Tank system for hydrogen-powered vehicle, fuel cell assembly, hydrogen internal combustion engine system, fuel cell-powered vehicle, hydrogen-powered vehicle

Abstract

A tank system (1) for a hydrogen-powered vehicle includes at least two tank vessels (2) for storing a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, a frame-shaped housing member (24), and a supply line (4) connectable to the tank vessels (2). The frame-shaped housing member (24) surrounds the at least two tank vessels (2) and the supply line (4), and the at least two tank vessels (2) extend parallel to a longitudinal axis (9) of the tank system (1). Each of the at least two tank vessels (2) is connected to the frame-shaped housing member (24) by means of a flexible bearing (35) and a fixed bearing (36). The flexible bearing (35) further includes a bearing bushing (50), which includes a layer (40) of elastomeric material and a layer (41) of rigid material.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tank system for a hydrogen-powered vehicle, the tank system being used in a fuel cell assembly or a hydrogen internal combustion engine system, and also to a vehicle equipped with a fuel cell drive and a hydrogen-powered vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Fuel cells are increasingly being used as energy converters, especially in vehicles, to directly convert the chemical energy stored in a fuel, such as hydrogen, together with oxygen into electrical energy. A fuel cell has an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode. The anode oxidizes the fuel, and the cathode reduces the oxygen.

[0003] Furthermore, vehicles with hydrogen internal combustion engine systems are also known, which require a fuel, here hydrogen.

[0004] Fuel is typically supplied to the fuel cell via a piping system from a tank in which the gaseous fuel is stored at high pressure, for example up to 900 bar.

[0005] Patent document 1 describes such an apparatus for storing compressed fluid to be used as fuel for vehicles, which comprises at least two tubular tank vessels and at least one high-pressure fuel distribution device equipped with at least one control and safety technology.

[0006] In particular, if the tank vessel is long, the expansion in length under the influence of pressure and temperature must be taken into account. Furthermore, the use of materials with a relatively high thermal expansion or a relatively low mechanical stiffness leads to a relatively high expansion in length, which places additional loads on the fixed bearings on both sides of the tank vessel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102017212485 Summary of the Invention

[0008] In contrast, the tank system according to the invention with the distinguishing features of claim 1 has the advantage that the mechanical load on the individual tank vessels is reduced by using flexible bearings.

[0009] To this end, the tank system includes at least two tank vessels for storing a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, a frame-shaped housing member, and a supply line connectable to the tank vessels. The frame-shaped housing member surrounds the at least two tank vessels and the supply line, and the at least two tank vessels extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank system. Each of the at least two tank vessels is connected to the frame-shaped housing member by means of a flexible bearing and a fixed bearing. Furthermore, the flexible bearing includes a bearing bush member, and the bearing bush member includes a layer of elastomeric material and a layer of rigid material.

[0010] Thus, for example, mechanical loads on the tank system or individual tank vessels due to tilting during installation or elongation in length due to temperature and / or pressure effects or tolerance compensation can be easily minimized in the design, reducing the dimensions and weight of the tank system.

[0011] A first advantageous development provides for layers of elastomeric material and layers of rigid material to be arranged alternately. Advantageously, the rigid material comprises steel or aluminum.

[0012] In another embodiment of the invention, it is advantageously provided that the flexible bearing is in particular an axially free bearing which fixes the tank container perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and / or allows at least partial movement of the tank container axially relative to the longitudinal axis.

[0013] By mounting and fastening the tank container to a frame-shaped housing element, the layer of elastomeric material is axially fastened and, being substantially incompressible, expands radially, thereby allowing for better compensation of angular or axial misalignments of the frame parts as well as axial tolerances.

[0014] An advantageous development provides that the bearing bushing is configured as a disc spring, which allows for a simple design mounting of the tank container in the frame-shaped housing element.

[0015] In another embodiment of the invention, it is advantageously provided that the layers of elastomeric material and / or the layers of rigid material are formed as flat disks. This allows the rigidity of the tank system to be easily adapted. Furthermore, vibration isolation can be influenced in this way. Furthermore, a simple and efficient assembly of the entire tank system is achieved.

[0016] In an advantageous development, it is provided that the layer of elastomeric material and / or the layer of rigid material are corrugated in the circumferential direction, preferably with the corrugations of the layer of elastomeric material parallel or opposite to those of the layer of rigid material, thereby achieving efficient vibration damping of the entire tank system.

[0017] In an advantageous development, the first and second ends of the at least two tank vessels have a conical taper. Advantageously, the flexible bearing and the fixed bearing are arranged in the region of the conical taper of the at least two tank vessels. In this way, design advantages, such as a compact and integrated design, are achieved.

[0018] In another embodiment of the invention, it is advantageously provided that the at least two tank vessels are made from steel, thus allowing for easy cost savings in the materials used.

[0019] The tank system described above is suitable for storing hydrogen in a fuel cell assembly, in particular for the operation of the fuel cell.

[0020] The tank system described above is particularly suitable for hydrogen internal combustion engine systems.

[0021] In an advantageous use, the tank system can be used in a vehicle equipped with a fuel cell drive.

[0022] In an advantageous use, the tank system can be used in vehicles with hydrogen propulsion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of a tank system according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] 3 is another plan view of the tank system according to the invention, consisting of a tank vessel for storing a gaseous medium; FIG. [Figure 3a] 3 is a cross-sectional view of region I of FIG. 2 in the region of the bearing bushing element. [Figure 3b] 3 is a cross-sectional view of region I of FIG. 2 in the region of the bearing bushing element. [Figure 4a] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a bearing bushing member in which the corrugations of the layer of elastomeric material are parallel to the layer of rigid material. [Figure 4b]1 is a cross-sectional view of a bearing bushing member in which the corrugations of the layer of elastomeric material are in an opposite direction to the layer of rigid material. [Figure 5] 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a hydrogen-powered vehicle having a fuel cell assembly or hydrogen internal combustion engine system equipped with a tank system according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0025] All figures are merely schematic representations of the inventive tank system or its components according to exemplary embodiments of the invention, and in particular spacings and dimensional relationships are not shown to scale in the figures.

[0026] 1 shows a schematic plan view of a tank system 1 according to the invention for a consumer system 31. The tank system 1 then has at least two tank vessels 2 for storing hydrogen and a frame-shaped housing element 24 and a supply line 4 connectable to the tank vessels 2. The frame-shaped housing element 24 then surrounds the at least two tank vessels 2 and the supply line 4, the at least two tank vessels 2 extending parallel to a longitudinal axis 9 of the tank system 1. Each of the at least two tank vessels 2, which are substantially cylindrically shaped and made of steel, then has at least one valve 8, 10. The at least one valve 8, 10 is a shut-off valve 8 and / or a safety valve 10.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment of the tank system 1, at least two tank vessels 2 each have a shut-off valve 8 at a first end 20 and a safety valve 10 at a second end 21, each end 20, 21 of the tank vessel 2 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 9. In that case, the two tank vessels 2 are at least approximately tubular in shape.

[0028] 1, a shut-off valve 8 is arranged between the respective tank container 2 and a supply line 4, which connects the respective tank container 2 to a consumer system 31. A gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, can thus be supplied from the tank system 1 via the supply line 4 to the consumer system 31. The gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, is here under high pressure of at least approximately 700 bar.

[0029] In the region of the second end 21 of each tank container 2, in which the tank container 2 has a safety valve 10, the tank container 2 is connected via the safety valve 10 to a connecting line 11, which is used in the event of an accident and / or fire to allow hydrogen to leave the respective tank container 2 and to be led out of the tank system 1, and to prevent the respective tank container 2 from bursting. At the end of the connecting line 11 opposite the safety valve 10 and / or the tank container 2, in particular at the downstream end of the connecting line, a release valve 12 can be provided, via which hydrogen can be released in the event of an accident or fire into the vehicle's surrounding environment 33, in particular into an area where ignited hydrogen cannot damage or injure the entire vehicle and its occupants.

[0030] In the exemplary embodiment, the safety valve 10 can be a so-called thermal pressure relief device (TPRD) 10 having a temperature-sensitive element, which in the event of an emergency triggers the opening of the safety valve 10 when heat is input into the tank vessel 2. Thus, in this exemplary embodiment, each tank vessel 2 is connected at its first end 20 via a shut-off valve 8 to the supply line 4 and / or at its second end 21 to a connecting line 11 via a safety valve 10 which is in particular configured as a fusible safety valve 10.

[0031] Furthermore, further valves can be provided in the region of the connecting line 11, in particular between the safety valve 10 and the release valve 12.

[0032] Advantageously, steel is used to manufacture the tubular tank module 2. Steel is on the one hand very strong and on the other hand very cost-effective. Advantageously, steel is very easy to process. The high ductility of steel increases the crash safety of vehicles equipped with tubular tank modules.

[0033] 2 shows another plan view of a tank system 1 according to the invention, consisting of a tank vessel 2 for storing a gaseous medium. The tank system 1 then comprises a plurality of tank vessels 2, each of which is substantially cylindrical. Each end 20, 21 of each tank vessel 2 has a conical taper 6, thus a typical bottleneck structure. The tank vessels 2 are connected via their ends 20, 21 to a frame-shaped housing member 24 by means of flexible bearings 35 and / or fixed bearings 36. The flexible bearings 35 include bearing bushings 50.

[0034] Figures 3a and 3b show in cross section region I from Figure 2 in the region of a bearing bushing 50. The bearing bushing 50 comprises layers 40 of elastomeric material and layers 41 of rigid material, which are arranged alternately as shown in Figures 3a and 3b. Rigid materials include, for example, steel and aluminum.

[0035] The flexible bearing 35 is an axially free bearing, which in particular fixes the tank vessel 2 perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 9 and / or allows a movement of the tank vessel 2 at least partly axially relative to the longitudinal axis 9 .

[0036] In an alternative embodiment, the bearing bushing member 50 can be formed as a disc spring, which also allows movement of the tank vessel 2 at least partially axially relative to the longitudinal axis 9 .

[0037] In this embodiment, the layers 40 of elastomeric material and / or the layers 41 of rigid material are formed as flat discs. The bearing bushing element 50 here comprises four flat discs 40 of elastomeric material and two flat discs 41 of rigid material. In alternative embodiments, discs of different thicknesses as well as a large number of discs are possible.

[0038] Figures 4a and 4b show in cross section an alternative embodiment of a bearing bushing element 50. The layer of elastomeric material 40 and the layer of rigid material 41 are here circumferentially corrugated, whereby the corrugations of the layer of elastomeric material 40 can be parallel to the layer of rigid material 41, as shown in Figure 4a, or opposite to it, as shown in Figure 4b.

[0039] In this way, elongations of the tank vessel 2, particularly along its longitudinal axis 9, which cause pressure and temperature changes during tank refueling and / or road operation, can be compensated for by the variable mounting in the form of the bearing bushing 50. This prevents damage to the tank vessel 2 and thereby extends the service life of the entire tank system 1, besides complying with safety-related factors.

[0040] 5 shows in a simplified schematic diagram a hydrogen-powered vehicle 72 that may be operated by, for example, a fuel cell assembly 70, a fuel cell-powered vehicle 73, or a hydrogen internal combustion engine system 71. The fuel cell assembly 70 or hydrogen internal combustion engine system 71 has a tank system 1 according to the present invention for providing hydrogen. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Tank System 2 Tank containers 4 Supply Lines 6 Conical tapering 8 valves, shut-off valves 9 Longitudinal axis 10. Valves, safety valves 11 Connection Lines 12 Release valve 20 ends 21 end 24 Housing material 31 Consumer Equipment Systems 33 Surrounding environment 35 Flexible bearings 36 Fixed bearing 39 Conical tapering 40 Layer of elastomeric material 41 layers of rigid material 50 Bearing bushing member 70 Fuel Cell Assembly 71 Hydrogen internal combustion engine system 72 Hydrogen-powered vehicles 73 Fuel Cell Powered Vehicles

Claims

1. 1. A tank system (1) for a hydrogen-powered vehicle, the tank system (1) comprising at least two tank vessels (2) for storing a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, a frame-shaped housing element (24) and a supply line (4) connectable to the tank vessels (2), the frame-shaped housing element (24) surrounding the at least two tank vessels (2) and the supply line (4), the at least two tank vessels (2) extending parallel to a longitudinal axis (9) of the tank system (1), each of the at least two tank vessels (2) being connected to the frame-shaped housing element (24) by means of a flexible bearing (35) and a fixed bearing (36), characterized in that the flexible bearing (35) comprises a bearing bush element (50), the bearing bush element (50) comprising a layer (40) of elastomeric material and a layer (41) of rigid material.

2. 2. A tank system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the layers (40) of elastomeric material and the layers (41) of rigid material are arranged alternately.

3. 3. A tank system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rigid material comprises steel or aluminum.

4. 4. The tank system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flexible bearing (35) is in particular an axially free bearing which fixes the tank vessel (2) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (9) and / or allows at least partial axial movement of the tank vessel (2) relative to the longitudinal axis (9).

5. 5. The tank system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bearing bush element (50) is formed as a disc spring.

6. 6. A tank system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the layer (40) of elastomeric material and / or the layer (41) of rigid material are formed as flat disks.

7. 6. A tank system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the layer (40) of elastomeric material and / or the layer (41) of rigid material are circumferentially corrugated.

8. 8. A tank system (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the corrugations of the layer (40) of elastomeric material are formed parallel or opposite to the corrugations of the layer (41) of rigid material.

9. 9. The tank system (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the first end (20) and the second end (21) of the at least two tank vessels (2) have a conical taper (39).

10. 10. The tank system (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the flexible bearing (35) and the fixed bearing (36) are arranged in the region of the conical taper (39) of the at least two tank vessels (2).

11. 11. Tank system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the at least two tank vessels (2) are made of steel.

12. A fuel cell assembly (70) comprising a tank system (1) for storing hydrogen for the operation of a fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A hydrogen internal combustion engine system (71) comprising a tank system (1) for storing hydrogen according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. 12. A fuel cell-powered vehicle (73), comprising a tank system (1) for storing hydrogen according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

15. A hydrogen-powered vehicle (72) comprising a tank system (1) for storing hydrogen according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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