Air valve for small hydrogen fuel cell

Abstract

The utility model belongs to valve technical field, specifically discloses a kind of air valve for small hydrogen fuel cell, including valve body, valve shaft, valve piece and drive unit, installation cavity and throat with installation cavity are equipped in valve body;Drive unit is used to drive valve shaft rotation, valve shaft is rotationally connected in valve body;Valve shaft can rotate along the radial direction of throat;Valve piece is installed on valve shaft, the central axis of valve piece sealing surface is eccentric with the central axis of valve shaft, the central axis of valve shaft is eccentric with the axial center line of throat;Throat is equipped with sealing unit, sealing unit includes rigid support ring and flexible sealing ring, rigid support ring is installed in throat, and flexible sealing ring is located inside rigid support ring;Sealing surface is formed between the outside of flexible sealing ring and throat;Valve piece is located inside sealing ring, and sealing surface is formed between valve piece and sealing ring. Two eccentric cooperation, reduce the area of friction surface in opening and closing process, reduce opening and closing resistance, improve the wear life and opening and closing times of sealing unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of valve technology, and in particular relates to an air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell, which can be installed in hydrogen fuel cell reactors for drones and commercial vehicles with a power of less than 40kW. Background Technology

[0002] The air valve in a fuel cell system is mainly used to regulate the air intake pressure and flow rate to ensure that the fuel cell stack receives a suitable oxygen supply. By controlling the valve opening, the amount of air entering the stack can be adjusted to maintain stable system pressure.

[0003] A novel intake mixing valve (CN220415533U) is disclosed in the prior art, comprising a valve body, a valve shaft, a valve disc, a motor, and a gear transmission structure. The valve body includes a mantle that is mounted and communicates with a mounting cavity. The valve shaft is rotatably fixed within the mantle along its radial direction. The valve disc has a through-hole on its central axis, through which the valve shaft passes, allowing the valve disc to be rotatably fixed to the valve shaft and rotatably covering the mantle. When the valve shaft rotates, it drives the valve disc to rotate, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the mantle. A rotary positioning structure for positioning the valve shaft is provided within the mounting cavity, and the valve shaft is rotatably fixed to the rotary positioning structure. A position sensor and a gear transmission structure are disposed within the mounting cavity. The motor is fixed within the mounting cavity, and the motor transmits rotational force to the valve shaft through the gear transmission structure, thereby driving the rotation of the valve shaft.

[0004] Typically, a seal is placed between the valve plate and the throat to achieve a seal. However, due to the continuous opening and closing of the valve plate and the significant resistance between the valve plate and the seal, the seal experiences wear during operation, resulting in a short service life. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell, so as to solve the problem that ordinary seals in the prior art are prone to wear and have a short service life.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows: an air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell, comprising a valve body, a valve shaft, a valve plate, and a drive unit. The valve body has an installation cavity and a throat communicating with the installation cavity. The drive unit is installed in the installation cavity and drives the valve shaft to rotate. The side of the valve shaft away from the drive unit is rotatably connected to the valve body. The valve shaft passes through the throat and can rotate radially along the throat. The valve plate is installed on the valve shaft, and the central axis of the valve plate sealing surface is eccentrically set with respect to the central axis of the valve shaft. The central axis of the valve shaft is eccentrically set with respect to the axial centerline of the throat. A sealing unit is provided in the throat, and the sealing unit includes a rigid support ring and a flexible sealing ring. The rigid support ring is installed in the throat, and the flexible sealing ring is located inside the rigid support ring. The rigid support ring supports the flexible sealing ring. A sealing surface is formed between the outer side of the flexible sealing ring and the throat. The valve plate can be located inside the flexible sealing ring, and a sealing surface can be formed between the outer periphery of the valve plate and the inner ring of the flexible sealing ring.

[0007] Furthermore, the rigid support ring has a convex structure, which includes an outer ring body and an inner protruding ring. The outer ring body is located outside the valve body and abuts against the outside of the valve body. The outer side of the inner protruding ring is press-fitted with the inside of the valve body. The upper side of the inner protruding ring is provided with a first ring groove and a second ring groove, respectively, and the height of the first ring groove is lower than that of the second ring groove. The lower side of the flexible sealing ring matches the shape of the inner protruding ring. The outer side of the flexible sealing ring near the inner protruding ring is press-fitted with the inside of the valve body to form an outer sealing surface. The inner side of the flexible sealing ring away from the inner protruding ring is press-fitted with the outer side of the valve plate to form an inner sealing surface.

[0008] Furthermore, the flexible sealing ring has a conical structure on the side away from the inner protruding ring, with the large-diameter end of the conical structure located on the side away from the inner protruding ring; the outer side of the valve plate has an arc-shaped structure, forming an arc-shaped sealing surface between the flexible sealing ring and the valve plate.

[0009] Furthermore, the rigid support ring is made of stainless steel, and the flexible sealing ring is made of rubber; the rigid support ring and the flexible sealing ring are fixed together as one unit.

[0010] Furthermore, the drive unit includes a drive motor and a transmission structure. The mounting cavity is divided into a motor mounting cavity and a transmission mounting cavity, which are connected by a through hole. The through hole is used for the output shaft of the drive motor. The drive motor is installed in the motor mounting cavity, and the transmission structure is installed in the transmission mounting cavity. The transmission structure is used to transmit the rotation of the drive motor to the valve shaft. The transmission structure includes a first gear, a second gear, a third gear, and a sector gear. The output shaft of the drive motor is used to drive the first gear to rotate. A gear shaft is rotatably connected to the valve body, and the second gear and the third gear are fixed on the gear shaft. The first gear meshes with the second gear. The sector gear is installed on the valve shaft and meshes with the third gear.

[0011] Furthermore, the sector gear and the valve body are equipped with a reset component.

[0012] Furthermore, one side of the drive motor housing is located within the through hole and is interference-fitted with the through hole to fix the drive motor shaft; the motor mounting cavity has a protrusion on the side near the through hole, and the drive motor housing has a recess that matches the protrusion, with the protrusion located within the recess to restrict the circumferential movement of the drive motor; one side of the drive motor housing abuts against the inner side of the motor mounting cavity, and a wave washer is installed between the other side and the end cover of the valve body; the end cover is interference-fitted with the motor mounting cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, the end cap has a circumferential groove, and an O-ring is provided in the groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the drive motor is connected to the controller, which sends a duty cycle signal to the drive motor; a magnet is coaxially mounted on the valve shaft, and a Hall non-contact position sensor is installed in the valve body. The Hall non-contact position sensor senses the rotation angle of the valve shaft and valve plate through the magnet; the Hall non-contact position sensor is connected to the controller and sends the angle information to the controller.

[0015] Furthermore, the valve body is provided with an upper mounting groove and a lower mounting groove on its upper and lower sides, respectively. An upper bearing and a lower bearing are installed in the upper mounting groove and the lower mounting groove, respectively. The upper bearing and the lower bearing are installed on the upper and lower sides of the valve shaft, respectively.

[0016] The working principle of this technical solution is as follows: The controller outputs a specified duty cycle signal to the drive motor, which then rotates in both forward and reverse directions as required, driving the transmission structure to rotate. The transmission structure drives the valve shaft to rotate, and a valve plate and magnet are fixed on the valve shaft, ultimately causing the valve plate and magnet to rotate. The rotation of the valve plate controls the opening and closing of the throat; simultaneously, the Hall effect non-contact position sensor inside the valve body continuously detects the angle of the magnetic induction line of the magnet, converting the angle into an analog electrical signal and feeding it back to the controller for monitoring and judgment. The controller uses the duty cycle signal output to the drive motor and the position signal fed back from the Hall effect non-contact position sensor to form a closed-loop control.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this technical solution are as follows:

[0018] ① The valve plate sealing surface and the valve shaft are eccentrically fitted; the valve shaft and the throat are eccentrically fitted. These two eccentric fits reduce the friction area of ​​the interference fit during the opening and closing process, reduce the opening and closing resistance of the interference fit, and improve the wear resistance and opening and closing cycles of the sealing unit. This allows the sealing unit to withstand more than 200,000 opening and closing frictions. After 200,000 opening and closing cycles, the sealing performance still meets and exceeds industry standards.

[0019] ② An arc-shaped sealing surface is formed between the valve plate and the flexible sealing ring. During the opening and closing of the valve plate, when the valve plate contacts the lip of the flexible sealing ring, the flexible sealing ring will deform flexibly. After the flexible deformation allows the valve plate to close to the fully closed position. In the fully closed position, the valve plate and the flexible sealing ring are in an interference fit. The stress generated by the deformation inside the flexible sealing ring holds the valve plate, forming a reliable internal seal. If air is introduced from top to bottom in the fully closed position, the air pressure difference will generate pressure. This pressure will press against the flexible sealing ring and apply pressure to the valve plate, making the seal more reliable, thus achieving near-zero internal leakage.

[0020] ③ In this solution, the flexible sealing ring and rigid support ring of the sealing unit are integrated, which saves the pressing process compared to two separate parts. Under the same sealing performance, the overall volume is reduced, making it easier to install in the space-constrained UAV hydrogen fuel cell reactor.

[0021] ④ The drive motor is assembled from bottom to top, eliminating the need for flanges and screws in conventional assembly methods, reducing the installation space for the drive motor, and ultimately reducing the overall volume of the valve assembly, making it easier to install in the space-constrained hydrogen fuel cell reactor of the UAV.

[0022] ⑤ One side of the drive motor housing is located inside the through hole and is interference-fitted with the through hole to fix the drive motor shaft and prevent the output shaft of the drive motor from deviating from the shaft.

[0023] ⑥ The combination of protrusions and recesses can restrict the circumferential movement of the drive motor housing and position the drive motor circumferentially.

[0024] ⑦ A wave-shaped washer is placed between the end cover and the drive motor housing to provide axial elastic support and improve the vibration resistance life of the drive motor. The end cover and the motor mounting cavity are interference-fitted to prevent the drive motor and the wave-shaped washer from falling off. An O-ring is set in the middle of the end cover, which fits with the end cover and the inside of the valve body to completely seal the motor mounting cavity of the valve body. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a first external perspective view of an air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a second external perspective view of an air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The first internal three-dimensional view;

[0028] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Second internal three-dimensional view;

[0029] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A sectional view;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the throat area. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following detailed description illustrates the specific implementation method:

[0032] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings include: valve body 1, valve shaft 2, valve plate 3, sealing unit 4, end cover 5, drive motor 6, wave washer 7, O-ring seal 8, recess 9, reset element 10, transmission mounting cavity 11, motor mounting cavity 12, upper bearing 13, lower bearing 14, first gear 15, second gear 16, third gear 17, gear shaft 18, sector gear 19, protrusion 20, throat 21, rigid support ring 22, flexible sealing ring 23, outer ring body 24, second ring groove 25, first ring groove 26, conical structure 27, internal protruding ring 28.

[0033] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0034] The basic implementation examples are as follows: Figure 1-6As shown: A small air valve for a hydrogen fuel cell includes a valve body 1, a valve shaft 2, a valve plate 3, and a drive unit. The valve body 1 has a mounting cavity and a throat 21 communicating with the mounting cavity. The drive unit is installed in the mounting cavity and is used to drive the valve shaft 2 to rotate. The side of the valve shaft 2 away from the drive unit is rotatably connected to the valve body 1. The upper and lower sides of the valve body 1 are respectively provided with an upper mounting groove and a lower mounting groove. An upper bearing 13 and a lower bearing 14 are respectively installed in the upper and lower mounting grooves, and the upper bearing 13 and the lower bearing 14 are respectively installed on the upper and lower sides of the valve shaft 2.

[0035] The valve shaft 2 passes through the throat 21 and can rotate radially along the throat 21; the valve disc 3 is mounted on the valve shaft 2. In the vertical direction, the central axis of the sealing surface of the valve disc 3 is eccentrically set with respect to the central axis of the valve shaft 2; in the horizontal direction, the central axis of the valve shaft 2 is eccentrically set with respect to the axial centerline of the throat 21.

[0036] A sealing unit 4 is provided inside the throat 21, such as Figure 6 As shown, the sealing unit 4 includes a rigid support ring 22 and a flexible sealing ring 23. The rigid support ring 22 is installed inside the throat 21, and the flexible sealing ring 23 is located inside the rigid support ring 22. The rigid support ring 22 supports the flexible sealing ring 23. A sealing surface is formed between the outer side of the flexible sealing ring 23 and the throat 21. The valve plate 3 can be located inside the flexible sealing ring 23, and a sealing surface can be formed between the outer periphery of the valve plate 3 and the inner ring of the flexible sealing ring 23. The rigid support ring 22 has a convex structure, which includes an outer ring body 24 and an inner protruding ring 28. The outer ring body 24 is located outside the valve body 1 and abuts against the outside of the valve body 1. The outer side of the inner protruding ring 28 is interference-fitted with the inside of the valve body 1. The upper side of the inner protruding ring 28 has a first ring groove 26 and a second ring groove 25 on its inner and outer sides, respectively. The height of the first ring groove 26 is lower than that of the second ring groove 25. The lower side of the flexible sealing ring 23 matches the shape of the inner protruding ring 28. The outer side of the flexible sealing ring 23 near the inner protruding ring 28 is press-fitted with the inside of the valve body 1 to form an outer sealing surface; the inner side of the flexible sealing ring 23 away from the inner protruding ring 28 is press-fitted with the outer side of the valve plate 3 to form an inner sealing surface. The inner side of the flexible sealing ring 23 away from the inner protruding ring 28 is designed with a conical structure 27, with the large-diameter end of the conical structure 27 located away from the inner protruding ring 28. The outer side of the valve plate 3 is designed with an arc-shaped structure, forming an arc-shaped sealing surface between the flexible sealing ring 23 and the valve plate 3. The rigid support ring 22 is made of stainless steel, and the flexible sealing ring 23 is made of rubber; the rigid support ring 22 and the flexible sealing ring 23 are fixed together as one piece, specifically, they are formed together by rubber vulcanization.

[0037] The drive unit includes a drive motor 6 and a transmission structure. The mounting cavity is divided into a motor mounting cavity 12 and a transmission mounting cavity 11, which are connected by a through hole. The through hole is used for the output shaft of the drive motor 6. The drive motor 6 is installed in the motor mounting cavity 12, and the transmission structure is installed in the transmission mounting cavity 11. The transmission structure is used to transmit the rotation of the drive motor 6 to the valve shaft 2. The transmission structure includes a first gear 15, a second gear 16, a third gear 17, and a sector gear 19. The output shaft of the drive motor 6 drives the first gear 15 to rotate. A gear shaft 18 is rotatably connected inside the valve body 1. The second gear 16 and the third gear 17 are fixed on the gear shaft 18. The first gear 15 meshes with the second gear 16. The sector gear 19 is installed on the valve shaft 2 and meshes with the third gear 17. A reset element 10, specifically a reset spring, is provided inside the valve body 1 and the sector gear 19.

[0038] One side of the housing of the drive motor 6 is located within the through hole and is interference-fitted with the through hole to fix the shaft of the drive motor 6. A protrusion 20 is provided inside the motor mounting cavity 12 near the through hole, and the housing of the drive motor 6 has a recess 9 that matches the protrusion 20. The protrusion 20 is located within the recess 9 to restrict the circumferential movement of the drive motor 6. The upper side of the housing of the drive motor 6 abuts against the inner side of the motor mounting cavity 12, and a wave-shaped washer 7 is installed between the lower side and the end cover 5 of the valve body 1. The end cover 5 is interference-fitted with the motor mounting cavity 12. The end cover 5 can also be flexibly adjusted from an internal interference fit to an external enclosure structure according to process requirements. A groove is provided circumferentially on the end cover 5, and an O-ring seal 8 is provided within the groove.

[0039] The drive motor 6 is connected to the controller, which sends a duty cycle signal to the drive motor 6. A magnet is coaxially mounted on the valve shaft 2, and a Hall non-contact position sensor is installed inside the valve body 1. The Hall non-contact position sensor senses the rotation angle of the valve shaft 2 and the valve plate 3 through the magnet. The Hall non-contact position sensor is connected to the controller and sends the angle information to the controller.

[0040] The specific implementation process is as follows:

[0041] The controller outputs a specified duty cycle signal to the drive motor 6, which then rotates in both directions as required, driving the transmission structure to rotate. The transmission structure drives the valve shaft 2 to rotate, and the valve plate 3 and magnet are fixed on the valve shaft 2, ultimately causing the valve plate 3 and magnet to rotate. The rotation of the valve plate 3 controls the opening and closing of the throat 21; simultaneously, the Hall effect non-contact position sensor inside the valve body 1 continuously detects the angle of the magnetic field lines of the magnet, converting the angle into an analog electrical signal and feeding it back to the controller for monitoring and judgment. The controller uses the duty cycle signal output to the drive motor 6 and the position signal fed back from the Hall effect non-contact position sensor to form a closed-loop control.

[0042] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0043] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of this utility model. Commonly known structures and characteristics are not described in detail here. Those skilled in the art are aware of all common technical knowledge in the field prior to the application date or priority date, are knowledgeable of all existing technologies in that field, and possess the ability to apply conventional experimental methods prior to that date. Therefore, those skilled in the art can, based on the guidance provided in this application, improve and implement this solution in conjunction with their own capabilities. Typical known structures or methods should not be obstacles for those skilled in the art to implement this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the structure of this utility model. These modifications and improvements should also be considered within the scope of protection of this utility model, and will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of this utility model or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application should be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. An air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell, characterized in that: The valve assembly includes a valve body (1), a valve shaft (2), a valve disc (3), and a drive unit. The valve body (1) has an installation cavity and a throat (21) communicating with the installation cavity. The drive unit is installed in the installation cavity and is used to drive the valve shaft (2) to rotate. The side of the valve shaft (2) away from the drive unit is rotatably connected to the valve body (1). The valve shaft (2) passes through the throat (21) and can rotate radially along the throat (21). The valve disc (3) is installed on the valve shaft (2). The central axis of the sealing surface of the valve disc (3) is eccentrically set with respect to the central axis of the valve shaft (2). The central axis of the valve shaft (2) is axially aligned with the throat (21). The line is eccentrically set; a sealing unit (4) is provided in the throat (21), the sealing unit (4) includes a rigid support ring (22) and a flexible sealing ring (23), the rigid support ring (22) is installed in the throat (21), the flexible sealing ring (23) is located inside the rigid support ring (22), the rigid support ring (22) is used to support the flexible sealing ring (23); a sealing surface is formed between the outer side of the flexible sealing ring (23) and the throat (21); the valve plate (3) can be located inside the flexible sealing ring (23), and a sealing surface can be formed between the outer periphery of the valve plate (3) and the inner ring of the flexible sealing ring (23).

2. The air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rigid support ring (22) has a convex structure, which includes an outer ring (24) and an inner protruding ring (28). The outer ring (24) is located outside the valve body (1) and abuts against the outside of the valve body (1). The outer side of the inner protruding ring (28) is press-fitted with the inside of the valve body (1). The upper side of the inner protruding ring (28) is provided with a first ring groove (26) and a second ring groove (25) respectively, and the height of the first ring groove (26) is lower than that of the second ring groove (25). The lower side of the flexible sealing ring (23) matches the shape of the inner protruding ring (28). The outer side of the flexible sealing ring (23) close to the inner protruding ring (28) is press-fitted with the inside of the valve body (1) to form an outer sealing surface. The inner side of the flexible sealing ring (23) away from the inner protruding ring (28) is press-fitted with the outer side of the valve plate (3) to form an inner sealing surface.

3. The air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible sealing ring (23) has a conical structure (27) on the side away from the inner protruding ring (28), and the large diameter end of the conical structure (27) is located on the side away from the inner protruding ring (28); the outer side of the valve plate (3) has an arc-shaped structure, and an arc-shaped sealing surface is formed between the flexible sealing ring (23) and the valve plate (3).

4. An air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rigid support ring (22) is made of stainless steel, and the flexible sealing ring (23) is made of rubber; the rigid support ring (22) and the flexible sealing ring (23) are fixed together to form a whole.

5. An air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive unit includes a drive motor (6) and a transmission structure. The mounting cavity is divided into a motor mounting cavity (12) and a transmission mounting cavity (11), which are connected by a through hole. The through hole is used for the output shaft of the drive motor (6). The drive motor (6) is installed in the motor mounting cavity (12), and the transmission structure is installed in the transmission mounting cavity (11). The transmission structure is used to transmit the rotation of the drive motor (6) to the valve shaft (2). The transmission structure includes a first... The valve body (1) contains a gear (15), a second gear (16), a third gear (17), and a sector gear (19). The output shaft of the drive motor (6) is used to drive the first gear (15) to rotate. A gear shaft (18) is rotatably connected inside the valve body (1). The second gear (16) and the third gear (17) are fixed on the gear shaft (18). The first gear (15) meshes with the second gear (16). The sector gear (19) is mounted on the valve shaft (2) and meshes with the third gear (17).

6. An air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sector gear (19) and the valve body (1) are provided with a reset member (10).

7. An air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 5, characterized in that: One side of the housing of the drive motor (6) is located inside the through hole and is interference-fitted with the through hole to fix the shaft of the drive motor (6); the motor mounting cavity (12) has a protrusion (20) inside the side near the through hole, and the housing of the drive motor (6) has a recess (9) that matches the protrusion (20). The protrusion (20) is located in the recess (9) to restrict the circumferential movement of the drive motor (6); one side of the housing of the drive motor (6) abuts against the inner side of the motor mounting cavity (12), and a wave washer (7) is installed between the other side and the end cover (5) of the valve body (1); the end cover (5) is interference-fitted with the motor mounting cavity (12).

8. An air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 7, characterized in that: The end cap (5) is provided with a groove in the circumference, and an O-ring (8) is provided in the groove.

9. An air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 5, characterized in that: The drive motor (6) is connected to the controller, which sends a duty cycle signal to the drive motor (6); a magnet is coaxially mounted on the valve shaft (2), and a Hall non-contact position sensor is installed inside the valve body (1). The Hall non-contact position sensor senses the rotation angle of the valve shaft (2) and the valve plate (3) through the magnet; the Hall non-contact position sensor is connected to the controller and sends the angle information to the controller.

10. An air valve for a small hydrogen fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body (1) has an upper mounting groove and a lower mounting groove on its upper and lower sides respectively. An upper bearing (13) and a lower bearing (14) are installed in the upper and lower mounting grooves respectively. The upper bearing (13) and the lower bearing (14) are installed on the upper and lower sides of the valve shaft (2) respectively.

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