued for a long continuous time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of an embodiment of the invention according to claims 1, 2, 4 and 5;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of an embodiment of the invention according to claims 3 and 6;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between a reaction rate and time.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of another embodiment of the present invention.

[Description of Signs] 1 Container 2 Inlet for heat medium 3 Outlet for hydrogen gas 4 Outlet for heat medium 5 Shelf 6 Powder of hydrogen storage metal 7 Heat medium 12 Edge 13 Separator 14 Supply port

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A hydrogen storage metal is placed in a container having an inlet and an outlet for a heat medium and an outlet for a hydrogen gas, and the hydrogen storage metal and the hydrogen are exchanged while flowing the hydrogen gas and the heat medium through the container. In the method of converting metal hydrides from energy to energy by utilizing a reaction for producing metal hydride from the reaction and vice versa, a plurality of shelves are alternately arranged left and right in a multistage manner in a container, and the hydrogen storage metal is placed on each shelf. An energy conversion method using a hydrogen storage metal, wherein the powder is placed in a thin layer, and the heat medium is immersed in the hydrogen storage metal from above the container and allowed to flow down. 2. The hydrogen storage metal powder is placed on a shelf in a thin layer so as to prevent the powder from dropping.
An energy conversion method using the hydrogen storage metal according to 1. 3. The energy conversion method using a hydrogen storage metal according to claim 1, wherein the powder of the hydrogen storage metal sequentially moves down to a lower shelf together with a heat medium. 4. A hydrogen storage metal is placed in a container having an inlet and an outlet for a heat medium and an outlet for hydrogen gas, and the hydrogen storage metal and the hydrogen are mixed while flowing the hydrogen gas and the heat medium through the container. In a device for converting energy by utilizing a reaction for producing metal hydride from the above and a reverse reaction, an inlet is arranged above the vessel and an outlet is arranged below the vessel, and the inside of the vessel is An energy conversion device using a hydrogen storage metal, wherein a plurality of shelves are provided alternately on the upper and lower sides of the hydrogen storage metal powder in a thin layer in a multilayered manner. 5. The energy conversion device using a hydrogen storage metal according to claim 4, wherein the shelf has an edge for preventing a thin layered hydrogen storage metal placed on the shelf from falling. 6. A separator for separating the hydrogen storage metal and the heat medium is connected to the outlet, and the hydrogen storage metal separated by the separator is placed on the uppermost shelf of the shelf in the container. The energy conversion device using a hydrogen storage metal according to claim 4, wherein a supply port is provided. 7. A hydrogen storage metal is placed in a container having an inlet and an outlet for a heat medium and an outlet for hydrogen gas, and the hydrogen storage metal and the hydrogen are mixed while the hydrogen gas and the heat medium are passed through the container. In a device for converting energy by utilizing a reaction for producing metal hydride from the above and a reverse reaction, at least two containers are prepared, and the inlet and the hydrogen storage metal are placed above each container in the uppermost stage. A supply port for supplying on the shelf is arranged, and an outlet is disposed below the supply port, and a plurality of shelves are provided alternately in left and right in a multistage manner in which the hydrogen absorbing metal powder is placed in a thin layer in each container. A separator for separating the hydrogen storage metal and the heat medium is connected to the outlet, and the hydrogen storage metal separated by the separator of one container is supplied to a supply port of another container. Energy conversion device used.