JPS62199590A - Diving and floating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable diving to be performed in a rapid speed further to reduce a loss of hydrogen gas, by connecting a hydrogen absorbing alloy storage, having a heating and cooling equipment, with a buoyancy tank. CONSTITUTION:Water 4 is introduced into a buoyancy tank 1 while absorbing hydrogen gas 6 in the buoyancy tank 1 to a low pressure acting-type alloy 3. Hereafter, hydrogen, generated by heating the low pressure acting-type alloy 3 through a heater-cooler 5 during an underwater navigation, is pressurized by a pressurizing unit 7 utilizing the external water pressure or the like, and the hydrogen is introduced and absorbed to a storage tank 9 of a high pressure acting-type alloy 8 by closing valves 12, 14 while opening a valve 15. Here a heater-cooler 10 removes heat from the alloy 8 because it generates the heat. In the depths of the sea, the high pressure hydrogen, generated in a relatively low temperature by heating of the heater-cooler 10, is introduced to the buoyancy tank 1 passing through valves 16, 11, while the water is drained by opening a valve 13. In this way, a device enables a loss of hydrogen gas to be reduced very small while the hydrogen gas, lost by resolving water, to be supplemented.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Field of Application of the Invention) The present invention aims to reduce the buoyancy of underwater structures or floating structures.
The present invention relates to a device that utilizes changes in pressure and volume of hydrogen gas caused by heating and cooling a hydrogen storage alloy, in addition to the conventional device that adjusts by charging and discharging water in a buoyancy tank.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, compressed gas such as air is used to discharge water in a buoyancy tank. Taking a submersible as an example of an underwater structure,
Since this submersible does not require buoyancy when diving, the buoyancy tank is filled with water, but when surfacing, compressed gas is introduced into the tank and the pressure is used to expel the water, thereby obtaining buoyancy.

Also, when diving, the tank loses its buoyancy by dumping gas into the water through the open opening at the top of the tank and drawing in water from outside to fill the tank.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) During the process of a submersible submersible diving, gas dumped into the water may become a trail of bubbles, which may pose a problem. Also,
In order to recover the gas once supplied to the buoyancy tank without dumping it into the water, it is possible to use all of this pressure in the high water pressure of the deep sea, but in the low pressure near the surface, a large capacity compressor is required to recover the gas. The only way to spin it is to use the same amount of electricity to spin it, which not only results in a large loss of energy, but also takes time to recover (dive).

Another problem is that if gas is not recovered, the diving time is limited in order to replenish the gas. With compressed air, what is dumped into the water must be refilled later by surfacing. Using compressed gases other than hydrogen/acid accumulation from air or water decomposition increases the frequency of replenishment port calls.

Therefore, there is a need for an energy-saving buoyancy device that does not require compressor power and can recover gas at high speed and with high efficiency.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention utilizes a hydrogen storage alloy. A diving and flotation device connected to the ? This is what we provide.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the device of the present invention is such that a hydrogen storage alloy storage tank 2 storing a hydrogen storage alloy 3 is connected to a buoyancy tank 1 of an underwater structure such as a submersible via a gas pipe 20. It is characterized by

The buoyancy tank 1 is filled with seawater or fresh water 4 and hydrogen gas 6, and is further provided with a water intake pulp 13 and an open pulp 19 for disposing of hydrogen gas underwater. gas pipe 2
0, the auxiliary compressor 21 operates the operating pulp 11.1
Installed together with 8.

The alloy storage tank 2 is provided with heating and cooling equipment 5, and the storage alloy 3 is rapidly heated and cooled. Operating pulps 12, 14 are provided before and after the alloy storage tank, and a hydrogen-fueled power 22 is provided via the pulps 14.

The hydrogen storage alloy 3 is an alloy that rapidly stores hydrogen under water pressure near water, for example, a low-pressure operating type alloy.
If you use dls k, no power is required,
It is possible to supply water to the buoyancy tank by recovering gas at high speed, which means diving is possible. During levitation, if the alloy is heated,
The higher the alloy temperature, the higher the pressure of released hydrogen gas, which drains the buoyancy tank to obtain full buoyancy.

In this way, one type of alloy is sufficient, but a low-pressure operating type alloy that can absorb water under water pressure near the surface of the water can generate enough hydrogen pressure to drain water from a buoyancy tank against the high pressure of deep water. To achieve this, the alloy must be heated to a fairly high temperature.
Must be. Therefore, a method can be considered in which a storage tank of a different high-pressure operating type alloy is prepared separately, and hydrogen can be exchanged between this storage tank and a low-pressure operating type alloy tank.

A concrete example of this method is the equipment that includes the system surrounded by the dotted line in Figure 1.

The hydrogen storage alloy storage tank 2 stores a low-pressure operating type alloy, and the gas wipe 23 is branched off from the gas wipe 20? A hydrogen storage alloy storage tank 9 for storing a cylinder pressure-operated alloy 8 such as MmN i j is also provided. 16.17 is the manipulated pulp. Further, the tank 9 is provided with heating and cooling equipment 10. A pressurizing device operated by water pressure or the like is installed between the alloy storage tanks 2 and 9 via an operating pulp 15.

(Function) First, we will explain the case where one type of alloy is used.
Underwater structures, such as the buoyancy tank 1 of a submersible, in a low-pressure area near water? Filled with hydrogen gas 6, pulp 11.1
2 is opened and introduced into the alloy tank 2, and the alloy 3 is occluded. At the same time, open the valve 13 and add external water 4 into the buoyancy tank 1.
Fully introduced.

Since Alloy 3 generates heat during occlusion, heating/cooling device 5 is used.
Heat is removed by

Through these operations, the buoyancy tank 1 is filled with water 4 and the submersible dives. During levitation, the alloy tank 2 is heated by the heating/cooling device 5, and the generated high-pressure hydrogen pulp 11.1
2'ii open and introduce into buoyancy tank 1, and at the same time pulp 1
3 and drain the water from the buoyancy tank to the outside. This causes the submersible to surface.

Next, to explain the case where two types of hydrogen storage alloys are used, first, in the same way as when only one type of alloy is used during diving, the hydrogen gas 6 in the buoyancy tank l is Water 4 is introduced into the buoyancy tank while being occluded by alloy 3.

After this, during the dive, the low-pressure operating type alloy 3 is heated and cooled by the heating and cooling device 5.
The pulp 12.14 is closed, the valve 157 is opened, the pulp 12.14 is closed, the valve 157 is opened, and the pulp 12.14 is introduced into the storage tank 9 of the pressure-operated alloy 8 for occlusion. let

At this time, since the alloy 8 generates heat, the heat is removed by the heating/cooling device 10. In the deep sea, high-pressure hydrogen generated at a relatively low temperature by heating by the heating/cooling device 10 is introduced into the buoyancy tank l through the pulps 16 and 11, and the pulp 13 is opened and drained. In these operations, if it is inconvenient to deliver hydrogen directly to the buoyancy tank, a mediating gas that transmits pressure may be used.

The low-pressure hydrogen generated at a relatively low temperature by completely heating the low-pressure alloy is then pressurized using water pressure and stored in the high-pressure alloy. Since the entire high-pressure hydrogen gas can be generated by heating at a relatively low temperature, the total amount of heat required for heating to obtain the high-pressure gas is less than when using one type of alloy.

Are there multiple types of alloys with different operating pressures, not just two types? If they are placed in separate storage tanks and hydrogen can be exchanged between them, the operating pressure range can be widened.

With these methods, even if it is impossible to recover up to 100 units of hydrogen gas, the hydrogen gas lost due to water decomposition can be replenished, making it possible to dive for longer periods of time without having to call at a port or surface. .

(Effects of the Invention) The unique effects of this invention are that rapid diving is possible due to rapid gas recovery, and there is extremely little loss of hydrogen gas in the form of underwater dumping. In addition, lost hydrogen gas can be replenished by water decomposition, and energy loss associated with diving and surfacing operations is less than in conventional methods.

By preparing not only one type of hydrogen storage alloy but also multiple types of alloy metals, the operating hydrogen pressure range can be widened, and it is possible to extract from low pressure to high pressure with a small amount of heating.

Hydrogen storage alloys generate heat when storing hydrogen, and if the heat is not removed, the storage rate will decrease due to the rise in alloy temperature.However, in the present invention, this excess heat is released into the water through a heat transfer tube. Yes, the storage rate can be maintained high. Furthermore, the heat generated during storage of hydrogen storage alloys can be used as a heat source for power generation devices, and can be used as hydrogen fuel to drive power.Since hydrogen storage alloys are heavy, they can be placed in structures as ballast.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an apparatus in which two storage tanks for a low-pressure working type alloy and a high-pressure working type alloy are directly connected to a buoyancy tank as an embodiment of the present invention. 1... Buoyancy tank 2, 9... Alloy storage tank 3
...Low pressure working type alloy 8...High pressure working type alloy 4
...Seawater or fresh water 5.10...Heating/cooling device 6...Hydrogen gas M...Pressure device 11
~19...Operating pulp 2θ, 23...Gas pipe 21...Auxiliary compressor 22...Power agent to use as hydrogen tray fuel Patent attorney Tatsuo Chanoki 3 (voluntary)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A diving flotation device characterized in that a hydrogen storage alloy storage device having heating and cooling equipment is connected to a buoyancy tank. 2. A low-pressure operating hydrogen storage alloy storage device and a high-pressure operating hydrogen storage alloy. A diving flotation device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage device.