RU2267836C2 - Power plant of underwater apparatus with electro-chemical generator - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: power engineering, in particular, engineering of power plants, having electro-chemical generator with oxygen-hydrogen fuel elements, possible use in composition of power plants for underwater apparatuses.

SUBSTANCE: power plant of an underwater apparatus has chemical reactor, connected to hydrogen accumulator through gas purification block, electro-chemical generator, pneumatically connected to block for storing cryogenic oxygen, and to hydrogen accumulator, while being hydraulically connected to reservoir for distillated water, tank for milled aluminum, connected through dosage device for powder-like substances to chemical reactor; reservoir for accumulation of fluid reaction products, connected to chemical reactor; reservoir with alkali solution, while hydrogen accumulator is made in form of pressurized gas tank, and power plant additionally includes liquid mixer with heating device and liquid level indicator, connected to chemical reactor, while liquid mixer is connected to reservoir with alkali solution and to reservoir for distillated water, and also a heat-exchange heating device is mounted in aforementioned reservoir for accumulating liquid reaction products. Hydrogen accumulator can be mounted together with electro-chemical generator in pressurized space, equipped with fire and explosion prevention system.

EFFECT: higher speed of operation concerning supplying hydrogen to electro-chemical generator, controllable launch time of chemical reactor; thus, increased controllability of hydrogen generation process onboard the underwater apparatus; increased level of fire and explosion safety during operation of power plant.

2 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to power plants (EC) containing an electrochemical generator (ECG) with oxygen-hydrogen fuel cells and can be used as part of the EC of underwater vehicles (PA).

Air-independent EU PAs with ECG are known that operate on cryogenic hydrogen [1] and on hydrogen contained in intermetallic compounds (IMS) [2]. The disadvantage of the “cryogenic” variant of such an EU is the high cost of liquid hydrogen and its large losses during transportation, which limits its shelf life on board the PA. In addition, the presence on board of a large amount of free hydrogen causes a large explosiveness of the PA power supply system.

A power plant with hydrogen storage in the IC also has a limited resource for the duration of the secretive swimming of PA. In addition, IMS roads have a limited service life and require a special thermal control system. To store a significant amount of hydrogen, a very large number of ICs is required, which degrades the bulk-weight characteristics of PA in general.

Closest to the proposed solution is the submarine EU [3], adopted as a prototype. This EU contains oxygen-hydrogen ECG, the fuel components of which are cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen obtained by hydrolysis of aluminum in aqueous sodium hydroxide solution.

In addition to the ECG, the EC contains a hydrogen storage unit with intermetallic compounds (IMS) connected to it, a cryogenic oxygen storage unit, a tank with distilled water, a hopper for alkaline aluminum, a tank for alkaline solution and for liquid reaction products. In addition, the EC includes a chemical reactor where hydrogen is generated and a gas purification unit, which is carried out before it is fed to the ECG.

The disadvantages of the prototype include the following.

1. The loading of the chemical reactor with crushed aluminum and an alkaline solution is carried out from a common dispenser, which under real conditions will inevitably lead to contact of the reagents before they enter the chemical reactor, and this in turn will lead to the release of hydrogen there. The latter is unacceptable from the point of view of fire and explosion safety, since in spite of the evacuation of the EU, oxygen will be present there either due to leakage of the oxygen fittings or leakage of the EU compartment itself, since long-term sealing of large volumes is difficult in practice and requires significant and regular energy consumption.

2. The use of the same unit for dispensing both bulk solids and liquid is, in principle, problematic, especially if the unit's life should be large.

3. The use of an IC in a hydrogen storage device requires the use of an IC thermal control system, which complicates the design of the EC and its operation mode, requires additional energy consumption and reduces the speed of the hydrogen storage device.

4. The prototype does not control the initial temperature of the reagents, although it is known that it strongly affects the rate of hydrolysis reaction. Thus, entering the regime of a chemical reactor is an uncontrolled process, which complicates the operation of the power plant.

5. In the process of swimming, PA usually cools the spent solution. Its viscosity increases by two orders of magnitude, in connection with which, after swimming, problems arise with the pumping of the working out from the EU tank.

The objective of the proposed technical solution is to develop a device that is free from the above disadvantages, namely:

- the design of the EU should provide increased performance in providing ECG with hydrogen and not require additional energy costs;

- the start-up time of the chemical reactor must be controlled in order to provide the necessary time for filling the hydrogen receiver;

- increased fire and explosion safety should be ensured during the operation of power plants;

- should be facilitated the process of removing liquid reaction products from the tank after the end of swimming PA.

The problem is solved in that the power plant of the underwater apparatus containing a chemical reactor connected to a hydrogen storage unit through a gas cleaning unit, an electrochemical generator pneumatically connected to a cryogenic oxygen storage unit and a hydrogen storage unit, and hydraulically connected to a distilled water tank, a hopper for crushed aluminum, communicated through a dispenser of bulk materials with a chemical reactor; a tank for collecting liquid reaction products in communication with a chemical reactor and a tank with an alkaline solution, a liquid mixer is introduced with a heater and a liquid level sensor in communication with the chemical reactor, while the liquid mixer is connected to a tank with an alkaline solution and a tank for distilled water, and a heat exchanger-heater is installed in the tank for collecting liquid reaction products.

In addition, the hydrogen storage device is installed together with the electrochemical generator in a sealed volume equipped with a fire and explosion warning system.

The essence of the proposal lies in the fact that to increase the speed of EI, an alkaline solution is preheated, which ensures an accelerated supply of hydrogen to the ECG. The duration of the start-up of the reactor is controlled by the temperature of the preliminary heating of the liquid reagents in the liquid mixer.

The cylinder (receiver) is placed together with the ECG in a sealed volume. This allows you to localize the "hydrogen" units of EU and serve them with a common fire and explosion warning system, including a ventilation subsystem.

The dosage of the liquid is carried out according to the testimony of the liquid level sensor installed in the liquid mixer (11). Preliminary heating of the solution in the mixer allows a wide range to change the time the reactor reaches the regime, i.e. increase the controllability and speed of the hydrogen production process.

In addition, in the proposed solution, it is possible to heat the spent solution before emptying the containers to collect liquid reaction products.

In this case, you can not collect the components during the purge of the ECG, but simply burn them. This greatly simplifies the design and eliminates the need for a hydrogen compressor. Bulk material (ground aluminum) and liquids (alkali solution and water) are dosed separately, in different devices. They come into contact only in the reactor, which eliminates the possibility of hydrogen escaping into the volume of the EU compartment. Thus, there is no need to seal the entire control unit, remove air from it and monitor the flow of air into the control unit compartment.

The block diagram of the EU is given in the drawing, where it is indicated:

1 - chemical reactor;

2 - gas cleaning unit;

3 - hydrogen storage;

4 - ECG;

5 - cryogenic oxygen storage unit with gasifier;

6 - a container for distilled water;

7 - hopper for ground aluminum;

8 - dispenser of bulk materials;

9 - capacity with an alkaline solution;

10 - capacity for collecting liquid reaction products;

11 - liquid mixer;

12 - heater;

13 - heat exchanger-heater;

14 - sealed volume;

15 - fire and explosion warning system;

16 - liquid level sensor;

17-19 - connecting trunk of the ECG.

The connecting lines (17-19) of the ECG (4) communicate the latter with a cryogenic oxygen storage unit with a gasifier (5), with a hydrogen storage unit (3) and a tank for distilled water (6). The hydrogen accumulator (3) and ECG (4) are installed in a sealed volume (14) equipped with a fire and explosion warning system (15).

The hydrogen accumulator (3) communicates with the chemical reactor (1) through the gas purification unit (2), where hydrogen is separated from the residual liquid and gas impurities coming from the chemical reactor (1). The latter is connected to the hopper for crushed aluminum (7) through a dispenser of bulk materials (8). In addition, the chemical reactor (1) is connected to a liquid mixer (11) with a heater (12) and a liquid level sensor (16). The liquid mixer (11), in turn, is connected to the tank with an alkaline solution (9). The chemical reactor (1) communicates with a container for collecting liquid reaction products (10), in which a heat exchanger-heater (13) is installed.

The power plant operates as follows. The crushed aluminum from the hopper (7) is dosed in a bulk material dispenser (8) and poured into a chemical reactor (1). Then, in a liquid mixer (11), an alkali solution from the container with the alkaline solution (9) and water from the container for collecting distilled water (10) are alternately poured. The amount of liquids is controlled by the liquid level sensor (16). After heating the liquid mixture to the required temperature with the heater (12), the liquid is transferred to the chemical reactor (1), and hydrogen evolution begins, which is sent through the gas purification unit (2) to the hydrogen storage unit (3), and then to the ECG (4). The loading order of a chemical reactor can be reversed: first, liquid, and then aluminum.

After the end of the cycle of operation of the chemical reactor (1), the mining is discharged into a container (10) for collecting liquid reaction products, which is equipped with a heat exchanger-heater (13). The latter is used to heat the spent solution during its pumping.

Thus, the proposed technical solution allows to increase the speed in providing ECG with hydrogen, as well as affect the start time of a chemical reactor. Both of these factors increase the controllability of the hydrogen generation process on board the PA.

In addition, this solution allows you to increase the degree of fire and explosion safety during operation of the power plant, to abandon its general sealing, to reduce the energy costs necessary for this.

Literature

1. A.A. Postnov "Experimental submarine of project 613E with electrochemical generators". St. Petersburg, Shipbuilding, 1998, 2, p. 28.

2. A.N.Batarev et al. "Ship nuclear power plants of foreign countries" St. Petersburg, Shipbuilding, 1994, p.236.

3. "Power installation of the submarine." Pat. RU No. 2181331, B 63 G 8/08, 2002

Claims (2)

1. Power plant of an underwater vehicle with an electrochemical generator, comprising a chemical reactor connected to a hydrogen storage unit through a gas cleaning unit, an electrochemical generator pneumatically connected to a cryogenic oxygen storage unit and a hydrogen storage unit, and hydraulically connected to a distilled water tank, a hopper for ground water aluminum communicated through a bulk material dispenser to a chemical reactor; a tank for collecting liquid reaction products in communication with the chemical reactor; a tank with an alkaline solution, characterized in that a liquid mixer with a heater and a liquid level sensor connected to a chemical reactor is introduced into the power plant, while the liquid mixer is connected to a tank with an alkaline solution and a tank for distilled water, and in a tank for collecting liquid reaction products installed heat exchanger-heater. 2. The power plant of the underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the hydrogen storage device is installed together with the electrochemical generator in a sealed volume equipped with a fire and explosion warning system.