JPH03189372A - Pollution-free energy supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to energy supply equipment, and particularly to a pollution-free energy supply system suitable for maintaining the health of the global environment.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in the attached reference documents, various conventional power generation facilities have been devised that utilize natural energy (solar power, wind power, wave power, tidal power, etc.) alone.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional technology has the following problems.

(1) Various power generation equipment that uses natural energy (solar,
Wind power, wave power, tidal power) have low energy density and low energy conversion efficiency when used alone, so they require large-scale equipment and are relatively expensive to construct.

(2) Natural energy fluctuates significantly depending on weather conditions, making it impossible to provide a stable supply of energy.

The purpose of the present invention is to solve these two problems, maximize the effective use of natural energy, increase the amount of power generated per unit area, and produce hydrogen gas, which is a non-polluting energy. The purpose is to provide a stable supply of fuel.

[Means to solve the problem]

In this invention, as a means to maximize the effective use of natural energy with low energy density (sunlight: thermal power generation after concentrating heat, wind power, wave power, tidal power) and increase the amount of power generated per unit area, these power generation units were assembled efficiently and installed in the ocean (near the coastline).

The advantages of installing in the ocean are shown below.

(a) Power generation using solar power There are no obstacles, so there is no influence from shadows.

(b) Wind power generation There are no obstacles, so there is good ventilation.

(c) Wave power and tidal power generation By installing this system near the coastline, we can expect large differences in the height of waves as wave power and tidal power as tidal power.

In order to make the most effective use of these natural energies and increase the amount of power generated per unit area, power generation units must be assembled efficiently.

The features of the collective configuration of power generation units in the present invention are shown below.

(a) Integrated structure of solar power generation and wind power generation Since solar power generation in the present invention is mainly used as a power source for hydrogen production (however, surplus power is used as electricity), solar cells that directly generate power Instead, a thermoelectric conversion element was used instead. The reason why thermoelectric conversion elements were selected is that the larger the temperature difference, the higher the efficiency and the higher the output. In other words, heat obtained from sunlight (approximately 600℃) and seawater (approximately 15
This is because it is possible to take a large temperature difference from the temperature (constant around ℃). When such a thermoelectric conversion element is employed, it is necessary to create a high temperature section using sunlight. In the present invention, a solar furnace was employed to create this high temperature section. In other words, we decided to condense sunlight using a parabolic reflector and transport the heat to the lower high-temperature tank (the above-mentioned high-temperature section) using a heat pipe (external vacuum insulation) located at the center of the parabolic reflector. This parabolic reflector has a concentric structure, and since the reflection efficiency does not decrease even when rotated, we attached wind blowing blades to the outside for wind power generation. This will integrate solar power generation and wind power generation, reducing construction costs.

(b) Integration of wave power generation and hydrogen production system Wave power generation generates power using the vertical motion of waves, so a floating body is required. On the outside of the upper part of the floating body are solar power generation and wind power generation systems.

This floating body also serves as an electrolytic cell for hydrogen production, and contains water obtained from seawater desalination and electrodes for electrolysis. Hydrogen production takes place inside this floating body using electricity obtained from solar power generation. Desalination of seawater is carried out by reverse osmosis, which uses part of the kinetic energy of floating bodies to pressurize the seawater. This will integrate wave power generation and hydrogen production systems, reducing construction costs.

In this way, construction costs can be significantly reduced by efficiently assembling each power generation unit and hydrogen production unit and by combining tidal power generation units. Regarding the stable supply of energy, which is the problem shown in (2), we can expect solar power, wind power, and tidal power during sunny days, and wind power, wave power, and tidal power during bad weather. By providing a storage battery, this can be adequately addressed.

[Effect]

The configuration of the pollution-free energy supply system according to the present invention includes a solar power generation system, a wind power generation system, a wave power generation system, a tidal power generation system, a hydrogen production system, and a power supply system. The functions of the components of each of these systems are shown below.

A parabolic reflector reflects and focuses sunlight.

Heat is transferred to the heat pipe, but on the other hand, the wind turbine blades are attached to the outside of the reflector, which rotates due to wind power and also plays the role of transmitting power.

A heat pipe transports heat collected by a parabolic reflector to a high-temperature chamber at the bottom, and heat loss due to heat radiation is a problem, but in the present invention, the outside of the heat pipe is covered with a vacuum insulation tube covered with a glass tube. Because of the layer arrangement, heat loss can be minimized.

The high temperature tank needs to store heat at a high temperature, and in the present invention, liquid metal is used. As a result, the high-temperature tank is maintained at a constant temperature, so that the effects of heat on the structure are alleviated.

The power generation part of the thermoelectric conversion element is connected to the lower part of the high temperature tank, and its electrode is connected to the temperature of the water (water temperature) in the floating body (the power source for wave power generation) through another electrode used for hydrogen production. : It is inserted at a temperature of approximately 20°C as it is cooled by seawater. As a result, the temperature difference applied to the thermoelectric conversion element becomes as large as about 580° C., so that high efficiency and high output can be obtained.

The wind blowing blade is attached to the outside of the parabolic reflector.
When it receives wind, it rotates together with the parabolic reflector, transmitting the power to the generator. This allows the installation area and construction costs to be kept low.

The floating body contains water for hydrogen production inside, and rises and falls along the rails of the mounting frame due to the vertical movement of waves. This results in constant reciprocating motion on the same axis, and the kinetic energy can be transmitted effectively.

The cushion is installed between the floating body and the air piston installed below it, and plays the role of cushioning the impact when the floating body makes large vertical movements. This prevents damage due to impact.

The air piston moves up and down to convert the kinetic energy of the floating body into high-pressure air, and is designed to obtain high-pressure air even when moving upward and downward.

Thereby, wave energy can be effectively transmitted to the air turbine.

An air turbine is rotated by high-pressure air compressed by an air piston, and generates electric power using a generator.

The tidal flow guide pipe was installed so as to surround the blades that were rotated by the tidal current, and had a wide-mouthed structure at the front and rear. As a result, when installed in a strait, etc., it is possible to generate electricity even if the flow due to the tidal level difference is in the opposite direction.

There are many types of rotating blades, such as the shape of an airplane propeller and the blade shape of an electric fan, but in the present invention, a spiral blade is used. This allows it to rotate with the same efficiency even if the direction of the current is reversed.

The electrolytic cell also serves as a floating body. The internal structure has a partition plate installed in the center to separate the hydrogen and oxygen gases generated during electrolysis. This partition plate extends up to the lower end of the electrode, and the part below it is a separation membrane (such as an asbestos sheet) for the generated gas. This can prevent the generated gases (hydrogen, oxygen) from recombining.

The liquid level needle in the electrolytic cell is used to control the liquid level in the electrolytic cell.
The water is injected by controlling the opening and closing of the three-way valve in the seawater desalination system according to the instructions from this liquid level needle. This keeps the liquid level in the electrolytic cell constant.

The seawater pressurizing piston operates in conjunction with the vertical movement of the floating body, pressurizes seawater, and injects it into the desalination equipment. This provides the pressure necessary for desalination equipment that uses reverse osmosis.

Desalination equipment using reverse osmosis operates with a liquid level needle in an electrolytic cell to replenish water that has been reduced by electrolysis. Thereby, impurities in the seawater can be removed, and deterioration of the electrolytic cell and electrodes can also be minimized.

The header temporarily stores the generated hydrogen gas.

The hydrogen gas pressurizing pump sends generated hydrogen to the hydrogen storage tank.

The electrolytic cell gas pressure control valve controls the gas pressure within the electrolytic cell, which is divided into two parts for the purpose of preventing generated gas from recombining.

This allows the liquid levels in the two tanks to be controlled at a constant level.

The hydrogen storage tank is a tank that stores manufactured hydrogen gas. This allows stable supply of hydrogen gas.

The converter uses alternating current (AC) obtained from wind, wave, and tidal power.
AC) converts electrical power into direct current.

This allows the short battery provided to stably supply power to be charged.

An inverter converts DC power into AC power. This makes it possible to use electricity on a par with commercial electricity.

A storage battery is used to charge surplus power and to discharge when directly supplied power is insufficient. This allows for a stable supply of electricity even if the weather conditions are unsuitable for power generation and there is a shortage of directly supplied electricity.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a pollution-free energy supply system according to the present invention.

This system consists of a solar power generation system, a wind power generation system, a wave power generation system, a tidal power generation system, a hydrogen production system, and a power supply system.

The solar power generation system uses a parabolic reflector 2 to condense sunlight 1 onto a heat pipe 3 (external vacuum insulation) located in the center of the parabolic reflector 2, and collects liquid metal (Na) 4 provided at the bottom. The heat is transferred to a high-temperature tank 5 (covered with an outer heat insulating material 6) containing a temperature of about 600°C. A thermoelectric conversion element 7 is connected to the lower part of this high temperature bath 5, and its electrode is connected to an electrode 8 used for hydrogen production.

This electrode 8 is connected to water 10 held in a hydrogen production electrolyzer 9 (also used as a floating body for wave power generation) (water temperature is approximately 2
The temperature is around 0°C. ) is buried inside.

With this configuration, the thermoelectric conversion element 7 has approximately 5
A large temperature difference of 80°C is required. The thermoelectric conversion element 7 becomes more efficient as it is used in a higher temperature region.

It is about 14% for 5iGe. The power generated here is mainly used for hydrogen production, but if surplus power is generated, it is charged to a storage battery (see Figure 3) connected to the power supply system.

An example of calculating the power that can be generated by the above system is shown below.

Calculation conditions: Parabolic reflector diameter d: 10 m Heat pipe efficiency η1: 90% Thermoelectric power generation element efficiency ηz: 14% Solar radiation Sp: 1178 KWh/m・year (use 19
(Measured in 1983) The generated power Swe (KWh/year) is calculated using the following formula (1)% formula % (1) From the formula (1), the generated power Swe is approximately 11651 KWh/year.

The wind blade 11 of the wind power generation system is a parabolic reflector 2.
It has an integral structure with the parabolic reflector 2 and is attached to the outside of the parabolic reflector 2. Therefore, when receiving the wind 12, the parabolic reflecting mirror 2 itself rotates.

This rotational force is transmitted to the generator 1 via the gear 13 provided at the bottom.
4. Here, since the parabolic reflector 2 rotates around the heat pipe 3 in the center, its performance as a condensing reflector is not affected.

An example of calculating the power that can be generated by this wind power generation system is shown below.

Calculation conditions: Swept area A: 48 rrr Air density p: 0.1221 kg5”/mth power coefficient Cp: 0.415 Wind turbine efficiency η8 Near 0% Wind speed V: 5 m/s (annual average) Generated power W
w e (W) is determined by the following equation (2).

Wwo=172・ρ・vs-CP・9.807...(
2) From equation (2), the annual power generation is 13140KW.
It will be about h/year.

The wave power generation system generates power by the vertical movement of a floating body 9 (also used as a hydrogen production electrolyzer) on which a solar power generation system and a wind power generation system are mounted. This floating body 9
The kinetic energy of is transmitted to the piston shaft 15 attached to the lower part of the floating body 9, and the air piston 16
is operated to produce high-pressure air, the air turbine 17 is rotated by the high-pressure air, and the generator 18 generates electric power.

Note that the air piston 16 has a structure in which high-pressure air can be produced by both upward and downward movement. Further, a spring cushion 19 is provided between the floating body 9 and the air piston 16 to provide a structure to prevent damage when the floating body 9 moves large.

Below is an example of calculations that can generate power with this wave power generation system.

In the above calculation, first, the buoyancy of the floating body 9 is calculated.

Calculation conditions: Dimensions of floating body: 4mX4mX3m (height): Thickness, 0
．． 005'm Specific gravity of floating structure 71: 7820kg/m'Specific gravity of seawater'/x: 1020kg/rri'Volume of floating body Fv: 48rn' Volume of water in floating body Hv: 32rr'Specific gravity of water in floating body ya: 1000kg/rn' From the above conditions,
The weight Fw of the floating body is 35128 kg.

The buoyant force F (kg) is determined by the following formula.

F=γ2°Fv...(3
) From this, the buoyant force F is 48,960 kg.

From these calculation results, it can be seen that the relationship F > F w holds true, and the floating body 9 can float sufficiently.

Furthermore, it can be seen that the weight difference between F and F (13,832 kg) can be placed on the upper part of the floating body 9.

Next, the power generated by the vertical movement of the floating body 9 is determined.

Calculation conditions Height of two waves (20) H = 0.25 m Surplus buoyancy of floating body For = 8832 kg Wave period Hz: 3 s (Here, the weight of floating body 9 is 35128 kg, the weight of the solar power generation system and the wind power generation system 5000k
Let it be g. ) The power P for one period of the floating body 9 was determined using the following formula.

P;4・FDP-H/Hz...(4)
From equation (4), the power when floating body 9 moves downward is 132
The power when moving upward at 5 kg-m/S (considering 10% as the power of the hydrogen production seawater pressurizing piston) is 1472
kg-m/S. When converting the power, the power Wo when moving downward is 13KW, the power Wu when moving upward is 14.4KW, and the average power WTT is about 13.7
It is KW.

Next, based on these results, the power that can be generated W Fe
seek.

Calculation condition: Air piston efficiency No. 9 near 5% Air piston efficiency η6: 90% The generated power WFe is determined by the following equation (5).

V/re = WTT 0η4'1η6
°−(5) From equation (5), the annual power generation is 810
It will be about 0.8KWh/year.

A tidal power generation system generates power using a tidal flow 21, and the present invention has a structure in which a spiral impeller 22 is rotated and power is obtained from a generator 23. In addition, in consideration of the case where the guide pipe 24 for the tidal current 21 is installed in a strait or the like where there is a flow with a difference in tidal level, the front and rear of the guide pipe 24 are designed with wide openings so that power can be generated even when the tidal current is reversed. And so.

Below is an example of calculating the power that can be generated by this tidal power generation system.

Calculation condition: Installation location: Near the coastline, not in the strait.

(Operates using the tidal power of crashing waves) Type of tidal current: Waves with a period of 3 seconds and a flow of 1 m/s for 1 second.

Area S through which the tidal current passes: 10 The generated power WSE (KW) is determined by the following formula.

Wse=0.513 ・5-V3/Hz-(6
) (6), the annual power generation amount is 14,980KWh.
/year.

From the above analysis results, the total power generation amount of the power generation system according to the present invention (solar power generation, wind power, wave power generation, tidal power generation) is 12
0779KW h /year (13,8KW) i'Ali,
The power generation amount per unit area is approximately 604 KWh/m'・year (
(installation area is 200 m), which is about four times the amount of power generated by solar cells (approximately 150 KWh/year).

The hydrogen production system mainly uses the electricity generated by the solar power generation system to produce hydrogen gas. Hydrogen production is performed by electrolyzing water 10 held in the electrolytic cell 9. Inside this electrolytic cell 9, an electrolytic electrode 8. Partition plate (including separation membrane) 25. It is composed of a liquid level gauge 26. Here, the partition plate 25 is for preventing recombination of the generated gas, and the lower part thereof is a separation membrane made of asbestos or the like. Moreover, the liquid level gauge 26 is for controlling the water level of the retained water 10. This control method will be described later. Hydrogen production according to the present invention does not involve direct electrolysis of seawater.
Desalinate seawater and use it. This is due to the precipitation of impurities that occur when seawater is directly electrolyzed.
This is to prevent deterioration of the electrode 8 and the like. The desalination method uses reverse osmosis. In this method, it is necessary to inject high-pressure seawater into the desalination device 27. In the present invention, high pressure seawater is obtained by the seawater pressurizing piston 28 by utilizing the vertical movement of the floating body 9 (also used as an electrolytic cell).

The force applied to this seawater pressurizing piston 28 was set to 10% of the force when the floating body 9 moves downward. The amount of water injected into the electrolytic cell 9 only needs to be replenished to replace the amount of water that decreases due to hydrogen gas production, but the flow rate is controlled by opening and closing the three-way valve 29 according to instructions from the liquid level gauge 26.

The hydrogen gas generated in the electrolytic cell 9 is transferred to the gas pressure control valve 30. Hydrogen gas pressurization pump 3 via header 31
2 and stored in a hydrogen storage tank 33 installed on the seabed. At this time, oxygen gas generated at the same time as hydrogen gas is released to the atmosphere via the gas pressure control valve 34. In the present invention, the gas pressure in the electrolytic cell 9 at the time of gas generation is important. In other words, since the inside of the electrolytic cell 9 is divided into two tanks, if the calibration gas pressures are not balanced, a difference will occur in the water level and efficient hydrogen production will not be possible. A gas pressure control method during gas generation will be explained using FIG. 2. Pressure gauges for two tanks (hydrogen gas side: P)
1. Oxygen gas side: At the same time, adjust the indication of PH and P from the pressure gauge Pro of the header 31 so that the indication of Po is always constant.
Control so that O becomes high. Hydrogen gas pressurization pump 32
is activated when the indication on the pressure gauge PHD of the header 31 reaches the operating setting value. This allows automatic control. The calculation results of the production capacity of the hydrogen production system described above are shown below.

Calculation conditions: Power usage Swe: 1330W (power generated using solar power) Electrolysis voltage DV: 2. IV Hydrogen generation amount QB: 0.418 X I O”rri
”/Ah Hydrogen gas generation QHG (rn'/h)
is, QHa= (S we/DV) ・Qa
-(7) From equation (7), the amount of hydrogen gas generated is 0.265 (rn'/h), which is 2 per year.
319(rn').

At this time, the amount of oxygen released into the atmosphere was 1160 (
rn') and play a major role in improving the global environment.

The power supply system according to the present invention will be explained using FIG. 3.

AC power generated by wind power, wave power, and tidal power is first converted into DC by a converter 36 in the power adjustment device 35, and then converted into commercial power etc. by an inverter 37 and transmitted. If the power is to be transmitted using

When surplus power is generated in this system, the storage battery 38 is charged. The DC power generated using solar power is transmitted as hydrogen production power, but if surplus power is generated, it is charged to the storage battery 38 in the same way as wind power, wave power, and tidal power generation. Discharging from the storage battery 38 is performed when the transmitted power is insufficient.

With such a power supply system, it is possible to provide a stable supply of power regardless of weather conditions.

The above describes a pollution-free energy supply system installed on the coastline as an embodiment of the present invention. However, when this system is used as a power supply facility for offshore development, power supply facilities such as diesel generators, fuel, fuel transportation, etc. will no longer be necessary, and the benefits will be greater.

In addition, since the present invention uses liquid metal as the heat storage material of the high-temperature tank, it is also possible to apply an alkali metal thermoelectric power generation element currently being developed.

Alkali metal thermoelectric power generation elements convert thermal energy into electrical energy by electrochemically expanding an alkali metal across a solid electrolyte.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, power can be stably supplied even though power is generated using natural energy that is dependent on weather conditions. Additionally, hydrogen fuel and electricity can be supplied as needed.

Furthermore, since a large amount of oxygen (half the amount of hydrogen generated) is released into the atmosphere during the hydrogen production process, it is possible to improve the global environment.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a system diagram of a pollution-free energy supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a gas pressure control system diagram of a hydrogen production system, and Fig. 3 is a power supply diagram of a pollution-free energy supply system of the present invention. In the supply system diagram, 2...parabolic reflector, pole. ...Heat pipe, 8...Electric No. λ Section 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A solar power collection system that collects sunlight and converts it into heat, a thermal power generation system that converts the heat into electricity, and a wind blower that rotates using wind power to convert the rotational force into electricity. A pollution-free system that is characterized by a combination of a wind power generation system that converts ocean wave power, and a wave power generation system and tidal current power generation system that convert tidal power into electrical energy, increasing the amount of electrical energy extracted per unit area. Energy supply system. 2. A pollution-free energy supply system for producing hydrogen by electrolyzing water using the electric power from the power generation system according to claim 1. 3.Equipped with a solar power collection system that collects sunlight and transports the heat through heat pipes to a liquid with a high boiling point, and a thermoelectric power generation system that converts the heat into electricity using thermoelectric conversion elements. A pollution-free energy supply system. 4. A pollution-free energy supply system characterized by attaching wind blowing blades to the outside of a reflecting mirror that collects sunlight and rotating the reflecting mirror itself using wind power. 5. A pollution-free energy supply system characterized by holding water, which serves as a hydrogen gas generation source, in a floating body, which serves as an energy source for wave power generation. 6. The pollution-free energy supply system according to claim 5, wherein seawater is brought to high pressure by the vertical movement of the floating body of the wave power generation, and desalination is performed by reverse osmosis, thereby supplying fresh water into the floating body.