Abstract:
A tank manifold assembly for use in combination with fuel tanks of Hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles. The manifold assembly incorporates a regulator, an excess flow valve, a manual shutoff valve, and ports to receive separate components. The separate components may include, by way of example, a thermal relief valve, a pressure sensor, a pressure relief valve, a check valve, thermal temperature sensors, and a low pressure solenoid valve. The tank assembly is versatile and easily customized to particular applications.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/716,272, filed Sep. 12, 2005, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0002]     This disclosure relates generally to controlling the flow of gas into and out of vessels for pressurized gas and, more specifically, to a customizable manifold assembly for use in controlling the flow of gas into and out of fuel tanks.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     A tank manifold assembly of the present disclosure is provided with a fill port through which fluid, such as gas, may be introduced. An excess flow valve is also provided in the tank manifold assembly. The tank manifold assembly is engaged with a vessel, such as a tank, via a tank interface, such as an elongate externally threaded cylindrical interface portion, of the tank manifold assembly. The tank interface is received in a complementary opening in the tank, such as an internally threaded manifold receiving port located at a neck of the tank.  
         [0004]     Gas flowing from the tank first passes through a replaceable filter of the tank manifold assembly, which filter is secured in position by an appropriate seal. The gas then flows through an excess flow valve of the tank manifold assembly. The excess flow valve provides an automatic shut-off feature, stopping the flow of gas in the event the rate of flow of the gas exceeds a predetermined trigger point.  
         [0005]     A manual valve is disposed downstream of the excess flow valve. Provided the excess flow valve is open, permitting fluid flow to the manual valve, fluid is then introduced from the manual valve to a pressure reducing regulator. In order to protect low pressure system components, a pressure relief valve is disposed downstream of the pressure reducing regulator.  
         [0006]     In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the tank manifold assembly is provided with a low pressure solenoid valve downstream of the pressure relief valve.  
         [0007]     The tank manifold assembly is provided with a plurality of ports for receiving further components. Pressure sensors may be received in one or more pressure sensor receiving ports, so that pressure sensors may be provided on either the low pressure side or high pressure side of the tank manifold assembly. A temperature sensor port may be added to the high-pressure side of the manifold to facilitate monitoring the temperature of gas within the tank.  
         [0008]     Additionally, a thermal relief port is provided in the tank manifold assembly, which communicates with a bore that extends axially along the tank interface portion of the tank manifold assembly. The thermal relief port will receive a thermal relief valve, which will release gas from the tank when temperature outside the tank exceeds a predetermined safe level.  
         [0009]     The tank manifold assembly is disclosed in further detail with reference to the various drawing figures and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEW OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view, taken along lines A-A of  FIG. 4 , of a tank manifold assembly of the present disclosure;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the tank manifold assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view from the direction of lines B-B of  FIG. 2 , of the tank manifold assembly shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the tank manifold assembly shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view, similar to  FIG. 1 , showing a second embodiment of the tank manifold assembly installed on a fuel tank; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a top view, shown partially in cross-section, of the tank manifold assembly shown in  FIG. 5 , with a low pressure solenoid valve provided downstream of a regulator of the tank manifold assembly. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]     As shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , a tank manifold assembly  10  of the present disclosure includes a main body  12 . The main body  12  includes a tank interface  14 , such as in the form of an elongate, externally threaded cylindrical interface portion  16 . The tank interface  14  is received in a complementary internally threaded manifold receiving port  18  located at a neck of a vessel, such as a fuel tank  20 . An axially-extending bore  22  is provided in the main body  12 . A filter  24  and filter seal  26  are provided in the bore  22 , preferably in a location which facilitates removal and replacement of the filter  24  without having to remove the tank manifold assembly  10  from the tank  20 .  
         [0017]     The tank manifold assembly  10  is further provided with a fill port  28  (see  FIG. 3 ), through which gas is introduced to the tank manifold assembly  10 , a pressure reducing regulator  30 , a thermal relief valve port  32 , an excess flow valve  34 , and downstream of the excess flow valve  34 , a manual flow valve  36 . Gas flows from the tank  20 , through the replaceable filter  24 , and into excess flow valve  34 . The excess flow valve  34  includes an orifice  38  and a piston  40 . The piston  40  of the excess flow valve  34  is normally biased (by a spring  42  having a predetermined stiffness) away from a valve seat  44 . However, when fluid flow exceeds a predetermined trigger point, a pressure differential across the orifice  38  of the excess flow valve  34  provides the piston  40  with sufficient force to overcome the biasing load exerted by the spring  42 , bringing the piston  40  into sealing engagement with the valve seat  44 , thereby automatically shutting off the flow of fluid through the excess flow valve  34 .  
         [0018]     Various events may cause fluid flow to exceed the predetermined trigger point, such as a failure in the downstream side of the system, for instance due to a line burst or a major component failure. The automatic shut-off feature provided by the excess flow valve  34  therefore stops fluid flow from the tank  20  until the problem or event that caused of the excess flow is resolved. Once the problem is solved, the excess flow valve  34  may be reset manually by turning a valve stem  46  on the manual flow valve  36 . Turning the valve stem  46  moves the piston  40  off the valve seat  44 . Alternatively, the piston  40  of the excess flow valve  34  may automatically reset to a position in which it is biased away from the valve seat  44  by the spring  42 .  
         [0019]     Fluid is introduced from the manual flow valve  36  to the pressure reducing regulator  30 . The manual flow valve  36  may be adjusted manually to shut off tank supply pressure to downstream system components. Upon such adjustment of the manual flow valve  36 , a valve stem  46  travels down and seals against the piston  40  of the excess flow valve  34  to shut off the flow of gas or other fluid. The manual flow valve  36  reduces the number of components required in the tank manifold assembly  10 , and minimizes overall size of the tank manifold assembly  10 .  
         [0020]     The pressure reducing regulator  30  is preset and non-adjustable. The pressure reducing regulator  30  serves to reduce inlet pressure to a predetermined outlet set point. The pressure reducing regulator  30  is provided with a positive shut-off feature. If a leak develops across a regulator valve seat  48 , the outlet pressure rises above the predetermined outlet set point, applying additional force to the regulator valve seat  48  to reduce or stop gas leakage. In order to protect low pressure system components, a pressure relief valve port  50  is provided, into which a pressure relief valve (not shown) may be installed, downstream of the pressure reducing regulator  30 .  
         [0021]     Downstream of the pressure relief valve, a low pressure solenoid valve  52  may be provided. The tank manifold assembly  10  is also provided with a pressure sensor port  54  to receive an optional pressure sensor (not shown). Pressure sensors may be provided on either the low pressure side or the high pressure side of the tank manifold assembly  10 . An additional port may be added to incorporate a temperature sensor to the high-pressure side of the tank manifold assembly  10  to facilitate monitoring the temperature of gas within the tank. The thermal relief valve port  32  will receive a thermal relief valve, which will release gas from the tank  20  when temperature outside the tank exceeds a predetermined safe level. A secondary bore  56  in the main body  12  is provided in fluid communication with the thermal relief valve port  32  and the interior of the tank  20 , and extends axially along the tank interface  14 . Tank pressure is routed via the secondary bore  56  to the thermal relief valve port  32 .  
         [0022]     In order to accommodate higher or lower fluid flow, various parameters of the tank manifold assembly  10  may be selected accordingly, such as the valve seat size and the valve components of the pressure reducing regulator  30  and/or the excess flow valve  34 . The tank manifold assembly  10  of the present disclosure is particularly well suited for use in tanks of engines for hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles. The tank manifold assembly  10  may also be used to control the flow of gases including, but not limited to, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen for a range of uses. The multiple ports within the main body  12  provide a highly customizable tank manifold assembly  10 .  
         [0023]     The tank manifold assembly  10  of the present disclosure operates to control tank pressures in a range from approximately 10 bar to approximately 700 bar Hydrogen, and the tank manifold assembly  10  operates in a temperature range from about −40° C. to 85° C.