JP7486055B2 - Hydrogen Supply System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for filling drones with hydrogen at delivery bases when delivering packages using drones powered by fuel cells.

In recent years, the volume of deliveries has increased with the expansion of delivery services, but rapid delivery has become difficult due to traffic congestion on the roads. Another problem is that elderly people living alone in remote areas with poor transportation networks have difficulty shopping.
Drones, which are unmanned aircraft, can solve the above problems by flying in the air and therefore are not affected by traffic congestion on roads, making it possible to deliver goods to remote areas with poor transportation networks. Various proposals have been made regarding delivery using drones (for example, see Patent Document 1).
The drones mentioned above are generally powered by storage batteries, but due to growing environmental awareness in recent years, the use of drones that use fuel cells (FC) instead of storage batteries has been proposed.

Here, in order to deliver by drone, the drone's payload must be set to a relatively large weight, for example, around 150 kg, and the drone's flight distance must be assumed to be around 10 km round trip from the delivery base to the delivery destination, and the flight time must be assumed to be around 2 hours.
When flying 10 km for two hours carrying heavy loads for delivery, an FC-powered drone needs to be frequently refueled with hydrogen.
However, the equipment for filling drones with hydrogen has not been fully studied, and no hydrogen supply system suitable for delivering packages by FC-powered drones has been proposed, which is one of the factors preventing the spread of delivery services by drones powered by fuel cells.
The above-mentioned conventional technology (Patent Document 1) also does not disclose the supply of hydrogen to drones powered by fuel cells.

Japanese Patent No. 6924297

The present invention was proposed in consideration of the problems with the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide a system that can fill fuel cell-powered drones with hydrogen.

The hydrogen supply system (100) of the present invention comprises:
At a base location (K) where delivery will be performed by a drone (60: FC-powered drone) powered by a fuel cell (FC),
Parking spaces for drones (70);
A hydrogen filling device (50) is provided ,
The hydrogen filling device (50) includes an electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) that compresses hydrogen supplied from a hydrogen supply source, and the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) includes:
The fuel cell comprises a plurality of cells (1) each formed by sandwiching an electrolyte membrane (1B: solid polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM) between an anode (1A) and a cathode (1C), a pressure vessel-like cell casing (11: cell housing outer shell) for housing the plurality of cells (1), a water separation device (2), a water separation device casing (12) for housing the water separation device (2), a bubbler (3), and a bubbler casing (13) for housing the bubbler (3),
In order to avoid the application of the four-times pressure standard as a pressure vessel to the electrolyte membrane, a pressure vessel-like cell casing (11) for accommodating the cell (1), a water separation device casing (12) for accommodating the water separation device (2), and a bubbler casing (13) for accommodating the bubbler (3) are integrally joined together ,
In order to circulate the off-gas within the bubbler casing (13) and the cell casing (11) without configuring an off-gas circulation system outside the cell (1) or the cell stack, a mixture of hydrogen and water vapor generated in the bubbler (3) is supplied to the cell (1) via a hydrogen gas flow path (4) having a portion formed by connecting ports and grooves in a plurality of cells (1) housed in the cell casing (11), and the off-gas generated at the anode (1A) of the cell (1) is returned to the bubbler (3) via the hydrogen gas flow path (4).
A water separation device (2) is provided above a cell casing (11), compressed hydrogen from the cathode (1C) is supplied to the internal space of the water separation device (2) together with water or water vapor, water is stored in the internal space of the water separation device (2), a cup float (25) is arranged, the cup float (25) has a rod-shaped portion (25B) and a valve body (25C) is provided at the tip (lower end) of the rod-shaped portion (25B), a water descending pipe (26) is provided connecting the center of the internal space of the water separation device (2) to a bubbler (3), the water descending pipe (26) penetrates the water separation device casing (12) and connects to the bubbler (3), an upper end (26A) of the water descending pipe (26) is opened below the internal space of the water separation device (2), and a valve body (25C) provided on the cup float (25) constitutes a valve seat on which the valve body (25C) can be seated .

The hydrogen supply system (100) of the present invention comprises:
It is preferable to include a unit (80: filling determination unit) having a function of determining whether the amount of hydrogen in the hydrogen tank (61) of the drone (60) is sufficient for the next delivery flight based on the delivery plan.
The hydrogen supply system (100) of the present invention further comprises:
A unit (90: flight route determination unit) for determining a flight route of the FC-driven drone (60),
The unit (90: flight route determination unit)
A block (91: tentative decision block) that sets (tentatively decides) the drone's flight route;
(As a result of the negotiation by the negotiation unit 96) If the drone cannot fly along the set (tentatively determined) flight route (if there is an area where flight over the route is not permitted), it is preferable to have a block (92: correction block) that has the function of correcting the flight route set (tentatively determined) in the setting (tentatively determined) block (91: tentative determination block) so as to bypass the area where the drone cannot fly.

According to the hydrogen supply system (100) of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, a parking spot (70) and a hydrogen filling device (50) are provided at a location (K) that serves as a base for delivery by the FC-powered drone (60), so that the drone (60) parked at the parking spot (70) can easily be loaded with cargo to be delivered. At the same time, the FC-powered drone (60) parked at the parking spot (70) can be easily and safely filled with hydrogen from the hydrogen filling device (50).
Furthermore, if hydrogen filling is performed at the delivery base (K), the hydrogen tank (61) of the FC-powered drone (60) can be filled with hydrogen to a necessary and sufficient pressure (for example, the maximum allowable pressure (so-called "full tank") at the delivery base (K), thereby reliably preventing the drone (60) from being unable to fly due to fuel shortage. At the same time, since the risk of having to supply hydrogen midway through delivery is reduced, there is no need to install hydrogen filling equipment along the delivery route, and the labor and costs associated with installing new hydrogen filling equipment can be reduced.
Furthermore, by filling the drone (60) with hydrogen at the delivery base (K), any malfunction of the drone during hydrogen filling can be identified, for example by a worker's visual inspection, thereby making it possible to prevent any malfunctions or accidents from occurring.

In the present invention, if a unit (80: filling determination unit) is included that has the function of determining whether or not the amount of hydrogen in the hydrogen tank (61) of the drone (60) is sufficient for the next delivery flight based on a delivery plan, it is possible to determine the flight distance, flight time, payload, etc. of the drone (60) after hydrogen filling from the delivery plan, and therefore it is possible to accurately determine, from the pressure (remaining hydrogen) in the hydrogen tank (61) of the drone (60) parked at the parking area (70), whether the amount of hydrogen remaining in the hydrogen tank (61) is sufficient for the next flight (delivery).
Therefore, the amount of hydrogen required for the next delivery can be reliably and accurately filled into the drone (60) at the delivery base (K), preventing situations in which the drone (60) cannot fly due to fuel shortage or situations in which hydrogen is overfilled. At the same time, for drones (60) that have sufficient hydrogen remaining in their hydrogen tanks (61) for the next delivery, they can be used for the next delivery (flight) without being filled with hydrogen, allowing efficient delivery by drone (60).

Here, the flight route (operation route) of the drone (60) is basically set above roads, rivers, railways, high-voltage power lines, the sea, and lakes and ponds, and is generally set other than above residential areas.
However, it is expected that the delivery base (K) by the drone (60) will be set up in an urban area or in the suburbs of an urban area, and if the delivery base (K) is in an urban area or in the suburbs of an urban area, there may be cases where the operation route of the drone (60) has to be set above residential areas.
Since the airspace above residential areas is subject to the ownership of the residential area, drones (60) are not permitted to fly freely. Therefore, permission must be obtained from all owners of residential areas along the drone's (60) route, which is one of the factors preventing the spread of drone-based (60) deliveries.
On the other hand, although the airspace above a certain altitude is not subject to the ownership rights of houses, it is subject to the Aviation Act, and since the effort and cost required to set up a route is significant, it is not realistic to set it as a route for drones (60).

In the present invention, a unit for determining a flight route (90: flight route determination unit) is provided,
The unit (90: flight route determination unit),
A block (91: provisional decision block) for setting (provisionally deciding) the flight route of the drone (60);
(As a result of the negotiation by the negotiation unit 96) If the drone (60) cannot fly on the set (provisionally determined) flight route (if there is an area where flight over the airspace is not permitted), if there is a block (92: correction block) having a function of correcting the flight route set (provisionally determined) in the block (91: provisional determination block) that sets (provisionally determined) the flight route so as to bypass the area where the drone (60) cannot fly,
By repeatedly setting (provisionally determining) the flight route of the drone (60) by a block (91: provisional determination block) that sets (provisionally determines) the flight route and correcting the set (provisionally determined) flight route by a block (92: correction block) having a function of correcting the set flight route, it is possible to set a flight route that has been approved for drone flight by the owners of all residential houses along the set flight route, even if the flight route of the drone (60) or a part of it is set above residential houses. Therefore, delivery by the FC-driven drone (60) can be realized without flying at altitudes subject to the Aviation Act.

In the present invention, if an electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40: EHC: Electric Hydrogen Compressor) is used as a compressor (or pump), a large capacity can be achieved, making it possible to supply hydrogen to a large number of drones (60) using a single hydrogen filling device (50). Therefore, at the drone (60) delivery base (K), it is possible to efficiently supply hydrogen to a large number of drones (60) powered by FC, thereby reducing the operating costs of the drones (60).
In addition, the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) can compress hydrogen to both low and high pressures with the same structure, does not vibrate or make noise, and can be designed to be compact.
Therefore, the hydrogen filling device (50) of the present invention equipped with an electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) can efficiently fill a large number of drones (60) with hydrogen at the drone (60) distribution center (K).

In particular, the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) used in the present invention comprises a plurality of cells (1) each formed by sandwiching an electrolyte membrane (1B: solid polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM) between an anode (1A) and a cathode (1C), and has a cell housing outer shell (11: cell casing) that houses the plurality of cells (1), a water separation device (2), a water separation device casing (12) that houses the water separation device (2), a bubbler (3), and a bubbler casing (13) that houses the bubbler (3). Since the cell casing (11) that houses the cell (1), the water separation device casing (12) that houses the water separation device (2), and the bubbler casing (13) that houses the bubbler (3) are integrally joined, it is possible to reduce the overall dimensions of the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) and to design it to be extremely compact.
Furthermore, in the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) used in the present invention, the cells (1) are integrally configured with the bubbler (3) and the water separation device (2), and the multiple cells (1) are housed in a pressure vessel-like cell housing outer shell (11: cell casing), so the standard for a pressure vessel (4-fold pressure standard) is not applied to the electrolyte membrane (1B: solid polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM). Therefore, if high-pressure hydrogen of 80 MPa is required for hydrogen filling in the future, and the cell housing outer shell (11) formed integrally with the bubbler casing (13) and the water separation device casing (12) meets the 4-fold pressure standard (if it can operate safely even at 320 MPa), the cells (1) housed in the cell housing outer shell (11) or their electrolyte membrane (1B: solid polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM) do not need to meet the standard for a pressure vessel (4-fold pressure standard: for example, 320 MPa).
In addition, since the pressure vessel can be protected by providing a low-pressure circuit protection mechanism such as a check valve, the electrolyte membrane (1B) does not need to meet standards for a pressure vessel. Even if the electrolyte membrane (1B) is slightly damaged, there is no need to replace the entire cell (1), and there is no need to stop operation of the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) to replace the cell.

In the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) used in the present invention, a mixture of hydrogen and water vapor generated in the bubbler (3) is supplied to the cells (1) via a hydrogen gas flow path (4) having a portion formed by connecting ports and grooves in a plurality of cells (1) housed in a cell casing (11), and if the off-gas generated at the anode (1A) of the cell (1) is configured to be returned to the bubbler (3) via the hydrogen gas flow path (4), it is possible to circulate the off-gas within the bubbler casing (13) and the cell housing outer shell (11) without configuring an off-gas circulation system outside the cells (1) or cell stack.
Therefore, even if multiple cells (1) are stacked or densely arranged, there is no risk of interference with the off-gas circulation system, and multiple cells (1) can be stacked or densely arranged (contained) in the cell housing outer shell (11). Therefore, a large space is not required to arrange multiple cells (1), and there is no need to consider a layout that prevents interference between each cell (1) and the off-gas circulation system.

In the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) used in the present invention, a water separation device (2) is provided above the cell housing outer shell (11), compressed hydrogen from the cathode (1C) is supplied to the internal space of the water separation device 2 together with water (water vapor), water is stored in the internal space of the water separation device (2), a cup float (25) is arranged, the cup float (25) has a rod-shaped portion (25B), a valve body (25C) is provided at the tip (lower end) of the rod-shaped portion (25B), and a valve body (25C) is provided at the center of the internal space of the water separation device (2) and a bubbler (3 ), the water descending pipe (26) passes through the water separation device casing (12) and communicates with the bubbler (3), the upper end (26A) of the water descending pipe (26) is open below the internal space of the water separation device (2), and if the valve body (25C) provided on the cup float (25) forms a valve seat that can be seated on, hydrogen that has moved from the cathode (1C) of the cell (1) to the water separation device (2) floats up in the water in the water separation device (2) via the cup float (25). Then, the high-pressure hydrogen gas moves to the moisture removal device (18).
When the cup float (25) is caused to rise by buoyancy due to the water in the water separation device (2), the valve body (25C) attached to the cup float (25) moves away from the upper end opening (26A) of the water descending pipe (26), which serves as the valve seat. Then, the water in the water separation device 2 descends through the water descending pipe 26 and is returned to the bubbler (3).
On the other hand, when the amount of water in the water separation device (2) decreases, the cup float (25) descends and the valve body (25C) seats on the upper end opening (26A) of the water descending pipe (26), which serves as the valve seat, and closes. In this state, the water in the water separation device (2) does not descend to the bubbler (3) side, but remains in the water separation device (2).
That is, the water in the water separation device (2) is returned to the bubbler (3) through the water descending pipe (26) that connects the center of the internal space of the water separation device (2) to the bubbler (3), so there is no need to form a separate water circulation system outside the cell stack as in the conventional technology. And because there is no need to form a water circulation system outside the cell stack, it is easier to integrate the cells and the layout is simplified.
Furthermore, the cup float (25) has an opening (25D) at the bottom and the internal space is an open space, so there is no pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cup float (25) even under high pressure. Therefore, the cup float (25) with a thin outer shell will not collapse even if it is placed in the water separation device (2) under a high-pressure environment.

Furthermore, in the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) used in the present invention, the bubbler (3) and the cell (1) are connected by a heat tube (5), one end of the heat tube (5) is connected (solid connection) to each of the multiple cells (1) with multiple heat tube heat receiving parts (5A) installed in a dispersed manner (solid heat transfer), and the other end of the heat tube (5) is immersed in the liquid phase region (3B) of the bubbler (3) as a heat tube heat dissipation part (5B), so that the heat in the cell (1) is transferred to the multiple heat tube heat receiving parts (5A) installed in a dispersed manner (solid heat transfer), and the heat is transferred to the pure water in the heat tube (5) via the heat receiving part (5A) of the heat tube (5), vaporizing the pure water into water vapor, and the water vapor moves inside the heat tube (5) and is administered to the liquid phase region (3B) of the bubbler (3), thereby allowing the cell (1) to self-cool according to the operating state. Therefore, there is no need to provide a high-quality chiller for the cell (1).
Alternatively, the temperature of the bubbler (3) can be adjusted by providing fins (6) on the bubbler casing (13) and injecting hot or cold air toward the fins (6) with a blower (7). Alternatively, the temperature of the bubbler (3) can be adjusted by providing a heater mechanism (8) for heating the bubbler (3) and/or a cooler mechanism for cooling the bubbler. Furthermore, the temperature of the bubbler (3) can be adjusted by adjusting the temperature of the hydrogen supplied to the bubbler with a temperature regulator (9). Therefore, there is no need to provide a chiller, which is a high-quality device, to adjust the temperature of the bubbler (3) of the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40), and the manufacturing costs of the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (40) and the hydrogen filling device (50) can be kept low accordingly.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing how hydrogen is filled into a drone using a hydrogen filling device. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a hydrogen-fueled drone used in an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a hydrogen filling device used in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of filling a drone with hydrogen using a hydrogen filling device of a different type from that shown in FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a hydrogen filling station according to an embodiment. 4 is a flowchart of a control for determining whether or not hydrogen filling is required in the illustrated embodiment. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an aspect of setting a flight route for a drone. 10 is a flowchart showing a control for setting a flight route. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an electrochemical hydrogen compressor used in the embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a water separation device in the electrochemical hydrogen compressor of FIG. 10 . FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a bubbler in the electrochemical hydrogen compressor of FIG. 10 . FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the cooling of cells by heat tubes in the electrochemical hydrogen compressor of FIG. 10 . FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a mechanism for heating a bubbler at the time of start-up in the electrochemical hydrogen compressor of FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram similar to FIG. 10, specifically illustrating a manner in which cells are stacked in the electrochemical hydrogen compressor of FIG. 10.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, a manner in which hydrogen is filled into a drone 60 in the illustrated embodiment will be described.
1, at base location K where delivery is made by a drone 60 (FC-powered drone) powered by a fuel cell FC, a parking lot 70 and a hydrogen filling device 50 that constitute a hydrogen supply system 100 are located. An existing hydrogen filling device can be used as the hydrogen filling device 50.
In FIG. 1, a worker W uses a hydrogen filling device 50 to fill hydrogen into an FC-powered drone 60 parked at an aircraft parking spot 70. That is, the drone 60 is parked on a parking surface 71 of the aircraft parking spot 70, which is a truncated pyramid (or may be a truncated cone or other three-dimensional shape), and the worker W connects a filling nozzle 52 provided at the tip of a filling hose 51 of the hydrogen filling device 50 arranged near the aircraft parking spot 70 to a receptacle 62 (filling joint) of a hydrogen tank 61 arranged in a main body part (not numbered) of the drone 60, and fills hydrogen into the hydrogen tank 61 of the drone 60. When filling hydrogen, the hydrogen filling device 50 performs so-called "communicative filling" while acquiring pressure, temperature, and other information on the hydrogen tank 61 side of the drone 60, but there are also cases where communicative filling is not performed.
The drone 60 is equipped with four rotors 63, motors 64 that drive each rotor 63, and a flight controller 66, and the configuration and functions of the drone will be described later with reference to Fig. 2. In Fig. 1, the task of loading cargo to be delivered onto the stopped drone 60 can be easily performed at a parking area 70, and at the same time, hydrogen can be easily and safely filled into the stopped drone 60 from the hydrogen filling device 50 as described above.

In FIG. 2, the FC-driven drone 60 is equipped with rotors 63 (not shown) (wings: see FIG. 1: for example, four) for obtaining lift and propulsion, motors 64 directly connected to each rotor 63 to rotate each rotor 63, and an ESC 65 (Electric Speed Controller) that controls the rotation speed of the motor.
The drone 60 also has a flight controller 66 and various sensors. The flight controller 66 is disposed in the center of the main body of the drone 60, and performs various processes on the drone (on the aircraft), and has the function of automatically controlling the stabilization of the drone's body and autonomous navigation. The various sensors have the function of acquiring information necessary for the aircraft control executed by the flight controller 66 and transmitting it to the flight controller 66, and are composed of a gyro that detects acceleration, an acceleration sensor, a distance sensor, an altitude sensor, and the like.
Furthermore, the drone 60 is equipped with a fuel cell 67 (FC), and the hydrogen tank 61 and receptacle 62 described in FIG.

2, a normal drone would have a servo transmitter 68A that transmits control signals from the pilot and a receiver 68B that receives the control signals, but since the drone in the illustrated embodiment is automatically controlled, it is possible to omit the servo transmitter 68A and the receiver 68B. The drone 60 also has a UBEC 69 that functions as a "receiver + servo power supply device."
When the drone 60 is navigating, the attitude, state, position, etc. of the aircraft are detected by various sensors (not shown), and based on the detection results, the flight controller 66 executes control for the desired stabilization and optimal navigation, and transmits a control signal to the ESC 65 of the motor 64. Based on the control signal, each ESC 65 controls the rotation speed of each motor 64 and the rotor 63 to which the motor 64 is directly connected, thereby changing the lift and thrust of the drone 60 and executing appropriate flight.

With reference to FIG. 3, a hydrogen filling device 50 for filling the drone 60 shown in FIG. 2 with hydrogen will be described.
3, the hydrogen filling device 50 has a stack area 53, a valve unit 54, an accumulator 55, a metering unit 56, and a control area 57. The stack area 53 houses an electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40 (EHC: Electric Hydrogen Compressor). A hydrogen supply/filling hose 51 extends from the metering unit 56, and a hydrogen filling nozzle 52 is provided at the tip of the hydrogen supply/filling hose 51.
A hydrogen supply source (not shown) is connected to the electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40 via a pipe 58, and supplies hydrogen to the electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40. The configuration and operation of the electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40, which has the function of compressing hydrogen, will be described later with reference to Figures 10 to 15.

Although not shown, in Fig. 3, the meter unit 56 includes a flow meter, a counting unit, a flow control valve, a leak detector, and other detectors. When supplying hydrogen to the FC-powered drone 60 (Figs. 1 and 2), the hydrogen filling nozzle 52 of the metering unit 56 is connected to the receptacle 62 (Figs. 1 and 2) of the hydrogen tank 61 (Figs. 1 and 2) of the FC-powered drone 60, and the high-pressure hydrogen in the accumulator 55 is filled into the hydrogen tank 61 of the drone 60 via the valve unit 54, the hydrogen supply filling hose 51 of the metering unit 56, and the hydrogen filling nozzle 52. The valve unit 54 has a function of controlling the opening and closing of related valves when high-pressure hydrogen is filled into the hydrogen tank 61 of the FC-powered drone 60.
Hydrogen pressurized by the electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40 in the stack area 53 is supplied to a pressure accumulator 55 (such as a cylinder) via a hydrogen flow path (not shown) and stored therein.
When supplying hydrogen to the hydrogen tank 61 of the FC-powered drone 60 , the high-pressure hydrogen in the accumulator 55 is filled into the FC-powered drone 60 via the metering unit 56 , the hydrogen supply filling hose 51 , and the hydrogen filling nozzle 52 .
The control area 57 of the hydrogen filling device 50 has the function of controlling hydrogen filling in the hydrogen filling device 50. The control area 57 is electrically connected to a safety control panel 59, which is the management mechanism for the hydrogen station 100, via a communication line CL1, and among the controls executed and handled by the control area 57, when responding to fire detection, gas detection, or other serious events, the control area 57 and the safety control panel 59 can cooperate with each other.

1, hydrogen is filled into the FC-powered drone 60 by an operator W, but as shown in FIG 4, in the hydrogen supply system 100-1, an automatic filling joint 72 is provided at the drone stopping position (parking position) on the parking surface 71-1 of the parking lot 70-1 of the drone 60, and the automatic filling joint 72 connects a filling nozzle (not shown) on the hydrogen filling device 50-1 side to a receptacle 62 of a hydrogen tank 61 on the drone 60 side, making it possible to automatically fill hydrogen without the need for manual work by an operator. Here, the automatic filling joint 72 is a joint that has the function of automatically connecting the nozzle of the hydrogen filling device 50-1 and the receptacle 62 of the drone 60, and a conventionally known structure can be applied.
Although not clearly shown in Figure 4, the hydrogen filling device 50-1 is housed inside the parking area 70-1, and an automatic filling joint 72 is provided at the drone stopping position on the parking surface 71-1. When the FC-powered drone 60 parks at the automatic filling joint 72 at the stopping position on the parking surface 71-1, a filling nozzle (not shown) of the hydrogen filling device 50-1 is connected to a receptacle 62 of the hydrogen tank 61 on the drone 60 side by the action of the automatic filling joint 72. Then, hydrogen is filled from the hydrogen filling device 50-1 to the hydrogen tank 61 of the FC-powered drone 60 without the assistance of an operator.

5, which shows an overview of the drone delivery service, the delivery service base K is a hydrogen filling station that fills drones with hydrogen. By making the delivery service base K a hydrogen filling station, hydrogen filling equipment can be concentrated in one place, allowing for efficient hydrogen filling.
Also, if hydrogen is filled at the delivery service base K, for example up to the maximum allowable pressure, there is no need to fill hydrogen during delivery, and there is no need to build an independent hydrogen filling facility along the delivery route and perform the complicated work involved in filling the drone with hydrogen. Furthermore, it is possible for a worker to visually check for any malfunctions in the drone while hydrogen is being filled at the delivery base K, preventing any malfunctions or accidents that may occur.
In Figure 5, areas A, B, C1, and C2, for example, are set as target areas for delivery service by drone 60 in an urban area U (city area) and a mountainous area M.
Area A is an area within urban area C where traffic is difficult due to the narrowness of the roads leading to the area, and a delivery service using drones 60 can make the necessary deliveries regardless of the narrow roads.
Area B is an area inhabited by residents who have difficulty in daily shopping due to aging, physical disabilities, etc. In other words, it is an area in which a delivery service is required.
The areas C1 and C2 are located in mountainous region M, and are difficult-to-access areas with underdeveloped roads leading to the areas. Drones 60 flying in the air can easily provide delivery services to residents living in areas C1 and C2, allowing the residents living in areas C1 and C2 to purchase necessary goods even though the transportation network is underdeveloped.
Here, drone flight routes are set at altitudes lower than those at which aviation laws apply, and as mentioned above, they are generally set above roads, rivers, railways, high-voltage power lines, seas, and lakes, and not above residential areas.

A hydrogen filling station K at a distribution base will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Although not explicitly shown in Fig. 6, the distribution base K (hydrogen filling station) has jurisdiction over a plurality of drones.
At the hydrogen filling station constituting the delivery base K, it is determined whether or not hydrogen filling is required for each drone 60 based on the delivery plan, and drones 60 that require hydrogen filling are placed in an aircraft parking area 70 and filled with hydrogen by the hydrogen filling device 50. When the hydrogen filling device shown in FIG. 4 is used, the hydrogen filling device is configured integrally with the aircraft parking area for the drones 60.
The hydrogen supply system 100 at the hydrogen filling station K includes a filling determination unit 80 , a flight route determination unit 90 , a delivery planning unit 95 , and a public relations unit 96 .

In FIG. 6 , the refill determination unit 80 includes a drone remaining amount determination block 81 and a refill necessity determination block 82 .
The drone remaining amount determination block 81 has a function of acquiring information about the amount of hydrogen (remaining amount: hydrogen tank pressure) in a hydrogen tank (not shown) built into the FC-powered drone 60 parked at the parking spot 70 via the signal line SL1, and determining the amount of hydrogen remaining in the drone 60. The remaining amount of hydrogen can be determined based on the pressure in the hydrogen tank, for example.
Alternatively, when determining the remaining amount of hydrogen, the flight distance and number of flights since the last time hydrogen was filled, and the load weight can be obtained from the delivery planning unit 95, and the amount of hydrogen in the hydrogen tank can be calculated.
Information on the remaining amount of hydrogen determined by the drone remaining amount determination block 81 is transmitted to the filling necessity determination block 82 via the signal line SL2.

The filling necessity decision block 82 obtains information on the remaining hydrogen amount in the drone 60 from the drone remaining amount decision block 81, and also obtains information such as the flight route, flight distance, flight time, payload, etc. of the drone's next delivery based on the delivery plan from the delivery planning unit 95 via signal line SL3.
Here, the delivery planning unit 95 has the function of storing information regarding delivery by each drone 60, and specifically, based on the delivery plan, records the delivery date and time, flight route, flight distance, flight time, payload, precautions for delivery, and other data related to the delivery plan for each drone.
The delivery planning unit 95 has the function of transmitting information regarding the next delivery of the corresponding drone 60 to the filling necessity decision block 82 via signal line SL3 when a signal is transmitted from the filling necessity decision block 82 of the filling judgment unit 80 to inquire about information regarding the next delivery (flight route, flight distance, etc.).
The filling necessity decision block 82 has a function to determine whether or not hydrogen filling is necessary by determining whether or not the drone has the amount of hydrogen required for the next delivery (flight) based on the information on the remaining amount of hydrogen in the drone and the information on the next delivery flight, in other words, whether or not the remaining amount of hydrogen in the drone is sufficient (sufficient) for the next delivery (flight). Furthermore, if the filling necessity decision block 82 determines that "filling is necessary," it has a function to send a control signal to the hydrogen filling device 50 via the signal line SL4 to command filling. On the other hand, if the filling necessity decision block 82 determines that "filling is not necessary," it has a function to send a signal to the hydrogen filling device 50 that filling is not necessary.

6, the hydrogen filling device 50 receives a control signal instructing filling from the filling necessity decision block 82 and fills the parked drone 60 with an appropriate amount of hydrogen gas (e.g., a full tank) The appropriate amount is determined based on the next or future delivery flight plan of the drone 60.
When filling the hydrogen tank using the hydrogen filling device 50, the hydrogen filling device 50 receives hydrogen tank pressure, temperature, and other information from the drone 60 via a signal line SL5, and fills the hydrogen tank up to a predetermined amount (i.e., tank pressure) (so-called "communication filling"). When filling is complete, the hydrogen filling device 50 sends a completion signal via a signal line SL4 to the filling determination unit 80 (filling necessity decision block 82). In FIG. 6, reference numeral 52 denotes a filling nozzle 52.
The filling judgment unit 80 (filling necessity decision block 82) has received in advance information regarding the drone delivery flight (flight route, distance, weight of luggage to be transported, etc.) determined by the flight route determination unit 90 described below, transmitted to it via signal line SL6 from the flight route determination unit 90 described later.
In the illustrated embodiment, the flight distance, flight time, and payload of the next delivery of the drone 60 after filling with hydrogen can be ascertained from the delivery plan. Then, from the pressure (remaining hydrogen amount) in the hydrogen tank (not shown) of the drone 60 parked at the parking area 70, it can be accurately determined whether the amount of hydrogen required for the next flight (delivery) remains.
Therefore, it is possible to reliably and accurately refuel the drone 60 with the amount of hydrogen required for the next delivery at the delivery base. This reliably prevents the drone 60 from being unable to fly due to fuel shortage, and the drone 60 that still has enough hydrogen remaining for the next delivery can be used for the next delivery (flight) without refueling with hydrogen, allowing the drone 60 to be operated efficiently.

As described above, the drone flight route is basically set outside the airspace above residential areas, but if the delivery base K is in an urban area or near an urban area, there are cases where the drone operation route (flight route) must be set above residential areas. In such cases, a flight route determination unit 90 is provided to secure the route by requesting permission from all owners of residential areas along the drone route.
In Figure 6, the flight route determination unit 90 has a provisional determination block 91 that has the function of provisionally determining an operating route (flight route) based on map information, and a correction block 92 that has the function of correcting the provisionally determined flight route based on whether or not consent has been obtained from residential areas (landowners) along the flight route.
As described above, in order to determine the flight route provisionally determined by the provisional determination block 91 as the official route, it is necessary to obtain permission to fly the drone from the owners of all houses along the provisionally determined flight route. Therefore, the provisional determination block 91 transmits information necessary for public relations activities to obtain permission to fly the drone (information on the provisionally determined flight route, map information, etc.) to the public relations unit 96 via the signal line SL7.

6, the public relations unit 96 has a function of conducting public relations activities to obtain permission to fly the drone from the owners of all houses along the drone flight route or the route tentatively determined as the flight route. The public relations unit 96 may include not only a computer system but also a natural person who negotiates.
The result of the outreach activity by the outreach unit 96 is transmitted to the correction block 92 of the flight route determination unit 90 via the signal line SL8. The result of the outreach activity by the outreach unit 96 is to distinguish between houses on the drone's flight route that have permission to fly the drone and houses that have not been allowed to fly the drone.
The correction block 92 has a function of correcting the flight route provisionally determined by the provisional determination block 91 in response to the result of the public relations activity of the public relations unit 96, so as to bypass the area where the drone cannot fly (area where the drone cannot fly) when there are houses where the drone cannot fly over and permission for flight is not granted (areas where the drone cannot fly). The correction of the flight route is repeated multiple times as necessary. Then, when consent is finally obtained from all houses on the flight route, the flight route is officially determined.
In this way, by repeating the process of tentatively determining the flight route by the tentative determination block 91 and correcting the tentatively determined flight route by the correction block 92, it is possible to set a flight route that has been approved for drone flight by all homeowners. Therefore, it is possible to realize delivery by the FC-driven drone 60 without flying at altitudes that are subject to the Aviation Act.

Next, the control of hydrogen filling in the filling determination unit 80 shown in FIG. 6 will be described mainly with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 7, in step S1, the drone 60 that is to be subject to hydrogen filling control is identified from among the drones managed by the distribution base K.
In step S2, it is determined whether or not hydrogen refueling is required for the next delivery flight.
The decision as to whether or not hydrogen refueling is required is made in refueling necessity decision block 82, which determines whether or not there is sufficient hydrogen remaining for the next delivery flight, and based on the result of that decision determines whether or not hydrogen refueling is required.
The determination of whether or not there is sufficient hydrogen remaining for the next delivery flight is made by the filling necessity determination block 82 based on the remaining hydrogen amount of the drone 60 determined by the drone remaining amount determination block 81 and the next delivery flight plan contents (flight route, flight distance, weight of luggage to be transported, etc.) of the drone stored in the delivery plan unit 95. Instead of determining the remaining hydrogen amount by the drone remaining amount determination block 81, the remaining hydrogen amount can also be calculated from the flight distance and number of flights since the previous time hydrogen was filled.
If the result of the determination in step S2 is that hydrogen filling is necessary (step S2 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to step S3, and if hydrogen filling is not necessary (step S2 is "No"), the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S3 (step S2 is "Necessary"), the filling necessity decision block 82 transmits a control signal to the hydrogen filling device 50 to instruct it to fill the drone 60 identified in step S1 with hydrogen. Then, upon receiving the control signal, the hydrogen filling device 50 fills the drone with hydrogen.
On the other hand, in step S4 (step S2 is "not required"), the filling necessity decision block 82 sends a control signal to the hydrogen filling device 50 to notify the drone 60 identified in step S1 that hydrogen filling will not be performed. Then, upon receiving this control signal, the hydrogen filling device 50 does not fill hydrogen into that drone.

As shown in Figure 8, when setting (determining) a flight route using the flight route determination unit 90 (Figure 6), the drone flight route R1 (route shown by a solid line) set (tentatively determined) in the tentative determination block 91 may contain an area T (area where overhead flight is not permitted) where the owner of a house along the flight route does not consent to "drone flights overhead."
In such a case, the correction block 92 of the flight route determination unit 90 corrects the flight route R1 determined by the tentative determination block 91 to a corrected flight route R2 that bypasses the area T where overflight is prohibited (the route shown by the dotted line in FIG. 8). In FIG. 8, the provisional route without correction is shown by a dashed line.
In this manner, the flight route of the drone 60 is set (determined) by repeatedly performing provisional determination of the flight route by the provisional determination block 81, public relations activities by the public relations unit 96 (such as negotiating with owners of houses along the flight route), and setting of a corrected flight route by the correction block 92 that bypasses the area T where overflight is prohibited.

FIG. 9 shows the control of flight route determination for such a drone.
In FIG. 9, in step S11, the target drone 60 is identified, and the drone flight route R1 (FIG. 8) is set (provisionally determined).
When the drone flight route is initially set (tentatively determined), the tentative determination block 91 of the flight route determination unit 90 sets the flight route from the delivery base to the delivery destination based on, for example, map information.
In step S12, it is determined whether the owners (landowners) of the houses along the drone flight route set (provisionally determined) in step S11 have consented to the drone flying overhead.
This decision is made based on the results of public relations activities by the public relations unit 96 (such as confirming with the owners of houses along the flight route whether or not they consent to the drone flying over their houses, or negotiating with them to obtain their consent).
As a result of the judgment in step S12, if "the owner of the house along the tentatively determined drone flight route has consented to the drone flying over the house" (step S12 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to step S13; if "the owner of the house along the tentatively determined drone flight route has not consented to the drone flying over the house" (step S12 is "No"), the process proceeds to step S14.
Here, if step S12 is “Yes,” it means that “all owners of houses along the provisionally determined drone flight route have consented to the drone flying overhead,” and if consent has not been obtained from even some of the house owners, step S12 is judged to be “No.”

In step S13 (step S12 is "Yes"), based on the determination in step S12 that "the owners of (all) the houses along the provisionally determined drone flight route have consented to the drone flying overhead," the drone flight route provisionally determined in step S11 is determined to be the official route.
On the other hand, in step S14 (step S12 is "No"), based on the determination in step S12 that "the owners of (e.g., some of) the houses along the provisionally determined drone flight route have not consented to the drone flying overhead," the drone flight route provisionally determined in step S11 is re-established (modified).
The flight route is re-set by the correction block 92 by correcting the flight route provisionally determined in step S11 (for example, correcting flight route R1 in Figure 8 to R2) so as to avoid areas in which the drone cannot fly.
If necessary, the loop of steps S12 to S14 is repeated multiple times to formally determine the drone flight route.

Next, the electrochemical hydrogen compressor (EHC: Electric Hydrogen Compressor) 40 used in the illustrated embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
The electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40 can reduce the operating costs of hydrogen stations by increasing the capacity, and is particularly suitable for use in small to medium-sized hydrogen stations.
Furthermore, the electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40 can be used to compress hydrogen to both low and high pressures with the same structure, does not vibrate or make noise, and can be designed to be compact.

In Figure 10, the electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40 according to the illustrated embodiment has a plurality of cells 1 (cell stack: see Figure 11), a cell casing 11 that houses the plurality of cells 1, a water separation device 2, a water separation device casing 12 that houses the water separation device 2, a bubbler 3, and a bubbler casing 13 that houses the bubbler 3.
A cell casing 11 that houses the cell 1, a water separation device casing 12 that houses the water separation device 2, and a bubbler casing 13 that houses the bubbler 3 are integrally connected by, for example, a bolt 14 (the central axis of which is shown by a dashed line in Figure 10).

For example, about 40 cells 1 are housed in the cell casing 11. Although not shown in Fig. 10, the cell 1 has an anode 1A, which is an electrode, a cathode 1C, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane 1B (PEM), which is an electrolyte membrane, and the cell 1 is constituted by sandwiching the electrolyte membrane 1B between the anode 1A and the cathode 1C.
Each cell 1 is configured to have the function of pressurizing hydrogen gas up to about 80 MPa. In the illustrated embodiment, the high pressure of, for example, 80 MPa is not obtained by connecting multiple cells in series and pressurizing each cell by several MPa, but by stacking multiple individual cells (for example, 40 cells) each capable of pressurizing hydrogen up to 80 MPa.

In conventional electrochemical compressors, the cells or electrolyte membrane exposed to the low and high pressure sides are required to meet strict standards as pressure vessels. For example, the electrolyte membrane had to meet the 4-times pressure standard (in the near future, electrochemical hydrogen compressors used in filling machines that fill 80 MPa high pressure gas will be able to operate safely even at 320 MPa).
In the illustrated embodiment, the cell 1 is integrally configured with the bubbler 3 and the water separator 2, and a plurality of cells 1 are housed in a pressure vessel-shaped cell casing 11 (cell housing outer shell), so the electrolyte membrane 1B (solid polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM) itself is not subject to the standard (four-fold pressure standard) as a pressure vessel. Therefore, if the cell casing 11 satisfies the four-fold pressure standard (if it can operate safely even at 320 MPa) in the near future when filling with high-pressure hydrogen of 80 MPa is required, the cell 1 or solid polymer electrolyte membrane 1B (PEM) housed in the cell casing 11 will not be required to satisfy the standard (four-fold pressure standard) as a pressure vessel. In addition, since this can be protected by providing a low-pressure circuit protection mechanism (not shown) such as a check valve, the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 1B (PEM) is not required to satisfy the standard as a pressure vessel.
Therefore, the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 1B (PEM) is required to be only airtight, and does not need to have pressure resistance to withstand the standard of four times pressure, and it is sufficient if it has pressure resistance equivalent to that of a general high-pressure vessel.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cell 1 or the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 1B (PEM) does not need to meet strict standards such as four times pressure, so if the cell casing 11, which is integrally constructed with the bubbler 3 (the bubbler casing 13 that houses it) and the water separation device 2 (the water separation device casing 12 that houses it), meets the standards as a pressure vessel, even if the solid polymer electrolyte membrane 1B (PEM) is slightly damaged, as long as the cell 1 as a whole can perform the function of compressing hydrogen, it is possible to continue operating without replacing the damaged cell 1 by arranging a check valve (not shown) on the anode 1A side to discharge hydrogen and water.

10, hydrogen is supplied from a hydrogen supply source via a pipe 15 and a temperature regulator 9 to a bubble generator 16 (see FIG. 12; not shown in FIG. 10) in a bubbler 3. A pipe 28 from a water supply source equipped with a water circulation pump 33 flows into the pipe 15.
Hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen supply source through the flow path 15 forms a large amount of bubbles and rises to the surface in the water (pure water) stored in the liquid phase region 3B of the bubbler 3, entraining water vapor. The mixture of hydrogen and water vapor then flows from the gas phase region 3A of the bubbler 3 through the hydrogen gas flow path 4 (the hydrogen gas flow path 4 on the left side in FIG. 10) and is supplied to the anode 1A (FIG. 11) of the cell 1. Reference numeral 29 denotes a gas pump.
Although not clearly shown, a hydrogen gas flow path 4 is formed by connecting ports and grooves in a plurality of cells 1 housed in a cell casing 11 .
Hydrogen supplied to the anode 1A of the cell 1 is ionized and passes through the electrolyte membrane 1B (solid polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM) (FIG. 11) to the cathode 1C (FIG. 11) side, where it returns to hydrogen and is sent in a compressed state to the water separation device 2 where water is separated.
On the other hand, hydrogen that does not move to the cathode 1C flows as off-gas through the hydrogen gas flow passage 4 (the hydrogen gas flow passage 4 on the right side in FIG. 10) and is returned to the bubbler 3.
In Figure 10, the hydrogen gas flow path 4 is symbolically shown as a single thick pipe, with the flow path heading toward the anode 1A side and the flow path returning from the anode 1A side. However, in an actual device, the hydrogen gas flow path 4 heading toward the anode 1A side and the hydrogen gas flow path 4 returning from the anode 1A side are configured to branch and merge in the number required depending on the number of cells 1.

In Fig. 10, hydrogen that has moved to the cathode 1C (Fig. 11) side flows through a water separation device 2, which will be described later with reference to Fig. 11, and is then supplied to a moisture removal device 18 by a pipe 17, where moisture is removed. Reference numeral 19 denotes a gas pump for sending high-pressure hydrogen in the water separation device 2 to the moisture removal device 18.
The hydrogen from which moisture has been removed is filled into a high-pressure hydrogen container (for example, a hydrogen container (not shown) of an FC-powered drone) via, for example, a hydrogen filling device (dispenser) (not shown).
The moisture removal device 18 is constructed by, for example, filling a cartridge with an adsorbent (such as zeolite). The adsorbent is replaced periodically, or regenerated by directly connecting it to a vacuum pump 20 as shown in FIG.
10, the moisture removal device 18 is connected to an adsorbent regeneration pump 20 (vacuum pump) via a pipe 21. When the adsorbent in the moisture removal device 18 has sufficiently adsorbed moisture, the vacuum pump 20 is operated to vacuum-dry the adsorbent in the moisture removal device 18 via the pipe 21, thereby removing moisture from the adsorbent and regenerating it. After the adsorbent is regenerated, the on-off valve 22 is opened and the pipe 21 is communicated with the outside air via the pipe 23, releasing the vacuum state.

As described above, the cell casing 11, the water separator casing 12, and the bubbler casing 13 are integrally joined together by bolts 14 in the illustrated embodiment.
The water separator 2 and the bubbler 3 are connected by a water descending pipe 26, and the cell 1 and the bubbler 3 are connected by a hydrogen gas flow path 4, a heat tube 5, etc.
The water separator 2 will be described later with reference to Fig. 11. The bubbler 3 will be described later with reference to Fig. 12.

Next, the water separation device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Note that in Fig. 11, the cell casing 11 is omitted.
In Fig. 11, water (shown by hatching) is stored in the internal space of the water separation device 2, and a cup float 25 floats therein. The cup float 25 has an outer edge 25A that protrudes downward in Fig. 11, and a rod-shaped portion 25B that extends downward in Fig. 11 at its center. A valve body 25C is formed at the tip (lower end) of the rod-shaped portion 25B. The cup float 25 has an open shape with an opening 25D below it, and the internal space of the cup float 25 is an open space.
The center of the internal space of the water separation device 2 and the bubbler 3 (see Figs. 10 and 12; not shown in Fig. 11) are connected by a water descending pipe 26. The water descending pipe 26 penetrates the bottom of the water separation device 2 and the water separation device casing 12, extends downward (towards the bubbler 3, not shown in Fig. 11), and communicates with the bubbler 3. The upper end 26A of the water descending pipe 26 is open below the internal space of the water separation device 2, and forms a valve seat on which the valve body 25C formed in the cup float 25 can be seated. The valve body 25C of the cup float 25 and the upper end opening 26A of the water descending pipe 26 form a valve mechanism (needle valve) that has the function of opening and closing the upper end opening 26A.

As described with reference to Fig. 10, the cell 1 is disposed in the region below the water separation device 2 in Fig. 11. Hydrogen is supplied to the anode 1A of the cell 1 and moves to the cathode 1C side via the electrolyte membrane 1B, and is supplied as high-pressure compressed hydrogen together with water (water vapor) from the cell 1 side to the internal space of the water separation device 2 via a path 27. Water is necessary for the electrolyte membrane 1B, such as a solid polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), and water permeates the electrolyte membrane 1B and accumulates on the cathode 1C side, so water accumulates on the water separation device 2 side.
The cup float 25 is configured so that the entire amount of hydrogen that moves from the cathode 1C of the cell 1 to the water separation device 2 floats in the water and moves into the internal space of the cup float 25, and is configured so that as long as the cell 1 is operating and hydrogen moves to the cathode 1C, the hydrogen moves into the internal space of the cup float 25.

In Fig. 11, the cup float 25 having an opening 25D at the bottom and forming an open internal space is used because a float having no opening and a closed internal space cannot withstand high pressure (e.g., 80 MPa). In a normal float having a closed internal space, the internal space is at normal pressure, so the float will collapse due to the pressure difference with the internal space in a high-pressure environment. In contrast, if the outer shell of the float is made thick so that it will not collapse even under the pressure difference, the float will not float on the water (cathode water) in the water separation device 2.
In contrast, the cup float 25 in the illustrated embodiment has an opening 25D at the bottom and an open internal space, so even under high pressure the pressure in the internal space of the cup float 25 is equal to the pressure in the water separation device 2, and the above-mentioned pressure difference does not exist. Therefore, even if the outer shell of the cup float 25 is thin, the cup float 25 will not be crushed.

When the water in the water separation device 2 acts on the cup float 25 with buoyancy, causing the cup float 25 to float up, the valve body 25C provided on the cup float 25 opens by separating from the upper end opening 26A of the water descent pipe 26, which serves as the valve seat. The water in the water separation device 2 flows down the water descent pipe 26 from the upper end opening 26A and is returned to the bubbler 3 side.
When the amount of water in the water separation device 2 decreases, the cup float 25 descends and the valve body 25C seats on the upper end opening 26A of the water descending pipe 26, which serves as the valve seat, closing the upper end opening 26A. Because the upper end opening 26A of the water descending pipe 26 is closed, the water in the water separation device 2 does not descend to the bubbler side and remains in the water separation device 2.

In Fig. 11, high-pressure hydrogen gas that rises from the cell 1 side through the water in the water separation device 2 and reaches the internal space of the cup float 25 and accumulates there moves to the outside of the cup float 25 as shown by arrow H2 in Fig. 11. As the high-pressure hydrogen moves along the path from the cell 1 side through the water in the water separation device 2 to the internal space of the cup float 25 and the path shown by arrow H2, moisture is separated. The high-pressure hydrogen gas that has moved to the outside of the cup float 25 flows through piping 17 via gas pump 19 and moves to moisture removal device 18.
Here, even if the high-pressure hydrogen gas that has moved to the outside of the cup float 25 via the water inside the cup float 25 entrains moisture, there is no problem because the higher the pressure of the hydrogen gas, the drier it tends to become, and even if moisture is entrained, it is removed by the moisture adsorption and removal device 18.

The position of the cup float 25 is configured so that all of the hydrogen that moves from the cathode 1C of the cell 1 to the water separation device 2 moves into the internal space of the cup float 25. If the entire amount of hydrogen that moves to the water separation device 2 is not configured to enter the internal space of the cup float 25, there is a risk that hydrogen will not enter the cup float 25 after the cup float 25 descends (after the valve body 25C is closed), and if hydrogen does not enter the cup float 25, the cup float 25 will not rise, and the upper end opening 26A of the water descending pipe 26 will not be opened.
Furthermore, if the cup float 25 is left for a long period of time, water will replace the interior thereof and the cup float 25 will sink. However, in the illustrated embodiment, hydrogen from the cathode 1C continues to enter the internal space of the cup float 25, so hydrogen is constantly supplied to the internal space, preventing the cup float 25 from sinking.
As described above, the entire amount of hydrogen that moves to the water separation device 2 enters the internal space of the cup float 25. Therefore, if the amount of water in the water separation device 2 increases, the cup float 25 will reliably remain floating on the water, preventing the upper end opening 26A of the water lowering pipe 26 from becoming stuck.

12 is supplied to the anode 1A of the cell 1 together with hydrogen, moves from the cathode 1C to the water separation device 2 (cathode side), and is stored in the water separation device 2, but as described above, if the cup float 25 can be kept floating on the water, the water in the water separation device 2 will flow reliably through the water descending pipe 26 and into the bubbler 3. This allows water to continue circulating between the bubbler 3, the cell 1, and the water separation device 2.
Therefore, there is no need to form a separate water circulation system outside the cell 1 or cell stack as in the conventional technology, which makes it easier to integrate the cells and facilitates the layout.
In the illustrated embodiment, water is separated from the hydrogen gas in the water separation device 2 and returned to the bubbler 3, and constantly circulates between the bubbler 3, the cell 1, and the water separation device 2. However, as described above with reference to FIG. 10, the high-pressure hydrogen transferred from the water separation device 2 to the moisture removal device 18 has moisture adsorbed and removed by the moisture removal device 18, and the adsorbed and removed moisture is not returned to the bubbler 3. When it is necessary to replenish the amount of water removed by the moisture removal device 18, the water circulation pump 33 in FIG. 12 may be driven to supply water via the pipe 28 from the water supply source and the pipe 15 that supplies hydrogen to the bubbler 3. Such water supply can also be performed periodically.

In Fig. 11, when there is no water on the cathode side, the electrolyte membrane 1B (solid polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM, Fig. 11) dries out and the resistance in the PEM increases. When the resistance of the PEM increases, the efficiency of hydrogen transfer in the PEM decreases. Therefore, it is preferable to always have water on the cathode side.
In the illustrated embodiment, hydrogen that has moved to the water separation device 2 is arranged to always float up toward the internal space of the cup float 25, and water remains in the water separation device 2 even when the valve body 25C provided on the cup float 25 sits on the valve seat formed by the upper end opening 26A of the water descending pipe 26. Although not clearly illustrated, as long as water remains in the water separation device 2, water is constantly held on the cathode side.

Next, the bubbler 3 will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 12, the bubbler 3 is configured as a water pan or a drain pan, with the upper region being a gas phase region 3A (a region in which a mixture of hydrogen and water vapor is stored) and the lower region being a liquid phase region 3B (a region in which water is stored).
A bubble generator 16 (vaporizer) is disposed in the liquid phase region 3B of the bubbler 3, and hydrogen is supplied to the bubble generator 16 via a pipe 15 having a temperature regulator 9 interposed therebetween.
The bubble generator 16 may be of any type, such as a type made of stones, a type made of mesh, or a type that evaporates naturally, and other types of bubble generators may also be used.

As described above with reference to FIG. 11, in order to return the water in the water separating device 2 (FIGS. 10 and 11) to the bubbler 3, a water descending pipe 26 is extended from the water separating device 2 to the bubbler 3.
In Fig. 12, when hydrogen whose temperature has been adjusted by the temperature adjustment device 9 is supplied to the bubble generator 16, a large amount of hydrogen bubbles are ejected into the water (pure water) stored in the bubbler 3, and water vapor moves to the gas phase region 3A of the bubbler 3 together with the ejected hydrogen (arrow AB). The mixture of hydrogen and water vapor is then supplied to the anode 1A (Fig. 11) of the cell 1 by the hydrogen gas flow path 4 (the hydrogen gas flow path 4 on the left side of Fig. 12) via the gas pump 29 (arrow A1). As described above, the hydrogen gas flow path 4 is configured by connecting the ports and grooves in the multiple cells 1.
The off-gas at the anode 1A contains hydrogen gas and water vapor that have not migrated to the cathode 1C side, and this off-gas flows (returned: arrow A2) into the gas phase region 3A of the bubbler 3 via the hydrogen gas flow path 4 (the hydrogen gas flow path 4 on the right side of Figure 12).
Therefore, even if an off-gas circulation system is not configured outside the cell 1 or the cell stack, the off-gas can be circulated in the bubbler casing 13 and the cell casing 11 (see FIG. 10). Even if multiple cells 1 are stacked or densely arranged, interference with the off-gas circulation system is prevented. In this case, a large space is not required to arrange multiple cells 1, and there is no need to consider a layout that prevents interference between each cell 1 and the off-gas circulation system.

In the conventional technology, the cells are cooled by a chiller, but in the illustrated embodiment, the cells 1 are cooled by a heat tube 5 arranged from the bubbler 3 to the cells 1 (a group of a plurality of cells). Cooling of the cells by the heat tube 5 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in Fig. 13, the heat tube 5 connects the bubbler 3 and the cell 1 (in the actual device, each of the multiple cells 1 in the casing 11). One end of the heat tube 5 is installed in a dispersed manner (solid heat transfer) as a heat tube heat receiving portion 5A and connected (solid connection) to each of the multiple cells 1, and the other end of the heat tube 5 is immersed in the liquid phase region 3B of the bubbler 3 as a heat tube heat dissipating portion 5B. For the sake of simplicity, only a single cell 1 is shown in Fig. 13.
The heat tube 5 is made of copper and has a double-tube structure consisting of an inner tube 5C and an outer tube 5D, and the inner tube 5C and the outer tube 5D are connected at the heat tube heat receiving section 5A and the heat tube heat dissipation section 5B. The double tube of the heat tube 5 is filled with pure water and has the function of transferring heat at high speed. By utilizing the high heat transfer property of the heat tube 5, the heat generated in the cell 1 when a current is passed through the electrolyte membrane 1B (PEM, FIG. 11) can be discharged into the bubbler 3.

When cooling the cell 1 with the heat tube 5, the heat generated in the cell 1 is transferred to the heat receiving parts 5A of the heat tubes 5, which are installed in multiple locations (solid heat transfer), and the transferred heat is transferred to the pure water in the heat tube 5 via the heat receiving parts 5A, and the pure water immediately vaporizes by absorbing the heat of vaporization. The vaporized water vapor flows at high speed through the inner pipe 5C of the heat tube 5 (arrow F1) and reaches the heat dissipation part 5B in the heat tube 5 that is immersed in the liquid phase region 3B of the bubbler 3, and the heat of vaporization is administered to the pure water stored in the bubbler 3 at the heat dissipation part 5B.
When heat is administered to the pure water in the bubbler 3, the water vapor that has flowed through the inner tube 5C of the heat tube 5 condenses to become pure water, and the pure water flows again through the outer tube 5D of the heat tube 5 toward the heat receiving portion 5A of the heat tube 5 (arrow F2), where it is vaporized again by the heat of the cell 1. Then, by circulating the pure water or water vapor through the inner tube 5C and outer tube 5D of the heat tube 5, the cell 1 is continuously cooled.

Here, the heat transfer by the heat tube 5 between the cell 1 and the pure water in the bubbler 3 depends on the temperature difference between the (heat receiving) temperature in the cell 1 and the (heat releasing) temperature of the pure water in the bubbler 3 .
The electrolyte membrane 1B (polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM) or the cell 1 has an optimal operating temperature, and in order to properly operate the electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40, it is necessary to adjust the temperature of the electrolyte membrane 1B (polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM) or the cell 1. In addition, in order to prevent condensation in the cell 1, it is necessary to set the temperature of the cell 1 to a predetermined temperature (for example, about 5° C.) higher than the pure water in the bubbler 3. Because of this temperature difference that needs to be set, it becomes possible to transfer heat from the cell 1 to the bubbler 3 via the heat tube 5.
Here, the system in which the bubbler 3 and the cell 1 are connected by the heat tube 5 can simultaneously adjust the temperature from the outside (of the system in which the bubbler 3 and the cell 1 are connected by the heat tube 5), for example, by controlling the temperature of the hydrogen supplied to the bubbler 3 or by heating or cooling the bubbler 3, and the temperatures of both the bubbler 3 and the cell 1 can be appropriately controlled.
That is, the cell 1 and the bubbler 3 exchange heat through the heat tube 5, and the cell 1, the bubbler 3, and the heat tube 5 act in a chain reaction, so that temperature control can be easily and accurately performed. Therefore, the cell 1 can be stably cooled without requiring any special control device. In addition, there is no need to provide a high-quality chiller in the cell 1.

15, the structure of the electrochemical compressor 40 described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13 will be described, but devices not shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 will be described.
15, five cells are shown inside the casing 11, and the electrolyte membranes of the respective cells are indicated by the reference characters 1B-1 to 1B-5. In an actual device, the number of cells is much greater than five.
In Fig. 15, the lower part of each of the electrolyte membranes 1B-1 to 1B-5 is an anode (1A-1 to 1A-5: to avoid complication of the illustration, reference symbols are not shown in Fig. 15), and the upper part of each of the electrolyte membranes 1B-1 to 1B-5 is a cathode (1C-1 to 1C-5: to avoid complication of the illustration, reference symbols are not shown in Fig. 15). The five cells are separated by an insulator IS, which is indicated by a thick dotted line in Fig. 15.
Power is supplied to the five cells from a power source PS via conductors generally designated EC.

In FIG. 15, hydrogen gas humidified by hydrogen bubbles BH of the bubble generator 16 of the bubbler 3 is sucked in by the circulation pump PB as shown by the arrows ABH and discharged to the hydrogen gas flow path 4I on the left side of FIG. 15. The hydrogen flowing through the hydrogen gas flow path 4I is supplied to the anodes 1A-1 to 1A-5 (not shown) of each cell together with water vapor. Then, it becomes hydrogen ions, permeates the electrolyte membranes 1B-1 to 1B-5, and returns to hydrogen at the cathodes 1C-1 to 1C-5 (not shown). The high-pressure hydrogen from the cathodes 1C-1 to 1C-5 moves to the water separation device 2 via hydrogen paths 42, 42 (only two are shown in FIG. 15, but more paths are provided in the actual device). In FIG. 15, the high-pressure hydrogen moving to the water separation device 2 is shown as an arrow pointing upward in the hydrogen path 42.
The hydrogen gas flow path 4I, which supplies hydrogen and water vapor to the anodes 1A-1 to 1A-5 of each cell, passes through a hydrogen gas flow path 4H extending horizontally (left-right direction in FIG. 15) and reaches a hydrogen gas flow path 4O on the right side of FIG. 15, and the off-gas from the anodes 1A-1 to 1A-5 returns to the bubbler 3 via the hydrogen gas flow paths 4H and 4O.

The high-pressure hydrogen gas that moves from the cathodes 1C-1 to 1C-5 to the water separation device 2 via the hydrogen path 42 moves within the water separation device 2 as bubbles _H2 and arrow _AH2 , flows through the pipe 17, and is sent to the water removal device 18 (FIG. 10). Then, the water separated from the high-pressure hydrogen gas in the water separation device 2 flows through the water drop pipe 26 and is returned to the bubbler 3.
The bubbler 3 is provided with a heat tube 5, which is as described above with reference to FIGS.

15, a conditioning port CP is formed in the water separation casing 12, and oxygen is supplied to the electrolyte membranes 1B-1 to 1B-5 through the conditioning port CP during maintenance of the electrochemical compressor. In FIG. 15, the conditioning port CP appears to be connected to the hydrogen path 42, but it is not connected to the hydrogen path 42, and is connected to the cathodes 1C-1 to 1C-5 of each cell via flow paths not shown.
Before operating the electrochemical compressor, oxygen is supplied from the conditioning port CP and hydrogen is supplied from the bubbler 3, and the reaction 2H ₂ + O ₂ → 2H ₂ O + electricity takes place in the electrolyte membranes 1B-1 to 1B-5, just like in a fuel cell, thereby improving the condition of the electrolyte membranes 1B-1 to 1B-5.

In the illustrated embodiment, in order to heat the cell 1 at startup, for example, as shown in Fig. 14(A), a bubbler casing 13 housing the bubbler 3 is provided with heating fins 6, and at startup, hot air is sprayed onto the fins 6 by a blower 7 (arrow H). This heats the bubbler 3, which in turn heats the water in the bubbler 3, and the heated water heats the cell 1 to a suitable temperature via the heat tube 5.
On the other hand, if cold air is sprayed onto the fins 6 of the bubbler casing 13 by the blower 7, the temperature of the bubbler 3 drops, and the temperature of the water in the bubbler 3 also drops, and the cooled water passes through the heat tube 5 to lower the temperature of the cell 1 to an appropriate level.

As a mechanism for heating the bubbler 3, as shown in FIG. 14B, a heater 8 for starting the cell may be provided in a bubbler casing 13 that houses the bubbler 3, and the bubbler casing 13 may be heated by the heater 8.
On the other hand, as a mechanism for cooling the bubbler 3, a bubbler cooling cooler (not shown) can be used.
For heating or cooling the bubbler 3, mechanisms other than those shown in the figure may be selected.
Furthermore, by adjusting the temperature of the hydrogen supplied to the bubbler 3 via the piping 15 (Figures 10 and 12) using a temperature regulator 9 (Figures 10 and 12), the temperature of the water in the bubbler 3 can be adjusted, and the cell 1 can be adjusted to a suitable temperature.
Since such a configuration can be adopted, in the illustrated embodiment, there is no need to provide a chiller, which is a high-quality device, for adjusting the temperature of the bubbler 3.

In the conventional technology, the bubbler and the cell are connected by a tube. Therefore, unless the tube is specially coated and insulated, condensation occurs and adversely affects the cell. If the bubbler and the cell are connected by a tube that is not specially insulated, the temperature of the bubbler, the cell, the space between them, and the tube must be controlled to prevent condensation in the tube.
In contrast, in the illustrated embodiment, the heat tube 5 has a portion inside the heat tube heat receiving portion 5A, which is installed in a plurality of dispersed locations (solid heat transfer), connected to each cell 1 (solid connection), and the hydrogen flow path 4, through which the mixture of hydrogen and water vapor supplied from the bubbler 3 flows, has a layout (route) different from that of the heat tube 5, so that the gas (mixture of hydrogen and water vapor) flowing through the hydrogen flow path 4 does not come into contact with the heat tube 5, and the hydrogen flow path 4 and the heat tube 5 do not condense. In other words, the pure water, which is the refrigerant flowing through the heat tube 5, does not come into contact with the gas flowing through the hydrogen flow path 4, and there is no heat exchange, so the hydrogen flow path 4 and the heat tube 5 do not condense. Therefore, there is no need for temperature control to prevent condensation or insulation by a special coating as in the prior art.
And there's no need to use high-quality equipment to control the temperature in a pub or chiller.

The electrochemical hydrogen compressor 40 used in the illustrated embodiment having the above-described configuration has a high degree of freedom in layout, does not require the provision of a special device outside the cell stack for circulating hydrogen and water within the device, does not require expensive equipment, and makes it easy to control the cell temperature.
It should be noted that the illustrated embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

1: Cell 1A: Anode 1B: Electrolyte membrane (solid polymer electrolyte membrane: PEM)
1C: cathode 2: water separator 3: bubbler 3A: gas phase region 3B: liquid phase region 4: hydrogen gas flow path 5: heat tube 5A: heat tube heat receiving portion 5B: heat tube heat dissipation portion 11: cell casing (cell housing portion outer shell)
12: Casing for water separation device 13: Casing for bubbler 40: Electrochemical hydrogen compressor 50: Hydrogen filling device 60: Drone (FC-driven drone)
61: Drone hydrogen tank 70: Drone parking area 80: Refueling judgment unit 81: Drone remaining amount determination block 82: Refueling necessity determination block 90: Flight route determination unit 91: Interim decision block 92: Correction block 95: Delivery planning unit 96: Public relations unit 100: Hydrogen supply system

Claims (3)

The base for deliveries by fuel cell-powered drones will be
A parking area for drones,
Hydrogen filling equipment is provided.
The hydrogen filling device includes an electrochemical hydrogen compressor that compresses hydrogen supplied from a hydrogen supply source, and the electrochemical hydrogen compressor includes:
The fuel cell includes a plurality of cells each having an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode, a pressure vessel-like cell casing for housing the plurality of cells, a water separation device, a water separation device casing for housing the water separation device, a bubbler, and a bubbler casing for housing the bubbler,
In order to avoid the application of the four-times pressure standard as a pressure vessel to the electrolyte membrane, the pressure vessel-like cell casing that houses the cell, the water separation device casing that houses the water separation device, and the bubbler casing that houses the bubbler are integrally joined together,
In order to circulate the off-gas within the bubbler casing and the cell casing without configuring an off-gas circulation system outside the cell or cell stack, the mixture of hydrogen and water vapor generated in the bubbler is supplied to the cell via a hydrogen gas flow path having a portion formed by connecting ports and grooves in a plurality of cells housed in the cell casing, and the off-gas generated at the anode of the cell is returned to the bubbler via the hydrogen gas flow path,
a water separation device provided above a cell casing, compressed hydrogen from the cathode being supplied to the internal space of the water separation device together with water or water vapor, water being stored in the internal space of the water separation device, a cup float being arranged, the cup float having a rod-shaped portion with a valve body provided at the tip of the rod-shaped portion, a water descending pipe being provided connecting the centre of the internal space of the water separation device with a bubbler, the water descending pipe penetrating the water separation device casing and connecting to the bubbler, the upper end of the water descending pipe being open below the internal space of the water separation device, and a valve body provided on the cup float forming a valve seat against which the valve body can be seated . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1, further comprising a unit having a function of determining whether the amount of hydrogen in the hydrogen tank of the drone is sufficient for the next delivery flight based on the delivery plan. A unit that determines the flight route of a drone powered by a fuel cell;
The unit is:
A block that sets the drone's flight route,
A hydrogen supply system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a block having a function of correcting the flight route set by the setting block so as to bypass areas in which the drone cannot fly if the drone cannot fly along the set flight route.

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