Double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank with external overfilling area

Abstract

The invention relates to a double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfilled area. The double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank comprises an inner tank, an outer tank and an external vault, the inner tank is used for storing liquid hydrogen; the outer tank is arranged on the periphery of the inner tank, and a gap is formed between the outer tank and the inner tank and forms an annular area; the external arch crown is arranged at the top of the outer tank, and an overfilling area is formed between the external arch crown and the inner tank; the annular area and the overfilled area are communicated to form a cold insulation layer, and the cold insulation layer is filled with a cold insulation material; the overfilling area is arranged in the mode of increasing the externally-connected vault to increase the storage amount of the cold insulation material, when the cold insulation material in the annular area settles, the cold insulation material in the overfilling area descends under the action of gravity and fills the vacancy, and the situation that the annular area between the inner tank and the outer tank is exposed due to lack of the heat insulation material can be avoided; compared with the mode of thickening the cold insulation layer in the prior art, after the overfilled area is arranged outside, the cold insulation effect can be guaranteed, meanwhile, consumption of cold insulation materials is greatly reduced, and the utilization rate of the cold insulation materials is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of liquid hydrogen storage tanks, and particularly relates to a double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area. Background Art

[0002] Liquid hydrogen is mainly used as a cryogenic propellant in the aerospace field. Liquid hydrogen storage tanks, as fuel sources for vehicles and drones, have also become a research hotspot. The application of hydrogen energy in automotive fuel cells has put forward higher requirements for the hydrogen storage density and efficiency of hydrogen storage tanks. Currently, the main methods for hydrogen energy storage include cryogenic liquid storage, metal hydride storage, physical adsorption storage, coordination hydride storage, high-pressure gaseous storage, etc. Cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage first liquefies hydrogen gas and then stores it in a cryogenic adiabatic container. The density of liquid hydrogen is 70.78 kg / m3, which is nearly 850 times the density of hydrogen gas (0.08342 kg / m 3 under standard conditions. Considering the energy storage density, cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage is an ideal method. However, due to the extremely low boiling point of liquid hydrogen (20.37K), the large temperature difference with the environment requires high adiabatic performance for the container, and the liquefaction process consumes a large amount of energy. Therefore, for large-scale and long-distance transportation and storage, the cryogenic liquid method may only show its advantages.

[0003] Cryogenic adiabatic technology can be divided into two major methods: passive adiabatic and active adiabatic, depending on whether there is external active energy supply. Active adiabatic technology requires external energy input, with low refrigerator efficiency and poor economy; passive adiabatic technology reduces heat leakage and cold loss through physical structure design. The storage tank structure generally includes an inner spherical tank and an outer spherical tank, and a cold insulation layer is arranged between the inner spherical tank and the outer spherical tank to achieve adiabatic performance. The main cold insulation methods of the cold insulation layer include piled insulation, high vacuum, vacuum powder, vacuum multi-layer, vacuum winding, variable density multi-layer adiabatic structure, coordination hydride hydrogen storage materials, etc. Cold insulation materials can be divided into two categories according to their chemical properties: organic and inorganic, and can be divided into two forms according to their usage: plate-shaped materials and bulk fillers. Currently, commonly used cold insulation materials include glass microspheres, aerogels, closed-cell expanded polystyrene, and pearlite sand.

[0004] In traditional liquid hydrogen storage tank cold insulation technology, the cold insulation effect of only relying on the vacuum insulation of the cold insulation layer is limited. Using cold insulation materials for adiabatic performance on the basis of high vacuum will result in the settlement of cold insulation materials, leading to local overheating of the cold insulation layer and even dangerous situations such as the upper part of the inner tank being exposed. To ensure that the inner tank is not exposed and to ensure a certain cold insulation effect, generally, the method of thickening the cold insulation layer is selected to double the cold insulation material reserve, which in turn leads to problems such as excessive consumption of cold insulation materials and low utilization rate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of at least one of the above problems in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area. By setting an overfill area at the top of the storage tank, large-capacity storage of liquid hydrogen can be achieved, and while ensuring the cold insulation effect, the consumption of cold insulation materials can be greatly reduced, and the utilization rate of cold insulation materials can be improved.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: A double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area, comprising: An inner tank for storing liquid hydrogen; An outer tank arranged on the outer circumference of the inner tank and having a gap with the inner tank, and the gap forms an annular area; An external arch roof arranged on the top of the outer tank, and an overfill area is formed between the external arch roof and the inner tank; The annular area and the overfill area are connected to form a cold insulation layer, and the cold insulation layer is filled with cold insulation materials.

[0007] Preferably, the inner tank and the outer tank are spherical structures.

[0008] Preferably, it further includes multiple support columns, and the support columns include concentric inner and outer struts. The inner strut is used to support the inner tank, and the outer strut is used to support the outer tank.

[0009] Preferably, a strut cold insulation layer is arranged between the inner strut and the outer strut, and the strut cold insulation layer is filled with cold insulation materials.

[0010] Preferably, a tray is arranged between the inner tank and the inner strut.

[0011] Preferably, a heat insulation board is arranged between the tray and the inner strut.

[0012] Preferably, the heat insulation board is a fiberglass board.

[0013] Preferably, multiple support columns are circumferentially and evenly arranged at the lower part of the liquid hydrogen storage tank, and a tie rod is arranged between adjacent support columns.

[0014] Preferably, two tie rods are arranged, and the two tie rods are cross-arranged between the two support columns.

[0015] Preferably, the cold insulation material is a glass microsphere material.

[0016] Due to the adoption of the above technical solutions, the present invention has the following advantages: The double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area provided by the present invention increases the storage capacity of the cold insulation material by adding an external arch roof to form an external overfill area. When the cold insulation material in the annular area settles, the cold insulation material in the overfill area descends under the action of gravity to fill the gap. After the cold insulation material in the overfill area descends, its height can still be maintained at 0.1 m above the top of the original cold insulation layer, which can prevent the lack of thermal insulation material in the annular area between the inner tank and the outer tank and avoid exposure. Compared with the method of thickening the cold insulation layer in the prior art, after setting the external overfill area, the thickness of the cold insulation layer is reduced from 1.6 m to 0.9 m, and the total amount of cold insulation material is reduced from 4080 m 3 to 2185 m 3 , and the liquid hydrogen evaporation rate is maintained below 0.0437%. While ensuring the cold insulation effect, it greatly reduces the consumption of cold insulation material and improves the utilization rate of cold insulation material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is the front view of the double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 is the top view of the double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area provided by this embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 is the cross-sectional view of the double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area provided by this embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 is the cross-sectional view of the overfill area after the settlement of the cold insulation material provided by this embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 is the cross-sectional view of the support structure of the storage tank provided by this embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Reference numerals in the drawings: 1 is the inner tank, 2 is the outer tank, 3 is the overfill area, 4 is the external arch roof, 5 is the cold insulation layer, 6 is the support column, 7 is the inner support column, 8 is the outer support column, 9 is the support column cold insulation layer, 10 is the heat insulation board, and 11 is the support plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Apparently, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the system or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. The arrows in the drawings represent the flow direction of substances.

[0024] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "assembly", "installation", "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0025] The present invention provides a double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area. By setting an overfill area at the top of the storage tank, when the cold insulation material in the annular area settles, the cold insulation material in the overfill area descends under the action of gravity and fills the gap, enabling large-capacity storage of liquid hydrogen. At the same time, while ensuring the cold insulation effect, it greatly reduces the consumption of cold insulation material and improves the utilization rate of cold insulation material.

[0026] Next, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Embodiment 1 Please refer to Figures 1 to 2 , a double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area provided in this embodiment includes an inner tank 1, an outer tank 2, and an external arch roof 4; The inner tank 1 is used to store liquid hydrogen; The outer tank 2 is arranged on the outer periphery of the inner tank 1 and has a gap with the inner tank 1, and the gap forms an annular area; The external arch roof 4 is arranged on the top of the outer tank 2, and an overfill area 3 is formed between the external arch roof 4 and the inner tank 1; The annular area and the overfill area 3 are connected to form a cold insulation layer 5, and the cold insulation layer 5 is filled with cold insulation material.

[0028] In specific applications, both the inner tank 1 and the outer tank 2 are spherical structures. The inner tank 1 is made of 316L stainless steel material, and the diameter of the inner tank is set to be about 27m; the outer tank 2 is made of S30408 stainless steel material, and the diameter of the outer tank 2 is set to be about 29m; the outer tank 2 is sleeved outside the inner tank 1, and a spherical annular gap is formed between the two, and the thickness of the gap is 0.9m.

[0029] The external arch roof 4 is set at the exact center of the top of the outer tank 2, with a diameter of 8 m, and S30408 material is selected. The external arch roof 4 is connected to the tank wall of the outer tank 2. An overfill area 3 is formed between the external arch roof 4 and the inner tank 1, and the total height of the overfill area 3 is about 6 m.

[0030] In this embodiment, the cold insulation layer 5 can be insulated by filling cold insulation material and evacuating. The cold insulation material selected is glass microsphere material.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 3 to 4 , during the use of the double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area in this embodiment, when the cold insulation material in the annular area settles, the cold insulation material in the overfill area 3 descends under the action of gravity and fills the gap. It has been verified that the height of the cold insulation material in the overfill area 3 can still remain at a height of 0.1 m at the top of the original cold insulation layer after descending, which can prevent the lack of thermal insulation material in the annular area between the inner tank 1 and the outer tank 2 from being exposed, and keep the liquid hydrogen evaporation rate below 0.0437%, truly achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 5 , the double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area in this embodiment further includes multiple support columns 6. The support column 6 includes an inner support column 7 and an outer support column 8 that are concentric inside and outside. The inner support column 7 is used to support the inner tank 1, and the outer support column 8 is used to support the outer tank 2.

[0033] In specific applications, a column cold insulation layer 9 is provided between the inner support column 7 and the outer support column 8, and the column cold insulation layer 9 is filled with cold insulation material. The cold insulation material selected is glass microsphere material.

[0034] In this embodiment, a support plate 11 is provided between the inner tank 1 and the inner support column 7.

[0035] Specifically, the top of the support plate 11 is welded to the inner tank 1, and the support plate 11 is welded to the upper part of the inner support column 7. The support plate 11 is connected between the inner support column 7 and the tank wall of the inner tank 1. This way can reduce the welding quality requirements for the connection between the inner support column 7 and the inner tank 1.

[0036] In this embodiment, a heat insulation plate 10 is provided between the support plate 11 and the inner support column 7, and the heat insulation plate is a glass steel plate.

[0037] Specifically, a glass steel is added to the inner support column 7 of the column structure. By pre-burying bolts in the glass steel component and then connecting them to the hole positions on the inner support column 7, the thermal conductivity coefficient of the glass steel is small, which can break the cold bridge of the inner support column 7 and reduce the heat leakage of the storage tank.

[0038] In this embodiment, the outer support column 8 is welded to the outer tank 2.

[0039] In this embodiment, multiple support columns 6 are circumferentially and spacedly arranged at the lower part of the liquid hydrogen storage tank, and a tie rod is provided between adjacent support columns.

[0040] Specifically, the support columns 6 are used to support the liquid hydrogen storage tank. Multiple support columns 6 form the support structure of the storage tank. To make the entire support structure more stable, a tie rod 12 is provided between adjacent support columns 6, and two tie rods 12 are provided. The two tie rods 12 are arranged to cross each other between the two support columns 6. The support structure can resist loads such as wind and earthquake through the tie rod 12, making the storage tank more stable.

[0041] For the double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area in this embodiment, an inlet and an outlet are still provided thereon for the injection and discharge of liquid hydrogen.

[0042] For the double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank with an external overfill area in this embodiment, the external overfill area 3 is added by increasing the external arch roof 4 to increase the cold insulation material storage. Compared with the method of thickening the cold insulation layer, after the external overfill area 3 is added, the thickness of the cold insulation layer is reduced from 1.6 m to 0.9 m, and the total amount of cold insulation material is reduced from 4080 m 3 to 2185 m 3 , and the liquid hydrogen evaporation rate is kept below 0.0437%. While ensuring the cold insulation effect, it greatly reduces the consumption of cold insulation materials and improves the utilization rate of cold insulation materials; compared with the method of completely vacuum-insulated cold insulation, the technical difficulty is small and the technical cost is low, truly realizing cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[0043] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank for peripheral overfilled area, characterized in that, Comprising: An inner tank for storing liquid hydrogen; An outer tank disposed on the outer periphery of the inner tank and having a gap therebetween, the gap forming an annular region; An external dome disposed on the top of the outer tank, a superfill region being formed between the external dome and the inner tank; The annular region and the superfill region communicate to form a cold insulation layer, and the cold insulation layer is filled with a cold insulation material.

2. The double-layer large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tank for peripheral overfill area according to claim 1, wherein The inner tank and the outer tank are of spherical structures.

3. The double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank for peripheral overfilled area according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes a plurality of support columns, the support columns including concentric inner and outer struts, the inner strut being used to support the inner tank and the outer strut being used to support the outer tank.

4. The double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank for the peripheral overfilled area according to claim 3, characterized in that, A strut cold insulation layer is provided between the inner strut and the outer strut, and the strut cold insulation layer is filled with a cold insulation material.

5. The double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank for the peripheral overfilled area according to claim 3, characterized in that, A tray is provided between the inner tank and the inner strut.

6. The double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank for the peripheral overfilled area according to claim 5, wherein A heat insulation board is provided between the tray and the inner strut.

7. The double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank for peripheral overfilled area according to claim 6, wherein The heat insulation board is a fiberglass board.

8. The double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank for the overfilled area of the peripheral device according to claim 3, wherein A plurality of the support columns are circumferentially and evenly spaced and disposed at the lower part of the liquid hydrogen storage tank, and a tie rod is provided between adjacent support columns.

9. The double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank for peripheral overfilling area according to claim 8, characterized in that, The tie rod is provided with two, and the two tie rods are cross - arranged between the two support columns.

10. The double-layer large-volume liquid hydrogen storage tank for peripheral overfilled area according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The cold insulation material is a glass microsphere material.

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