Fuel storage and supply system for vehicle fuel cell

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for storing and supplying fuel to a fuel cell as part of an electrochemical generator designed to generate electrical power and powering traction batteries and traction motors of electric and other highly automated vehicles. The technical result achieved by the proposed invention is an increase in the safety of using a high-pressure fuel storage and supply system as part of a vehicle mobile element. A particular technical result is achieved by a storage and fuel supply system for a fuel cell, comprising at least two composite hydrogen tanks connected to each other by stainless steel tubes, which in turn are connected by adapters to a high pressure reducer and to a fuel unit having a filling coupler and a pressure gauge; the high pressure reducer is connected to the low pressure reducer by a nylon tube, while the stainless steel tube in a section between the adapter and the fill coupler has a U-shaped compensation bend, and in a section between the compensation bend and the adapter, the tube contains a clip for attachment to the frame, and the low pressure reducer has an outlet for connection with an input of the electrochemical generator fuel cell.

Description

[0001] Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for storing and supplying fuel to a fuel cell as part of an electrochemical generator designed to produce electricity and power traction batteries and traction motors for electric vehicles and other highly automated vehicles. Background Art

[0002] The following patents are known in the prior art: "Drain pipe mounting structure for fuel cell vehicle and gas fuel vehicle" (patent CN1914057A, publication number 02 / 14 / 2007, MITK B60K1 / 04, B60K8 / 0, B60L11 / 18, F17C13 / 04, H01M8 / 04) and "Fuel cell system and vehicle" (patent CN102481831B, publication number 06 / 17 / 2015, IPC B60K1 / 04, B60K8 / 00, B60L11 / 18, B62D25 / 20, H01M8 / 00, H01M8 / 04, H01M8 / 24), according to which the fuel storage and supply system comprises the following components and elements: two hydrogen tanks connected to each other by an adapter, which in turn are connected by a valve to a pipe mounted on the vehicle frame, while the pipe is fixed to the vehicle frame, the pipe is connected to a pressure reducing valve, which in turn is connected to a fuel cell unit. These systems describe the composition of an electrochemical supply system allowing the vehicle to be driven, however, the described designs assume the presence of a chemical hydrogen generator, i.e. the refueling of the tanks is performed via the generator within these systems, which means that the designs do not provide for rapid refueling of the tanks with hydrogen at high pressure.

[0003] Fuel cell stack and mobile device (patent RU2359367 published 06 / 20 / 2009, IPC H01M8 / 04, H01M8 / 00), comprising a tank with hydrogen as a fuel supply source, containing high-pressure hydrogen (e.g. 70 MPa), a channel for supplying hydrogen, through which hydrogen from the hydrogen tank enters the fuel cell, and a channel for circulating flow, which receives hydrogen discharged from the fuel cell into the hydrogen supply channel. Instead of the hydrogen tank, a reformer can be used as a fuel supply source to produce a reformed gas with a high hydrogen content from a fuel of a hydrocarbon system and a high-pressure gas tank, which is supplied with the high-pressure reformed gas produced by the reformer. This analog describes a system for supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell, but does not contain a complete technical solution for ensuring the safe use of a system for rapid refueling, storage and supply of gaseous fuel to a fuel cell in an electrochemical generator of an electric vehicle and other highly automated vehicles. Summary of the invention

[0004] The task set during the development of the proposed invention was to create a fuel (hydrogen) storage and supply system for fuel cells that provides the possibility of rapid refueling and safe use in movable structural elements of electric vehicles and other highly automated vehicles.

[0005] The technical result achieved by the proposed invention is to increase the safety of using a high pressure hydrogen storage and supply system as part of a mobile structural element of a high system capacity vehicle.

[0006] The technical result claimed for protection is achieved by a fuel storage and supply system for a fuel cell, which includes at least two composite hydrogen tanks, which are interconnected by a tube made of stainless steel, which is connected to a high-pressure pressure reducer and a filling unit through an adapter, and the filling unit includes a filling coupler and a pressure gauge; the high-pressure pressure reducer is in turn connected to a low-pressure pressure reducer using a nylon tube, and the stainless steel tube in the section between the adapter and the coupler has a U-shaped compensating bend, and in the area between the compensating bend and the adapter, the tube includes a clip for mounting to the vehicle frame, and the low-pressure pressure reducer has an outlet for connecting to the input end of the electrochemical generator fuel cell.

[0007] These technical features make it possible to safely replenish and store gaseous fuel at high pressure in a vehicle with a movable structure, which allows increasing the range and time of use of the vehicle without the need for additional fuel replenishment, as well as supplying gaseous fuel at the required pressure to the electrochemical power generation system.

[0008] Composite hydrogen tanks allow large supplies of the fuel to be safely stored at high pressures of up to 350 bar.

[0009] The composite tank is connected to the fuel supply unit and the high-pressure reducer through a stainless steel pipe to form a high-pressure pipeline. The stainless steel pipe increases safety by reducing the possibility of mechanical damage to the integrity of the fuel supply line under high pressure. However, the integrity of the stainless steel pipe is damaged when it is deformed in a vehicle with moving parts.

[0010] In order to prevent the above-mentioned destruction of the integrity of the stainless steel tube, the proposed technical solution comprises a U-shaped compensating bend which allows ensuring the mobility between the components connected by the stainless steel tube.

[0011] The high-pressure pipeline needs to improve safety and ensure rapid replenishment of gas fuel under high pressure; the pipeline is limited by the composite tank on one side and the pressure gauge and the filling coupler of the high-pressure reducer on the other side.

[0012] The high-pressure reducer allows the pressure to be reduced to 15 bar, which is required to increase safety in the interval from the high-pressure reducer to the low-pressure reducer without reducing the efficiency of the gas fuel supply, while forming a low-pressure pipeline, which in turn allows the use of nylon tubes as conductors for the gas fuel in this section; nylon tubes are highly safe due to their flexibility and resistance to mechanical damage.

[0013] The low-pressure reducer allows to improve the accuracy of controlling the supply of gaseous fuel to the fuel cell of the electrochemical generator, which also improves the safety of using the technical solution in vehicles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The technical essence of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows an overall view of a fuel storage and supply system for a fuel cell; Figure 2 High pressure lines for the fuel storage and supply system of the fuel cell are shown.

[0015] Detailed description of the invention The fuel storage and supply system for fuel cells consists of the following: 1. Composite tank; 2. Fuel cell block; 3. Stainless steel pipe; 4. Nylon tube; 5. Compensation for bending; 6. Filling unit; 7. Clips for platform frame installation; 8. High pressure reducer; 9. Fill the coupler; 10. Adapter.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is carried out as follows: Hydrogen supplied from the outside through a filling coupler (9) as part of a filling unit (6) is delivered to the composite tank (1) through a stainless steel pipe (3). The composite tanks (1) are connected to each other through the stainless steel pipe (3), which allows hydrogen replenishment of all composite tanks (1) as part of a fuel storage and supply system for a fuel cell.

[0017] The process of supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell unit (2) through a high-pressure pipeline is carried out from a combined composite tank (1) through a stainless steel pipe (3). The hydrogen from the composite tank (1) is combined into a single stream at the junction of the tank pipe and then passes through the stainless steel pipe (3). The stainless steel pipe (3) has a clamp to attach it to the vehicle platform (7), as well as a compensating bend (5) followed by an adapter (10). The adapter (10) is used for refueling; it is connected to the filling coupler and also guides the hydrogen flow through the stainless steel pipe to the high-pressure reducer (8), which in turn reduces the pressure from 350 bar to 15 bar.

[0018] The nylon tube (4) leaves the high pressure reducer (8) through which the hydrogen enters the low pressure reducer which reduces the pressure from 15 bar to 2 bar before the hydrogen enters the fuel cell block (2) where it is distributed between the fuel cells.

[0019] The significant reduction in pressure from 350 bar to 15 bar leads to considerable error in determining the pressure, affecting the safety of fuel cell use, so a low pressure reducer is necessary for the following: 1. Obtain hydrogen flow at lower pressure (favorable for fuel cell function).

[0020] 2. Reduce the probability of error in determining the hydrogen pressure level entering the fuel cell.

[0021] Furthermore, it is necessary to use a compensating bend (5) in the low-pressure line and a more flexible tube (4) in the section from the high-pressure reducer (8) to the inlet of the low-pressure reducer, because the system is used as part of a vehicle and the structure may move, vibrate and experience temperature deformations, resulting in damage to the integrity of the fuel cell's fuel storage and supply system.

[0022] It is also worth considering the possibility of emergency situations which could cause the body of the vehicle to deform and which could cause the position of the stainless steel tube to shift. Therefore, the compensating bend (5) and the nylon tube (4) are designed to ensure the mobility of the system components relative to each other.

[0023] Therefore, the implementation of the described fuel storage and supply system for fuel cells will increase the safety of using electrochemical power generation systems as part of a moving structural element of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A hydrogen storage and supply system for a vehicle fuel cell, comprising composite tanks connected to each other and to the fuel cell via a hydrogen supply channel, wherein The composite tanks are interconnected by stainless steel pipes, which are connected to the high-pressure reducer and the filling unit; The filling unit includes a filling coupler and a pressure gauge; The high-pressure pressure reducer is connected to the low-pressure pressure reducer through a nylon tube, and the low-pressure pressure reducer has an outlet for connecting to an input end of a fuel cell of an electrochemical generator.

2. The hydrogen storage and supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that The stainless steel tube in the region between the adapter and the filling coupler has a U-shaped compensating bend.

3. The hydrogen storage and supply system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The stainless steel tube in the area between the compensating bend and the composite tank includes clips for attachment to a vehicle frame.

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