DE102021107535A1 - pressure vessel assembly and motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The technology disclosed here relates, according to the invention, to a pressure vessel assembly 1 with one or more pressure vessels 5 and one or more fastening arrangements 10, each fastening arrangement 10 having a support 20 for a pressure vessel 5 and a clamping element 30, with the clamping element 30 enclosing the pressure vessel 5 at the top and enclosing it the edition 20 tightens. According to the invention, the technology disclosed here also relates to a motor vehicle with such a pressure vessel assembly 1.

Description

The technology disclosed here relates to a pressure vessel assembly and a motor vehicle having such a pressure vessel assembly.

Pressure vessel assemblies typically include one or more pressure vessels for storing gaseous fuel. For example, they can be used in a motor vehicle or other mobile or stationary gaseous fuel supply unit. The gaseous fuel can be used, for example, in an energy converter such as a fuel cell or a gas-powered internal combustion engine.

It is a preferred object of the technology disclosed herein to mitigate or obviate at least one disadvantage of a previously known solution or to propose an alternative solution. In particular, it is a preferred object of the technology disclosed herein to provide improved mounting of pressure vessels in a pressure vessel assembly. Other preferred objects may arise from the beneficial effects of the technology disclosed herein. The objects are solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. The dependent claims represent preferred embodiments.

The technology disclosed herein relates to a pressure vessel assembly comprising (i) one or more pressure vessels for storing gaseous fuel and (ii) one or more mounting assemblies, each mounting assembly having a support for one of the pressure vessels and a clamping member, the clamping member holding the pressure vessel on top grips and stretches towards the support.

Such an embodiment makes it possible in particular to easily attach a pressure vessel as part of the pressure vessel assembly, since a pressure vessel can simply be placed on a support and can be fastened at the top by means of a clamping element. Such a design can in principle be designed both as a fixed bearing and as a floating bearing. This depends at least essentially on the clamping force applied and any coating or sheathing, which will be discussed in more detail below. A pressure vessel is typically held by a fixed bearing and a floating bearing.

A fastening arrangement can be understood in particular as an arrangement by means of which a pressure vessel can be fastened at a specific point. The attachment can take place, for example, on a body or another element, which can be viewed in particular as external to the pressure vessel assembly or as part of the pressure vessel assembly. In the installed state, the support is arranged, in particular, below a pressure vessel and can at least partially also stabilize the pressure vessel laterally. A tensioning element can in particular exert a force generated by elastic pretensioning on the pressure vessel and, together with the support, can completely or at least largely encompass the pressure vessel along a circumference at a point in the axial direction.

According to an advantageous embodiment, one, some or all of the fastening arrangements are arranged in such a way that the support is arranged below a center of mass of the pressure vessel. Such a center of mass can be determined, for example, when the pressure vessel is empty or when the pressure vessel is filled. A mean value between two such points can also be used as the relevant center of mass here. With such a design it can be achieved in particular that the pressure vessel is held by the attachment in the attachment arrangement in such a way that, at least theoretically, no further attachments are necessary in order not only to hold the pressure vessel in the attachment arrangement without or at least without any significant forces acting, but also to stabilize against changes in its longitudinal axis relative to the mounting arrangement. As a result, acting forces can be kept particularly low.

In particular, the supports can be designed to be complementary to a lower section of the outer circumference of the pressure vessel. In particular, the supports can be designed to be complementary to a section along the circumference of the respective pressure vessel lying thereon. The support can thus lie flat against the pressure vessel, in particular along this section. This achieves a particularly good attachment.

The supports can extend in particular along a section of a longitudinal direction of the respective pressure vessel. In particular, the supports can be invariant with respect to the longitudinal direction or translation in the longitudinal direction. This allows for easy implementation. However, other designs are also possible.

The tensioning element can in particular be fastened to the support. This allows a compact design.

The clamping element can have one or more meandering sections, by means of which a force is generated that clamps the pressure vessel onto the support. As a result, the tensioning element itself can generate the force required to attach the pressure vessel to the support, with such a meandering design ensuring that the tensioning element has a certain elasticity, which can be used for the purpose of pressing the pressure vessel onto the support.

In some or all editions, the tensioning element may be part of a strap spanning multiple fastener assemblies. One strap is therefore sufficient to fasten several pressure vessels, which means that the effort can be reduced. For example, the strap may be secured and/or tensioned at one or two locations, with appropriate securing and/or tension acting on all pressure vessels encompassed by the strap. A band can in particular be a flexible and/or pliable and/or elastic element which can in particular be elongate.

In particular, the band may be rigidly fixed at one end and fixed at the opposite end by means of one or more springs, or one or more elastic elements. For example, springs can be viewed as a special case of elastic elements. A rigid attachment at one end achieves a simple design. In principle, however, attachment at both ends by means of one or more springs or one or more elastic elements is also possible. The springs or elastic elements can ensure tension which advantageously presses the pressure vessel onto the support and thus prevents the pressure vessel from being lifted from the support even during movements which can occur, for example, when a motor vehicle is driving.

In particular, a pressure vessel assembly can have a row of fastening arrangements arranged directly next to one another at one or both longitudinal ends of the pressure vessel. By designing one longitudinal end, attachment can be achieved at one end, with a simple support being sufficient at the other longitudinal end, for example. However, attachment to both longitudinal ends is also possible. As a result, for example, the stability can be further improved.

According to a particular embodiment, the pressure vessel assembly may include a series of separate supports for the pressure vessels at one or both longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels without clamping elements extending thereover. As a result, a loose bearing can be achieved at this longitudinal end in a simple manner, with a fixed bearing typically taking place at the opposite longitudinal end or below the center of mass. Separate conditions can be, in particular, those conditions which are not assigned a tightening strap. In contrast to a one-sided fixed bearing, a band can be used as a tensioning element.

In particular, the supports can be formed from an elastomeric material or can be coated with an elastomeric material on the contact surface with the pressure vessel. As a result, a certain resilience can be achieved, which can advantageously hold the pressure vessel even in the event of shocks. In addition, a radial expansion of the container when an internal pressure changes can be made possible.

In particular, one, some or all of the supports on a contact surface with the pressure vessel can be rubberized and/or covered with an elastic material. As a result, particularly high reliability of the contacting can be achieved.

In particular, in one, some or all of the fastening arrangements, the tensioning element can be completely or partially covered with a casing on one or more contact surfaces with the pressure vessel. The casing can be made of an elastomeric material, for example, in particular in order to implement a fixed bearing function through increased friction. The casing can also be made of a friction-reducing material, in particular in order to implement a floating bearing function. The casing can be designed, for example, as a permanently applied coating or as a removable covering.

One, some or all of the tensioning elements can in particular have outwardly bent ends, by means of which they are fastened to a support or to another element. By means of such outwardly bent ends, a simple fastening, for example a positive fastening, of the respective tensioning element is possible.

In particular, the tensioning elements can be made thicker adjacent to the ends than in the middle between the ends. As a result, the stability at an end at which attachment is to take place is increased compared to areas which are intended to exert a clamping force on the pressure vessel. The thicker version can in a typical clamping element in particular the thickness, ie the smallest extension of the clamping element in three dimensions.

In particular, one or more holders can be arranged between two fastening arrangements and/or adjacent to one or more end-side fastening arrangements, on which the supports and/or the clamping elements rest and/or on which the supports and/or the clamping elements are fastened. By means of such supports, the stability of the pressure vessel assembly itself can be increased and the supports and/or tensioning elements can be localized and fastened in a simple manner.

The technology disclosed herein also relates to a motor vehicle having a pressure vessel assembly as described herein. With regard to the pressure vessel assembly, all of the described embodiments can be used.

The tensioning strap already mentioned can be, for example, a mesh or a fabric, for example made of carbon fibers or aramid fibers. It can have a reduced coefficient of friction, for example due to a coating, in particular with respect to deflections and to the containers. Such a coating can be formed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), for example.

In other words, it was recognized that a pressure vessel enclosing straps or hinges, which are often used in the prior art, can be disadvantageous for series use in certain designs, especially when pressure vessels are to be installed in installation spaces such as in an underfloor space under a passenger compartment . For example, there can be a reduction to just one rubberized fastening element below the center of gravity of the container as a fixed bearing. The fastening element can, for example, only partially enclose the container and have outwardly bent ends. This can mean, for example, an omega-shaped geometry. The elasticity required to permit radial expansion of the tank can be provided by a spring geometry that is integrated directly into the fastening element. The necessary pretensioning force can be achieved by tensioning the fastening element in the direction away from the container. The absorption of the opposing force that develops can be ensured by an H-shaped support that partially encompasses the fastening element. External forces and moments acting on the container can be supported by two end supports made of elastomer.

Alternatively, the representation of a floating bearing function can be generated using a tensioning strap for all the tanks in the network, which is laid in a meandering shape and deflected between the tanks. One side can be clamped firmly, the opposite side can be hung on spring elements.

A resilient effect can be achieved, for example, by bending the integrated curvature outwards, or by meandering waves. The application of a clamping force can be achieved by a threaded sleeve underneath the containers, which attaches to the ends of the fasteners, or by screwing together with a cross brace. In addition, for example, one of the ends can only be hung on a pin to simplify assembly. It is advantageous to increase the sheet metal thickness of the fastener at the ends in order to compensate for the higher stresses prevailing there.

The spring element or the spring elements can be designed as tension springs. Alternatively, the spring element can also be part of the clamping band geometry, for example as a wave geometry. The surface of the tensioning strap can have a low coefficient of friction for the deflection and for the containers, for example due to a Teflon coating. The fixed clamping can be designed as a screw connection to the surrounding structure. The deflections can form simple rods along which the belt slides, or they can be designed as rollers. The strap can be designed as sheet metal, fabric made of metallic wire or textile fabric.

A pressure vessel assembly can be understood in particular as one or more pressure vessels together with permanently attached support structures, fasteners and/or protective elements, which can also be temporarily removed and reinstalled, in particular when special tools and/or operations are used. This can be done in particular for maintenance and inspection.

The pressure vessel assembly can be used in particular for a motor vehicle (for example passenger cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles). The pressure vessel assembly is used to store fuel that is gaseous under ambient conditions. The pressure vessel assembly can be used, for example, in a motor vehicle that is operated with compressed (also called Compressed Natural Gas or CNG) or liquefied (also called Liquid Natural Gas or LNG) natural gas or with hydrogen. The pressure vessel assembly is typical fluidly connected to at least one energy converter which is set up to convert the chemical energy of the fuel into other forms of energy.

Such a pressure vessel assembly comprises at least one pressure vessel, in particular a composite overwrapped pressure vessel. The pressure vessel can be, for example, a cryogenic pressure vessel or a high-pressure gas vessel. High-pressure gas tanks are designed to permanently store fuel at ambient temperatures at a nominal operating pressure (also known as nominal working pressure or NWP) of at least 350 bar overpressure (= excess pressure compared to atmospheric pressure) or at least 700 bar overpressure. A cryogenic pressure vessel is suitable for storing the fuel at the aforementioned operating pressures even at temperatures that are significantly (for example more than 50 K or more than 100 K) below the operating temperature of the motor vehicle.

The pressure vessel assembly can be mounted in particular in the underfloor area below a passenger compartment. The longitudinal axes of the pressure vessels can run parallel to one another in the installed position and/or individual pressure vessels can each have a length-to-diameter ratio of between 4 and 200, preferably between 5 and 100, and particularly preferably between 6 and 50.

• 1: drei Befestigungsanordnungen,
• 2: die Befestigungsanordnungen von 1 in einer anderen Ansicht,
• 3: ein Spannelement,
• 4: ein alternatives Spannelement,
• 5: eine Anordnung aus Auflage und Spannelement,
• 6: eine Druckbehälterbaugruppe,
• 7: eine untere Ansicht der Druckbehälterbaugruppe,
• 8: eine weitere Druckbehälterbaugruppe, und
• 9: die Druckbehälterbaugruppe von 8 in einer anderen Ansicht.

The technology disclosed here will now be described with reference to the figures. show:

• 1 : three mounting arrangements,
• 2 : the mounting arrangements of 1 in another view,
• 3 : a clamping element,
• 4 : an alternative clamping element,
• 5 : an arrangement of support and clamping element,
• 6 : a pressure vessel assembly,
• 7 : a bottom view of the pressure vessel assembly,
• 8th : another pressure vessel assembly, and
• 9 : the pressure vessel assembly of 8th in a different view.

1 shows three fastening arrangements 10 arranged directly next to one another, each for one pressure vessel. The fastening arrangements 10 are attached to two external brackets 40 and two internal brackets 50 in the present case. The brackets 40, 50 can in particular allow attachment to a body of a motor vehicle, not shown.

Each mounting arrangement 10 has a support 20 on which a respective pressure vessel can rest. Accordingly, the supports 20 are designed in the form of segments of a circular arc, so that they are complementary to a round pressure vessel. At the top, a space into which a pressure vessel (not shown) can engage is encompassed by a respective clamping element 30 . The clamping element 30 and the support 20 essentially enclose the pressure vessel in a planar manner along a circumference and thus fix it. Such a bearing can in principle be designed both as a fixed bearing and as a floating bearing. This essentially depends on the clamping forces applied.

The clamping elements 30 are at least partially covered with a casing 37 . This can in particular be made of an elastomeric material such as PTFE in order to implement a fixed bearing function through increased friction, or it can be made of a friction-reducing material in order to implement a loose bearing function.

2 shows the execution of 1 from underneath. It can be seen that the tensioning elements are connected to the brackets 40 , 50 at attachment points 32 . This enables the clamping elements 30 to be easily attached and, as shown, the supports 20 are also presently held by connection to the clamping elements 30 .

3 shows a clamping element 30 in a side view. It can be seen here that the tensioning element 30 is designed in the shape of an omega, so that a part essentially in the shape of a circular arc segment is present at the top and two ends each protrude outwards at the bottom. In particular, these ends can be used for attachment to the supports 40, 50 already mentioned or to other elements. The outwardly protruding ends are made slightly thicker as shown for greater strength.

4 shows an alternative embodiment of a clamping element 30. In this case, two meandering sections 34 are arranged on the bottom between the section in the shape of a circular arc segment and the ends protruding outwards. These can generate a spring effect, ie when the clamping element 30 grips around a pressure vessel, in particular a downward elastic force can be generated. As a result, a pressure vessel can be fixed even better in a respective fastening arrangement. The execution of 4 can in principle, for example, instead of off leadership of 3 can be used in any configuration.

5 shows an arrangement of a support 20 and a clamping element 30, the clamping element 30 being attached to the support 20. FIG. It is a tensioning element 30 according to FIG 4 . A screw arrangement 22 is provided at the attachment point 32 , by means of which the tensioning element 30 is attached to the support 20 . The distance between the clamping element 30 and the support 20 can be adjusted by selecting suitable screws or the precise attachment, so that a force acting on a pressure vessel can also be adjusted.

6 shows a pressure vessel assembly 1 in a purely schematic manner. In the present case, this has three pressure vessels 5 which are arranged parallel to one another. They each have a round cross-section.

The pressure vessel assembly 1 has a housing 2 which encloses the pressure vessels 5 and the mounting arrangements 10 . As a result, for example, protection against contamination or increased mechanical stability can be achieved. In addition, the housing 2 connects the pressure vessel assembly 1 to form a unit that can be assembled in a modular manner.

At the two longitudinal ends, the pressure vessels 5 rest on respective separate supports 60, to which no clamping elements are assigned. Clamping elements, however, are designed on three fastening arrangements 10, which in the present case are arranged centrally in the longitudinal direction of the pressure vessel 5. These hold the pressure vessels 5 directly below their respective center of mass, so that the pressure vessels 5 can be supported without forces at this point. A simple support at the longitudinal ends is thus sufficient, lifting of the pressure vessel 5 being effectively prevented by the clamping elements 30 shown, even in the event of vibrations.

In addition, the casing 37 clamped on the clamping element 30, which in the present case is made of an elastomer material, allows the absorption of axial forces.

7 shows the pressure vessel assembly 1 from below. This is already with reference to 1 described embodiment of the three mounting assemblies 10 which hold the pressure vessels 5 in position next to each other. Otherwise refer to the description of 1 referred.

8th shows a pressure vessel assembly 1 according to an alternative embodiment. There are also three fastening arrangements 10 each with a support 20 . The pressure vessels 5 each rest on a support 20 .

However, the clamping elements 30 are not designed separately here, but are designed as part of a belt 31 running over all three pressure vessels 5 lying next to one another. The band 31 is attached to an attachment 33 on the right-hand side. On the left side it is attached to springs 35 which tension the belt 31 so that the pressure vessels 5 are pressed onto the supports 20 with a certain force.

9 shows a detail of the pressure vessel assembly 1 of 8th in a perspective view. It can be seen that a total of three springs 35 are present. The pressure vessel 5 are based on conditions, which in the view of 9 are not visible.

In 9 a housing 2 can also be seen, which in 8th is not shown for the sake of simplicity.

For reasons of legibility, the expression “at least one” has been partially omitted for the sake of simplicity. If a feature of the technology disclosed here is described in the singular or indefinitely (e.g. the/a pressure vessel, the/a spring, etc.), the plural should also be disclosed at the same time (e.g. the at least one pressure vessel, the at least one spring , Etc.).

The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention and its equivalents.

Reference List

1

pressure vessel assembly

2

Housing

5

pressure vessel

10

mounting arrangement

20

edition

22

screw arrangement

30

clamping element

31

tape

32

attachment point

33

attachment

34

meandering section

35

Feather

37

sheathing

40

outside bracket

50

internal bracket

60

separate edition

Claims (16)

Pressure vessel assembly (1) comprising - one or more pressure vessels (5) for storing gaseous fuel, and - one or more fastening arrangements (10), each fastening arrangement (10) having a support (20) for one of the pressure vessels (5) and a tensioning element (30), the tensioning element (30) encompassing the pressure vessel (5) at the top and the support (20) is too tight. pressure vessel assembly (1). claim 1 wherein one, some or all of the mounting assemblies (10) are arranged such that the support (20) is located below a center of mass of the pressure vessel (5). pressure vessel assembly (1). claim 1 or 2 , wherein the supports (20) are formed complementary to a lower portion of the outer periphery of the pressure vessel (5). Pressure vessel assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supports (20) extend along a portion of a longitudinal direction of the respective pressure vessel (5). Pressure vessel assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping element (30) is fixed to the support (20). pressure vessel assembly (1). claim 5 , wherein the clamping element (30) has one or more meandering sections (34) by means of which a force is generated which clamps the pressure vessel (5) onto the support (20). A pressure vessel assembly (1) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein for some or all of the brackets (20) the tensioning member (30) is part of a strap (31) spanning a plurality of mounting assemblies (10). pressure vessel assembly (1). claim 7 wherein the band is rigidly fixed at one end and fixed at the opposite end by means of one or more springs (35), or one or more elastic elements. A pressure vessel assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, which includes a series of mounting assemblies (10) arranged adjacent to one another at one or both longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels (5). Pressure vessel assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at one or both longitudinal ends of the pressure vessels (5) a series of separate supports (60) for the pressure vessels (5) without clamping elements (30) extending thereover. A pressure vessel assembly (1) as claimed in any preceding claim wherein one, some or all of the pads (20) are rubberised and/or covered with an elastic material at a contact surface with the pressure vessel (5). Pressure vessel assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping element (30) in one, some or all fastening arrangements (10) is completely or partially covered with a casing (37) on one or more contact surfaces to the pressure vessel (5). A pressure vessel assembly (1) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one, some or all of the clamping members (30) have outwardly bent ends by which they are secured to a support (20) or other member. A pressure vessel assembly (1) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the clamping members (30) are thicker adjacent the ends than midway between the ends. Pressure vessel assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more holders (40, 50) are arranged between two fastening arrangements (10) and/or adjacent to one or more end-side fastening arrangements (10), on which the supports (20) and /or the clamping elements (30) rest and/or on which supports (20) and/or the clamping elements (30) are fastened. Motor vehicle with a pressure vessel assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

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