Distributor and high-pressure h2 system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a distributor (110) for a high-pressure H2 system (100), the distributor (110) comprising a main body (120) having a number of radial and / or axial interfaces (124) for connecting the distributor (110) to a refueling infrastructure (150) and / or the high-pressure H2 system (100), the number of interfaces (124) being interconnected in order to distribute fluid along the main body (120) via a main bore (122), and at least one of the number of interfaces (124) comprising a screw plug (130) and a sealing plate (140) for sealing the at least one interface (124). The invention also relates to a high-pressure H2 system (100) which comprises at least one distributor (110).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] title

[0003] Distributor AND H2 high-pressure system

[0004] State of the art

[0005] Common distributors for high-pressure hydrogen systems include various structures with one or more inlets and a number of outlets for distributing the hydrogen. Common distributors for high-pressure hydrogen systems are designed for pressures up to 700 bar, and even higher in the future. Using the distributors with a gas such as hydrogen requires a careful choice of distributor material.

[0006] Known manifolds include radial interfaces for connecting the manifold to refueling infrastructure, tanks, and / or other units of a high-pressure H2 system. Typically, pipes are used to connect the manifold to the other units of the high-pressure H2 system. The pipes are inserted into the radial interfaces and secured by locking devices. One known method for securing pipes to the radial interfaces of a manifold involves screwing locking devices such as coupling nuts onto threads of the radial interfaces.

[0007] As the pipes are pushed into the radial interfaces, the threads of the radial interfaces tend to be forced outward in a radial direction. This deformation causes problems for the pipe connection to the manifold. The threads can be deformed if the connection is forced and / or the connection does not provide a simple, secure, repeatable, and / or reliable connection due to the deformation of the interfaces.

[0008] Disclosure of the Invention The invention claims a distributor for a high-pressure H2 system having the features of independent claim 1. Furthermore, the invention discloses a high-pressure H2 system with at least one distributor having the features of independent claim 10. Further advantages and details of the invention emerge from the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings. In this context, features described with respect to the distributor according to the invention naturally also apply to the high-pressure H2 system, and vice versa, so that with regard to the disclosure concerning the individual aspects of the invention, a mutual reference always occurs or can occur.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, the invention discloses a distributor for a high-pressure H2 system. The distributor comprises a main body having a number of radial and / or axial interfaces for connecting the distributor to a refueling infrastructure and / or the high-pressure H2 system. The plurality of interfaces are interconnected to distribute fluid via a main body having a number of radial and / or axial interfaces for connecting the distributor to a refueling infrastructure and / or the high-pressure H2 system, wherein the number of interfaces are interconnected via a main bore along the main body. At least one of the number of interfaces comprises a screw plug and a sealing plate for sealing the respective at least one interface.

[0010] The distributor preferably comprises a tube-like shape and / or a cylindrical shape. The main function of the distributor is to distribute the hydrogen between the axial and / or radial interfaces. The axial and radial interfaces are preferably interchangeable with regard to their function as input and / or output interfaces. The radial interfaces extend radially from the main body. Preferably, the plurality of radial interfaces extend from the main body parallel to one another and / or in line with one another.

[0011] The distributor comprises the main body, which is preferably understood as a single piece of material. The main body is preferably understood to be a rectilinear main body and / or a main body along a virtual axis. The axial interfaces of the distributor are preferably arranged in line with the virtual axis of the main body. The radial interfaces are preferably arranged radially with respect to the virtual axis of the main body. The distributor preferably comprises only two, only a single, or no axial interfaces. The distributor preferably comprises a number of radial interfaces, preferably at least five or more.

[0012] The main body further comprises a main bore along the main body. The fluid is distributed to the interfaces via the main bore along the main body. The main bore is preferably understood to be a bored, drilled, and / or otherwise machined cavity along the main body. The high-pressure H2 system preferably comprises at least one tank for hydrogen and / or at least one hydrogen consumer, for example an engine and / or a drive unit of a vehicle. The refueling infrastructure is preferably understood to be some type of filling station, a stationary or mobile tank unit, and / or another source of fuel, preferably hydrogen.

[0013] The distributor preferably comprises at least one input interface, while the remaining interfaces are preferably used as output interfaces and / or are closed by the at least one screw plug and the at least one sealing plate.

[0014] At least one of the interfaces, preferably some or all of the interfaces, each comprise a locking screw and a sealing plate for sealing the respective interfaces. Preferably, the locking screws are designed identically and / or the sealing plates are designed identically. The at least one locking screw and the at least one sealing plate are preferably designed as separate parts and / or are at least partially attached to one another. The at least one locking screw and the at least one sealing plate are preferably at least partially movable relative to one another. The at least one locking screw and the at least one sealing plate fulfill the joint task of sealing the respective interface. In other words, the locking screw and the sealing plate are preferably understood together as a sealing system for a respective interface.Preferably, only the sealing plate is arranged in the respective interface in such a way that a fluid, in particular hydrogen, in the distributor comes into contact with the sealing plate. In other words, the screw plug is preferably arranged in the respective interface in such a way that a fluid, in particular hydrogen, in the distributor does not come into contact with the screw plug. A distributor, in particular an interface, a screw plug and a sealing plate designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the screw plug is cheaper to produce and / or no attention needs to be paid to the fluid, in particular hydrogen, in the distributor. For example, the screw plug is produced from relatively inexpensive carbon steel, which is generally not used for parts that come into contact with hydrogen.The sealing plate is preferably made of the same material as the main body of the distributor.

[0015] Preferably, the sealing function of the sealing plate is enabled by placing the sealing plate in a respective interface and then screwing the locking screw into the respective interface, in particular wherein the sealing plate is held in position in the interface by the locking screw. A seal for a distributor for a high-pressure H2 system preferably does not include a rubber flat gasket at all, since a rubber flat gasket is neither suitable for the pressure in such a system nor for contact with hydrogen.

[0016] The sealing plate is preferably round or substantially round. The wording "X or substantially X" should be understood in the context of the invention as a possible minor deviation, for example due to manufacturing tolerances, material and / or process properties, which does not change the underlying intended function of the feature. Sealing at least one of the interfaces with a screw plug and a sealing plate enables a more extensive and / or flexible use of distributors with a number of radial and / or axial interfaces. Additional interfaces of distributors with more interfaces than required for a particular application can be easily sealed with the screw plug and sealing plate according to the inventive distributor.This reduces the production costs of manifolds because the same manifolds can be used for a wider range of applications.

[0017] The distributor designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the distributor, the at least one screw plug and the at least one sealing plate enable advantageous distribution of hydrogen and connection to a refueling infrastructure and / or the H2 high-pressure system through the at least one radial and / or axial interface, wherein the at least one screw plug and the at least one sealing plate enable sealing of at least one respective interface of the distributor in a relatively simple manner.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a distributor is provided, wherein the sealing plate and / or the distributor and / or the screw plug comprise at least one protruding element, wherein the at least one protruding element protrudes from the sealing plate and / or the distributor and / or the screw plug. The at least one protruding element is preferably designed as a protruding sealing element.

[0019] The sealing function of the sealing plate is preferably provided by securing the sealing plate in position with the locking screw. The locking screw preferably clamps the sealing plate to the respective interface. A sealing pressure of the sealing plate and the locking screw is preferably increased by the sealing plate and / or the distributor and / or the locking screw comprising at least one projecting element. The projecting element preferably reduces the area of ​​the sealing plate and the distributor or the sealing plate and the locking screw that are in contact with each other, and thereby increases the applied sealing pressure with respect to an identical force provided by the thread of the locking screw. The projecting element is preferably designed integrally with the sealing plate and / or the distributor and / or the locking screw.The at least one protruding element is preferably designed as a protruding ring on the sealing plate and / or the distributor and / or the screw plug. The distributor designed in this manner is particularly advantageous because the at least one protruding element of the sealing plate and / or the distributor and / or the screw plug enables advantageous sealing of the at least one respective interface of the distributor in a particularly simple manner.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a distributor is provided, wherein the at least one protruding element is designed as a biting edge that protrudes from the sealing plate and / or the distributor and / or the closure screw. The at least one protruding element, which is designed as a biting edge, is preferably designed to at least partially deform the sealing plate and / or the distributor. The biting edge is preferably designed to engage the opposing surface of the sealing plate and / or the distributor in order to provide a high contact pressure. The biting edge is preferably designed with a triangular, preferably trapezoidal, cross-section. The at least one biting edge is preferably designed as a protruding edge, preferably an edge with a rounded profile, on the sealing plate and / or the distributor and / or the closure screw.The distributor designed in this way is particularly advantageous since the at least one biting edge of the sealing plate and / or the distributor and / or the screw plug enables advantageous sealing of at least one respective interface of the distributor in a particularly simple manner.

[0021] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a distributor is provided, wherein the sealing plate is arranged between a counter-sealing surface of the distributor and the closure screw, in particular wherein the counter-sealing surface is aligned at an angle, in particular a right angle, to a flow direction of the respective at least one of the number of interfaces. As described above, the seal is preferably provided by the sealing plate being clamped to the interface by the closure screw. The counter-sealing surface of the distributor, in particular the interface, provides an advantageous surface to which the sealing plate is clamped and on which a seal is formed. The counter-sealing surface is aligned at an angle, in particular at a right angle, to a flow direction of the respective at least one of the number of interfaces.The flow direction of an interface is preferably understood as a main direction of a flowing fluid through the respective interface. The flow direction of an axial interface is preferably in line with the main bore. The flow direction of a radial interface is preferably perpendicular to the main bore. The counter sealing surface is preferably oriented perpendicular to a screwing direction of the screw plug and / or perpendicular to the thread of the respective interface as described in a subsequent paragraph. The counter sealing surface is preferably designed as a smooth surface to provide an advantageous sealing surface.The distributor designed in this way is particularly advantageous since the at least one screw plug and the at least one sealing plate enable sealing on a counter sealing surface of at least one respective interface of the distributor in a particularly simple manner.

[0022] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a distributor is provided, wherein the screw plug and the sealing plate are made of different materials and / or wherein the screw plug comprises a corrosion protection layer, in particular a zinc and / or nickel (ZnNi) coating. The production of the screw plug and the sealing plate from different materials is particularly advantageous because the screw plug is preferably cheaper to produce and / or no attention needs to be paid to the fluid, in particular hydrogen, in the distributor. For example, the screw plug is produced from relatively inexpensive carbon steel, which is generally not used for parts that come into contact with hydrogen. The sealing plate is preferably made from the same material as the main body of the distributor.The screw plug preferably comprises a corrosion protection layer, in particular a zinc and / or nickel (ZnNi) coating, to protect the screw plug from corrosion. The screw plug is generally at least partially in contact with the surroundings of the distributor and is thus susceptible to corrosion. A corrosion protection layer enables a simple and reliable solution for providing a long service life and a secure seal through the screw plug. The distributor designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the structural configurations of the at least one screw plug and the at least one sealing plate enable sealing of the at least one respective interface of the distributor in a particularly simple manner.

[0023] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a distributor is provided, wherein the screw plug comprises an external thread and the at least one of the plurality of interfaces comprises an internal thread for screwing the screw plug into the distributor and / or clamping the sealing plate between the at least one of the plurality of interfaces and the screw plug. The internal thread of the at least one interface provides advantageous structural strength for connection to the screw plug and thus for sealing between the sealing plate and the respective interface. Preferably, as mentioned above, all of the plurality of interfaces are identical or substantially identical. In view of the aforementioned features, preferably all interfaces comprise an internal thread for screwing the screw plug into the interfaces.A screw plug with an external thread is particularly easy to produce at low cost and with little material. The internal thread at the interface and the external thread on the screw plug allow for an advantageously small installation and / or mounting space for the distributor. Preferably, the internal thread of the interface is long and / or deep enough to completely embed the screw plug in the interface. The distributor designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the structural configurations of the at least one screw plug and the respective interface enable sealing of the at least one respective interface of the distributor in a particularly simple manner.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a distributor is provided, wherein the closure screw comprises a locating element and the sealing plate comprises a counter-locating element, wherein the locating element and the counter-locating element are at least partially interlocking and / or designed to locate the sealing plate relative to the closure screw. The closure screw and the sealing plate are preferably at least partially separate and / or movable relative to one another. Thus, an arrangement of the sealing plate relative to the closure screw is desirable for a secure and repeatable sealing of a respective interface. The locating element and the counter-locating element provide a simple solution for locating the sealing plate relative to the closure screw. Preferably, the sealing plate is centered by the arrangement of the sealing plate relative to the closure screw.Preferably, the arranging element and the counter-arranging element are at least partially interlocking, wherein the positioning of the sealing plate with respect to the screw plug is guided and / or restricted by the arranging element and the counter-arranging element. For example, the arranging element is designed as a protruding arranging element and the counter-arranging element is designed as a recessed counter-arranging element to allow arrangement of the sealing plate with respect to the screw plug. The distributor designed in this way is particularly advantageous because the structural configurations of the at least one screw plug and the at least one sealing plate enable arrangement of the at least one screw plug and the at least one sealing plate and sealing of the at least one respective interface of the distributor in a particularly simple manner.

[0024] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a distributor is provided, wherein the distributor and / or the sealing plate are made at least partially of steel, in particular austenitic stainless steel, and / or the distributor is manufactured at least partially by a forging process, a casting process, a machining process, a 3D printing process, and / or a die-casting process. The choice of austenitic stainless steel for the distributor, in particular for the main body, and / or the sealing plate is particularly advantageous for use of the distributor with a high-pressure H2 system, since austenitic stainless steel has a high resistance to hydrogen embrittlement.Preferred methods for manufacturing the manifold include a machining process combined with a forging process, a casting process, or 3D printing to reduce production costs, increase the quality of the manifold, and / or enable a simple and fast production cycle. The manifold designed in this manner is particularly advantageous because the structural configurations and material of the manifold and / or the sealing plate enable sealing of at least one respective interface of the manifold in a particularly simple manner.

[0025] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a distributor is provided, wherein the sealing plate comprises a first diameter and the main bore comprises a second diameter, wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter, in particular at least 125% or at least 150% larger. In other words, the sealing plate is preferably larger than the main bore, so that the main bore can be advantageously sealed. The distributor and / or the at least one interface preferably comprise a region with a larger radius for the arrangement of the sealing plate. Preferably, the aforementioned counter-sealing plate provides a transition from the main bore to the region with the larger radius for the sealing plate.The distributor designed in this way is particularly advantageous since the design configurations of the distributor and / or the sealing plate enable sealing of at least one respective interface of the distributor in a particularly simple manner.

[0026] According to the second aspect of the invention, the invention discloses a high-pressure H2 system. The high-pressure H2 system comprises at least one distributor according to the first aspect. The described high-pressure H2 system has all the advantages already described for the distributor according to the first aspect of the invention. The distributor and the high-pressure H2 system are preferably attached to one another by at least one of the radial and / or axial interfaces. A distributor for a high-pressure H2 system and a high-pressure H2 system according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. The figures schematically show:

[0027] Figure 1 shows a distributor of a high-pressure H2 system in a side sectional view,

[0028] Figure 2 shows an interface of a distributor in a detailed side sectional view,

[0029] Figure 3 shows another interface of a distributor in a detailed side sectional view, and

[0030] Figure 4 shows another interface of a distributor in a detailed side sectional view.

[0031] Features with the same function or the same operating principle are provided with the same reference numerals in Figs. 1 to 4.

[0032] Fig. 1 shows a side sectional view of a distributor 110 of a high-pressure H2 system 100. The distributor 110 comprises a main body 120 with three radial and two axial interfaces 124 for connecting the distributor 110 to a refueling infrastructure 150 and the high-pressure H2 system 100. The plurality of interfaces 124 are interconnected to distribute fluid via a main bore 122 along the main body 120, wherein two of the plurality of interfaces 124 each comprise a plug screw 130 and a sealing plate 140 for sealing the respective interfaces 124. The sealing plates 140 are each arranged between a mating sealing surface 112 of the distributor 110 and the plug screw 130, wherein the mating sealing surfaces 112 are oriented perpendicular to a flow direction of the respective interfaces 124. The locking screws 130 and the sealing plate 140 are made of different materials.The plug screws 130 include a corrosion protection layer. Fig. 2 shows a detailed side sectional view of an interface 124 of a manifold 110. The interface 124 is designed as part of a main body 120 of the manifold. The interface 124 includes a plug screw 130 and a sealing plate 140 for sealing the respective interface 124. The plug screw 130 and the sealing plate 140 are made of different materials. The manifold 110 includes a protruding element 142, wherein the protruding element 142 protrudes from the manifold 110. The protruding element 142 is designed as a biting edge that protrudes from the manifold 110. The sealing plate 140 is arranged between a counter sealing surface 112 of the distributor 110 and the locking screw 130, wherein the counter sealing surface 112 is aligned at right angles to a flow direction of the respective interface 124.The counter sealing surface 112 is provided by the protruding element 142. The plug screw 130 includes an external thread 132, and the interface 124 includes an internal thread 126 for screwing the plug screw 130 into the manifold 110 and clamping the sealing plate 140 between the interface 124, here the counter sealing surface 112, and the plug screw 130. The manifold 110 and the sealing plate 140 are made at least partially of steel, in particular austenitic stainless steel.

[0033] Fig. 3 shows a detailed side sectional view of another interface 124 of a manifold 110. The interface 124 is designed as part of a main body 120 of the manifold. The interface 124 includes a locking screw 130 and a sealing plate 140 for sealing the respective interface 124. The locking screw 130 and the sealing plate 140 are made of different materials. The sealing plate 140 includes a protruding element 142, wherein the protruding element 142 protrudes from the sealing plate 140. The protruding element 142 is designed as a biting edge that protrudes from the sealing plate 140. The sealing plate 140 is arranged between a counter sealing surface 112 of the distributor 110 and the locking screw 130, wherein the counter sealing surface 112 is aligned at right angles to a flow direction of the respective interface 124.The plug screw 130 includes an external thread 132, and the interface 124 includes an internal thread 126 for screwing the plug screw 130 into the manifold 110 and clamping the sealing plate 140 between the interface 124, here the counter sealing surface 112, and the plug screw 130. The manifold 110 and the sealing plate 140 are made at least partially of steel, in particular austenitic stainless steel. The sealing plate 140 has a first diameter D1, and the main bore 122 has a second diameter D2, wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.

[0034] Fig. 4 shows a detailed side sectional view of another interface 124 of a distributor 110. The interface 124 is designed as part of a main body 120 of the distributor. The interface 124 includes a plug screw 130 and a sealing plate 140 for sealing the respective interface 124. The plug screw 130 and the sealing plate 140 are made of different materials. The sealing plate 140 is arranged between a mating sealing surface 112 of the distributor 110 and the plug screw 130, with the mating sealing surface 112 being oriented perpendicular to a flow direction of the respective interface 124.The plug screw 130 includes an external thread 132, and the interface 124 includes an internal thread 126 for screwing the plug screw 130 into the manifold 110 and clamping the sealing plate 140 between the interface 124, here the mating sealing surface 112, and the plug screw 130. The manifold 110 and the sealing plate 140 are made at least partially of austenitic stainless steel. The plug screw 130 includes a locating element 134 protruding from the plug screw 130. The protruding locating element 134 is designed as a biting edge. The sealing plate 140 includes a mating locating element 144, wherein the locating element 134 and the mating locating element 144 are at least partially interlocking and configured to locate the sealing plate 140 relative to the plug screw 130.

Claims

Claims 1 . A distributor (110) for a high-pressure H2 system (100), the distributor (110) comprising a main body (120) having a number of radial and / or axial interfaces (124) for connecting the distributor (110) to a refueling infrastructure (150) and / or the high-pressure H2 system (100), the number of interfaces (124) being interconnected to distribute fluid via a main bore (122) along the main body (120), at least one of the number of interfaces (124) comprising a screw plug (130) and a sealing plate (140) for sealing the respective at least one interface (124).

2. Distributor (110) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing plate (140) and / or the distributor (110) and / or the closure screw (130) comprise at least one projecting element (142) or the projecting arrangement element (134), wherein the at least one projecting element (142) or the projecting arrangement element (134) protrudes from the sealing plate (140) and / or the distributor (110) and / or the closure screw (130).

3. Distributor (110) according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one projecting element (142) or the projecting arrangement element (134) is designed as a biting edge which projects from the sealing plate (140) and / or the distributor (110) and / or the closure screw (130).

4. Distributor (110) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing plate (140) is arranged between a counter sealing surface (112) of the distributor (110) and the screw plug (130), in particular wherein the counter sealing surface (112) is aligned at an angle, in particular a right angle, to a flow direction of the respective at least one of the number of interfaces (124).

5. Distributor (110) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure screw (130) and the sealing plate (140) are made of different materials and / or wherein the closure screw (130) comprises a corrosion protection layer, in particular a zinc and / or nickel (ZnNi) coating.

6. Distributor (110) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the screw plug (130) comprises an external thread (132) and the at least one of the plurality of interfaces (124) comprises an internal thread (126) in order to screw the screw plug (130) into the distributor (110) and / or to clamp the sealing plate (140) between the at least one of the plurality of interfaces (124) and the screw plug (130).

7. Distributor (110) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure screw (130) comprises a projecting arranging element (134) and the sealing plate (140) comprises a counter-arranging element (144), wherein the projecting arranging element (134) and the counter-arranging element (144) are at least partially interlocking and / or designed to arrange the sealing plate (140) with respect to the closure screw (130).

8. Distributor (110) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distributor (110) and / or the sealing plate (140) are made at least partly from steel, in particular austenitic stainless steel, and / or the distributor (110) is at least partly produced by a forging process. a casting process, a machining process, a 3D printing process and / or a die-casting process.

9. Distributor (110) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing plate (140) comprises a first diameter (D1) and the main bore (122) comprises a second diameter (D2), wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter, in particular at least 125% or at least 150% larger.

10. H2 high-pressure system (100) comprising at least one distributor (110) according to one of the preceding claims.

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