Pressure container

Abstract

To suppress temperature rise in the entire pressure container due to heat generation of a storage material with a simple structure, without causing deterioration of gas storage performance.SOLUTION: A pressure container comprises a cylindrical liner with an internal space formed therein, a mouthpiece arranged on both axial end sides of the liner, a storage material arranged in the internal space and capable of absorbing and releasing gas, a heat insulating material arranged between the inner surface of the liner and the outer surface of the storage material and covering the outer surface of the storage material, and a gap space formed between the inner surface of the liner and the outer surface of the heat insulating material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure vessel capable of being filled with gas at high pressure. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, pressure vessels that can be mounted on vehicles and filled with gases such as hydrogen gas at high pressure are known (for example, Patent Document 1). The pressure vessel described in Patent Document 1 comprises a cylindrical vessel body as a liner, a cap member as a nozzle that closes both axial ends of the vessel body, and a storage material disposed in the internal space of the vessel body. The storage material is configured to be capable of repeatedly absorbing and releasing gas. This makes it possible to improve the gas storage performance in the internal space of the vessel body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-167820 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the storage material absorbs gas, it generates heat. If the heat generated by the storage material is transmitted to the container body, the temperature of the entire pressure vessel, including the surface side, will rise, and there is a risk that the liner and other components will become overheated.

[0005] In order to suppress the temperature rise of the entire pressure vessel due to the heat generated by the storage material, for example, it is possible to carry out heat exchange by running a flow path inside the storage material and running a heat exchange medium from a cooler, or to divide the storage material into many small pieces and arrange them with gaps between them and run a heat exchange medium through the gaps. However, the method using a cooler complicates the cooling structure and increases the overall weight. Also, the method of dividing the storage material into small pieces reduces the proportion of the storage material in the internal space of the container body, making it difficult to obtain sufficient gas storage performance.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a pressure vessel that can suppress the temperature rise of the entire pressure vessel due to heat generation from the storage material with a simple structure without causing a decrease in gas storage performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a pressure vessel comprising a cylindrical liner having an internal space formed therein, nozzles disposed on both axial ends of the liner, a storage material disposed within the internal space and capable of absorbing and releasing gas, an insulating material disposed between the inner surface of the liner and the outer surface of the storage material and covering the outer surface of the storage material, and a gap space formed between the inner surface of the liner and the outer surface of the insulating material.

[0008] According to this configuration, the temperature rise of the entire pressure vessel caused by heat generation from the storage material can be suppressed with a simple structure without causing a decrease in gas storage performance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pressure vessel according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a pressure vessel according to the present embodiment taken along an axial direction. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the pressure vessel of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure vessel of the present embodiment taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 5 is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by the two-dot chain line shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 3 is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by the dashed line shown in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Specific embodiments of the pressure vessel according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. A pressure vessel 1 according to one embodiment is a vessel that stores gas and releases the stored gas. The pressure vessel 1 is mounted on a vehicle that runs on the stored gas as fuel, for example. The gas stored in the pressure vessel 1 may be any type of gas, but is preferably a fuel gas such as hydrogen gas or natural gas. The pressure of the gas that can be stored in the pressure vessel 1 may be any pressure, but may be high pressure (for example, 100 MPa). In other words, the pressure vessel 1 may be a pressure-resistant vessel.

[0011] The pressure vessel 1 is formed in a columnar shape (specifically, a cylindrical shape) and includes a liner 10, caps 20 and 30, a storage material 40, a heat insulating material 50, a clearance space 60, and a reinforcing layer 70, as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3.

[0012] The liner 10 is a member forming a container body for storing gas. The liner 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape and extends in the axial direction X. An internal space 11 is formed inside the liner 10. The liner 10 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape or a regular polygonal cylindrical shape so that the gas pressure is uniform in the internal space 11. The liner 10 is formed to have a body portion extending in the axial direction X with approximately the same diameter at the center in the axial direction X, and to have dome portions at both ends in the axial direction X whose diameter decreases from the center side in the axial direction X to the end sides in the axial direction X.

[0013] The internal space 11 has a capacity capable of storing a predetermined amount of gas. The liner 10 is made of a material having gas barrier properties that are impermeable or difficult to permeate for the gas stored in the internal space 11. The material of the liner 10 may be selected depending on the environment in which the pressure vessel 1 is used, etc.

[0014] For example, when the gas is hydrogen, the material of the liner 10 is polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, etc. The inside of the liner 10 may be coated with a material with excellent gas barrier properties, such as ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). When the pressure vessel 1 is used for residential purposes, for example, and the mass of the pressure vessel 1 can be large, the material of the liner 10 may be a metal material, such as aluminum or stainless steel.

[0015] The liner 10 may be formed of a plurality of split pieces, which may be connected and integrated by fusing, welding, etc. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the liner 10 may be formed of a first split piece 10a provided at one end side in the axial direction X (left side in Fig. 2) and a second split piece 10b provided at the other end side in the axial direction X (right side in Fig. 2).

[0016] The liner 10 has openings 12 and 13. The opening 12 is an opening at one end of the liner 10 in the axial direction X. The opening 13 is an opening at the other end of the liner 10 in the axial direction X. The openings 12 and 13 are provided at both axial ends of the liner 10. The openings 12 and 13 are each formed, for example, in a circular shape. A nozzle 20 is inserted into the opening 12. Furthermore, a nozzle 30 is inserted into the opening 13.

[0017] The nozzles 20 and 30 are members that allow gas to flow between the inside of the liner 10 (specifically, the internal space 11 and the storage material 40) and the outside (specifically, the gas supply source of the station, a vehicle, etc.). The nozzles 20 and 30 are used to introduce gas from the outside of the liner 10 (specifically, the gas supply source) to the inside, and are used to release gas from the inside of the liner 10 to the outside (specifically, a vehicle, etc.).

[0018] The nozzle 20 is disposed in a state in which it penetrates the opening 12 at one end side in the axial direction X of the liner 10. The nozzle 30 is disposed in a state in which it penetrates the opening 13 at the other end side in the axial direction X of the liner 10. The nozzles 20, 30 are formed of a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel to ensure rigidity. The nozzles 20, 30 each have a shaft portion 20a, 30a extending in the axial direction X, and a flange portion 20b, 30b extending radially outward from the outer surface of the shaft portion 20a, 30a all around the shaft.

[0019] The shaft portions 20a, 30a are formed in a shape (specifically, cylindrical) that fits into the opening 12 of the liner 10 on the outer surface side and allows gas to flow on the inner surface side. The flange portions 20b, 30b are integrated with the shaft portions 20a, 30a, and are formed to fit along the inner surface of the dome portion of the liner 10 from the radial inside to the radial outside.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, a seal member 90 is interposed between the nozzle 20 (e.g., a radially outer surface of the shaft portion 20a) and the liner 10 (e.g., a radially inner surface of the shaft portion extending inward in the axial direction X from near the apex of the dome portion), and between the nozzle 30 (e.g., a radially outer surface of the shaft portion 30a) and the liner 10 (e.g., a radially inner surface of the shaft portion extending inward in the axial direction X from near the apex of the dome portion). The seal member 90 is a member for preventing leakage of gas from the internal space 11 of the liner 10 to the outside. The seal member 90 is, for example, an O-ring formed in a circular ring shape. The seal member 90 is attached by fitting into a groove formed in the shaft portions 20a, 30a of the nozzles 20, 30.

[0021] The nozzles 20, 30 have communication passages 21, 31. The communication passages 21, 31 are passages that connect the internal space 11 of the liner 10 to the outside to allow gas to flow in and out. The communication passages 21, 31 are provided in the axial center of the shaft portions 20a, 30a. The communication passages 21, 31 extend in the axial direction X and are formed, for example, in a circular cross section. The communication passages 21, 31 are connected to gas pipes, valves, etc. (not shown) when gas is introduced or discharged from the pressure vessel 1.

[0022] The pressure vessel 1 may be one in which gas is let in and out through both the communicating passages 21, 31 of the nozzles 20, 30, or one in which gas is let in and out through only one of the communicating passages 21, 31, with a plug attached to the other. Fig. 2 shows a pressure vessel 1 in which the communicating passage 21 lets gas in and out and the communicating passage 31 is attached with a plug. The liner 10 may be formed separately from the nozzles 20, 30, and after the formation of the liner 10, the nozzles 20, 30 are inserted into the liner 10 to be integrated with the nozzles 20, 30, or the liner 10 may be molded integrally with the nozzles 20, 30 by, for example, insert molding.

[0023] Furthermore, the nozzles 20 and 30 are formed of a heat conductive material. The nozzles 20 and 30 may function as a heat exchanger through which a heat exchange medium circulates in order to adjust the temperature of the pressure vessel 1. In this case, it is preferable that both nozzles 20 and 30 function as heat exchangers, but either one of the nozzles 20 and 30 may function as a heat exchanger. For example, when gas flows in and out through one nozzle (e.g., nozzle 20), the other nozzle (e.g., nozzle 30) on the opposite side of the nozzle in the axial direction X may function as a heat exchanger.

[0024] The storage material 40 is a member for storing gas. The storage material 40 can store a predetermined amount of gas. The storage material 40 can absorb and release gas. The storage material 40 is formed in a columnar shape (e.g., a cylindrical shape) and extends in the axial direction X. The storage material 40 is formed so as to have approximately the same diameter at the center in the axial direction X and to decrease in diameter at both ends in the axial direction X from the center side in the axial direction X to the end sides in the axial direction X.

[0025] The cross-sectional shape of the storage material 40 cut along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction X corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the liner 10, and may be, for example, a circle or a regular polygon such as a regular hexagon. Note that a flow path through which gas flows may be provided inside the storage material 40, for example, to homogenize the gas concentration throughout the storage material 40.

[0026] The storage material 40 is made of a material that corresponds to the type of gas to be stored. Examples of the material of the storage material 40 include porous carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes, porous metal complexes (i.e., MOFs), zeolites, hydrogen storage alloys, and metal hydrides.

[0027] In order to increase the contact area with the gas and improve the gas absorption and release performance, the storage material 40 is preferably formed in a pellet-like form, for example, by solidifying powder of primary particles or secondary particles. In this case, the storage material 40 may be formed by crosslinking the powder of the storage material with a crosslinking agent or binding it with a binder. The crosslinking agent or binder material may be, for example, a silicon-based, epoxy-based, or amine-based material.

[0028] The storage material 40 may have different performance depending on the position in the axial direction X, and may be configured, for example, so that the end portion in the axial direction X has higher resistance to breakage than the center portion in the axial direction X. This resistance to breakage is an index showing how difficult it is for the storage material 40, which is solidified with powder, to be powdered. This resistance to breakage can be expressed in other words as strength, rigidity, wear resistance, viscosity, elasticity, and the like.

[0029] The storage material 40 may be accommodated in each accommodation space of an accommodation member formed, for example, in a honeycomb shape, and may be held surrounded by the partition walls of the accommodation member. In this case, the accommodation member accommodating the storage material 40 may be fixed to the liner 10 as a part of the storage material 40. When the storage material 40 is accommodated in the accommodation member, the partition walls of the accommodation member may be formed of a thermally conductive material and function as a heat exchanger. This thermally conductive material is a material whose thermal conductivity at room temperature (for example, 25°C) is higher than that of air, and specifically may be a metal, alloy, ceramics, etc., such as stainless steel, aluminum, alumina, silicon carbide, etc.

[0030] The storage material 40 is accommodated in the internal space 11 of the liner 10. The storage material 40 is formed into a shape that conforms to the internal space 11 as a whole. In order to increase the amount of gas stored in the pressure vessel 1, it is preferable that the storage material 40 be accommodated throughout substantially the entire internal space 11 of the liner 10, but it may be accommodated in only a portion of the internal space 11. The apparent volume of the storage material 40 is preferably close to 100% of the volume of the internal space 11, and may be, for example, 90% or more.

[0031] The reason why the internal space 11 in which the storage material 40 is accommodated is limited to a portion of the entire internal space 11 as described above is to make the internal space 11 in which the storage material 40 is not accommodated function as a gas flow path to homogenize the gas concentration in the internal space 11, or to place an insulating material 50 between the inner surface of the liner 10 and the outer surface of the storage material 40 and further form a gap space 60 between the inner surface of the liner 10 and the outer surface of the insulating material 50.

[0032] The storage material 40 is composed of a plurality of segments. For example, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the storage material 40 is composed of a pair of storage material segments 40a, 40b. The storage material segments 40a, 40b are each formed in a columnar shape, and are formed separately to have approximately the same size. The storage material segments 40a, 40b are arranged opposite each other in the axial direction X. The storage material segments 40a and 40b are arranged apart from each other in the axial direction X. The storage material segment 40a is arranged at one end side of the liner 10 in the internal space 11 in the axial direction X (left side in Fig. 2). The storage material segment 40b is arranged at the other end side of the liner 10 in the internal space 11 in the axial direction X (right side in Fig. 2).

[0033] The heat insulating material 50 is a member that makes it difficult for heat generated by the storage material 40 to be transmitted to the liner 10. The heat insulating material 50 is disposed between the inner surface (i.e., the back surface) of the liner 10 and the outer surface (i.e., the front surface) of the storage material 40. The heat insulating material 50 covers the outer surface of the storage material 40. The inner surface of the liner 10 is the surface facing the internal space 11, and includes the inner peripheral surface facing the radially inward direction at the body part, the inner surface facing the axial direction X in the dome part, and the inner surface bent in the axial direction X in the openings 12 and 13 and facing the radially outward direction. The outer surface of the storage material 40 includes the outer peripheral surface facing the body part of the liner 10, the outer surface facing the dome part, and the outer surface facing the inner surface bent in the axial direction X in the openings 12 and 13 of the liner 10 and facing the radially outward direction.

[0034] The heat insulating material 50 is formed in a tubular (for example, cylindrical) shape and extends in the axial direction X. The heat insulating material 50 is formed into a shape that generally follows the outer surface of the storage material 40. The heat insulating material 50 has a thickness of, for example, 5 mm to 6 mm.

[0035] The heat insulating material 50 has a thermal conductivity [W / (m·K)] of, for example, 0.35 to 0.43. The heat insulating material 50 is formed of, for example, polyethylene foam, polystyrene foam, urethane foam, phenol foam, hard urethane foam, carbonized cork, glass wool, or the like. The heat insulating material 50 is formed into a case shape as shown in FIG. 3. The heat insulating material 50 may be formed into a flexible sheet or film shape, and may be formed into a shape that fits the outer surface of the storage material 40 or the liner 10 by thermal shrinkage or the like and attached to the outer surface.

[0036] The heat insulating material 50 is fixed to the storage material 40 and thus to the liner 10. The heat insulating material 50 is fixed, for example, by bolt fixing, fitting fixing, welding fixing, etc. at multiple points. The heat insulating material 50 is in contact with the outer surface of the storage material 40 over its entire area while being fixed to the liner 10.

[0037] The heat insulating material 50 is composed of a plurality of divided pieces. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the heat insulating material 50 is composed of a pair of heat insulating material divided pieces 50a, 50b. The heat insulating material divided pieces 50a, 50b are each formed in a cup shape, and are formed separately to have approximately the same size. The heat insulating material divided pieces 50a, 50b are arranged separately in the axial direction X. The heat insulating material divided piece 50a is arranged on one end side in the axial direction X of the liner 10 in the internal space 11 (left side in FIG. 2). The heat insulating material divided piece 50b is arranged on the other end side in the axial direction X of the liner 10 in the internal space 11 (right side in FIG. 2).

[0038] The gap space 60 is a space formed between the inner surface of the liner 10 and the outer surface of the insulation material 50. The gap space 60 is formed outside the insulation material 50. The gap space 60 has a thickness of, for example, 5 mm to 6 mm. In order to improve the insulation properties, it is preferable that the gap space 60 is provided over almost the entire outer surface of the insulation material 50. The gap space 60 functions as a heat insulating layer that suppresses the transfer of heat from the storage material 40 side to the liner 10 side.

[0039] The gap space 60 is a part of the gas flow path 80 that connects the communication paths 21, 31 of the nozzles 20, 30 and the internal space 11 and through which gas flows. That is, the gap space 60 allows gas to flow between the outside of the pressure vessel 1 and the storage material 40 in the internal space 11. The gap space 60 faces the communication paths 21, 31 of the nozzles 20, 30. In the gas flow path 80, gas (hereinafter referred to as inflow gas) that flows from the communication paths 21, 31 of the nozzles 20, 30 and is occluded in the storage material 40 flows, and gas (hereinafter referred to as outflow gas) that flows from the storage material 40 and flows out toward the communication paths 21, 31 flows. The gap space 60 may be formed in a labyrinth shape so that the inflow gas and outflow gas that flow in and out between the communication paths 21, 31 of the nozzles 20, 30 and the internal space 11 flow in one direction.

[0040] The gas flow path 80 has a gap space 60 and a radial flow path 81 (see Figs. 2 and 6). The radial flow path 81 is a flow path that communicates with the gap space 60 and extends radially from the gap space 60 toward the axial center side of the storage material 40. The radial flow path 81 penetrates the storage material 40 and the insulating material 50. The radial flow path 81 guides the inflow gas from the radial outside of the storage material 40 to the axial center side. The inflow gas that has flowed through the radial flow path 81 is occluded in the storage material 40 from the end face of the storage material 40 facing the axial direction X.

[0041] The radial flow passages 81 may be open on the radial outside around the entire axial circumference of the storage material 40, in which case the inflow gas is guided from the clearance space 60 to the axial center side around the entire axial circumference of the storage material 40. However, the radial outside openings of the radial flow passages 81 may be provided only on a part of the axial circumference instead of being provided around the entire axial circumference of the storage material 40. In addition, when the radial flow passages 81 are provided only on a part of the axial circumference of the storage material 40, the radial flow passages 81 may extend linearly in the radial direction from the clearance space 60 toward the axial center side of the storage material 40, or may extend in a curved or spiral shape.

[0042] The pair of storage material segments 40a, 40b of the storage material 40 are arranged apart in the axial direction X so as to form the above-mentioned radial flow passages 81. That is, the end faces of the pair of storage material segments 40a, 40b facing each other in the axial direction X are apart in the axial direction X by the axial width of the radial flow passage 81. The storage material segments 40a, 40b are formed to be approximately the same size. Therefore, the radial flow passage 81 is formed in the center of the entire pressure vessel 1 in the axial direction X. The inflow gas that has flowed through the radial flow passage 81 is divided and stored in the storage material segments 40a, 40b on both sides in the axial direction X.

[0043] The heat insulating material 50 has a hole 51 penetrating in the radial direction. The hole 51 is a through hole that forms an entrance / exit to the gap space 60 in the radial flow passage 81, and forms a part of the radial flow passage 81. The hole 51 may be provided over the entire circumference of the heat insulating material 50 around the axis, or may be provided in a part of the entire circumference around the axis, or may be provided scattered at a plurality of locations.

[0044] The pair of heat insulating material segments 50a, 50b are arranged separately in the axial direction X. When the hole 51 is provided around the entire circumference of the heat insulating material 50, the ends of the pair of heat insulating material segments 50a, 50b on the opposing sides in the axial direction X may be arranged apart from each other in the axial direction X around the entire circumference. When the hole 51 is provided in a part of the entire circumference of the heat insulating material 50, the ends of the pair of heat insulating material segments 50a, 50b on the opposing sides in the axial direction X may include a portion where they contact each other, and the pair of heat insulating material segments 50a, 50b may be fixed to each other by welding or the like in a state where they cover the storage material 40.

[0045] Furthermore, in the case where the hole 51 is provided in a part of the entire circumference around the axis of the thermal insulation material 50, a notch groove may be provided in the end portions of the pair of thermal insulation material segments 50a, 50b facing each other in the axial direction X, and the hole 51 may be formed by the notch grooves of both segments when the ends are brought into contact with each other. Alternatively, on the premise that the pair of thermal insulation material segments 50a, 50b are formed to have different sizes and shapes, one of the pair of thermal insulation material segments 50a, 50b may not be provided with a portion constituting the hole 51, and the hole 51 may be provided only in the other one.

[0046] The reinforcing layer 70 is a layer that covers the outer surfaces of the liner 10 and the nozzles 20, 30 (specifically, the surfaces facing outward of the body and dome of the liner 10 and the surfaces facing outward in the axial direction X of the flanges 20b, 30b of the nozzles 20, 30) to reinforce the liner 10. The reinforcing layer 70 is made of a fibrous member. The reinforcing layer 70 is formed by winding a fibrous member around the outer surfaces of the liner 10 and the nozzles 20, 30 by a filament winding (FW) method or the like. The reinforcing layer 70 may be a hoop layer in which a fibrous member is hoop-wound or a helical layer in which a fibrous member is helically wound, or may be a layer in which these hoop layers and helical layers are combined. The fibrous member that constitutes the reinforcing layer 70 is, for example, a high-strength fiber impregnated with resin (i.e., FRP), such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, or aramid fiber.

[0047] The reinforcing layer 70 may be formed by attaching a helical layer or a hoop layer formed in a sheet shape using a fibrous member to the outer surface of the liner 10, instead of directly winding the fibrous member around the outer surface of the liner 10. The reinforcing layer 70 may be formed in a state in which the fibrous member is impregnated with a resin, for example, by forming the helical layer or the hoop layer and then heat-curing the resin. The resin impregnated into the fibrous member is a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin, an unsaturated polyester resin, or a vinyl ester resin.

[0048] Next, there will be described an example of a procedure for assembling and manufacturing the pressure vessel 1. The assembly and manufacturing of the pressure vessel 1 is carried out according to the following procedure using a predetermined manufacturing device.

[0049] Before the start of assembly manufacturing, the liner 10, the mouthpieces 20, 30, the storage material 40, and the insulating material 50 are prepared, and a fibrous member constituting the reinforcing layer 70 is prepared. Then, first, the storage material 40 is covered with the insulating material 50 and accommodated in the internal space 11 of the liner 10. In this accommodation step, the storage material 40 may be accommodated in the internal space 11 of the liner 10 after being covered with the insulating material 50, or the insulating material 50 may be placed in the internal space 11 of the liner 10 and then accommodated so that the storage material 40 is covered with the insulating material 50. In this accommodation step, the first and second divided bodies 10a and 10b of the liner 10 are respectively accommodated as described above, and then the first and second divided bodies 10a and 10b are integrated by welding or the like while being applied with surface pressure in the axial direction X.

[0050] After the storage material 40, the insulating material 50, and the liner 10 are assembled as described above, the mouthpieces 20, 30 are placed on both sides of the assembly in the axial direction X, and in this state, a fibrous member is wound around the outer surfaces of the liner 10 and the mouthpieces 20, 30 by a filament winding (FW) method or the like to cover the reinforcing layer 70. Through these processes, the pressure vessel 1 is manufactured.

[0051] Next, the operation and function of the pressure vessel 1 will be described. In the assembled pressure vessel 1, during the process of storing gas, for example, with the communication passage 31 of the nozzle 30 closed, the gas is guided to the internal space 11 of the liner 10 and ultimately to the storage material 40 via the communication passage 21 of the nozzle 20. When gas is supplied to the communication passage 21 of the nozzle 20 from a gas supply source outside the pressure vessel 1, the gas flows from the communication passage 21 to the gap space 60, and then flows into the radial flow passage 81 and is absorbed in the storage material 40 from the axial center side of the storage material 40. Then, when the communication passage 21 of the nozzle 20 is closed by a valve, the gas is filled in the internal space 11 (specifically, inside the insulating material 50 including the storage material 40).

[0052] In addition, after the pressure vessel 1 is filled with gas, when the communicating passage 21 of the nozzle 20 is opened by the valve, the gas in the internal space 11 is released from the communicating passage 21 to an external vehicle, etc. via the radial flow path 81 and the gap space 60.

[0053] Therefore, according to the pressure vessel 1, it is possible to fill the internal space 11 with gas and to release the filled gas to the outside. In addition, since the gas filling can be realized by using the storage material 40, it is possible to improve the gas storage performance.

[0054] The storage material 40 generates heat when it absorbs gas. The outer surface of the storage material 40 is covered with a heat insulating material 50. Therefore, even if the storage material 40 generates heat as it absorbs gas, the heat insulating material 50 suppresses the release of heat to the liner 10 side. In addition, a gap space 60 is formed between the inner surface of the liner 10 and the outer surface of the heat insulating material 50. Therefore, the gap space 60 can function as a heat insulating layer, so that even if the storage material 40 generates heat as it absorbs gas, the release of heat to the liner 10 side is suppressed.

[0055] In particular, the above-mentioned gap space 60 is a part of the gas flow path 80 that connects the nozzles 20, 30 and the internal space 11 and through which the inflow gas and outflow gas flow. The inflow gas flows from the communication passage 21 of the nozzle 20 into the gap space 60 and is then absorbed in the storage material 40. For example, in the case of hydrogen gas, the inflow gas flows through the gap space 60 in a pre-cooled state, for example, at -40°C. In this pressure vessel 1, before the inflow gas reaches the storage material 40, the low-temperature inflow gas passes through the gap space 60 between the inner surface of the liner 10 and the outer surface of the insulating material 50. Therefore, even if the storage material 40 generates heat due to gas absorption, the outside of the insulating material 50 that covers the storage material 40 is cooled by heat exchange with the low-temperature inflow gas that is guided to the storage material 40, so that the release of heat to the liner 10 side is suppressed.

[0056] Therefore, according to the pressure vessel 1, the heat insulation provided by the insulating material 50 and the gap space 60 can suppress the temperature rise of the entire pressure vessel 1, including the liner 10, which is caused by heat generation of the storage material 40. In particular, in the pressure vessel 1, the outside of the insulating material 50 can be cooled by circulating low-temperature inflow gas through the gap space 60, thereby improving the effect of suppressing the temperature rise in the liner 10 which is caused by heat generation of the storage material 40. Note that it is desirable to suppress the temperature of the liner 10 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 85°C) or lower that complies with regulations, etc., by suppressing the temperature rise in the liner 10 using the above-mentioned method.

[0057] Furthermore, if the temperature rise of the entire pressure vessel 1 can be suppressed by the insulation provided by the insulating material 50 and the gap space 60 as described above, it is not necessary to perform heat exchange by running a heat exchange medium from a cooler through a flow path inside the storage material 40. Therefore, the temperature rise of the entire pressure vessel 1 can be suppressed with a simple structure, and the weight and cost of the pressure vessel 1 can be reduced.

[0058] Furthermore, the insulation by the insulating material 50 and the gap space 60 is performed on the outside of the insulating material 50 that covers the storage material 40. With this configuration, it is not necessary to divide the storage material 40 into small pieces, arrange them with gaps, and flow a heat exchange medium through the gaps. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the proportion of the storage material 40 in the internal space 11 of the liner 10 (particularly, near the axial center), and thereby to prevent a decrease in gas storage performance.

[0059] Therefore, the pressure vessel 1 can suppress the temperature rise of the entire pressure vessel caused by heat generation from the storage material with a simple structure without causing a decrease in gas storage performance.

[0060] Moreover, in the pressure vessel 1, the gas flow path 80 has a gap space 60 formed outside the insulating material 50 that covers the storage material 40, and a radial flow path 81 that communicates with the gap space 60 and extends radially from the gap space 60 toward the axial center side of the storage material 40. In this configuration, the inflow gas that has flowed through the gap space 60 is guided to the axial center side of the storage material 40 through the radial flow path 81 and is occluded in the storage material 40. Therefore, the low-temperature inflow gas is circulated through the radial flow path 81 and guided to the axial center side of the storage material 40, and the axial center side of the storage material 40 can be cooled by heat exchange with the inflow gas.

[0061] In particular, the storage material 40 is composed of a pair of storage material segments 40a, 40b that are arranged apart in the axial direction X so as to form a radial flow passage 81. Therefore, the axial direction X end faces of the storage material segments 40a, 40b of the storage material 40 that face the radial flow passage 81 can be cooled by heat exchange with the low-temperature inflow gas that flows through the radial flow passage 81. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the release of heat from the storage material 40 to the liner 10 side, and to improve the effect of suppressing the temperature rise of the entire pressure vessel.

[0062] Moreover, the heat insulating material 50 has holes 51 that form an entrance / exit on the gap space 60 side of the radial flow passage 81. For this reason, gas can be passed through the holes 51 of the heat insulating material 50 between the gap space 60 outside the heat insulating material 50 and the storage material 40 inside the heat insulating material 50. Specifically, the inflow gas that has flowed through the gap space 60 can be guided to the axial center side of the storage material 40 through the radial flow passage 81 including the holes 51, and the outflow gas that has flowed out from the axial center side of the storage material 40 to the radial flow passage 81 can be guided to the gap space 60 through the radial flow passage 81 including the holes 51.

[0063] Furthermore, the heat insulating material 50 is composed of a pair of heat insulating material segments 50a, 50b arranged separately in the axial direction X. The heat insulating material 50 covers the outer surface of the storage material 40. In this pressure vessel 1, when covering the outer surface of the storage material 40 with the heat insulating material 50, the heat insulating material 50 is composed of a pair of heat insulating material segments 50a, 50b separated in the axial direction X. With this configuration, when assembling the heat insulating material 50 to the outer surface side of the storage material 40, the assembling can be easily performed, and the assembling performance can be improved.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the gap space 60 formed between the inner surface of the liner 10 and the outer surface of the thermal insulation material 50 is a part of the gas flow path 80 that connects the communication passages 21, 31 of the nozzles 20, 30 to the internal space 11 and through which the inflow gas occluded in the storage material 40 and the outflow gas released from the storage material 40 flow. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the gap space 60 may not be a part of the gas flow path 80, but may be an air layer or a vacuum layer through which the inflow gas and the outflow gas do not flow and which is filled with a gas such as air.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the gap space 60 is a part of the gas flow path 80. That is, the gas flow path 80 has the gap space 60 and the radial flow path 81. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the gap space 60 may be at least a part of the gas flow path 80, or may be the entire gas flow path 80. When the gap space 60 is the entire gas flow path 80, the insulating material 50 may be provided with a hole portion 51, and the storage material 40 may have an inlet / outlet for introducing and urging the gas on the radial outer surface thereof.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the pair of storage material segments 40a, 40b of the storage material 40 are each formed in a columnar shape and are formed separately to have approximately the same size. The pair of storage material segments 40a, 40b form a radial flow passage 81 at approximately the center of the storage material 40 in the axial direction X.

[0067] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in order to distribute the inflow gas evenly throughout the entire gap space 60 between the inner surface of the liner 10 and the outer surface of the thermal insulation material 50, the radial flow passage 81 may be arranged in the axial direction X portion close to the nozzles 30, 20 on the opposite side in the axial direction X from the nozzles 20, 30 into which the gas flows, and the pair of storage material segments 40a, 40b may be formed separately and with different sizes. In this case, the hole 51 of the thermal insulation material 50 may also be arranged in the axial direction X portion close to the nozzles 30, 20 on the opposite side in the axial direction X from the nozzles 20, 30 into which the gas flows, and the pair of thermal insulation material segments 50a, 50b may be formed separately and with different sizes.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the pair of heat insulating material segments 50a, 50b of the heat insulating material 50 are arranged separately in the axial direction X. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pair of heat insulating material segments may be arranged separately in a predetermined direction, for example, they may be arranged separately in the radial direction.

[0069] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, this specification discloses not only the technical ideas shown by the citation relationships described in each claim at the time of filing, but also the technical ideas obtained by appropriately combining the matters described in each claim. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1: pressure vessel, 10: liner, 11: internal space, 20, 30: nozzle, 21, 31: connecting passage, 40: storage material, 40a, 40b: storage material body, 50: insulation material, 50a, 50b: insulation material body, 60: gap space, 70: reinforcing layer, 80: gas flow path, 81: radial flow path, 90: sealing member.

Claims

1. A cylindrical liner having an internal space; a nozzle disposed on each end side of the liner in an axial direction; A storage material disposed in the internal space and capable of absorbing and releasing gas; a heat insulating material disposed between an inner surface of the liner and an outer surface of the storage material and covering the outer surface of the storage material; a clearance space formed between an inner surface of the liner and an outer surface of the insulation; A pressure vessel comprising:

2. The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the gap space is at least a part of a gas flow passage that connects the base and the internal space and through which the gas flows.

3. The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the gas flow path has the gap space and a radial flow path that communicates with the gap space and extends from the gap space toward an axial center of the storage material.

4. 4. The pressure vessel according to claim 3, wherein the storage material is constituted by a pair of storage material segments arranged axially apart so as to define the radial flow passages.

5. 5. A pressure vessel as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the insulating material has a hole portion that forms an entrance / exit on the gap space side in the radial flow path, and is composed of a pair of insulating material segments arranged separately in a predetermined direction.

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