KR20250063895A - Ammonia leak prevention system on ships - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention comprises: a storage tank for receiving ammonia; a supply pipe for supplying ammonia to the storage tank from the outside; a transfer pipe having one end connected to the supply pipe and the other end connected to the storage tank for transferring ammonia supplied from the supply pipe to the storage tank; a connecting portion connecting the supply pipe and the transfer pipe; a scattering prevention cover installed while surrounding the connecting portion to prevent scattering of ammonia leaking from the connecting portion; a collecting container for collecting gaseous or liquid ammonia inside the scattering prevention cover; and a water spraying portion installed inside the collecting container for spraying water to dilute and lower the concentration of ammonia collected inside the collecting container.

Description

AMMONIA LEAK PREVENTION SYSTEM ON SHIPS

The present invention relates to an ammonia leak prevention system for a ship, and more specifically, to an ammonia leak prevention system for a ship capable of safely handling ammonia when it leaks.

In general, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN specialized agency established to internationally unify ship routes, traffic rules, port facilities, etc., has also set a goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 50% by 2050 and 100% by 2100 (GHG Zero Emission) compared to 2008, and it is expected that regulations in each country and region will be strengthened accordingly.

In addition, as the IMO has decided that ships ordered after 2030 must reduce carbon emissions by 40% compared to ships ordered in 2008, and by 50% by 2050, the need for alternative fuels is increasing, and ammonia, a carbon-free fuel, is attracting global attention as a ship fuel.

In other words, since regulations on carbon dioxide emissions are rapidly being strengthened, it may be difficult to achieve carbon dioxide emission regulations in the future by using only LNG or LPG as fuel.

Accordingly, various studies are being conducted on eco-friendly ship fuels that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and recently, technology is being developed for ship engines that can use ammonia as fuel along with fuels such as LNG or LPG.

For example, ships that use ammonia as fuel have systems to store and process the ammonia.

However, the risk of using ammonia as fuel is different from the characteristics and risk of traditional fuels (HFO, MDO, etc.) and liquefied gas fuels such as LNG and LPG. Since ammonia is a toxic gas, most countries in the world set and manage concentration standards that can be tolerated in the workplace or in daily life.

Therefore, if ammonia gas leaks from an ammonia-fueled ship, crew members may be exposed to toxic ammonia gas and die, so various safety measures are necessary.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2023-0067814 (Published on May 17, 2023)

The present embodiment is intended to provide an ammonia leak prevention system for a ship that can prevent ammonia from spreading to the outside when it leaks and can safely handle it.

The present embodiment is intended to provide an ammonia leak prevention system for a ship capable of stably capturing leaked ammonia using a fly-proof cover and a collecting container.

The present embodiment is intended to provide an ammonia leak prevention system for a ship capable of stably diluting captured ammonia to a concentration harmless to the human body.

The present embodiment is intended to provide an ammonia leak prevention system for a ship capable of effectively controlling the flow rate of water for diluting ammonia according to the concentration of leaked ammonia.

The present embodiment is intended to provide an ammonia leak prevention system for a ship capable of conveniently discharging ammonia diluted to a harmless concentration from a collection container to the outside.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention comprises: a storage tank for receiving ammonia; a supply pipe for supplying ammonia to the storage tank from the outside; a transfer pipe having one end connected to the supply pipe and the other end connected to the storage tank for transferring ammonia supplied from the supply pipe to the storage tank; a connecting portion connecting the supply pipe and the transfer pipe; a scattering prevention cover installed while surrounding the connecting portion to prevent scattering of ammonia leaking from the connecting portion; a collecting container for collecting gaseous or liquid ammonia inside the scattering prevention cover; and a water spraying portion installed inside the collecting container for spraying water to dilute and lower the concentration of ammonia collected inside the collecting container.

The above-mentioned anti-spray cover may be provided with a sensor unit including a detection sensor for detecting ammonia leaking from the connection portion or a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of ammonia leaking from the connection portion.

The above-mentioned collecting container may be provided with a sensor unit including a detection sensor for detecting ammonia captured from the anti-flying cover or a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of ammonia captured from the anti-flying cover.

It may further include a control unit for controlling the operation and flow rate of the water injection unit.

The above control unit can operate the water injection unit when the concentration of ammonia detected by the detection sensor is higher than a preset concentration.

The above control unit can adjust the flow rate of water sprayed from the water spray unit according to the concentration of ammonia detected by the detection sensor.

The above-mentioned anti-spill cover may include a discharge line for discharging ammonia leaked from the connection portion into the collection container.

The above-mentioned collection vessel may include a discharge line for discharging gaseous ammonia diluted inside to the outside, and a wastewater line for transporting liquid ammonia diluted inside to a wastewater storage tank.

The ammonia leak prevention system of a ship according to this embodiment has the effect of preventing ammonia from spreading to the outside when it leaks and safely handling it.

The ammonia leak prevention system of a ship according to this embodiment has the effect of stably capturing leaked ammonia by using a fly prevention cover and a collecting container.

The ammonia leak prevention system of a ship according to this embodiment has the effect of stably diluting the captured ammonia to a concentration harmless to the human body.

The ammonia leak prevention system of a ship according to this embodiment has the effect of effectively controlling the flow rate of water for diluting ammonia according to the concentration of leaked ammonia.

The ammonia leak prevention system of a ship according to this embodiment has the effect of conveniently discharging ammonia diluted to a concentration harmless to the human body from a collection container to the outside.

Figures 1 and 2 are conceptual diagrams showing an ammonia leak prevention system of a ship according to the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The following embodiments are presented to sufficiently convey the idea of the present invention to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented herein and may be embodied in other forms. In order to clarify the present invention, the drawings may omit parts that are not related to the description, and may somewhat exaggerate the size of components to help understanding.

Figures 1 and 2 are conceptual diagrams showing an ammonia leak prevention system (100) of a ship according to the present embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the ammonia leakage prevention system (100) of a ship according to the present embodiment comprises: a storage tank (110) for receiving ammonia; a supply pipe (120) for supplying ammonia from the outside to the storage tank (110); a transfer pipe having one end connected to the supply pipe (120) and the other end connected to the storage tank (110) for transferring ammonia supplied from the supply pipe (120) to the storage tank (110); a connecting portion (140) for connecting the supply pipe (120) and the transfer pipe; a scattering prevention cover (150) installed while surrounding the connecting portion (140) to prevent ammonia leaking from scattering from the connecting portion (140); a collecting container (160) for collecting ammonia in a gaseous or liquid state inside the scattering prevention cover (150); and a water spray unit (170) installed inside the collecting container (160) to spray water to dilute and lower the concentration of ammonia captured inside the collecting container (160).

The storage tank (110) has a space formed inside that can accommodate ammonia, and can be configured to safely store and preserve ammonia in a pressurized state.

Here, ammonia (NH3) is a substance in which three hydrogens are bonded to one nitrogen atom, and can form strong hydrogen bonds between molecules, making it easy to liquefy. It has a boiling point of -33.34℃ and a melting point of -77.73℃ at normal pressure.

These storage tanks (110) may be installed above or below the deck of a ship that uses ammonia as fuel, and may be configured to supply ammonia fuel to each demander. Here, a bunkering station for supplying ammonia to the storage tank (110) may be installed on the side of the deck of the ship.

The supply pipe (120) is configured to supply ammonia from the outside to the storage tank (110), and depending on the implementation, it may be configured to be connected to a bunkering station and supply ammonia supplied from the bunkering station to the storage tank (110).

That is, the supply pipe (120) can be provided in the form of a bunkering transfer hose with one end connected to a bunkering station and the other end connected to a transfer pipe (130).

The transfer pipe (130) may be configured such that one side is connected to the supply pipe (120) and the other side is connected to the storage tank (110) to transfer ammonia supplied from the supply pipe (120) to the storage tank (110).

That is, the transfer pipe (130) can be provided in the form of a bunkering manifold pipe so that ammonia is supplied from the bunkering station and transferred to the storage tank (110) through the supply pipe (120).

The connecting part (140) is configured to connect the supply pipe (120) and the transfer pipe (130), and can be provided in the form of a flange joint at the location where the two pipes are connected.

The anti-flying cover (150) is installed while covering the connecting portion (140) to prevent ammonia leaking from the connecting portion (140) from flying. That is, it is preferable that the anti-flying cover (150) be installed while completely surrounding the entire connecting portion (140) to prevent ammonia leaking from the connecting portion (140) from spreading to the outside.

In addition, the anti-spray cover (150) may include a discharge line (151) for discharging ammonia leaked from the connection part (140) to a collection container (160). A discharge pump may be provided in the discharge line (151) to discharge ammonia leaked from the connection part (140) to the collection container (160).

And, when there are multiple connection parts (140), it is preferable that the number of anti-flying covers (150) be provided corresponding to the number of connecting parts (140). Accordingly, the number of discharge lines (151) can also be provided corresponding to the number of anti-flying covers (150).

The collection container (160) is configured to collect ammonia in a gaseous or liquid state inside the anti-flying cover (150), and a space can be formed inside to collect and stably accommodate ammonia. Accordingly, ammonia leaked from the connecting portion (140) can be collected in the collection container (160) without spreading to the outside.

The water spray unit (170) is installed inside the collecting container (160) and is configured to spray water to dilute and lower the concentration of ammonia captured inside the collecting container (160).

These water spray units (170) may be provided in multiple units to effectively dilute the concentration of ammonia, and may be installed at a certain interval at the upper part of the inside of the collection container (160).

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 1, the anti-slip cover (150) of the present invention may be equipped with a sensor unit (180) including a detection sensor for detecting ammonia leaking from a connection portion (140) or a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of ammonia leaking from a connection portion (140) depending on the implementation.

In addition, referring to FIG. 2, the collection container (160) of the present invention may be equipped with a sensor unit (180) including a detection sensor for detecting ammonia captured from the anti-flying cover (150) or a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of ammonia captured from the anti-flying cover (150), depending on the implementation.

The ammonia leak prevention system (100) of a ship according to the present embodiment may further include a control unit (190) that controls the operation and flow rate of the water injection unit (170).

The control unit (190) can operate the water injection unit (170) when the concentration of ammonia detected by the detection sensor is higher than the preset concentration. Accordingly, the concentration of ammonia captured in the collection container (160) can be lowered and diluted.

Additionally, the control unit (190) can control the flow rate of water sprayed from the water spray unit (170) according to the concentration of ammonia detected by the detection sensor.

That is, the detection sensor can be configured to detect ammonia leakage and, if the leaked ammonia is detected to have a concentration higher than a preset concentration, send a signal to the control unit (190) to operate the water injection unit (170).

For example, since the control unit (190) can adjust the hourly flow rate of water sprayed from the water spray unit (170) according to the concentration of ammonia detected by the detection sensor, the concentration of ammonia captured in the collection container (160) can be maintained within a preset concentration range. Here, it is preferable to set the preset concentration range to a concentration range that is harmless to the human body even if released to the outside.

In addition, the temperature sensor can be configured to detect the temperature of ammonia and send a signal to the control unit (190) when it exceeds the preset temperature range, thereby causing the water injection unit (170) to operate.

Meanwhile, the collection container (160) may include a discharge line (161) for discharging gaseous ammonia diluted inside to the outside, and a wastewater line (162) for transporting liquid ammonia diluted inside to a wastewater storage tank (163). That is, the discharge line (161) may discharge gaseous ammonia diluted inside the collection container (160) to the outside through a vent mast, and the wastewater line (162) may transport liquid ammonia diluted inside the collection container (160) to a wastewater storage tank (163). To this end, a transport pump may be installed in the discharge line (161) and the wastewater line (162) for transporting gaseous ammonia and liquid ammonia, respectively.

In this way, the ammonia leakage prevention system (100) of the ship according to the present embodiment can prevent ammonia leaking from the connection part (140) from spreading to the outside by installing a scattering prevention cover (150) on the connection part (140), and can safely process ammonia by collecting ammonia leaked to the scattering prevention cover (150) through a collecting container (160) and then diluting the ammonia by lowering its concentration by spraying water from a water spray part (170).

In addition, the ammonia leak prevention system (100) of a ship according to the present embodiment is equipped with a sensor unit (180) in the anti-spray cover (150) or the collection container (160), so that the control unit (190) can automatically adjust the flow rate of water sprayed from the water spray unit (170) according to the concentration of the leaked ammonia, thereby diluting the concentration of ammonia to a concentration range that is harmless to the human body.

100: Ammonia leak prevention system on a ship
110: Storage tank 120: Supply pipe
130: Transfer pipe 140: Connection
150: Anti-flying cover 151: Exhaust line
160: Capture vessel 161: Discharge line
162: Wastewater line 163: Wastewater storage tank
170: Water injection part 180: Sensor part
190: Control Unit

Claims (8)

A storage tank for containing ammonia;
A supply pipe for supplying ammonia to the storage tank from outside;
A transfer pipe having one end connected to the supply pipe and the other end connected to the storage tank to transfer ammonia supplied from the supply pipe to the storage tank;
A connecting part connecting the above supply pipe and the transfer pipe;
A fly prevention cover installed while covering the above connecting part to prevent ammonia from flying out leaking from the connecting part;
A collecting container for collecting gaseous or liquid ammonia inside the above anti-flying cover; and
An ammonia leak prevention system for a ship, comprising: a water spray unit installed inside the above-mentioned collecting container and spraying water to dilute and lower the concentration of ammonia captured inside the above-mentioned collecting container. In the first paragraph,
In the above anti-slip cover,
An ammonia leak prevention system for a ship, comprising a sensor unit including a detection sensor for detecting ammonia leaking from the above connection portion or a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of ammonia leaking from the above connection portion. In the first paragraph,
In the above collection container,
An ammonia leak prevention system for a ship, comprising a sensor unit including a detection sensor for detecting ammonia captured from the above-mentioned anti-flying cover or a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of ammonia captured from the above-mentioned anti-flying cover. In the second or third paragraph,
An ammonia leak prevention system for a ship, further comprising a control unit for controlling the operation and flow rate of the water injection unit. In paragraph 4,
The above control unit is an ammonia leak prevention system of a ship that operates the water injection unit when the concentration of ammonia detected by the above detection sensor exceeds a preset concentration. In paragraph 4,
The above control unit is an ammonia leak prevention system for a ship that controls the flow rate of water sprayed from the water spray unit according to the concentration of ammonia detected by the detection sensor. In the first paragraph,
The above anti-slip cover is,
An ammonia leak prevention system for a ship including a discharge line for discharging ammonia leaked from the above connection part into the above collection container. In the first paragraph,
The above-mentioned collecting container is,
A discharge line that discharges the ammonia in a gaseous state diluted inside to the outside,
An ammonia leak prevention system for a vessel including a wastewater line for transporting diluted liquid ammonia to a wastewater storage tank.