Solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating function

Abstract

The utility model discloses a solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with an internal heating function. The solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure comprises an aluminum tank body. A hydrogen valve is mounted at one end of the aluminum pot body, and a heating assembly is mounted at the other end; a first sealing ring is arranged between the hydrogen valve and the aluminum pot body; a sintering filter element is arranged at one end, extending into the aluminum tank body, of the hydrogen valve; one end of the heating assembly extends into the aluminum pot body, and the other end of the heating assembly is installed on a bottle opening of the aluminum pot body through a second sealing ring. The aluminum pot body is filled with hydrogen storage alloy. According to the aluminum pot, the heating assembly is installed in the aluminum pot body, heat in the electric heating process can be absorbed by alloy, compared with a conventional heating patch, the heat utilization rate is greatly increased, meanwhile, hydrogen released in the aluminum pot body and power generated by a fuel cell can be supplied to the heating assembly to maintain the temperature in the aluminum pot body, and the service life of the aluminum pot body is prolonged. Dynamic balance in the operation process is achieved, power consumption is reduced, the use requirements of products can be better met, and the competitiveness of enterprises is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of hydrogen storage equipment, specifically to a solid-state aluminum hydrogen storage tank structure with internal heating. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen-powered two-wheelers and hydrogen-assisted bicycles equipped with low-power air-cooled fuel cell stacks are gradually being favored by the two-wheeler market due to their advantages such as low carbon emissions, high safety (no lithium battery fire hazards).

[0003] The primary energy source for hydrogen-powered two-wheelers is hydrogen stored in solid-state hydrogen storage tanks. Common tank sizes include 0.39L, 0.6L, 0.7L, 0.9L, and 1.0L, storing 20g, 30g, 35g, 45g, and 50g of hydrogen respectively, providing a range of 50km to 120km. During the hydrogen release process, the solid-state hydrogen storage alloy in the aluminum tank absorbs heat, causing the internal temperature of the tank to drop continuously. When the tank temperature reaches around 0°C, the alloy struggles to continuously release hydrogen. Therefore, an external heat source is needed to exchange heat with the aluminum tank, maintaining the tank temperature above 15°C to ensure continuous hydrogen release and provide sustained range for the vehicle.

[0004] In general, the solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank of a hydrogen-powered two-wheeler can be placed near the fuel cell compartment under the seat. Therefore, the waste heat of the fuel cell can be blown to the solid hydrogen storage tank through the air pipe, thus ensuring that the solid hydrogen storage tank can maintain a certain temperature during riding and achieve continuous hydrogen release.

[0005] Hydrogen-powered electric two-wheelers are a highly popular type of hydrogen fuel cell two-wheeler because they allow for both pedaling exercise and electric assistance from the fuel cell motor, reducing riding load. Therefore, they are more popular than bicycles in the shared two-wheeler market, with the number of hydrogen-powered electric two-wheelers deployed increasing annually, indicating a broad market potential. However, due to the structural design of hydrogen-powered electric two-wheelers, there is insufficient space under the seat to house a solid hydrogen storage tank. The solid hydrogen storage tank is placed in the front tube of the frame. Therefore, hydrogen-powered electric two-wheelers cannot utilize the fuel cell's hot air to heat the solid hydrogen storage tank like traditional hydrogen-powered two-wheelers. Even if hot air is directed to the solid hydrogen storage tank via a vent pipe, most of the heat is lost in the vent pipe. Traditional improvement methods include... Heating pads are installed inside the solid hydrogen storage tank. The power source is a branch of the fuel cell's power generation. Generally speaking, the heating pads can only transfer a portion of the heat to the surface of the solid hydrogen storage tank. The problem of transferring heat from the surface to the alloy material inside the tank leads to low thermal efficiency of the heating pads. To maintain the temperature of the solid hydrogen storage tank above 15°C, the heating pads need to be configured with a power of 50-60W. For a fuel cell with a stack power of 250W, the effective average power is about 150-200W. The heating pads consume about 25-35% of the fuel cell's power, which means that the vehicle's driving range will be reduced by 25-35%. Even if it is allowed that the tank temperature be maintained above 5°C in the later stages of continuous use, at least 40W heating pads are required.

[0006] Based on the aforementioned existing problems, after thorough comparison and demonstration, our company proposed corresponding equipment technical modifications and developed a solid-state hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a solid-state aluminum hydrogen storage tank structure with internal heating to solve the problems of high power consumption and low heat utilization in the prior art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating, including an aluminum tank body;

[0009] A hydrogen valve is installed at one end of the aluminum can body, and a heating component is installed at the other end.

[0010] A first sealing ring is provided between the hydrogen valve and the aluminum can body;

[0011] A sintered filter element is provided at one end of the hydrogen valve that extends into the aluminum can body.

[0012] One end of the heating component extends into the interior of the aluminum can body, and the other end is installed at the mouth of the aluminum can body through a second sealing ring.

[0013] The aluminum can body is filled with a hydrogen storage alloy.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the aluminum can body is integrally formed from 6061 series high-strength aluminum alloy.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, both the hydrogen valve and the heating assembly are mounted on the aluminum can body via threaded connections.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the sintered filter element is a sintered filter element with a thickness of 1-5 μm.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the heating assembly includes a heating rod and a stainless steel blind tube; the heating rod is disposed inside the stainless steel blind tube.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, a thermally conductive agent is uniformly mixed within the hydrogen storage alloy.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the thermal conductive agent is selected from expanded graphite, aluminum foam, or copper foam sheets.

[0020] Due to the application of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of this application compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0021] This application discloses a solid-state hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating. By installing a heating component inside the aluminum tank, the heat generated during the electric heating process can be absorbed by the alloy. Compared with conventional heating pads, the heat utilization rate is greatly improved. At the same time, hydrogen can be released from the aluminum tank and the fuel cell can generate electricity to supply the heating component to maintain the temperature inside the aluminum tank, achieving dynamic balance during operation, reducing power consumption, better meeting the product's usage requirements, and enhancing the company's competitiveness. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Appendix Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating according to this utility model.

[0024] Appendix Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank with internal heating according to the present invention.

[0025] Appendix Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the PCT curves of the AB2 solid hydrogen storage alloy of this invention at temperatures of 0℃, 25℃, and 40℃.

[0026] Appendix Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the changes in hydrogen release flow rate and bottle body temperature over time in a room temperature environment for the solid hydrogen storage bottle of this utility model.

[0027] Appendix Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hydrogen release flow rate versus time under constant temperature water bath conditions for the solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank of this utility model.

[0028] The components include: 1. Aluminum can body; 2. Hydrogen valve; 3. Heating assembly; 4. First sealing ring; 5. Sintered filter element; 6. Second sealing ring; 7. Hydrogen storage alloy; 8. Heating rod; 9. Stainless steel blind tube. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0030] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this application described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0031] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing the present invention and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0032] Furthermore, in addition to indicating direction or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," "linking," and "socketing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] Appendix Figure 1 and Figure 2 The present invention relates to a solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating, comprising an aluminum tank body 1; the aluminum tank body 1 is integrally formed from 6061 series high-strength aluminum alloy and has a pressure resistance of 15MPa.

[0037] The aluminum can body 1 is equipped with a hydrogen valve 2 at one end and a heating component 3 at the other end. The hydrogen valve 2 and the heating component 3 are both installed on the aluminum can body 1 by threaded connection. The aluminum can body 1 has M18 or M24 national standard threads on both sides for the assembly of the hydrogen valve 2 and the heating component 3. The assembly process is sealed with a first sealing ring 4 and a second sealing ring 6.

[0038] A first sealing ring 4 is provided between the hydrogen valve 2 and the aluminum can body 1;

[0039] A sintered filter element 5 is provided at one end of the hydrogen valve 2 that extends into the aluminum can body 1; the sintered filter element 5 is selected as a 1-5um sintered filter element 5 to prevent alloy powder from entering the hydrogen valve 2.

[0040] One end of the heating component 3 extends into the interior of the aluminum can body 1, and the other end is installed at the mouth of the aluminum can body 1 through the second sealing ring 6. The heating component 3 includes a heating rod 8 and a stainless steel blind tube 9. The heating rod 8 is disposed inside the stainless steel blind tube 9. The heating rod 8 and the stainless steel blind tube 9 are integrated as a whole and are screwed into the threads of the aluminum can body 1. The bottle mouth is sealed with the second sealing ring 6 to prevent hydrogen leakage and prevent hydrogen from contacting the heating rod 8.

[0041] The aluminum can body 1 is filled with hydrogen storage alloy 7. The material of hydrogen storage alloy 7 can be: lanthanum-nickel system, zirconium system, vanadium-iron system, vanadium-titanium system, titanium-manganese system, and the crystal configuration includes AB5 type, AB2 type, AB type, A2B type, etc., and also includes a mixed phase structure of multiple crystal types; the hydrogen storage alloy 7 is uniformly mixed with a thermal conductive agent, which is selected from expanded graphite, aluminum foam or copper foam sheets.

[0042] To prevent the hydrogen storage alloy 7 powder from pulverizing and accumulating after multiple hydrogen absorption and desorption cycles, the hydrogen storage alloy 7 is mixed evenly with expanded graphite, foamed copper sheets, or foamed aluminum in a certain proportion before being filled. The expanded graphite, foamed aluminum, or foamed copper sheets can absorb the stress generated by the lattice expansion of the powder during hydrogen absorption to a certain extent, and can also act as a thermal conductive agent to increase the thermal conductivity between the powders.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] The hydrogen absorption and desorption process in solid-state hydrogen storage is a reversible chemical reaction, in which hydrogen absorption is exothermic and hydrogen release is endothermic. The reaction formula is as follows:

[0045] M+H2<=>MHx+Q

[0046] Taking the AB2 type solid hydrogen storage alloy loaded in the solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure of this application as an example, its hydrogen release reaction enthalpy is about 28 kJ / mol, that is, releasing 1 mol (2 g) of hydrogen gas will absorb 28 kJ of heat. Therefore, an additional heat source is needed to maintain the temperature of the alloy during the hydrogen release process. The PCT curves of the AB2 type solid hydrogen storage alloy loaded in this application at 0℃, 25℃, and 40℃ are shown in the attached figure. Figure 3 As shown, the hydrogen release plateau pressure of the alloy at around 0°C is slightly higher than 1 bara. If the alloy temperature drops below 0°C, the reaction equilibrium pressure of the alloy at that temperature is lower than the hydrogen release pressure, resulting in the inability to release hydrogen smoothly.

[0047] As attached Figure 4 As shown, a 0.39L solid hydrogen storage cylinder continuously releases hydrogen at a rate of 3NL / min in a room temperature environment. The curve shows the change of hydrogen release flow rate over time. As the hydrogen release time increases, the cylinder temperature gradually decreases. When the hydrogen release time reaches 15 minutes, the cylinder temperature reaches -10℃, and the hydrogen release flow rate begins to gradually decrease.

[0048] As attached Figure 5The figure shows the hydrogen release rate curve over time for a 0.39L solid hydrogen storage tank placed in a constant-temperature water bath at a rate of 3 NL / min. The curve indicates that if the solid hydrogen storage tank can be maintained at a certain temperature, it can continuously release hydrogen until the release ends. Therefore, it is evident that solid hydrogen storage tanks used in hydrogen-powered two-wheeled vehicles require a sufficient heat source to maintain the temperature necessary for the alloy to absorb heat during hydrogen release.

[0049] Example 3

[0050] Taking a 0.39L solid-state aluminum hydrogen storage tank used in hydrogen-powered two-wheelers as an example, the fuel cell power is 250kW, the average effective power is 150-200kW, the hydrogen flow rate of the fuel cell is 0.25NL / min, the hydrogen consumption is 15NL / h, the average vehicle speed is 25km / h (6.9m / s), the vehicle hydrogen consumption is about 0.54g / km, that is, the vehicle hydrogen consumption is 13.4g / h. The hydrogen release reaction enthalpy of the AB2 type solid hydrogen storage tank in this application is approximately 28 KJ / mol. The aluminum can weighs 0.6 kg, with a heat capacity of 0.8 J / g·K. The hydrogen storage alloy weighs 71.2 kg, with a heat capacity of 0.45 J / g·K. Calculations show that the hydrogen release heat of the alloy is 52 J / s. Therefore, assuming the heat utilization rate of the heating rod 8 is 100%, a heating power of 50 W is required to maintain a constant temperature in the alloy hydrogen storage tank during hydrogen release. The AB2 type solid hydrogen storage tank in this application can still meet the hydrogen release flow rate requirements of the fuel cell at a temperature of 5℃. To improve the energy efficiency of the fuel cell, while ensuring smooth hydrogen release, the heating power of the heating rod 8 should be minimized. The condition is that all 20 g of hydrogen in the storage tank is consumed in one continuous cycle. Assuming a stable ambient temperature of 25℃, the temperature of the solid hydrogen storage tank should be above 5℃ at the end of the allowable cycle. Furthermore, considering the heat transfer coefficient between the aluminum can body 1 and the air is 50 W / (m²),... 2 ·K) estimated, bottle body area 0.04m² 2 The heat transfer coefficient between the aluminum can and the air is 2W / K. According to the calculation, the heating power of the heating rod 8 in the solid hydrogen storage tank is 40W. If the actual working conditions of the vehicle are considered, it can be further verified whether a low power such as 30W can meet the needs of normal riding conditions. Compared with the power requirement of 50-60W for electric heating elements, the power can be reduced by 30-50%.

[0051] This application discloses a solid-state hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating. By installing a heating component 3 inside the aluminum tank body 1, the heat generated during the electric heating process can be absorbed by the alloy. Compared with conventional heating pads, the heat utilization rate is greatly improved. At the same time, hydrogen can be released from the aluminum tank body 1 and fuel cell power can be supplied to the heating component 3 to maintain the temperature inside the aluminum tank body 1, achieving dynamic balance during operation, reducing power consumption, better meeting the product's usage requirements, and enhancing the company's competitiveness.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Although the present utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A solid-state hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating, characterized in that: Including the aluminum can body; A hydrogen valve is installed at one end of the aluminum can body, and a heating component is installed at the other end. A first sealing ring is provided between the hydrogen valve and the aluminum can body; A sintered filter element is provided at one end of the hydrogen valve that extends into the aluminum can body. One end of the heating component extends into the interior of the aluminum can body, and the other end is installed at the mouth of the aluminum can body through the second sealing ring. The aluminum can body is filled with a hydrogen storage alloy.

2. The solid-state hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The aluminum can body is integrally formed from 6061 series high-strength aluminum alloy.

3. The solid-state hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen valve and heating assembly are both installed on the aluminum can body via threaded connections.

4. The solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The sintered filter element is selected from 1-5µm sintered filter elements.

5. The solid-state hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The heating assembly includes a heating rod and a stainless steel blind tube; the heating rod is disposed inside the stainless steel blind tube.

6. The solid hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen storage alloy contains a uniformly mixed thermal conductive agent.

7. The solid-state hydrogen storage aluminum tank structure with internal heating as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The thermal conductive agent is selected from expanded graphite, aluminum foam, or copper foam sheets.

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