JP7259986B2 - Fresh water system - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a fresh water generating system for generating domestic water, drinking water, etc. in non-electrified areas such as remote islands.

As a conventional technology, there is known a generated water manufacturing apparatus that generates water using a renewable energy source without relying on external power in non-electrified areas such as remote islands. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a produced water producing apparatus using a reverse osmosis method, and in particular, a produced water producing apparatus that produces fresh water from seawater using power generated by a solar cell module. .

Japanese patent publication "JP 2011-20010"

However, in the case of non-electrified areas such as remote islands, there is a demand to make the system inexpensive, so there is no choice but to reduce the scale of renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic panels. Therefore, in the conventional technology as described above, no matter how much power is stored in the storage battery, there is a problem that it is difficult to stably operate the pump during bad weather or at night.

One aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a fresh water generation system that can stably operate even with a small-scale renewable energy source or a storage battery.

A desalination system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a renewable energy device that generates power based on renewable energy, a generator that operates and generates power according to the remaining amount of a storage battery, and the renewable energy device or the power generation. a storage battery for temporarily storing electric power generated by the machine, a pump for supplying water to be treated to the water purifier, a water purifier for purifying water from the water to be treated, and the power stored in the storage battery for transferring the power to the pump. and a power controller that supplies to.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the desalination system can stably operate even in non-electrified areas such as remote islands.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a fresh water generation system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a fresh water generation system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a fresh water generation system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[Embodiment 1]
(Configuration example)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a fresh water generation system 1 according to this embodiment. The desalination system 1 includes a renewable energy device 2, a generator 3, a power controller 4, a storage battery 5, a pump 6, a water purifier 7, an ultraviolet irradiation device 8, and an ozone generator 9. . A desalination system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system for desalination of domestic water from water to be treated.

The renewable energy device 2 is a device that generates power based on renewable energy and supplies power to the storage battery 5 via the power controller 4 . Examples of power generation methods for the renewable energy device 2 include solar power generation, wind power generation, hydraulic power generation, geothermal power generation, and biomass power generation, but are not particularly limited. In the renewable energy device 2 (solar power generation, wind power generation, hydroelectric power generation, geothermal power generation), the power generation amount varies depending on the natural environment such as the weather. In addition, in biomass power generation, the quality (components) of fuel is not constant, and the amount of power generated fluctuates.

The generator 3 is a device that operates according to the remaining amount of the storage battery and supplies power to the storage battery 5 via the power controller 4 . The power generation method of the generator 3 includes, for example, a method using a fossil fuel such as propane gas or light oil, or a method using a fuel cell using hydrogen as a fuel, but is not particularly limited. Since the power generator 3 uses fuel of stable quality to generate power, the power generation amount can be controlled, and the power generation amount of the power generator 3 does not fluctuate due to the natural environment such as the weather.

The power controller 4 supplies power generated by the renewable energy device 2 or the generator 3 to the storage battery 5 . Also, the power controller 4 distributes the electric power stored in the storage battery 5 to the pump 6 , the ultraviolet irradiation device 8 and the ozone generator 9 . The power controller 4 charges the storage battery 5 or It switches whether to take out electric power from the storage battery 5. - 特許庁Here, the power controller 4 also has a function of controlling the operation of the generator according to the remaining amount of the storage battery 5 .

The storage battery 5 is a device that temporarily stores power generated by the renewable energy device 2 or the generator 3 . The storage battery 5 supplies the stored power to the power controller 4 . The storage battery 5 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lead-acid battery, a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-hydrogen battery, a sodium-sulfur battery, or a redox flow battery, but is not particularly limited.

The pump 6 is a device that supplies the water to be treated to the water purification device 7 . Here, the water to be treated is the water to be treated, and is the water that exists in nature such as the sea, rivers, lakes and marshes, and rain. The pump 6 uses power supplied from the power controller 4 to pump up the water to be treated from the water intake facility that stores the water to be treated.

The water purifier 7 is a device that purifies water to be treated from the water to be treated supplied from the pump 6 . The water purifier 7 has, for example, a filter for filtering the water to be treated. In particular, the water purifier 7 in this embodiment removes contaminants contained in the water to be treated using filtration technology. A porous membrane filter made of, for example, cellulose or resin is used for filtering the water to be treated. Here, as the porous membrane, for example, an MF (microfiltration) membrane, a UF (ultrafiltration) membrane, an NF (nanofiltration) membrane, or a combination of a plurality of these is used.

The material of the filter is, for example, cellulose acetate, polypropylene, polyamide, or fluororesin-based polymer (eg, polyvinylidene fluoride or polytetrafluoroethylene). The shape of the filter is hollow fiber type or spiral type.

The material of the filter is preferably a fluororesin polymer having excellent durability, and particularly preferably polytetrafluoroethylene (for example, POREFLON (registered trademark) manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.). This makes it possible to delay the replacement frequency of the filter and prolong the maintenance cycle, which is effective when installing the desalination system on a land that is difficult to access, such as a remote island.

Various filtration membranes are used depending on the size of the substances to be separated or the nature of the impurities in the water to be treated. MF membranes filter substances of 0.1 μm to 10 μm, UF membranes of 0.01 μm to 0.1 μm, NF membranes of 1 nm to 0.01 μm, and RO (reverse osmosis) membranes of approximately 1 nm or less. For example, the above POREFLON (registered trademark) corresponds to the MF membrane and is suitable for removing substances with a size of about 0.1 to 1.0 μm.

The ultraviolet irradiation device 8 is a device that sterilizes water to be treated or purified water with ultraviolet rays. Electric power used by the ultraviolet irradiation device 8 is supplied from the power controller 4 . As the ultraviolet irradiation device 8, for example, an ultraviolet germicidal lamp, an ultraviolet LED (light emitting diode), or the like is used.

The ozone generator 9 is a device that sterilizes water to be treated or purified water with ozone. The power used by the ozone generator 9 is supplied from the power controller 4 . Either one of the ultraviolet irradiation device 8 and the ozone generator 9 may be used, or both may be omitted.

(Operation example)
An example of operation when the fresh water generation system 1 generates domestic water from water to be treated in one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

First, power generated by the renewable energy device 2 is supplied to the power controller 4 . Here, a solar power generation device as a typical example of the renewable energy device 2 generates DC power. When the renewable energy device 2 generates AC power, a converter is arranged between the renewable energy device 2 and the power controller 4 to convert the AC power into DC power.

Moreover, the power controller 4 operates the generator 3 when the remaining amount (accumulated amount) of the storage battery 5 becomes less than the first predetermined value. Conversely, the power controller 4 stops the generator 3 when the remaining amount of the storage battery 5 reaches or exceeds a second predetermined value that is greater than the first predetermined value. That is, even when the renewable energy device 2 cannot stably supply electric power, the generator 3 operates to supply electric power to the storage battery 5, so that the desalination system can be operated continuously. The power controller 4 comprises a computer that executes program instructions, which is software that controls the operation of the generator 3 .

Electric power generated by the generator 3 is supplied to the power controller 4 . Here, since the generator 3 generates AC power, a converter is arranged between the generator 3 and the power controller 4 in order to convert the AC power into DC power.

The power controller 4 distributes the received power to the load (pump 6 , ultraviolet irradiation device 8 and ozone generator 9 ) and storage battery 5 . For example, the power controller 4 extracts power from the storage battery 5 and supplies the extracted power to the pump 6 if the power demand at the load exceeds the generated power. For example, the power controller 4 supplies excess power to the storage battery 5 if the power demand at the load is less than the power generated.

The storage battery 5 receives and stores power from the power controller 4, and supplies power to the power controller 4 as needed. Here, in order to convert DC power into AC power, a converter is arranged between the power controller 4 and each output destination (each load) according to the specifications of the output destination.

The pump 6 uses power supplied from the power controller 4 to pump up the water to be treated from the water intake facility that stores the water to be treated. The pump 6 supplies the water to be treated to the water purifier 7 .

For example, when the water purifier 7 is equipped with a hollow fiber MF membrane, the water to be treated supplied from the pump 6 is allowed to flow through the inside of the membrane to filter solid matter and purify the purified water outside the membrane. Moreover, the ultraviolet irradiation device 8 and the ozone generator 9 use the power supplied from the power controller 4 to sterilize the purified water filtered by the water purification device 7 .

In non-electrified areas such as remote islands, there is a demand for low-cost systems, so there is no choice but to reduce the size of renewable energy devices or storage batteries. Therefore, renewable energy installations in non-electrified areas are greatly affected by natural activities. Therefore, the fresh water generation system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system in which the power generator 3 supplements power when the power supply of the renewable energy device 2 is insufficient. Therefore, the present embodiment provides a desalination system that can operate stably without being influenced by natural activities even when a small-scale renewable energy device is used in non-electrified areas such as remote islands.

In addition, purified water can be stored in a purified water tank. Providing a purified water tank in preparation for fluctuations in water demand is relatively inexpensive compared to providing a large-capacity storage battery in preparation for fluctuations in power demand. Therefore, in the conventional desalination system, there was no motivation to install a generator in addition to the renewable energy device because it was sufficient to store the purified water generated when renewable energy was available. In this way, the desalination system is different from the power generation system, which needs to change the amount of power generation in real time according to fluctuations in power demand.

On the other hand, depending on the installation environment of the desalination system 1, it may be difficult to provide a large-scale purified water tank. In the desalination system 1 of the present embodiment, by providing the generator 3 in addition to the renewable energy device 2, a system that efficiently uses renewable energy and can be installed in a small area at low cost is realized. can.

[Embodiment 2]
Other embodiments of the invention are described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those of the members described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

(Configuration example)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the fresh water generation system 20 according to this embodiment. The desalination system 20 includes a renewable energy device 2 , a generator 3 , a power controller 4 , a storage battery 5 , a pump 6 , a water purifier 7 and a hot water generator 21 . The desalination system 20 according to the present embodiment is a system that generates domestic water from water to be treated and cleans the filter of the water purifier 7 with warm water during maintenance.

The hot water generator 21 is a device that is arranged near the water purifier 7 and generates hot water for washing the filter of the water purifier 7 . The hot water generator 21 generates hot water using, for example, a heater, solar heat, or a combination thereof. The hot water generator 21 may include a pump for supplying water. In particular, the hot water generator 21 preferably generates hot water only with solar heat in a location such as a remote island where power supply is difficult. Electric power used by the heater of the hot water generator 21 is supplied from the power controller 4 .

The hot water generated by the hot water generator 21 has a temperature of, for example, 40° C. to 100° C. The higher the temperature, the higher the cleaning effect. However, washing the filter at high temperatures can accelerate the deterioration of the resin. Therefore, when the hot water generator 21 is used, it is more preferable to use polytetrafluoroethylene, which has a high heat resistance temperature, as the filter of the water purifier 7 .

(Operation example)
An operation example of the fresh water generation system 20 when the hot water generator 21 includes a heater will be described. Scheduled maintenance dates and times are registered in the power controller 4 in advance. Alternatively, the power controller 4 may receive information on scheduled maintenance dates and times from an external server (not shown).

The power controller 4 supplies electric power to the hot water generator 21 as well, and outputs an instruction to the hot water generator 21 to generate hot water a predetermined period before the scheduled maintenance date and time.

When receiving an instruction to generate hot water from the power controller 4, the hot water generator 21 generates hot water from purified water purified by the water purifier 7 by using electric power supplied from the power controller 4 for a heater.

The power controller 4 outputs a maintenance start instruction to the hot water generator 21 at the scheduled maintenance date and time.

When receiving an instruction to start maintenance from the power controller 4, the hot water generator 21 causes the hot water to flow back to the filter of the water purifier 7, thereby washing the filter.

In addition, the power controller 4 may cause the hot water generator 21 to generate hot water during a predetermined period before the scheduled maintenance date and time when the power generation amount of the renewable energy device 2 has margin. For example, the power controller 4 may operate the hot water generator 21 during a period in which the remaining amount of the storage battery 5 is equal to or greater than a third predetermined value that is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value. For example, when the renewable energy device 2 performs photovoltaic power generation, it is preferable to operate the hot water generator 21 during the daytime. As a result, fuel consumption by the generator 3 can be suppressed.

Filter maintenance is preferably carried out, for example, every half month to every month.

In the fresh water generation system 20 according to the present embodiment, the hot water generator 21 generates hot water, thereby enhancing the effect of cleaning the filter of dirt made of organic matter. In addition, by using hot water, the cleaning time can be shortened, and the acid/alkali concentration can be lowered when cleaning with acid/alkali, which is effective in consideration of the natural environment on isolated islands. be.

[Embodiment 3]
Other embodiments of the invention are described below. For convenience of description, members having the same functions as those of the members described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

(Configuration example)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the fresh water generation system 30 according to this embodiment. The desalination system 30 includes a renewable energy device 2, a generator 3, a power controller 4, a storage battery 5, a first pump 31, a first water purification device 32, an intermediate water tank section 40, and a second A pump 33 and a second water purifier 34 are provided. A desalination system 30 according to the present embodiment is a system that generates pure water such as drinking water from water to be treated using an RO membrane method.

In this embodiment, purified water (eg, drinking water) is purified from water to be treated (eg, seawater). Pure water is water with a residue of several mg/L or less when all is evaporated, and separation of ions or salts is necessary to purify pure water. Therefore, ions or salts are separated by an RO membrane method (reverse osmosis method) using an RO membrane. The RO membrane method in pure water production is a method of applying pressure to a water flow to allow only water to permeate through an RO membrane to obtain pure water. Further, ultrapure water obtained by removing impurities from pure water to the utmost limit may be purified. In the case of ultrapure water production, ultraviolet sterilization or ion exchange can also be combined to obtain water of higher purity.

The first pump 31 is a device that supplies the water to be treated to the first water purification device 32 . The first pump 31 uses power supplied from the power controller 4 to pump up the water to be treated from the water intake facility that stores the water to be treated.

The first water purifier 32 is a device that purifies intermediate water from the water to be treated supplied from the first pump 31 . Here, the term "intermediate water" means generated water containing residuals such as ions or salts, even though most of the impurities contained in the water to be treated have been removed. The first water purifier 32 comprises an MF membrane, a UF membrane, an NF membrane, or a combination of these as a filter. The first water purifier 32 performs primary filtration.

The intermediate water tank unit 40 is a tank that temporarily stores intermediate water.

The second pump 33 is an RO pump that supplies intermediate water to the second water purification device 34 . The second pump 33 uses electric power supplied from the power controller 4 to pump up the intermediate water from the intermediate water tank unit 40 and apply pressure equal to or higher than the osmotic pressure (for example, about 2.5 MPa in the case of seawater). Add.

The second water purification device 34 is a device for purifying purified water from the intermediate water supplied from the second pump 33 . The second water purifier 34 has an RO membrane as a filter. The second water purifier 34 performs secondary filtration by the RO membrane method.

(Operation example)
The power controller 4 in this embodiment distributes power to the first pump 31 and the second pump 33 .

Next, the first pump 31 uses power supplied from the power controller 4 to pump up the water to be treated from the water intake facility that stores the water to be treated. The first pump 31 supplies the water to be treated to the first water purifier 32 .

Next, when the first water purifier 32 is equipped with a hollow fiber MF membrane, for example, the water to be treated supplied from the first pump 31 is passed through the inside of the membrane to filter solids, and the intermediate water is sent outside the membrane. to purify. The first water purifier 32 supplies the intermediate water to the intermediate water tank section 40 .

Next, the second pump 33 uses electric power supplied from the power controller 4 to pump up the intermediate water from the intermediate water tank section 40 and apply pressure equal to or higher than the osmotic pressure. The second pump 33 supplies the intermediate water to the second water purifier 34 .

Next, the second water purifier 34 circulates the intermediate water supplied from the second pump 33 through the RO membrane and separates ions or salts from the intermediate water to purify purified water.

The fresh water generation system 30 according to the present embodiment performs primary filtration with an MF membrane, UF membrane, NF membrane, or a combination thereof, and then performs secondary filtration with an RO membrane, thereby removing ions or Pure water such as drinking water from which salts have been separated can be purified. Therefore, even in non-electrified areas such as isolated islands, drinking water can be stably supplied from the water to be treated by using the renewable energy device or generator. Further, the demand for pure water and ultrapure water is increasing not only in drinking water but also in fields such as semiconductor manufacturing, food processing, and medical care.

(summary)
A desalination system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a renewable energy device that generates power based on renewable energy, a generator that operates and generates power according to the remaining amount of a storage battery, and the renewable energy device or the power generation. a storage battery for temporarily storing electric power generated by the machine, a pump for supplying water to be treated to the water purifier, a water purifier for purifying water from the water to be treated, and the power stored in the storage battery for transferring the power to the pump. and a power controller that supplies to.

According to the above configuration, when the amount of power generated by the renewable energy device decreases due to the influence of natural activity and the power supply from the storage battery to the pump or the like becomes insufficient, the power generator can operate to compensate for the power. Therefore, the desalination system can stably operate even in non-electrified areas such as remote islands.

Further, the water purifier may be configured to use a fluororesin filter.

According to the above configuration, since the fluororesin-based polymer is excellent in durability, it is possible to delay the replacement frequency of the filter and lengthen the maintenance cycle. Therefore, it is effective when the desalination system is installed in a difficult-to-access location such as a remote island.

Further, the water purifier may be configured to include an ultraviolet irradiation device or an ozone generator for sterilizing the water to be treated or the purified water.

According to the above configuration, purified water that has been sterilized by the sterilizing action of ultraviolet rays or ozone can be supplied.

Further, the fresh water generation system may be configured to include a hot water generator that generates hot water and supplies the hot water to the water purifier.

According to the above configuration, the fresh water generation system can provide hot water.

Moreover, the hot water of the hot water generator may be used for cleaning the fluororesin filter.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to enhance the effect of cleaning the fluororesin-based filter of dirt made of organic matter with warm water. In addition, by using hot water, the cleaning time can be shortened, and the acid/alkali concentration can be lowered when acid/alkali are used for cleaning. Therefore, it is effective in considering the natural environment on isolated islands.

Further, the fresh water generation system may be configured to provide drinking water.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to stably supply drinking water even with a small-scale renewable energy device in a non-electrified area such as a remote island.

Further, the generator operates to supply power to the storage battery when the remaining amount of the storage battery becomes less than a first predetermined value, and stops when the remaining amount of the storage battery becomes equal to or greater than a second predetermined value. may

According to the above configuration, when the power generation amount of the renewable energy device decreases due to the influence of natural activity and the remaining amount of the storage battery becomes less than the first predetermined value, the power controller can operate the generator. Therefore, the generator can supplement electric power, and the fresh water generation system can be operated stably. Further, when the power generation amount of the renewable energy device increases and the remaining amount of the storage battery reaches or exceeds a second predetermined value, the power controller can stop the generator. Therefore, the operation of the generator can be minimized, which is effective in consideration of the natural environment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims, and can be obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1 Fresh water generation system 2 Renewable energy device 3 Generator 4 Power controller 5 Storage battery 6 Pump 7 Water purification device 8 Ultraviolet irradiation device 9 Ozone generation device 20 Fresh water generation system 21 Hot water generation device 30 Fresh water generation system 31 First pump 32 First Water purifier 33 Second pump 34 Second water purifier 40 Intermediate water tank section

Claims (5)

a renewable energy device that generates electricity based on renewable energy;
a generator that operates according to the remaining amount of a storage battery to generate power, the power generation amount of which does not fluctuate depending on the natural environment ;
a storage battery that temporarily stores power generated by the renewable energy device or the generator;
a pump that supplies water to be treated to the water purifier;
the water purifier for purifying purified water from the water to be treated;
a power controller that supplies power stored in the storage battery to the pump ;
a hot water generator that generates hot water and supplies the hot water to the water purification device,
the generator operates to supply power to the storage battery when the remaining amount of the storage battery becomes less than a first predetermined value, and stops when the remaining amount of the storage battery becomes equal to or greater than a second predetermined value;
The power controller operates the hot water generator during a period in which the remaining amount of the storage battery is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value and equal to or greater than a third predetermined value. 2. The fresh water generation system according to claim 1, wherein said water purifier has a fluororesin filter. 3. The fresh water generation system according to claim 1, wherein said water purifier includes an ultraviolet irradiation device or an ozone generator for sterilizing said water to be treated or said purified water. 3. The fresh water generation system according to claim 2, wherein said hot water of said hot water generator is used for washing said fluororesin filter. The fresh water generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the water purifier purifies the purified water that can be used as drinking water.

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