阅读说明：本技术 氢气供给装置和氢气供给方法 (Hydrogen gas supply device and hydrogen gas supply method ) 是由 前原和巳 立石大作 福冈玄义 清家匡 于 2020-03-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的一个方式的氢气供给装置的特征在于,具备：压缩机,其将氢气进行压缩,将压缩后的氢气供给至蓄积氢气的蓄压器侧；第一吸附塔,其配置于压缩机的喷出口与蓄压器之间,在所述第一吸附塔配置有用于吸附从压缩机喷出的氢气中的杂质的第一吸附剂；第一阀,其配置于压缩机的喷出口与第一吸附塔的气体入口之间；第二阀,其配置于第一吸附塔的气体出口与蓄压器之间；返回配管,其是在第一阀与吸附塔的气体入口之间的位置分支出的,所述返回配管与压缩机的吸入侧相连；第二吸附塔,其配置于返回配管的中途,在所述第二吸附塔配置有用于吸附从压缩机喷出的氢气中的杂质的第二吸附剂；以及第三阀,其配置于返回配管的中途且第一吸附塔的气体入口与第二吸附塔的气体入口之间的位置。(A hydrogen gas supply device according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a compressor that compresses hydrogen gas and supplies the compressed hydrogen gas to an accumulator side where the hydrogen gas is accumulated; a first adsorption tower disposed between a discharge port of the compressor and the accumulator, the first adsorption tower being provided with a first adsorbent for adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor; a first valve disposed between a discharge port of the compressor and a gas inlet of the first adsorption tower; a second valve disposed between the gas outlet of the first adsorption tower and the accumulator; a return pipe branching off at a position between the first valve and the gas inlet of the adsorption column, the return pipe being connected to a suction side of the compressor; a second adsorption column disposed in the middle of the return pipe, the second adsorption column being provided with a second adsorbent for adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor; and a third valve disposed midway in the return pipe and at a position between the gas inlet of the first adsorption column and the gas inlet of the second adsorption column.)

1. A hydrogen gas supply device is characterized by comprising:

a compressor that compresses hydrogen gas;

an accumulator that accumulates the hydrogen gas compressed by the compressor;

a first adsorption tower disposed between the compressor and the accumulator, the first adsorption tower having a first adsorbent for adsorbing impurities mixed in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor;

a first valve disposed in a first gas supply pipe between the compressor and the first adsorption tower;

a second valve disposed in a second gas supply pipe between the first adsorption tower and the accumulator;

a return pipe that branches off from a position between the first valve and the first adsorption column in the first gas supply pipe, the return pipe being connected to an upstream side of the compressor;

a second adsorption column disposed in the return pipe, the second adsorption column having a second adsorbent for adsorbing the impurities;

a third valve disposed in the return pipe at a position upstream of the second adsorption column; and

and a control device that controls opening and closing of the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve.

2. The hydrogen gas supply device according to claim 1,

when the compressor is stopped, the control device controls the third valve to be opened while controlling the first valve and the second valve to be closed.

3. The hydrogen gas supply device according to claim 1 or 2,

further provided with: a discharge line that branches off from a position between the first valve and the first adsorption column in the first gas supply pipe; and a fourth valve disposed in the discharge line,

the control device controls the third valve and the fourth valve to be opened in a state where the first valve and the second valve are closed.

4. The hydrogen gas supply device according to claim 3,

further comprises a hydrogen production device for supplying hydrogen gas to the compressor,

the control device opens the fourth valve and opens the first valve after a predetermined time has elapsed, and controls the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen generator to be supplied to the first adsorption tower via the compressor that is stopped in operation by closing the third valve and opening the first valve.

5. The hydrogen gas supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the adsorbent has an adsorption capacity for sulfur and halogen.

6. A hydrogen gas supply method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

compressing hydrogen gas by a compressor;

accumulating the hydrogen gas compressed by the compressor in an accumulator;

adsorbing impurities mixed in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor to a first adsorbent by using the first adsorbent column having the first adsorbent, the first adsorbent being disposed between the compressor and the accumulator; and

in a state where a first valve of a first gas supply pipe disposed between the compressor and the first adsorption tower and a second valve of a second gas supply pipe disposed between the first adsorption tower and the accumulator are controlled to be closed, a third valve of a return pipe which is branched from the first gas supply pipe at a position between the first valve and the first adsorption tower and connected to an upstream side of the compressor is controlled to be opened, and thereby the second adsorption tower having a second adsorbent disposed in the return pipe is used to adsorb the impurities to the second adsorbent.

7. A hydrogen gas supply device is characterized by comprising:

a compressor that compresses hydrogen gas and supplies the compressed hydrogen gas to an accumulator side where the hydrogen gas is accumulated;

a first adsorption tower disposed between a discharge port of the compressor and the accumulator, the first adsorption tower being provided with a first adsorbent for adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor;

a first valve disposed between a discharge port of the compressor and a gas inlet of the first adsorption tower;

a second valve disposed between the gas outlet of the first adsorption tower and the accumulator;

a return pipe branching off at a position between the first valve and a gas inlet of the adsorption column, the return pipe being connected to a suction side of the compressor;

a second adsorption column disposed in the middle of the return pipe, the second adsorption column being provided with a second adsorbent for adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor; and

and a third valve disposed in the middle of the return pipe at a position between the gas inlet of the first adsorption column and the gas inlet of the second adsorption column.

8. The hydrogen gas supply device according to claim 7,

in a state where the first valve shuts off the space between the compressor and the first adsorption tower, the third valve is opened to allow the compressed hydrogen gas in the first adsorption tower to flow to the return pipe, and the impurities desorbed from the first adsorbent are adsorbed by the second adsorbent.

9. The hydrogen gas supply device according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising:

a discharge line that branches off at a position between the first valve and the gas inlet of the first adsorption column; and

a fourth valve disposed in the middle of the discharge line,

wherein the hydrogen gas supply device depressurizes the inside of the first adsorption tower from a high pressure to a low pressure by opening the fourth valve, and releases the impurities desorbed from the first adsorbent to the discharge line.

10. The hydrogen gas supply device according to claim 9,

the hydrogen gas is supplied from a hydrogen production apparatus to the compressor,

in a state where the compressor is suspended and the pressure inside the first adsorption tower is reduced to a low pressure, hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen production apparatus is introduced as purge gas into the first adsorption tower via the compressor that is suspended by opening the first valve and the fourth valve.

11. The hydrogen gas supply device according to any one of claims 7 to 10,

the impurities are impurities mixed in the compressor.

12. A hydrogen gas supply method is characterized by comprising the following steps:

compressing hydrogen gas by a compressor, and supplying the compressed hydrogen gas to an accumulator side where the hydrogen gas is accumulated;

adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor to a first adsorbent by using the first adsorbent arranged between a discharge port of the compressor and a pressure accumulator for accumulating the hydrogen gas; and

and a second adsorption tower disposed in the middle of a return pipe that branches off at a position on a discharge side of the compressor and on a gas inlet side of the first adsorption tower and is connected to a suction side of the compressor, wherein the second adsorption tower is used to flow the compressed hydrogen gas in the first adsorption tower to the return pipe while allowing impurities desorbed from the first adsorbent to be adsorbed on the second adsorbent in a state where the first adsorption tower is shut off from the compressor.

Technical Field

The present application claims priority of JP2019-061869 (application number) applied in japan on day 27 of 3 months 27 of 2019. The contents described in JP2019-061869 are cited in the present application.

The present invention relates to a hydrogen gas supply device and a hydrogen gas supply method, and for example, to a hydrogen gas supply device and a hydrogen gas supply method arranged in a hydrogen station.

Background

As a fuel for automobiles, in addition to conventional fuel oil such as gasoline, hydrogen fuel has recently been attracting attention as a clean energy source. With this, Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) using hydrogen Fuel as a power source have been developed. The hydrogen station for FCV includes a hydrogen production center as a hydrogen production site, an onsite hydrogen station (hereinafter, referred to as onsite ST), and an offsite hydrogen station (hereinafter, referred to as offsite ST) that receives hydrogen from the hydrogen production site (the hydrogen production center, the onsite ST, and the like) and sells the hydrogen. Hydrogen gas is produced by a Hydrogen Production Unit (HPU) or the like. A compressor that compresses hydrogen gas to a high pressure and a plurality of accumulators (multi-stage accumulators) that accumulate hydrogen gas compressed to a high pressure by the compressor are arranged at the hydrogen station to quickly fill the FCV with hydrogen gas. In such a hydrogen station, the hydrogen gas is rapidly charged from the accumulator to the fuel tank by charging the accumulator while appropriately switching the accumulator to be used so as to maintain a large differential pressure between the pressure in the accumulator and the pressure in the fuel tank of the FCV.

Here, when hydrogen gas purified with high purity as fuel for FCV is compressed by a compressor, impurities such as sulfur and halogen generated from components of the compressor are mixed into the hydrogen gas, and the quality of the hydrogen gas is not in accordance with the standard. In order to solve this problem, it is discussed to dispose an adsorption column filled with an adsorbent downstream of the compressor to remove impurities. However, since the compressor stops operating after the accumulator is filled with a predetermined amount of hydrogen and the pressure in the compressor is reduced to the suction-side pressure, impurities adsorbed to the adsorbent are desorbed and diffused to the compressor side (primary side). Also, it is desirable to not waste hydrogen as much as possible.

Here, a method of adsorbing impurities by using an adsorbent in a hydrogen production process is disclosed (for example, see patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2011-

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus and a method capable of suppressing diffusion of impurities of hydrogen gas adsorbed by an adsorbent disposed on the downstream side of a compressor to the compressor side and efficiently utilizing hydrogen gas.

Means for solving the problems

A hydrogen gas supply device according to an aspect of the present invention includes:

a compressor that compresses hydrogen gas;

an accumulator that accumulates the hydrogen gas compressed by the compressor;

a first adsorption tower disposed between the compressor and the accumulator, the first adsorption tower having a first adsorbent for adsorbing impurities mixed in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor;

a first valve disposed in a first gas supply pipe between the compressor and the first adsorption tower;

a second valve disposed in a second gas supply pipe between the first adsorption tower and the accumulator;

a return pipe that branches off from a position between the first valve and the first adsorption column in the first gas supply pipe, the return pipe being connected to an upstream side of the compressor;

a second adsorption column disposed in the return pipe, the second adsorption column having a second adsorbent for adsorbing the impurities;

a third valve disposed in the return pipe at a position upstream of the second adsorption column; and

and a control device that controls opening and closing of the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve.

Further, when the compressor is stopped, the control device controls the third valve to be opened while controlling the first valve and the second valve to be closed.

Further, the apparatus includes: a discharge line that branches off from a position between the first valve and the first adsorption column in a first gas supply pipe; and a fourth valve disposed in the discharge line,

the control device controls the third valve and the fourth valve to be opened in a state where the first valve and the second valve are closed.

Further, the hydrogen generator is provided with a hydrogen generator for supplying hydrogen gas to the compressor,

the control device opens the fourth valve and controls the third valve to be closed and the first valve to be opened after a predetermined time has elapsed, so that the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen generator is supplied to the first adsorption tower via the compressor that is stopped in operation.

In addition, the adsorbent has an adsorption capacity for sulfur and halogen.

A hydrogen gas supply method according to an aspect of the present invention includes:

compressing hydrogen gas by a compressor;

accumulating the hydrogen gas compressed by the compressor in an accumulator;

adsorbing impurities mixed in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor to a first adsorbent by using the first adsorbent column having the first adsorbent, the first adsorbent being disposed between the compressor and the accumulator; and

in a state where a first valve of a first gas supply pipe disposed between the compressor and the first adsorption tower and a second valve of a second gas supply pipe disposed between the first adsorption tower and the accumulator are controlled to be closed, a third valve of a return pipe which is disposed at a position branching from the first gas supply pipe between the first valve and the first adsorption tower and connected to an upstream side of the compressor is controlled to be opened, and thereby the second adsorption tower having a second adsorbent disposed in the return pipe is used to adsorb the impurities to the second adsorbent.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a hydrogen gas supply device including:

a compressor that compresses hydrogen gas and supplies the compressed hydrogen gas to an accumulator side where the hydrogen gas is accumulated;

a first adsorption tower disposed between a discharge port of the compressor and the accumulator, the first adsorption tower being provided with a first adsorbent for adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor;

a first valve disposed between a discharge port of the compressor and a gas inlet of the first adsorption tower;

a second valve disposed between the gas outlet of the first adsorption tower and the accumulator;

a return pipe branching off at a position between the first valve and the gas inlet of the adsorption column, the return pipe being connected to a suction side of the compressor;

a second adsorption column disposed in the middle of the return pipe, the second adsorption column being provided with a second adsorbent for adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor; and

and a third valve disposed midway in the return pipe and at a position between the gas inlet of the first adsorption column and the gas inlet of the second adsorption column.

In addition, in a state where the first valve blocks the gap between the compressor and the first adsorption tower, the third valve is opened to allow the compressed hydrogen gas in the first adsorption tower to flow to the return pipe, and the impurities desorbed from the first adsorbent are adsorbed by the second adsorbent.

Further, the apparatus includes:

a discharge line branched off at a position between the first valve and the gas inlet of the first adsorption column; and

a fourth valve disposed in the middle of the discharge line,

wherein the pressure inside the first adsorption tower is reduced from a high pressure to a low pressure by opening the fourth valve, and the impurities desorbed from the first adsorbent are released to the discharge line.

Further, the hydrogen gas is supplied from a hydrogen production apparatus to the compressor,

in a state where the compressor is suspended and the pressure inside the first adsorption tower is reduced to a low pressure, hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen production apparatus is introduced as purge gas into the first adsorption tower via the compressor that is suspended by opening the first valve and the fourth valve.

The impurities are impurities mixed in the compressor.

A hydrogen gas supply method according to another aspect of the present invention includes:

compressing hydrogen gas by a compressor, and supplying the compressed hydrogen gas to an accumulator side where the hydrogen gas is accumulated;

adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor to a first adsorbent by using the first adsorbent arranged between a discharge port of the compressor and a pressure accumulator for accumulating the hydrogen gas; and

the compressed hydrogen gas in the first adsorption column is caused to flow to a return pipe that branches off from the gas inlet side of the first adsorption column on the discharge side of the compressor and is connected to the suction side of the compressor, and impurities desorbed from the first adsorbent are adsorbed on the second adsorbent, while the second adsorption column is disposed midway in the return pipe that branches off from the gas inlet side of the first adsorption column, in a state where the space between the compressor and the first adsorption column is cut off.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently utilize hydrogen remaining in the adsorption column while suppressing diffusion of impurities of hydrogen adsorbed by the adsorbent disposed downstream of the compressor to the compressor side.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an example of a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a hydrogen gas supply system of a hydrogen station in embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the control circuit in embodiment 1.

Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the compressor and an example of the configuration of the adsorption column control valve system in embodiment 1.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing main steps of an example of the hydrogen gas supply method according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a filling method in the case of performing differential pressure filling of hydrogen fuel using the multistage accumulator in embodiment 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption tower control valve system in the pressure accumulation step in embodiment 1.

Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the adsorption column control valve system in the adsorption column depressurization/regeneration step in embodiment 1.

Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining another example of the operation of the adsorption column control valve system in the adsorption column depressurization/regeneration step in embodiment 1.

Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption tower control valve system in the purge control process in embodiment 1.

Detailed Description

Example 1

Fig. 1 is an example of a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a hydrogen gas supply system of a hydrogen station in embodiment 1. In fig. 1, a hydrogen gas supply system 500 is disposed in a hydrogen station 102. The hydrogen gas supply system 500 includes a hydrogen production apparatus 300, a multi-stage pressure accumulator 101, a distributor 30 (a meter), a compressor 40, an adsorption tower 70 (a first adsorption tower), an adsorption tower control valve system 110, an adsorption tower 75 (a second adsorption tower), and a control circuit 100. An example of a hydrogen gas supply device for supplying hydrogen gas to the multistage pressure accumulator 101 and/or the distributor 30 is constituted by the compressor 40, the adsorption column 70, the adsorption column control valve system 110, the adsorption column 75, and pipes connecting these components. Fig. 1 shows an example of a site ST where the hydrogen production apparatus 300 is disposed in the hydrogen station 102. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. High-purity hydrogen gas produced at another location may be transported to the hydrogen station 102 by a hydrogen trailer and temporarily stored in a gas storage tank (japanese: カードル) or an intermediate accumulator (offsite ST), not shown.

The multistage pressure accumulator 101 is composed of a plurality of pressure accumulators 10, 12, 14. In the example of fig. 1, a multi-stage pressure accumulator 101 is formed by three pressure accumulators 10, 12, 14. In the example of fig. 1, for example, the accumulator 10 functions as a first group having a low lower limit pressure. The accumulator 12 functions as a second group having a medium lower limit pressure. The accumulator 14 functions as, for example, a third group having a high lower limit pressure. However, it is not limited thereto. The respective accumulators used in the first to third groups are replaced as needed.

In fig. 1, the suction side of the compressor 40 is connected to the discharge side of the hydrogen production apparatus 300 via a valve 328 by a pipe.

The adsorption tower 70 is disposed between the discharge port of the compressor 40 and the multi-stage pressure accumulator 101. An adsorbent (first adsorbent) for adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor 40 is disposed in the adsorption tower 70. The adsorbent for the adsorption column 70 is desirably an adsorbent having a high adsorption capacity for sulfur and halogen generated from components of the compressor 40, for example, activated carbon is disposed. The adsorbent is not limited to being constituted by one layer, and may be constituted by a plurality of layers of different kinds.

An adsorption column control valve system 110 is disposed on the discharge side of the compressor 40 and on the gas inlet/outlet side of the adsorption column 70. The adsorption column control valve system 110 is constituted by a plurality of shut-off valves 71, 72, 73, 74 (a plurality of valves) capable of sealing the adsorption column 70. The shut valve 71 (first valve) is disposed between the discharge port of the compressor 40 and the gas inlet of the adsorption tower 70. The shut valve 72 (second valve) is disposed between the gas outlet of the adsorption tower 70 and the multi-stage pressure accumulator 101. In other words, the discharge side of the compressor 40 is connected to the gas inlet side of the adsorption tower 70 via the shutoff valve 71 in the adsorption tower control valve system 110 by the pipe 76. The gas outlet side (downstream side) of the adsorption tower 70 is connected to the multi-stage pressure accumulator 101 side and/or the distributor 30 side via a shut-off valve 72 in the adsorption tower control valve system 110 by a pipe. A return pipe 92 branches off at a position between the shutoff valve 71 and the gas inlet of the adsorption tower 70, and the return pipe 92 is connected to the suction side of the compressor 40.

The adsorption column 75 is disposed in the middle of the return pipe 92. An adsorbent (second adsorbent) for adsorbing impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor 40 is disposed in the adsorption tower 75. The adsorbent for the adsorption tower 75 is preferably an adsorbent having a high adsorption capacity for sulfur and halogen generated from components of the compressor 40, for example, activated carbon is disposed. The adsorbent is not limited to being constituted by one layer, and may be constituted by a plurality of layers of different kinds. The adsorption column 75 is used at a low pressure (for example, 0.6MPa), and is therefore larger than the adsorption column 70. Since the capacity of the adsorption column 75 is larger than that of the adsorption column 70, the amount of the adsorbent carried is also large. Therefore, the impurities released from the adsorption tower 70 can be repeatedly removed by the adsorption tower 75 every time regeneration is performed. The adsorbent in the adsorption tower 70 may be replaced after regeneration is impossible and adsorption performance is deteriorated. Since the amount of the adsorbent carried is large, the life of the adsorbent can be prolonged. The shutoff valve 74 (third valve) in the adsorption column control valve system 110 is disposed midway in the return pipe 92 and at a position between the gas inlet of the adsorption column 70 and the gas inlet of the adsorption column 75.

Further, a discharge line 90 (discharge pipe) branches off between a shut valve 71 disposed between the discharge port of the compressor 40 and the gas inlet of the adsorption tower 70. A shut valve 73 (fourth valve) in the adsorption column control valve system 110 is disposed in the middle of the discharge line 90.

The downstream side of the adsorption tower 70 is connected to the accumulator 10 via the shut valve 72 and the valve 21 by a pipe. Similarly, the downstream side of the adsorption tower 70 is connected to the accumulator 12 via a shut-off valve 72 and a valve 23 by a pipe. Similarly, the downstream side of the adsorption tower 70 is connected to the accumulator 14 via the shut-off valve 72 and the valve 25 by a pipe. Similarly, the downstream side of the adsorption tower 70 is connected to the distributor 30 via a shut-off valve 72 and the valve 28 by a pipe.

The accumulator 10 is connected to the distributor 30 via a valve 22 by a pipe. The accumulator 12 is connected to the distributor 30 via a valve 24 by a pipe. The accumulator 14 is connected to the distributor 30 via a valve 26 by a pipe.

The discharge pressure of the hydrogen generator 300 is measured by a pressure gauge 318. In addition, the pressure in the accumulator 10 is measured by a pressure gauge 11. The pressure in the accumulator 12 is measured by a pressure gauge 13. The pressure in the accumulator 14 is measured by a pressure gauge 15.

In the distributor 30, a flow rate adjustment valve 29, a flow meter 27, a cooler 32 (precooler), and a pressure gauge 17 are disposed. The flow rate of hydrogen gas supplied from the multi-stage accumulator 101 or the compressor 40 is measured by the flow meter 27, and is adjusted by the flow rate adjustment valve 29. The hydrogen gas is cooled to a predetermined temperature (for example, -40 ℃) by the cooler 32. Therefore, the dispenser 30 fills the cooled hydrogen gas with a pressure difference to a fuel tank 202 mounted on an FCV 200, for example, a fuel cell vehicle in which the FCV 200 uses hydrogen gas as a power source. Further, the outlet pressure (fuel filling outlet pressure) of the filling outlet of the hydrogen gas filled from the distributor 30 into the FCV 200 is measured by the pressure gauge 17. The control circuit 34 is disposed in or near the dispenser 30 so as to be able to communicate with an in-vehicle device 204 in the FCV 200 (a fuel cell vehicle using hydrogen gas as a power source) that arrives at the hydrogen station 102. For example, the wireless communication can be performed using infrared rays.

In the FCV 200, hydrogen gas as fuel supplied from the dispenser 30 is injected from a receiving port (receptacle) to the fuel tank 202 via a fuel passage. The pressure and temperature inside the fuel tank 202 are measured by a pressure gauge 206 and a temperature gauge 205 provided inside the fuel tank 202 or in the fuel passage.

The hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen production apparatus 300 is supplied to the suction side of the compressor 40 in a low pressure state (for example, 0.6 MPa). Thus, the primary side pressure P on the suction side of the compressor 40_INAt low pressure in general. The compressor 40 compresses hydrogen gas supplied at a low pressure from the hydrogen production apparatus 300 under the control of the control circuit 100, and supplies the compressed hydrogen gas to the accumulators 10, 12, and 14 of the multistage pressure accumulator 101. When the supply amount of the hydrogen gas is insufficient when the FCV 200 is supplied from the multi-stage accumulator 101, or when the multi-stage accumulator 101 is recovering pressure, the compressor 40 may be able to directly supply the hydrogen gas to the FCV 200 via the distributor 30 while compressing the hydrogen gas supplied at a low pressure from the hydrogen production apparatus 300 under the control of the control circuit 100.

The compressor 40 compresses hydrogen gas and supplies the compressed hydrogen gas to the accumulator side where the hydrogen gas is accumulated. Specifically, the compressor 40 compresses the gas until the pressure inside each accumulator 10, 12, 14 of the multi-stage accumulator 101 reaches a predetermined high pressure (for example, 82 MPa). In other words, the compressor 40 compresses the refrigerant to the secondary side pressure P on the discharge side_OUTTo a predetermined high pressure (for example, 82MPa or more). The target of the supply of hydrogen gas by the compressor 40 may be determined as one of the accumulators 10, 12, 14 and the distributor 30, and any one of the targets may be determined by controlling the opening and closing of the corresponding valves 21, 23, 25, 28 disposed in the respective pipes by the control circuit 100. Alternatively, the control may be performed so that two or more pressure accumulatorsThe feeding is performed simultaneously.

In the above example, the pressure P of the hydrogen gas supplied to the suction side of the compressor 40 is shown_INThe pressure is controlled to be reduced to a predetermined low pressure (for example, 0.6MPa), but the pressure is not limited thereto. The refrigerant may be supplied to the suction side of the compressor 40 and compressed in a state of a pressure higher than a predetermined low pressure (for example, 0.6 MPa). In this case, the compressor 40 does not use the pressure P on the suction side_INThe reciprocating compressor used when the pressure (primary side pressure) is fixed to a fixed pressure (for example, 0.6MPa) adopts a pressure P on the suction side_INHigh-pressure compressors of the type that can be handled in the case of variable (primary side pressure). For example, it is suitable to use the suction side pressure P_IN(primary side pressure) is, for example, 20MPa or less.

The hydrogen gas accumulated in the multi-stage accumulator 101 is cooled by the cooler 32 in the distributor 30, and is supplied from the distributor 30 to the FCV 200 coming to the hydrogen station 102.

Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the control circuit 100 in embodiment 1. The control circuit 100 functions as a control device. In fig. 2, a communication control circuit 50, a memory 51, a receiving unit 52, an end pressure calculating unit 54, a flow planning unit 56, a system control unit 58, a pressure recovery control unit 61, a supply control unit 63, a pressure receiving unit 66, an HPU control unit 67, and storage devices 80, 82, and 84 such as disk devices are disposed in a control circuit 100. The pressure recovery control unit 61 includes a valve control unit 60 and a compressor control unit 62. The supply control section 63 has a distributor control section 64 and a valve control section 65. The receiving unit 52, the end pressure calculating unit 54, the flow planning unit 56, the system control unit 58, the pressure recovery control unit 61 (the valve control unit 60 and the compressor control unit 62), the supply control unit 63 (the distributor control unit 64 and the valve control unit 65), the pressure receiving unit 66, the HPU control unit 67, and the like each include a processing circuit including a circuit, a computer, a processor, a circuit board, a semiconductor device, or the like. For example, as the Processing Circuit, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) may be used. In addition, a common processing circuit (the same processing circuit) may be used for each portion. Alternatively, different processing circuits (separate processing circuits) may be used. The memory 51 stores input data and calculation results required in the receiver 52, the end pressure calculator 54, the flow planning unit 56, the system controller 58, the pressure recovery controller 61 (the valve controller 60 and the compressor controller 62), the supply controller 63 (the distributor controller 64 and the valve controller 65), the pressure receiver 66, and the HPU controller 67 for each time.

The storage device 80 stores therein a conversion table 81 indicating the correlation between FCV information such as the pressure and temperature of the fuel tank 202 mounted on the FCV 200 and the volume of the fuel tank 202, the remaining amount of hydrogen gas calculated based on the FCV information, and filling information such as the final pressure and final temperature at which the fuel tank 202 is to be filled. In addition, a correction table 83 for correcting the result obtained from the conversion table 81 is stored in the storage device 80.

In the hydrogen gas supply system 500, even when hydrogen gas is mixed with impurities such as sulfur and halogen generated from components of the compressor 40 when the hydrogen gas purified with high purity by the hydrogen production apparatus 300 is compressed by the compressor 40, the impurities can be removed by the adsorption tower 70 disposed on the downstream side of the compressor 40, and the impurities adsorbed by the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 70 can be suppressed from being desorbed and diffused to the compressor 40 side (primary side) by using the adsorption tower control valve system 110, the return pipe 92, and the adsorption tower 75 (the quality of hydrogen gas supplied to FCV and the like is suppressed from not meeting the standard (for example, ISO standard)), and the hydrogen gas remaining in the adsorption tower 70 can be efficiently used. That is, the hydrogen supply system 500 can save the waste of hydrogen gas, and can suppress the quality of hydrogen gas supplied to the FCV or the like from failing to meet the standard (e.g., ISO standard).

Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the compressor and an example of the configuration of the adsorption column control valve system in embodiment 1. In fig. 3, the configuration from the hydrogen production apparatus 300 to the suction port of the compressor 40 and the configuration from the shut valve 72 to the multi-stage accumulator 101 (and the distributor 30) are not described. In the example of fig. 3, a multistage compressor provided with a five-stage compression mechanism is shown as the compressor 40. Coolers for cooling the compressed hydrogen gas are disposed between the compression mechanisms of the respective stages in the compressor 40. Further, a mount is disposed on the suction side of the first-stage compression mechanism. The stator functions as an accumulation tank (buffer) for mitigating pulsation of the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen production apparatus 300. An orifice 91 (throttling mechanism) is disposed in the middle of the discharge line 90 (discharge pipe). The orifice 91 can reduce abrupt pressure fluctuations caused by the opening of the discharge line 90. The return pipe 92 is connected to, for example, a fixture as a suction side of the compressor 40. An orifice 93 (throttling mechanism) is disposed in the middle of the return pipe 92. The orifice 93 can reduce a rapid pressure fluctuation when the hydrogen gas flows through the return pipe 92. Further, due to the structure of the compressor 40, impurities such as sulfur components may be generated in the cylinder in which the movable portion such as a piston for driving each compression mechanism is disposed. Therefore, as shown in the example of fig. 3, a cylinder leak line may be connected to the return pipe 92 at a position between the gas inlet of the adsorption tower 75 and the shut-off valve 74 to release the pressure in the cylinder, and impurities generated in the cylinder may be adsorbed and removed by the adsorption tower 75. Further, a decompression pipe 42 that connects the discharge side of the last stage compression mechanism of the compressor 40 and the suction side of the first stage compression mechanism is connected to the compressor 40 via a flow rate adjustment valve 41.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing main steps of an example of the hydrogen gas supply method according to embodiment 1. In fig. 4, the hydrogen gas supply method according to embodiment 1 performs a series of steps including an FCV filling step (102), a pressure accumulating step (S104), an adsorption tower decompression/regeneration step (S121), a compressor pause and HPU idling step (S122), a compressor internal decompression step (S124), and a purge control step (S128). As internal steps of the pressure accumulation step (S104), a series of steps of a compressor operation and HPU rated operation step (S106), a valve control step (S108), an adsorption step (S110), and a determination step (S112) are performed. The hydrogen purge control step (S128) need not be performed every time, and for example, the hydrogen purge control step may be performed once for a plurality of cycles for each cycle of the steps in fig. 4. Of course, it may be performed every time.

As the FCV filling step (102), hydrogen gas is supplied to the FCV 200, and the fuel tank 202 in the FCV 200 is filled with hydrogen gas. As an example, the operation is specifically performed as follows. Here, a description will be given of a state in which hydrogen gas at a predetermined pressure (for example, 82MPa) is accumulated in the multistage compressor 101.

When the FCV 200 arrives at the hydrogen station 102, the operator of the hydrogen station 102 or the user of the FCV 200 connects (fits) the nozzle 44 of the dispenser 30 to the receiving port (insertion hole) of the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200 and fixes it. When the FCV 200 comes into the hydrogen station 102 and a user or operator of the hydrogen station 102 connects and secures the nozzle 44 of the dispenser 30 to the receiving port (receptacle) of the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200, the onboard vehicle 204 establishes communication with the control circuit 34 (repeater).

When the in-vehicle device 204 establishes communication with the control circuit 34, FCV information such as the current pressure and temperature of the fuel tank 202 and the volume of the fuel tank 202 is output (transmitted) from the in-vehicle device 204 in real time. The FCV information is relayed by the control circuit 34 and transmitted to the control circuit 100. In the control circuit 100, the receiving unit 52 receives the FCV information via the communication control circuit 50. While the in-vehicle device 204 establishes communication with the control circuit 34, the FCV information is monitored at all times or at predetermined sampling intervals (for example, 10 msec to several seconds). The received FCV information is stored in the storage device 80 together with the reception time information.

The end pressure calculation unit 54 reads the conversion table 81 from the storage device 80, and calculates and predicts the final pressure PF corresponding to the received initial reception pressure Pa and temperature Ti of the fuel tank 202, the volume V of the fuel tank 202, and the outside temperature T'. The end pressure calculation unit 54 reads the correction table 83 from the storage device 80, and corrects the value obtained by the conversion table 81 as necessary. When the error of the result obtained only from the data of the conversion table 81 is large, the correction table 83 may be set based on the result obtained by an experiment, simulation, or the like. The calculated final pressure PF is output to the system control unit 58.

Next, the flow planning unit 56 creates a filling control flow plan for performing differential pressure supply (filling) of hydrogen gas to the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200 using the multi-stage accumulator 101. The flow planning unit 56 creates a plan of a filling control flow including selection of an accumulator (selection of the accumulators 10, 12, and 14) for setting the pressure of the fuel tank 202 to the final pressure PF and the timing of switching the multi-stage accumulator 101. The control data of the created filling control flow plan is temporarily stored in the storage device 82. When planning the filling control flow, the flow planning unit 56 sets a pressure increase rate according to the external temperature, and calculates a filling rate corresponding to the pressure increase rate. Then, a filling rate corresponding to a pressure increase rate determined based on the external temperature is calculated from the middle of filling to suppress a rapid temperature increase. The pressure increase rate determined according to the external temperature is previously incorporated in the data of the conversion table 81. By planning the filling control flow according to these conditions, the time t (end time 1) (arrival time) from the start of filling to the final pressure PF can be obtained.

Then, according to the prepared filling control flow, hydrogen gas is filled from the dispenser 30 (meter) into the fuel tank 202 mounted on the FCV 200 using hydrogen gas as a power source. Specifically, the operation is performed as follows.

Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a filling method in the case of performing differential pressure filling of hydrogen fuel using the multistage accumulator in embodiment 1. In fig. 5, the vertical axis represents pressure, and the horizontal axis represents time. When the FCV 200 is filled with the hydrogen fuel with a differential pressure, the accumulators 10, 12, and 14 of the multi-stage accumulator 101 are normally pressurized to the same pressure P0 (for example, 82MPa) in advance. On the other hand, the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200 coming to the hydrogen station 102 is at a pressure Pa. In this state, a case where filling of the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200 is started will be described.

First, the fuel tank 202 starts to be filled from, for example, the accumulator 10 as the first group. Specifically, the operation is performed as follows. The supply controller 63 controls the supply unit 106 under the control of the system controller 58 to supply the hydrogen fuel from the accumulator 10 to the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200. Specifically, the system control section 58 controls the distributor control section 64 and the valve control section 65. The dispenser control section 64 communicates with the control circuit 34 of the dispenser 30 via the communication control circuit 50, and controls the operation of the dispenser 30. Specifically, first, the control circuit 34 adjusts the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve in the dispenser 30 so that the calculated filling speed M is obtained. The valve control unit 65 then outputs control signals to the valves 22, 24, and 26 via the communication control circuit 50 to control the opening and closing of the valves. Specifically, valve 22 is opened and valves 24 and 26 are maintained closed. Thereby, the hydrogen fuel is supplied from the accumulator 10 to the fuel tank 202. The hydrogen fuel stored in the accumulator 10 is moved to the fuel tank 202 side at the adjusted filling rate by the pressure difference between the accumulator 10 and the fuel tank 202, and the pressure of the fuel tank 202 gradually increases as indicated by a broken line Pt. Along with this, the pressure of the accumulator 10 (the graph shown in the "first group (1 st)") gradually decreases. Then, at the time point when the time T1 has elapsed since the start of filling until the lower limit pressure for use of the first group is reached, the used accumulator is switched from the accumulator 10 to, for example, the accumulator 12 as the second group. Specifically, the valve control unit 65 outputs control signals to the valves 22, 24, and 26 via the communication control circuit 50 to control the opening and closing of the valves. Specifically, valve 22 is closed, valve 24 is opened, and valve 26 is maintained closed. This increases the differential pressure between the accumulator 12 and the fuel tank 202, and thus the state of high filling speed can be maintained.

Then, the hydrogen fuel stored in the accumulator 12 is moved to the fuel tank 202 side at the adjusted filling rate by the pressure difference between the accumulator 12 and the fuel tank 202 as the second group, for example, and the pressure of the fuel tank 202 is gradually increased as indicated by a broken line Pt. Along with this, the pressure of the accumulator 12 (the graph shown in the "second group (2 nd)") gradually decreases. Then, at the time point when the time T2 has elapsed since the start of filling to reach the lower limit pressure for use of the second group, the used accumulator is switched from the accumulator 12 to, for example, the accumulator 14 as the third group. Specifically, the valve control unit 65 outputs control signals to the valves 22, 24, and 26 via the communication control circuit 50 to control the opening and closing of the valves. Specifically, the valve 24 is closed, the valve 26 is opened, the valve 22 is kept closed, and the valve 22 is kept closed. This increases the differential pressure between the accumulator 14 and the fuel tank 202, and thus the filling speed can be maintained high.

Then, the hydrogen fuel stored in the accumulator 14 is moved to the fuel tank 202 side at the adjusted filling rate by the differential pressure between the accumulator 14 and the fuel tank 202 as the third group, for example, and the pressure of the fuel tank 202 is gradually increased as indicated by a broken line Pt. Along with this, the pressure of the accumulator 14 (the graph shown in the "third group (3 rd)") gradually decreases. Then, the accumulator 14 as the third group is charged until the pressure of the fuel tank 202 reaches the calculated final pressure PF (for example, 65 to 81 MPa).

As described above, the hydrogen gas is filled into the fuel tank 202 in order from the first group. In the above example, the pressure P1 of the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200 to the hydrogen station 102 is shown to be a sufficiently lower pressure than the predetermined lower limit pressure of the accumulator 10 as the low pressure group. As an example, a case of a very low state such as 1/2 or less when the tank is fully filled (full tank) is shown. In this case, three accumulators 10, 12, 14, for example, are required to quickly fill the pressure of the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200 to the final pressure PF. However, the pressure of the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200 that arrives at the hydrogen station 102 is not limited to a very low pressure. When the pressure of the fuel tank 202 is higher than 1/2, for example, at the time of full filling, it may be sufficient to use two accumulators 10 and 12, for example. When the pressure of the fuel tank 202 is high, it may be sufficient to use, for example, one accumulator 10. In any case, the accumulators 10, 12, 14 are switched between use.

When the filling (supply) of hydrogen gas into the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200 is completed, the nozzle 44 of the dispenser 30 is removed from the receiving port (insertion hole) of the fuel tank 202 of the FCV 200, and the user withdraws from the hydrogen station 102, for example, by paying a fee corresponding to the filling amount.

In the pressure accumulation step (S104), the hydrogen gas is compressed by the compressor 40, and the compressed hydrogen gas is supplied to the accumulator side where the hydrogen gas is accumulated. Specifically, the operation is performed as follows.

In the compressor operation and HPU rated operation step (S106), when the FCV 200 starts to be charged with hydrogen via the multi-stage accumulator 101 and the pressure in either one of the multi-stage accumulators 101 is reduced, and/or when the amount of charge to the FCV 200 is insufficient when hydrogen is supplied via the multi-stage accumulator 101, the hydrogen production apparatus 300 shifts from the idle operation to the rated operation (for example, 100% load operation) under the control of the HPU controller 67 so as to increase the hydrogen production amount. At this time, the valve control circuit 60 closes the development valve 319, and opens the valve 328. Then, the compressor 40 starts operation under the control of the compressor controller 62, and compresses and discharges the low-pressure hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen generator 300.

In the valve control step (S108), the valve control circuit 60 controls the adsorption tower control valve system 110 to supply the compressed hydrogen gas to the accumulator side.

Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption tower control valve system in the pressure accumulation step in embodiment 1. In fig. 6, the valve control circuit 60 controls the shut valves 73 and 74 to be closed, and controls the shut valves 71 and 72 to be opened from being closed.

As the adsorption step (S110), the adsorption tower 70 in which the adsorbent is disposed is used to adsorb the impurities in the hydrogen gas discharged from the compressor 40 to the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 70. Then, the impurities are adsorbed, and hydrogen gas having high purity is supplied from the gas outlet of the adsorption tower 70 to the multi-stage pressure accumulator 101 side.

The valve control unit 60 opens the valve 25, for example, in a state where the valves 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 28 are closed.

Then, by operating the compressor 40, the hydrogen gas is compressed from a low pressure (for example, 0.6MPa), and the hydrogen gas, on which the impurities are adsorbed by the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 70, is charged into the accumulator 14 until the pressure of the accumulator 14 reaches a predetermined pressure P0 (for example, 82MPa), whereby the accumulator 14 is accumulated (pressure recovery).

Next, the valve control unit 60 closes the valve 25 and opens the valve 23 instead.

Then, similarly, the pressure accumulator 12 is charged with hydrogen gas until the pressure of the pressure accumulator 12 becomes a predetermined pressure P0 (for example, 82MPa), thereby accumulating (recovering) the pressure of the pressure accumulator 12.

Next, the valve control unit 60 closes the valve 23 and opens the valve 21 instead.

Then, similarly, the accumulator 10 is charged with hydrogen gas until the pressure of the accumulator 10 becomes a predetermined pressure P0 (for example, 82MPa), thereby accumulating (recovering) the pressure of the accumulator 10.

As a determination step (S112), the system control unit 58 determines whether or not all the accumulators 10, 12, 14 of the multistage accumulator 101 have been charged to a predetermined pressure P0 (for example, 82 MPa). When the pressure has not been accumulated to a predetermined pressure P0 (for example, 82MPa), the pressure accumulation is continued. When the pressure has been accumulated to a predetermined pressure P0 (for example, 82MPa), the next step is performed. Here, as an example, the case where all the accumulators 10, 12, and 14 of the multi-stage accumulator 101 continue to accumulate pressure until the pressure is sufficiently accumulated is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The pressure accumulation step may be ended at a stage when a pressure of one of the accumulators 10, 12, 14 is sufficiently accumulated (S104).

Through the above steps, the accumulators 10, 12, 14 can be charged to a predetermined pressure P0 (for example, 82 MPa). Thus, the FCV 200 is prepared for differential pressure filling by the multistage pressure accumulator 101.

In the adsorption column depressurization/regeneration step (S121), the pressure inside the adsorption column 70 is reduced from the high pressure to the low pressure by opening the shutoff valve 74 to flow the compressed hydrogen gas inside the adsorption column 70 to the return pipe 92 in a state where the shutoff valve 71 shuts off the space between the compressor 40 and the adsorption column 70. Then, the shut valve 74 is opened to allow the compressed hydrogen gas in the adsorption column 70 to flow into the return pipe 92, whereby the impurities desorbed from the adsorbent in the adsorption column 70 are adsorbed by the adsorbent in the adsorption column 75.

Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the adsorption column control valve system in the adsorption column depressurization/regeneration step in embodiment 1. In fig. 7, the valve control unit 60 closes the shut valves 71 and 72 and opens the shut valve 74 in a state where the shut valves 71 and 72 are open and the shut valves 73 and 74 are closed. Thereby, the connection between the compressor 40 and the adsorption tower 70 is shut off by the shut-off valve 71. The high-pressure hydrogen gas remaining in the adsorption tower 70 is returned to the suction side of the compressor 40 via the return pipe 92. At this time, since the orifice 93 is disposed in the return pipe 92, rapid pressure fluctuation can be suppressed, and damage to the components such as the adsorption tower 70 and pulverization of the adsorbent such as activated carbon can be suppressed. Further, the pressure increase on the gas inlet side of the adsorption column 75 can be suppressed, and the adsorption column 75 can be used under a low pressure that is significantly lower than the pressure at which the adsorption column 70 is used. The pressure inside the adsorption column 70 is reduced, whereby the adsorbed impurities are desorbed from the adsorbent. Then, the impurities spread to the return pipe 92 by the flow of the hydrogen gas inside. In this case, impurities that are not easily removed are returned to the suction side of the compressor 40. Therefore, in embodiment 1, the impurities desorbed from the adsorbent in the adsorption column 70 are adsorbed by the adsorbent in the adsorption column 75. Thereby, the adsorbent in the adsorption column 70 can be regenerated (refresh). Therefore, even when the size of the adsorption tower 70 is reduced and the amount of the adsorbent carried is small, the life of the adsorption performance of the adsorbent can be extended. At the same time, the adsorbent in the adsorption column 75 can adsorb impurities in the hydrogen gas in the adsorption column 70, and the high-purity hydrogen gas can be returned to the suction side of the compressor 40 for reuse.

Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining another example of the operation of the adsorption column control valve system in the adsorption column depressurization/regeneration step in embodiment 1. In fig. 8, the valve control unit 60 closes the shut valves 71 and 72 and opens the shut valves 73 and 74 in a state where the shut valves 71 and 72 are open and the shut valves 73 and 74 are closed. Thereby, the hydrogen gas in the adsorption column 70 is released to the discharge line 90 in addition to the return pipe 92. Thereby, the inside of the adsorption column 70 is depressurized from high pressure to low pressure, and the impurities desorbed from the adsorbent inside the adsorption column 70 are released to the discharge line 90. Whether or not the discharge line 90 is used in addition to the return pipe 92 may be set as appropriate. By using the discharge line 90, the amount of hydrogen gas that can be reused is reduced, but the time required for depressurizing the inside of the adsorption column 70 can be shortened.

Alternatively, the time difference between the operations of opening the shut valves 73 and 74 may be provided, not limited to the case of opening the shut valves 73 and 74 at the same time. Either of the shut valves 73 and 74 may be opened first.

In the compressor pause and HPU idling step (S122), the hydrogen production amount is reduced by shifting the hydrogen production apparatus 300 from the rated operation (for example, 100% load operation) to the idling operation (for example, 30% load operation) under the control of the HPU control unit 67. The valve control circuit 60 controls the opening valve 319 to be opened from closed, and controls the valve 328 to be closed from opened to closed to stop the supply of hydrogen gas to the compressor 40. By opening the opening valve 319, a small amount of hydrogen gas produced by idling is released into the atmosphere. Then, the compressor 40 is temporarily stopped (stopped) under the control of the compressor control unit 62. Therefore, when the operation of the compressor 40 is stopped in a completely stopped state, the shut valves 71 and 72 are controlled to be closed.

In the compressor internal decompression step (S124), the flow rate adjusting valve 41 adjusts the flow rate at a predetermined opening degree under the control of the compressor controller 62, and the pressure in the compressor 40 is reduced to the pressure on the suction side of the compressor 40 via the decompression pipe 42.

Here, even when the discharge side of the compressor 40 is depressurized, since the shutoff valve 71 shuts off the space between the discharge port of the compressor 40 and the gas inlet of the adsorption tower 70, it is possible to prevent or suppress diffusion of impurities desorbed from the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 70 to the compressor 40 side (primary side).

In the purge control step (S128), the controller 100 opens the shut valve 73 and, after a predetermined time has elapsed, controls the shut valve 74 to be closed and the shut valve 71 to be opened so that the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen generator 300 is supplied to the adsorption tower 70 via the compressor 40 whose operation is stopped. Specifically, in a state where the compressor 40 is stopped and the pressure inside the adsorption tower 70 is reduced to a low pressure, the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen production apparatus 300 is introduced as a purge gas into the adsorption tower 70 via the stopped compressor 40. Here, the "predetermined time" corresponds to, for example, a time when the pressure of the closed space (the space closed by the shut valves 71, 72, 73, and 74) is assumed to be equal to or lower than the supply pressure supplied from the hydrogen generator 300. The amount of gas corresponding to the sealed space and the time for discharging the gas amount can be calculated from the pipe diameter and pipe length, the deposition of the adsorption tower 70, the pressure at the time of sealing, and the like.

Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption tower control valve system in the hydrogen purge control process in embodiment 1. In the hydrogen production apparatus 300 that is in idle operation, high-purity hydrogen gas can be continuously produced, although the production amount is small. Conventionally, the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen production apparatus 300 in the idling operation is not supplied to the compressor 40, but is discharged from the discharge line via the opening valve 319. Therefore, in the example of fig. 9, the valve control unit 60 controls the shutoff valves 71 and 73 to be opened, the shutoff valves 72 and 74 to be closed, the open valve 319 to be closed, and the valve 328 to be opened. Thereby, the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen production apparatus 300 in the idling operation is supplied into the adsorption tower 70 through the compressor 40 in the stopped state, and is discharged from the discharge line 90. By introducing this hydrogen gas into the adsorption column 70 as a purge gas, regeneration of the adsorbent can be accelerated. It is assumed that the impurities such as sulfur and halogen are generated by, for example, sliding of piston rings or the like due to driving of a piston during operation of the compressor 40. Therefore, it is considered that impurities such as sulfur and halogen are not generated during the suspension (stop) of the compressor 40, and hydrogen gas maintained at high purity can be used as the purge gas. Further, by using the hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen production apparatus 300 in the idling operation as the purge gas, the hydrogen gas that has been conventionally discarded can be effectively utilized.

When the next FCV 200 arrives at the hydrogen station 102, the process returns to the FCV filling step (102), and the steps from the FCV filling step (102) to the in-compressor depressurizing step (S124) (or purge control step (S128)) are repeated.

As described above, according to embodiment 1, diffusion of impurities of hydrogen gas adsorbed by the adsorbent disposed on the downstream side of the compressor 40 to the compressor 40 side can be suppressed, and the hydrogen gas remaining in the adsorption tower 70 can be effectively utilized. Further, the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 70 can be regenerated, and the adsorption performance of the adsorbent in the adsorption tower 70 can be prolonged. Therefore, the adsorption tower 70 can be further downsized.

The embodiments have been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these specific examples. The present invention can also be applied to, for example, a hydrogen production apparatus using electrolysis.

Note that, although the description of the device configuration, the control method, and the like, which are not directly necessary for the description of the present invention, are omitted, the necessary device configuration and control method can be appropriately selected and used.

Further, all of the methods for operating a hydrogen production apparatus and the control apparatus for a hydrogen production apparatus, which have the elements of the present invention and can be appropriately modified in design by those skilled in the art, are included in the scope of the present invention.

Industrial applicability

As the hydrogen gas supply device and the hydrogen gas supply method, for example, a hydrogen gas supply device and a hydrogen gas supply method arranged in a hydrogen station can be used.

Description of the reference numerals

10. 12, 14: an accumulator; 11. 13, 15, 17, 318: a pressure gauge; 21. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 328: a valve; 27: a flow meter; 29: a flow rate regulating valve; 30: a dispenser; 31: a sensor; 32: a cooler; 34: a control circuit; 40: a compressor; 41: a flow rate regulating valve; 42: a pressure reducing pipe; 44: a nozzle; 50: a communication control circuit; 51: a memory; 52: a receiving section; 54: an end pressure calculation unit; 56: a flow planning unit; 58: a system control unit; 60. 65: a valve control section; 61: a pressure recovery control unit; 62: a compressor control unit; 63: a supply control unit; 64: a dispenser control section; 66: a pressure receiving portion; 67: an HPU control section; 70. 75: an adsorption tower; 71. 72, 73, 74: a shut-off valve; 76: piping; 80. 82, 84: a storage device; 81: a conversion table; 83: a correction table; 90: a discharge line; 92: a return pipe; 91. 93: an orifice; 100: a control circuit; 101: a multi-stage pressure accumulator; 102: a hydrogen station; 106: a supply section; 110: an adsorption column control valve system; 200: FCV; 202: a fuel tank; 204: a vehicle-mounted device; 205: a thermometer; 206: a pressure gauge; 300: a hydrogen production apparatus; 319: opening the valve; 500: a hydrogen gas supply system.