Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23C—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN  A CARRIER GAS OR AIR 
  • F23C9/00—Combustion apparatus characterised by arrangements for returning combustion products or flue gases to the combustion chamber
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23C—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN  A CARRIER GAS OR AIR 
  • F23C2900/00—Special features of, or arrangements for combustion apparatus using fluid fuels or solid fuels suspended in air; Combustion processes therefor
  • F23C2900/03002—Combustion apparatus adapted for incorporating a fuel reforming device
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23C—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN  A CARRIER GAS OR AIR 
  • F23C2900/00—Special features of, or arrangements for combustion apparatus using fluid fuels or solid fuels suspended in air; Combustion processes therefor
  • F23C2900/03007—Sealed combustion chambers with balanced flue
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23C—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN  A CARRIER GAS OR AIR 
  • F23C2900/00—Special features of, or arrangements for combustion apparatus using fluid fuels or solid fuels suspended in air; Combustion processes therefor
  • F23C2900/09001—Cooling flue gas before returning them to flame or combustion chamber
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23C—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN  A CARRIER GAS OR AIR 
  • F23C2900/00—Special features of, or arrangements for combustion apparatus using fluid fuels or solid fuels suspended in air; Combustion processes therefor
  • F23C2900/9901—Combustion process using hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide water or brown gas as fuel

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a generator configured to produce energy (suitably electric and/or thermal) using hydrogen of the type specified in the preamble to the first claim.
• the invention introduces a generator configured to exploit the combustion of hydrogen to produce usable thermal and/or kinetic energy for use in a system configured for, for example, producing electricity or heating a fluid such as water in a heating system.
• a generator configured to exploit the combustion of hydrogen to produce usable thermal and/or kinetic energy for use in a system configured for, for example, producing electricity or heating a fluid such as water in a heating system.
• the term generator identifies an energy production device.
• the hydrogen is a gas whose combustion is particularly advantageous in terms of emissions.
• the main product of hydrogen combustion using oxygen or even just air as a comburent, is only water or rather water vapour. Therefore, in recent years, numerous attempts have been made to develop systems to produce 'clean' energy from the combustion of hydrogen, either alone or in a mixture with other fuels to be used for various purposes.
• the hydrogen can be used to produce thermal energy for use in residential, commercial and/or industrial buildings by means of catalytic hydrogen burners (see e.g. WO 2006/136316) or electricity via fuel cells (US20100164287).
• the thermal energy generated is used, via a heat exchanger, to heat the water of, for example, a power generation plant or a heating system in a residential building and for domestic water heating, or for other heating purposes, e.g. for heating greenhouses and so on.
• the hydrogen to fuel the burner is preferably produced by electrolysis, where the required electricity is generated from renewable sources, such as a photovoltaic system.
• hydrogen can be generated from methane gas or another hydrocarbon.
• the generators are associated with various control components such as, for example, a pressure reducer, a control unit, a battery with charger and many other devices configured to allow operation to be monitored.
• the technical task underlying the present invention is to devise a hydrogen generator capable of substantially obviating at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks.
• Another important aim of the invention is to realise a hydrogen generator with low purchase and maintenance costs.
• a further aim is to have a hydrogen generator that is easy to handle and small in size.
• the measurements, values, shapes and geometric references (such as perpendicularity and parallelism), when associated with words like “about” or other similar terms such as “approximately” or “substantially”, are to be considered as except for measurement errors or inaccuracies due to production and/or manufacturing errors, and, above all, except for a slight divergence from the value, measurements, shape, or geometric reference with which it is associated.
• these terms if associated with a value, preferably indicate a divergence of not more than 10% of the value.
• treatment refers to the action and/or processes of a computer or similar electronic calculation device that manipulates and/or transforms data represented as physical, such as electronic quantities of registers of a computer system and/or memories in, other data similarly represented as physical quantities within computer systems, registers or other storage, transmission or information displaying devices.
• the hydrogen generator according to the invention is globally referred to as number 1.
• generator 1 is configured to burn hydrogen to obtain heat to be utilised in a plant 10 for thermal energy (e.g. to heat a building) and/or electrical energy.
• the generator 1 may include a burner 2.
• the burner 2 can be configured to define the execution environment for hydrogen combustion.
• It may comprise an inner casing 21 defining an inner chamber 2a of hydrogen combustion suitably using oxygen as an oxidiser; and an outer casing 22 defining an outer chamber 2b housing at least the inner casing 21 .
• the term 'hydrogen' identifies molecular hydrogen i.e. H2, likewise the term 'oxygen' identifies molecular oxygen i.e. O2 .
• the inner casing 21 can be made of tungsten.
• the casings 21 and 22 can be cylindrical and suitably coaxial.
• the outer casing 22 can define the outer surface of burner 2.
• the outer casing 22 may accommodate the inner casing 21 without direct contact between the walls of the casings 21 and 22. Accordingly, at any point between the casings 21 and 22 there is a gap and the burner 2 may comprise one or more spacers (not shown in the figure) configured to bind the inner casing 21 to the outer casing 22 while keeping the casings 21 and 22 spaced apart.
• the generator 1 may comprise a working fluid that fills, essentially totally, the outer chamber 2b.
• the working fluid may be a liquid with preferably an evaporation temperature substantially between 0°C and 100°C.
• This liquid may be suitably demineralised water.
• It can be configured to absorb the energy produced by the combustion of hydrogen in the inner chamber 2a allowing it to be extracted by the burner 2.
• the generator 1 may include a heat exchanger 3 housed in the outer chamber 2b and configured to receive the combusted fluid from the combustion of hydrogen in the inner chamber 2a.
• the heat exchanger 3 can define a heat transfer from the working fluid flowing through the heat exchanger 3 to the outer chamber 2b. It can therefore be identified in a surface heat exchanger and in detail in a shell and tube heat exchanger, i.e. in an exchanger consisting of a bundle of tubes placed in the outer chamber 2b and suitably surrounding the inner chamber 2a.
• the exchanger 3 can be made of thermally conductive material.
• the generator 1 may comprise an injection system 4 configured to inject at least one fluid into the inner chamber 2a.
• the injection system 4 is configured to inject water (and appropriately other fluids as described below) into the inner chamber 2a only when this chamber 2a is at a temperature substantially equal to the working temperature so as to allow the water it injects to be split into hydrogen and oxygen, which burn producing the combusted fluid.
• the injection system 4 may comprise at least one injector 41 in the inner chamber 2a of suitably demineralised water (in the vapour/gas state).
• the at least one injector 41 can be configured to feed water into the inner chamber 2a appropriately only if the inner chamber 2a is at a temperature substantially equal to the working temperature.
• the injection system 4 may comprise at least one conduit 42 configured to place the heat exchanger 3 in fluid passage connection with the at least one injector 41 so that the water injected into the inner chamber 2a is the water exiting the heat exchanger 3.
• the injector 41 , conduit 42, inner chamber 2a and exchanger 3 can thus define a closed circuit.
• conduit 42 can allow water to be drawn from an external circuit.
• the injection system 4 may comprise a pump 43 commanding the injection of water through said at least one injector 41 and in particular circulation in said closed circuit.
• the system 4 can include a cooler 44 of the combustion fluid (water) exiting the heat exchanger 3.
• the cooler 44 is a condenser configured to change the state of the combusted fluid exiting heat exchanger 3 appropriately from a gaseous to a liquid state.
• the cooler 44 can be upstream of pump 43 in order to intercept and thus cool the combusted fluid before it reaches pump 42.
• the system 4 may include an adduction apparatus 4a into chamber 2a of at least hydrogen appropriately additional to that resulting from the splitting of water.
• the adduction apparatus 4a is configured to supply energy to the generator 1 and thereby compensate for the heat falling from the generator to, for example, produce thermal energy (e.g. usable to heat a building) and/or electrical energy.
• thermal energy e.g. usable to heat a building
• electrical energy e.g. usable to heat a building
• combustion in the chamber is achieved by oxygen resulting from the splitting of water optionally added with oxygen fed by the adduction apparatus 4a and hydrogen resulting partly from the splitting of water and partly from the feed of the adduction apparatus 4a.
• the adduction apparatus 4a may comprise at least one hydrogen injection nozzle 45 into the inner chamber 2a; and suitably a feeder 46 of said at least one nozzle 45. Preferably it comprises for each injector 41 a nozzle 45 preferably adjacent to said injector 41 .
• the nozzle 45 may be configured to feed at least hydrogen into the inner chamber 2a.
• the adduction apparatus 4a and in particular the nozzle 45 may be configured to feed into the inner chamber 2a at least hydrogen and oxygen, and to be precise a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen.
• Each nozzle 45 may comprise a hydrogen combustion coupling 45a and suitably oxygen outlet from said at least one nozzle 45.
• the coupling 45a is placed at the accuracy of the outlet section defined by the nozzle 45.
• the coupling 45a may comprise a pilot flame defining an additional combustion of at least the hydrogen leaving the nozzle 45 so as to favour the splitting of the water injected by the injector 41.
• the nozzle 45 may define a pilot flame or other coupling system favouring combustion of the hydrogen resulting from splitting of the water injected by the injector 41 .
• Said pilot flame is then fed by hydrogen and appropriately by oxygen exiting from said at least one nozzle 4.
• the flow rate at the outlet of nozzle 45 and thus of the pilot flame are a function of the operation of generator 1 and in particular of the amount of water fed into the inner chamber 2a and/or the operating temperature.
• the at least one injector 41 and, if present, the at least one nozzle 45 are placed along the perimeter of the inner chamber 2b while the exchanger 3 is configured to draw the combusted fluid at the central part of the inner chamber 2a such as, for example, at the axis of the diaphragm chamber 2a if cylindrical.
• the feeder 46 can be configured to add hydrogen to the nozzle 45 by drawing it from a circuit external to the generator, such as a hydrogen storage container.
• the feeder 46 can be configured to add hydrogen and oxygen to nozzle 45.
• the power supply 46 may be configured to supply the nozzle 45 by drawing hydrogen and preferably oxygen from a circuit external to the generator such as, for example, hydrogen and/or oxygen storage containers.
• the generator 1 may include a heating block 5 of at least the inner chamber 2a.
• the heating block 5 is configured to bring the inner chamber 2a to a working temperature suitable for the operation of generator 1 .
• the heating block 5 is configured to only heat the inner chamber 2a to this working temperature.
• the block 5 is therefore only active if the temperature of chamber 2a is substantially lower than the working temperature. It is therefore deactivated if the temperature of the inner chamber 2a is approximately equal to the working temperature.
• the working temperature can be configured to allow the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen. It is substantially at least equal to 1500°C in detail substantially between 1500°C and 3000°C and more in detail between 2000°C and 2500°C. Preferably the working temperature is substantially equal to 2200°C.
• the heating block 5 can heat the inner chamber 2a by combustion preferably of hydrogen and oxygen. It may comprise (to be precise) a thermal lance preferably using hydrogen and oxygen (i.e. , a thermal lance that inserts hydrogen and oxygen by burning it, referred to as a thermal lance).
• the power supply of block 5 can be the same as that of the adduction apparatus 4a (i.e. the feeder 46) or alternatively use a different adduction device.
• the generator 1 can include a temperature sensor 6 configured to measure the temperature of the inner chamber 2a and thus allow system 4 and/or block 5 to be controlled according to the temperature of chamber 2a.
• the generator 1 may include a control unit 7 configured to control the generator 1 .
• the control unit 7 can be in data connection with temperature sensor 6, injection system 4 and/or heating block 5 so as to control the activation and/or deactivation of system 4 and/or block 5 depending on the temperature of the inner chamber 2a detected by sensor 6.
• the generator 1 may be part of a preferably thermal and/or electrical energy production plant 10.
• the plant 10 is configured to utilise the energy produced by the generator 1 (in detail by the burner 2) for the production of electrical energy (e.g. to power a building or to feed into a power grid) and/or to heat a fluid such as for example water in a heating system. In detail, it is configured to utilise the working fluid and more specifically the heat absorbed by it.
• the plant 10 may comprise at least one generator 1 .
• the control unit 7 may monitor and control the operation of system 10.
• the system 10 may comprise at least one sampling piping 11 of the second chamber 2b of the working fluid suitably heated by the combustion fluid via the heat exchanger 3.
• the piping 11 defines, appropriately together with the second chamber 2b, a closed circuit for the working fluid.
• the system 10 may include circulation means 12 the working fluid in the piping 12 identifiable for example in a pump.
• the system 10 may include exploitation means 13 of the working fluid and in particular the heat and/or flow of the working fluid, i.e. the thermal and/or kinetic energy possessed by the working fluid.
• the exploitation means 13 may include an electrical generating apparatus configured to utilise the working fluid to produce electrical energy.
• the power generation apparatus may comprise a turbine 13a configured to transform the kinetic energy of the working fluid into mechanical energy; and a device 13b for transforming the mechanical energy leaving the turbine 13a into electrical energy.
• the exploitation means 13 may include a production connection 13c configured to use the working fluid as a fluid for a water system and in detail as a hot fluid (in detail hot water) for heating.
• production connection 13c may be in series and in particular downstream from the electrical production apparatus.
• generator 1 The operation of generator 1 and thus of the plant 10 described above in structural terms defines an innovative hydrogen utilisation process.
• the exploitation process is controlled by the control unit 7.
• It may include a heating phase of at least the inner chamber 2a.
• the heating block 5 (in detail the thermal lance) heats the inner chamber 2a until it reaches working temperature. Specifically, in this phase, the block 5 heats the inner chamber 2a by combustion preferably of hydrogen and oxygen.
• the block 5 is deactivated. Preferably it remains deactivated for the rest of the process.
• the exploitation process may include a combustion phase.
• the combustion phase is subsequent to the heating phase and can therefore only be performed once the working temperature has been reached.
• demineralised water is fed into the inner chamber 2a via the injection system 4 and to be precise the at least one injector 41 .
• the water fed into the inner chamber 2a is the water leaving the heat exchanger 3.
• the water fed into the inner chamber 2a can be atomised by at least one injector 41.
• This water due to the particular working temperature, splits into hydrogen and oxygen providing the combustible (hydrogen) and the comburent (oxygen) which, appropriately meeting the coupling 45a and in detail the pilot flame, feed the combustion of said hydrogen in said inner chamber 2a which occurs in the combustion phase.
• the induction apparatus 4a and in particular the at least one nozzle 45 feed hydrogen and preferably oxygen into the inner chamber 2a so as to further fuel said combustion of said hydrogen in said inner chamber 2a.
• the coupling 45a by exploiting the hydrogen and suitably 'oxygen exiting from said at least one nozzle 45, defines a combustion and in detail a pilot flame suitably allowing the combustion of the hydrogen resulting from the splitting of the water injected by the injector 41 suitably without degradation of the conditions of the chamber 2a and in particular by maintaining the temperature substantially equal to the working temperature.
• the quantity of hydrogen and preferably oxygen introduced by said adduction apparatus 4a is additional to that deriving from the splitting of the water injected by the injector 41 . It allows to have a greater quantity of fuel and preferably comburent by increasing the combustion and thus defining a heat input such as to compensate the energy output from the generator 1 and to maintain substantially constant the temperature of the inner chamber 2a.
• the water from the injector 41 initially absorbs heat from the inner chamber 2a which could lead to a drop in the temperature of the chamber 2a degrading (in some cases halting) the water splitting process and thus the combustion of hydrogen.
• This drop in temperature is counteracted by the introduction of hydrogen and preferably oxygen from the adduction apparatus 4a which, by providing an additional dose of fuel and comburent, increases combustion by providing the heat necessary to counteract said drop in temperature and thus substantially maintain the working temperature.
• the volume of hydrogen injected into the inner chamber 2a by the adduction apparatus 4a is substantially less than 20 g per litre of water injected by the at least one injector 41 .
• the volume of hydrogen injected via the at least one nozzle 45 is substantially between 20 g and 3 g and in detail between 10 g and 3 g and in further detail between 7 g and 4 g for each litre of water injected by the at least one injector 41 .
• the volume of hydrogen injected into the inner chamber 2a by the inlet apparatus 4a can be a function of the working temperature and in detail inversely proportional to the working temperature.
• the volume of hydrogen injected via the at least one nozzle 45 is roughly between 5 g and 4 g and in detail roughly equal to 5.5 g per litre of water injected by the at least one injector 41 .
• the volume of oxygen injected into the inner chamber 2a by the adduction apparatus 4a is substantially less than 150 g per litre of water injected by the at least one injector 41 .
• the volume of oxygen injected via the at least one nozzle 45 is substantially between 150 g and 30 g and in detail between 75 g and 30 g and in further detail between 50 g and 40 g for each litre of water injected by the at least one injector 41 .
• the volume of oxygen injected into the inner chamber 2a preferably by the adduction apparatus 4a can be a function of the working temperature and in detail inversely proportional to the working temperature.
• the volume of oxygen injected via the at least one nozzle 45 is roughly between 47 g and 42 g and in detail substantially equal to 44.5 g per litre of water injected by the at least one injector 41 .
• the volume of hydrogen injected into the chamber by the adduction apparatus 4a (in detail by nozzle 45) is substantially between 30% and 5%, and in detail between 20% and 10%, and more specifically between 15% and 10%. Preferably it is substantially 12%.
• the input of water, hydrogen and preferably oxygen are carried out essentially simultaneously and/or seamlessly.
• the exploitation process may include an exchange phase in which the combustion fluid, produced in the combustion phase, flows out of the entire chamber 2a, enters the exchanger 3 and passes through it, releasing heat to the working fluid.
• the exchange phase and the combustion phase can be performed simultaneously.
• the return of the combusted fluid to the heat exchanger 3 is controlled by pump 43 by depressurising at least the part upstream of pump 43 of the closed circuit 3 defined by injector 41 , conduit 42, inner chamber 2a and heat exchanger 3.
• the exploitation process may include a phase in which the working fluid appropriately exits the outer chamber 2b.
• the exploitation means 13 utilise the energy (thermal and/or kinetic) of the working fluid.
• the electrical production apparatus may harness the energy of the working fluid to produce electrical energy; and/or the production connection 13c may harness the energy of the working fluid as a hot fluid for, for example, for the heating.
• the heating block 5 heats the inner chamber 2a by combustion preferably of hydrogen and oxygen. Specifically, it introduces hydrogen and oxygen into the inner chamber 2 and burns them by realising said thermal lance. Once the working temperature is reached, the heating block 5 is switched off.
• the adduction apparatus 4a supplying hydrogen and appropriately oxygen and the at least one injector 41 supplying water come into operation.
• the induction apparatus 4a (to be precise) the at least one nozzle 45 activates the pilot flame, which, due to the input of hydrogen and suitably oxygen, feeds said pilot flame and thus provides a heat/energy fraction to the inner chamber 2a.
• the adduction apparatus 4a carries out said input for the duration of the energy production.
• the at least one injector 41 injects water spray which splits into hydrogen and oxygen appropriately due to the conditions of the inner chamber 2a (in detail due to the working temperature).
• the splitting hydrogen and oxygen meet the coupling 45a, in detail the pilot flame giving rise to an energy releasing combustion (not detonation).
• the energy required for said splitting of water is supplied by the adduction apparatus 4a, which utilises the hydrogen (and appropriately oxygen) introduced by at least one nozzle 45 to feed the coupling 45a and, to be precise, the pilot flame.
• the generator 1 is fed by the apparatus 4a providing the energy to maintain the inner chamber 2a in thermal equilibrium.
• the generator 1 and the plant 10 according to the invention achieve important advantages.
• the generator 1 and thus the plant 10 are able to burn large quantities of hydrogen without imposing considerable space requirements, high consumption or a complicated and expensive control system consisting of numerous components.
• generator 1 identifies a substantially closed circuit requiring the adduction of negligible volumes of hydrogen and, appropriately, oxygen.
• generator 1 by maintaining a special working temperature, ensures that the hydrogen combustion is particularly stable and therefore does not require particularly complicated management and control.
• Another identifiable advantage of the above aspects is reduced purchase, maintenance and production costs.
• a not insignificant advantage is therefore the high efficiency of generator 1 and thus of the plant 10.
• a further advantage is that generator 1 uses only renewable materials (hydrogen, water and oxygen) without producing any pollutant emissions.
• the nozzle 45 may be configured to feed only hydrogen into the inner chamber 2a, and thus the adduction apparatus 4a may comprise for each nozzle 45 an additional nozzle configured to feed oxygen into the inner chamber 2a; and suitably an additional feeder of said at least one nozzle 45.
• the supplementary nozzle may be adjacent an injector 41 or a nozzle 45. Preferably it is placed on the opposite side of nozzle 45 from injector 41 , which is thus enclosed between nozzle 45 and supplementary nozzle.
• the supplementary nozzle can only be configured to feed into the inner chamber 2a if the inner chamber 2a is at a temperature substantially equal to the working temperature.
• the control unit 7 commands activation of the nozzle supplement only if the inner chamber 2a is at a temperature substantially equal to the working temperature
• the supplementary feeder can be any system capable of supplying oxygen to the supplementary nozzle. It may include a supplementary oxygen storage container.

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• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
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Citations (2)

• 2023
  • 2023-01-27 WO PCT/IB2023/050722 patent/WO2023148591A2/fr unknown

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