Tank system for storing fluid

Abstract

The invention presented relates to a tank system (100) for storing fluid, wherein the tank system (100) comprises: - a number of tanks (101), wherein each tank (101) of the plurality of tanks (101) comprises a tank valve (103), and - a computing unit (105), wherein the computing unit (105) is configured to to put the tank system (100) into a safety mode, whereby in the backup mode the output of error messages is blocked, wherein in the safety mode, opening of the tank valves (103) of the tank system (100) is blocked, and wherein the computing unit (105) is further configured to deactivate the safety operation to enable opening of the tank valves (103) only when the computing unit (105) detects a predetermined enabling condition.

Description

The present invention relates to a tank system for storing fluid, a method for starting a tank system and a program product.Prior ArtIn a hydrogen tank system, the tanks are supplied by the manufacturer pre-filled with nitrogen at a pressure of up to 2 bar. This state remains until the end of the production line. Thus, during the first startup or a first start of a tank system, a pressure in respective tanks is lower than is permissible during normal operation. This has the consequence that application software and functional safety software can generate a fault entry and, if appropriate, can switch off a control device of the tank system.Disclosure of the InventionWithin the scope of the present invention, a tank system, a method for starting a tank system, and a program product are presented. Further features and details of the invention are evident from the respective dependent claims, the description and the drawings. Features and details which are described in connection with the method according to the invention naturally also apply in connection with the tank system according to the invention or the program product according to the invention and vice versa, so that with regard to the disclosure reference is or can always be made to the individual aspects of the invention in a mutually alternating manner.The present invention serves in particular to provide a possibility for the error-free and safe starting of a tank system during startup.Thus, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a tank system for storing fluid is provided.The presented tank system comprises a number of tanks, wherein each tank of the number of tanks comprises a tank valve and a computing unit, wherein the computing unit is configured to put the tank system into a backup operation, wherein an output of fault messages is blocked in the backup operation and wherein an opening of the tank valves of the tank system is blocked in the backup operation, and wherein the computing unit is further configured to deactivate the backup operation in order to enable an opening of the tank valves only if the computing unit detects a predefined release condition.In the context of the present invention, a computing unit is understood to mean a computer, a processor, a control device or any further programmable circuit.The present invention is based on a safety operation which is activated, for example, during a manufacturing process of the tank system in order to prevent normal operation of the tank system, which would lead to the output of an error message on account of operating conditions present during the manufacturing process, or to replace it with the safety operation.The safety mode provided according to the invention is activated or set in the computing unit of the presented tank system and has the effect that an opening of the tank valves of the tank system is blocked, so that the tank system is not operational. Accordingly, the safety operation must be deactivated for normal operation of the tank system, in which the tank system provides fluid for a consumer.Furthermore, the safety mode blocks an output of fault messages, so that the tank system can be brought into a state which is not provided in normal operation or would lead to the output of a fault message without this being visible to an end user. Accordingly, the tank system can also be started in the production process when a pressure of 2 bar is present in respective tanks without an error message being output or a starting process being interrupted.To deactivate the safety operation, a release condition is provided which comprises, for example, a manual intervention of a user or a technician and / or specific operating conditions in the form of pressures or a pressure profile in respective tanks of the tank system.Only when the release condition is fulfilled can the safety operation be deactivated and a normal operation of the tank system activated.It can be provided that the computing unit is configured to store an activation condition, which activates the backup operation, in a nonvolatile memory of the tank system upon a first start of the tank system and to edit the activation condition only if the computing unit detects the release condition.An activation condition that activates the backup operation can be edited easily and quickly to set, i.e., activate or deactivate, the backup operation.By storing the activation condition in a nonvolatile memory, the activation condition cannot be bypassed, in particular not by resetting the computing unit, so that the safe operation is particularly tamper-proof and protects the tank system from unauthorized or unwanted startup in normal operation.For example, the activation condition can be stored in the volatile memory before the processing unit of the presented tank system is first started up. For this purpose, for example, an additional computing unit can be used which is not part of the tank system.In order to ensure editing of the activation condition for disabling the backup operation, an unequal check may be performed before disabling the backup operation. Accordingly, for example, if the non-comparison check reveals that the activation condition has been successfully edited, the normal operation, in particular a diagnostic system of the tank system, can be activated.Alternatively, the computing unit of the tank system can be used during a first start-up to store the activation condition in the nonvolatile memory.It can furthermore be provided that the release condition comprises a release command which is provided by an authorized user via a communication interface to the tank system.By providing the release command via a communication interface to the tank system, such as a diagnostic interface, a user or technician can manually provide the release condition and, as a result, deactivate the backup operation.It can furthermore be provided that the computing unit is configured to validate an authorization code provided by the user and to deactivate the backup operation only in the event that the authorization code is valid.In order to prevent unauthorized provision of the release command, an authorization code, such as a security identifier, may be provided, which must be provided by the user or technician before the security operation is deactivated. For this purpose, the computing unit can read the security identifier or a key for validating the security identifier from a memory of the tank system in order to validate the security identifier provided by the user.It may further be provided that the release condition comprises a pressure in each tank of the plurality of tanks being greater than a predetermined threshold value.Once a pressure in each tank of the plurality of tanks is greater than a predetermined threshold, normal operating conditions are present in the tank system and the tank system can be switched to normal operation without outputting an error message.Accordingly, if a pressure in each tank of the number of tanks is greater than a predefined threshold value, the safety operation can be automatically deactivated and the normal operation can be automatically activated.Optionally, even if a pressure in each tank of the number of tanks is greater than a predefined threshold value, a query of a safety identifier of a user can be provided in order to prevent unauthorized startup of the tank system.It may be further provided that the release condition further comprises the pressure in each tank of the plurality of tanks increasing continuously until the pressure is greater than the predetermined threshold.In order to prevent an accidental increase in pressure, for example due to particularly high temperatures in an environment as a release condition, it can be provided that a profile of the pressure is evaluated and only then the presence of the release condition is assumed when the pressure in each tank of the number of tanks continuously increases until the pressure is greater than the predefined threshold value, so that it can be assumed that the tank system is being filled or has been filled.It can furthermore be provided that the tank system is a hydrogen tank system for storing hydrogen.Since tank systems for storing hydrogen are particularly cost-intensive and must meet particular safety regulations, the proposed tank system is particularly advantageously suitable as a hydrogen tank system.According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method for starting a tank system. The method for starting a tank system has the same advantages which have been described in detail with respect to the tank system according to the first aspect of the invention.The presented method comprises setting a safety operation in the tank system, wherein in the safety operation an output of fault messages and an opening of tank valves of the tank system is blocked, and deactivating the safety operation in order to enable an opening of the tank valves only if a predefined release condition is fulfilled.The presented method serves in particular for operating or securing the presented tank system.It may be provided that the release condition comprises a release command provided by an authorized user via a communication interface to the tank system and / or the release condition comprises a pressure in each tank of the number of tanks being greater than a predefined threshold value.According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a program product having program code means, the program code means, when executed on a computing unit, configuring the computing unit to execute a possible embodiment of the present method.Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description can be essential to the invention individually or in any combination.DRAWINGThe following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a possible configuration of the presented tank system, and FIG. 2 schematically shows a possible embodiment of the presented method.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTSReferring now to FIG. 1, a tank system 100 for storing fluid is shown.The tank system 100 comprises a tank 101 with a tank valve 103 and a computing unit 105 and a nonvolatile memory 107 in the form of an EEPROM.The arithmetic unit 105 in the form of a control unit is configured to put the tank system 100 into a safety mode, wherein the emission of fault messages and the opening of the tank valve 103 is blocked in the safety mode.Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 105 is configured to deactivate the safety operation in order to enable opening of the tank valve 103 only if the arithmetic unit 105 detects a predefined release condition, such as a pressure increase in the tank 101 above a predefined threshold value and / or an input of a release command by a user.For example, it can be provided that an algorithm for a first start when the tank system is delivered is stored in the nonvolatile memory 107. This algorithm prevents a complete starting of the tank system 100 into a normal operation and causes a starting of the tank system 100 into the backup operation.If an enabling condition is detected by the arithmetic unit 105 in the safe mode, a pressure monitor is started, for example, as an initialization process and the algorithm is edited in the nonvolatile memory 107, so that the latter enables a complete starting of the tank system 100 in the normal mode.FIG. 2 illustrates a method 200 for starting a tank system.The method 200 comprises an activation step 201 in which a safety operation in the tank system is activated, wherein in the safety operation opening of tank valves of the tank system an output of fault messages is blocked.Furthermore, the method 200 comprises a deactivation step 203, in which the safety operation is deactivated and the tank system is completely started into a normal operation in order to enable opening of the tank valves.In this case, deactivation step 203 is carried out only if a predefined release condition is fulfilled.

Claims

A tank system (100) for storing fluid, wherein the tank system (100) comprises: - a number of tanks (101), wherein each tank (101) of the number of tanks (101) comprises a tank valve (103), and - a computing unit (105), wherein the computing unit (105) is configured to put the tank system (100) into a backup operation, wherein an output of fault messages is blocked in the backup operation, wherein an opening of the tank valves (103) of the tank system (100) is blocked in the backup operation, and wherein the computing unit (105) is further configured to deactivate the backup operation in order to enable an opening of the tank valves (103) only if the computing unit (105) detects a predefined release condition.The tank system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the computing unit (105) is configured to store an activation condition that activates the backup operation in a nonvolatile memory (107) of the tank system (100) upon a first start of the tank system (100) and to edit the activation condition only if the computing unit (105) detects the release condition.The refueling system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the release condition comprises a release command provided by an authorized user via a communication interface to the refueling system (100).The tank system (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the computing unit (105) is configured to validate an authorization code provided by the user and to deactivate the backup operation only in the case that the authorization code is valid.The tank system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the release condition comprises a pressure in each tank (101) of the plurality of tanks (101) being greater than a predetermined threshold.The tank system (100) of claim 5, characterized in that the release condition further comprises the pressure in each tank (101) of the plurality of tanks (101) continuously increasing until the pressure is greater than the predetermined threshold.Tank system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tank system (100) is a hydrogen tank system for storing hydrogen.Method (200) for starting a tank system (100), wherein the method (200) comprises: - setting (201) a backup operation in the tank system (100), wherein in the backup operation an output of fault messages and an opening of tank valves (103) of the tank system (100) is blocked, and - disabling (203) the backup operation in order to enable an opening of the tank valves (103) only if a predefined release condition is fulfilled.The method (200) according to claim 8, characterized in that the release condition comprises a release command provided by an authorized user via a communication interface to the tank system (100) and / or the release condition comprises a pressure in each tank (101) of the number of tanks (101) being greater than a predetermined threshold.Program product having program code means, wherein the program code means, when executed on a computing unit (105), configure the computing unit (105) to execute a method (200) according to one of Claims 8 or 9.

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