Cartridge tank

Abstract

To provide a cartridge tank that can be arranged on an outer periphery of a tank without necessarily using an adhesive, and is equipped with a heat insulating material layer capable of accommodating variation in dimensions of the tank.SOLUTION: A heat insulating material layer is provided on an external surface of a tank body. The heat insulating material layer has a sheet material made of a heat insulating material. The sheet material is formed into a cylindrical shape. The sheet material has a plurality of small pieces arranged in a circumferential direction by forming a plurality of cuts extending in a cylindrical axial direction at an axial end part of the tank body, and the end parts of adjacent small pieces overlap to narrow a cylindrical opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cartridge tank.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a tank for storing gas, in which a heat storage material layer is provided on the outer surface of the tank body, and an impact recording layer is provided on the outer surface of the heat storage material layer. This impact recording layer is provided on the outermost layer of the tank and is composed of a heat insulating material layer having a heat insulating function capable of holding and recording deformation due to impact.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, especially in the case of a relatively small tank, it is necessary to arrange the heat insulating material over the entire outer circumference of the tank. When the heat insulating material is attached to the entire outer circumference of the tank, if it is attached with an adhesive, the workability deteriorates, or it is difficult to attach the heat insulating material properly due to variations in the overall length and outer diameter dimensions of the tank.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure provides a cartridge tank equipped with a heat insulating material layer that can be arranged on the outer circumference of the tank without necessarily using an adhesive and can also cope with variations in the dimensions of the tank.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention discloses a cartridge tank that is detachable from equipment, wherein the outer surface of the tank body is provided with a thermal insulation layer, the thermal insulation layer has a sheet material made of thermal insulation, the sheet material is formed in a cylindrical shape, and at the axial end of the tank body, the sheet material has a plurality of notches extending in the axial direction of the cylinder and arranged in the circumferential direction, thereby providing a plurality of small pieces arranged in the circumferential direction, and the cylindrical opening is narrowed as the ends of adjacent small pieces overlap.

[0007] When three small pieces arranged adjacently in one direction in the circumferential direction are designated as the first, second, and third small pieces, the second small piece can be configured to overlap the first small piece so as to fit underneath it, and overlap the third small piece so as to fit underneath it.

[0008] The small pieces have holes, and multiple small pieces can be fastened together by passing a string-like fastener through the holes in multiple small pieces. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, by overlapping the ends of multiple small pieces formed by notches, it is possible to accommodate variations in the outer diameter of the tank body, and it becomes possible to fix the insulation material to the tank without necessarily using adhesive, thereby improving work efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the cartridge tank 10. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an external perspective view showing the area around the side end portion 12b of the tank body 11. [Figure 3] Figure 3 illustrates the configuration of the sheet material 15. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] 1. Cartridge Tank The cartridge tank 10 is a component that includes a container for storing a fuel fluid (hydrogen in this embodiment) in a liquid or gaseous state. A diagram for explanation is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1(a) is an external view of the cartridge tank 10 (the enclosed tank body 11 is shown by a dotted line), and Figure 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge tank 10 along the axis O of the tank body 11. As can be seen from these figures, in this embodiment the cartridge tank 10 has a tank body 11 and a case 20. Furthermore, the tank body 11 comprises a liner 12, a reinforcing layer 13, and an insulating layer 14 that constitute the container portion, and also has a nozzle 17, an on / off valve 18, and a fusible plug 19.

[0012] 1.1. Raina The liner 12 is a hollow component that partitions the internal space of the container portion in the tank body 11, and in this embodiment it is cylindrical. The liner 12 has a body portion 12a with a generally constant diameter, and the openings at both ends are narrowed by dome-shaped side ends 12b, with a nozzle 17 positioned in the narrowed opening 12c. The liner 12 only needs to be made of a material that can hold the contents (e.g., hydrogen) contained in its internal space without leakage, and any known material can be used. Specifically, it can be made of nylon resin, polyethylene-based synthetic resin, stainless steel, aluminum, or other metals. Among these, from the viewpoint of reducing the weight of the tank, the material constituting the liner is preferably synthetic resin. The thickness of the liner 12 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably between 0.5 mm and 3.0 mm.

[0013] 1.2. Reinforcement layer The reinforcing layer 13 is one of the components that make up the container portion. Multiple layers of fibers are laminated around the outer circumference of the liner 12, and these fibers are impregnated with hardened resin. The reinforcing layer 13 ensures the strength of the liner 12 against internal pressure and enhances its fire resistance. The fiber layer is formed by wrapping fiber bundles around the outer circumference of the liner 12 in multiple layers to a predetermined thickness. The thickness of the reinforcing layer 13 and the number of fiber bundles are determined by the required strength and are not particularly limited, but are typically around 10mm to 30mm. In particular, portable cartridge tanks (carry-type cartridge tanks) have a smaller outer diameter than fixed hydrogen tanks installed in automobiles, so from the standpoint of ensuring strength, the number of layers of the reinforcing layer tends to be smaller (i.e., the reinforcing layer becomes thinner), but this also tends to reduce fire resistance. Therefore, especially in portable cartridge tanks, fire resistance can be effectively improved by placing an insulating layer around the entire outer circumference of the container, as will be described later.

[0014] <Fiber bundle> The fiber bundles of the reinforcing layer 13 use, for example, carbon fibers, and the fiber bundles are in the shape of a strip with a predetermined cross-sectional shape (for example, a rectangular cross-section) formed by bundles of carbon fibers. Specifically, there are no particular limitations, but the cross-sectional shape is a rectangle with a width of 6 mm to 20 mm and a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. There are no particular limitations on the amount of carbon fibers contained in the fiber bundle, but for example, it consists of about 36,000 carbon fibers.

[0015] <Impregnation resin> The resin impregnated and cured in the fibers (fiber bundles) in the reinforcing layer 13 is not particularly limited as long as it can increase the strength of the fibers. Examples include thermosetting resins that harden with heat, specifically epoxy resins and unsaturated polyester resins containing amine-based or anhydride-based curing accelerators and rubber-based reinforcing agents. In addition, resin compositions that harden by mixing epoxy resin as the main component with a curing agent can also be mentioned. With this method, the resin composition, which is the mixture of the main component and the curing agent, reaches and penetrates the fiber layer between the time of mixing and the hardening, causing it to harden automatically.

[0016] 1.3. Insulation layer The heat insulation material layer 14 is arranged to cover the outer periphery of the reinforcing layer 13 and is a layer arranged to form the outermost layer of the container portion of the tank body 11. The heat insulation material layer 14 is a member including a sheet-shaped heat insulation material and is provided so as to be wound around the reinforcing layer 13. Thereby, the fire resistance performance of the tank body 11 is enhanced. The material constituting the heat insulation material is not particularly limited as long as it has heat insulation properties, and for example, expanded graphite can be cited. Expanded graphite expands when it reaches a certain temperature or higher and exhibits sufficient fire resistance performance.

[0017] As described above, the heat insulation material layer 14 is arranged to cover the outer periphery of the reinforcing layer 13. However, the heat insulation material layer 14 is not only on the outside of the body portion 12a but also continuously (with one sheet-shaped heat insulation material) wound around and arranged on the outside of the side end portion 12b whose diameter gradually decreases. Therefore, in this embodiment, the portion of the heat insulation material layer 14 arranged outside the side end portion 12b is in the form described below. Figures 2 and 3 show diagrams for explanation. Figure 2 is a view of the tank body 11 seen from the direction of arrow II in Figure 1(a) and is a view seen from the outside of one side end portion 12b. The outside of the other side end portion 12b can be considered similarly. Figure 3 is a diagram for further explaining the heat insulation material layer 14. Figure 3(a) schematically shows a state where the sheet material 15 constituting the heat insulation material layer 14 is spread out, and Figure 3(b) schematically shows a state where the sheet material 15 is formed into a cylindrical shape. As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the heat insulation material layer 14 is composed of a sheet material 15 and a fastening material 16.

[0018] <Form of Sheet Material and Fastening Material> The sheet material 15 is a sheet-shaped member composed of a heat insulation material such as expanded graphite as described above. As can be seen from Figure 3(a), the sheet material 15 is a rectangular sheet in a spread state, and a plurality of cuts 15a extending in a direction approaching each other are provided along the sides on two opposite sides out of the four sides (in Figures 2 and 3, the signs of the cuts 15a are attached only to some cuts for easy viewing. The same applies to other parts hereinafter). Thereby, a plurality of small pieces 15b separated by the cuts 15a are arranged in a direction along the sides. The depth of the notch 15a indicated by D in FIG. 3(a) is not limited, but is preferably about the same as the length (path) along the curvature in the cross section of the reinforcing layer 13 disposed at the side end portion 12b indicated by L in FIG. 1(b). This makes it easier to appropriately dispose the sheet material 15 outside the side end portion 12b.

[0019] In addition, holes 15c are provided in each small piece 15b of the sheet material 15. As will be described later, by passing a string-like fastening material 16 through the holes 15c and tightening it, the sheet material 15 is stably held on the outer periphery of the reinforcing layer 13. As the fastening material 16, for example, a metal wire such as an inshlock can be used.

[0020] <Arrangement and aspect of the sheet material> More specifically, the sheet material 15 is disposed on the outer periphery of the reinforcing layer 13 in the following manner, for example, and is held as the heat insulating material layer 14. The sheet material 15 spread as shown in FIG. 3(a) is formed into a cylindrical shape such that a part of the ends of the sides without the notch 15a overlap as shown in FIG. 3(b). The overlapping ends are fixed with staples, adhesives, etc. to maintain the cylindrical shape. Therefore, at both axial ends of the cylinder, the notch 15a and the small pieces 15b (including the holes 15c) are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. The diameter of the cylinder is approximately the same as (or slightly larger than) the diameter of the outer periphery of the reinforcing layer 13 disposed on the body portion 12a. Then, the liner 12 with the reinforcing layer 13 disposed inside the cylinder formed by the sheet material 15 is inserted (the base 17 is already disposed on the liner 12). At this time, the portion where the notch 15a and the small pieces 15b are formed and the outside of the side end portion 12b are arranged to be approximately in the same position.

[0021] The sheet material 15 positioned on the outside of the side end 12b has notches 15a and small pieces 15b formed in it. As can be seen in Figure 2, the ends of adjacent small pieces 15b are sequentially overlapped, narrowing the opening of the cylinder formed by the sheet material 15, so that the sheet material 15 is positioned on the outer circumference of the reinforcing layer 13 along the shape of the side end 12b. The shape is then maintained by fastening it with a string-like fastener 16 passed through the hole 15c.

[0022] The way in which the ends of adjacent small pieces 15b overlap is not particularly limited, but they can be arranged so that adjacent small pieces 15b overlap sequentially in one circumferential direction of the cylinder made of sheet material 15, with the adjacent small pieces 15b on top. That is, when considering the first, second, and third small pieces 15a, which are arranged along that circumferential direction, the second small piece overlaps the first small piece so that it goes under the first small piece (on the reinforcing layer side), and the second small piece overlaps the third small piece so that it is on the upper side (opposite side from the reinforcing layer side), forming a drawstring bag shape.

[0023] <Effects, etc.> By configuring the insulation layer 14 in this way, the degree of overlap of the small pieces 15b on the outside of the side end 12b can be adjusted to absorb variations in the outer diameter and overall length of the tank body 11, and the insulation layer 14 can be properly positioned. Furthermore, with the insulation layer 14 of this embodiment, the insulation material (sheet material 15) can be fixed along the reinforcing layer 13 without using adhesive, thereby improving workability. However, this does not necessarily mean that fixing with adhesive is excluded; it is also possible to use adhesive in combination, which has advantages such as reducing the amount and location of adhesive use. Furthermore, in the area of ​​the insulating layer 14 located on the outside of the side edge 12b, the ends of the small pieces 15b overlap, making it difficult for gaps to form, thus preventing direct flame intrusion and enhancing fire resistance. Although there is a possibility of slight gaps forming between the small pieces 15b of the sheet material 15 in the direction indicated by A in Figure 2, the insulating material forming the sheet material generally has the characteristic of expanding when heated, so this expansion fills any slight gaps that may have existed, more reliably preventing direct flame intrusion. This effect is particularly pronounced when expanded graphite is used for the sheet material 15.

[0024] 1.4. Nozzles, valves, and fusible plugs The nozzles 17 are components attached to each of the two openings 12c of the liner 12, and are positioned at both ends in the direction of the axis O of the liner 12. They function as openings that connect the inside and outside of the container portion and also house valves. One nozzle 17 has an on / off valve 18, and the other nozzle 17 has a fusible plug 19. The material that makes up the nozzle 17 is not particularly limited as long as it has the necessary strength, but examples include stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and iron.

[0025] The on-off valve 18 is a so-called check valve, an on-off valve, which is closed when the cartridge tank 10 is not installed in the equipment in which it is used, and is opened when it is pressed, for example, by a push rod, when it is installed in the equipment.

[0026] The fusible plug 19, also known as a fusible alloy safety valve, is a safety valve that opens when a predetermined temperature is reached, allowing gas (hydrogen) inside the tank to escape. The specific form of the fusible plug 19 is not particularly limited, and known types can be used.

[0027] In this embodiment, the on-off valve 18 and the fusible plug 19 are each positioned on different nozzles 17 and are located on opposite sides of the tank body 11, but the configuration is not necessarily limited to this, and both valves may be positioned on the same nozzle.

[0028] 1.5. Case The case 20 is a component that encloses the tank body 11 and forms the outer casing of the cartridge tank 10, and has a housing 21 and a handle 22. The housing 21 is a cylindrical component and is configured to house the tank body 11 inside. In addition, the housing 21 is provided with holes 21a and 21b at positions where the on-off valve 18 and fusible plug 19 of the housed tank body 11 face each other, allowing access to the on-off valve 18 from the outside and discharge of hydrogen injected from the fusible plug 19 to the outside. The handle 22 is an arch-shaped member located at the end of the housing 21 opposite to the side of the on / off valve 18. The user can use this handle 22 to carry the cartridge tank 10 or to attach and detach the cartridge tank 10 to the equipment that uses it.

[0029] 1.6. Others While there are no particular limitations on the allowable pressure of tank 51, from the perspective of supplying more hydrogen, tanks capable of storing hydrogen at an allowable pressure between 20 MPa and 70 MPa are recommended. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0030] 10...Cartridge tank, 11...Tank body, 12...Liner, 13...Reinforcement layer, 14...Insulation layer, 15...Sheet material, 15b...Small piece, 17...Fastener, 18...On / off valve, 19...Fusing plug, 20...Case

Claims

1. A cartridge tank that can be attached to and removed from the device, The outer surface of the tank body is provided with an insulating layer. The aforementioned insulation layer has a sheet material made of an insulation material containing expanded graphite, and the sheet material is formed in a cylindrical shape. The sheet material is provided with a plurality of small pieces arranged in the circumferential direction, formed at the axial end of the tank body, extending in the axial direction of the cylindrical shape. The ends of adjacent small pieces overlap, narrowing the cylindrical opening. The small pieces are provided with holes, and a metal wire, which is a fastening material, is passed through the holes in the multiple small pieces, thereby fastening the multiple small pieces together. Cartridge tank.

2. The cartridge tank according to claim 1, wherein when the three small pieces arranged adjacently in one direction in the circumferential direction are designated as the first small piece, the second small piece, and the third small piece, the second small piece is arranged to overlap the first small piece so as to fit underneath it, and to overlap the third small piece so as to fit underneath it.

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