A solid state hydrogen storage system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a solid hydrogen storage system, including the heat preservation box and fixed in heat preservation box inside for filling hydrogen storage material's hydrogen storage container, hydrogen storage container side wall installs pressure sensor, thermocouple header, heating element connector and hydrogen gas connector, its inside is equipped with with heating element connector and heating element and with thermocouple header links to each other thermocouple, its outside is wrapped with cooling jacket with the jacket inlet pipe and jacket outlet pipe, hydrogen gas connector, jacket inlet pipe and jacket outlet pipe pass through the heat preservation box outer wall and connect with external pipeline. The utility model discloses simple structure, the circulating cooling loop equipment needed in hydrogen filling, hydrogen releasing process is separated, need not to be equipped with heat transfer agent cold and hot storage tank, pump, instrument, valve and other complex components, greatly simplifies the system structure, and the overall appearance size is significantly reduced. And when the vehicle moves, because the heat transfer agent cold and hot storage tank and other components are saved, the additional load problem that the storage tank liquid level sloshing produces is avoided, and the safety of system is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of hydrogen energy storage technology, specifically a solid-state hydrogen storage system. Background Technology

[0002] With the acceleration of energy transition, hydrogen energy, as a clean energy source, has attracted much attention, and the development of solid-state hydrogen storage systems, as key equipment for hydrogen energy utilization, is crucial. Solid-state hydrogen storage boasts significant advantages such as high safety, high volumetric hydrogen storage density, and low cost for low-pressure applications, making it a promising candidate for applications in hydrogen storage, transportation, and utilization.

[0003] However, existing solid-state hydrogen storage systems still have some shortcomings in practical applications. Solid-state hydrogen storage materials require specific temperature conditions to initiate the hydrogen absorption reaction, during which the material itself releases a large amount of heat. To ensure the continuous and stable hydrogen absorption process, the storage material must be heated to the required initial temperature, and the released heat must be dissipated promptly to prevent excessively high temperatures from affecting absorption efficiency or even degrading material performance. This requires the system to be equipped with heating devices, cooling devices, and a corresponding piping system. When hydrogen release occurs, the storage material needs to absorb external heat to release hydrogen, requiring a heating device to provide heat. To meet the heat requirements of the storage material at different stages of the hydrogen absorption and desorption process, the system must integrate numerous devices such as heating and cooling pipelines, heat exchanger hot and cold storage tanks, and heat exchanger transfer pumps. These devices each perform different functions and need to be independently laid out within the system while achieving precise interconnection and collaborative operation. During system integration, the large number of components, their diverse functions, and close interrelationships significantly increase the integration difficulty. In terms of spatial layout, the numerous components are stacked and occupy space, making the entire solid-state hydrogen storage system enormous and requiring a large amount of space. This places high demands on the system's installation and deployment, limiting its wide range of applications. At the same time, the large number of devices and complex structure also lead to increased manufacturing costs. During the installation and subsequent maintenance of the equipment, the assembly and debugging of numerous components and the increase in potential failure points further increase the cost and difficulty of installation and maintenance.

[0004] For this reason, existing solid-state hydrogen storage systems are only suitable for experimental research or fixed hydrogen storage sites, such as performance testing of hydrogen storage materials in laboratories and centralized hydrogen storage in fixed locations. However, in mobile application scenarios, such as hydrogen transport vehicles or hydrogen-powered vehicles, existing solid-state hydrogen storage systems are too large, too heavy, and too expensive, failing to meet the requirements of vehicles for lightweight, miniaturized, and economical hydrogen storage systems. This makes them difficult to apply in hydrogen transport vehicles or hydrogen-powered vehicles, severely restricting the widespread application and promotion of hydrogen energy in transportation and other mobile sectors. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention provides a solid-state hydrogen storage system with a simple structure and effectively reduced system size, making it suitable for mobile application scenarios such as hydrogen transport vehicles and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

[0006] The solid-state hydrogen storage system of this utility model includes an insulated box and a hydrogen storage container fixed inside the insulated box for filling with hydrogen storage material. The side wall of the hydrogen storage container is equipped with a pressure sensor, a thermocouple manifold, a heating element connector, and a hydrogen gas connection pipe. The hydrogen storage container is equipped with a heating element connected to the heating element connector and a thermocouple connected to the thermocouple manifold. The outside of the hydrogen storage container is wrapped with a cooling jacket. The cooling jacket is provided with a jacket water inlet pipe and a jacket water outlet pipe. The hydrogen gas connection pipe, the jacket water inlet pipe, and the jacket water outlet pipe pass through the outer wall of the insulated box and are connected to external pipelines.

[0007] The solid-state hydrogen storage system described herein utilizes a cooling jacket wrapped around the hydrogen storage container. A hydrogen inlet pipe, a jacket water inlet pipe, and a jacket water outlet pipe pass through the outer wall of the insulated tank and connect to external pipelines. During hydrogen charging and discharging operations, the hydrogen inlet pipe is tightly connected to the external hydrogen inlet pipe, while the jacket water inlet and outlet pipes are seamlessly connected to the external circulating coolant circuit. At this time, the heating element uniformly heats the hydrogen storage material. Once the thermocouple detects that the predetermined operating temperature has been reached, the hydrogen storage material can initiate the hydrogen absorption process. Subsequently, through heat exchange between the jacket water inlet and outlet pipes and the external circulating coolant, the hydrogen absorption process is continuously maintained stably. The charging and discharging operation can be stopped once the pressure sensor detects the predetermined pressure. This invention features a simple structure, separating the circulating cooling circuit equipment required for the hydrogen charging and discharging processes. This avoids the need for complex equipment such as heat exchanger tanks, pumps, instruments, and valves, greatly simplifying the system structure and significantly reducing the overall system size. Furthermore, by eliminating components such as heat exchanger hot and cold storage tanks, the additional load problem caused by tank liquid level fluctuations is effectively avoided during vehicle movement, thereby significantly enhancing the system's safety.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, a hydrogen valve is also installed on the hydrogen connection pipe.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the heat preservation box is equipped with a battery, a control panel, a controller, and a hydrogen leak alarm. The pressure sensor, thermocouple manifold, heating element connector, hydrogen valve, and hydrogen leak alarm are connected to the controller via cables, and the controller is connected to the control panel. The heating element is connected to the battery via a cable after being connected to the heating element connector.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the hydrogen storage container is further provided with a gas guide pipe inside.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the hydrogen storage container is provided with two gas guide pipes inside, and a gas guide pipe support device is provided between the two gas guide pipes for connection.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the gas guide tube is a hydrogen distribution tube.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the heating elements are evenly distributed inside the hydrogen storage container, and a heating element support device is also provided between the heating elements.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the heating element is an electric heating wire, an electric heating rod, an electric heating element, an electric heating film, or a heating plate.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the hydrogen storage container is a horizontal or vertical container.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the hydrogen storage container adopts a fully welded structure or a bolted flange connection structure. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a solid hydrogen storage system. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0019] It should be noted that if any directional indication (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, top, bottom, inside, outside, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, counterclockwise, clockwise, circumferential, radial, axial, etc.) is involved in the embodiments of this utility model, the directional indication is only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0020] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "setting," "equipped with," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] If the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," such descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. In the description of this utility model, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, and "above," "below," and "within" are all understood to include the stated number. Furthermore, the technical features of each embodiment can be arbitrarily combined. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the embodiments are described; however, as long as these combinations of technical features do not contradict each other, they should be considered within the scope of this specification.

[0022] like Figure 1As shown, a solid-state hydrogen storage system includes an insulated box 14 and a hydrogen storage container 1 fixed inside the insulated box for filling with hydrogen storage material 2. The side wall of the hydrogen storage container is equipped with a pressure sensor 3, a thermocouple manifold 5, a heating element connector 9, and a hydrogen gas connection pipe 17. Inside the hydrogen storage container, there is a heating element 7 connected to the heating element connector and a thermocouple 6 connected to the thermocouple manifold. The outer side of the hydrogen storage container is wrapped with a cooling jacket 16, which is equipped with a jacket water inlet pipe 15 and a jacket water outlet pipe 10. The hydrogen gas connection pipe 17, jacket water inlet pipe 15, and jacket water outlet pipe 10 pass through the outer wall of the insulated box 14 and connect to external pipelines. In this solid-state hydrogen storage system, by wrapping the hydrogen storage container with a cooling jacket and connecting the hydrogen gas connection pipe, jacket water inlet pipe, and jacket water outlet pipe through the outer wall of the insulated box to external pipelines, during hydrogen charging and discharging operations, the hydrogen gas connection pipe is tightly connected to the external hydrogen inlet pipeline, while the jacket water inlet pipe and outlet pipe are seamlessly connected to the external circulating coolant circuit. At this point, the heating element uniformly heats the hydrogen storage material. Once the thermocouple detects that the predetermined operating temperature has been reached, the hydrogen storage material can initiate the hydrogen absorption process. Subsequently, through heat exchange with the external circulating coolant via the jacketed water inlet and outlet pipes, the hydrogen absorption process is continuously maintained stably. Once the pressure sensor detects the predetermined pressure, the hydrogen charging and discharging operation can be stopped. This invention features a simple structure, separating the circulating cooling circuit equipment required for the hydrogen charging and discharging processes. This avoids the need for complex equipment such as heat exchanger hot and cold storage tanks, pumps, instruments, and valves, greatly simplifying the system structure and significantly reducing the overall system size. Furthermore, by eliminating components such as heat exchanger hot and cold storage tanks, the additional load problem caused by tank level fluctuations is effectively avoided during vehicle movement, thereby significantly enhancing system safety.

[0023] A hydrogen valve 18 is also installed on the hydrogen inlet pipe 17. Adding a hydrogen valve to the hydrogen inlet pipe allows for precise control of hydrogen flow. For example, during the hydrogen filling stage, controlling the valve opening ensures that hydrogen enters the hydrogen storage container at a suitable flow rate, preventing safety hazards caused by excessive hydrogen flow, such as localized overheating of the storage material or a rapid increase in pressure, thus ensuring the smooth operation of the hydrogen storage process. During hydrogen release, precise control of the hydrogen output flow rate meets the hydrogen flow requirements of the hydrogen-using equipment, ensuring the stable operation of the equipment.

[0024] The insulated box 14 houses a battery 11, a control panel 19, a controller 20, and a hydrogen leak alarm 21. The pressure sensor 3, thermocouple manifold 5, heating element connector 9, hydrogen valve 18, and hydrogen leak alarm 21 are connected to the controller 20 via cable 4. The controller 20 is connected to the control panel 19. The heating element 7 is connected to the battery 11 via the heating element connector 9 and then via cable 4. By centrally installing the battery, control panel, controller, and hydrogen leak alarm inside the insulated box, a highly integrated control system is formed. This ensures tighter connections between components and more stable and reliable signal transmission, thereby achieving precise and coordinated control of the hydrogen storage system's charging and discharging process. For example, pressure and temperature monitoring can be achieved. Through cable connections, the pressure sensor and thermocouple manifold transmit real-time pressure and temperature data from inside the hydrogen storage container to the controller. Based on this data, the controller can precisely adjust the power of the heating element and the opening of the hydrogen valve to ensure that the hydrogen storage process takes place under safe and suitable temperature and pressure conditions. The system achieves intelligent control by comparing and analyzing monitoring data with preset parameters to automatically control the heating elements, thereby precisely regulating the temperature of the hydrogen storage material and ensuring it is in optimal hydrogen absorption and release states. Simultaneously, based on pressure sensor data, it automatically controls the opening and closing of hydrogen valves, precisely regulating the inflow and outflow of hydrogen to ensure the safety and efficiency of the hydrogen storage process. Furthermore, a hydrogen leak alarm monitors the internal hydrogen concentration in real time. Once a leak is detected, a signal is immediately transmitted to the controller via cable, triggering the alarm mechanism and promptly alerting operators to take measures, effectively preventing fires, explosions, and other safety accidents caused by hydrogen leaks, significantly improving system safety. The system also possesses fault diagnosis and early warning capabilities. The controller can monitor the operating status of various components in real time, such as battery voltage, sensor signals, and the working status of the heating elements. Upon detecting an anomaly, it quickly issues an early warning signal, allowing operators to intervene promptly in the early stages of a fault, preventing escalation and ensuring stable system operation.

[0025] The hydrogen storage container 1 is further equipped with two gas guide pipes 8, which are connected by a gas guide pipe support device 13. Specifically, the gas guide pipe 8 is a hydrogen distribution pipe, which can also be replaced by a gas guide structure such as a sintered porous metal material. The gas guide pipes ensure uniform distribution of hydrogen within the hydrogen storage container. During hydrogen charging, hydrogen is evenly dispersed into the hydrogen storage material through the gas guide pipes (such as hydrogen distribution pipes), avoiding localized excessively high or low hydrogen concentrations. This helps improve the utilization rate of the hydrogen storage material and ensures the efficiency and uniformity of the entire hydrogen storage process. During hydrogen release, the gas guide pipes also ensure uniform hydrogen release, avoiding excessively high or low local pressures and guaranteeing the stability and safety of hydrogen release. The gas guide pipe support device between the two gas guide pipes enhances the structural stability of the gas guide pipes. The gas distribution pipe support device effectively prevents vibration or deformation caused by hydrogen flow during hydrogen filling and discharging, ensuring long-term stable operation and extending the service life of the gas distribution pipe. The gas distribution pipe is not limited to the form of a hydrogen distribution pipe; other gas distribution structures, such as sintered porous metal materials, can also be used. This allows the hydrogen storage container to select the most suitable gas distribution structure based on different hydrogen storage materials, filling and discharging processes, and application scenarios, further optimizing the hydrogen distribution effect and hydrogen storage performance.

[0026] The heating elements 7 are evenly distributed inside the hydrogen storage container 1, and heating element support devices 12 are provided between the heating elements 7. The even distribution of heating elements inside the hydrogen storage container ensures uniform heating of all parts of the hydrogen storage material. During the heating process, localized overheating or underheating is avoided, ensuring a uniform temperature distribution of the hydrogen storage material throughout the container, thereby improving the hydrogen absorption and release performance of the hydrogen storage material and enabling more efficient hydrogen adsorption and release. The heating element support devices between the heating elements effectively prevent deformation, displacement, or collisions caused by thermal expansion and contraction during heating or cooling, thus improving the structural stability and service life of the heating elements.

[0027] Heating element 7 can be an electric heating wire, electric heating rod, electric heating plate, electric heating film, or heating plate. These different types of heating elements offer high flexibility in shape and size, allowing for customized design and installation based on the internal space and layout of the hydrogen storage container. For example, the fine filament structure of the electric heating wire can be easily bent and fixed, enabling customized installation to fit the complex shape of the hydrogen storage container's internal space, achieving precise localized heating, especially suitable for focused heating of critical areas of the hydrogen storage material; electric heating plates and heating plates can be cut into suitable shapes and fitted to the inner wall of the hydrogen storage container or inserted between the hydrogen storage material; electric heating rods can be arranged in different positions as needed to achieve focused heating of critical areas of the hydrogen storage material.

[0028] The hydrogen storage container 1 can be a horizontal or vertical container to adapt to different application scenarios. For example, in vehicles, the horizontal container has a lower center of gravity, which helps to improve the stability and safety of the equipment; the vertical container is suitable for installation on vehicles with limited height but small footprint.

[0029] The hydrogen storage container 1 employs either a fully welded structure or a bolted flange connection structure. The fully welded structure connects all components of the hydrogen storage container together through welding, forming a unified whole. This structure offers extremely high sealing performance, effectively preventing hydrogen leakage and ensuring the safety of the hydrogen storage process. Simultaneously, the welded connections possess high strength, capable of withstanding the high-pressure environment inside the hydrogen storage container, improving the container's pressure resistance and structural stability. The bolted flange connection structure connects the components of the hydrogen storage container together using flanges and bolts, facilitating the assembly, disassembly, and maintenance of the hydrogen storage container. When internal inspection, component replacement, or cleaning of the hydrogen storage container is required, the container can be quickly opened, and resealed after maintenance, improving operational convenience and system maintainability.

[0030] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and does not limit the patent scope of this utility model. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the inventive concept of this utility model and the content of this specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of this utility model. In the description of this utility model, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "embodiment," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, 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 can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Those skilled in the art will understand, explicitly and implicitly, that, without conflict, the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments, and the embodiments of this utility model and the features within those embodiments can be combined with each other.

Claims

1. A solid-state hydrogen storage system, characterized in that, The device includes an insulated box (14) and a hydrogen storage container (1) fixed inside the insulated box for filling with hydrogen storage material (2). The side wall of the hydrogen storage container is equipped with a pressure sensor (3), a thermocouple manifold (5), a heating element connector (9), and a hydrogen gas connection pipe (17). The inside of the hydrogen storage container is equipped with a heating element (7) connected to the heating element connector and a thermocouple (6) connected to the thermocouple manifold. The outside of the hydrogen storage container is wrapped with a cooling jacket (16). The cooling jacket is equipped with a jacket water inlet pipe (15) and a jacket water outlet pipe (10). The hydrogen gas connection pipe (17), the jacket water inlet pipe (15), and the jacket water outlet pipe (10) pass through the outer wall of the insulated box (14) and are connected to external pipelines.

2. The solid-state hydrogen storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A hydrogen valve (18) is also installed on the hydrogen inlet pipe (17).

3. The solid-state hydrogen storage system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat preservation box (14) is equipped with a battery (11), a control panel (19), a controller (20) and a hydrogen leak alarm (21). The pressure sensor (3), thermocouple manifold (5), heating element connector (9), hydrogen valve (18) and hydrogen leak alarm (21) are connected to the controller (20) via a cable (4). The controller (20) is connected to the control panel (19). The heating element (7) is connected to the battery (11) via the cable (4) after being connected to the heating element connector (9).

4. The solid-state hydrogen storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogen storage container (1) is also equipped with a gas delivery pipe (8).

5. The solid-state hydrogen storage system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The hydrogen storage container has two gas guide pipes (8) inside, and a gas guide pipe support device (13) is provided between the two gas guide pipes (8) for connection.

6. The solid-state hydrogen storage system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The gas delivery pipe (8) is a hydrogen distribution pipe.

7. The solid-state hydrogen storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating elements (7) are evenly distributed inside the hydrogen storage container (1), and a heating element support device (12) is provided between the heating elements (7).

8. The solid-state hydrogen storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating element (7) is an electric heating wire, an electric heating rod, an electric heating element, an electric heating film, or a heating plate.

9. The solid-state hydrogen storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogen storage container (1) is a horizontal or vertical container.

10. The solid-state hydrogen storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogen storage container (1) adopts a fully welded structure or a bolted flange connection structure.

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