Tank-mounted structure

Abstract

To provide a tank mounting structure that can control the increase in weight while ensuring safety.SOLUTION: The tank mounting structure includes: a tank; a frame on which the tank is mounted; and a neck mount that holds the tank. The neck mount has protrusions on both ends in a width direction, and the frame has a bracket for fixing the neck mount, and the bracket has hook-shaped portions covering the protrusions, and the neck mount is fixed to the bracket with the protrusions sandwiched between the hook-shaped portions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a tank-mounted structure.

Background Art

[0002] A tank filled with high-pressure hydrogen gas or the like is mounted on a predetermined frame and transported. As a fixing structure of the tank in the frame, for example, a tank fixing structure using a neck mount disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A neck mount that supports a tank usually has protruding portions that protrude in the width direction at both ends thereof. Then, the neck mount is placed on a bracket of the frame, and a fixing member such as a bolt is inserted from the vertical direction with respect to the protruding portions and fixed.

[0005] By the way, when a large tank is placed on a neck mount using a conventional fixing method and the tank-mounted structure is transported using a moving means such as a truck, there is a problem that the fixing member loosens. The loosening of the fixing member can be solved by increasing the number of fixing members that fix the protruding portions and fixing them firmly. However, if this is done, it is necessary to increase the size of the protruding portions, and an increase in weight is a concern.

[0006] Therefore, the main object of the present disclosure is to provide a tank-mounted structure capable of suppressing an increase in weight while ensuring safety.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] This disclosure provides at least the following aspects:

[0008] The first embodiment is a tank mounting structure comprising a tank, a frame on which the tank is mounted, and a neck mount for holding the tank, wherein the neck mount has protrusions at both ends in the width direction, the frame has a bracket for fixing the neck mount, the bracket has a hook-shaped portion that covers the protrusions, and the neck mount is fixed to the bracket with the protrusions sandwiched between the hook-shaped portions.

[0009] The second embodiment is a tank mounting structure in which, in the first embodiment, the center of the neck mount is located closer to the frame than the axial center of the tank.

[0010] A third embodiment is a tank mounting structure in which, in the first or second embodiment, the neck mount holds the tank in a slidable manner in the axial direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the tank mounting structure of this disclosure, it is possible to suppress the increase in weight while ensuring safety. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the tank-mounted structure 100 as viewed from the front. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the tank mounting structure 200 as viewed from the front. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The tank mounting structure of this disclosure will be described using a tank mounting structure 100, which is one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the tank mounting structure 100 as viewed from the front. As shown in Figure 1, the tank mounting structure 100 comprises a tank 10, a frame 20 for mounting the tank 10, and a neck mount 30 for holding the tank 10. Hereafter, the width direction of the tank 10 will be simply referred to as the width direction (left-right direction in Figure 1), and the axis direction of the tank 10's central axis will be simply referred to as the axis direction (front-back direction in Figure 1). Note that the up-down direction in Figure 1 is the vertical direction.

[0015] <Tank 10> Tank 10 is a high-pressure gas tank capable of being filled with gas under high pressure. The type of gas is not particularly limited. For example, fuel gases used in fuel cells (such as hydrogen or reformed gas) can be used.

[0016] The tank 10 comprises a hollow cylindrical tank body 11, nozzles 12 positioned at both axial ends of the tank body 11, and a neck block 13 positioned on the nozzles 12.

[0017] The tank body 11 is a container for filling with gas. Of the tank body 11, the cylindrical body is the part with the largest outer diameter and extends in the axial direction. The shoulder is the part that connects the body to the nozzle 12 and is formed so that its outer diameter decreases towards the outside in the axial direction.

[0018] The nozzle 12 is a cylindrical member having a smaller outer diameter than the body. The nozzle 12 has a communication hole that connects to the inside of the tank body 11, and a predetermined lid is placed at the opening of the communication hole. By fixing the lid to the nozzle 12, the tank body 11 can be sealed.

[0019] The neck block 13 is attached to the base 12 and is a member for connecting to the neck mount 30 described later. The neck block 13 has an opening that surrounds the outer circumference of the base 12. Also, the lower end portion of the neck block 13 has a fastening portion for fastening to the neck mount 30. The neck block 13 has a rhombus shape when viewed from the front, and the lower side is closer to the frame 20 side than the upper side. However, the shape of the neck block 13 is not limited to this, and any shape that can be attached to the base 12 while fastening to the neck mount 30 is acceptable.

[0020] The tank 10 is manufactured, for example, as follows. First, the surface of a liner having a hollow cylindrical shape is covered with a fiber layer to form an intermediate tank body. Next, the base 12 is placed at the small-diameter end portion of the intermediate tank body, and the tank main body 11 is sealed with a lid. Then, the tank 10 is manufactured by attaching the neck block 13 to the base 12. The liner is formed from a resin material such as nylon. The fiber layer is formed from a fiber-reinforced resin such as carbon fiber. Usually, the fiber layer is formed by knitting a fiber bundle formed by bundling a plurality of fiber-reinforced resins into one bundle on the surface of the liner. The fiber layer can be formed, for example, using a braiding method.

[0021] Here, of the bases 12 arranged at both ends of the tank 10, one base 12 is fixed to the neck block 13, and the other base 12 may not be fixed. As a result, the unfixed base 12 can slide axially inside the opening of the neck block 13. The tank 10 expands and contracts by filling and discharging gas. Therefore, in order to cope with such a shape change of the tank 10, the tank 10 may be held such that one end is fixed and the other end is movable.

[0022] <Frame 20> The frame 20 can mount a plurality of tanks 10. The frame 20 is a frame-shaped member having a rectangular shape, and columns are arranged on each side. The frame 20 shown in FIG. 1 is a part of it. Since the configuration of the frame 20 is well-known, a detailed description is omitted here.

[0023] Frame 20 has a bracket 21 for fixing the neck mount 30. In FIG. 1, an L-shaped bracket 21 is used. However, the shape of the bracket 21 is not limited to this. For example, an I-shaped bracket may also be used.

[0024] The bracket 21 has a vertical portion 22 and a horizontal portion 23. The vertical portion 22 is a member extending in the vertical direction and is fixed to the column of the frame 20. The horizontal portion 23 is a member extending in the width direction and supports the neck mount 30. The horizontal portion 23 also has two hook-shaped portions 24. The hook-shaped portions 24 extend in the axial direction and are arranged so that their openings face each other. Also, by sliding and inserting the neck mount 30 axially along the opening, the neck mount 30 is arranged on the bracket 21.

[0025] <Neck mount 30> The neck mount 30 is placed on the horizontal portion 23 of the bracket 21 and supports the tank 10. The neck mount 30 has a fastening portion at the upper part, and the fastening portion of the neck block 13 is connected to the fastening portion of the neck mount 30. Thereby, the neck mount 30 and the neck block 13 are fastened, and the tank 10 is supported by the neck mount 30.

[0026] The neck mount 30 has protruding portions 31 at both ends in the width direction. The protruding portions 31 are plate-like members extending in the axial direction and protrude outward in the width direction. The protruding portions 31 are arranged inside the hook-shaped portions 24, and their upper and lower surfaces are covered by the hook-shaped portions 24. And the neck mount 30 is fixed to the bracket 21 in a state where the protruding portions 31 are sandwiched by the hook-shaped portions 24. Specifically, a fixing member 40 such as a bolt is used from the vertical direction to fix the protruding portions 31 and the hook-shaped portions 24. Thus, by fixing the protruding portions 31 in a state (contact state) of being sandwiched by the hook-shaped portions 24, the frictional force between the protruding portions 31 and the hook-shaped portions 24 is increased. The improvement of the frictional force will be described later.

[0027] Here, the neck mount 30 may hold the tank 10 in a axially slidable manner. As described above, of the nozzles 12 located at both ends of the tank 10, one nozzle 12 may be fixed to the neck block 13, while the other nozzle 12 does not need to be fixed. This allows the unfixed nozzle 12 to slide axially within the opening of the neck block 13. Therefore, when the neck mount 30 is fastened to a neck block 13 fixed to the nozzles 12, the neck mount 30 holds the tank 10 in a fixed position. When the neck mount 30 is fastened to a neck block 13 not fixed to the nozzles 12, the neck mount 30 holds the tank 10 in a axially slidable manner.

[0028] <Effects> (Improved friction) Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the tank mounting structure 200 as viewed from the front. The tank mounting structure 200 has the same configuration as the tank mounting structure 100 but without the hook-shaped portion 24. As shown in Figure 2, in the tank mounting structure 200, the protruding portion 31 of the neck mount 30 is fixed to the horizontal portion 123 of the bracket 121 using a fixing member 40. Since the horizontal portion 123 does not have a hook-shaped portion, only the lower surface of the protruding portion 31 contacts the horizontal portion 123. In contrast, in the tank mounting structure 100, as shown in Figure 1, the protruding portion 31 is fixed to the horizontal portion 23 while being sandwiched between the hook-shaped portion 24. Therefore, the upper and lower surfaces of the protruding portion 31 contact the hook-shaped portion 24.

[0029] Thus, in the tank mounting structure 200, there is one contact surface between the protrusion 31 and the bracket 121, whereas in the tank mounting structure 100, there are two contact surfaces between the protrusion 31 and the bracket 21. Therefore, the frictional force between the protrusion 31 and the hook-shaped portion 24 (horizontal portion 23) is increased in the tank mounting structure 100 compared to the tank mounting structure 200. As a result of the increased frictional force, when the tank mounting structure 100 is transported using a means of transport such as a truck, slippage of the neck mount 30 is suppressed, and therefore loosening of the fixing member 40 is also suppressed. Therefore, with the tank mounting structure 100, a sufficient safety factor can be ensured without increasing the number of fixing members. Also, since there is no need to increase the number of fixing members, the protrusion 31 does not need to be made large. Therefore, with the tank mounting structure 100, the weight increase required to ensure safety can be suppressed.

[0030] (Improved load-bearing capacity) As described above, the hook-shaped portion 24 covers the protruding portion 31. Therefore, the neck mount 30 has improved load-bearing capacity against upward input. In Figure 1, the vertical portion 21 located on the left side is fixed to the frame 20. Consequently, a downward moment is applied to the protruding portion 31 located on the right side, and an upward moment is applied to the protruding portion 31 located on the left side (arrow in Figure 1). In this way, when an upward moment is applied to the neck mount 30, the hook-shaped portion 24 acts as a stopper on its upper surface, thereby improving load-bearing capacity.

[0031] (Reduction of the moment applied to the fixing point between frame 20 and bracket 21) As described above, the tank mounting structure 100 has improved load-bearing capacity against upward moments by being equipped with the hook-shaped portion 24. This effect can be used to shorten the length of the horizontal portion 23.

[0032] Comparing Figures 1 and 2, the length of the horizontal section 23 is shorter than the length of the horizontal section 123 by the length indicated by W1 in Figure 1. When mounting the tank 10 on the frame 20, it may be difficult to change the position of the tank 10. Therefore, in Figures 1 and 2, the tank 10 is positioned in the same location. On the other hand, the position of the neck mount 30 can be changed. For this reason, in Figure 1, only the neck mount 30 is moved towards the frame 20. Here, the tank mounting structure 200 uses a rectangular neck block 113, but this cannot be used as is in the tank mounting structure 100. Therefore, the tank mounting structure 100 uses a rhombus-shaped neck block 13. As a result, the center X of the neck mount 30 is located closer to the frame 20 than the axial center O of the tank. The center X of the neck mount 30 is the intersection of the lines that bisect the widthwise length and the vertical length of the neck mount 30 in a front view. For example, the length W2 of the widthwise component between center X and center O may be in the range of greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 15 mm, or in the range of 5 mm or more and less than or equal to 15 mm.

[0033] Thus, when the center X of the neck mount 30 is located closer to the frame 20 than the axial center O of the tank, the load of the tank 10 causes a larger upper moment to be applied to the left protrusion 31 compared to Figure 2. However, as described above, the tank mounting structure 100 has a hook-shaped portion 24, which can accommodate this increase in moment.

[0034] Focusing on the fixing point between the frame 20 and the bracket 21 (vertical portion 22), the shorter length of the horizontal portion 22 reduces the moment applied to this fixing point. This makes it easier to hold the fixing point. Furthermore, focusing on the joint between the vertical portion 22 and the horizontal portion 23, the moment applied to this joint is reduced. This broadens the range of materials that can be used for the bracket and allows for the use of lighter brackets.

[0035] The tank mounting structure of the present disclosure has been described above using one embodiment. According to the tank mounting structure of the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress the increase in weight while ensuring safety. [Examples]

[0036] The tank mounting structure of this disclosure will be further described below with reference to examples.

[0037] Following Figures 1 and 2, the tank mounting structures for the embodiment and comparative examples 1 and 2 were constructed. The embodiment is a test example having a hook-shaped portion. In the embodiment, one protrusion was fixed using four bolts. Comparative examples 1 and 2 are test examples without a hook-shaped portion. In comparative example 1, one protrusion was fixed using four bolts. In comparative example 2, one protrusion was fixed using six bolts.

[0038] For the examples and comparative examples 1 and 2, the safety factor was calculated based on the conditions in Table 1. Cases where the safety factor was less than 1 were evaluated as "×", and cases where it was 1 or greater were evaluated as "○".

[0039] Here, we will explain each item in Table 1. "Axial force" refers to the axial force of the bolts that fix the protruding part. "Inter-face friction force" refers to the friction force between the protruding part and the horizontal part. Comparative Examples 1 and 2 do not have hook-shaped parts, so it refers to the inter-face friction force between the horizontal part and the lower surface of the protruding part. Example 1 has hook-shaped parts, so the hook-shaped parts are in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the protruding part. Therefore, in Example 1, the sum of the inter-face friction forces between the hook-shaped parts and the upper and lower surfaces of the protruding part is used. "Safety factor" refers to a coefficient obtained by the ratio of the material's standard strength to its allowable stress, and indicates how much margin there is against the applied load. The axial force, inter-face friction force, and safety factor are calculated using predetermined simulation software. The calculation conditions for the safety factor include the number of bolts, axial force, inter-face friction force, etc.

[0040] [Table 1]

[0041] As shown in Table 1, the safety factor of the example was 1 or greater, and was higher than that of Comparative Examples 1 and 2. This is thought to be because the frictional force between the joining surfaces was increased by using the hook-shaped portion. Compared with Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the frictional force between the joining surfaces of the example was approximately twice as high.

[0042] The safety factor of Comparative Example 1 was less than 1. This is thought to be because the frictional force between the joint surfaces was reduced due to the absence of a hook-shaped portion. In contrast, the safety factor of Comparative Example 2 was 1 or greater. This is thought to be because the number of bolts was increased by 1.5 times compared to Comparative Example 1. However, even with a 1.5-fold increase in the number of bolts, the safety factor of Comparative Example 2 was still lower than that of Example 1. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 10, 110 tanks 11, 111 Tank body 12, 112 nozzles 13, 113 Neck Block 20, 120 frames 21, 121 brackets 22, 122 Vertical section 23, 123 horizontal part 24 Unicum 30 Neck Mount 31 Protrusion 40 Fixing member 100, 200 Tank-mounted structure 100

Claims

1. Tank and, The frame on which the aforementioned tank is mounted, The tank is supported by a neck mount having a rectangular cross-section in the axial direction, The tank has a cylindrical body that extends in the axial direction of the tank, The neck mount has protrusions at both ends in the width direction, The width direction is the width direction of the tank, The frame has a bracket for fixing the neck mount, The bracket has a hook-shaped portion that covers the protruding portion, The neck mount is fixed to the bracket with the protruding portion sandwiched between the hook-shaped portion. The bracket is connected horizontally to the frame, The center of the neck mount is located closer to the frame than the axial center of the tank. The center of the neck mount is the intersection of lines that bisect the widthwise and vertical lengths of the neck mount when viewed from the axial direction of the tank. Tank-mounted structure.

2. The tank mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the neck mount holds the tank so as to be slidable in the axial direction.

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