Hydrogen Shut-Off Valve Failure Detection Without Losing Drivability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing failure determination devices for hydrogen fuel supply systems in vehicles fail to promptly resume hydrogen gas supply when a shut-off valve is not properly closed, leading to potential safety risks and reduced drivability.
Innovation Solution
A failure determination device that monitors the decrease rate of hydrogen gas pressure at the downstream side of shut-off valves while the engine is running, determining valve failures based on pressure differences, and promptly resumes hydrogen gas supply when a user requests to start the engine, thereby allowing the vehicle to become drivable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the failure determination routine continues the closed state of the shut-off valve until completion, then the failure determination can be completed, but hydrogen gas supply is delayed and vehicle drivability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the shut-off valve state based on user input. When the user requests to run the hydrogen engine during the failure determination routine, the control circuitry transitions the valve from closed to open state, allowing the system to adapt between safety checking and user operational needs
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary failure determination checks by monitoring pressure decrease rates during valve closure, but allows interruption before completion. This preliminary monitoring enables the system to detect potential issues while not blocking the entire fuel supply process
2Reliability
If the shut-off valve is closed during failure determination, then safety is improved by detecting valve failures, but hydrogen gas supply to the engine is stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between valve closed state (for failure determination) and valve open state (for fuel supply) based on user requests. This dynamic state change allows the system to alternate between safety checking and maintaining fuel supply quantity
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
Ensures safe and timely resumption of hydrogen gas supply to the engine, maintaining vehicle drivability by promptly opening shut-off valves when a user requests to start the engine during the failure determination routine.
Implementation Method 1
monitoring a decrease rate of pressure of the hydrogen gas at a downstream side of the shut-off valve
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel supply system includes a hydrogen engine, a fuel tank, a hydrogen pipe, and a first shut-off valve and a second shut-off valve that are shut-off valves for shutting off hydrogen gas. A failure determination device closes a shut-off valve when an operation that request to stop the hydrogen engine is performed, and executes a failure determination routine that monitors the decrease rate of pressure of hydrogen gas at the downstream side of the shut-off valve while keeping the hydrogen engine running, and determines that the shut-off valve is not properly closed when the decrease rate is slow. When an operation that requests to run the hydrogen engine is performed during the execution of the failure determination routine, the failure determination device opens the shut-off valve and stops the failure determination routine while keeping the hydrogen engine running.