Refrigeration – Storage of solidified or liquified gas – With vapor discharged from storage receptacle
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-22
2003-01-21
Doerrler, William C. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Storage of solidified or liquified gas
With vapor discharged from storage receptacle
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508063
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus which uses a reaction attended with gas absorption and release in a gas absorption and release substance such as a hydrogen storage alloy or which uses a reaction attended with heat using the function of gas absorption and release or heat absorption and release in a refrigerator or the like, and further relates to a method of controlling the apparatus.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-252027, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because a gas absorption and release substance such as a hydrogen storage alloy produces a reaction of absorption or release of a gas such as hydrogen attended with heat absorption and generation, various kinds of systems using this reaction have been heretofore proposed.
For example, a hydrogen storage alloy produces absorption and release of heat when the hydrogen storage alloy absorbs or releases hydrogen. Hence, there have been proposed apparatuses in which absorption or release of hydrogen is performed by a pressure or temperature operation so that air-conditioning, refrigeration or heat recovery is made by using the heat generated in the absorption and release of the hydrogen. There have been also proposed apparatuses in which hydrogen storage, conveyance, recovery, purification or the like are performed by using the absorption and release of heat.
Referring to FIGS .
4
and
5
, the gas absorption and release apparatus meeting the aforementioned purpose will be described. as supply unit
4
is connected to a gas absorption and release container
1
containing a gas absorption and release substance through an electromagnetic valve
2
and a gas supply passage
3
. A gas-using unit
7
is connected also to the gas absorption and release container
1
through an electromagnetic valve
5
and a gas release passage
6
.
A heat medium introduction passage
8
and a heat medium discharge passage
9
are further connected to the gas absorption and release container
1
. A cooling heat medium supply unit
12
is connected to the heat medium introduction passage
8
through a pump
10
and a cooling heat medium supply passage
11
. A heating heat medium supply unit
15
is connected also to the heat medium introduction passage
8
through a pump
13
and a heating heat medium supply passage
14
. On the other hand, a cooling heat medium return passage
17
is connected to the heat medium discharge passage
9
through an electromagnetic valve
16
. A heating heat medium return passage
19
is connected also to the heat medium discharge passage
9
through an electromagnetic valve
18
. Incidentally, the electromagnetic valves
2
,
5
,
16
and
18
and the pumps
10
and
13
are subjected to centralized control by a control unit
20
.
In the aforementioned apparatus, when gas is absorbed into or released from the gas absorption and release substance, the electromagnetic valves and the pumps are controlled by the control unit
20
in accordance with the operation of gas absorption/release.
That is, the gas absorption and release substance has limits in quantity of gas absorption and release. In the aforementioned apparatus, therefore, absorption or release is stopped when absorption or release reaches its limit respectively, and, at the same time, the operation is switched over between absorption and release so that gas absorption and release are repeated.
In the related art, the judgment as to whether or not gas absorption/release into/from the gas absorption and release substance reaches its limit is made in consideration of the predicted absorption/release capacity (the quantity or rate of absorption/release) of the substance. For example, there has been used a method in which time is measured from the start of absorption or release and judgment is made that the absorption or release reaches its limit when the measured time reaches a setting value, or a method in which a gas flow meter
21
is disposed in the absorption/release passage
6
or the like as shown in
FIG. 5
, and judgment is made that the absorption or release reaches its limit when the gas flow rate, that is, the quantity of gas absorption/release reaches a setting value.
According to the related-art judgment method, if the actual absorption/release capacity of the gas absorption/release capacity exceeds a setting value (predicted value), switching-over is performed without making the full use of the absorption/release capacity of the gas absorption and release substance respectively. Hence, absorption and release are repeated by a larger number of times than required. Hence, the absorption and release substance is apt to deteriorate rapidly. Moreover, sensible-heat loss caused by repetition of heating and cooling of the container containing the absorption and release substance increases, so that energy efficiency becomes poor. On the other hand, when the actual absorption/release capacity is reduced to be smaller than the setting value with the deterioration of the gas absorption and release substance, the operation is not switched over between absorption and release even in the case where the capacity exceeds its limit. The reason is as follows. That is, a blank period in which the capacity cannot be fulfilled is generated, so that the apparatus cannot make the full use of its capacity (the quantity of gas recovery, gas supply, or heat absorption or release per unit time, and so on). Moreover, wasteful motive power is generated for transporting the heating/cooling heat medium during the blank period.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is devised upon such circumstances and an object thereof is to provide a gas absorption and release apparatus using a gas absorption and release substance in which a gas absorption or gas release is switched over accurately in accordance with the actual absorption/release capacity of the gas absorption and release substance to thereby make it possible to perform the operation efficiently, and to provide a method of controlling the gas absorption and release apparatus.
In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a gas absorption and release apparatus using a gas absorption and release substance in which the gas absorption and release substance is heated/cooled by a high-temperature/low-temperature heat medium and a gas absorption/release reaction attended with heat absorption/generation is produced in the gas absorption and release substance, the method comprising the steps of: detecting a gas pressure at the time of gas absorption/release; and judging a limit of gas absorption/release on the basis of comparison between the detected pressure and a predetermined setting pressure.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, preferably, in a method of controlling a gas absorption and release apparatus using a gas absorption and release substance as stated in the above first aspect, judgment of the limit of gas absorption is made when the pressure detected at the time of gas absorption is higher than the setting pressure for gas absorption.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, preferably, in a method of controlling a gas absorption and release apparatus using a gas absorption and release substance as stated in the above first or second aspect, judgment of the limit of gas release is made when the pressure detected at the time of gas release is lower than the setting pressure for gas release.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, preferably, in a method of controlling a gas absorption and release apparatus using a gas absorption and release substance as stated in any one of the above first through third aspects, judgment of the limit of gas absorption/release is made when relation between the detected pressure and the setting pressure on the basis of a result of the comparison is retained for a fixed period.
Further, according to a fifth a
Doerrler William C.
Drake Malik N.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
The Japan Steel Works Ltd.
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