JP6684491B2 - Temperature / humidity adjustment device, humidity adjustment device, aptitude diagnosis device, temperature / humidity adjustment method, aptitude diagnosis method and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a temperature / humidity adjusting device, a humidity adjusting device, an aptitude diagnosing device, a temperature / humidity adjusting method, an aptitude diagnosing method and a program, and more particularly to a temperature / humidity adjusting device for adjusting the temperature and humidity of a gas.

  It has been confirmed that when hydrogen hydrogen used in a fuel cell vehicle contains impurities such as carbon monoxide, it may affect the deterioration of the cell performance of the fuel cell vehicle. Therefore, a hydrogen fuel suitability diagnostic device has been developed for the purpose of cost reduction of hydrogen fuel quality control at a hydrogen station and improvement of reliability of hydrogen production equipment.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an outline of the diagnosis unit 201 of the hydrogen fuel suitability diagnosis device. With reference to FIG. 17A, the diagnosis unit 201 includes a constant temperature bath 203, a power supply 205, and a voltmeter 207. In the thermostat 203, an electrolyte membrane 213 is provided between the anode 209 and the cathode 211. The power supply 205 applies a current between the anode 209 and the cathode 211, and the voltmeter 207 measures the voltage between the anode 209 and the cathode 211. The hydrogen fuel is made to flow in from the inflow port 215, and the hydrogen fuel is made to flow out from the outflow port 217.

  The diagnostic unit 201 supplies a current from the power supply 205 to the MEA (electrolyte membrane 213 / electrode assembly), whereby hydrogen decomposed on the anode 209 becomes hydrogen ions and moves in the electrolyte membrane 213, and again on the cathode 211. Diagnosis is made by applying the principle of hydrogen pump that becomes hydrogen.

  When impurities are contained in the hydrogen fuel, as shown in FIG. 17 (b), the sensor electrode is poisoned and the voltage required to flow a constant current rises. The diagnostic unit 201 detects the mixing of impurities based on this voltage change.

  Impurities such as carbon monoxide are required to be detectable over a wide range of 200 ppm to 0.2 ppm. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an outline of a process from hydrogen production to supply.

  With reference to FIG. 18, the hydrogen production apparatus 301 produces hydrogen from a raw material gas such as city gas, LPG, or LNG. At the beginning of manufacturing, impurities such as carbon monoxide are mixed in at a high concentration of about 200 ppm. The impurity concentration decreases with the passage of time, and eventually stabilizes at a low concentration of 0.2 ppm or less. Impurities with a high concentration of about 200 ppm to 0.2 ppm can be detected by a commercially available simple diagnostic device 303. The highly purified hydrogen gas is compressed by the compressor 305 and stored in the gas storage unit 307. When the dispenser 309 supplies hydrogen fuel, a hydrogen fuel suitability diagnostic device 311 that detects a minute impurity concentration of 0.2 ppm or less with high accuracy is required.

  In order for the impurity sensor used in the diagnosis unit 201 of the hydrogen fuel suitability diagnosis device 311 to function effectively, it is necessary to precisely maintain the humidity and temperature of the hydrogen fuel to be diagnosed at about ± 1%. is there.

  Conventionally, it has been considered difficult to make accurate and reliable measurement because the relative humidity increases and decreases with a slight temperature change. Therefore, when measuring the humidity in the flow path, an indirect humidity measurement using the dew point has been performed instead of the method of directly measuring the relative humidity.

  Further, a general humidifier controls the humidification by controlling the ratio between a 100% humidification tank in which pure water is heated and a drying tank. However, the humidification particles in the humidification tank are large, and precise humidification control cannot be performed.

  On the other hand, when the characteristic that a specific resin permeates water particles is used, by using the fine particles that have permeated the membrane for humidification, stable humidification control in which dew condensation is unlikely becomes possible. In this case, as a method of stably adjusting the temperature of the flow channel to maintain the humidity of the flow channel, hot water having a large heat capacity has been flown around the flow channel.

    However, in the case of humidity measurement by dew point, even if the temperature in the flow channel changes in a short time and the humidity in the flow channel changes by several percent, the dew point itself does not change unless the absolute amount of water vapor in the air changes. Is unchanged. Therefore, it is difficult to quickly detect the change in humidity and make precise adjustments.

  Moreover, since it is difficult to quickly adjust the temperature of the flow path with water having a large heat capacity, it was difficult to quickly and precisely control the amount of water vapor taken into the flow path to maintain the humidity in the flow path. .

  Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a temperature / humidity adjusting device or the like that can accurately adjust the temperature and humidity of a gas.

  A first aspect of the present invention is a temperature / humidity adjusting device for adjusting the temperature and humidity of a gas, which is a flow path through which the gas passes, and a humidification flow in which the amount of ambient water vapor taken in increases or decreases depending on the temperature. A path, a steam applying section for applying steam to the humidifying channel to humidify it, an electric heater for contacting the humidifying channel for heating, and a temperature control section for controlling the electric heater, temperature and humidity It is an adjusting device.

  A second aspect of the present invention is the temperature-humidity adjusting device according to the first aspect, further comprising a measuring unit that measures the value of the relative humidity inside the flow path that has passed through the humidification flow path. Controlling the electric heater based on the value of the relative humidity inside the flow path that has passed through the humidification flow path.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the temperature / humidity adjusting device according to the first or second aspect, wherein a drying flow rate adjusting unit that adjusts a flow rate of the gas in a channel that does not pass through the humidifying channel, and the drying unit. A humidity control unit for controlling a flow rate adjusting unit is further provided, and a flow path for allowing the gas to flow out from the dry flow rate adjusting unit is connected to a confluence point in a flow path for the gas to flow out from the humidification flow path. .

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is the temperature-humidity adjusting device according to the third aspect, wherein a gas supply unit that supplies the gas to the humidification flow channel, and between the gas supply unit and the humidification flow channel are provided. And / or a micro valve for controlling a flow rate of the gas flowing out from the humidification channel between the humidification channel and the confluence.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is the temperature-humidity adjusting device according to the fourth aspect, further comprising a minute channel that is thinner than the humidification channel between the microvalve and the humidification channel. .

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is a humidity adjusting device for adjusting the humidity of a gas, which is a flow path through which the gas passes, and a humidification flow path in which the amount of ambient water vapor taken in increases or decreases depending on the temperature, A steam applying unit that applies steam to the humidifying channel to humidify it, a dry flow rate adjusting unit that adjusts the flow rate of the gas in the flow channel that does not pass through the humidifying flow channel, and a humidity that controls the dry flow rate adjusting unit. A control unit, a gas supply unit that supplies the gas to the humidification flow channel, and a micro valve that controls the flow rate of the gas that flows out from the humidification flow channel, and a flow that causes the gas to flow out from the dry flow rate adjustment unit. The passage is a humidity adjusting device, which is connected to a confluence point in the flow path where the gas flows out from the micro valve.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention is an aptitude diagnosis device for diagnosing the aptitude of hydrogen fuel as a fuel, which comprises a temperature / humidity adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the hydrogen fuel and a temperature / humidity adjusting unit. A measuring unit for measuring the relative humidity of the hydrogen fuel whose humidity is adjusted, a diagnosing unit for diagnosing the suitability of the hydrogen fuel as a fuel by diagnosing the hydrogen fuel, the temperature / humidity adjusting unit, and the measuring unit. And a flow path through which the hydrogen fuel flows in the order of the diagnosis unit, wherein the temperature / humidity adjusting unit is a flow path through which the hydrogen fuel passes and the humidification flow in which the amount of ambient water vapor taken in increases / decreases depending on the temperature. A path, a steam applying section for applying steam to the humidifying channel to humidify it, an electric heater for contacting and heating the humidifying channel, and a temperature control section for controlling the electric heater, an aptitude diagnosis It is a device.

  An eighth aspect of the present invention is the aptitude diagnosis apparatus according to the seventh aspect, further comprising a calibration curve creation unit that creates a calibration curve of the concentration of impurities in the hydrogen fuel, and the calibration curve creation unit is a known device. And measuring the voltage when the first sample, which is a hydrogen fuel containing the first concentration of the impurities, is passed through the flow channel, and contains the second concentration of the impurities that is known different from the first concentration. The voltage when the second sample, which is hydrogen fuel, is caused to flow through the flow path is measured.

  A ninth aspect of the present invention is the aptitude diagnosis apparatus according to the eighth aspect, wherein the second concentration has a higher concentration of the impurities than the first concentration, and the calibration curve creating unit has a concentration-dependent flow rate. The concentration-dependent flow rate adjusting unit further includes an adjusting unit, and when measuring the impurity concentration of the second sample, makes the flow velocity slower than when measuring the impurity concentration of the first sample.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is a temperature-humidity adjusting method for adjusting the temperature and humidity of a gas, wherein the temperature control unit is a flow path through which the gas passes and the amount of ambient water vapor taken in according to the temperature. Is a temperature / humidity adjusting method including a step of heating the humidifying channel by controlling an electric heater based on the value of the relative humidity inside the channel passing through the humidifying channel where

  An eleventh aspect of the present invention is an aptitude diagnosis method using an aptitude diagnosis device for diagnosing the aptitude of hydrogen fuel as a fuel, wherein the aptitude diagnosis device is a flow path through which the hydrogen fuel passes, and a temperature A humidification channel that increases or decreases the amount of surrounding water vapor taken in, a heater that heats the humidification channel, a temperature control unit that controls the electric heater, and a temperature and humidity are adjusted in the humidification channel. A measuring unit for measuring the relative humidity of the hydrogen fuel, a diagnostic unit for diagnosing the hydrogen fuel by diagnosing the hydrogen fuel, and a humidifying channel, a measuring unit, and the diagnosing unit in this order. A flow path for flowing the hydrogen fuel, wherein the temperature control unit controls the electric heater based on a measurement result of the relative humidity measured by the measurement unit, and includes a step of heating the humidification flow path, It is an aptitude diagnosis method

  A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the aptitude diagnosis method according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the aptitude diagnosis apparatus includes a calibration curve creating unit that creates a calibration curve of the concentration of impurities in the hydrogen fuel, and a calibration curve of a known concentration. A first diagnostic step further comprising: a mixed gas holding part containing impurities, wherein the calibration curve creating part causes the gas from the mixed gas holding part to flow through the flow path for a first time, and then the diagnostic part diagnoses. And a second diagnostic step in which the diagnostic unit makes a diagnosis after the calibration curve creating unit causes the gas from the mixed gas holding unit to flow in the flow path for a second time different from the first time.

  A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to function as a temperature control unit in the temperature and humidity adjusting method according to the tenth aspect.

  According to each of the aspects of the present invention, the amount of water vapor taken in by the humidification channel can be quickly adjusted by using the electric heater that contacts and heats the humidification channel. Therefore, it is possible to precisely adjust the temperature and humidity of the gas.

  Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, by performing feedback control of the humidification flow path based on the measurement result of the value of the relative humidity which is sensitive to temperature, it is possible to accurately measure the temperature of the gas and the temperature of the gas in the humidification flow path. It becomes easy to provide a temperature / humidity adjusting device or the like for adjusting the humidity.

  Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is easy to precisely adjust the humidity of the gas by mixing the gas that has passed through the humidification flow path and the dry gas.

  Further, according to the fourth and sixth aspects of the present invention, by installing microvalves capable of precisely adjusting the flow rate before and after the humidification channel, the humidification by the humidification channel can be stabilized. It becomes possible to do. As a result, it is possible to stably humidify the gas.

  Furthermore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, by providing a minute flow path between the micro valve and the humidification flow path, it is possible to perform control with higher accuracy. Specifically, it has become possible to adjust the humidity of the hydrogen fuel to about ± 0.2% and the temperature to ± 0.1% with high accuracy.

  Further, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, by directly measuring the relative humidity in the flow channel, a change in the humidity in the flow channel can be quickly detected to perform a hydrogen fuel suitability diagnosis. You can

  Furthermore, according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to measure the impurity concentration in the hydrogen fuel that is the measurement target. Therefore, it becomes possible to quantitatively diagnose the suitability of hydrogen fuel as a fuel.

  Furthermore, according to the ninth and twelfth aspects of the present invention, it becomes easy to create a calibration curve and perform concentration measurement without changing the measurement range of the measurement unit.

It is a block diagram which shows the outline | summary of the temperature / humidity adjustment apparatus 1 which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the outline of the hydrogen fuel diagnostic apparatus 41 using the temperature / humidity adjustment apparatus 1. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen of the display unit 25. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a control screen and a setting screen of the display unit 25. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the adjustment result of the temperature and humidity which used the temperature-humidity adjusting device 1. It is a figure which shows another example of the adjustment result of the temperature and humidity which used the temperature-humidity adjusting device 1. It is a figure which shows an example of the detection result of a voltage. It is a block diagram which shows the outline of the temperature / humidity adjustment apparatus 101 which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a hydrogen fuel suitability diagnosis result when using the temperature / humidity adjusting device 101. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a temperature and humidity adjustment result using the temperature and humidity adjusting device 101. It is the figure which expanded a part of FIG. It is a figure which shows the outline of the impurity concentration measurement part which measures an impurity concentration. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the whole suitability diagnostic apparatus containing an impurity concentration measurement part and a temperature / humidity adjustment apparatus. It is a figure which shows the flow which measures the hydrogen gas in which the impurity of the 1st density | concentration with which the impurity density | concentration is known to be about 2 ppm for mixing is created. It is a figure which shows the flow which measures the hydrogen gas in which the impurity concentration of the known 1st density | concentration with which the impurity concentration is known for the production of a calibration curve is mixed. It is a figure which shows the flow of impurity concentration measurement of hydrogen fuel. It is a figure which shows the outline of the conventional diagnosis principle of hydrogen fuel. It is a figure which shows the outline of the process from manufacture of hydrogen to supply.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

  1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a temperature / humidity adjusting apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, an outline of the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 of FIG. 1 will be described.

  The temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 (an example of the “temperature / humidity adjusting device” in the claims of the present application) adjusts the temperature and humidity of the gas. The temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 joins the inflow valve 3, the total flow rate adjusting unit 5, the branch 7, the humidifier 9, the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11 (an example of the “dry flow rate adjusting unit” in the claims of the present application). A point 13, a minute flow path 17, a micro valve 19, a temperature control unit 21 (an example of a “temperature control unit” in the claims of the present application), a humidity control unit 23, a display unit 25, a setting unit 27, The measuring unit 29 (an example of the “measuring unit” in the claims of the present application). In addition, the humidifier 9 includes a humidification flow path 31 (an example of a “humidification flow path” in the claims of the present application), a steam applying unit 33 (an example of “a steam application unit” in the claims of the present application), and an electric heater 35 (the present application). An example of the "electric heater" in the claims). The measuring unit 29 includes a relative humidity measuring unit 37 and a temperature control unit 39.

  The gas flowing into the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 from the inflow valve 3 is sent to the humidifier 9 and the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11 at the branch 7 through the total flow rate adjusting unit 5. The gases sent from the humidifier 9 and the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11 merge at the merge point 13 and flow into the measuring unit 29. The gas discharged from the humidifier 9 reaches the confluence 13 through the minute flow path 17 and the micro valve 19 in order.

  The total flow rate adjusting unit 5 adjusts the flow rate of the gas flowing from the inflow valve 3. The humidifier 9 humidifies the gas passing through the humidification flow path 31. The humidification flow path 31 is humidified by the water vapor application unit 33 and heated by the electric heater 35. The microvalve 19 precisely adjusts the flow rate of the humidified gas coming out of the humidifier 9. The temperature control unit 21 controls the temperature of the electric heater 35 while obtaining information on the temperature of the humidifier 9. The humidity control unit 23 controls the humidity of the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11. The display unit 25 displays the gas and the state of the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 and the like, as well as the operation screen and the setting screen. The setting unit 27 is a user interface for allowing the user to set the temperature and humidity adjustment device 1. The measuring unit 29 measures the humidity and temperature of the gas. The relative humidity measuring unit 37 measures the relative humidity of the gas flowing into the measuring unit 29. The temperature measuring unit 39 measures the temperature of the gas flowing into the measuring unit 29.

  In the humidifier 9, at least a part of the humidification flow path 31 is made of Nafion (registered trademark), and the amount of water vapor permeated differs depending on the temperature. The water vapor imparting unit 33 humidifies the surroundings of the humidification flow channel 31, and the temperature control unit 21 controls the electric heater 35 to heat the humidification flow channel 31, thereby adjusting the humidity of the gas passing through the humidification flow channel 31. It is possible to In particular, since the electric heater 35 spirally winds the humidifying flow path 31 and is in contact with the humidifying flow path 31, the amount of water vapor taken into the humidifying flow path can be quickly adjusted.

  On the other hand, the humidity of the gas passing through the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11 is controlled by the humidity control unit 23 controlling the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11. The humidity of the gas can be adjusted by mixing the moist gas that has passed through the humidifier 9 and the dry gas that has passed through the drying flow rate adjusting unit 11 at an appropriate ratio. Here, the gas emitted from the humidifier passes through the microvalve 19 to enable precise adjustment. In addition, the gas exiting the humidifier 9 passes through the minute flow path 17 having a small diameter immediately before the micro valve 19, which facilitates more precise adjustment.

  Also, the relative humidity of the gas is very sensitive to the temperature of the gas. Therefore, the temperature control unit 21 controls the electric heater 35 based on the measurement result of the relative humidity measuring unit 37, so that quick humidity adjustment in the humidification flow path becomes easier.

  With reference to FIG. 2, a hydrogen fuel diagnostic device using the temperature and humidity adjusting device 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the hydrogen fuel diagnostic device 41.

  A hydrogen fuel diagnostic device 41 shown in FIG. 2 includes the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 of FIG. 1, and further includes a diagnostic unit 43, a control module 45, a detection module 47, a pure water tank 49, and a pure water drain valve 51. And further. The measuring unit 29 includes a temperature / humidity sensor 53. The diagnostic unit 43 includes a diagnostic sensor 55 that is a sensor that diagnoses the suitability of hydrogen fuel as a fuel. The control module 45 includes a temperature control unit 21, a humidity control unit 23, and a measurement unit temperature control unit 57.

  The measurement unit 29 transmits the temperature of the measurement unit 29 measured by the temperature / humidity sensor 53 to the temperature control unit 21. The temperature control unit 21 controls the electric heater 35 based on the temperature of the measurement unit 29 transmitted as the measurement result. The measuring unit 29 also transmits the relative humidity of the measuring unit 29 measured by the temperature / humidity sensor 53 to the humidity control unit 23. The humidity control unit 23 controls the humidity of the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11 based on the relative humidity of the measuring unit 29 transmitted as the measurement result. The control module 45 performs feedback control while obtaining information on the temperature and humidity of each part. The detection module 47 applies an electric current to the diagnostic sensor 55 and measures the voltage at the diagnostic sensor 55 to detect impurities in the hydrogen fuel. The deionized water tank 49 supplies deionized water to the water vapor deposition unit 33 via the deionized water drain valve 51.

  For example, the total flow rate adjusting unit 5 adjusts the total flow rate of the hydrogen fuel flowing into the humidifier 9 and the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11 to 50 to 100 ml / min. The temperature control unit 21 controls the temperature of the electric heater 35 to 30 to 40 ° C. based on the temperature information of the humidifier 9 transmitted from the humidifier 9. The humidity control unit 23, based on the temperature and / or humidity information of the measuring unit 29 transmitted from the temperature / humidity sensor 53, sets the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11 so that the humidity in the measuring unit 29 becomes 70.0% rh. Control the humidity of. The measurement unit temperature control unit 57 controls the temperature of the measurement unit 29 to 40.0 ° C. based on the information on the temperature and / or the humidity of the measurement unit 29 transmitted from the temperature / humidity sensor 53. As a whole, the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 supplies the hydrogen fuel adjusted to a relative humidity of 70% rh and 40 ° C. to the diagnosis unit 43 at 50 to 100 ml / min. The temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 keeps the temperature and humidity of the hydrogen fuel to be diagnosed extremely stable, so that the hydrogen fuel diagnosing device 41 can perform appropriate diagnosis.

  An operation screen of the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation screen of the display unit 25.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the display unit 25 displays a plurality of buttons as an operation screen. For example, "monitor screen", "humidification control screen", "constant temperature control screen", "device status / operation", "data display screen 1", "data display screen 2", "data display screen 3", " The data display screen 4 ”and the buttons labeled“ setting ”are displayed. The display unit 25 is a touch panel and can be operated by touching the screen.

  Other screens displayed by the display unit 25 of the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a control screen and a setting screen of the display unit 25, showing (a) a monitor screen, (b) a humidification control screen, (c) a constant temperature bath screen, and (d) a setting screen. is there.

  In the “monitor screen” shown in FIG. 4A, the entire hydrogen fuel diagnostic device 41 is displayed, and the flow rate of the hydrogen fuel in the total flow rate adjusting unit 5, the relative humidity and temperature in the humidifier 9, and the temperature / humidity sensor 53 are displayed. The measurement result, the temperature of the thermostatic chamber of the diagnostic sensor 55, the detection result of impurities in the hydrogen fuel detected by the detection module 47, and the like are displayed. In addition, although the CO change rate is displayed in mV in FIG. 4A, it is also possible to convert the CO change rate into the mixed impurity concentration (ppm) and display it.

  In the "humidification control screen" shown in FIG. 4B, the flow rate of hydrogen fuel in the total flow rate adjusting unit 5, the flow rate of hydrogen fuel in the dry flow rate adjusting unit 11, the measurement result of the temperature and humidity sensor 53, etc. are displayed. It

  In the "constant temperature screen" shown in FIG. 4C, the diagnostic unit 43 is enlarged and displayed, the measurement result of the temperature / humidity sensor 53, the flow rate of hydrogen fuel flowing in through the measuring unit 29, and the diagnostic unit 43. The temperature of the constant temperature bath is displayed.

  In the “Setting” screen shown in FIG. 4D, for example, start or stop of measurement, presence / absence of abnormality in operating state, presence / absence of abnormality in sensor voltage, presence / absence of abnormality in communication state, voltage and current in diagnostic unit 43, and the like. The rate of change of voltage, the measurement result of the temperature / humidity sensor 53, the flow rate of hydrogen fuel at various places in the hydrogen fuel diagnostic device 41, and the temperature of the humidification flow path 31 are displayed. The user sets the start / stop of measurement, dehumidification of the sensor, etc. on this screen. The setting unit 27 causes the control module 45 and / or the detection module 47 to execute control based on the setting content according to the user's input.

  Hereinafter, an actual adjustment result using the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a temporal change in the temperature of the gaseous fuel and a temporal change in the humidity when the temperature / humidity adjusting device according to the present invention is used.

  The conventional commercially available device has a temperature accuracy of about ± 0.5 ° C. On the other hand, in the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1, as shown in FIG. 5A, the temperature of the measuring unit 29 is 39.97 to 40.07 ° C. with respect to the set temperature of 40 ° C. for one day. The accuracy could be maintained at 0.1 ° C. That is, the accuracy is five times higher than that of the conventional commercially available device.

  Further, the relative humidity accuracy of the conventional commercially available device was about ± 1% rh. On the other hand, in the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1, as shown in FIG. 5B, the relative humidity of the measuring unit 29 is 69.97 to 70 with respect to the set relative humidity of 70.00% rh for one day. The accuracy could be maintained at 0.06% rh and ± 0.1% rh. That is, the accuracy is 10 times higher than that of the conventional commercially available device. As described above, the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 according to the present invention can adjust the temperature and humidity with much higher accuracy than the conventional device.

  The main reason why these adjustments can be made with high accuracy is that the temperature of the humidifying channel 31 can be controlled with high accuracy. As shown in FIG. 5C, the set temperature was 35.0 ° C., which was 34.91 to 35.08 ° C. and could be maintained with an accuracy of ± 0.1 ° C. or higher.

  Further, the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 stably adjusted the humidity of the hydrogen fuel supplied over a long period of time. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the temperature and humidity adjustment results using the temperature and humidity adjusting device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6A, the temperature / humidity adjusting apparatus 1 was able to maintain the relative humidity of the measuring unit 29 at ± 0.1% rh for 27 days. One of the causes for this is that the temperature of the humidification flow channel 31 can be maintained with an accuracy of ± 0.1 ° C. for 27 days as shown in FIG. 6B.

  Further, as a result of stable supply of temperature and humidity with high accuracy, the hydrogen fuel diagnostic device 41 showed stable output voltage and output change rate. FIG. 7: is a figure which shows an example of the detection result of a voltage, and is a figure which shows (a) time-dependent change of average output voltage [mV], and (b) time-dependent change of average output change rate [mV].

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the average output voltage was suppressed to a slight change with an increase of 2 mV / day. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the average output change rate was within the range of about ± 0.5 mV over 27 days. As described above, the fluctuations in the output voltage and the output change rate due to the changes in the temperature and humidity of the hydrogen fuel are minimized, so that the hydrogen fuel diagnostic device 41 can detect impurities such as carbon monoxide with high accuracy. Become.

  Subsequently, a different configuration of the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 will be described. In Example 1, the micro valve 19 was installed between the humidifier 9 and the confluence 13. In the second embodiment, a temperature / humidity adjusting device 101 in which a micro valve is installed between the branch 7 and the humidifier 9 will be described.

  The configuration of the temperature / humidity adjusting device 101 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an outline of the temperature / humidity adjusting device 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The temperature / humidity adjusting device 101 is different from the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 in that a micro valve 119 is provided between the branch 107 and the humidifier 109. Further, in addition to the dry flow rate adjustment unit 11 of Example 1, the first dry flow rate adjustment unit 111 ₁ and the first measurement unit 129 ₁ corresponding to the measurement unit 29, the second dry flow rate adjustment unit 111 ₂ and the second measurement unit are also provided. 129 further comprises a _2. The control module 145 corresponding to the control module 45 of the first embodiment includes a temperature control unit 121, a first humidity control unit 121, and a temperature control unit 121, a humidity control unit 23, and a measurement unit temperature control unit 57 of the first embodiment. In addition to 123 and the 1st measurement part temperature control part 157, the 2nd measurement part temperature control part 159 and the 2nd humidity control part 161 are further provided.

The second measuring unit 129 ₂ is connected between the first measuring unit 129 ₁ and the diagnosis section 143. Second drying flow rate adjusting unit 111 ₂ is connected between branch 107 and the second measuring unit 129 _2. Further, the flow path through which the gas flows out from the first measuring unit 129 ₁ and the flow path through which the gas flows out from the second dry flow rate adjusting unit 111 ₂ merge at the confluence point 113 ₂ , and the second measuring unit 129 ₂ It is connected to the.

Here, by connecting the first measurement unit 129 ₁ and the second measurement unit 129 ₂ in order, it is possible to adjust the temperature and humidity with higher accuracy than in the first embodiment. This is because the first measuring unit 129 ₁ roughly adjusts the temperature and the humidity, and the second measuring unit 129 ₂ performs more precise control.

Specifically, the first measurement unit temperature control unit 157 sets the temperature of the first measurement unit 129 ₁ to 40 degrees based on the temperature and / or humidity information of the first measurement unit 129 ₁ transmitted from the temperature and humidity sensor. Control to 0 ° C. The first humidity control unit 123, based on the first measurement portion 129 ₁ of the temperature and / or humidity information, as the humidity in the first measuring unit 129 ₁ is 90.0% rh, first drying flow adjustment The humidity of the part 111 ₁ is controlled.

Second measuring part temperature control unit 159, based on the second temperature of the measuring part 129 ₂ and / or humidity of the information transmitted from the temperature and humidity sensor, controls the second temperature of the measuring part 129 ₂ to 40.0 ° C. To do. The second humidity control unit 161, based on the second temperature of the measuring part 129 ₂ and / or humidity information, as the humidity in the second measuring unit 129 ₂ is 80.0% rh, second drying flow adjustment controlling the humidity of the part 111 _2.

  As a whole, the temperature / humidity adjusting device 101 supplies the hydrogen fuel adjusted to a relative humidity of 80% rh and 40 ° C. to the diagnostic unit 143 at 50 to 100 ml / min.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 9, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11, a hydrogen fuel suitability diagnosis result and a hydrogen fuel temperature and humidity adjustment result when the temperature / humidity adjusting device 101 is used will be described. FIG. 9A is a diagram showing an example of a hydrogen fuel suitability diagnosis result when the temperature and humidity adjusting device 101 is used. FIG. 9B is an enlarged view of a part of the graph of the average change rate of the voltage, which is shown in a circle in FIG. 9A. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example of the temperature and humidity adjustment results using the temperature and humidity adjusting device 101. FIG. 10B is an enlarged view of the control result of the average sensor humidity shown in FIG. FIG. 11A is an enlarged view of the control result of the average humidifier temperature shown in FIG. FIG. 11B is an enlarged view of the control result of the average sensor temperature shown in FIG.

  The measurement result of the diagnostic sensor of the diagnostic unit 143 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the output value.

  Excitation current AC20mA PP, humidity 80 ± 0.2% RH, temperature 40 ± 0.1 ℃, average voltage (mV / 10min), output change rate (mV / 10min) average current detected by diagnostic sensor is very stable. I understand that. Under conditions without CO poisoning, the voltage rise value is 0.018 mV / 10 min, or 2.6 mV / day. Even in half a year, the increase was less than 500 mV, which is a good value as an indicator of the life of the diagnostic sensor.

  In FIGS. 9A and 9B, when carbon monoxide of 0.2 ppm was poisoned for 5 minutes, the diagnostic sensor had an output change rate of 3.7 mV / 10 min. As shown in FIG. 9 (b), it can be seen that the poisoning can be promptly and clearly detected from the CO poisoning indicated by the arrow.

Next, with reference to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, a description will be given of the temperature and humidity adjustment results of the temperature / humidity adjusting device 101 over about two weeks. The horizontal axis represents elapsed time. The vertical axis represents the average hydrogen flux (ml / min), average sensor humidity (% RH) and average sensor temperatures in the measurement unit 129 ₂ (° C.), the average temperature of the humidifier 109 (° C.), a second drying flow rate adjusting unit 111 It represents the average dry flow rate of the gas flowing from the ₂ to the measuring unit 129 ₂ (ml / min).

Referring to FIG. 10A, although the average dry flow rate is increased or decreased, the average hydrogen flow rate, the average sensor humidity, the average sensor temperature, and the average temperature of the humidifier are maintained with high accuracy. You can see it. Figure 10 Referring to (b), average sensor humidity in the measurement unit 129 _2, while also about 2 weeks, was kept within RH approximately 80% ± 0.2%. Similarly, with reference to FIG. 11A, the average temperature of the humidifier 109 was kept within 34 ° C. ± 0.1 ° C. Furthermore, referring to FIG. 11 (b), the average sensor temperature was kept within 40 ° C. ± 0.1 ° C.

  The inventors of the present invention have confirmed that the life of the diagnostic sensor is extended when the diagnostic sensor is used at 80% RH as compared to when the diagnostic sensor is used at 70% RH. When the humidity of the hydrogen fuel to be diagnosed supplied to the diagnostic sensor was 70% RH, the voltage increase value was 0.15 mV / 10 min, that is, about 21.6 mV / day. The upper limit value of the voltage is, for example, about 500 mV, and the life of the diagnostic sensor is less than one month. On the other hand, when it was set to 80% RH, as described above, it was confirmed that 0.018 mV / 10 min was reduced to about 1/10, and a remarkable effect that the life of the diagnostic sensor was more than half a year. Therefore, it can be said that the temperature / humidity adjusting device according to the present invention can maintain the temperature and humidity with high accuracy at a high humidity such as 80% RH, which is a remarkable advantage.

  The diagnostic sensor 55 in FIG. 2 diagnoses the presence or absence of impurities. On the other hand, the impurity concentration measuring unit 173 included in the suitability diagnostic apparatus 171 of this embodiment (an example of the “suitability diagnostic apparatus” in the claims of the present application) can also measure the impurity concentration. As a result, the suitability of the hydrogen fuel to be diagnosed as the fuel can be quantitatively diagnosed. Hereinafter, the impurity concentration measuring unit 173 will be described in detail.

  A configuration for measuring the impurity concentration in the hydrogen fuel flowing into the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an outline of the impurity concentration measuring unit 173 for measuring the impurity concentration. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an outline of the whole aptitude diagnosis device 171 including the impurity concentration measuring unit 173 and the temperature / humidity adjusting device 1. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a flow for measuring hydrogen gas mixed with an impurity having a first concentration known to have an impurity concentration of about 2 ppm for creating a calibration curve. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a flow for measuring a hydrogen gas mixed with an impurity having a first concentration known to have an impurity concentration of about 200 ppm for creating a calibration curve. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the outline of the method for measuring the impurity concentration of hydrogen fuel.

  With reference to FIG. 12, the impurity concentration measuring unit 173 includes a gas holding unit 175, a flow path unit 177, a gas flow rate adjusting unit 179 (an example of a “concentration-dependent flow rate adjusting unit” in claims of the present application), and an impurity concentration. A calculation unit 181, a calibration curve creation unit 183 (an example of the “calibration curve creation unit” in the claims of the present application), and a storage unit 185 are provided. The gas holding unit 175 includes a hydrogen fuel holding unit 187 that holds hydrogen fuel, a hydrogen holding unit 189 that holds high-purity gaseous hydrogen, and a first mixed gas holding unit 191 (the “mixed gas holding unit” in the claims of the present application). And a second mixed gas holding portion 193 (another example of the “mixed gas holding portion” in the claims of the present application). The first mixed gas holding unit 191 includes gaseous hydrogen (first mixed gas; “first sample” of claim of the present application) containing impurities of a known first concentration (an example of “first concentration” of claim of the present application). Hold one example). The second mixed gas holding unit 193 contains gaseous hydrogen (second mixed gas; the present application) that contains impurities of a known second concentration (an example of the “second concentration” in the claims of the present application) that is higher than the first concentration. An example of the "second sample" in the claims is held. In this embodiment, the first mixed gas holding unit 191 holds the gaseous hydrogen mixed with 2 ppm of carbon monoxide. The second mixed gas holding unit 193 holds the gaseous hydrogen mixed with 200 ppm of carbon monoxide.

The flow path section 177 is a plurality of flow paths from the gas holding section 175 to the total flow rate adjusting section 5, and is a first flow path 195 ₁ , a second flow path 195 ₂ , ..., An m-th flow path 195 _m (m Has a natural number of 2 or more). The flow passage portion 177 serves as a valve for switching whether or not the gas can pass through the flow passage. The first valve 197 ₁ , the second valve 197 ₂ , ..., The n-th valve 197 _n (n is a natural number of 2 or more). Have. Flow regulating unit 179, a first gas flow adjustment unit 199 ₁ for adjusting the flow rate of the gas from the first mixed gas holding portion 191, a second gas to adjust the flow rate of the gas from the second mixed gas holding portion 193 And a flow rate adjusting unit ₁₉₉₂ . The first gas flow rate adjusting unit 199 ₁ and the second gas flow rate adjusting unit 199 ₂ can be set to different flow rates. In this embodiment, as the initial settings, the total flow rate adjusting unit 5 is set to 100 ml / min, the first gas flow rate adjusting unit 199 ₁ is set to 100 ml / min, and the second gas flow rate adjusting unit 199 _{2 is set} to 1.0 ml. Set to / minute.

With reference to FIG. 13, the various holding units are connected to the total flow rate adjusting unit 5 of the temperature / humidity adjusting apparatus 1 via the flow path unit 177. In FIG. 13, the flow passage portion 177 includes a first flow passage 195 ₁ to a seventh flow passage 195 ₇ through which gas moves from various holding portions to the total flow rate adjusting portion 5, and a first valve 197 ₁ that opens and closes the flow passage. from and a twelfth valve _{197 12.}

The hydrogen holding unit 189 is connected to the total flow rate adjusting unit 5 via the first valve 197 ₁ , the second valve 197 ₂ and the third valve 197 ₃ in the order closer to the hydrogen holding unit 189 (the first flow path 195 ₁ ). The hydrogen holding unit 189 is also connected to the total flow rate adjusting unit 5 by a second flow passage 195 ₂ and a third flow passage 195 ₃ which are different from the first flow passage 195 ₁ . The second flow passage 195 ₂ is connected to the first flow passage 195 ₁ between the first valve 197 ₁ and the second valve 197 ₂ , and also between the third valve 197 ₃ and the total flow rate adjusting unit 5. It is connected to one flow path 195 ₁ . Further, the second flow path 195 ₂ has a fourth valve 197 ₄ and a fifth valve 197 ₅ in the order of being closer to the hydrogen holding portion 189. The third flow path 195 ₃ is connected to the first flow path 195 ₁ between the first valve 197 ₁ and the second valve 197 ₂ , and also between the third valve 197 ₃ and the total flow rate adjusting unit 5. It is connected to one flow path 195 ₁ . Further, the third flow path 195 ₃ has a sixth valve 197 ₆ and a seventh valve 197 ₇ in the order of being closer to the hydrogen holding portion 189.

The first mixed gas holding portion 191, the eighth valve 197 ₈ sequentially closer to the first mixed gas holding portion 191, the first flow regulating unit 199 ₁ via a fifth valve 197 ₅ of the second flow path 195 ₂ All It is connected to the flow rate adjusting unit 5 (fourth flow path 195 ₄ ). The hydrogen fuel holding unit 187 is connected to the total flow rate adjusting unit 5 via the ninth valve 197 ₉ , the 10th valve 197 ₁₀ and the third valve 197 ₃ of the first flow path 195 ₁ in the order of being closer to the hydrogen fuel holding unit 187. (5th channel 195 ₅ ). The second mixed gas holding portion 193 includes the eleventh valve 197 ₁₁ , the twelfth valve 197 ₁₂ , the second gas flow rate adjusting portion 199 ₂ , and the third valve 195 ₃ of the seventh valve in order of being closer to the second mixed gas holding portion 193. It is connected to the total flow rate adjusting unit 5 via 197 ₇ (sixth flow path 195 ₆ ). The second mixed gas holding portion 193 is also connected between the twelfth valve 197 ₁₂ and the second mixed gas holding portion 193 to the tenth valve 197 ₁₀ of the fifth flow path 195 ₅ . From the hydrogen fuel holding portion 187 through the ninth valve 197 ₉ , the tenth valve 197 ₁₀ , the second gas flow rate adjusting portion 199 _{2 of} the sixth flow passage 195 ₆ and the seventh valve 197 ₇ of the third flow passage 195 ₃ , all. The flow path connected to the flow rate adjusting unit 5 is referred to as a seventh flow path 195 ₇ .

  The control module 45 controls the gas flow rate adjusting unit 179 and the flow path unit 177.

  Hereinafter, a method for measuring the impurity concentration by the impurity concentration measuring unit 173 will be described. The impurity concentration measuring method is roughly divided into a calibration curve creating step and a concentration measuring step.

  A flow of creating a calibration curve using the impurity concentration measuring unit 173 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. The calibration curve creation unit 183 measures the calibration curve by measuring the hydrogen gas mixed with the first concentration of impurities whose known impurity concentration is about 2 ppm and the hydrogen gas mixed with the known second concentration of impurities of about 200 ppm. To create.

Referring to FIG. 14, first, measurement is performed using hydrogen gas having an impurity concentration of 2 ppm. With the first flow path 195 ₁ and the second flow path 195 ₂ open and the third flow path 195 ₃ to the seventh flow path 195 ₇ closed, the first flow of high-purity gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen holding unit 189 is performed. The passage 195 ₁ and the second passage 195 ₂ are purged for 180 seconds (step ST001). Then, in a state where the first flow path 195 ₁ and the second flow path 195 ₂ are closed and the fourth flow path 195 ₄ is opened, the first mixed gas from the first mixed gas holding unit 191 is flowed in the fourth flow for 60 seconds. flowing in the road 195 _4. The first flow regulating unit 199 ₁ sets to flow 100ml / min gas. At this time, the voltage at the diagnostic sensor 55 changes according to the concentration of impurities such as carbon monoxide contained in the first mixed gas. The detection module 47 measures the voltage in the diagnostic sensor 55 and detects the presence and concentration of impurities as a change in voltage. The storage unit 185 stores the voltage value V ₁ at this time (step ST002). Subsequently, the fourth flow path 195 ₄ is closed, the first flow path 195 ₁ and the second flow path 195 ₂ are opened, and the purge is performed again for 180 seconds. During this time, the detection module 47 measures the voltage. The storage unit 185 stores the maximum value V ₂ of the voltage for 180 seconds (step ST003). The storage unit 185 stores V _2ppm = V ₂ −V ₁ as the voltage value at _{2 ppm} (step ST004).

As zero-value calibration, with the first flow path 195 ₁ and the second flow path 195 ₂ opened and the third flow path 195 ₃ to the seventh flow path 195 ₇ closed, a high-purity gas from the hydrogen holding unit 189 The first channel 195 ₁ and the second channel 195 ₂ are purged with hydrogen for 60 seconds. The storage unit 185 stores the voltage value V ₃ at this time. Further, the purge is performed for 180 seconds, and the storage unit 185 stores the voltage value V ₄ at this time. The storage unit 185 stores V ₀ = V ₄ −V ₃ as the zero calibration value (step ST005). Further, V _2ppm0 = V _2ppm −V ₀ is stored as the value at 2 ppm of the calibration curve after calibration (step ST006).

Subsequently, referring to FIG. 15, measurement is performed using hydrogen gas having an impurity concentration of 200 ppm. With the first flow path 195 ₁ and the third flow path 195 ₃ opened and the second flow path 195 ₂ and the fourth flow path 195 ₄ to the seventh flow path 195 ₇ closed, high purity from the hydrogen holding part 189 is obtained. The first flow path 195 ₁ and the third flow path 195 ₃ are purged with the gaseous hydrogen of 180 seconds for 180 seconds (step ST101). Subsequently, in a state where the third flow passage 195 ₃ is closed and the first flow passage 195 ₁ and the sixth flow passage 195 ₆ are opened, high-purity gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen holding portion 189 is supplied to the first flow passage 195 ₁ . While flowing, the second mixed gas from the second mixed gas holding unit 193 is caused to flow through the sixth flow path 195 ₆ for 60 seconds. Here, since the second flow regulating unit 199 ₂ of the sixth flow path 195 ₆ limits the flow rate to 1 ml / min, high purity gaseous hydrogen in the first flow path 195 ₁ 99 ml / min gaseous hydrogen Is supplied. The storage unit 185 stores the voltage value V ₅ at this time (step ST102). Subsequently, with the sixth flow passage 195 ₆ closed and the first flow passage 195 ₁ and the third flow passage 195 ₃ opened, the purge is performed again for 180 seconds. Storage unit 185 stores the maximum value _{V 6} of the voltage for 180 seconds (step ST 103). Storage unit 185 as a voltage value at 200 _ppm, and stores the _V 200ppm _{= V} 6 -V ₅ (step ST 104). Similar to step ST005, a zero calibration value is obtained (step ST105). The storage unit 185 stores V _200ppm0 as the value at 200 ppm of the calibration curve after calibration (step ST106).

The calibration curve creation unit 183 creates a calibration curve from the values of V _2ppm0 and V _200ppm0 .

Here, a flow for obtaining a 1 ppm plot in order to create a more accurate calibration curve will be described. In step ST002, the first mixed gas from the first mixed gas holding unit 191 is supplied to the fourth flow path while the second flow path 195 ₂ is closed and the first flow path 195 ₁ and the fourth flow path 195 ₄ are opened. High-purity gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen holding unit 189 is caused to flow through the first flow path 195 ₁ while flowing into 195 ₄ . The first gas flow rate adjusting unit 199 ₁ of the fourth flow path 195 ₄ is set to flow the gas at a flow rate of 50 ml / min. The storage unit 185 stores the voltage value V5 after 60 seconds. Steps ST003 to ST006 are the same.

Alternatively, different plots can be obtained by controlling the outflow time of the gas from the holding unit that holds the mixed gas. For example, in step ST002, the first gas flow rate adjusting unit 199 ₁ flows 100 ml / min of gas in a state where the first flow path 195 ₁ and the second flow path 195 ₂ are closed and the fourth flow path 195 ₄ is opened. Leave the setting as it is. However, the first mixed gas from the first mixed gas holding unit 191 is caused to flow through the fourth flow path for 30 seconds which is half of 60 seconds. A plot corresponding to 1 ppm can be obtained from the voltage value at this time. In this case, steps ST001 to ST006 in which the voltage value corresponding to 2 ppm is obtained are an example of the "first diagnostic step" in the claims of the present application, and the step in which the voltage value corresponding to 1 ppm is obtained is the "second diagnostic step" in the claims of the present application. Diagnostic step ”.

  By obtaining the plots of 0.2 ppm, 20 ppm, 100 ppm and the like in the same manner as the above flow for obtaining the 1 ppm plot, a more accurate calibration curve can be created.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 16, a flow for measuring the impurity concentration of hydrogen fuel using the impurity concentration measuring unit 173 will be described. First, a case will be described in which it is assumed that impurities of about 0 to 2 ppm are mixed in the hydrogen fuel.

First, with the first flow path 195 ₁ and the second flow path 195 ₂ opened and the third flow path 195 ₃ to the seventh flow path 195 ₇ closed, high-purity gaseous hydrogen from the hydrogen holding unit 189 was used. The first channel 195 ₁ and the second channel 195 ₂ are purged for 180 seconds (step ST201). Then, with the first flow path 195 ₁ and the second flow path 195 ₂ closed and the fifth flow path 195 ₅ open, the hydrogen fuel from the hydrogen fuel holding portion 187 flows to the fifth flow path 195 ₅ for 60 seconds. Shed. At this time, the voltage at the diagnostic sensor 55 changes according to the concentration of impurities such as carbon monoxide contained in the hydrogen fuel. The detection module 47 measures the voltage in the diagnostic sensor 55 and detects the presence and concentration of impurities as a change in voltage. The impurity concentration calculating unit 181 calculates the value A of the corresponding concentration using the calibration curve. The storage unit 185 stores the value of A (step ST202). Subsequently, the fifth flow path 195 ₅ is closed, the first flow path 195 ₁ and the second flow path 195 ₂ are opened, and the purge is performed again for 180 seconds. The impurity concentration calculation unit 181 uses the calibration curve to calculate the concentration value B corresponding to the maximum voltage for 180 seconds using the calibration curve. The storage unit 185 stores the value of B (step ST203). Then, the impurity concentration value C is obtained by the same operation as in step ST202. The storage unit 185 stores the value of C (step ST204). Further, the impurity concentration value D is obtained by the same operation as in step ST203. The storage unit 185 stores the value of D (step ST205). Here, all of the above values A to D are values after zero value calibration.

  The impurity concentration calculation unit 181 calculates the impurity concentration by a calculation formula of {(B−A) + (D−C)} / 2. The storage unit 185 stores the calculated impurity concentration. The control module 45 displays the calculation result on the display unit 25 (step ST206). The control module 45 determines whether or not the specified number of times has been reached (step ST207). If the specified number of times has not been reached, the process returns to step ST202 after a predetermined time and the process is repeated. If the specified number of times has been reached, the flow ends. In step ST207, whether or not a specified time has elapsed may be used as the determination criterion instead of the specified number of times.

When it is assumed that impurities of about 2 to 200 ppm are mixed, in step ST202, the first flow path 195 ₁ and the seventh flow path 195 ₇ are opened instead of opening the fifth flow path 195 ₅ . The second flow regulating unit 199 ₂ of the seventh flow path 195 ₇ are the flow rates of the order of 1.0 ml / min, the measurement unit 29 reaches the hydrogen fuel impurities of about 0.02~2ppm is mixed . Therefore, it is not necessary to greatly change the measurement range of the measurement system as compared with the case where impurities of about 0 to 2 ppm are assumed to be mixed.

  The temperature and humidity adjusting device may also control the temperature of the dry flow rate adjusting unit. This facilitates suppressing the temperature change of the dry gas before reaching the confluence. Therefore, the temperature control of the gas after reaching the merging point becomes easier.

  Further, the temperature / humidity adjusting device may include a first micro valve between the gas supply unit and the humidification flow channel, and further may include a second micro valve between the humidification flow channel and the confluence point.

  Further, the impurity concentration measurement unit may include a third mixed gas holding unit that holds gaseous hydrogen containing an impurity having a third concentration different from the first concentration and the second concentration.

  Further, the impurity concentration calculation unit may calculate the impurity concentration by the calculation formula of BA using A and B obtained in steps ST202 and ST203.

  1 ... Temperature / humidity adjusting device, 5 ... Total flow rate adjusting unit, 7 ... Branch, 9 ... Humidifier, 11 ... Drying flow rate adjusting unit, 13 ... Confluence point, 17 ... Micro flow path, 19 ... Micro valve, 21 ... Temperature control section, 23 ... Humidity control section, 29 ... Measuring section, 31 ... Humidification flow path, 33 ... Water vapor applying section , 35 ... Electric heater, 37 ... Relative humidity measuring unit, 39 ... Temperature measuring unit, 41 ... Hydrogen fuel diagnostic device, 43 ... Diagnostic unit, 45 ... Control module, 47 ... ..Detection module, 53 ... Temperature / humidity sensor, 55 ... Diagnostic sensor, 57 ... Measuring section temperature control section, 171 ... Aptitude diagnosis apparatus, 173 ... Impurity concentration measuring section, 175 ... Gas holding part, 177 ... Flow path part, 179 ... Gas flow rate adjusting part, 181, ... Impurity concentration calculating part, 83 ... Calibration curve creation unit, 185 ... Storage unit, 187 ... Hydrogen fuel holding unit, 189 ... Hydrogen holding unit, 191 ... First mixed gas holding unit, 193 ... Second Mixed gas holding section, 195 ... flow path, 197 ... valve, 199 ... gas flow rate adjusting section

Claims (7)

An aptitude diagnosis device for diagnosing the aptitude of hydrogen fuel as a fuel,
A temperature and humidity adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the hydrogen fuel,
A measuring unit that measures the relative humidity of the hydrogen fuel whose temperature and humidity are adjusted by the temperature and humidity adjusting unit,
A diagnosis unit for diagnosing the suitability of the hydrogen fuel as a fuel by diagnosing the hydrogen fuel;
The temperature and humidity adjusting unit, the measuring unit and the diagnosis unit, and a flow path for flowing the hydrogen fuel in order,
The temperature and humidity adjustment unit,
A humidification flow path in which the hydrogen fuel is a flow path and the amount of ambient water vapor taken in increases or decreases depending on the temperature,
A steam applying unit for applying steam to the periphery of the humidifying channel to humidify the steam,
An electric heater for heating by contacting the humidifying channel,
A temperature control unit for controlling the electric heater,
At least a part of the humidification channel is made of Nafion (registered trademark) ,
Further comprising a calibration curve creating unit for creating a calibration curve of the concentration of impurities in the hydrogen fuel,
The calibration curve creation unit,
While measuring the voltage when a first sample, which is a hydrogen fuel containing a known first concentration of the impurities, is passed through the flow path,
Measuring a voltage when a second sample, which is a hydrogen fuel containing the impurity having a known second concentration different from the first concentration, is passed through the flow path,
The second concentration has a higher concentration of the impurities than the first concentration,
The calibration curve creation unit further comprises a concentration-dependent flow rate adjustment unit,
The concentration-dependent flow rate adjusting unit, when measuring the impurity concentration of the second sample, to slow the flow rate than the case of measuring the impurity concentration of the first sample, aptitude diagnostic device. Further comprising a measuring means for measuring the value of the relative humidity inside the flow path through the humidification flow path,
The suitability diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control unit controls the electric heater based on a value of a relative humidity inside the flow path that has passed through the humidification flow path. A dry flow rate adjusting unit for adjusting the flow rate of the hydrogen fuel in the flow path that does not pass through the humidification flow path,
Further comprising a humidity control unit for controlling the dry flow rate adjusting unit,
The drying rate adjustment flow is caused to flow out the hydrogen fuel from the unit path, wherein the hydrogen fuel from the humidifying passage is connected to the merging point on the flow path for flowing out, aptitude diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein. A gas supply unit for supplying the hydrogen fuel to the humidification channel,
The suitability according to claim 3, further comprising: a microvalve for controlling the flow rate of the hydrogen fuel between the gas supply unit and the humidification channel and / or between the humidification channel and the confluence. Diagnostic device . The aptitude diagnosis apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a minute flow channel, which is thinner than the humidification flow channel, between the micro valve and the humidification flow channel. An aptitude diagnosis method using an aptitude diagnosis device for diagnosing aptitude of hydrogen fuel as a fuel,
The aptitude diagnosis device,
A humidification flow path in which the hydrogen fuel is a flow path and the amount of ambient water vapor taken in increases or decreases depending on the temperature,
An electric heater for heating the humidifying channel,
A temperature control unit for controlling the electric heater,
A measuring unit that measures the relative humidity of the hydrogen fuel whose temperature and humidity are adjusted in the humidifying channel,
A diagnosis unit for diagnosing the suitability of the hydrogen fuel as a fuel by diagnosing the hydrogen fuel;
A flow path for flowing the hydrogen fuel in the order of the humidification flow path, the measurement unit and the diagnosis unit ,
A calibration curve creating unit for creating a calibration curve of the concentration of impurities in the hydrogen fuel,
Further comprising a mixed gas holding portion containing a known concentration of impurities,
At least a part of the humidification channel is made of Nafion (registered trademark) ,
The temperature control unit controls the electric heater based on the measurement result of the relative humidity measured by the measurement unit, and heating the humidification flow path ,
A first diagnosing step in which the diagnosing section makes a diagnosis after the calibration curve creating section causes the gas from the mixed gas holding section to flow in the flow path for a first time;
A second diagnostic step in which the diagnostic unit diagnoses after the calibration curve creating unit has flowed the gas from the mixed gas holding unit into the flow path for a second time different from the first time; . The computer, the temperature control unit according to claim 6, a program to function as the calibration curve creating unit and the diagnosis unit.