JP7398528B1 - Feeding method and feeding equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a supply method and supply equipment that can efficiently supply hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment. [Solution] A hydrogen tank 3 filled with hydrogen gas, a precooler 4 connected to the hydrogen tank 3 to cool the supplied hydrogen gas, and a precooler 4 connected to the precooler 4 to supply hydrogen gas to the outside. In a supply method for supplying hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment by a supply device 1 having a dispenser 5, a storage battery 6 for supplying electricity to a precooler 4 and a dispenser 5, a hydrogen tank 3, a precooler 4, and a dispenser 5 are connected to a vehicle 2. hydrogen gas is supplied to the cargo handling equipment by moving the vehicle 2 near the cargo handling equipment. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a supply method and supply equipment for supplying hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment, and more particularly to a supply method and supply equipment that can efficiently supply hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment.

Various container terminals that suppress carbon dioxide emissions have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of a gate-type crane that operates by receiving electricity from a contact wire installed at a container terminal. By electrifying cargo handling equipment such as gantry cranes, it is possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at container terminals.

When installing contact wires at an existing container terminal, there was a problem that made it impossible to carry out cargo handling operations for a long period of time. Meanwhile, consideration is being given to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by changing the fuel for gantry cranes to hydrogen gas.

Cargo handling equipment such as gate-type cranes are large and travel at a slow speed of, for example, 4 km/h, so it has been difficult to move them to hydrogen stations where dispensers that supply hydrogen gas are installed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-137494

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a supply method and a supply device that can efficiently supply hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment.

The supply method for achieving the above purpose consists of a hydrogen tank filled with hydrogen gas, a pre-cooler connected to this hydrogen tank to cool the supplied hydrogen gas, and a pre-cooler connected to this pre-cooler that cools the supplied hydrogen gas. In the supply method for supplying hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment by a supply device including a dispenser that supplies hydrogen gas, the hydrogen tank is installed in a first vehicle in advance and electricity is supplied to the precooler and the dispenser. A storage battery, the precooler, and the dispenser are installed in a second vehicle in advance , and the two vehicles are moved near the cargo handling equipment to supply hydrogen gas to the cargo handling equipment. do.

The supply equipment for achieving the above purpose consists of a hydrogen tank filled with hydrogen gas, a pre-cooler connected to this hydrogen tank to cool the supplied hydrogen gas, and a pre-cooler connected to this pre-cooler that connects to the outside. A supply device that supplies hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment, the supply device including a dispenser that supplies hydrogen gas, and a storage battery that supplies electricity to the precooler and the dispenser, and a first vehicle that is equipped with the hydrogen tank; The present invention is characterized by comprising a second vehicle on which the precooler, the dispenser, and the storage battery are mounted.

According to the present invention, the supply equipment can move close to the cargo handling equipment and perform hydrogen gas supply work. Additionally, since it is equipped with a storage battery and does not require an external power source, hydrogen gas can be supplied from the supply equipment to the cargo handling equipment at any location. This is advantageous for efficiently supplying hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment.

It is an explanatory view illustrating the outline of supply equipment. It is an explanatory view illustrating a modification of a supply device. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the flow of supply work. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating data acquired by a control unit. It is a table showing changes in supply source pressure and supply destination pressure. It is a table showing changes in supply source pressure and supply destination pressure. It is a table showing changes in supply source pressure and supply destination pressure. It is a table showing changes in supply source pressure and supply destination pressure. It is a table showing changes in supply source pressure and supply destination pressure. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a modification of the supply device of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a modification of the flow of FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating data acquired by a control unit. It is a table showing changes in supply source pressure and supply destination pressure. It is a table showing changes in supply source pressure and supply destination pressure. It is a table showing changes in supply source pressure and supply destination pressure. It is a table showing changes in supply source pressure and supply destination pressure.

Hereinafter, a supply method and a supply device will be described based on the embodiment shown in the drawings.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the supply device 1 includes two vehicles 2. The first vehicle 2a is equipped with one hydrogen tank 3 placed in a 20ft container. This hydrogen tank 3 is filled with hydrogen gas compressed to a high pressure of, for example, 82 MPa.

The second vehicle 2b includes a precooler 4 that cools the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen tank 3, a dispenser 5 that supplies the hydrogen gas cooled by the precooler 4 to the outside, and supplies electricity to the precooler 4 and the dispenser 5. It is equipped with a storage battery 6. The precooler 4 and the like may be placed in a 20ft container mounted on the vehicle 2b. In FIG. 1, for the sake of explanation, the pipes that convey hydrogen gas are shown in bold lines, and the power cables connected to the storage battery 6 are shown in broken lines.

The vehicle 2b may be previously equipped with a storage battery for use in operating safety equipment, etc., and the precooler 4 and the like may receive electricity from the storage battery. In this case, the supply device 1 has a configuration that does not include the storage battery 6. The vehicle 2 is not limited to a configuration including a 20ft container. The vehicle 2 only needs to include at least equipment such as a precooler 4 and a hydrogen tank 3.

Since the supply device 1 is equipped with a vehicle 2, it is movable. When supplying hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment such as a gantry crane, the supply equipment 1 first travels and moves to the vicinity of the gantry crane. Thereafter, the hydrogen tank 3 and the precooler 4 are connected by piping, and the dispenser 5 and the portal crane are connected by piping. Since the remaining capacity of the hydrogen tank mounted on cargo handling equipment such as a gate type crane is low, the internal pressure is, for example, 0.1 MPa. On the other hand, the internal pressure of the hydrogen tank 3 mounted on the supply device 1 is, for example, 82 MPa. Hydrogen gas is supplied from the supply equipment 1 to the cargo handling equipment by a differential pressure filling method that utilizes this pressure difference. The pressure of a hydrogen tank mounted on cargo handling equipment increases to, for example, 70 MPa. The pipes connected to the cargo handling equipment are disconnected, and the hydrogen gas supply work is completed.

Since the supply equipment 1 includes a vehicle 2, it can move close to cargo handling equipment such as a gate type crane and supply hydrogen gas. When supplying hydrogen gas, there is no need to move a portal crane or the like, which is difficult to move compared to the vehicle 2. This is advantageous for efficiently supplying hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment such as portal cranes.

Since the supply device 1 is configured to supply hydrogen gas to the cargo handling equipment using a differential pressure filling method, a compressor for pressurizing hydrogen gas is not required. Since a power source for the compressor is not required, hydrogen gas supply work can be performed at any location. Since the compressor requires a power source of, for example, 110 kW, it needs to be connected to, for example, a 450 V power cable. If the supply device 1 is equipped with a compressor, the supply operation can only be performed in a place where a 450V power cable is available. Note that the precooler 4 and the dispenser 5 can be operated with a power source of about 10 kW, and can be operated with power supplied from a storage battery 6 mounted on the vehicle 2.

Since the supply device 1 is composed of two vehicles 2, when the remaining amount of the hydrogen tank 3 becomes low, supply work can be continued by arranging another vehicle 2a equipped with the hydrogen tank 3. By preparing a plurality of vehicles 2a equipped with hydrogen tanks 3 for one vehicle 2b equipped with a dispenser 5, etc., the supply work can be performed efficiently. This is advantageous for improving the operating rate of the supply equipment 1.

The number of vehicles 2 that constitute the supply device 1 is not limited to two. The configuration may be such that the supply device 1 includes one vehicle 2. A 40ft container may be mounted on this vehicle 2, and devices such as the dispenser 5 and the hydrogen tank 3 may be arranged in this 40ft container.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the hydrogen tank 3 of the supply device 1 may include a plurality of first tanks 3a. In this embodiment, the supply device 1 includes a first distribution mechanism 7 connected between a precooler 4 and a plurality of first tanks 3a. The first distribution mechanism 7 includes a piping section 8 that connects a plurality of first tanks 3a in parallel to the precooler 4, and a plurality of first tanks 3a arranged in the piping section 8 and corresponding to the respective first tanks 3a. The first tank 3a has one valve 9, and a pressure sensor 10 that measures the supply source pressure Px, which is the pressure inside each first tank 3a.

In this embodiment, the hydrogen tank 3 is composed of eight first tanks 3a. The number of first tanks 3a is not limited to this. For example, the hydrogen tank 3 is composed of an arbitrary number of first tanks 3a, such as sixteen or twenty. The piping section 8 has a configuration in which piping extending from each first tank 3a joins in the middle and is connected to the precooler 4. The configuration of the piping section 8 is not limited to this, and any configuration may be used as long as the plurality of first tanks 3a are connected in parallel to the precooler 4 in a parallel state. The first distribution mechanism 7 has the same number of first valves 9 as the first tanks 3a. By controlling the opening and closing of the first valve 9, one of the plurality of first tanks 3a that communicates with the precooler 4 can be selected. The first valve 9 may be configured not only to be opened and closed but also to have its opening degree controlled.

The pressure sensor 10 is installed, for example, between the first tank 3a and the corresponding first valve 9. In FIG. 3, only some of the plurality of pressure sensors 10 are illustrated. Pressure sensors 10 are installed at positions corresponding to all the first tanks 3a.

The first distribution mechanism 7 includes an acquisition unit 12 that acquires the supply destination pressure Py, which is the internal pressure of the hydrogen tank 11 mounted on the cargo handling equipment, and a plurality of distribution units based on the values of the supply source pressure Px and the supply destination pressure Py. The control unit 13 controls opening and closing of one valve 9. The hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side includes, for example, a pressure sensor 10 that measures internal pressure, and a communication device 14 that transmits the value of this pressure sensor 10 to an acquisition unit 12. The acquisition unit 12 is configured to acquire the supply destination pressure Py transmitted from the communication device 14 wirelessly or by wire. In FIG. 2, signal lines configured wirelessly or wired are shown by broken lines for explanation. The configuration in which the acquisition unit 12 acquires the supply destination pressure Py is not limited to the above. For example, it may have a configuration in which the supply destination pressure Py of the hydrogen tank 11 of the cargo handling equipment is acquired from a management system that manages the cargo handling equipment.

The control unit 13 is connected to the plurality of pressure sensors 10, the acquisition unit 12, and the plurality of first valves 9 via wireless or wired signal lines. The control unit 13 has a configuration that acquires the supply source pressure Px and the supply destination pressure Py via a signal line, and controls the opening and closing of the plurality of first valves 9 based on the acquired values. The control unit 13 may have a configuration that acquires the source pressure Px and the destination pressure Py intermittently at predetermined timing, or may have a configuration that continuously acquires the source pressure Px and the destination pressure Py.

The supply device 1 may include the flow rate sensor 15. The flow rate sensor 15 measures the flow rate of hydrogen gas supplied from the supply device 1 to the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling device side. The flow rate sensor 15 is not an essential component. The flow rate sensor 15 is installed, for example, in a pipe extending from the dispenser 5 to the outside. The flow rate sensor 15 may be installed inside the dispenser 5.

The supply operation in which the supply equipment 1 supplies hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment will be described with reference to the flow of the supply operation illustrated in FIG. 3. When the supply work is started (start), preparation for the supply work is first performed in a preparation step S1. In the preparation step S1, the vehicle 2 constituting the supply equipment 1 moves to the vicinity of cargo handling equipment such as a gantry crane. Thereafter, the pipe extending from the dispenser 5 is connected to the pipe on the cargo handling equipment side. The dispenser 5 and the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side are connected via a connector 16.

In acquisition step S2, the control unit 13 acquires the supply source pressure Px and the supply destination pressure Py. As illustrated in FIG. 4, since the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side is composed of one tank, the control unit 13 acquires one supply destination pressure Py via the acquisition unit 12. Since the hydrogen tank 3 on the supply device 1 side is composed of eight first tanks 3a, the control unit 13 acquires eight supply source pressures Px via the pressure sensor 10. In FIG. 4, numbers are given to distinguish the supply source pressures Px of the plurality of first tanks 3a.

In the selection step S3, the control unit 13 selects one first tank 3a having a supply source pressure Px higher than the supply destination pressure Py. If there are a plurality of first tanks 3a that satisfy the condition Px>Py as in the example shown in FIG. 4, one of them may be randomly selected. In this case, for example, the first tank 3a with number 4 is selected. Alternatively, one first tank 3a may be selected with priority given to the one with the smaller number. In this case, the first tank 3a with number 1 is selected.

The control unit 13 is configured to select one first tank 3a having a source pressure Px closest to the destination pressure Py from among the first tanks 3a having a source pressure Px higher than the destination pressure Py. You may do so. In this case, the first tank 3a with number 1 is selected. The first tank 3a in which the pressure difference between the supply destination pressure Py and the supply source pressure Px is small is preferentially selected. It is possible to leave the high-pressure first tank 3a with a large supply source pressure Px. For example, when the supply device 1 next supplies hydrogen gas to another portal crane, it becomes easier to avoid a situation where the supply source pressure Px is insufficient and hydrogen gas cannot be supplied. The total amount of hydrogen gas that can be supplied from the supply device 1 to the cargo handling equipment can be increased.

The control unit 13 may be configured to exclude from selection the first tank 3a having the supply source pressure Px within a preset range, such as +0.5 MPa, from the supply destination pressure Py. The first tank 3a is excluded because the value of the supply source pressure Px is too close to the supply destination pressure Py, and the amount of hydrogen gas that can be supplied is small. This is advantageous for improving the efficiency of supply operations.

In the supply step S4, the control unit 13 opens the first valve 9 corresponding to the first tank 3a selected in the selection step S3. At this time, the other first valves 9 are in a closed state. Hydrogen gas is supplied from the first tank 3a selected in the selection step S3 via the precooler 4 and the dispenser 5 to the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side. For example, hydrogen gas is supplied from the first tank 3a with number 1 illustrated in FIG. 4 to the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side. Since the supply source pressure Px is 50 MPa with respect to the supply destination pressure Py of 0.1 MPa, hydrogen gas moves from the supply equipment 1 side to the cargo handling equipment side with a differential pressure.

In the switching step S5, the first tank 3a connected to the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side is switched to another first tank 3a. For example, the control unit 13 can obtain the supply source pressure Px and the supply destination pressure Py of the connected first tank 3a, and the switching step S5 can be executed when Px=Py.

When the switching step S5 is executed, the control unit 13 closes the open first valve 9 and opens the first valve 9 of another newly selected first tank 3a. The newly selected first tank 3a is selected by the same method as the selection step S3 described above. When the first tank 3a is newly selected in this switching step S5, it is desirable that the first tank 3a whose first valve 9 was opened until just before is excluded from the options.

Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the switching step S5 is executed when the supply source pressure Px and the supply destination pressure Py of the first tank 3a numbered 1 are both equal to 15 MPa. Upon execution of the switching step S5, the control unit 13 closes the first valve 9 corresponding to the first tank 3a with number 1. Further, the first tank 3a with number 4, for example, which satisfies the condition Px>Py and excludes number 1, is newly selected. When the condition is set that the supply source pressure Px is closest to the supply destination pressure Py, the first tank 3a with number 2 is newly selected.

After the switching step S5, a supplying step S4 is executed. Thereafter, the supply step S4 and the switching step S5 are repeated multiple times to supply hydrogen gas.

Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the first tank 3a numbered 2 is connected to the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side, and the supply step S4 is executed. When Px=Py=30 MPa, the switching step S5 is executed and, for example, the first tank 3a with number 3 is newly selected. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when Px=Py=50 MPa, a switching step S5 is executed, and for example, the first tank 3a with number 4 is newly selected. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 8, when Px=Py=65 MPa, a switching step S5 is executed, and for example, the first tank 3a with number 5 is newly selected. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 9, switching step S5 is executed when Px=Py=70 MPa. In FIG. 6-9, for the sake of explanation, the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side and the first tank 3a, which are connected to each other, are connected by a thick line.

While supplying hydrogen gas in the supply step S4, when the supply destination pressure Py of the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side exceeds a preset threshold value such as 70 MPa, the control unit 13 controls the first valve. 9 is closed to complete the supply operation. In this case, the supply operation ends (end) as a result of the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side being sufficiently filled with hydrogen gas.

In the switching step S5, if there is no first tank 3a satisfying the condition of Px>Py, the control unit 13 closes the first valve 9 and ends the supply operation (end). In this case, the supply operation ends as a result of the insufficient remaining amount in the hydrogen tank 3 of the supply device 1, making it impossible to continue the supply operation.

The supply device 1 supplies hydrogen gas to the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling device side while switching between the plurality of first tanks 3a. Therefore, despite the differential pressure filling method, hydrogen gas can be supplied until the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side reaches a relatively high pressure. In other words, a relatively large amount of hydrogen gas can be supplied from the supply device 1 to the cargo handling equipment. This is advantageous for efficiently supplying hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment.

Since hydrogen gas is supplied by switching between the plurality of first tanks 3a, differential pressure filling can be performed by efficiently utilizing the supply source pressure Px of the first tanks 3a.

The control unit 13 monitors the supply source pressure Px of the first tank 3a supplying hydrogen gas while executing the supply step S4, and the amount of change in the supply source pressure Px is set as a threshold in advance. The configuration may be such that the switching step S5 is executed when the value is below the value. In the supply step S4, hydrogen gas is filled with a differential pressure, so as the hydrogen gas moves, the pressure difference between the supply source pressure Px and the supply destination pressure Py decreases. As this pressure difference becomes smaller, the amount of hydrogen gas movement decreases, and therefore the amount of change in the supply source pressure Px per unit time becomes smaller. For example, 0.001 MPa/sec can be set as a threshold value, and the switching step S5 can be executed when the amount of change becomes less than or equal to this threshold value.

In the supply step S4, it takes a relatively long time for the supply source pressure Px and the supply destination pressure Py to become equal and for the amount of hydrogen gas movement to become zero. Before the amount of hydrogen gas transferred reaches zero, the switching step S5 is executed to switch to another first tank 3a with a relatively large pressure difference, so it is possible to increase the supply rate of hydrogen gas. . This is advantageous for improving the efficiency of supply operations.

The amount of change in pressure monitored by the control unit 13 may be the supply destination pressure Py. The same effect as when monitoring the amount of change in the supply source pressure Px can be obtained.

While performing the supply step S4, the flow rate of hydrogen gas supplied from the first tank 3a to the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side is monitored by the flow rate sensor 15, and the flow rate is below a preset threshold value. The configuration may be such that the switching step S5 is executed when the time is reached. For example, 0.1 L/min can be set as a threshold value, and the switching step S5 can be executed when the flow rate becomes equal to or less than this threshold value.

Since the switching step S5 is executed before the flow rate of hydrogen gas supplied to the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side becomes zero, it becomes possible to increase the supply speed of hydrogen gas. This is advantageous for improving the efficiency of supply operations.

When the first valve 9 has a configuration in which the opening degree is controlled, the opening degree of the first valve 9 is controlled based on the pressure difference between the supply source pressure Px and the destination pressure Py and the value obtained from the flow rate sensor 15. It is also possible to have a configuration in which When the pressure difference is large, if the first valve 9 is switched from closed to open in a short period of time, the flow rate of hydrogen gas will increase rapidly, and there is a risk that piping and the like will be damaged. For example, the opening degree of the first valve 9 may be controlled to gradually open the first valve 9 so that the amount of change in the supply source pressure Px does not exceed a preset threshold value. This is advantageous in avoiding damage to piping, etc. Similarly, the opening degree of the first valve 9 may be controlled such that the flow rate of hydrogen gas obtained from the flow rate sensor 15 does not exceed a preset threshold value.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side may be composed of a plurality of second tanks 11a. In this embodiment, the supply device 1 comprises a second distribution mechanism 17 connected between the dispenser 5 and the second tank 11a. The second distribution mechanism 17 includes a piping section 18 that connects a plurality of second tanks 11a in parallel to the dispenser 5, and a plurality of second tanks 11a arranged in the piping section 18 and corresponding to the respective second tanks 11a. It has two valves 19 and a plurality of pressure sensors 10 that measure the supply destination pressure Py, which is the pressure inside each second tank 11a.

In this embodiment, the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side is composed of four second tanks 11a. The number of second tanks 11a is not limited to this. For example, the hydrogen tank 11 can be configured with any number of second tanks 11a, such as eight or ten. The piping section 18 has a configuration in which piping extending from each second tank 11a joins in the middle and is connected to the dispenser 5. The configuration of the piping section 18 is not limited to this, and any configuration may be used as long as the plurality of second tanks 11a are connected in parallel to the dispenser 5 in a parallel state. The second distribution mechanism 17 has the same number of second valves 19 as the second tanks 11a. By controlling the opening and closing of the second valve 19, one of the plurality of second tanks 11a that communicates with the dispenser 15 can be selected. The second valve 19 may be configured not only to be opened and closed but also to have its opening degree controlled. Similar to the first valve 9, if the second valve 19 has a configuration in which the opening degree can be controlled, the flow rate of hydrogen gas flowing into the second tank 11a increases rapidly due to the opening degree control, and piping etc. You can avoid problems that cause damage.

The pressure sensor 10 is set, for example, between the second tank 11a and the corresponding second valve 19. In FIG. 10, only some of the plurality of pressure sensors 10 are illustrated. The same number of pressure sensors 10 as second valves 19 are installed.

The acquisition unit 12 of the first distribution mechanism 7 is configured to acquire the supply destination pressure Py, which is the pressure inside the second tank 11a, from the pressure sensor 10 of the second distribution mechanism 17. The acquisition unit 12 has a configuration that acquires the supply destination pressure Py sent from the communication device 14 wirelessly or by wire.

The control unit 13 has a configuration that controls opening and closing of the second valve 19. A control signal sent from the control unit 13 wirelessly or by wire is transmitted to the second valve 19 via the communication device 14. In FIG. 10, signal lines configured wirelessly or wired are shown by broken lines for explanation.

The second distribution mechanism 17 is included in the supply equipment 1, but may be installed together with the hydrogen tank 11 in cargo handling equipment such as a portal crane. Even if the second distribution mechanism 17 is installed in the vehicle 2 and the second distribution mechanism 17 and the second tank 11a on the cargo handling equipment side are connected via the connector 16 etc. when performing supply work, good.

The supply work will be explained with reference to the flow of the supply work illustrated in FIG. As in the previous embodiment, an acquisition step S2 is performed after the preparation step S1. In the acquisition step S2, in addition to the supply source pressures Px of the plurality of first tanks 3a, the supply destination pressures Py of the plurality of second tanks 11a are acquired. As illustrated in FIG. 12, since the second tank 11a is composed of four tanks, the control unit 13 acquires four supply destination pressures Py via the acquisition unit 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the selection step S3 includes a first selection step S31 and a second selection step S32. After the acquisition step S2, a second selection step S32 is first performed. In the second selection step S32, the control unit 13 selects one second tank 11a to be supplied. In the second selection step S32, one of the plurality of second tanks 11a may be randomly selected. In this case, for example, the second tank 11a with number 2 is selected. Alternatively, one second tank 11a may be selected with priority given to the one with the smaller number. In this case, the second tank 11a with number 1 is selected.

The control unit 13 may be configured to select the second tank 11a having the highest destination pressure Py among the second tanks 11a. In this case, the second tank 11a with number 4 is selected. As the supply work progresses and the supply source pressure Px decreases, the number of first tanks 3a having a supply source pressure Px higher than the destination pressure Py decreases, and hydrogen gas may not be sufficiently supplied. By supplying hydrogen gas from the second tank 11a where the supply destination pressure Py is high, it becomes easier to avoid a situation where hydrogen gas cannot be supplied. This is advantageous for increasing the total amount of hydrogen gas supplied to cargo handling equipment.

A first selection step S31 is executed after the second selection step S32. In the first selection step S31, the control unit 13 selects one first tank 3a having a supply source pressure Px greater than the supply destination pressure Py of the second tank 11a selected in the second selection step S32. This first selection step S31 has the same contents as the selection step S3 of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. Specifically, for example, the second tank 11a with number 4 is selected in the second selection step S32, and the first tank 3a with number 1 is selected in the first selection step S31.

A supply step S4 is performed after the first selection step S31. In the supply step S4, the control unit 13 selects the second valve 19 and The first valve 9 corresponding to the first tank 3a is opened. At this time, the other second valve 19 and first valve 9 are in a closed state. Hydrogen gas is supplied from the first tank 3a selected in the selection step S3 to the second tank 11a.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the switching step S5 includes a first switching step S51 and a second switching step S52. In the first switching step S51, the first tank 3a connected to the second tank 11a is switched to another first tank 3a, similar to the switching step S5 of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. The first switching step S51 and the supply step S4 are repeated multiple times to supply hydrogen gas to the second tank 11a.

Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the first tank 3a with number 1 is connected to the second tank 11a with number 4, and the supply step S4 is executed. When Px=Py=25 MPa, the first switching step S51 is executed and, for example, the first tank 3a with number 2 is newly selected. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 14, when Px=Py=47.5 MPa, a first switching step S51 is executed, and for example, the first tank 3a with number 3 is newly selected. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 15, when Px=Py=64.75 MPa, a first switching step S51 is executed, and for example, the first tank 3a with number 4 is newly selected. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 16, when the supply destination pressure Py of the second tank 11a becomes equal to or higher than a preset threshold, such as 70 MPa, the control unit 13 closes the first valve 9 and the second valve 19. Then, the supply work to the second tank 11a is completed. In FIGS. 13-16, for the sake of explanation, the second tank 11a and the first tank 3a, which are connected to each other, are connected by a thick line.

After that, a second switching step S52 is executed to switch the second tank 11a to another second tank 11a. In the second switching step S52, the next second tank 11a is selected in the same manner as in the second selection step S32. It is desirable that the second tank 11a, once selected, not be selected again in the second switching step S52.

After the second tank 11a is selected in the second switching step S52, the first selection step S31 is executed. Specifically, the second tank 11a with number 1 illustrated in FIG. 15 is selected in the second switching step S52, and the first tank 3a with number 1 is selected in the first selection step S31.

The above steps are repeated to supply hydrogen gas to all the second tanks 11a. If there is no second tank 11a that can be selected in the second switching step S52, the control unit 13 ends the supply operation. In this case, the supply operation ends as a result of all the second tanks 11a being sufficiently filled with hydrogen gas.

In the first switching step 51, if there is no first tank 3a that satisfies the condition Px>Py, the control unit 13 closes the first valve 9 and ends the supply operation. In this case, the supply operation ends as a result of the insufficient remaining amount in the hydrogen tank 3 of the supply device 1, making it impossible to continue the supply operation.

Since the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side is composed of a plurality of second tanks 11a, the supply equipment 1 can supply hydrogen gas to each of the second tanks 11a. By switching the first tank 3a of, for example, 82 MPa, the supply device 1 can supply hydrogen gas until the second tank 11a reaches a high pressure of, for example, 70 MPa. For example, if the cargo handling equipment has one hydrogen tank 11 with a capacity similar to the total capacity of the four second tanks 11a, it may not be possible to fill hydrogen gas up to 70 MPa even under the same conditions as above. . By configuring the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side with a plurality of second tanks 11a, the total amount of hydrogen gas that can be supplied from the supply equipment 1 to the cargo handling equipment can be increased.

In the hydrogen tanks 11 on the cargo handling equipment side, for example, the supply destination pressure Py of one second tank 11a may be 0.1 MPa, and the supply destination pressure Py of the other second tank 11a may be 1.0 MPa. At this time, hydrogen gas can be supplied from the first tank 3a where the supply source pressure Px is 0.2 MPa to the second tank 11a where the supply destination pressure Py is 0.1 MPa by a differential pressure filling method. When the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side is composed of one tank, and the same hydrogen gas as above remains, the supply destination pressure Py is approximately 0.9 MPa, and the supply source pressure Px is 0.9 MPa. Hydrogen gas cannot be supplied from the 2 MPa first tank 3a. When the hydrogen tank 11 on the cargo handling equipment side is composed of a plurality of second tanks 11a, the total amount of hydrogen gas that can be supplied from the supply equipment 1 to the cargo handling equipment can be increased. Since the amount of hydrogen gas discharged from the supply equipment 1 increases, this is advantageous for efficiently supplying hydrogen gas to the cargo handling equipment.

Since the control unit 13 of the supply equipment 1 can control the opening and closing of the second valve 19 of the second tank 11a on the cargo handling equipment side, hydrogen gas can be efficiently supplied to the plurality of second tanks 11a.

1 Supply equipment 2 Vehicle 3 Hydrogen tank 3a First tank 4 Precooler 5 Dispenser 6 Storage battery 7 First distribution mechanism 8 Piping section 9 First valve 10 Pressure sensor 11 Hydrogen tank 11a (on cargo handling equipment side) Second tank 12 Acquisition section 13 Control part 14 Communication device 15 Flow rate sensor 16 Connector 17 Second distribution mechanism 18 Piping part 19 Second valve Px Supply source pressure Py Supply destination pressure S1 Preparation step S2 Acquisition step S3 Selection step S4 Supply step S5 Switching step

Claims (11)

A supply device comprising a hydrogen tank filled with hydrogen gas, a pre-cooler connected to the hydrogen tank to cool the supplied hydrogen gas, and a dispenser connected to the pre-cooler to supply hydrogen gas to the outside. In the supply method of supplying hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment,
The hydrogen tank is pre-loaded on a first vehicle, a storage battery for supplying electricity to the pre-cooler and the dispenser, and the pre- cooler and the dispenser are pre-loaded on a second vehicle,
A supply method characterized by moving the two vehicles near the cargo handling equipment and supplying hydrogen gas to the cargo handling equipment. The hydrogen tank of the supply device is configured with a plurality of first tanks connected in parallel to the precooler,
an acquisition step of acquiring a supply destination pressure that is the pressure of a hydrogen tank of the cargo handling equipment and a supply source pressure that is the pressure of each of the plurality of first tanks;
a selection step of selecting one of the first tanks having a supply source pressure higher than the supply destination pressure;
The supply method according to claim 1, further comprising a supply step of supplying hydrogen gas from the first tank selected in the selection step to the cargo handling equipment via the precooler and the dispenser. A supply device comprising a hydrogen tank filled with hydrogen gas, a pre-cooler connected to the hydrogen tank to cool the supplied hydrogen gas, and a dispenser connected to the pre-cooler to supply hydrogen gas to the outside. In the supply method of supplying hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment,
A storage battery that supplies electricity to the precooler and the dispenser, the hydrogen tank, the precooler, and the dispenser are installed in a vehicle in advance,
A supply method for supplying hydrogen gas to the cargo handling equipment by moving the vehicle near the cargo handling equipment,
The hydrogen tank of the supply device is configured with a plurality of first tanks connected in parallel to the precooler,
an acquisition step of acquiring a supply destination pressure that is the pressure of a hydrogen tank of the cargo handling equipment and a supply source pressure that is the pressure of each of the plurality of first tanks;
a selection step of selecting one of the first tanks having a supply source pressure higher than the supply destination pressure;
a supplying step of supplying hydrogen gas from the first tank selected in the selection step to the cargo handling equipment via the precooler and the dispenser,
The hydrogen tank of the cargo handling equipment is composed of a plurality of second tanks,
The acquiring step has a configuration of acquiring the supply destination pressure of each of the plurality of second tanks and the supply source pressure of each of the plurality of first tanks,
The selecting step includes selecting one of the plurality of second tanks and selecting one of the first tanks having a supply source pressure higher than a supply destination pressure of the selected second tank. I'm doing it,
A supply method characterized in that the supply step supplies hydrogen gas from the first tank selected in the selection step to the second tank. Claim 2 or 3, wherein the selecting step selects one of the first tanks having a supply source pressure that is higher than the supply destination pressure, the first tank having the supply source pressure closest to the supply destination pressure. 3. The supply method described in 3. 5. The supply method according to claim 4, wherein the selection step includes excluding from selection the first tank having a supply source pressure within a preset range from the supply destination pressure. It includes a hydrogen tank filled with hydrogen gas, a pre-cooler connected to the hydrogen tank to cool the supplied hydrogen gas, and a dispenser connected to the pre-cooler to supply hydrogen gas to the outside, In supply equipment that supplies hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment,
The vehicle is characterized by comprising a storage battery that supplies electricity to the precooler and the dispenser, a first vehicle on which the hydrogen tank is mounted, and a second vehicle on which the precooler, the dispenser, and the storage battery are mounted. supply equipment. The hydrogen tank of the supply device is composed of a plurality of first tanks,
a first distribution mechanism connected between the precooler and the plurality of first tanks;
The first distribution mechanism includes a piping section that connects the plurality of first tanks in parallel to the precooler, and a plurality of first valves arranged in this piping section and corresponding to each of the first tanks. a pressure sensor that measures the supply source pressure that is the internal pressure of each of the first tanks; an acquisition unit that acquires the supply destination pressure that is the pressure of the hydrogen tank of the cargo handling equipment; and the supply source pressure and the supply destination. The supply device according to claim 6, further comprising a control section that controls opening and closing of the plurality of first valves based on the pressure value. It includes a hydrogen tank filled with hydrogen gas, a pre-cooler connected to the hydrogen tank to cool the supplied hydrogen gas, and a dispenser connected to the pre-cooler to supply hydrogen gas to the outside, In supply equipment that supplies hydrogen gas to cargo handling equipment,
comprising a storage battery that supplies electricity to the precooler and the dispenser, and a vehicle on which the hydrogen tank, the precooler, the dispenser, and the storage battery are mounted,
The hydrogen tank of the supply device is composed of a plurality of first tanks,
a first distribution mechanism connected between the precooler and the plurality of first tanks;
The first distribution mechanism includes a piping section that connects the plurality of first tanks in parallel to the precooler, and a plurality of first valves arranged in this piping section and corresponding to each of the first tanks. a pressure sensor that measures the supply source pressure that is the internal pressure of each of the first tanks; an acquisition unit that acquires the supply destination pressure that is the pressure of the hydrogen tank of the cargo handling equipment; and the supply source pressure and the supply destination. and a control unit that controls opening and closing of the plurality of first valves based on the pressure value,
a second distribution mechanism connected between a plurality of second tanks constituting the hydrogen tank of the cargo handling equipment and the dispenser;
The second distribution mechanism includes a piping section that connects the plurality of second tanks in parallel to the dispenser, and a plurality of second valves arranged in the piping section and corresponding to each of the second tanks. and has
The acquisition unit is configured to acquire supply source pressures of the plurality of first tanks and supply destination pressures of the plurality of second tanks,
A supply device characterized in that the control unit is configured to control opening and closing of the plurality of first valves and the plurality of second valves based on values of supply source pressure and supply destination pressure. The supply device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the control unit is configured to open the first valve corresponding to the first tank having a supply source pressure higher than a supply destination pressure. 8. The control unit is configured to select one of the first tanks having a source pressure closest to the destination pressure from among the first tanks having a source pressure higher than the destination pressure. 8. The supply device according to 8. The supply device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to exclude from selection the first tank having a supply source pressure within a preset range from the supply destination pressure.

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