JP2009168165A - Valve device for high-pressure tank and fuel cell system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of high pressure pipes connected to a high pressure valve as much as possible. <P>SOLUTION: A high pressure valve 51 which is mounted in a hydrogen tank 50 for storing high-pressure hydrogen gas, comprises a hydrogen gas outflow path 511 for forcing hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen tank 50 to be supplied to the outside of the hydrogen tank 50 and a hydrogen gas to be stored in the hydrogen tank 50 to flow thereinto from the outside of the hydrogen tank 50, a hydrogen gas inflow path 513 branched toward the inside of the hydrogen tank 50 from the hydrogen gas outflow path 511, a solenoid valve 512 provided to the hydrogen gas outflow path 511 to cut off or allow the supply of hydrogen gas to the outside of the hydrogen tank 50 from the inside of the hydrogen tank 50 and a check valve 514 provided to the hydrogen gas inflow path 513 to prevent a backflow of hydrogen gas from the inside of the hydrogen tank 50 to the outside of the hydrogen tank 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a valve device for a high-pressure tank and a fuel cell system including the same.

The fuel cell system uses, as an energy source, a fuel cell that receives supply of a reaction gas, a fuel gas and an oxidizing gas, and generates electric power by an electrochemical reaction of the reaction gas. The fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell is compressed in a high pressure and then stored in a high pressure tank. The high-pressure tank is provided with a high-pressure tank valve. The high-pressure tank valve includes an inflow passage for allowing fuel gas to flow into the high-pressure tank, a check valve provided in the inflow passage, and the like. And a gas supply mechanism including a supply channel for supplying the fuel gas stored in the high-pressure tank to the fuel cell, and an electromagnetic valve or the like provided in the supply channel ( See Patent Documents 1 and 2 below).
JP 2005-180496 A JP 2002-206696 A

  Incidentally, the conventional high-pressure tank valve described above is provided with a gas inflow mechanism and a gas supply mechanism independently. Therefore, for example, in a fuel cell vehicle (FCHV) equipped with a plurality of high-pressure tanks, high-pressure piping connecting the fuel gas filling port to the gas inflow mechanism of each high-pressure tank valve, and each high-pressure tank There are provided as many high-pressure tanks as the number of high-pressure tanks connecting the gas supply mechanism of the valve to the fuel gas supply passage for supplying fuel gas to the fuel cell. As the number of high-pressure pipes connected to the high-pressure tank valve increases, various problems such as high cost, increased weight, and deteriorated assembling property become more serious.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems caused by the prior art, and a valve device for a high-pressure tank capable of reducing the number of high-pressure pipes connected to the valve device for the high-pressure tank as much as possible. An object is to provide a fuel cell system including the same.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a valve device for a high-pressure tank according to the present invention is a valve device for a high-pressure tank that is attached to a high-pressure tank that stores high-pressure gas, and the high-pressure gas stored in the high-pressure tank. Is supplied to the outside of the high-pressure tank, and the high-pressure gas stored in the high-pressure tank flows in from the outside of the high-pressure tank, and the gas supply passage and the gas inflow flow branch from the gas passage toward the inside of the high-pressure tank. And a shutoff valve that is provided in the gas supply passage and shuts off or allows the supply of high pressure gas from the inside of the high pressure tank to the outside of the high pressure tank. A check valve for preventing a back flow of the high pressure gas, and the gas supply passage is a passage for supplying the high pressure gas from the high pressure tank to the outside of the high pressure tank, and the gas inflow passage is , Characterized in that it is a channel for flowing the high pressure gas toward the pressure tank outside the high-pressure tank.

  According to the present invention, when the high pressure gas is supplied or inflow, the high pressure gas can be supplied or inflow through the one gas flow path provided in the valve device for the high pressure tank. The high-pressure pipe connected to the gas flow path of the valve device for the engine can be a single high-pressure pipe having both a high-pressure gas supply function and an inflow function. As a result, the number of high-pressure pipes connected to the high-pressure tank valve device can be reduced to the same number as the number of high-pressure tanks.

  In the valve device for the high-pressure tank, the flow passage area in the shutoff valve can be made larger than the flow passage area in the check valve.

  Thereby, when the high pressure gas is filled, the pressure received by the shutoff valve from the high pressure gas can be reduced, so that the durability of the shutoff valve can be improved.

  A fuel cell system according to the present invention includes one or a plurality of high-pressure tanks for storing high-pressure gas, the above-described valve device for the high-pressure tank, a filling port for filling the high-pressure gas into the high-pressure tank, and a high pressure from the high-pressure tank. A fuel cell that receives the supply of gas, a first high-pressure gas passage for flowing the high-pressure gas flowing in from the filling port to the high-pressure tank side, and a first high-pressure gas for supplying the high-pressure gas to the fuel cell from the high-pressure tank side A second high pressure gas flow path, a first high pressure gas flow path, a second high pressure gas flow path, and a third high pressure gas flow path for connecting the gas flow path of the valve device. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, the high pressure gas supplied from the high pressure tank to the fuel cell and the inflow of the high pressure gas from the filling port to the high pressure tank are provided in the valve device for the high pressure tank. Since it can be performed via the gas flow path, only the third high pressure gas flow path having both the high pressure gas supply function and the inflow function can be connected to the high pressure tank valve device. Therefore, the number of third high-pressure gas flow paths connected to the high-pressure tank valve device can be suppressed to the same number as the number of high-pressure tanks.

  According to the present invention, the number of high-pressure pipes connected to the high-pressure tank valve device can be reduced as much as possible.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a valve device for a high-pressure tank and a fuel cell system including the same will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This embodiment demonstrates the case where the fuel cell system which concerns on this invention is used as a vehicle-mounted power generation system of a fuel cell vehicle (FCHV; Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle).

  A valve device for a high-pressure tank and a fuel cell system including the same according to the present invention are provided on the fuel cell side by concentrating the fuel gas inlet / outlet ports on the fuel cell side and the filling port side of the high-pressure tank valve device. The number of high-pressure pipes for connecting the pipes and the piping on the filling port side to the above-mentioned entrance / exit of the valve device for the high-pressure tank is suppressed to the same number as the number of high-pressure tanks. Hereinafter, the configuration of a valve device for a high-pressure tank having such characteristics and a fuel cell system including the same will be described in detail.

  First, the configuration of the fuel cell system in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a fuel cell system in the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the fuel cell system 1 includes a fuel cell 2 that generates electric power by an electrochemical reaction upon receiving supply of an oxidizing gas and a fuel gas (high pressure gas) as reaction gases, and air as an oxidizing gas. It has an oxidizing gas piping system 3 that supplies fuel cell 2, a hydrogen gas piping system 4 that supplies hydrogen as fuel gas to fuel cell 2, and a control unit 6 that controls the entire system.

  The fuel cell 2 is, for example, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, and has a stack structure in which a large number of single cells are stacked. The single cell has a cathode electrode (air electrode) on one surface of an electrolyte made of an ion exchange membrane, an anode electrode (fuel electrode) on the other surface, and further sandwiches the cathode electrode and anode electrode from both sides. It has the structure which has a pair of separator. In this case, hydrogen gas is supplied to the hydrogen gas flow path of one separator, oxidizing gas is supplied to the oxidizing gas flow path of the other separator, and electric power is generated by the chemical reaction of these reaction gases.

  The oxidizing gas piping system 3 is discharged from the fuel cell 2, a compressor 31 that takes in and compresses the oxidizing gas in the atmosphere, sends it, an air supply channel 32 for supplying the oxidizing gas to the fuel cell 2, and And an air discharge passage 33 for discharging the oxidizing off gas. The air supply flow path 32 and the air discharge flow path 33 are provided with a humidifier 34 that humidifies the oxidizing gas pumped from the compressor 31 using the oxidizing off gas discharged from the fuel cell 2. The oxidizing off gas that has undergone moisture exchange or the like in the humidifier 34 is finally exhausted into the atmosphere outside the system as exhaust gas.

  The hydrogen gas piping system 4 supplies a fuel supply source system 5 having a hydrogen tank 50 (high pressure tank) as a fuel supply source and high pressure hydrogen gas (high pressure gas) stored in the hydrogen tank 50 to the fuel cell 2. And a hydrogen circulation passage 42 for returning the hydrogen off-gas discharged from the fuel cell 2 to the hydrogen supply passage 41.

  The hydrogen supply channel 41 is provided with a regulator 43 that adjusts the pressure of the hydrogen gas to a preset secondary pressure. As a result, high-pressure hydrogen gas flows through the flow path (second high-pressure gas flow path) on the upstream side of the regulator 43 in the hydrogen supply flow path 41, and downstream of the regulator 43 in the hydrogen supply flow path 41. The hydrogen gas after being regulated (decreased) to the secondary pressure flows through the flow path on the side.

  The fuel supply source system 5 includes a hydrogen tank 50 arranged in parallel on the upstream side of the hydrogen supply passage 41 and a high-pressure valve 51 (valve device for the high-pressure tank) provided on the hydrogen supply passage 41 side of the hydrogen tank 50. A filling port 53 for filling the hydrogen tank 50 with hydrogen gas, and a filling channel 54 (first high-pressure gas channel for allowing the hydrogen gas flowing from the filling port 53 to flow into the hydrogen tank 50 side. ), A connecting portion 55 that connects the hydrogen supply passage 41 and the filling passage 54, and a high-pressure pipe 52 (third high-pressure gas passage) for connecting the connecting portion 55 and the high-pressure valve 51. Have.

  The hydrogen supply channel 41, the filling channel 54, and the high-pressure pipe 52 are connected to each other via a connecting portion 55.

  The number of hydrogen tanks 50 is not limited to two. For example, only one hydrogen tank may be arranged on the upstream side of the hydrogen supply channel 41, or a plurality of three or more hydrogen tanks may be arranged in parallel on the upstream side of the hydrogen supply channel 41. .

  Here, with reference to FIG. 2, the structure of the high pressure valve 51 which is the valve apparatus for high pressure tanks in this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the fuel supply source system 5 including the high-pressure valve 51.

  As shown in the figure, the fuel supply source system 5 includes a hydrogen tank 50, a high-pressure valve 51, a high-pressure pipe 52, a filling port 53, and a filling channel 54. The high pressure valve 51 includes a hydrogen gas outlet channel 511 (gas supply channel), an electromagnetic valve 512 (shutoff valve), a hydrogen gas inlet channel 513 (gas inlet channel), a check valve 514, and a manual valve. 515 and a safety valve 516.

  The hydrogen gas outflow channel 511 is a channel for supplying the hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen tank 50 toward the fuel cell 2 outside the hydrogen tank 50. One end of the hydrogen gas outflow channel 511 is connected to the high-pressure pipe 52 via a joint 517.

  The solenoid valve 512 is a valve that is provided in the hydrogen gas outflow passage 511 and blocks or allows the supply of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank 50 to the outside of the hydrogen tank 50. The solenoid valve 512 may be any one of a pilot type, a direct acting type, and a magna lift type.

  The hydrogen gas inflow channel 513 is a channel for allowing hydrogen gas to flow into the hydrogen tank 50 from the filling port 53 outside the hydrogen tank 50. The hydrogen gas inflow channel 513 branches from the hydrogen gas outflow channel 511 between the manual valve 515 and the electromagnetic valve 512 into the hydrogen tank 50. In other words, the hydrogen gas outflow channel 511 starts from between the manual valve 515 and the electromagnetic valve 512 and branches into the hydrogen gas outflow channel 511 and the hydrogen gas inflow channel 513 toward the inside of the hydrogen tank 50.

  Therefore, the portion (gas flow path) where the hydrogen gas outflow path 511 and the hydrogen gas inflow path 513 merge in the hydrogen gas outflow path 511 is used to store the hydrogen gas stored in the hydrogen tank 50 as hydrogen. This is a flow path for supplying the hydrogen gas stored outside the tank 50 from the outside of the tank 50 and flowing from the outside of the hydrogen tank 50.

  The check valve 514 is provided in the hydrogen gas inflow passage 513 and is a valve for preventing the hydrogen gas from flowing backward from the inside of the hydrogen tank 50 toward the outside of the hydrogen tank 50.

  Here, in general, when a solenoid valve is in a closed state, many solenoid valves maintain the valve body in a closed state by the force of a spring. Therefore, if a large pressure is applied to the solenoid valve that is in the closed state from the secondary side (downstream side) of the solenoid valve, the closed state cannot be maintained by the spring force, and the fuel gas flows out. May end up. If such a phenomenon is repeated, there is a risk that problems such as shortening the life of the solenoid valve may occur. Therefore, in the high pressure valve 51 in the present embodiment, the flow passage area in the check valve 514 is made larger than the flow passage area in the electromagnetic valve 512.

  Thereby, when hydrogen gas is filled, the amount of hydrogen gas flowing into the solenoid valve 512 side can be made smaller than the amount of hydrogen gas flowing into the check valve 514 side. That is, since the pressure applied to the valve body of the electromagnetic valve 512 can be reduced, the durability of the electromagnetic valve can be improved.

  In order to improve the durability of the electromagnetic valve, it is desirable to make the flow passage area of the check valve 514 as large as possible than the flow passage area of the electromagnetic valve 512. However, in this case, the flow path area in the electromagnetic valve 512 needs to ensure an area where fuel gas can be sufficiently supplied to the fuel cell 2.

  The manual valve 515 is a manual valve for blocking outflow of hydrogen gas when the fuel cell system 1 is inspected. The safety valve 516 is a valve that is opened when the temperature in the hydrogen tank 50 rises above a predetermined temperature. The filters F1 to F3 are devices that filter hydrogen gas by removing dust and the like contained in the hydrogen gas.

  The hydrogen circulation channel 42 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a hydrogen pump 44 that pressurizes the hydrogen off gas in the hydrogen circulation channel 42 and sends it to the hydrogen supply channel 41 side. In addition, a discharge flow path 47 is connected to the hydrogen circulation flow path 42 via a gas-liquid separator 45 and an exhaust drain valve 46. The gas-liquid separator 45 recovers moisture from the hydrogen off gas. The exhaust / drain valve 46 discharges (purges) the moisture recovered by the gas-liquid separator 45 and the hydrogen off-gas containing impurities in the hydrogen circulation passage 42 in accordance with a command from the control unit 6. The hydrogen off-gas discharged from the exhaust / drain valve 46 is diluted by the diluter 48 and merges with the oxidizing off-gas in the air discharge passage 33.

  The control unit 6 detects an operation amount of an acceleration operation member (accelerator or the like) provided in the fuel cell vehicle, and provides control information such as an acceleration request value (for example, a required power generation amount from a power consumption device such as a traction motor). In response, the operation of various devices in the system is controlled. In addition to the traction motor, the power consuming device includes, for example, an auxiliary device (for example, a compressor 31 and a hydrogen pump 44 motor) necessary for operating the fuel cell 2 and various devices ( Actuators used in transmissions, wheel control devices, steering devices, suspension devices, etc.), passenger space air conditioners (air conditioners), lighting, audio, and the like.

  Here, the control unit 6 physically includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM that stores a control program and control data processed by the CPU, a RAM that is mainly used as various work areas for control processing, And an input / output interface. These elements are connected to each other via a bus. Various sensors such as a pressure sensor P and a temperature sensor T are connected to the input / output interface, and various drivers for driving the compressor 31, the hydrogen pump 44, the exhaust drain valve 46, the high pressure valve 51, and the like are connected. ing.

  The CPU receives the detection results of the various sensors via the input / output interface according to the control program stored in the ROM, and processes the data using various data in the RAM, thereby processing the fuel gas supply in the fuel cell system. Control various processes. Further, the CPU controls the entire fuel cell system 1 by outputting control signals to various drivers via the input / output interface.

  As described above, according to the fuel cell system 1 in the embodiment, the supply of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank 50 to the fuel cell 2 and the inflow of hydrogen gas from the filling port 53 to the hydrogen tank 50 are performed using the high-pressure valve 51. Therefore, only the high-pressure pipe 52 having both the hydrogen gas supply function and the inflow function is provided at one end of the hydrogen gas outflow path 511 of the high-pressure valve 51. Can be connected. Therefore, the number of high-pressure pipes 52 connected to the high-pressure valve 51 can be suppressed to the same number as the number of hydrogen tanks 50.

  Further, by suppressing the number of the high-pressure pipes 52 connected to the high-pressure valve 51, various effects such as cost reduction, promotion of weight reduction, and improvement of assembling performance can be achieved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the fuel cell system according to the present invention is mounted on a fuel cell vehicle is described. However, the present invention is also applied to various mobile bodies (robots, ships, aircrafts, etc.) other than the fuel cell vehicle. The fuel cell system according to the invention can be applied. Moreover, the fuel cell system according to the present invention can also be applied to a stationary power generation system used as a power generation facility for buildings (houses, buildings, etc.).

It is a lineblock diagram showing typically the fuel cell system in an embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows typically the fuel supply source system containing the high pressure valve in embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fuel cell system, 2 ... Fuel cell, 3 ... Oxidation gas piping system, 4 ... Hydrogen gas piping system, 5 ... Fuel supply system, 6 ... Control part, 41 ... Hydrogen supply flow path, 43 ... Regulator, 50 ... Hydrogen tank, 51 ... high pressure valve, 52 ... high pressure piping, 53 ... filling port, 54 ... filling channel, 511 ... hydrogen gas outflow channel, 512 ... electromagnetic valve, 513 ... hydrogen gas inflow channel, 514 ... check valve.

Claims (3)

A valve device for a high-pressure tank mounted on a high-pressure tank that stores high-pressure gas,
A gas flow path for supplying the high-pressure gas stored in the high-pressure tank to the outside of the high-pressure tank and allowing the high-pressure gas stored in the high-pressure tank to flow from outside the high-pressure tank;
A gas supply channel and a gas inflow channel that branch from the gas channel toward the inside of the high-pressure tank;
A shut-off valve that is provided in the gas supply flow path and shuts off or allows the supply of high-pressure gas from inside the high-pressure tank to the outside of the high-pressure tank;
A check valve that is provided in the gas inflow passage and prevents a backflow of the high-pressure gas from the inside of the high-pressure tank to the outside of the high-pressure tank,
The gas supply channel is a channel for supplying high-pressure gas from the high-pressure tank toward the outside of the high-pressure tank, and the gas inflow channel is directed from the outside of the high-pressure tank toward the inside of the high-pressure tank. A valve device for a high-pressure tank, wherein the valve device is a flow path for allowing high-pressure gas to flow in.   The valve device for a high-pressure tank according to claim 1, wherein a flow passage area in the shut-off valve is larger than a flow passage area in the check valve. One or more high-pressure tanks for storing high-pressure gas;
A valve device for a high-pressure tank according to claim 1 or 2,
A filling port for filling the high-pressure gas into the high-pressure tank;
A fuel cell that receives supply of high-pressure gas from the high-pressure tank;
A first high-pressure gas flow path for flowing the high-pressure gas introduced from the filling port into the high-pressure tank side;
A second high-pressure gas passage for supplying high-pressure gas from the high-pressure tank side to the fuel cell;
A third high pressure gas flow path for connecting between the first high pressure gas flow path and the second high pressure gas flow path and the gas flow path of the valve device;
A fuel cell system comprising:

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