Tank

Abstract

The present invention suppresses the orientation inconsistency of valves in a tank provided with valves at both ends. A tank is provided with: a tank main body for storing gas, the tank main body having a first female screw part at one end and a second female screw part at the other end; a first valve having a first male threaded portion fixed to the first female threaded portion and a first release port for releasing gas; a second valve having a second male threaded portion fixed to the second female threaded portion and a second release port for releasing gas; and an adjustment member disposed between the second valve and the tank main body and having a thickness lower than the pitch of the second male thread portion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tank. BACKGROUND

[0002] It is known that a hydrogen tank in which a valve is fixed to one end portion (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-127784

[0004] When a valve is provided at both end portions of a tank main body, the orientation of the valve fixed to one end portion and the orientation of the valve fixed to the other end portion can not be consistent. SUMMARY

[0005] The present disclosure can be implemented in the following manner.

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a hydrogen tank is provided. The hydrogen tank includes a tank main body that stores a gas, has a first internal thread portion at one end portion, and has a second internal thread portion at the other end portion; a first valve that has a first external thread portion fixed to the first internal thread portion and a first release port that releases the gas; a second valve that has a second external thread portion fixed to the second internal thread portion and a second release port that releases the gas; and an adjustment member that is disposed between the second valve and the tank main body and has a thickness that is lower than a pitch of the second external thread portion.

[0007] According to the hydrogen tank of this embodiment, the orientation of the first valve and the orientation of the second valve can be inhibited from being inconsistent.

[0008] (2) In the hydrogen tank of the above embodiment, the thickness of the adjustment member can be one fourth of the pitch of the second external thread portion.

[0009] According to the hydrogen tank of this embodiment, the orientation of the first valve and the orientation of the second valve can be easily made consistent.

[0010] (3) In the hydrogen tank of the above embodiment, the thickness of the adjustment member can be one half of the pitch of the second external thread portion.

[0011] According to the hydrogen tank of this embodiment, the orientation of the first valve and the orientation of the second valve can be easily made consistent.

[0012] (4) In the hydrogen tank of the above embodiment, the thickness of the adjustment member can be three fourths of the pitch of the second external thread portion.

[0013] According to the hydrogen tank of this embodiment, the orientation of the first valve and the orientation of the second valve can be easily made consistent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a side view of a hydrogen tank.

[0015] Figure 2 is a sectional view of a hydrogen tank.

[0016] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an adjustment member.

[0017] Figure 4 is an explanatory view showing an orientation of a first valve and an orientation of a second valve.

[0018] Figure 5 is an explanatory view showing an orientation of a first valve and an orientation of a second valve in a comparative example.

[0019] Explanation of Reference Signs

[0020] 50… hydrogen tank; 100… tank main body; 110… container portion; 120A… first joint portion; 120B… second joint portion; 125A… first internal thread portion; 125B… second internal thread portion; 200A… first valve; 200B… second valve; 210A… head portion; 210B… head portion; 220A… shaft portion; 220B… shaft portion; 225A… first external thread portion; 225B… second external thread portion; 230A… flange portion; 230B… flange portion; 250A… pipe connection port; 250B… pipe connection port; 260A… release port; 260B… release port; 270A… O-ring; 270B… O-ring; 300… adjustment member DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] A. First Embodiment

[0022] Figure 1 is a side view of a hydrogen tank 50 in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1 the hydrogen tank 50 is provided with: a tank main body 100; a first valve 200A fixed to one end of the tank main body 100; a second valve 200B fixed to the other end of the tank main body 100; and an adjustment member 300 disposed between the second valve 200B and the tank main body 100. The hydrogen tank 50 is mounted, for example, on a fuel cell vehicle (FCEV: Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) and used as a hydrogen supply source for a fuel cell provided in the fuel cell vehicle.

[0023] Figure 2is a cross-sectional view of the hydrogen tank 50. The tank main body 100 has a container portion 110, a first joint portion 120A, and a second joint portion 120B. The container portion 110 has an internal space for storing hydrogen gas. In the present embodiment, the central portion of the container portion 110 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the both end portions of the container portion 110 are formed in a substantially hemispherical shape. The container portion 110 has, from the inside, in order, a liner for ensuring gas barrier properties, a reinforcing layer for ensuring pressure resistance, and a protective layer for ensuring impact resistance. In the present embodiment, the liner is formed of nylon 6, the reinforcing layer is formed of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and the protective layer is formed of glass fiber reinforced plastic. Further, the shape of the container portion 110 is not limited to the above-described shape, and can be, for example, a spherical shape or a polygonal prism shape.

[0024] The first joint portion 120A is fixed to an opening portion provided at one end portion of the container portion 110, and the second joint portion 120B is fixed to an opening portion provided at the other end portion of the container portion 110. The first joint portion 120A and the second joint portion 120B are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A first internal thread portion 125A is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the first joint portion 120A, and a second internal thread portion 125B is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the second joint portion 120B. In the present embodiment, the first joint portion 120A and the second joint portion 120B are formed of an aluminum alloy.

[0025] The first valve 200A is fixed to the first joint portion 120A. In the present embodiment, the first valve 200A has a hexagonal prism-shaped head portion 210A, a cylindrical shaft portion 220A protruding from the bottom surface of the head portion 210A toward the tank main body 100 side, and a circular plate-shaped flange portion 230A protruding from the radial direction of the shaft portion 220A between the base end portion and the front end portion of the shaft portion 220A.

[0026] A pipe connection port 250A and a release port 260A are provided on the side surface of the head portion 210A. The pipe HP1 that communicates with the fuel cell is connected to the pipe connection port 250A. If the first valve 200A is opened, hydrogen gas is released from the pipe connection port 250A to the pipe HP1, and if the first valve 200A is closed, the release of hydrogen gas from the pipe connection port 250A to the pipe HP1 is stopped. The release port 260A is sealed by a fusible plug. The material of the fusible plug has a lower melting point than the material of the head portion 210A. If the hydrogen gas in the tank main body 100 becomes high-temperature and high-pressure due to a fire or the like of the fuel cell vehicle, the fusible plug melts, and the hydrogen gas in the tank main body 100 is released to the outside through the release port 260A. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the rupture of the tank main body 100. In the present embodiment, the pipe connection port 250A and the release port 260A release hydrogen gas in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CL of the hydrogen tank 50. However, the release direction of hydrogen gas of the pipe connection port 250A and the release direction of hydrogen gas of the release port 260A are different by 60 degrees.

[0027] A first external thread portion 225A is provided in the shaft portion 220A so as to be combined with the first internal thread portion 125A provided in the first joint portion 120A. The first valve 200A is fixed to the first joint portion 120A by the combination of the first external thread portion 225A and the first internal thread portion 125A. A groove for mounting an O-ring 270A is provided between the front end surface of the shaft portion 220A and the first external thread portion 225A.

[0028] The second valve 200B is fixed to the second joint portion 120B. In the present embodiment, the second valve 200B has a hexagonal prism-shaped head portion 210B, a cylindrical shaft portion 220B protruding from the bottom surface of the head portion 210B toward the tank main body 100 side, and a circular plate-shaped flange portion 230B protruding from the shaft portion 220B in the radial direction between the base end portion and the front end portion of the shaft portion 220B.

[0029] A pipe connection port 250B and a release port 260B are provided in the side surface of the head portion 210B. The pipe HP2 that communicates with the fuel cell is connected to the pipe connection port 250B. If the second valve 200B is opened, hydrogen gas is released from the pipe connection port 250B to the pipe HP2, and if the second valve 200B is closed, the release of hydrogen gas from the pipe connection port 250B to the pipe HP2 is stopped. The release port 260B is sealed by a fusible plug. The fusible plug is made of a material having a lower melting point than the material of the head portion 210B. The function of the fusible plug is as described above. In the present embodiment, the pipe connection port 250B and the release port 260B eject hydrogen gas in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CL of the hydrogen tank 50. However, the direction of ejection of hydrogen gas from the pipe connection port 250B and the direction of ejection of hydrogen gas from the release port 260B differ by 60 degrees. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, the release port 260A of the first valve 200A is sometimes referred to as a first release port, and the release port 260B of the second valve 200B is sometimes referred to as a second release port.

[0030] A second external thread portion 225B is provided in the shaft portion 220B so as to be combined with the second internal thread portion 125B provided in the second joint portion 120B. The second valve 200B is fixed to the second joint portion 120B by the combination of the second external thread portion 225B and the second internal thread portion 125B. A groove for mounting an O-ring 270B is provided between the front end surface of the shaft portion 220B and the second external thread portion 225B.

[0031] The adjustment member 300 is sandwiched by the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the end surface of the second joint portion 120B. The thickness t of the adjustment member 300 is lower than the pitch p of the second external thread portion 225B. In the present embodiment, the thickness t of the adjustment member 300 is any one of one fourth, one half, and three fourths of the pitch p of the second external thread portion 225B. The second external thread portion 225B is configured as a single thread. Here, the pitch refers to the interval of the apexes of adjacent thread teeth. In a single thread, by rotating the external thread portion inserted into the internal thread portion by one turn, the external thread portion moves with respect to the internal thread portion along the central axis of the internal thread portion by the same distance as the pitch. In a multiple thread (here, n is a natural number of two or more), by rotating the external thread portion inserted into the internal thread portion by one turn, the external thread portion moves with respect to the internal thread portion along the central axis of the internal thread portion by the same distance as n times the pitch. Therefore, in the case where the adjustment member 300 is disposed between the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the second joint portion 120B and in the case where the adjustment member 300 is not disposed between the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the second joint portion 120B, it is possible to make the orientations of the second valve 200B fixed to the second joint portion 120B different.

[0032] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the adjustment member 300. The adjustment member 300 is configured by a plurality of plate members. In the present embodiment, the adjustment member 300 is configured by two plate members each having a shape in which a circular ring is divided into half. The two plate members are preferably manufactured by cutting out from the same raw material so that the thickness t of the two plate members does not differ. In the present embodiment, the adjustment member 300 is formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or the like. However, the adjustment member 300 may, for example, be formed of a material other than a metal material such as a resin material or the like.

[0033] Figure 4 is an explanatory view showing the orientation of the first valve 200A and the orientation of the second valve 200B in the present embodiment. Figure 5 is an explanatory view showing the orientation of the first valve 200A and the orientation of the second valve 200B in the comparative example. The order in which the first valve 200A and the second valve 200B are fixed to the tank main body 100 is described.

[0034] First, the tank main body 100, the first valve 200A, the second valve 200B, and the adjustment member 300 are prepared. In the present embodiment, three adjustment members 300 having different thicknesses t are prepared. The first adjustment member 300 has a thickness t of one fourth of the pitch p of the second external thread portion 225B, the second adjustment member 300 has a thickness t of one half of the pitch p of the second external thread portion 225B, and the third adjustment member 300 has a thickness t of three fourths of the pitch p of the second external thread portion 225B.

[0035] Next, the process of fixing the first valve 200A to the first connector portion 120A of the tank body 100 begins. The first external thread portion 225A of the first valve 200A is inserted into the first internal thread portion 125A of the first connector portion 120A, and the first valve 200A is rotated until the flange portion 230A of the first valve 200A contacts the end face of the first connector portion 120A. Thus, the first valve 200A is fixed to the first connector portion 120A.

[0036] After securing the first valve 200A to the first connector 120A, begin securing the second valve 200B to the second connector 120B of the tank body 100. Insert the second external thread 225B of the second valve 200B into the second internal thread 125B of the second connector 120B, rotating the second valve 200B to a position where the flange 230B of the second valve 200B and the end face of the second connector 120B are about to contact, and the orientation of the release port 260B of the second valve 200B aligns with the orientation of the release port 260A of the first valve 200A. Confirm the width of the gap between the flange 230B of the second valve 200B and the end face of the second connector 120B, select the adjustment component 300 from the three adjustment components 300 that minimizes the gap, and insert the selected adjustment component 300 into the gap. The adjustment member 300 that minimizes the gap refers to the adjustment member 300 with the largest thickness t among the adjustment members 300 whose thickness t is less than or equal to the width of the gap. Then, the second valve 200B is tightened so that the end faces of the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the second connector portion 120B contact via the adjustment member 300. Thus, the second valve 200B is fixed to the second connector portion 120B.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, by inserting an adjusting member 300 between the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the second connector portion 120B, the difference between the angle α between the reference plane PL and the orientation D1 of the release port 260A of the first valve 200A, and the angle β between the reference plane PL and the orientation D2 of the release port 260B of the second valve 200B, can be controlled within a specified range. In contrast, as... Figure 5 As shown in the comparative example, when the adjustment member 300 is not inserted between the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the second connector portion 120B, the difference between the angle α between the reference plane PL and the orientation D1 of the release port 260A of the first valve 200A, and the angle β between the reference plane PL and the orientation D2 of the release port 260B of the second valve 200B, becomes larger.

[0038] According to the hydrogen tank 50 in the present embodiment described above, by providing the adjustment member 300 between the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the second joint portion 120B, it is possible to suppress the orientation of the first valve 200A from being inconsistent with the orientation of the second valve 200B.

[0039] In addition, in the present embodiment, the adjustment member 300 provided between the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the second joint portion 120B is selected from among an adjustment member 300 having a thickness t of one fourth of the pitch p, an adjustment member 300 having a thickness t of one half of the pitch p, and an adjustment member 300 having a thickness t of three fourths of the pitch p. Therefore, it is possible to control the deviation of the orientation of the first valve 200A from the orientation of the second valve 200B to be 45 degrees or less.

[0040] B. Other Embodiments

[0041] (B1) In the above-described first embodiment, the adjustment member 300 is provided between the second valve 200B and the tank main body 100. In contrast, the adjustment member 300 can be provided between the second valve 200B and the tank main body 100, and between the first valve 200A and the tank main body 100. The thickness of the adjustment member 300 provided between the first valve 200A and the tank main body 100 can also be lower than the pitch of the first external thread portion 225A of the first valve 200A. In this case, by the adjustment member 300 on the first valve 200A side, it is possible to make the orientation of the first valve 200A consistent with the orientation of the tank main body 100, and by the adjustment member 300 on the second valve 200B side, it is possible to make the orientation of the first valve 200A consistent with the orientation of the second valve 200B.

[0042] (B2) In the above-described first embodiment, the adjustment member 300 is a hydrogen tank 50 that stores hydrogen gas. In contrast, the adjustment member 300 can be provided in a tank that stores a gas other than hydrogen.

[0043] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized by various structures within a range not departing from the gist thereof. For example, in order to solve part or all of the above-described problems, or in order to achieve part or all of the above-described effects, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each of the modes recited in the summary of the invention can be appropriately replaced, combined. In addition, if the technical feature is not described as a necessary technical feature in the present specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

Claims

1. A can, wherein, Possessing: a tank main body that stores a gas, has a first inner threaded portion at one end, and has a second inner threaded portion at the other end; a first valve that has a first outer threaded portion fixed to the first inner threaded portion, and a first release port that releases the gas; a second valve that has a second outer threaded portion fixed to the second inner threaded portion, and a second release port that releases the gas; and an adjustment member that is disposed between the second valve and the tank main body, and has a thickness that is lower than a pitch of the second outer threaded portion.

2. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the adjustment member is one fourth of the pitch of the second outer threaded portion.

3. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the adjustment member is one half of the pitch of the second outer threaded portion.

4. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the adjustment member is three fourths of the pitch of the second outer threaded portion.

Images