Fuel Cell Tank Cartridge Float Damping and Fuel Identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell systems experience noise disturbances due to buoyancy body movements within tank cartridges, and there is a lack of differentiation between various fuel types, leading to potential confusion and incorrect fuel supply.
Innovation Solution
The removal device incorporates a damping device within the buoyancy body to absorb kinetic energy upon impact, preventing noise and featuring a mechanical coding system for fuel type differentiation through complementary connection elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a buoyancy body is used to ensure ventilation opening is always in gas phase, then ventilation reliability is improved, but noise is generated when buoyancy body strikes against tank wall
Solution Approach 1:
A damping device is integrated into the buoyancy body to cushion impacts before they occur. The damping device includes a damping element that deforms elastically when the buoyancy body strikes the tank wall, absorbing kinetic energy and reducing noise generation while maintaining the buoyancy body's functional integrity.
2Ease of manufacture
If standardized containers with defined opening diameter are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but buoyancy body size is limited reducing buoyancy force
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device is nested within or integrated with the buoyancy body structure. The damping element is positioned inside the buoyancy body cavity or attached to its outer surface, allowing the buoyancy body to maintain its standardized external dimensions while incorporating the damping function without increasing overall size.
3Device complexity
If same closure system is used for different fuel types, then device complexity is reduced, but risk of confusion and incorrect fuel supply increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different closure elements are designed with locally differentiated characteristics - each closure element has unique geometric features, coding patterns, or structural variations that correspond to specific fuel types. This allows differentiation between fuel types while maintaining overall system compatibility and standardized opening dimensions.
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 solution effectively reduces noise emissions and ensures accurate fuel type identification and supply by damping buoyancy body impacts and utilizing mechanical coding for secure fuel connections.
Implementation Method 1
a buoyancy body (30) adapted to float on the liquid fuel (91) within the fuel container (90)
Implementation Method 2
the buoyancy body (30) is provided with a damping device (50) for damping impacts of the buoyancy body (30) against a wall (96) of the fuel container (90)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to removal equipment for removing fuel from a fuel container for fuel cells, wherein the removal equipment comprises: a sealing element for sealing an opening in the fuel container; a fuel line for establishing a first fluid connection between a fuel removal opening in the sealing element and a liquid fuel inside the fuel container; a float suitable for floating on the liquid fuel within the fuel container; and a flexible pressure equalisation line for establishing a second fluid connection between a gas region inside the fuel container, more particularly above the liquid fuel, and a pressure equalisation opening in the sealing element; wherein an end section of the pressure equalisation line is connected to the float. The removal device according to the invention is characterised in that the float is equipped with a damping device for damping impacts of the float against a wall of the fuel container.