JP2006314945A - Apparus for cleaning vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus capable of cleaning a vessel efficiently without increasing the number of spraying bodies. <P>SOLUTION: This apparatus 30 for cleaning the inside of the vessel 1 by spraying fluid is provided with the spraying body 32 spraying several kinds of fluid in the vessel inside 5. Spraying ports 93-95, 113 and 133 of the spraying body 32 are independent, respectively. A passage 91 for cleaning fluid communicates with the spraying ports 93-95, a passage 111 for blowing fluid communicates with a spraying port 113, and a passage 131 for drying fluid communicates with the spraying ports 133. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a container cleaning apparatus that cleans the inside of a container by ejecting fluid.

Conventionally, as this type of cleaning apparatus, one that cleans the inner wall of a container with a cleaning liquid sprayed from an ejector such as a nozzle is widely known (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 6). Among these, the cleaning apparatus described in Patent Document 1 performs a series of cleaning processes of cleaning liquid injection, air blowing, and drying, and a nozzle in which the cleaning liquid supply flow path and the air supply flow path have a double tube structure. Is used.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-16554 (Page 2 and FIG. 1) JP 2001-79506 A JP 2003-181404 A JP 2003-266039 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-248537 JP-A-9-38611

However, since the nozzle of the cleaning device described in Patent Document 1 is such that the cleaning liquid supply channel and the air supply channel communicate with a common injection port, the cleaning liquid and air are mixed and injected, There was a risk that cleaning and draining would be insufficient. Further, since the jetting directivity of the cleaning liquid and the air is the same at the common injection port, cleaning unevenness or the like easily occurs in this respect. As a result, the efficiency of a series of cleaning treatments as a whole has deteriorated, such as a prolonged drying time.
However, in order to solve such a problem, it is conceivable to provide a plurality of nozzles corresponding to each process of the cleaning process. However, when the number of nozzles is increased, it is necessary to replace the nozzles and the like, which may increase the size of the cleaning device.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a container cleaning apparatus that can efficiently perform a cleaning process without increasing the number of ejectors.

  A container cleaning apparatus according to the present invention is a container cleaning apparatus that cleans the inside of a container by ejecting a fluid, and includes a projecting body that is inserted into the container from a container mouth and injects a plurality of types of fluid inside the container. The ejector includes a plurality of independent injection ports that individually inject a plurality of types of fluids, and a plurality of independent flow paths in which the plurality of types of fluids individually flow and communicate with the plurality of injection ports individually. And.

  According to this configuration, the ejection body is provided with the ejection ports independent from each other and the flow path therefor corresponding to each fluid ejected by the ejection body. Thereby, it can suppress that multiple types of fluids are mixed and injected. Further, for example, it is possible to set characteristics required for each fluid, such as injection directivity and a large flow rate, to each injection port. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently perform the cleaning process without increasing the number of ejectors.

  In this case, it is preferable that the plurality of types of fluids include at least two of the cleaning fluid, the blowing fluid, and the drying fluid.

  In these cases, it is preferable that the positions of the plurality of injection ports are displaced from each other in the axial direction of the container.

  According to this configuration, the plurality of injection ports can be easily made independent so as not to interfere with each other.

  Further, when the present invention is viewed from another viewpoint, the plurality of flow paths are concentrically arranged, and the plurality of injection ports are formed at the end portions of the communicating flow paths and are displaced in the concentric axial direction. It is preferable.

  According to this configuration, since the plurality of flow paths are arranged concentrically, the plurality of flow paths can be aggregated and arranged, and the ejector can be made compact as a whole. Moreover, since each injection port is formed in the terminal part of each flow path, and is displaced in the axial direction, the plurality of injection ports can be easily made independent so as not to interfere with each other.

  In this case, it is preferable that the flow path of the blowing fluid is disposed on the innermost side, and the flow path of the cleaning fluid is disposed outside the flow path of the blowing fluid.

  According to this configuration, the jetted cleaning fluid can be suitably prevented from flowing into the blow fluid ejection port.

  In this case, it is preferable that the flow path of the drying fluid is disposed outside the flow path of the cleaning fluid.

  According to this configuration, the flow rate of the drying fluid can be easily increased.

  In this case, the container cleaning apparatus further includes a plurality of mutually independent supply means for individually supplying a plurality of types of flow paths to the plurality of flow paths, and during the operation of the cleaning fluid supply means (during cleaning), The drying fluid supply means is preferably driven.

  According to this structure, it can suppress suitably that the injected cleaning fluid flows into the injection port of the drying fluid. The supply means for supplying the drying fluid during the cleaning supplies a fluid having a smaller flow rate than that during the drying so that the cleaning fluid sprayed from the cleaning fluid ejection port does not enter the drying fluid ejection port. It is sufficient to drive like this.

  In these cases, it is preferable that each of the plurality of ejection openings has ejection directivity corresponding to the fluid to be ejected.

  According to this structure, the injection directivity requested | required of each fluid can be set to each injection port. For example, the cleaning fluid ejection port only needs to have ejection directivity in which the cleaning fluid is ejected radially. Moreover, the injection port of the blowing fluid should just have the injection directivity in which the blowing fluid is injected in cone shape. Furthermore, the spray port for the drying fluid only needs to have spray directivity in which the drying fluid is sprayed to the end inside the container (the end opposite to the container mouth).

  In these cases, it is preferable to further include moving means for moving the ejector relative to the container along the axial direction of the container.

  According to this configuration, the ejector can be inserted into the container from the container mouth. Further, the fluid can be ejected inside the container while the ejector is relatively moved inside the container.

  In these cases, the container is preferably a tank having a resin liner in the inner shell.

  According to the container cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the cleaning process can be performed efficiently without increasing the number of ejectors.

  Hereinafter, a container cleaning apparatus and a cleaning method according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This cleaning device cleans the inside of a tank-like container, and can perform the cleaning process (for example, cleaning, draining, and drying) continuously and efficiently. Below, the structure of the container will be briefly described first, and then the cleaning apparatus will be described in detail.

<First Embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 1, the container 1 includes a sealed cylindrical container body 2 as a whole and a base 3 attached to both ends of the container body 2 in the longitudinal direction. The inside of the container body 2 (that is, the inside of the container) serves as a storage space 5 that stores fluids such as various gases and liquids. The container 1 can be filled with a normal pressure fluid, or can be filled with a fluid whose pressure is increased compared to the normal pressure. That is, the container 1 can function as a high-pressure tank.

  For example, in a fuel cell system, the fuel gas prepared in a high pressure state is decompressed and used for power generation of the fuel cell. The container 1 can be applied to store high-pressure fuel gas, and can store hydrogen gas as a fuel gas, compressed natural gas (CNG gas), or the like. The pressure of the hydrogen gas filled in the container 1 is, for example, 35 MPa or 70 MPa, and the pressure of the CNG gas is, for example, 20 MPa. Hereinafter, a tank-shaped container 1 for storing hydrogen gas at high pressure will be described as an example.

  The container body 2 includes a barrel portion 11 having a substantially constant diameter in the axial direction thereof, and a pair of end wall portions 12 and 12 provided at both ends of the barrel portion 11 and having a diameter smaller than that of the barrel portion 11. ing. The container body 2 has, for example, a two-layer structure, and the two-layer structure includes a resin-made liner 15 (inner shell) having gas barrier properties, and a reinforcing layer 16 (outer shell) disposed on the outer periphery of the liner 15; It consists of

  The liner 15 is formed of a hard resin such as polyethylene, and the inner wall of the container 1 is mainly configured by the liner 15. The reinforcing layer 16 is made of, for example, FRP containing carbon fiber and an epoxy resin, and is wound around so as to cover the outer surface of the liner 15. The container body 2 itself may be made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy, the liner 15 may be made of a metal such as aluminum, and the reinforcing layer 16 may be made of a resin.

  The base 3 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. The base 3 is provided at the center of the end wall portion 12 having a hemispherical shape or a dome shape. The base 3 has an opening 19 having a diameter smaller than that of the body 11 of the container body 2. The opening 19 functions as a mouth of the container 1, and communicates the inside and the outside of the container 1. ing. The opening 19 is configured to be able to be screwed and connected to a functional part such as a valve assembly in which piping elements such as valves and joints are integrally incorporated, as well as a plug and piping.

  For example, the container 1 on the fuel cell system is connected between the storage space 5 and an external gas flow path (not shown) via a valve assembly. In the container 1, for example, hydrogen gas is filled into the storage space 5 and, for example, hydrogen gas is released from the storage space 5 through the valve assembly and the gas flow path. In addition, although the nozzle | cap | die 3 was provided in the both ends of the container 1, of course, the nozzle | cap | die 3 may be provided only in the one end wall part 12, and the end wall part 12 may be comprised as a closed end part.

  Such a container 1 is manufactured through, for example, blow molding or injection molding. Before the hydrogen gas is initially filled in the manufactured container 1, it is necessary to clean the container 1 to prevent impurities and foreign matters from being mixed into the hydrogen gas or the like. Moreover, the inside of the container 1 may be cleaned not only at the time of manufacture but also at the time of appropriate inspection. Hereinafter, the cleaning device 30 for cleaning the inside of the container 1 will be described in detail.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cleaning device 30, and is a diagram in which a nozzle 32 as an ejector is inserted into the container 1.
The cleaning device 30 performs a series of cleaning processes on the inside of the container 1 using a single nozzle 32, including cleaning with a cleaning liquid, draining with air blow, and drying with hot air. As will be described later, the nozzle 32 has a triple-pipe structure and is configured to be able to inject cleaning liquid, compressed air, and hot air.

  The cleaning device 30 includes a support mechanism 31 that supports the container 1, a cleaning mechanism 33 that supplies a cleaning liquid to the nozzle 32, a blow mechanism 35 that supplies compressed air to the nozzle 32, and a drying mechanism that supplies hot air to the nozzle 32. 37, a moving mechanism 38 that moves the nozzle 32 in the axial direction of the container 1, and a control device 40 that controls these mechanisms (33, 35, 37, 38) in an integrated manner.

  The support mechanism 31 supports the container 1 with the base 3 of the container 1 facing downward (upright state). During a series of cleaning processes, a stopper (not shown) is connected to the upper base 3 of the container 1, while the lower base 3 of the container 1 is opened downward. The axial direction of the container 1 supported by the support mechanism 31 matches the vertical direction.

  The support mechanism 31 includes a support body 52 provided on the top of the gantry 51, a pair of holding mechanisms 53, 53 provided on the support body 52 for holding the body 11 of the container 1 at two locations, and a container 1. And a lower plate 54 facing the lower base 3. The lower plate 54 has a through hole at a position corresponding to the base 3 as much as or larger than the opening 19. The drainage of the cleaning liquid in the container 1 flows downward from the opening 19 to the through hole and is stored in a drainage pan (not shown).

  A pair of holding mechanisms 53 and 53 are configured so that the container 1 can rotate around its axis, and a rotation mechanism that rotates the container 1 around its axis is provided between the pair of holding mechanisms 53 and 53. Also good. By doing so, the container 1 can be rotated during driving of at least one of the cleaning mechanism 33, the blow mechanism 35, and the drying mechanism 37, and the cleaning action of the container 1 can be enhanced.

  The moving mechanism 38 is, for example, a motor 71 serving as a drive source, a ball screw 72 connected to the motor 71, a ball nut 73 screwed to the ball screw 72, a ball nut 73 and a nozzle 32 supported. And a support base 61. The motor 71 is connected to the control device 40.

  By rotating the motor 71 forward and backward, the nozzle 32 on the support base 61 moves up and down along the vertical direction (the axial direction of the container 1) via the ball screw 72 and the ball nut 73. For example, when the support base 61 moves up, the nozzle 32 is inserted into the container 1 from the opening 19 of the base 3. On the other hand, when the support base 61 moves down, the nozzle 32 inside the container 1 is taken out from the opening 19 to the outside of the container 1.

  The motor 71 may be constituted by other actuators such as an air cylinder, a helical rail may be used in place of the ball screw 72 and the ball nut 73, or a rack and pinion may be adopted. Further, instead of moving the nozzle 32, the nozzle 32 may be fixedly arranged, and the container 1 may be moved in the axial direction thereof. That is, the moving mechanism 38 may be configured to move the nozzle 32 relative to the container 1 along the axial direction of the container 1.

  The cleaning mechanism 33 can wash off deposits and dirt on the inner wall (cleaning surface) of the container 1 by injecting a cleaning liquid as a cleaning fluid from the nozzle 32 inserted into the container 1. is there. As the cleaning liquid, water can be used, or an appropriate liquid obtained by dissolving a cleaning agent in water or the like can be used.

  The cleaning mechanism 33 includes a cleaning tank 81 that stores a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid, a heater 82 that heats the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 81, and a cleaning hose 83 having one end connected to the cleaning tank 81. ing.

  The heater 82 is connected to the control device 40 and functions as an adjustment device that adjusts the cleaning liquid to a temperature according to the material characteristics of the container 1. The heater 82 adjusts the cleaning liquid to a predetermined temperature corresponding to the liner 15 that is the cleaning surface, for example, 120 ° C., preferably 70 to 80 ° C. By using the cleaning liquid whose temperature is adjusted by the heater 82, the effect of preheating can be obtained and the drying time of the container 1 can be shortened. Note that this type of adjusting device may be provided in the cleaning hose 83.

  The other end of the cleaning hose 83 is connected to a cleaning pipe 91 (described later) of the nozzle 32 at the support base 61. The cleaning hose 83 has flexibility and can follow the vertical movement of the nozzle 32.

  The cleaning hose 83 includes, in order from the cleaning tank 81 side, a pump 84 that pumps the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 81 to the nozzle 32, an electromagnetic shut-off valve 85 that opens and closes the cleaning hose 83, and the cleaning liquid that is pumped. A filter 86 for removing the impurities and a check valve 87 for preventing the backflow of the cleaning liquid are interposed. The pump 84 and the shutoff valve 85 are connected to the control device 40. The pressure of the cleaning liquid is increased by the pump 84, and the inner wall of the container 1 is subjected to high-pressure cleaning with the cleaning liquid.

  The blow mechanism 35 can wipe off the remaining cleaning liquid adhering to the inner wall of the container 1 by injecting compressed gas, which is a blowing fluid, by the nozzle 32 inserted into the container 1. In other words, the blow mechanism 35 drains the container 1 to which the cleaning liquid has adhered in the cleaning process that is the previous process. An inert gas such as nitrogen can be used as the compressed gas, but compressed air is used in the present embodiment.

  The blow mechanism 35 includes a compressor 101 that takes in air and pumps it to the nozzle 32, and a blow hose 102 that connects the compressor 101 and the nozzle 32.

  The compressor 101 is connected to the control device 40. The blow hose 102 is connected to the blow pipe 111 described later of the nozzle 32 at the support base 61. The blow hose 102 has flexibility and can follow the vertical movement of the nozzle 32.

  The blow hose 102 is pressure-fed in order from the compressor 101 side, a pressure regulator 104 that adjusts the pressure of the compressed air pumped by the compressor 101, and an electromagnetic shut-off valve 105 that opens and closes the blow hose 102. A filter 106 for removing impurities in the compressed air and a check valve 107 for preventing the backflow of the compressed air are interposed. The pressure regulator 104 and the shutoff valve 105 are connected to the control device 40. The blow hose 102 may be provided with an adjusting device for adjusting the temperature of the compressed air.

  The drying mechanism 37 can dry the inner wall and the inside of the container 1 by ejecting a drying fluid from the nozzle 32 inserted into the container 1. For example, hot air can be used as the drying fluid. The drying mechanism 37 includes a hot air generator 121 that generates hot air and pumps it to the nozzle 32, and a drying hose 122 that connects the hot air generator 121 and the nozzle 32.

  The hot air generator 121 includes, for example, a compressor 123 capable of pumping a large amount of air and a heater 124 that heats the air taken in by the compressor 123, and the compressor 123 and the heater 124 are connected to the control device 40. ing. The heater 124 functions as an adjustment device that adjusts air to a temperature according to the material characteristics of the container 1. The heater 124 adjusts the air to a predetermined temperature according to the liner 15, for example, 120 ° C., preferably 70 to 80 ° C. In addition, you may provide this kind of adjusting device in the hose 122 for drying.

  The drying hose 122 is connected to a drying pipe 131 (described later) of the nozzle 32 at the support base 61. The drying hose 122 has flexibility and can follow the vertical movement of the nozzle 32. The drying hose 122 includes, in order from the hot air generator 121 side, an electromagnetic shut-off valve 125 that opens and closes the drying hose 122, a filter 126 that removes impurities in the hot air being blown, and a backflow of hot air And a check valve 127 is provided. The shutoff valve 125 is connected to the control device 40.

  The control device 40 (ECU) has a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an input / output interface, all of which are not shown, and these are connected to each other via a bus. The control device 40 drives the cleaning mechanism 33, the blow mechanism 35, and the drying mechanism 37 as supply means, and also drives the moving mechanism 38 in association therewith, whereby a series of cleaning processes (cleaning, draining water) are performed by the nozzle 32. , Drying) is controlled continuously.

Hereinafter, the nozzle 32 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the nozzle 32, and FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the injection directivity of the nozzle 32 and the container 1. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, the upper base 3 is a container 1 that is omitted.

  The nozzle 32 has a triple tube structure. The triple pipe of the nozzle 32 includes a middle cleaning pipe 91, an innermost blow pipe 111, and an outermost drying pipe 131 in order to make the overall diameter as compact as possible. By disposing the drying pipe 131 on the outermost peripheral side, the amount of warm air is easily increased.

  These three pipes 91, 111, 131 for injection function are mutually independent flow paths through which the cleaning liquid, compressed air, and hot air individually flow. The three pipes 91, 111 and 131 are made of a hard material and extend in the axial direction of the container 1. Further, the three pipes 91, 111, 131 are arranged concentrically and have different pipe lengths.

  The cleaning pipe 91 is provided with an injection section 92 at the end in the flow direction of the cleaning liquid. The injection portion 92 bulges in the radial direction at the end portion of the cleaning pipe 91 to the extent that it can pass through the opening 19 of the base 3. By forming the ejection portion 92 so as to bulge, it becomes possible to eject the cleaning liquid in multiple directions, and it is possible to increase the washable area per unit time.

  The injection unit 92 communicates with the cleaning pipe 91 and has injection ports 93 to 95 that inject the cleaning liquid onto the inner wall of the container 1. The plurality of injection ports 93 to 95 are provided at an upper portion, an intermediate portion, and a lower portion of the injection portion 92, and have the injection directionality of the cleaning liquid shown in FIG.

  Specifically, the injection port 93 is provided in the upper part of the injection part 92 over the circumferential direction or dispersedly, and has injection directivity capable of injecting the cleaning liquid obliquely upward. The injection ports 94 are provided in the upper and lower intermediate portions of the injection unit 92 over the circumferential direction or in a dispersed manner, and have injection directivity capable of injecting the cleaning liquid in the horizontal direction. The injection port 95 is provided in the lower part of the injection unit 92 in the circumferential direction or in a dispersed manner, and has an injection directivity capable of injecting the cleaning liquid obliquely downward (right obliquely downward and left obliquely downward).

  Due to the radial spray directivity of the plurality of spray ports 93 to 95, the spray ports 93 to 95 can spray the cleaning liquid toward the upper and lower end wall portions 12 and 12 of the container 1 and the inner wall of the body portion 11. Dirt and the like adhering to the inner wall of the container 1 can be removed. For example, it is preferable that the cleaning liquid sprayed from the spray port 93 and the spray port 95 at the intermediate portion of the container 1 reaches the upper and lower inner walls of the body 11 and cleans them.

  The positions of the injection ports 93 to 95 are not limited to the above, and may be set so that a high-impact water flow can be injected and no blind spot is generated on the inner wall of the container 1. Moreover, this kind of injection part 92 can also be comprised by the self-pressure rotation type which the position of an injection port rotates with the pressure of a washing | cleaning liquid, and can also be comprised by the fixed type which the position of an injection port does not change.

  The blow pipe 111 is provided with an injection portion 112 at the end portion in the flow direction of the compressed air. The injection unit 112 has a diameter approximately the same as that of the blow pipe 111 and is smaller in diameter than the injection unit 92 on the cleaning liquid side. The injection unit 112 communicates with the blow pipe 111 and has an injection port 113 that injects compressed air onto the inner wall of the container 1. The position of the injection port 113 may be set so that compressed air having directivity in the direction of draining can be injected and no blind spot is formed on the inner wall of the container 1.

  For example, the injection port 113 is provided over the peripheral surface of the tip portion of the injection unit 112 or in a distributed manner, and opens obliquely downward. Thereby, the injection port 113 has the injection directivity slightly downward from the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. Due to this cone-shaped injection directivity, the injection port 113 can inject compressed air toward the inner wall of the end wall portion 12 or the body portion 11 and scrape off the cleaning liquid adhering to the inner wall of the container 1 by this air blow. . Note that the position of the injection port 113 is not limited to the above.

  The drying pipe 131 is provided with an injection unit 132 at the end of the hot air flow direction. The injection unit 132 and the drying pipe 131 are configured to be able to pass through the opening 19 of the base 3, and when these are inserted into the container 1, a predetermined gap is provided between the drying pipe 131 and the base 3. The gap is made.

  However, the diameter of the drying pipe 131 is preferably large in order to blow a large amount of hot air into the container 1, and is preferably slightly smaller than the opening 19 of the base 3, for example. By providing this slight gap, the used cleaning liquid is drained from this gap and stored in the drain pan (not shown).

  The injection unit 132 communicates with the drying pipe 131 and has an injection port 133 that injects warm air into the container 1. The injection port 133 can be configured by the opening of the tip of the drying pipe 131 and opens upward.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG.4 (c), the injection port 133 has the upward injection directivity which becomes a unidirectional direction mainly. The injection port 133 during the drying process is located in the center part inside the container 1 without moving up and down, for example, and sprays toward the upper end wall part 12 of the container 1. Thereby, the warm air reaches the lower end wall portion 12 through the trunk portion 11 from the upper end wall portion 12 and dries the entire inside of the container 1. Note that the hot air may be injected not only in one direction but also in multiple directions.

  As described above, the nozzle 32 includes the injection ports 93 to 95 through which the cleaning liquid, compressed air, and warm air are individually injected, the injection port 113, and the injection port 133. These three injection ports 93 to 95, 113, and 133 for the injection function are independent of each other without injecting fluid other than the injection function.

  Further, the three injection ports 93 to 95, 113, and 133 for the injection function are displaced from each other in the axial direction of the concentric pipes 91, 111, and 131. In a state where the nozzle 32 is inserted into the container 1, the concentric axial directions of the pipes 91, 111, 131 coincide with or substantially coincide with the axial direction of the container 1. In order from the end wall portion 12, the injection port 113, the injection ports 93 to 95, and the injection port 133 are positioned.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the radial injection directivities of the injection ports 93 to 95 do not interfere with the upper injection ports 112. For this reason, it is difficult for the cleaning liquid ejected from the ejection ports 93 to 95 to flow into the ejection port 112.

  Similarly, the injection ports 93 to 95 and the injection port 133 include the injection ports 93 to 95 and the injection port 113 so that the cleaning liquid injected from the injection ports 93 to 95 does not easily flow into the drying injection port 133. Compared to the distance, it is located relatively far away. Specifically, when the injection port 113 and the injection ports 93 to 95 are inserted up to the back of the container 1, that is, the vicinity of the end wall portion 12 on the side opposite to the opening 19, the injection port 133 is It arrange | positions so that it may be located in the center part inside the container 1. FIG.

Next, a series of operations of the cleaning device 30 will be described.
As a preparatory stage, first, the base 3 of the container 1 is placed on the lower side, and the support mechanism 31 is rotatably supported. The base 3 on the upper side of the container 1 is plugged. Next, the nozzle 32 is inserted into the container 1 from the lower side through the opening 19 by the moving mechanism 38, and the tip portion (the injection portions 92, 112, etc.) of the nozzle 32 is located in the vicinity of the upper end wall portion 12. Let us face you. Before and after this, the heater 82 is driven to heat the cleaning liquid to a predetermined temperature.

  In the cleaning process, the shut-off valve 85 is opened to drive the pump 84, and the cleaning liquid is injected from the injection unit 92. At this time, the moving mechanism 38 sprays the cleaning liquid while lowering the spray unit 92 downward, and cleans the inner wall of the container 1 from above to below. That is, the injection part 92 during injection faces the upper end wall part 12, the body part 11, and the lower end wall part 12 in this order. As a result, the inner wall of the container 1 is thoroughly cleaned, and dirt and the like are removed.

  Note that the ejection unit 92 that is injecting the cleaning liquid may be appropriately moved up and down by the moving mechanism 38. Further, it is preferable to drive the drying mechanism 37 so that the cleaning liquid does not flow into the hot air injection port 133 while the cleaning liquid is sprayed by the spraying unit 92. By doing so, the inflow of the cleaning liquid to the injection port 133 can be further suppressed. In this case, the amount of hot air sprayed from the spray port 133 may be a level that does not affect the cleaning, and may be a small flow rate as compared with that during the drying process.

  After completion of the cleaning process, the shutoff valve 85 is closed and the driving of the pump 84 is stopped to stop the liquid feeding to the nozzle 32. Here, for the next draining step, the nozzle 32 is raised again by the moving mechanism 38 without causing the nozzle 32 to be pulled out of the container 1, so that the injection portion 112 faces the vicinity of the upper end wall portion 12.

  In the draining process, the shut-off valve 105 is opened, the compressor 101 is driven, and the compressed air is injected from the injection unit 112. At this time, compressed air is injected while lowering the injection unit 112 downward by the moving mechanism 38, and the inner wall of the container 1 is drained from above to below. That is, the injection part 112 during injection faces the upper end wall part 12, the body part 11, and the lower end wall part 12 in order. Thereby, the droplet adhering to the inner wall of the container 1 is scraped off.

  Also in the draining process, the drying mechanism 37 is driven to the extent that the flushed cleaning liquid does not flow into the hot air injection port 133 and does not affect the draining while the compressed air is being injected from the injection unit 112. It is preferable.

  After completion of the draining process, the shutoff valve 105 is closed and the driving of the compressor 101 is stopped, and the air supply to the nozzle 32 is stopped. Here, without removing the nozzle 32 out of the container 1, the nozzle 32 is raised again by the moving mechanism 38 for the next drying step, and the injection unit 132 is made to face the central part in the container 1.

  In the drying process, the shut-off valve 125 is opened to drive the hot air generator 121, and hot air at a predetermined temperature (for example, 80 ° C.) is injected from the injection unit 132 for a predetermined time (for example, 20 to 30 minutes). Thereby, the inside of the container 1 including the inner wall of the container 1 is dried. During the drying process, the moving mechanism 38 may be driven to move the injection unit 132 up, down, or up and down.

  When the drying is finished, the shut-off valve 125 is closed, the driving of the hot air generator 121 is stopped, and the air blowing to the nozzle 32 is stopped. Then, the nozzle 32 is extracted from the inside of the container 1 through the opening 19 by the moving mechanism 38. Thereby, a series of cleaning processing by the cleaning device 30 is completed. Finally, when the container 1 is removed from the support mechanism 31 and a valve assembly or the like is screwed into the base 3 of the container 1, the container 1 is mounted on, for example, a fuel cell system.

  As described above, according to the cleaning device 30 of the present embodiment, the single nozzle 32 has independent injection ports (93 to 95, 113, 133) and pipes (91, 111, 131) suitable for each injection function. ), And the fluid ejected from the nozzle 32 is sequentially switched between cleaning liquid, compressed air, and hot air. Thereby, even if it does not increase the number of nozzles, a series of washing processes can be performed efficiently, suppressing that a plurality of kinds of fluids are mixed and ejected.

  Further, it is not necessary to insert / remove the nozzle 32 into / from the inside of the container 1 as appropriate in switching of a series of cleaning processes. For this reason, the mechanical configuration of the cleaning device 30 can be simplified, and the tact time of one cleaning process can be shortened. Furthermore, since a series of cleaning processes can be performed continuously, it is possible to suitably prevent dust such as dust in the air from reattaching to the inner surface of the wet container 1 after cleaning.

  The flow path configuration in the triple tube nozzle 32 is not limited to the above. For example, the hot air pipe 131 may be in the middle, the cleaning pipe 91 may be provided outside the hot air pipe 131, and the blow pipe 111 may be provided outside the cleaning pipe 91. Further, the three pipes 91, 111, 131 are not arranged concentrically, but any one or more pipes may be arranged at an eccentric position.

  Further, the triple pipe structure nozzle 32 may be configured such that the three pipes 91, 111, 131 are bundled with three pipes. Furthermore, when the nozzle 32 is not limited to a triple pipe but has a multiple pipe structure, the nozzle 32 can jet four or more kinds of fluids independently.

  In the above-described embodiment, the resin container 1 is the target. However, in the case of the steel container 1 or the like, it can be cleaned and dried using relatively high-temperature steam. However, the resin container 1 can be cleaned without using steam by using the cleaning method as in the present embodiment. In addition, if the temperature of the compressed air in the draining process can be set to a predetermined temperature that also serves to dry the container 1, the drying process can be omitted. That is, the nozzle 32 can have a double tube structure.

  Further, when the nozzle 32 is moved up and down, for example, the movement of each pipe 131 may be slidably supported by the lower plate 54 of the support mechanism 31. Furthermore, although the container 1 is cleaned in the state where the base 3 is present, the container 1 in a state before the base 3 is attached may be cleaned. In this case, the mouth portion of the container 1 serving as the insertion port for the nozzle 32 is an opening portion of the end wall portion 12 to which the base 3 is to be attached.

Second Embodiment
Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the cleaning device 30 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described focusing on the differences. The difference from the first embodiment is that a protruding portion 181 that is returned to the shape of the container 1 is provided, and accordingly, a suction mechanism 190 is provided in the cleaning device 30. In addition, about the structure which is common in 1st Embodiment among the structures of 2nd Embodiment, the code | symbol same as 1st Embodiment is attached | subjected and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the container 1.
The container 1 includes projecting portions 181 that are formed on the respective end wall portions 12 and project into the container body 2. The protruding portion 181 is provided so as to be folded back to the mouth portion of the liner 15 to which the base 3 is attached, and has a substantially cylindrical shape with the axial direction of the container 1 as the axis. A donut-shaped space 182 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 181 and the inner surface of the liner 15. The protruding portion 181 can be rephrased as a so-called reverse structure, and functions to secure the strength of the liner 15 and, consequently, the strength of the container 1.

  As described above, since the container 1 has the protrusion 181, a part of the cleaning liquid ejected in the cleaning process is not discharged by natural flow from the opening 19 of the container 1, and the space near the opening 19. 182 (see FIG. 6). In order to drain the accumulated cleaning liquid, the cleaning device 30 of the present embodiment is provided with a suction mechanism 190.

  The suction mechanism 190 passes through the opening 19 of the container 1, the suction tube 191 having one end located in the space 182 inside the container 1, and the drainage receiving part 192 having the other end of the suction tube 191 positioned And a suction pump 193 interposed in the suction tube 191. The suction pump 193 is connected to the control device 40.

  By driving the suction pump 193, the cleaning liquid accumulated in the space 182 in the container 1 is sucked through the suction tube 191 and drained to the drainage receiving part 192. The timing at which the suction pump 193 is driven in a series of cleaning processes may be during the cleaning process in which the cleaning liquid is ejected from the nozzle 32 or after the cleaning process in which the supply of the cleaning liquid to the nozzle 32 is stopped. Alternatively, it may be during a draining process in which compressed air is ejected from the nozzle 32, or after a draining process in which the supply of compressed air to the nozzle 32 is stopped.

  According to the present embodiment, the strength of the container 1 can be increased by the protrusion 181, and even if the cleaning liquid accumulates due to the protrusion 181, it can be appropriately removed by the suction mechanism 190. .

  In addition, although the upper and lower pair of protrusions 181 are provided corresponding to the upper and lower end wall portions 12 of the container 1, one of them may be omitted. Furthermore, although the protrusion part 181 was formed in the liner 15, of course, it is not restricted to this. When the liner 15 is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment and the base 3 protrudes into the container 1, the protruding portion of the base 3 becomes the protruding portion 181.

  The container 1 cleaned by the above-described cleaning device 30 of the present invention is suitable for use in a vehicle equipped with a fuel cell system. Moreover, the container 1 of this invention can be applied suitably also to the transport organization which uses the fluid stored in the container 1 as a power source, such as an aircraft other than a vehicle, and a ship. In addition, when air is used as the cleaning fluid, residues attached to the inner surfaces of the developer container and other powder containers that store other powders can be suitably removed.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the container which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 1 is a system diagram schematically showing a container cleaning apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the injection body which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the injection directivity of the injection body which concerns on 1st Embodiment in relation to a container, (a) Injection directivity of cleaning liquid, (b) Injection directivity of compressed air, (c) Injection of warm air It is a figure which shows typically about directivity. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the container which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the relationship between the protrusion part of the container which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, and a washing | cleaning liquid with a suction mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

1: container, 5: storage space (inside container), 15: liner, 19: opening (container opening), 30: cleaning device, 32: nozzle (injector), 33: cleaning mechanism (supplying means), 35 : Blow mechanism (supply means), 37: drying mechanism (supply means), 38: moving mechanism, 91: cleaning pipe (flow path), 93 to 95: cleaning injection port, 111: blow pipe (flow path) 113: Blowing injection port, 131: Drying pipe (flow path), 133: Drying injection port

Claims (10)

A container cleaning device for cleaning the inside of a container by jetting a fluid,
It is inserted into the container from the container mouth, and includes an ejector that ejects a plurality of types of fluid inside the container.
The ejector is
A plurality of independent injection ports for individually injecting the plurality of types of fluids;
The plurality of types of fluids individually flow, and a plurality of independent flow paths communicating with the plurality of injection ports individually,
A container cleaning apparatus comprising:   The container cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of fluid include at least two of a cleaning fluid, a blowing fluid, and a drying fluid.   The container cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of injection ports are displaced from each other in the axial direction of the container. The plurality of flow paths are arranged concentrically,
The container cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of injection ports is formed at a terminal end portion of the communicating flow path and is displaced in the concentric axial direction. The flow path of the blowing fluid is disposed on the innermost side,
The container cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the flow path for the cleaning fluid is disposed outside the flow path for the blowing fluid.   The container cleaning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the flow path of the drying fluid is disposed outside the flow path of the cleaning fluid. A plurality of independent supply means for supplying the plurality of types of flow paths to the plurality of flow paths individually;
The container cleaning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the drying fluid supply unit is driven while the cleaning fluid supply unit is driven.   The container cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein each of the plurality of injection ports has an injection directivity corresponding to the fluid to be injected.   The container cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising moving means for moving the ejector relative to the container along the axial direction of the container. The container cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the container is a tank having a resin liner in an inner shell.

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