Tank

Abstract

To provide a tank with valves at both ends for suppressing unevenness in the directions of the valves.SOLUTION: The tank includes: a tank body for storing gas, the tank body having a first female screw part at one end and a second female screw part at the other end; a first valve having a first male screw part fixed to the first female screw part, and a first injection port for injecting gas; a second valve having a second male screw part fixed to the second female screw part, and a second injection port for injecting gas; and an adjustment member arranged between the second valve and the tank body, the adjustment member having a thickness smaller than the screw pitch of the second male screw part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tank. [Background technology]

[0002] A hydrogen tank having a valve fixed to one end is known (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-127784 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When valves are provided at both ends of the tank body, the orientation of the valve fixed at one end may not be aligned with the orientation of the valve fixed at the other end. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a hydrogen tank comprising: a tank body for storing gas, the tank body having a first female thread portion at one end and a second female thread portion at the other end, a first valve having a first male thread portion fixed to the first female thread portion and a first outlet port for releasing the gas, a second valve having a second male thread portion fixed to the second female thread portion and a second outlet port for releasing the gas, and an adjusting member disposed between the second valve and the tank body, the adjusting member having a thickness less than the thread pitch of the second male thread portion. With this type of hydrogen tank, it is possible to prevent the orientation of the first valve and the orientation of the second valve from becoming misaligned. (2) In the hydrogen tank of the above aspect, the thickness of the adjustment member may be one-fourth the thread pitch of the second male thread portion. With this type of hydrogen tank, it is easy to align the orientation of the first valve and the orientation of the second valve. (3) In the hydrogen tank of the above aspect, the thickness of the adjustment member may be half the thread pitch of the second male thread portion. With this type of hydrogen tank, it is easy to align the orientation of the first valve and the orientation of the second valve. (4) In the hydrogen tank of the above aspect, the thickness of the adjustment member may be three-quarters of the thread pitch of the second male thread portion. With this type of hydrogen tank, it is easy to align the orientation of the first valve and the orientation of the second valve. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] Side view of a hydrogen tank. [Figure 2] Cross section of a hydrogen tank. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the orientation of a first valve and the orientation of a second valve. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the orientation of a first valve and the orientation of a second valve in a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: Fig. 1 is a side view of a hydrogen tank 50 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the hydrogen tank 50 comprises a tank body 100, a first valve 200A fixed to one end of the tank body 100, a second valve 200B fixed to the other end of the tank body 100, and an adjusting member 300 disposed between the second valve 200B and the tank body 100. The hydrogen tank 50 is mounted on, for example, a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), and is used as a hydrogen supply source for a fuel cell provided in the fuel cell vehicle.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a hydrogen tank 50. The tank body 100 includes a container 110, a first nozzle 120A, and a second nozzle 120B. The container 110 has an internal space for storing hydrogen gas. In this embodiment, the center of the container 110 is cylindrical, and both ends of the container 110 are substantially hemispherical. The container 110 includes, from the inside out, a liner for ensuring gas barrier properties, a reinforcing layer for ensuring pressure resistance, and a protective layer for ensuring impact resistance. In this embodiment, the liner is made of nylon 6, the reinforcing layer is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and the protective layer is made of glass fiber reinforced plastic. The shape of the container 110 is not limited to the above-described shapes and may be, for example, a spherical shape or a polygonal prism shape.

[0010] The first base 120A is fixed to an opening provided at one end of the container 110, and the second base 120B is fixed to an opening provided at the other end of the container 110. The first base 120A and the second base 120B are configured in a substantially cylindrical shape. A first female screw portion 125A is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the first base 120A, and a second female screw portion 125B is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the second base 120B. In this embodiment, the first base 120A and the second base 120B are formed of an aluminum alloy.

[0011] The first valve 200A is fixed to the first nozzle 120A. In this embodiment, the first valve 200A has a hexagonal column-shaped head 210A, a cylindrical shaft 220A that protrudes from the bottom surface of the head 210A toward the tank body 100, and a disk-shaped flange 230A that protrudes in the radial direction of the shaft 220A from between the base end and tip end of the shaft 220A.

[0012] A pipe connection port 250A and a discharge port 260A are provided on the side of the head 210A. A pipe HP1, which communicates with the fuel cell, is connected to the pipe connection port 250A. When the first valve 200A is opened, hydrogen gas is discharged from the pipe connection port 250A to the pipe HP1. When the first valve 200A is closed, the discharge of hydrogen gas from the pipe connection port 250A to the pipe HP1 is stopped. The discharge port 260A is sealed with a fusible plug. The melting point of the material of the fusible plug is lower than the melting point of the material of the head 210A. If the hydrogen gas inside the tank body 100 becomes hot and pressurized due to a fire in the fuel cell vehicle, for example, the fusible plug melts, and the hydrogen gas inside the tank body 100 is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 260A. This prevents the tank body 100 from exploding. In this embodiment, the pipe connection port 250A and the discharge port 260A discharge hydrogen gas in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CL of the hydrogen tank 50. However, the direction in which hydrogen gas is discharged from the pipe connection port 250A differs by 60 degrees from the direction in which hydrogen gas is discharged from the discharge port 260A.

[0013] The shaft portion 220A is provided with a first male screw portion 225A that mates with a first female screw portion 125A provided on the first nozzle portion 120A. The first valve 200A is fixed to the first nozzle portion 120A by the first male screw portion 225A mating with the first female screw portion 125A. A groove into which an O-ring 270A is fitted is provided between the tip surface of the shaft portion 220A and the first male screw portion 225A.

[0014] The second valve 200B is fixed to the second nozzle 120B. In this embodiment, the second valve 200B has a hexagonal column-shaped head 210B, a cylindrical shaft 220B that protrudes from the bottom surface of the head 210B toward the tank body 100, and a disk-shaped flange 230B that protrudes in the radial direction of the shaft 220B from between the base end and tip end of the shaft 220B.

[0015] A pipe connection port 250B and a discharge port 260B are provided on the side of the head portion 210B. A pipe HP2, which communicates with the fuel cell, is connected to the pipe connection port 250B. When the second valve 200B is opened, hydrogen gas is discharged from the pipe connection port 250B to the pipe HP2. When the second valve 200B is closed, the discharge of hydrogen gas from the pipe connection port 250B to the pipe HP2 is stopped. The discharge port 260B is sealed with a fusible plug. The melting point of the material of the fusible plug is lower than the melting point of the material of the head portion 210B. The function of the fusible plug is as described above. In this embodiment, the pipe connection port 250B and the discharge port 260B spray hydrogen gas in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CL of the hydrogen tank 50. However, the direction of hydrogen gas spray from the pipe connection port 250B and the direction of hydrogen gas spray from the discharge port 260B differ by 60 degrees. In the present disclosure, outlet 260A of first valve 200A may be referred to as a first outlet, and outlet 260B of second valve 200B may be referred to as a second outlet.

[0016] The shaft portion 220B is provided with a second male screw portion 225B that mates with a second female screw portion 125B provided on the second nozzle portion 120B. The second valve 200B is fixed to the second nozzle portion 120B by the second male screw portion 225B mating with the second female screw portion 125B. A groove into which an O-ring 270B is fitted is provided between the tip surface of the shaft portion 220B and the second male screw portion 225B.

[0017] The adjustment member 300 is sandwiched between the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the end face of the second nozzle portion 120B. The thickness t of the adjustment member 300 is less than the thread pitch p of the second male thread portion 225B. In this embodiment, the thickness t of the adjustment member 300 is one-quarter, one-half, or three-quarters of the thread pitch p of the second male thread portion 225B. The second male thread portion 225B is configured as a single-start thread. Here, the thread pitch refers to the distance between the crests of adjacent threads. In a single-start thread, by rotating the male thread portion inserted into the female thread portion once, the male thread portion moves relative to the female thread portion along the central axis of the female thread portion by a distance equal to the thread pitch. In an n-thread thread (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2), rotating the male thread portion inserted into the female thread portion one turn causes the male thread portion to move relative to the female thread portion along the central axis of the female thread portion a distance equal to n times the thread pitch. Therefore, the orientation of the second valve 200B fixed to the second nozzle portion 120B can be made different between a case where the adjustment member 300 is disposed between the flange 230B of the second valve 200B and the second nozzle portion 120B and a case where the adjustment member 300 is not disposed between the flange 230B of the second valve 200B and the second nozzle portion 120B.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adjustment member 300. The adjustment member 300 is composed of a plurality of plate members. In this embodiment, the adjustment member 300 is composed of two plate members, each of which has a shape obtained by dividing a ring in half. The two plate members are preferably manufactured by cutting them out from the same raw material so that there is no difference in thickness t between the two plate members. In this embodiment, the adjustment member 300 is made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or stainless steel. However, the adjustment member 300 may also be made of a material other than a metal material, such as a resin material.

[0019] Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the orientation of first valve 200A and second valve 200B in this embodiment. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the orientation of first valve 200A and second valve 200B in a comparative example. The procedure for fixing first valve 200A and second valve 200B to tank body 100 will be described.

[0020] First, the tank body 100, the first valve 200A, the second valve 200B, and the adjustment member 300 are prepared. In this embodiment, three adjustment members 300 with different thicknesses t are prepared. The thickness t of the first adjustment member 300 is one-quarter of the thread pitch p of the second male thread portion 225B, the thickness t of the second adjustment member 300 is one-half of the thread pitch p of the second male thread portion 225B, and the thickness t of the third adjustment member 300 is three-quarters of the thread pitch p of the second male thread portion 225B.

[0021] Next, the process of fixing the first valve 200A to the first nozzle 120A of the tank body 100 begins. The first male thread portion 225A of the first valve 200A is inserted into the first female thread portion 125A of the first nozzle 120A, and the first valve 200A is rotated until the flange portion 230A of the first valve 200A comes into contact with the end face of the first nozzle 120A. This fixes the first valve 200A to the first nozzle 120A.

[0022] After the work of fixing the first valve 200A to the first nozzle 120A is completed, the work of fixing the second valve 200B to the second nozzle 120B of the tank body 100 begins. The second male thread portion 225B of the second valve 200B is inserted into the second female thread portion 125B of the second nozzle 120B, and the second valve 200B is rotated to a position where the orientation of the outlet 260B of the second valve 200B and the orientation of the outlet 260A of the first valve 200A are aligned, just before the flange 230B of the second valve 200B comes into contact with the end face of the second nozzle 120B. The width of the gap between the flange 230B of the second valve 200B and the end face of the second nozzle 120B is confirmed, and the adjustment member 300 that produces the smallest gap is selected from the three adjustment members 300, and the selected adjustment member 300 is inserted into the gap. The adjustment member 300 that makes the gap the smallest is the adjustment member 300 with the largest thickness t among the adjustment members 300 whose thickness t is equal to or less than the width of the gap. Then, the second valve 200B is tightened to bring the flange 230B of the second valve 200B into contact with the end face of the second base portion 120B via the adjustment member 300. This fixes the second valve 200B to the second base portion 120B.

[0023] 4, in this embodiment, by inserting the adjustment member 300 between the flange 230B of the second valve 200B and the second nozzle 120B, the difference between the angle α between the reference plane PL and the orientation D1 of the outlet 260A of the first valve 200A and the angle β between the reference plane PL and the orientation D2 of the outlet 260B of the second valve 200B can be kept within a predetermined range. In contrast, when the adjustment member 300 is not inserted between the flange 230B of the second valve 200B and the second nozzle 120B, as in the comparative example shown in FIG. 5, the difference between the angle α between the reference plane PL and the orientation D1 of the outlet 260A of the first valve 200A and the angle β between the reference plane PL and the orientation D2 of the outlet 260B of the second valve 200B becomes larger.

[0024] According to the hydrogen tank 50 in this embodiment described above, the adjustment member 300 is arranged between the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the second nozzle portion 120B, thereby preventing the orientation of the first valve 200A and the orientation of the second valve 200B from becoming misaligned.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the adjustment member 300 disposed between the flange portion 230B of the second valve 200B and the second base portion 120B is selected from an adjustment member 300 whose thickness t is one-fourth the thread pitch p, an adjustment member 300 whose thickness t is one-half the thread pitch p, and an adjustment member 300 whose thickness t is three-fourths the thread pitch p. This makes it possible to keep the deviation between the orientation of the first valve 200A and the orientation of the second valve 200B at 45 degrees or less.

[0026] B. Other Embodiments: (B1) In the first embodiment described above, the adjustment member 300 is disposed between the second valve 200B and the tank body 100. However, the adjustment member 300 may be disposed both between the second valve 200B and the tank body 100 and between the first valve 200A and the tank body 100. The thickness of the adjustment member 300 disposed between the first valve 200A and the tank body 100 may be less than the thread pitch of the first male thread portion 225A of the first valve 200A. In this case, the adjustment member 300 on the first valve 200A side can align the orientation of the first valve 200A with the orientation of the tank body 100, and the adjustment member 300 on the second valve 200B side can align the orientation of the first valve 200A with the orientation of the second valve 200B.

[0027] (B2) In the first embodiment described above, the regulating member 300 is the hydrogen tank 50 that stores hydrogen gas. However, the regulating member 300 may be provided in a tank that stores a gas other than hydrogen.

[0028] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 50...hydrogen tank, 100...tank body, 110...container portion, 120A...first nozzle portion, 120B...second nozzle portion, 125A...first female screw portion, 125B...second female screw portion, 200A...first valve, 200B...second valve, 210A...head portion, 210B...head portion, 220A...shaft portion, 220B...shaft portion, 225A...first male screw portion, 225B...second male screw portion, 230A...flange portion, 230B...flange portion, 250A...piping connection port, 250B...piping connection port, 260A...discharge port, 260B...discharge port, 270A...O-ring, 270B...O-ring, 300...adjusting member

Claims

1. A tank, a tank body for storing gas, the tank body having a first female thread portion at one end and a second female thread portion at the other end; a first valve having a first male screw portion fixed to the first female screw portion and a first outlet port for releasing the gas; a second valve having a second male screw portion fixed to the second female screw portion and a second outlet port for releasing the gas; an adjustment member disposed between the second valve and the tank body, the adjustment member having a thickness less than a thread pitch of the second male thread portion; A tank equipped with:

2. 2. The tank of claim 1, The thickness of the adjustment member is one-fourth the thread pitch of the second male thread portion.

3. 2. The tank of claim 1, The thickness of the adjustment member is half the thread pitch of the second male thread portion.

4. 2. The tank of claim 1, The thickness of the adjustment member is three-quarters of the thread pitch of the second male thread portion.

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