Hydrogen heat exchanger for a hydrogen filling system

Abstract

This invention has its aim in providing a hydrogen heat exchanger for a hydrogen filling system which is of a small size and has high heat transfer performance. The hydrogen filling system, in which a hydrogen tank ( 8 ) in a hydrogen fuel-cell automobile ( 7 ) is filled with pressurized hydrogen from a hydraulic accumulator ( 5 ), has a precooling apparatus ( 11 ) equipped with a heat exchanger ( 12 ) for cooling hydrogen to be filled. In the heat exchanger ( 12 ), the supply pressure in the hydrogen supplying channel ( 13 ) is substantially as high as the pressure in the coolant supplying channel ( 14 ). This allows the pipe wall of the intermediate pipe between both supplying channels to be thinner than in prior arts. Owing to this, heat transfer resistance and hydrogen pressure loss decrease, improving heat transfer performance and allowing the apparatus to be constituted in a small scale.

1 . A hydrogen heat exchanger for a hydrogen filling system, said hydrogen filling system comprising:
 a pressure vessel ( 5 ) storing hydrogen in high pressure state,   a portable pressure vessel ( 8 ) which is provided so as to be movable relative to the pressure vessel and filled with hydrogen from the pressure vessel,   a hydrogen filling apparatus ( 6 ) provided on the side of the pressure vessel for filling the portable pressure vessel with hydrogen from the pressure vessel, and   a cooling apparatus ( 11 ) provided belonging to the hydrogen filling apparatus and having a heat exchanger ( 12 ) for cooling said hydrogen;   wherein said heat exchanger ( 12 ) in the cooling apparatus is constituted by:   a hydrogen supplying channel pipe ( 22 ) forming a hydrogen supplying channel ( 13 ) for supplying high pressure hydrogen from the pressure vessel to the hydrogen filling apparatus, and   a coolant supplying pipe ( 23 ) provided on the outer side of or inside of the hydrogen supplying channel and forming a coolant supplying channel ( 14 ) for supplying coolant of substantially same pressure as said hydrogen through pressurizing apparatus ( 19 ).   
     
     
         2 . A hydrogen heat exchanger for a hydrogen filling system according to  claim 1 , wherein the pipe wall of the intermediate pipe between the hydrogen supplying channel ( 13 ) and the coolant supplying channel ( 14 ) is thinner than the pipe wall forming the hydrogen supplying channel ( 13 ) or the coolant supplying channel ( 14 ). 
     
     
         3 . A hydrogen heat exchanger for a hydrogen filling system according to  claim 1 , wherein said portable pressure vessel ( 8 ) is one equipped in a vehicle ( 7 ). 
     
     
         4 . A hydrogen heat exchanger for a hydrogen filling system according to  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger ( 12 ) in the cooling apparatus ( 11 ) has a dual pipe configuration in which the hydrogen supplying pipe ( 22 ) is buried in the coolant supplying pipe ( 23 ). 
     
     
         5 . A hydrogen heat exchanger for a hydrogen filling system according to  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger ( 12 ) in the cooling apparatus ( 11 ) has a dual pipe configuration in which the coolant supplying pipe ( 23 ) is buried in the hydrogen supplying pipe ( 22 ). 
     
     
         6 . A hydrogen heat exchanger for a hydrogen filling system according to  claim 1 , wherein both the pressure of the hydrogen within said hydrogen supplying pipe ( 22 ) and the pressure of the coolant within said coolant supplying pipe ( 23 ) are 70 MPa. 
     
     
         7 . A hydrogen heat exchanger for a hydrogen filling system according to  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger is constituted so that the hydrogen in said hydrogen supplying channel ( 13 ) and the coolant in said coolant supplying channel ( 14 ) are supplied in directions opposite to each other.