Hydrogen production system and method for producing hydrogen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10081872-B2
Application number	US-201514816455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2015
Priority date	Aug 8, 2014
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A hydrogen production system that achieves a highly-efficient hydrogen production operation even when a time-varying electric power source is used is provided. A hydrogen production system includes a capacitor inputting electric power energy from a renewable power supply, and storing electric power, a pulse voltage generation unit generating a pulse voltage having a set amplitude and a set cyclic period by using the electric power stored in the capacitor, and an electrolytic cell applying the generated pulse voltage, and generating hydrogen by high temperature steam electrolysis by using steam supplied into the electrolytic cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrogen production system comprising:
a capacitor inputting electric power energy from a renewable power supply, and storing electric power;
a pulse voltage generation unit generating a pulse voltage having a set amplitude and a set cyclic period by using the electric power stored in the capacitor;
an electrolytic cell applying the generated pulse voltage, and generating hydrogen by high temperature steam electrolysis by using steam supplied into the electrolytic cell;
a voltage measurement unit measuring a voltage value of the capacitor; and
a pulse cyclic period adjustment unit changing the cyclic period of the pulse voltage according to a change in the measured voltage value,
wherein the amplitude of the pulse voltage is maintained constant and the pulse cyclic period adjustment unit changes the cyclic period of the pulse voltage to a shorter period when the measured voltage value is increased with respect to maintaining electrolytic reaction in the electrolytic cell at a thermoneutral point, and
wherein the amplitude of the pulse voltage is maintained constant and the pulse cyclic period adjustment unit changes the cyclic period of the pulse voltage to a longer period when the measured voltage value is decreased with respect to maintaining electrolytic reaction in the electrolytic cell at a thermoneutral point.

2. The hydrogen production system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a current measurement unit measuring a value of a current flowing through the electrolytic cell; and
a pulse amplitude adjustment unit changing the amplitude of the pulse voltage according to a change in the measured current value.

3. A method for producing hydrogen comprising:
inputting electric power energy from a renewable power supply to store electric power in a capacitor;
generating a pulse voltage having a set amplitude and a set cyclic period by using the stored electric power;
applying the generated pulse voltage to generate hydrogen by high temperature steam electrolysis in an electrolytic cell by using steam supplied into the electrolytic cell;
measuring a voltage value of the capacitor; and
changing the cyclic period of the pulse voltage according to a change in the measured voltage value,
wherein the amplitude of the pulse voltage is maintained constant and the cyclic period of the pulse voltage is changed to a shorter period when the measured voltage value is increased with respect to maintaining electrolytic reaction in the electrolytic cell at a thermoneutral point, and
wherein the amplitude of the pulse voltage is maintained constant and the cyclic period of the pulse voltage is changed to a longer period when the measured voltage value is decreased with respect to maintaining electrolytic reaction in the electrolytic cell at a thermoneutral point.

4. The method for producing hydrogen according to claim 3 , further comprising:
measuring a value of a current flowing through the electrolytic cell; and
changing the amplitude of the pulse voltage according to a change in the measured current value.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Komai Masafumi
• Yamada Masahiko
• Kameda Tsuneji
• Kawajiri Yuko
• Fujiwara Seiji
• Watanabe Hisao
• Yamauchi Hiroyuki
• Takagi Yasuo

Classifications

• C25B15/023

  Measuring, analysing or testing during electrolytic production · CPC title

• C25B1/042

  by electrolysis of steam · CPC title

• C25B1/02 Primary

  Hydrogen or oxygen · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• Y02E60/366

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic