KR102648961B1 - Continuous hydrogen generator and power generation system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The continuous hydrogen generator according to the present invention includes a metal supply unit that supplies aluminum pellets to the reaction unit; A melting zone for melting the aluminum pellets introduced from the metal supply unit to form molten metal and reacting with water vapor supplied from the gas supply unit, a scraper for dropping aluminum oxide flakes formed on the upper surface of the molten metal, and the aluminum oxide A reaction unit provided with a recovery area where flakes are dropped and stored; a gas supply unit disposed below the reaction unit to supply water vapor to the melting zone; and a storage unit disposed on the other side of the reaction unit to receive and store the aluminum oxide flakes stored in the recovery area.

Description

Continuous hydrogen generator and hydrogen fuel power generation system using the same {CONTINUOUS HYDROGEN GENERATOR AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a continuous hydrogen generator and a hydrogen fuel supply system using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a continuous hydrogen generator using aluminum and a hydrogen fuel supply system using the same.

The problem of increased carbon emissions due to increased use of fossil fuels is a very urgent task to solve. Therefore, efforts are being made to find environmentally friendly energy sources, and recently, the use of fuel cells that use hydrogen as an energy source is gradually increasing.

Fuel cells have the advantage of producing no harmful emissions during the battery energy production process, but their use is limited because it is still difficult to stably produce and store hydrogen.

Currently, hydrogen production is mainly obtained by reforming natural gas, which is a fossil fuel, or uses by-product hydrogen generated during industrial processes, so the hydrogen production process is not environmentally friendly, and the production cost is very high, which limits the use of hydrogen as energy.

Ultimately, there is a way to produce hydrogen by electrolyzing water using a water electrolysis method using renewable energy such as nuclear power, wind power, hydro power, or solar power, but the production facilities are becoming large and are affected by external environments such as climate. there is a problem. Additionally, it is difficult to establish commercial technology, so long-term research and development will be required in the future.

Therefore, in order to promote stable hydrogen production, it is necessary to develop a hydrogen production method that can increase hydrogen production through a simpler process.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0044505 discloses a hydrogen generation device and a hydrogen generation method for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. In particular, the hydrogen generation device and hydrogen generation method according to the hydrogen generation device include an aqueous NaBH ₄ solution and an antifoaming agent in the hydrogen generation reaction process. It discloses minimizing the weight or volume of by-products produced by separating them and eliminating the influence of the anti-foaming agent, but does not disclose a configuration that can mass-produce hydrogen at a lower cost and recycle the by-products.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a continuous hydrogen generator that can mass produce hydrogen using a simpler device than water electrolysis and is more environmentally friendly because it does not generate by-products that require separate reprocessing.

Another advantage of the present invention is that in addition to selling the produced hydrogen to a separate market, it is directly connected to a fuel cell to replace it with the hydrogen fuel of the fuel cell, and the electricity generated from the fuel cell is reused in a continuous hydrogen generator for continuous energy recycling. This means that it can be used in a circular structure.

The above and other objects of the present invention can all be achieved by the present invention described below.

1. One aspect of the present invention relates to a continuous hydrogen generator.

The continuous hydrogen generator includes a metal supply unit that supplies aluminum pellets to the reaction unit;

A melting zone for melting the aluminum pellets introduced from the metal supply unit to form molten metal and reacting with water vapor supplied from the gas supply unit, a scraper for dropping aluminum oxide flakes formed on the upper surface of the molten metal, and the aluminum oxide A reaction unit provided with a recovery area where flakes are dropped and stored;

a gas supply unit disposed below the reaction unit to supply water vapor to the melting zone; and

It includes a storage unit disposed on the other side of the reaction unit to receive and store the aluminum oxide flakes stored in the recovery area.

2. In the first embodiment, the metal supply unit may include a metal supply unit connected to the melting zone and a preheating unit that heats the metal supply unit to heat the flowing aluminum pellets.

3. In the above 2 embodiments, the metal supply unit may be of a screw conveyor type.

4. In the above two embodiments, a catalyst supply unit for supplying a catalyst to one side of the metal supply unit may be further included.

5. In any one of the embodiments 1 to 4 above, the gas supply unit may be provided with a plurality of gas supply pipes.

6. In any one of embodiments 1 to 5 above, the water vapor may be supplied at a pressure in the range of 1 to 5 bar.

7. In any one of the embodiments 1 to 6 above, a heating unit is provided on the outer periphery of the reaction unit to control the temperature of the molten metal to induce a reaction according to the following formula (1).

[Formula 1]

2Al +3H ₂ O → Al ₂ O ₃ + 3H ₂

8. In any one of the embodiments of 1 to 7, the reaction unit is provided with a motor on the upper side, and the scraper is connected to the motor, and the scraper rotates to continuously scrape aluminum oxide flakes formed on the upper surface of the molten metal. can be dropped.

9. Continuous hydrogen generator in any one of embodiments 1 to 8 above, wherein the cross-sectional areas of the melting zone and the recovery zone are determined according to the following equation 1:

[Equation 1]

1/6 σ1 ≤ σ2 ≤ 1/2 σ1

Here, σ1 is the cross-sectional area of the reaction section, and σ2 is the cross-sectional area of the recovery zone.

10. In any one of embodiments 1 to 9 above, a cooling unit may be provided on one side of the recovery area.

11. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a hydrogen fuel power generation system.

The hydrogen fuel power generation system includes a reaction unit that reacts the aluminum pellets and water vapor introduced from the metal supply unit to generate hydrogen gas and aluminum oxide flakes;

a storage unit disposed on one side of the reaction unit to recover the aluminum oxide flakes;

A gas supply unit supplying water vapor to the reaction unit;

A power generation unit disposed on one side of the reaction unit and producing electricity using hydrogen gas generated in the reaction unit;

a fuel cell unit disposed on one side of the power generation unit and producing electricity using hydrogen gas delivered from the reaction unit; and

It includes a condensation unit disposed on one side of the fuel cell unit.

12. In the 11th embodiment above, electricity produced in the power generation unit and the fuel cell unit can be supplied to the outside.

13. In the 11th or 12th embodiment, the power generation unit may be a microturbine.

14. In any one of embodiments 11 to 13 above, water generated in the condensation unit may be recovered and re-supplied to the gas supply unit.

The continuous hydrogen generator according to the present invention is highly economical by using low-cost aluminum, and does not generate harmful substances, so it can continuously produce hydrogen in an environmentally friendly manner and supply aluminum oxide flakes in large quantities. The reaction unit, which can produce hydrogen through the reaction of aluminum and water vapor, is equipped to enable an effective continuous reaction between aluminum pellets and water vapor to increase hydrogen production efficiency, and the by-product aluminum oxide flakes are recovered as fine powder and used as coating materials and heat-resistant materials. Alternatively, it can be recycled to oxidized materials.

In addition, the hydrogen fuel power generation system according to another aspect of the present invention is equipped with a continuous hydrogen generator to continuously generate hydrogen, making it highly economical, and is equipped with a hybrid power generation system including a microturbine and a fuel cell to provide electricity more stably. Therefore, it can provide stable and inexpensive electric energy when equipped in vehicles, ships, and drones, as well as hydrogen fuel for small power plants, balloons, and general households.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a continuous hydrogen generator according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a partially cut-away perspective view showing the reaction part of the continuous hydrogen generator according to Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan cross-sectional view of the reaction part of the continuous hydrogen generator according to Figure 1.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a case where the area of the recovery zone in the reaction section of the continuous hydrogen generator according to FIG. 1 is, for example, 1/2 of the cross-sectional area of the reaction section.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a case where the area of the recovery zone in the reaction section of the continuous hydrogen generator according to FIG. 1 is, for example, 1/6 of the cross-sectional area of the reaction section.
Figure 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a hydrogen fuel power generation system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the following drawings are provided only to aid understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited by the following drawings. In addition, the shape, size, ratio, angle, number, etc. of the hydrogen generator and parts disclosed in the drawings are illustrative and the present invention is not limited to the matters shown.

Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. Additionally, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

When 'includes', 'has', 'consists of', etc. mentioned in this specification are used, other parts may be added unless 'only' is used. When a component is expressed in the singular, the plural is included unless specifically stated otherwise.

When interpreting a component, it is interpreted to include the margin of error even if there is no separate explicit description.

When the positional relationship between two parts is described as ‘on’, ‘at the top’, ‘at the bottom’, ‘next to’, etc., unless ‘immediately’ or ‘directly’ is used, there is no difference between the two parts. One or more different parts may be located.

Positional relationships such as 'upper', 'top', 'lower', 'lower', etc. are only written based on the drawings, and do not represent absolute positional relationships. In other words, depending on the observation position, the positions of 'top' and 'bottom' or 'top' and 'bottom' may change.

In this specification, “a to b” indicating a numerical range is defined as “≥a and ≤b”.

Hereinafter, a continuous hydrogen generator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a continuous hydrogen generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a partially cut-away perspective view showing the reaction part of the continuous hydrogen generator according to Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a continuous hydrogen generator according to Figure 1. This is a flat cross-sectional view of the reaction part.

1 to 3, the continuous hydrogen generator 1000 includes a metal supply unit 100, a reaction unit 200, a storage unit 300, and a gas supply unit 400.

The metal supply unit 100 may store aluminum pellets 110 therein and supply the aluminum pellets 110 to the reaction unit 200.

Since the metal supply unit 100 is provided to store the aluminum pellets 110 and then supply them to the reaction unit 200, it is easy to control the supply amount of the aluminum pellets 110, and the aluminum pellets 110 and water vapor It is very advantageous to continuously produce hydrogen through reaction.

In one specific example, the metal supply unit 100 includes a metal supply unit 120 and a preheating unit 122.

The metal supply unit 100 includes a space for storing aluminum pellets 110 and a metal supply unit 120 connected to the melting zone 210, and aluminum pellets 110 that flow by heating the metal supply unit 120. ) may be provided with a preheating unit 122 that preheats.

The metal supply unit 120 is provided with a supply pipe that can transfer aluminum pellets 110 to the reaction unit 200.

Specifically, the supply pipe may be provided in the form of a screw conveyor 121 to continuously supply aluminum pellets 110. When provided in the form of a screw conveyor 121, the supply pipe may continuously supply aluminum pellets 110 to the reaction unit. It is very desirable because it can be continuously moved into the molten metal 211 of (200).

The supply pipe is not particularly limited as long as it can continuously supply aluminum pellets 110. For example, a straight-shaped supply pipe (not shown) is also possible. When the metal supply unit 120 is provided with a straight-shaped supply pipe, aluminum pellets 110 can be supplied from the top and effectively moved to the molten metal 211 by their own weight. In this case, a device for supplying the aluminum pellets 110 is used. No additional drive is required.

Meanwhile, the melting zone 210 of the reaction unit 200 to which the metal supply unit 120 is connected is heated to at least 480 ° C. or higher than the aluminum melting temperature, for example, heated to 660 ° C. or higher to form the molten aluminum 211. Since it is in a formed state, the heat of the molten metal 211 can be transferred into the supply pipe 121.

At this time, when the aluminum pellets 110 are supplied using a straight supply pipe, not only may the heat of the molten metal 211 be excessively transmitted, but also a problem of the molten metal 211 flowing backward may occur. However, the screw conveyor ( When provided with a 121) or a straight supply pipe, the molten metal 211 cannot flow back, and the aluminum pellets 110 are supplied more slowly than with a straight supply pipe, which is very preferable.

On the other hand, when the metal supply unit 120 is provided with a U-shaped supply pipe and the aluminum pellets 110 are maintained in a melted state in the reaction unit 200, the aluminum pellets 110 flowing into the metal supply unit 120 ) may be melted, and in this case as well, the molten aluminum pellets 110 may be gradually introduced into the melting zone 210 of the reaction unit 200 due to the siphon effect.

The preheating unit 122 may be provided to surround the screw conveyor 121, and specifically, a heating wire may be disposed to heat the screw conveyor 121.

When the preheating unit 122 is provided, the temperature of the aluminum pellets 110 flowing into the reaction unit 200 is preheated by raising the temperature of the aluminum pellets 110 flowing into the reaction unit 200 to the temperature immediately before melting at the beginning of operation of the continuous hydrogen generator 1000. When the aluminum pellets 110 are directly introduced into the melting zone 210 of 200, they can be melted more effectively.

The preheating unit 122 very effectively increases hydrogen generation efficiency in the initial operation stage of the continuous hydrogen generator 1000.

In one embodiment, a catalyst supply unit 130 that supplies catalyst to one side of the metal supply unit 100 may be further included.

The catalyst supply unit 130 is provided so that a catalyst to increase the reaction rate can be additionally added together with the aluminum pellets 110.

In one embodiment, the aluminum pellets 110 may be manufactured by recycling discarded aluminum cans, etc. in a dry heat furnace, and in this case, it is very desirable in terms of aluminum resource circulation.

The reaction unit 200 includes a melting zone 210 and a recovery zone 220, and a scraper (which rotates in contact with the upper surface of the melting zone 210) is provided on the upper part of the melting zone 210 and the recovery zone 220. 231) may be included.

The reaction unit 200 provides a space where the aluminum pellets 110 introduced from the metal supply unit 100 can directly melt and react with water vapor supplied from the gas supply unit 400.

The reaction section 200 is divided into a melting zone 210 and a recovery zone 220, and is specifically a continuous reactor (flow reactor chamber) into which materials and energy can be introduced and discharged after reaction.

The reaction section 200 is preferably cylindrical in which the reaction proceeds in the longitudinal direction, but is divided into a melting zone 210 and a recovery zone 220, and aluminum pellets 110 are supplied to one side to melt and react with water vapor. There is no limit to the shape as long as it can provide a space to collect the aluminum oxide flakes 212 and to recover the generated aluminum oxide flakes 212. For example, the melting zone 210 and the recovery zone 200 may be provided in the form of a hexahedron with a square cross-section.

A melting zone 210 may be provided in a portion of the space inside the reaction unit 200, and the remaining space may be provided as a recovery zone 220.

The melting zone 210 is connected to the metal supply unit 100 on one side, and aluminum pellets 110 are continuously introduced from the metal supply unit 100.

A heating unit 240 whose temperature is controlled may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the reaction unit 200, and the heating unit 240 is introduced by increasing the temperature of the melting zone 210 of the reaction unit 200. The aluminum pellet 110 is melted to form the molten metal 211.

Meanwhile, a fire-resistant wall 213 may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the reaction unit 200, and specifically, a heat-resistant tile containing silicon carbide (SiC) may be provided.

A refractory wall 213 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the reaction unit 200, so that safety can be ensured even when the aluminum pellet 110 is melted to form the molten metal 211.

The gas supply unit 400 is disposed below the reaction unit 200 and can supply water vapor (H ₂ O gas) to the melting zone 210.

In one embodiment, the gas supply unit 400 may supply water vapor (H ₂ O) through a plurality of gas supply pipes 410.

When water vapor is supplied from the gas supply unit 400, the water vapor rises inside the molten metal 211 and may react with aluminum to form aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ). Specifically, the gas supply unit 400 supplies water vapor in the form of bubbles through a plurality of gas supply pipes 410. When the bubbles rise, heat is transferred within the molten metal 211 to increase the hydrogen pressure inside the bubbles. As this increases, the volume of the bubble increases, exceeding the pressure of the aluminum oxide film formed on the outer wall of the bubble, and eventually the bubble ruptures, repeating the process of forming a plurality of bubbles.

When a plurality of gas supply units 400 are provided to supply water vapor from the lower part of the reaction unit 200, a large amount of bubbles can be generated in the molten metal 211, and in this case, the hydrogen generation reaction increases, thereby causing oxidation. It can effectively promote aluminum and hydrogen production.

Specifically, the hydrogen generation reaction may be performed according to the following formulas 1 to 3.

[Formula 1]

2Al +3H ₂ O → Al ₂ O ₃ + 3H ₂

[Formula 2]

2Al +6H ₂ O → 2Al(OH) ₃ + 3H ₂

[Formula 3]

2Al +4H ₂ O → 2AlO(OH) + 3H ₂

When the bubbles are generated in the lower part of the melting zone 210, an aluminum oxide film is first created on the surface of the bubbles according to Formula 2. Afterwards, the bubbles rise, and the reaction unit 200 is controlled so that the temperature increases from the melting zone 210 to the upper side. Therefore, when the temperature around the bubbles rises, a hydrogen production reaction occurs according to Formula 3 above. As the hydrogen pressure within the bubble increases, the bubble ruptures and multiple bubbles are formed. Ultimately, a large amount of hydrogen may be generated in the upper part of the melting zone 210 according to Formula 1 above.

In one embodiment, a heating unit 240 is provided on the outer periphery of the reaction unit 200 to control the temperature of the molten metal 211 to induce a reaction according to the following Chemical Formula 1, and specifically, the reaction of the Chemical Formula 2 The hydrogen generation reaction can be promoted by gradually adjusting the temperature of the upper part (A1) of the molten metal 211 to be higher than the lower part (A0) from 480°C, where this can occur, to 660°C or higher, where the reaction of Chemical Formula 1 can occur. .

Therefore, the overall reaction according to Chemical Formulas 1 to 3 can maximize hydrogen generation by increasing the melting temperature of aluminum.

In one embodiment, the catalyst supply unit 130 is further provided to supply a reaction catalyst capable of increasing the hydrogen generation reaction. For example, when a nano-sized iron oxide catalyst is added, the hydrogen generation effect is effectively improved. can be increased.

In one embodiment, the water vapor may be supplied at a pressure ranging from 1 to 5 bar.

If water vapor is supplied within the above range, hydrogen production can be increased by increasing the amount of bubbles generated. If the water vapor is supplied less than the above range, there is a risk that water vapor may not be properly introduced into the melting zone 210, and if the water vapor is supplied beyond the above range, In this case, energy consumption is high and the flow of the molten metal 211 increases, which is not desirable.

The hydrogen generated according to Formula 1 is discharged through the hydrogen discharge pipe 250 provided on the upper side of the reaction unit 200, and the aluminum oxide formed together is formed in an irregular shape on the upper part of the molten metal 211 in the melting zone 210. It floats as fine aluminum oxide flakes (Al ₂ O ₃ Flake; 212).

The scraper 231 may drop the aluminum oxide flakes 212 formed on the upper surface of the molten metal 211 into the recovery area 220.

When the shape of the reaction unit 200 is square, it is also possible to move the aluminum oxide flakes to the upper surface of the molten metal 211 using a member such as a plurality of screw conveyors or pushers.

The reaction unit 200 is equipped with a motor 230 on the upper side, and the scraper 231 is rotatably connected to the motor 230. The scraper 231 rotates to move the upper surface of the molten metal 211. The aluminum oxide flakes 212 formed in can be dropped continuously.

Specifically, while the scraper 231 continuously rotates, the aluminum oxide flakes 212 can be pushed in the direction of rotation, moved to the recovery area 220, and then dropped downward along the space of the recovery area 220.

The scraper 231 is preferably provided with wings extending in four directions that are connected to and rotated by the motor 230 to continuously move and drop the aluminum oxide flakes 212. There is no limitation as long as it is configured to collect and move to the recovery area 220.

In one embodiment, the cross-sectional areas of the melting zone 210 and the recovery zone 220 may be determined according to Equation 1 below.

[Equation 1]

1/6 σ1 ≤ σ2 ≤ 1/2 σ1

Here, σ1 is the cross-sectional area of the reaction section, and σ2 is the cross-sectional area of the recovery zone 220.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the case where the area of the recovery zone in the reaction part of the continuous hydrogen generator according to Figure 1 is, for example, 1/2 of the cross-sectional area of the reaction part, and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the case where the area of the recovery area is 1/2 of the cross-sectional area of the reaction part, and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the case where the area of the recovery zone in the reaction part of the continuous hydrogen generator according to Figure 1 is, for example, 1/2 of the cross-sectional area of the reaction part. This is a schematic diagram showing the case where the area of the recovery zone is, for example, 1/6 of the cross-sectional area of the reaction section.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the cross-sectional area of the recovery zone 220 may be the same as or smaller than that of the melting zone 210, and for example, it is preferable to have a smaller cross-sectional area. When provided within the above range, a space can be secured to effectively generate aluminum oxide flakes 212 in the melting zone 210, and the scraper 231 moves the aluminum oxide flakes 212 to the recovery zone ( 220) can be effectively dropped.

When the cross-sectional area of the melting zone 210 increases beyond the above range, an excessive amount of aluminum oxide flakes 212 are collected on the blades of the scraper 231 at a time, which increases the rotational load of the scraper 231, which is not desirable. In addition, the area of the recovery area 220 is excessively small, so it is difficult for the aluminum oxide flakes 212 to fall into the recovery area 220.

In the recovery area 220, the aluminum oxide flakes 212 may be dropped and stored.

When the scraper 231 moves the aluminum oxide flakes 212 and arrives at the upper part of the recovery area 220, the aluminum oxide flakes 212 fall and are stored in the recovery area 220.

Since the recovery area 220 is provided to extend in the longitudinal direction of the reaction unit 200, the aluminum oxide flakes 212 can be cooled in the process of falling, and the pulverization effect is increased due to impact when falling, thereby forming fine powder. Aluminum oxide flakes 320 may be formed.

In one embodiment, a cooling unit 221 may be provided on one side of the recovery area 220.

When the cooling unit 221 is provided, the aluminum oxide flakes 212 can be quickly cooled to form fine powder aluminum oxide flakes 320, and the recovery efficiency of the fine powder aluminum oxide flakes 320 can be increased.

The storage unit 300 is disposed on the other side of the reaction unit 200 and receives and stores the fine powder aluminum oxide flakes 320 stored in the recovery area 220 through the recovery pipe 310.

When the storage unit 300 is provided, it is very easy to receive the fine powder aluminum oxide flakes 320, store them in a certain amount, and eject them to recycle.

Therefore, the continuous hydrogen generator 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention has high economic efficiency by producing a large amount of hydrogen by supplying low-cost aluminum pellets 110, and can continuously produce hydrogen through a continuous reaction, so it can be used in fuel cells, etc. It can supply hydrogen very effectively, and the by-product aluminum oxide flakes can be recovered as fine powder and recycled for coating materials, heat resistance materials, or oxidizing materials.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a hydrogen fuel power generation system (2000).

Figure 4 is a schematic configuration of a hydrogen fuel power generation system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the hydrogen fuel power generation system 2000 includes a metal supply unit 100, a gas supply unit 400, a reaction unit 200, a storage unit 300, a power generation unit 2100, and a fuel cell unit 2200. ) and a condensation unit 2300.

The metal supply unit 100 supplies aluminum pellets 110.

The reaction unit 200 is disposed on one side of the gas supply unit 400, and reacts water vapor introduced from the gas supply unit 400 with the aluminum pellet 110 to generate hydrogen gas and aluminum oxide flakes.

The storage unit 300 is disposed on one side of the reaction unit 200 and is provided with a supply pipe 330 to supply the aluminum oxide flakes to the outside.

Aluminum oxide flakes discharged from the storage unit 300 can be recycled into fine powder and, for example, used as a ceramic coating agent.

The gas supply unit 400 may supply water vapor to the reaction unit 200.

The gas supply unit 400 supplies water vapor to the reaction unit 200, so that the aluminum pellets 110 introduced into the reaction unit 200 react with the water vapor to generate hydrogen and aluminum oxide flakes.

The power generation unit 2100 is disposed on one side of the reaction unit 200 and can produce electricity using hydrogen gas generated in the reaction unit 200.

The fuel cell unit 2200 is disposed on one side of the power generation unit 2100 and can produce electricity using hydrogen gas delivered from the reaction unit 200 and an air flow 2210 supplied from the outside.

The electric flow 2400 produced by the power generation unit 2100 and the fuel cell unit 2200 may be supplied to the outside.

The electric flow 2400 can also be used as energy for heating the reaction unit 200.

The hydrogen fuel power generation system 2000 may be provided as a hybrid system in which the power generation unit 2100 and the fuel cell unit 2200 are arranged in parallel or series. In this case, electricity can be produced and supplied more stably.

Specifically, the power generation unit 2100 may be a small microturbine. When the power generation unit 2100 uses a small microturbine, not only can electricity be produced, but the amount of heat generated by hydrogen combustion is large, so not only electrical energy but also thermal energy can be generated. It can be used in fuel supply systems that require the use of .

The condensation unit 2300 is disposed on one side of the fuel cell unit 2200.

The condensation unit 2300 condenses water vapor discharged from the fuel cell unit 2200 and converts it into water, forming an oxygen flow 2310.

Meanwhile, the water generated in the condensation unit 2300 can be recovered to create a water flow 2320 and re-supplied to the gas supply unit 400.

When the condensing unit 2300 is provided and supplied to the gas supply unit 400, water consumed when supplying water vapor can be saved and the efficiency of the hydrogen fuel power generation system can be increased.

Specifically, the hydrogen fuel power generation system can generate about 31MJ/kg energy using aluminum, which costs about 2,000 won/kg, and a gasoline engine that generates about 43MJ/kg energy using gasoline, which costs about 1,500 won/kg. It can generate comparable energy, and in terms of energy efficiency, it can show an energy efficiency of about 28% or more compared to a gasoline engine's efficiency of about 20%, making it highly useful as a fuel propulsion engine.

Therefore, the hydrogen fuel power generation system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a reaction unit that effectively produces hydrogen by supplying aluminum, so that hydrogen can be continuously supplied, and the generated hydrogen produces electricity through the power generation unit and fuel cell unit. Because it can be supplied externally, it can be used as a fuel propulsion system for small power plants, vehicles, ships, etc. in addition to general household or industrial purposes.

So far, the present invention has been examined focusing on the embodiments. A person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative rather than a restrictive perspective. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope should be construed as being included in the present invention.

1000: Continuous hydrogen generator
100: metal supply unit 110: aluminum pellet
120: Metal supply unit 121: Screw conveyor
122: Preheating unit 130: Catalyst supply unit
200: reaction section 210: melting zone
211: molten metal 212: aluminum oxide flake
213: fireproof wall 220: recovery area
221: cooling unit 230: motor
231: scraper 240: heating unit
250: Hydrogen discharge pipe 300: Storage unit
310: Recovery pipe 320: Fine powder aluminum oxide flake
330: supply pipe 400: gas supply unit
410: gas supply pipe
2000: Hydrogen fuel power generation system
2100: Power generation unit 2200: Fuel cell unit
2210: air flow 2300: condensation unit
2310: Oxygen flow 2320: Water flow
2400: Electric flow

Claims (14)

A metal supply unit that supplies aluminum pellets to the reaction unit;
A melting zone for melting the aluminum pellets introduced from the metal supply unit to form molten metal and reacting with water vapor supplied from the gas supply unit, a scraper for dropping aluminum oxide flakes formed on the upper surface of the molten metal, and the aluminum oxide A reaction unit provided with a recovery area where flakes are dropped and stored;
a gas supply unit disposed below the reaction unit to supply water vapor to the melting zone; and
It includes a storage unit disposed on the other side of the reaction unit to receive and store the aluminum oxide flakes stored in the recovery area,
A continuous hydrogen generator, characterized in that the cross-sectional areas of the melting zone and the recovery zone are determined according to the following equation 1:
[Equation 1]
1/6 σ1 ≤ σ2 ≤ 1/2 σ1
Here, σ1 is the cross-sectional area of the reaction zone, and σ2 is the cross-sectional area of the recovery zone.
The continuous hydrogen generator according to claim 1, wherein the metal supply unit includes a metal supply unit connected to the melting zone and a preheating unit that heats the metal supply unit to heat the flowing aluminum pellets.
The continuous hydrogen generator according to claim 2, wherein the metal supply unit is of a screw conveyor type.
The continuous hydrogen generator according to claim 2, further comprising a catalyst supply unit that supplies catalyst to one side of the metal supply unit.
The continuous hydrogen generator according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply unit includes a plurality of gas supply pipes.
The continuous hydrogen generator according to claim 1, wherein the water vapor is supplied at a pressure ranging from 1 to 5 bar.
The continuous hydrogen generator according to claim 1, wherein a heating unit is provided on the outer periphery of the reaction unit to control the temperature of the molten metal to induce a reaction according to the following formula (1):
[Formula 1]
2Al +3H ₂ O → Al ₂ O ₃ + 3H ₂
The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction unit is provided with a motor on the upper side, the scraper is connected to the motor, and the scraper rotates to continuously drop aluminum oxide flakes formed on the upper surface of the molten metal. Continuous hydrogen generator.
delete The continuous hydrogen generator according to claim 1, wherein a cooling unit is provided on one side of the recovery zone.
A metal supply unit that supplies aluminum pellets;
A reaction unit that reacts the aluminum pellets introduced from the metal supply unit with water vapor to produce hydrogen gas and aluminum oxide flakes;
a storage unit disposed on one side of the reaction unit to recover the aluminum oxide flakes;
A gas supply unit supplying water vapor to the reaction unit;
A power generation unit disposed on one side of the reaction unit and producing electricity using hydrogen gas generated in the reaction unit;
a fuel cell unit disposed on one side of the power generation unit and producing electricity using hydrogen gas delivered from the reaction unit; and
It includes a condensation unit disposed on one side of the fuel cell unit,
The reaction section has a melting zone and a recovery zone,
A hydrogen fuel power generation system, characterized in that the cross-sectional areas of the melting zone and the recovery zone are determined according to Equation 1 below:
[Equation 1]
1/6 σ1 ≤ σ2 ≤ 1/2 σ1
Here, σ1 is the cross-sectional area of the reaction zone, and σ2 is the cross-sectional area of the recovery zone.
The hydrogen fuel power generation system according to claim 11, wherein electricity produced in the power generation unit and the fuel cell unit is supplied to the outside.
The hydrogen fuel power generation system of claim 11, wherein the power generation unit is a microturbine.
The hydrogen fuel power generation system of claim 11, wherein water generated in the condensation unit is recovered and re-supplied to the gas supply unit.

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