Hydrogen production apparatus and hydrogen production system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10590552-B2
Application number	US-201815922094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

The hydrogen production apparatus includes: a rectifier supplied with first electrical power from outside, and that outputs direct-current second electrical power; an electrolyzer supplied with the second electrical power and that carries out electrolysis of an alkaline aqueous solution; a pure water tank that retains a pure water; a pure water pipe connected between the pure water tank and an electrolyzer, allowing the pure water to be distributed from the pure water tank to the electrolyzer; an inert gas cylinder that contains an inert gas; and a first valve connected between the inert gas cylinder and the pure water pipe, is the first valve being closed when the first electrical power is supplied, and being open when the first electrical power is not supplied. The inert gas is introduced into the pure water pipe by opening the first valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrogen production apparatus, comprising: a rectifier supplied with first electrical power from outside, and that outputs direct-current second electrical power; an electrolyzer supplied with the second electrical power and that carries out electrolysis of an alkaline aqueous solution; an electrolyte circulation tank that retains the alkaline aqueous solution; a pump that circulates the alkaline aqueous solution between the electrolyzer and the electrolyte circulation tank; a pure water tank that retains a pure water; a pure water pipe connected between the pure water tank and the electrolyte circulation tank, allowing the pure water to be distributed from the pure water tank to the electrolyte circulation tank; an inert gas cylinder that contains an inert gas; and a first valve connected between the inert gas cylinder and the pure water pipe, the first valve being closed when the first electrical power is supplied, and being open when the first electrical power is not supplied, wherein the inert gas is introduced into the pure water pipe by opening the first valve.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first valve is a normally open valve closed when magnetized and open when demagnetized.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control device that switches the electrolyzer and the pump off when the first electrical power is not supplied, and
a storage battery that supplies the second electrical power to the control device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control device opens the first valve when the supply of the first electrical power has stopped.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydrogen pipe that removes hydrogen gas from the electrolyzer; and
a second valve connected between the inert gas cylinder and the hydrogen pipe, the second valve being closed when the first electrical power is supplied, and being open when the first electrical power is not supplied, wherein
the inert gas is introduced into the hydrogen pipe by opening the second valve.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the second valve is a normally open valve closed when magnetized and open when demagnetized.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising;
a hydrogen leak detector; and
a control device that stops the electrolyzer and the pump, and opens the second valve when the hydrogen leak detector has detected a hydrogen leak.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising;
an earthquake detector; and
a control device that stops the electrolyzer and the pump, and opens the second valve when the earthquake detector has detected an earthquake.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising;
a fire detector; and
a control device that stops the electrolyzer and the pump, and opens the second valve when the fire detector has detected a fire.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrical power is generated by renewable energy.

11. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrical power is an alternating-current power generated by water power.

12. A hydrogen production system, comprising:
a hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 1 ;
a building that houses the hydrogen production apparatus;
an air conditioner that adjusts the temperature within the building using a third electrical power supplied from the rectifier; and
a hydrogen tank that stores the hydrogen gas obtained from the electrolyzer.

13. The system according to claim 12 , further comprising a transport container that transports pure water from outside to the pure water tank.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the transport container is formed from stainless steel.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Harano Tomomi
• Higuchi Masatoshi

Classifications

• C25B1/04 Primary

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• H01M8/0656

  by electrochemical means (H01M8/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M7/28

  using electrolytic rectifiers · CPC title

• H01M16/003

  of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers · CPC title

• C25B15/02 Primary

  Process control or regulation · CPC title