Multiple output header
Provided herein are systems and methods for generating gas and delivering the gas at multiple output pressures. The system includes a plurality of gas generators and a plurality of applications, each application having a different header pressure. A plurality of header valves directs the gas flow to the plurality of applications such that energy loss is minimized.
1. A system comprising:
a plurality of gas generators, each gas generator having an output pressure;
a plurality of applications fluidly connected to the plurality of gas generators, each of the plurality of applications having a header pressure and at least two of the plurality of applications having different header pressures; and
a plurality of header valves, each header valve fluidly connected to one or more of the plurality of applications and to one or more of the plurality of gas generators,
wherein two or more of the plurality of header valves combine the flow of gas from two or more of the plurality of gas generators to form a first header, and at least one header valve and at least one gas generator forms a second header,
wherein the plurality of header valves is operable to change the flow of gas generated by the plurality of gas generators to the first header or the second header,
wherein the first header is fluidly connected to at least one application and the second header is fluidly connected to at least one application with the proviso that the first header and the second header are not fluidly connected to the same application, and
wherein the output pressure of each gas generator is less than or equal to the header pressure of each application.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas generators generates a gas selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, ammonia, and combinations thereof.
3. The system of claim 1 , further wherein the system supplies gas to the plurality of applications at a plurality of output pressures.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas generators comprises one or more steam methane reformers.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one compressor fluidly connected to the plurality of gas generators and to the plurality of applications.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a gas storage system fluidly connected to the plurality of gas generators and to the plurality of applications.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pressure sensors.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer tank fluidly connected to the plurality of gas generators and to the plurality of applications.
9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is operable to automatically open or close one or more of the plurality of header valves when a change in one or more header pressures is detected.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas generators comprises one or more electrolyzers.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more electrolyzers are proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the PEM electrolyzers generate hydrogen.
14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure expander fluidly connected to the plurality of gas generators and to the plurality of applications.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the pressure expander is a turbine.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the pressure expander is an electrochemical cell.
17. A method comprising:
generating at least one gas via a plurality of gas generators, each gas generator having an output pressure;
opening and/or closing a plurality of header valves to direct the flow of the at least one gas to or away from one or more applications, each application having a header pressure,
wherein two or more of the plurality of header valves combine the flow of gas from two or more of the plurality of gas generators to form a first header, and at least one header valve and at least one gas generator forms a second header, and
wherein the first header is fluidly connected to at least one application and the second header is fluidly connected to at least one application with the proviso that the first header and the second header are not fluidly connected to the same application.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining the header pressure of at least one of the one or more applications.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining the output pressure of each of the plurality of gas generators.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the output pressure of each gas generator is less than or equal to the header pressure of each application.
21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the opening and/or closing of the plurality of header valves is performed automatically via a controller.
22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising supplying at least one gas stored in a gas storage unit to the one or more applications.
23. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of isolation valves, each isolation valve fluidly connected to one of the applications in the plurality of applications and fluidly connected to one of the header valves in the plurality of header valves.