JP2018010591A - Fire detection device and hydrogen station comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A hydrogen fire detection device for detecting a fire by detecting ultraviolet rays radiated from a hydrogen flame and a hydrogen station equipped with the hydrogen fire detection device are provided. SOLUTION: A fire detector that detects a fire by detecting ultraviolet rays emitted from a hydrogen flame, an operation confirmation means for confirming the operation of the fire detector, and a control unit that controls these devices. The fire detector is provided with a cathode and an anode facing each other in quartz glass that can transmit ultraviolet rays, and an inert gas is sealed and hermetically sealed. The fire detector 1, the fire detector 1, and the hydrogen fuel are characterized by periodically irradiating the fire detector with ultraviolet rays and periodically grasping whether or not the fire detector is normally maintained and managed. The hydrogen station 10 is provided with a hydrogen transport means for supplying to a fuel cell vehicle, a storage unit for storing hydrogen fuel, and an alarm output unit that operates when a fire occurs. [Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a fire detection device for detecting a hydrogen flame and a hydrogen station including the same.

  In recent years, global warming due to the influence of carbon dioxide has become a major problem. And measures for reducing carbon dioxide emissions are taken in various fields. One of these is the use of hydrogen engines for automobile engines. A hydrogen engine is an engine that obtains driving force by burning hydrogen instead of gasoline, and since most of the substance discharged after combustion in the engine is only water, the next generation is excellent in terms of environmental protection. The effect as an engine is greatly expected.

  Now, like a gasoline engine, a hydrogen engine obtains driving force by burning fuel. The fuel in the hydrogen engine is hydrogen, and the fuel decreases as the vehicle continues to run, as in the gasoline engine. Therefore, it is necessary to supply hydrogen in order to continue running.

  In addition to hydrogen engines, as fuel cell vehicles, the technology of vehicles that run on electric motors by generating electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen has advanced, and the development of fuel cell vehicles that use hydrogen as fuel is remarkable. .

  From the above, in order to popularize automobiles using hydrogen engines or fuel cells, the installation of hydrogen stations for supplying hydrogen to automobiles has entered a stage where it can be rapidly advanced.

  Here, when a hydrogen station is installed, a lot of hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen station. And, as with the currently popular gas stations, it is necessary to take sufficient measures against fire. In recent years, a fire accident at a gas station, which seems to be caused by static electricity, has actually occurred, and if such a fire occurs at a hydrogen station, the generated fire will ignite the stored hydrogen. Because the damage will be very large.

  As one countermeasure against this problem, an infrared sensor or the like is installed at an existing gas station (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-139100). An infrared sensor is a structure which detects a fire by detecting the infrared rays radiated | emitted from the heat source of a fire. By installing an infrared sensor, it is possible to detect ignition in the initial state, and it is possible to take a quick response, and as a result, it is greatly useful for preventing secondary disasters.

JP-A-10-139100

  However, it is difficult to detect a hydrogen flame with this infrared sensor. This is because the hydrogen flame is almost colorless and no infrared radiation is emitted. In other words, the main light emitted from the hydrogen flame is ultraviolet light, and there is a risk that the fire spreads to some extent in the method of detecting infrared light. Sensing ultraviolet rays in the early stages of the flame is essential.

  In addition, as a fire detector that detects ultraviolet rays emitted from a hydrogen flame, it is also an important issue in maintaining the safety of the hydrogen station that the operation can be regularly confirmed.

  Therefore, as a means for solving the above problems, a fire detection device according to the present invention and a hydrogen station provided therewith, a fire detector for detecting a fire by detecting ultraviolet rays emitted from a hydrogen flame, An operation confirming unit for confirming the operation of the fire detector, and a control unit for controlling operations of the fire detector and the operation confirming unit, including an ultraviolet irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays toward the fire detector The fire detector includes a container capable of transmitting ultraviolet rays, and includes an inert gas sealed in the container, a cathode, and an anode facing the cathode, A predetermined pulse voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode by the control unit provided outside the container, and the control unit includes a fire between the cathode and the anode. When a discharge current of a detection level flows, a fire detection signal is output, and the operation confirmation unit is configured to receive the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit on the cathode for a certain period of time, so that the cathode and When a discharge current at a fire detection level flows between the anodes, a fire detection signal is not output from the control unit to the outside. When a discharge current at the fire detection level does not flow, the control is performed. The fire detection device for detecting a fire of hydrogen is characterized in that the operation of the fire detector is confirmed by having a configuration in which an error signal is output from the unit.

  The fire detection device, a storage unit storing hydrogen fuel made of liquid hydrogen or compressed hydrogen, a hydrogen transport means capable of measuring and transporting the hydrogen fuel from the storage unit, and a fire detection signal from the control unit And a warning output unit that operates according to the above.

  The fire detection device and the hydrogen station equipped with the fire detection device thus configured have a transparent and invisible hydrogen flame in the event of a fire. Therefore, the fire detector detects the ultraviolet light of the hydrogen flame and detects the fire. It is preferable that a signal is transmitted to the control unit, and all the devices of the hydrogen station are automatically stopped by the control unit.

  The hydrogen station, for example, uses the electric energy generated by the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell mounted on a fuel cell vehicle (Fuel Cell Vehicle, FCV) to fill the vehicle running with the motor with hydrogen as fuel. It is a hydrogen replenishment facility.

  There are three types of on-site type, off-site type, and mobile type as examples of the hydrogen station that is the subject of the present invention. The difference between the on-site type and off-site type is that the hydrogen production equipment is installed in the hydrogen station. The mobile type that can be operated at multiple locations can be moved by installing a hydrogen supply facility on a large trailer or the like.

  According to the present invention described above, the fire detector that detects ultraviolet rays emitted from a hydrogen flame, which is difficult to detect with the naked eye or an infrared sensor, and the ultraviolet irradiation unit that periodically emits ultraviolet rays toward the fire detector are provided. Because it is a fire detection device that consists of an operation check means for checking the operation of the fire detector and a control unit that controls the fire detector and the operation check means, it is effective for fire detection in hydrogen fires Therefore, it is possible to provide a fire detection device for detecting a hydrogen fire, which can perform a normal operation confirmation operation as a fire detection device without human hands.

  Also, a hydrogen station equipped with a hydrogen fuel storage facility, etc., detects a fire by detecting ultraviolet rays radiated from a hydrogen flame, and includes a fire detection device having periodic operation confirmation means, and an alarm output Since it is equipped with a section, it is possible to provide an excellent hydrogen station for quick initial fire fighting in the event of a fire accident and prevention of secondary disasters.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of the form which implements the fire detection apparatus 1 of this invention. It is an external view which shows an example of the form which implements the hydrogen station 10 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the form which implements the hydrogen station 10 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the function of the operation confirmation means 7 of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a fire detection apparatus 1 according to the present invention and a hydrogen station 10 including the same will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fire detection device 1 is composed of a fire detector 3, a control unit 5, and an operation confirmation means 7. The outside of the fire detector 3 is made of quartz glass 31 as a container that can transmit ultraviolet rays. Covered. Inside the quartz glass 31, a cathode (photocathode) 33 sensitive to ultraviolet rays A and an anode 35 are arranged to face each other, and a conductive wire 37 is connected to each of the cathode 33 and the anode 35. An active gas is sealed and hermetically sealed. The conducting wires 37 and 37 extend from the bottom of the quartz glass 31 to the outside and are connected to the control unit 5.

  And the ultraviolet irradiation part 71 is provided in the vicinity of the fire detector 3, and the operation confirmation means 7 is comprised, and the ultraviolet irradiation part 71 of the operation confirmation means 7 is connected to the control part 5 with the conducting wire 73. FIG. The operation confirmation means 7 periodically irradiates the ultraviolet ray B from the ultraviolet irradiation unit 71 toward the cathode 33 of the fire detector 3 so that the operation of the fire detector 3 can be confirmed periodically.

  The fire detector 3 to which the present invention is directed senses the occurrence of a hydrogen flame by the photoelectric effect. The operation principle is as follows.

  In the fire detector 3, a pulse voltage is applied in advance between a cathode (photocathode) 33 having sensitivity to ultraviolet rays A and an anode 35. In this state, when a fire due to hydrogen occurs within the detection effective range of the fire detector 3, ultraviolet rays are emitted from the flame. As shown in FIG. 1, when the emitted ultraviolet light A enters the cathode 33 of the fire detector 3, photoelectrons are emitted from the cathode 33 due to the photoelectric effect. Photoelectrons are attracted to the anode 35 by the electric field. Here, when the applied voltage is increased and the electric field is increased, the photoelectrons are sufficiently accelerated to collide with gas molecules in the tube until they are ionized. Among the electrons and positive ions generated by ionization, the electrons repeatedly collide and ionize with other gas molecules and reach the anode 35. On the other hand, positive ions are accelerated toward the cathode 33 and collide with the cathode 33 to generate many secondary electrons. By repeating this, a large current suddenly flows between the cathode 33 and the anode 35, resulting in a discharge state.

  When this discharge current reaches a certain fire detection level, the control unit 5 outputs a result of “fire detection”, but this detection condition can be changed by the control unit 5. Specifically, the detection condition of “fire detection” may be, for example, “output a result of“ fire detection ”when a discharge current of 50 mA is detected over 10 steps”. For example, “10” of “10 steps” in FIG. 5 may be changed to “5”, or “50” of “50 mA” may be changed to “100”. Other parameters that can be changed include a pulse voltage waveform, a pulse width, and a cycle.

  By making such a setting change, the fire detector 3 can detect the ultraviolet rays A emitted from the hydrogen flame.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the hydrogen station 10 provided with the fire detection device 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the hydrogen station 10 according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the hydrogen station 10 mainly includes a fire detector 3 that detects a fire, an operation confirmation means 7 for confirming the operation of the fire detector 3, and a fire detection device 1 that includes a control unit 5. , A hydrogen supply device 15 as a hydrogen transport means, a storage tank 13 for storing hydrogen in an underground part, and a hydrogen purifier 11. These facilities are controlled by a fire detection signal from the control unit 5. The control unit 5 is further connected to an alarm output unit 17 and a network 19 such as a telephone line or the Internet.

  The hydrogen fuel is purified by the hydrogen purifier 11 and stored using the storage tank 13 as a storage unit. Examples of the method for storing hydrogen fuel include a method in which the hydrogen fuel is stored in a compressed hydrogen state, a method in which the hydrogen fuel is stored in a liquid hydrogen state, and a method using a hydrogen storage alloy. The hydrogen fuel measured from the storage tank 13 is transported by the hydrogen supplier 15 and supplied to the high-pressure hydrogen tank of the fuel cell vehicle.

  Although the fire detection device 1 is installed at a place as shown in FIG. 2, the place can be appropriately changed as long as the hydrogen station 10 can be generally looked over. Further, since the fire detector 3 has a limited effective range in which hydrogen flames can be detected, the number of fire detectors 1 to be installed can be appropriately changed according to the size of the hydrogen station 10.

  The ultraviolet irradiation unit 71 constituting the operation confirmation means 7 of the fire detection device 1 is an LED type UV (ultraviolet) irradiation unit, and as shown in FIG. 2, the ultraviolet ray B is directed toward the cathode 33 of the fire detection unit 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 71 and the control unit 5 are connected to each other by a conducting wire 73 so as to be radiated.

  At regular times, for example, once a day, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 71 is programmed in the control unit 5 to emit ultraviolet B for about 2 seconds, and the fire detector 3 operates normally upon receiving the emitted ultraviolet B. This is confirmed automatically or by an operator of the hydrogen station 10. Thereby, it can be checked that the fire detector 3 is maintained in a normal state.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 5 sets the fixed time as the designated time of the day, and recognizes that the control unit 5 is fixed time (St1). In response to the command signal, ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit 71 for a predetermined time, for example, 2 seconds (St2). Then, the control part 5 judges whether the fire detector 3 act | operated (St3). If it is not activated (No), an error signal is output from the control unit 5 (St4). On the other hand, when it becomes activated (Yes), the fire detection signal is not output from the control unit 5 to the outside (St5), so that the operation of the fire detector 3 is confirmed. The control unit 5 is set in advance so as not to output a fire detection signal to the outside even if the discharge current in the fire detector 3 reaches the fire detection level for a certain period of time from a fixed time.

  It should be noted in advance that the operation of the fire detector 3 based on the operation confirmation means 7 is a periodic inspection work.

  If the fire detector 3 does not operate normally based on the operation confirmation means 7, repair is performed based on a predetermined procedure.

  When the result of "fire detection" is output in the control unit 5, the control unit 5 outputs the alarm output unit 17, but the control unit 5 stops the hydrogen supply operation of the hydrogen supplier 15 simultaneously with this output. At the same time, the operation of all the facilities of the hydrogen station 10 may be stopped. Further, the control unit 5 may be configured to warn danger in the vicinity using light and sound. Specifically, the alarm output unit 17 composed of a red rotating light, a siren, and the like is activated to warn the nearby residents of the danger and call for prompt evacuation to prevent the spread of damage.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fire detection apparatus 3 Fire detector 5 Control part 7 Operation | movement confirmation means 10 Hydrogen station 11 Hydrogen purification apparatus 13 Storage tank 15 Hydrogen supply device 17 Alarm output part 19 Line network 31 Quartz glass 33 Cathode 35 Anode 37 Conductor 71 Ultraviolet irradiation part 73 Conductor A UV B UV

Claims (2)

A fire detector that detects a fire by detecting the ultraviolet light emitted from a hydrogen flame;
An operation confirmation means for confirming the operation of the fire detector, comprising an ultraviolet irradiation unit that emits ultraviolet rays toward the fire detector;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the fire detector and the operation confirmation means,
The fire detector is
It has a container that can transmit ultraviolet rays,
The container includes an inert gas sealed hermetically, a cathode, and an anode facing the cathode,
A predetermined pulse voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode by the control unit provided outside the container,
The control unit outputs a fire detection signal when a discharge current of a fire detection level flows between the cathode and the anode,
The operation check means includes
When the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation unit are incident on the cathode at a fixed time for a fixed time,
When a discharge current at a fire detection level flows between the cathode and the anode, a fire detection signal is not output from the control unit to the outside, and a discharge current at the fire detection level does not flow. A fire detection device for hydrogen fire detection, characterized in that the operation of the fire detector is confirmed by having a configuration in which an error signal is output from the control unit. A fire detection device according to claim 1;
A reservoir for storing hydrogen fuel comprising liquid hydrogen or compressed hydrogen;
Hydrogen transport means capable of measuring and transporting the hydrogen fuel from the storage unit;
An alarm output unit that operates in response to a fire detection signal from the control unit.

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