Compressed Gas Storage Unit Heat Shield for Hydrogen Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compressed gas storage units for hydrogen in mobile applications face challenges in managing high pressures and maintaining temperature tolerance, which are critical for safety and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a compressed gas storage unit with a metal storage housing surrounded by a heat shield, which reduces heat input and thereby maintains pressure and temperature within safe limits, while ensuring high safety standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal storage housing is used to withstand high pressures, then strength and pressure resistance are improved, but temperature tolerance deteriorates due to high thermal conductivity
Solution Approach 1:
A heat shield is introduced as an intermediary component between the external environment and the metal storage housing. This heat shield blocks heat transfer to the metal housing, allowing the metal to maintain its pressure resistance while preventing temperature rise. The heat shield acts as a mediator that resolves the conflict between metal's high thermal conductivity and temperature tolerance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system employs a composite structure combining metal storage housing with a heat shield made of thermally insulating material. This composite design leverages the strength of metal for pressure containment while using the thermal insulation properties of the heat shield material to protect against temperature rise, effectively combining the advantages of different materials to overcome their individual limitations.
2Temperature
If the storage housing is surrounded by a heat shield, then temperature tolerance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is implemented as a relatively simple shell or coating structure that conforms to the storage housing geometry. This flexible shell approach provides effective thermal protection without requiring complex internal structures or multiple components, thereby minimizing the increase in device complexity while achieving the desired temperature tolerance improvement.
3Ease of manufacture
If metal storage housing is used, then cost is reduced compared to carbon fiber containers, but temperature tolerance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield serves as a cost-effective intermediary solution that enables the use of economical metal storage housings while compensating for their poor temperature tolerance. By adding this relatively simple and inexpensive heat shield layer, the system achieves the thermal protection normally associated with more expensive materials like carbon fiber, thereby maintaining cost advantages while improving temperature tolerance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of a heat shield effectively increases the temperature tolerance of the storage unit, allowing for the use of metal storage housings that can withstand high pressures while meeting stringent safety requirements.
Implementation Method 1
the storage housing or the compressed gas storage unit is surrounded at least in some regions by a heat shield... The purpose of the heat shield is to reduce the detrimental input of heat from outside to the inside, that is to say into the storage volume filled with compressed gas
Data Source
AI summary
A compressed gas storage unit (1) for mobile applications, in particular for storing hydrogen on board a vehicle, including at least one metal storage housing (2) which delimits a storage volume (3) that can be filled with compressed gas, as well as at least one temperature-and/or pressure-sensitive overload valve (4) arranged on the storage housing (2). The storage housing (2) or the compressed gas storage unit (1) is surrounded by a heat protection shield (5) at least in regions, preferably releasing the at least one overload valve (4).