tank

Abstract

To provide a tank capable of suppressing generation of corrosion of a cap.SOLUTION: In a tank, a cap 15 is arranged in an opening part of a liner 12. On a surface of the cap, an alumite treatment layer is provided. A part of the alumite treatment layer is a sealing part in which a sealing treatment layer is formed, and the other part is a non-sealing part in which the sealing treatment layer is not formed. The liner is arranged so as to straddle the boundary between the sealing part and the non-sealing part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses that a plurality of holes are provided in the liner groove inside the mouthpiece to prevent the liner from falling out of the groove. Patent Document 2 describes a method for manufacturing a tank in which the surface of the nozzle is anodized, part of the anodized surface is masked, the remaining part is sealed, and then a liner material is filled into the masked part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2012-514727 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-089674 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If the unsealed portion of the die comes into contact with the fibers of the reinforcing layer or the outside, there is a risk of corrosion.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a tank that can suppress the occurrence of corrosion of the nozzle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present application discloses a tank in which a nozzle is placed at the opening of a liner, the nozzle is provided with an anodized aluminum layer on the surface, a portion of the anodized aluminum layer is a sealed portion on which a sealing layer is formed, and another portion is a non-sealed portion on which no sealing layer is formed, and the liner is positioned so as to straddle the boundary between the sealed portion and the non-sealed portion.

[0007] The nozzle may have a step, and a sealing portion and a non-sealing portion may be arranged on the bottom surface of the step, and the liner may be arranged to cover the bottom surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the liner is positioned so as to straddle the boundary between the portion of the nozzle that is only anodized (non-sealed portion) and the sealing layer (sealed portion), thereby more reliably ensuring the corrosion resistance of the nozzle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the appearance of the tank. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the tank. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the anodized aluminum layer. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the sealing treatment layer. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the pore-sealing portions and the non-pore-sealing portions. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of sealing portions and non-sealing portions according to another example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 1. Basic structure of high-pressure tank Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the appearance of a high-pressure tank 10 according to one embodiment, and Figure 2 shows a cross section of the high-pressure tank 10 along its axis L, showing the area surrounding a nozzle 15 to which a valve is attached. As can be seen from these figures, in this embodiment, the high-pressure tank 10 has a tank body 11 and a nozzle 15. The basic structure of each component will be explained below.

[0011] 1.1.Tank body The tank body 11 is strong enough to hold the contents (e.g., hydrogen) without leaking and to withstand the high pressure inside. Therefore, in this embodiment, the tank body 11 is provided with a liner 12 and a reinforcing layer 13 arranged on the outer periphery of the liner 12.

[0012] 1.1.1. Liner The liner 12 is a hollow member that defines the internal space of the high-pressure tank 10 and is cylindrical in this embodiment. The liner 12 has a body portion 12a with a generally constant diameter, and openings at both ends of the body portion 12a are narrowed by dome-shaped side end portions 12b, and a nozzle 15 is disposed in the narrowed opening 12c. The liner 12 may be made of any material that can hold the contents (e.g., hydrogen) stored in its internal space without leaking, and any known material can be used, such as nylon resin or polyethylene-based synthetic resin. The thickness of the liner 12 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm.

[0013] 1.1.2. Reinforcement layer The reinforcing layer 13 is formed by laminating fiber bundles made of carbon fiber or the like in multiple layers, and the fiber bundles are impregnated with hardened resin. Specifically, the fiber bundles are wound in multiple layers around the outer periphery of the liner 12 to a predetermined thickness. The thickness of the reinforcing layer 13 is determined by the required strength and is not particularly limited, but is generally about 10 mm to 30 mm. Carbon fiber or aramid fiber (e.g., polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fiber) can be used as the fiber to reinforce the resin. Glass fiber may also be used as the fiber to reinforce the resin. Thermosetting resins such as epoxy resin, epoxy acrylate resin, and polyester resin can also be used as the resin to be reinforced by the fiber.

[0014] 1.2.Socket The nozzles 15 are members attached to the two openings 12c of the liner 12, one of which functions as an opening that connects the inside and outside of the high-pressure tank 10 and has a valve attached to it. Therefore, at least the base 15 on the side where the bulb is attached is provided with a hole 15a having a circular cross section in which the bulb is to be placed.

[0015] The inner surface of the hole 15a is provided with a female thread 15b that corresponds to the male thread of the valve. The valve is fixed to the base 15 by mating the male thread of the valve with this female thread 15b. The inner surface of the hole 15a has a smooth sealing surface 15c on the tank inner side (high-pressure side) from the female thread 15b. A sealing member provided on the outer periphery of the valve comes into contact with this sealing surface 15c, thereby sealing the inside of the high-pressure tank 10.

[0016] The material constituting the base 15 is aluminum because the base 15 has an alumite treatment layer as described below. There are no particular limitations on the material as long as it is an aluminum-based material that can be anodized and has sufficient strength.

[0017] 2. Surface structure of the nozzle and its relationship with the liner 2.1.Surface structure of the nozzle 2.1.1.Anodized layer The die 15 has an anodized layer formed on its surface. The anodized layer is an oxide film formed on the surface of aluminum by anodizing. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged cross section of a portion of the anodized layer 20. The anodized layer 20 includes a barrier layer 21 laminated on the substrate A that constitutes the die 15, and a porous layer 22 that is continuous with the barrier layer 21. The porous layer 22 has a structure of an aggregate of hexagonal columnar structures, and each hexagonal columnar structure has fine pores 22a that reach the vicinity of the barrier layer 21. The diameter of the pores 22a is approximately several μm to several tens of μm.

[0018] With such an anodized layer 20, the resin that constitutes the liner 12 penetrates into these minute holes 22a during insert molding, filling the holes 22a with resin, and the anchor effect strengthens the adhesion between the nozzle 15 and the liner 12.

[0019] 2.1.2.Sealing layer The nozzle 15 has an anodized aluminum layer 20 on its surface, and a sealing layer 25 is provided in part of the anodized aluminum layer 20 to seal the holes 22a in the anodized aluminum layer 20 so that they do not appear on the surface. As described above, the holes 22a in the anodized aluminum layer 20 can increase adhesive strength by allowing the resin of the liner 12 to penetrate, but areas other than those in contact with the liner 12 come into contact with the reinforcing layer or the outside air, causing corrosion due to the holes 22a. Therefore, a sealing layer is formed in these areas to create areas in the anodized aluminum layer 20 that seal the holes 22a. Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of a portion where the sealing layer 25 is formed.

[0020] The sealing treatment layer 25 is formed by a sealing treatment in which part of the aluminum oxide in the anodized layer 20 becomes an alumina hydrate layer of alumina monohydrate (Boehmalite, Al2O3·H2O) or alumina trihydrate (Bayerite, Al2O3·3H2O), sealing the fine pores 22a.

[0021] Here, the area on the surface of the die 15 where the sealing treatment layer 25 is formed is referred to as a sealing area F, and the area where the sealing treatment layer 25 is not formed is referred to as a non-sealing area N.

[0022] 2.1.3. Arrangement of sealed and unsealed parts (relationship with the liner) The arrangement of the sealing portions F and non-sealing portions N can be determined as needed, but the basic idea is that the portions in contact with the liner 12 are non-sealing portions N, and at least a portion of the remaining portions are sealing portions F. On the other hand, in the portion indicated by V in FIG. 2, the liner 12, reinforcing layer 13, and mouthpiece 15 are close to each other, and corrosion may occur if the above basic idea is applied strictly. Therefore, this embodiment is configured as follows. Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of the portion indicated by V in FIG. 2. Also, Figure 6 shows an enlarged view of the portion indicated by VI in FIG. 5. Figure 6 shows the arrangement of the sealing portions F and non-sealing portions N.

[0023] In this embodiment, in principle, the portion in contact with the liner 12 is the non-sealing portion N, and at least a portion of the remaining portion is the sealing portion F, but the boundary portion between the non-sealing portion N and the sealing portion F deviates from this principle, and the liner 12 is positioned so as to straddle the boundary between the sealing portion F and the non-sealing portion N. This makes it possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of corrosion even in the boundary portion between the non-sealing portion N and the sealing portion F. The size of the portion of the liner 12 in contact with the sealing portion F shown in FIG. 6D is not particularly limited as long as it is larger than 0 mm, but is preferably 1 mm or more, and more preferably 3 mm or more.

[0024] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment, and is viewed from the same perspective as Fig. 6. In the example of Fig. 7, a step 15g is provided in the nozzle 15, and at least a portion of the bottom surface 15h of the step 15g is made into a sealing portion F, and the entire bottom surface 15h of the step 15 is covered with the liner 12. This also allows the liner 12 to be positioned so as to straddle the boundary between the non-sealing portion N and the sealing portion F, thereby suppressing the occurrence of corrosion at the boundary. Furthermore, by positioning the liner 12 so as to cover the bottom surface 15h of the step 15g, lifting of the liner 12 is suppressed, and the boundary between the non-sealing portion N and the sealing portion F can be reliably covered with the liner 12.

[0025] 3. Tank manufacturing method The tank 10 described above can be manufactured, for example, as follows. One example of a tank manufacturing method S10 includes an anodizing process, a mask formation process, a sealing process, an insert molding process, a joining process of tank components, and a reinforcing layer formation process. Each process will be described below.

[0026] 3.1.Anodizing process In the alumite treatment process, the die is anodized to form an alumite treatment layer 20 on the die. The reaction formula in the anodization is as follows: Anode: 2Al+3H2O→6e - +Al2O3+6H + Cathode: 6H + +6e - →3H2

[0027] For the anodizing treatment, a bath, a treatment liquid, a die 15 as an anode, a negative electrode, and a DC power supply are prepared. The treatment liquid can be a solution of dilute sulfuric acid or oxalic acid. If an anodized layer is not formed on the inner surface of the hole 15a of the die 15, a member for blocking the hole 15a can be placed to seal it so that the treatment liquid does not penetrate. The blocking member is made of, for example, resin. The negative electrode can be made of lead or carbon. The voltage of the DC power supply depends on the concentration, but for example, if the treatment liquid is dilute sulfuric acid, it is about 15V to 30V, and if it is oxalic acid, it is about 20V to 60V. The nozzle 15 is placed in the treatment solution in the bath, and the treatment is carried out by applying electricity.

[0028] 3.2. Mask formation process In the mask formation step, a mask is placed on the area of ​​the anodized aluminum layer 20 where the sealing layer 25 is not to be formed. In this mask formation, as described above, no mask is formed on the area that will become the sealing portion F, but a mask is formed on the area that will become the non-sealing portion N.

[0029] 3.3. Sealing process In the sealing process, the portions of the anodized aluminum layer 20 where the mask was not placed are sealed. Specifically, the sealing process involves treating the anodized aluminum layer 20 with boiling water, a high-temperature aqueous solution of nickel acetate, or high-temperature steam to form alumina hydrate. This sealing process converts a portion of the aluminum oxide in the anodized aluminum layer 20 into alumina monohydrate (Boehmalite, Al2O3·H2O) or alumina trihydrate (Bayerite, Al2O3·3H2O), sealing the microscopic pores 22a as shown in Figure 4. After the sealing process, the mask is removed.

[0030] 3.4.Insert molding process In the insert molding process, the liner 11 with the nozzle 15 disposed therein is formed by insert molding. In this process, the nozzle 15 is attached to a mold (not shown) as an insert part, and resin is injection molded to produce a liner member with the nozzle 15. Here, the liner member is half the total length (size along the axis L) of the liner 12. Furthermore, in the same manner, a half liner member with another nozzle 15 (a nozzle without a hole) is also produced. The injected resin is, as described above, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as nylon or polyethylene.

[0031] 3.5.Tank component joining process In the tank member joining process, the two tank members produced in the insert process are joined together. In this process, the end of the liner of one tank member is joined to the end of the liner of the other tank member, and a laser is irradiated onto the joint between the two liners using, for example, a laser torch, which heats the resin at the joint between the two liner members and welds them together. In this case, it is preferable that one liner member is formed from a laser-absorbent resin and the other liner member is formed from a laser-transmittable resin. This makes it easier to weld the two liner members. Furthermore, in this case, it is preferable that the resin material of the two liner members is the same and that a pigment is added to the resin material of one liner member to make it laser-absorbent. This is because if the two liner members are made from the same material, there will be no difference in strength between the two liner members. For example, carbon black or ferrous oxide (FeO) can be used as the pigment.

[0032] 3.6. Step of forming the reinforcing layer In the process of forming the reinforcing layer, fiber bundles impregnated with resin are wound around the outer surface of the nozzle 15 outside the liner 11 and around the liner 12. The mechanical properties of the tank can be adjusted by changing the winding pattern of the fiber bundles. The reinforcing layer 13 is then formed by heating and curing the resin of the wound resin-impregnated fibers.

[0033] 4. Effects etc. According to the present disclosure, corrosion can be suppressed even in areas where the liner, reinforcing layer, and nozzle are in close proximity. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10...High-pressure tank, 11...Tank body, 12...Liner, 13...Reinforcing layer, 15...Nozzle, 20...Alumite-treated layer, 25...Sealing layer

Claims

1. A tank comprising a liner, a nozzle disposed at an opening of the liner, and a reinforcing layer disposed on at least a portion of the outer periphery of the liner and the nozzle, The surface of the nozzle is provided with an anodized aluminum layer, the anodized aluminum layer has a sealing portion on which a sealing layer is formed and another non-sealing portion on which no sealing layer is formed, the liner is disposed so as to straddle the boundary between the sealing portion and the non-sealing portion at a portion where the liner, the reinforcing layer, and the mouthpiece are in contact with each other, At least a portion of the nozzle that comes into contact with the reinforcing layer and the outside air is the sealing portion. tank.

2. The base has a step, the sealing portion and the non-sealing portion are disposed on a bottom surface of the step; The liner is disposed to cover the bottom surface. The tank of claim 1.

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