High pressure tank device and method of detecting leakage in high pressure tank device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10890296-B2
Application number	US-201816108187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Aug 24, 2017
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A high pressure tank device includes a high pressure tank configured to supply/discharge a fluid through a supply/discharge channel, a first storage part, a leakage detection sensor provided in the first storage part for detecting leakage of the fluid, and a second storage part. The high pressure tank includes a resin liner, a reinforcement layer which covers an outer surface of the liner, and a cap having a supply/discharge hole. The first storage part can store a first fluid. The first fluid is at least one of the fluid that leaked from the supply/discharge channel and the fluid that leaked through the inside of the supply/discharge hole. The second storage part is provided independently from the first storage part, and can store a second fluid. The second fluid is the fluid that leaked from the outside of the supply/discharge hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high pressure tank device comprising a high pressure tank configured to supply/discharge a fluid through a supply/discharge channel,
the high pressure tank comprising a resin liner configured to store the fluid inside, a reinforcement layer configured to cover an outer surface of the liner, and a cap including a supply/discharge hole formed inside and configured to supply/discharge the fluid to/from the liner,
the high pressure tank device further comprising,
a first storage part configured to store a first fluid, wherein the first fluid is a portion of the fluid leaking to an outside of the high pressure tank from at least one of the supply/discharge channel and an inside of the supply/discharge hole,
a leakage detection sensor provided in the first storage part and configured to detect leakage of the first fluid, and
a second storage part provided independently from the first storage part, and configured to store a second fluid, wherein the second fluid is another portion of the fluid leaking to the outside of the high pressure tank from an outside of the supply/discharge hole.

2. The high pressure tank device according to claim 1 , wherein the cap includes a liner facing surface configured to face an outer surface of the liner, an outer circumferential surface configured to face an inside of the second storage part, and a passage opening in the liner facing surface and the outer circumferential surface and configured to connect a gap between the outer surface of the liner and the reinforcement layer, and the second storage part.

3. The high pressure tank device according to claim 1 , further comprising a concentration sensor provided inside the second storage part, and configured to detect a concentration of the second fluid.

4. A method of detecting leakage of a fluid in a high pressure tank device configured to supply/discharge the fluid to/from a high pressure tank through a supply/discharge channel, the high pressure tank comprising a resin liner configured to store the fluid inside, a reinforcement layer configured to cover an outer surface of the liner, and a cap including a supply/discharge hole formed inside and configured to supply/discharge the fluid to/from the liner, the method comprising:
storing a first fluid in a first storage part of the high pressure tank device, wherein the first fluid is a portion of the fluid leaking to an outside of the high pressure tank from at least one of the supply/discharge channel and an inside of the supply/discharge hole,
storing a second fluid in a second storage part of the high pressure tank device provided independently from the first storage part, wherein the second fluid is another portion of the fluid leaking to the outside of the high pressure tank from an outside of the supply/discharge hole, and
determining that leakage due to an abnormality has occurred in the high pressure tank device based on the first fluid being detected in the first storage part by a leakage detection sensor.

5. The method of detecting leakage in the high pressure tank device according to claim 4 , wherein the method determines that the leakage due to the abnormality has occurred in the high pressure tank device based on a detection that a concentration of the second fluid inside the second storage part is in excess of a predetermined concentration.

6. The method of detecting leakage in the high pressure tank device according to claim 4 , wherein the method determines that the fluid has leaked in the high pressure tank device based on a detection that a concentration of the second fluid inside the second storage part is in excess of a predetermined concentration continuously for a predetermined period of time.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ogiwara Naoki
• Kawase Satoru

Classifications

• G01M3/329

  for verifying the internal pressure of closed containers · CPC title

• G01M3/3272

  for verifying the internal pressure of closed containers · CPC title

• G01M3/3236

  by monitoring the interior space of the containers · CPC title

• G01M3/2853

  for pipe joints or seals (G01M3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01M3/2815

  using pressure measurements · CPC title