Heat exchange apparatus

Abstract

A heat exchange apparatus comprises a heat exchanging portion being disposed so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of a columnar or cylindrical heat exchange target, wherein the heat exchanging portion comprises therein a hollow space for passing heat medium therethrough and is so flexible as to expand toward at least the inner peripheral side by pressure of the heat medium. Heat medium is fed to the heat exchanging portion by a pump. By introducing the heat medium into the heat exchanging portion, the heat exchanging portion expands toward the inner peripheral side, and an inner surface of the heat exchanging portion close contacts with the outer peripheral surface of the heat exchange target, thereby greatly enhancing the heat transfer efficiency. When using a hydrogen storage / discharge container in which hydrogen storage alloy is accommodated as the heat exchange target, hydrogen storage or discharge can be efficiently carried out.

Description

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-074520, which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a heat exchange apparatus for efficiently cooling or heating a hydrogen storage container for accommodating hydrogen storage alloy therein, etc. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] The hydrogen storage alloy has a feature that heat is generated when hydrogen is absorbed, so that the hydrogen absorption reaction is not continued unless the heat is removed by some method, and also the hydrogen absorption rate is also greatly affected by the heat removing speed. With respect to a hydrogen stocking container that uses hydrogen storage alloy and has no cooling pipe for passing medium such as water or the like therethrough (hereinafter MH canister), a cooling method for cooling through the surface of the surface layer of the MH canister is adopted. [0006] ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017] The present invention has been implemented to solve the problem of the related art as described above, and has an object to provide a heat exchange apparatus suitable for a cooling apparatus that can shorten a hydrogen filling time without contaminating the surface of an MH canister by changing the structure and material of a jacket.

Problems solved by technology

The hydrogen storage alloy has a feature that heat is generated when hydrogen is absorbed, so that the hydrogen absorption reaction is not continued unless the heat is removed by some method, and also the hydrogen absorption rate is also greatly affected by the heat removing speed.

This means that the heat transfer coefficient to the medium is lowered, and causes delay of the hydrogen filling time.

However, when the MH canister is directly cooled with safe and easily-treatable liquid medium such as water or the like except for gas medium by using the cooling apparatus described above, the surface of the MH canister is contaminated by the medium, and also it is required to clean the surface of the MH canister by wiping the surface of the MH canister or the like after the filling work is finished.

With respect to gas medium such as air, etc., the contamination problem can be solved, but it has a physical property that the heat transfer coefficient thereof is small, which delays the hydrogen filling time.

On the other hand, when the metal cooling jacket is used so as to cover the surface of the MH canister, the medium contamination problem can be solved, but an air layer remains between the surface of the MH canister and the cooling jacket and it is difficult to bring the surface of the MH canister and the cooling jacket into perfectly close contact into each other, thereby causes the delay of the hydrogen filling time.

However, there occurs a problem that not only it does not perfectly nullify the air layer, but also the number of working steps is increased.

Images