JPH0654411A - Safety device for nickel-hydrogen cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent leakage of hydrogen gas and to improve safety when an external force, an impact is applied by providing an outer vessel for containing a cell vessel in a state that compressed gas is interposed around the cell vessel, and a pressure sensor for operating compressed gas supply means at the time of detecting a decrease in a set gas pressure. CONSTITUTION:A nickel-hydrogen cell A is sealed in a cell vessel B having a pressure resistance of 70MPa or more, and contained in a state that a plurality of nickel-hydrogen cells A are supported by a support member 20 in an outer vessel 1. The space between the vessel B and the vessel 1 is filled with compressed air, and the differential pressure between hydrogen gas pressure and the compressed air is added to a wall of the vessel B. Further, when a pressure sensor 3 detects decrease in the internal pressure of the vessel 1, a compressed gas control valve 5 closes a passage by an exhaust tube 18, and compressed gas from a compressor 16 is fed into the vessel 1 through a gas feed tube 17, a safety valve 12, a check valve 13 and a safety valve 14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a safety device for a nickel hydrogen battery, and more particularly to an electric vehicle equipped with the nickel hydrogen battery as a power source.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A nickel hydrogen battery has a hydrogen pressure of, for example, 7
About 0 MPa is planned to be applied to space stations and the like.

The nickel-hydrogen battery is expected to have high applicability to vehicles such as automobiles because it has high output and high performance.

[0004]

However, when used as a vehicle in the atmosphere, since the nickel-hydrogen battery has a high-pressure hydrogen gas of about 70 MPa hermetically sealed in its battery container, it may explode due to mixing with air. Various measures are required to avoid it.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to ensure safety when a nickel-hydrogen battery is applied as a drive power source for a vehicle such as an automobile.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, four means are proposed in the safety device for a nickel hydrogen battery according to the present invention. A first means is an outer container for accommodating a nickel hydrogen battery with a pressurized gas interposed around the battery container, and a pressurized gas supply means connected to the inside of the outer container to supply the pressurized gas. A safety device for a nickel-hydrogen battery, comprising: a pressure sensor connected to the inside of the outer container and to the pressurized gas supply means, which activates the pressurized gas supply means when a drop in the set gas pressure is detected. The second means is a nickel-hydrogen battery safety device in which a structure in which a flow rate adjusting means for discharging the pressurized gas little by little is connected to the pressurized gas supply means is added to the first means. A third means is a safety device for a nickel-hydrogen battery, wherein the flow rate adjusting means has a configuration in which a pressurized gas control valve for stopping the discharge of the pressurized gas when the decrease in the set gas pressure is detected is added to the second means. I am trying. A fourth means has a configuration in which an electric motor for driving a vehicle is connected to the nickel-hydrogen battery, and a pressurized air generating means of a pressurized gas supply means is connected to a rotational force transmission system of the electric motor. The nickel-metal hydride battery safety device added to the second means or the third means. The fifth means is a nickel-hydrogen battery safety device in which a structure in which a braking means in a vehicle for operating the pressurized gas supply means is connected to the fourth means is added to the fourth means.

[0007]

According to the first means, when the gas pressure inside the outer container drops to a pressure equal to or lower than the set gas pressure, the pressure sensor activates the pressurized gas supply means to transfer the pressurized gas to the outer container. To prevent the high-pressure hydrogen gas from leaking from the battery container by keeping a pressurized gas of a desired pressure interposed around the battery container of the nickel-hydrogen battery.
The outer container protects the nickel-hydrogen battery from external force and impact, and the pressurized gas is interposed outside the battery container to reduce the generated stress due to the internal pressure applied to the battery container. In the second means, in addition to the action of the first means, the pressurized gas supplied from the pressurized gas supply means is discharged little by little, and the pressure of the supplied pressurized air is kept stable. To be done. In the third means, in addition to the function of the second means, when the set gas pressure drops, the discharge of the pressurized gas is stopped, and the pressurized gas is quickly supplied to the inside of the outer container. To be done.
In the fourth means, in addition to the action of the first means, the second means or the third means, when the vehicle is in a driving state, it is applied in conjunction with the electric motor for driving the vehicle. When the compressed air generating means is activated and the electric motor is rotating at a high speed, the outer container is filled with the pressurized gas. In the fifth means, when the vehicle is in a braking state, the pressurized gas is supplied from the pressurized gas supply means to the outer container and acts to suppress the rotation of the electric motor. The vehicle is braked based on the.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a vibration suppressing device for piping etc. according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the figure, reference numeral A is a nickel hydrogen battery, B is a battery container, 1 is an outer container, 2 is a pressurized gas supply means, 3 is a pressure sensor (pressure gauge), 4 is flow rate adjusting means (flow rate adjusting valve), and 5 is Pressurized gas control valve, 6 electric motor, 7 torque transmission system, 8 drive wheels, 9 braking means, 10 power supply cable, 11 controller, 12 safety valve, 13 check valve, 14 safety valve,
Reference numeral 15 is a suction means, 16 is a pressurized gas generating means (compressor), 17 is an air supply pipe, 18 is an exhaust pipe, 19 is a signal cable, 20 is a support member, and 20a is a communication hole.

The nickel-hydrogen battery A is sealed by a battery container B having a pressure resistance of 70 MPa or more, and is accommodated in a state in which a plurality of nickel-hydrogen batteries A are supported by a support member 20 inside the outer container 1. The outer container 1 is filled with a pressurized gas such as pressurized air.
The pressure of the pressurized gas is set to 70 MPa, which is about the same as the hydrogen pressure.

The pressurized gas supply means 2 includes a safety valve 12,
The check valve 13, the safety valve 14, the suction unit 15, the pressurized gas generation unit 16 (compressor), the air supply pipe 17, and the exhaust pipe 18 are included.

The pressure sensor 3 (pressure gauge) is connected to the air supply pipe 17 in the pressurized gas supply means 2 to detect the pressure thereof, and at the same time, the pressure of the pipe line (in other words, it is enclosed in the outer container 1). When the pressure of the pressurized gas is lower than the desired set gas pressure, a detection signal is output to the pressurized gas control valve 5 via the signal cable 19.

The flow rate adjusting means 4 is composed of a flow rate adjusting valve, an orifice or the like, is arranged in the middle of the exhaust pipe 18, and controls the flow rate of discharging the pressurized gas little by little.

The pressurized gas control valve 5 is arranged in the middle of the exhaust pipe 18 and is operated by an operation signal of the pressure sensor 3 and the braking means 9 to close the flow path.

The electric motor 6 is a nickel hydrogen battery A.
It is connected to the power supply cable 10 via a power supply cable 10, is operated by a command of the controller 11, and transmits the generated rotation to the drive wheels 8 via the torque transmission system 7 to drive a vehicle such as an automobile.

A braking means 9 and a pressurized gas generating means 16 are connected to the rotational force transmission system 7.

The braking means 9 applies a braking force to the rotating shaft of the rotational force transmission system 7 by braking using the electric power generated by the electric motor 6 or mechanical braking, and presses the operation signal by the signal cable 19. It is transmitted to the gas control valve 5 to close the flow path.

The pressurized gas generating means 16 is a compressor or the like connected to the rotational force transmission system 7 and takes in outside air from the suction means 15 such as an intake port to generate pressurized air.

In the nickel-metal hydride battery safety device configured as described above, the battery container B is protected by the outer container 1.
And the plurality of nickel hydrogen batteries A are supported by the support member 20, the nickel hydrogen battery A is protected from external force and impact.

In a normal state, the inside of the outer container 1 is filled with pressurized air around the battery container B of the nickel-hydrogen battery A, so that the wall of the battery container B is filled with hydrogen gas pressure. And the pressure difference between the pressurized air and the pressurized air are added, and the stress generated due to the internal pressure of the battery container B is significantly reduced.

On the other hand, when the vehicle is in the operating state and the electric motor 6 is in the operating state, the pressurized gas generating means 16 is in the activated state and the pressurized gas (pressurized air) is supplied to the air supply pipe. 17 and, in the normal case, the filling of the pressurized fluid by the actuation signal of the pressure sensor 3 or the braking means 9 is carried out.

When the electric motor 6 is rotated at a high speed and is larger than the internal pressure of the outer container 1, the outer container 1 is filled with the pressurized gas. When the pressurized gas control valve 5 closes the flow path by the exhaust pipe 18 by detecting the decrease in the internal pressure of the container 1, all the pressurized gas passes through the air supply pipe 17 and the outer container 1 Is sent inside. Around the battery container B,
If there is a desired pressure, that is, pressurized air having a pressure equal to or higher than the hydrogen gas pressure, the high-pressure hydrogen gas is prevented from leaking from the battery container B, and in principle, no leak occurs.

When the vehicle is in the braking state, that is, when the brake is applied, the pressurized gas control valve 5 closes the flow path by the exhaust pipe 18 in response to the operation signal of the braking means 9, and The pressurized gas of is sent to the inside of the outer container 1 via the air supply pipe 17.

During braking of the vehicle, the pressurized gas control valve 5
When the flow path is closed, the pressurized gas generating means 16
Although all the pressurized air supplied from the outer container 1 is sent to the outer container 1, since the outer container 1 has a limited volume, the load of the pressurized gas generating means 16 increases and the rotational force is transmitted. In addition to the original braking force by the braking means 9, the braking force by the pressurized gas supply means 2 is added to the system 7.

However, when the pressure of the pressurized air supplied from the pressurized gas generating means 16 is lower than the internal pressure of the outer container 1, the check valve 13 operates to close the flow path by the air supply pipe 17. As a result, the pressurized air is not filled.

When the internal pressure of the outer container 1 becomes too high, the safety valve 14 operates to return the internal pressure to the set value.

When the electric motor 6 is in the operating state but the pressure sensor 3 or the braking means 9 is not operating, the open state of the pressurized gas control valve 5 is maintained and the pressurized gas generating means is maintained. The compressed air generated in 16 is exhaust pipe 18
And the flow rate adjusting means 4 to be released little by little to the atmosphere, the load of the electric motor 6 is not increased, and the pressurized air is continuously generated. The pressure is kept stable.

[Other Embodiments] In the present invention, the following technique can be adopted instead of the embodiment. a) The number of nickel hydrogen batteries A accommodated in the outer container 1 is arbitrary. b) The pressurized gas supply means 2 is an air pump, blower or the like. c) The flow rate adjusting means 4 is a flow rate adjusting valve. At that time, also use the pressurized gas control valve 5. d) Applicable to vehicles other than automobiles. e) The pressurized gas generated by the pressurized gas generating means 16 is something other than air.

[0028]

In the nickel-metal hydride battery safety device according to the first aspect of the present invention, an outer container for accommodating a pressurized gas around the battery container and an outer container connected to the inside of the outer container are added. With a configuration comprising a pressurized gas supply means for supplying a pressurized gas, and a pressure sensor that is connected to the inside of the outer container and the pressurized gas supply means, respectively, and operates the pressurized gas supply means when a decrease in the set gas pressure is detected, The following effects are achieved. (1) When the inside of the outer container is below the set gas pressure,
The pressurized gas supply means operates to send pressurized gas into the outer container, around the battery container of the nickel hydrogen battery,
With the pressurized gas interposed, equilibrium with the high-pressure hydrogen gas is achieved, and by reducing the pressure difference, leakage of the hydrogen gas can be prevented. (2) By interposing the pressurized gas outside the battery container, fatigue occurrence due to stress applied to the shielding wall of the battery container can be reduced and the life of the battery container can be extended. (3) Double protection of the nickel-hydrogen battery by the outer container can improve the safety when external force or impact is applied. In the safety device for a nickel-hydrogen battery according to claim 2, since the flow rate adjusting means for discharging the pressurized gas little by little is connected to the pressurized gas supply means, in addition to the effect by the safety device according to claim 1. As a result, the pressurized gas supplied from the pressurized gas supply means is constantly discharged little by little, the pressure of the supplied pressurized air is maintained in a stable state, and an increase in the load of the pressurized gas supply means is suppressed. be able to. In the nickel-metal hydride battery safety device according to claim 3, the flow rate adjusting means is provided with a pressurized gas control valve for stopping the discharge of the pressurized gas when the decrease in the set gas pressure is detected. In addition to the effect of the safety device, the discharge of the pressurized gas is stopped when the set gas pressure drops, and the entire amount of the pressurized gas is quickly supplied to the inside of the outer container, so that the pressure is increased in a short time. Gas can be supplied. In the nickel-metal hydride battery safety device according to claim 4, an electric motor for driving a vehicle is connected to the nickel-hydrogen battery, and a pressurized air generating means of a pressurized gas supply means is provided in a rotational force transmission system of the electric motor. In addition to the effect of the safety device according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 2, when the vehicle is in the operating state, the pressurized air generating means is operated by the rotational force transmission system. Therefore, it is possible to fill the outer container with pressurized gas as the electric motor rotates at high speed. In the safety device for a nickel-hydrogen battery according to claim 5, since the braking means in the vehicle for operating the pressurized gas supply means is connected to the pressurized gas supply means, in addition to the effect by the safety device according to claim 4, Will be effective. (1) Each time the vehicle is brought into a braking state, pressurized fluid is supplied from the pressurized gas supply means to the outer container to ensure safety when the nickel-hydrogen battery is applied as a vehicle drive power source. be able to. (2) When the vehicle is in the braking state, the load of the pressurized gas supply means increases and the rotation of the rotational force transmission system is suppressed, so that the braking performance of the vehicle can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a connection diagram showing an embodiment of a safety device for a nickel hydrogen battery according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view in which a part of a portion of the nickel hydrogen battery of FIG. 1 is sectioned.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A nickel-metal hydride battery B battery container 1 outer container 2 pressurized gas supply means 3 pressure sensor (pressure gauge) 4 flow rate control means 5 pressurized gas control valve 6 electric motor 7 rotational force transmission system 8 drive wheel 9 braking means 10 power supply cable Reference numeral 11 controller 12 safety valve 13 check valve 14 safety valve 15 suction means 16 pressurized gas generating means (compressor) 17 air supply pipe 18 exhaust pipe 19 signal cable 20 support member 20a communication hole

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An outer container for accommodating a nickel-hydrogen battery with a pressurized gas interposed around a battery container, and a pressurized gas supply means connected to the inside of the outer container to supply the pressurized gas. A safety device for a nickel-hydrogen battery, comprising: a pressure sensor that is connected to the inside of the outer container and to the pressurized gas supply means and that activates the pressurized gas supply means when a drop in the set gas pressure is detected. 2. The safety device for a nickel-hydrogen battery according to claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas supply means is connected to a flow rate adjusting means for discharging the pressurized gas little by little. 3. The safety device for a nickel-hydrogen battery according to claim 2, wherein the flow rate adjusting means is provided with a pressurized gas control valve for stopping the discharge of the pressurized gas when a decrease in the set gas pressure is detected. . 4. An electric motor for driving a vehicle is connected to the nickel-hydrogen battery, and a pressurized air generating means of a pressurized gas supply means is connected to a rotational force transmission system of the electric motor. The safety device for a nickel-hydrogen battery according to 1, 2, or 3. 5. The safety device for a nickel-hydrogen battery according to claim 4, wherein the pressurized gas supply means is connected to a braking means in a vehicle for operating the pressurized gas supply means.