gas bottle

The gas container design allows for joint inspection and protection of storage material by using rigid nozzles and holding members, addressing the inspection and damage issues of conventional resin liners.

JP7754059B2Active Publication Date: 2025-10-15TOYODA GOSEI CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022181454
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-11-11
Publication Date
2025-10-15
Estimated Expiration
2042-11-11

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional gas containers with resin container liners face challenges in inspecting the joints between liner segments due to obstruction by storage materials or cooling pipes, and are prone to damage from impact, especially when used in vehicles.

Method used

A gas container design with a resin container liner having nozzles of higher rigidity, holding members with shaft and restricting portions, and a joint exposed between these members, allowing inspection and protection against damage.

Benefits of technology

Enables non-destructive inspection of the joint and prevents damage to the storage material, enhancing the container's cooling and structural integrity.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To enable a joint part of a liner split body to be inspected from the inner side of a container liner and inhibit damage to a storage material.SOLUTION: A gas container has: a resin container liner 2 having an internal space 29; a storage material 5 which is stored and held in the internal space and occludes and discharges a filler gas; and two holding members 6 each of which is connected to each of two mouth rings 3 and disposed in the internal space and holds the storage material. The container liner is formed by joining two liner split bodies 20, which have a cylindrical shape and are arranged in the axial direction, integrally. Each holding member has: a shaft part 60 which extends in the axial direction and is hollow and whose interior communicates with an interior of the mouth ring; and restriction parts 65 each of which engages with the storage material to restrict position change of the storage material in the axial direction. The two holding members are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. A joint part 21 of the two liner split bodies is located between the holding members in the axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas container for storing and releasing a gas, such as hydrogen gas. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, technologies have been proposed for using hydrogen gas, natural gas, etc. as fuel for vehicles and various devices. Gas containers for storing and releasing these gases have also been actively studied (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The gas container introduced in Patent Document 1 contains a porous hydrogen storage material, which is a type of storage material, in its internal space. The storage material physically or chemically absorbs and releases the gas to be stored (hereinafter referred to as the "filled gas" as necessary), and the amount of gas that can be stored in the internal space can be increased by using this storage material.

[0004] A typical storage material undergoes temperature changes when it absorbs and releases a filler gas. On the other hand, the storage capacity of the storage material depends on temperature, and it is known that the storage capacity is particularly excellent at low temperatures. For this reason, conventional gas containers are generally provided with a cooling function for cooling the storage material.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 introduces a technology in which a cooling pipe is provided in a gas container, and the cooling pipe and the storage material contained in the internal space are cooled. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-75697 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] As one type of the gas container described above, there is known one having a container liner made of resin.

[0008] A known method for manufacturing a resin container liner is to arrange multiple short cylindrical liner segments molded from resin in series in the axial direction of the container liner and then join adjacent liner segments together to form an integrated unit. Container liners manufactured by this method have a joint extending around the entire circumferential direction along a portion of the axial direction.

[0009] Some gas containers store flammable gases such as hydrogen as the filler gas. Because the resin container liner is a relatively low-rigidity component, it is important to prevent damage to the container liner and gas leakage in these types of gas containers. For this reason, for example, in hydrogen tanks that store hydrogen, one of the inspection items is to inspect the above-mentioned joint from inside the container liner.

[0010] When storing storage materials or cooling pipes in the internal space, as in the technology introduced in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the above-mentioned joints are hidden by the storage materials or cooling pipes, making it very difficult to inspect the joints. In view of the above, there is a need for a gas container capable of cooling a storage material, in which the joint between the liner segments can be inspected from inside the container liner.

[0011] Furthermore, some storage materials are relatively fragile, and if the gas container is for use in a vehicle, for example, the storage material may be damaged by impact while driving, etc. Technology to prevent such damage to the storage material is also desired.

[0012] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a gas container capable of cooling storage material, in which the joint between the liner segments can be inspected from inside the container liner, and which can prevent damage to the storage material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The gas container of the present invention that solves the above problems comprises: a resin container liner having an internal space; two nozzles each having a higher rigidity than the container liner, attached to both ends of the container liner in the axial direction, and connecting the outside of the container liner with the internal space; a storage material accommodated in the internal space and adapted to absorb and release a filler gas; two holding members connected to the two nozzles, respectively, and disposed in the internal space to hold the storage material; The container liner is cylindrical and is formed by joining two liner segments arranged in the axial direction together, Each of the retaining members includes: a shaft portion that extends in the axial direction, is hollow, and the interior of the shaft portion is connected to the interior of the mouthpiece; a restricting portion that protrudes from the shaft portion in a radial direction of the container liner and engages with the storage material to restrict a change in position of the storage material in the axial direction, The two holding members are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, The joint between the two liner segments is a gas container located between the holding members in the axial direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The gas container of the present invention is a gas container capable of cooling a storage material, allowing the joint between the liner segments to be inspected from inside the container liner, and preventing damage to the storage material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a gas container according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic exploded view of the gas container according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams for schematically explaining a holding member in the gas container of the embodiment. [Figure 4]1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating an axial cross section of a gas container according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The gas container of the present invention has a resin container liner having an internal space, and a storage material that stores and releases the fill gas is housed in the internal space.

[0017] In the gas container of the present invention, the container liner is formed by joining two liner segments together, and therefore the container liner of the gas container of the present invention has a joint between the two liner segments.

[0018] The gas container of the present invention has two nozzles, each of which is connected to a holding member. The holding members are disposed in the interior space of the container liner and hold the storage material.

[0019] Each of the holding members has a shaft portion and a restricting portion. The shaft portion extends in the axial direction of the container liner and is connected to the nozzle. The storage material and gas contained in the container liner can exchange heat with the shaft portion in the internal space of the container liner, and the shaft portion can exchange heat with the outside world via the nozzle. Therefore, the gas container of the present invention can be said to be a gas container capable of cooling the storage material.

[0020] The restricting portion protrudes from the shaft portion in the radial direction of the container liner. The restricting portion engages with the storage material to restrict positional change of the storage material in the axial direction of the container liner. This allows the gas container of the present invention to stably store and hold the storage material and prevent damage to the storage material.

[0021] The two nozzles are attached to both axial ends of the container liner, and the two holding members are attached to each nozzle. In the gas container of the present invention, the two holding members are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the container liner. In other words, a gap is formed between the two holding members.

[0022] In the gas container of the present invention, the joint between the two liner segments is located between the retaining members in the axial direction of the container liner. That is, in the gas container of the present invention, the joint is not hidden by at least the retaining members. Therefore, in the gas container of the present invention, the joint between the liner segments can be inspected from the storage space side of the container liner, i.e., from the inside of the container liner.

[0023] Here, the shaft portion of the gas container of the present invention extends in the axial direction, is hollow, and its interior is connected to the interior of the nozzle. Therefore, the interior of the shaft portion functions as a passage for an inspection device, such as an endoscope. If an inspection device is inserted into the shaft portion from the nozzle and reaches between the two holding members, the joint between the liner segments can be directly imaged with the inspection device, enabling direct and non-destructive inspection of the joint.

[0024] As described above, the gas container of the present invention is a gas container capable of cooling a storage material, allowing the joint between the liner segments to be inspected from inside the container liner, and preventing damage to the storage material.

[0025] The gas container of the present invention will be described below in detail with respect to each of its constituent elements. Unless otherwise specified, the numerical ranges "x to y" described in this specification include the lower limit x and the upper limit y. These upper and lower limit values, as well as the numerical values ​​listed in the examples, can be arbitrarily combined to form new numerical ranges. Furthermore, any numerical value selected from any of the above numerical ranges can be used as the upper and lower limit values ​​of a new numerical range. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the axial direction, radial direction, and circumferential direction refer to the axial direction, radial direction, and circumferential direction of the container liner.

[0026] There are no particular limitations on the type of filler gas contained in the gas container of the present invention, and there are also no particular limitations on the pressure of the filler gas inside the gas container, but the gas container of the present invention is particularly suitable for realizing as a so-called pressure-resistant container filled with flammable gases such as hydrogen gas and natural gas at high pressure.

[0027] The gas container of the present invention has a container liner, two mouthpieces, a storage material, and two retaining members.

[0028] Among these, the container liner has an internal space for containing the target filler gas. Because such a container liner is in direct contact with the filler gas, it is preferable to select a material for the container liner that is impermeable to the target filler gas, i.e., has so-called gas barrier properties.

[0029] Specifically, the material of the container liner may be appropriately selected depending on the type of gas to be filled and the environment in which the gas container is installed.

[0030] For example, if the filled gas is hydrogen gas, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, etc. are suitable as the container liner material. It is also suitable to coat the inside of the container liner with a material with excellent gas barrier properties, such as ethylene-vinyl alcohol polymer (EVOH).

[0031] The container liner is made by joining two liner segments together. The liner segments are cylindrical and arranged in the axial direction. The two liner segments may have the same shape and be arranged symmetrically with respect to the joint, or they may have different shapes. Considering manufacturing costs, it is preferable that the two liner segments have the same shape.

[0032] The method for joining the liner segments together is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately selected from common joining methods such as adhesion and welding depending on the intended use of the gas container.

[0033] The shape of the container liner is not particularly limited, but a bottomed or bottomless cylindrical shape that can form an internal space is preferred. Furthermore, since nozzles can be attached to both axial ends of the container liner, it is preferred that the container liner has a shape that is symmetrical on both axial ends. Furthermore, it is also preferred that the container liner has a shape that allows the internal pressure caused by the filled gas to be uniformly dispersed, such as a cylindrical or regular polygonal cylindrical shape.

[0034] The two nozzles are attached to both ends of the container liner, in other words, to one end of each liner section.

[0035] The liner segments may be integrally formed with the nozzle or may be formed separately from the nozzle. For example, the liner segments may be insert-molded using a pre-formed nozzle as an insert, or the nozzle may be attached to the liner segments by inserting the nozzle into the pre-formed liner segments. In order to prevent leakage of the filled gas to the outside of the container liner, it is preferable to interpose a sealing member such as an O-ring between the mouthpiece and the container liner.

[0036] The material of the nozzle is also not particularly limited, but since the nozzle is required to have higher rigidity than the container liner, it is particularly suitable to select a metal material such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or stainless steel as the material for the nozzle.

[0037] The mouthpiece connects the outside of the container liner with the internal space provided in the container liner, and functions as an inlet and outlet for the filler gas. In the gas container of the present invention, both of the two mouthpieces may be used as inlets and outlets for the filled gas, or one of the mouthpieces may be plugged.

[0038] The gas container of the present invention may have a reinforcing part. The reinforcing part is a part of the gas container that covers the container liner from the outside, and the gas container of the present invention having the reinforcing part is suitably used as a pressure-resistant container. The reinforcing portion preferably has higher rigidity than the container liner in order to reinforce the container liner, and the thickness of the reinforcing portion is preferably thicker than the thickness of the container liner at least at the axial end portion.

[0039] The reinforcing portion may be made of high-strength fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), similar to general pressure vessels. Examples of high-strength fiber include carbon fiber, glass fiber, and aramid fiber. Examples of resins impregnated into the high-strength fiber include thermosetting resins such as epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, and vinyl ester resin.

[0040] The reinforcing portion may be formed by any conventional method, such as by winding high-strength fibers impregnated with a resin material around a container liner to form a helical layer or hoop layer, and then heat-curing the resin material. Alternatively, a sheet of the helical layer or hoop layer made of resin and high-strength fibers may be attached to the container liner, and then heat-curing the resin material may be performed.

[0041] The storage material is accommodated in the accommodation space and held by a holding member, which will be described later. The storage material is only required to occlude and release the fill gas, and the storage material may be appropriately selected depending on the type of fill gas to be stored in the gas container of the present invention.

[0042] For example, when the filling gas is hydrogen, it is preferable to use a porous carbon material such as vapor grown carbon fiber (so-called carbon nanotube), carbon black, or activated carbon as the storage material. Furthermore, as introduced in Patent Document 1, for example, it is also preferable to use these porous carbon materials as storage materials after activating them together with an alkali salt such as KOH, NaOH, or LiOH under an inert gas atmosphere. In addition, it is also suitable to use porous metal complexes (so-called MOFs), zeolites, hydrogen storage alloys, metal hydrides, etc. as storage materials.

[0043] The storage material can have various shapes. In order to fully utilize the storage material's ability to store and release charged gas, it is preferable to increase the contact area of ​​the storage material with the charged gas, and it is preferable to use a storage material made of primary particles and / or secondary particles with a large specific surface area. Note that the primary particles and secondary particles are not limited in shape, and the storage material may be in the form of short fibers or long fibers.

[0044] Considering the ease of handling of the storage material and thus the gas container of the present invention, it is preferable to crosslink the storage material of primary particles and / or secondary particles with a crosslinking agent or bind them with a binder to form them into pellets. The shape of the pellets is preferably a shape that conforms to the storage space in which the pellets are stored, and is particularly preferably a shape that avoids the holding member that is stored in the storage space together with the storage material. As will be described later, when the storage material is sandwiched between the restricting portion of the holding member and the mouthpiece, the storage material is preferably in a solid or bulk state.

[0045] As described above, the two holding members are connected to the two nozzles, one each, and are disposed in the internal space to hold the storage material. The two holding members may have the same shape or different shapes. Each holding member has a shaft portion and a restricting portion.

[0046] The shaft portion of the holding member is hollow and connected to the nozzle, extending in the axial direction of the container liner. The mechanism for connecting the nozzle and the shaft portion is not particularly limited, as long as they communicate with each other so that the interior of the nozzle and the interior of the shaft portion can function as a passage for the inspection device. The mechanism for connecting the nozzle and the shaft portion can be various methods, such as adhesive bonding, welding, screwing, and bolting.

[0047] The material of the shaft portion is not particularly limited. However, for the purpose of heat exchange with the storage material or gas contained in the internal space of the container liner, it is preferable to use a material with high thermal conductivity as the material of the shaft portion, and it is particularly preferable to use a metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum. The materials of the nozzle and the shaft portion may be different, but in consideration of corrosion resistance, it is preferable to select materials that have no potential difference, and it is particularly preferable to use the same material.

[0048] The restricting portion protrudes from the shaft portion in the radial direction of the container liner, and therefore, it can also be said that the outer diameter of the restricting portion is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion. The restricting portion may be formed integrally with the shaft portion, or may be separate from the shaft portion and attached to the shaft portion. The material of the restricting portion may be the same as or different from the material of the shaft portion. If the shaft portion and the restricting portion are made of metal, it is preferable to select materials for the shaft portion and the restricting portion that have no potential difference, and it is particularly preferable to use the same material.

[0049] The restricting portion may have any shape as long as it protrudes from the shaft portion in the radial direction of the container liner and can restrict the positional change of the storage material in the axial direction by engaging with the storage material.

[0050] For example, the restricting portion may be a protrusion that protrudes in the radial direction of the shaft portion. The protruding height of the protruding restricting portion is not particularly limited as long as it can restrict the positional change of the storage material in the axial direction by engaging with the storage material.

[0051] When the restricting portion is in the form of a protrusion, the position of the restricting portion in the axial direction of the shaft portion is not particularly limited and may be located at any position. For example, the restricting portion may be located at the end of the shaft portion on the internal space side, in other words, the end of the shaft portion on the other holding member side, or the end of the shaft portion on the nozzle side, or may be located at a position between these.

[0052] The number of protruding regulating portions is not particularly limited, and may be one or more, but in order to stably hold the storage material, it is preferable that the protruding regulating portions be located at multiple locations along the circumferential direction of the shaft portion.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, the restricting portion may be in the form of a plate that protrudes radially from the shaft portion. The plate-shaped restricting portion is preferably attached to the end of the shaft portion facing the internal space, and engages with the axial end face of the storage material, in other words, the end face of the storage material held by the holding member that faces the other holding member. In this case, the storage material is sandwiched between the restricting portion and the nozzle, and is therefore more stably held by the holding member.

[0054] The restricting portion may have holes, openings, grooves, etc. that serve as flow paths for the fill gas. It is particularly preferable to provide the holes, openings, grooves, etc. when the restricting portion is plate-shaped, but they may also be provided when the restricting portion is protrusion-shaped.

[0055] The retaining member preferably further has a rotation prevention portion that protrudes axially from the restricting portion and engages with the storage material to prevent the storage material from changing in position in the circumferential and / or radial directions of the container liner. When the retaining member has multiple restricting portions, the rotation prevention portion may be provided on only some or all of the restricting portions.

[0056] The anti-rotation portion may protrude in the axial direction, but in order to more stably hold the storage material by the holding member, it is more preferable that the anti-rotation portion protrude in the axial direction toward the nozzle to which the holding member is connected.

[0057] When the restricting portion is plate-shaped, it is preferable that the anti-rotation portions are provided at a plurality of locations along the circumferential direction of the shaft portion.

[0058] In the gas container of the present invention, the two retaining members are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. In other words, the two retaining members are arranged in the axial direction, and a gap is formed between the two retaining members in the axial direction. The length of the axial gap between the two retaining members is not particularly limited, but it is sufficient that the joint between the liner segments is long enough to fit within the gap in the axial direction.

[0059] In the gas container of the present invention, the joint between the liner segments is positioned in the gap in the axial direction, so that the joint is not hidden by the holding member, and therefore the joint can be easily inspected using an endoscope or the like inserted through the nozzle.

[0060] In order to make it easier to inspect the joint, it is preferable that not only the holding member but also the storage material be positioned so as to avoid the gap. In consideration of this, it is particularly preferable that the storage material be sandwiched between the restricting portion of the holding member and the mouthpiece.

[0061] The gas container of the present invention will be described below by way of specific examples.

[0062] (Example) The gas container of the embodiment is a pressure-resistant container that is mounted on a vehicle and is used to store and release hydrogen gas, which is a type of fill gas. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the gas container of the embodiment. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the exploded state of the gas container of the embodiment. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the holding member of the gas container of the embodiment. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the axial cross section of the gas container of the embodiment. Hereinafter, the axial direction and radial direction refer to the directions shown in each drawing. Also, the axial end portion and axial center portion refer to the axial end portion and axial center portion shown in FIG. 1.

[0063] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the gas container 1 of the embodiment includes a container liner 2, two mouthpieces 3, a reinforcing portion 4, two storage members 5, and two holding members 6.

[0064] The container liner 2 is made of polyethylene resin and is a so-called resin liner that is approximately cylindrical with both axial ends tapered in diameter.

[0065] As shown in Figure 2, the container liner 2 is made by welding and joining two liner segments 20 of the same shape together. The two liner segments 20 are arranged in the axial direction. The joint 21 between the two liner segments 20 is located in the approximate center of the container liner 2 in the axial direction and extends around the entire circumferential direction of the container liner 2.

[0066] 4, each liner segment 20 has a generally short cylindrical shape with a bottom, and the container liner 2 also has a generally cylindrical shape with a bottom. An internal space 29 is formed inside the container liner 2.

[0067] The axial end of each liner segment 20 is dome-shaped and has an opening in the center. A metal mouthpiece 3 is attached to each opening 22 via an O-ring 39.

[0068] A holding member 6 is connected to each of the two bases 3. Each holding member 6 is made of the same metal as the bases 3.

[0069] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the two holding members 6 have a shaft portion 60, a restricting portion 65, a rotation preventing portion 70, and a fastening portion 75, and are of the same shape.

[0070] Of these, the shaft portion 60 extends in the axial direction. A base-side end portion 61, which is one end of the shaft portion 60, has a larger diameter than a restriction-side end portion 62, which is the other end of the shaft portion 60, and than a general portion 63, which connects the base-side end portion 61 and the restriction-side end portion 62. The restriction-side end portion 62 has a slightly smaller diameter than the general portion 63. The shaft portion 60 has a hollow, straight cylindrical shape as a whole.

[0071] The outer diameter of the base-side end 61 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the end of the axial center portion of the base 3. The base-side end 61 of the shaft portion 60 is fixed to the corresponding base 3 with unillustrated bolts. This connects the shaft portion 60 to the base 3, and the inside of the shaft portion 60 communicates with the inside of the base 3.

[0072] Since the shaft portion 60 and the nozzle 3 are made of metal with high thermal conductivity, they function as a heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the storage material 5 and gas (not shown) in the internal space 29 (FIG. 4) of the container liner 2. This provides the gas container 1 of the embodiment with a cooling function.

[0073] 2 and 3, the restriction side end portion 62 has a variable diameter shape having regions of different radial lengths in part of its circumferential direction. More specifically, the radial cross section of the restriction side end portion 62 is substantially D-shaped. Although not shown, a screw thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the restricting end portion 62 .

[0074] The restricting portion 65 is generally disk-shaped and has a plurality of openings 65O arranged in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the restricting portion 65 can be said to be generally wheel-shaped. An attachment opening 65m is provided in the center of the restriction portion 65. The outer edge of the attachment opening 65m has substantially the same shape as the outer diameter of the restriction side end portion 62, and its radial cross section is substantially D-shaped.

[0075] The restricting side end portion 62 is inserted into the mounting opening 65m. The mounting opening 65m and the restricting side end portion 62 have corresponding different diameter shapes, so that relative positional changes between the shaft portion 60 and the restricting portion 65 in the radial and circumferential directions are restricted.

[0076] The fastening portion 75 is generally nut-shaped. The fastening portion 75 has a thread groove (not shown) that corresponds to the thread of the restricting portion 65, and the fastening portion 75 and the restricting portion 65 are screwed together. This fixes the restricting portion 65 and the shaft portion 60 together, and restricts relative positional change between the restricting portion 65 and the shaft portion 60 in the axial direction.

[0077] The anti-rotation portion 70 is provided on the restricting portion 65 and protrudes from the restricting portion 65 in the axial direction. More specifically, the gas container 1 of the first embodiment has a plurality of anti-rotation portions 70. The anti-rotation portions 70 are arranged in a radially outer portion of the restricting portion 65 along the circumferential direction of the restricting portion 65 and the shaft portion 60 and are spaced apart from one another. Each anti-rotation portion 70 protrudes in the axial direction toward the nozzle-side end portion 61 of the shaft portion 60, in other words, toward the nozzle 3 side.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 2, the two storage materials 5 are pellet-shaped and have approximately the same shape. Specifically, the outer shape of each storage material 5 is a shape that conforms to the internal space 29 of the container liner 2. Each storage material 5 has a hollow portion 51 shaped to follow the outer shape of the corresponding shaft portion 60. Therefore, each storage material 5 has a substantially cylindrical shape. Each storage material 5 is sandwiched between the nozzle 3 and the restricting portion 65. A recess 52 is provided on the axial end face of each storage material 5 at the axial center side at a position corresponding to the anti-rotation portion 70. The anti-rotation portion 70 fits into the recess 52 and engages with the storage material 5. This restricts positional changes of the storage material 5 in the radial and circumferential directions.

[0079] The storage material 5 and the holding member 6 are housed in the internal space 29 of the container liner 2. A portion of the mouthpiece 3 is also housed in the internal space 29 of the container liner 2. The container liner 2 is covered from the outside with a reinforcing part 4 made of FPR.

[0080] A method for manufacturing the gas container 1 of the embodiment will be described below.

[0081] First, the two liner segments 20 constituting the container liner 2 were each injection molded, and a mouthpiece 3 was attached to each of the openings 22 of the two liner segments 20 together with an O-ring 39. The shaft portion 60 of the holding member 6 was connected to the mouthpiece 3.

[0082] A storage material 5 was inserted into each liner segment 20. At this time, a shaft portion 60 was inserted into the hollow portion 51 of the storage material 5. A restricting portion 65 was inserted into the restricting side end portion 62 of the shaft portion 60. At this time, the anti-rotation portion 70 of the restricting portion 65 was inserted into the recess 52 of the storage material 5. Furthermore, by attaching a fastening portion 75 to the restricting side end portion 62 of the shaft portion 60, two integrated units of the liner segment 20, nozzle 3, storage material 5, and holding member 6 were obtained.

[0083] The two integrated parts described above were arranged symmetrically in the axial direction. The ends of the two liner segments 20 on the axially central side were then welded together. This resulted in a container liner 2 in which the two liner segments 20 were joined. A joint 21 extending around the entire circumferential direction was formed in the container liner 2 at approximately the central portion in the axial direction.

[0084] An FRP reinforcing portion 4 was formed on the surface of the container liner 2 obtained as described above, to obtain a gas container 1 of the example.

[0085] In the gas container 1 of the embodiment, the storage material 5 and the holding member 6 are accommodated in the internal space 29 of the container liner 2 . As shown in FIG. 4, the two holding members 6 are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, and the joint 21 between the liner segments 20 of the container liner 2 is located between the holding members 6 in the axial direction.

[0086] Furthermore, in the gas container 1 of the embodiment, the storage materials 5 held by each holding member 6 and sandwiched between the nozzle 3 and the restricting portion 65 are also spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Therefore, an area is formed in the axial center of the internal space 29 of the container liner 2 where there are no holding members 6 or storage materials 5. The joint 21 of the container liner 2 is located in this area. That is, the joint 21 is not hidden by the holding member 6 or the storage material 5, but is exposed to the internal space 29 of the container liner 2.

[0087] The inside of the shaft portion 60 of the holding member 6 is connected to the inside of the nozzle 3, so an inspection device inserted through the nozzle 3 passes through the inside of the shaft portion 60, passes through the axial end of the shaft portion 60, and emerges between the two holding members 6. Because the joint 21 is exposed between the two holding members 6, the joint 21 can be easily imaged with the inspection device, making it possible to easily inspect the condition of the joint 21.

[0088] As described above, according to the gas container 1 of the embodiment, the storage material 5 can be cooled by the shaft portion 60 and the mouthpiece 3, and therefore the performance of the gas container 1 in storing and releasing the filled gas is improved. Furthermore, according to the gas container 1 of the embodiment, the joint 21 of the liner segment 20 can be easily inspected from inside the container liner 2, and therefore the manufacturing efficiency of the gas container 1 is improved. Furthermore, according to the gas container 1 of the embodiment, the restricting portion 65 and the anti-rotation portion 70 restrict the axial, radial, and circumferential positional changes of the storage material 5, so that the storage material 5 can be stably contained and held in the internal space 29 of the container liner 2. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the storage material 5.

[0089] Although the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, etc., and it is possible to implement the present invention by appropriately extracting and combining elements described in the embodiments, etc., and to make various modifications within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the specification of the present invention discloses not only the citation relationships of the claims at the time of filing but also the technical idea of ​​appropriately combining the matters described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1: Gas bottle 2: Container liner 20: Liner split 21: Joint 29: Interior space 3: Nozzle 4: Reinforcement section 5: Storage material 6: Holding member 60: Shaft section 65: Regulation Department 70: Anti-rotation part

Claims

1. a resin container liner having an internal space; two nozzles each having a higher rigidity than the container liner, attached to both axial ends of the container liner, and connecting the outside of the container liner with the internal space; a storage material accommodated in the internal space and adapted to absorb and release a filler gas; two holding members connected to the two nozzles, respectively, and disposed in the internal space to hold the storage material; The container liner is formed by joining two cylindrical liner segments arranged in the axial direction together, Each of the retaining members includes: a shaft portion that extends in the axial direction, is hollow, and the interior of the shaft portion is connected to the interior of the nozzle; a restricting portion that protrudes from the shaft portion in a radial direction of the container liner and engages with the storage material to restrict a change in position of the storage material in the axial direction, The two holding members are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, The gas container, wherein the joint portion of the two liner segments is located between the holding members in the axial direction.

2. The restriction portion is The plate-shaped member is attached to the end of the shaft portion on the side of the internal space, and has a diameter larger than that of the shaft portion. The gas container according to claim 1 , wherein the storage material is sandwiched between the nozzle and the storage material.

3. A gas container as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the retaining member further has a rotation prevention portion that protrudes in the axial direction from the regulating portion and engages with the storage material to regulate positional change of the storage material in the circumferential direction and / or the radial direction of the container liner.

Citation Information

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