JP2008275075A - Gas supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress deterioration of sealing property by suppressing supercooling of the seal portion of an operating valve, in a gas supply system provided with the operating valve controlling a gas supply condition from a gas supply source. <P>SOLUTION: This gas supply system 1 is provided with: the gas supply source 21; a gas supply channel 22 for supplying gas from the gas supply source 21 to a gas consuming section 2; and the operating valve 28 adjusting the gas condition upstream of the gas supply channel 22 and supplying the gas to a downstream side. The gas supply system includes a gas temperature estimating means (a control section 5 and a pressure sensor 21a) estimating temperature of gas emitted from the gas supply source 21, and a control means (the control section 5) controlling the opening/closing operation of the operating valve 28 so that gas temperature estimated by the gas temperature estimating means exceeds a predetermined temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas supply system.

  Conventionally, a gas supply system for supplying a reaction gas (fuel gas and oxidizing gas) to a fuel cell that generates power by an electrochemical reaction has been proposed and put into practical use. Such a gas supply system is usually provided with a fuel supply source for storing high-pressure fuel gas and an on-off valve for controlling the supply state of the fuel gas from the fuel supply source.

At present, an open / close valve that supplies fuel gas to the fuel cell side for a predetermined amount or a predetermined time based on a control signal from a control unit that controls the system has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In recent years, an injector that controls the driving of a valve body by an electromagnetic driving force such as a solenoid coil has been adopted as such an on-off valve. The injector is usually provided with a seal portion made of an elastic material provided at the tip of the valve body or the valve seat surface, and the sealing performance of the valve portion is secured by the elasticity of the seal portion.
JP 2005-302563 A

  By the way, when the fuel gas is discharged from the high-pressure fuel supply source into the low-pressure fuel supply passage and diffuses, the temperature rapidly decreases. Therefore, when the fuel cell is operated at a high load and the supply amount of the fuel gas increases, the temperature of the fuel gas in the fuel supply channel rapidly decreases due to the continuous release of the low temperature gas into the fuel supply channel. The on-off valve is cooled by the low temperature fuel gas. As a result, the sealing part of the on-off valve is excessively cooled, the elasticity is lost, and the sealing performance may be impaired.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and in a gas supply system including an on-off valve that controls a gas supply state from a gas supply source, it is possible to suppress overcooling of a seal portion of the on-off valve, and to provide a sealing property. The purpose is to suppress the decrease.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first gas supply system according to the present invention includes a gas supply source, a gas supply channel for supplying gas from the gas supply source to a gas consuming unit, and the gas supply flow. A gas supply system comprising: an on-off valve that adjusts the gas state on the upstream side of the passage and supplies the gas to the downstream side, and gas temperature estimation means for estimating the temperature of the gas released from the gas supply source, and the gas temperature estimation Control means for controlling the opening / closing operation of the on-off valve so that the gas temperature estimated by the means exceeds a predetermined temperature.

  The second gas supply system according to the present invention includes a gas supply source, a gas supply channel for supplying gas from the gas supply source to the gas consumption unit, and an upstream side of the gas supply channel. In a gas supply system comprising an on-off valve that adjusts the gas state and supplies the gas downstream, a gas temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the gas discharged from the gas supply source, and the gas temperature detection means Control means for controlling the opening / closing operation of the on-off valve so that the gas temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.

  When such a configuration is adopted, the temperature of the gas discharged from the gas supply source can be estimated or detected, and the opening / closing operation of the on-off valve can be controlled so that the gas temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature. Therefore, since the overcooling of the seal part of the on-off valve due to the gas released from the gas supply source can be suppressed, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the sealing performance of the on-off valve.

  In the first gas supply system, a high-pressure tank can be adopted as a gas supply source. In such a case, gas temperature estimation means for estimating the gas temperature based on the gas pressure inside the high-pressure tank can be employed.

  When such a configuration is adopted, detection information of a pressure sensor provided for monitoring the internal pressure of the high-pressure tank can be used for estimation of the gas temperature. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide a gas temperature sensor, the manufacturing cost of the system can be reduced.

  In the gas supply system, when the estimated or detected gas temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, the gas injection amount from the on-off valve is reduced, and the gas injection amount is reduced until the gas temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature. It is possible to employ control means for continuing the above.

  Moreover, in the said gas supply system, the on-off valve which has a seal part provided in the valve seat and / or the valve body can be employ | adopted. In such a case, the temperature at which the seal portion is cured can be adopted as the predetermined temperature. Further, the seal portion can be made of a rubber material, and the glass transition temperature of the rubber material can be adopted as the predetermined temperature.

  In the gas supply system, an injector can be employed as the on-off valve.

  When such a configuration is adopted, the gas state (gas flow rate or gas pressure) on the upstream side of the gas supply channel can be adjusted with high accuracy and supplied to the downstream side.

  In addition, the gas supply system according to the present invention is applied to a fuel cell system (which includes a hydrogen tank as a gas supply source and supplies fuel gas to a fuel cell as a gas consumption unit) mounted on a fuel cell vehicle. Can be done.

  The gas supply system according to the present invention is a natural gas supply system mounted on a compressed natural gas vehicle (including a natural gas tank as a gas supply source and supplying natural gas to an internal combustion engine as a gas consumption unit). Can be applied to.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, in the gas supply system provided with the on-off valve which controls the gas supply state from a gas supply source, it becomes possible to suppress the overcooling of the sealing part of an on-off valve, and to suppress a sealing performance fall. .

  Hereinafter, a gas supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a fuel cell system 1 mounted on a fuel cell vehicle will be described as an example of the gas supply system.

  First, the configuration of the fuel cell system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  A fuel cell system 1 according to this embodiment supplies a fuel cell 2, an oxygen gas piping system 3 for supplying an oxidizing gas (air) to the fuel cell 2, and a fuel gas (hydrogen gas) to the fuel cell 2. A fuel gas piping system 4 and a control unit 5 that performs overall control of the entire system.

  The fuel cell 2 corresponds to the gas consuming part in the present invention, and is composed of, for example, a solid polymer electrolyte type and has a stack structure in which a large number of single cells are stacked. The unit cell of the fuel cell 2 has a pair of separators having an air electrode on one surface of an electrolyte made of an ion exchange membrane, a fuel electrode on the other surface, and further sandwiching the air electrode and the fuel electrode from both sides. have. Fuel gas (hydrogen gas) is supplied to the fuel gas flow path of one separator, and oxidizing gas (air) is supplied to the oxidizing gas flow path of the other separator, and the fuel cell 2 generates electric power by this gas supply.

  The oxygen gas piping system 3 includes an air supply passage 11 for supplying an oxidizing gas to the fuel cell 10 and an air discharge passage 12 for guiding the oxidizing off-gas discharged from the fuel cell 2 to the outside. Yes. The air supply passage 11 is provided with an air compressor (not shown) that takes in the oxidizing gas in the atmosphere and pumps it to the fuel cell 2 side.

  The fuel gas piping system 4 includes a hydrogen supply source 21, a hydrogen supply passage 22 through which hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen supply source 21 to the fuel cell 2 flows, and a hydrogen supply passage through which the hydrogen off-gas discharged from the fuel cell 2 flows. 22, a circulation flow path 23 for returning to the junction A <b> 1, a hydrogen pump 24 that pumps the hydrogen off-gas in the circulation flow path 23 to the hydrogen supply flow path 22, and an exhaust drainage flow path that is branched and connected to the circulation flow path 23. 25.

  The hydrogen supply source 21 corresponds to the gas supply source in the present invention, and a high-pressure tank (hydrogen tank) filled with hydrogen gas is employed in the present embodiment. The high-pressure tank is configured to store high-pressure hydrogen gas at a predetermined pressure (for example, 35 MPa or 70 MPa). When a shut-off valve 26 described later is opened, hydrogen gas is released from the hydrogen supply source 21 into the hydrogen supply flow path 22. The hydrogen gas is finally depressurized to about 200 kPa, for example, by a regulator 27 and an injector 28 described later, and supplied to the fuel cell 2.

  The hydrogen supply source 21 is provided with a pressure sensor 21a that detects an internal gas pressure. Information on the gas pressure in the tank detected by the pressure sensor 21a is used for opening / closing control of an injector 28 described later. The hydrogen supply source 21 is composed of a reformer that generates a hydrogen-rich reformed gas from a hydrocarbon-based fuel and a high-pressure gas tank that stores the reformed gas generated by the reformer in a high-pressure state. May be. Moreover, you may comprise the hydrogen supply source 21 with a hydrogen storage alloy.

  The hydrogen supply channel 22 corresponds to the gas supply channel in the present invention. The hydrogen supply flow path 22 is provided with a shutoff valve 26 that shuts off or allows the supply of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen supply source 21, a regulator 27 that adjusts the pressure of the hydrogen gas, and an injector 28. A primary pressure sensor 41 and a temperature sensor 42 for detecting the pressure and temperature of the hydrogen gas released from the hydrogen supply source 21 are provided on the upstream side of the injector 28. A secondary pressure sensor 43 is provided on the downstream side of the injector 28 and on the upstream side of the junction A1 between the hydrogen supply channel 22 and the circulation channel 23. Information on the gas state (temperature, pressure) of the hydrogen gas detected by the temperature sensor 42, the pressure sensor 43, etc. is used for opening / closing control of the injector 28 described later. The temperature sensor 42 corresponds to the gas temperature detection means in the present invention.

  The shut-off valves 26 are provided corresponding to the high-pressure tanks. For example, when a plurality of high-pressure tanks are provided as the hydrogen supply source 21, the shut-off valves 26 are provided corresponding to the respective high-pressure tanks. The shut-off valve 26 may be integrated with the high-pressure tank. For example, an in-tank electromagnetic open / close valve may be employed as the shutoff valve 26.

  When the shut-off valve 26 is opened, high-pressure hydrogen gas is released into the hydrogen supply channel 22 at a high speed and diffuses. As a result, hydrogen gas having a predetermined primary pressure is supplied into the hydrogen supply flow path 22. The temperature of hydrogen gas decreases as the pressure decreases during diffusion. The gas temperature of the hydrogen gas after the temperature drop is detected by the temperature sensor 42 described above. In addition, there is a predetermined correspondence between the temperature of the hydrogen gas discharged into the hydrogen supply flow path 22 and the gas pressure in the high-pressure tank. For this reason, the correspondence between the gas temperature of the hydrogen gas released into the hydrogen supply flow path 22 and the gas pressure in the high-pressure tank can be represented by, for example, a map or a relational expression.

  The regulator 27 is a device that regulates the upstream pressure (primary pressure) to a preset secondary pressure. In this embodiment, a mechanical pressure reducing valve that reduces the primary pressure is employed as the regulator 27. If a plurality of regulators 27 are arranged on the upstream side of the injector 28, the upstream pressure of the injector 28 can be effectively reduced. If it does in this way, the design freedom of the mechanical structure (a valve body, a housing, a channel, a drive device, etc.) of injector 28 can be raised. In addition, it is possible to prevent the valve body of the injector 28 from becoming difficult to move due to an increase in the differential pressure between the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure of the injector 28. Therefore, it is possible to widen the adjustable pressure width of the downstream pressure of the injector 28 and to suppress a decrease in responsiveness of the injector 28.

  The injector 28 is an electromagnetically driven on-off valve capable of adjusting the gas flow rate and the gas pressure by driving the valve body 52 directly with a predetermined driving cycle with an electromagnetic driving force and separating it from the valve seat. (FIG. 2). The injector 28 is disposed on the upstream side of the junction A <b> 1 between the hydrogen supply channel 22 and the circulation channel 23. When a plurality of high-pressure tanks are employed as the hydrogen supply source 21, the injector 28 is disposed on the downstream side of the portion where the hydrogen gas supplied from each high-pressure tank joins. A specific configuration and control mode of the injector 28 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  An exhaust / drain channel 25 is connected to the circulation channel 23 via a gas / liquid separator 30 and an exhaust / drain valve 31. The gas-liquid separator 30 collects moisture from the hydrogen off gas. The exhaust / drain valve 31 operates according to a command from the control unit 5 to discharge moisture collected by the gas-liquid separator 30 and hydrogen off-gas (fuel off-gas) containing impurities in the circulation channel 23 to the outside. (Purge). Further, the circulation channel 23 is provided with a hydrogen pump 24 that pressurizes the hydrogen off-gas in the circulation channel 23 and sends it to the hydrogen supply channel 22 side.

  The control unit 5 receives control information such as an accelerator signal (required load) of a vehicle (not shown) and controls the operation of various devices in the system. The control unit 5 is configured by a computer system (not shown). Such a computer system includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, input / output interface, display, and the like, and various control operations are realized by the CPU reading and executing various control programs recorded in the ROM. .

  Specifically, the control unit 5 calculates the amount of hydrogen gas consumed by the fuel cell 2 (hydrogen consumption amount) based on the operating state of the fuel cell 2 and the required power generation amount, and the downstream position of the injector 28. A target pressure value of hydrogen gas at (a target gas supply pressure to the fuel cell 2) is calculated. Further, the control unit 5 calculates the feedback correction flow rate based on the deviation between the calculated target pressure value and the detected pressure value at the downstream position of the injector 28 detected by the secondary pressure sensor 43, and the hydrogen consumption amount And the feedback correction flow rate are added to calculate the injection flow rate of the injector 28. And the control part 5 outputs the control signal for implement | achieving the calculated injection flow volume, controls the gas injection time and gas injection timing of the injector 28, and the flow volume of the hydrogen gas supplied to the fuel cell 2 And adjust the pressure.

  Next, a specific configuration and control mode of the injector 28 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the injector 28 includes a valve seat 50 having an injection hole for injecting gaseous fuel such as hydrogen gas, a nozzle body 51 for supplying and guiding the gaseous fuel to the injection hole, and a nozzle body 51. On the other hand, a valve body 52 that is accommodated and held so as to be movable in the axial direction (gas flow direction) and opens and closes the injection hole is provided. In this embodiment, the valve body 52 of the injector 28 is driven by a solenoid that is an electromagnetic drive device, and the opening area (opening) of the injection hole is set to 2 by turning on and off the pulsed excitation current supplied to the solenoid. It is possible to switch between stages or multiple stages. By controlling the gas injection time and gas injection timing of the injector 28 by the control signal output from the control unit 5, the flow rate and pressure of the hydrogen gas are controlled with high accuracy. The injector 28 directly opens and closes the valves (the valve seat 50 and the valve body 52) with an electromagnetic driving force, and has a high responsiveness because the driving cycle can be controlled up to a highly responsive region.

  The injector 28 changes the opening (opening area of the injection port) and / or the opening time of the valve to the downstream side (fuel cell 2 side) in order to supply the required gas flow rate downstream. The gas flow rate (or hydrogen molar concentration) to be supplied is adjusted. By opening and closing the valve of the injector 28, the gas flow rate is adjusted and the downstream gas pressure is reduced more than the upstream gas pressure. For this reason, the injector 28 can also be interpreted as a pressure regulating valve (pressure reducing valve, regulator). Further, the injector 28 is a variable pressure control valve capable of changing the pressure adjustment amount (pressure reduction amount) of the upstream gas pressure of the injector 28 so as to match the required pressure within a predetermined pressure range in accordance with the gas demand. Also works. Thus, the injector 28 adjusts the upstream gas state (gas flow rate and gas pressure) and supplies it to the downstream side.

  The injector 28 also has a seal portion 53 provided at the tip of the valve body 52. The seal portion 53 is disposed at a contact portion between the valve body 52 and the valve seat 50. The seal portion 53 can be made of a rubber material having excellent impact resistance, weather resistance, etc., such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). When closing the valve, the seal portion 53 comes into close contact with the valve seat 50 and seals the injection hole provided in the valve seat 50. That is, the sealing performance of the valve (the valve body 52 and the valve seat 50) becomes good due to the elasticity of the seal portion 53.

  In the injector 28 of the present embodiment, the hydrogen gas that has been discharged into the hydrogen supply flow path 22 at a high speed and becomes low temperature flows around the valve body 52 and the valve seat 50 as the hydrogen gas is injected. Therefore, the seal portion 53 is cooled by the low temperature hydrogen gas. When the cooling temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature, the seal portion 53 is cured and the sealing performance of the valve is lowered. For example, when EPDM is used as the seal portion 53, when the gas temperature is about −40 ° C. or less, which is the glass transition temperature of EPDM, the seal portion 53 is cured by excessive cooling and the sealing performance of the valve is lowered. . Therefore, the control unit 5 sets the gas flow rate of the injector 28 so that the gas temperature of the hydrogen gas flowing around the valve body 52 and the valve seat 50 exceeds the temperature at which the seal unit 53 is cured (for example, the glass transition temperature of EPDM). Make adjustments.

  Such adjustment is necessary when the gas flow rate of the injector 28 increases due to high load operation or the like. When the amount of hydrogen gas released from the high-pressure tank into the hydrogen supply channel 22 increases, the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply channel 22 rapidly decreases due to continuous release of low-temperature hydrogen gas, and the glass transition temperature of EPDM (about about Less than −40 ° C.). Therefore, the control unit 5 detects or estimates the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply flow path 22. As described above, the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply passage 22 can be directly detected using the temperature sensor 42 on the primary side. Moreover, the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply flow path 22 can also be estimated based on the gas pressure in the hydrogen supply source 21 detected by the pressure sensor 21a. The control unit 5 includes a map and a relational expression that define the correspondence between the gas pressure in the high-pressure tank and the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply flow path 22, and the gas pressure in the high-pressure tank detected by the pressure sensor 21a. Based on this, the gas temperature of the hydrogen gas released into the hydrogen supply channel 22 is estimated. That is, the control unit 5 and the pressure sensor 21a constitute gas temperature estimating means in the present invention.

  And when the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply flow path 22 detected or estimated becomes below the glass transition temperature of EPDM, the control part 5 reduces a gas flow rate (gas injection amount) so that it may exceed this temperature. Take control. The control unit 5 continues the control for reducing the gas flow rate until the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply flow path 22 exceeds the glass transition temperature, and at a stage where the gas temperature has increased to a temperature exceeding the glass transition temperature, Return to normal control. By controlling the opening / closing operation of the injector 28 to reduce the gas flow rate, the release of low-temperature hydrogen gas from the high-pressure tank into the hydrogen supply passage 22 is suppressed, and the hydrogen gas temperature in the hydrogen supply passage 22 is reduced. Can be suppressed. That is, the control unit 5 also functions as a control unit in the present invention.

  In the fuel cell system 1 according to the embodiment described above, the temperature of the gas discharged from the hydrogen supply source 21 is estimated or detected, and the injector 28 is set so that the gas temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature (for example, the glass transition temperature of EPDM). The opening / closing operation can be controlled. Therefore, since the supercooling of the seal portion 53 of the injector 28 due to the gas released from the hydrogen supply source 21 can be suppressed, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the sealing performance of the injector 28.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the seal portion 53 is provided on the valve body 52 side has been described, but a configuration in which the seal portion is provided on the valve seat 50 side may be employed. Moreover, you may provide a seal part in both the valve seat 50 and the valve body 52. FIG. Even when these configurations are adopted, by controlling the opening / closing operation of the injector 28 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, it is possible to suppress overcooling of the seal portion and suppress deterioration of the sealing performance.

  Moreover, although the example which comprised the seal part 53 by the rubber material (for example, EPDM) was shown in the above embodiment, a seal part can also be comprised using elastic materials other than a rubber material. Even in such a case, by controlling the opening / closing operation of the injector 28 so that the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply flow path 22 exceeds the curing temperature of the seal portion, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the above-described embodiment. .

  Moreover, in the above embodiment, although the example which detected the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply flow path 22 using the temperature sensor 42 was shown, based on the gas pressure in the hydrogen supply source 21 detected by the pressure sensor 21a. Since the gas temperature in the hydrogen supply channel 22 can also be estimated, the temperature sensor 42 can be omitted. In this way, the manufacturing cost of the fuel cell system 1 can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the above embodiment, although the example which applied this invention to the fuel cell system 1 mounted in a fuel cell vehicle was shown, this invention is applicable to the gas supply system which has another different structure. . For example, the present invention is applied to a gas supply system (which includes a natural gas tank as a gas supply source and supplies natural gas to an internal combustion engine as a gas consumption unit) mounted on a compressed natural gas (CNG) automobile. You can also.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which a fuel cell system (gas supply system) is mounted on a fuel cell vehicle has been described. A fuel cell system can also be installed. Further, the fuel cell system (gas supply system) may be applied to a stationary power generation system used as a power generation facility for a building (for example, a house, a building, or a factory).

1 is a configuration diagram of a gas supply system (fuel cell system) according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the injector of the gas supply system shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fuel cell system (gas supply system), 2 ... Fuel cell (gas consumption part), 5 ... Control part (gas temperature estimation means, control means), 21 ... Hydrogen supply source (gas supply source, high pressure tank), 21a ... Pressure sensor (gas temperature estimation means), 22 ... Hydrogen supply flow path (gas supply flow path), 28 ... Injector (open / close valve), 42 ... Temperature sensor (gas temperature detection means), 50 ... Valve seat, 52 ... Valve Body, 53 ... seal part.

Claims (9)

A gas supply source, a gas supply channel for supplying gas from the gas supply source to the gas consuming unit, and an on-off valve for adjusting the gas state upstream of the gas supply channel and supplying the gas downstream In a gas supply system comprising:
Gas temperature estimating means for estimating the temperature of the gas released from the gas supply source;
Control means for controlling the opening / closing operation of the on-off valve so that the gas temperature estimated by the gas temperature estimating means exceeds a predetermined temperature;
Comprising
Gas supply system. The gas supply source is a high-pressure tank;
The gas temperature estimating means estimates the gas temperature based on the gas pressure inside the high-pressure tank.
The gas supply system according to claim 1. A gas supply source, a gas supply channel for supplying gas from the gas supply source to the gas consuming unit, and an on-off valve for adjusting the gas state upstream of the gas supply channel and supplying the gas downstream In a gas supply system comprising:
Gas temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the gas released from the gas supply source;
Control means for controlling the opening / closing operation of the on-off valve so that the gas temperature detected by the gas temperature detection means exceeds a predetermined temperature;
Comprising
Gas supply system. The control means reduces the gas injection amount from the on-off valve when the estimated or detected gas temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature, and controls the gas injection amount until the gas temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature. To continue the reduction,
The gas supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The on-off valve has a seal portion provided on a valve seat and / or a valve body,
The predetermined temperature is a temperature at which the seal portion is cured.
The gas supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The seal portion is made of a rubber material,
The predetermined temperature is a glass transition temperature of the rubber material.
The gas supply system according to claim 5. The on-off valve is an injector;
The gas supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A hydrogen tank as the gas supply source is provided, and fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell as the gas consuming unit.
The gas supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A natural gas tank as the gas supply source is provided, and natural gas is supplied to the internal combustion engine as the gas consumption unit.
The gas supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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