Pressure regulator for hydrogen storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823668-B2
Application number	US-201514730312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Oct 28, 2008
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A pressure regulator for a hydrogen storage system, wherein the pressure regulator is adapted to operate at temperatures below −50° C., while minimizing the need for separate sealing elements and O-rings. The pressure regulator includes a main body including an inner cavity bounded by an interior wall, a piston disposed in the inner cavity, the piston including a first channel disposed adjacent a first portion, wherein the first portion is adapted to cooperate with the interior wall to form a seal between the piston and the interior wall, a first biasing device disposed in the first channel, wherein the first biasing device is adapted to exert a force on the first portion of the piston to form a seal between the first portion and the interior wall, and an end cap coupled to the main body thereby enclosing the piston to form an outlet pressure chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure regulator comprising:
a main body;
a piston having an outlet face, a longitudinal axis, and a first channel integrally formed within the piston, a wall of the first channel forming a first portion of the piston and adapted to cooperate with the main body to form a seal between the piston and the main body;
a first biasing device disposed within the first channel, the first portion of the piston disposed radially outward of the first biasing device with respect to the longitudinal axis, the first biasing device exerting a radial outward force from the longitudinal axis to secure the first biasing device in the first channel while simultaneously exerting a force on the first portion of the piston to abut an interior wall of the main body to form the seal between the piston and the main body;
an end cap coupled to the main body to enclose the piston, the end cap having an inner surface in contact with a first portion of the outlet face of the piston in an open position of the pressure regulator, the end cap further including a recess defining an outlet pressure chamber disposed radially inward of the inner surface, the first channel and the first biasing device both positioned radially outward of the recess in the open position of the pressure regulator, wherein a force caused by a pressure in the outlet pressure chamber exceeding a loading force of a loading element causes the piston to move away from the end cap exposing the inner surface of the end cap to the pressure in the outlet pressure chamber increasing a surface area of the piston exposed to the pressure in the outlet pressure chamber; and
a radial seal disposed between the end cap and the main body, the radial seal including a radial biasing element, the radial seal providing a pressure seal between the main body and the end cap.

2. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the radial biasing element is one of a spring, a metal formation having a V shape, and a tubular metal form.

3. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the radial biasing element is at least partially encased by a radial sealing material.

4. The pressure regulator according to claim 3 , wherein the radial sealing material is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE).

5. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the first biasing device does not contact an interior wall of the main body.

6. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the first channel and the first portion of the outlet face of the piston are not exposed to a first pressure in the recess in the open position of the pressure regulator.

7. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the force caused by the pressure in the outlet pressure chamber exceeding the loading force of the loading element causes the piston to move away from the end cap, further exposing the first portion of the outlet face and the first channel of the piston to the pressure in the outlet pressure chamber thereby adding a surface area of each of the first portion of the outlet face of the piston and the first channel to the surface area of the piston exposed to the pressure in the outlet pressure chamber.

8. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the piston is formed from at least one of ultra heavy molecular weight polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene.

9. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the piston includes at least one of a cross bore and an axial bore for directing fluid through the piston.

10. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the main body includes an inlet port configured to provide fluid communication between a pressurized fluid source and the piston.

11. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the piston is configured to receive a second biasing device for biasing a second portion of the piston to abut an interior wall of the main body to form a seal between the second portion and the main body.

12. The pressure regulator according to claim 11 , wherein the piston includes a second channel integral with the piston and having a channel wall forming the second portion, the second channel configured to receive the second biasing device.

13. A pressure regulator comprising:
a main body;
a piston having an outlet face, a longitudinal axis, and a first channel integrally formed within the piston, a wall of the first channel forming a first portion of the piston and adapted to cooperate with the main body to form a seal between the piston and the main body;
a first biasing device disposed within the first channel, the first portion of the piston disposed radially outward of the first biasing device with respect to the longitudinal axis, the first biasing device exerting a radial outward force from the longitudinal axis to secure the first biasing device in the first channel while simultaneously exerting a force on the first portion of the piston to abut an interior wall of the main body to form the seal between the piston and the main body, wherein the first biasing device does not contact the interior wall of the main body;
an end cap coupled to the main body to enclose the piston, the end cap having an inner surface in contact with a first portion of the outlet face of the piston in an open position of the pressure regulator, the end cap further including a recess defining an outlet pressure chamber disposed radially inward of the inner surface, the first channel and the first biasing device both positioned radially outward of the recess in the open position of the pressure regulator such that in the open position of the pressure regulator the first channel and the first portion of the outlet face of the piston are not exposed to a pressure in the recess, wherein a force caused by a pressure in the outlet pressure chamber exceeding a loading force of a loading element causes the piston to move away from the end cap further exposing the inner surface of the end cap in addition to the first portion of the outlet face and the first channel of the piston to the pressure in the outlet pressure chamber thereby adding a surface area of each of the first portion of the outlet face of the piston and the first channel to a surface area of the piston exposed to the pressure in the outlet pressure chamber; and
a radial seal disposed between the end cap and the main body, the radial seal including a radial biasing element, the radial seal providing a pressure seal between the main body and the end cap.

14. The pressure regulator according to claim 13 , wherein the radial biasing element is one of a spring, a metal formation having a V shape, and a tubular metal form.

15. The pressure regulator according to claim 13 , wherein the radial biasing element is at least partially encased by a radial sealing material.

16. The pressure regulator according to claim 15 , wherein the radial sealing material is UHMW-PE.

17. The pressure regulator according to claim 13 , wherein the piston includes a second channel formed adjacent a second portion of the piston, the second channel configured to receive a second biasing device for biasing the second portion to form a seal between the second portion and the main body.

18. A pressure regulator comprising:
a main body including an inner cavity bounded by an interior wall;
a piston disposed in the inner cavity, the piston including an outlet face, a longitudinal axis, and a first channel integral with the piston and having a channel wall forming a first portion, the first portion abutting the interior wal

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Pechtold Rainer
• Podorashi Dimitri A
• Weidner Hans
• Markard Wolfgang

Classifications

• F16K31/1221

  one side of the piston being spring-loaded · CPC title

• F16K31/1223

  one side of the piston being acted upon by the circulating fluid · CPC title

• F16K31/1226

  the fluid circulating through the piston · CPC title

• Y10T137/7793

  With opening bias [e.g., pressure regulator] · CPC title

• G05D16/103

  the sensing element placed between the inlet and outlet (multiple-way valve G05D16/101) · CPC title