JPS6250173B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention involves filling the interior with a metal (solid) capable of absorbing and ejecting gas, and performing operations such as heating, cooling, pressurization, and depressurization on the metal to physically or This invention relates to a gas occlusion device that stores and discharges gases by chemically bonding them, and in particular provides a device that uses medium-sized and small-sized vertical containers to efficiently and uniformly store gases throughout. This is what I am trying to do.

It is well known that certain gases are stored in storage containers and taken out at will for use in various applications. Among gases, hydrogen in particular has recently been developed as a high-heat-producing, non-polluting gas from the perspective of energy conversion. It is attracting attention as an energy source, and is often used as a power generation source for fuel cells that generate electricity with high efficiency. Additionally, unlike electricity, hydrogen can be stored, stored for a long period of time, and used as needed. Such hydrogen can be easily produced, for example, by electrolyzing seawater or salt water, and by electrolyzing it using surplus electricity at night, a large amount of hydrogen can be obtained.

By the way, as mentioned above, it is necessary to store hydrogen obtained in large quantities as efficiently as possible. There are various methods for storing such gases, but most of them have been to compress the gas at high pressure using a compressor, liquefy it and store it, or cool it and liquefy it for storage. However, in the former case, the storage container must have a pressure-resistant structure and must maintain strong airtightness, and a compressor etc. must also be installed, making the entire device large and reducing the amount of storage. It had some flaws. In the latter case, the liquefied gas must be kept in a cooled state, requiring a refrigeration function, and a device for liquefying the gas is also required, and even if it is large, the storage capacity is small. It was hot.
Further, in both cases, the amount of gas used cannot be directly taken out from the storage container and used, but must be vaporized once, which makes the work cumbersome and the entire device complicated.

Therefore, a method of absorbing gas by physically or chemically bonding it to a solid medium has come to be used. For example, for hydrogen, a solid storage method has been proposed in which a container is filled with special metals such as magnesium, iron titanium, and lanthanum nickel, which stores hydrogen and releases it as needed. This method can store gas at low pressure, does not require a compressor, can safely store a large amount of gas, and can simultaneously release it in a gaseous state, resulting in good workability. However, in order to efficiently absorb (storage) hydrogen gas using special metals,
Indirectly heating or cooling moving metals,
It is also necessary to pressurize or depressurize, and the devices that perform these functions must be placed at optimal positions. For example, when absorbing hydrogen, the reaction between the two occurs instantaneously; heat is generated during storage, and heat is absorbed during exhaustion. However, when the cooling rate of the metal decreases during storage, the stored hydrogen heats up and expands. , the pressure increases and the pressure difference with the supplied hydrogen becomes unbalanced,
Feed amount decreases. Also, if the temperature rises too much,
The (occlusion) equilibrium between pressure and temperature is disrupted, a reverse reaction occurs and the occluded gas is expelled from the metal, resulting in a significant decrease in the amount of occluded gas. In addition, if the heating rate of the metal is low during discharge, hydrogen is discharged while removing the heat retained in the metal, which lowers the temperature of the metal packed bed and the temperature of the discharged hydrogen, which lowers the pressure and hydrogen. emissions will be significantly reduced. In addition, special metals need to be activated in order to have occlusion and desorption capabilities, but when filled into a container, it is best if the filling rate is uniform throughout and the activation is uniform. Special metals expand and increase in volume as they are activated, so this must be taken into consideration. It is necessary to be able to perform this activation efficiently.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, this invention improves and eliminates them, especially in small and medium-sized storage devices.
It is designed to uniformly absorb and discharge gas and to activate metal throughout the device.The structure of the present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

In Figures 1 and 2, 1 is a vertical cylindrical container with an open upper end and a connecting flange 2 integrally formed around the opening 1a; 3 is an open lower end; The lid has a connecting flange 4 integrally formed around the periphery of the opening 3a, and the two are combined to form a sealed container. Reference numeral 5 denotes a heat exchange duct arranged to divide the inside of the container 1 into two at the center, and as shown in FIG. A channel 7 of the mold is formed, and independent openings 8a and 8b are formed at the upper end, and the upper end is fixed to the center of the inner surface of the lid body 3 to suspend and support the openings 8a and 8b. are communicated with fluid inlet/outlet pipes 9a and 9b provided in the lid body 1, respectively, and the heat exchange fluid is supplied from one fluid inlet/outlet pipe 9a, flows through the U-shaped flow path 7 of the heat exchange duct 5, and is transferred to the other fluid. It is discharged from the inlet/outlet pipe 9b, and is cooled or heated by exchanging heat with the special metal filled in the container 1. Reference numerals 10a and 10b are a pair of plate coils installed horizontally in several stages along the vertical direction around the heat exchange duct 5, and are formed into a hollow semicircle, with a plate coil located at the center of the interior as shown in FIG. A partition 11 is provided from the internal opening end side to form a flow path 12, and a communication port 13 is formed on the side surface of the heat exchange duct 5.
a, 13b, the fluid flowing in the heat exchange duct 5 is made to flow into the plate coils 10a, 10b, and the plate coils 10a, 10b also exchange heat with the special metal, and also serve as support for the special metal. Reference numeral 14 denotes a basket which holds a special metal for storing gas inside, and is placed and fixed on the plate coils 10a and 10b, making it easy to supply gas to the special metal filled inside, as shown in Fig. 5. The upper and lower plate coils 10a,
It has a height h' slightly lower than the height h of 10a and is formed in a semicircular shape. Reference numeral 15 denotes a gas inflow/outflow pipe protruding from the lid 3 so as to communicate with the inside thereof, and supplies gas into the container 1 . Furthermore, between the heat exchange duct 5, the plate coils 10a and 10b, the outer peripheral surface of the basket 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the container 1, and the plate coil 1
Predetermined gaps 16 and 17 are provided between the lower surfaces of 0a and 10b and the upper surface of the basket 14, respectively, so that the gas supplied from the gas inflow and outflow pipe 15 into the container 1 is
6 and 17 so that it spreads throughout.

In the above configuration, in order to activate the special metal and occlude and discharge gas, first, the container 1 and the lid 3 are
The heat exchange duct 5 and the plate coils 10a, 10b integrated with the lid body 3 are taken out from inside the container 1, and each of the plate coils 10a, 10 is removed from the container 1.
A basket 14, which has been filled with special metal for about 8 minutes in advance to account for the volumetric expansion during gas storage, is placed and fixed on the container 1, and the heat exchange duct 5, plate coils 10a, 10b, etc. are inserted into the container 1 again. , container 1
and the lid body 3 are combined and sealed via the connecting flanges 2 and 4. Thereafter, using the gas inflow pipe 15, the air inside the container 1 is removed by a vacuum pump or the like, and the pressure inside the container 1 is set to a pressure suitable for activation.
In this state, hydrogen is supplied into the container 1 through the gas inflow/outflow pipe 15, and after a large amount of hydrogen is sealed in the metal filling in the basket 14, the pressure inside the container 1 is gradually reduced to discharge the hydrogen in the metal. This operation is repeated several times to activate the filled metal. Note that during activation, if necessary, a cooling medium may be supplied from the fluid inlet/outlet pipe 9a to cool the metal. When the activation of the metal is completed, the cooling medium is supplied from one fluid inlet/outlet pipe 9a, flows through the flow path 7 of the heat exchange duct 5, flows out from the other fluid inlet/outlet pipe 9a, and is simultaneously integrated into the heat exchange duct 5. Plate coil 10 attached to
A cooling medium is also circulated through the channels 12 of a and 10b,
The metal filling in the basket 14 is cooled from three sides and set to a predetermined storage temperature. Then, hydrogen is supplied from the gas inflow/outflow pipe 15 to fill the container 1 through the gaps 16 and 17. Then, hydrogen passes through the walls and top surface of the basket 14, enters the inside, reacts with the activated metal, and becomes a metal hydride.
Hydrogen is occluded in the metal while generating heat. The heat during this reaction is transferred to the heat exchange duct 5 and the plate coil 10.
Heat is exchanged with the cooling medium flowing through a and 10b, and is sequentially removed. When sufficient hydrogen is stored in the metal in this way, the flow of gas from the air inflow/outflow pipe 15 is stopped, and at the same time, the supply of fluid from the fluid inlet/output pipe 9a is stopped. To discharge the stored hydrogen,
The pressure inside the container 1 is lowered, and a heating medium such as steam, hot water, hot air, or combustion gas is supplied from the fluid inlet/outlet pipe 20a, and the heat exchange duct 5 and plate coil 10 are
a, 10b, and the inside of the container 1 is set to a predetermined discharge temperature. Then, the metal filled through the basket 14 undergoes heat exchange and is heated so that the metal hydride absorbs heat and decomposes, releasing hydrogen. The discharged hydrogen passes through the wall and top surface of the basket 14 and is discharged from the container 1 to the outside through the gas inflow/outflow pipe 15. Then, when the required amount of hydrogen is exhausted, the supply of the heating medium is stopped. By repeating these operations, hydrogen is stored in the container 1 and taken out when necessary. When the storage capacity of the filling metal decreases, the filling metal is replaced and activated to restore the storage capacity.

With the above configuration, the inside of the container 1 is the heat exchange duct 5.
The filling metal is divided into layers by the plate coils 10a and 10b, and the filling metal is held in the basket 14, so the filling metal is divided into small units and separated, and their weight is equal to the weight of each plate coil 1.
0a and 10b, no load is applied to the filling metal even in the lower part, the filling rate becomes uniform throughout, and activation can be performed uniformly and quickly throughout. Although the filling metal expands upon activation and gas occlusion, the container 1 will not be damaged because it is held in the basket 14. Furthermore, even when storing or discharging gas (hydrogen), the filling metal held in each basket 14 is
Heat exchange duct 5 and plate coils 10a, 10
At b, heat is exchanged on at least three sides, and gas is supplied from the circumferential surface and the top surface of the basket 14, so that the gas supply is sufficient, and the heat of reaction is sufficiently removed during storage, and the amount of heat is sufficiently removed during discharge. gas can be obtained quickly, and gas can be stored and discharged quickly. Furthermore, by controlling the temperature and fluid of the heat exchange fluid flowing through the heat exchange duct 1 and the plate coils 10a and 10b, and controlling the heat transfer rate, it is possible to control the gas absorption rate and discharge rate.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a storage device according to the second invention, in which an outer wall plate 1 is placed along the inner surface of the container 1.
8 and an inner wall plate 19 to form a fluid passage, and a fluid inlet pipe 21a and a fluid outlet pipe 21b which connect the heat exchange cylinder 20 are made to protrude downward from the bottom surface of the container 1. Note that the fluid inlet pipe 21a is communicated with the upper end of the heat exchange cylinder 20. Further, the inside is composed of a heat exchange duct 5 connected to a lid 3, plate coils 10a, 10b, etc., as in the first invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a storage device according to the third invention, in which a heat exchange channel 23 is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the container 1 and the inner wall plate 22, and the inside has a first This invention is similar to the invention of the above and the second invention.

In the storage devices of the second and third inventions described above, since the heat exchange flow path is formed along the inner peripheral surface of the container 1, the metal filled in the basket 14 is heat exchanged on all four sides. , the heat exchange rate increases,
Work efficiency is further improved.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the basket 14 is formed on the outer body, but as shown in FIG. 8, the basket 24 may be formed integrally using the heat exchange duct 5 and the plate coils 10a, 10b. however,
In this case, an opening/closing door 25 is provided in a part of the basket 24, and when filling with metal, the opening/closing door 25 is opened to allow the metal to be filled.

Further, the heat exchange duct 5 has a single U-shaped flow path 7, but it also has a U-shaped flow path 7.
As shown in the figure, a heat exchange duct 27 has a meandering flow path formed by combining a plurality of U-shaped passages 26, 26', and 26''.
At the same time, the plate coil 28 also forms a meandering flow path 29 on the plane part, and this flow path 29
Both ends of the heat exchange duct 27 are connected to flow passages 26, 2 on both sides of the heat exchange duct 27.
6" may be used.

As explained above, the present invention includes a cylindrical container having a connecting flange around the upper opening, a lid having a connecting flange around the lower opening, a gas flow pipe and a fluid inlet/outlet pipe attached to the lid, and a hollow A heat exchange duct, which has a flat cross section and a U-shaped flow path in the center thereof, is fixed to the inner surface of the lid body and whose upper openings are communicated with the fluid inlet and outlet pipes, and a heat exchange duct is formed around the heat exchange duct. installed horizontally at intervals,
It is formed into a semicircular shape with a plate coil having a flow path that communicates with the flow path of the heat exchange duct and a breathable member, and is filled with a solid that stores gas inside.
Since the container is constructed with a basket placed on the plate coil, the inside of the container is divided into layers by the heat exchange duct and the plate coil, and since the filling space is formed by the basket, the filling metal is divided into small units. The filling rate is uniform, and activation can be performed uniformly throughout. Further, since the basket exchanges heat with the heat exchange duct and the plate coil, and the heat exchange is performed on at least three sides, the heat exchange rate is high, and gas can be stored and discharged quickly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the storage device according to the first invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main part showing the structure of a heat exchange duct and a plate coil, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the basket, FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the container of the storage device according to the second invention, and FIG. 7 is the container of the storage device according to the third invention. 8 is a sectional view of a main part showing another embodiment of the basket, FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the heat exchange duct, and FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view thereof. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Container, 3... Lid, 5... Heat exchange duct, 6... Partition, 7... Channel, 9a, 9b... Fluid inlet/outlet pipe, 10a, 10b... Plate coil, 14... Basket , 15... Gas inflow and outflow pipe.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cylindrical container having a connecting flange around the upper opening, a lid having a connecting flange around the lower opening, a gas flow pipe and a fluid inlet/outlet pipe attached to the lid, and a hollow container having a connecting flange around the upper opening. A heat exchange duct having a flat cross section and a U-shaped flow path in the center thereof, fixed to the inner surface of the lid body and having upper openings communicated with the fluid inlet and outlet pipes, and a heat exchange duct arranged at regular intervals around the heat exchange duct. It is formed into a semicircular shape with a plate coil that is installed horizontally and has a flow path that communicates with the flow path of the heat exchange duct, and a member that has air permeability, and is filled with a solid that stores gas inside. 1. A gas storage device comprising a basket placed on a plate coil. 2. A cylindrical container having a connecting flange around the upper opening, a heat exchange cylinder having a fluid passage formed by an outer wall and an inner wall inserted along the inner peripheral surface of the container, and a lid having a connecting flange around the lower opening. and a gas flow pipe and a fluid inlet/outlet pipe attached to the lid body;
A heat exchange duct having a hollow flat cross section and a U-shaped flow path in the center thereof, fixed to the inner surface of the lid body and having upper openings communicated with the fluid inlet and outlet pipes, and a heat exchange duct around the heat exchange duct. It is formed into a semicircular shape with plate coils installed at equal intervals and horizontally, and has a flow path that communicates with the flow path of the heat exchange duct, and a breathable member, and the inside is filled with a solid that absorbs gas. and a basket placed on the plate coil. 3. A cylindrical container having a connecting flange around the upper opening, a heat exchange flow path composed of the inner peripheral surface and the inner wall of the container, a lid having a connecting flange around the lower opening, and a container attached to the lid. A gas flow pipe, a fluid inlet/outlet pipe, and a hollow flat section with a U in the center of the interior.
forming a flow path of the mold and being fixed to the inner surface of the lid,
a heat exchange duct whose upper openings are communicated with the fluid inlet and outlet pipes, and a plate coil installed horizontally at equal intervals around the heat exchange duct and having flow passages communicating with the flow passages of the heat exchange duct. 1. A gas occlusion device comprising: a basket made of an air permeable member, formed in a semicircular shape, filled with a solid that occludes gas, and placed on the plate coil.