Apparatus and methods for welding and shaping the inner liner of Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders

Abstract

This invention relates to the technical field of hydrogen storage cylinder manufacturing. Specifically, it discloses a welding and shaping device and method suitable for the inner liner of a Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder. The welding and shaping device includes a clamping assembly, a welding assembly, and a shaping assembly. The clamping assembly includes two clamping modules, a rotating module, and a docking module. The welding assembly includes a welding cutting module, a welding vision module, and a heating module located on the outer periphery between the two clamping modules. The shaping assembly includes a shaping vision module and a shaping cutting module located on the outer periphery between the two clamping modules. This invention can complete the removal of the oxide layer at the welded end of the inner liner, the positioning and calibration of the rotational overlap, heating, and cutting and shaping of the weld seam in a single clamping operation, solving the problems of coaxiality deviation and poor weld surface quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of hydrogen storage cylinder manufacturing, and particularly to a welding and shaping device and method suitable for the inner liner of a Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder. Background Technology

[0002] At present, injection molding combined with welding is a manufacturing method for the inner liner of small and medium-sized Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders. Different inner liner components are injection molded, and laser welding, ultrasonic welding or hot plate welding are used to connect the injection molded parts in different parts, thereby producing a complete Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder inner liner.

[0003] However, the coaxiality deviation and weld surface quality issues currently exposed in the welding process significantly affect the use of Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders. The main reasons for these problems are uneven heating during the heating process, which leads to irregular deformation of the welding surface of the injection-molded parts. This irregular deformation prevents precise coaxial alignment of the two inner liner sides, and the non-circular joint ends make it difficult to accurately adjust the relative angle between the two inner liner sides for proper alignment using existing technology. Furthermore, during the alignment process, molten material is squeezed out at the weld joint, forming an irregular weld. In addition, obvious wrinkles, protrusions, and other uneven defects on the weld surface can cause fiber gaps during subsequent carbon fiber winding, resulting in localized resin accumulation and stress concentration areas, thus reducing the cylinder's pressure resistance and fatigue life.

[0004] Although there are now machines that can automatically weld or shape the inner liner, the current welding and shaping are separate processes, making it difficult to achieve a continuous and automated production process. At the same time, it cannot solve the problems of coaxiality deviation and poor weld surface quality mentioned above. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a welding and shaping device and method suitable for the inner liner of a Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder, so as to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provide a beneficial option or create conditions.

[0006] The technical solution adopted to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0007] This invention provides a welding and shaping device suitable for the inner liner of a Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder, comprising:

[0008] The clamping assembly includes two clamping modules arranged coaxially relative to each other along a first direction, a rotating module for driving the two clamping modules to rotate around their own axis, and a docking module for driving the two clamping modules to move closer and further apart from each other. The clamping modules are used to clamp the end of the inner liner away from the welding end.

[0009] A welding assembly includes a welding cutting module, a welding vision module, and a heating module located on the outer periphery between two fixture modules. The welding cutting module includes a welding cutting mechanism and a welding cutting moving mechanism. The welding cutting moving mechanism is used to move the welding cutting mechanism along a second direction between the two inner liner modules. The welding cutting mechanism is used to remove the oxide layer on the welding ends of the two inner liner modules. The welding vision module includes a welding camera mechanism and a welding camera moving mechanism. The welding camera moving mechanism is used to move the welding camera mechanism along the second direction between the two inner liner modules. The welding camera mechanism is used to scan the outline of the welding ends of the two inner liner modules. The heating module includes a heating mechanism and a heating moving mechanism. The heating moving mechanism is used to move the heating mechanism along the second direction between the two inner liner modules. The heating mechanism is used to heat the welding ends of the two inner liner modules. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0010] The shaping assembly includes a shaping vision module and a shaping cutting module located on the outer periphery between the two fixture modules. The shaping vision module includes a shaping camera mechanism for scanning the outer contour of the outer periphery of the two inner liner surfaces. The shaping cutting module includes a shaping cutting mechanism for cutting and shaping the weld seam between the two inner liner surfaces.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the welding and shaping device of the present invention are:

[0012] In use, two clamping modules hold the two inner liner bodies to be welded. The welding cutting mechanism is controlled to move between the two inner liner bodies, and the docking module is controlled to move the two clamping modules closer to the welding cutting mechanism according to the preset cutting amount to remove the oxide layer on the welding end face. The welding camera mechanism can also be controlled to move between the two inner liner bodies to scan the outer contour of the welding ends of the two inner liner bodies to analyze the ellipticity of the welding ends of the two inner liner bodies, so as to match the welding angles relative to each other when the welding surfaces on both sides are at the highest degree of overlap. According to the welding angle, the two inner liner bodies are controlled to rotate around their own axes until the two welding ends are in the same position. Then, the heating mechanism is moved between the two inner liner bodies, and the two welding ends and the heating mechanism are controlled to be in a position of overlap. The distance between the two inner liner surfaces is uniformly heated to melt them for welding. Then, under a specified pressure, the two inner liner surfaces are brought closer together for welding. After welding, the two inner liner surfaces are rotated relative to each other and moved axially by the shaping camera mechanism. The outer contour of the outer circumference of the two inner liner surfaces is scanned by the shaping camera mechanism. The average diameter of the non-welded straight section of the inner liner surface is used as a standard to obtain the dimensions for cutting and shaping the weld seam. Subsequently, the welding seam between the two inner liner surfaces is cut and shaped by the shaping and cutting mechanism. This invention can complete the removal of oxide layer, positioning and calibration of rotational overlap, heating, and cutting and shaping of the weld seam at the welded end of the inner liner surface in one clamping, solving the problems of coaxiality deviation and poor weld surface quality.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the shaping vision module also includes a shaping camera moving mechanism and a shaping camera feeding mechanism. The shaping camera moving mechanism is used to drive the shaping camera mechanism to move along the outer periphery of the inner liner in the first direction, and the shaping camera feeding mechanism is used to drive the shaping camera mechanism to move along the second direction.

[0014] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the shaping and cutting module further includes a shaping and cutting moving mechanism and a shaping and feeding cutting mechanism. The shaping and cutting moving mechanism is used to drive the shaping and cutting mechanism to move along the first direction on the outer periphery of the inner liner, and the shaping and feeding cutting mechanism is used to drive the shaping and cutting mechanism to move along the second direction.

[0015] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the welding cutting mechanism is provided with two cutting blade structures arranged in opposite directions along the first direction, and the two cutting blade structures are respectively used to remove the oxide layer on the welding ends of the two inner liner.

[0016] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the welding cutting module, the welding vision module, and the heating module are respectively adjustable along the first direction.

[0017] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the welding cutting module, the welding vision module, the heating module, the shaping vision module, and the shaping cutting module are arranged in a circumferentially offset manner between the two fixture modules.

[0018] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the clamp module is provided with a connecting slot, which is used to engage with the metal boss on the inner liner.

[0019] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the fixture module is equipped with a force sensor, which is used to monitor the welding pressure of the inner liner in real time.

[0020] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the docking module includes two docking drive units, the rotating module includes two rotating drive units, the two docking drive units are respectively connected to the two clamping modules to drive the clamping modules to move along the first direction, and the two rotating drive units are respectively connected to the two clamping modules to drive the clamping modules to rotate around their own axes.

[0021] Furthermore, this invention also proposes a welding and shaping method suitable for the inner liner of a Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder, applicable to the aforementioned welding and shaping device, the welding and shaping method comprising:

[0022] The control clamps the two inner liner to be welded onto the two fixture modules;

[0023] The welding cutting mechanism is controlled to move between the two inner liner, and the two inner liner are controlled to move closer to the welding cutting mechanism according to the preset cutting amount, so as to remove the oxide layer at the welding end of the two inner liner;

[0024] The welding camera mechanism is controlled to move between the two inner liner and scan the outer contour of the welding ends of the two inner liner to obtain the welding angle when the welding ends of the two inner liner overlap.

[0025] Control the two inner liner to rotate around their own axis until the two welding ends coincide, according to the welding angle;

[0026] The heating mechanism is controlled to move between the two inner liner and the distance between the welding ends of the two inner liner and the heating mechanism is controlled to a preset value, and the welding ends of the two inner liner are heated to a preset temperature.

[0027] The two inner liner plates are brought close together for welding according to the preset welding pressure and preset holding time;

[0028] The shaping camera mechanism is controlled to rotate and move relative to the two inner liner, and the outer contour of the outer peripheral surface of the two inner liner is scanned to obtain the average diameter of the non-welded straight section of the inner liner and the weld shaping range.

[0029] Using the average diameter as a standard, the shaping and cutting mechanism is controlled to rotate and move relative to the two inner liner, and the weld shaping range is flattened and shaped to obtain a complete welded inner liner.

[0030] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments;

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the welding and shaping device provided by the present invention, showing the clamping of two inner liner.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the welding and shaping apparatus provided by the present invention for removing the oxide layer at the welding end of the inner liner;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the welding and shaping device provided by the present invention, which scans the welding end of the inner liner.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the welding and shaping device provided by the present invention, which heats the welding end of the inner liner.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of scanning the outer peripheral wall of the inner liner in one embodiment of the welding and shaping device provided by the present invention.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the welding and shaping device provided by the present invention, which performs cutting and shaping on the weld seam of the inner liner.

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the welding and shaping device provided by the present invention, which performs pressure welding on two inner liner.

[0039] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of an embodiment of the welding and shaping method provided by the present invention;

[0040] Icon labels:

[0041] Clamping assembly 100; clamping module 110; docking drive unit 120; rotary drive unit 130; clamping frame 140;

[0042] Welding assembly 200; Welding cutting module 210; Welding cutting mechanism 211; Welding cutting moving mechanism 212; Welding vision module 220; Welding camera mechanism 221; Welding camera moving mechanism 222; Heating module 230; Heating mechanism 231; Heating moving mechanism 232; Column 240

[0043] Inner liner 300;

[0044] Plastic surgery visual module 400; plastic surgery camera mechanism 410; plastic surgery camera movement mechanism 420; plastic surgery camera feed mechanism 430;

[0045] Shaping and cutting module 500; shaping and cutting mechanism 510; shaping and cutting moving mechanism 520; shaping and feeding cutting mechanism 530. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0047] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0048] In the description of this invention, "multiple" refers to two or more. The use of "first" and "second" is for distinguishing technical features only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features or their sequential relationship.

[0049] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0050] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described below are some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments.

[0051] As the hydrogen energy industry moves towards large-scale application, Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders, with their high-pressure bearing capacity of over 70MPa and excellent lightweight characteristics (30%-50% lighter than Type III cylinders), have become core components of mobile energy storage equipment such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen-powered heavy trucks. Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders adopt a composite structure of "thermoplastic inner liner + carbon fiber reinforced resin matrix composite winding layer." The inner liner 300, as the direct hydrogen-bearing component, must simultaneously meet requirements for high barrier properties, resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, and interface compatibility with the outer winding material. Its manufacturing process directly determines the cylinder's safety performance and mass production feasibility.

[0052] Currently, injection molding combined with welding is a common manufacturing method for the inner liner of small and medium-sized Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders. 300 different inner liner components are injection molded, and laser welding, ultrasonic welding, or hot plate welding are used to connect the injection molded parts at different locations, thus producing a complete Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder inner liner. Injection molding of inner liners is widely used in the industry due to its advantages such as high molding efficiency, fast production cycle, stable dimensional accuracy, and good material density.

[0053] However, the coaxiality deviation and weld surface quality issues currently exposed in the welding process significantly affect the use of Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders manufactured using this process. The main reason for these coaxiality deviations and weld surface quality problems is the irregular deformation caused by the melting of the welding surface of the injection-molded parts during heating. This irregular deformation prevents the two inner liners (300mm thick) from accurately coaxially aligning. Simultaneously, molten material is squeezed out at the weld joint during the joining process, forming an irregular weld. Taking a 5mm thick 9L Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder inner liner as an example, the coaxiality deviation between the two sides of the cylinder after welding can reach 0.6-0.9mm. GB-T42610-2023, the test method for the compatibility of high-pressure hydrogen cylinder plastic inner liners (300mm) with hydrogen, clearly stipulates that the misalignment of the welded joint should be less than or equal to 10% of the thickness of the inner liner (300mm).

[0054] Meanwhile, obvious wrinkles, protrusions, and other uneven defects on the weld surface can lead to fiber gaps during subsequent carbon fiber winding, causing localized resin accumulation and stress concentration areas, which reduces the pressure resistance and fatigue life of the gas cylinder. Furthermore, the complex weld profile makes it impossible for traditional ultrasonic testing techniques to effectively identify internal defects.

[0055] Therefore, it is urgent to develop a welding and shaping device suitable for the inner liner of Type IV hydrogen storage cylinders. This device should achieve coaxiality correction and weld surface smoothing without damaging the performance of the 300 material of the inner liner, and be compatible with automated production processes. This would break through existing process bottlenecks and ensure the reliability and mass production stability of hydrogen storage equipment.

[0056] like Figures 1 to 7As shown, the welding and shaping apparatus of the present invention includes a clamping assembly 100, a welding assembly 200, and a shaping assembly.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, the clamping assembly 100 includes two clamping modules 110, a rotating module, and a docking module.

[0058] Two clamping modules 110 are coaxially arranged relative to each other along the first direction, such as... Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the first direction is defined as the vertical direction. It can be understood that the two clamping modules 110 are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction, and the axes of the two clamping modules 110 extend in the vertical direction. The two clamping modules 110 are used to clamp the end of the inner liner 300 away from the welding end, so that the welding ends of the two inner liners 300 are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction. In some other embodiments, the first direction may be the left-right direction or the front-back direction, etc.

[0059] In this embodiment, the clamp module 110 can be a cylindrical or claw-shaped device that is the same size as the inner liner 300 and can fix the inner liner 300 and restrict its lateral movement.

[0060] Since the inner liner 300 has a metal boss at the end away from the welding end, and the metal boss has a flat opening, the clamp module 110 of this embodiment is provided with a connecting slot. The connecting slot is used to engage with the metal boss on the inner liner 300 to prevent the inner liner 300 from rotating relative to the clamp module 110.

[0061] The rotating module of the present invention is used to drive the two clamping modules 110 to rotate around their own axis, while the docking module is used to drive the two clamping modules 110 to move closer and further apart.

[0062] The rotating module can drive one clamping module 110 to rotate independently or drive two clamping modules 110 to rotate synchronously, while the docking module can drive one clamping module 110 to move vertically independently or drive two clamping modules 110 to move vertically synchronously.

[0063] like Figure 1As shown, the docking module of this embodiment includes two docking drive units 120, and the rotating module includes two rotating drive units 130. The two docking drive units 120 are respectively connected to two clamping modules 110 to drive the clamping modules 110 to move in the up and down direction. The two rotating drive units 130 are respectively connected to the two clamping modules 110 to drive the clamping modules 110 to rotate around their own axes. Specifically, the clamping assembly 100 of this embodiment includes a clamping frame 140, and the two rotating drive units 130 are mounted on the clamping frame 140. The rotating drive ends of the two rotating drive units 130 are respectively connected to the docking drive units 120, and the telescopic drive ends of the two docking drive units 120 are respectively connected to the two clamping modules 110.

[0064] The docking drive unit 120 can adopt a linear drive structure such as a cylinder, electric rod, or hydraulic cylinder, while the rotary drive unit 130 can adopt a rotary motor.

[0065] like Figure 1 As shown, the welding assembly 200 of the present invention includes a welding cutting module 210, a welding vision module 220 and a heating module 230 located on the outer periphery between two clamping modules 110.

[0066] The welding cutting module 210 of this invention is used to remove the oxide layer on the welding ends of the inner liner 300. The welding cutting module 210 includes a welding cutting mechanism 211 and a welding cutting moving mechanism 212. The welding cutting moving mechanism 212 is used to move the welding cutting mechanism 211 along a second direction between the two inner liners 300. In this embodiment, the second direction is defined as a horizontal direction, that is, the welding cutting moving mechanism 212 moves the welding cutting mechanism 211 horizontally. The welding cutting mechanism 211 is used to cut and remove the oxide layer on the welding ends of the two inner liners 300. Figure 2 As shown, when it is necessary to cut the welding end, the welding cutting mechanism 211 is controlled to move between the two inner liner 300, and then the two inner liner 300 are controlled to move closer to the welding cutting mechanism 211. After the cutting is completed, the welding cutting mechanism 211 is controlled to move out.

[0067] In this embodiment, the welding cutting mechanism 211 is provided with two cutting blade structures arranged opposite to each other in the vertical direction. The two cutting blade structures are respectively used to remove the oxide layer on the welding ends of the two inner liner 300. It can be understood that after the welding cutting mechanism 211 moves between the two inner liner 300, the two cutting blade structures are respectively positioned opposite to the welding ends of the two inner liner 300. At this time, as... Figure 2As shown, the docking module drives the two inner liner 300 to move in the vertical direction to adjust the relative distance between the inner liner 300 and the cutting structure, thereby controlling the cutting amount at the welding end, ensuring the welding quality of the inner liner 300, and improving the cutting efficiency of the welding end face. The oxide layer of the welding end of the two inner liner 300 can be removed simultaneously.

[0068] The welding vision module 220 of the present invention is used to scan the welding ends of the inner liner 300 to analyze the ellipticity of the welding surfaces of the two inner liners 300, specifically, as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the welding vision module 220 includes a welding camera mechanism 221 and a welding camera moving mechanism 222. The welding camera moving mechanism 222 is used to move the welding camera mechanism 221 horizontally between the two inner liner 300. The welding camera mechanism 221 is used to scan the outline of the welding ends of the two inner liner 300, analyze the ellipticity of the welding surfaces of the two inner liner 300, match the relative angle with the highest overlap of the two welding surfaces, and feed this angle information back to the rotating module. The rotating module drives the two clamping modules 110 to rotate to the posture where the welding ends of the two inner liner 300 overlap.

[0069] The welding camera mechanism 221 can use two cameras, one facing upwards and the other downwards, to scan the welding ends of the two inner liner 300 simultaneously. Alternatively, it can use one camera, which can be rotatably mounted on the welding camera moving mechanism 222. After scanning one inner liner 300, it can rotate to scan and photograph the other inner liner 300.

[0070] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the heating module 230 of the present invention is used to heat the welding end of the inner liner 300. Specifically, the heating module 230 includes a heating mechanism 231 and a heating moving mechanism 232. The heating moving mechanism 232 is used to drive the heating mechanism 231 to move horizontally between the two inner liners 300. The heating mechanism 231 is used to heat the welding ends of the two inner liners 300 to melt them so that welding can be performed.

[0071] And during heating, such as Figure 4 As shown, the two inner liner 300s can be moved vertically by the docking module to adjust the relative distance between the inner liner 300 and the heating mechanism 231, thereby controlling the heating temperature of the welding end, so that both inner liner 300s have good heat melting and uniform heating.

[0072] The heating mechanism 231 can be infrared heating, laser heating or other heating methods.

[0073] The welding cutting moving mechanism 212, welding camera moving mechanism 222 and heating moving mechanism 232 are all used to control the position of the corresponding mechanism relative to the welding surface of the inner liner 300 in the horizontal direction, so as to enable different mechanisms to complete their corresponding functions. The welding cutting moving mechanism 212, welding camera moving mechanism 222 and heating moving mechanism 232 can adopt linear drive structures such as cylinders, electric rods, and hydraulic cylinders.

[0074] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the welding cutting module 210, welding vision module 220, and heating module 230 are adjustablely mounted on a column 240 in the vertical direction. During operation, the welding cutting module 210 is first moved between the two inner liner 300 to cut the welding end. After that, the welding cutting module 210 is moved upward. Then, the welding vision module 220 is moved between the two inner liner 300 to scan and photograph the welding end. After that, the welding vision module 220 is moved upward. Finally, the heating module 230 is moved between the two inner liner 300.

[0075] In some other embodiments, the welding cutting module 210, the welding vision module 220, and the heating module 230 are circumferentially offset between the two fixture modules 110, so that they do not interfere with each other.

[0076] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the shaping assembly of the present invention includes a shaping vision module 400 and a shaping cutting module 500 located on the outer periphery between two clamping modules 110.

[0077] Among them, such as Figure 5 As shown, the shaping vision module 400 includes a shaping camera mechanism 410. The shaping camera mechanism 410 is used to scan the outer contour of the outer peripheral surfaces of the two inner liner 300 to obtain the position and amount of cutting and shaping required. Specifically, the shaping camera mechanism 410 scans the non-weld straight cylindrical section of the inner liner 300 and extracts the outer contour dimensions, calculates the average value of the outer contour, and uses it as the standard value for shaping the weld.

[0078] In some embodiments, when scanning the outer peripheral surfaces of the two inner liner 300, the two clamping modules 110 can be rotated around their own axes by a rotating module to drive the two inner liner 300 to rotate synchronously. At the same time, the two clamping modules 110 can be moved synchronously in the up and down direction by a docking module to perform a comprehensive scan of the outer peripheral surfaces of the two inner liner 300.

[0079] like Figure 5As shown, the shaping vision module 400 in this embodiment also includes a shaping camera moving mechanism 420 and a shaping camera feeding mechanism 430. The shaping camera moving mechanism 420 is used to drive the shaping camera mechanism 410 to move along the upper and lower directions on the outer periphery of the inner liner 300, while the shaping camera feeding mechanism 430 is used to drive the shaping camera mechanism 410 to move along the horizontal direction to adjust the distance between the shaping camera mechanism 410 and the inner liner 300, so that the shaping camera mechanism 410 has a better shooting and scanning effect on the outer surface contour of the inner liner 300. At this time, it is necessary to drive the two clamping modules 110 to rotate around their own axes through the rotating module to drive the two inner liners 300 to rotate synchronously.

[0080] The shaping camera feed mechanism 430 and the shaping camera moving mechanism 420 can adopt linear drive structures such as cylinders and hydraulic cylinders.

[0081] like Figure 6 As shown, the shaping and cutting module 500 includes a shaping and cutting mechanism 510, which is used to cut and shape the weld between the two inner liner 300. According to the shaping standard value obtained by the shaping camera mechanism 410, the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 cuts and shapes the weld.

[0082] Specifically, the shaping and cutting module 500 of this embodiment further includes a shaping and cutting moving mechanism 520 and a shaping and feeding cutting mechanism 530. The shaping and cutting moving mechanism 520 is used to drive the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 to move up and down along the outer periphery of the inner liner 300 to adjust the axial position of the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 relative to the inner liner 300. The shaping and feeding cutting mechanism 530 is used to drive the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 to move in the horizontal direction to adjust the radial position of the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 relative to the inner liner 300 and adjust the cutting feed amount.

[0083] In this embodiment, during the shaping and cutting process, it is also necessary to drive the two clamping modules 110 to rotate around their own axes through the rotating module, so as to drive the two inner bladders 300 to rotate synchronously.

[0084] In some other embodiments, the axial position between the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 and the inner liner 300 can be driven by the docking module to move the two clamping modules 110 synchronously in the vertical direction.

[0085] In this embodiment, the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 uses a cutting blade, while the shaping and camera mechanism 410 uses a camera.

[0086] Among them, the shaping and cutting moving mechanism 520 and the shaping and feeding cutting mechanism 530 can adopt linear drive structures such as cylinders and hydraulic cylinders.

[0087] When using, such as Figure 1As shown, the two inner liner 300 to be welded are clamped by two clamping modules 110, as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the welding cutting mechanism 211 is moved between the two inner liner 300, and the docking module is controlled to move the two clamping modules 110 close to the welding cutting mechanism 211 according to the preset cutting amount, so as to remove the oxide layer on the welding end face. Figure 3 As shown, the welding camera mechanism 221 is moved between the two inner liner 300s. The welding camera mechanism 221 scans the outer contours of the welding ends of the two inner liner 300s to analyze the ellipticity of the welding ends. This allows for matching the welding angles relative to each other when the welding surfaces on both sides have the highest degree of overlap. Based on the welding angles, the two inner liner 300s are controlled to rotate around their own axes until the two welding ends overlap. Figure 4 As shown, the heating mechanism 231 is then moved between the two inner liner 300, and the distance between the two welding ends and the heating mechanism 231 is controlled to uniformly heat the welding surfaces of the two inner liner 300, melting them to facilitate welding. Figure 7 As shown, then under a specified pressure, the two inner liner 300 are controlled to approach each other for welding. After welding, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, the two inner liner 300 are controlled to rotate relative to and move axially along the shaping camera mechanism 410. The shaping camera mechanism 410 scans the outer contour of the outer circumference of the two inner liner 300. Using the average diameter of the non-welded straight cylindrical section of the inner liner 300 as a standard, the dimensions for cutting and shaping the weld seam are obtained, as shown. Figure 6 As shown, the weld seam between the two inner liner 300 is then cut and shaped by the shaping and cutting mechanism 510.

[0088] This invention can complete the removal of oxide layer, positioning and calibration of rotational overlap, heating, and cutting and shaping of the weld seam at the 300 weld end of the inner liner in a single clamping process, thus solving the problems of coaxiality deviation and poor weld surface quality.

[0089] In some other embodiments, the welding cutting module 210, welding vision module 220, heating module 230, shaping vision module 400, and shaping cutting module 500 are arranged circumferentially offset between the two fixture modules 110 to provide space utilization and to prevent interference between the modules.

[0090] The fixture module 110 is equipped with a force sensor, which is used to monitor the welding pressure of the inner liner 300 in real time in order to accurately control the welding quality of the inner liner 300.

[0091] Furthermore, this invention also proposes a welding and shaping method suitable for the inner liner of a Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder, applicable to the aforementioned welding and shaping device, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the welding and shaping methods include:

[0092] Step S100: Control the clamping of the two inner liner 300 to be welded onto the two clamping modules 110;

[0093] Step S200: Control the welding cutting mechanism 211 to move between the two inner liner 300, and control the two inner liner 300 to approach the welding cutting mechanism 211 according to the preset cutting amount, so as to remove the oxide layer at the welding end of the two inner liner 300.

[0094] Step S300: Control the welding camera mechanism 221 to move between the two inner liner 300, scan the outline of the welding ends of the two inner liner 300, so as to obtain the welding angle when the welding ends of the two inner liner 300 overlap.

[0095] Step S400: Control the two inner liner 300 to rotate around their own axis according to the welding angle until the two welding ends coincide;

[0096] Step S500: Control the heating mechanism 231 to move between the two inner liner 300, and control the distance between the welding ends of the two inner liner 300 and the heating mechanism 231 to a preset value, and heat the welding ends of the two inner liner 300 to a preset temperature.

[0097] Step S600: Weld the two inner liner 300 close to each other according to the preset welding pressure and preset holding time;

[0098] Step S700: Control the shaping camera mechanism 410 to rotate and move relative to the two inner liner 300, and scan the outer contour of the outer circumferential surface of the two inner liner 300 to obtain the average diameter of the non-welded straight cylindrical section of the inner liner 300 and the weld shaping range.

[0099] Step S800: Using the average diameter as a standard, control the relative rotation and movement of the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 and the two inner liner 300 to perform flattening and cutting shaping on the weld shaping range to obtain a complete welded inner liner 300.

[0100] Before welding, wipe the surface of the inner liner 300, the metal boss, and the welding end face clean with water and alcohol respectively, and dry them for later use.

[0101] In step S100, as Figure 1 As shown, the metal boss of the inner liner 300 is engaged with the connecting slot on the clamp module 110, and the clamping part of the clamp module 110 is tightened to form a tight fixation of the inner liner 300.

[0102] In step S200, as Figure 2As shown, the welding cutting mechanism 211 is adjusted to the middle position of the two inner liner 300. The welding cutting moving mechanism 212 drives the welding cutting mechanism 211 to move horizontally to a position aligned with the central axis of the two inner liner 300. According to the preset cutting amount, the docking module drives the two inner liner 300 to move vertically to adjust the relative distance between the inner liner 300 and the cutting structure, so as to cut the welding end and simultaneously remove the oxide layer of the welding end of the two inner liner 300. The cutting amount is less than 1mm. After the cutting is completed, the welding cutting mechanism 211 is turned off and controlled to move away from the inner liner 300. At the same time, the upper and lower inner liner 300 are controlled to move away from each other, leaving the working position of the welding camera mechanism 221.

[0103] Adjust the height of the welding cutting module 210 until it reaches a position where it will not interfere with other components.

[0104] In steps S300 and S400, as Figure 3 As shown, the welding camera mechanism 221 is adjusted to the middle position of the two inner liner 300. The welding camera moving mechanism 222 drives the welding camera mechanism 221 to move horizontally to a position aligned with the central axis of the two inner liner 300. The welding camera mechanism 221 is then activated to scan the outline of the welding surfaces of the upper and lower inner liner 300. The welding angle at which the overlap of the welding surfaces is highest is calculated and analyzed. This angle is then fed back to the two rotary drive units 130. The two rotary drive units 130 respectively drive the two clamping modules 110 to rotate to the position where the welding ends of the two inner liner 300 overlap.

[0105] After scanning, control the welding camera mechanism 221 to move away from the inner liner 300, and at the same time control the upper and lower inner liners 300 to move away from each other, leaving the working position of the heating mechanism 231, and adjust and raise the welding vision module 220 until the welding vision module 220 will not interfere with other components.

[0106] In step S500, as Figure 4 As shown, the heating mechanism 231 is adjusted to the middle position of the two inner liner 300. The heating moving mechanism 232 drives the heating mechanism 231 to move horizontally to a position aligned with the central axis of the two inner liner 300. The docking module drives the two inner liner 300 to move in the vertical direction to adjust the relative distance between the inner liner 300 and the heating mechanism 231.

[0107] Due to the downward force of gravity from the upper and lower clamping, the distance between the welding surface of the upper inner liner 300 and the heating mechanism 231 generally needs to be slightly greater than the distance between the lower inner liner 300 and the heating mechanism 231. The specific distance can be determined according to the power of the heating mechanism 231. After the distance between the upper and lower inner liners 300 and the heating mechanism 231 is adjusted, the heating mechanism 231 is started to heat the welding surface of the inner liner 300. After heating, the heating mechanism 231 is moved away from the inner liner 300.

[0108] In step S600, as Figure 7 As shown, two docking drive units 120 drive the two inner liner 300 to approach each other until the molten welding surfaces of the inner liner 300 come into contact and welding is performed. At this time, after the force sensor receives the force value, it slows down the movement speed of the docking drive unit 120 until the force sensor value reaches the preset welding pressure. Then, the feed of the docking drive unit 120 is stopped. After reaching the specified pressure for a period of time (5s), the two inner liner 300 need to be flipped to a lateral position to maintain pressure and prevent the molten material from forming a weld seam with a consistent flow direction under the action of gravity, which would cause an asymmetrical weld seam and may also cause material shortage in the weld seam. The weld seam temperature is maintained until it cools down to below the glass transition temperature of the inner liner 300 material.

[0109] In this embodiment, a flipping device is provided to drive the clamping frame 140 to flip.

[0110] In step S700, as Figure 5 As shown, firstly, the radial distance between the shaping camera mechanism 410 and the inner liner 300 is adjusted by the shaping camera feed mechanism 430. Then, the shaping camera moving mechanism 420 moves the shaping camera mechanism 410 to its initial position on the outer periphery of the inner liner 300 in the vertical direction. The rotating module drives the two clamping modules 110 to rotate around their own axes, causing the two inner liners 300 to rotate synchronously. This allows the shaping camera mechanism 410 to completely capture a section of the inner liner 300 after welding. After capturing the image, the shaping camera moving mechanism 420 moves the shaping camera mechanism 410 a certain distance. After the distance is fixed, the inner liner 300 in the field of view after the shaping camera mechanism 410 moves partially overlaps with the inner liner 300 in the field of view before the movement. Then, the rotating module and the shaping camera mechanism 410 are started so that the shaping camera mechanism 410 can completely capture a circumference of a section of the inner liner 300 after welding. The above steps are repeated until the shaping camera mechanism 410 has completely scanned the outer contour of the inner liner 300 after welding. After extracting the outer contour data of the inner liner 300, the size of the weld cut by the shaping cutting mechanism 510 is obtained using the average diameter of the non-welded straight section of the inner liner 300 as the standard.

[0111] In step S800, as Figure 6As shown, taking the average diameter as the standard, the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 is driven to move horizontally by the shaping and cutting mechanism 530 to adjust the radial position of the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 relative to the inner liner 300 and adjust the cutting feed amount. Subsequently, the shaping and cutting moving mechanism 520 is used to drive the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 to move up and down along the outer periphery of the inner liner 300 to adjust the axial position of the shaping and cutting mechanism 510 relative to the inner liner 300. At the same time, the rotating module drives the two clamping modules 110 to rotate around their own axes to drive the two inner liners 300 to rotate synchronously until the weld seam on the inner liner 300 is shaped.

[0112] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0113] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A welding and shaping device suitable for the inner liner of a Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder, characterized in that, include: The clamping assembly includes two clamping modules arranged coaxially relative to each other along a first direction, a rotating module for driving the two clamping modules to rotate around their own axis, and a docking module for driving the two clamping modules to move closer and further apart from each other. The clamping modules are used to clamp the end of the inner liner away from the welding end. A welding assembly includes a welding cutting module, a welding vision module, and a heating module located on the outer periphery between two fixture modules. The welding cutting module includes a welding cutting mechanism and a welding cutting moving mechanism. The welding cutting moving mechanism is used to move the welding cutting mechanism along a second direction between the two inner liner modules. The welding cutting mechanism is used to remove the oxide layer on the welding ends of the two inner liner modules. The welding vision module includes a welding camera mechanism and a welding camera moving mechanism. The welding camera moving mechanism is used to move the welding camera mechanism along the second direction between the two inner liner modules. The welding camera mechanism is used to scan the outline of the welding ends of the two inner liner modules. The heating module includes a heating mechanism and a heating moving mechanism. The heating moving mechanism is used to move the heating mechanism along the second direction between the two inner liner modules. The heating mechanism is used to heat the welding ends of the two inner liner modules. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The shaping assembly includes a shaping vision module and a shaping cutting module located on the outer periphery between the two fixture modules. The shaping vision module includes a shaping camera mechanism for scanning the outer contour of the outer periphery of the two inner liner surfaces. The shaping cutting module includes a shaping cutting mechanism for cutting and shaping the weld seam between the two inner liner surfaces. The shaping vision module further includes a shaping camera moving mechanism and a shaping camera feeding mechanism. The shaping camera moving mechanism is used to drive the shaping camera mechanism to move on the outer periphery of the inner liner and along the first direction. The shaping camera feeding mechanism is used to drive the shaping camera mechanism to move along the second direction. The shaping and cutting module further includes a shaping and cutting moving mechanism and a shaping and feeding cutting mechanism. The shaping and cutting moving mechanism is used to drive the shaping and cutting mechanism to move along the first direction on the outer periphery of the inner liner, and the shaping and feeding cutting mechanism is used to drive the shaping and cutting mechanism to move along the second direction.

2. The welding and shaping apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The welding cutting mechanism is provided with two cutting blade structures arranged in opposite directions along the first direction. The two cutting blade structures are respectively used to remove the oxide layer on the welding ends of the two inner liner.

3. The welding and shaping apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The welding cutting module, the welding vision module, and the heating module are all adjustable and movable along the first direction.

4. The welding and shaping apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The welding cutting module, the welding vision module, the heating module, the shaping vision module, and the shaping cutting module are arranged circumferentially offset between the two fixture modules.

5. The welding and shaping apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamp module is provided with a connecting slot, which is used to engage with the metal boss on the inner liner.

6. The welding and shaping apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamp module is equipped with a force sensor, which is used to monitor the welding pressure of the inner liner in real time.

7. The welding and shaping apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The docking module includes two docking drive units, and the rotating module includes two rotating drive units. The two docking drive units are respectively connected to the two clamping modules to drive the clamping modules to move along the first direction. The two rotating drive units are respectively connected to the two clamping modules to drive the clamping modules to rotate around their own axes.

8. A welding and shaping method suitable for the inner liner of a Type IV hydrogen storage cylinder, characterized in that, The welding and shaping apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the welding and shaping method comprises: The control clamps the two inner liner to be welded onto the two fixture modules; The welding cutting mechanism is controlled to move between the two inner liner, and the two inner liner are controlled to move closer to the welding cutting mechanism according to the preset cutting amount, so as to remove the oxide layer at the welding end of the two inner liner; The welding camera mechanism is controlled to move between the two inner liner and scan the outer contour of the welding ends of the two inner liner to obtain the welding angle when the welding ends of the two inner liner overlap. Control the two inner liner to rotate around their own axis until the two welding ends coincide, according to the welding angle; The heating mechanism is controlled to move between the two inner liner and the distance between the welding ends of the two inner liner and the heating mechanism is controlled to a preset value, and the welding ends of the two inner liner are heated to a preset temperature. The two inner liner plates are brought close together for welding according to the preset welding pressure and preset holding time; The shaping camera mechanism is controlled to rotate and move relative to the two inner liner, and the outer contour of the outer peripheral surface of the two inner liner is scanned to obtain the average diameter of the non-welded straight section of the inner liner and the weld shaping range. Using the average diameter as a standard, the shaping and cutting mechanism is controlled to rotate and move relative to the two inner liner, and the weld shaping range is flattened and shaped to obtain a complete welded inner liner.

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