WO2023017299A1

WO2023017299A1 - Marine hydrogen engine

Info

Publication number: WO2023017299A1
Application number: PCT/IB2021/057437
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aurelio PUCCI
Original assignee: De Luca Umberto; Menta Andrea
Priority date: 2021-08-12
Filing date: 2021-08-12
Publication date: 2023-02-16

Abstract

Marine hydrogen engine, comprising: - energy transformation system: • alternator (30), • accumulator (34); • system (25) for charging a battery (20) in order to power supply - an electrolysis system comprising: • electrolytic cell (18); • top-up system (17); • pipes (19-19') for conveying oxygen and hydrogen into the nozzles arranged in the lower part of the boiler; - vaporization system, comprising: • electronic ignition device (9) for triggering the combustion, • hearth (11) into which oxygen and hydrogen are conveyed to generate a combustion; • boiler (10) containing distilled water (H2O) pre-heated by a pre-heater (12), which can be immediately transformed into steam when the combustion occurs in the hearth (11); • superheater (14) downstream of the boiler (10), connected to • a transmission system (50) for transferring the rotation to a propeller; cooling system, with condenser (16) which lowers the temperature of the steam, transforming it into water to send to a tank (12) for recycling water in order to then re-introduce it into the boiler.

Description

MARINE HYDROGEN ENGINE

Description

Field of the art

The present invention operates in the field of combustion engines, in particular the engines intended for the propulsion of boats or watercrafts. Still more in detail, the present invention relates to a new type of hydrogen engine specifically configured for the requirements of a marine engine.

Prior art

The hydrogen engine undoubtedly represents a significant innovation which, from an ecological standpoint, would allow eliminating the emissions of greenhouse gases coming from automobiles and other vehicles. Much of pollution is indeed produced by gasoline or diesel powered transportation vehicles.

Notwithstanding the numerous advantages that the hydrogen engine would bring with regard to preventing pollution, presently this technology still has several limits.

A hydrogen engine is composed of the so-called fuel cells, i.e. cells which receive two flows at the inlet, from the negative pole the hydrogen and from the positive pole the oxygen. The catalyst contained in the hydrogen engine causes the separation of the electrons from the nucleus and this reaction in turn releases electrical energy. The electrons are moved towards the positive pole and are joined to the oxygen atoms that receive a negative charge. The joining of the hydrogen with the oxygen originates a chemical reaction whose final product is water, and indeed it is water vapor which is introduced into the atmosphere by the hydrogen engines. From the above brief discussion of the hydrogen engine operation, it is evident that the liberation of greenhouse gases, typical of the vehicles that have been up to now fed with gasoline, can be eliminated by substituting these with hydrogen engines.

The production of hydrogen, moreover, is less impacting on the environment since it frees an amount of greenhouse gas that is clearly lower than the production of fuels in use today.

A further advantage of hydrogen engines is that of using renewable sources for producing the fuel, which is to the contrary of the oil-based fuels, since petroleum is destined to be used up. The limits of diffusion of the hydrogen engine mainly lie in the dangerous nature of storage of the hydrogen itself. This natural element, in fact, in contact with a fuel could give rise to extremely violent explosions that release temperatures much higher than the combustion of gasoline or diesel. The doubts regarding the opportunity to develop this technology are the cause of chain reactions, which up to the present have blocked the commercializati on thereof, including the total lack of refueling stations.

The interest for this type of motor has been demonstrated by numerous industrial patents that are valid today. One example thereof is the Chinese utility model CN205895436 which claims a hydrogen and oxygen generator for a hydrogen engine. In this utility model, safety equipment which should prevent explosions is claimed.

Another patent, W02005078257, regards a method for generating hydrogen on board a motor, thus avoiding the risks connected to the storage of this gas.

This invention refers to the method for pressure supplying any one liquid fuel which in this process is decomposed into its constituent gases, and the object thereof is to provide gaseous fuel in an on-board installation which can be employed in connection with an internal combustion engine, turbine or reaction motor. The gaseous fuel is supplied when it is consumed in the motor through one or more fuel injectors, which provide fuel to the combustion chamber or the suction chamber and/or to the suction duct by means of one or more splitters which use marine, road or non-road combustion apparatuses.

It is evident that none of the existing patents and not even the technologies that can be found on the market are able to overcome the aforesaid critical characteristics, specifically in the field of marine engines.

Description of the invention

According to the present invention a marine hydrogen engine is attained which effectively resolves the abovementioned problems.

Advantageously, the present marine engine can also act autonomously, without the aid of any other form of propulsion. Nevertheless, it seems preferable that this is accompanied by an electric motor to be activated when one is executing the maneuvers in a port and the boat does not yet have an inertia of motion.

The motion of the water under the marine engine advantageously supplies an alternator connected to a charge accumulator, which is suitable to supply electrical energy to a common lithium battery.

Advantageously, said alternator is constituted by an internal screw feeder, on whose axis magnets are installed. With the rotation of the screw feeder, the magnets establish a flow of electric current with electrical coils installed perpendicular to the axis of said screw feeder.

The lithium battery supplies a different area of the motor dedicated to the electrolysis of the water.

Here, a top-up system supplied with distilled water supplies an electrolytic cell. The electrical energy to the electrolytic cell is provided by the battery and by the charging system that were previously described.

Once electrolysis is completed, the oxygen and the hydrogen are separately conveyed to an area dedicated to the vaporization of distilled water belonging to a circuit that is different and quite distinct from that responsible for the electrolysis.

In the vaporization system, a pilot flame, within a hearth, is supplied by an electronic ignition device.

The pipes dedicated to oxygen and hydrogen converge in the hearth. When said gases come into contact with the pilot flame, a combustion at very high temperatures, around 3000°C, is generated. Due to the thermal power that is typically released at the time of the hydrogen combustion.

Said hearth is advantageously situated in contact with a boiler, apart from the presence of a refractory layer for protecting the boiler itself.

The aforesaid boiler is supplied with distilled water pre-heated by a suitable pre-heater which, by means of a heat recovery device, first increases the temperature of the distilled water so that, when it reaches said boiler and the combustion occurs in the hearth, the water is instantly transformed into steam.

In a preferred embodiment, the distilled water belonging to the vaporization circuit is mixed with a predetermined amount of ammonia. In this manner, one obtains the advantage of lowering the boiling temperature and preventing the corrosion of the components of a turbi ne placed downstream.

Leavi ng the boiler, in fact, a superheater is present which further rai ses the temperature of the out-flowing steam and conveys it to the transmission system, which transforms the thermal energy of the steam in kinetic energy, transferring the rotation to at least a common propeller for the propulsion of the boat.

Advantageously, in one embodiment of the invention, the vaporization systems can be doubled or in any case multiplied so as to distribute the mechanical thrust on two or more multiple corresponding turbines, decreases the mechanical forces of each and hence preserving them from possible breakage.

Possibly and preferably, the vaporization system can also comprise at least a steam accumulator adapted to act as a thermal flywheel in order to meet discontinuous power requests.

Once the energy is transferred to the propeller, the steam is cooled and brought back to the liquid state by a cooling system comprising a double-circuit condenser. The water once again obtained is advantageously re-introduced into the pre-heater in order to restart the above- described vaporization cycle.

Advantageously, for the purpose of safety and correction motor operation, it is preferable to install, where suitable, adjustment valves of the water flow or steam in a manner such to control the direction and the pressure of the fluid flow in each area of the motor. Unidirectional valves are also indispensable for the irreversible orientation of the flow of oxygen and hydrogen up to said hearth.

Advantageously said valves can be connected to a control and management unit adapted to set the acceptable pressure parameters of the flow and suitable to signal, preferably by means of acoustic signals, possible malfunctions.

The other essential component of the present invention, which optimizes the advantages and introduces further novelty elements to marine engines, is the motion transmission system.

This comprises a cooling circuit, suitable to recover the out-flowing steam from the transmission system and convey it into a double-circuit condenser suitable to lower the temperature of said steam, transforming it once again into distilled water to send back to said pre-heater.

Said transmission system comprises:

- at least a pair of steam turbines, preferably Tesla-Pelton turbine, driven by a steam circuit suitable to transfer said pressurized steam from an injection point, coming from said superheater, towards said turbine, by means of a plurality of circulation pumps. The steam circuit advantageously terminates in the condenser.

Advantageously, each turbine is connected to a relative transmission axis provided with a toothed end with helical toothing, suitably for the high rotation speeds,

- at least a crown gear, with helical toothing, configured to engage with the toothed ends of the transmission axes, receiving from both a rotary thrust to be transmitted to a. transmission shaft connected to at least a propeller for the propulsion of the boat;

- at least an electromagnetic clutch;

- at least a gearbox, preferably a common automatic gearbox.

The clutch constitutes a further improvement of the mechanics comprised in the present invention. Indeed, this further optimizes the transmission of the motion, preventing mechanical friction and allowing the development of powers of about 10,000 horsepower.

Said electromagnetic clutch is placed on the line of the transmission shaft downstream of the crown gear and upstream of the gearbox and comprises:

- at least a pair of metal discs, preferably made of stainless steel 406, including a first disc with flywheel function, mechanically connected to the crown gear, and a second disc adapted to be driven in a rotary motion by the rotation of the first disc due to the electromagnetic field established between the two, transmitting the motion to said drive shaft;

- at least a pair of magnets, connected to the first disc, suitable to act as electromagnetic inductances;

- at least a pair of field coils coupled with a corresponding pair of induction coils, suitable to generate the electromagnetic field which determines the rotation of the second disc following the rotation of the first disc.

The advantages offered by the present invention are clear in light of the description described up to now and will be even clearer due to the enclosed figures and relative detailed description.

Description of the figures

The invention will be described hereinbelow in at least a preferred embodiment as a non- limiting example with the aid of the enclosed figure, in which:

- FIGURE 1 schematically shows the preferred embodiment of the engine, object of the present invention.

- FIGURE 2 schematically illustrates the preferred embodiment of the transmission system 50 from a side viewpoint.

- FIGURE. 3 represents the same transmission system 50 of the preceding figure from a top viewpoint.

- FIGURE. 4 represents a Tesla-Pelton turbine such as the turbines 51-51’ used in the transmission system 50 of the present invention.

- FIGURE. 5 shows the crown gear 52 which, from the transmission axes 53-53’, transfers motion to the drive shaft 54.

- FIGURE. 6 schematically illustrates the electromagnetic clutch 90 included in the engine, object of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention The present invention will now be illustrated as a merely non-limiting or non-binding example, with reference to the figures which illustrate several embodiments relative to the present inventive concept.

With reference to FIG. 1, the operation of the marine hydrogen engine, object of the present invention, is shown.

The invention is based on the electrolytic process which allows producing the hydrogen HH immediately before its combustion, eliminating the explosion risks deriving from the storage of this highly-explosive gas with transparent flame.

The electrolytic cell 18 is supplied with distilled water H₂O from a top-up system 17 and with electrical energy from a charging system 25 in turn supplied by an alternator 30 which functions with the movement of the water of the boat.

More in detail, a screw feeder 31 comprised in said alternator 30 is rotated by the motion of the water below the boat. Magnets 32, interacting with suitably-installed coils 33, generate an electric current which is partially used immediately in the electrolytic cell 18 and it can be partially stored in common lithium batteries 20.

Starting from said electrolytic cell 18, a first pipe 19 conveys all the oxygen O and a second pipe 19’ conveys all the hydrogen HH towards a hearth 11. Unidirectional valves 81 will ensure the absence of phenomena of gas return.

Said hearth 11 houses a pilot flame supplied with LPG coming from a common bomb 9. Upon arrival of oxygen O and hydrogen HH in the hearth 11, there is a combustion at high temperatures up to about 3000°C which instantaneously transforms into steam, the distilled water contained in a boiler 10 placed above said hearth 11.

This second distilled water circuit is a closed circuit, in which only the principles of thermodynamics are exploited for obtaining the desired energy transformations, aimed for the rotation of the propeller for the propulsion of the boat.

The distilled water within the boiler comes from a pre-heater device 12 which previously increases the temperature thereof, by means of a heat recovery device 40, in order to speed up the subsequent processes. At the time of the combustion in the hearth 11, the steam contained in the boiler 10 is sent to a superheater 14 and from here to a transmission system 50 configured for transforming the thermal energy of the steam in kinetic energy, transferring the rotation to said propeller.

The water contained in said boiler 10 is mixed with a predetermined amount of ammonia so as to lower the boiling temperature and prevent the corrosion of the components of the transmission system 50.

With reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the transmission system 50 included in the present invention is shown. This is provided with a pair of turbines 51-51’ of Tesla-Pelton, driven by a steam circuit 55 suitable to transfer the pressurized steam from an injection point 56 to the turbines 51-51’, by means of circulation pumps 57. Each turbine 51-51’ is connected to a relative transmission axis 53-53’ provided with a toothed end with helical toothing.

A crown gear 52 like that of Fig. 5 is simultaneously engaged with both toothed ends of the transmission axes 53-53’ of the turbines 51-51’ and transmits the motion to a transmission shaft 54.

On the axis of such shaft 54, an electromagnetic clutch 90 is installed as in Fig. 6, composed of two discs 91 -91’ made of stainless steel 406 to which the following are connected: magnets 92-92’, field coils 93-93’ and induction coils 94-94’, which from the rotation of the first disc 91 generate an electromagnetic field which drives the second disc 91’ in a rotation without mechanical friction that is transmitted to the drive shaft 54 and to the automatic gearbox 58. Said transmission system 50 also comprises a low viscosity oil lubrication system 60 which in turn comprises at least a circulation pump 64, which maintains constant the circulation of the oil in the pipes 61; at least a. self-cleaning filter 62 and a forced cooling circuit 63.

In the preferred embodiment, the marine engine described up to now starts operation only when the boat or watercraft on which it is mounted is navigating. The activation is connected to a common switch installed on the bridge for driving the boat; said engine being adapted to be deactivated in order to execute the maneuvers in the port by means of a common auxiliary electric motor 70 which, by means of a. transmission shaft 72 and a. switching unit 71 , is suitable to drive the propeller or propellers for the propulsion of the boat. The steam out-flowing from the transmission system 50 is recovered and cooled by a cooling circuit 15 and conveyed to a double-circuit condenser 16, which once again transforms the steam into water and re-introduces it into the pre-heater 12.

A plurality of adjustment valves 80 are governed by a control unit which, in the case of malfunction, emits acoustic signals.

Finally, it is clear that modifications, additions or variations that are obvious for a man skilled in the art can be made to the invention that has been described up to now, without departing from the protective scope that is provided by the enclosed claims.

Claims

1. Marine hydrogen engine, characterized in that it comprises:

- an energy transformation system comprising:

• an alternator (30) suitable to transform the kinetic energy of a water flow into electrical energy;

« an accumulator (34) for the electric energy produced by said alternator (30), suitable to store said energy and supply it to

• at least one system (25) for charging at least one common lithium battery (20) suitable to supply electrical energy to a common electrolytic cell (18);

- an electrolysis system, comprising:

® said electrolytic cell (18) suitable to decompose a predetermined amount of distilled water into the components thereof (HH-O);

® a top-up system (17) suitable to supply said distilled water (H₂O) to said electrolytic cell (18);

® a first pipe (19) and a second pipe (19' ) suitable to convey, respectively, oxygen (O) and hydrogen (HH) to a vaporization system through at least one one-way valve (81) for each pipe (19-19'),

- said vaporization system comprising:

® a six-flame electronic ignition device (9) suitable to supply a pilot flame present in

® a hearth ( 11) in which the oxygen (O) coming from said first pipe (19) and the hydrogen (HH) coming from said second pipe (19’) are separately conveyed to generate, with said pilot flame, a combustion at temperatures in the order of about 3000°C; said hearth (11) being placed below

® a refractory layer (13) in contact with

® a boiler (10) containing a predetermined amount of pre-heated distilled water (H₂O), which can be immediately transformed into steam when the aforementioned combustion occurs in said hearth (11);

« a pre-heater (12) suitable to supply said boiler (10) with distilled water (H₂O) heated by means of a heat recovery device (40), to speed up the transformation into steam;

• a superheater (14) arranged downstream of said boiler (10), suitable to superheat the out-fl owing steam and convey it toward

• a transmission system (50) suitable to transform the thermal energy of the steam into kinetic energy, transferring the rotation to a common propulsion propeller;

- a cooling circuit (15), suitable to recover the steam leaving said transmission system (50) and convey it to a double-circuit condenser (16) suitable to lower the temperature of said steam, transforming it, once again, into distilled water (H₂O) to be sent back to said preheater (12).

Marine hydrogen engine, according to the preceding claim 1 , characterized in that said transmission system (50) comprises:

- at least one pair of steam turbines (51 -51’), driven by a steam circuit (55) suitable to transfer said pressurized steam from an injection point (56) coming from said superheater (14), toward said turbines (51-51’), by means of a plurality of circulation pumps (57), said steam circuit (55) terminating in said condenser (16), each turbine (51 -51’) being connected to a relative transmission axis (53-53’) provided with a toothed end with helical toothing;

- at least one crown gear (52), with helical toothing, configured to engage with said toothed ends of said transmission axes (53-53’), receiving from both of them a rotary thrust to be transmitted to a transmission shaft (54) connected to at least one propeller for the propulsion of the boat;

- at least one electromagnetic clutch (90),

- at least one gearbox (58).

3. Marine hydrogen engine, according to any one of the preceding claims 1 or 2. characterized in that said turbines (51-51’) are Tesla-Pelton turbines.

4. Marine hydrogen engine, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electromagnetic clutch (90) is arranged on the line of said transmission shaft (54), downstream of said crown gear (52) and upstream of said gearbox (58); said electromagnetic clutch (90) comprising:

- at least one pair of metal discs (91-91 ’), preferably made of stainless steel 406, including a first disc (91) and a second disc (91 ’); said first disc (91 ), acting as a flywheel, is mechanically connected, by means of universal joints, to said crown gear (52), said second disc (91 ’) being suitable to be driven in a rotary motion by the rotation of said first disc (91), transmitting the motion to said drive shaft (54) in an optimized manner given the absence of mechanical friction between said first disc (91 ) and said second disc (91’);

- at least one pair of magnets (92-92’), connected to said first disc (91), suitable to act as electromagnetic inductances;

- at least one pair of field coils (93-93’) coupled with a corresponding pair of induction coils (94-94’), suitable to generate the electromagnetic field suitable to determine the rotation of said second disc (91 ’) following the rotation of said first disc (91 ).

5. Marine hydrogen engine, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said gearbox (58’) is a common automatic gearbox.

6. Marine hydrogen engine, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said alternator (30) comprises a screw feeder (31) provided with a magnet system (32) suitable to generate an electric current which supplies said accumulator (34) from a plurality of coils (33).

7. Marine hydrogen engine, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the water contained in said boiler (10) is mixed with a predetermined amount of ammonia so as to lower the boiling temperature and prevent the corrosion of the components of said transmission system (50).

8. Marine hydrogen engine, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of adjustment valves (80) suitable to control the direction and pressure of the water flow in the vaporization system; said valves (80) being connected to a control and management unit suitable to set the pressure parameters of the acceptable flow and suitable to signal, preferably by means of acoustic signals, possible malfunctions.

9. Marine hydrogen engine, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said transmission system (50) comprises a low viscosity oil lubrication system (60); said lubrication system (60) comprising at least one circulation pump (64) suitable to keep the circulation of the oil in the pipes (61) constant, at least a self-cleaning filter (62) and a mechanical cooling circuit (63).

10. Marine hydrogen engine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is suitable to operate only when the boat or watercraft on which it is mounted is navigating; the activation of said marine hydrogen engine being connected to a common switch installed on the control board of said boat or watercraft; said motor being suitable to be deactivated to carry/ out the maneuvers in the port, by means of a common auxiliary el ectric motor (70) which, by means of a transmission shaft (72) and a switching unit (71 ), is suitable to drive the propeller or propellers of the boat.