KR102638605B1 - Ion filter apparatus for fuel cell vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention includes a filter housing having a coolant inlet formed on the bottom and a coolant outlet formed on the top; An ion cartridge mounted in a detachable structure inside the filter housing, the ion cartridge having a coolant inlet formed in a portion corresponding to the coolant inlet, and a plurality of pressure protrusions protruding downward around the coolant inlet; a lower housing mounted on the bottom of the filter housing to cover the coolant inlet and having an inlet port through which coolant is supplied from the outside; A sealing ball is mounted inside the lower housing to close the coolant inlet, and is pressed downward by the pressing protrusion to open the coolant inlet when the ion cartridge is mounted inside the filter housing. The ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention automatically closes the coolant passage when the ion cartridge is removed, automatically opens the coolant passage when the ion cartridge is installed, and has a very simple structure for opening and closing the coolant passage. It has the advantage of reducing manufacturing costs and improving durability.

Description

Ion filter device for fuel cell vehicles {ION FILTER APPARATUS FOR FUEL CELL VEHICLE}

The present invention relates to an ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle in which an ion cartridge is combined in a detachable structure, and more specifically, to an ion filter device configured to automatically open and close a coolant flow path depending on whether the ion cartridge is attached or detachable. .

In general, unlike conventional internal combustion engine vehicles that obtain driving power by converting the chemical energy into mechanical energy by explosively reacting fossil fuels with oxygen in the air within the engine, fuel cell vehicles use high-pressure hydrogen supplied through a high-pressure hydrogen tank or reformer. The car is driven using electrical energy generated by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the air supplied through an air turbo compressor within the fuel cell stack.

In other words, a fuel cell system is a device that directly converts the energy contained in fuel into electrical energy. It usually places a pair of electrodes consisting of an anode and an anode with an electrolyte in between, and ionizes the fuel. It is a system that obtains both electricity and heat through the electrochemical reaction of gas. In this configuration, the fuel cell stack generates electrical energy from an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, which are reaction gases, and discharges heat and water as reaction by-products. Accordingly, a device for cooling the stack is essential in the fuel cell system to prevent the temperature of the stack from increasing.

Typically, the cooling system for maintaining the fuel cell stack at the optimal temperature in a vehicle fuel cell system uses a water cooling system that cools the fuel cell stack by circulating water through coolant channels within the stack. Meanwhile, due to the problem of ion dissolution, the pipes that form the coolant loop of the fuel cell system are made of SUS 316L, Teflon, Al 3003, food-grade silicon, etc., which have anti-ion dissolution properties. is very limited. In the case of SUS 304, it cannot be used due to problems with ion elution. When general low-cost materials are used, a problem occurs in which impurities and ions are eluted into the coolant at the area where the coolant touches. The eluted ions can cause serious problems in the flow of electricity generated in the fuel cell stack through the coolant.

As a way to solve this problem, an ion filter device is adopted. The ion filter device serves to filter ions contained in the coolant entering the fuel cell stack and lower the electrical conductivity of the coolant below a certain level. At this time, the coolant that circulates through the fuel cell stack has ions filtered through the process of contacting the ion resin filled in the ion cartridge. If the ion resin filters more than a certain amount of coolant, the ion filtering performance deteriorates, so the ion cartridge must be replaced. Should be.

The ion cartridge is mounted to communicate with the coolant flow path, and if the coolant flow path is left open when the ion cartridge is removed, a problem of coolant leaking to the outside occurs. Therefore, the ion filter device requires the cooling water passage to be closed when the ion cartridge is removed, but the conventional ion filter device has a very complicated valve structure that closes the cooling water passage, so not only is it expensive to manufacture, but the reliability of opening and closing the cooling water passage is low. has a drawback.

KR 10-1379823 B1

The present invention was proposed to solve the above problems, and the coolant flow path is automatically closed when the ion cartridge is removed, the coolant flow path is automatically opened when the ion cartridge is installed, and the valve that opens and closes the coolant flow path is provided. The purpose is to provide an ion filter device for fuel cell vehicles with a simple structure.

An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention to achieve the above object includes a filter housing having a coolant inlet formed on the bottom and a coolant outlet formed on the top; An ion cartridge mounted in a detachable structure inside the filter housing, the ion cartridge having a coolant inlet formed in a portion corresponding to the coolant inlet, and a plurality of pressure protrusions protruding downward around the coolant inlet; a lower housing mounted on the bottom of the filter housing to cover the coolant inlet and having an inlet port through which coolant is supplied from the outside; A sealing ball is mounted inside the lower housing to close the coolant inlet, and is pressed downward by the pressing protrusion to open the coolant inlet when the ion cartridge is mounted inside the filter housing.

The coolant inlet is formed in a knob shape that protrudes downward, and is press-fitted into the coolant inlet when the ion cartridge is mounted on the filter housing, and the plurality of pressing protrusions are formed at the lower end of the coolant inlet. do.

It further includes an O-ring that seals between the outer surface of the coolant inlet and the inner surface of the coolant inlet.

The filter housing includes a body housing having an internal space large enough for the ion cartridge to be inserted and an open top, and a cap housing that is mounted on the bottom so that the top of the ion cartridge is coupled to cover the upper opening of the body housing. The coolant inlet is formed on the bottom of the body housing, and the coolant outlet is formed on the upper side wall of the body housing.

The sealing ball is made of a material whose specific gravity is smaller than that of the coolant.

It is mounted on the bottom surface of the inner space of the lower housing and further includes elastic means for applying an upward elastic force to the sealing ball.

The elastic means is formed in the shape of a coil spring in which one longitudinal end is fixedly coupled to the bottom surface of the inner space of the lower housing and the other longitudinal end is erected toward the sealing ball.

It further includes a seating bracket including a seating portion having a concave portion formed on an upper side into which the sealing ball is inserted, and a protrusion extending downward from the bottom of the seating portion and being inserted into the coil spring-shaped elastic means.

The concave portion is formed so that at least the lower half of the sealing balls are inserted, but the inner diameter of the upper inlet is smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing balls, and at least one of the sealing balls and the seating brackets is elastic to allow shape deformation by external force. It is manufactured from materials that have

The concave portion is formed in a shape in which one side wall is open.

On the side wall of the inner space of the lower housing, a plurality of guide rails are provided that extend long in the vertical direction and limit lateral movement of the sealing ball.

The sealing ball is formed in the shape of a vertically standing capsule.

The ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention automatically closes the coolant passage when the ion cartridge is removed, automatically opens the coolant passage when the ion cartridge is installed, and has a very simple structure for opening and closing the coolant passage. It has the advantage of reducing manufacturing costs and improving durability.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ion filter device according to the present invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are a bottom perspective view and a bottom view of the ion cartridge included in the present invention.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the ion cartridge included in the present invention.
Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the state of use of the ion filter device according to the present invention.
Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the ion filter device according to the present invention.
Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure in which the sealing ball is seated on the seating bracket.
Figure 9 is a diagram showing the state of use of the second embodiment of the ion filter device according to the present invention.
Figure 10 is a plan view of the lower housing included in the third embodiment of the ion filter device according to the present invention.
Figure 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the shape of a sealing ball included in the fourth embodiment of the ion filter device according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the ion filter device according to the present invention, Figures 2 and 3 are a bottom perspective view and a bottom view of the ion cartridge included in the present invention, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the ion cartridge included in the present invention. .

The ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle according to the present invention is a device for lowering the electrical conductivity of the coolant below a certain level by filtering ions contained in the coolant entering the fuel cell stack, and has a coolant inlet 112 on the bottom. ) is formed and a coolant outlet 114 is formed at the top, a filter housing 100 is mounted in a detachable structure inside the filter housing 100, and a coolant inlet ( A lower housing 200 that is mounted on the bottom of the filter housing 100 so as to cover the coolant inlet 112 and has an inlet port 210 through which coolant is supplied from the outside. ) are provided as basic components.

At this time, a plurality of downwardly protruding pressure protrusions 320 are formed around the coolant inlet 310 of the ion cartridge 300, and a sealing ball 400 that can move up and down is located in the inner space of the lower housing 200. This is provided. The sealing ball 400 moves upward and blocks the coolant inlet 112 unless a separate external force is applied, thereby preventing the coolant inside the lower housing 200 from flowing into the ion cartridge 300. When the ion cartridge 300 is mounted inside the filter housing 100, it is pushed downward by the pressure protrusion 320 to open the coolant inlet 112, so that the coolant inside the lower housing 200 flows into the ion cartridge 300. It acts as a kind of valve that allows water to flow in.

That is, in the ion filter device according to the present invention, while the ion filter cartridge is mounted in the filter housing 100, the coolant flowing into the lower housing 200 flows into the ion filter cartridge, and ion filtering of the coolant continues, When the ion filter cartridge is removed from the filter housing 100, the coolant inlet 112 of the filter housing 100 is closed to prevent the coolant in the lower housing 200 from leaking out.

In this way, in the ion filter device according to the present invention, the coolant inlet 112 is automatically opened and closed depending on whether the ion cartridge 300 is installed, even if a separate valve device to open and close the coolant flow path is not installed, and the internal structure is This simplification reduces manufacturing costs and improves durability.

At this time, while the pressing protrusion 320 of the ion filter device does not pressurize the sealing ball 400 downward, the sealing ball 400 moves upward to block the coolant inlet 112. ) can be made of a material that has a smaller specific gravity than the coolant, that is, a material that floats on water. In this way, if the sealing ball 400 is made of a material that floats on water, when coolant flows into the lower housing 200, the sealing ball 400 rises due to its own buoyancy and blocks the coolant inlet 112. , there is an advantage that a separate device for raising the sealing ball 400 is not required.

In addition, when the coolant inlet 310 is inserted into the coolant inlet 112, the coolant in the lower housing 200 is prevented from flowing out between the coolant inlet 310 and the coolant inlet 112. ) is formed in the shape of a knob protruding downward, and is preferably configured to be press-fitted into the coolant inlet 310 when the ion cartridge 300 is mounted on the filter housing 100. At this time, the plurality of pressing protrusions 320 are formed at the lower end of the coolant inlet 310.

In this way, when the knob-shaped coolant inlet 310 is inserted into the coolant inlet 112 in a fitting manner, all of the coolant in the lower housing 200 will be delivered into the ion cartridge 300 through the coolant inlet 310. There is an advantage to being able to do this. Furthermore, in order to more reliably block the outflow of coolant, an O-ring may be additionally provided to seal between the outer surface of the coolant inlet 310 and the inner surface of the coolant inlet 310.

Meanwhile, the filter housing 100 has an internal space large enough for the ion cartridge 300 to be inserted so that the ion cartridge 300 mounted therein can be easily replaced, and the body housing 110 has an open top. ) and a cap housing in which the top of the ion cartridge 300 is coupled to the bottom and is mounted to cover the upper opening of the body housing 110. Preferably, the coolant inlet 112 is formed on the bottom of the body housing 110, and the coolant outlet 114 is formed on the upper side wall of the body housing 110. At this time, a separate outlet port 500 may be installed at the cooling water outlet 114, and a filter net 510 may be additionally provided between the cooling water outlet 114 and the outlet port 500.

In this way, if the filter housing 100 is composed of the body housing 110 and the cap housing, when the life of the ion cartridge 300 is reached, the user can remove the ion cartridge 300 by separating the cap housing from the body housing 110. Since it can be replaced, it has the advantage that maintenance and repair work becomes very simple.

Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the state of use of the ion filter device according to the present invention.

Until the ion cartridge 300 is completely installed in the filter housing 100, the sealing ball 400 is buoyed by the coolant and rises. As shown in FIG. 5, the coolant inlet 112 is a sealing ball. It is maintained in a sealed state by (400). In this way, when the coolant inlet 112 is sealed by the sealing ball 400, the coolant in the lower housing 200 cannot flow into the inside of the filter housing 100, so the coolant flows into the inner space of the filter housing 100. It maintains an empty space that does not work. Therefore, the user can freely remove and replace the ion cartridge 300 without fear of coolant leaking.

When the ion cartridge 300 is completely installed in the filter housing 100 in the state shown in FIG. 5, the pressure protrusion 320 provided at the bottom of the coolant inlet 310 presses the sealing ball 400 downward. As the coolant inlet 112 is opened, the coolant in the lower housing 200 passes through the coolant inlet 112 and the coolant inlet 310 and flows into the ion cartridge 300, where ions are filtered.

At this time, the plurality of pressurizing protrusions 320 provided at the bottom of the coolant inlet 310 are arranged in a round shape along the end of the coolant inlet 310 but are spaced a certain distance apart, so the coolant in the lower housing 200 flows into the two neighboring units. The coolant can flow into the inlet 310 through the space between the pressing protrusions 320.

As mentioned above, in the ion filter device according to the present invention, the coolant inlet 112 is automatically opened and closed depending on whether the ion cartridge 300 is installed, so the opening and closing operation of the valve for opening and closing the coolant inlet 112 is performed individually. There is an advantage that there is no need to perform the replacement work, and thus the ion cartridge 300 replacement work can be performed very easily. In addition, since the configuration for opening and closing the cooling water inlet 112 is very simple, there is an advantage in that the manufacturing cost of the ion filter device according to the present invention can be reduced.

Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the ion filter device according to the present invention, Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure in which the sealing ball 400 is seated on the seating bracket 700, and Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment of the ion filter device according to the present invention. This is a diagram showing the state of use of the second embodiment of the ion filter device.

The sealing ball 400 included in the present invention may be configured to rise by its own buoyancy, as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, or may be configured to move upward by a separate component.

That is, the ion filter device according to the present invention may be additionally provided with an elastic means 600 that is mounted on the bottom surface of the inner space of the lower housing 200 and applies an upward elastic force to the sealing ball 400. When the elastic means 600 is additionally provided in this way, even if the sealing ball 400 is not made of a material with a low specific gravity, the sealing ball 400 is pressed upward by the elastic means 600, so that the coolant inlet ( Not only can 112) be sealed, but even if the inside of the lower housing 200 is not completely filled with coolant, the coolant inlet 112 is maintained in a sealed state by the sealing ball 400, so the coolant outflow is blocked. It has the advantage of becoming more certain.

At this time, in this embodiment, the elastic means 600 is a coil spring (more specifically, one longitudinal end is fixedly coupled to the bottom surface of the inner space of the lower housing 200, and the other longitudinal end is connected to the sealing ball 400). Although only the case where it is applied as a coil spring erected facing upward is shown, the elastic means 600 can be replaced with any type of elastic body as long as it can elastically press the sealing ball 400 upward.

On the other hand, when the elastic means 600 is applied as a coil spring, a separate seat on which the sealing ball 400 is seated is installed so that the elastic means 600 can press the sealing ball 400 upward in a more stable manner. A bracket 700 may be additionally provided.

The seating bracket 700 includes a seating portion 710 in which a concave portion 712 into which the sealing ball 400 is inserted is formed on the upper side, and the coil spring extends downward from the bottom of the seating portion 710. It may be composed of a protrusion 720 inserted into the shaped elastic means 600. In this way, when the sealing ball 400 is seated on the seating portion 710 and the protrusion 720 is inserted into the elastic means 600, the sealing ball 400 is seated even if a lateral external force is applied to the seating bracket 700 or the elastic means 600. Since the bracket 700 is not removed from the elastic means 600 and the position of the sealing ball 400 is fixed, the sealing ball 400 can be lifted and lowered more stably.

In addition, so that the sealing ball 400 seated in the concave portion 712 is not easily removed from the concave portion 712, the concave portion 712 has at least the lower half of the sealing ball 400 inserted into the upper inlet. It is preferable that the inner diameter of the sealing ball 400 is smaller than the outer diameter. At this time, even if the inlet inner diameter of the concave part 712 is smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing ball 400, the sealing ball 400 and the seat are installed so that the sealing ball 400 can be inserted into the concave part 712. At least one of the brackets 700 should be made of an elastic material so that its shape can be changed by external force. Additionally, so that the entrance of the concave portion 712 can be more easily opened by an external force, the concave portion 712 may be formed in a shape with one side wall open as shown in this embodiment.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the lower housing 200 included in the third embodiment of the ion filter device according to the present invention.

The inner space of the lower housing 200 is manufactured to have an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the sealing ball 400 so that coolant can flow smoothly even when the sealing ball 400 is inserted. In this way, the inner diameter of the inner space is If the sealing ball 400 is manufactured larger than the outer diameter, the sealing ball 400 may move laterally and may not accurately block the coolant inlet 112.

Therefore, the ion filter device according to the present invention allows coolant to flow smoothly through the inner space of the lower housing 200, while allowing the sealing ball 400 to move only in the vertical direction without moving laterally. ) may be provided with a plurality of guide rails 220 that extend long in the vertical direction and limit lateral movement of the sealing ball 400 on the side walls of the inner space.

Since the plurality of guide rails 220 are arranged to be spaced a certain distance apart from each other, the coolant in the lower housing 200 can flow smoothly through the space between the two neighboring guide rails 220, and the sealing ball 400 is in contact with the protruding end of the guide rail 220, so that it cannot move laterally and can only move in the up and down direction. That is, the ion filter device according to the present invention not only allows coolant to flow smoothly when the sealing ball 400 is inserted into the lower housing 200, but also moves the sealing ball 400 only in the vertical direction, thereby discharging the coolant. There is an advantage that the inlet 112 can be opened and closed more stably.

Figure 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the shape of the sealing ball 400 included in the fourth embodiment of the ion filter device according to the present invention.

If the sealing ball 400 is formed into a perfect spherical shape, the sealing ball 400 may roll along the inner wall of the lower housing 200 during the process of being raised and lowered within the lower housing. In this way, when the sealing ball 400 rolls along the inner wall of the lower housing 200, not only noise and vibration may be generated in the process of the sealing ball 400 hitting the guide rail 220, but also the sealing ball 400 ) has the problem that it can be easily damaged.

In order to solve this problem in the ion filter device according to the present invention, the sealing ball 400 can be formed in a vertically standing capsule shape as shown in FIG. 11. In this way, when the sealing ball 400 is formed in a capsule shape, the sealing ball 400 cannot roll along the inner wall of the lower housing 200 and can only move up and down vertically, thereby minimizing noise and vibration. There is an advantage in that damage to the sealing ball 400 can be significantly reduced. Of course, even if the sealing ball 400 is formed in a capsule shape, the portion of the sealing ball 400 corresponding to the coolant inlet 112 (the upper portion in this embodiment) must be formed in a hemispherical shape.

Above, the present invention has been described in detail using preferred embodiments, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and should be interpreted in accordance with the appended claims. Additionally, those skilled in the art should understand that many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

100: Filter housing 110: Body housing
112: Cooling water inlet 114: Cooling water outlet
200: lower housing 210: inlet port
220: Guide rail 300: Ion cartridge
310: Coolant inlet 320: Pressurized protrusion
400: Sealing ball 500: Outflow port
510: filter net 600: elastic means
700: Seating bracket 710: Seating part
712: concave portion 720: protrusion

Claims (12)

A filter housing having a coolant inlet formed on the bottom and a coolant outlet formed on the top;
An ion cartridge mounted in a detachable structure inside the filter housing, the ion cartridge having a coolant inlet formed in a portion corresponding to the coolant inlet, and a plurality of pressure protrusions protruding downward around the coolant inlet;
a lower housing mounted on the bottom of the filter housing to cover the coolant inlet and having an inlet port through which coolant is supplied from the outside;
a sealing ball mounted inside the lower housing to close the cooling water inlet, and being pressed downward by the pressing protrusion to open the cooling water inlet when the ion cartridge is mounted inside the filter housing;
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, comprising: In claim 1,
The coolant inlet is formed in the shape of a knob protruding downward, and is press-fitted into the coolant inlet when the ion cartridge is mounted on the filter housing,
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, wherein the plurality of pressure protrusions are formed at a lower end of the coolant inlet. In claim 2,
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, further comprising an O-ring that seals between the outer surface of the coolant inlet and the inner surface of the coolant inlet. In claim 1,
The filter housing includes a body housing having an internal space large enough for the ion cartridge to be inserted and an open top, and a cap housing that is mounted on the bottom so that the top of the ion cartridge is coupled to cover the upper opening of the body housing. It consists of,
The coolant inlet is formed on the bottom of the body housing,
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, wherein the coolant outlet is formed on an upper side wall of the body housing. In claim 1,
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, wherein the sealing ball is made of a material with a smaller specific gravity than the coolant. In claim 1,
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, further comprising an elastic means mounted on the bottom surface of the inner space of the lower housing to apply an upward elastic force to the sealing ball. In claim 6,
The elastic means is an ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, wherein one end in the longitudinal direction is fixedly coupled to the bottom surface of the inner space of the lower housing and the other end in the longitudinal direction is formed in the shape of a coil spring that is erected to face the sealing ball. . In claim 7,
Characterized in that it further comprises a seating portion having a concave portion formed on the upper side into which the sealing ball is inserted, and a protruding portion extending downward from the bottom of the seating portion and being inserted into the coil spring-shaped elastic means. Ion filter device for fuel cell vehicles. In claim 8,
The concave portion is formed such that at least the lower half of the sealing ball is inserted, and the inner diameter of the upper inlet is smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing ball,
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, wherein at least one of the sealing ball and the seating bracket is made of an elastic material so that its shape can be deformed by external force. In claim 9,
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, wherein the concave portion is formed in a shape in which one side wall is open. In claim 1,
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, characterized in that a plurality of guide rails are provided on a side wall of the inner space of the lower housing, extending long in the vertical direction to limit lateral movement of the sealing ball. In claim 1,
An ion filter device for a fuel cell vehicle, wherein the sealing ball is formed in a vertically standing capsule shape.

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