Pressure vessels

Abstract

To provide a pressure vessel capable of effectively preventing a fluid from flowing out through a site of bonding between a nozzle and a liner by a sealing nut putting a pressure on a sealing pad made of an elastic material.SOLUTION: The pressure vessel includes: a liner formed to be hollow to enable its inside to be filled with the fluid; a nozzle combined with one side of the liner, or each end portion of both sides, so as to enable a cylindrical coupling part to be located in the inside of the liner; a ring-shaped sealing pad configured to enable the coupling part to pass through its center, formed of an elastic material, and having an inclined sealing part inclined to enable a longitudinal section to face downward in a central direction of the nozzle; and a sealing nut coupled to the coupling part at a lower portion of the sealing pad.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure vessel for storing high-pressure fluid, and more particularly to a pressure vessel that can effectively prevent fluid from leaking from a joint between a nozzle and a liner by compressing a sealing pad made of an elastic material with a sealing nut. [Background technology]

[0002] Pressure vessels are used to store various fluids such as oxygen, natural gas, and nitrogen, but in recent years have been used as containers to store hydrogen, the fuel for environmentally friendly hydrogen-electric vehicles.

[0003] Conventionally, the nozzle and liner are made of metallic materials, and carbon fiber or glass fiber is wound or laminated on the outside of the nozzle and liner. However, pressure vessels made with conventional metallic liners have problems such as being heavy, highly susceptible to corrosion, and high manufacturing costs due to the characteristics of metal.

[0004] To solve this problem, plastic liners using synthetic resins have been manufactured, and because of the characteristics of plastic, they are lighter in weight and have improved corrosion resistance compared to metal materials.

[0005] The conventional pressure vessel includes a liner made of a plastic material, which is cylindrical and hollow, and has dome-shaped shoulders on both sides, the end surfaces of which are curved.

[0006] In addition, carbon fiber and glass fiber are laminated on the outer peripheral surface of the liner, and a nozzle for discharging gas is attached to the liner, and a flange portion is formed on the nozzle to be joined to the liner.

[0007] Also, a reinforcing portion is provided to reinforce the strength of the shoulder portion which is vulnerable to pressure.

[0008] In particular, to improve the fire resistance of the pressure vessel, the shoulder portion is coated with a fireproofing material 50. The fireproofing material is applied to the surface of the shoulder portion which is most vulnerable to pressure when the pressure vessel is exposed to a fire.

[0009] Typically, the fireproofing material uses an epoxy resin as a binder, which has excellent weather resistance and reduces the risk of explosion when the pressure vessel is exposed to fire.

[0010] 1 shows a state in which a metal nozzle 60 is attached to a plastic liner 10. After providing the metal nozzle 60, the liner 10 is injection molded with the nozzle 60 attached to a mold for injecting the liner 10, thereby joining the nozzle 60 to the liner 10.

[0011] However, the liner 10, which is made of plastic, and the nozzle 60, which is made of metal, have poor bonding properties due to the characteristics of the materials. In other words, when the pressure vessel is repeatedly exposed to high and low temperatures, the liner and the nozzle separate at the bonding point, causing the fluid filled inside the liner to leak out from the bonding point. This problem can cause the fluid filled inside to leak out and explode, leading to a major accident. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pressure vessel that can effectively prevent fluid from leaking from the joint between the nozzle and the liner by compressing an elastic sealing pad with a sealing nut. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to solve the above technical problems, a pressure vessel according to the present invention includes a liner that is hollow so that a fluid can be filled therein; a nozzle that is coupled to one or both ends of the liner so that a cylindrical fastening part is positioned inside the liner; a ring-shaped sealing pad that is made of an elastic material and has a vertical cross section that forms an inclined sealing part that is inclined downward toward the center of the nozzle, the fastening part passing through the center of the ring-shaped sealing pad; and a sealing nut that is fastened to the fastening part at a lower part of the sealing pad.

[0014] In addition, it is preferable that the sealing plate further includes a ring-shaped sealing plate between the sealing pad and the sealing nut, the fastening portion penetrating the center thereof, and being harder than the sealing pad, and the sealing plate is formed with an inclined support portion whose longitudinal cross section is inclined downward toward the center of the nozzle so as to be in close contact with the inclined sealing portion.

[0015] It is also preferable that the sealing pad includes a first horizontal sealing portion formed horizontally and extending inward from the inclined sealing portion, and a second horizontal sealing portion extending horizontally outward from the inclined sealing portion.

[0016] Moreover, it is preferable that the inclined sealing portion is formed to be thicker than the first horizontal sealing portion and the second horizontal sealing portion.

[0017] It is also preferable that the sealing plate includes a first horizontal support portion extending inward from the inclined support portion and formed horizontally to support the first horizontal sealing portion, and a second horizontal support portion extending outward from the inclined support portion and formed horizontally to support the second horizontal sealing portion.

[0018] Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the sealing pad is larger than the inner diameter of the sealing plate.

[0019] The outer diameter of the sealing pad is preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing plate.

[0020] It is also preferable that the nozzle has an enlarged flange portion formed on the upper part of the fastening portion, and an extension portion extending from the side wall of the liner is formed on the lower part of the flange portion, the first horizontal sealing portion being in close contact with the nozzle, and the second horizontal sealing portion being in close contact with the lower part of the extension portion.

[0021] On the other hand, it is preferable that an engagement claw is formed on the end of the extension portion to strengthen the connection with the nozzle.

[0022] It is also preferable that the upper surface of the sealing nut has a vertical cross section that is inclined downward toward the center of the nozzle.

[0023] Also, the sealing nut preferably has a through hole formed therein so that the pressure of the fluid stored inside the liner can be transmitted to the sealing pad or the sealing plate. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, the sealing pad made of an elastic material is compressed by the sealing nut, so that the leakage of fluid from the joint between the nozzle and the liner can be effectively prevented.

[0025] Also, a sealing plate may be provided between the sealing pad and the sealing nut to apply uniform pressure to the sealing pad.

[0026] In particular, by forming the sealing pad so that its cross section is angled more downward as it approaches the center of the nozzle, leakage of fluid from the joint between the nozzle and the liner can be effectively prevented.

[0027] Furthermore, the sealing pad has an inner diameter larger than that of the sealing plate and an outer diameter smaller than that of the sealing plate, and by tightening the sealing nut, the sealing pad is compressed in the thickness direction, providing space for expansion in length, thereby providing effective sealing.

[0028] Furthermore, by forming a through hole in the sealing nut, the pressure of the fluid presses against the sealing plate, and the sealing pad is brought into close contact with the joint between the nozzle and the liner with strong pressure, thereby enabling sealing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a conventional pressure vessel. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overall view of an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram shown for explaining the main configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram shown for explaining the main configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram shown for explaining the main configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram shown for explaining the operation of the embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] 2 to 5, a pressure vessel 100 according to the present invention includes a liner 110 made of a synthetic resin material or an elastic polymer material. The liner 110 is formed with a hollow cylindrical portion 111 and dome-shaped shoulder portions 112 having curved end surfaces on both sides of the cylindrical portion 111. The liner 100 is formed hollow so that a fluid can be filled inside.

[0032] A nozzle 150 through which a fluid flows in and out is coupled to the liner. The nozzle 150 is generally made of a metal such as aluminum, brass, steel, or nickel alloy, but may be made of a non-metallic material in some cases. The nozzle 150 has a cylindrical through hole 151 formed therein so that a fluid can flow in and out, a flange portion 152 that is enlarged in diameter for connection with the liner 110, and a fastening portion 153 having a thread formed on the outer circumferential surface at the lower portion of the flange portion 152.

[0033] The fasteners 153 are positioned inside the liner 110 , and the liner 110 is joined to the upper and lower portions of the flanges 152 .

[0034] In detail, when the synthetic resin liner 110 is injection molded, the nozzle 150 may be insert molded into a mold to be integrally formed. The nozzle 150 may be provided at one end or both ends of the liner 110.

[0035] In particular, the sidewall of the liner 110 is integrally injection molded on the upper portion of the flange portion 152. In order to increase the contact surface, the flange portion 152 is formed with a groove into which the resin for molding the liner 110 can flow.

[0036] In addition, the liner 110 has an extension 113 that extends linearly from the side wall to be horizontal or close to the lower part of the flange 152, and an end of the extension 113 has a locking claw 114. Therefore, when the pressure vessel is filled with high-pressure fluid and the internal pressure increases, the liner may expand and become separated from the nozzle, but the locking claw 114 prevents the nozzle 150 and the liner 110 from being separated.

[0037] Further, a screw thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 151 for fastening a pipe (not shown) for supplying or discharging a fluid.

[0038] It is also preferable that a protective layer (not shown) is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the liner 110 by winding and laminating a composite material such as carbon fiber or glass fiber.

[0039] 3 and 6, the pressure vessel 100 according to the present invention is configured to prevent leakage of fluid at the joint between the nozzle 150 and the liner 110, particularly at the joint between the flange portion 152 and the extension portion 113, and includes a sealing pad 120 surrounding the fastening portion 153, a sealing plate 130, and a sealing nut 140.

[0040] More specifically, the sealing pad 120 is made of an elastic material so as to seal the joint between the nozzle 150 and the extension portion 113, and is formed in a ring shape with the fastening portion 153 penetrating the center.

[0041] The sealing pad 120 is generally formed in a ring shape, but is bent to have an inclined surface so as to be in close contact with the connecting portion between the nozzle 150 and the extension portion 113. More specifically, the sealing pad 120 preferably includes a first horizontal sealing portion 123 having one end 122 in close contact with the fastening portion 153 or an upper portion of the fastening portion and an upper surface in close contact with the protruding portion 154 of the nozzle, an inclined sealing portion 124 formed to be inclined upward as it goes outward from the first horizontal sealing portion 123 and in close contact with the connecting portion between the protruding portion 154 and the extension portion 113, and a second horizontal sealing portion 125 extending horizontally outward from the inclined sealing portion 124 and in close contact with the lower portion of the extension portion 113.

[0042] The protrusions 154 are formed to protrude outward from the upper portion of the fastening portion 153 so as to be in close contact with the first horizontal sealing portion 123 and the inclined sealing portion 124, respectively.

[0043] It can also be seen that the thickness of the inclined sealing portion 124 ("d2" in FIG. 6) is formed to be thicker than the thicknesses of the first horizontal sealing portion 123 and the second horizontal sealing portion 125. The reason for forming the inclined sealing portion 124 thicker is that when the sealing pad 120 is pressed upward and comes into close contact with the protruding portion 154 and the extending portion 113, the first horizontal sealing portion 123 and the second horizontal sealing portion 125, which are relatively both side ends, come into close contact upward, but the inclined sealing portion 124 interposed therebetween may float up. In this way, the inclined sealing portion 124, which is in the middle of the sealing pad 120, is formed thick so that it can be firmly attached to the connecting portion of the protruding portion 154 and the extending portion 113 without floating up.

[0044] The sealing plate 130 supports the sealing pad 120 from below and uniformly transmits a pressure when the sealing pad 120 is compressed by fastening the sealing nut 140 .

[0045] The sealing plate 130 is formed of a harder material than the sealing pad, such as a metal material, and is formed in a ring shape with an opening at the center. The sealing plate 130 is formed in a ring shape such that the fastening portion 153 passes through the center, and preferably includes a first horizontal support portion 133 having one end 132 that contacts or is close to the fastening portion 153, an inclined support portion 134 that inclines upward and outward from the first horizontal support portion 133, and a second horizontal support portion 135 that extends horizontally outward from the inclined support portion 134.

[0046] That is, the sealing plate 130 includes a first horizontal support portion 133, an inclined support portion 134, and a second horizontal support portion 135, which support the first horizontal sealing portion 123, the inclined sealing portion 124, and the second horizontal sealing portion 125, respectively.

[0047] Unlike the sealing pad 120, the sealing plate 130 has a first horizontal support portion 133, an inclined support portion 134, and a second horizontal support portion 135 that are formed to have the same thickness. That is, the sealing plate 130 is formed by folding a metal plate having the same thickness twice.

[0048] The sealing pad 120 and the sealing plate 130 have straight line portions 120a, 130a formed on the circular inner diameter surface. Correspondingly, the fastening part 153 of the nozzle also has a straight line portion (not shown) formed on the outer diameter surface. Therefore, when the sealing pad 120 and the sealing plate 130 are attached to the fastening part 153, they must be attached in accordance with the straight line portions 120a, 130a. When the sealing nut 140 is rotated and fastened in this mounted state, the straight line portions 120a, 130a can prevent the sealing pad 120 and the sealing plate 130 from rotating.

[0049] The sealing nut 140 is a component having a screw thread 141 formed on its inner circumferential surface and being screwed into a fastening portion 153 having a screw thread formed on its outer circumferential surface.

[0050] When the sealing nut 140 moves upward while being fastened to the fastening portion 153, it presses the sealing plate 130 and the sealing pad 120 upward.

[0051] Therefore, by tightening the sealing nut 140, the sealing pad 120 is pressed upward and brought into close contact with the joint between the fastening portion 153 and the protruding portion 154 and the extension portion 113 of the nozzle 150, thereby sealing to prevent the leakage of fluid.

[0052] The sealing nut 140 may have a through hole 142. Therefore, when a high-pressure fluid is filled inside the liner 110, the fluid flows into the through hole 142 and presses the sealing plate 130 with the fluid pressure, so that the sealing pad 120 is brought into close contact with the fastening portion 153 and the joint between the protruding portion 154 and the extending portion 113 to seal them.

[0053] The first horizontal support portion 133 protrudes further inward than the first horizontal sealing portion 123 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 6(a) and (b)). In other words, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the sealing pad 120 is larger than the inner diameter of the sealing plate 130.

[0054] As a result, inside the liner 110, before the sealing pad 120 and the sealing plate 130 are attached to the fastening portion 153 and pressed with the sealing nut 140, one end 132 of the sealing plate is in contact with or close to the fastening portion 153, but a small gap is formed between one end 122 of the sealing pad and the fastening portion 153.

[0055] As the sealing nut 140 is fastened to the fastening portion 153 and moves upward, the sealing pad 120 made of an elastic material is compressed, and the thickness of the first horizontal sealing portion 123 becomes thinner but the length increases. In this way, a space margin is provided so that the length of the sealing pad 120 can be expanded. As a result, a gap is formed between the fastening portion 153 and one end 122 of the sealing pad 120 before the sealing nut 140 is pressed, but when the sealing nut 140 is fastened to the fastening portion 153 and presses the sealing pad 120, the gap is filled and the one end 122 of the sealing pad is closely attached to the fastening portion 153, filling and sealing the gap. Therefore, during the manufacturing stage of the parts, the inner diameter of the sealing pad 120 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the sealing plate 130. However, in the finished pressure vessel 100 in which the sealing nut 140 is also fastened, the inner diameter surface of the sealing pad 120 is in close contact with the fastening portion 153, so that one end 122 of the sealing pad is on the same vertical line as one end 132 of the sealing plate or is positioned further back than one end 132 of the sealing plate (see FIG. 6(c)).

[0056] In addition, the second horizontal support portion 135 protrudes further outward than the second horizontal sealing portion 125 (see "d1" in FIG. 6). That is, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the sealing pad 120 is smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing plate 130 (see (a) and (b) in FIG. 6).

[0057] When the sealing nut 140 presses against the sealing pad 120, the second horizontal sealing portion 125 made of an elastic material also stretches, so that the other end 121 of the sealing pad 120 extends to a length equal to or close to the other end 131 of the sealing plate (see FIG. 6(c)).

[0058] In the finished product, it is preferable that when the sealing nut 140 is tightened to compress the sealing pad 120, the other end 121 of the sealing pad does not protrude beyond the other end 131 of the sealing plate.

[0059] If the outer diameters of the sealing pad 120 and the sealing plate 130 are formed to be the same, the other end 121 of the sealing pad and the other end 131 of the sealing plate will be positioned on the same vertical line. In this state, the sealing nut 140 will press against the sealing pad 120, stretching it, so that the other end 121 of the sealing pad will be positioned further outboard than the other end 131 of the sealing plate (see FIG. 6(d)).

[0060] If the other end 121 of the sealing pad is positioned outside the other end 131 of the sealing plate, the other end 121 of the sealing pad is not supported from below and the upward pressing force is not transmitted. Therefore, the other end 121 of the sealing pad cannot be supported by the sealing plate, and minute drips may occur, causing a problem that fluid leaks into the space between the dripped area and the extension part 113.

[0061] In conclusion, in order to form a spatial margin so that the other end 121 of the sealing pad does not come outward from the other end 131 of the sealing plate even when the sealing nut 140 is tightened to compress the sealing pad 120, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the sealing pad 120 is formed smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing plate 130.

[0062] In this way, the pressure vessel 100 according to the present invention has a double seal structure in which the sealing nut 140 is fastened to the fastening portion 153 to physically press against the sealing pad 120 made of an elastic material to seal, and after filling the liner 110 with fluid, the sealing pad 120 is pressed against it by the fluid pressure via the through hole 142 formed in the sealing nut 140 to seal.

[0063] The pressure vessel 100 of the present invention may have an embodiment in which the through hole 142 is not formed in the sealing nut, unlike the embodiment described above.

[0064] Furthermore, the present invention may be embodied without the sealing plate 130. More specifically, the sealing pad 120 is attached to the fastening portion 153, and the sealing nut 140 is screwed to the fastening portion 153 at the lower part of the sealing pad 120. In this case, the sealing nut 140 directly presses the sealing pad 120 made of an elastic material to bring the sealing pad 120 into close contact with the extension portion 113 and the fastening portion 153, thereby sealing the sealing pad 120. In this case, when the through hole 142 is formed in the sealing nut 140, the fluid flowing into the through hole 142 directly brings the sealing pad 120 into close contact with the extension portion 113 and the fastening portion 153 at high pressure, thereby preventing the outflow of the fluid.

[0065] 7 is a view showing another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, it can be seen that the ends of the first horizontal sealing portion 123 and the second horizontal sealing portion 125 of the sealing pad 120 are formed thicker. With this configuration, when the sealing nut 140 presses the sealing pad 120 upward, the first horizontal sealing portion 123 is further compressed and more closely adheres to the fastening portion 153 compared to the embodiment shown in FIG.

[0066] Similarly, when the sealing nut 140 presses upward against the sealing pad 120, the second horizontal sealing portion 125 is further compressed and more closely fitted to the extension portion 113 as compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 100 Pressure vessels 110 Liner 120 Sealing pad 130 Sealing plate 140 Sealing nut 150 nozzles

Claims

1. a liner formed hollow so that the interior of the liner can be filled with a fluid; a nozzle coupled to one or both ends of the liner such that a cylindrical fastener is positioned within the liner; a ring-shaped sealing pad made of an elastic material with the fastening portion passing through the center; a sealing nut fastened to the fastening portion at a lower portion of the sealing pad; and a ring-shaped sealing plate provided between the sealing pad and the sealing nut, the fastening portion penetrating the center of the ring-shaped sealing plate being harder than the sealing pad, The sealing pad includes an inclined sealing portion whose longitudinal cross section is inclined downward toward the center of the nozzle, a first horizontal sealing portion extending inward from the inclined sealing portion and formed horizontally, and a second horizontal sealing portion extending horizontally outward from the inclined sealing portion.

2. 2. The pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein the sealing plate is formed with an inclined support portion whose longitudinal section is inclined downward toward the center of the nozzle so as to be in close contact with the inclined sealing portion.

3. 2. The pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein the inclined sealing portion is formed to be thicker than the first horizontal sealing portion and the second horizontal sealing portion.

4. 3. The pressure vessel according to claim 2, wherein the sealing plate includes a first horizontal support portion extending inward from the inclined support portion and formed horizontally to support the first horizontal sealing portion, and a second horizontal support portion extending outward from the inclined support portion and formed horizontally to support the second horizontal sealing portion.

5. 2. The pressure vessel of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the sealing pad is greater than the inner diameter of the sealing plate.

6. The nozzle has an enlarged flange portion formed on an upper portion of the fastening portion, An extension portion is formed at a lower portion of the flange portion and extends from a side wall of the liner, 2. The pressure vessel of claim 1, wherein the first horizontal seal is in contact with the nozzle and the second horizontal seal is in contact with a lower portion of the extension.

7. 7. The pressure vessel according to claim 6, wherein an end of the extension is provided with a locking claw for strengthening a connection force between the extension and the nozzle.

8. 2. The pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein the sealing nut has an upper surface that is inclined downward in a vertical cross section toward the center of the nozzle.

9. 3. The pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein the sealing nut is formed with a through hole so that the pressure of the fluid stored inside the liner is transmitted to the sealing pad or the sealing plate.

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