High-pressure hydrogen container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12031674-B2
Application number	US-202117919871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2021
Priority date	Apr 20, 2020
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A high-pressure hydrogen container is provided that has a simple configuration, requiring less labor for manufacture, achieving reduced manufacturing costs, and ensuring pressure resistance. The high-pressure hydrogen container includes a metal cylinder configured to store high-pressure hydrogen, a pair of lid parts configured to cover both end portions of the metal cylinder, and a plurality of fastening parts configured to fix the pair of lid parts in a state where the metal cylinder is clamped between the pair of lid parts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A high-pressure hydrogen container comprising:
a metal cylinder configured to store high-pressure hydrogen;
a pair of lid parts configured to cover both end portions of the metal cylinder; and
a plurality of fastening parts configured to fix the pair of lid parts in a state where the metal cylinder is clamped between the pair of lid parts,
a bolt being used for each of the plurality of fastening parts,
each of the pair of lid parts having a plurality of through holes through which the plurality of fastening parts are inserted,
the plurality of fastening parts being each inserted into corresponding ones of the plurality of through holes that are opened in each of the pair of lid parts, the plurality of fastening parts being arranged such that a longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of fastening parts is parallel to a center axis of the metal cylinder,
the plurality of fastening parts being separately arranged around an outer periphery of the metal cylinder and surrounding the outer periphery of the metal cylinder, the plurality of fastening parts being separately arranged on a single circumference at regular intervals,
the metal cylinder and the plurality of fastening parts, which surround the outer periphery of the metal cylinder, forming concentric circles about a center axis of the metal cylinder.

2. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 1 , wherein a gap is opened between the metal cylinder and the plurality of fastening parts, which surround the outer periphery of the metal cylinder, and the gap causes the metal cylinder to be separated from the plurality of fastening parts,
the high-pressure hydrogen container comprising two fitting structures in which the metal cylinder and each of the pair of lid parts are fitted to each other,
each of the pair of lid parts including a protruding portion having an outer periphery that is fitted in an inner periphery of the metal cylinder at one side of each of the pair of lid parts that faces the metal cylinder.

3. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 2 comprising a first sealing portion configured to provide sealing between a peripheral side surface of the protruding portion and an inner peripheral surface of the metal cylinder; and
a second sealing portion configured to provide sealing between each of the pair of lid parts and an end surface of the metal cylinder that is brought into contact with the lid part,
the first sealing portion including
a first seal groove formed in the peripheral side surface of the protruding portion about a whole circumference,
a first O-ring disposed in the first seal groove, and
a backup ring disposed in the first seal groove at a position closer to a lid part of the pair of lid parts than is the first O-ring,
the second sealing portion including
a second seal groove formed in the end surface of the metal cylinder such that the second seal groove extends along the end surface of the metal cylinder, which is circular-shaped, and
a second O-ring disposed in the second seal groove.

4. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the lid parts is provided with a leak port that allows a space between the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion and an outside to communicate with each other.

5. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 4 , further comprising a hydrogen sensor configured to detect hydrogen contained in gas that passes through the leak port,
the hydrogen sensor being configured to constantly monitor an amount of hydrogen contained in the gas that passes through the leak port, and being configured to give a notification when the amount of hydrogen contained in the gas that passes through the leak port is higher than or equal to a specified value or when an amount of hydrogen contained in the gas that passes through the leak port becomes zero.

6. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 2 , wherein
each of the pair of lid parts further includes a groove portion that is located at a position close to the outer periphery of the protruding portion, and
the groove portion is recessed in a direction opposite to a protruding direction of the protruding portion, and the metal cylinder is fitted in the groove portion.

7. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 1 , wherein
the high-pressure hydrogen container has a common through position, with a common shortest distance, that is common to a route to an outside through either one of the pair of lid parts in a route from an inside to an outside of the metal cylinder in the metal cylinder and the pair of lid parts and a route to a position where a fastening part that is disposed closest to the metal cylinder out of the plurality of fastening parts is inserted through the either one of the pair of lid parts in a route from the inside to the outside of the metal cylinder in the metal cylinder and the pair of lid parts,
when a minimum thickness of the either one of the pair of lid parts from the common through position to the outside is given as t, and
when a distance between the common through position and the position where the fastening part that is disposed closest to the metal cylinder out of the plurality of fastening parts is inserted through the either one of the pair of lid parts is given as LO,
LO >t is satisfied.

8. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 1 , wherein the high-pressure hydrogen container serves as a portion of a counterweight of a transport vehicle.

9. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 3 , wherein
each of the pair of lid parts further includes a groove portion that is located at a position close to the outer periphery of the protruding portion, and
the groove portion is recessed in a direction opposite to a protruding direction of the protruding portion, and the metal cylinder is fitted in the groove portion.

10. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 4 , wherein
each of the pair of lid parts further includes a groove portion that is located at a position close to the outer periphery of the protruding portion, and
the groove portion is recessed in a direction opposite to a protruding direction of the protruding portion, and the metal cylinder is fitted in the groove portion.

11. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 5 , wherein
each of the pair of lid parts further includes a groove portion that is located at a position close to the outer periphery of the protruding portion, and
the groove portion is recessed in a direction opposite to a protruding direction of the protruding portion, and the metal cylinder is fitted in the groove portion.

12. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 2 , wherein the high-pressure hydrogen container serves as a portion of a counterweight of a transport vehicle.

13. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 3 , wherein the high-pressure hydrogen container serves as a portion of a counterweight of a transport vehicle.

14. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 4 , wherein the high-pressure hydrogen container serves as a portion of a counterweight of a transport vehicle.

15. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 5 , wherein the high-pressure hydrogen container serves as a portion of a counterweight of a transport vehicle.

16. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 6 , wherein the high-pressure hydrogen container serves as a portion of a counterweight of a transport vehicle.

17. The high-pressure hydrogen container of claim 9 , wherein the high-pressure hydrogen container serves as a portio

Assignees

• Jfe Steel Corp

Inventors

• Takano Toshio
• Okano Hiroshi
• Kadota Kotaro
• Takagi Shusaku
• Matsubara Kazuki

Classifications

• F17C2250/0452

  Concentration of a product · CPC title

• F16J15/10

  with non-metallic packing · CPC title

• F16J13/12

  attached by wedging action by means of screw-thread, interrupted screw-thread, bayonet closure, or the like · CPC title

• Y02E60/32

  Hydrogen storage · CPC title

• B60Y2400/102

  for hydrogen fuel · CPC title