RU2198103C2 - Self-contained vehicle with rational utilization of electric energy generated in process of regenerative braking - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport engineering. SUBSTANCE: invention can be used in transport systems with self-contained traction using hydrogen as fuel for own power plants. Proposed vehicle has plant for producing hydrogen in its own hydrogen reactors both using electric energy generated in process of regenerative braking and at traction duty. For this purpose space compartments of hydrogen reactors and reservoirs for storing hydrogen containing compounds are mounted on vehicle. Power plants consumption hydrogen stored in receivers are essentially banks of fuel elements. EFFECT: provision of rational utilization of regenerated electric energy and prevention of discharge of harmful matters into atmosphere. 1 dwg

Description

 There are known designs of autonomous vehicles in which electric currents generated during regenerative braking are discharged to an electric capacitor [1], in other cases [2] these currents are used to heat hydrogen-containing compounds in order to extract hydrogen consumed in fuel cells from them.

 On electrified railway lines, due to regenerative braking, it is possible to return to the contact network a part of the energy spent on the movement of trains.

 On railway lines with autonomous traction, the use of regenerative braking is difficult due to the fact that no ways have been found for the rational use of the electricity generated by this.

 The range of rationalization of ways to use electricity that could be generated during the regenerative braking of an autonomous vehicle extends from equipping motor-car trains with traction batteries [3] to a superconducting electric energy storage [4] on a locomotive.

 The last of the listed methods of using recuperated energy [4] would be most preferable in terms of a technical solution to the problem if it were not for such a significant drawback as the incommensurability of energy costs for the constant storage in a cryostat of low temperatures, which ensure the maintenance of the state of superconductivity of the electric energy storage, with the amount of recovered electricity, especially during prolonged driving in traction mode.

 The objective of the present invention is to find a technical solution for equipping an autonomous vehicle with such units that without energy consumption should be in constant readiness to receive large currents generated during regenerative braking, with the aim of rational use of them to generate energy without destroying non-renewable minerals or products of their processing.

 The most significant difference of the proposed technical solution from the prototype is the fact that instead of the irretrievable destruction of methanol, as described in [2], after completion of all transformations of the starting materials in each cycle, they are restored to their original form and in the same volumes.

 A schematic diagram of the placement of the main modules of an autonomous vehicle, for example, a locomotive with a hydrogen-powered propulsion system operating on autonomous traction railway lines, is shown in the drawing.

 Traction motors 2 installed on locomotive 1, capable of generating electricity during regenerative braking, in addition to conventional electrical circuits that ensure the operation of all electrical equipment in traction modes, are connected in generator mode to battery chargers 3, as well as 4 known hydrogen control panels for hydrogen reactors designs. Hydrogen reactors 4 are connected by piping systems to receivers 5, and receivers 5 are connected by pipelines to power plants 6, which are batteries of fuel cells of known designs. Storage 7 is designed to accommodate substances capable of displacing hydrogen from hydrogen-containing compounds during a chemical reaction. Tanks 8 are designed to store a hydrogen-containing compound, for example ethyl alcohol. Tanks 9 are designed to store water supplies.

 The joint operation of the above locomotive systems throughout the entire period of regenerative braking of a moving train, when the traction motors 2 are switched to the generator mode, is as follows.

 In the main compartments of hydrogen reactors 4, hydrogen is generated by electrolysis of an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, which is transported to receivers 5, and the sodium released at the cathodes after the completion of the electrolysis stage is involved in the dehydrogenation of a hydrogen-containing substance, for example ethyl alcohol. The hydrogen released during the dehydrogenation process is also transported to the receivers 5. The sodium ethoxide precipitated after the dehydrogenation stage is completed is hydrolyzed by introducing 4 water from tanks 9 into the hydrogen reactors. One of the hydrolysis products is ethyl alcohol, which is discharged into the tank 8, and the remaining alcohol in the hydrogen reactors 4 sodium hydroxide is used to prepare an electrolyte solution by injecting water from reservoirs 9 there. After completion of each three-stage cycle of transformations of ethyl alcohol and sodium, it restored to the original quantity, and the mass of the hydrogen generated in this case is one-ninth of the weight of water consumed. Power plants 6 of the locomotive 1 consume hydrogen stored in the receivers 5 to generate the electric power necessary for the operation of all locomotive systems.

 During periods of interruption in the production of recuperable electricity, hydrogen is generated by the dehydrogenation of ethyl alcohol with sodium, which are introduced into the spare compartments of the hydrogen reactors 4 from tank 8 and storage 7, respectively.

 Precipitated after the dehydrogenation of ethyl alcohol, sodium ethylate is hydrolyzed in the spare compartments of hydrogen reactors 4 by introducing water from the tanks 9. One of the hydrolysis products is ethyl alcohol is removed from the spare compartments of hydrogen reactors 4 into a tank 8, and to the remaining in the spare compartments of hydrogen reactors 4, sodium hydroxide is added water from tanks 9, as a result of which electrolyte is formed in the spare compartments of hydrogen reactors 4.

 With the resumption of the generation of recuperable electricity, hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide accumulated in the spare compartments of the hydrogen reactors 4. After the electrolysis of the electrolyte in the spare compartments of the hydrogen reactors 4 and the formation of hydrogen from there to the receivers 5, ethanol is added to the sodium deposited on the cathodes. as a result, conditions are created for the dehydrogenation of ethyl alcohol in order to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen released during the process of ethyl alcohol dehydrogenation is discharged to the receivers 5, and the sodium ethylate remaining in the spare compartments of the hydrogen reactors 4 is hydrolyzed by introducing water from the reservoirs 9. Ethyl alcohol formed during the hydrolysis of sodium ethoxide is removed from the spare compartments of the hydrogen reactors 4 into the tank 8, and from the remaining sodium hydroxide in the spare compartments, the electrolyte is prepared by introducing water from the reservoirs there 9. This electrolyte is pumped from the spare compartments of hydrogen Ktorov 4 in the main compartment of the electrolysis and subsequent transformations of the substances formed during the production of the recuperated power. Spare compartments of hydrogen reactors 4 freed from electrolyte are prepared for hydrogen production due to sodium dehydrogenation of ethanol during periods of cessation of the generation of recuperated electricity.

 The presence of the main and spare compartments in hydrogen reactors 4 makes it possible to receive recuperated electricity for electrolysis of an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide at any stage of the conversion of hydrogen-containing compounds, as well as the accumulation of electrolyte during periods of cessation of the production of recuperated electricity with additional hydrogen production.

 Technical and economic prerequisites for the effectiveness of the claimed technical solution for the rational use of electricity generated by autonomous vehicles in regenerative braking mode are based on the following factors.

 In the presence of autonomous vehicles, such as locomotives of railways, power plants using hydrogen as fuel, the reserves of which are stored in receivers transported with power plants, the cost of installing additional equipment designed for the rational use of electricity generated by regenerative braking, will not only reduce the amount of hydrogen injected into the receivers at the locomotive equipment points, but also significantly reduce the wear of wheel tires p cars and consumption of brake pads.

 When arranging the replacement of control sections with depleted high-capacity batteries at similar locomotive outfits with similar sections of locomotives with charged batteries, it will be possible to continuously supply electrolysis processes in hydrogen reactors, as a result of which there will be no need to pump hydrogen into the receivers in the volumes required to power the power plants without taking into account hydrogen production on the locomotive itself. In this case, it becomes expedient to collect and store on the locomotive the oxygen formed during the electrolysis of an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide. The use of oxygen together with hydrogen to power the locomotive power plants will eliminate the harmful emissions of superheated nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

 Charging large-capacity batteries in the switched control sections of locomotives can be organized during those periods of the day when excess energy appears in the power systems, and due to this, a significant reduction in the harmful consequences of “failures” in the reception of electric capacities is possible.

Sources of information
1. Patent of the Russian Federation 2048309, 60 L 11/12, published in 1995

 2. Patent DE 19731642 C1, B 60 L 11/18, B 60 L 7/10, H 01 M 8/04, published in 1999 (prototype).

 3. USSR author's certificate 522078, 60 L 11/12, published in 1976

 4. Patent of the Russian Federation 2007305, 60 L 11/06, published in 1994

Claims (1)

 Autonomous vehicle with the rational use of electricity generated during regenerative braking, having traction motors capable of generating electricity when they switch to the generator mode, as well as a system of distribution of recuperated electricity of high power to power consumers, characterized in that during breaks in the generation of recuperated electricity hydrogen production for fuel cells continues through the introduction of spare divisions hydrogen reactors designed for the dehydrogenation of ethyl alcohol in sodium without electricity consumption.