Hydrogen supply apparatus and hydrogen supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11730912-B2
Application number	US-202016779693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A hydrogen supply apparatus includes: an air path having an inlet and an outlet; a fan that is disposed in the air path and produces a flow of air from the inlet to the outlet; a first pipe having an end that forms a first supply port through which to supply hydrogen gas to the air path; a flow control device that is attached to the first pipe and adjusts a flow rate of the hydrogen gas; and a hydrogen gas sensor, disposed downstream of the fan or the end in a direction of flow of the air that detects a concentration of the hydrogen gas in the air path, where the end is disposed between the fan and the outlet or between the fan and the inlet in the air path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrogen supply apparatus comprising:
an air path having an inlet through which an air introduced into the hydrogen supply apparatus from an outside of the hydrogen supply apparatus and an outlet through which the air is exhausted to the outside of the hydrogen supply apparatus;
a fan that is disposed in the air path and produces a flow of the air from the inlet to the outlet;
a first pipe having an end that forms a first supply port through which to supply hydrogen gas to the air path;
a flow control device that is attached to the first pipe and adjusts a flow rate of the hydrogen gas; and
a hydrogen gas sensor that is disposed downstream of the fan or the end in a direction of flow of the air and detects a concentration of the hydrogen gas in the air path,
wherein the end is disposed between the fan and the outlet or between the fan and the inlet in the air path.

2. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller that controls the flow control device to keep a concentration of hydrogen gas at the outlet lower than a predetermined concentration.

3. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein in a case where a concentration of hydrogen gas as detected by the hydrogen gas sensor is equal to or higher than the predetermined concentration, the controller either controls the flow control device to stop supply of hydrogen gas to the air path or reduce a flow rate of hydrogen gas that is supplied to the air path or controls the fan to increase a flow rate of the air in the air path.

4. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein in a case where a concentration of hydrogen gas as detected by the hydrogen gas sensor is equal to or higher than the predetermined concentration, the controller controls the fan to increase a flow rate of the air in the air path and then controls the flow control device to stop supply of hydrogen gas to the air path or reduce a flow rate of hydrogen gas that is supplied to the air path.

5. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a temperature sensor disposed between the fan and the inlet in the air path,
wherein in a case a temperature detected by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a particular temperature, the controller controls the flow control device and the fan to stop supply of hydrogen gas to the air path and stop the fan.

6. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air path has a vertically long air path through which to guide the flow of air from a lower position toward a higher position; and
the end is disposed in the vertically long air path.

7. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a hydrogen gas supply source that supplies hydrogen gas to the first pipe.

8. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the hydrogen gas supply source includes an electrolytic device that produces the hydrogen gas by electrolysis of water.

9. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a mixer that has a second supply port which is open to the air path, that is supplied with the hydrogen gas from the first pipe, and that dilutes the hydrogen gas with a diluent gas,
wherein the hydrogen gas diluted in the mixer is supplied to the air path through the second supply port.

10. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the mixer has a flow passage that allows passage of hydrogen gas having passed through the flow control device and a third supply port that is open to the flow passage and that serves to supply the diluent gas to the flow passage.

11. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the diluent gas is a gas that is inert to hydrogen gas.

12. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the diluent gas is nitrogen gas.

13. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising a gas separator that is connected to the mixer and separates the nitrogen gas from air.

14. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a filter that is disposed in a first position between the inlet and the fan and between the inlet and the end in the air path, a second position between the outlet and the fan and between the outlet and the end in the air path, or in both the first position and the second position, that is made of an incombustible material, and that both transmits gases and captures foreign substances.

15. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a shutter that closes the air path and is disposed in at least one of a third position between the inlet and the fan and between the inlet and the end in the air path, and a fourth position between the outlet and the fan and between the outlet and the end in the air path,
wherein in a case where a concentration of hydrogen gas as detected by the hydrogen gas sensor is equal to or higher than the predetermined concentration, the controller controls the shutter to close the air path.

16. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air path includes a downstream portion that has a plurality of outlets.

17. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air path includes a downstream portion that has a plurality of outlets, and
the hydrogen gas sensor is disposed upstream of the downstream portion in the direction of flow of the air.

18. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller acquires or stores first information indicating presence or absence of a human in the interior, and
when the first information indicates the presence of a human in the interior, the controller controls the flow control device to supply hydrogen gas to the air path.

19. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the controller further acquires second information indicating a position of the human in the interior, and controls the flow control device on the basis of the second information to adjust a flow rate of the hydrogen gas.

20. The hydrogen supply apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller acquires third information that is biological information of a human in the interior, and controls the flow control device on the basis of the third information to adjust a flow rate of the hydrogen gas.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takahashi Yasufumi
• Hato Kazuhito
• Ukai Kunihiro

Classifications

• B01F35/712

  for feeding fluids · CPC title

• B01F35/82

  by adding a material to be mixed to a mixture in response to a detected feature, e.g. density, radioactivity, consumed power or colour · CPC title

• B01F35/71805

  using valves, gates, orifices or openings · CPC title

• B01F35/7181

  using fans or turbines · CPC title

• B01F35/714

  for feeding predetermined amounts (B01F35/88 takes precedence) · CPC title