CN1506175A - Method for manufacturing hydrogen fuel tank - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a hydrogen fuel tank, comprising the steps of: an aluminum ingot is extruded to form a hollow cylinder with an opening, the hollow cylinder is filled with hydrogen storage alloy to increase the hydrogen storage capacity, and a metal top cover is arranged at the opening end of the hollow cylinder in an electromagnetic pulse forming mode, so that the hydrogen fuel tank can be completely sealed and has enough mechanical strength.

Description

Manufacturing method of hydrogen fuel tank

technical field

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a hydrogen fuel tank, in particular to a method for sealing a hydrogen fuel tank by means of electromagnetic pulse forming.

Background technique

Fuel cells use hydrogen combined with oxygen to produce water to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. The oxygen required can be directly obtained from the air, but the hydrogen required for portable fuel cells usually requires hydrogen filled with pure hydrogen. Fuel tank to supply.

Figure 1A is a partial sectional view of a conventional hydrogen fuel tank, as shown in Figure 1A, the conventional hydrogen fuel tank 10 has a hollow cylinder 11 and a metal top cover 12, the hollow cylinder 11 has an open end 113 and a closed The end 111 has a protrusion 112 on the closed end 11 for setting a safety valve 14; and the metal top cover 12 is used to seal the open end 113 of the hollow cylinder 11 so that the hollow cylinder 11 forms a hollow sealed cavity. The metal top cover 12 also has a protruding portion 121 for setting a vent valve 13 so that the hydrogen fuel tank 10 can be easily inserted and removed for use.

Generally, the bonding method of metal cylinders is usually implemented by welding, but the hydrogen fuel tank used for portable fuel cells is mainly made of aluminum alloy in order to meet the requirements of light weight and high strength. Fig. 1B is a schematic view of the welding bead of the metal top cover of the hydrogen fuel tank. A flange 114 is used to support the metal top cover 12 . Because the melting point temperature of aluminum alloy is low, it is not easy to weld, and it is easy to generate bubbles or defects 151 in the weld bead 15 during welding, so that the structural strength of the hydrogen fuel tank 10 is greatly reduced. When the pressurized hydrogen gas is filled inside, the hydrogen gas will easily leak and cause danger.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and safe method for manufacturing a hydrogen fuel tank, so that when the hydrogen fuel tank is sealed, the processing time is short, and high heat will not be generated, which will deteriorate the internal hydrogen storage alloy and affect the hydrogen storage capacity. The quality of the fuel tank.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a hydrogen fuel tank, comprising the following steps: providing a metal ingot, forming a hollow cylinder with an opening with the metal ingot, filling the hollow cylinder with a hydrogen storage alloy, and then electromagnetically Pulse shaping secures a metal cap to the open end of the hollow cylinder.

In a preferred embodiment, the hollow cylinder is formed by extrusion and heat treatment; a flange is formed on the open end of the hollow cylinder, which can bear the metal cap when the electromagnetic pulse forming is performed.

In a preferred embodiment, a first through hole is formed in the center of the closed end of the hollow cylinder for setting a safety valve, and a second through hole is formed in the center of the metal top cover for setting a vent valve.

In a preferred embodiment, the hollow cylinder and the metal top cover are made of aluminum alloy.

In a preferred embodiment, the hydrogen storage alloy is one of magnesium-nickel alloy, lanthanum-nickel alloy or iron-titanium alloy.

In a preferred embodiment, the side of the metal top cover has an inclination angle, so that the open end of the hollow cylinder is retracted after being formed by the electromagnetic pulse, and is attached to the side of the metal top cover.

Also, a plurality of annular grooves are formed on the side of the metal top cover, and an adhesive is filled between the metal top cover and the hollow cylinder and in the annular grooves of the metal top cover to prevent the gas in the hydrogen fuel tank from leaking out. vent.

Also, the adhesive is preferably epoxy resin.

Using the above-mentioned manufacturing method of the hydrogen fuel tank, the hydrogen fuel tank can be simply and safely sealed. On the one hand, it will not generate high heat during welding, which will cause the internal hydrogen storage alloy to deteriorate, or cause insufficient strength, affecting The quality of the hydrogen fuel tank; on the other hand, the processing time is short and the manufacturing cost is low, so it is very suitable for the requirements of mass production.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional hydrogen fuel tank.

FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of conventional hydrogen fuel tank metal roof welding.

Fig. 2 is a flow chart of the hydrogen fuel tank manufacturing method of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the hydrogen fuel tank of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of the hydrogen fuel tank of the present invention implementing electromagnetic pulse forming.

Fig. 4B is a schematic diagram of the formed hydrogen fuel tank of the present invention.

10 Conventional hydrogen fuel tank 11 Hollow cylinder

111 Closed end 112 Protrusion

113 Open end 114 Flange

12 metal top cover 121 protrusion

13 Breathing valve 14 Safety valve

15 weld bead 151 defect

20 hydrogen fuel tank 21 hollow cylinder

211 Closed end 212 Protrusion

2121 Through hole 213 Open end

2131 flange 22 metal top cover

221 Protrusion 2211 Through hole

222 Side 2221 Annular groove

23 Breathing valve 231 Valve parts

232 filter 24 safety valve

25 handle 261 gas collection tube

262 Partition plate 263 Hydrogen storage alloy

264 Separator 27 Adhesive

30 coil 31 external current

32 Induction current A Magnification area

Detailed ways

Fig. 2 is a flow chart of the hydrogen fuel tank manufacturing method of the present invention. Firstly, in step S201, a metal ingot is provided, and a hollow cylinder with an opening at one end is extruded from the metal ingot, and heat-treated; in step S202, a flange is formed on the open end of the hollow cylinder by cutting; In step S203, a first through hole is formed in the center of the closed end of the hollow cylinder, and a thread is tapped in the first through hole to install a safety valve; then in step S204, hydrogen storage alloy is filled in the hollow cylinder, To increase the hydrogen storage capacity of the hydrogen fuel tank. Then in step S205, a metal top cover is provided, the outer diameter of which is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow cylinder, and an inclination is cut on the side of the metal top cover; in the step S206, a second through hole is formed in the center of the metal top cover , also tap the thread in the second through hole to install a breather valve; in the step S207, several annular grooves are formed on the side of the metal top cover; in the step S208, before performing the sealing operation, the The inner edge of the opening end of the hollow cylinder and the annular groove of the metal top cover are filled with epoxy resin, and in the step S209, the metal top cover is placed on the flange of the opening end of the hollow cylinder; in the step S210, the electromagnetic The metal top cover is fixed on the open end of the hollow cylinder by means of electromagnetic pulse forming; in step S211, a safety valve is installed in the first through hole, and in step S212, a vent valve is installed in the first through hole Two through holes, the last step S213 is to complete the manufacture of the hydrogen fuel tank.

The hydrogen fuel tank manufactured by the above method is shown in Figure 3, please refer to Figure 3, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the hydrogen fuel tank of the present invention, which includes a hollow cylinder 21, a metal top cover 22, and a vent valve 23. A safety valve 24 and a convenient handle 25, and a hydrogen storage alloy 263 and its supporting structure are arranged in the hollow cylinder 21.

As shown in Figure 3, the hollow cylinder 21 has a closed end 211 and an open end 213, and has a protruding part 212 and a through hole 2121 in the center of the closed end 211. Both are tapped with screw teeth, and the safety valve 24 and the handle 25 can be installed respectively; the safety valve 24 has a preset pressure safety value, and when the hydrogen pressure inside the hydrogen fuel tank 20 is too high, the internal hydrogen can be exported to avoid Danger.

A baffle 264, several partition plates 262, and a gas collection pipe 261 are arranged inside the hollow cylinder 21. The baffle 264 and the partition plates 262 are used to separate the hydrogen storage alloy 263 into several regions, so that the hydrogen storage alloy 263 is not easily caused by Shaking and broken or stacked together, the gas collection pipe 261 provides a transmission pipeline for the hydrogen gas generated by the hydrogen storage alloy 263 at the bottom. In addition, the hydrogen storage alloy 263 is used to increase the hydrogen storage capacity of the hydrogen fuel tank 20. Generally, lanthanum-nickel alloys, iron-titanium alloys and magnesium-nickel alloys are mainly used, and iron-titanium alloys are more suitable for hydrogen storage in portable fuel cells. Fuel tank 20 is used.

As shown in Figure 3, the open end 213 of the hollow cylinder 21 is sealed with a metal top cover 22, and the metal top cover 22 also has a protruding portion 221 and a through hole 2211, and screw teeth are also tapped in the through hole 2211, so as to A vent valve 23 is installed, and a valve part 231 and a filter 232 are arranged in the vent valve 23. When the valve part 231 is pushed backward, the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen fuel tank 20 will leak out to provide fuel cells. , while the filter 232 can prevent the alloy powder in the hydrogen fuel tank from escaping, causing damage to external equipment.

Since the hollow cylinder 21 and the metal top cover 22 of the hydrogen fuel tank 20 are made of aluminum alloy, the aluminum alloy has a high melting point, is difficult to weld and is prone to defects, so the manufacturing method of the present invention uses electromagnetic pulse forming to make the hollow The cylinder 21 and the metal top cover 22 can be combined quickly and have sufficient strength. 4A is a schematic diagram of a hydrogen fuel tank implementing electromagnetic pulse forming. The open end 213 of the hollow cylinder 21 has a flange 2131 for receiving the metal top cover 22. The side 222 of the metal top cover 22 forms a tube wall with the open end 213. It has an inclined angle and has several annular grooves 2221 on the side 222, which can be used for installing o-rings for leak prevention or filling adhesives. Taking this embodiment as an example, before performing electromagnetic pulse forming, an adhesive 27 is filled between the metal top cover 22 and the open end 213 of the hollow cylinder 21 and in the annular groove 2221 to prevent hydrogen gas from leaking out. Agent 27 is preferably with epoxy resin.

As shown in Figure 4S, when performing electromagnetic pulse shaping, the coil 30 of the electromagnetic pulse shaping machine can generate an external current 31 of thousands of amperes within a few milliseconds, and the coil current direction is vertically upward; at the open end of the hollow cylinder 21 213 will also induce the induced current 32 to generate resistance, and its direction is also upward. Because the external current 31 of the coil 30 and the induced current 32 of the open end 213 will respectively generate a strong mutually repulsive magnetic field, so the tube wall of the open end 213 of the hollow cylinder 21 will be pushed inward by a great force and bonded together. On the side 222 of the metal top cover 22 , the open end 213 is closely combined with the metal top cover 22 . As shown in Figure 4B, after the hydrogen fuel tank is formed, the excess adhesive 27' filled between the metal top cover 22 and the open end 213 will be squeezed out, and the adhesive 27 in the annular groove 2221 will be cured , to ensure that the hydrogen in the hydrogen fuel tank will not leak out.

In addition, in the manufacturing method of the hydrogen fuel tank of the present invention, the closed end 211 of the hydrogen fuel tank can also be implemented by combining the open end 213 and the metal top cover 22, and a metal base with a diameter slightly smaller than the hollow cylinder is formed by electromagnetic pulse The hydrogen fuel tank in the embodiment of the present invention is also manufactured by combining with any end of the hollow cylinder with both ends open, and then performing the steps of the above embodiment.

Utilizing the manufacturing method of the above-mentioned hydrogen fuel tank 20, the hydrogen fuel tank 20 can be simply and safely sealed. On the one hand, it will not generate high heat during welding, which will cause the internal hydrogen storage alloy 263 to deteriorate or cause insufficient strength. Problems affect the quality of the hydrogen fuel tank 20; on the other hand, the processing time is short and the manufacturing cost is low, so it is very suitable for the requirements of mass production.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in this art can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, this The scope of protection of the invention shall be defined by the scope of the claims.

Claims (12)

1. a manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder is characterized in that: comprise the following steps:

One hollow circuit cylinder is provided, and this hollow circuit cylinder has a blind end and an openend;

In this hollow circuit cylinder, fill a hydrogen bearing alloy, to increase the hydrogen storage content of this hydrogen fuel tanks;

One top cover is provided, and this casting coping has a side, and the external diameter of this casting coping is less than the internal diameter of this hollow circuit cylinder; And

This casting coping is fixed in this openend of this hollow circuit cylinder with electromagnetic pulse forming.

2. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: this hollow circuit cylinder is with an ingot extrusion molding, and forms through heat treatment.

3. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 2 is characterized in that: the material of this hollow circuit cylinder and this top cover is an aluminium alloy.

4. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: this hydrogen bearing alloy is a lanthanum nickel alloy.

5. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: this hydrogen bearing alloy is a ferrotianium.

6. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: this hydrogen bearing alloy is a magnesium-nickel alloy.

7. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: more comprise the following steps:

This openend at this hollow circuit cylinder forms a flange, when carrying out electromagnetic pulse forming, is used to carry this casting coping.

8. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: more comprise the following steps:

These blind end central authorities in this hollow circuit cylinder form one first through hole, so that a safety valve to be set.

9. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: more comprise the following steps:

Central authorities in this casting coping form one second through hole, so that a breather valve to be set.

10. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that: this side of this casting coping has an angle of inclination, this openend of this hollow circuit cylinder is contracted in electromagnetic pulse forming after, fit in this side of this casting coping.

11. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 10 is characterized in that: more comprise the following steps:

On this side of this casting coping, form a plurality of annular grooves, fill an adhesive or O type ring between this casting coping and this hollow circuit cylinder and in these annular grooves of this casting coping, to prevent the gas leak in this hydrogen fuel tanks.

12. manufacture of hydrogen fuel cylinder as claimed in claim 11 is characterized in that: this adhesive is an epoxy resin.

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