SAFETY VALVE SYSTEM FOR A COMBUSTION GAS VEHICLE, COMBUSTION GAS VEHICLE, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND STORAGE MEANS

Abstract

The invention relates to a safety valve system (10a; 10b; 10c) for a combustion gas vehicle (11), having: an excess pressure valve unit (13) with a first gas outlet (14) for discharging excess pressure gas (29) out of a combustion gas tank (12) of the combustion gas vehicle (11) in a first outlet direction (RI) and at least one additional gas outlet (15, 16, 17) for discharging excess pressure gas (29) out of the combustion gas tank (12) in at least one additional outlet direction (R2) which differs from the first outlet direction (RI); a state detection unit (18) for detecting a vehicle position and/or a vehicle orientation of the combustion gas vehicle (11) and/or a surroundings state of the combustion gas vehicle (11); and an adjustment unit (19) for adjusting the discharge of excess pressure gas (29) through the first gas outlet (14) and/or through the at least one additional gas outlet (15, 16, 17) on the basis of the detected current vehicle position, the detected current vehicle orientation, and/or the detected surroundings state. The invention additionally relates to a combustion gas vehicle (11), to a computer program product (26), and to a storage means (26) with a computer program product (26) stored thereon.

Claims

1. A safety valve system (10a; 10b; 10c) for a combustion gas vehicle (11), having: a pressure relief valve unit (13) with a first gas outlet (14) for discharging overpressure gas (29) from a combustion gas tank (12) of the combustion gas vehicle (11) in a first outlet direction (R1) and at least one further gas outlet (15, 16, 17) for discharging overpressure gas (29) from the combustion gas tank (12) in at least one further outlet direction (R2) which is different from the first outlet direction (R1), a state/condition detection unit (18) configured to detect (i) a vehicle position of the combustion gas vehicle (11), (ii) a vehicle orientation of the combustion gas vehicle (11), (iii) conditions in a vicinity of the combustion gas vehicle (11), or any combination of (i), (ii), and (iii), and an adjustment unit (19) for adjusting a discharge of overpressure gas (29) through the first gas outlet (14) and/or through the at least one further gas outlet (15, 16, 17) in dependence on the detected current vehicle position, the detected current vehicle orientation and/or the detected current conditions in the vicinity.

2. The safety valve system (10a) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure relief valve unit (13) has, for discharging overpressure gas (29) from the combustion gas tank (12), at least a first pressure relief valve (20) for discharging the overpressure gas (29) through a first gas outlet (14) and at least one further pressure relief valve (21, 22) for discharging the overpressure gas (29) through at least one further gas outlet (16, 17).

3. The safety valve system (10a; 10b; 10c) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure relief valve unit (13) has at least one pressure relief valve (20) for discharging the overpressure gas (29) through the first gas outlet (14) and the at least one further gas outlet (15).

4. The safety valve system (10a; 10b; 10c) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the state/condition detection unit (18) has an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or both an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

5. The safety valve system (10a; 10b; 10c) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the state/condition detection unit (18) has a radar unit, a camera and/or a lidar unit.

6. The safety valve system (10b) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a visualization unit (24) for visually marking a gas flame of the overpressure gas (29) at the pressure relief valve unit (13).

7. The safety valve system (10a) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pipeline (25), formed at the pressure relief valve unit (13), for discharging the overpressure gas (29) into the surroundings of the safety valve system (10a; 10b) at a distance from the combustion gas tank (12).

8. A combustion gas vehicle (11) having a combustion gas tank (12) and a safety valve system (10a; 10b; 10c) as claimed in claim 1.

9. A non-transitory, computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computer (27), cause the computer to operate a safety valve system (10a; 10b; 10c) having: a pressure relief valve unit (13) with a first gas outlet (14) for discharging overpressure gas (29) from a combustion gas tank (12) of the combustion gas vehicle (11) in a first outlet direction (R1) and at least one further gas outlet (15, 16, 17) for discharging overpressure gas (29) from the combustion gas tank (12) in at least one further outlet direction (R2) which is different from the first outlet direction (R1).

10. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Further measures enhancing the invention will become apparent from the following description relating to different exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are shown schematically in the figures. All the features and/or advantages, including structural details and spatial arrangements, which follow from the claims, the description or the figures can be essential to the invention both on their own and in the various combinations.

[0022] In the figures, in each case in schematic form:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a combustion gas vehicle having a safety valve system according to a first embodiment of the present invention,

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a pressure relief valve in a first operating position,

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a pressure relief valve in a second operating position,

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a pressure relief valve in a third operating position,

[0027] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a safety valve system having a computer program product according to the invention,

[0028] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a storage means according to the invention,

[0029] FIG. 7 shows a combustion gas vehicle having a safety valve system according to a second embodiment of the present invention,

[0030] FIG. 8 shows a combustion gas vehicle having a safety valve system according to a third embodiment of the present invention in a side view,

[0031] FIG. 9 shows a combustion gas vehicle having a safety valve system according to the third embodiment of the present invention in a plan view,

[0032] FIG. 10 shows a combustion gas vehicle in a first accident position, and

[0033] FIG. 11 shows a combustion gas vehicle in a second accident position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Elements having the same function and effect are in each case provided with the same reference signs in the figures.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a combustion gas vehicle 11 having a combustion gas tank 12 and a safety valve system 10a according to a first embodiment. The safety valve system 10a has a pressure relief valve unit 13 with a first pressure relief valve 20, a second pressure relief valve 21 and a third pressure relief valve 22. The pressure relief valves 20, 21, 22 are configured and arranged to discharge overpressure gas 29 from the combustion gas tank 12 of the combustion gas vehicle 11 in different outlet directions through different gas outlets 14, 15, 16, 17.

[0036] The safety valve system 10a shown further has a state/condition detection unit 18 for detecting conditions in the vicinity of the combustion gas vehicle 11, or around the combustion gas vehicle 11, and also for detecting a vehicle position and a vehicle orientation of the combustion gas vehicle 11. The safety valve system 10a additionally has an adjustment unit 19, which is implemented in a computer 27 of the combustion gas vehicle 11 and shown in FIG. 3, for adjusting a discharge of overpressure gas 29 through the different gas outlets 14, 15, 16, 17 in dependence on the detected current vehicle position and/or the detected current vehicle orientation. The computer 27 can be provided in the form of a vehicle controller or as part of the vehicle controller of the combustion gas vehicle 11. The safety valve system 10a shown in FIG. 1 additionally has a pipeline 25, formed at the pressure relief valve unit 13, or at the fourth pressure relief valve 22, for discharging the overpressure gas 29 into the surroundings of the safety valve system 10a at a distance from the combustion gas tank 12. Thus, the overpressure gas 29 can be discharged in principle at any desired position in and/or at the combustion gas vehicle 11 at a distance from the combustion gas tank 12 which corresponds to the length and/or shape of the pipeline 25. If the combustion gas vehicle 11 shown in FIG. 1 were lying on its roof, for example, any overpressure gas 29 would preferably be discharged, with corresponding operation of the adjustment unit 19, through the fourth pressure relief valve 22 and the first pressure relief valve 20, or the corresponding gas outlets 14, 15, 17.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a pressure relief valve 20 in the form of a multiway throttle valve. The pressure relief valve 20 shown is configured to discharge the overpressure gas 29 through a first gas outlet 14 in a first outlet direction R1 and through a further gas outlet 15 in a further outlet direction R2 which is different from the first outlet direction R1. The pressure relief valve 20 shown in FIG. 2 discharges the overpressure gas 29 through each of the two gas outlets 14, 15 in a throttled manner. FIG. 3 shows the pressure relief valve 20 in a further operating position in which the pressure relief valve 20 guides the overpressure gas 29 only in the first outlet direction R1. According to FIG. 4, the pressure relief valve 20 is adjusted such that the overpressure gas 29 is guided only in the outlet direction R2.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a safety valve system 10a according to the first embodiment. The safety valve system 10a shown has a pressure relief valve unit 13, a state/condition detection unit 18 and a computer 27. There is installed in the computer 27 a computer program product 26 which has commands which, when the computer program product 27 is executed by the computer 27, cause the computer to operate the safety valve system 10a described above. The computer 27 is in signaling connection both with the state/condition detection unit 18 and with the pressure relief valve unit 13. FIG. 6 shows a storage means 28 with a computer program product 26 stored thereon.

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a combustion gas vehicle 10b according to a second embodiment. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the safety valve system 10b has a visualization unit 24 for visually marking a gas flame of the overpressure gas 29 at the pressure relief valve unit 13. The combustion gas tank 12 in FIG. 7 is a hydrogen tank. Thus, hydrogen that escapes, or a hydrogen flame, can be made visible to the human eye by the addition of suitable particles, for example.

[0040] FIG. 8 shows a combustion gas vehicle 10c according to a third embodiment in a side view. The combustion gas vehicle 10c shown has only a single pressure relief valve 20 for discharging the overpressure gas in a plurality of different outlet directions. In FIG. 9, the combustion gas vehicle 10c according to the third embodiment is shown again in a plan view.

[0041] Looking at FIGS. 10 and 11, it can be seen how overpressure gas 29 can be discharged in different outlet directions by a safety valve system 10b in dependence on the detected current vehicle position.

[0042] In addition to the embodiments shown, the invention permits further design principles. That is to say, the invention is not to be considered as being limited to the exemplary embodiments explained with reference to the figures.

[0043] Thus, the state/condition detection unit 18 can have at least one acceleration sensor and/or at least one gyro sensor for detecting the vehicle position and/or the vehicle orientation of the combustion gas vehicle 11. Moreover, the state/condition detection unit 18 can have at least one radar unit, at least one camera and/or at least one lidar unit for detecting the vehicle position and/or the vehicle orientation of the combustion gas vehicle 11.