KR102664687B1 - Anti-freezing apparatus for hydrogen filling nozzle - Google Patents

Abstract

A hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device is disclosed. The hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the present invention is a hydrogen charging device that charges hydrogen to the gas injection section through the nozzle of the charging gun while the charging gun is coupled to the gas injection section installed on the side of the hydrogen battery to be charged. A device for preventing freezing of a hydrogen charging nozzle of a gun, comprising: a sealing case that seals the coupling portion from the outside while the nozzle of the charging gun is coupled to the gas injection portion; a sealing portion installed at an end of the sealing case and in close contact with an object so that the inside of the sealing case can be sealed; and a vacuum pump connected to the inside of the sealing case and operated to create a vacuum atmosphere inside the sealing case.

Description

Anti-freezing apparatus for hydrogen filling nozzle}

The present invention relates to a device that can prevent freezing of a nozzle that may occur during hydrogen charging. More specifically, a hydrogen charging nozzle freezing prevention device that prevents moisture from freezing by changing the environment around the nozzle to a vacuum atmosphere. It's about.

In general, as we move from internal combustion engines to hydrogen vehicles and electric vehicles, the importance of having proper infrastructure (charging infrastructure) in the field of charging and services is becoming more prominent. In particular, for hydrogen charging, due to the nature of hydrogen fuel being charged at a low temperature of -40℃, freezing occurs frequently on the receptacle (vehicle charging port) and nozzle on humid days such as winter and the rainy season. To melt this, It takes about 10 to 20 minutes, which is also a commercial problem.

Regarding nozzle freezing during hydrogen charging, according to the Japanese paper ('Freeze of Nozzle/Receptacle during hydrogen Fueling' (author Hiraki, W et al., Japan Automobile Research Institute), 1ml (1,000ul) is stored between the receptacle and the nozzle. There was a case where an experiment showed that if moisture above ) was present, it would be impossible to remove the handle due to freezing after hydrogen charging. The phenomenon of nozzle freezing is a problem that must be solved even now that hydrogen cars are being commercialized.

There are two solutions currently being used for hydrogen charging. One is to remove ice by removing as much moisture around the hydrogen charging port through a nitrogen purge, and the other is to use an air heater. In particular, the air heater blows hot air of 80 - 90℃ into the nozzle using an air compressor.

However, the nitrogen purge method blows nitrogen into the nozzle after charging is completed, but there are problems with commercial viability due to the high cost of purchasing nitrogen. And this causes an increase in the cost of hydrogen charging, and the cost ultimately falls on the driver of the hydrogen vehicle. In addition, the method of using an air heater can result in electricity costs for an air compressor of about 5 to 10 horsepower, so there may be no problem in terms of cost. However, since hot air of 80 - 90℃ flows around the charging nozzle, there is a potential risk of explosion due to exposure to hot heat the moment any hydrogen gas leaks during hydrogen charging. Ultimately, there were problems with the above two methods in technical, economic, and safety aspects.

Registered Patent 10-2202439

According to the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device that can fundamentally prevent freezing by removing moisture by operating to instantly form a vacuum atmosphere around the nozzle to which hydrogen is supplied during charging.

The hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a hydrogen charging device that charges hydrogen to the gas injection section through the nozzle of the charging gun while a charging gun is coupled to the gas injection section installed on the side of the hydrogen battery to be charged. A device for preventing freezing of the hydrogen charging nozzle of the charging gun, comprising: a sealing case that seals the coupling portion to be blocked from the outside while the nozzle of the charging gun is coupled to the coupling portion of the gas injection unit; a sealing portion installed at an end of the sealing case and in close contact with an object so that the inside of the sealing case can be sealed; and a vacuum pump connected to the inside of the sealing case and operated to create a vacuum atmosphere inside the sealing case.

At this time, one end of the sealing case may be in close contact with the gas injection part, and the other end of the sealing case may be fixed to or in close contact with the charging gun.

At this time, the sealing case is connected to a part of the charging gun from the inside of the sealing case so that a vacuum atmosphere space is formed around the connection area between the gas injection part and the charging gun. A support portion may be provided to support the sealing case. .

At this time, a communication hole for connection to the vacuum pump is formed in the sealing case, and the air inside the sealing case is forcibly discharged by the vacuum pump, thereby forming a vacuum atmosphere.

At this time, a vacuum line may be connected to the communication hole of the sealing case, and the vacuum line may be connected in close contact with the hydrogen line of the charging gun.

At this time, the sealing part may include an auxiliary locking part that locks while being closely coupled to the gas injection part.

According to the above configuration, the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the present invention removes moisture by forming a vacuum atmosphere around the charging nozzle when charging hydrogen, thereby preventing freezing that may be caused by moisture.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hydrogen car being charged using a hydrogen charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a charging gun equipped with a hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a sealing case, which is a component of the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a front view of a sealing case, which is a component of the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view during charging of the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view during charging of the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view during charging of the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional view during charging of the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a front view of the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention during charging.

The words and terms used in this specification and claims are not to be construed as limited in their usual or dictionary meanings, but according to the principle that the inventor can define terms and concepts in order to explain his or her invention in the best way. It must be interpreted with meaning and concepts consistent with technical ideas.

Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configuration shown in the drawings correspond to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and do not represent the entire technical idea of the present invention, so the configuration may be replaced by various alternatives at the time of filing of the present invention. There may be equivalents and variations.

In this specification, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to describe the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to describe the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that it does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

A component being “in front,” “rear,” “above,” or “below” another component means that it is in direct contact with the other component, unless there are special circumstances. This includes not only those placed at the “bottom” but also cases where another component is placed in the middle. In addition, the fact that a component is "connected" to another component includes not only being directly connected to each other, but also indirectly connected to each other, unless there are special circumstances.

The technical background of the hydrogen gas charging method applied to the present invention is as follows.

When moisture reaches 1 atmosphere (atmospheric pressure) and 0°C (273.15K, 32°F), a phase change occurs from liquid to solid, which is called ice. The reason freezing occurs while charging hydrogen gas is because oxygen and hydrogen exist, which can change phase into water vapor, liquid, and solid due to the freezing phenomenon around the nozzle.

There is more or less water vapor in the atmosphere. This water vapor loses heat when exposed to a cold environment, and the water vapor changes phase into water, so as hydrogen gas at -40 degrees Celsius is charged inside the vehicle, the area around the passing nozzle (especially between the receptacle and the nozzle) freezes. phenomenon occurs.

According to the ideal gas equation of state PV=nRT (P: pressure, V, space inside the chamber, n=moles of gas, R:gas constant, T:temperature), under the condition of keeping the temperature constant within a given space, n (in the air) The number of gas moles) value and P (pressure) value are proportional to each other. Therefore, when the P (pressure) value is lowered using a vacuum pump, the n (gas molecule in the air) value in the air also decreases. In other words, if the pressure inside the hydrogen filling is lowered below a certain value with a vacuum pump, the amount of hydrogen and oxygen molecules inside the chamber is significantly reduced, so an environment in which moisture can be created due to temperature changes cannot be created. For this reason, if it is possible to create a space around the nozzle that can be maintained in a vacuum during hydrogen charging, the inside will not have an environment where moisture can form even during hydrogen charging at -40°C, so freezing phenomenon can occur. It can be prevented.

Hereinafter, a hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, embodiments of the hydrogen charging nozzle freezing prevention device according to the present invention include charging hydrogen to the gas injection unit through the nozzle of the charging gun in a state where the charging gun is coupled to the gas injection unit installed on the side of the hydrogen battery to be charged. This is a device for preventing freezing of the hydrogen charging nozzle of the charging gun in the charging device.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a sealing case 30, sealing parts 33 and 34, and a vacuum pump (not shown). may include.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the sealing case 30 is made of a cylindrical body 31, and the nozzle 21 of the charging gun 10 is provided at the coupling portion of the gas injection part 40. In the combined state, the binding site can be sealed to block it from the outside.

At this time, one end of the sealing case 30 may be in close contact with an area adjacent to the gas injection unit 40, and the other end of the sealing case 30 may be fixed to or in close contact with the charging gun 10. Here, referring to FIG. 2, the structure has O-rings 33 and 34 installed at both ends and is in a prefabricated form. Therefore, the sealing case 30 will be in a form that can be disassembled and assembled into the charging gun 10. Of course, the form can be changed depending on the external shape and shape of the charging gun 10.

At this time, the sealing case 30 is connected to a part of the charging gun 10 from the inside so that a vacuum atmosphere space is formed around the connection area between the gas injection part 40 and the charging gun 10. A support portion 32 supporting the sealing case 30 may be provided. Here, the support portion 32 may be configured to be in close contact with or assembled to the outer surface of the nozzle portion 20 of the charging gun 10. When a vacuum atmosphere is formed inside the sealing case 30 by the support portion 32, the external shape of the sealing case 30 is maintained, making it possible to maintain a certain space in a vacuum atmosphere.

At this time, a communication hole 31a is formed in the sealing case 30 for connection to the vacuum pump, and the air inside the sealing case 30 is forcibly discharged by the vacuum pump, thereby forming a vacuum atmosphere. .

At this time, a vacuum line 35 is connected to the communication hole 31a of the sealing case 30, and the vacuum line 35 may be connected in close contact with the hydrogen line 10b of the charging gun 10. This will avoid cluttering the equipment and preventing it from interfering with the charging process.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the sealing portions 33 and 34 are installed at the ends of the sealing case 30 and can be in close contact with an object so that the inside of the sealing case 30 can be sealed. there is.

At this time, referring to FIG. 5, the sealing parts 33 and 34 are provided in the form of an O-ring 33 at an end that is in close contact with one outer surface of the gas injection part 40, and a charging gun 10 is located at the opposite end. The part that is in close contact with may also be provided in the form of an O-ring (34).

The vacuum pump may be connected to the inside of the sealing case 30 and may be operated to create a vacuum atmosphere inside the sealing case 30.

At this time, the vacuum pump penetrates the communication hole 31a of the sealing case 30 through the vacuum line 35 and communicates with the inside of the sealing case 30. Therefore, the pressure inside the sealing case 30 is adjusted according to the operation of the vacuum pump to achieve a vacuum.

Referring to FIG. 1, in the hydrogen charging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen charging gun 10 is connected to the gas injection unit 40 and hydrogen is being charged. Outside the connection portion between the charging gun 10 and the gas injection unit 40, the sealing case 30 is in close contact with the gas injection unit 40, and the inside is in a vacuum state by a vacuum pump. In this state, when hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen charging gun 10 to the gas injection part 40 and charging begins, there is almost no moisture inside the sealed case 30, so there is no moisture to condense even if the temperature drops rapidly. Freezing does not occur. Of course, after charging, the charging gun 10 and the gas injection unit 40 can be smoothly separated.

Referring to FIG. 2, the sealing case 30 is shown assembled to the charging gun 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A nozzle portion 20 having a reduced diameter protrudes in front of the front end 10a of the charging gun 10, and one end of the sealing case 30 is attached to the O-ring 34 at the front end 10a. It is joined so that it can be sealed. Of course, the front is open because it is before being combined with the gas injection part 40. In addition, the support portion 32 of the sealing case 30 is in close contact with the nozzle portion 20 to support the sealing case 30 in order to maintain its shape. Additionally, a vacuum line 35 is connected to the communication hole 31a, and the other end of the vacuum line 35 is connected to a vacuum pump. As described above, the vacuum line 35 may be installed to extend together with the hydrogen line 10b for line organization.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, a sealing case 30, which is a component of the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, is shown. The front and rear ends of the sealing case 30 are open, and O-rings 33 and 34 are provided at portions in close contact with the charging gun 10 and the gas injection portion 40, respectively. A support portion 32 is formed in the middle portion, and the support portion 32 can be formed in a ring shape or a radial shape, and is formed to support the outer surface of the sealing case 30 at least on the sides facing each other. It will be advantageous. The sealing case 30 is formed with a communication hole 31a for communicating the vacuum line 35 therein.

Referring to FIG. 5, a state in which the gas injection unit 40 is charged with the charging gun 10 in the hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The nozzle 21 of the charging gun 10 is inserted and coupled to the receptacle 41 in front of the gas injection unit 40, and hydrogen charging is possible. At this time, the coupling parts 22 and 23 around the nozzle 21 of the charging gun 10 are coupled to the outer surface of the receptacle 41 to maintain the coupled state. Of course, this structure may vary depending on the specifications and types of the charging gun 10 and the receptacle 41. In this state, the front end of the sealing case 30 is in close contact with the gas injection part 40 to be sealed through the O-ring 33, and the rear end is in close contact with the charging gun 10 to be sealed. At this time, when the trigger of the charging gun 10 is pulled and operated, the hydrogen in the hydrogen tank will pass through the nozzle 21 and the receptacle 41 and be injected into the gas injection unit 40. Before hydrogen charging, the vacuum pump operates to form a vacuum space (V) in which a vacuum atmosphere is formed between the receptacle 41 and the nozzle portion 20 of the charging gun 10 through the vacuum line 35. When hydrogen charging is then performed, there is almost no moisture to freeze in the vacuum space (V), so after charging, ice cannot form at the connection portion.

At this time, when the trigger of the charging gun 10 is pulled, hydrogen may not be injected immediately, but the vacuum pump may be operated for a certain period of time and then hydrogen may be injected. By doing this, the number of tasks can be reduced and the work can be made simpler.

Referring to Figure 6, a hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. What is different from the first embodiment is that the rear side of the sealing case 30 is integrally formed or assembled with the charging gun 10. By doing this, the rear O-ring becomes unnecessary and can be omitted. Additionally, the vacuum line 35 extends rearward from the communication hole 31a along the hydrogen line 10b of the charging gun 10.

Referring to Figure 7, a hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown. It has almost the same configuration as the second embodiment, but the difference is that the O-ring 33 installed at the front end of the sealing case 30 is provided at the gas injection portion so that it can be assembled to the gas injection portion 140 in an interference fit type. A groove 140a is formed in 140, and an O-ring 33 is installed in the groove 140a in an interference fit manner. With this configuration, the user does not have to apply force to the O-ring 33 for close contact, so charging can proceed more easily.

Referring to Figures 8 and 9, a hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown. It has the same configuration and shape as the second embodiment, and the difference is that it includes an auxiliary locking part that locks while the front O-ring 233 is in close contact with the gas injection part 40.

At this time, the auxiliary locking unit has a protrusion 231a protruding at a certain angle on the outer surface of the sealing case 30, and the O-ring 233 of the sealing case 30 is in close contact with the gas injection part 40. It may include a locking portion 241 that is caught when rotated at a certain angle.

At this time, referring to FIG. 9, the protruding portion 231a and the engaging portion 241 may be formed at an angle of 120 degrees, so that three protrusions each may be formed.

At this time, the user places the protrusion 231a between the locking portions 241, places the O-ring 233 in close contact with the gas injection portion 40, and rotates the O-ring 233 at a certain angle in that state to create a device as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. will be in a state Of course, by applying force to the O-ring 233 and rotating it in a close contact state so that it can be assembled, the close contact state of the O-ring 233 can be maintained more firmly. In this state, the user can proceed with charging by operating only the charging gun.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented in this specification, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention can add or change components within the scope of the same spirit. , deletion, addition, etc., other embodiments can be easily proposed, but this will also be said to fall within the scope of the present invention.

10: Charging gun
10a: front end 20: nozzle part
21: nozzle 22, 23: coupling member
30: sealed case 31, 231: body
231a: protrusion 32: support
33, 34: O-ring 40, 140: Gas injection part
41: receptacle 241: catching portion

Claims (6)

A device for preventing freezing of the hydrogen charging nozzle of the charging gun in a hydrogen charging device that charges hydrogen to the gas injecting unit through the nozzle of the charging gun while the charging gun is coupled to the gas injecting unit installed on the side of the hydrogen battery to be charged with hydrogen. ,
A sealing case that seals the coupling portion to be blocked from the outside while the nozzle of the charging gun is coupled to the gas injection portion coupling portion;
a sealing portion installed at an end of the sealing case and in close contact with an object so that the inside of the sealing case can be sealed;
It includes a vacuum pump that penetrates from the outside of the sealing case to the inside and operates to suction all of the air inside the sealing case to form a vacuum atmosphere,
A communication hole is formed in the sealing case for connection to the vacuum pump, and a vacuum line is connected to the communication hole of the sealing case so that the air inside the sealing case is forcibly discharged by the vacuum pump to form a vacuum atmosphere. A hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device. According to clause 1,
One end of the sealing case is in close contact with the gas injection unit, and the other end of the sealing case is fixed or in close contact with the charging gun. According to clause 1,
The hydrogen charging nozzle is provided in the sealing case with a support part that is connected to a part of the charging gun from inside the sealing case and supports the sealing case so that a vacuum atmosphere space is formed around the connection area between the gas injection part and the charging gun. Anti-icing device. delete According to clause 1,
A hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device wherein a vacuum line is connected to the communication hole of the sealing case, and the vacuum line is connected in close contact with the hydrogen line of the charging gun. According to clause 1,
A hydrogen charging nozzle anti-icing device including an auxiliary locking portion that locks the sealing portion in a state in which the sealing portion is closely coupled to the gas injection portion.

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