CN117255908A - Hydrogen valve - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hydrogen valve (100) having: -a valve housing (102) having a fluid inlet (P) and a fluid outlet (a); -a valve body (103) configured to be switchable between an open position, in which a volumetric flow connection is established between the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a), and a closed position, in which the valve body (103) is arranged in a main seal seat (104) fixed to the housing and closes the volumetric flow connection between the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a); -a pilot valve arrangement (150) comprising a pilot member (106) switchable by means of an actuator (108) between an open position, in which the orifice (109) communicates through the valve body (103) and interconnects the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a), and a closed position, in which the pilot member (106) is in contact with a pilot valve seat (107) located on the valve body (103) and closes the orifice (109).

Description

Hydrogen valve

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a hydrogen valve comprising: a valve housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a valve body designed to be switchable between an open position, in which a volumetric flow connection is established between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and a closed position, in which the valve body is disposed in a main seal seat fixed to the housing and closes the volumetric flow connection between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The hydrogen valve further includes a pilot valve arrangement having a pilot body.

Background

In the field of vehicle development, hydrogen is a substitute for conventional fuels. Due to the use of hydrogen in vehicles, the necessary valves in such fuel cell systems are exposed to extreme environmental conditions and must operate absolutely reliably, especially because hydrogen is often used as a gaseous fuel. The hydrogen valve must in any case be reliably closed, leak-proof and configured to operate as energy-efficient as possible in continuous operation.

If a conventional switching valve having two switching states is used to control the flow of hydrogen, a disadvantage of the conventional switching valve is that the transition between the two switching states occurs too fast, resulting in a sharp rise in pressure at the valve outlet. This sharp pressure rise can cause the pressure wave to propagate in the downstream circuit.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to create a hydrogen valve belonging to the technical field mentioned in the introduction which at least partly overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.

The solution to this task is defined by the features of claim 1. According to the invention, a hydrogen valve includes a valve housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. Furthermore, the hydrogen valve comprises a valve body configured to be switchable between an open position, in which a volumetric flow connection is established between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and a closed position, in which the valve body is arranged in a main seal seat fixed to the housing and closes the volumetric flow connection between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. Further, the hydrogen valve includes a pilot valve device having a pilot member configured to be transferable by means of an actuator between an open position in which the orifice is exposed through the valve body and connects the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet to each other, and a closed position in which the pilot member rests in a pilot control valve seat provided on the valve body and closes the orifice.

Prior to switching the valve body, the pilot valve arrangement advantageously establishes a volumetric flow connection between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet via the orifice. This reduces the pressure difference between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, effectively preventing the pressure at the fluid outlet from rising sharply. Only in a subsequent step is the valve body switched, so that a direct volume flow connection is established between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.

For example, a further advantage is achieved in that the hydrogen valve according to the invention combines two valves in one housing and only the pilot valve arrangement is actuated by the actuator. In other words, the actuator only needs to actuate the pilot valve arrangement with a small amount of force, thereby opening the orifice. When a certain pressure difference is reached, the valve body automatically opens and the actuator no longer needs to perform any additional actuation of the valve body.

In general, the hydrogen valve according to the present invention reduces the number of parts, installation space, and power required to operate the hydrogen valve.

Furthermore, this object is achieved by an apparatus according to claim 13 and a method according to claim 14. The advantages of the claims 13 and 14 according to the invention are comparable to those of the independent claim 1.

According to a preferred embodiment, the valve body has a receptacle for a pilot member and an accumulator, the pilot member being transferable by an actuator against a restoring force of the accumulator into an open position for releasing the orifice. For example, this achieves the technical advantage that only the pilot member needs to be actuated to actuate the valve body. The actuator only needs to actuate the pilot member, which can be achieved with a substantially reduced force, with minimal on-board stress. Before the orifice is opened, a high pressure is applied on the fluid inlet side, which presses the valve body into its closed position in the direction of the main seal seat fixed to the housing. Actuating the actuator forces the pilot member into the cage against the restoring force of the accumulator, causing the orifice to open. As fluid flows through the orifice, the pressure differential between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is continuously reduced.

When the pressure is below a certain fluid pressure difference, the restoring force of the accumulator is sufficient to open the valve body against the fluid pressure difference between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. In this case, the valve body is transferred from the closed position to the open position only by the restoring force of the accumulator. The actuator remains in its position and does not move any further distance to enable the valve body to move. This achieves the further technical advantage that, for example, the opening of the valve body can take place independently of the voltage. In general, the opening of the pilot member is performed electrically, and the opening of the valve body is performed mechanically.

For example, the pressure difference is less than 5 bar. For example, the pressure difference is between 1 bar and 4 bar.

According to a preferred embodiment, the container is in the form of a cylindrical cage. This has the technical advantage, for example, that the pilot member is guided axially within the cylindrical cage during the transition from the closed position to the open position. This means that the cogging can be eliminated despite the high fluid pressure and high force. Furthermore, the container serves as a support for the energy store. The reservoir is firmly connected to the valve body, which is why the restoring force of the accumulator acts on the valve body via the reservoir and transfers it to the open position.

According to a particular embodiment, the actuator has an electrically actuatable magneto-electric pivot, which is arranged inside the valve housing. For example, this has the technical advantage that a mature technical solution can be used. Particularly when handling hydrogen, an actuator combined with a magneto-armature is useful because the movement of the magnetic armature is ensured even when the valve housing is closed, and the leakage of hydrogen during operation can be reduced as much as possible.

In order to ensure that the pilot member is controlled as accurately as possible independently of the valve body, the pilot member is configured to be connected to the magnetic armature, whereby the axial movement of the magnetic armature is configured to be directly converted into an axial movement of the pilot member. This provides the additional technical advantage that the actuator can only actuate the pilot valve. The valve body cannot be actuated directly because this can only be achieved by the restoring force of the accumulator when the pressure difference between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet drops below a certain level.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the hydrogen valve comprises a first spring element configured to move the valve body to the closed position. Preferably, the first spring element is configured as a compression spring and is supported relative to the valve housing. This achieves the technical advantage, for example, that the valve body always shifts to the closed position when the hydrogen valve is in the de-energized state. Furthermore, technical advantages are achieved, for example, that the valve body remains in the closed position even if accelerations occur randomly during operation. This may occur irregularly during operation of the motor vehicle, for example. For example, the first spring element is configured to compensate for accelerations up to 15 g. 15g corresponds to fifteen times the normal acceleration caused by gravity. In order to move the valve body to the open position, the restoring force of the accumulator must be greater than the sum of the compression force of the first spring element on the valve body and the pressure difference between the fluid inlet P and the fluid outlet a.

Preferably, the first spring element is arranged coaxially with the container. This achieves, for example, the technical advantage that a particularly compact arrangement of the first spring element is possible. Furthermore, the first spring element is configured to be guided by the cylinder of the container, which further increases the functional reliability of the hydrogen valve.

According to an additional particularly advantageous embodiment, the hydrogen valve comprises a second spring element configured to transfer the pilot member to the closed position. For example, this achieves the technical advantage that the pilot member is always transferred to the closed position even in the de-energized state of the hydrogen valve. This safety-specific aspect is mainly due to the use of hydrogen for operation. Another aspect is an improvement in the response behavior of the hydrogen valve, which can also be more easily transferred to the closed position after opening.

In order to simplify the assembly of the hydrogen valve, a second spring element is provided on the side of the magnetic armature facing away from the pilot member. This has the additional technical advantage that the second spring element can be designed as a simple compression spring, wherein the restoring force of the second spring element acts directly on the magnetic armature and thus on the pilot element. Thus, there is a mechanically reliable force to transfer the pilot member to the closed position. In addition, the hydrogen valve is easier to assemble.

In order to improve the sealing effect of the valve body and at the same time increase the service life of the hydro valve, the main sealing seat has a circumferential first contour edge and a circumferential second contour edge, the first contour edge being in contact with the sealing element of the valve body in the closed position, and the second contour edge being designed as a stop for the valve body relative to the main sealing seat. The first contour edge may for example be formed with a sharp edge and the sealing element on the valve body may be formed as a soft elastomer. In the closed state, the sharp first contour edge engages with the soft elastomer of the sealing element, whereby a high sealing effect can be achieved. However, in order to prevent the sharp first contour edge from engaging too deeply, thus preventing wear of the sealing element, the second contour edge acts as a stop between the valve body and the main seal seat. For example, the second contour edge is configured to be in direct contact between the valve body and the main seal seat beside the sealing element, enabling an accurate determination of the penetration depth of the first contour edge into the sealing element.

According to an additional advantageous embodiment, the hydrogen valve comprises a pole tube for guiding the electrically actuatable magnetic armature, wherein an extension of the pole tube is formed for guiding the valve body between the closed position and the open position. Thus, the pole tube includes an extension that acts as a valve bushing and guides the valve body. This provides the additional technical advantage of simplifying the assembly of the hydrogen valve due to the reduced number of parts.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the pole tube is made of magnetizable stainless steel.

According to another aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by a hydrogen valve according to one of the above-described embodiments in a fuel cell assembly for controlling the supply of hydrogen to a fuel cell. Thus, for example, advantages comparable to those in the foregoing embodiments are achieved. Specifically, the pilot control valve device is configured to establish a volumetric flow connection between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet via the orifice prior to switching the valve body, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and effectively avoiding a sharp pressure rise at the fluid outlet. Furthermore, the actuator only actuates the pilot control valve device, which means that the actuator only needs to actuate the pilot control valve device with a small amount of force, thereby opening the orifice. When a certain pressure difference is reached, the valve body opens automatically, whereby the actuator does not have to perform any additional actuation of the valve body. The number of components, installation space, and the power required to operate the hydrogen valve and the fuel cell are reduced.

According to an additional aspect of the invention, this problem is solved by a method for controlling a hydrogen valve according to one of the above embodiments. The method comprises the following steps: transferring the pilot member to an open position and releasing the orifice by energizing the actuator to reduce a pressure differential between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; when the pressure difference between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet reaches a certain value, the valve body is transferred to an open position to establish a volumetric flow connection between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. Thus, advantages comparable to the foregoing embodiments are obtained. The sequence of the individual process steps is particularly advantageous. First, the actuator of the pilot member is energized, transferring it to the open position. This causes the valve body to establish a volumetric flow connection via the orifice between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, which reduces the pressure differential between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, effectively preventing a sharp rise in pressure at the fluid outlet. Only in a subsequent step is the valve body switched, so that a direct volume flow connection is established between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the pilot member is transferred to the open position against the restoring force of the accumulator and the valve main member is transferred to the open position by relaxation of the accumulator. For example, this has the technical advantage that the transfer of the valve body is not performed by an additional movement of the actuator, but by a restoring force of the accumulator, which is strong enough to move the valve body from a certain pressure difference. Thus, the actuator only needs to operate with a small amount of force and a small distance to move the pilot valve arrangement, which can be done with a greatly reduced force and thus with minimal on-board stress. Before the orifice is opened, a high pressure is applied on the fluid inlet side, which presses the valve body into its closed position in the direction of the main seal seat fixed to the housing. The actuator is actuated to move the pilot member against the restoring force of the accumulator, thereby opening the orifice. As fluid flows through the orifice, the pressure differential between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is continuously reduced. When the pressure is below a certain fluid pressure difference, the restoring force of the accumulator is sufficient to open the valve body against the fluid pressure difference between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. In this case, the valve body is transferred from the closed position to the open position only by the restoring force of the accumulator. The actuator remains in its position and does not move any further distance to move the valve body. Thus, the opening of the valve body may occur independently of the voltage, whereby the opening of the pilot member is electrically implemented, whereas the opening of the valve body is mechanically implemented.

According to a particularly advantageous further development of the invention, the pilot member is immediately and completely transferred to the open end position when the actuator is supplied with a minimum current strength, and the valve body is immediately transferred to the open position when a certain pressure difference between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is reached. This achieves, for example, the technical advantage that the magnetic armature moves directly into the end position at a minimum current level, so that an opening behavior of the main valve body is achieved, which opening behavior is independent of the supply voltage. In other words, only a minimum amperage is required to ensure complete operation of the hydrogen valve. For example, if the on-board voltage of the motor vehicle is 12V, the on-board voltage is not required for operation of the hydrogen valve. For example, the minimum amperage is 8.5V. Therefore, even if the battery voltage is low, the operation of the hydrogen valve can be ensured.

According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a pneumatic valve for controlling a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, having: a housing having at least one inlet and one outlet; a primary piston forming a primary stage with a primary seal seat in the housing and arranged to be axially movable along a longitudinal axis in the housing bore to open and close a direct volumetric flow connection between the inlet and the outlet: and a pilot piston forming a pilot stage with a pilot seal seat on or in the main piston, the pilot piston being operatively connected to an actuator for opening or closing an orifice in the main piston, the inlet being connected to the pilot stage through the orifice. In the master piston, a pilot piston is operatively connected to an actuator for opening or closing an orifice in the master piston, through which an inlet may be indirectly connected to an outlet via the master piston, closing the master and pilot stages when the pneumatic valve is de-energized. The pilot stage advantageously achieves a volumetric flow connection of the inlet and the outlet via the orifice, thereby reducing the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet. In this way, a sharp rise in pressure at the outlet can be effectively avoided. Only when the main stage is open will a direct volume flow connection be established between the inlet and the outlet.

Thus, the present invention does not require multiple valves and a corresponding number of housings, actuators, etc. for pressure balancing and main volume flow. Instead, the pneumatic valve according to the invention combines two valves in one housing, which can be adjusted by force and/or pressure control via an actuator. The number of components, installation space and costs can be reduced in a targeted manner.

Furthermore, this object is achieved by a method for controlling a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, in a fuel cell assembly by means of a pneumatic valve, wherein when the actuator is de-energized, the main stage and the pilot stage are closed, the pilot stage is opened when a constant current is applied to the actuator, so that the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet is reduced, and correspondingly, the pressure compensation is performed via an orifice in the main piston, and when a switching threshold is reached, the main stage is opened as soon as the pressure difference between the input and the output falls below a predetermined switching pressure, the main piston is moved to an open position against a closing force, and the main stage remains closed as long as the pressure difference between the input and the output is above the predetermined switching pressure.

Advantageously, opening the pilot stage allows the inlet and outlet to be connected in volumetric flow via the orifice, thereby reducing the pressure differential between the inlet and outlet. In this way, a sharp rise in pressure at the outlet can be effectively avoided. A direct volume flow connection is established between the inlet and the outlet via the main stage only when the main stage is opened at a pressure difference below a predetermined switching pressure.

Thus, a pneumatic valve in the sense of the present invention is also understood to be a hydrogen valve, as it must be suitable for this purpose. The housing in the sense of the invention may also be referred to as a valve housing and the pilot stage may also be referred to as a pilot valve arrangement.

Other advantageous embodiments and feature combinations of the invention emerge from the detailed description below and the entire contents of the patent claims.

Drawings

The drawings for explaining embodiments show:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a pneumatic valve in a closed position, wherein the main and pilot stages are closed;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pneumatic valve according to FIG. 1, with the pilot stage open;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pneumatic valve according to FIG. 1 with the pilot stage and the main stage open;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen valve according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a valve body including a pilot control valve device;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen valve according to the present invention;

fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of another valve body including a pilot-controlled valve device.

Basically, like parts have like numerals throughout the drawings.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a pneumatic valve 1 according to the invention in a closed position, the pneumatic valve being used for controlling a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen. The pneumatic valve comprises a housing 2 having at least one inlet P and one outlet a, which are configured as housing bores to which the lines of the fuel cell device can be connected. In the housing 2, a main piston 3 for opening and closing a direct volumetric flow connection between the inlet P and the outlet a is arranged axially movable in a housing bore 5 along the longitudinal axis L of the pneumatic valve 1 and forms a main stage with a main seal seat 4 in the housing 2. As shown in fig. 1, the main stage opens and closes the direct volume connection of the housing bores of inlet P and outlet a. When the primary stage is closed, the primary piston 3 is in contact with the primary seal seat 4. In this case, the main piston 3 has on its end face a circumferential sealing element 16, which is configured to rest against the main seat 4. This may be provided in a circumferential groove on the end face of the main piston 3. In the embodiment shown, the main seal seat 4 is formed as a circumferential projection. Furthermore, the pneumatic valve 1 has a pilot stage comprising a pilot piston 6 and a pilot seal seat 7. The pilot seal seat 7 is provided on or in the main piston 3. For close contact, the pilot piston 6 has a disk-shaped sealing element 17 which is configured to be placed in a sealing manner against a pilot seal seat 7 which is designed as a circumferential projection and thus encloses the pilot stage. The pilot piston 6 is operatively connected to an actuator 8 for opening or closing an orifice 9 in the main piston 3. By means of the orifice 9, the inlet P is configured to be indirectly connected to the outlet a via the master piston 3.

The actuator 8 is provided as an electromagnetic actuator having an armature 10 operatively connected to the pilot piston 6 and arranged coaxially with the housing 2. Furthermore, the armature 10 is accommodated in an actuator housing 13 of the actuator 8, which surrounds the electromagnetic coil 18 on the outer circumference and on at least one end face facing away from the housing 2, in a movable manner by means of the electromagnetic coil 18 surrounding the armature 10. Furthermore, the actuator 8 has a pole cap 19 provided inside the actuator housing 13, which includes a pole core 20 and a pole tube 21 axially connected to each other in the end face direction of the electromagnetic coil 18. The pole core 20 and the pole tube 21 are integrally connected by a connecting web 22. So that the coaxial error can be eliminated. The armature 10 may be slidably supported in a foil structure disposed in an interior space 23 (also referred to as an armature space). Alternatively, the armature 10 may be coated. A foil structure or coating is used to magnetically separate the armature 10 and the pole cap 19, thereby reducing the transverse magnetic force. The pole tube 21 is integrally closed at the end face facing away from the housing 2, although a separate end cap is likewise possible. The actuator housing 13 is further sealed to the housing 2.

It can also be seen from fig. 1 that both the main piston 3 and the pilot piston 6 are configured to be urged by spring means to a closed position in which the main and pilot stages are closed and no volumetric flow connection between the inlet P and the outlet a is possible. Both the main piston 3 and the pilot piston 6 are configured to be urged to the closed position by spring means. The compression springs 11, 12 are provided as spring means, i.e. a first compression spring 11, which is arranged between the main piston 3 and the housing 2 and is configured to act on the main piston 3, and a second compression spring 12, which is arranged between the armature 10 and the pilot piston 6 or between the armature 10 and the actuator housing 13 or the pole cap 14 and is configured to act on the pilot piston 6. The second compression spring 12 or its end is guided in a recess 24 or 25 of the pole cap 14 or the armature 10, respectively, so that bending of the compression spring 12 can be eliminated. The first compression spring 11 is configured to rest on a stop 26 fixed in the housing 2. The gaseous medium of the fuel cell assembly, in particular hydrogen, is controlled by a pneumatic valve 1. In this case, when the actuator 8 is de-energized, the main stage and the pilot stage are closed by the spring force of the compression springs 11, 12 and/or the pressure of the intermediate pressure applied to the inlet P. The main stage is closed by the pilot stage. The pressure of the medium applied to outlet a is low and there is a pressure difference between P and a. Pressurization of the main piston 3 and the pilot piston 6 may be achieved through holes 27 and 28 in the main piston 3 and in the stop 15 of the pilot piston 6, respectively. A stop 15 is attached to the main piston 3 and forms a travel limit for the pilot piston 6.

When a constant current is applied to the actuator 8, the pilot stage is first opened by the actuator 8 pulling the pilot piston 6 to its open position and the pilot piston 6 is lifted from its pilot seal seat 7. This position of the pneumatic valve 1 is shown in fig. 2. When pressure equalization is achieved via the bores 27 and 28 and the orifice 9 in the master piston 3, the pressure difference between the inlet P and the outlet a decreases.

As soon as the pressure difference between the inlet P and the outlet a falls below the predetermined switching pressure due to the continued pressure equalization, the switching threshold is reached and the main stage is opened by lifting the main piston 3 off the main seal seat 4, as shown in fig. 3. The main piston 3 moves against the closing force, in particular the closing force of the compression spring 11, into the open position. In other words, the primary stage will open under active control as long as the sum of the pressure and the spring preloaded closing force is below the actuator force. The main stage remains closed as long as the pressure difference between input P and output a is above the predetermined switching pressure.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen valve 100 according to the present invention. The hydrogen valve 100 includes a valve housing 102 having a fluid inlet P and a fluid outlet a. The valve body 103 is located in the valve housing 102. The valve body 103 is in contact with a main seal seat 104 fixed to the housing, thereby closing the volumetric flow connection between the fluid inlet P and the fluid outlet a. Thus, fluid originating from the fluid inlet P can only flow into the space behind the valve body 103 through the fluid inlet opening 125. Thus, the fluid pressure downstream of the valve body 103 is equal to the fluid pressure at the fluid inlet P. In other words, the fluid pressure P presses the valve body 103 into the main seal seat 104 fixed to the housing.

The valve body 103 is designed to be switchable between a closed position, in which it is in contact with a main seal seat 104 fixed to the housing, and an open position, in which the valve body 103 is spaced apart from the main seal seat 104. In the open position, a maximum volume flow is established between the fluid inlet P and the fluid outlet a. Further, the hydrogen valve 100 includes a pilot control valve device 105 that has a pilot member 106 provided downstream of the valve body 103, and closes or opens an orifice 109 through the valve body 103. By means of the actuator 108, the pilot member 106 is configured to directly switch between an open position, in which the orifice 109 is released, and a closed position, in which the pilot member 106 abuts against the pilot control valve seat 107 and closes the orifice 109. By unblocking the orifice 109, a fluid connection having a very small cross section is established between the fluid inlet P and the fluid outlet a, thereby achieving a fluid balance and a pressure balance between the fluid inlet P and the fluid outlet a. Thus, a continuous pressure equalization is achieved through the orifice 109, which continuously reduces the fluid pressure P pressing the valve body 103 into the main seal seat 104 fixed to the housing.

By actuation of the actuator 108, the pilot member 106 is transferred to the open position, whereby the pilot member 106 is forced into the cylindrical receptacle 120 against the restoring force of the accumulator 112, releasing the orifice 109. By holding the pilot member 106, the restoring force of the accumulator 112 is maintained in the form of a compression spring, while the fluid pressure P pressing the valve body 103 into the main seal seat 104 fixed to the housing continues to decrease due to pressure compensation via the orifice 109. If the magnetic armature 110 of the actuator 108 remains in its position, the restoring force of the accumulator 112 resists the pressure of the fluid pressure P on the valve body 103. At some time, the pressure differential between the fluid inlet P and the fluid outlet a decreases such that the restoring force of the accumulator 112 exceeds the fluid force on the valve body 103 due to the pressure differential. Thus, the valve body 103 is disengaged from the main seal seat 104 fixed to the housing, and is transferred to the open position. In the open position, a volume flow is established between the fluid inlet P and the fluid outlet a. Thus, the pressure difference between the fluid inlet P and the fluid outlet a is reduced in the first step through the orifice, and a sharp pressure rise at the fluid outlet a is avoided. The first spring element 111 is arranged coaxially with the cylindrical container 120 and serves to transfer the valve body 103 into the closed position.

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the valve body 103 including the pilot control valve device 105. The main seal seat 104 has a circumferential first contour edge 140 and a circumferential second contour edge 142 on the side facing the valve body 103. The first and second contoured edges 140, 142 extend circumferentially parallel to each other around the main seal seat 104. The first contour edge 140 is disposed radially inward and the second contour edge 142 is disposed radially outward. The first contour edge 140 is arranged in correspondence with the sealing element 132 of the valve body 103. In other words, the first contour edge 140 of the main seal seat 104 and the sealing element 132 of the valve body 103 are in direct contact with each other in the closed state. On the other hand, the second contour edge 142 is in direct contact with the valve body 103 as a stop in the closed position, whereby a defined minimum distance between the main seal seat 104 and the valve body 103 is achieved in the closed position, which allows an optimization between sealing and wear at the sealing element 132.

The magnetic armature 110 and the valve body 103 are supported within a pole tube 144. The pole tube 144 is integral and preferably formed of magnetizable stainless steel and serves as a guide for the magnetic armature 110 and the valve body 103 from the fully open position to the fully closed position. Repeated descriptions of the same features are omitted.

Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen valve 100 according to the present invention. Unlike the embodiment of fig. 4 and 5, the hydrogen valve 100 has a second spring valve 130. Second spring valve 130 is used to transfer pilot member 106 to the closed position. The second spring element 130 is located on the side of the armature 110 facing away from the pilot member 106 and is supported relative to the wall of the valve housing 102. In the de-energized state of the hydrogen valve 100, the second spring element 130 acts on the magnetic armature 110 and thus directly on the pilot member 106, moving the pilot member 106 to the closed position. In the closed position, the pilot member 106 contacts the pilot valve seat 107, thereby closing the orifice 109.

Fig. 7 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of another valve body 103 comprising a pilot control valve device 105.

Claims (16)

1. A hydrogen valve (100), comprising:

a valve housing (102) having a fluid inlet (P) and a fluid outlet (a);

a valve body (103) configured to be switchable between an open position, in which a volumetric flow connection is established between the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a), and a closed position, in which the valve body (103) is disposed in a main seal seat (104) fixed to the housing and closes the volumetric flow connection between the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a); and

a pilot valve device (105) having a pilot member (106) configured to be switchable by means of an actuator (108) between an open position in which an orifice (109) is exposed through the valve body (103) and connects the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a) to each other, and a closed position in which the pilot member (106) rests in a pilot valve seat (107) provided on the valve body (103) and closes the orifice (109).

2. The hydrogen valve (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve body (103) has a receptacle (120) for the pilot member (106) and an accumulator (112), wherein the pilot member (106) can be transferred to an open position by an actuator (108) against a restoring force of the accumulator (112) in order to release the orifice (109).

3. The hydrogen valve (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container (120) is in the form of a cylindrical cage.

4. The hydrogen valve (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator (108) has an electrically actuatable magneto-electric pivot (110) which is arranged inside the valve housing (102).

5. The hydrogen valve (100) of claim 4, wherein the pilot member (106) is configured to be connected to the magnetic armature (110), wherein axial movement of the magnetic armature (110) is directly convertible into axial movement of the pilot member (106).

6. The hydrogen valve (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hydrogen valve (100) comprises a first spring element (111) configured to move the valve body (103) to a closed position.

7. The hydrogen valve (100) according to any of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the first spring element (111) is arranged coaxially with the container (120).

8. The hydrogen valve (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hydrogen valve (100) comprises a second spring element (130) configured to transfer the pilot member (106) to a closed position.

9. The hydrogen valve (100) of claim 8, wherein the second spring element (130) is disposed on a side of the magnetic armature (110) facing away from the pilot member (106).

10. The hydrogen valve (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main seal seat (104) has a circumferential first contour edge (140) and a circumferential second contour edge (142), wherein the first contour edge (140) is in contact with the sealing element (132) of the valve body (103) in the closed position and the second contour edge (142) is designed as a stop for the valve body (103) relative to the main seal seat (104).

11. The hydrogen valve (100) according to any one of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that the hydrogen valve (100) comprises a pole tube (144) for guiding an electrically actuatable magneto-electric pivot (108), wherein an extension of the pole tube (144) is configured for guiding the valve body (103) between the closed position and the open position.

12. The hydrogen valve (100) of claim 11, wherein the pole tube (144) is made of magnetizable stainless steel.

13. A fuel cell assembly (200) having a hydrogen valve (100) according to any one of the preceding claims for controlling the supply of hydrogen to a fuel cell.

14. A method for controlling a hydrogen valve (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the method comprising the steps of:

-transferring the pilot member (106) to an open position and releasing the orifice (109) by energizing the actuator (108) to reduce the pressure difference between the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a);

-transferring the valve body (103) to an open position when a certain pressure difference is reached between the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a) to establish a volumetric flow connection between the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a).

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the pilot member (106) is transferred to an open position against a restoring force of an accumulator (112) and the valve body (103) is transferred to an open position by relaxation of the accumulator (112).

16. Method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the pilot member (106) is immediately and completely transferred to the open end position when the actuator (108) is energized with a minimum current intensity, and that the valve body (103) is immediately transferred to the open position when a certain pressure difference between the fluid inlet (P) and the fluid outlet (a) is reached.