JPH0228796B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (a) Industrial application field The present invention relates to a metal hydride utilization device suitable for a heat storage device, a heat pump, a chemical compressor, a hydrogen storage device, etc. Regarding improvements.

(b) Prior art Metal hydrides have the ability to absorb and release large amounts of hydrogen gas, and are known to release and absorb a considerable amount of heat when absorbing and releasing hydrogen gas. . Utilizing these properties, there are currently many attempts to apply metal hydrides to heat storage devices, hydrogen storage devices, etc., and devices using metal hydrides with various structures have been proposed. Note that a metal hydride becomes a metal by dehydrogenation, and this case is also referred to as a metal hydride in this specification.

As one of the metal hydride utilization devices, the 4th
As shown in the figure, a structure is known in which a metal hydride storage container 1 and a heat exchanger 2 are provided separately and connected by a heat pipe 3. That is, this is provided with a hydrogen conduit 6 for supplying and discharging hydrogen via a pipe 4 and a hydrogen filter 5, and a metal hydride storage container 1 containing a metal hydride 7 inside;
A heat pipe 3 having heat transfer fins 11 connects a heat exchanger 2 provided with heat medium inlet and outlet conduits 9 and 10 through which a heat medium 8 for supplying and recovering heat continuously flows.

In a metal hydride container with such a structure,
When it becomes necessary to use multiple heat pipes due to the heat transport capacity of the heat pipes, their shape, size, etc., the structure of the heat exchanger is the fifth heat pipe.
The one shown in Fig. 6 is conceivable. That is, both figures show a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the heat pipe 3, and in FIG. 9 and 10 are attached. On the other hand, FIG. 6 shows a structure in which all the heat pipes 3 are surrounded by one heat medium pipe 12.

However, in the case of the structure shown in FIG. Although it is possible to easily improve the heat conduction between the heat pipe 3 and the heat medium by reducing the film heat transfer resistance between the heat pipes 3 and 3, the structure becomes complicated and as the number of heat pipes 3 increases, It becomes difficult to manufacture.

On the other hand, although the structure shown in Fig. 6 can be manufactured relatively easily, the amount of heat medium accumulated in the heat exchanger is larger than that of the former, resulting in increased weight and the response of the heat medium outlet temperature. It is slow and unsuitable for heat recovery systems. Furthermore, because the volume ratio between the metal hydride and the heat transfer medium in the metal hydride storage container makes it impossible to arrange the heat pipes too closely together, the flow rate of the heat medium near the heat pipes is slow, and depending on the location, There will be a difference in size, making it impossible to obtain good heat conduction overall.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In view of the above points, the present invention provides a metal hydride storage container equipped with a heat exchanger that has a simple structure, good heat conduction efficiency, and quick response of the heat medium outlet temperature. The purpose is to provide

(d) Means for solving the problems Therefore, the present invention provides a metal hydride utilization device in which a metal hydride storage container and a heat exchanger are connected by a plurality of heat pipes, in which the heat exchanger is combined into one heat exchanger. A structure in which all heat pipes are surrounded by heat medium pipes,
A cylindrical hollow container is placed in the empty space inside the heat medium pipe, and a baffle plate that also serves as a heat transfer fin is provided between the heat medium inlet and outlet to meander the flow of the heat medium perpendicular to the heat pipe. It is characterized by

(E) Effect By inserting a cylindrical hollow container into the heat exchanger and providing a baffle plate that also serves as a heat transfer fin perpendicular to the heat pipe, the cross section of the heat medium flow path becomes smaller and the heat medium flow rate increases. , the film heat transfer resistance on the heating medium side becomes smaller. In addition, the amount of heat medium accumulated inside is reduced, and the heat from the heat pipe is efficiently transferred to the heat medium through the baffle plate that also serves as a heat transfer fin, and the temperature of the heat medium increases due to the reaction of metal hydrides. The response delay of the heat medium extraction temperature to the drop is also reduced. Furthermore, by selecting a lightweight material (including one with a hollow interior) as the solid material, the amount of heat medium in the heat exchanger can be reduced, and the overall weight can be reduced.

(f) Examples Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a metal hydride utilization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A on the metal hydride container side, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view on the heat exchanger side B.
-B sectional view. Throughout each figure, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 4 indicate the same or equivalent parts, and the difference from FIG. A plurality of heat pipes 3 with heat transfer fins 11 are airtightly housed inside the metal hydride storage container 1 together with the metal hydride 7, and a heat exchanger 2 that airtightly houses the plurality of heat pipes 3. A hollow container 14 as a spacer is provided in the empty space inside, and heat medium inlet/outlet conduits 9, 10 are provided.
The point is that a baffle plate 15 that also serves as a heat transfer fin is provided to cause the flow of the heat medium 8 to meander perpendicularly to the heat pipe 3 between the heat pipes 3 and 3. Note that the cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger 2 in FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 3.

That is, the metal hydride storage container 1 side is A in FIG.
As shown in the -A sectional view, a partition plate 16 is provided, and in this embodiment, seven heat pipes 3 are arranged in a parallel array (an arrangement method in which an equilateral triangle is the minimum unit). As a result, the amount of metal hydride 7 arranged around each heat pipe 3 is averaged, and the metal hydride 7 is transferred between the heat pipe 3 and the metal hydride 7 through the heat transfer fins 11.
Heat transfer between the two is carried out efficiently.

On the other hand, the heat exchanger 2 side has a heat pipe 3 inside the heat exchanger 2, as shown in the BB sectional view in FIG.
Seven containers are arranged, and six cylindrical hollow containers 14 with both ends closed are inserted into the empty space between them. Further, six baffle plates 15 are arranged between the heat medium inlet conduit 9 and the heat medium outlet conduit 10 with openings provided alternately in the vertical direction.

By configuring the heat exchanger 2 in this way,
The cross-sectional area of the heat medium 8 flowing in the direction of the arrow from the heat medium inlet conduit 9 to the heat medium outlet conduit 10 is significantly reduced, and the linear flow velocity of the heat medium 8 on the surfaces of the heat pipe 3 and baffle plate 15 is increased. , the film heat transfer resistance becomes smaller and the amount of heat medium accumulated decreases. Therefore, the heat inside the heat pipe 3 is efficiently transferred to the heat medium 8 from the surface of the heat pipe 3 and the surface of the baffle plate 15 which also serves as a heat transfer fin, and a heat exchanger with good response is obtained.

Note that the hollow container 14 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and the shape of the hollow container 14 can be changed as appropriate to form the heat exchanger 2.
The internal flow state of the heat medium can be freely selected, making it easy to obtain optimal heat conduction for the device.

(g) Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the empty space inside the heat exchanger is filled with a hollow container, and the flow of the heat medium is meandered perpendicular to the heat pipe in the heat medium inlet/outlet conduit. By installing multiple baffle plates that also serve as heat transfer fins, the linear flow velocity of the heating medium is increased, the film heat transfer resistance is reduced, and the amount of heating medium accumulated is reduced, making the configuration less complicated. First, it is possible to obtain a metal hydride utilization device that is easy to manufacture and equipped with a heat exchanger with high heat exchange efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a metal hydride utilization device showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A, Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line B-B, and Fig. 4 is a conventional sectional view. 5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams of a heat exchanger having a plurality of heat pipes. 1... Metal hydride storage container, 2... Heat exchanger, 3... Heat pipe, 6... Hydrogen conduit, 7...
... Metal hydride, 8 ... Heat medium, 9, 10 ... Heat medium inlet/outlet conduit, 12 ... Heat medium pipe, 13 ... Heat insulating material,
14...Hollow container, 15...Baffle plate.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a metal hydride utilization device comprising a metal hydride storage container and a heat exchanger connected by a plurality of heat pipes, the heat exchanger is connected to an outer wall portion of the heat exchanger main body by connecting the entire plurality of heat pipes to an outer wall portion of the heat exchanger body. The structure is such that the heating medium is surrounded by one drum-shaped heat medium tube corresponding to the above, and heat medium inlets and outlets are provided at diagonal positions in the axial direction to allow the heat medium to flow inside, and spacers are placed in the empty space of the heat medium tube. 1. A metal hydride utilization device, comprising: a baffle plate that also serves as a heat transfer fin that meanderes the flow of the heat medium perpendicular to the heat pipe between the heat medium inlet and outlet.