Hydrogen supply system and driving method of hydrogen supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019363386-A1
Application number	US-201916377888-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2019
Priority date	May 24, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hydrogen supply system includes: an electrochemical hydrogen pump including an electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode provided to a first and second main surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, respectively, an anode flow path and cathode flow path through which hydrogen flows, and a voltage applicator applying a voltage between the anode and cathode, pressurizing and sending hydrogen supplied to the anode via the anode flow path to the cathode by applying a voltage by the voltage applicator, and supplying the pressurized hydrogen in the cathode flow path to a hydrogen reservoir; a pressure adjuster adjusting a cathode flow path pressure; and a controller controlling the pressure adjuster and making the cathode flow path pressure higher than an anode flow path pressure before starting a hydrogen pressurization action for pressurizing and supplying hydrogen supplied to the anode flow path to the cathode flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hydrogen supply system comprising:
an electrochemical hydrogen pump that includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode which is provided to a first main surface of the electrolyte membrane, an anode flow path which is provided on the anode and through which hydrogen flows, a cathode which is provided to a second main surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode flow path which is provided on the cathode and through which hydrogen flows, and a voltage applicator which applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode, pressurizes and sends hydrogen which is supplied to the anode via the anode flow path to the cathode by applying a voltage by the voltage applicator, and supplies the pressurized hydrogen in the cathode flow path to a hydrogen reservoir; a pressure adjuster that adjusts a pressure of the cathode flow path; and a controller that controls the pressure adjuster and makes the pressure of the cathode flow path higher than a pressure of the anode flow path before a hydrogen pressurization action, in which hydrogen supplied to the anode flow path is pressurized and supplied to the cathode flow path, is started in order to supply the pressurized hydrogen to the hydrogen reservoir in the electrochemical hydrogen pump.

2 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the pressure adjuster and causes the pressure of the cathode flow path to rise before the hydrogen pressurization action is started.

3 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 2 , wherein
the pressure adjuster includes a first valve that is provided in a first route which connects a pressure supplier which supplies a pressure to the cathode flow path with the cathode flow path, and the controller causes the pressure of the cathode flow path to rise by opening the first valve before the hydrogen pressurization action is started.

4 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 3 , wherein the pressure supplier includes a gas reservoir.

5 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 4 , wherein the gas reservoir includes a hydrogen reservoir.

6 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 2 , wherein
the pressure adjuster includes a first valve that is provided in a first route which connects a pressure supplier which supplies a pressure to the cathode flow path with the cathode flow path, and the controller causes the pressure of the cathode flow path to rise by opening the first valve and causing the pressure supplier to act before the hydrogen pressurization action is started.

7 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 6 , wherein the pressure supplier includes a fluid supplier that supplies a fluid to the cathode flow path.

8 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a second route through which a fluid discharged from the cathode flow path flows; and a second valve that is provided in the second route, wherein the controller opens the second valve in a case where the controller causes the pressure of the cathode flow path to rise by opening the first valve and causing the fluid supplier to act before the hydrogen pressurization action is started.

9 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 8 , wherein the second route is connected with the anode flow path.

10 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 9 , wherein a pressure dropper is provided in the second route.

11 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 7 , wherein the fluid supplier includes a gas supplier.

12 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 7 , wherein the fluid supplier includes a water supplier.

13 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the pressure adjuster and maintains the pressure of the cathode flow path at a higher pressure than the anode flow path in a case where the hydrogen pressurization action is not performed.

14 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 , wherein
the voltage applicator also serves as the pressure adjuster, and the controller causes the voltage applicator to apply a voltage between the anode and the cathode and makes a pressure of the cathode higher than a pressure of the anode before the hydrogen pressurization action for supplying the pressurized hydrogen to the hydrogen reservoir is started.

15 . A driving method of a hydrogen supply system, the driving method comprising:
applying a voltage between an anode and a cathode to pressurize and send hydrogen which is supplied to the anode via an anode flow path to the cathode in an electrochemical hydrogen pump that includes an electrolyte membrane, the anode which is provided to a first main surface of the electrolyte membrane, the anode flow path which is provided on the anode and through which hydrogen flows, the cathode which is provided to a second main surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode flow path which is provided on the cathode and through which hydrogen flows; supplying the pressurized hydrogen in the cathode flow path to a hydrogen reservoir; and making a pressure of the cathode flow path higher than a pressure of the anode flow path before execution of the applying of the voltage.

16 . A hydrogen supply system comprising:
an electrolyte membrane; an anode that is provided to a first main surface of the electrolyte membrane; an anode flow path which is provided on the anode and through which hydrogen flows; a cathode that is provided to a second main surface of the electrolyte membrane; a cathode flow path which is provided on the cathode and through which hydrogen flows; a voltage applicator that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode; and a controller that controls the voltage applicator and makes a pressure of the cathode flow path higher than a pressure of the anode flow path before hydrogen supply to the anode flow path is started.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wakita Hidenobu
• Ukai Kunihiro
• Sakai Osamu
• Tsuji Yoichiro

Classifications

• C25B9/00

  Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features · CPC title

• H01M8/0656

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

• H01M8/184 Primary

  Regeneration by electrochemical means · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• C25B1/02 Primary

  Hydrogen or oxygen · CPC title