KR102623023B1 - Pressure adjustment valve assembly for hydrogen storage tank - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank in which the flow path and communication path arranged in the fitting part are integrated and simplified (reduced from 4 to 3), and each part in the valve housing part is arranged accordingly. The invention relates to a hydrogen inlet and outlet. (110), a solenoid valve 120 that controls the supply and blocking of hydrogen through the hydrogen inlet and outlet 110, and a temperature-sensitive pressure release device that releases pressure when the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank reaches the upper limit of high temperature and high pressure. TPRD (130), a manual blocking valve (140) that is manually operated when the blocking function of the solenoid valve is lost, a manual blocking release valve (150) that is manually operated when the blocking function of the solenoid valve is lost, and a hydrogen storage tank. A valve housing unit 10 including a temperature measuring unit 160 that measures temperature; And a charging passage 210 connected to the solenoid valve 120 and the manual blocking valve 140 and in communication with the hydrogen storage tank, connected to the solenoid valve 120, TPRD 130, and manual blocking release valve 150. It includes a discharge passage 220 in communication with the hydrogen storage tank, and a fitting part 20 including a temperature measurement communication passage 230 that contains a means for measuring the temperature of the hydrogen storage tank and is in communication with the hydrogen storage tank. do.

Description

Pressure adjustment valve assembly for hydrogen storage tank {Pressure adjustment valve assembly for hydrogen storage tank}

The present invention relates to a pressure control valve (high-pressure hydrogen valve) assembly mounted on a high-pressure tank for hydrogen storage in a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

The high-pressure hydrogen valve (or pressure control valve) assembly installed in the high-pressure tank for hydrogen storage of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is responsible for charging (external → fuel injection into the tank) and discharging (external supply of fuel in the tank) hydrogen fuel and blocking them. It performs additional safety functions due to high temperature rise and loss of valve function. Hydrogen fuel is compressed and stored at high pressure (700 bar) in the tank. In the fuel cell stack, hydrogen reacts with oxygen and causes the reverse reaction of electrolysis, generating current and acting as a power source for the motor.

Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly. The high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly largely consists of a valve housing part 10 equipped with functional valves and a fitting part 20 that is mounted on the high-pressure hydrogen tank 30.

The valve housing portion 10 includes a hydrogen inlet/outlet 110, a solenoid valve 120 that controls the supply and blocking of hydrogen, and a temperature-sensitive pressure that releases pressure when hydrogen reaches the upper limit of high temperature/high pressure. There is a release device TPRD 130, a manual blocking valve 140 that is manually operated when the blocking function of the solenoid valve is lost, and a manual unblocking valve 150 that is manually operated when the blocking function of the solenoid valve is lost.

Since the fitting part 20 is a part directly connected to the hydrogen tank 30, its size is standardized and therefore its diameter and cross-sectional area are limited. In a typical high-pressure hydrogen valve, a total of four flow paths and communication channels are required to be placed within the fitting.

Figure 2 shows a total of four flow paths and communication paths arranged in the fitting portion 20. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fitting portion 20.

A charging passage 210, a discharge passage 220, a temperature measurement communication passage 230, and a pressure release passage 240 are contained within the small diameter of the fitting portion 20. The charging passage 210 is a passage through which hydrogen passes from the hydrogen inlet and outlet 110 to the hydrogen tank 30 when charging hydrogen, and the discharge passage 220 is a passage through which hydrogen passes from the hydrogen tank 30 to the hydrogen inlet and outlet 110 when discharging (supplying) hydrogen. This is the flow path through which hydrogen passes. The temperature measurement communication passage 230 is a passage for measuring the temperature of the fuel inside the tank and is a space where the temperature sensor and parts (lead wire, protection tube, etc.) for protecting and connecting the temperature sensor are placed, and the pressure release passage 240 is the bleed passage of TPRD for releasing tank pressure when fuel temperature is high or valve function is lost.

Figure 3 is an internal perspective view of the valve housing portion 10 and the fitting portion 20 of a conventional high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly. As described above, the valve housing portion 10 is provided with a hydrogen inlet and outlet 110, a solenoid valve 120, a TPRD 130, a manual shutoff valve 140, and a manual shutoff valve 150 (not described). It can be seen that the fitting part 20 includes a charging passage 210, a discharge passage 220, a temperature measurement communication passage 230, and a pressure release passage 240. In the valve housing portion 10, the TPRD 130 and the manual blocking release valve 150 are disposed at a right angle, and the pressure release passage 240 in communication with them is disposed within the fitting portion 20.

As such, in the conventional high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly, a large number of passages must be arranged within a limited area (cross-sectional area of the fitting part), so design freedom in arranging various valves and components within the valve housing part 10 is reduced, and the fitting part 20 ), securing the diameters of the charging passage 210 and the discharging passage 220 is limited. Since the high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly must include a one-way check valve or excessive flow prevention valve to control the flow rate of hydrogen, if the diameters of the charging passage 210 and the discharge passage 220 are small, valve design freedom and placement are difficult. Occurs.

The purpose of the present invention is to simplify the flow path and communication structure of the tank connection portion (fitting portion) of the pressure control valve (high-pressure hydrogen valve) assembly directly mounted on the high-pressure hydrogen tank for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and to arrange the parts in the valve housing portion accordingly. By doing so, the goal is to secure design freedom, reduce costs, and improve performance.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the flow path and communication path arranged in the fitting part are integrated and simplified (reduced from 4 to 3). And each part (main valve, sub-valve, manual valve, temperature measuring unit, etc.) within the valve housing is arranged correspondingly.

Specifically, according to one feature of the present invention, a hydrogen inlet and outlet, a solenoid valve that controls the supply and blocking of hydrogen through the hydrogen inlet and outlet, and a temperature sensitive device that releases pressure when the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank reaches the upper limit of high temperature and high pressure. Type pressure relief device TPRD, a manual shutoff valve that is manually operated when the blocking function of the solenoid valve is lost, a manual unblocking valve that is manually operated when the blocking function of the solenoid valve is lost, and a temperature that measures the temperature of the hydrogen storage tank. A valve housing portion including a measuring portion; and a charging passage connected to the solenoid valve and the manual blocking valve and in communication with the hydrogen storage tank, a discharge passage connected to the solenoid valve, the TPRD, and the manual blocking release valve and communicating with the hydrogen storage tank, and the temperature of the hydrogen storage tank. A pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank is provided, including a fitting part including a temperature measurement communication path that contains a measuring means and is in communication with the hydrogen storage tank.

Meanwhile, according to another feature of the present invention, a hydrogen inlet and outlet; A solenoid valve that controls the supply and blocking of hydrogen through the hydrogen inlet and outlet; TPRD, a temperature-sensitive pressure release device that releases pressure when the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank reaches the upper limit of high temperature and high pressure; a manual blocking valve that is manually operated when the blocking function of the solenoid valve is lost; A manual unblocking valve that is manually operated when the unblocking function of the solenoid valve is lost; A temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature inside the hydrogen storage tank; A charging passage connected to the solenoid valve and the manual shutoff valve and communicating with a hydrogen storage tank; A discharge passage connected to the solenoid valve, the TPRD, and the manual blocking release valve and communicating with a hydrogen storage tank; And a pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank is provided, including a temperature measurement communication path in communication with the hydrogen storage tank to measure the temperature of the hydrogen storage tank.

The structure and operation of the present invention will become more clear through specific embodiments described later with drawings.

By simplifying the internal flow path and communication hole structure of the connection part (fitting part) of the valve assembly body, the processing part is reduced and costs are reduced by eliminating machining and deburring processes, and design freedom is improved by reducing the number of communication channels within a limited cross-sectional area. In addition, the compaction of the main valve (solenoid valve, manual valve) and sub-valve (check valve and overflow prevention valve) location reduces the cross-sectional area of the housing and reduces the weight of raw materials. In addition, charge/discharge efficiency is increased due to the effect of increasing the cross-sectional area of the charge/discharge passage and reducing the pressure drop.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a general high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fitting portion 20 of a conventional high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly.
Figure 3 is an internal perspective view of the valve housing portion 10 and the fitting portion 20 of a conventional high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fitting portion 20 of the high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a circuit diagram for explaining the operation and control of the high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is an internal perspective view of a high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a side view of the valve housing portion of the high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The advantages and features of the present invention, and methods of achieving them, will become clear with reference to the preferred embodiments described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below and may be implemented in various other forms. The examples are provided only to completely disclose the present invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the invention and the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined by the contents of the claims. will be. Additionally, the terms used in this specification are for describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms unless otherwise specified. Additionally, the term 'comprise, comprising, etc.' used in the specification refers to the presence or absence of one or more other components, steps, operations, and/or elements other than the mentioned elements, steps, operations, and/or elements. It is used in the sense that it does not exclude addition.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments, if a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fitting portion 20 of the high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In order to achieve the purpose of the present invention, the flow path/communication path disposed in the fitting portion 20 was simplified from the existing four to three. Specifically, the pressure release passage 240 of FIG. 2 is deleted, and only the charging passage 210, the discharge passage 220, and the temperature measurement communication passage 230 are present.

In this way, the number of passages and communication passages that must be arranged in the fitting part 20 is reduced, thereby increasing the design freedom of the fitting part 20, and securing a sufficient cross-sectional area of the charging passage 210 and the discharge passage 220. The functionality of charging and discharging is improved.

In addition, as the pressure release passage (240 in FIG. 2) in the fitting part 20 is deleted, the freedom of arrangement of the parts (check valve, overflow prevention valve) related thereto is improved, and as a result, the design of the valve housing part 10 is improved. The degree of freedom is increased, the size, cross-sectional area, and amount of material required for the valve housing part 10 are reduced, and the processing length (in the central axis direction) of the fitting part 20 is reduced, thereby benefiting from cost reduction.

Figure 5 is a circuit diagram for explaining the operation and control of the high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 5, each part is briefly explained.

110: Hydrogen Inlet/Outlet Port - This is the entrance through which hydrogen enters during charging and exits when discharging.

112: Filter (inlet/outlet side) - Prevents foreign substances from entering the other side during hydrogen charging/discharging

114: Filter (tank side) - Prevents foreign substances from entering the other side during hydrogen charging/discharging

120: Solenoid valve - Main valve that controls (supply or block) fuel flow from tank to fuel cell using an electrical signal (control signal) from the controller.

122: Charging check valve - A valve that passes hydrogen from the inlet/outlet to the tank during refueling. Since the main valve may open due to differential pressure during charging, this check valve is closed during charging.

124: Discharge check valve - A valve that passes hydrogen in the direction of tank → solenoid valve during defueling.

126: Excessive flow prevention valve - A subvalve located in front of the discharge check valve (124) to prevent excessive flow.

130: TPRD (Temperature-sensitive pressure release device) - A valve that opens in response to a high-temperature environment, releasing the pressure in the tank when the temperature in the tank reaches the upper temperature limit. Depending on the operation method, there are two types: Glass bulb type (destroyed in response to high temperature) and Fuse Metal type (melted at high temperature).

140: Manual valve - A valve that can manually block fuel when the blocking function of the solenoid valve (120) is lost.

150: Manual bleed valve - A valve that can manually unblock the fuel when the bleed function of the solenoid valve (120) is lost.

162: Temperature sensor - Measures the temperature inside the tank, and the NTC thermistor type is mainly used.

164: Connector - A connector connected to an external control board to input and output data and control signals. The connector includes a solenoid connection pin and a temperature sensor connection pin. And for convenience of assembly, the connector and the temperature measurement communication path 230 are generally arranged vertically.

Among the above components, the solenoid valve 120, excessive flow prevention valve 126, charge check valve 122, and discharge check valve 124 perform the main function for charging and discharging (supply) of the high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly. The manual blocking valve 140, manual unblocking valve 150, and TPRD 130 are responsible for safety functions. From the hydrogen inlet and outlet 110 through the manual shutoff valve 140 to the inlet of the charging passage 210, it is always open, and from the hydrogen inlet and outlet 110 through the manual shutoff valve 140 to the discharge passage 220. It is always blocked by a solenoid valve.

5, in the embodiment of the present invention, only the charging passage 210, the discharge passage 220, and the temperature measurement communication passage 230 are connected between the tank and the valve assembly, and the conventional pressure release in FIG. 2 is connected. You can see that there is no Euro (240). Conventionally, the pressure release passage (240 in FIG. 2) communicating with the TPRD (130) was separately located in the fitting portion 20 between the tank and the valve assembly, but in the present invention, the first inlet pipe communicating with the inlet of the TPRD (130) (132) is connected to the manual blocking release valve 150, and the second inflow pipe 134 branched from the first inflow pipe 132 is connected to the discharge passage 220 to delete the separate pressure release passage 240. did. Typically, the TPRD (130) uses a separate molten metal or a different material such as a glass bulb (a thermal expansion liquid encapsulated in a special glass, which is damaged when the temperature rises) to react to temperature, so a manual unblocking valve ( 150) can be used to block the discharge passage 220 connected to the discharge check valve 124 in the tank.

In this way, the manual unblocking valve 150 and the TPRD (130) can be said to be functionally similar because they both perform a 'release/discharge' function. In addition, in the present invention, the manual unblocking valve 150 and the TPRD (130) By sharing some of the flow paths for pressure discharge (vent), flow path processing is minimized, making it cost-effective.

Figure 6 is an internal perspective view of a high-pressure hydrogen valve assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

There are only three charging passages 210, discharge passages 220, and temperature measurement communication passages 230 in the fitting portion 20. And in the valve housing portion 10, there is a solenoid valve 120 connected to the charging passage 210, a manual shutoff valve 140, and a hydrogen inlet and outlet 110, and a solenoid valve 120 connected to the discharge passage 220. ), a TPRD (130), a manual unblocking valve (150), and a temperature measuring unit (160) connected to the temperature measuring communication path (230).

Referring to the side view of the valve housing part of FIG. 7, the manual blocking release valve 150 and the TPRD 130 are disposed on the first plane 40, the solenoid valve 120, the manual blocking valve 140, and the hydrogen inlet and outlet. It can be seen that 110 and the temperature measuring unit 160 are disposed on the second plane 42, which is slightly higher (about 3 mm) than the first plane 40.

Since the manual blocking valve 140 performs a blocking function, it is cost-effective to be placed between the hydrogen inlet and outlet 110 and the solenoid valve 120 (that is, it is possible to block all functional parts with one unit).

In addition, when the manual blocking release valve 150 and the TPRD 130 are in a normally closed state, they must be spatially distinguished from the manual blocking valve 140 in a normally open state. That is, when the manual blocking valve 140 is normally open and the manual blocking release valve 150 is operated in a normally closed state, there are restrictions on the arrangement between them. Conventionally, the manual blocking release valve was placed at the rear of the manual blocking valve or placed in a separate space without communicating with it in a flow path to directly communicate with the tank. However, in the present invention, they are separated spatially.

Functionally, the manual shut-off valve 140 and solenoid valve 120, which are generally 'Normal Open' parts, are cost-effective to have their central axes on the same plane (reduces the number of processes), and are generally 'Normal Closed' parts. There is relative freedom in the arrangement of the manual unblocking valve 150 and the TPRD 130. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, two arrangement planes are implemented spaced apart along the Z axis.

As described above, the pressure release passage (240 in FIG. 2) is removed from the fitting portion 20 and the manual block release valve 150 and the TPRD 130 are connected, making it possible to physically arrange them in a straight line on the same plane. . Therefore, according to the present invention, it is easy to arrange the parts included in the valve housing portion 10 on a plane in a space with a low vertical profile, thereby increasing design freedom.

As described above, according to the present invention, the flow path (pressure release flow path 240) communicating with the longitudinal TPRD 130 and the manual block release valve 150 in the fitting part 20 is deleted, so the fitting part 20 Machining and deburring processes can be deleted. Specifically, the number of four passages in the limited area Ø17 of the fitting part 20 can be reduced to three, and thus the diameters of the charging passage and the discharge passage can be increased. In the conventional case, the diameter of these channels was at a maximum of Ø12, but in the case of the present invention, it can be increased up to Ø14, resulting in an increase rate of +17% per charge or discharge channel, and based on the total cross-sectional area of the two channels. can achieve a cross-sectional area increase rate of +34%.

Additionally, the flow path between the manual unblocking valve 150 and the TPRD 130 can be straightened, thereby reducing the difficulty of the machining and deburring process.

Accordingly, the freedom of arrangement of parts installed in the valve housing unit 10 increases, enabling compact arrangement of each flow path, and multiple flow paths can be placed close to the central axis of the fitting part 20, thereby increasing the freedom of the valve housing part 10. It is possible to reduce the cross-sectional area of (10) and the fitting part (20), and thus the amount of raw material input into the valve housing part (10) can be reduced. The material of the valve housing part 10 is Al (aluminum), which contributes significantly to the overall material cost of the part.

Furthermore, the cross-sectional area allocable to the sub-valves (check valves, overflow prevention valves) included in the assembly is increased, thereby reducing the processing precision required for these sub-valve parts, reducing costs, and thereby increasing design freedom. It is possible to obtain the effect of improving charging efficiency by increasing the cross-sectional area of the charging passage 210, increasing the injection hole passage area and increasing the degree of freedom of arrangement.

Although the present invention has been described in detail through preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is different from the content disclosed herein without changing the technical idea or essential features. It will be understood that it can be implemented in other specific forms. The embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. In addition, the scope of protection of the present invention is determined by the claims described later rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modified forms derived from the scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the technical scope of the present invention. do.

Claims (14)

Hydrogen inlet and outlet, a solenoid valve that controls the supply and blocking of hydrogen through the hydrogen inlet and outlet, a temperature-sensitive pressure release device TPRD that releases pressure when the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank reaches the upper limit of high temperature and high pressure, and blocking of the solenoid valve. A valve housing portion including a manual blocking valve that is manually operated when the function is lost, a manual blocking release valve that is manually operated when the blocking release function of the solenoid valve is lost, and a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the hydrogen storage tank; and
A charging passage connected to the solenoid valve and the manual shutoff valve and in communication with the hydrogen storage tank, a discharge passage connected to the solenoid valve, the TPRD, and the manual blocking release valve and in communication with the hydrogen storage tank, and the temperature of the hydrogen storage tank. It includes a fitting part that includes a temperature measurement communication path that communicates with the hydrogen storage tank,
A first inlet pipe communicating with the inlet of the TPRD of the valve housing portion is connected to the manual blocking release valve,
A pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank, wherein the second inlet pipe branched from the first inlet pipe is connected to the discharge flow path of the fitting part. delete The pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, wherein the TPRD and the manual blocking release valve of the valve housing portion are of a normally blocking type. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen inlet and outlet are always open to the entrance of the charging passage through a manual shutoff valve, and the hydrogen inlet and outlet to the discharge passage through the manual shutoff valve is always blocked by the solenoid valve. Pressure control valve assembly for storage tank. The method of claim 1, wherein in the valve housing portion
the manual unblocking valve and the TPRD are disposed in a first plane,
A pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank, wherein the solenoid valve, manual shutoff valve, hydrogen inlet and outlet, and temperature measuring unit are disposed on a second plane. The pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank according to claim 5, wherein the second plane is located higher than the first plane. The method of claim 1, wherein in the valve housing portion
A pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank, wherein the manual unblocking valve and the TPRD are connected in a straight line. hydrogen inlet and outlet;
A solenoid valve that controls the supply and blocking of hydrogen through the hydrogen inlet and outlet;
TPRD, a temperature-sensitive pressure release device that releases pressure when the hydrogen in the hydrogen storage tank reaches the upper limit of high temperature and high pressure;
a manual blocking valve that is manually operated when the blocking function of the solenoid valve is lost;
A manual unblocking valve that is manually operated when the unblocking function of the solenoid valve is lost;
A temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the hydrogen storage tank;
A charging passage connected to the solenoid valve and the manual shutoff valve and communicating with a hydrogen storage tank;
A discharge passage connected to the solenoid valve, the TPRD, and the manual blocking release valve and communicating with a hydrogen storage tank; and
It includes a temperature measurement communication path communicating with the hydrogen storage tank to measure the temperature of the hydrogen storage tank,
The first inlet pipe communicating with the inlet of the TPRD is connected to the manual blocking release valve,
A pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank, wherein the second inlet pipe branched from the first inlet pipe is connected to the discharge passage. delete The pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank according to claim 8, wherein the TPRD and the manual blocking release valve are of a permanently closed type. The method of claim 8, wherein the hydrogen inlet and outlet are always open to the entrance of the charging passage through a manual shutoff valve, and the hydrogen inlet and outlet to the discharge passage through the manual shutoff valve is always blocked by the solenoid valve. Pressure control valve assembly for storage tank. According to clause 8,
the manual unblocking valve and the TPRD are disposed in a first plane,
A pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank, wherein the solenoid valve, manual shutoff valve, hydrogen inlet and outlet, and temperature measuring unit are disposed on a second plane. The pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank according to claim 12, wherein the second plane is located higher than the first plane. The pressure control valve assembly for a hydrogen storage tank according to claim 8, wherein the manual disconnection valve and the TPRD are connected in a straight line.