WO2021095663A1

WO2021095663A1 - Ion exchanger

Info

Publication number: WO2021095663A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/041574
Authority: WO
Inventors: 純子大平; 吉田　知弘; 慎吾矢部
Original assignee: トヨタ紡織株式会社
Priority date: 2019-11-12
Filing date: 2020-11-06
Publication date: 2021-05-20
Also published as: JP2021074687A

Abstract

This ion exchanger comprises: a housing that opens upwardly; an ion exchange resin that is provided inside the housing; and a cap that is screwed onto an opening of the housing to close the opening. The ion exchanger is configured such that a coolant, which has flowed into the housing, passes over the ion exchange resin and then flows out from the housing. The cap comprises: a peripheral wall, which is formed to be around the center of rotation when the cap is screwed onto the opening at the upper end section of the housing, and which projects upwardly from the upper surface of the cap; and ribs that are formed so as to connect the inner surface of the peripheral wall and the upper surface of the cap.

Description

Ion exchanger

This disclosure relates to an ion exchanger.

Vehicles equipped with fuel cells are provided with a cooling circuit for the purpose of suppressing the temperature rise of the fuel cells during power generation. The cooling circuit is configured to flow a refrigerant for cooling the fuel cell. In such a cooling circuit, an increase in the concentration of ions in the refrigerant may cause corrosion of metal parts in the cooling circuit, or increase the electric conductivity of the refrigerant, resulting in deterioration of the function of the fuel cell. Therefore, such a cooling circuit is provided with an ion exchanger that removes ions contained in the refrigerant through ion exchange by an ion exchange resin.

As shown in Patent Document 1, the ion exchanger includes a housing that opens upward, an ion exchange resin provided in the housing, and a cap that closes the opening by screwing into the opening of the housing. ing. Then, when the refrigerant flowing into the housing passes through the ion exchange resin in the housing, the ion exchanger removes the ions in the refrigerant by ion exchange and causes the refrigerant after the ions to be removed to flow out from the housing. It is configured as follows.

Further, in the ion exchanger, when it becomes necessary to replace the ion exchange resin in the housing, the cap blocking the opening of the housing is removed from the housing. In Patent Document 1, since the cap is attached to and detached from the housing by a tool, a peripheral wall protruding upward is formed on the upper surface of the cap. The peripheral wall is formed so as to form an annular shape around the center of rotation when the cap is screwed into the opening at the upper end of the housing. Further, the outer surface of the peripheral wall is formed in a polygonal shape, so that the above-mentioned tool can be attached.

Then, a tool is attached to the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the cap, and the cap is attached to or removed from the housing by rotating the cap around the center of rotation using the tool. The reason why the peripheral wall of the cap is projected upward from the upper surface of the cap is to expand the area of the outer surface of the peripheral wall on which the tool is attached so that the tool can be attached stably.

JP-A-2017-159235

By the way, when the cap is attached to or detached from the housing using a tool, the rotational torque from the tool acts on the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the cap. However, since the peripheral wall projects upward from the upper surface of the cap, the peripheral wall that receives the rotational torque via the outer surface may have insufficient strength.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an ion exchanger capable of ensuring the strength required for the peripheral wall of the cap.

The means for solving the above problems and their actions and effects will be described below.

The ion exchanger that solves the above problems includes a housing that opens upward, an ion exchange resin that is arranged in the housing, and a cap that closes the opening by screwing into the opening of the housing. The ion exchanger is configured so that the refrigerant flowing into the housing passes through the ion exchange resin and then flows out of the housing. The cap is formed around the center of rotation when screwed into the opening at the upper end of the housing so as to connect the peripheral wall protruding upward from the upper surface of the cap, and the inner surface of the peripheral wall and the upper surface of the cap. It comprises a rib that is formed.

According to the above configuration, a tool is attached to the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the cap, and the cap is attached to or removed from the housing by rotating the cap around the center of rotation using the tool. In that case, although the rotational torque from the tool acts on the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the cap, the strength of the peripheral wall is increased by the ribs, so that the peripheral wall that receives the rotational torque via the outer surface is required. Strength can be ensured.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an overall configuration of a cooling circuit provided with an ion exchanger. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an ion exchanger. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an ion exchanger. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cap. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the upper end portion of the cap is viewed from the direction of arrows AA in FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the ion exchanger will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle equipped with the fuel cell 1 is provided with a cooling circuit 2 through which a refrigerant for cooling the fuel cell 1 flows. As the refrigerant, cooling water containing ethylene glycol (long life coolant) or the like is used. The cooling circuit 2 has a pump 3 and is configured to circulate the refrigerant by driving the pump 3.

In the cooling circuit 2, the fuel cell 1 is provided in a portion downstream of the pump 3. In the cooling circuit 2, a radiator 4 is provided in a portion downstream of the fuel cell 1 and upstream of the pump 3. Then, the fuel cell 1 whose temperature rises during power generation is cooled by the cooling water that circulates in the cooling circuit 2 and passes through the fuel cell 1. The refrigerant that has taken the heat of the fuel cell 1 and whose temperature has risen is cooled by the outside air when passing through the radiator 4, and then flows to the pump 3.

Further, the cooling circuit 2 is provided with an ion exchanger 5 and a bypass pipe 6 for flowing a refrigerant through the ion exchanger 5. The ion exchanger 5 is configured to adsorb ions contained in the refrigerant and remove them from the refrigerant. One end of the bypass pipe 6 is connected to a portion of the cooling circuit 2 on the downstream side of the fuel cell 1 and on the upstream side of the radiator 4. Further, the other end of the bypass pipe 6 is connected to a portion of the cooling circuit 2 on the downstream side of the radiator 4 and on the upstream side of the pump 3. The ion exchanger 5 is provided in the middle of the bypass pipe 6.

In the cooling circuit 2, when the circulating refrigerant flows to the downstream side of the fuel cell 1, a part of the refrigerant flows into the bypass pipe 6 instead of flowing to the radiator 4 side. The refrigerant that has flowed into the bypass pipe 6 in this way has ions removed when it passes through the ion exchanger 5, and then flows to a portion downstream of the radiator 4 and upstream of the pump 3 in the cooling circuit 2.

Next, the ion exchanger 5 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ion exchanger 5 includes a cylindrical housing 7 that extends in the vertical direction and opens upward, and a cap 8 that closes the opening by screwing into the opening at the upper end of the housing 7. , Is equipped. The housing 7 is formed with an inflow pipe 9 and an outflow pipe 10 connected to the inside of the housing 7. The inflow pipe 9 is connected to a portion of the bypass pipe 6 (FIG. 1) on the upstream side of the ion exchanger 5. The outflow pipe 10 is connected to a portion of the bypass pipe 6 on the downstream side of the ion exchanger 5. The inflow pipe 9 and the outflow pipe 10 are integrally formed with the housing 7. The ion exchanger 5 is attached to the vehicle by a stay (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 3, an inflow port 7a for inflowing the refrigerant and an outflow port 7b for flowing out the refrigerant are provided at the lower end of the side wall of the housing 7. The inflow port 7a is formed on one side (left side in FIG. 3) in the radial direction at the lower end of the side wall of the housing 7, and is connected to the inflow pipe 9. The outflow port 7b is formed on the other side (right side in FIG. 3) in the radial direction at the lower end of the side wall of the housing 7, and is connected to the outflow pipe 10.

The cap 8 of the ion exchanger 5 includes a cylindrical body portion 8a that can be screwed into the opening at the upper end portion of the housing 7. The body portion 8a is formed so as to extend in the vertical direction. A male screw 15 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 8a. The male screw 15 can mesh with the female screw 14 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the opening of the housing 7. Then, when the male screw 15 of the body 8a is screwed into the female screw 14 of the housing 7, the outer peripheral surface of the body 8a is positioned along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 7, and the opening at the upper end of the housing 7 is opened by the cap 8. It is blocked.

In the cap 8 attached to the housing 7, a tube member 16 is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction inside the body portion 8a. A ring portion 17 projecting in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the tube member 16 is formed at the upper end portion of the tube member 16. Further, a ring member 18 projecting in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the tube member 16 is detachably attached to the lower end portion of the tube member 16. Then, the outer peripheral portion of the ring portion 17 is fitted into the upper end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the cap 8, and the outer peripheral portion of the ring member 18 is fitted into the lower end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the cap 8 (body portion 8a). The tube member 16 is assembled inside the cap 8. At this time, there is a gap of a predetermined size between the upper end of the tube member 16 and the ceiling surface (upper end of the inner surface) of the cap 8.

The ring portion 17 and the ring member 18 can each allow the refrigerant to pass in the vertical direction. An ion exchange resin 19 is provided between the ring portion 17 and the ring member 18, and between the outer peripheral surface of the tube member 16 and the inner peripheral surface of the cap 8 (body portion 8a). A mesh 20 is attached to the lower surface of the ring portion 17, and a mesh 21 is attached to the lower surface of the ring member 18. These meshes 20 and 21 regulate the movement of the ion exchange resin 19 above the ring portion 17 and the movement of the ion exchange resin 19 below the ring member 18.

The cap 8, the tube member 16, and the ion exchange resin 19 are cartridges. Therefore, by attaching or detaching the cap 8 to the housing 7, the ion exchange resin 19 can be replaced together with the cap 8 and the tube member 16 at the same time. When the cap 8 is attached to the housing 7, the tube member 16 is located inside the housing 7. Further, at this time, the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 8a of the cap 8 is in a state of being along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 7. Therefore, the ion exchange resin 19 existing between the inner peripheral surface of the body portion 8a and the outer peripheral surface of the tube member 16 is located between the outer peripheral surface of the tube member 16 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 7.

A separator 22 is provided at the inner lower end of the housing 7. The separator 22 has a bottom wall 22a that vertically separates the inner lower end portion of the housing 7, and a tubular wall 22b that communicates a portion below the bottom wall 22a with the lower end portion of the tube member 16. The separator 22 is separate from the housing 7. The separator 22 plays a role as a flow dividing portion. Specifically, the separator 22 is configured to divide the flow of the refrigerant flowing into the housing 7 from the inflow port 7a into a flow directly toward the outflow port 7b and a flow toward the ion exchange resin 19. Further, the separator 22 is configured to allow the refrigerant that has passed through the ion exchange resin 19 to flow to the outlet 7b.

More specifically, the separator 22 partitions the portion above the bottom wall 22a as the first flow path 23. The first flow path 23 allows the refrigerant flowing into the housing 7 from the inflow port 7a to flow directly to the outflow port 7b, while a part of the refrigerant flowing into the housing 7 from the inflow port 7a is transferred to the ion exchange resin 19. It is supposed to flow toward. The refrigerant thus flowed toward the ion exchange resin 19 passes through the ion exchange resin 19 from bottom to top, then passes through the tube member 16 from top to bottom, and further enters the cylinder wall 22b of the separator 22. leak.

Further, the separator 22 partitions a portion below the bottom wall 22a as a second flow path 24. The second flow path 24 is connected to the tube member 16 via the tubular wall 22b of the separator 22. Therefore, among the refrigerants that have flowed into the housing 7 from the inflow port 7a, the second flow path 24 uses the refrigerant that has flowed toward the ion exchange resin 19 by the first flow path 23, that is, the ion exchange resin 19 from below. The refrigerant that has passed through the tube member 16 from top to bottom after passing above is received through the cylinder wall 22b of the separator 22 and flows toward the outlet 7b. In the ion exchanger 5, when the refrigerant passes through the ion exchange resin 19 as described above, the ions in the refrigerant are removed by ion exchange, and the refrigerant after the ions are removed is passed through the outlet 7b. Outflow from the housing 7.

Next, the shape of the upper end portion of the cap 8 will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cap 8 includes a peripheral wall 25. The peripheral wall 25 projects upward from the outer edge of the upper surface 8b of the cap 8. The peripheral wall 25 is formed so as to extend in an annular shape around the rotation center RC of the cap 8 when the cap 8 is screwed into the opening at the upper end of the housing 7 (FIG. 3). Further, the outer surface of the peripheral wall 25 is formed in a polygonal shape. Then, a tool for attaching or detaching the cap 8 to or from the housing 7 by rotating the cap 8 around the rotation center RC can be attached to the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 25. In the cap 8, by projecting the peripheral wall 25 upward from the upper surface 8b of the cap 8, the area of the outer surface of the peripheral wall 25 can be expanded and the tool can be stably attached to the outer surface. I am trying to do it.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper surface 8b of the cap 8 is formed in a dome shape that inclines downward from the rotation center RC toward the peripheral wall 25. Further, the cap 8 includes a plurality of ribs 26. Each rib 26 is formed so as to connect the upper surface 8b of the cap 8 and the inner surface of the peripheral wall 25. As shown in FIG. 4, these ribs 26 are located at equal intervals around the rotation center RC. The plurality of ribs 26 extend radially around the rotation center RC. Each rib 26 is connected to a portion corresponding to a polygonal corner portion on the outer surface of the peripheral wall 25. In the present embodiment, the corners connected to the rib 26 and the corners not connected to the rib 26 are alternately positioned around the rotation center RC.

In the peripheral wall 25, cut so as to penetrate the inner side surface and the outer side surface of the peripheral wall 25 between the portion connected to one rib 26 and the portion connected to the other rib 26 of the two adjacent ribs 26. The notch 27 is formed. That is, the notch portion 27 communicates the inside and the outside of the peripheral wall 25. The cutout portion 27 is for discharging water on the upper surface 8b of the cap 8 and the inner portion of the peripheral wall 25 from above the upper surface 8b (inside the peripheral wall 25) to the outside of the cap 8. .. The cutout portion 27 is a portion of the peripheral wall 25 corresponding to the polygonal side of the outer surface, and is formed at a position closer to one of the two ribs 26 adjacent to each other on both sides thereof. .. Further, the notch portion 27 is smoothly connected to the side surface in the thickness direction of the two ribs 26 adjacent to each other on both sides thereof. Further, the notch portion 27 is smoothly connected to the upper surface 8b of the cap 8. Specifically, the side surface of the rib 26 in the thickness direction is curved so that the rib 26 becomes thicker as it approaches the peripheral wall 25. The side surface of the rib 26 in the thickness direction is connected to the inner surface surface of the notch portion 27. Further, the edge of the upper surface 8b of the cap 8 along the inner surface of the peripheral wall 25 is set at the same height as the inner bottom surface of the notch 27.

Next, the operation of the ion exchanger 5 will be described.

In the ion exchanger 5, since the ability of the ion exchange resin 19 to remove ions from the refrigerant is limited, it is necessary to periodically replace the ion exchange resin 19 with a new one together with the cap 8. At that time, the cap 8 attached to the housing 7 so as to close the opening at the upper end of the housing 7 is removed from the housing 7 by being rotated around the rotation center RC by using a tool.

Specifically, the tool is attached to the outer surface of the peripheral wall 25 in the cap 8. Then, when the tool is rotated around the rotation center RC, the cap 8 is also rotated together with the tool, and the cap 8 is removed from the housing 7 together with the ion exchange resin 19, the tube member 16, the ring member 18, and the like. At this time, the connection between the tubular wall 22b of the separator 22 provided in the housing 7 and the tube member 16 held by the cap 8 is released.

After the cap 8 is removed from the housing 7 in this way, a tool is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 25 in another cap 8 in which the new ion exchange resin 19 is arranged. Then, when the body portion 8a of the other cap 8 is inserted into the housing 7 and the cap 8 is rotated around the rotation center RC together with the tool in the direction opposite to that at the time of removal, the cap 8 is on the upper end portion of the housing 7. Screwed into the opening. As a result, the male screw 15 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 8a of the cap 8 is meshed with the female screw 14 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 7.

By closing the opening at the upper end of the housing 7 with the cap 8, the ion exchange resin 19 is replaced with a new one together with the cap 8. Further, at this time, the tubular wall 22b of the separator 22 provided in the housing 7 and the tube member 16 held by the cap 8 are connected to each other.

By the way, when the cap 8 is attached to or detached from the housing 7 with a tool, the rotational torque from the tool acts on the outer surface of the peripheral wall 25 of the cap 8. Although the peripheral wall 25 projects upward from the upper surface 8b of the cap 8, the strength is increased by the rib 26 formed so as to connect the peripheral wall 25 and the upper surface 8b. Therefore, the strength required for the peripheral wall 25 that receives the rotational torque via the outer surface is secured.

According to the present embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In the ion exchanger 5, since the peripheral wall 25 of the cap 8 is reinforced by the rib 26, the strength required for the peripheral wall 25 that receives the rotational torque from the tool can be secured.

(2) Since a plurality of ribs 26 are provided around the rotation center RC at equal intervals, the strength of the peripheral wall 25 can be evenly increased around the rotation center RC. Therefore, when the peripheral wall 25 receives the rotational torque from the tool through its outer surface, it is possible to suppress a decrease in strength at a part of the peripheral wall 25 around the rotation center RC.

(3) The plurality of ribs 26 extend radially around the rotation center RC and are connected to the portions of the peripheral wall 25 corresponding to the polygonal corners of the outer surface. Since the corner portion of the peripheral wall 25 is a portion having high rigidity, it is possible to effectively improve the strength of the peripheral wall 25 by providing the rib 26 by connecting the rib 26 to the portion.

(4) In the ion exchanger 5, water may splash on the upper surface 8b of the cap 8. In this way, the water applied to the upper surface 8b of the cap 8 flows toward the peripheral wall 25 as the upper surface 8b is inclined. A notch 27 is formed between the portions of the peripheral wall 25 where the two adjacent ribs 26 are connected to each other so as to penetrate the inner and outer surfaces of the peripheral wall 25. That is, the notch portion 27 communicates the inside and the outside of the peripheral wall 25. Therefore, the water flowing toward the peripheral wall 25 along the upper surface 8b of the cap 8 flows down from the upper surface 8b of the cap 8 through the notch 27 without staying at the peripheral wall 25. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water from accumulating inside the peripheral wall 25 on the upper surface 8b of the cap 8.

(5) The cutout portion 27 is formed in a portion of the peripheral wall 25 corresponding to the polygonal side of the outer surface. If the notch 27 is formed at the polygonal corner of the outer surface of the peripheral wall 25, it is inevitable that the strength of the peripheral wall 25 decreases with the formation of the notch 27. In this respect, according to the above configuration, such a decrease in strength can be suppressed.

(6) The cutout portion 27 is smoothly connected to the side surfaces of the two ribs 26 adjacent to each other in the thickness direction on both sides thereof, and is also smoothly connected to the upper surface 8b of the cap 8. Therefore, the water applied to the upper surface 8b of the cap 8 flows along the side surface of the upper surface 8b and the rib 26 in the thickness direction, and then smoothly flows down from the inside of the peripheral wall 25 through the notch 27. Become.

The above embodiment can be changed as follows, for example. The above embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.

-The thickness of the rib 26 may be changed as appropriate. In this case, it is preferable to make the thickness of the rib 26 larger than the width of the notch 27 about the rotation center RC.

-The notch 27 is necessarily a polygonal side of the outer surface of the peripheral wall and does not necessarily have to be formed at a position closer to the rib 26.

-The notch portion 27 may be formed at a polygonal corner portion of the outer surface of the peripheral wall 25, specifically, a corner portion not connected to the rib 26.

-The notch portion 27 does not necessarily have to be smoothly connected to the side surfaces in the thickness direction of the two ribs 26 adjacent to each other on both sides thereof.

-The notch portion 27 does not necessarily have to be smoothly connected to the upper surface 8b of the cap 8.

・ It is not always necessary to form the notch 27.

-The upper surface 8b of the cap 8 does not necessarily have to be inclined so as to descend from the rotation center RC toward the peripheral wall 25.

The rib 26 may be connected to a portion of the peripheral wall 25 other than the polygonal corner portion of the outer surface.

-The plurality of ribs 26 do not necessarily have to be positioned at equal intervals around the rotation center RC.

・ It is not always necessary that a plurality of ribs 26 are provided.

-The shape of the outer surface of the peripheral wall 25 may be a shape other than a polygonal shape.

1 ... Fuel cell, 2 ... Cooling circuit, 3 ... Pump, 4 ... Radiator, 5 ... Ion exchanger, 6 ... Bypass piping, 7 ... Housing, 7a ... Inlet, 7b ... Outlet, 8 ... Cap, 8a ... Body Part, 8b ... Top surface, 9 ... Inflow pipe, 10 ... Outflow pipe, 14 ... Female screw, 15 ... Male screw, 16 ... Tube member, 17 ... Ring part, 18 ... Ring member, 19 ... Ion exchange resin, 20 ... Mesh, 21 ... mesh, 22 ... separator, 22a ... bottom wall, 22b ... cylinder wall, 23 ... first flow path, 24 ... second flow path, 25 ... peripheral wall, 26 ... rib, 27 ... notch.

Claims

A housing that opens upward, an ion exchange resin arranged in the housing, and a cap that closes the opening by screwing into the opening of the housing are provided, and the refrigerant that has flowed into the housing is said to be said. In an ion exchanger configured to flow out of the housing after passing through an ion exchange resin,
The cap connects a peripheral wall formed around the center of rotation when screwed into the opening at the upper end of the housing and projecting upward from the upper surface of the cap, and an inner side surface of the peripheral wall and the upper surface of the cap. An ion exchanger characterized in that it comprises ribs that are formed in such a manner.
The ion exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the rib is one of a plurality of ribs, and the plurality of ribs are located at equal intervals around the center of rotation.
The outer surface of the peripheral wall is formed in a polygonal shape.
The ion exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rib is connected to a portion of the peripheral wall corresponding to a polygonal corner portion of the outer surface.
The upper surface of the cap is inclined so as to descend from the center of rotation toward the peripheral wall.
The plurality of ribs include two ribs adjacent to each other.
A notch is provided between a portion of the peripheral wall that is connected to one of the two adjacent ribs and a portion that is connected to the other rib so as to penetrate the inner and outer surfaces of the peripheral wall. The ion exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the ion exchanger is formed.
The outer surface of the peripheral wall is formed in a polygonal shape.
The plurality of ribs are connected to portions of the peripheral wall corresponding to the polygonal corners of the outer surface.
The ion exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the cutout portion is formed in a portion of the peripheral wall corresponding to a polygonal side of the outer surface.
The fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, wherein the notch is smoothly connected to the side surface in the thickness direction of the two ribs adjacent to each other on both sides thereof, and is also smoothly connected to the upper surface of the cap. Ion exchanger.