KR102433996B1 - Apparatus and method for electrolyzing water - Google Patents

Abstract

A water electrolyzer is provided. The water electrolysis device includes a body portion floating in water; It may include a; supported by the body portion, the production unit for electrolyzing the water using primary energy to produce hydrogen.

Description

Water electrolysis apparatus and water electrolysis method {Apparatus and method for electrolyzing water}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing and managing renewable energy using electrolysis of water.

In general, in order to generate photovoltaic power generation, a large number of solar panels are installed on a land of several kilometers.

The wide, flat land has a high land price, so it is difficult to purchase for solar power generation, and it is difficult to find a sunny place.

Korean Patent Publication No. 1946212 discloses a technology capable of fixing a solar power generation device on water.

Korean Patent Publication No. 1946212

An object of the present invention is to provide a water electrolysis device and a water electrolysis method capable of producing renewable energy on water, smoothly transferring the renewable energy produced on water to land, and improving the amount of dissolved oxygen in water.

The water electrolysis device of the present invention includes a body part floating in water; It may include a; supported by the body portion, the production unit for electrolyzing the water using primary energy to produce hydrogen.

The water electrolysis method of the present invention includes a power generation step of generating electricity using a power generation unit disposed on the water; electrolyzing water using the electricity; storing hydrogen produced through the water electrolysis; discharging oxygen produced through the water electrolysis into water; monitoring the storage amount of hydrogen, and moving the storage unit toward land if the storage amount satisfies a set value; Upon reaching the land, supplying the hydrogen stored in the storage unit to a storage facility provided on the land; may include.

The water electrolysis device of the present invention can produce primary energy by using solar power generation, tidal power generation, and wind power generation on water, and convert the primary energy into hydrogen, which is advantageous for storage and transportation using water electrolysis.

The water electrolyzer of the present invention can travel to land by sailing directly, and supply stored hydrogen to a storage facility on land.

According to the present invention, the storage efficiency that hinders the dissemination of various water power generation is improved, and the problem of transferring the energy generated from the water to the ground can be solved.

Since the conventional silicon photovoltaic device requires a site for installation, the facility location may be limited to a part of a building or a part of a structure in a city center where the land value is relatively high. Even in suburban areas where the land value is relatively low, the scope is limited to some farmland and forests.

In addition, when installing a photovoltaic device, it is difficult to use the land for other purposes.

The present invention can solve the problem of securing the facility area because the water area such as a river or lake, which is not used for a specific purpose, is used as the power generation area.

Since the present invention uses sunlight, which is an infinite resource, there is no burden on the cost of power generation required for water electrolysis.

Hydrogen fuel cells, which are promising as next-generation promising energy technologies, need to be prioritized over the production cost of hydrogen, the fuel. According to the present invention, since renewable energy such as sunlight is used, the electric power cost required for hydrogen production can be reduced and the production cost of hydrogen can be lowered.

The water electrolysis apparatus and method of the present invention can release oxygen produced together with hydrogen in the process of producing hydrogen into water. Accordingly, the water electrolyzer of the present invention can be helpful in improving the environment in places where water quality can be easily contaminated with a weak flow rate, such as a lake or a dam.

Conventional floating solar modules and floating solar-water electrolysis modules require a fuel transport medium (ship, power line), etc. to transport generated hydrogen or electricity to land, but the present invention provides a module (body part) corresponding to a water electrolysis device. Including), hydrogen fuel can be transported on land by itself, so the cost of power line construction can be saved.

Conventional fixed floating solar modules cannot be prepared for natural disasters, but the self-moving water electrolysis device proposed in the present invention is easy to install and withdraw, so it is possible to prepare for natural disasters and reduce maintenance costs. have.

The water electrolysis device of the present invention can be installed in a water area that cannot be installed in a fixed type, and can also be applied to an existing water-based photovoltaic power generation area.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a water electrolysis device of the present invention.
2 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the moving unit.
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the discharge unit of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a water electrolysis method of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. However, the present invention may be embodied in several different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

In this specification, duplicate descriptions of the same components will be omitted.

Also, in this specification, when it is said that a certain element is 'connected' or 'connected' to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but another element in the middle. It should be understood that there may be On the other hand, in the present specification, when it is mentioned that a certain element is 'directly connected' or 'directly connected' to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

In addition, the terms used herein are used only to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention.

Also in this specification, the singular expression may include the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Also, in this specification, terms such as 'include' or 'have' are only intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, and one or more It should be understood that the existence or addition of other features, numbers, steps, acts, components, parts, or combinations thereof, is not precluded in advance.

Also in this specification, the term 'and/or' includes a combination of a plurality of listed items or any of a plurality of listed items. In this specification, 'A or B' may include 'A', 'B', or 'both A and B'.

Also, in this specification, detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a water electrolysis device 100 of the present invention.

The water electrolysis device 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a body part 110 , a production part 150 , a power production part 130 , a storage part 170 , a moving part 190 , a transmission part 180 , a control part, It may include an emission unit 120 , a communication unit 160 , and a monitoring unit.

The body 110 may include a three-dimensional three-dimensional structure floating in water.

In order to acquire buoyancy to float on water, the body portion 110 may be provided with various buoyancy means 117 that are lighter than water, that is, have buoyancy. As an example, the buoyancy means 117 may include a hollow barrel, foam, or the like.

Various elements such as the production unit 150, the power generation unit 130, the storage unit 170, the moving unit 190, the transmission unit 180, the control unit, the emission unit 120, the communication unit 160, the monitoring unit, etc. To support the body portion 110 may be formed in a plate shape. Producer 150, power generation unit 130, storage unit 170, moving unit 190, transmitting unit 180, adjusting unit, emitting unit 120, communication unit 160, monitoring unit body unit 110 supported on the , and may be installed on the body portion 110 .

The production unit 150 is supported by the body unit 110 , and may electrolyze water using primary energy to produce hydrogen.

For example, the primary energy may be electricity. The primary energy may include electricity stored in the primary storage means 139 such as a battery. Alternatively, the primary energy may include electricity generated by the power generation unit 130 .

Water electrolysis may be electrolysis of water. Electrolysis is a process of decomposing substances through an electrochemical redox reaction by applying electrical energy. The electrode where the oxidation reaction takes place is called an oxidation electrode (anode), and the electrode where the reduction reaction takes place is called a reduction electrode (cathode). In electrolysis reactions, oxidation and reduction reactions always occur simultaneously. In the case of water electrolysis, which electrolyzes water, hydrogen and oxygen may be generated at each electrode. In summary, water electrolysis may refer to a chemical reaction that uses electrical energy to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen gas produced through water electrolysis may be used as a fuel for fuel cells and the like. Oxygen gas may be released into the water to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water supporting the body 110 .

The body portion 110 may be provided with an inlet pipe 119 through which external water is introduced. In the production unit 150 , the water storage tank 159 in which water is accommodated, the first electrode 151 installed in the water storage tank 159 in which water is accommodated, and hydrogen generated from the first electrode 151 are guided to the storage unit 170 . A first pipe part 153 that is installed in the water storage tank 159, a second electrode 152 installed in the water storage tank 159, and a second pipe part 154 for guiding oxygen generated from the second electrode 152 side to the discharge part 120 are provided. can be

The first electrode 151 may correspond to a reduction electrode in which hydrogen ions are reduced during electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen gas. The second electrode 152 may correspond to an oxidizing electrode in which water is oxidized to oxygen gas during electrolysis of water.

The power generation unit 130 is supported by the body unit 110 , and may produce primary energy in a state disposed on the water surface (on water, 90 ) by the body unit 110 . The power generation unit 130 may generate primary energy by recycling fossil fuels or converting renewable energy. For example, the power generation unit 130 is a wind generator that produces electricity using wind power corresponding to renewable energy, a tidal generator that produces electricity using tidal energy, and a solar generator that produces electricity using solar energy. panels and the like.

The power generation unit 130 supported by the body unit 110 floating on water may include a solar cell, for example, a solar panel.

A device that converts the energy of photons generated from the sun into electrical energy through the photoelectric effect is called a solar cell. An assembly in which a plurality of solar cells are connected in series or parallel to a single circuit is called a solar module.

A core material of a solar cell is a light absorbing layer that exhibits a photoelectric effect. Silicon is the most widely used material, and in addition, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), cadmium telluride (CdTe), group III-V element composite material, photoactive organic material, perovskite, and the like may be used.

When electricity is generated by the power generation unit 130 , the generation unit 150 may electrolyze water using the electricity. A portion of the electricity generated by the power generation unit 130 may be stored in the primary storage means 139 such as a battery.

The storage unit 170 may store the hydrogen produced by the production unit 150 in the water. The storage unit 170 may include a storage tank for storing hydrogen in a gaseous state or in a liquid state.

The storage unit 170 may store hydrogen by a physical method or store hydrogen by a chemical method.

As a physical storage method, hydrogen may be liquefied using high pressure or cooling and stored in the storage unit 170 .

As the chemical storage method, a metal-organic matrix (MO matrix), a carbon molecular sieve, or a hydrogen storage alloy (metal hydride, MH) may be used.

When the amount of hydrogen stored in the storage unit 170 satisfies the set value, the moving unit 190 may move the body unit 110 disposed on the water to the storage facility 270 on the land 70 . For example, the moving unit 190 may include a propeller 191 rotating in water, and a support 115 connecting the body and the propeller 191 . The body portion 110 may move by the reaction of water pushed by the propeller 191 .

2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the moving unit 190 .

The moving unit 190 may move the body 110 to reciprocate between the first and second positions of the water.

The body part 110 that floats on water and moves by the moving part 190 may correspond to a kind of vessel sailing on water. In this case, the movement of the body portion 110 to the land by the moving unit 190 or the movement to the storage facility 270 on land means that the storage facility 270 and a specific means that can be physically connected to the location of the water are provided. It can mean moving to

For example, the first position of the water may correspond to the middle of the lake, the middle of the river, and the middle of the sea.

The second location may represent a location facing the transmission means 280 connected to the onshore storage facility 270 .

The moving unit 190 may move the body unit 110 such that the center of gravity of the body unit 110 or the end of the transmission unit 180 reciprocates between the first position and the second position.

In FIG. 2 , a first water electrolysis device a and a second water electrolysis device b corresponding to the water electrolysis device 100 of the present invention are disposed.

The first water electrolysis device a may generate primary energy and produce and store hydrogen at a first position indicated by a dotted line. When the amount of stored hydrogen satisfies the set value, the first electrolysis device a may move to a second position indicated by a solid line by the moving unit 190 .

When the body part 110 reaches the second position by the moving part 190 , the delivery part 180 may be connected to the transmission means 280 extended from the onshore storage facility 270 . The transmission means 280 may be provided with a plurality of connectors. For example, the first connector 281 may be connected to the first electrolysis device a, and the second connector 282 may be connected to the second electrolysis device b. A schedule related to a location and a time at which a plurality of electrolysis devices are connected to the transmission means 280 by using a plurality of connectors may be set.

When the transmission unit 180 is connected to the transmission means 280 , the hydrogen stored in the storage unit 170 may be supplied to the storage facility 270 through the transmission unit 180 and the transmission means 280 .

The transmission unit 180 may be provided with a pipe through which hydrogen stored in the storage unit 170 is discharged and connected to the transmission unit 280, and a valve for opening and closing the pipe.

At least two energy sources that can be used as power by the moving unit 190 may be present on the body 110 of the present invention. One is the primary energy produced by the power generation unit 130 or stored in the primary storage means (139). The other one is hydrogen stored in the storage unit 170 . At this time, in order to minimize the loss of energy conversion, the moving unit 190 may move the body 110 by using primary energy instead of hydrogen as power. As an example, the moving unit 190 may include a motor rotating using electricity generated by the power generating unit 130 , and a propeller 191 linked to a motor shaft.

Returning to FIG. 1 again, the power generation unit 130 may include a solar panel. The solar panel may generate electricity that induces water electrolysis by using sunlight in a state disposed on the water by the body unit 110 .

The solar panel may be formed in a plate shape. When the solar panel formed in the plate shape is disposed at an angle to face the sun, photoelectric efficiency may be increased. Adjustments may be used to tilt the solar panel to face the sun, which changes position over time.

The control unit may move the solar panel such that a steering axis S of the solar panel faces the sun. The steering axis S may include an imaginary axis orthogonal to the solar panel. The control unit may include an actuator that moves the solar panel. At this time, as the power of the actuator, electricity produced by the solar panel or electricity stored in the primary storage means 139 may be used.

When the hydrogen produced by the production unit 150 is stored in the storage unit 170, the discharge unit 120 may discharge the oxygen produced in the production unit 150 into the water.

For the smooth production of primary energy, the body part 110 may be disposed on a calm water surface, in other words, with little movement of water. In the case of lakes and rivers with low water movement, the amount of dissolved oxygen may be low. Since oxygen is forcibly released into the water by the discharge unit 120 of this embodiment, the dissolved oxygen amount of the lake, river, and sea in which the body unit 110 is located can be improved.

For example, when the propeller 191 is provided in the moving unit 190 , the discharge unit 120 may include a discharge pipe 127 in which the discharge port 129 is formed at a position facing the propeller 191 . The discharge pipe 127 may discharge oxygen produced by the production unit 150 into the water. According to the present embodiment, oxygen may be discharged to a region where numerous bubbles are generated by the propeller 191 . The discharged oxygen is mixed with the foam and spreads in all directions, and the amount of dissolved oxygen in a wide area can be improved.

Through the improvement of the dissolved oxygen amount, the water pollution of the lake, river, and sea in which the body part 110 is disposed can be alleviated.

3 is a schematic diagram showing the discharge unit 120 of the present invention.

A propeller 191 moving the body portion 110 and a cover covering the propeller 191 may be provided. The propeller 191 may correspond to the moving part 190 , and the cover may correspond to the discharge part 120 .

The cover may include a ring-shaped outer peripheral portion 121, a central portion 123 formed in the center of the annular shape, a plurality of connecting portions 125 extending in a radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the central portion 123 and connected to the outer peripheral portion 121. have.

The outer peripheral part 121 and the connection part 125 may be formed in a tube structure in which oxygen produced together with hydrogen in the production part 150 communicates. The outer peripheral portion 121 may be connected to a pump 155 for forcibly moving oxygen generated by the second electrode 152 and flowing along the second tube portion 154 toward the discharge portion 120 . Oxygen guided to the outer peripheral portion 121 by the pump 155 flows along the connecting portion 125 and may advance to the central portion 123 .

A discharge port 129 through which oxygen passing through the outer peripheral portion 121 and the connecting portion 125 is discharged may be formed in the central portion 123 . The discharge port 129 may be formed on the O coaxial with the propeller 191 . According to this embodiment, oxygen is discharged on the rotation shaft of the propeller 191, and when the propeller 191 rotates, it can be easily dissolved in water or spread over a wide area.

When the forward direction of the body part 110 is the first direction, the end of the discharge part 120 may extend toward a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Oxygen may be discharged along the second direction by the discharge pipe 127 . A force in the first direction may be applied to the body 110 by the oxygen discharged along the second direction. According to the discharge pipe 127 of the present embodiment, the body portion 110 can move while improving dissolved oxygen.

The communication unit 160 may communicate with an external management unit through wired/wireless communication.

The monitoring unit may monitor the production unit 150 or the storage unit 170 in which hydrogen is stored. The monitoring unit may control the production unit 150 , the storage unit 170 , the moving unit 190 , the delivery unit 180 , the adjusting unit, and the like. For example, the monitoring unit may stop the operation of the production unit 150 when the amount of hydrogen stored in the storage unit 170 satisfies a set value.

The communication unit 160 may transmit the monitoring result of the monitoring unit to the management unit or receive a control command from the management unit. The moving unit 190 may move the body 110 according to the corresponding control command.

For example, the communication unit 160 may be located at an upper end of a frame corresponding to a skeleton constituting the body unit 110 . The communication unit 160 disposed at a high place can theoretically communicate over a long distance. If the communication unit 160 is used, remote control of the production unit 150 , the adjusting unit, the actuator, the motor, the cover, the valve, the pump 155 , the key for controlling the forward direction of the body 110 is possible.

The communication unit 160 may be connected to a program accessible to the electrolysis apparatus 100 to transmit and receive commands and information such as management and operation of the electrolysis apparatus 100 . The manager may use the program to check production statistics, driving state, hydrogen storage amount, etc. of the water electrolysis device 100 or remotely perform all functions necessary for module operation, such as operating the water electrolysis device 100 .

According to the communication unit 160 that transmits and receives the monitoring result or control command, and the monitoring unit that controls or monitors various elements, an IoT remote support program may be introduced. If the support program is used, a floating solar-water electrolysis module that moves to the storage facility 270 on the ground to charge hydrogen fuel without separate management can be provided.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a water electrolysis method of the present invention.

The water electrolysis method shown in FIG. 4 may be performed by the water electrolysis apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 .

The water electrolysis method may include a power generation step (S 410), a water electrolysis step (S 420), a storage and discharge step (S 430), a moving step (S 440), and a supply step (S 450).

The power generation step (S410) may produce electricity using the power generation unit 130 disposed on the water. As an operation performed by the power generation unit 130 , the power generation unit 130 may generate electricity using wave power, tidal power, solar light, wind power, etc. as a source.

In the water electrolysis step ( S420 ), water may be electrolyzed using electricity. Hydrogen and oxygen can be generated through water electrolysis. As an operation performed by the production unit 150 , the production unit 150 may electrolyze water using the electricity generated in the power generation step ( S410 ).

In the storage and release step ( S430 ), hydrogen produced through water electrolysis may be stored in the storage unit 170 , and oxygen produced through water electrolysis may be discharged into water through the discharge unit 120 .

In the moving step (S440), the storage amount of hydrogen may be monitored. When the amount of hydrogen stored satisfies the set value, the storage unit 170 may be moved toward the land. The monitoring of the hydrogen storage amount may be performed by a monitoring unit. A moving unit 190 such as a propeller 191 may be used to move the storage unit 170 or to move the body unit 110 in which the storage unit 170 is installed.

In the supplying step ( S450 ), when the storage unit 170 reaches the land, the hydrogen stored in the storage unit 170 may be supplied to the storage facility 270 provided on the land. As an operation performed by the transfer unit 180 , the transfer unit 180 may transfer hydrogen from the storage unit 170 to the storage facility 270 under the control of the communication unit 160 or the monitoring unit.

5 is a diagram illustrating a computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computing device TN100 of FIG. 5 may be a device described herein (eg, the water electrolysis device 100 or a monitoring unit).

In the embodiment of FIG. 5 , the computing device TN100 may include at least one processor TN110 , a transceiver device TN120 , and a memory TN130 . Also, the computing device TN100 may further include a storage device TN140 , an input interface device TN150 , an output interface device TN160 , and the like. Components included in the computing device TN100 may be connected by a bus TN170 to communicate with each other.

The processor TN110 may execute a program command stored in at least one of the memory TN130 and the storage device TN140. The processor TN110 may mean a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor on which methods according to an embodiment of the present invention are performed. The processor TN110 may be configured to implement procedures, functions, and methods described in connection with an embodiment of the present invention. The processor TN110 may control each component of the computing device TN100 .

Each of the memory TN130 and the storage device TN140 may store various information related to the operation of the processor TN110 . Each of the memory TN130 and the storage device TN140 may be configured as at least one of a volatile storage medium and a nonvolatile storage medium. For example, the memory TN130 may include at least one of a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM).

The transceiver TN120 may transmit or receive a wired signal or a wireless signal. The transceiver TN120 may be connected to a network to perform communication.

On the other hand, the embodiment of the present invention is not implemented only through the apparatus and/or method described so far, and a program for realizing a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention or a recording medium in which the program is recorded may be implemented. And, such an implementation can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art from the description of the above-described embodiments.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the following claims are also presented. It belongs to the scope of the invention.

70...Athletics 90...Award
100... water electrolyzer 110... body
117...buoyancy means 119...inlet pipe
120...Emission part 121...Outer part
123...center 125...connection
127...discharge tube 129...discharge port
130... Electricity production department 139... Primary storage means
150...Production unit 151...First electrode
152...Second electrode 153...First pipe part
154...Second pipe part 155...Pump
159...Reservoir 160...Ministry of Communications
170...storage 180...transfer
190...Movement 191...Propeller
270...storage facility 280...transmission means
281...First connector 282...Second connector

Claims (12)

a body part floating in water;
A production unit supported on the body portion and electrolyzing the water using primary energy to produce hydrogen; includes,
A storage unit, a transfer unit and a moving unit installed in the body portion are provided,
The storage unit stores the hydrogen produced by the production unit in the water,
The moving unit moves the body to reciprocate between a first position on the water and a second position facing a transmission means connected to a storage facility on land,
When the body part reaches the second position by the moving part, the delivery part is connected to the transmission means,
A pipe connected to the transmission means through which hydrogen stored in the storage unit is discharged, and a valve for opening and closing the pipe are provided in the delivery unit,
When the transmission unit is connected to the transmission means, the hydrogen stored in the storage unit is supplied to the storage facility through the transmission unit and the transmission means,
A discharging unit for discharging oxygen produced together with the hydrogen into water in the production unit, a propeller moving the body is provided,
The discharge unit includes a discharge pipe in which a discharge port is formed at a position facing the propeller,
The discharge part is a water electrolysis device for discharging the oxygen to a region where bubbles are generated by the propeller using the discharge pipe to improve the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water supporting the body.
According to claim 1,
A power generation unit supported by the body portion and configured to produce the primary energy in a state disposed on the water by the body portion is provided,
The power generation unit recycles fossil fuels or converts renewable energy to produce the primary energy.
delete delete According to claim 1,
A power generating unit and a moving unit installed in the body are provided,
The power generation unit produces the primary energy in a state disposed on the water by the body unit,
The moving part uses the primary energy as a power to move the body part water electrolysis device.
delete delete a body part floating in water;
A production unit supported on the body portion and electrolyzing the water using primary energy to produce hydrogen; includes,
A discharging unit for discharging oxygen produced together with the hydrogen into water in the production unit, a propeller moving the body is provided,
The discharge unit includes a discharge pipe in which a discharge port is formed at a position facing the propeller,
The discharge part is a water electrolysis device for discharging the oxygen to a region where bubbles are generated by the propeller using the discharge pipe to improve the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water supporting the body.
delete According to claim 1,
A discharge pipe for discharging oxygen produced together with the hydrogen in the production unit into water is provided,
When the forward direction of the body portion is the first direction, the end of the discharge pipe extends toward the second direction opposite to the first direction,
A water electrolysis device in which a force in the first direction is applied to the body part by the oxygen discharged along the second direction by the discharge pipe.
According to claim 1,
A communication unit communicating with an external management unit, a monitoring unit for monitoring the production unit or a storage unit in which the hydrogen is stored is provided,
The communication unit transmits the monitoring result of the monitoring unit to the management unit or receives a control command from the management unit,
A water electrolysis device provided with a moving part that moves the body according to the control command.
delete

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