Modular sealed transfer system and method for safely transferring solid hydrogen storage material

Abstract

The invention relates to a modular sealed transfer system and a method for safely transferring a solid hydrogen storage material, and belongs to the technical field of hydrogen energy storage and transportation and device engineering. According to the system, rapid butt joint and high-sealing connection between the hydrogen charging and discharging device and the material storage tank are achieved through the detachable rapid insertion type sealing connection mechanism, and the solid hydrogen storage material is directionally transferred in an inert atmosphere or a vacuum environment in cooperation with the integrated spiral conveying device. By means of a dynamic atmosphere regulation and control system, the oxygen content of water in the pipeline is accurately controlled to the ppm level, so that effective inhibition of reactivity and efficient isolation of environmental factors in the material transfer process are achieved, and the stability and controllability in the material treatment process are remarkably improved. The system adopts a multi-channel parallel design, has a modular expansion capability, and can adapt to a multi-tank collaborative transfer scene; the whole device has good impact resistance, air tightness and space adaptability, and is particularly suitable for high-safety transportation requirements of solid hydrogen storage materials under complex working conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of hydrogen energy storage and transportation systems, and in particular to a modular sealed transfer system and a method for safely transferring solid-state hydrogen storage materials. Background Art

[0002] With the widespread application of hydrogen in transportation, energy storage, and distributed energy, solid-state hydrogen storage has attracted widespread attention due to its advantages such as high volume density and high safety. However, the existing solid-state hydrogen storage system mainly adopts an integrated structural design, which has the following significant deficiencies: (1) Low degree of system modularity: Existing equipment is difficult to achieve rapid docking and decoupling between hydrogen storage units, hydrogen charging and discharging devices, and material transportation, and lacks flexible deployment capabilities. (2) Insufficient connection sealing performance: Under multiple disassembly and assembly or dynamic operation conditions, the connection parts are prone to leakage risks, resulting in hydrogen exposure or solid material oxidation problems. (3) Lack of high-purity protective atmosphere: Solid-state hydrogen storage materials such as metal hydride materials are extremely sensitive to oxygen and water. The existing transportation process generally lacks inert atmosphere or vacuum protection, which can easily lead to material degradation and even safety hazards. (4) Difficult to adapt to complex working conditions: In the field, on mobile platforms or under space-constrained conditions, traditional systems are large in size, poorly coupled, and difficult to operate and maintain. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solid-state hydrogen storage material safe transportation system with modular structure, sealed connection, and dynamic atmosphere adjustment capabilities to meet the comprehensive technical requirements of high efficiency, safety, and environmental isolation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a modular sealed transfer system and method for the safe transfer of solid-state hydrogen storage materials, aiming to achieve highly sealed, safe, low-pollution, and highly efficient automated coordinated transfer of hydrogen storage materials between different functional units. This system effectively addresses technical bottlenecks such as operational inconvenience, poor sealing, and uncontrollable atmospheres in existing technologies. This system is suitable for the sealed, controllable, and coordinated transfer of solid-state hydrogen storage media in complex environments, and represents a key supporting equipment technology for solid-state hydrogen storage application systems.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] A method for safely transferring solid-state hydrogen storage materials comprises the following steps:

[0006] (1) The hydrogen charging and discharging device and the material storage tank are connected to a screw conveyor with a quick-connect interface through plug-in male and female connectors, and fixed through a mechanical locking device to achieve a detachable airtight connection.

[0007] (2) After the connection is completed, the dynamic atmosphere adjustment system is started to pre-treat the atmosphere of the main transmission channel and each branch channel of the screw conveyor, specifically including: vacuuming the main transmission channel and each branch channel by vacuum pump to reduce the internal pressure to 10-3 Pa-10 -5 Pa; then fill it with high-purity inert gas, and repeat the vacuum-filling cycle at least three times; at the same time, use the pressure sensor and water and oxygen detection device of the dynamic atmosphere adjustment system to monitor the internal atmosphere parameters of the main transmission channel and each branch channel in real time, so that the oxygen and moisture concentrations are controlled to below 1ppm.

[0008] (3) After completing the atmosphere adjustment, open the sealed hatch at the target quick-plug interface, start the screw conveyor to transport the solid hydrogen storage material from the hydrogen charging and discharging device along the main transmission channel to the material storage tank, or transport the solid hydrogen storage material from the material storage tank along the main transmission channel to the hydrogen charging and discharging device. The dynamic atmosphere adjustment system continues to operate during the transportation of the solid hydrogen storage material to ensure the channel pressure balance and atmosphere stability.

[0009] (4) After the material transfer is completed, the sealed hatch of the material storage tank and the hydrogen charging and discharging device interface is closed, and the connection with the branch pipeline is disconnected through the mechanical separation mechanism to complete the sealed transfer of the material and decoupling of the system.

[0010] The present invention also claims protection for a modular sealed transfer system, comprising: a screw conveyor, a quick-connect interface, a dynamic atmosphere adjustment system, a hydrogen charging and discharging device, and a material storage tank; wherein,

[0011] The screw conveyor is a material transmission mechanism. The screw conveyor pushes the material upward and forward through the tangential force generated by the spiral blades during the axial rotation to achieve material transportation. The spiral blades of the screw conveyor are located in the main transmission channel. The main transmission channel is a double-layer structure pipeline with a hollow cavity between the inner and outer layers. A plurality of branch pipelines are provided on the main transmission channel. The branch pipelines are connected to the main transmission channel. The hydrogen charging and discharging device and the material storage tank are detachably connected to the branch pipelines through quick-plug interfaces.

[0012] The quick-plug interface adopts a male and female connector, and a sealed door is provided at the interface of the quick-plug interface. The sealed door is closed when not in use and opened when in use;

[0013] The dynamic atmosphere adjustment system includes a vacuum pump, an inert gas supply source, a pressure sensor and a water and oxygen detection device. The vacuum pump and the inert gas supply source are connected to the interior of the main transmission channel; the vacuum pump and the inert gas supply source are connected to the hollow cavity; the water and oxygen detection device and the pressure sensor are arranged in the hollow cavity of the main transmission channel and the main transmission channel.

[0014] The screw conveyor of the present invention realizes directional transportation of solid hydrogen storage materials by rotating spiral blades.

[0015] The quick-plug interface is provided with plug-in male and female connectors, a sealed door and a mechanical locking structure, so as to realize quick connection and high airtight coupling between the functional units.

[0016] The dynamic atmosphere adjustment system includes a vacuum pump, an inert gas source, a water and oxygen detection device and a pressure sensor, and can perform multiple cycles of purification and real-time monitoring of the atmosphere in the main channel and its hollow cavity.

[0017] The hydrogen charging and discharging device and the material storage tank are connected to the spiral conveying mechanism through a quick-plug interface to complete the two-way sealed transportation of solid hydrogen storage materials.

[0018] Preferably, the quick-plug interface is further provided with a mechanical lock, and the quick-plug interface is detachably connected to the hydrogen charging and discharging device or the material storage tank through the mechanical lock.

[0019] Preferably, the quick-connect interface contains a multi-layer sealing ring structure, wherein the outer layer is made of high-wear-resistant fluororubber material and the inner layer is made of metal sealing sheet, and the hydrogen charging and discharging device or material storage tank is in contact with the high-wear-resistant fluororubber material of the outer layer of the interface.

[0020] Preferably, the male and female connectors are pluggable male and female connectors.

[0021] Preferably, the outer layer of the main transmission channel is made of corrosion-resistant material, and the inner tube body is made of high-strength material.

[0022] The modular sealed transfer system provided by the present invention has the following significant technical advantages:

[0023] (1) High airtightness: Through the multi-layer composite sealing structure (fluororubber + metal sealing sheet) and mechanical locking, effective sealing under dynamic connection conditions is achieved.

[0024] (2) Modular docking: supports the rapid interchange and combination of various hydrogen storage devices and tanks, facilitating system expansion and maintenance.

[0025] (3) Dynamic atmosphere control: The atmosphere adjustment system can realize the switching between vacuum and inert gas environment to meet the isolation and protection requirements of highly active hydrogen storage materials during transportation.

[0026] (4) Strong adaptability: The system has a compact structure, is shock-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and is suitable for safe transportation tasks in complex working conditions such as on-board vehicles, in the wild, on plateaus, and on ships. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the modular sealed transfer system of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] This embodiment provides a modular system for the sealed transport of solid-state hydrogen storage materials. Combining screw conveying technology, dynamic atmosphere control, and a quick-connect seal interface structure, it enables safe, efficient, and controllable transfer of solid-state hydrogen storage media between different functional modules. This system is particularly suitable for the closed transfer of highly active hydrogen storage materials (such as lightweight metal hydrides) between charging and discharging devices and material storage tanks.

[0031] The core transmission mechanism of this system is a screw conveyor. The conveyor is driven by a high-torque drive motor. When the spiral blades in the main transmission channel rotate axially, they exert tangential thrust on the hydrogen storage material in the main transmission channel, thereby achieving stable propulsion of solid materials. In order to ensure that the system has excellent structural stability and environmental isolation during the transportation process, the main transmission pipeline adopts a double-layer structure design: the inner layer is made of materials with low friction coefficient and high mechanical strength (such as polyimide composite materials or 316L stainless steel), which ensures smooth material transportation and excellent wear resistance; the outer layer is made of corrosion-resistant alloy materials (such as titanium alloy, stainless steel, etc.) to enhance the system's long-term service capability in complex environments such as high humidity, high salt, and high pressure. A hollow isolation cavity is set between the inner and outer layers, which is used as an inert atmosphere filling or vacuum environment to realize the gas barrier function, blocking the penetration of external media such as oxygen and water vapor from a structural level.

[0032] Multiple branch pipes are arranged axially along the main transmission pipeline to form a multi-channel parallel structure of the system. Each branch pipe is equipped with a matching quick-connect interface for docking with the hydrogen charging and discharging device or material storage tank. The quick-connect interface adopts a plug-in male and female joint design, with a multi-layer sealing structure integrated inside and a mechanical locking device set on the outside. The multi-layer sealing structure includes an outer layer of highly wear-resistant fluororubber sealing ring and an inner layer of metal elastic sealing sheet. The former provides flexible fit and chemical corrosion resistance, and the latter provides rigid support and high-pressure sealing capability. The mechanical lock of the interface automatically locks after the hydrogen charging and discharging device or material storage tank is connected to the quick-connect interface, which can ensure structural stability while preventing operational errors from causing the interface to loosen or leak. Each interface is equipped with an independent sealed hatch to isolate the internal and external atmospheres when disconnected, thereby improving the safety of transportation between modules.

[0033] In order to control the environmental conditions of hydrogen storage materials during transportation, this system integrates a dynamic atmosphere adjustment system. The system consists of a high-performance vacuum pump, a high-purity inert gas source (such as argon, nitrogen), a high-precision pressure sensor and a water and oxygen detection device. The vacuum pump, the inert gas supply source are connected to the interior of the main transmission channel; the vacuum pump, the inert gas supply source are connected to the hollow cavity; the water and oxygen detection device and the pressure sensor are arranged in the hollow cavity of the main transmission channel and the main transmission channel. Before the material is transported, the main transmission channel and the hollow cavity are subjected to three rounds of alternating vacuum and inert gas replacement through the atmosphere adjustment system, and finally the oxygen content and moisture content are controlled below 1ppm, respectively, and the internal air pressure of the system is maintained at 10 -3 to 10 -5 The entire adjustment process is automatically executed and recorded in real time by the central control module to ensure the traceability and consistency of atmosphere adjustment.

[0034] System connections, hatch opening and closing, and rapid material transfer can induce slight pressure fluctuations and gas turbulence. To ensure high atmosphere purity and airtightness under these conditions, this system incorporates a dynamic atmosphere conditioning system.

[0035] After the system is started up and the quick-connect interface is connected, the dynamic atmosphere conditioning system first completes three cycles of vacuuming and inert gas filling according to the normal process to establish an initial inert protective atmosphere. Subsequently, as the sealed hatch on the material storage tank opens and the material enters the main transmission channel by gravity, the system uses pressure sensors and water and oxygen detection modules to perform high-frequency sampling to detect subtle atmosphere changes within the channel in real time.

[0036] To address the possibility of trace hydrogen or external air infiltration during transmission, the dynamic atmosphere system features linked air supply and exhaust functions. If the oxygen content or humidity deviates from a safety threshold (e.g., 1 ppm), the system automatically adjusts the inert gas flow and temporarily increases the exhaust rate to achieve stable closed-loop atmosphere control.

[0037] A screw conveyor transports the hydrogen storage material from the material storage tank to the downstream hydrogen charging and discharging device. During this process, the dynamic atmosphere conditioning system operates continuously and uses the atmosphere disturbance response mechanism for adaptive regulation to ensure a stable ambient atmosphere with no significant composition fluctuations throughout the entire operation.

[0038] After the material transfer is completed, the system will sequentially perform operations such as hatch closing, airtight disconnection, and mechanical decoupling to complete the entire reverse transfer process.

[0039] During the specific operation, the hydrogen charging and discharging device and the material storage tank are first connected to the upstream and downstream branch pipes of the screw conveyor through quick-plug interfaces respectively. After the connection is completed, the mechanical locking device is started and the sealed doors are confirmed to be in the closed state. The dynamic atmosphere adjustment system is then started to complete the purification of the internal atmosphere. After the atmosphere adjustment is completed, the control system issues a command to automatically open the quick-plug interface sealed door and release the material into the main transmission channel. Relying on the action of gravity, the solid hydrogen storage material slides from the hydrogen charging and discharging device into the screw conveying area, and is pushed by the screw conveyor to the downstream port, and finally enters the material storage tank. During the entire transportation process, the dynamic atmosphere adjustment system remains in working condition, and continuously regulates the internal pressure, oxygen content and humidity of the system to ensure that the hydrogen storage material does not come into contact with the air and no oxidation reaction occurs.

[0040] Once the material is delivered, the sealing process begins. The sealed hatch on the material storage tank interface closes first, followed by the mechanical lock on the quick-connect interface, physically disconnecting the hydrogen charging and discharging device from the main system. This entire process requires no human intervention, and the operation process is fully automated, improving operational efficiency while effectively reducing safety risks in hydrogen environments.

[0041] The system deployment and operational process described in this embodiment enables the directional transfer of hydrogen storage materials in a fully sealed state, preventing performance degradation or safety hazards caused by exposure to oxygen and water vapor. The system offers significant engineering application value due to its strong scalability, high airtightness, and adaptability to multiple scenarios (such as on-board, in the field, and on ship platforms).

[0042] Example 2

[0043] To verify the bidirectional adaptability of the modular sealed transfer system described in the present invention, this embodiment provides an operational process for safely transferring solid-state hydrogen storage materials from a material storage tank to a hydrogen charging and discharging device, which is suitable for practical application scenarios such as hydrogen storage material return, circulation testing, or intermediate process distribution.

[0044] Before operation begins, the material storage tank containing the solid-state hydrogen storage material is connected to the upstream branch pipe of the screw conveyor's main transmission channel via a quick-connect connector. Simultaneously, the target hydrogen charging and discharging device is connected to the downstream branch pipe. Once connected, both interfaces are secured airtight with a mechanical locking mechanism, ensuring structural stability and airtightness between the modules during operation.

[0045] After the system confirms that the connection is complete, the dynamic atmosphere adjustment system is started to perform standardized atmosphere replacement operations. This process includes three rounds of vacuuming and high-purity inert gas (such as argon or nitrogen) filling cycles. The vacuum pump reduces the pressure in the main transmission channel and the hollow cavity to 10 -5The pressure is on the order of Pa, and closed-loop control is performed using a matching pressure sensor. Simultaneously, oxygen and humidity are continuously monitored using a water and oxygen detection device to ensure that the final oxygen and moisture contents are controlled below 1 ppm. This operation creates a high-purity, low-reactivity atmosphere, eliminating potential oxidation or hydrolysis risks during transportation.

[0046] After atmosphere conditioning is complete, the quick-connect hatches of the material storage tank and the hydrogen charging and discharging device are first opened, allowing the solid hydrogen storage material to slide under gravity into the main transmission channel. Subsequently, the screw conveyor is activated, and the motor-driven spiral blades rotate to generate axial thrust, steadily conveying the material to the downstream hydrogen charging and discharging device. Throughout this process, the dynamic atmosphere conditioning system remains operational, adjusting the channel's air pressure and atmosphere composition in real time to prevent environmental disturbances caused by micro-pressure fluctuations or gas exchange induced by material flow.

[0047] Once all materials have been transferred, the quick-connect connector on one end of the hydrogen charging and discharging device immediately closes the sealed hatch, blocking the gas flow between the main channel and the outside. Next, the mechanical lock on the quick-connect connector is released, physically decoupling the modules and concluding the entire transfer process.

[0048] This example demonstrates the system's ability to transport solid-state hydrogen storage materials in a fully sealed, high-purity, contactless manner, even under reverse operation. The modular structural design and atmosphere control strategy offer high versatility, enabling flexible transfer of solid-state hydrogen storage materials between different devices and process steps. This capability holds significant engineering value for the large-scale operation and multi-scenario deployment of solid-state hydrogen storage systems.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used for a specific description of the technical solution of the present invention, and are intended to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present invention, and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the core concept of the present invention, various forms of replacement, equivalent adjustment or combination optimization can be made to the specific structure, parameter configuration, control logic, etc., all of which should fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for safe transfer of solid hydrogen storage materials, characterized by: The steps include: (1) Connect the hydrogen charging and discharging device and the material storage tank to a screw conveyor with a quick-connect interface through plug-in male and female connectors, and fix them with a mechanical locking device to achieve a detachable airtight connection; (2) After the connection is completed, the dynamic atmosphere adjustment system is started to pre-treat the atmosphere of the main transmission channel and each branch channel of the screw conveyor, specifically including: vacuuming the main transmission channel and each branch channel by vacuum pump to reduce the internal pressure to 10 -3 Pa-10 -5 Pa; then fill with high-purity inert gas, and repeat the vacuum-fill cycle at least three times; at the same time, use the pressure sensor and water and oxygen detection device of the dynamic atmosphere adjustment system to monitor the internal atmosphere parameters of the main transmission channel and each branch channel in real time, so that the oxygen and water concentrations are controlled to below 1ppm; (3) After the atmosphere adjustment is completed, the sealed hatch at the target quick-connect interface is opened, and the screw conveyor is started to transport the solid hydrogen storage material from the hydrogen charging and discharging device along the main transmission channel to the material storage tank, or to transport the solid hydrogen storage material from the material storage tank along the main transmission channel to the hydrogen charging and discharging device. The dynamic atmosphere adjustment system continues to operate during the transportation of the solid hydrogen storage material to ensure channel pressure balance and atmosphere stability; (4) After the material transfer is completed, the sealed hatch of the material storage tank and the hydrogen charging and discharging device interface is closed, and the connection with the branch pipeline is disconnected through the mechanical separation mechanism to complete the sealed transfer of the material and decoupling of the system.

2. A modular sealed transport system for implementing the method of claim 1, characterized in that: include: Screw conveyor, quick-connect interface, dynamic atmosphere adjustment system, hydrogen charging and discharging device and material storage tank; among them, The screw conveyor is a material transmission mechanism. The screw conveyor pushes the material upward and forward through the tangential force generated by the spiral blades during the axial rotation to achieve material transportation. The spiral blades of the screw conveyor are located in the main transmission channel. The main transmission channel is a double-layer structure pipeline with a hollow cavity between the inner and outer layers. A plurality of branch pipelines are provided on the main transmission channel. The branch pipelines are connected to the main transmission channel. The hydrogen charging and discharging device and the material storage tank are detachably connected to the branch pipelines through quick-plug interfaces. The quick-plug interface adopts a male and female connector, and a sealed door is provided at the interface of the quick-plug interface. The sealed door is closed when not in use and opened when in use; The dynamic atmosphere adjustment system includes a vacuum pump, an inert gas supply source, a pressure sensor and a water and oxygen detection device. The vacuum pump and the inert gas supply source are connected to the interior of the main transmission channel; the vacuum pump and the inert gas supply source are connected to the hollow cavity; the water and oxygen detection device and the pressure sensor are arranged in the hollow cavity of the main transmission channel and the main transmission channel.

3. The modular sealed transfer system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The quick-connect interface is internally provided with a multi-layer sealing structure, the outer layer being a fluororubber sealing ring and the inner layer being a metal sealing sheet, and the hydrogen charging and discharging device or the material storage tank is in contact with the fluororubber material of the outer layer of the interface.

4. The modular sealed transfer system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The quick-connect interface is equipped with a mechanical locking device, and the quick-connect interface is detachably connected to the hydrogen charging and discharging device or the material storage tank through the mechanical lock.

5. The modular sealed transfer system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer layer of the main transmission channel is made of corrosion-resistant material, and the inner tube body is made of high-strength material.

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