GB2477586A - Gas storage tank - Google Patents

Gas storage tank Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2477586A
GB2477586A GB1012528A GB201012528A GB2477586A GB 2477586 A GB2477586 A GB 2477586A GB 1012528 A GB1012528 A GB 1012528A GB 201012528 A GB201012528 A GB 201012528A GB 2477586 A GB2477586 A GB 2477586A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
bellows
end wall
engine
air
pressure
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB1012528A
Other versions
GB201012528D0 (en
Inventor
Thomas Tsoi Hei Ma
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of GB201012528D0 publication Critical patent/GB201012528D0/en
Priority to PCT/GB2011/050140 priority Critical patent/WO2011095794A1/en
Publication of GB2477586A publication Critical patent/GB2477586A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K6/00—Arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion, e.g. hybrid propulsion systems comprising electric motors and internal combustion engines ; Control systems therefor, i.e. systems controlling two or more prime movers, or controlling one of these prime movers and any of the transmission, drive or drive units Informative references: mechanical gearings with secondary electric drive F16H3/72; arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with the dynamo-electric machine H02K7/00; machines comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; dynamo-electric machines not otherwise provided for in H02K see H02K99/00
    • B60K6/08—Prime-movers comprising combustion engines and mechanical or fluid energy storing means
    • B60K6/12—Prime-movers comprising combustion engines and mechanical or fluid energy storing means by means of a chargeable fluidic accumulator
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C1/00—Pressure vessels, e.g. gas cylinder, gas tank, replaceable cartridge
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
    • F02B21/00—Engines characterised by air-storage chambers
    • F02B21/02—Chamber shapes or constructions
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
    • F02B33/00—Engines characterised by provision of pumps for charging or scavenging
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
    • F02B33/00—Engines characterised by provision of pumps for charging or scavenging
    • F02B33/44—Passages conducting the charge from the pump to the engine inlet, e.g. reservoirs
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17B—GAS-HOLDERS OF VARIABLE CAPACITY
    • F17B1/00—Gas-holders of variable capacity
    • F17B1/02—Details
    • F17B1/10—Guiding moving parts
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17B—GAS-HOLDERS OF VARIABLE CAPACITY
    • F17B1/00—Gas-holders of variable capacity
    • F17B1/24—Gas-holders of variable capacity of dry type
    • F17B1/26—Gas-holders of variable capacity of dry type with flexible walls, e.g. bellows
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C7/00—Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
    • F17C2201/01—Shape
    • F17C2201/0142—Shape conical
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
    • F17C2201/01—Shape
    • F17C2201/0176—Shape variable
    • F17C2201/018—Shape variable with bladders
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
    • F17C2201/01—Shape
    • F17C2201/0176—Shape variable
    • F17C2201/0195—Shape variable with bellows
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2201/00—Vessel construction, in particular geometry, arrangement or size
    • F17C2201/05—Size
    • F17C2201/056—Small (<1 m3)
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2203/00—Vessel construction, in particular walls or details thereof
    • F17C2203/06—Materials for walls or layers thereof; Properties or structures of walls or their materials
    • F17C2203/0602—Wall structures; Special features thereof
    • F17C2203/0612—Wall structures
    • F17C2203/0614—Single wall
    • F17C2203/0619—Single wall with two layers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2221/00—Handled fluid, in particular type of fluid
    • F17C2221/03—Mixtures
    • F17C2221/031—Air
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2223/00—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel
    • F17C2223/01—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel characterised by the phase
    • F17C2223/0107—Single phase
    • F17C2223/0123—Single phase gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2223/00—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel
    • F17C2223/03—Handled fluid before transfer, i.e. state of fluid when stored in the vessel or before transfer from the vessel characterised by the pressure level
    • F17C2223/035—High pressure (>10 bar)
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2250/00—Accessories; Control means; Indicating, measuring or monitoring of parameters
    • F17C2250/04—Indicating or measuring of parameters as input values
    • F17C2250/0404—Parameters indicated or measured
    • F17C2250/0482—Acceleration
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2260/00—Purposes of gas storage and gas handling
    • F17C2260/04—Reducing risks and environmental impact
    • F17C2260/046—Enhancing energy recovery
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2265/00—Effects achieved by gas storage or gas handling
    • F17C2265/06—Fluid distribution
    • F17C2265/066—Fluid distribution for feeding engines for propulsion
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
    • F17C—VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
    • F17C2270/00—Applications
    • F17C2270/01—Applications for fluid transport or storage
    • F17C2270/0165—Applications for fluid transport or storage on the road
    • F17C2270/0168—Applications for fluid transport or storage on the road by vehicles

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Geometry (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)

Abstract

A gas storage tank is described comprising at least one bellows 20 confined within a casing 22 and preloaded to extend in length when the gas pressure within the bellows 20 exceeds a predetermined value above the ambient pressure. The casing 22 has diverging sides 24 and is closed off by a moveable end wall assembly 26 held against the extending bellows 20 by a compression spring 28, and the end wall assembly 26 has an adjustable size matching the increasing opening of the diverging sides 24 as the wall 26 moves along the casing 22. The gas storage tank may be installed on a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine with air being blown into the bellows by an air charger and stored within the bellows at a constant pressure until it is expelled from the bellows and supplied to the engine for boosting the engine.

Description

GAS STORAGE TANK
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a gas storage tank suitable for installation on board a motor vehicle for storing pressurised gases, and these gases are later used to support a pressurised air or gas utilisation requirement on the vehicle.
Background of the invention
Gas storage tanks are commonly of fixed volume where pressurised gases stored within the tank are released for external consumption by expansion of the gases out of the tank. If a relatively small quantity of gases is released from the tank and the tank is topped up frequently, it can be maintained at full capacity and the pressure in it will not be significantly reduced by the small quantities released. However, if a substantial quantity of gases is taken from the tank, the pressure in the tank will drop and the utilisation of the pressurised gases supplied from tank will become ineffective. If a large tank is introduced, replenishing it sufficiently to raise the pressure to a useful level will take a considerable time during which the utilisation of the gases will also be ineffective.
It is known to provide a spring-loaded variable volume gas storage tank which expands and contracts while the pressure within the tank is regulated within a predetermined range. The effect of this is that the available pressure in the tank is maintained within the pressure range regardless of the mass of gases contained within the tank. This allows substantially all the gases in the tank to be released at a useful pressure for external utilisation. As soon as the tank commences to replenish, the required gas pressure will also become available immediately.
Object of the invention The present invention aims to improve the design of a spring-loaded variable volume gas storage tank.
Summary of the invention
According to the present invention, there is provided a gas storage tank comprising at least one bellows confined within a casing and preloaded to extend in length when the gas pressure within the bellows exceeds a predetermined value above the ambient pressure, characterised in that the casing has diverging sides and is closed off by a moveable end wall assembly held against the extending bellows by a compression spring, and the end wall assembly has adjustable size matching the increasing opening of the diverging sides as the wall moves along the casing.
In the invention, the divergence of the sides and the corresponding increase in surface area of the end wall assembly are such that the gas pressure within the bellows is kept substantially constant as the wall moves with the extending bellows, the resultant pressure force exerted by the bellows and distributed across the surface area of the end wall being such that it is sufficient to counteract the increasing compression force of the spring.
The end wall assembly may comprise adjustable elements arranged such that the effective surface area of the end wall assembly is increased by extending the elements towards the diverging sides while following the contours of the diverging sides. The gas seal between the end wall assembly and the diverging sides is provided by the bellows serving as a flexible lining bridging the gap between the end wall assembly and the diverging sides.
A consequence of the invention is that no gases can be blown into the bellows if the gas pressure does not exceed the said predetermined value above the ambient air pressure.
Another consequence is that when the stored gases are released from the bellows, these gases will be pushed out of the bellows by the spring at substantially constant pressure regardless of the mass of gases contained within the bellows.
Prior art spring-loaded variable volume gas storage tanks are conunonly cylindrical in shape with parallel sides.
A moveable end wall or piston of fixed area is provided which is easy to seal while holding the gas storage pressure against the compression force of a spring. The regulation of the gas storage pressure within the tank is determined by the length of the spring, the spring rate and the preload applied on the spring at the initial position of the piston.
By choosing a long spring with low spring rate and high preload, the variation in gas pressure as the tank is being filled may be maintained within a narrow range determined by the low spring rate, but the pressure is not constant and will increase as the spring is progressively compressed.
For example, in order to limit the increase in pressure to less than 10%, the free length of the spring must be greater than 10 times the storage length of the tank so that, after a preload compression of 90%, the change in the compressed length of the spring as the tank is filled is less than 10%, resulting in less than 10% increase in the spring force between the initial and final positions of the piston. This example serves to illustrate a serious problem experienced in the installation of such a gas storage tank on board a vehicle because of the very long length of the spring that has to be compressed and acconunodated.
The present invention enables a stiffer and shorter spring to be used where the increase in compression load of the spring as the tank is filled is counteracted by the increase in surface area of the end wall assembly without increasing the gas storage pressure. This not only provides a much shorter installation length, but also delivers pressurised gases from the tank at truly constant pressure regardless of the mass of gases contained within the tank so that the utilisation of the pressurised gases supplied from the tank will be consistent and effective.
In contrast to the prior art example, the spring in the present invention may be preloaded with 50% compression and the change in the compressed length of the spring as the tank is filled can be a further 50%, resulting in 2 times increase in the spring force between the initial and final positions of the moveable end wall assembly and this is counteracted by 2 times increase in the surface area of the end wall assembly while the gas pressure within the tank remains constant. In this case, the free length of the spring will be 2 times the storage length of the tank plus the compressed solid length, making it relatively short and the installation more compact.
The invention is suitable for use on board a road vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. In this vehicle, pressurised air is blown by an air charger into the air tank and is stored at a constant pressure regardless of the mass of air contained within the tank. This air is later expelled from the tank and supplied directly to the engine for boosting the engine without loss in boost air pressure.
In one example of the present invention, a small capacity air tank of 5 times the displacement of the engine will be sufficient to store pressurised air blown into the tank by a turbocharger driven by exhaust gases from the engine when there is excess boost air from the turbocharger.
Subsequently, this stored air pushed out by the compression spring will be available instantaneously to boost the engine at the same pressure as that supplied by the turbocharger for 10 engine revolutions or 0.4 seconds at 1500 rpm engine speed and will be effective for eliminating the driveability problems commonly experienced in many turbocharged engines caused by the temporary deficiency of the turbocharger during the turbo-lag period when there is insufficient energy from the engine exhaust gases to accelerate the turbocharger immediately to provide the necessary boost in response to a sudden load demand.
In another example of the present invention, a large capacity air tank may be used to store pressurised air blown into the tank by an air charger driven using energy derived from braking of the vehicle. This provides a spring and air energy hybrid vehicle with regenerative braking where the captured braking energy is stored in the tank partly as spring potential energy and partly as compressed air energy.
When this air is later expelled from the tank and supplied to the engine, the spring energy will push the air at boost pressure to the engine producing mechanical work during the intake strokes of the engine, and this is followed by combustion of the boost air which is already pressurised using braking energy and therefore does not need engine energy which normally drives an air charger for pressure-charging the air. Because this engine energy is no longer absorbed internally with the air charger temporarily not driven during acceleration, it will instead appear externally at the output shaft of the engine, delivering more output power using the same quantity of fuel so that the BSFC (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption) of the engine is reduced while the ISFC (Indicated Specific Fuel Consumption) remains the same. The spring potential energy and compressed air energy contained within the tank are both converted to propulsion energy easily and efficiently by simply pushing the air to boost the engine, which not only consumes and converts the energy but also operates at a high gain factor producing many times higher power than the input air energy.
Brief description of the drawings
The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure la is a schematic sectional drawing of a gas storage tank according to the present invention, Figure 1 b is a schematic sectional drawing of a gas storage tank similar to Figure la but with an alternative design, Figure 2 is a schematic drawing of a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine and having on board the vehicle a gas storage tank of the present invention for storing and supplying boost air to the engine.
Detailed description of the preferred embodiment
In Figure la, a bellows or air bag 20 is shown confined within a casing 22. The bellows 20 is preloaded by a compression spring 28 calibrated so that the bellows 20 extends in length within the casing 22 when the gas pressure within the bellows 20 exceeds a predetermined value above the ambient pressure as gases are blown into the bellows 20.
The casing 22 has diverging sides 24 and is closed off by a moveable end wall assembly 26 held against the extending bellow5 20 by a compression spring 28, and the end wall assembly 26 has adjustable size matching the increasing opening of the diverging sides 24 as the wall 26 moves along the casing 22.
In the invention, the divergence of the sides 24 and the corresponding increase in surface area of the end wall assembly 26 are such that the gas pressure within the bellows 20 is kept substantially constant as the wall 26 moves with the extending bellows 20, the resultant pressure force exerted by the bellows 20 and distributed across the surface area of the end wall 26 being such that it is sufficient to counteract the increasing compression force of the spring 28.
The end wall assembly 26 comprises adjustable elements 26a, 26b arranged such that the effective surface area of the end wall assembly 26 is increased by extending the elements 26a, 26b across a base plate 26c towards the diverging sides 24 while following the contours of the diverging sides 24. A flat spring 26d acts to keep the elements 26a, 26b in contact with the diverging sides 24 and rollers 30 are provided for reducing friction between the adjustable element 26a, 26b and the diverging sides 24.
The gas seal between the end wall assembly 26 and the diverging sides 24 is provided by the bellows 20 serving as a flexible lining bridging the gap between the end wall assembly 26 and the diverging sides 24.
When the gases stored within the bellows 20 is later be expelled from the bellows 20, the gases will be pushed out of the bellows 20 by the spring 28 at substantially constant pressure regardless of the mass of gases contained within the bellows 20.
The present invention enables a stiff and short spring 28 to be used. This not only provides a much shorter installation length, but also delivers pressurised gases from the bellows 20 at truly constant pressure regardless of the mass of gases contained within the bellows 20 so that the utilisation of the pressurised gases supplied from the bellows 20 will be consistent and effective. For example, the spring 28 may be preloaded with 50% compression and the change in the compressed length of the spring 28 as the bellows 20 is filled can be a further 50%, resulting in 2 times increase in the spring force between the initial and final positions of the moveable end wall assembly 26 and this is counteracted by 2 times increase in the surface area of the end wall assembly 26 while the gas pressure within the bellows 20 remains constant. In this case, the free length of the spring 28 will be 2 times the storage length of the tank 22 plus the compressed solid length, making it relatively short and the installation quite compact.
Figure lb shows an alternative design of the end wall assembly 26 where the flat spring 24d in. Figure la is replaced by hinged plates 32, 34 connected to the elements 26a, 26b such that the gas pressure exerted on plates 32, 34 by the bellows 20 would push the elements 26a, 26b against the diverging sides 24 and maintain rolling contact with the diverging sides 24 as the end wall assembly 26 moves with the extending bellows 20.
Figure 2 shows a gas storage tank of the present invention installed on board a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine 16. Pressurised air blown into the bellows 20 by an air charger 10 is stored within the bellows 20 at a constant pressure and this air is later expelled from the bellows 20 and supplied to the engine 16 for boosting the engine 16.
The air charger 10 supplying pressurised air to the engine 16 may be a turbocharger 10 driven by exhaust gases from the engine 16. It may also be a supercharger 10 driven mechanically in various ways such as by the engine 16, by a jackshaft taken from the transmission drive train of the vehicle, or by an electric motor. The energy used for driving the supercharger 10 may be derived from the output of the engine 16, or from the road wheels 18 while braking the vehicle. Valve 14 controls the charging and discharging of the air storage tank.
In one example, a small capacity air tank of 5 times the displacement of the engine 16 will be sufficient to store pressurised air blown into the tank by a turbocharger driven by exhaust gases from the engine 16 when there is excess boost air from the turbocharger 10. Subsequently, this stored air, pushed out by the compression spring 28, will be available instantaneously to boost the engine 16 at the same pressure as that supplied by the turbocharger 10 for 10 engine revolutions or 0.4 seconds at 1500 rpm engine speed and will be effective for eliminating the driveability problems commonly experienced in many turbocharged engines caused by the temporary deficiency of the turbocharger 10 during the turbo-lag period when there is insufficient energy from the engine exhaust gases to accelerate the turbocharger 10 immediately to provide the necessary boost in response to a sudden load demand.
In another example, a large capacity air tank may be used to store pressurised air blown into the tank by a supercharger 10 driven during decelerations of the vehicle using energy taken from the road wheels 18 while braking the vehicle. This provides a spring and air energy hybrid vehicle with regenerative braking where the captured braking energy is stored in the tank partly as spring potential energy and partly as compressed air energy. When this air is later expelled from the tank and supplied to the engine 16, the spring energy will push the air at boost pressure to the engine 16 producing mechanical work during the intake strokes of the engine 16, and this is followed by combustion of the boost air which is already pressurised using braking energy and therefore does not need engine energy which normally drives the supercharger 10 or a turbocharger for pressure-charging the air. Because this engine energy is no longer absorbed internally with the air charger temporarily not driven during acceleration, it will instead appear externally at the output shaft of the engine 16, delivering more output power using the same quantity of fuel so that the BSFC (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption) of the engine is reduced while the ISFC (Indicated Specific Fuel Consumption) remains the same. The spring potential energy and compressed -10 -air energy contained within the tank are both converted to propulsion energy easily and efficiently by simply pushing the air to boost the engine 16, which not only consumes and converts the energy but also operates at a high gain factor producing many times higher power than the input air energy.

Claims (4)

  1. -11 -CLAIMS1. A gas storage tank comprising at least one bellows (20) confined within a casing (22) and preloaded to extend in length when the gas pressure within the bellows (20) exceeds a predetermined value above the ambient pressure, characterised in that the casing (22) has diverging sides (24) and is closed off by a moveable end wall assembly (26) held against the extending bellows (20) by a compression spring (28), and the end wall assembly (26) has adjustable size matching the increasing opening of the diverging sides (24) as the wall (26) moves along the casing (22).
  2. 2. A gas storage tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the divergence of the sides (24) and the corresponding increase in surface area of the end wall assembly (26) are such that the gas pressure within the bellows (20) is kept substantially constant as the wall (26) moves with the extending bellows (20), the resultant pressure force exerted by the bellows (20) and distributed across the surface area of the end wall (26) being such that it is sufficient to counteract the increasing compression force of the spring (28)
  3. 3. A gas storage tank as claimed in claim 1 or 2, therein the end wall assembly (26) comprises adjustable elements (26a, 26b) arranged such that the effective surface area of the end wall assembly (26) is increased by extending the elements (26a, 26b) towards the diverging sides (24).
  4. 4. A gas storage tank as claimed in any preceding claim, installed on board a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine (16), wherein pressurised air blown into the bellows (20) by an air charger (10) is stored within the bellows (20) at a constant pressure, and this air is later expelled from the bellows (20) and supplied to the engine (16) for boosting the engine (16)
GB1012528A 2010-02-04 2010-07-27 Gas storage tank Withdrawn GB2477586A (en)

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GBGB1001776.2A GB201001776D0 (en) 2010-02-04 2010-02-04 Gas storage tank
GBGB1011499.9A GB201011499D0 (en) 2010-02-04 2010-07-08 Gas storage tank

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GB2477586A true GB2477586A (en) 2011-08-10

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GBGB1011499.9A Ceased GB201011499D0 (en) 2010-02-04 2010-07-08 Gas storage tank
GB1012528A Withdrawn GB2477586A (en) 2010-02-04 2010-07-27 Gas storage tank

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WO2018165772A1 (en) 2017-03-17 2018-09-20 Litens Automotive Partnership Turbocharger system, compressor system that forms part thereof, and method of controlling air flow to an engine
US20220357034A1 (en) * 2021-05-10 2022-11-10 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Total flare gas recovery system

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US20090259388A1 (en) * 2008-04-14 2009-10-15 Jan Vetrovec Supercharged internal combustion engine system
CN201348133Y (en) * 2009-02-06 2009-11-18 华群 Constant pressure container

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US4703625A (en) * 1985-02-25 1987-11-03 Ranco Incorporated Turbocharger control system
US5487273A (en) * 1993-09-13 1996-01-30 Alliedsignal Inc. Turbocharger having pneumatic actuator with pilot valve
JP3090055B2 (en) * 1996-08-06 2000-09-18 トヨタ自動車株式会社 Variable nozzle turbocharger
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US4501253A (en) * 1982-12-13 1985-02-26 Consolidated Natural Gas Service Company, Inc. On-board automotive methane compressor
US20090259388A1 (en) * 2008-04-14 2009-10-15 Jan Vetrovec Supercharged internal combustion engine system
CN201348133Y (en) * 2009-02-06 2009-11-18 华群 Constant pressure container

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN104847712A (en) * 2015-04-01 2015-08-19 成都天本生物科技有限公司 Energy accumulator for high-pressure jet airflow formation
WO2018165772A1 (en) 2017-03-17 2018-09-20 Litens Automotive Partnership Turbocharger system, compressor system that forms part thereof, and method of controlling air flow to an engine
EP3596321A4 (en) * 2017-03-17 2020-02-26 Litens Automotive Partnership Turbocharger system, compressor system that forms part thereof, and method of controlling air flow to an engine
US20220357034A1 (en) * 2021-05-10 2022-11-10 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Total flare gas recovery system
US11920784B2 (en) * 2021-05-10 2024-03-05 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Total flare gas recovery system

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WO2011095794A1 (en) 2011-08-11
GB201011499D0 (en) 2010-08-25
GB201012528D0 (en) 2010-09-08

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