Gas Supply System

The gas supply system addresses the challenge of safely detaching high-pressure tanks by using a pressure sensor and control device to manage valve operation, ensuring safe tank removal by preventing leaks.

JP7764848B2Active Publication Date: 2025-11-06TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022205541
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-12-22
Publication Date
2025-11-06
Estimated Expiration
2042-12-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The challenge of safely detaching a high-pressure tank without causing significant leakage during removal, such as when replacing it, is not adequately addressed in existing systems.

Method used

A gas supply system with a detachable tank, a pressure sensor in the supply flow path, and a control device that closes the on-off valve to stop gas supply, checks pressure levels, and determines if it's safe to detach the tank, using a locking mechanism and push rod to manage valve operation.

Benefits of technology

Ensures safer detachment of the tank by preventing potential leaks by checking the on-off valve's condition before removal, reducing the risk of malfunction and leakage.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a gas supply system that more securely suppresses troubles such as occurrence of leakage to enable separation of a tank.SOLUTION: A gas supply system includes: a gas consumption device; a tank storing gas to be supplied to the gas consumption device, and attachable to / detachable from the gas consumption device; and a control device. The gas consumption device has a supply flow passage in which gas flows, and a pressure sensor for obtaining a flow passage internal pressure of the supply flow passage. The tank is connected to the supply flow passage, and includes an on-off valve at the connected portion. When the tank is separated, the control device performs calculation for permitting separation of the tank after stopping gas supply by closing the on-off valve, stopping consumption of gas after consumption of gas in the supply flow passage, and obtaining a pressure from the pressure sensor to acquire that the pressure is not raised to equal to or more than a predetermined pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to gas supply systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system for supplying gas from a high-pressure tank to a fuel cell. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-275075 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When removing a high-pressure tank, such as when replacing it, a large amount of leakage is likely to occur, so safer attachment and detachment of the high-pressure tank is required.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a gas supply system that more reliably suppresses leak problems and enables the tank to be detached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present application discloses a gas supply system comprising a gas consuming device, a tank that stores gas to be supplied to the gas consuming device and is detachable from the gas consuming device, and a control device, wherein the gas consuming device has a supply flow path through which gas flows and a pressure sensor that obtains the pressure inside the supply flow path, the tank is connected to the supply flow path and is provided with an on-off valve at the connected location, and when the tank is detached, the control device closes the on-off valve to stop the gas supply, stops the gas consumption after consuming the gas in the supply flow path, obtains pressure from the pressure sensor and determines that the pressure has not risen above a predetermined level before performing a calculation to allow the tank to be detached.

[0007] The gas consumption device may have a locking member that restricts removal of the tank, and the control device may be configured to perform an operation to release the restriction imposed by the locking member when removal of the tank is permitted.

[0008] The opening / closing valve may be a check valve, the gas consumption device may have a push rod, and the check valve may be opened when the push rod presses against the check valve, and closed when the push rod is released from pressing against the check valve, and the control device may be configured to operate the push rod so that the check valve is in a closed state when the tank is detached.

[0009] The tank opening / closing valve may be configured to be an electromagnetic valve.

[0010] The control device may be configured to output a result to be notified to the outside when a calculation result is obtained that does not allow the tank to be removed.

[0011] A receiver may be provided to receive the notification result and make the notification. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, if the value of the pressure sensor in the supply flow path rises after the gas supply is stopped, it is possible that the on-off valve is malfunctioning and there is concern about leakage. Therefore, by obtaining the value of the pressure sensor, the condition of the on-off valve can be checked in advance, making it possible to remove (detach) the tank more safely. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a gas supply system 10. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the tank 11. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the on-off valve 15 and the connecting device 23. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the control device 50. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the connection state of the on-off valve 15 and the connection device 23. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the tank separation control S10. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating step S12. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating step S17. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] 1.Gas supply system 1 conceptually shows the configuration of a gas supply system 10 according to one embodiment. Such gas supply system 10 has a tank 11 which is a gas supply source, a gas consumption device 20 which is a destination of the gas supply, a control device 50, and an alarm device 60. The gas supply system 10 of this embodiment is a system which generates electricity by supplying hydrogen stored in the tank 11 to a fuel cell 21 included in the gas consumption device 20. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tank 11 is configured to be detachable from the gas consumption device 20. This is explained in detail below.

[0015] 1.1.Tank The tank 11 is a container for storing the gas to be supplied (hydrogen in this embodiment) in a liquid or gaseous state. An explanatory diagram is shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2(a) is an external view, and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction of the tank 11. As can be seen from these figures, in this embodiment, the tank 10 has a liner 12, a reinforcing layer 13, a mouthpiece 14, and an on-off valve 15. Each component will be described below.

[0016] 1.1.1. Liner The liner 12 is a hollow member that defines the internal space of the tank 12 and is cylindrical in this embodiment. The liner 12 has a body portion 12a with a generally constant diameter, and openings at both ends of the body portion 12a are narrowed by dome-shaped side end portions 12b, and a nozzle 14 is disposed in the narrowed opening 12c. The liner 12 may be made of any material that can hold the contents (e.g., hydrogen) stored in its internal space without leaking, and any known material can be used. Specific examples include nylon resin, polyethylene-based synthetic resin, and metals such as stainless steel and aluminum. Among these, synthetic resin is preferable as the material for the liner from the viewpoint of reducing the weight of the tank. The thickness of the liner 12 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

[0017] 1.1.2. Reinforcement layer The reinforcing layer 13 is made up of multiple layers of fibers that are impregnated with a hardened resin. The fiber layers are formed by wrapping fiber bundles around the outer periphery of the liner 12 in multiple layers to a predetermined thickness. The thickness of the reinforcing layer 13 and the number of turns of the fiber bundles are determined based on the required strength and are not particularly limited, but are generally about 10 mm to 30 mm.

[0018] <Fiber bundle> The fiber bundles of the reinforcing layer 13 are made of, for example, carbon fibers, and the fiber bundles are band-shaped bundles of carbon fibers with a predetermined cross-sectional shape (for example, a rectangular cross-section). Specific examples include, but are not limited to, a rectangular cross-sectional shape with a width of about 6 mm to 20 mm and a thickness of about 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. The amount of carbon fibers contained in the fiber bundle is also not particularly limited, but may be, for example, about 36,000 carbon fibers.

[0019] <Impregnating resin> The resin impregnated into and cured in the fibers (fiber bundles) in the reinforcing layer 13 is not particularly limited as long as it can increase the strength of the fibers. Examples of such resins include thermosetting resins that are cured by heat, such as epoxy resins and unsaturated polyester resins that contain amine- or anhydride-based curing accelerators and rubber-based toughening agents. Other examples include resin compositions that use epoxy resin as the base agent and are cured by mixing a curing agent into it. In this case, the resin composition, which is a mixture of the base agent and the curing agent, reaches and penetrates the fiber layer between the time of mixing and the time of curing, and then automatically hardens.

[0020] <Protective layer> If necessary, a protective layer may be disposed on the outer periphery of the reinforcing layer. When provided, for example, glass fiber is wound around the protective layer and impregnated with resin. The impregnated resin can be considered the same as the reinforcing layer 12. This can provide impact resistance to the tank 11. The thickness of the protective layer is not particularly limited, but can be about 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0021] 1.1.3.Socket The nozzles 14 are members attached to each of the two openings 12c of the liner 12, and are arranged at both ends of the liner 12 in the direction of the axis O. They function as openings that communicate between the inside and outside of the tank 11, and also have on-off valves 15 attached to them. Therefore, the nozzles 14 are provided with holes with a circular cross section in which the on-off valves 15 are to be placed. The inner surface of the hole is provided with a female thread that corresponds to the male thread of the on-off valve 15. The on-off valve 15 is fixed to the nozzle 14 by mating the male thread with this female thread. In addition, the inner surface of the hole has a smooth sealing surface on the inner side of the tank (high-pressure side) of the female thread. A sealing member attached to the outer periphery of the on-off valve 15 comes into contact with this sealing surface, thereby sealing the inside of the tank 11 airtightly.

[0022] The material constituting the base 14 is not particularly limited as long as it has the necessary strength, but examples include copper, iron, and aluminum.

[0023] 1.1.4.Shut-off valve The on-off valve 15 is held in a hole in the nozzle 14 so as to bridge the inside and outside of the tank 11. The on-off valve 15 is disposed in one of the two nozzles 14 provided at both ends of the tank 11 in the longitudinal direction. The other nozzle 14 is sealed with a plug 14a. 2(b), which includes the vicinity of the on-off valve 15, and shows the on-off valve 15 separated from a connection device 23 of the gas consumption device 20, which will be described later. The on-off valve 15 has a shaft portion that is placed inside the hole of the nozzle 14, and the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion is provided with a male thread that is mated with the female thread of the nozzle 14, thereby fixing the on-off valve 15 to the hole of the nozzle 14. In addition, a sealing member (not shown) is placed on the outer circumferential surface of the on-off valve 15, and this sealing member is placed so as to come into contact with the sealing surface on the inner surface of the hole of the nozzle 14, thereby achieving airtightness (sealing).

[0024] The on-off valve 15 has a valve body 16 and a connection part 17 .

[0025] <Valve body> The valve element 16 is a switching valve that allows and restricts communication between the inside and outside of the tank 11. In this embodiment, a check valve is used as the valve element 16. Therefore, in this embodiment, the valve element 16 is biased to restrict communication when closed, and pressing the valve element 16 against the bias causes the valve element 16 to move and allow communication. In this embodiment, communication is switched by pressing and releasing the pressure on the valve element 16, so a means for pressing the valve element 16 is required. For this reason, the gas consumption device 20 is provided with a means (push rod 24) for pressing the valve element 16, as described below. By using the valve element 16 as a check valve and opening and closing it on the gas consumption device 20 side, there is no need to electrically connect the detachable tank 11 to the control device 50 for control, and control by the control device 50 can be performed more reliably.

[0026] In this embodiment, a check valve is used as the valve element 16, but there is no limitation as long as it can allow and regulate communication between the inside and outside of the tank 11, and a solenoid valve can also be used as the valve element. By using a solenoid valve, opening and closing can be directly controlled by the control device 50 without using a pressing means.

[0027] <Connection> The on-off valve 15 has a connection part 17 connected to the gas consumption device 20 on the side connected to the gas consumption device 20. The connection part 17 is a part where the connection part 17 can be engaged with and disengaged from the connection part 25 of the connection device 23 of the gas consumption device 20. The specific mode is not limited, but in this embodiment, a mechanical connection (mechanical interface) can be mentioned, and among these, a mount such as that used to connect a photographic lens to a body of a camera can be applied, and more specifically, a C-mount can be used. In this embodiment, as described below, a locking member 26 is provided on the gas consumption device 20, and activation of the locking member 26 prevents the connection part 17 from being separated from the gas consumption device 20, and release of the locking member 26 allows separation.

[0028] Other Although there are no particular limitations on the allowable pressure of tank 11, a tank that can store hydrogen at an allowable pressure of more than 20 MPa and not more than 70 MPa can be used in order to be able to supply more hydrogen. In this embodiment, leakage during removal can be more reliably prevented even for tanks with such high pressures.

[0029] In this embodiment, a plurality of tanks 11 (for example, three) are provided, and each tank 11 is filled with hydrogen. Here, an example is given in which three tanks 11 are provided, and the tanks are designated by the reference numerals 11a, 11b, and 11c to distinguish them. These tanks 11 may all have the same capacity, or tanks of different capacities may be included.

[0030] 1.2.Gas consumption devices The gas consumption device 20 is a device that receives and consumes gas from the tank 11. In this embodiment, the gas consumption device 20 includes a fuel cell 21, a supply flow path 22, a connection device 23, an injection 30, and a pressure gauge 31, as shown in FIG.

[0031] 1.2.1.Fuel cells The fuel cell 21 is a device that consumes the supplied gas, and generates electricity by receiving a supply of hydrogen from the tank 11 and a supply of air from an air hole (not shown). The specific configuration of the fuel cell 21 is not particularly limited, and a known fuel cell can be used.

[0032] 1.2.2. Supply Channel Supply flow path 22 is a path that guides gas from tank 11 to fuel cell 21 and is composed of piping. In this embodiment, tanks 11a, 11b, and 11c are each connected to fuel cell 21. Here, pipes 22a, 22b, and 22c extending from tanks 11a, 11b, and 11c, respectively, join together to form single pipe 22d, which is connected to fuel cell 21.

[0033] 1.2.3.Connecting Devices The connection device 23 is disposed at the connection portion of the supply flow path 22 with the tank 11, and is connected to the connection portion 17 provided on the on-off valve 15 of the tank 11, and operates to open and close the valve body 16 (check valve) of the tank 11. Figure 3 is a view including the vicinity of the connection device 23 in Figure 2(b), showing the on-off valve 15 and the connection device 23 of the gas consumption device 20 separated from each other. As can be seen from Figure 3, the connection device 23 has a cylindrical body 23a, and has a push rod 24 disposed inside the cylindrical body 23a, a connection portion 25 provided at the tip of the cylindrical body 23a, and a locking member 26.

[0034] <Push rod> The push rod 24 is a member that can press the valve element 16 provided in the on-off valve 15 of the tank 11, and in this embodiment is rod-shaped, with its tip capable of pressing the valve element 16. Therefore, as can be seen from Figure 3, the push rod 24 is arranged inside the cylindrical body 23a, and is configured to be able to move in its axial direction as shown by the straight arrow in Figure 3, protruding and retracting from the cylindrical body 23a.

[0035] <Connection> The connecting portion 25 is provided at the end of the cylindrical body 23a facing the connecting portion 17 provided on the on-off valve 15. As described above, the connecting portion 25 is capable of engaging with and disengaging from the connecting portion 17. Specifically, in this embodiment, a mechanical coupling (mechanical interface) can be used, and among these, a mount that connects a photographic lens to a camera body can be applied, and more specifically, a C-mount can be used.

[0036] <Locking component> The locking member 26 is a member that prevents the connection portion 17 and the connection portion 25 from being released from the engaged position, i.e., prevents the on-off valve 15 from being separated from the connection device 23. The specific form of the locking member 26 is not particularly limited, but for example, as shown in Figure 3, the rod-shaped locking member 26 can be configured to be able to protrude and retract into the cylindrical body 23a. The locking member 26 protrudes from the cylindrical body 23a and enters the connection portion 25, thereby preventing the connection portion 17 and the connection portion 25 from being separated, and the locking member 26 retracts into the cylindrical body 23a and retreats from the connection portion 25, allowing the connection portion 17 and the connection portion 25 to be separated.

[0037] Injection The injector 30 is disposed in the supply flow path 22 (supply flow path 22d in this embodiment) between the connection device 23 and the fuel cell 21, and controls the supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell 21. The specific form of the injector is not particularly limited, but a flow rate adjustment valve can be given as an example.

[0038] Pressure Gauges The pressure gauge 31 is a pressure gauge that measures the pressure inside the supply flow path 22 (pressure inside the piping) between the connection device 23 and the injection 30. In this embodiment, the specific form of the pressure gauge 31 is not particularly limited, but it is configured to be able to transmit the obtained pressure value data to the control device 50.

[0039] 1.3.Control Device The control device 50 is a control device that determines whether or not the tank 11 can be detached when detachment is attempted, and operates the tank 11 to a detachable state if it determines that detachment is possible, and outputs a signal to notify the user if it determines that detachment is not possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 50 is configured to be able to communicate with the push rod 24, locking member 26, injection 30, pressure gauge 31, and alarm device 60 of the connection device 23.

[0040] As conceptually shown in Figure 4, the control device 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51 which is a processor that performs calculations, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 52 which functions as a working area, a ROM (Read-Only Memory) 53 which functions as a recording medium, a receiving unit 54 which is an interface that accepts information into the control device 50 regardless of whether it is wired or wireless, and a transmitting unit 55 which is an interface that sends information from the control device 50 to the outside regardless of whether it is wired or wireless. Therefore, the control device 50 is configured so that the pressure gauge 31 is connected to the receiving unit 54 to receive information, and the push rod 24, locking member 26, injection 30, and alarm device 60 are connected to the transmitting unit 55 so that signals for their operation can be sent to these.

[0041] The control device 50 stores a program that, when the tank 11 is to be detached, determines whether the detachment is possible, performs calculations to operate each device according to the determination, and transmits a signal to each device to operate it. In the control device 50, the CPU 51, RAM 52, and ROM 53, which serve as hardware resources, work together with the program. Specifically, the CPU 51 executes the computer program stored in the ROM 53 in the RAM 52, which functions as a work area, thereby performing the desired control. Information acquired or generated by the CPU 51 is stored in the RAM 52. Alternatively, a separate recording medium may be provided inside or outside the control device 50, and the program and various data may be stored therein. Specific control content will be described later.

[0042] Such a control device 50 can typically be configured by a computer.

[0043] 1.4.Alarm Device The alarm device 60 is a device that issues an alarm when the calculation device 50 determines that detachment is not possible when detaching the tank 11. Therefore, the alarm device 60 functions as a receiver that receives a signal from the calculation device 50, which is the transmitter of the alarm signal, and also issues a specific alarm. The notification method is not particularly limited, and may be any of image display, warning sound, voice, and light, or a combination of at least two or more of these. For image display, an image display device may be used, for warning sound or voice, a speaker may be used, and for light, a lighting device may be used.

[0044] 2.Tank release control The control performed when the tank 11 is removed from the gas supply device 10 will be described below. 2.1.Gas supply status Prior to the removal of the tank 11, hydrogen flows out of the tank 11 and is supplied to the fuel cell 21 through the supply path 22. The fuel cell 21 generates electricity. At this time, the tank 11 is connected to the gas consumption device 20, and the valve body 16 is open. Figure 5 shows the connection between the tank 11 and the gas consumption device 20 in this state. Figure 5 is a cross section taken from the same perspective as Figure 3.

[0045] As can be seen from Figure 5, when the tank 11 is installed and in a gas supply state, the connection part 17 provided on the opening / closing valve 15 of the tank 11 and the connection part 25 provided on the connection device 23 of the gas consumption device 20 are engaged, and the locking member 26 protrudes from the cylindrical body 23a and enters the connection part 25, thereby entering a locked state. Further, the push rod 24 protrudes from the cylindrical body 23a, and its tip reaches the inside of the on-off valve 16, pressing the valve element 16, and the on-off valve 16 is in an open state.

[0046] 2.2.Tank removal procedure Figure 6 shows the flow of tank detachment control S10 according to one embodiment. As can be seen from Figure 6, tank detachment control S10 includes steps S11 to S19. Each of these steps is carried out by a program stored in the control device 50, and each device is operated by a command from the control device 50. Each step will be explained below.

[0047] 2.2.1. Withdrawal Beginning In the process of starting detachment (S11), the control device 50 receives a signal that triggers the start of tank detachment. This starts detachment of the tank 11, and tank detachment control S10 is performed. The signal that triggers the start of tank detachment is not particularly limited, and the signal may be generated when the user operates a detachment start switch (not shown) that is provided, or when the internal volume of the tank 11 decreases and falls below a predetermined pressure.

[0048] 2.2.2. Closing the on-off valve In the process (S12) of closing the on-off valve, the control device 50 closes the on-off valve 15 in response to the closure signal received in process S11. Specifically, the control device 50 moves the push rod 24 to release the pressure on the valve element 16, thereby closing the valve element 16. However, as shown in Fig. 7, the push rod 24 protrudes from the cylindrical body 23a and remains inside the on-off valve 15. This maintains a state of communication between the on-off valve 15 and the connection device 23 (however, since the valve is closed, communication with the inside of the tank is blocked) and sealing, and ensures airtightness of the supply flow path 22. If multiple tanks 11 are installed, this operation is performed for all of the tanks 11.

[0049] 2.2.3.Injection operation In the injection operation step (S13), the control device 50 activates the injector 30 to send hydrogen in the supply flow path 22 to the fuel cell 21 to generate electricity and consume the hydrogen in the supply flow path 22. Since the on-off valve 15 of the tank 11 is closed in step S12, no new gas is normally supplied from the tank 11, and the gas in the supply flow path 22 is consumed in step S13, causing the pressure in the flow path to drop. The electricity obtained in this step S13 can be used to charge a secondary battery (not shown), although there is no particular limitation to this.

[0050] 2.2.4. Stop injection In the injection stopping step (S14), after the gas in the supply flow path 22 is consumed in step S13, the control device 50 stops the injection 30. This blocks the flow path of the supply flow path 22 between the connection device 23 and the injection 30. The timing for stopping injection 30 is not particularly limited as long as a state can be achieved in which a certain amount of hydrogen in the flow path of supply flow path 22 has been consumed and the pressure in the flow path has decreased. For example, this step S14 can be performed after the control device 50 has confirmed that a predetermined time has elapsed since injection 30 was activated in step S13, the amount of power generated by fuel cell 21 since injection 30 was activated in step S13, or the value of pressure gauge 31 has been obtained since injection 30 was activated and has decreased below the pressure in tank 11.

[0051] 2.2.5. Obtaining changes in pressure values ​​over time In the step of acquiring the change in pressure value over time (S15), the control device 50 acquires the value of the pressure gauge 31 in time series to obtain the change in pressure value, thereby obtaining the change in pressure within the supply flow path 22 that was blocked in step S14.

[0052] 2.2.6.Determining Pressure Rise In the step of determining the pressure increase (S16), the control device 50 determines whether the pressure change obtained in step S15 is equal to or less than a predetermined increase amount (threshold value). If the pressure rise is within a predetermined amount, there is no problem with the sealing of the valve body 16 of the opening / closing valve 15 of the tank 11, and since the hydrogen in the flow path of the supply flow path 22 has also been consumed in step S13, there will be no problem with hydrogen leaking and causing any malfunction even if the tank 11 is removed, so the answer is Yes and the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if the pressure rise exceeds a predetermined amount, there may be a problem with the sealing of the valve body 16 of the on-off valve 15, and since hydrogen has entered the flow path of the supply flow path 22, there is a possibility that hydrogen will leak into the surrounding area if the tank 11 is removed, causing a malfunction, so the answer is No and the process proceeds to step S18.

[0053] 2.2.7. Process after determining eligibility to withdraw If the determination in step S16 is YES, the process proceeds to step S17, in which the control device 50 retracts the push rods 24 to remove all of them from inside the on-off valve 15, as shown in Fig. 8. Furthermore, the control device 50 also retracts the locking members 26 to remove all of them from the connecting portion 25. This makes it possible to detach the tank 11 from the connection device 23. In this embodiment, the tank 11 and the connection device 23 are engaged with each other by a C-mount, so that, for example, the person detaching the tank 11 may rotate the tank 11 to detach it, or the control device 50 may rotate the tank 11 or the connection device 23 to detach it.

[0054] 2.2.8. Process after determining that withdrawal is not possible If the determination in step S16 is No, the process proceeds to step S18, where the push rod 24 and the locking member 26 are maintained in the state of step S12 (FIG. 7). Then, the process proceeds to step S19, where the notification device 60 issues a notification to that effect in response to a command from the control device 50.

[0055] 3. Effects etc. According to the gas supply system described above, it is possible to detect the possibility of a seal defect in the tank and prevent problems that may occur when the tank is removed due to a seal defect. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10...gas supply system, 11...tank, 15...on-off valve, 16...valve body, 17...connection portion, 20...gas consuming device, 21...fuel cell, 22...supply flow path, 23...connection device, 24...push rod, 25...connection portion, 26...locking member, 30...injection, 31...pressure gauge, 50...control device, 60...alarm device

Claims

1. 1. A gas supply system comprising: A gas consumption device, a tank that stores gas to be supplied to the gas consumption device and is detachable from the gas consumption device, and a control device, the gas consumption device includes a supply flow path through which the gas flows and a pressure sensor that detects the pressure inside the supply flow path, the tank is connected to the supply flow path at a connection part and is equipped with an on-off valve; When the tank is to be detached, the control device closes the on-off valve to stop the gas supply, stops the consumption of the gas after the gas in the supply flow path has been consumed, and detaches the tank from the connection portion when a pressure increase is equal to or less than a predetermined amount. Gas supply system.

2. The gas consumption device has a locking member that prevents the tank from being removed, the control device performs an operation to release the restriction by the locking member when the tank is to be detached from the connection portion. The gas supply system of claim 1 .

3. the on-off valve is a check valve, and the gas consuming device has a push rod; The check valve is opened when the push rod presses the check valve, and is closed when the push rod is released from pressing the check valve, The control device operates the push rod so that the check valve is in a closed state when the tank is detached.

3. The gas supply system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 3. The gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein the on-off valve of the tank is an electromagnetic valve.

5. The gas supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device outputs a result of notification to an outside when the tank is not detached from the connection portion.

6. The gas supply system according to claim 5 , further comprising a receiver that receives the notification result and issues the notification.

Citation Information

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