JPS6238638B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention is a sleeve-shaped (doughnut-shaped) heat pipe in which the central hollow part is filled with a metal hydride, and a cylindrical shape formed between an outer tube and an inner tube of the heat pipe. The present invention relates to a metal hydride container which has an excellent heat transfer ability, particularly in the axial direction of the heat pipe, by partitioning the wick part of the heat pipe with one or more partition members parallel to the axis of the heat pipe.

In this specification, "wick part" means
A cylindrical cavity formed between the outer tube and the inner tube of a sleeve-shaped heat pipe and filled with a heat pipe and a working fluid.

Since metal hydrides have the property of reversibly absorbing and releasing large amounts of hydrogen, their use as hydrogen storage materials has attracted attention, and since they generate a large amount of reaction heat when absorbing and releasing hydrogen, they can also be used as heat storage materials. Attention has been paid. In hydrogen storage devices and heat storage devices that use metal hydrides, it is important to make the metal hydride absorb heat efficiently and to efficiently extract heat generated from the metal hydride.

However, when metal hydrides are repeatedly hydrogenated and dehydrogenated, they become pulverized and their volume decreases, which reduces their heat exchange function, and the metal hydrides themselves have low thermal conductivity, which is disadvantageous in terms of reaction heat transfer. There are other problems.

Previously, the inventors of this invention have solved these problems and reduced the sensible heat loss to the metal hydride container itself by filling the central hollow part of a sleeve-shaped heat pipe with metal hydride. A metal hydride container has been disclosed (see JP-A-58-47988 and JP-A-58-47989). Heat transfer in the sleeve-shaped heat pipes of these metal hydride containers is achieved through repeated cycles of evaporation and condensation of the working fluid, but this process involves a change in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the heat pipe. This includes the process of moving hydraulic fluid through the wick. The opening part of these metal hydride containers is formed by a single sealed cylindrical gap with no partitions formed between the outer tube and the inner tube of the heat pipe, so that the axis of the heat pipe The movement speed of the hydraulic fluid in the vertical direction is not sufficient, and it is predicted that a partial dryout phenomenon will occur due to uneven movement of the hydraulic fluid.
Therefore, the heat transfer ability in this direction is not satisfactory.

This invention is an invention in which the heat transfer capacity of the heat pipe in the axial direction is improved by improving the heat pipe part of the sleeve-shaped heat pipe, and the central hollow part of the sleeve-shaped heat pipe is filled with metal hydride. , the central opening at both ends of the central hollow part is closed with a closing member, and a hydrogen inlet/outlet conduit having an on-off valve is connected to the closing member, through a partition body through which hydrogen can pass but not the metal hydride, A metal hydride container installed to communicate with a central hollow part of a heat pipe, wherein a cylindrical wick part formed between an outer pipe and an inner pipe of the heat pipe is arranged parallel to the axis of the heat pipe. The present invention provides a metal hydride container characterized in that it is partitioned by one or more partition members.

In the container of the present invention, the wick portion is partitioned by partition plates parallel to the axial direction of the heat pipe, but the number of partition plates is not limited and can be selected as appropriate.
By providing such a partition plate, the moving distance of the working fluid in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the heat pipe becomes smaller, so the working speed of the working fluid through the wick in this direction is not so much of a problem. ,
In addition, the local dry-out phenomenon hardly occurs. Therefore, the working fluid and its vapor are sufficiently moved in the direction parallel to the axis of the heat pipe.
Excellent heat transfer in this direction. As a result, the container of the present invention is suitable for use in a heat storage device in which a heat exchanger as described below is installed at one end of the container where the hydrogen inlet/output conduit is not installed.

Next, this invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the metal hydride container of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along the line AB. Reference numerals 1 and 2 respectively indicate an outer tube and an inner tube of the sleeve-shaped heat pipe, and 3 indicates a wick disposed within the wick portion 10. The openings at both ends of this sleeve-shaped heat pipe are closed by closing plates 4a and 4b, and a hydrogen inlet/output conduit 8 having an on-off valve 7 is attached to the closing plate 4a, and furthermore, the hydrogen inlet/outlet conduit 8 is attached to the closing plate 4a. A porous conduit 9, for example made of sintered alloy, through which hydrogen can pass but not metal hydrides, extends coaxially from the central hollow part 5 of the heat pipe to the central hollow part 5 of the heat pipe. 6 is filled. In this metal hydride container, the porous conduit 9 prevents the metal hydride from scattering out of the system, and allows hydrogen to enter and exit quickly. Note that the conduit 9 may not extend to the opposing closing plate 4b as in this embodiment, but may protrude halfway into the central hollow, or may have a shape other than a cylinder. In FIG. 2, the heat pipe 10 is partitioned into two parts by partition plates 11a and 11b parallel to the central axis of the sleeve-shaped heat pipe. Since it is divided into two parts in this way, the working fluid and its vapor can sufficiently move in the direction parallel to the central axis of the sleeve-shaped heat pipe, and heat transfer in this direction is excellent.

Next, FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a heat storage device using the metal hydride container shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. That is, it is a heat storage device in which a heat exchanger 21 is connected to the metal hydride container, and this heat exchanger 2
1 is filled with a heat medium 22 and has conduits 23a and 23b for the heat medium 22 in and out. The metal hydride container itself is then covered with a heat insulating material 20. This heat storage device performs heat exchange as follows.

First, during heat storage, thermal energy is transferred from the heating medium 22 to the metal hydride container to heat the metal hydride 16 in the container through the sleeve-shaped heat pipe, and the generated hydrogen gas is transferred to the porous conduit 19. The hydrogen then passes through the opened on-off valve 17 and is led to a hydrogen cylinder or the like (not shown) through the hydrogen in/out conduit 18 and stored. On the other hand, during heat dissipation, hydrogen gas from a hydrogen cylinder or the like passes through the open on-off valve 17, passes through the hydrogen inlet/output conduit, and further passes through the porous conduit 19, contacts the metal hydride, reacts, and generates heat. The heat is transmitted to the heat exchanger 21 through the pipe, heats the heat medium 22, and utilizes the heat. Since the wick part of the metal hydride container is divided into two parts as shown in FIG. has excellent heat exchange ability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of an embodiment of a metal hydride container of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AB in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the heat storage device used. 1, 11...outer tube, 2,12...inner tube, 3,13...
4a, 4b, 14a, 14b... Closing plate, 5, 15... Central hollow part of sleeve-shaped heat pipe, 6, 16... Metal hydride, 7, 17... Opening/closing valve, 8, 18... Hydrogen inlet/outlet conduit, 9 , 19... Tubular compartment body, 20... Heat insulating material, 21... Heat exchanger, 22... Heat medium, and 23a, 23b... Heat medium inlet/output conduit, 1
0, 30...wick part, and 11a, 11b...
Partition board.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A central hollow part of a sleeve-shaped heat pipe is filled with a metal hydride, and central openings at both ends of the central hollow part are closed with closing members, and the closing member includes a hydrogen inlet/outlet conduit having an on-off valve. A metal hydride container installed to communicate with the central hollow part of the heat pipe through a partition that allows hydrogen to pass through but not the metal hydride, the outer tube and the inner tube of the heat pipe being connected to each other. 1. A metal hydride container, characterized in that a cylindrical wick portion formed between the heat pipe and the heat pipe is partitioned by one or more partition members parallel to the axis of the heat pipe.