Cryogenic liquid storage apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12305808-B2
Application number	US-202318230851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2023
Priority date	Mar 16, 2023
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A cryogenic liquid storage apparatus includes a storage container configured to accommodate a cryogenic liquid, a heating element configured to be movable from a first position at which the heating element is in contact with the storage container to a second position at which the heating element is spaced from the storage container, and a drive portion configured to selectively provide driving power to the heating element to move the heating element from the second position to the first position, obtaining an advantageous effect of improving efficiency in storing hydrogen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cryogenic liquid storage apparatus comprising:
a storage container configured to accommodate a cryogenic liquid therein;
a heating element configured to be movable from a first position at which the heating element is in contact with the storage container to a second position at which the heating element is spaced from the storage container; and
a drive portion configured to selectively provide driving power to the heating element to move the heating element from the second position to the first position.

2. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the storage container includes:
an internal container configured to accommodate the cryogenic liquid therein; and
an external container configured to surround a periphery of the internal container therein, and

wherein the heating element is movable in directions in which the heating element approaches and moves away from an external surface of the internal container.

3. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 2 , including:
a heat transfer structure configured to surround a periphery of the heating element,
wherein heat generated by the heating element is transferred to the internal container via the heat transfer structure.

4. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the heat transfer structure includes:
a piston portion configured to be movable in directions in which the piston portion approaches or moves away from the internal container by the drive portion; and
a contact portion provided at an end portion of the piston portion while surrounding a periphery of the heating element and configured to come into contact with the internal container.

5. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the contact portion includes a cross-sectional area further expanded than a cross-sectional area of the heating element.

6. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the contact portion is configured to come into surface-contact with the external surface of the internal container.

7. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a contact surface of the contact portion, which comes into contact with the internal container, is defined as a flat surface.

8. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a contact surface of the contact portion, which comes into contact with the internal container, is defined as a non-flat surface.

9. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein an upper surface of the internal container, which comes into contact with the contact surface of the contact portion is defined as another non-flat surface corresponding to the non-flat surface.

10. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the drive portion includes a solenoid, and the piston portion is selectively moved rectilinearly by driving power of the solenoid.

11. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 10 , including:
an elastic member configured to provide an elastic force to move the piston portion in a direction in which the piston portion moves away from the internal container.

12. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 4 , including:
a through-hole provided in the external container,
wherein the piston portion is configured to pass through the through-hole, and
wherein the drive portion is provided outside the external container.

13. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 12 , including:
a sealing member configured to seal a gap between the piston portion and the through-hole.

14. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 4 , including:
a stopper portion configured to selectively restrict a movement of the piston portion relative to the external container.

15. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 2 , including:
a heat transfer member provided on an internal surface of the internal container,
wherein the heating element comes into contact with the external surface of the internal container that corresponds to the heat transfer member.

16. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the heat transfer member includes:
a body portion protruding from the internal surface of the internal container; and
a fin portion protruding from a surface of the body portion.

17. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 15 , including:
a thermal conduction layer provided between the heat transfer member and the internal container.

18. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 17 ,
wherein the heat transfer member includes:
a body portion protruding from the internal surface of the internal container; and
a fin portion protruding from a surface of the body portion, and wherein the thermal conduction layer is provided between the body portion of the heat transfer member and the internal container.

19. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 2 , including:
a heat transfer portion provided integrally with the internal container to protrude from an internal surface of the internal container and configured to define an accommodation space for accommodating the heating element therein.

20. The cryogenic liquid storage apparatus of claim 2 , including:
a vacuum thermal insulation layer defined between the internal container and the external container.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Ahn Jun Sung

Classifications

• H01M8/04208

  Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs · CPC title

• F17C2227/0379

  inside the vessel · CPC title

• F17C2227/0304

  using an electric heater · CPC title

• F17C2203/0391

  by vacuum · CPC title

• F17C2270/0184

  Fuel cells · CPC title