JP2002161999A - Hydrogen storage tank - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hydrogen storage tank capable of rapid filling and discharging of hydrogen. SOLUTION: The hydrogen storage tank 1 equips with a pressure vessel 2 filled with the hydrogen-occluded material 3, heating medium path 11 provided at least one or the other of circumference and inside of the pressure vessel 2, plural of heat conductors 17 which exchange the heat with heat medium passing though the heating medium path 11 inside the pressure vessel 2 and in contact with the hydrogen-occluded material 3, and plural of thermal accumulators 21 provided inside the heat conductors 17.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a hydrogen storage tank, particularly a tank having a hydrogen storage material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a hydrogen storage tank of this type has a pressure vessel containing a hydrogen storage material and an outer vessel covering the pressure vessel, and a heat medium passage is provided between the vessels. Are known. It is also known that a pressure vessel is provided with a tube penetrating therethrough, and the inside of the tube is used as a heat medium passage.

[0003]

However, the conventional hydrogen storage tank has poor heating and cooling efficiency of the hydrogen storage material,
Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to rapidly fill and release hydrogen.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydrogen storage tank capable of rapidly filling and releasing hydrogen by increasing the heating and cooling efficiency of a hydrogen storage material.

[0005] To achieve the above object, according to the present invention,
A pressure vessel containing the hydrogen storage material, a heat medium passage provided in at least one of the periphery and the inside of the pressure vessel, and exchange of heat with a heat medium flowing in the heat medium passage in the pressure vessel. There is provided a hydrogen storage tank which has a plurality of heat conductors which are in contact with the hydrogen storage material and have a plurality of heat storage bodies built in the heat conductors.

In the process of filling the pressure vessel with hydrogen, the hydrogen storage material generates heat due to the storage of hydrogen, so that the hydrogen storage material must be cooled in order to increase the storage efficiency.
When, for example, cooling air, which is a heat medium, flows through the heat medium passage, the hydrogen storage material is cooled by the cooling air from around and / or the inside thereof. In addition to this, the heat generated by each heat storage element is quickly absorbed. Thereby, rapid filling of hydrogen is performed. On the other hand, when releasing hydrogen, for example, when a high-temperature steam as a heat medium flows through the heat medium passage, the hydrogen storage material is heated by the high-temperature steam from around and / or the inside thereof, and the hydrogen storage material is heated by the heat conductors at elevated temperatures. In addition to the heating action from a plurality of locations inside, rapid dissipation of accumulated heat by each heat storage body appears. This results in a rapid release of hydrogen. When the hydrogen release is temporarily stopped, the temperature of the hydrogen storage material is maintained by the heat dissipation by each heat storage unit.

[0007]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of a hydrogen storage tank 1. FIG. 1 and 2, a metal pressure vessel 2
Is made of stainless steel and has a rectangular cylindrical shape, in which a hydrogen storage alloy powder (hereinafter, referred to as MH powder in this section) 3 as a hydrogen storage material is accommodated. Nanostructured carbon or the like can be used as the hydrogen storage material. A through hole 5 is formed in one end wall 4 of the pressure vessel 2, and the hole 5
One end of an entrance / exit tube 6 for introducing / exiting hydrogen into / from is fitted.
The inside opening of the entrance / exit tube 6 is covered by a sintered metal filter 7 mounted in the pressure vessel 2, and the filter 7 prevents the leakage of the MH powder 3 through the entrance / exit tube 6. The filter is made of stainless steel.

The entire periphery of the pressure vessel 2 is covered with a metal rectangular cylindrical outer vessel 8, and the inlet / outlet pipe 6 protrudes from a through hole 10 formed in one end wall 9. Outer container 8
The gap between the pressure vessel 2 and the pressure vessel 2 is a heat medium passage 11, so that the entire outer surface of the pressure vessel 2 functions as a heat conducting surface 12. An inlet pipe 13 and an outlet pipe 14 communicating with the heat medium passage 11 are provided at one end of the lower wall 15 and the other end of the upper wall 16 in the outer container 8, respectively.

A plurality of rectangular fin-shaped heat conductors 17
The pressure vessel 2 extends into the vessel 2 from the inner surface of the upper wall 18 and the inner surface of the lower wall 19, and comes into contact with the MH powder 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of heat conductors 17 on the upper and lower walls 18 and 19 are respectively welded to the substrate 20 at equal intervals.
The two substrates 20 are welded to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls 18 and 19 with the respective heat conductors 17 on the upper wall 18 side and the respective heat conductors 17 on the lower wall 19 facing each other. Each heat conductor 17 and each substrate 20 are made of stainless steel. Copper, aluminum, alloys thereof, and the like can be used as the constituent materials of these 17, 20. Thus, each heat conductor 17 can exchange heat with the heat medium flowing through the heat medium passage 11 via the substrate 20 and the pressure vessel 2.

Each heat conductor 17 has a built-in heat storage 21. In this embodiment, as clearly shown in FIG. 4, the heat conductor 17 has a case-shaped main body 23 having an opening 22 at one end surface.
And a lid 24 for closing the opening 22. In this embodiment, the heat storage body 21 is in the form of a powder in a case-like main body 23.
Is injected into. After closing the opening 22, the lid 24 is welded to the case-shaped main body 23.

The MH powder 3 has, for example, a dissociation temperature of 2
Mg ₉₀ Ni ₁₀ alloy powder having a temperature of 90 ° C. is used (the unit of the numerical value is atomic%). On the other hand, as the heat storage body 21, one having a melting point close to the dissociation temperature, for example, cadmium having a melting point of 321 ° C. is used. Can be Other examples of the heat storage body 21 include bismuth having a melting point of 270 ° C., tungsten chloride (WCl ₆ ) having a melting point of 280 ° C., and thallium having a melting point of 304 ° C.

In the above-described configuration, in the process of filling the pressure vessel 2 with hydrogen, the MH powder 3 generates heat due to occlusion of hydrogen, so that the MH powder 3 must be cooled in order to increase the occlusion efficiency. Then, when cooling air as a heat medium flows through the heat medium passage 11, the MH powder 3 is cooled by the cooling air from the surroundings. Also, since each heat conductor 17 is cooled via the pressure vessel 2, the MH powder 3 is cooled by the heat conductors 17 at a plurality of locations under temperature. In addition, a phenomenon occurs in which each heat storage body 21 quickly absorbs the generated heat of the MH powder 3 as latent heat (heat due to phase change) due to its melting. Thereby, rapid filling of hydrogen is performed.

On the other hand, at the time of releasing hydrogen, when a high-temperature steam (or a combustion gas or the like) as a heat medium flows through the heat medium passage 11, the MH powder 3 is heated by the high-temperature steam from the surroundings. Further, since each heat conductor 17 is heated via the pressure vessel 2, the MH powder 3 is subjected to a heating action from a plurality of internal locations by each heat conductor 17 at an elevated temperature. Further, a phenomenon that latent heat (heat due to phase change) accompanying solidification of each heat storage body 21 is supplied to the MH powder 3 occurs. This results in a rapid release of hydrogen. When the hydrogen release is temporarily stopped, the temperature of the MH powder 3 is maintained by the heat dissipation by the heat storage bodies 21.

In order to obtain the function and effect of the heat accumulator 21, the volume ratio between the MH powder 3 and the heat accumulator 21 is, for example, MH powder: heat accumulator = 4: 1.

In the second embodiment of the hydrogen storage tank 1 shown in FIG. 5, a pipe P made of stainless steel is provided in the pressure vessel 2 and the outer casing 8 through through holes 31 and 32 existing on both end walls thereof. The axis of the tube P coincides with the center line of the two containers 2, 8. The inside of the tube P functions as a heat medium passage 11. Each heat conductor 17
Is in contact with or close to the outer peripheral surface of the tube P, whereby heat is transferred between the heat medium and each heat conductor 17 via the tube P.

Although the heat medium passage 11 is provided around and inside the pressure vessel 2 in the second embodiment, the heat medium passage 11 may be provided only inside the pressure vessel 2. Second
Other configurations of the embodiment are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment. 5, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1, and the detailed description is omitted.

In the third embodiment of the hydrogen storage tank 1 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the metal pressure vessel 2 is made of stainless steel, has a cylindrical shape, and contains an MH powder 3 therein.

A heat conductive member 25 made of stainless steel having a cross-shaped cross section is disposed in the pressure vessel 2, and the heat conductive member 25 is formed by assembling one long side of four rectangular plate-shaped heat conductors 17. The other long side surface of each heat conductor 17 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the pressure vessel 2. Thereby, a plurality of, in the present embodiment, four plate-shaped heat conductors 17 are connected to the pressure vessel 2.
And heat can be exchanged with the heat medium flowing through the heat medium passage 11 through the heat medium passage 11, and extend from the inner surface of the peripheral wall 26 of the pressure vessel 2 to the inside of the vessel 2 and come into contact with the MH powder 3. Heat conduction member 2
Copper, aluminum, their alloys, and the like can be used as the constituent material of No. 5.

In the same manner as described above, each of the heat conductors 17 is
1 is built in. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the heat conducting member 25 has a main body 27 having a cross-shaped cross section, and one end face of the main body 27, that is, each heat conductor corresponding portion 2
A round hole 29 is opened at the end face of the hole 8. The powdered heat storage body 21 is injected into each round hole 29 in the same manner as described above, and the opening of each round hole 29 is closed by the same cross-shaped lid 30 as the main body 27, and the lid 30 is welded to the main body 27. Is done. Thus, a cross-shaped heat conducting member 25 is formed.

Other configurations of the third embodiment are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment. 6, the same components as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2, and the detailed description is omitted.

[0021]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hydrogen storage tank which is configured as described above and enables rapid filling of hydrogen utilizing heat storage and rapid release of hydrogen utilizing heat dissipation. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view of a first embodiment of a hydrogen storage tank.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the hydrogen storage tank.
It corresponds to a line sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a group of heat conductors.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a heat conductor.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional front view of a second embodiment of the hydrogen storage tank.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a third embodiment of the hydrogen storage tank,
FIG.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a heat conducting member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Hydrogen storage tank 2 ... Pressure vessel 3 ... Hydrogen storage material (MH powder) 11 ... Heat medium passage 17 ... Heat conductor 21 ... Heat accumulator

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Koya Hosoe 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama F-term in Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (Reference) 3E072 AA03 EA10 4G040 AA12 AA16 4G140 AA12 AA16 5H027 BA14

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pressure vessel (2) containing a hydrogen storage material (3), a heat medium passage (11) provided in at least one of the periphery and the inside of the pressure vessel (2); 2) exchanges heat with the heat medium flowing in the heat medium passage (11) inside the heat medium passage (11);
A hydrogen storage tank, comprising: a plurality of heat conductors (17) in contact with the heat conductor; and a plurality of heat storage bodies (21) built in the heat conductors (17).