JP5281761B2 - Pressurized container, fuel cartridge, and method of assembling the fuel cartridge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pressurized container for pressurizing a fuel container of a fuel cell, a fuel cartridge using the pressurized container, and a method for assembling the fuel cartridge. In particular, the present invention relates to a small pressurized container for a fuel cell for portable devices, a fuel cartridge using the pressurized container, and a method for assembling the fuel cartridge.

JP 2005-38803 A JP 11-179250 A JP 11-49254 A

  In recent years, fuel cells have been used in various products as a means for solving energy problems. On the other hand, various problems remain in miniaturization in terms of the safe supply of fuel at the household level.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a container body having a sealed structure, a flexible inner container that is accommodated in the container body and filled with fuel, and a valve mechanism that is provided in the container body and communicates with the inside of the inner container. A compressed gas filled in a space between the container body and the inner container, and an injection valve provided in the container body for reinjecting fuel communicated with the interior of the inner container. A fuel container is disclosed.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses an aerosol product that can be used repeatedly by filling the contents. In this type, a piston type container is accommodated in an external container, a pressurized gas is filled between the external container and the piston, and the content is filled in the piston type container. Since it is comprised in this way, by opening the valve attached to the opening of the external container, the piston in the piston-type container is pushed by the pressurized gas, and the contents are pushed out. And after injecting the whole quantity of the contents of a piston type container, the container can be reused as many times as possible by refilling the contents from the valve.

Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses an extruded container capable of injecting the entire contents in the tube container. This is provided with an injection part for injecting the contents at the upper part and an inlet for introducing pressurized gas at the lower part. A tube container is accommodated in this extruded container, and a product is obtained by introducing pressurized gas from the inlet.
In this product, simply by opening the injection part, the tube container is crushed by the pressurized gas and the contents are injected. Therefore, the entire amount of the contents in the tube container can be used easily, and if the contents disappear, it can be reused by replacing the tube container and refilling with pressurized gas.

However, in the case of Patent Document 1, in order to reinject or refill the fuel, the fuel must be filled from a small passage against the internal pressure of the inner container pressed by the compressed gas. The fuel must be filled against the piston pressed by the pressurized gas. Such work is difficult at home and in stores, and requires special equipment.
In Patent Document 3, when the tube container is replaced, the pressurized gas must be refilled, and a refilling of such a pressurized gas requires a high-pressure gas filling device.

  The present invention makes it easy to replace a fuel container filled with fuel, and pressurizes the fuel in the fuel container to supply it to a fuel cell, a small fuel cartridge using the same, and a fuel cartridge therefor An object of the present invention is to provide a method for assembling a fuel cartridge.

  A pressurization container for pressurizing a fuel container for a fuel cell according to the present invention includes a pressure-resistant container body having an opening, an inner bag that is accommodated in the container body and has flexibility, and the container body and the inner bag. A lid for fixing the inner bag to the opening of the container body so that the inner bag opens, and a pressurizing agent filled in the space. It is said.

  In such a pressurized container, the inner bag preferably has a gas barrier property.

A pressurized vessel, such as this, the lid, it is preferable that has a cylindrical insertion opening in the center.

The fuel cartridge of the present invention comprises the pressurized container of the present invention and a flexible fuel container that is accommodated in the inner bag and filled with fuel.
It is preferable that such a fuel cartridge is provided with a connecting member that is detachable from the pressurized container and detachable from the fuel container. Furthermore, it is preferable that the connecting member includes a passage for communicating with the fuel container and the fuel cell main body or an adapter connected to the fuel cell main body, and a sealing material for sealing the passage. The connecting member includes an unsealing means for unsealing a part of the fuel container when the fuel container is mounted, and the inside of the fuel container and the passage communicate with each other by unsealing the part of the fuel container. preferable.

  In the fuel cartridge assembly method of the present invention, a fuel container filled with fuel is attached to a connecting member that is detachable from the fuel container and the pressurized container, and the fuel container is inserted into the inner bag of the pressurized container of the present invention. The connecting member is attached to the pressurized container.

  The first aspect of the pressurized container for pressurizing the fuel container for the fuel cell of the present invention is used by inserting a flexible fuel container into the inner bag. Therefore, the pressurizing agent filled in the space between the container body and the inner bag (the space surrounding the inner bag) presses the fuel container through the inner bag, pressurizes the fuel inside, and stabilizes the flow rate. To supply the fuel cell. Further, since the fuel container is constantly receiving pressure from the pressurized container, it does not return to its original volume even if the volume is reduced by supplying fuel. Therefore, the fuel can be supplied in a stable supply amount regardless of the orientation of the pressurized container without generating a gas pool inside the fuel container. Furthermore, since a device such as a pressurizing pump is unnecessary, the pressurizing vessel can be miniaturized.

  In addition, when replacing the fuel container, it is only necessary to remove the fuel container that has run out of fuel or from the inner container, and insert a new fuel container filled with fuel into the opening of the inner bag. Replacement work is also easy. Furthermore, since the space between the container body and the inner bag filled with the pressurizing agent is sealed by the lid, the pressurizing container can be used repeatedly, and the user can fill the pressurizing agent when replacing the fuel container. There is no need to do.

  In the pressurized container according to the present invention, when the inner bag has gas barrier properties, the pressure agent penetrates the inner bag and leaks to the outside. Can keep.

  In any one of the pressurized containers described above, when the lid body has a cylindrical insertion port at the center, the fuel container can be easily inserted and can be stably held.

  Since the fuel cartridge of the present invention includes the pressurized container described in any one of the above and the fuel container, the fuel can be supplied to the fuel cell in a pressurized state, and the fuel comes into contact with the electrode (catalyst). It becomes easy and power generation efficiency becomes high. In addition, since the structure is simple, it is easy to downsize and the supply amount is not affected by the direction of use, so products that are frequently carried, such as mobile phones, laptop computers, digital cameras, and digital videos, are used at various angles. It can use suitably for goods. Moreover, since the fuel container and the pressurized container are integrated, replacement as a fuel cartridge is easy.

When such a fuel cartridge is provided with a connecting member that is detachable from the pressurized container and detachable from the fuel container, the replacement of the fuel container is further simplified. Further, the fuel container is firmly attached to the pressurized container by the connecting member, and there is no possibility that the fuel container will be detached from the pressurized container or come off due to the applied pressure.
When the connecting member includes a fuel container and a fuel cell body or a passage for communicating with the fuel cell body or an adapter connected to the fuel cell body, and a sealing material for sealing the passage, the fuel container is inserted into the inner bag, When the connecting member is attached to the pressurized container, fuel does not leak even if the pressurized container receives pressure.

When the connecting member includes an opening means for opening a part of the fuel container when the fuel container is mounted, and the inside of the fuel container and the passage communicate with each other by opening a part of the fuel container, the fuel The container can be sealed until just before use. In particular, even if the fuel is flammable or harmful to the human body, it can be used safely.
A method for assembling a fuel cartridge having a connecting member according to the present invention includes mounting a fuel container filled with fuel on the connecting member, inserting the fuel container into the inner bag of the pressurized container according to the present invention, Since the fuel container is attached to the pressurized container, the fuel container can be stably and easily inserted into the pressurized container while the fuel container is against the pressure applied to the inner bag and the contraction force of the inner bag.

Next, a pressurized container, a fuel cartridge, and a fuel cartridge assembling method for pressurizing a fuel container for a fuel cell according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of a pressurized container for pressurizing a fuel container for a fuel cell of the present invention; FIGS. 2a and 2b are views of a fuel container main body and a cap of a fuel container of a fuel cartridge of the present invention. 3A and 3B are process diagrams showing a process of assembling a fuel cartridge using the pressurized container of FIG. 1; FIG. 4A shows a fuel cartridge using the pressurized container of FIG. FIG. 4B is a side sectional view showing the fuel cartridge insertion portion; FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are perspective views showing other embodiments of the fuel container body of the fuel container of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the fuel container main body of the fuel container of the fuel cartridge of the present invention; FIGS. 7a and 7b are still other examples of the fuel container main body of the fuel container of the present invention. The fruit Perspective view showing an embodiment; FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing a pressure vessel in the form status for outside of the fuel cell of the present invention; Figure 9a, for a fuel cell of the present invention the pressurized container yet another FIG. 9B is a process cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing process of the pressurized container of FIG. 9A; FIG. 10 is another embodiment of the fuel cartridge of the present invention using the pressurized container of FIG. 9A. FIG. 11a, b, c are side sectional views showing still another embodiment of the pressurized container for a fuel cell of the present invention; FIG. 12 is the present invention using the pressurized container of FIG. 11c. FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B are measurement views showing the power generation amount of the fuel cartridge using the fuel cartridge and the pressurizing agent in FIG. 4; FIG. 14A and FIG. 4 is a measurement diagram showing the amount of power generated when power is generated by changing the direction of the fuel cartridge; 15, stopping the supply of fuel from the fuel cartridge of FIG. 4 is a measurement diagram showing a status of the power generation amount when re-started.

  A pressurized container 10 shown in FIG. 1 is inserted into a container main body 11 having a valve 15 for filling a pressurizing agent at the bottom, an inner bag 12 accommodated in the container main body, and an opening of the inner bag. And a cover cap 14 for fixing the inner bag and the housing to the container body.

The container main body 11 has pressure resistance, and has a bottom portion 16 with a pressurizing agent filling valve 15 attached to the center, a cylindrical body portion 17 extending upward from the periphery thereof, and a shrinkage from the upper end of the body portion. It has a tapered shoulder portion 18 formed to have a diameter, a cylindrical neck portion 19 extending upward from the upper end of the shoulder portion, and a mouth portion 20 having a diameter increased from the upper end of the neck portion. The neck portion 19 forms an annular recess. Further, the inner diameters of the neck portion 19 and the mouth portion 20 are the same, and the mouth portion 20 has a thickness.
Such a container body 11 is integrally formed of a metal such as aluminum or tin, synthetic resin, pressure-resistant glass, or the like. When the container body is molded with a light-transmitting material such as synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate or pressure-resistant glass, the deformation of the fuel container can be checked visually, so the remaining amount of fuel can be confirmed and replaced. The time is easy to understand.

  The inner bag 12 is flexible and is an integrally molded product made of a thin synthetic resin that is molded into a bottomed cylinder by blow molding or the like, and has a cylindrical body 21 and a lower end of the body. A conical bottom portion 22 projecting downward from the top and a flange portion 23 formed at the upper end of the body portion. However, the trunk portion 21 may be an elliptic cylinder having an elliptical cross section.

Moreover, it is preferable that the inner bag 12 has a gas barrier property so that the pressurizing agent filled between the container main body and the inner bag permeates and does not leak to the outside.
Such gas barrier properties include ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyamide, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, and other synthetic resin layers with low gas permeability, aluminum foil layers, and aluminum vapor deposited films in which aluminum is deposited on the surface of the synthetic resin. This can be realized by providing a gas barrier layer such as a silica vapor deposited film layer obtained by vapor-depositing a silica layer on the surface of a synthetic resin. When a gas barrier layer using aluminum is used, it is preferably provided in the outer layer.

Further, since such a gas barrier layer is mechanically, thermally or chemically unstable, it is preferable to simultaneously apply a laminate layer or a coating layer for protecting the barrier layer. For example, in order to prevent deterioration due to fuel, a synthetic resin layer such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or fluorine resin with excellent chemical resistance is used as a gas barrier. Lamination with the layers is preferred.
Furthermore, in order to facilitate the insertion of the fuel container into the inner bag, the inner surface of the inner bag is flocked with a short fiber, or is coated with a lubricating powder, a lubricating film or a lubricant coating layer. Processing such as providing may be performed.
As long as the inner bag 12 has flexibility and can be contracted, the inner bag 12 may not have gas barrier properties, and the characteristics thereof are not particularly limited.

  The housing 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is a plastic usually used for molding. For example, polyacetal (PA), polyamides such as nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 12, nylon 6, 10, etc., polyesters such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene terephthalate (PPT), polypropylene, Polystyrene, styrene / acrylonitrile copolymer (AS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene copolymer (ABS), polyarylate, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene ether (PPE) ), Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polysulfone (PSU), polyethersulfone (PES), liquid crystalline polyester (LCP), and the like. The optimum polymer can be selected according to the application and use place. It is formed of such a synthetic resin, and includes a cylindrical main body 24, an upper flange portion 25 projecting outwardly formed at the upper end thereof, and a lower flange portion 26 projecting inward formed at the lower end thereof. The lower flange 26 is formed with a rounded shape and protects from the lower end of the inner cylinder of the cover cap 14 to be described later so that the inner bag 12 does not break even if the inner bag 12 contracts greatly.

The cover cap 14 is molded from a metal plate such as aluminum or tinplate, and includes an inner cylinder 27, an outer cylinder 28, and a connection portion 29 that connects the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder at the upper end. Then, the cover cap 14 is fixed to the opening of the container body 11 by caulking the lower end 28 a of the outer cylinder 28 to the annular recess that is the neck portion 19.
In this embodiment, the housing 13 and the cover cap 14 constitute a lid.

In the method for manufacturing the pressurized container 10, the inner bag 12 is inserted into the container main body 11, and the top of the mouth of the container main body is brought into contact with the flange portion 23 of the inner bag. Next, the housing 13 is inserted from the mouth portion of the inner bag 12, and the flange portion 23 of the inner bag and the upper flange portion 25 of the housing are brought into contact with each other. The cover cap 14 is placed in the container so that the inner cylinder 27 and the outer cylinder 28 of the cover cap 14 sandwich the mouth portion 20 of the container body, the upper portion of the barrel portion 21 of the inner bag, the flange portion 23 of the inner bag, and the housing 13. Attached to the mouth 20 of the main body 11. And the lower end 28a of an outer cylinder is crimped and fixed with respect to the neck part 19 of a container main body. Thereby, the space S between the container main body 11 and the inner bag 12 is sealed. Finally, the pressurizing agent is filled into the space S from the filling valve 15 of the container body. As a result, the inner bag shrinks into a shape as indicated by a solid line.
Examples of such a pressurizing agent include compressed gas such as nitrogen gas, compressed air, oxygen gas and carbon dioxide gas, and liquefied gas such as liquefied petroleum gas, dimethyl ether and liquefied fluorocarbon. The pressurizing agent is filled so that the internal pressure at 25 ° C. is 0.05 to 2.0 MPa, preferably 0.1 to 1.0 MPa, and more preferably 0.15 to 0.8 MPa.

  Next, referring to FIG. 2, the fuel container 30 for the fuel cell used for the pressurized container 10, the fuel container 30 for the fuel cell used for the pressurized container 10 with reference to FIGS. A connecting member 31 for fixing to the pressurized container, and a fuel cartridge assembling method using the pressurized container 10 and the fuel container 30 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the fuel container 30 has a cylindrical barrel portion 34, a mouth portion 35a having a diameter reduced from the upper end of the barrel portion and provided with a screw 33 on the outer peripheral surface, and a lower end of the barrel portion closed. The tube-shaped fuel container main body 32 (refer FIG. 2a) provided with the bottom part 36 and the cap 37 (refer FIG. 2b) attached to the opening | mouth part are comprised.

The fuel container body 32 forms a cylindrical body portion 34 using a single layer film or a laminated film, and a head portion 35 having a mouth portion 35a and a shoulder portion 35b provided with screws is provided at the upper end of the body portion 34. It is molded by thermal bonding. In this case, the cap 37 is attached to the screw 33 and fuel is filled from the lower end of the barrel portion, and then the lower end of the barrel portion is welded by heat, ultrasonic high frequency or the like to form the bottom portion 36. And the bottom part 36 is processed so that the cross section of a front end may become circular, it is harder than a trunk | drum, and it is easy to insert it without damaging or tearing the inner bag 12 of a pressurized container.
Further, as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 2a, the fuel container main body 32 may be tapered so that the cross-sectional area decreases from the trunk portion toward the bottom portion. In this case, it becomes easier to insert the fuel container 30 into the pressurized container 10.

The laminated film constituting the body portion may be a laminate of a front substrate and a sealant layer substrate (laminate) or a laminate of a front substrate, an intermediate layer substrate, and a sealant layer substrate. it can.
Examples of the front substrate include a biaxially stretched polypropylene film, a polyethylene terephthalate film, a biaxially stretched nylon film, and a film in which these are coated with polyvinylidene chloride.
Examples of the intermediate layer substrate include aluminum foil, polyvinylidene chloride film, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer film, and polyvinyl alcohol.
Examples of the sealant layer base material include low density polyethylene (preferably a melting point of 100 to 130 ° C.), linear low density polyethylene (preferably a melting point of 110 to 140 ° C.), and an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (preferably a melting point of 100 ° C.). 70-110 ° C.), unstretched polypropylene (preferably melting point 130-165 ° C.), polyethylene terephthalate (preferably melting point 250-280 ° C.), and the like.

  In order to facilitate the insertion of the fuel container into the inner bag, the outer surface of the fuel container main body may be flocked, or a film having a lubricating film or a coating film of a lubricant may be provided.

  The cap 37 is molded into a bottomed cylindrical shape with a synthetic resin, and a screw that is screwed with a screw on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, and the upper surface 37a is thin.

  Examples of the fuel filled in the fuel container include lower alcohols such as methanol and ethanol, alcohol aqueous solutions; lower fatty acids, formic acid, acetic acid and aqueous solutions thereof; dimethyl ether, dimethyl ether aqueous solutions, and the like. The concentration of the aqueous solution containing one or a mixture of two or more of these organic fuels is preferably 0.1 to 100 Vol%.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the connecting member 31 includes a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 41, a cylindrical inner peripheral wall 42, and a disk-shaped base 43 that connects the outer peripheral wall and the inner peripheral wall at the upper end. And a cylindrical sharp projection 44 projecting downward from the center of the bottom surface of the base 43 and a cylindrical connecting portion 45 projecting upward from the center of the top surface of the base. The sharp projection 44 and the coupling portion 45 are connected to the inner passage 46. Communicated by The connecting member 31 can be made of a synthetic resin such as polyacetal or polyamide, or a metal.

  In addition, an engagement protrusion 47 that protrudes inward is formed at the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 41, and is clip-fitted to the annular recess (neck portion 19) of the pressurized container. Note that a switching means for switching the fitting force may be provided on the outer peripheral wall 41 of the connecting member in order to make it easy to attach the connecting member to the pressurized container or to remove it from the pressurized container. An example of such switching means is one in which an engagement piece having an engagement protrusion at the lower end is hinged to the outer peripheral wall, and the engagement protrusion of the engagement piece engages with the annular recess when mounted. Therefore, the fitting force is strong, and when removing, the upper part of the fitting piece is pushed inward to disengage the engagement protrusion of the engagement piece and lower the fitting force. Further, the engagement piece may switch the fitting force by moving up and down.

The lower end of the sharp projection 44 is sharply pointed, and is configured so that the upper surface 37a of the cap 37 of the sealed fuel container 30 can be punctured. This sharp protrusion becomes the “opening means” in the wording of the claims.
The connecting portion 45 includes an annular recess 49 formed in the upper outer periphery, a communication hole 50 formed in the annular recess, an engagement step 51 formed in the lower outer periphery, and a seal ring 52 attached to the annular recess. It consists of. That is, the communication hole 50 is sealed by the seal ring 52 in a normal state.

  A microcapillary tube is inserted into the inner passage 46 to adjust (suppress) the flow rate. However, other flow rate adjusting means for adjusting (suppressing) the flow rate, for example, a porous material such as a sintered body may be inserted. In addition, a porous elastic material such as sponge is inserted into the passage, or the passage area is reduced when the flow pressure is high, and a regulator mechanism is provided in the passage that increases the passage area when the flow pressure is low. Alternatively, a flow rate stabilizing means for stabilizing the flow rate may be provided.

The fuel container 30 and the connecting member 31 are connected by breaking the upper surface 37a of the cap with a sharp protrusion 44 of the connecting member and inserting the outer periphery of the cap 37 of the fuel container into the inner peripheral wall 42 (see FIG. 3a). And the fuel container 30 is inserted in the inner bag 12 of a pressurized container in the connected state (refer FIG. 3b).
Next, the engaging protrusion 47 at the lower end of the outer peripheral wall of the connecting member is clip-fitted with the annular recess (neck portion 19) of the pressurized container, whereby the connecting member 31 and the pressurized container 10 are mounted, and the fuel cartridge 55 is completed. (See FIG. 4a).

  The fuel cartridge 55 including the pressurized container 10, the fuel container 30, and the connecting member 31 is a cylindrical insertion portion 56 having an upper bottom as shown in FIG. The connecting member is connected to the connecting portion to the fuel cell main body having the upper step portion 57a facing downward and the lower step portion 57b facing upward at the lower part of the inner surface, or to the connecting portion to the adapter attached to the fuel cell main body. Used by inserting part 45. An inlet 58 for sending fuel to the fuel cell main body is formed in the upper bottom 58a of the insertion portion.

  That is, by inserting the fuel cartridge 55 into the insertion portion 56, the engagement step portion 51 of the connecting portion is engaged with the lower step portion 57 b of the insertion portion, and the fuel cartridge 55 is fixed to the insertion portion 56. At this time, the upper step portion 57a of the insertion portion presses the seal ring 52 of the connecting portion downward, and the communication hole 50 is opened.

Here, since the fuel container 30 is pressed so as to be always contracted by the pressurizing agent through the inner bag 12, the fuel in the fuel container 30 passes through the inner passage 46 from the communication hole 50 of the connecting portion to the insertion portion. It is delivered to the inlet 58.
At this time, since the inner bag 12 presses the entire fuel container 30, it can be pressed until the fuel in the fuel container 30 runs out. Further, since the fuel container is constantly under pressure, the fuel container does not return to its original volume even if the fuel container has elasticity or even if the consumption of fuel is stopped halfway. As a result, even if a component having a vapor pressure such as dimethyl ether is used for the fuel, gas can not be accumulated inside the fuel container and it can always be filled with liquid fuel, and the fuel container can be used in any direction. Can be supplied with fuel.

  When the fuel in the fuel container 30 runs out, the fuel cartridge 55 is removed from the insertion portion 56. Then, the fuel container 30 is taken out from the inner bag 12 while removing the connecting member 31 from the pressurized container 10. Furthermore, the fuel container 30 can be removed from the connecting member 31 and replaced with a new fuel container 30. As described above, the pressurized container 10 can efficiently and easily discharge the fuel in the fuel container 30 and can easily replace the fuel container after use.

  In the above-described fuel cartridge 55, the laminated tube is disclosed as the fuel container body 32 of the fuel container 30, but it is stable with respect to the fuel to be filled and is flexible so as to be deformed by the pressure of the pressurizing agent and the contraction force of the inner bag. If it has, it will not specifically limit. For example, it is possible to use a resin tube or a rubber tube made of a body having the same shape as the fuel container main body 32 of FIG. 2 by extruding a synthetic resin such as a fluororesin or extruding a rubber such as silicone rubber. . Further, a fuel container body formed by blow molding synthetic resin as shown in FIGS. 5a to 5c, a fuel container body (pouch) formed from a film or the like as shown in FIG. 6, or a cubic shape as shown in FIG. A rectangular parallelepiped fuel container body (brick pack) may be used. These are used by screwing with the cap 37 of FIG. 2b.

As shown in FIG. 5a, the fuel container main body 32a by the pro-molding has a cylindrical barrel portion 34a, a mouth portion 35c having a screw 33a on the outer peripheral surface reduced in diameter from the upper end of the barrel portion, and a lower end of the barrel portion. The bottom part 36a protrudes on the spherical surface. Moreover, the pinch-off part 38 protruded from the bottom lower end is formed by blow molding.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5b, the bottom portion 36a of the fuel container main body 32a may protrude in a conical shape. In this case, it becomes easy to insert the fuel container body into the inner bag of the pressurized container.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5c, the body 34a of the fuel container body may have an elliptical cylindrical shape in cross section. In this case, the fuel container main body 32a is crushed while deforming in a direction in which the long-axis surfaces of the body portion 34a are in close contact with each other, so that the remaining amount of the filled contents is reduced and the fuel container can be used up to the end.
The fuel container main body 32a may be subjected to vapor deposition such as the aforementioned aluminum vapor deposition film or silica vapor deposition film.

A fuel container body (pouch) 32b is shown in FIG. The pouch 32b is formed by using a plurality of laminated films used in a laminate tube, and sealing the ends of the bottom portion 36b and the trunk portion 34b with an adhesive or heat melting to form a bag, and further sealing the shoulder portion to the mouth portion. 37b is attached.
Examples of combinations of laminated films include polyethylene terephthalate / olefin sealant, biaxially stretched nylon film / olefin sealant, polyethylene terephthalate / aluminum foil / olefin sealant, polyethylene terephthalate / aluminum foil / biaxially stretched nylon film / Examples thereof include olefin-based sealants, biaxially stretched nylon films / ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer films / olefin-based sealants, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 7a, the fuel container main body (brick pack) 32c is assembled into a three-dimensional shape such as a cube or a rectangular parallelepiped using a laminated film obtained by laminating a synthetic resin film or aluminum foil on a paperboard to form a body portion 34c. The mouth 35d is attached to the top surface and molded. As shown in FIG. 7b, the opening may be provided on the top surface without providing the mouth portion, and the opening may be sealed with the aluminum foil 36c.
Examples of the laminated film include polyethylene / paper / polyethylene, polyethylene / paper / ionomer / aluminum foil / ionomer / polyethylene, polyethylene / paper / polyethylene / aluminum foil / polyethylene, and the like.

A pressurized container 60 shown in FIG. 8 uses an elastic body such as synthetic rubber, natural rubber, silicone rubber, or elastomer as an inner bag, and includes a container body 61 and an inner bag 62 inserted into the container body. The lid 63 is attached to the inner bag and connected to the container body.
The container body 61 is molded into a bottomed cylindrical shape using a synthetic resin, pressure-resistant glass, or the like, and a male screw is formed on the outer periphery of the mouth portion 64. The container main body 61 can also be filled with a pressurizing agent. However, in this embodiment, the fuel container can be compressed by the contraction force of the inner bag and the fuel inside thereof can be supplied. For the purpose of facilitating the insertion of the fuel container while keeping the pressure inside the container body constant even if the volume of S changes, a vent hole that communicates the inside and the outside may be formed.
The inner bag 62 includes a body portion 66 that contracts in a conical shape, and a flange portion 67 formed at the upper end thereof. Further, the trunk may have an elliptical cross section, and may further be provided with a tapered portion whose sectional area gradually decreases from the top to the bottom of the trunk 66.
The lid 63 includes an outer cylinder 68, an inner cylinder 69, and a connection portion 65 that connects them at the upper end. On the inner surface of the outer cylinder 68, a female screw that is screwed with a male screw at the mouth is formed. The inner diameter of the lower portion 69a of the inner cylinder 69 is reduced. The lower portion 69a serves as an insertion portion for the fuel container.

  In the pressurized container 60, the inner cylinder 69 of the lid body is inserted into the inner bag 62 so that the flange portion 67 of the inner bag is in contact with the connecting portion 65, and then the female screw of the lid body 63 and the container body 61 are inserted. It is assembled by connecting the male screw. At this time, since the flange portion 67 of the inner bag is sandwiched between the container main body 61 and the lid body 63, the inner bag 62 is not detached from the lid body 63.

  Since the inner bag 62 itself has elasticity, this pressurized container 60 can press the fuel container inserted into the inner bag 62. The pressurizing container 60 does not require a pressurizing agent between the container main body 61 and the inner bag 62, but may be filled with the pressurizing agent. In that case, since the inner bag 62 has elasticity, the flange portion 67 also acts as a sealing material. The material used for the inner bag 62 is not particularly limited as long as it has elasticity at room temperature. For example, the elongation at break is preferably 200% or more, more preferably 300% or more, and the elastic modulus at 300% elongation is preferably 1 MPa or more. Moreover, in order not to cause performance degradation during repeated use, the permanent elongation strain is preferably 20% or less. Materials that meet these requirements include butyl rubber (BR), acrylic rubber (NBR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), silicone elastomer, fluororubber, PVC elastomer, urethane elastomer, polyamide elastomer, and polyester elastomer. , Etc. can be selected. This inner bag can contain pressurized gas, but even without pressurized gas, the fuel in the fuel container can be sent to the fuel cell side only by the elasticity of the inner bag. It is also possible to use a bag with a hole, a mesh structure, or a knitted slit film. Moreover, since the pressure which pushes a fuel can be adjusted with the residual stress of the inner bag 61, it can be easily adjusted with the composition of material, and the thickness of a bag.

A pressurized container 70 shown in FIG. 9a includes a container main body 71, an inner bag 72, and a lid 73, and the container main body 71 does not include a filling valve.
As shown in FIG. 9b, the container main body 71 is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape having a bottom 76 and a cylindrical body 77 by drawing or impacting a metal plate such as aluminum or tinplate. Necking is applied to the upper end of the body portion to form a shoulder portion 78 and a neck portion 79, and a mouth portion 80 having an enlarged diameter is formed at the upper end portion of the neck portion. As in the case of the container body 11 in FIG. 1, other materials having pressure resistance such as synthetic resin and pressure glass may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 9b, the inner bag 72 extends upward from the upper end of the trunk portion so that the cross section is circular and the cross-sectional area is enlarged so that the cross section is circular. The shoulder portion 82, a cross-section extending upward from the shoulder portion, and a neck portion 83 having a circular shape, and a bottom portion 84 formed at the lower end of the trunk portion 81 and having a sectional area gradually smaller than the trunk portion 81. The portion where the cross-sectional area gradually decreases is not limited between the lower end and the bottom portion of the trunk portion, and can be arbitrarily provided between the upper end and the bottom portion of the trunk portion. The body 81 may have a plane in the long axis direction as a plane. Moreover, the bottom part 84 is provided with the pinch-off part 85 which seals the lower end (bottom part) of a trunk | drum at the time of blow molding. Moreover, it is preferable to provide a gas barrier layer also in this inner bag.

The lid body 73 includes a cylindrical plug body 86 and a cover 87 that covers the plug body.
The plug body 86 includes a barrel portion 88, an outer flange portion 89 formed on the upper end of the barrel portion and extending radially outward, and an inner flange portion 90 formed on the lower end of the barrel portion and extending radially inward. Further, an annular groove 91 is formed under the outer flange portion on the outer periphery of the trunk portion, and a donut-shaped seal member 92a is fitted in the groove 91. The corners of the inner flange portion 90 are rounded so that when the fuel container is not inserted or when the fuel in the fuel container is reduced and the inner bag is greatly contracted, the inner bag is There is an action to protect it from being broken.

  The cover 87 includes an S-shaped base portion 93 that contacts the inner surface of the stopper, the upper surface of the inner flange portion, and the upper surface of the outer flange portion, a cylindrical insertion portion 94 that rises upward from the lower end of the base portion, and a lower portion from the upper end of the base portion. And an outer frame 95 extending in the direction.

  9b, the inner bag 72 is inserted into the container main body 71, and the container is formed between the outer periphery of the stopper 86 of the lid 73 and the inner periphery of the outer frame 95 of the cover. The mouth portion 80 of the main body and the neck portion 83 of the inner bag are inserted, and the outer peripheral surface of the stopper 86 and the inner surface of the neck portion 83 of the inner bag are fitted. The pressurizing agent is filled into the gap S between the container body 71 and the inner bag 72 by filling the under cup. Thereafter, the lid is pressed downward so that the upper end of the mouth portion 80 of the container body is in contact with the seal member 92a, and the lower end 95a of the outer frame 95 of the cover is crimped to the neck portion 79 of the container body (see FIG. 9a). .

FIG. 10 shows a fuel cartridge 100 composed of the above-described pressurization container 70, fuel container 96, and connecting member 97. The fuel container 96 is substantially the same as the fuel container 30 of FIG. 2 except that the cap is removed.
The connecting member 97 is formed so as to protrude from the center of the lower surface of the base portion, the disc-like base portion 101, the container mounting portion 102 that extends downward from the periphery of the base portion, and is clipped to the outer periphery of the lower end of the lid. A cylindrical fuel container mounting portion 103 that engages with the outer periphery of the mouth of the container, a cylindrical connecting portion 104 that protrudes from the center of the upper surface of the base and has an upper bottom 104a, and extends upward from the periphery of the base, It comprises a fuel cell main body or an adapter mounted on the fuel cell main body and a battery mounting portion 105 for clip fitting. A female screw is formed on the inner surface 103a of the fuel container mounting portion so that the male screw formed on the outer periphery of the mouth portion of the fuel container can be screw-fitted. Further, a gasket 106 is provided at the upper end on the inner surface of the fuel container mounting portion. In addition, it is preferable to provide the switching means in the container mounting portion 102 as well.

  Due to such a configuration, the fuel cartridge 100 is less likely to come off even when connected to the fuel cell device.

A pressurized container 110 shown in FIG. 11 c includes a container main body 111, an inner bag 112 accommodated in the container main body 111, and a lid 113 fixed to the opening of the container main body 111.
The container body 111 is integrally formed by drawing, ironing, necking or the like from a slag made of aluminum or tin or the like, and has a cylindrical body portion 116 and a bottom portion provided at the lower end of the body portion. 117, a shoulder 118 provided at the upper end of the trunk, and a bead 119 formed by curling the upper end of the shoulder (see FIG. 11a).

  The inner bag 112 is formed by blow molding, and has a barrel 121 having an elliptical cross section and an upper end from the upper end of the barrel so that the cross section is circular at the upper end and the cross sectional area is reduced. A shoulder portion 122 extending in the direction from the shoulder portion, a circular neck portion 123 extending upward from the shoulder portion, a flange portion 124 formed at the upper end of the neck portion, and a lower end of the body portion 121, which is cut off from the body portion 121. The area gradually decreases, and includes a bottom portion 125 having a pinch-off portion 126.

  The lid body 113 includes a cylindrical covering portion 131 having a curled portion 132 at the upper end, a cylindrical insertion portion 133, and a connection portion 134 that connects the lower end of the covering portion 131 and the lower end of the insertion portion 133. Become.

  The pressurized container 110 configured as described above inserts the inner bag 112 into the container main body 111 (see FIG. 11a). Next, the lid 113 is placed on the flange portion 124 of the inner bag via the seal member 118a, and the inner surface of the neck portion 123 of the inner bag and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the covered portion 131 of the lid are airtightly fitted. . Then, the pressure agent (in the direction of the arrow) is filled (filled with an undercup) (see FIG. 11b) from between the bead portion 119 of the container body and the flange portion 124 of the inner bag (see FIG. 11b). The flange portion is pressed downward so as to contact the bead portion, and the cylindrical portion of the covering portion is crimped from the inside toward the shoulder portion 118 of the container body (in the direction of the arrow) to form a crimped portion 113a. And the space S between the inner bag 112 and the inner bag 112 are manufactured (see FIG. 9c). Thereby, the inner bag 112 is always pressed so that it may shrink | contract with the pressurizing agent with which the space S was filled. When transporting or selling in a pressurized container state, it is preferable to attach a cap to the lid to protect the inner bag.

FIG. 12 shows a fuel cartridge 140 including the pressurized container 110, the fuel container 136, and the connecting member 137 shown in FIG. The fuel container 136 is substantially the same as the fuel container 30 of FIG. 2 except that the cap is removed, and the connecting member 137 is substantially the same as the connecting member 97 of FIG.
The fuel cartridge 140 can also supply fuel into the fuel cell by inserting the connecting portion 104 into the insertion portion 56 of FIG. 4B. Moreover, when the fuel in the fuel container is exhausted, the replacement is easy.

A fuel cartridge 55 shown in FIG. 4 was attached to a power generation cell of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), and a power generation experiment was performed.
The power generation cell is obtained by fixing a membrane / electrode assembly including an anode catalyst, a cathode catalyst, and an electrolyte membrane disposed between the two cell holders. As the anode catalyst, a material in which platinum and ruthenium were applied to carbon black was used, and as the cathode catalyst, a material in which platinum was applied to carbon black was used. Nafion 115 (trade name) was used as the electrolyte membrane.

The container main body 11 of the pressurized container 10 of the fuel cartridge is made of polyethylene terephthalate, and the inner bag 12 is a laminate having a three-layer structure of polyethylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, and polyethylene (PE / EvOH / PE). It was. Moreover, the space S between the container main body 11 and the inner bag 12 was filled with nitrogen gas as a pressurizing agent to a pressure of 0.5 MPa. In addition, a microcapillary tube having a hole diameter of 40 μm was inserted into the passage 46 of the connecting member 31, and the initial flow rate was adjusted to 0.5 ml / min.
A laminated tube container was used as the fuel container main body 32 of the fuel container 30, and 100 ml of 2M aqueous methanol solution was filled as the fuel.

1. Comparison of Fuel Supply Methods A power generation experiment (Example 1) was performed using the above-described apparatus, maintaining the temperature of the power generation cell at 50 ° C., and setting the fuel supply amount to the anode at 0.5 ml / min. In addition, as a comparative experiment using the same fuel, a power generation experiment (Comparative Example 1) was performed using a power pump with a fuel supply amount to the anode being 0.5 ml / min. Further, as a comparative experiment, a power generation experiment (Comparative Example 2) was performed using the same fuel cartridge except that the pressurizing agent was not charged. The results are shown in FIGS. 13a and 13b.
From this result, it can be seen that the fuel cartridge of the present invention has the same performance as that of the power pump and has a power generation capability superior to that of the fuel cartridge not filled with the pressurizing agent.

2. Comparison of orientation of fuel cartridge Under the same conditions as the power generation experiment described above, the fuel cartridge is upright (upright), the fuel cartridge is upside down (inverted), the fuel cartridge is placed horizontally, and the fuel cartridge Was carried out in four states: upright, horizontal, upside down, upright, and the direction changed every 15 minutes.
The results are shown in FIGS. 14a and 14b. From this result, it can be seen that there is no difference in the amount of power generation depending on the direction of the fuel cartridge, and that the fuel cartridge of the present invention is suitable for a mobile fuel cell.

3. Behavior when fuel supply is stopped and when fuel is supplied again When the fuel supply is stopped during a power generation experiment, the state of decrease in power generation is measured, and the fuel supply is restarted after the power generation is reduced We measured how the amount of power generation increased. The result is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 15, power was generated for a while even when the supply of fuel was stopped during continuous operation. Moreover, when the fuel was supplied again after the power generation amount decreased, the power generation amount recovered immediately.

It is side surface sectional drawing which shows one Embodiment of the pressurization container for pressurizing the fuel container for fuel cells of this invention. 2a and 2b are perspective views showing an embodiment of a fuel container body and a cap of the fuel container of the fuel cartridge of the present invention. 3a and 3b are process diagrams showing a process of assembling a fuel cartridge using the pressurized container of FIG. 4a is a side sectional view showing a fuel cartridge using the pressurized container of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4b is a side sectional view showing an insertion portion of the fuel cartridge. 5a, 5b, and 5c are perspective views showing other embodiments of the fuel container body of the fuel container of the fuel cartridge of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of the fuel container main body of the fuel container of the fuel cartridge of this invention. 7a and 7b are perspective views showing still other embodiments of the fuel container main body of the fuel container of the fuel cartridge of the present invention. The pressure vessel in the form status for outside of the fuel cell of the present invention is a side cross-sectional view illustrating. FIG. 9a is a side sectional view showing still another embodiment of the pressurized container for a fuel cell of the present invention, and FIG. 9b is a process diagram showing a manufacturing process of the pressurized container of FIG. 9a. FIG. 9b is a side sectional view showing another embodiment of the fuel cartridge of the present invention using the pressurized container of FIG. 9a. 11a, 11b and 11c are side sectional views showing still another embodiment of the pressurized container for a fuel cell of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the fuel cartridge of the present invention using the pressurized container of FIG. 11c. 13A and 13B are measurement diagrams showing the power generation amount of the fuel cartridge using the fuel cartridge and the pressurizing agent in FIG. 14A and 14B are measurement diagrams showing the power generation amount when power is generated by changing the direction of the fuel cartridge of FIG. FIG. 5 is a measurement diagram showing a state of power generation when fuel supply from the fuel cartridge of FIG. 4 is stopped and restarted.

Explanation of symbols

S space 10 Pressurized container 11 Container body 12 Inner bag 13 Housing 14 Cover cap 15 Filling valve 16 Bottom part 17 Body part 18 Shoulder part 19 Neck part 20 Mouth part 21 Body part 22 Bottom part 23 Flange part 24 Main body 25 Upper flange part 26 Below Flange part 27 Inner cylinder 28 Outer cylinder 28a Lower end of outer cylinder 29 Connection part 30 Fuel container 31 Connecting member 32, 32a, 32b, 32c Fuel container body 33, 33a Screw 34, 34a, 34b, 34c Body part 35a, 35c, 35d Mouth portion 35b Shoulder portion 35 Head portion 36, 36a, 36b Bottom portion 36c Aluminum foil 37 Cap 37a Top surface 37b Mouth portion 38 Pinch-off portion 41 Outer peripheral wall 42 Inner peripheral wall 43 Base portion 44 Sharp projection 45 Connection portion 46 Inner passage 47 Engagement projection 49 Annular Recess 50 Communication hole 51 Engagement step 52 Seal ring 5 5 Fuel cartridge 56 Insertion portion 57a Upper step portion 57b Lower step portion 58 Inlet 58a Upper bottom 60 Pressurized container 61 Container body 62 Inner bag 63 Lid 64 Port portion 65 Connection portion 66 Body portion 67 Flange portion 68 Outer tube 69 Inner tube 69a Lower part of inner cylinder 70 Pressurized container 71 Container body 72 Inner bag 73 Cover body 76 Bottom part 77 Body part 78 Shoulder part 79 Neck part 80 Mouth part 81 Body part 82 Shoulder part 83 Neck part 84 Bottom part 85 Pinch off part 86 Plug body 87 Cover 88 Body Portion 89 Outer flange portion 90 Inner flange portion 91 Groove 92a Seal member 93 Base 94 Insertion portion 95 Outer frame 95a Lower end 96 Fuel container 97 Connecting member 100 Fuel cartridge 101 Base portion 102 Container mounting portion 103 Fuel container mounting portion 103a Inner surface 104 Connecting portion 104a Upper bottom 105 Battery mounting part 106 Gasket 110 Pressure vessel 111 Container body 112 Inner bag 113 Lid body 113a Caulking part 116 Body part 117 Bottom part 118 Shoulder part 118a Seal member 119 Bead part 121 Body part 122 Shoulder part 123 Neck part 124 Flange part 125 Bottom part 126 Pinch off part 131 Cover part 132 Curled part 133 Insertion part 134 Connection part 136 Fuel container 137 Connecting member 140 Fuel cartridge

Claims (8)

A pressure-resistant container body having an opening, and
A flexible inner bag housed in the container body;
A lid for fixing the inner bag to the opening of the container body so that the space between the container body and the inner bag is sealed and the inner bag is opened;
A pressurizing container for pressurizing a fuel container of a fuel cell, comprising a pressurizing agent filled in the space. The pressurized container according to claim 1, wherein the inner bag has gas barrier properties. The lid is centered and a cylindrical insertion opening, pressurized container of claim 1 Symbol placement. A fuel cartridge comprising the pressurized container according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and a flexible fuel container that is accommodated in the inner bag and filled with fuel. The fuel cartridge according to claim 4 , further comprising a connecting member that is detachable from the pressurization container and detachable from the fuel container. 6. The fuel cartridge according to claim 5 , wherein the connecting member includes a passage for communicating with the fuel container and the fuel cell main body or an adapter connected to the fuel cell main body, and a sealing material for sealing the passage. The connecting member comprises a opening means for opening a portion of the fuel container, and the fuel inside the container and the passage by opening a portion of the fuel container communicates that when it is mounted to the fuel container, according to claim 4 The fuel cartridge described. 6. The method of assembling a fuel cartridge according to claim 5, wherein a fuel container filled with fuel is attached to the connecting member, and the fuel container is inserted into the inner bag of the pressurized container according to any one of claims 1 to 3. And a method of assembling the fuel cartridge, wherein the connecting member is attached to the pressurized container.