Tank device for storing a gaseous medium, comprising a valve device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12429173-B2
Application number	US-202118245314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2021
Priority date	Sep 23, 2020
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A tank device for storing a gaseous medium includes a valve device and a tank. The valve device includes a valve housing with a pilot valve element. The pilot valve element interacts with a first seal seat and thus forms a pilot valve, wherein the pilot valve element can be moved by a solenoid coil. Furthermore, the valve housing includes a main valve element which interacts with a second seal seat and thus forms a main valve. The pilot valve element additionally has a transverse bore perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tank device, said transverse bore opening into a transverse bore of the main valve element arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tank device. A driver element is at least partly arranged in the transverse bore of the pilot valve element and in the transverse bore of the main valve element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tank device ( 1 ) for storing a gaseous medium comprising a valve device ( 100 ) and a tank ( 200 ), wherein the valve device ( 100 ) comprises a valve housing ( 102 ), in which valve housing ( 102 ) a pilot valve element ( 24 ), which can be moved along a longitudinal axis ( 48 ) of the tank device ( 100 ), is arranged, which pilot valve element ( 24 ) interacts with a first seal seat ( 18 ) for opening and closing a first through-opening ( 20 ) and thus forms a pilot valve ( 240 ), wherein the valve device ( 100 ) comprises a solenoid coil ( 32 ) operable to move the pilot valve element ( 24 ) along the longitudinal axis ( 48 ), wherein a main valve element ( 12 ) is arranged in the valve housing ( 102 ), which main valve element ( 12 ) interacts with a second seal seat ( 6 ) for opening and closing a second through-opening ( 8 ) and thus forms a main valve ( 120 ), wherein the second seal seat ( 6 ) is configured as a conical protrusion ( 36 ) on the valve housing ( 102 ), wherein the pilot valve element ( 24 ) has a transverse bore ( 241 ) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ( 48 ) of the tank device ( 1 ), said transverse bore ( 241 ) of the pilot valve element ( 24 ) opening into a transverse bore ( 121 ) of the main valve element ( 12 ) arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis ( 48 ) of the tank device ( 1 ), wherein a driver element ( 66 ) is at least partly arranged in the transverse bore ( 241 ) of the pilot valve element ( 24 ) and in the transverse bore ( 121 ) of the main valve element, wherein the main valve element ( 12 ) is subjected to a force in a direction of a tank interior ( 201 ) by a spring ( 22 ), as a result of which the main valve element ( 12 ) is subjected to a force in a direction of the first seal seat ( 18 ) and counter to a direction of the second seal seat ( 6 ).

2. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the driver element ( 66 ) is pin-shaped.

3. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged at one end ( 42 ) of the pilot valve element ( 24 ), which permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged in the valve device ( 100 ) such that a positive pole element ( 170 ) of the permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged in a direction of a housing cover ( 28 ) of the valve device ( 100 ) and a negative pole element ( 171 ) of the permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged in a direction of the tank ( 200 ), wherein, when the solenoid coil ( 32 ) is energized, the permanent magnet ( 17 ) is arranged in a positive pole region ( 51 ) of a permanent magnetic field ( 52 ) generated by the solenoid coil ( 32 ).

4. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the valve device ( 100 ) can be opened in the direction of the tank ( 200 ) when the solenoid coil ( 32 ) is energized.

5. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, between the valve housing ( 102 ) and an integrally formed portion ( 37 ) of the main valve element ( 12 ), which integrally formed portion ( 37 ) interacts with the second seal seat ( 6 ) for opening and closing the second through-opening ( 8 ), a throttle duct ( 38 ) is formed, which throttle duct ( 38 ) comprises a conical widening toward the second through-opening ( 8 ), as a result of which a throttling effect is formed.

6. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the second through-opening ( 8 ) in the valve housing ( 102 ) is formed at a level of the throttle duct ( 38 ) and opens into the throttle duct ( 38 ).

7. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein a chamber ( 35 ) is formed in the valve housing ( 102 ), which chamber ( 35 ) is connected to the throttle duct ( 38 ) by the second through-opening ( 8 ).

8. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the valve device ( 100 ) is arranged in a neck region ( 203 ) of the tank device ( 1 ) and is pressed against a tank floor ( 140 ) within the neck region ( 203 ).

9. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein a discharge opening ( 14 ) is formed in the tank floor ( 140 ), which discharge opening fluidically connects the tank interior ( 201 ) and the chamber ( 35 ) to one another.

10. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the pilot valve element ( 24 ) comprises a protrusion ( 43 ), on which protrusion ( 43 ) a spring ( 16 ) is supported and the pilot valve element ( 24 ) is subjected to a force in a direction of one end ( 42 ) of the pilot valve element ( 24 ).

11. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein an interior ( 45 ) is formed in the valve housing ( 102 ), which interior ( 45 ) is divided by the main valve element ( 12 ) into a first partial interior ( 450 ) and a second partial interior ( 451 ).

12. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the first partial interior ( 450 ) is connected to a supply line ( 40 ) by a discharge channel ( 2 ) formed in the valve housing ( 102 ), which supply line ( 40 ) can be connected to a supply region of a consumer system.

13. The tank device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the gaseous medium is hydrogen.

14. A fuel cell system with a tank device ( 1 ) for storing hydrogen for operating a fuel cell according to claim 1 .

15. A fuel-cell-powered vehicle with a tank device ( 1 ) for storing hydrogen for operating a fuel cell according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Schaich Udo

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M8/04201

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• H01M8/04089

  of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• F17C2270/0184

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• F17C2270/0168

  by vehicles · CPC title