JP2003201921A - Gas fuel supplying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gas fuel supplying device capable of detecting that gas fuel is discharged from a safety valve to the outside of a system. <P>SOLUTION: This gas fuel supplying device supplying gas fuel to a gas engine through a gas supplying passage 3 comprises a pressure reducing means (a pressure reducing valve 4) reducing the pressure of gas supplied to the gas engine to be a specified pressure, and a safety valve 5 provided downstream from the pressure reducing means (the pressure reducing valve 4) and discharging the gas fuel in the gas supplying passage to release the pressure in the gas supplying passage 3. In a discharging path (a discharging pipe 6) discharging the gas fuel released by the safety valve 5, a discharge detecting means (a pressure sensor 8) for detecting discharging of the gas fuel is provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas fuel supply system for a fuel cell vehicle or an internal combustion engine vehicle which uses high pressure gas as fuel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, polymer electrolyte fuel cells have attracted attention as a power source for electric vehicles. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) can generate power even at room temperature, and is being put to practical use in various applications.

In general, a fuel cell system is constructed by partitioning a solid polymer electrolyte membrane into a cathode electrode on one side and an anode electrode on the other side, and oxygen in the air supplied to the cathode electrode. And a system that drives an external load with electric power generated by a chemical reaction with hydrogen supplied to the anode.

As a method of securing a hydrogen supply source for a fuel cell vehicle equipped with such a fuel cell system, it is a general method to store high-pressure hydrogen compressed in a high-pressure tank and use it as a hydrogen supply source. .

On the other hand, in addition to the fuel cell vehicle, natural gas is reviewed as an alternative energy source for gasoline because of the low emission of air pollutants such as NOx, and technical development for using it as fuel for vehicles is also underway. It is being actively done. When natural gas is used as a fuel for automobiles, LPG that has been conventionally used as a fuel for automobiles
It is difficult to store a liquid such as (petroleum liquefied gas) at room temperature, and it is a common method to store it as a compressed natural gas in a small high-pressure tank and use it like the above-mentioned hydrogen.

As a technique for supplying the above-mentioned gas fuel such as high-pressure hydrogen and compressed natural gas to a gas engine, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-41651. As shown in FIG. 5 (a), this gas fuel supply device uses a pressure reducing means provided in a gas supply passage 105 that connects the high pressure cylinder 100 with the gas fuel filled in the high pressure cylinder 100 to the mixer 103. After the pressure is reduced to a predetermined pressure by a certain high pressure regulator 101 and a low pressure regulator 102, it is introduced into a mixer 103 provided on the intake side of the engine 104. The gas fuel introduced into the mixer 103 is mixed with air in the mixer 103, and the mixed gas is mixed in the engine 1
04 is supplied to.

Further, the high pressure regulator 101 of this gas fuel supply system has a pressure reducing chamber 10 as shown in FIG. 5 (b).
1a is provided with a fuel cutoff valve 101b for selectively shutting off the high pressure gas passage, and a pressure sensor 101c for detecting the pressure of the decompression chamber 101a in the high pressure regulator 101 is provided so that the pressure in the decompression chamber 101a is a predetermined pressure. In the case of the above, the pressure sensor 101c detects this and the fuel cutoff valve 101b shuts off the high pressure gas passage. A safety valve 101d is provided for releasing the pressure gas on the pressure reducing chamber 101a side to the outside of the system when the pressure in the pressure reducing chamber 101a exceeds a predetermined pressure. The set pressure of the safety valve 101d is the pressure sensor 101c.
It is set lower than the set pressure of.

However, such a conventional technique is
Since it is a pressure abnormality detection system in the high-pressure regulator (pressure reducing valve) 101, when the safety valve 101d fails, there is a problem that even if the safety valve 101d releases gas fuel to the outside of the system, the release cannot be detected. Further, since the cutoff set pressure of the pressure sensor 101c is set higher than the discharge set pressure of the safety valve 101d, there is a problem that it may not be possible to detect even if the gas fuel is discharged outside the system.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gas fuel supply device capable of detecting the release of gas fuel from the safety valve to the outside of the system.

[0010]

A gas fuel supply system according to claim 1, which has been made to solve the above problems, is a gas fuel supply system for supplying gas fuel to a gas engine through a gas supply passage, Pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas engine to a predetermined pressure, and pressure reducing means provided downstream of the pressure reducing means to release the gas fuel in the gas supply path to release the pressure in the gas supply path. And a release detecting means for detecting the release of the gas fuel is provided in the release path for releasing the gas fuel opened by the safety valve.

According to the first aspect of the invention, in the gas fuel supply device for supplying the gas fuel to the gas engine through the gas supply passage, the pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas engine to a predetermined pressure. And a safety valve which is provided downstream of the pressure reducing means and releases the pressure in the gas supply passage by releasing the gas fuel in the gas supply passage, and releases the gas fuel opened by the safety valve. Since the discharge path is provided with the discharge detection means for detecting the discharge of the gas fuel, the discharge of the gas fuel from the safety valve can be detected. For example, it is possible to detect the release of gas fuel or the like from the safety valve that occurs when the pressure in the medium-pressure pipe becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure due to gas leakage or failure of the pressure reducing means that occurs due to the safety valve not being seated properly. This makes it possible to take measures such as cutting off the supply of gas fuel or notifying the user of the gas engine.

The gas fuel supply apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the discharge passage is provided with a sealing means for sealing until the pressure in the discharge passage reaches a predetermined pressure. The gas fuel supply device according to item 1.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the discharge passage is provided with a sealing means for sealing until the pressure in the discharge passage reaches a predetermined pressure. Can be improved.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas fuel supply device including discharge amount detecting means for detecting a discharge amount of gas fuel from the safety valve in the discharge path, and when the discharge amount exceeds a predetermined amount, 3. The gas fuel supply device according to claim 1, further comprising an informing unit for informing a user of the gas engine.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a discharge amount detecting means for detecting the discharge amount of the gas fuel from the safety valve is provided in the discharge path, and when the discharge amount exceeds a predetermined amount, the gas is discharged. By providing the notification means for notifying the user of the engine, it is possible to notify that the gas fuel is being discharged from the safety valve without stopping the operation of the gas engine when the discharge amount is small.

According to another aspect of the gas fuel supply device of the present invention, when the released amount exceeds a second predetermined amount which is larger than the predetermined amount, the shutoff is performed to cut off the supply of the gas fuel to the gas engine. The gas fuel supply device according to claim 3, further comprising a valve.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a shut-off valve for shutting off the supply of the gas fuel to the gas engine when the discharge amount exceeds a second predetermined amount larger than the predetermined amount. With the provision, it is possible to prevent a large amount of gas fuel from being discharged to the outside of the system.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A gas fuel supply system according to the present invention is a high pressure gas fueled vehicle equipped with a safety valve for releasing gas fuel out of the system when the control pressure of a pressure reducing means is abnormally increased. Release detection means for detecting the release of the gas fuel into the gas release path, notification means for notifying the driver of the release of the gas fuel, and supply of the gas fuel when the release of the gas fuel from the safety valve is detected. And a shutoff valve that shuts off the gas.

An embodiment of a gas fuel supply system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
Here, a case where the gas fuel supply device according to the present invention is applied to a fuel cell vehicle will be described.

First, a gas fuel supply system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a gas fuel supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The gas fuel supply system of the first embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a fuel tank 1 having a shutoff valve 2 at the gas fuel outlet of the tank and storing hydrogen, which is a high-pressure gas fuel,
A pressure reducing valve 4 provided in the gas supply path 3 downstream of the shutoff valve 2 for reducing the pressure of hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell, which is a gas engine, to a predetermined pressure, and a downstream side of the pressure reducing valve 4. A safety valve 5 which is provided in the gas supply path 3 to release the pressure in the gas supply path 3, a release pipe 6 which is a release path for releasing the hydrogen released by the safety valve 5 to the outside of the system, and the release pipe 6
A rupture plate 7 which is provided at one end of the discharge pipe 6 as a sealing means for sealing the release of hydrogen, which is a gas fuel, to the outside of the system to a predetermined pressure, and the release pipe 6 for releasing hydrogen. A pressure sensor 8 as a discharge detecting means for detecting and a control device 9 for controlling the shutoff valve 2 of the fuel tank 1 by an electric output signal from the pressure sensor 8 constitute a main part.

The operation of the gas fuel supply system of the first embodiment thus constructed will be described with reference to FIG. The fuel tank 1 stores high-pressure hydrogen in advance (for example, a filling pressure of 35 MPaG). (1) Turn on the vehicle ignition switch. (2) Hydrogen is introduced from the fuel tank 1 through the cutoff valve 2 into the pressure reducing valve 4 provided in the gas supply path 3. (3) Hydrogen introduced into the pressure reducing valve 4 has a pressure of 35 MPa.
The pressure is reduced from G to, for example, 1 MPaG (predetermined pressure). (4) The hydrogen depressurized to 1 MPaG (predetermined pressure) is further supplied to the fuel cell, which is a gas engine downstream of the safety valve 5, via the safety valve 5 downstream of the pressure reducing valve 4. Hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell reacts with oxygen in the air, which is an oxidant supplied to the fuel cell, to generate electricity. Although the spring-type safety valve 5 is used as the safety valve 5 in the present embodiment, any safety valve capable of releasing the pressure in the gas supply passage 3 may be used, for example, a rupture disc may be used instead. it can.

(5) When hydrogen is being supplied to the fuel cell in this way, an abnormal increase in pressure occurs in the gas supply passage 3 downstream of the pressure reducing valve 4 due to a failure of the pressure reducing valve 4, and the safety valve When the valve 5 is opened at, for example, 2 MPaG, hydrogen is released into the release pipe 6, so that the pressure measurement value (electrical output signal) of the pressure sensor 8 provided in the release pipe 6 changes. Can be detected.

Further, in order to enhance the pressure detection sensitivity, the discharge pipe 6 is provided with a rupture plate 7 as a sealing means. When the amount of hydrogen released is large, the rupturable plate 7 ruptures when the pressure in the release pipe 6 reaches the sealing release pressure, for example, 500 kPaG or more, and the release pipe 6 is unsealed. There is.

In this embodiment, the pressure sensor 8 is used as the discharge detecting means, but a pressure switch may be provided instead of the pressure sensor 8. Further, the release may be detected by attaching a strain gauge to the rupture plate 7 which is the sealing means.

(6) Pressure sensor 8 provided in the discharge pipe 6
When the indicated value of 1 exceeds a threshold value, for example, 200 kPaG, the control device 9 controls to shut off the shutoff valve 2 to shut off the supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell.

According to the gas fuel supply system of the first embodiment having the above-described structure and operation, in the fuel cell vehicle using high pressure hydrogen as fuel, hydrogen release pipe from the safety valve 5 provided in the gas supply passage 3 is provided. By providing the pressure sensor 8 for detecting the release of hydrogen in the unit 6, hydrogen release from the safety valve 5 when the pressure reducing function of the pressure reducing valve 4 is impaired and hydrogen leakage due to the displacement of the safety valve 5 are detected. be able to. Further, since the gas supply passage 3 is shut off when the release of hydrogen is detected, the amount of hydrogen released to the outside of the system (outside the vehicle) can be reduced, and if a small amount of hydrogen is released by providing the sealing means. Release to the outside of the system (outside the vehicle) can be stopped in advance.

Next, the gas fuel supply system of the second embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of the gas fuel supply device of the second embodiment. The difference in configuration between the gas fuel supply apparatus of the second embodiment and the gas fuel supply apparatus of the first embodiment is that in the gas fuel supply apparatus of the second embodiment, the hydrogen release pipe 6 from the safety valve 5 is
A gas sensor (hydrogen gas sensor 12 in this embodiment) is provided instead of the pressure sensor of the first embodiment, and a shutoff valve 11 is further provided between the pressure reducing valve 4 and the safety valve 5.
The same members as those of the gas fuel supply device according to the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

The operation of the gas fuel supply system of the second embodiment constructed as described above will be described with reference to FIG. The fuel tank 1 stores high-pressure hydrogen in advance (for example, a filling pressure of 35 MPaG). (1) Turn on the vehicle ignition switch. (2) Hydrogen is introduced from the fuel tank 1 through the cutoff valve 2 into the pressure reducing valve 4 provided in the gas supply path 3. (3) Hydrogen introduced into the pressure reducing valve 4 has a pressure of 35 MPa.
The pressure is reduced from G to, for example, 1 MPaG (predetermined pressure). (4) Hydrogen depressurized to 1 MPaG (predetermined pressure) is further supplied to the fuel cell, which is a gas engine downstream of the safety valve 5, via the shutoff valve 11 and the safety valve 5 downstream of the pressure reduction valve 4. Hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell reacts with oxygen in the air, which is an oxidant supplied to the fuel cell, to generate electricity.

(5) When hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell in this way, an abnormal increase in pressure occurs in the gas supply passage 3 downstream of the pressure reducing valve 4 due to a failure of the pressure reducing valve 4, and the safety valve 5
When the valve is opened at, for example, 2 MPaG, hydrogen is released into the release pipe 6, so that the concentration measurement value (electrical output signal) of the hydrogen gas sensor 12 provided in the release pipe 6 changes. The release can be detected.

Further, in order to enhance the detection sensitivity of hydrogen gas release, the release pipe 6 is provided with a rupture plate 7 as a sealing means. In the rupturable plate 7, when the amount of released hydrogen is large, the pressure in the release pipe 6 is the sealing release pressure, for example, 500
When the pressure exceeds kPaG, it bursts and the discharge pipe 6 is unsealed.

(6) In the present embodiment, the hydrogen gas sensor 12 is provided in the hydrogen release pipe 6 from the safety valve 5 to detect the release of hydrogen. However, instead of the hydrogen gas sensor 12, an oxygen gas sensor is used. Alternatively, a decrease in oxygen concentration when hydrogen is released from the safety valve 5 may be detected.
When hydrogen is used as the gas fuel, a hydrogen storage alloy is installed in the release pipe 6 to detect reaction heat (heat generation) of the hydrogen storage reaction that occurs when hydrogen is released from the safety valve 5, as a temperature sensor,
For example, a thermistor may be used to detect the release of hydrogen.

(7) When the indicated value of the hydrogen gas sensor 12 provided in the discharge pipe 6 exceeds a threshold value, for example, 2500 ppm, the two shutoff valves, that is, the shutoff valve 2 and the shutoff valve 11 are closed to discharge hydrogen to the fuel cell. The control device 9 controls so as to cut off the supply of.

According to the gas fuel supply system of the second embodiment having the above-described structure and operation, in the fuel cell vehicle using high pressure hydrogen as fuel, hydrogen release pipe from the safety valve 5 provided in the gas supply passage 3 is provided. Since the hydrogen gas sensor 12 for detecting the release of hydrogen is provided in the unit 6, hydrogen release from the safety valve 5 when the pressure reducing function of the pressure reducing valve 4 is impaired and hydrogen leakage due to the displacement of the safety valve 5 are detected. be able to. Further, since the gas supply passage 3 is shut off when the release of hydrogen is detected, the amount of hydrogen released to the outside of the system (outside the vehicle) can be reduced, and if a small amount of hydrogen is released by providing the sealing means. Release to the outside of the system (outside the vehicle) can be stopped beforehand. If more hydrogen is released,
Since the gas supply passage 3 is doubly shut off by the two shutoff valves 2 and 11, the release of high-pressure hydrogen in the pipe from the fuel tank 1 to the shutoff valve 11 to the outside of the system (outside the vehicle) can also be stopped. The amount of hydrogen released can be reduced as compared with the gas fuel supply device of the first embodiment.

Next, the gas fuel supply system of the third embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of the gas fuel supply device of the third embodiment. The difference in configuration between the gas fuel supply device of the third embodiment and the gas fuel supply device of the second embodiment is that the gas fuel supply device of the third embodiment is A flow meter (a turbine type flow meter 13 in this embodiment) is provided instead of the hydrogen gas sensor of the second embodiment, and a shutoff valve provided at the outlet of the fuel tank and a pressure reducing valve provided in the gas supply passage of the second embodiment. It was provided in the discharge pipe of the second embodiment in that the pressure reducing valve 14 with a shutoff valve integrated with and was provided in the fuel tank 1, and the shutoff valve provided in the gas supply passage of the second embodiment was omitted. This is the point that the rupture disc was abolished. Incidentally, FIG.
In the above description, the same members as those of the gas fuel supply system of the second embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

The operation of the gas fuel supply system of the third embodiment constructed as described above will be described with reference to FIG. The fuel tank 1 stores high-pressure hydrogen in advance (for example, a filling pressure of 35 MPaG). (1) Turn on the vehicle ignition switch. (2) Hydrogen is, for example, 1 MPa by the pressure reducing valve 14 with a shutoff valve, which is a shutoff valve provided at the hydrogen outlet of the fuel tank 1.
The pressure is reduced to G (predetermined pressure). The shut-off valve-equipped pressure reducing valve 14 has a structure in which a pressure reducing valve is provided downstream of the shut-off valve. (3) The hydrogen decompressed by the pressure reducing valve 14 with the shutoff valve is
It is supplied to the fuel cell, which is a gas engine downstream of the safety valve 5, via the safety valve 5 provided in the gas supply path 3 downstream of the pressure reducing valve 14 with the shutoff valve. (4) Hydrogen supplied to the fuel cell reacts with oxygen in the air, which is an oxidant supplied to the fuel cell, to generate electricity.

(5) When hydrogen is being supplied to the fuel cell in this way, an abnormal increase in pressure in the gas supply passage 3 downstream of the pressure reducing valve 14 with a shutoff valve due to a failure of the pressure reducing valve 14 with a shutoff valve. Occurs and the safety valve is opened at 2.0 MPaG, for example, hydrogen is released into the release pipe 6, so that the flow rate measurement value (electrical output signal) of the turbine type flow meter 13 provided in the release pipe 6 changes. Therefore, the release of hydrogen can be detected.

(7) When the indication value of the turbine type flow meter 13 provided in the discharge pipe 6 exceeds a threshold value, for example, 10 L / min, the pressure reducing valve 14 with a shutoff valve is closed to supply hydrogen to the fuel cell. It is controlled by the control device 9 so as to be cut off.

According to the gas fuel supply system of the third embodiment having the above-mentioned structure and operation, in the fuel cell vehicle using high pressure hydrogen as fuel, the hydrogen release pipe from the safety valve 5 provided in the gas supply path 3 is released. Due to the provision of the turbine type flow meter 13 for detecting the release of hydrogen in 6, the release of hydrogen from the safety valve 5 when the pressure reducing function of the pressure reducing valve with a shutoff valve 14 is impaired or the safety valve 5 is displaced Hydrogen leaks can be detected. Further, since the gas supply path 3 is shut off when the release of hydrogen from the safety valve is detected,
The amount of hydrogen released outside the system (outside the vehicle) can be reduced.

Next, in the gas fuel supply system according to the present invention, when the supply of hydrogen as a gas fuel is shut off, not only the shutoff valve is shut off as described above, but also the safety valve discharges it to the discharge pipe. Depending on the degree of hydrogen release, depending on the degree of release of hydrogen, whether to stop the warning only to the driver of the fuel cell vehicle that is the user of the gas engine or to perform until the supply of hydrogen is shut off This will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4. Incidentally, FIG.
FIG. 4A is a determination flow chart in the case of determining from the magnitude relationship between the pressure value in the discharge pipe and two predetermined pressure values, and FIG. 4B is the determination flow rate in the discharge pipe and two predetermined pressure increases. It is a judgment flow chart at the time of judging from the magnitude relationship with a rate.

Here, as the discharge detecting means, the pressure sensor 8 as the pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure in the discharge pipe 6 is used.
Is provided, and when the pressure value P in the release pipe 6 exceeds the pressure value (predetermined pressure) corresponding to the minimum allowable release amount of hydrogen, it is detected that hydrogen is released. . By detecting in this way, the release of hydrogen due to the failure of the safety valve 5 can be detected, and the hydrogen supply can be cut off even when the pressure reducing valve 4 is normal and only the safety valve 5 fails.

First, it is judged from the magnitude relationship between the pressure value in the discharge pipe 6 and two predetermined pressure values whether to stop the operation only with a warning to the driver or to stop the gas fuel supply. FIG. 1 and FIG.
This will be described with reference to (a). (1) The pressure value P in the discharge pipe 6 is read into the control device 9 as an electric output signal of the pressure sensor 8 which is a pressure detecting means (S1). (2) It is determined whether the read pressure value P exceeds a first predetermined pressure value which is a predetermined amount, for example, 100 kPaG (S2). The first predetermined pressure value of 100
kPaG is a pressure value when a predetermined amount of hydrogen is released from the safety valve 5 into the release pipe 6. (3) If the read pressure value P is 100 kPaG or less, the process returns to S1. (4) When the read pressure value P exceeds 100 kPaG, the warning lamp 10 which is a notification means is turned on (S3).

As described above, the pressure sensor 8 which is a pressure detecting means is provided as a release amount detecting means for detecting the release amount of hydrogen from the safety valve 5 to the release pipe 6, and the first predetermined pressure whose release amount is a predetermined amount. When the value exceeds 100 kPaG, the warning light 10, which is a notification means for notifying the driver of the fuel cell vehicle, is turned on. Therefore, when the emission amount is small, the operation of the fuel cell is not stopped. It is possible to inform the driver that hydrogen is released from the safety valve 5.

(5) The read pressure value P is 100 kPa
When it exceeds G, the further read pressure value P is the second predetermined pressure value which is the second predetermined amount, for example, 200 kPa.
It is determined whether G is exceeded (S4). (6) If the read pressure value P is 200 kPaG or less, the process returns to S4. (7) When the read pressure value P exceeds 200 kPaG, the shutoff valve 2 shuts off the hydrogen supply to the fuel cell (S5).

As described above, when the discharge amount from the safety valve 5 to the discharge pipe 6 exceeds the second predetermined pressure value larger than the first predetermined pressure value, the supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell is shut off. As a result, a large amount of hydrogen released outside the system can be stopped.

Next, depending on the magnitude relationship between the rate of pressure increase in the discharge pipe 6 and the two predetermined rate of pressure increase, whether to stop the operation only with a warning to the driver or to stop the supply of the gas fuel is determined. A determination flowchart for making a determination will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4B. (1) The pressure value P in the discharge pipe 6 is read into the control device 9 as an electric output signal of the pressure sensor 8 which is a pressure detecting means, and the pressure increase rate ΔP is calculated (S10). The pressure increase rate ΔP is a value obtained by dividing the change in pressure by the unit time. (2) It is determined whether the calculated pressure increase rate ΔP exceeds a first predetermined pressure increase rate that is a predetermined amount (S1).
1). (3) If the pressure increase rate ΔP is less than or equal to the first predetermined pressure increase rate, the process returns to S10. (4) When the pressure increase rate ΔP exceeds the first predetermined pressure increase rate, the warning light 10 as the notification means is turned on (S).
12).

As described above, the pressure sensor 8 which is the pressure detecting means is provided as the release amount detecting means for detecting the release amount of hydrogen from the safety valve 5 to the release pipe 6, and the first predetermined pressure whose release amount is the predetermined amount. When the rate of increase is exceeded, the warning light 10, which is a notification means for notifying the driver of the fuel cell vehicle, is turned on. Therefore, when the amount of emission is small, the safety valve is operated without stopping the operation of the fuel cell. It is possible to notify the driver that hydrogen has been released from No. 5.

(5) If the calculated pressure increase rate ΔP exceeds the first predetermined pressure increase rate which is the predetermined amount, is it further exceeding the second predetermined pressure increase rate which is the second predetermined amount? It is judged (S13). (6) If the pressure increase rate ΔP is less than or equal to the second predetermined pressure increase rate, the process returns to S13. (7) When the pressure increase rate ΔP exceeds the second predetermined pressure increase rate, the shutoff valve 2 shuts off the supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell (S14).

As described above, when the amount of hydrogen released from the safety valve 5 to the release pipe 6 exceeds the second predetermined pressure increase rate which is larger than the first predetermined pressure increase rate, the supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell is shut off. Since it is shut off by the valve 2, it is possible to stop the release of a large amount of hydrogen to the outside of the system. It is also possible to control with two parameters, a pressure value and a pressure increase rate. For example, even if the pressure value is less than or equal to the first predetermined pressure value, that is, less than or equal to the pressure to be notified, if the pressure increase rate exceeds the first predetermined pressure increase rate, notification or cutoff is performed to improve accuracy. Higher control becomes possible. Further, in this flowchart, an example in which the pressure sensor 8 is used as the release detection means is introduced, but the present invention can be applied to the case where the release detection means (hydrogen gas sensor, flow rate sensor) in another embodiment is used.

Finally, the present invention is not limited to the gas fuel supply devices of the first to third embodiments described above, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope not departing from the technical scope of the invention. Is. For example, although a rupturable plate is provided as a sealing means, other methods can be used as long as the rupturable plate can be sealed until a predetermined pressure is reached. As an example, a rubber cap is attached to the tip of the discharge pipe to prevent dust from entering the discharge pipe from the outside of the system, but if the rubber cap is set to seal until the internal pressure reaches a specified pressure, , Can be substituted as the sealing means. Further, although hydrogen has been exemplified as the gas fuel, it goes without saying that the gas fuel supply device of the present invention can also be applied as a gas fuel supply device for high-pressure gas other than hydrogen.

[0051]

According to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure and operation, the following effects can be obtained. 1. According to the invention described in claim 1, in the gas fuel supply device for supplying the gas fuel to the gas engine through the gas supply passage, the pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas engine to a predetermined pressure, Provided downstream of the pressure reducing means,
A safety valve for releasing the pressure in the gas supply path by releasing the gas fuel in the gas supply path, and detecting the release of the gas fuel in the release path for releasing the gas fuel opened by the safety valve. By providing the release detection means, it is possible to detect the release of the gas fuel from the safety valve. This makes it possible to take measures such as cutting off the supply of gas fuel or notifying the user of the gas engine. 2. According to the invention as set forth in claim 2, the discharge path is provided with a sealing means for sealing the pressure in the discharge path to a predetermined pressure, thereby improving the accuracy of the discharge detection means. be able to. 3. According to the invention as set forth in claim 3, a discharge amount detecting means for detecting a discharge amount of the gas fuel from the safety valve is provided in the discharge path, and when the discharge amount exceeds a predetermined amount, the gas engine By providing the notifying means for notifying the user, when the discharge amount is small, it is possible to notify that the gas fuel is discharged from the safety valve without stopping the operation of the gas engine. 4. According to the invention as set forth in claim 4, a shutoff valve is provided for shutting off the supply of the gas fuel to the gas engine when the discharge amount exceeds a second predetermined amount which is larger than the predetermined amount. As a result, it is possible to stop a large amount of gas fuel from being discharged outside the system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a gas fuel supply apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a gas fuel supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of a gas fuel supply device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 (a) From the magnitude relationship between the pressure value in the discharge pipe and the two predetermined pressure values, the fuel cell vehicle driver is stopped only by a warning or until the hydrogen supply is cut off. It is a determination flowchart when determining whether to perform. (B) Based on the magnitude relationship between the rate of pressure increase in the discharge pipe and the two predetermined rate of pressure increase, whether to stop only by warning the driver of the fuel cell vehicle or to stop the supply of hydrogen. 6 is a determination flowchart for determining.

FIG. 5 (a) is a diagram showing a conventional gas fuel supply device. (B) It is an enlarged view of the A portion of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Fuel Tank 2 Shutoff Valve 3 Gas Supply Path 4 Pressure Reduction Valve (Pressure Reduction Means) 5 Safety Valve 6 Release Pipe (Discharge Path) 7 Burst Plate (Sealing Means) 8 Pressure Sensor (Emission Detection Means) 9 Control Device 10 Warning Light (Notification) Means) 11 Shutoff valve 12 Hydrogen gas sensor (release detection means) 13 Turbine flow meter (release detection means) 14 Pressure reducing valve with shutoff valve (shutoff valve)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yasuki Yoshida             1-4-1 Chuo Stock Market, Wako City, Saitama Prefecture             Inside Honda Research Laboratory (72) Inventor Akira Yamada             1-4-1 Chuo Stock Market, Wako City, Saitama Prefecture             Inside Honda Research Laboratory F term (reference) 3G084 BA11 DA28 EA11 EB22 FA13

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A gas fuel supply apparatus for supplying a gas fuel to a gas engine via a gas supply path, a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the gas supplied to the gas engine to a predetermined pressure, and a pressure reducing means downstream of the pressure reducing means. A safety valve provided to release the gas fuel in the gas supply path to release the pressure in the gas supply path, and the release of the gas fuel to the release path for releasing the gas fuel opened by the safety valve. A gas fuel supply apparatus comprising a discharge detection unit for detecting 2. The gas fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge path is provided with a sealing unit that seals until the pressure in the discharge path reaches a predetermined pressure. 3. A discharge amount detecting means for detecting a discharge amount of gas fuel from the safety valve is provided in the discharge path, and when the discharge amount exceeds a predetermined amount, a notification for notifying a user of the gas engine The gas fuel supply device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means. 4. A shutoff valve for shutting off the supply of gas fuel to the gas engine when the discharge amount exceeds a second predetermined amount that is larger than the predetermined amount. Item 4. The gas fuel supply device according to item 3.