JPH074906U - Actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Even if used for a long time, there is no leakage of hydrogen gas, and a small amount of hydrogen storage alloy can be used to achieve its function and excellent compactness, and it can be used in a diagonal or horizontal position. It also provides an actuator that can be used. [Structure] A piston 12 is slidably inserted in the through holes 112a and 113a of a cylinder 11 in a vertical direction, and a cylindrical partition wall 13 is fixed to the piston 12 downward. Cylindrical partition 13
The liquid 17 is enclosed in the upper part of the inside of the chamber leaving a space A2, the surface of the liquid 17 is covered with a liquid level holding plate 16, and a gas inlet pipe 181 is opened in the space A2 above the liquid level holding plate 16. Introduce 18. The gas introducing pipe 18 is connected to a container 15 in which a hydrogen storage alloy is sealed, and the container 15 is heated or cooled to allow hydrogen gas to flow into and out of the space A2 above the liquid surface pressing plate 16, and the piston 12 is moved up and down.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an actuator that uses a hydrogen gas that is released and stored when a hydrogen storage alloy is heated and cooled as a drive source to open and close a valve.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 When a hydrogen storage alloy is built into one end of a cylinder that has a piston and the hydrogen storage alloy is heated or cooled, the hydrogen storage alloy releases or stores hydrogen, so the amount of hydrogen gas is changed to change the position of the piston. It can be moved.

However, since hydrogen is the lightest of the elements and the gas molecules thereof are extremely small, hydrogen gas easily leaks from the sliding portion between the piston and the cylinder wall or the piston shaft and the shaft insertion hole. There is a problem that the pressure cannot be maintained. In addition, as a measure against hydrogen gas leakage from the sliding part, there is a device equipped with a packing such as a rubber O-ring. However, due to the properties of hydrogen gas as described above, ordinary liquids, air, etc. It is extremely difficult to seal with the O-ring used to seal

Therefore, as a measure for preventing such leakage of hydrogen gas, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-199008 proposes a hydrogen gas-driven actuator using a bellows. This actuator is arranged by placing a bellows filled with liquid in a closed container connected to a hydrogen storage alloy container.When the hydrogen storage container is heated, hydrogen gas released from the alloy pressurizes the closed container and compresses the bellows. The liquid is discharged outside the bellows, flows into the piston connected to the bellows, and drives the cylinder.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the bellows generally expands and contracts due to the pressure applied to the end plate, and transmits / receives the medium inside the bellows / expansion / expansion / contraction to transmit the force. There is a drawback that plastic deformation of the part is likely to occur.

In order to avoid this, it is necessary to reduce the pressure change of pressurization / decompression from the outside to reduce the expansion / contraction amount of the bellows. However, in order to obtain a certain stroke, a considerable cylinder capacity is required, and in order to inject a large amount of liquid into the cylinder, it is necessary to increase the inner volume of the bellows itself, which makes the actuator larger. There are drawbacks.

[0007] Furthermore, in applications such as a vehicle in which a vertical installation space is difficult to take, there is a problem that an actuator used in a vertical position is difficult to use.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, does not leak hydrogen gas even if it is used for a long time, and is excellent in compactness that exerts its function by using a small amount of hydrogen storage alloy, Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an actuator that can be used in a horizontal position so that it can be easily mounted on a vehicle.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The actuator of the present invention comprises a cylinder, a piston, a cylindrical partition wall, a pressing member, a liquid level pressing plate, and a container containing a hydrogen storage alloy. Through holes are provided in the upper and lower walls of the cylinder. The piston is slidably inserted in the up and down direction, the through hole in the lower wall and the space between the pistons are sealed by packing, and the upper wall is provided on the upper end of the cylinder and the lower end is opened inside the cylinder of the piston. A cylindrical partition wall is fixed, and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical partition wall and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder are slidable in the vertical direction via packing, and a cylinder is installed between the upper wall of the cylindrical partition wall and the cylinder upper wall. A pressing material that presses the cylindrical partition wall downward is installed, and the liquid is sealed in the lower part of the cylinder inside the cylindrical partition wall leaving a space, and constantly presses the surface of the liquid perpendicular to the axis of the piston. With the inner surface of the partition A liquid level pressing plate having a slidable sealing means is provided between the outer surface of the stone and a gas introduction pipe is introduced into the space above the liquid level pressing plate so that the gas discharge port opens. The inlet pipe is connected to a container containing a hydrogen storage alloy that is provided outside the cylinder, and hydrogen gas reciprocates between the hydrogen storage alloy in the container and the space inside the cylindrical partition wall by heating or cooling the container. The point is that the piston can move up and down.

In the present invention, the hydrogen storage alloy may vary depending on the environment such as the outside air temperature and the control temperature, but for example, a part of LaNi ₅ or Ni may be replaced with another metal such as Co or Al. Rare earth-nickel alloys, iron-titanium alloys represented by FeTi, magnesium-nickel alloys such as MgNi ₂ are used.

As a method of releasing the hydrogen gas for moving the piston of the actuator up and down from the hydrogen storage alloy, the container in which the hydrogen storage alloy is sealed is heated to a predetermined temperature by an external heating means such as an electric heater. Heating method, releasing hydrogen gas when the surrounding temperature becomes high, detecting the temperature of fluid such as gas or liquid, and releasing hydrogen gas when it reaches a predetermined high temperature Can be adopted.

On the contrary, as a method of storing hydrogen gas in the hydrogen storage alloy, a method in which the container in which the hydrogen storage alloy is sealed is left to cool in the outside air, and the container is brought to a predetermined temperature by an external cooling means. Cooling method, a method of absorbing hydrogen gas when the temperature in the vicinity becomes low, a temperature of fluid such as gas or liquid is detected, and hydrogen gas is absorbed when the temperature reaches a predetermined low temperature. The method of doing so can be adopted.

[0013]

[Action]

 The actuator of the present invention comprises a cylinder, a piston, a cylindrical partition wall, a pressing member, a liquid level pressing plate, and a container containing a hydrogen storage alloy. Through holes are provided in the upper and lower walls of the cylinder. The piston is slidably inserted in the up and down direction, the through hole in the lower wall and the space between the pistons are sealed by packing, and the upper wall is provided on the upper end of the cylinder and the lower end is opened inside the cylinder of the piston. A cylindrical partition wall is fixed, and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical partition wall and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder are slidable in the up and down direction via packing, and a cylinder is installed between the upper wall of the cylindrical partition wall and the cylinder upper wall. A pressing material that presses the cylindrical partition wall downward is installed, and the liquid is sealed in the lower part of the cylinder inside the cylindrical partition wall leaving a space, and constantly presses the surface of the liquid perpendicular to the axis of the piston. With the inner surface of the partition A liquid level pressing plate having a slidable sealing means is provided between the outer surface of the stone and a gas introduction pipe is introduced into the space above the liquid level pressing plate so that the gas discharge port opens. The inlet pipe is connected to a container containing a hydrogen storage alloy that is provided outside the cylinder, and hydrogen gas reciprocates between the hydrogen storage alloy in the container and the space inside the cylindrical partition wall by heating or cooling the container. The piston can move up and down. Therefore, the hydrogen gas is not only sealed by the ordinary elastic sealing material such as an O-ring but also by the liquid, so that there is no leakage of the hydrogen gas and good sealing performance can be obtained. Further, since the bellows is not used, the function can be exhibited by using a small amount of hydrogen storage alloy, and the structure can be made compact. Further, since the surface of the liquid is constantly pressed by the liquid surface pressing plate, the liquid can be operated in the inclined position or the horizontal position without causing liquid leakage or malfunction.

[0014]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show the structure of the actuator of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the retracted position of the actuator, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the advanced position of the actuator in a horizontal state. (Hereinafter, the state in which the piston is above is referred to as the forward position, and the state in which the piston is below is referred to as the retracted position.) The actuator 1 includes a cylinder 11, a piston 12, a cylindrical partition wall 13, a pressing member 14, and a liquid surface. The pressing plate 16 and the container 15 in which the hydrogen storage alloy is enclosed are the main components.

The cylinder 11 is provided with an upper wall 112 and a lower wall 113 at an upper end and a lower end of a cylindrical portion 111 such as a cylinder. The upper wall 112 and the lower wall 113 have through holes 112 a and 113 a, respectively. It is provided.

The piston 12 is vertically slidably inserted into the through holes 112 a and 113 a, and an O ring 114 seals between the through hole 113 a of the lower wall 113 and the outer peripheral surface of the piston 12. There is. Between the through hole 112a of the upper wall 112 and the outer peripheral surface of the piston 12, the air in the space A1 surrounded by the inner surface of the cylinder 11 and the outer surface of the cylindrical partition 13 is compressed or decompressed by the vertical movement of the piston 12. Therefore, in order to keep the piston 12 in an open state so as not to hinder the movement of the piston 12, no seal such as an O-ring is provided.

The cylindrical partition wall 13 is formed by providing an upper wall 132 at an upper end portion of a cylindrical portion 131 having a cylindrical shape and an open lower end. The cylindrical partition wall 13 is provided at a substantially central portion of the cylinder 11 of the piston 12. 13 is fixed without any gap so that the open lower end faces downward. The space between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 131 of the cylindrical partition wall 13 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 11 is slidable in the vertical direction via a packing 116. It is preferable that the clearance between the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 131 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 11 is small enough not to hinder sliding.

Between the upper surface of the upper wall 132 of the cylindrical partition wall 13 and the upper wall 112 of the cylinder 11, a pressing member 14 (for example, a spiral spring) that presses the cylindrical partition wall 13 downward is mounted.

In the lower part of the cylinder 11, a liquid body 17 is sealed inside the cylindrical partition wall 13 while leaving a space A2. A liquid surface pressing plate 16 is provided in close contact with the surface of the liquid 17 so that the liquid 17 does not directly contact the space.

As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid level pressing plate 16 has a plate-shaped portion 161 having an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 131 of the cylindrical partition wall 13 and penetrates through the central portion of the plate-shaped portion 161 that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the piston 12. A hole 162 is bored, and sliding sleeves 163 and 164 are formed on the peripheral edges of the plate-like portion 161 and the through hole 162. Sealing materials such as O-rings 165 and 166 are fitted between the sliding sleeve 163 and the inner surface of the tubular portion 131 and between the sliding sleeve 164 and the outer peripheral surface of the piston 12. Therefore, the liquid surface pressing plate 16 is always in contact with the surface of the liquid 17 and presses it, and slides between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical partition wall 13 and the outer peripheral surface of the piston 12 while maintaining a sealed state. Even if the actuator 1 is in the inclined position or in the horizontal position as shown in FIG. 2, the liquid 17 does not leak and the hydrogen gas sealing property is maintained.

In the space A 2 above the inner liquid level presser plate of the cylindrical partition wall 13, a gas introduction pipe 18 is connected to a container, one end of which is provided outside the cylinder 11 and which is filled with a hydrogen storage alloy, and is connected to the cylinder 11. It is introduced through the lower wall 113 and the liquid level pressing plate 16, and the gas discharge port 181 is open.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inside of the container 15 is filled with a hydrogen storage alloy 151, and is covered with a filter 152 that is filled in the vicinity where the gas introducing pipe 18 is connected. The filter 152 is formed with a large number of fine holes that allow hydrogen gas to pass through but not hydrogen storage alloy. Although not shown in the drawing, a cylindrical body having a large number of fine holes formed therein, through which hydrogen gas passes but hydrogen storage alloy does not pass, is provided in the center of the container 15 along the entire axial length. A hydrogen storage alloy may be filled between the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body and the inner peripheral surface of the container 15.

When the container 15 is heated or cooled, hydrogen gas reciprocates between the hydrogen storage alloy 151 in the container 15 and the space above the inner side of the cylindrical partition wall 13, whereby the piston 12 is vertically movable.

As shown in FIG. 2, a stopper 19 for adjusting the movement amount is provided above the piston 12, and the position of the stopper 19 is moved up and down to adjust the position of the piston 12. A mechanism that regulates the upper limit position may be provided.

Hereinafter, a usage mode of the actuator shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the container 15 is cooled in the retracted position, and the hydrogen gas in the space A2 in the upper inner side of the cylindrical partition wall 13 is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy in the container 15. The cylindrical partition 13 is pushed down, and the piston 12 is lowered.

From this state, the container 15 in which the hydrogen storage alloy is sealed is heated to release hydrogen gas from the hydrogen storage alloy. Hydrogen gas is injected from the gas introduction pipe 18 into the space above and inside the cylindrical partition wall 13. When the pressure inside the cylindrical partition wall 13 becomes equal to or higher than the pressure set by the pressing member 14, the cylindrical partition wall 13 pushes up the pressing member 14 and the piston 12 rises to the forward position, as shown in FIG.

As described above, the actuator 1 does not leak hydrogen gas, operates reliably by using a small amount of hydrogen storage alloy, and is used for opening / closing operations of a diaphragm valve, a stop valve, a gate valve and the like.

[0028]

[Effect of device]

 As is clear from the above description, the actuator of the present invention has a structure in which it is sealed not only by the usual elastic seal material but also by liquid, so that even hydrogen gas, which is difficult to seal, does not leak. , Reliable operation can be obtained. Further, the function can be exhibited by using a small amount of hydrogen storage alloy, and the structure can be made compact. Moreover, since it operates without causing liquid leakage or malfunction even in a tilted position or a horizontal position, it can be mounted on a vehicle and used for controlling a vehicle valve.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a retracted position of an actuator of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an advanced position of the actuator of the present invention in a horizontal state.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a liquid surface pressing plate.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an example of a hydrogen storage alloy container.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Actuator 11 Cylinder 12 Piston 13 Cylindrical partition wall 14 Pressing material 15 Container 151 Hydrogen storage alloy 152 Filter 16 Liquid level holding plate 17 Liquid 18 Gas introduction pipe

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A cylinder, a piston, a cylindrical partition wall, a pressing member, a liquid level pressing plate, and a container in which a hydrogen storage alloy is sealed. Through holes are provided in the upper and lower walls of the cylinder, and the through holes are formed in the through holes. Cylindrical shape in which the piston is slidably inserted in the vertical direction, the through hole in the lower wall and the space between the pistons are sealed by packing, and the upper wall is provided at the upper end of the cylinder part inside the cylinder of the piston and the lower end is opened. The partition wall is fixed, and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical partition wall and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder are slidable in the vertical direction via packing, and the cylindrical partition wall is placed between the upper wall of the cylindrical partition wall and the upper wall of the cylinder. A pressing member that presses downward is attached, and the liquid is sealed in the lower part of the cylinder inside the cylindrical partition, leaving a space in the upper part, and constantly presses the surface of the liquid perpendicular to the axis of the piston. Between the peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the piston A liquid level holding plate having a slidable sealing means is provided, a gas introducing pipe is introduced into the space above the liquid level holding plate so that a gas discharge port is opened, and the gas introducing pipe is provided outside the cylinder. Connected to a container containing a hydrogen storage alloy, and by heating or cooling the container, hydrogen gas reciprocates between the hydrogen storage alloy in the container and the space inside the cylindrical partition so that the piston can move up and down. An actuator characterized by being