IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0909351
(2004-08-03)
|
등록번호 |
US-7484521
(2009-02-03)
|
우선권정보 |
JP-2003-288529(2003-08-07) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Kimbara,Masahiko
- Ogami,Nobuyuki
- Yamashita,Akira
- Kobayashi,Nobuo
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
5 |
초록
▼
A tank system of the invention with multiple tanks makes a joint flow of a fluid released from the multiple tanks and supplies the joint flow to a downstream device, which is located downstream of the multiple tanks. The tank system includes: primary pressure measurement modules that individually me
A tank system of the invention with multiple tanks makes a joint flow of a fluid released from the multiple tanks and supplies the joint flow to a downstream device, which is located downstream of the multiple tanks. The tank system includes: primary pressure measurement modules that individually measure internal pressures of the multiple tanks as primary pressures; a secondary pressure measurement module that measures a pressure of the joint flow of the fluid as a secondary pressure; flow rate regulation modules that individually regulate release flow rates of the fluid to be released from the multiple tanks; and a pressure control module that estimates a supply flow rate to be supplied to the downstream device from the measured secondary pressure, and then sets an allocation of the supply flow rate of the fluid to be released from each of the multiple tanks corresponding to the measured primary pressure with regard to the tank. This arrangement ensures adequate regulation of the release flow rates from the multiple tanks.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A tank system, comprising: multiple tanks; a conduit line that makes a joint flow of a fluid released from the multiple tanks and supplies the joint flow to a downstream device, which is located downstream of the multiple tanks; primary pressure measurement modules that indiv
What is claimed is: 1. A tank system, comprising: multiple tanks; a conduit line that makes a joint flow of a fluid released from the multiple tanks and supplies the joint flow to a downstream device, which is located downstream of the multiple tanks; primary pressure measurement modules that individually measure internal pressures of the multiple tanks as primary pressures; flow rate regulation modules that individually regulate release flow rates of the fluid to be released from the multiple tanks; and a pressure control module that, for the joint flow with a supply flow rate, individually controls the release flow rate of the fluid to be released from each of the multiple tanks by monitoring current primary pressures that are continuously provided from the primary pressure measurement modules to the pressure control module. 2. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pressure control module estimates a supply flow rate demand to be supplied to the downstream device from a measured secondary pressure of a secondary pressure measurement module, and then, for each of the multiple tanks, sets the allocation of the supply flow rate of the fluid to be released from the tank corresponding to the measured primary pressure with regard to the tank. 3. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pressure control module excludes at least one tank of lower primary pressure and selects remaining tanks as tanks of higher primary pressure, based on the measured primary pressures with regard to the multiple tanks, said pressure control module giving an instruction of releasing the fluid at preset flow rates to said flow rate regulation modules corresponding to the tanks of higher primary pressure, and the selection of the tanks of higher primary pressure and the instruction are repeated at preset timings to successively change active tanks for the release of the fluid. 4. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pressure control module sequentially sets a higher allocation of the supply flow rate to a tank of higher primary pressure among the multiple tanks according to the measured primary pressures with regard to the multiple tanks, and applies said flow rate regulation modules to release the fluid from the respective tanks at the settings of the allocations of the supply flow rate. 5. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said flow rate regulation modules is a solenoid valve that opens and closes a valve plug by means of electromagnetic force, and varies an open-close duty of the valve plug to regulate the release flow rate. 6. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said flow rate regulation modules is a needle valve that electrically moves back and forth a valve plug to adjust an opening sectional area, and varies an opening of the valve plug to regulate the release flow rate. 7. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said flow rate regulation modules is a motor-operated valve that comprises: a motor as a driving source of a valve plug; a ball screw mechanism including a screw formed on an output shaft of the motor, a nut formed inside the valve plug, and balls interposed between the screw and nut; a guide that holds the valve plug to be linearly movable back and forth in an axial direction; and a spring that presses the valve plug in the axial direction to set the valve plug in a closed position in a power-off state of the motor, said flow rate regulation module converting a rotational motion of the motor into a linear motion of the valve plug and moving the valve plug back and forth to open and close a release flow path from the tank and thereby regulate the release flow rate. 8. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, wherein, for each of the multiple tanks, said pressure control module measures a time variation of the primary pressure with regard to each tank, and sets the allocation of the supply flow rate of the fluid to be released from each tank, based on an inner volume of each tank and the measured variation of the primary pressure time. 9. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, said tank system further comprising: a flow rate measurement module that measures a release flow rate of the fluid released from each of the multiple tanks, wherein said pressure control module sets, for each of the multiple tanks, the allocation of the supply flow rate of the fluid to be released from each tank, based on the measured release flow rate. 10. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the multiple tanks are hydrogen tanks for storing hydrogen gas used for a fuel cell system mounted on a vehicle. 11. A tank system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the multiple tanks are compressed natural gas tanks for storing compressed natural gas used for an internal combustion engine system mounted on a vehicle. 12. A flow rate control method of a tank system having multiple tanks, said tank system making a joint flow of a fluid released from the multiple tanks and supplying the joint flow to a downstream device, which is located downstream of the multiple tanks, said flow rate control method comprising the steps of: individually measuring internal pressures of the multiple tanks as primary pressures; pressure; individually controlling, for the joint flow with a supply flow rate of the fluid to be released, the release flow rate by each of the multiple tanks; and individually regulating release flow rates of the fluid to be released from the multiple tanks by monitoring current primary pressures that are continuously provided from the primary pressure measurement modules to the pressure control module. 13. A flow rate control method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said controlling step estimates a supply flow rate demand to be supplied to the downstream device from a measured secondary pressure of the joint flow of the liquid, and then, for each of the multiple tanks, sets the allocation of the supply flow rate of the fluid to be released from the tank corresponding to the measured primary pressure with regard to that tank. 14. A flow rate control method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said allocation-setting step excludes at least one tank of lower primary pressure and selects remaining tanks as tanks of higher primary pressure, based on the measured primary pressures with regard to the multiple tanks, wherein said release flow rate regulating step executes release of the fluid at preset flow rates from the tanks of higher primary pressure, and wherein the selection of the tanks of higher primary pressure and the execution of the release of the fluid is repeated at preset timings to successively change active tanks for the release of the fluid. 15. A flow rate control method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said controlling step sequentially sets a higher allocation of the supply flow rate to a tank of higher primary pressure among the multiple tanks according to the measured primary pressures with regard to the multiple tanks, and said release flow rate regulating step executes release of the fluid from the respective tanks at the settings of the allocations of the supply flow rate. 16. A tank system that has multiple tanks containing a fluid and that supplies a flow of the fluid released from the multiple tanks to a device located downstream of the multiple tanks, the tank system comprising: primary pressure sensors that individually measure internal pressures of the multiple tanks as primary pressures; valves that are disposed between the multiple tanks and the device; a controller that refers to the measured primary pressures of the multiple tanks and regulates, at least, the flow of the fluid to be released from the valve that corresponds to the tank having the lowest primary pressure among the multiple tanks, and allows the flow of the fluid to be released from the valve that corresponds to the tank having the highest primary pressure, so as to control the supply flow rate to the device. 17. A tank system that has multiple tanks containing a fluid and that supplies a flow of the fluid released from the multiple tanks to a device located downstream of the multiple tanks, the tank system comprising: primary sensing means for individually measuring internal pressures of the multiple tanks as primary pressures; flow regulating means disposed between the multiple tanks and the device; control means for referring to the measured primary pressures of the multiple tanks and regulating, at least, the flow of the fluid to be released from the flow regulating means that corresponds to the tank having the lowest primary pressure among the multiple tanks, and allowing the flow of the fluid to be released from the flow regulating means that corresponds to the tank having the highest primary pressure, so as to control the supply flow rate to the device. 18. A tank system that has multiple tanks containing a fluid and that supplies a flow of the fluid released from the multiple tanks to a device located downstream of the multiple tanks, the tank system comprising; primary pressure sensors that individually measure internal pressures of the multiple tanks as primary pressures; valves that are disposed between the multiple tanks and the device; and a controller that specifies the tank having the lowest primary pressure based on the measured primary pressure of the multiple tanks and that regulates the flow of the fluid to be released from the valve that corresponds to the specified lowest primary pressure tank, and allows the flow of fluid to be released from the valve that corresponds to the tank having a higher primary pressure than that of the lowest primary pressure tank, so as to control the supply flow rate to the device. 19. A tank system that has multiple tanks containing a fluid and that supplies a flow of the fluid released from the multiple tanks to a device located downstream of the multiple tanks, the tank system comprising; primary sensing means for individually measuring internal pressures of the multiple tanks as primary pressures; flow regulating means disposed between the multiple tanks and the device; and control means for specifying the tank having the lowest primary pressure based on the measured primary pressure of the multiple tanks and for regulating the flow of the fluid to be released from the flow regulating means that corresponds to the tank having the lowest primary pressure among the multiple tanks, and for allowing the flow of fluid to be released from the flow regulating means that corresponds to the tank having a higher primary pressure than that of the lowest primary pressure tank, so as to control the supply flow rate to the device.
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