Throttle valve for regulating the gas supply to a fuel cell and electrically driven vehicle comprising the throttle valve

Abstract

A throttle valve (10) for regulating the gas supply to a fuel cell (3), comprising: a valve body (12) divided into a first section (12A) and a second section (12B); a gas supply conduit (14) obtained in the first section (12A); a throttle plate (15) arranged in the supply conduit (14); a shaft (16) rotatably mounted in the first section (12A) and supporting the throttle plate (15); and an actuator (8) mounted in the second section (12B) and configured to rotate the shaft (16). The throttle valve (10) also includes a magnetic joint (20) that transmits motion from the actuator (8) to the shaft (16) and is divided into a first half (25) coupled to the shaft (16) and a second half (26) facing the first half (25) and coupled to the actuator (8). The throttle valve (10) further comprises an insulating wall (27) which insulates the first section (12A) from the second section (12B) of the valve body (12) in a pneumatically sealed manner and is arranged between the two halves (25, 26) of the magnetic joint (20).

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application claims the priority of Italian Patent Application No. 102019000017894, filed on October 3, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The invention relates to a throttle valve for regulating the supply of gas, in particular hydrogen (H2), to a fuel cell and to a corresponding electrically driven vehicle comprising the throttle valve. Background Art

[0004] A fuel cell is a device provided with a pair of electrodes (called an anode and a cathode), an electrolyte, and an optional catalyst, which converts the chemical energy of a fuel and an oxidant into reaction products (particularly chemical compounds and electrical energy) through a pair of oxidation-reduction (also called "redox") reactions occurring at the respective electrodes of the pair of electrodes.

[0005] An example of a known fuel cell is a hydrogen cell, in which hydrogen (H2) is used as fuel and oxygen (O2) is used as an oxidant. The reaction products of the redox reaction at the anode and cathode of the hydrogen cell are water (H2O) and electrical energy, the latter being electrical energy generally suitable for supplying electrical loads. In recent years, hydrogen cells have been used in different application areas, such as the automotive industry, in particular for powering electric motors of electric drive vehicles. The use of hydrogen cells has the advantage of providing electrical energy and reducing environmental pollution.

[0006] Considering the flammability of hydrogen, it is necessary to provide safety and precautionary measures in the system integrated with hydrogen batteries to ensure the integrity of the system; in particular, it is necessary to identify dangerous situations, such as detecting potential hydrogen leaks, and provide prevention and isolation measures when potential leaks are identified. In addition, it is necessary to provide adequate ventilation measures to prevent potential hydrogen leaks.

[0007] In other words, the object is to provide a regulating device for a flow of hydrogen to be supplied to a hydrogen battery in a system using hydrogen batteries, such as an electrically driven vehicle.

[0008] Patent application US2018309143A1 and patent US5431141A describe a throttle valve for regulating the air flow through an intake duct of an internal combustion engine.

[0009] Patent application US2019277202A1 describes a system having a fuel cell provided with a throttle valve. Summary of the invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a throttle valve for regulating the supply of gas, in particular hydrogen, to a fuel cell and a corresponding electrically driven vehicle comprising such a throttle valve.

[0011] According to the invention, as described in the accompanying claims, there is provided a throttle valve for regulating the gas supply to a fuel cell and a corresponding electrically driven vehicle comprising the throttle valve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing non-limiting embodiments, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electrically driven vehicle incorporating a throttle valve implemented according to the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a throttle valve implemented according to the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of a throttle valve is shown with various components removed for clarity;

[0016] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Different perspective views of the throttle valve are shown with various components removed for clarity; and

[0017] Figure 5 and Figure 6 yes Figure 1 Two different perspective views of the magnetic coupling of the throttle valve are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Figure 1 The electrically driven vehicle 1 is schematically shown in general, and includes a vehicle 1 implemented according to an embodiment of the present invention and Figure 2-6 The throttle valve 10 is schematically shown in FIG.

[0019] like Figure 1 As shown, the throttle valve 10 is positioned between a reservoir 2 containing gas (especially hydrogen) and a fuel cell 3 (especially a hydrogen cell); the throttle valve 10 is connected to the reservoir 2 and the fuel cell 3 through corresponding pipes 4 and 5, and the pipes 4 and 5 are designed to transport the gas from the reservoir 2 to the throttle valve 10 and from the throttle valve 10 to the fuel cell 3, respectively.

[0020] The electrically driven vehicle 1 further comprises at least one electric motor 6 which is electrically connected to the fuel cell 3 via an electrical connection 7 and is designed to generate a motor torque which is transmitted to the drive wheels.

[0021] Reference Figures 2 to 4The throttle valve 10 comprises a metal valve body 12 having a section 12A and a section 12B, the latter being coupled to one another in a manner described in detail below. The valve body 12 comprises a supply duct 14, which is obtained in particular in the section 12A, through which the hydrogen drawn from the reservoir 2 via the duct 4 flows and continues to the fuel cell 3 via the duct 5. The supply duct 14 is joined by a throttle plate 15, which is connected to the fuel cell 3 by means of the motor 8 (e.g. Figure 4 The throttle plate 15 is attached to a metal shaft 16 which is arranged in the section 12A and is rotatably mounted about a longitudinal rotation axis R to rotate between the open position and the closed position under the control of the motor 8.

[0022] The electric motor 8 is arranged in the section 12B and is driven by a gear transmission 18 (partially in the section 12B) which is also arranged in the section 12B. Figure 3 and Figure 4 ) is coupled to the shaft 16. The motor 8 is accommodated in a cylindrical chamber 19, which is arranged in the vicinity of the supply duct 14 and is obtained in the section 12B. The gear transmission 18 comprises a gear 21, which is directly mounted on the shaft of the motor 8 and is designed to rotate about a corresponding rotation axis S, which coincides with the rotation axis of the shaft of the motor 8. The gear transmission 18 also comprises a gear 22, which comprises a first toothed ring meshing with the gear 21 and a second toothed ring (not shown) which is coaxial with the first toothed ring and has a smaller radius than the first toothed ring. Finally, the gear transmission 18 comprises a toothed sector 23 which meshes with the second toothed ring of the gear 22 and is coaxial with the shaft 16. According to a preferred embodiment, the gear 21 is generally made of sintered steel and the gear 22 is generally made of plastic material. According to a preferred embodiment, the gear transmission 18 is arranged in a chamber of the valve body 12 which is closed by a removable cover 39, such as Figure 2 and is made of, for example, a plastic material.

[0023] The throttle valve 10 also comprises a magnetic joint 20 positioned between the gear transmission 18 and the shaft 16 of the throttle valve 10; more precisely, the magnetic joint 20 is coaxial with the shaft 16 of the throttle valve 10, ie it is designed to rotate about the rotation axis R also due to the movement caused by the electric motor 8. Figure 4-6 The magnetic joint 20 includes a joint half 25 and a joint half 26 formed in the sections 12A and 12B of the valve body 12, respectively. The joint half 25 includes a plurality of magnetic elements 41 arranged in a ring 43 (in Figure 6 ), the latter, namely the ring 43, is defined by the cover 28 and the central section 37 of the joint half 25; the joint half 26 includes a plurality of magnetic elements 29 (in Figure 53 ), the latter, namely the ring 31, is defined by the cover 32 and the central section 38 of the joint half 26. The plurality of magnetic elements 41 of the joint half 25 and the plurality of magnetic elements 29 of the joint half 26 are magnetically coupled to each other, i.e. the plurality of magnetic elements 41 have an opposite polarity compared to the plurality of magnetic elements 29, so that the two joint halves 25 and 26 are magnetically attracted to each other.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the toothed sector 23 is mounted directly on the joint half 25 , so that the latter, ie the joint half 25 , is mechanically coupled to the shaft of the electric motor 8 via the gear transmission 18 .

[0025] In addition, the insulating wall 27 (at Figure 3 ) is arranged between the two joint halves 25 and 26 and is suitable for insulating the section 12A from the section 12B and thus the joint halves 25 and 26 in a pneumatically sealed manner.

[0026] Refer again Figure 4 , the throttle valve 10 further comprises a return spring 34 arranged in the section 12A and mechanically coupled to the joint half 26 or to the shaft 16; in particular, the return spring 34 is, for example, a helical torsion spring (i.e. the spring loses its shape according to a circular motion and generates a counter torque) and tends to rotate the shaft 16 in the closing direction, accompanying the movement of the throttle plate 15 towards the closed position. In detail, the return spring 34 is arranged around a cylindrical section 35 (at Figure 2 and Figure 3 One end 34A of the return spring 34 is connected to an anchoring section 36 formed in section 12A of the valve body 12; moreover, the other end (not shown) of the return spring 34 is connected to another anchoring section (not shown) obtained in the shaft 16 (or in the joint half 26), so that, in use, when the rotation of the shaft 16 generated by the movement caused by the motor 8 is intended to move the plate 15 from the closed position to the open position, this rotation generates a counter torque in the return spring 34.

[0027] In use, when the motor 8 moves the gear transmission 18, the rotation of the toothed sector 23 causes a corresponding rotation of the joint half 25 about the rotation axis R; due to the magnetic coupling between the two joint halves 25 and 26, the joint half 26 also rotates about the rotation axis R in the same rotation direction of the joint half 25. Due to the movement of the joint halves 25 and 26, the shaft 16 rotates about the rotation axis R, in particular in the same rotation direction of the two joint halves 25 and 26, so as to stop the throttle plate 15 towards the open position.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment, the throttle valve 10 comprises a position sensor 40 (at Figure 2-41 ), for example a position sensor 40 of the inductive type, which is arranged at the end 30 of the section 12A of the body 12; in particular, the position sensor 40 is designed to detect the angular position of the shaft 16 and therefore the angular position of the throttle plate 15, so as to allow feedback control of the position of said throttle plate 15. For example, the position sensor 40 may be of the type described in US Pat. No. US6236199B1 and thus comprises a rotor angularly integrated to the shaft 16 and a stator supported by the valve body 12 and arranged to face the rotor when in use. Alternatively, the position sensor 40 may be of the magnetostrictive type and thus comprises a permanent magnet integrated to the shaft 16, in particular at the end 30.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the throttle valve 10 further comprises a gas sensor, in particular a hydrogen sensor (not shown), which is arranged on the valve body 12, coupled to the motor 8 and configured to detect potential gas leakage. In use, when a hydrogen leakage is detected, the hydrogen sensor generates an electrical signal and transmits it to the motor 8, which, based on the electrical signal, almost immediately moves the throttle plate 15 to the closed position, interrupting the gas flow through the supply pipe 14.

[0030] The above-mentioned transition of the throttle plate 15 from the open position to the closed position also occurs without the action of the motor 8, i.e. the throttle plate 15 is normally in the closed position. In this way, gas (particularly hydrogen) is allowed to flow through the supply pipe 14 only when the motor 8 causes the movement of the gear transmission 18 of the magnetic joint 20 and thus the movement of the shaft 16.

[0031] The throttle valve 10 described above has many advantages.

[0032] Firstly, the presence of the insulating wall 27 allows the two joint halves 25 and 26 and therefore the two sections 12A and 12B of the valve body 12 to be isolated in a pneumatically tight manner, making gas leaks from section 12A to section 12B completely impossible.

[0033] Furthermore, the throttle valve 10 is designed to close automatically in the event of a gas leak; in fact, as mentioned above, the presence of a gas sensor makes it possible to detect a gas leak and thus control the electric motor 8 to move the throttle plate 15 into the closed position, thereby blocking the supply duct 14.

[0034] The blocking of the feed line 14 also takes place without the action of the electric motor 8 , thereby avoiding an unintentional gas leak and thus also ensuring the safety of the electrically driven vehicle 1 when not in use.

[0035] In summary, the throttle valve 10 is a completely sealed element without the action of the electric motor 8 , and it ensures the safety of the electrically driven vehicle 1 under any operating conditions.

[0036] Finally, the throttle valve 10 is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0037] Reference numerals list

[0038] 1 Electric drive vehicles

[0039] 2 Storage

[0040] 3 Fuel Cells

[0041] 4 Pipeline

[0042] 5 Pipeline

[0043] 6 Electric Motor

[0044] 7 Electrical connectors

[0045] 8 Electric Motor

[0046] 10 Throttle valve

[0047] 12 Valve body

[0048] Section 12A

[0049] Section 12B

[0050] 14 Supply pipeline

[0051] 15 Plate

[0052] 18 Gear transmission

[0053] 19 Connectors

[0054] 20 Magnetic connector

[0055] 21 Gear

[0056] 22 Gear

[0057] 23 Toothed sector

[0058] 25 Connector half

[0059] 26 Connector half

[0060] 27 Insulation wall

[0061] 28 Cover

[0062] 29 Magnetic components

[0063] 30 end

[0064] 31 Ring

[0065] 32 Cover

[0066] 33 Drilling

[0067] 34 Return spring

[0068] 34A End

[0069] 35 Cylindrical section

[0070] 36 Anchoring section

[0071] 37 Central section

[0072] 38 Central section

[0073] 39 Removable cover

[0074] 40 Position Sensor

[0075] 41 Magnetic components

[0076] 42 Ring

[0077] R Rotation axis

[0078] S Rotation axis

Claims

1. A throttle valve (10) for regulating the gas supply to a fuel cell (3), the throttle valve (10) comprising: A valve body (12) comprising a first section (12A) and a second section (12B); a gas supply conduit (14) obtained in a first section (12A) of the valve body (12); a throttle plate (15) arranged in the supply conduit (14); a shaft (16) rotatably mounted in the first section (12A) of the valve body (12) and supporting the throttle plate (15); and an actuator (8) mounted in the second section (12B) of the valve body (12) and configured to rotate the shaft (16); The throttle valve (10) is characterized in that the throttle valve (10) comprises: a magnetic joint (20) transmitting movement from the actuator (8) to the shaft and comprising a first half (25) coupled to the shaft (16) and a second half (26) facing the first half (25) and coupled to the actuator (8); and An insulating wall (27) is configured to insulate a first section (12A) of the valve body (12) from a second section (12B) of the valve body (12) in a pneumatically sealed manner and is arranged between the two halves (25, 26) of the magnetic joint (20).

2. The throttle valve (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The first half (25) of the magnetic joint (20) comprises a plurality of first magnetic elements (41); and The second half (26) of the magnetic joint includes a plurality of second magnetic elements (29).

3. The throttle valve (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that A position sensor (40) is included, which is arranged in a first section (12A) of a valve body (12), coupled to a shaft (16) and designed to detect an angular position of the shaft (12).

4. The throttle valve (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that A return spring (34) is included, which is arranged in the first section (12A) of the valve body (12), coupled to the shaft (16) and designed to rotate the shaft (16) toward a closed position.

5. The throttle valve (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that A gear transmission (18) is included, which is arranged in the second section (12B) of the valve body and is configured to connect the first half (25) of the magnetic joint (20) to the actuator (8).

6. The throttle valve (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that The gear transmission (18) comprises: a first gear (21) integrated into the shaft of the actuator (8); a second gear (22) meshing with the first gear (21); and A toothed sector (23) meshes with the second gear (22) and is arranged on a side of the second gear (22) opposite to the first gear (21).

7. The throttle valve (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that The second gear (22) comprises a first larger toothed ring meshing with the first gear (21) and a second smaller toothed ring meshing with the toothed sector (23).

8. The throttle valve (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that The toothed sector (23) is coaxial with the first half (25) of the magnetic joint and is directly assembled to the first half (25) of the magnetic joint.

9. An electrically driven vehicle (1), comprising: a reservoir (2) containing hydrogen gas; Fuel cells that use hydrogen to generate electricity (3); Pipes (4, 5) connecting the reservoir (2) to the fuel cell (3); at least one electric motor (6) connected to the drive wheel; The electrically driven vehicle (1) is characterized in that the electrically driven vehicle (1) comprises a throttle valve (10) according to claim 1.

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