Pressurized-container arrangement

Abstract

A pressure container arrangement includes a plurality of pressure containers, a number of safety valves, and a number of connection lines. The plurality of pressure containers are connected in fluid terms by the number of connection lines. At least one of the number of safety valves is disposed between a respective two of the plurality of pressure containers which are connected to each other. The number of safety valves are constructed to close from a predetermined maximum throughflow and/or from a predetermined maximum pressure difference.

Claims

1. A pressure container arrangement of a motor vehicle for storing pressurized fuel in a motor vehicle, comprising: a plurality of pressure containers; a number of safety valves; and a number of connection lines; wherein the plurality of pressure containers are connected in fluid terms by the number of connection lines; wherein at least one of the number of safety valves is disposed between a respective two of the plurality of pressure containers which are connected to each other in fluid terms by a respective connection line such that a fluid exits from a first one of the respective two of the plurality of pressure containers, enters into the respective connection line, and enters a second one of the respective two of the plurality of pressure containers from the respective connection line and wherein the at least one of the number of safety valves is disposed in the respective connection line that connects the respective two of the plurality of pressure containers to each other in fluid terms such that the fluid sequentially exits from the first one of the respective two of the plurality of pressure containers, then enters into the respective connection line, then passes through the at least one of the number of safety valves when the at least one of the number of safety valves is open, and then enters the second one of the respective two of the plurality of pressure containers from the respective connection line; wherein the number of safety valves are constructed to close from a predetermined maximum throughflow and/or from a predetermined maximum pressure difference.

2. The pressure container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one, some, or all of the number of safety valves is/are configured to close only at one side of the respective safety valve.

3. The pressure container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one, some, or all of the number of safety valves is/are configured to close at two sides of the respective safety valve.

4. The pressure container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein: each of the number of safety valves has a respective valve member, valve seat, and pretensioning device; the pretensioning device keeps the valve member spaced apart from the valve seat in a rest state such that fluid which is flowing through the safety valve flows around the valve member; the valve member from the predetermined maximum throughflow and/or from the predetermined maximum pressure difference is pressed against the valve seat counter to a force of the pretensioning device.

5. The pressure container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the number of safety valves are constructed to enable a residual throughflow in a closed state.

6. The pressure container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the number of safety valves are constructed to open after a closure when a value falls below an opening pressure difference.

7. The pressure container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the pressure container arrangement is in a form of a chain tank.

8. The pressure container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the pressure container arrangement is in a form of a pipe storage system and wherein the plurality of pressure containers are in a form of a respective storage pipe.

9. The pressure container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pressure containers have a respective length-to-diameter ratio having a value between 5 and 40 or between 7 and 25 or between 9 and 15.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1a is a cut-out of a pressure container arrangement;

(2) FIG. 1b shows an associated circuit diagram;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a pressure container arrangement according to the prior art;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a pressure container arrangement;

(5) FIG. 4a shows a safety valve;

(6) FIG. 4b shows an associated circuit diagram; and

(7) FIG. 5 shows a pressure container arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(8) FIG. 1 shows a cut-out of a pressure container arrangement 100, that is, a transition between a pressure container 110 and an adjacent connection line 120. A tapering 130 is formed between the pressure container 110 and the connection line 120. There is formed therein a safety valve 115 which will be described in greater detail below.

(9) The safety valve 115 has a valve member 150. This member is secured to a pretensioning device in the form of a spring 160 which enables a movement of the valve member 150 in a horizontal direction in the illustration of FIG. 1a and which pretensions it away from the tapering 130 toward the left. In this instance, a fluid flow which is illustrated using arrows flows around the valve member 150. This flow consequently flows in the illustration of FIG. 1a from left to right.

(10) A compression 140 of the flow lines occurs between the valve member 150 and the tapering 130 and with a correspondingly larger pressure difference between the left side and right side of the safety valve 115 and/or with a correspondingly high throughflow leads to a reduced pressure which presses the valve member 150 to the right. The valve member 150 can then close the valve 115 so that the fluid flow which has been illustrated is no longer possible. The tapering 130 forms a valve seat 135 in this instance.

(11) The safety valve 115 is consequently constructed in such a manner that, at a pressure difference below a predetermined maximum pressure difference and/or with a throughflow below a predetermined maximum throughflow, it is open and enables the corresponding throughflow, but closes when the predetermined maximum throughflow and/or the predetermined maximum pressure difference has been exceeded and consequently does not enable any further throughflow. This does not exclude a specific leakage from potentially even deliberately being enabled in order in the event of inadvertent closure to enable a reduction of the pressure difference and consequently to enable reopening of the safety valve 115.

(12) FIG. 1b shows the pressure container 110 with the connection line 120 connected thereto and safety valve 115 contained therein as a circuit diagram. This illustration is used in the following Figures. The arrow over the safety valve 115 shows in this instance the direction in which a closure is possible as described. It can be referred to as the blocking direction.

(13) FIG. 2 shows a pressure container arrangement 100 according to the prior art. In this instance, a total of three pressure containers 110 are shown and are connected to each other by means of respective connection lines 120. It is evident that, in the event of a leakage occurring in one of the pressure containers 110, for example, as a result of mechanical damage, this would lead to direct emptying of all three pressure containers 110. This represents a safety problem since the gas which is discharged is typically flammable and is under high pressure.

(14) FIG. 3 shows a pressure container arrangement 100 according to an embodiment. In this instance, it can be seen that between the pressure containers 110 there are arranged in each case safety valves 115 which are constructed according to the illustration of FIG. 1a. They thus delimit the maximum throughflow and/or a maximum pressure difference. In the variant shown here, there are connected in each case between all the pressure containers 110 shown two safety valves 115 which have different blocking directions. By using two such safety valves 115 between the respective pressure containers 110, it is consequently possible for, in the event of a leakage from one of the pressure containers 110, only this pressure container 110 to be emptied, wherein, as a result of the high volume flows which immediately occur or high pressure differences which are applied, adjacent safety valves 155 close in each case and thus prevent the other pressure containers 110 from also being emptied. A corresponding occurrence of leakage or bursting consequently remains limited to one pressure container 110 and does not lead to an emptying of all pressure containers 110, as would be the case in the embodiment of FIG. 2.

(15) FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a safety valve 115, wherein in this instance the valve member 150 is pretensioned with two springs 160, 160 in both directions. Compressions 140, 140 of the flow lines may be formed in both directions so that with an excessively high throughflow or with an excessively high pressure difference in both directions a closure can be carried out in the respective direction. Accordingly, two valve seats 135, 135 are also formed. This may, for example, prevent two safety valves 115 being used between two pressure containers 110 in each case, as in FIG. 3. Nonetheless, the same safety functionality can be provided. A corresponding circuit diagram is shown in FIG. 4b. In this instance, there are illustrated two arrows which face in opposing directions and consequently indicate that the safety valve 115 has two blocking directions.

(16) FIG. 5 shows a pressure container arrangement 100 according to another embodiment, wherein two pressure containers 110, between which only one safety valve 115 which closes at both sides according to the embodiment of FIG. 4a is provided, are also provided. The functionality is in this instance in principle identical to that of the embodiment of FIG. 3, but fewer safety valves 115 are required in total.

(17) It should be mentioned that, in the embodiments of the safety valve shown, a respective retention member of the spring 160 and an axial guiding of the valve member 150 are not shown. Furthermore, it should be mentioned that the respective spring 160 can also be fitted differently, for example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1a at the other side. The same functionality can also be achieved as a result. The embodiment of FIG. 4a can also in principle be modified in such a manner that a single spring 160 is sufficient.

(18) In the embodiment of FIG. 4a, it is possible, for example, by selecting the springs 160, 160 and as a result of geometric configurations of the flow direction, in particular of the respective tapering, to adjust for the different directions in such a manner that they close in the event of different throughflows and/or pressure differences. This may be advantageous since, for example, the filling can be carried out with a considerably higher mass flow or throughflow than the removal. The closure sensitivity can consequently be adapted in an optimum manner to such requirements.

(19) Excess flow valves or safety valves can be integrated in pressure containers 110 in a particularly simple manner when a differential construction type is used. However, for example, it is also possible for an integration of the excess flow valves or safety valves to be carried out in an integral construction type which is economical in particular with high batch quantities. The tapering 130 which has already been mentioned can particularly be used to act as a valve seat 135 for the valve member 150.