JP2007232117A - High-pressure gas charging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a high-pressure gas charging device, which is compact, safe and inexpensive. <P>SOLUTION: A compression means 6 provided in a housing 5 is connected to a reforming means 3 provided outside the housing 5, the compression means 6 is connected to a pressure accumulating means 8, a flow meter 12 is interposed in a passage pipe 10 connected to the pressure accumulating means 8, a charging hose 14 is connected to the passage pipe 10 derived outside the housing 5, a charging nozzle 15 is provided on the tip of the charging hose 14, and a control means 18 is provided to compute a charging quantity on receiving a flow rate signal of the flow meter 12, and display the computed charging quantity on a display device 19. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a high-pressure gas filling apparatus for filling a fuel tank with hydrogen gas or natural gas (CNG), which is spreading as a fuel for automobiles.

  In recent years, automobiles using hydrogen gas or natural gas as fuel instead of gasoline have been attracting attention and are being put into practical use due to environmental problems and soaring crude oil prices. There are many filling stations that supply gasoline, but there are few filling stations for hydrogen gas or natural gas, and as automobiles that use these fuels become popular, the opening of new filling stations is required.

  However, the conventional high-pressure gas filling device is a device in which ordinary well-known devices are simply connected by a flow pipe, and is large and expensive.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the conventional high-pressure gas filling apparatus reforms the gas supplied from the gas supply source 31 into a good quality gas by the reforming means 32 and compresses the reformed gas by the compression means 33. Then, the pressure is accumulated in the pressure accumulating means 34, and the gas accumulated in the pressure accumulating means 34 is filled from the filling machine 35 into the fuel tank of the automobile.

  The reforming means 32, the compression means 33, and the pressure accumulating means 34 described above are devices that are conventionally used in each industrial field, and are large and expensive. For this reason, it is difficult to attach to a conventional gas station where the site is small, and capital investment has increased and the establishment has been delayed. Moreover, each apparatus is separately installed in the field, and each apparatus is connected on the field with the flow-path pipe and the electric wire. Since the field work is increased in this way, there is a risk of lack of safety, and the construction period is long and the cost is increased.

The present applicant has developed Patent Document 1 as a hydrogen gas filling apparatus, but it has not been sufficient.
JP-A-2005-155864

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure gas filling apparatus that is compact, has a short construction period, and is safe and inexpensive.

  According to the high pressure gas filling apparatus of the present invention, the compression means (6) provided in the housing (5) is connected to the reforming means (3) provided outside the housing (5), and the compression means (6) is accumulated. Connected to the means (8), the flow pipe (10) connected to the pressure accumulating means (8) is provided with a flow meter (12), and the flow pipe (10) led out of the housing (5) is filled. A hose (14) is connected, a filling nozzle (15) is provided at the tip of the filling hose (14), and a filling amount is calculated in response to a flow rate signal from the flow meter (12), and the calculated filling amount is displayed. Control means (18) for displaying in (19) is provided.

  According to the hydrogen gas filling device of the present invention, the pressure accumulating means (8) and the flow path pipe (10) are provided with pressure sensors (9, 13), and the control device (18) includes the pressure accumulating holding control means (26). ) And a filling control means (27), and the pressure accumulation holding control means (26) receives the measurement signal of the pressure sensor (9) provided in the pressure accumulation means (8) and adjusts the gas pressure in the pressure accumulation means (8). The compression means (6) is driven and controlled so as to maintain a certain range, and the filling control means (27) receives the measurement signal of the pressure sensor (13) provided in the flow path pipe (10) and receives the measurement signal from the flow path pipe (10). When the internal pressure reaches a certain value, the filling is finished.

  Further, according to the hydrogen gas filling device of the present invention, the housing (5) is provided with an opening (29) in the upper part, and a ventilation fan (21) is provided in the middle of the housing (5), so that the control device (18) is provided. Is configured to drive the ventilation fan (21) when the device in the housing (5) is driven.

(1) Since the compression means and the pressure accumulation means are reduced in size and incorporated in the housing of the high-pressure gas filling device, each device can be assembled in the factory, and a safe and inexpensive high-pressure gas filling device is obtained.
(2) Since the pressure accumulation means is always kept at a constant high pressure by the action of the pressure accumulation holding control means of the control device, the fuel tank of the automobile is smoothly filled.
(3) Since the filling is automatically terminated by the filling control means, the filling operation can be performed easily and smoothly.
(4) Since the inside of the housing is forcibly ventilated, there is no possibility that dangerous gas stays in the housing, and a safe high-pressure gas filling device is obtained.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the entire high-pressure gas filling apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control relationship of the high-pressure gas filling apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the high-pressure gas filling apparatus 1 of the present invention is connected to a reforming means 3 via a flow path pipe 2. This reforming means 3 reforms the gas supplied from the gas supply source 4 to a good quality gas.

  For example, when the gas filled in the high-pressure gas filling device 1 is hydrogen gas, the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen gas supply source 4 is reformed to a good quality hydrogen gas by the known reforming means 3. And when the gas with which the high pressure gas filling apparatus 1 is filled is natural gas (CNG), the natural gas supplied from the natural gas supply source 4 is reformed into a high quality natural gas.

  When the reforming means 3 is downsized, the reforming performance is extremely lowered. Therefore, the reforming means 3 is installed separately from the high-pressure gas filling device 1 and both are connected by the flow path pipe 2.

  The flow path pipe 2 introduced into the housing 5 of the high-pressure gas filling device 1 is connected to the compression means 6, and the compression means 6 is connected to the pressure accumulation means 8 via the on-off valve 7. The pressure accumulating means 8 is provided with a pressure sensor 9.

  An on-off valve 11 and a flow meter 12 are interposed in series in the flow path pipe 10 connected to the pressure accumulating means 8, and a pressure sensor 13 is provided on the downstream side of the flow meter 12. The flow channel tube 10 is led out of the housing 5, and a filling nozzle 15 is provided at the tip of the filling hose 14 connected to the flow channel tube 10.

The filling nozzle 15 is hooked on a nozzle hook 16 provided in the housing 5, and the nozzle hook 16 is provided with a nozzle switch 17 that operates as described later.
Further, the housing 5 is provided with a control device 18, a display device 19, a keyboard 20, and a ventilation fan 21. The keyboard 20 is provided with a start switch 22, a stop switch 23, and a changeover switch 24. And the control apparatus 18 is connected to POS25 provided in the office etc. which are not shown in figure.

As shown in FIG. 2, the measurement signals of the pressure sensors 9 and 13, the measurement signal of the flow meter 12, the on / off signal of the nozzle switch 17, and the on signals of the switches 22, 23, and 24 provided on the keyboard 20 Input to the control device 18. The control device 18 outputs a drive signal to the reforming means 3 and the compression means 6, an open / close signal to the on-off valves 7 and 11, a display signal to the display 19, a drive signal to the ventilation fan 21, and a filling data to the POS 25. It has become so.
Note that the control device 18 includes a pressure accumulation holding control means 26 and a filling control means 27 as will be described later.

   In addition, an opening 29 provided with a roof 28 for preventing rainwater inflow is provided in the upper part of the housing 5. Since the opening 29 is provided in this way, even when gas leaks from the equipment in the housing 5, it is safe because light gas does not flow out of the opening 29 and stay in the housing 5. And by driving the ventilation fan 21, the air in the housing 5 is forcedly discharged from the opening 29, and it becomes safer.

  Next, based on the flowchart of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, operation | movement in the case of filling hydrogen gas with the high pressure gas filling apparatus 1 is demonstrated.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for maintaining the function of the pressure accumulation holding control means 26 provided in the control device 18, that is, the gas pressure in the pressure accumulation means 8 within a certain range.
The control device 18 receives a measurement signal from the pressure sensor 9 provided in the pressure accumulating means 8, and when the gas pressure in the pressure accumulating means 8 is below a certain value, for example, 35 MPa (megapascal) or less (ST1), the on-off valve 7 is opened. The reforming unit 3 and the compression unit 6 are driven, and the ventilation fan 21 is driven (ST2).
By driving the reforming unit 3, the hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen gas supply source 4 is reformed to a high-quality hydrogen gas and sent to the compression unit 6. When the compression means 6 is driven, the hydrogen gas is pressurized, sent to the pressure accumulator 8 via the on-off valve 7, and compressed and stored at a high pressure.

In this way, when the hydrogen gas is stored in the pressure accumulating means 8 and the measurement signal of the pressure sensor 9 reaches a certain value, for example, 50 MPa (ST3), the driving of the reforming means 3 and the compressing means 6 is stopped, and the on-off valve 7 is turned on. It closes and the drive of the ventilation fan 21 is stopped (ST4).
In this way, the hydrogen gas in the pressure accumulating means 8 is maintained at a gas pressure within a certain range, for example, between 35 MPa and 50 MPa.

  In addition, by driving the ventilation fan 21, the outside air is blown into the housing 5, the air in the housing 5 flows out from the upper opening 29, and dangerous hydrogen gas does not stay in the housing 5, which is safe.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for filling the hydrogen gas into the vehicle, ie, the function of the filling control means 27 provided in the control device 18.
When the filling nozzle 15 is removed from the nozzle hook 16, the nozzle switch 17 is closed and an ON signal of the nozzle switch 17 is input to the control device 18 (ST11). Then, the previous filling amount displayed on the display 19 is returned to zero (reset), and the ventilation fan 21 is driven (ST12).
When the filling nozzle 15 is connected to the hydrogen fuel tank of the automobile and the start switch 22 of the keyboard 20 is pressed (ST13), the on-off valve 11 is opened (ST14), and hydrogen gas filling is started.

The hydrogen gas in the pressure accumulating means 8 is filled into the hydrogen fuel tank of the automobile from the filling nozzle 15 via the on-off valve 11, the flow meter 12, and the filling hose 14.
The filling amount is measured by the flow meter 12, and the control device 18 receiving the flow signal (ST15) calculates the filling amount and displays it on the display 19 (ST16).

When the measurement signal of the pressure sensor 13 is received during filling and the gas pressure reaches a certain value, for example, 35 MPa (ST17), the control device 18 determines that filling is completed and closes the on-off valve 11 (ST18).
When the filling nozzle 15 is removed from the hydrogen gas fuel tank and hung on the nozzle hook 16, an off signal is input from the nozzle switch 17 to the control device 18 (ST19), filling data is output to the POS 25, and the ventilation fan 21 is driven. Stop (ST20) and the filling operation is completed.

In step ST17, when the filling is finished before the gas pressure measured by the pressure sensor 13 reaches a certain value, that is, when the filling of a desired amount is finished or the filling is in a dangerous state for some reason. In order to forcibly end the filling, the stop switch 23 of the keyboard 20 is pressed (ST21), and the on-off valve 11 is closed to complete the filling (ST18).
Further, as described in the flowchart of FIG. 3, the pressure accumulating means 8 is maintained at a constant pressure, but the gas pressure in the pressure accumulating means 8 is abnormal due to a failure of the compression means 6 or the like. When the measurement signal of the pressure sensor 9 becomes an abnormal value (ST22), the control means 18 closes the on-off valve 11 and finishes the filling (ST18). However, if the pressure is not abnormal in step ST22, the process returns to step ST15 and the operation is continued.

As an abnormality of the gas pressure in the pressure accumulating means 8, for example, when the gas pressure is 30 MPa or less, filling is impossible due to insufficient pressure, and when the gas pressure is 55 MPa or more, filling is impossible to prevent overfilling.
During the filling operation, the ventilation fan 21 is driven and the inside of the housing 5 is forcibly ventilated, so that the danger that hydrogen gas stays in the housing 5 is prevented.

  The changeover switch 24 provided on the keyboard 20 switches the gas filling pressure. For example, the filling pressure can be switched to 35 MPa or 70 MPa depending on the capacity of an automobile tank to be filled.

  Since it becomes a small, safe and inexpensive high-pressure gas filling device, the establishment of a high-pressure gas filling station is promoted so that it can contribute to the promotion of the popularization of automobiles that use hydrogen gas or natural gas as fuel. Become.

The schematic diagram which shows the whole high-pressure gas filling apparatus of this invention. The block diagram which shows the control relationship of a high pressure gas filling apparatus. The flowchart explaining operation | movement of the pressure accumulation holding | maintenance control means of a control apparatus. The flowchart explaining operation | movement of the filling control means of a control apparatus. The schematic diagram of the conventional high-pressure gas filling apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... High pressure gas filling apparatus 2, 10 ... Channel pipe 3 ... Reforming means 4 ... Gas supply source 5 ... Housing 6 ... Compression means 7, 11 ... Open / close valve DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 ... Accumulation means 9, 13 ... Pressure sensor 12 ... Flow meter 14 ... Filling hose 15 ... Filling nozzle 16 ... Nozzle hook 17 ... Nozzle switch 18 ... Control device DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 ... Display device 20 ... Keyboard 21 ... Ventilation fan 22 ... Start switch 23 ... Stop switch 24 ... Changeover switch 25 ... PSO
26 ... Accumulation holding control means 27 ... Filling control means 28 ... Roof 29 ... Opening

Claims (3)

The compression means provided in the housing is connected to the reforming means provided outside the housing, the compression means is connected to the pressure accumulating means, and a flow meter is interposed in the flow path pipe connected to the pressure accumulating means, and is led out of the housing. A control means for connecting a filling hose to the flow channel pipe, providing a filling nozzle at the tip of the filling hose, calculating a filling amount in response to a flow rate signal of the flow meter, and displaying the calculated filling amount on a display A high-pressure gas filling device provided. The pressure accumulating means and the flow path pipe are provided with a pressure sensor, the control device includes a pressure accumulating holding control means and a filling control means, and the pressure accumulating holding control means receives a measurement signal of the pressure sensor provided in the pressure accumulating means, and stores the pressure accumulating means. The compression means is driven and controlled so that the gas pressure inside is kept within a certain range, and the filling control means receives the measurement signal of the pressure sensor provided in the flow path pipe and finishes the filling when the pressure in the flow path pipe reaches a constant value The high-pressure gas filling apparatus according to claim 1. The high-pressure gas filling device according to claim 1, wherein an opening is provided in an upper portion of the housing, and a ventilation fan is provided in a middle portion of the housing, and the control device drives the ventilation fan when the equipment in the housing is driven.

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