Provided is a nitrogen gas generation apparatus capable of generating and supplying high-purity nitrogen gas using a fuel cell, with higher efficiency or simplicity. This nitrogen gas generation apparatus comprises: a fuel cell that operates by taking in air or a gas containing nitrogen and oxygen, and a fuel gas; and a catalytic combustion means for reacting nitrogen-enriched gas, which is taken out from the fuel cell as exhaust gas and has an increased nitrogen concentration, on a combustion catalyst by using a residual fuel gas component and/or the fuel gas, the residual fuel gas component being a fuel gas component remaining in the nitrogen-enriched gas, to turn the nitrogen-enriched gas into a high-concentration nitrogen-enriched gas having a higher nitrogen concentration. The fuel cell is a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Preferably, the exhaust gas from the air electrode side is sent to a subsequent stage without being subjected to dehumidification treatment. Also preferably, the fuel cell operates by taking in an amount of the fuel gas such that the fuel gas still remains in the nitrogen-enriched gas introduced into the catalytic combustion means.
Provided is a device which is capable of using a fuel cell to generate and supply high-purity nitrogen gas more efficiently or more easily. This nitrogen gas generation device includes: (a) a fuel cell which operates by taking in air or a nitrogen/oxygen-containing gas and a fuel gas; and (b) a catalytic combustion means which reacts, on a combustion catalyst, the fuel gas and a nitrogen-enhanced gas that is taken out from the fuel cell and has an enhanced nitrogen concentration compared to air or the nitrogen/oxygen-containing gas, and which makes the nitrogen-enhanced gas a highly concentrated nitrogen-enhanced gas having a more enhanced nitrogen concentration. Further, the nitrogen gas generation device preferably has (c) a nitrogen filtering means which makes the highly concentrated nitrogen-enhanced gas a more highly concentrated nitrogen-enhanced gas having a higher nitrogen concentration and also a lower hydrogen concentration.
Provided is an apparatus/system for generating a nitrogen-enriched gas reliably and stably using a fuel cell. The nitrogen gas generation apparatus/system comprises: a fuel cell configured to operate by taking in air or a gas containing nitrogen and oxygen, and a fuel gas; and a catalyst combustion mechanism configured to cause an exhaust gas that is extracted from the fuel cell and has a lower oxygen concentration than air to react with the fuel gas on a combustion catalyst, and convert the exhaust gas having a lower oxygen concentration than air into a nitrogen-enriched gas having an increased nitrogen concentration.
H01M 8/0662 - Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
B01D 53/22 - Separation of gases or vapoursRecovering vapours of volatile solvents from gasesChemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases or aerosols by diffusion
H01M 8/04119 - Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyteHumidifying or dehumidifying
Provided is an apparatus that reliably and stably generates high-purity nitrogen gas using a fuel cell. This nitrogen gas generation apparatus comprises: a fuel cell that operates by taking in air or a gas containing nitrogen and oxygen and a fuel gas; a water exchange dehumidifying means (0105) for performing water exchange between exhaust gas released from the fuel cell and having a lower oxygen concentration than the air and the air or gas containing nitrogen and oxygen that is taken in the fuel cell and reducing the content of moisture or water vapor in the exhaust gas; and a nitrogen filtering means (0109) that is equipped with filters with different degrees of permeation of nitrogen and oxygen and serves for converting the exhaust gas with reduced content of moisture or water vapor into gas with increased nitrogen concentration. It is also preferable that the apparatus further have a high-pressure gas supply means (0101) capable of supplying high-pressure air or a high-pressure gas containing nitrogen and oxygen that has a pressure equal to or higher than a pressure threshold set based on at least the lower limit pressure required or determined by the nitrogen filtering means to the fuel cell.
C01B 3/36 - Production of hydrogen or of gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide, air by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
C01B 21/04 - Purification or separation of nitrogen
An apparatus/system for generating a high-purity nitrogen gas using a fuel cell includes; a fuel cell that operates by taking in air or a gas containing nitrogen and oxygen, and a fuel gas; a dehumidification mechanism that reduces moisture or water vapor content in an exhaust gas that is extracted from the fuel cell and has a lower oxygen concentration than air; and a filtering mechanism which includes a filter using fibers having different degrees of permeation for nitrogen and oxygen and converts the exhaust gas having a reduced moisture or water vapor content into a gas having an increased nitrogen concentration. The filter recovery ratio is higher when an oxygen concentration of a gas to be filtered is lower. The dehumidification mechanism is a pump unit including a water seal pump to provide an adiabatic expansion chamber in which the exhaust gas extracted from the fuel cell expands adiabatically.
H01M 8/0662 - Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
B01D 53/22 - Separation of gases or vapoursRecovering vapours of volatile solvents from gasesChemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases or aerosols by diffusion
H01M 8/04119 - Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyteHumidifying or dehumidifying
Provided is a device for reliably and stably generating high-purity nitrogen gas using a fuel cell. This nitrogen gas generating device has: a fuel cell that operates by taking in air (or a gas that contains nitrogen and oxygen) and a fuel gas; a dehumidifying means for reducing moisture or water vapor content in an exhaust gas that is extracted from the fuel cell and has a lower oxygen concentration than air; and a filtering means provided with a filter in which are used fibers through which nitrogen and oxygen are transmitted to different extents, the filtering means changing the exhaust gas reduced in moisture or water vapor content into a gas that has an increased nitrogen concentration. The filter also preferably has a higher recovery rate correspondingly with respect to a lower oxygen concentration of the gas to be filtered. The dehumidifying means is also preferably a pump unit including a water sealing pump, in which case the dehumidifying means is also preferably provided with an adiabatic expansion chamber in which the exhaust gas extracted from the fuel cell adiabatically expands.
Provided is an illumination method in which it is possible to achieve illumination in which the required illuminance corresponding to the subject of illumination is obtained, wastefulness is eliminated, and color unevenness is minimized. In this illumination method, there is used an LED illumination apparatus provided with a plurality of LED illumination devices having: a light distribution angle control lens part (130) for receiving light radiated from a light source and controlling the light to a predetermined light distribution angle; and a microlens array part (131) containing a plurality of microlenses, the microlens array part (131) receiving and dispersing the radiated light for which the light distribution angle is controlled. The microlenses are anisotropic microlenses in which the curvature radius (R) and/or the pitch (P) differ among predetermined directions within the plane in which the lens are arrayed. Using the LED illumination apparatus of such description, light exiting from the LED illumination devices is combined to form beamed light having an illumination region portion of a set width, and the beamed light is beamed onto the surface to be illuminated. It thereby becomes possible to fit an illumination shape having a set width onto the subject of illumination.
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