HEAT GENERATING SYSTEM

• US 20180306468A1
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Published: 10/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clean Planet Inc.
• Original Assignee: Clean Planet Inc., Tohoku University National Universities Corporation
• Inventors: IWAMURA, Yasuhiro, ITO, Takehiko, KASAGI, Jirota, YOSHINO, Hideki, HATTORI, Masanao
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/00 Use of gas-solvents or gas-sorbents in vessels absorbing compositions for acetylene C10L3/04; absorbing compositions for hydrogen C01B3/0005
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/005 for hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/026 having the temperature as the parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0142 bundled in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F24V 30/00 Apparatus or devices using heat produced by exothermal chemical reactions other than combustion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage

Abstract

A heat generating system (1) of the present invention controls an excess heat output from heat-generating element cells (16) that are generating excess heat as a result of the heat generation reaction among the plurality of heat-generating element cells (16) by increasing the number of heat generation reaction positions, and therefore even if the other heat-generating element cells (16) do not generate excess heat due to insufficient heat generation reaction, the heat-generating element cells (16) in which the heat generation reaction is certainly occurring can compensate for insufficient amount of heat to be recovered, thereby capable of stably obtaining heat using the heat-generating element cells (16) each of which generates heat using a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy.

Claims

1. A heat generating system, comprising:

a plurality of heat-generating element cells each of which generates excess heat using a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy when hydrogen-based gas contributing to heat generation is supplied into a container; and

an integrated control unit that controls the heat generation by heating each of the heat-generating element cells and supplying the hydrogen-based gas into each of the heat-generating element cells, and makes an output recovery unit recover excess heat output from each of the heat-generating element cells,

wherein the integrated control unit controls the heat generation of the heat-generating element cell that is not generating excess heat, and further controls an excess heat output of another heat-generating element cell that is generating excess heat by performing at least any of a temperature adjustment of the heat-generating element cell, a supply control of the hydrogen-based gas into the heat-generating element cell, and a pressure control in the heat-generating element cell, thereby increasing and/or maintaining the excess heat output from the heat-generating element cell.

5. The heat generating system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the heat-generating element cells is provided with a gas supply change unit that changes a supply position of the hydrogen-based gas when the hydrogen-based gas is supplied into the heat-generating element cell, and

the integrated control unit makes the gas supply change unit change the supply position of the hydrogen-based gas to be supplied into the heat-generating element cell when controlling the excess heat output.

6. The heat generating system according to claim 1, wherein

the output recovery unit recovers heat generated from a container outer wall of each of the heat-generating element cells, and recovers heat from the hydrogen-based gas discharged from an inside of each of the heat-generating element cells.

8. The heat generating system according to claim 1, wherein

the heat-generating element cell is provided with a plurality of temperature measurement units that measures temperatures of the inside and/or the outer wall of the container of the heat-generating element cell, and

the integrated control unit determines whether each of the heat-generating element cells generates excess heat based on a temperature distribution of the heat-generating element cell specified by measurement results obtained from the temperature measurement units.

9. The heat generating system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the heat-generating element cells is provided with a hydrogen storage amount estimation unit that estimates a hydrogen storage amount of the hydrogen storage metal or the hydrogen storage alloy in the heat-generating element cell, and

the integrated control unit determines whether each of the heat-generating element cells generates excess heat based on an estimation result from the hydrogen storage amount estimation unit.

10. The heat generating system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the heat-generating element cells is provided with a thermal fluid circulation unit that causes a thermal fluid to flow in contact with a container outer wall of the heat-generating element cell, and recovers heat generated from the heat-generating element cell through the thermal fluid, and

the integrated control unit increases a flow velocity of the thermal fluid that flows in contact with the container outer wall of the heat-generating element cell that is generating excess heat so as to be faster than that of the thermal fluid that flows in contact with the container outer wall of the other heat-generating element cell that is not generating excess heat to increase a recovery rate of heat from the thermal fluid in the heat-generating element cell that is generating excess heat.

2. A heat generating system, comprising:

a plurality of heat-generating element cells each of which generates excess heat using a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy when hydrogen-based gas contributing to heat generation is supplied into a container; and

an integrated control unit that controls the heat generation by heating each of the heat-generating element cells and supplying the hydrogen-based gas into each of the heat-generating element cells, and makes an output recovery unit recover excess heat output from each of the heat-generating element cells,

wherein the integrated control unit controls the heat generation of the heat-generating element cell that is generating excess heat, and further controls an excess heat output of another heat-generating element cell that is not generating excess heat by performing at least any of a temperature adjustment of the heat-generating element cell, a supply control of the hydrogen-based gas into the heat-generating element cell, and a pressure control in the heat-generating element cell, thereby promoting the excess heat output from the heat-generating element cell.

3. A heat generating system, comprising:

a plurality of heat-generating element cells each of which generates excess heat using a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy when an electrolytic solution contributing to heat generation is supplied into a container; and

an integrated control unit that controls the heat generation by heating each of the heat-generating element cells and supplying the electrolytic solution into each of the heat-generating element cells, and makes an output recovery unit recover excess heat output from each of the heat-generating element cells,

wherein the integrated control unit controls the heat generation of the heat-generating element cell that is not generating excess heat, and further controls an excess heat output of another heat-generating element cell that is generating excess heat by performing at least any of a temperature adjustment of the heat-generating element cell, a supply control of the electrolytic solution into the heat-generating element cell, and an electrolytic voltage and current control in the heat-generating element cell, thereby increasing and/or maintaining the excess heat output from the heat-generating element cell.

7. The heat generating system according to claim 3, wherein

the output recovery unit recovers heat generated from a container outer wall of each of the heat-generating element cells, and recovers heat from the electrolytic solution and/or generated gas discharged from an inside of the each of the heat-generating element cells.

4. A heat generating system, comprising:

a plurality of heat-generating element cells each of which generates excess heat using a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy when an electrolytic solution contributing to heat generation is supplied into a container; and

an integrated control unit that controls the heat generation by heating each of the heat-generating element cells and supplying the electrolytic solution into each of the heat-generating element cells, and makes an output recovery unit recover excess heat output from each of the heat-generating element cells,

wherein the integrated control unit controls the heat generation of the heat-generating element cell that is generating excess heat, and further controls an excess heat output of another heat-generating element cell that is not generating excess heat by performing at least any of a temperature adjustment of the heat-generating element cell, a supply control of the electrolytic solution into the heat-generating element cell, and an electrolytic voltage and current control in the heat-generating element cell, thereby promoting the excess heat output from the heat-generating element cell.

11. A heat generating system, comprising:

a heat-generating element cell that generates heat using a hydrogen storage metal or a hydrogen storage alloy when hydrogen-based gas contributing to heat generation is supplied into the heat-generating element cell;

a temperature measurement unit that is provided to the heat-generating element cell, and measures temperatures of an inside and/or an outer wall of a container of the heat-generating element cell;

a gas supply control unit that determines a supply position of the hydrogen-based gas to be supplied into the heat-generating element cell based on a measurement result obtained from the temperature measurement unit; and

a gas supply change unit that changes a supply position of the hydrogen-based gas to be supplied into the heat generating element cell to a supply position determined by the gas supply control unit.

12. The heat generating system according to claim 11, wherein

an excess heat generating position at which excess heat is generated in the heat-generating element cell is specified based on the measurement result obtained from the temperature measurement unit, and it is determined that a supply position of the hydrogen-based gas is supplied around the excess heat generating position in the heat-generating element cell.