JPH0448093A - Energy convertor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To safely reconvert deuterium into heavy water and to safely convert energy by utilizing a catalytic layer in the case of electrolyzing heavy water and producing heavy water from the produced deuterium and oxygen. CONSTITUTION:Heavy water 2 is electrolyzed in an electrolyzer 1. The mixture of deuterium and hydrogen generated in a cathode 3 is supplied to a hydrogen separator 6. Hydrogen is recovered and deuterium is supplied to a catalytic layer 7. Further, oxygen produced in an anode 4 is supplied to the catalytic layer 7. Heavy water is produced from deuterium and oxygen and cooled by a heat exchanger 8 and liquid is produced and resupplied to the electrolyzer 1. In this operation, heat energy generated in the electrolyzer 1 is given to a heat medium in a heat exchanger 9 provided in heavy water 2. This heat medium is transported to a turbine 10 and converted into electric energy by a generator 11. The heat medium discharged from the turbine 10 is resupplied to the heat exchanger 9 via a steam condenser 12. Thereby energy conversion is efficiently and safely performed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to the improvement of a device that converts energy by electrolysis of heavy water, and in particular to the improvement of a device that converts energy by electrolysis of heavy water, and in particular, the present invention relates to the improvement of a device that converts energy by electrolysis of heavy water. It is to be used effectively and safely.

(Prior Art) In recent years, a method of converting energy by electrolysis of heavy water has been proposed. In other words, it has been reported that when an electrolyte is added to heavy water and electrolysis is carried out using palladium or titanium as a cathode and platinum or gold as an anode, heat is generated and neutrons generated when nuclear fusion occurs are observed. There is. This method is expected to develop in the future as a new energy conversion method. The thermal energy generated by this method can be used as thermal energy or converted into electrical energy by driving a turbine.

However, in this energy conversion system, only a portion of the deuterium is converted into energy in the electrolyzer, so there is a problem that the efficiency of using heavy water is extremely low. In other words, most of the deuterium generated in the electrolyzer is not reused and is directly discharged from the system. Heavy water is obtained by concentrating trace amounts of water contained in seawater, and concentrating it requires energy. For this reason, if deuterium is discharged from the system without being reused, the efficiency of the energy conversion system as a whole will decrease.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of the entire system by effectively and safely reusing deuterium generated from heavy water in the energy conversion system described above.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means and Effects for Solving the Problems) The energy conversion device of the present invention is a device that generates energy by electrolyzing heavy water in an electrolytic cell, in which deuterium generated from a cathode and oxygen The invention is characterized by being provided with a catalyst layer that generates heavy water by reacting the two.

Hereinafter, the energy conversion device of the present invention will be explained in more detail.As the catalyst, a catalyst containing a platinum group element or a transition metal element is preferable. In particular, in the honeycomb structure, Pt, Pd
Alternatively, it is preferable to use a catalyst layer supporting an alloy of these. The catalyst layer is set at a temperature range in which heavy water does not condense (that is, above the dew point).

As the oxygen-containing gas, it is preferable to use a gas generated from the anode of the electrolytic cell. In this way, there is no need to supply oxygen from outside the system, so efficiency can be improved.

The deuterium-containing gas and the oxygen-containing gas generated in the electrolytic cell can be obtained independently by partitioning the space above the liquid level of the picture electrode in the electrolytic cell with a partition wall.

The gas containing deuterium and the gas containing oxygen are mixed before being supplied to the catalyst layer. At this time, from a safety perspective,
The composition of the gas mixture of deuterium and oxygen is preferably adjusted to be outside the explosive limit. Note that hydrogen is also generated along with deuterium from the cathode of the electrolytic cell, but it is preferable to separate this hydrogen in advance using a hydrogen separation membrane or the like before mixing it with oxygen. When hydrogen accompanying deuterium is oxidized to water in the catalyst layer, the heavy water produced in the catalyst layer is diluted.

Therefore, when heavy water is transferred to an electrolytic cell, the concentration of heavy water in the electrolytic cell decreases.

Furthermore, in order to cause a reaction between a gas containing deuterium and a gas containing oxygen in a catalyst layer, it is preferable that the catalyst layers are provided in multiple stages and a heat exchanger is installed between each catalyst layer. With such a configuration, the heat generated in the exothermic reaction between deuterium and oxygen can be removed to prevent the catalyst from deteriorating due to exposure to excessively high temperatures, and the heavy water vapor produced can be obtained as a liquid. I can do it.

In this case, various methods are used to supply the gas containing deuterium and the gas containing oxygen to each of the catalyst layers provided in multiple stages. For example, all of the deuterium-containing gas and oxygen-containing gas may be supplied to the first-stage catalyst layer, and the gas may be allowed to pass through the catalyst layer in order to react. Further, a gas containing deuterium and a gas containing oxygen may be supplied to each stage of the catalyst layer.

Supplying one or both of a deuterium-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas to the catalyst layer of each stage has the advantage that it becomes easy to adjust the mixed gas to be outside the explosive limit. For example, if a large excess of oxygen is mixed and supplied to the first stage catalyst layer so that the deuterium concentration is outside the explosive limit, most of the deuterium will react at the outlet of this catalyst layer, and only oxygen will be present. It will remain. Next, a gas containing deuterium is mixed and supplied to the second stage catalyst layer so as to be outside the explosion limit.

When the amount of oxygen decreases in the subsequent catalyst layer, oxygen or a mixed gas of oxygen and deuterium may be supplied. By using such a method, heavy water can be obtained safely.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an energy conversion device according to the present invention. Heavy water 2 is contained in the electrolytic cell 1 together with an electrolyte, and a cathode 3 and an anode 4 are immersed in the heavy water 2. Inside the electrolytic cell 1, a space above the cathode 3 and a space above the anode 4 are partitioned by a partition wall 5.

By electrolysis of heavy water 2, a mixture of deuterium and hydrogen is generated from the cathode 3 and oxygen is generated from the anode 4. Along with this, thermal energy is generated within the electrolytic cell 1.

A mixture of deuterium and hydrogen generated from the cathode 3 is supplied to a hydrogen separator 6 and separated into deuterium and hydrogen. Deuterium is supplied to the catalyst layer 7. Hydrogen is recovered. Anode 4
Oxygen generated from the catalyst layer 7 is supplied to the catalyst layer 7. As the catalyst, a catalyst having a comb-like structure supporting Pt, Pd, or an alloy thereof is used. In the catalyst layer 7, heavy water is generated from deuterium and oxygen by the action of the catalyst.

The heavy water produced in the catalyst layer 7 is cooled by a heat exchanger 8 and condensed into a liquid. The generated liquid heavy water is supplied to the electrolytic cell 1 again.

Thermal energy generated in the electrolytic cell 1 is given to a heat medium in a heat exchanger 9 provided in heavy water 2.

This heat medium is transported to the turbine IO, and the generator 11 converts thermal energy into electrical energy. The heat medium flowing out from the turbine 10 is transferred to the condenser 12
It is cooled, condensed and turned into a liquid, which is again supplied to the heat exchanger 9 in the electrolytic cell 1.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of another energy conversion device according to the present invention. Incidentally, FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a portion that obtains liquid heavy water from deuterium and oxygen generated from the electrolytic cell. In FIG. 2, the catalyst layer 21 and heat exchanger 22 of the first stage, the catalyst layer 23 and the heat exchanger 241 of the second stage
, the third stage catalyst layer 25 and the heat exchanger 26 are connected in this order.

By electrolysis of heavy water, deuterium generated from the cathode and oxygen generated from the anode are supplied to the first stage catalyst layer 21. At this time, the mixture of deuterium and oxygen is mixed with a large excess of oxygen so that it is outside the explosive limit. After liquid heavy water is separated in the first-stage heat exchanger 22, deuterium is mixed with the remaining oxygen again, and the mixture is supplied to the second-stage catalyst layer 23. The same operation as above is repeated in the second-stage heat exchanger 24, the third-stage catalyst layer 25, and the third-stage heat exchanger 26, and all of the deuterium generated from the electrolytic cell 1 becomes liquid. is converted into heavy water and supplied to the electrolytic cell 1 again.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, in a system that performs energy conversion by electrolysis of heavy water, deuterium can be safely and efficiently reconverted to heavy water by using a catalyst. Therefore, a highly efficient and safe energy conversion system can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an energy conversion device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of an energy conversion device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 1... Electrolytic cell, 2... Heavy water, 3... Cathode, 4...
- Anode, 5... Partition wall, 6... Hydrogen separator, 7.21.
23.25... Catalyst layer, 8.22.24... Heat exchanger, 9... Heat exchanger, 10... Turbine, 11...
- Generator, 12... Condenser. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (1)

[Claims] An energy conversion device that generates energy by electrolyzing heavy water in an electrolytic cell, characterized by being provided with a catalyst layer that causes deuterium generated from a cathode to react with oxygen to generate heavy water.