Description

BROWN GAS GENERATION SYSTEM

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to a brown gas generation system, in which an electrolyte is electrolyzed to generate hydrogen and oxygen, an alternative fuel, without using natural gas and petroleum, thereby being highly economical. Background Art

[2] A brown gas generation system, which has been generally used, has a problem in that the cost of production is greatly increased because a plurality of cooling fans is combined with a cooling system in order to separate water vapor from a mixture of water vapor and brown gas using heat generated when the brown gas is produced.

[3] Furthermore, a pipe, through which the brown gas is carried, is integrally formed from the position where the electrolysis is carried out to the position where the brown gas is used. Hence, in order to separate the water vapor generated by the electrolysis, a plurality of cooling fans and various kinds of cooling water are used. Nevertheless, the water vapor is not completely separated, thereby being left in the pipe through which the brown gas is carried. As a result, high quality of brown gas cannot be obtained. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[4] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a brown gas generation system, in which a cooler is installed outside gas exhaust pipes through which brown gas flows, in which traps are mounted on the gas feed pipes, in which the gas exhaust pipes are inserted into an electrolytic tank in which a low-temperature electrolyte is contained and are spaced apart from each other, in which the gas feed pipes are also spaced apart from each other, and in which water vapor, which may be mixed with the brown gas, is subjected to multiple separation processes, thereby enabling a high quality of brown gas to be obtained, obviating the need for a separate cooling system, and providing high efficiency and economy.

Technical Solution

[5] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a brown gas generation system, which comprises: a gas generator, in the middle of which a fixing plate having a plurality of electrolyte circulation holes and gas circulation holes is fixed, on opposite sides of which electrode units, having electrode plates and cells, are installed together with electrolyte inflow pipes, and on a top side of which gas exhaust pipes are installed; an electrolytic tank, which is installed

above the gas generator, and on an underside of which the gas exhaust pipes are inserted, on opposite sides of which the electrolyte inflow pipes are installed together with feed pipes, in the middle of which a partition is formed, and at a top side of which gas exhaust holes are formed; a cooling system, which is disposed between the gas generator and the electrolytic tank, and which includes a cooling coil wound around the gas exhaust pipes, and a cooler installed on one side of the cooling coil; a gas tank, which includes gas feed pipes that are connected to the gas exhaust holes of the electrolytic tank and that have traps and compressive pumps mounted thereon, and gas containers that are coupled with manometers on one side of the gas tank; and an ignition system, which includes a gas pipe that is connected to the gas tank and has flowmeters and valves mounted thereon, and a burner that is installed on one end of the gas pipe. Brief Description of the Drawings

[6] The above objects, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent after a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[7] FIG. 1 is a layout view illustrating a brown gas generation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

[8] FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a gas generator and an electrolytic tank in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[9] Reference will now be made in greater detail to a brown gas generation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[10] FIG. 1 is a layout view illustrating a brown gas generation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a gas generator and an electrolytic tank in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[11] Now, the configuration of the brown gas generation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[12] The brown gas generation system 100 of the present invention comprises a gas generator 10, an electrolytic tank 20, a cooling system 30, a gas tank 40, and an ignition system 50.

[13] First, the gas generator 10 is designed such that a fixing plate 13 having a plurality of electrolyte circulation holes 11 and gas circulation holes 12 is fixed in the middle thereof, electrode units 16 having electrode plates 14 and cells 15 are installed on

opposite sides thereof together with electrolyte inflow pipes 17, and gas exhaust pipes

18 are installed on a top side thereof. [14] Further, the gas generator 10 is preferably provided with a circulating pump (not shown) so as to allow an electrolyte to smoothly flow thereinto. [15] The electrolytic tank 20 is installed above the gas generator 10, and is designed such that the gas exhaust pipes 18 are inserted at an underside thereof, the electrolyte inflow pipes 17 and feed pipes 21 are installed on opposite sides thereof, a partition 22 is formed in the middle thereof, and gas exhaust holes 23 are formed in a top side thereof. [16] Preferably, each gas exhaust pipe 18, which runs from the gas generator 10 to the inside of the electrolytic tank 20, has a height greater than the level of the electrolyte inflowing into the electrolytic tank 20. [17] Preferably, in order to prevent the electrolyte from being raised beyond the height of each gas exhaust pipe 18 when the electrolyte flows into the chambers 25 of the electrolytic tank 20, a level control sensor (not shown) is further installed in the electrolytic tank 20. [18] The feed pipes 21, which are installed on opposite sides of the electrolytic tank 20, are preferably provided with a filter (not shown) for filtering foreign materials while the electrolyte flows to the electrolytic tank 20. [19] In addition, the electrolytic tank 20 is preferably provided with a thermometer (not shown) and a manometer (not shown) on the top side thereof, so as to be able to measure the temperature and pressure of the brown gas introduced from each gas exhaust pipe 18. [20] The cooling system 30 is disposed between the gas generator 10 and the electrolytic tank 20, and comprises a cooling coil 31, which is installed around the gas exhaust pipes 18 of the gas generator 10, and a cooler 32, which is installed on one side of the cooling coil 31. [21] At this time, the cooling coil 31 is preferably formed so as to surround the gas exhaust pipes 18 between the gas generator 10 and the electrolytic tank 20. [22] The gas tank 40 comprises gas feed pipes 43 that are connected to the gas exhaust holes 23 of the electrolytic tank 20 and have traps 41 and compressive pumps 42 mounted thereon, and gas containers 45 that are coupled with manometers 44. [23] Further, each gas container 45 is preferably made of a double pipe, so as to increase safety when the brown gas is stored. [24] The ignition system 50 comprises a gas pipe 53 that is connected to the gas tank 40 and has flowmeters 51 and valves 52 mounted thereon, and a burner 54 that is installed on one end of the gas pipe 53. [25] Further, the burner 54 is preferably provided with a nozzle (not shown) so as to start the ignition using the brown gas fed through the gas pipe 53.

[26] In addition, the nozzle (not shown) is preferably made of ceramic so as to resist high temperature. [27] According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the operation of the brown gas generation system having the configuration as described above is as follows. [28] First, in order to obtain brown gas, a user switches on the brown gas generation system 100. At the same time, an electrolyte is filtered by the feed pipes 21 having the filter (not shown), and then flows into the electrolytic tank 20. When the electrolyte is collected in the electrolytic tank 20, it is controlled by the level control sensor (not shown). [29] Then, the electrolyte, collected in the electrolytic tank 20 flows into the gas generator

10 through the electrolyte inflow pipes 17. At this time, electric current starts to flow to the electrode plates 14 formed on the opposite sides of the gas generator 10 as well as to the plurality of cells 15. [30] As described above, while the electric current flows to the electrode units 16 having the electrode plates 14 and the cells 15, the electrolyte introduced into the gas generator 10 starts to be electrolyzed. [31] When a predetermined time has lapsed after the electrolyte starts to be electrolyzed, the brown gas, made up of oxygen and hydrogen, is generated in the gas generator 10. [32] At the same time, the hydrogen is collected toward a negative (-) electrode through the gas circulation holes 12 formed in the fixing plate 13, whereas the oxygen is collected toward a positive (+) electrode through the gas circulation holes 12 formed in the fixing plate 13. Then, these gases start to flow upwards through the gas exhaust pipes 18 formed at the top side of the gas generator 10. [33] At this time, the electrolyte is evaporated by heat generated when it is electrolyzed, and thereby the brown gas flows to the gas exhaust pipes 18 together with water vapor. [34] When the brown gas mixed with the water vapor moves along the gas exhaust pipes

18, the cooler 32 surrounding the gas exhaust pipes 18 is activated, and simultaneously activation of the cooling coil 31 starts. [35] The gas exhaust pipes 18, through which the brown gas mixed with the water vapor flows, are cooled by the cooling coil 31, so that the water vapor is primarily removed. [36] Simultaneously, the brown gas, from which the water vapor is removed, flows into the electrolytic tank 20 along the gas exhaust pipes 18, and thereby the water vapor is secondarily removed due to the low temperature of the electrolyte. [37] In this manner, the brown gas, from which the water vapor is secondarily removed, is collected in the electrolytic tank 20. Thus, whether or not the brown gas is abnormal can be checked through the thermometer (not shown) and the manometer (not shown) of the electrolytic tank 20. [38] Here, the brown gas is collected in the chambers 25, in which the height of each gas

exhaust pipe 18 is higher than the level of the electrolyte introduced into the electrolytic tank 20 but is lower than the height of the electrolytic tank 20.

[39] At this time, because the partition 22 is installed in the electrolytic tank 20, the hydrogen and the oxygen, divided from the brown gas, are not mixed with each other.

[40] Then, the brown gas, collected in the chambers 25 of the electrolytic tank 20, flows to the gas feed pipes 43 of the gas tank 40 through the gas exhaust holes 23.

[41] As described above, because the gas exhaust pipes 18 are not integrally formed with the gas feed pipes 43, the water vapor introduced into the chambers 25 of the electrolytic tank 20 does not flow to the gas feed pipes 43 due to the weight thereof, and thus is circulated in the electrolytic tank 20. Thereby, the water vapor is removed tertiarily.

[42] Subsequently, the brown gas flows along the gas feed pipes 43. The water vapor, which may remain in the brown gas, is quartically removed from the brown gas by the traps 41 mounted on the gas feed pipes 43.

[43] Further, the compressive pumps 42 mounted on the gas feed pipes 43 are activated, so that the brown gas is easily introduced into and collected in the gas containers 45.

[44] Here, because each gas container 45 has the manometer 44, whether or not the pressure of the brown gas introduced into each gas container 45 is abnormal can be checked.

[45] Because each gas container 45 is made of a double pipe, the brown gas introduced into each gas container 45 can be stably stored.

[46] In this manner, after the brown gas is introduced into each gas container 45, it flows to the burner 54 along the gas pipe 53 of the ignition system 50.

[47] Here, because the gas pipe 53 has the flowmeters 51 and the valves 52, the flow of the brown gas along the gas pipe 53 is checked, so that it can be controlled by the valves 52.

[48] The brown gas is ignited through the nozzle (not shown) of the burner 54, by which the operation of the brown gas generation system is completed.

[49] The brown gas generation system 100 constructed in this way is equipped with the level control sensor (not shown), so that it can control the amount of the electrolyte introduced into the electrolytic tank 20. Further, the brown gas generation system 100 is equipped with the thermometer (not shown) and the manometer (not shown), so that it can be safely used by checking the temperature and pressure of the brown gas.

[50] Further, when the brown gas is produced, heat is generated, thereby producing water vapor. At this time, the water vapor is primarily separated from the brown gas by the cooling coil 31 installed around the gas exhaust pipes 18. Because the gas exhaust pipes 18 are inserted in the electrolytic tank 20, they are cooled by the low-temperature electrolyte flowing into the chambers 25 of the electrolytic tank 20. Thereby, the water

vapor is secondarily separated from the brown gas. In addition, because the gas exhaust pipes 18 are separated from the gas feed pipes 43, the water vapor, which may remain in the brown gas, is circulated in the chambers 25 of the electrolytic tank 20 when the brown gas flows to the gas feed pipes 43, so that it is tertiarily separated. Finally, because the traps 41 are mounted on the gas feed pipes 43, any water vapor that may be remaining in the brown gas can be quartically separated, so that brown gas of high quality can be obtained.

[51] The brown gas generation system constructed in this way does not require a plurality of cooling systems, so that it can separate the water vapor in multiple ways without going to the great expense of producing the brown gas generation system, so that a high quality of brown gas can be obtained at a low expense. Thus, the brown gas generation system provides high efficiency and economy.

[52] In the drawings and specification, typical exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

[53] According to the brown gas generation system of the present invention, the cooler is installed outside the gas exhaust pipes through which the brown gas flows, and the traps are mounted on the gas feed pipes. Further, the gas exhaust pipes are inserted in the electrolytic tank in which the low-temperature electrolyte is contained. The gas exhaust pipes are spaced apart from each other, and the gas feed pipes are also spaced apart from each other. Thus, the water vapor, which may be mixed with the brown gas, is subjected to multiple separation processes, so that a high quality of brown gas can be obtained, and a separate cooling system is not required. Hence, the brown gas generation system provides high efficiency and economy.