High pressure gas storage device

Abstract

To supply high pressure gas leaking from the inside of a tank to an internal combustion engine.SOLUTION: A high pressure gas storage device 10 includes an outer shell 30 arranged to make a reservation space S between itself and an outer face of a tank 20 and surrounding a tank 20, and an air supply path 60 which supplies combustion air introduced from an air suction part 120 to an internal combustion engine 110. The air supply path 60 passes through the reservation space S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a high-pressure gas storage device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a double-shell tank. The double-shell tank includes an inner tank and an outer tank. Liquefied gas is stored inside the inner tank. The outer tank surrounds the inner tank with an internal space between them. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-152260 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned double-shell tank, there is a concern that gas leaking from the inner tank may increase the gas pressure in the internal space, etc. Therefore, measures against gas leaking from the inner tank are required.

[0005] The present invention was developed in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to supply high-pressure gas leaking from a tank to an internal combustion engine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The high pressure gas storage device of the present invention comprises: A tank for storing high-pressure gas including vaporized gas; An outer shell surrounding the tank, the outer shell being disposed to leave a storage space between the outer shell and the outer surface of the tank; an intake passage that supplies combustion air introduced from an intake portion to the internal combustion engine; Equipped with The air supply passage passes through the retention space. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to this configuration, the vaporized gas leaking from the tank into the space is stored in the storage space, and the vaporized gas in the storage space can be supplied to the internal combustion engine. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a vehicle-mounted system including a high-pressure gas storage device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] Partial cross-sectional side view of a high-pressure gas storage device [Diagram 3] A block diagram illustrating a schematic electrical configuration of an in-vehicle system including a high-pressure gas storage device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] It is preferable that the intake passage further includes a check valve disposed between the intake section and the retaining space for restricting the flow of the combustion air from the retaining space to the intake section. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the vaporized gas from flowing back from the retaining space to the intake section.

[0010] It is preferable to include a pressure sensor that detects the pressure inside the tank, and a control valve that sends the vaporized gas from the tank to the reserve space based on the detection result of the pressure sensor. With this configuration, the internal pressure of the tank can be prevented from increasing excessively by controlling the control valve based on the detection result of the pressure sensor.

[0011] A high-pressure gas storage device used in an in-vehicle system in which the supply amount of the high-pressure gas from the tank to the internal combustion engine is controlled by an external control unit, and includes a concentration sensor that detects the concentration of the vaporized gas in the reserve space, and an adjustment unit that adjusts the supply amount of the high-pressure gas from the tank to the internal combustion engine by control of the external control unit based on the detection result of the concentration sensor. With this configuration, the external control unit causes the adjustment unit to adjust the supply amount of the high-pressure gas from the tank to the internal combustion engine based on the detection result of the concentration sensor (the concentration of the vaporized gas in the reserve space). Therefore, it is possible to supply a desired amount of high-pressure gas to the internal combustion engine while taking into account the supply amount of the vaporized gas to the internal combustion engine via the intake passage.

[0012] <Example 1> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. In the following description, the F direction in Fig. 2 is defined as the front with respect to the front-rear direction, and the H direction in Fig. 2 is defined as the top with respect to the up-down direction.

[0013] (In-vehicle system configuration) The high-pressure gas storage device 10 of the first embodiment is used in an in-vehicle system 100, as shown in Fig. 1. The in-vehicle system 100 is mounted on a vehicle. The in-vehicle system 100 is a system that supplies high-pressure gas and combustion air to an internal combustion engine 110 by the high-pressure gas storage device 10.

[0014] The in-vehicle system 100 includes a high-pressure gas storage device 10, an internal combustion engine 110, and an intake unit 120. The internal combustion engine 110 is, for example, an engine that generates driving force using high-pressure gas. The intake unit 120 is, for example, a natural intake port provided in a vehicle, and introduces combustion air.

[0015] (Configuration of high pressure gas storage device) The high-pressure gas storage device 10 is mounted on, for example, a vehicle (not shown) for use. The high-pressure gas storage device 10 is configured to include a tank 20 and an outer shell 30 that surrounds the tank 20. The tank 20 and the outer shell 30 are disposed inside the vehicle (for example, in the luggage compartment) or outside the vehicle (under the floor of the body). The tank 20 is an airtight storage tank for storing high-pressure gas (high-pressure liquefied gas and vaporized gas). Liquefied gas is a gas that is in the vapor phase at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and is phase-transitioned to the liquid phase by pressurization and cooling. High-pressure vaporized gas is a gas generated by evaporation of the liquefied gas.

[0016] The liquefied gas and vaporized gas stored in the high-pressure gas storage device 10 are used as gas fuel for vehicle engines, specifically ammonia. Since ammonia is a harmful substance, an outer shell body 30 is provided as a measure in the unlikely event that the high-pressure gas (ammonia gas) in the tank 20 leaks out of the tank 20. The outer shell body 30 surrounds the tank 20, leaving a storage space S for temporarily storing the high-pressure gas open.

[0017] 2, the tank 20 has, for example, one tube portion 21 and a pair of dome portions 22, and is capsule-shaped as a whole. The tube portion 21 is a cylindrical portion with its axis oriented horizontally (front-rear direction). The pair of dome portions 22 are approximately hemispherical portions and are arranged so as to close the openings at both ends of the tube portion 21. For example, the tube portion 21 and the pair of dome portions 22 are made of metal members manufactured as separate parts, and are hermetically joined together by welding to be integrated.

[0018] For example, the tank 20 is supported by the outer shell 30 via a plurality of legs (not shown). The plurality of legs (not shown) extend downward from the cylindrical portion 21, for example.

[0019] The outer shell 30 is a capsule-shaped member that airtightly surrounds the entire tank 20 with a gap therebetween. The space between the outer surface of the tank 20 and the inner surface of the outer shell 30 functions as a retention space S for temporarily storing high-pressure gas (vaporized gas) that leaks from the tank 20. The entire outer surface area of ​​the tank 20 and the entire inner surface area of ​​the outer shell 30 face the retention space S.

[0020] The outer shell 30 has, for example, one tubular member 31 and a pair of dome-shaped members 32, and is capsule-shaped as a whole. The tubular member 31 is a cylindrical member with its axis oriented horizontally (front-rear direction), and is disposed coaxially with the tubular portion 21 of the tank 20. The pair of dome-shaped members 32 are portions each having a substantially hemispherical shape, and are disposed so as to close the openings at both ends of the tubular member 31.

[0021] The outer shell 30 (the cylindrical member 31 and the dome-shaped member 32) is configured to include, for example, a metal base member (not shown) and a reinforcing layer attached to the outer surface of the base member. The reinforcing layer is configured by attaching a plurality of elongated reinforcing sheets made of, for example, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) in layers to the outer surface of the base member.

[0022] For example, a tube side flange (not shown) provided on the opening edge of the tubular member 31 and a dome side flange (not shown) provided on the opening edge of the dome-shaped member 32 are fastened to each other, thereby integrating the tubular member 31 and the dome-shaped member 32.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 1, the high-pressure gas storage device 10 further includes a fuel pump 23 and a supply path 50. The fuel pump 23 is attached to the tank 20. The fuel pump 23 corresponds to an example of an "adjustment unit" of the present invention. The fuel pump 23 pressure-feeds (supplies) high-pressure gas (e.g., liquefied gas) in the tank 20 to the internal combustion engine 110 via the supply path 50. The fuel pump 23 is provided, for example, at the bottom of the cylindrical portion 21 of the tank 20. The fuel pump 23 may be provided at the top of the cylindrical portion 21 of the tank 20. The supply path 50 is a supply path for high-pressure gas, and is provided between the tank 20 and the internal combustion engine 110.

[0024] 1, the high-pressure gas storage device 10 further includes an air intake passage 60. The air intake passage 60 is a path for supplying combustion air introduced from the intake section 120 to the internal combustion engine 110. The air intake passage 60 is provided between the intake section 120 and the internal combustion engine 110. The air intake passage 60 passes through the retention space S. That is, the air intake passage 60 is connected to the air intake passage 60, the retention space S, and the internal combustion engine 110.

[0025] The air supply passage 60 has a first path 61 and a second path 62. The first path 61 is provided between the intake section 120 and the retention space S. The first path 61 is a passage that sends the combustion air introduced by the intake section 120 to the retention space S. The second path 62 is provided between the retention space S and the internal combustion engine 110. The second path 62 is a passage that sends gas (combustion air and vaporized gas) in the retention space S to the internal combustion engine 110.

[0026] A check valve 63 is provided in the first path 61. The check valve 63 is provided in the first path 61 between the intake section 120 and the retention space S. The check valve 63 regulates the flow of combustion air from the retention space S to the intake section 120.

[0027] A check valve 64 is provided in the second path 62. The check valve 64 is provided in the second path 62 between the retention space S and the internal combustion engine 110. The check valve 64 regulates the flow of combustion air from the internal combustion engine 110 to the retention space S.

[0028] 1, the high-pressure gas storage device 10 further includes a pressure sensor 24, a control valve 25, and a safety valve 26. The pressure sensor 24, the control valve 25, and the safety valve 26 are provided in the tank 20.

[0029] The pressure sensor 24 detects the pressure inside the tank 20. The detection result of the pressure sensor 24 (the pressure value inside the holding space S) is input to the control unit 71, which will be described later.

[0030] The control valve 25 is configured as, for example, a solenoid valve. The control valve 25 is switched between a closed state and an open state under the control of the control unit 71 described later. The control valve 25 is disposed so as to face the inside of the tank 20 and the inside of the holding space S. An opening on the primary side of the control valve 25 faces the inside of the tank 20. An opening on the secondary side of the control valve 25 faces the inside of the holding space S. The control valve 25 sends out the vaporized gas from the tank 20 to the holding space S under the control of the control unit 71 based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 24.

[0031] The safety valve 26 is disposed so as to face the interior of the tank 20 and the interior of the retention space S. An opening on the primary side of the safety valve 26 faces the interior of the tank 20. An opening on the secondary side of the safety valve 26 faces the interior of the retention space S. The safety valve 26 automatically opens when the pressure in the tank 20 increases excessively, and automatically closes as the pressure in the tank 20 drops.

[0032] 1, the high-pressure gas storage device 10 further includes a concentration sensor 33 and a safety valve 34. The concentration sensor 33 and the safety valve 34 are provided in the outer shell 30.

[0033] The concentration sensor 33 detects the concentration of the vaporized gas in the holding space S. The detection result of the concentration sensor 33 (concentration value of the vaporized gas in the holding space S) is input to the control unit 71 and the external control unit 131 described later. The concentration sensor 33 is provided, for example, at the upper end of the holding space S (outer shell body 30). For example, air, which is a gas with a higher specific gravity than the vaporized gas (ammonia gas, etc.), may be stored. In this case, the leaked vaporized gas rises in the holding space S, so that the leakage of the vaporized gas can be detected by the concentration sensor 33 at an early stage.

[0034] The safety valve 34 is disposed so as to face the inside of the retention space S and the outside of the shell body 30. The primary side opening of the safety valve 34 faces the inside of the retention space S. The secondary side opening of the safety valve 34 faces the outside of the shell body 30. The safety valve 34 automatically opens when the pressure in the retention space S increases excessively, and automatically closes as the pressure in the retention space S drops.

[0035] (Electrical configuration of in-vehicle system) 3 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic electrical configuration of the in-vehicle system 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the in-vehicle system 100 includes an external control unit 131 and a high-pressure gas storage device 10.

[0036] The external control unit 131 is configured as, for example, an in-vehicle ECU (electronic control unit). The external control unit 131 is an information processing device having an information processing function and the like. The external control unit 131 is configured mainly with, for example, a microcomputer, and has an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The external control unit 131 controls the amount of high-pressure gas supplied from the tank 20 to the internal combustion engine 110. For example, the external control unit 131 controls the fuel pump 23 based on a signal related to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and controls the amount of fuel (high-pressure gas) supplied. More specifically, the external control unit 131 controls the fuel pump 23 based on the detection result of the concentration sensor 33, and adjusts the amount of high-pressure gas supplied from the tank 20 to the internal combustion engine 110.

[0037] The high-pressure gas storage device 10 includes a control unit 71, a fuel pump 23, a pressure sensor 24, a control valve 25, a concentration sensor 33, and an alarm unit 72. The control unit 71 is an information processing device having an information processing function, etc. The control unit 71 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, for example, and has an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 71 controls the entire high-pressure gas storage device 10. The control unit 71 controls the fuel pump 23, the control valve 25, and the alarm unit 72.

[0038] The notification unit 72 is a warning lamp displayed on the instrument panel of the vehicle, a speaker that emits an alarm sound inside the cabin of the vehicle, etc. The notification unit 72 operates based on a control signal (anomaly detection signal) from the control unit 71. The notification unit 72 performs a notification operation, for example, when the pressure in the tank 20 detected by the pressure sensor 24 exceeds a preset threshold value, or when the concentration of the vaporized gas in the reserve space S detected by the concentration sensor 33 exceeds a preset threshold value.

[0039] (Function of high pressure gas storage device) Next, the operation of the high-pressure gas storage device 10 of the present embodiment 1 will be described. The tank 20 that stores high-pressure gas is entirely surrounded by an airtight shell body 30. A retention space S is provided between the tank 20 and the shell body 30 to temporarily store vaporized gas that leaks from the tank 20. As a result, even if the high-pressure gas in the tank 20 leaks outside the tank 20, the leaked vaporized gas remains in the retention space S.

[0040] In the high-pressure gas storage device 10, the air supply passage 60 that supplies combustion air to the internal combustion engine 110 is configured to pass through the retention space S. This allows the high-pressure gas leaking from the tank 20 to be supplied to the internal combustion engine 110 via the air supply passage 60 (second path 62). For example, vaporized gas leaking from the tank 20 to the retention space S is sent to the internal combustion engine 110 by the air supply passage 60 (second path 62) and consumed, so that it can be effectively used without being released into the atmosphere. In addition, by sending the vaporized gas leaking from the tank 20 to the retention space S to the internal combustion engine 110, an increase in the internal pressure of the retention space S can be suppressed. Therefore, it is not necessary to ensure excessive strength in the outer shell body 30, and weight reduction and miniaturization can be achieved.

[0041] The high-pressure gas storage device 10 is provided with a check valve 63 in the air supply passage 60 between the intake section 120 and the retention space S, which regulates the flow of combustion air from the retention space S to the intake section 120. This prevents the vaporized gas from flowing back to the intake section 120.

[0042] The high-pressure gas storage device 10 includes a pressure sensor 24 that detects the pressure inside the tank 20, and a control valve 25 that sends out vaporized gas from the tank 20 to the reserve space S based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 24. For example, when the pressure inside the tank 20 detected by the pressure sensor 24 exceeds a preset threshold value, the control valve 25 is controlled to change from a closed state to an open state. This allows the high-pressure gas storage device 10 to prevent the internal pressure of the tank 20 from rising excessively.

[0043] The high-pressure gas storage device 10 is used in an in-vehicle system 100 in which the supply amount of high-pressure gas from the tank 20 to the internal combustion engine 110 is controlled by an external control unit 131. The high-pressure gas storage device 10 includes a concentration sensor 33 that detects the concentration of vaporized gas in the reserve space S, and a fuel pump 23 that adjusts the supply amount of high-pressure gas from the tank 20 to the internal combustion engine 110 by the control of the external control unit 131 based on the detection result of the concentration sensor 33. As a result, the external control unit 131 causes the fuel pump 23 to adjust the supply amount of high-pressure gas from the tank 20 to the internal combustion engine 110 based on the detection result of the concentration sensor 33 (the concentration of vaporized gas in the reserve space S). Therefore, it is possible to supply a desired amount of high-pressure gas to the internal combustion engine 110 while taking into consideration the supply amount of vaporized gas to the internal combustion engine 110 via the air supply passage 60. As a result, it is possible to stabilize the engine output in response to, for example, accelerator work.

[0044] <Other Examples> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can also be applied to cases where the liquefied gas stored in the tank 20 is liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used as a gas fuel for engines, liquid hydrogen used as a gas fuel for fuel cells, or an energy carrier that is a storage means for a gas (e.g., hydrogen) that serves as a gas fuel. In the first embodiment, liquefied gas and vaporized gas are stored in the tank 20, but only high-pressure vaporized gas may be stored in the tank 20. This high-pressure vaporized gas is not a gas generated by evaporation of the liquefied gas, but a gas that maintains its gas phase, similar to that under atmospheric pressure, during the pressurization process. A specific example of a high-pressure vaporized gas that maintains its gas phase is compressed natural gas (CNG), etc. In the first embodiment, the gas stored in the holding space S may have a lower specific gravity than the vaporized gas. In this case, it is preferable to dispose the concentration sensor 33 at the lower end of the holding space S. In the first embodiment, the intake section 120 is a natural intake port. However, in the case where the internal combustion engine is a supercharged internal combustion engine, the intake section 120 may be a device that compresses and sends out the intake air. In the first embodiment, the check valve 64 may be a control valve. When this control valve is closed, combustion air may be supplied to the internal combustion engine 110 via, for example, an air supply passage (a passage provided between the intake unit 120 and the internal combustion engine 110) provided separately from the air supply passage 60. In the first embodiment, the fuel pump 23 is given as an example of the adjustment unit. However, a control valve provided in the supply passage 50 may also be used. In the first embodiment, the external control unit 131 controls the fuel pump 23 based on the detection result of the concentration sensor 33 to adjust the amount of high-pressure gas supplied from the tank 20 to the internal combustion engine 110, but the control unit 71 that acquires the detection result of the concentration sensor 33 may also make the adjustment. In the first embodiment, the control unit 71 and the external control unit 131 may be configured as one and the same control unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10: High pressure gas storage device 20: Tank 21: Cylinder part 22: Dome section 23: Fuel pump (adjustment part) 24: Pressure sensor 25: Control valve 26: Safety valve 30: Exoskeleton 31: Cylindrical member 32: Dome-shaped member 33: Concentration sensor 34: Safety valve 40: Internal combustion engine 50: Supply route 60: Air supply path 61: First Route 62: Second Route 63: Check valve 64: Check valve 71: Control section 72: Information Department 100: In-vehicle systems 110: Internal combustion engine 120: Intake section 131: External control unit S: Reserved Space

Claims

1. A tank for storing high-pressure gas including vaporized gas; An outer shell surrounding the tank, the outer shell being disposed to leave a storage space between the outer shell and the outer surface of the tank; an intake passage that supplies combustion air introduced from an intake portion to the internal combustion engine; Equipped with The air supply passage passes through the retention space of the high-pressure gas storage device.

2. 2. The high-pressure gas storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a check valve provided in the air supply passage between the intake section and the retention space for regulating the flow of the combustion air from the retention space to the intake section.

3. a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in the tank; a control valve that sends the vaporized gas from the tank to the reserve space based on a detection result of the pressure sensor; The high-pressure gas storage device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

4. A high-pressure gas storage device used in an in-vehicle system in which an amount of the high-pressure gas supplied from the tank to the internal combustion engine is controlled by an external control unit, a concentration sensor for detecting a concentration of the vaporized gas in the holding space; an adjusting unit that adjusts the amount of the high-pressure gas supplied from the tank to the internal combustion engine under control of the external control unit based on a detection result of the concentration sensor; The high-pressure gas storage device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

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