AUTOMATIC OBSTRUCTION DEVICE OF A CIRCUIT FOR FILLING ONE OR MORE TANKS WITH A FLUID

Abstract

An automatic obstruction device for closing a filling circuit for filling a tank with fluid includes: a movable element movable between a non-obstruction position of the filling circuit, in which the movable element offers resistance to the fluid compatible with the filling of the tank, and an obstruction position of the filling circuit, in which the movable offers a resistance to the fluid that is incompatible with the filling of the tank; a holding element of the movable element holding the movable element in the non-obstruction position, and allowing movement of the movable element toward the obstruction position; and a first device of non-reversible movement or of non-reversible modification of the holding element allowing movement of the movable element toward the obstruction position, and being controllable by a control device.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. An automatic obstruction device for closing a filling circuit for filling one or more tank(s) with a fluid, in a manner at least partially sealed to the fluid, so as to prevent the filling of the one or more tank(s) when a predetermined event occurs, the automatic obstruction device comprising: at least one movable element, capable of being moved between a non-obstruction position of the filling circuit, in which the at least one movable element is able to be positioned so as to offer a resistance to the fluid compatible with the filling of the tank, and an obstruction position of the filling circuit, in which the at least one movable element is able to be positioned so as to offer a resistance to the fluid that is incompatible with the filling of the tank, at least one holding element of the at least one movable element, capable of holding the at least one movable element in the non-obstruction position, and of being deformed or moved so as to allow the movement of the at least one movable element toward the obstruction position, at least a first means of non-reversible movement or of non-reversible modification of the at least one holding element so as to allow the movement of the at least one movable element only toward the obstruction position, the at least one first means of non-reversible movement or non-reversible modification being controllable by a control device.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one movable element is capable of being positioned at least in part in at least one portion of the automatic obstruction device, which portion is intended to be assembled in a sealed manner to the filling circuit, at least one orifice is located in at least one wall of the at least one portion of the automatic obstruction device the at least one orifice is capable of: being sealed in a fluid-tight manner by the at least one holding element of the at least one movable element, and of allowing the at least one movable element to enter the at least one portion, so that the at least one movable element can reach the obstruction position.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined event is a detection of a safety defect of at least one of the tanks.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one movable element and the at least one holding element form one and the same element.

15. A filling circuit for filling one or more tank(s) with a fluid comprising a device according to claim 11.

16. The circuit according to claim 15, wherein the tank(s) are connected in a leak-tight manner to the filling circuit.

17. An assembly of a filling circuit for filling one or more tank(s) with a fluid according to claim 15, the tank(s) and a control device.

18. The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the control device is a computer.

19. The assembly according to claim 18 comprising at least one valve for a fluid tank, the at least one valve comprising: at least one portion of a sensor, for measuring at least one parameter characterizing the fluid, the valve being capable of receiving information from a computer, external to the valve, and an internal computer, the internal computer comprising: a first acquisition means configured to acquire data from the at least one sensor, a communication means capable of communicating bidirectionally with the external computer, and a control means configured to take into account information received from the external computer and data from the at least one sensor for controlling at least one actuator of the valve, in which assembly the computer is the internal computer.

20. A method for securing one or more fluid tank(s) forming part of an assembly according to claim 17, comprising the steps of: taking into account by the control device of safety defect information of at least one of the tanks, transmission of an obstruction order by the control device to at least one automatic obstruction device, taking into account of the order by the at least one automatic obstruction device, passage of at least one automatic obstruction device from the non-obstruction position to the obstruction position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0083] The invention will be better understood upon reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0084] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a valve according to one embodiment and of a computer external to the valve,

[0085] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the valve of FIG. 1 and part of a tank for which it is intended, an automatic obstruction device of the filling circuit according to one embodiment of another object of the invention being positioned in the inlet pipe upstream of the valve;

[0086] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a system comprising several tanks according to one embodiment of the invention,

[0087] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a circuit for filling tank(s) with a fluid according to one embodiment of the invention, in which the automatic obstruction device is in the non-obstruction position,

[0088] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the same filling circuit with the automatic obstruction device in the obstruction position,

[0089] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a valve of a filling circuit according to one embodiment of the invention in which the automatic obstruction device is positioned in a line dedicated to filling located upstream of the inlet pipe of the valve,

[0090] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a filling circuit according to one embodiment of the invention in which the automatic obstruction device is positioned in a filling interface of the filling circuit connected to a filling station.

[0091] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a circuit for filling tank(s) with a fluid according to another embodiment of the invention, in which the automatic obstruction device is in the obstruction position,

[0092] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a circuit for filling tank(s) with a fluid according to another embodiment of the invention, in which the automatic obstruction device is in the non-obstruction position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0093] FIG. 1 shows the technical solutions of a valve 1 according to the invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the valve 1 for a fluid tank 3, in particular for pressurized fluid, for example, compressed hydrogen, only the upper end 30 of which is shown. The valve 1 is part of a filling circuit, not shown, of the tank of a vehicle, not shown. The valve 1 is an electro-valve connected at the inlet to an inlet pipe 2 in the valve 1, and to an outlet pipe 4 of the valve 1, respectively connected in the valve 1 to an inlet valve 6, and at the outlet to an outlet valve 8. The valve 1 also comprises a TPRD (“Thermal and Pressure Release Device”) decompression device 10. The valve 1 comprises at least one sensor comprised at least in part in the valve 1 to measure at least one parameter characterizing the fluid. In this embodiment, the sensor is a temperature sensor 35 and the parameter measured is the temperature of the fluid. The valve 1 is capable of receiving information from a computer 5 external to the valve 1. The valve 1 comprises at least one actuator 100 and an internal computer 7 that comprises a power supply 12 of the internal computer 7 and at least one actuator 100 of the valve 1. The power supply 12 is supplied with electricity by a battery 33 of the vehicle through electrical connection wires 14. The external computer 5 and the battery 33 are part of the technical perimeter 37 of the vehicle, while the temperature sensor 35 and the actuator 100 are part of the technical perimeter 38 of the valve 1. The internal computer 7 comprises a central processing unit 16 that comprises a microprocessor 28, as well as the following modules: [0094] a first means 9 for acquiring data from the at least one sensor, [0095] a means 11 of communication to communicate bidirectionally with the external computer 5, [0096] a control means 13 configured to take into account information received from the external computer 5 and data from the at least one sensor for controlling at least one actuator 100 of the valve 1. In this embodiment, the actuator 100 is a solenoid and the control means 13 acts on the solenoid operating at constant direct current and, in a variant, at pulsed direct current (Peak and Hold).

[0097] In this embodiment, the means 11 of communication with the external computer 5 is a module using an interface of the CAN, FlexRay or LIN type. The module 11 and the external computer 5 are interconnected by a connection 18.

[0098] The at least one actuator 100 is connected to the control means 13 by at least one electrical connection 15. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the central processing unit 16 also comprises: [0099] a means 17 for measuring at least one current parameter in the electrical connection 15, [0100] a second means 19 for acquiring, storing and communicating data concerning the usage duration of the tank 3, such as the usage time of the tank 3 and/or its number of filling cycles, [0101] a third means 20 for acquiring data from another sensor comprised at least in part in the valve 1, to measure at least one parameter characterizing the fluid; in this embodiment, this other sensor is a fluid pressure sensor 34, and [0102] a means 26 for controlling a device 21 capable of closing the filling circuit of the tank, here at the inlet pipe of the valve 1, when a safety risk is detected. The device 21 is also the subject of the invention. The inlet pipe 2 comprises an orifice 48, capable of allowing a movable element of the device 21, not shown here, to pass through the inlet pipe 2 of the valve 1.

[0103] In this embodiment, the second acquisition means 19 is also configured to acquire data coming from at least one sensor 25 associated with the tank 3, making it possible to measure the integrity of the latter. It is for example a sensor making it possible to measure the integrity of the tank, such as a Bragg fiber sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an accelerometer, or a strain sensor.

[0104] FIG. 3 shows a system 22 according to the invention, in this embodiment comprising a filler neck 24, a safety valve 29 and twelve fluid tanks 3, each equipped with a valve 1 according to the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, each valve 1 comprises an outlet valve 8. The outlet valve 8 is an electro-valve controlled by at least one actuator 100 controlled by the control means 13 of the internal computer 7. The outlet pipe 4 from the outlet valve 8 puts the tank 3 in fluid communication with a single fluid manifold 23, through the filling circuit 40 and the safety valve 29. The manifold 23 is equipped with a pressure regulator 36 and a safety pressure sensor 27, the role of which is to guide the fluid to the fluid consumption system of the vehicle, not shown, for example a fuel cell or a heat engine. The safety valve 29 is an electro-valve connected to the pressure regulator 36; it is controlled by the external computer 5 and makes it possible to isolate the filling circuit 40 from the manifold 23 during the filling of the tanks. The safety valve 29 also makes it possible to isolate the filling circuit 40 from the manifold 23 when the manifold 23 presents a failure, for example, a leak. The filler neck 24 is connected to the filling circuit 40 and, through the inlet pipes 2, allows the tanks 3 to be filled with fluid at the filling station. An infrared communication device 31 associated with the filler neck 24 allows the external computer 5 to communicate information to the filling station, through an electrical connection 32. The communicated information is, for example, the pressure, the temperature and the volume of the tanks.

[0105] FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically show a filling circuit 40 for filling one or more tanks(s) with a fluid. The arrow 42 symbolizes the flow of fluid when the filling circuit 40 is supplied with fluid. The filling circuit 40 comprises an automatic obstruction device 21 capable of closing the filling circuit 40 in an at least partially fluid-tight manner, so as to prevent the filling of the tank(s). The automatic obstruction device 21 comprises at least one movable element 44, capable of being moved between a non-obstruction position of the filling circuit, shown in FIG. 4, in which the at least one movable element 44 is positioned so as to offer fluid resistance compatible with the filling of the tank, and an obstruction position of the filling circuit 40, shown in FIG. 5, in which the at least one movable element 21 is positioned at least partly in at least one portion 46 of the filling circuit 40, so as to offer resistance to the fluid incompatible with the filling of the tank, which is symbolized in FIG. 5 by the stopping of the arrow 42 before this portion 46 of the filling circuit 40.

[0106] The filling circuit 40 also comprises at least one orifice 48 located in at least one wall 50 of the at least one portion 46 of the filling circuit 40, capable of allowing the at least one movable element 44 to pass into the filling circuit 40, so that the at least one movable element 44 can reach the obstruction position. In this embodiment, the wall 50 in which the orifice 48 is located is a side wall of the portion 46 of the filling circuit 40.

[0107] The automatic obstruction device 21 further comprises: [0108] at least one holding element 52 of the at least one movable element 44, suitable for [0109] holding the movable element 44 in the non-obstruction position, [0110] sealing said at least one orifice 48 in a fluid-tight manner, and [0111] being deformed or moved so as to allow the movement of the at least one movable element 44 toward the obstruction position, [0112] at least one first means 54 of non-reversible movement or non-reversible modification of the at least one holding element 52 so as to allow the movement of the at least one movable element 44 toward the obstruction position, the at least one first means 54 of non-reversible movement or non-reversible modification being controllable by a control device 51.

[0113] In the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the portion 46 of the filling circuit 40 in which the orifice 48 is located comprises, in the wall 50, an undercut 58 arranged opposite the orifice 48, diametrically opposite the orifice 48, in which undercut 58 the movable element 44 can come to be at least partly housed in the obstruction position. The undercut 58 constitutes a receiving seat for the free end 60 of the movable element 44.

[0114] In the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the automatic obstruction device 21 further comprises a guide 62, which is a hollow body comprising a distal bearing surface 63. The movable element 44 is moved in the guide 62 to pass from the non-obstruction position to the obstruction position. The automatic obstruction device 21 further comprises a second means 64 for moving the movable element 44 toward the obstruction position when the latter has been released from the holding element 52. The second movement means 64 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is an elastic element, more precisely a spring, which acts between the movable element 44 and the distal bearing surface 63.

[0115] In FIGS. 4 and 5, the movement of the movable element 44 is carried out in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the portion 46 of the filling circuit 40 in which the orifice 48 is located.

[0116] The automatic obstruction device 21 further comprises a locking element in the obstruction position, not shown.

[0117] The movable element 44 can be moved between the obstruction position and the non-obstruction position under the action of an unlocking tool, not shown.

[0118] For simplicity, the movable element, the holding element and the first non-reversible movement means of the automatic obstruction device 21 are not shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 2, 6 and 7.

[0119] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the orifice 48 of the filling circuit 40 is located in the inlet pipe 2 upstream of the valve 1. The control device 51 is the internal computer 7 of the valve 1.

[0120] In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the orifice 48 of the filling circuit 40 is located in a line 76, for example, dedicated to filling, located upstream of the inlet pipe 72 of a valve 71 of the state of the art. The control device 51 is a computer external to the valve, not shown. In another embodiment, similar in all respects to this embodiment, the valve could be the valve according to the invention, comprising an internal computer.

[0121] In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the orifice 48 of the filling circuit 40 is located in a filling interface 78 of the filling circuit 40, which is connected to the filling station, not shown, through the filler neck 24. In another embodiment, similar in all respects to this embodiment, the valve could be the valve according to the invention, comprising an internal computer. In this embodiment, all the tanks and the external computer constitute a system within the meaning of the invention.

[0122] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the filling circuit according to the invention, differing from the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 in that the movable element 144 of the automatic obstruction device 121 is an enclosure that is shown in FIG. 8 inflated under the pressure of a non-compressible fluid, for example water. It is in communication with a water pump 154, placed under the control of the control device 51; the water pump could be replaced by another fluid injection device, for example, a piston. The water pump 154 constitutes a first non-reversible movement means within the meaning of the invention. In the non-obstruction position, not shown, the volume of the enclosure 144 is very small. The enclosure 144 is located outside the filling circuit 40. When the water pump 154 is activated, the enclosure 144 undergoes an expansion movement that allows it to move from the non-obstruction position to the obstruction position shown in FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the movable element 144 also constitutes the holding element, since in the uninflated state, it is retained in the non-obstruction position. Alternatively, the water could be replaced by an oil, for example engine oil.

[0123] Alternatively, the fluid could be compressible, such as air or another gas such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen. In this variant, the enclosure 144 could be the enclosure of a “mini airbag” inflated by the gas injected by a chemical reaction.

[0124] FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the filling circuit according to the invention, differing from the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 in that the movable element 244 of the automatic obstruction device 221 is a part whose section and material, here rubber, allow it to be retained in the orifice 48, outside the filling circuit 40, while sealing this orifice 48 in a fluid-tight manner. The activation of a pyrotechnic device 254 makes it possible to propel the movable element 244 from the non-obstruction position, shown in FIG. 9, toward the obstruction position, not shown, in which the free end 260 of the movable element 244 is in the undercut 58. The movable element and the holding element form one and the same element 244 capable of being retained in the non-obstruction position when the pyrotechnic device 254, which constitutes a first non-reversible movement means within the meaning of the invention, has not yet been activated.

[0125] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described here, and other embodiments will become clearly apparent to a person skilled in the art.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0126] 1: valve comprising an internal computer, [0127] 2: valve inlet pipe, [0128] 3: tank, [0129] 4: valve outlet pipe, [0130] 5: computer external to the valve, [0131] 6: inlet valve, [0132] 7: internal computer, [0133] 8: outlet valve, [0134] 9: first means for acquiring data from a sensor, [0135] 10: TPRD decompression device, [0136] 11: means of communication with the external computer, [0137] 12: power supply unit, [0138] 13: valve actuator control means, [0139] 14: electrical connection, [0140] 15: electrical connection between the valve and the actuator, [0141] 16: central processing unit, [0142] 17: means of measuring at least one current parameter in the electrical connection 15, [0143] 18: connection between the means of communication and the external computer, [0144] 19: second way to acquire, store and communicate data concerning the usage period of the tank, [0145] 20: third way to acquire data from another sensor, [0146] 21: means to prevent filling of the tank in the event of a safety risk (automatic obstruction device), [0147] 22: system comprising several tanks and an external computer, [0148] 23: single fluid manifold, [0149] 24: filler neck, [0150] 25: sensor for measuring tank integrity, [0151] 26: means for controlling an automatic obstruction device of the filling circuit of the tank, [0152] 27: safety pressure sensor, [0153] 28: microprocessor, [0154] 29: safety valve, [0155] 30: upper end of the tank, [0156] 31: infrared communication device, [0157] 32: electrical connection, [0158] 33: vehicle battery, [0159] 34: pressure sensor, [0160] 35: temperature sensor, [0161] 36: pressure regulator, [0162] 37: technical perimeter of the vehicle, [0163] 38: technical perimeter of the valve, [0164] 40: filling circuit, [0165] 42: arrow symbolizing the flow of fluid in the filling circuit, [0166] 44: movable element, [0167] 46: portion of the filling circuit in which the movable element is positioned in the obstruction position, [0168] 48: orifice, [0169] 50: wall of the portion of the filling circuit in which the orifice is located, [0170] 51: control device, [0171] 52: holding element, [0172] 54: first means of non-reversible movement or non-reversible modification of the holding element, [0173] 58: undercut, [0174] 60: free end of the movable element, [0175] 62: guide, [0176] 64: second means for moving the movable element, [0177] 71: state-of-the-art valve, [0178] 72: inlet pipe of the valve 71, [0179] 74: outlet pipe of the valve 71, [0180] 76: line dedicated to filling, [0181] 78: filling interface of the filling circuit, [0182] 100: actuator, [0183] 121: automatic obstruction device, [0184] 144: movable element, [0185] 154: air pump, [0186] 221: automatic obstruction device, [0187] 244: movable element, [0188] 254: pyrotechnic device, [0189] 260: free end of the movable element