Discharge valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149866-B2
Application number	US-202017008099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2020
Priority date	Dec 16, 2019
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A discharge valve is provided in a recirculation line through which gas discharged from a fuel cell stack recirculates to the stack. The discharge valve opens or closes a discharge line through which a fluid in the recirculation line is discharged. The discharge valve includes a valve body connected to the discharge line and a drive part disposed in the valve body to be movable vertically. A diaphragm is coupled to a lower end of the drive part and selectively opens or closes the discharge line based on the vertical movement. The drive part switches between a closed state in which the discharge line is closed by the diaphragm, a first opened state in which the discharge line is opened to a first opening degree, and a second opened state in which the discharge line is opened to a second opening degree greater than the first opening degree.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A discharge valve provided in a recirculation line through which gas discharged from a fuel cell stack recirculates to the fuel cell stack, the discharge valve being configured to open or close a discharge line through which a fluid in the recirculation line is discharged, the discharge valve comprising:
a valve body connected to the discharge line;
a drive part disposed in the valve body to be movable vertically; and
a diaphragm coupled to a lower end of the drive part and configured to selectively open or close the discharge line based on the vertical movement of the drive part,
wherein the drive part is provided to switch between a closed state in which the discharge line is closed by the diaphragm, a first opened state in which the discharge line is opened to a first opening degree, and a second opened state in which the discharge line is opened to a second opening degree greater than the first opening degree,
wherein the drive part includes:
a plunger provided in the valve body to be movable vertically and disposed above the diaphragm; and
a core provided in the valve body to be movable vertically and disposed above the plunger,

wherein the valve body includes:
a sleeve configured to receive the drive part; and
a housing disposed outside the sleeve to interpose a coil between the sleeve and the housing, and

wherein the sleeve includes a protruding portion protruding from an inner surface of the sleeve and configured to support a lower end of the core.

2. The discharge valve of claim 1 , wherein the drive part switches from the closed state to the first opened state by applied power, and the drive part switches from the first opened state to the second opened state by a fluid pressure in the recirculation line when the fluid pressure is equal to or greater than a reference pressure.

3. The discharge valve of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first elastic part configured to elastically press the plunger downward and configured to be compressed as the plunger is moved upward by the applied power; and
a second elastic part configured to elastically press the core downward and configured to be compressed as the core is moved upward by being pressed by the upward movement of the plunger by the fluid pressure in the recirculation line when the fluid pressure is equal to or greater than the reference pressure.

4. The discharge valve of claim 3 , wherein the core is disposed above and spaced apart from the plunger in the closed state,
wherein the discharge valve is in the closed state when the plunger of the drive part is moved to a lowermost side by being pressed downward by the first elastic part,
wherein the discharge valve is in the first opened state when the plunger is moved upward by the applied power and then the upward movement of the plunger is restricted by the core supported by the second elastic part, and
wherein the discharge valve is in the second opened state when the core is moved to an uppermost side by being pressed by the upward movement of the plunger by the fluid pressure.

5. The discharge valve of claim 4 , wherein an upper end of the first elastic part is supported by the protruding portion, and a lower end of the first elastic part is supported by a support projection formed in a stepped manner on the plunger.

6. The discharge valve of claim 5 , wherein the sleeve further includes a cap portion provided at an upper end of the sleeve, and wherein an upper end of the second elastic part is supported by the cap portion, and a lower end of the second elastic part is supported by a stepped projection formed in a stepped manner on the core.

7. A discharge valve configured to open or close a discharge line through which a fluid is discharged, the discharge valve, comprising:
a valve body connected to the discharge line;
a drive part disposed in the valve body to be movable vertically; and
a diaphragm coupled to a lower end of the drive part and configured to selectively open or close the discharge line based on the vertical movement of the drive part,
wherein the drive part is provided to switch between a closed state in which the discharge line is closed by the diaphragm, a first opened state in which the discharge line is opened to a first opening degree, and a second opened state in which the discharge line is opened to a second opening degree greater than the first opening degree,
wherein the drive part includes:
a plunger provided in the valve body to be movable vertically and disposed above the diaphragm; and
a core provided in the valve body to be movable vertically and disposed above the plunger,

wherein the valve body includes:
a sleeve configured to receive the drive part; and
a housing disposed outside the sleeve to interpose a coil between the sleeve and the housing, and

wherein the sleeve includes a protruding portion protruding from an inner surface of the sleeve and configured to support a lower end of the core.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Shim Hyo Sub
• Kim Hak Yoon

Classifications

• F16K15/1825 Primary

  for check valves with flexible valve members · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/04753

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• F16K31/0672

  the valve member being a diaphragm · CPC title

• F16K1/00 Primary

  Lift valves {or globe valves}, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closure members having at least a component of their opening and closing motion perpendicular to the closing faces ({in combination with sliding valves F16K3/246, F16K3/267} ; diaphragm valves F16K7/00) · CPC title