Patent Application
20230304635
Embodiments of the present invention are related to a feedthrough for use in a pressure vessel.
Pressure vessels are used in a variety of application, including metal hydrogen batteries, hydrogen storage vessels, and other applications. For renewable energy resources such as wind and solar to be competitive with traditional fossil fuels, large-scale energy storage systems are needed to mitigate their intrinsic intermittency. Metal hydrogen batteries can be used in such applications. Additionally, storage of high-pressure gas or fuel gasses such as hydrogen can be used to store energy. Feedthroughs that allow for gas or liquid flow as well as electrical communications with the contents of a pressure vessel are important. However, feedthroughs that provide sufficient access and sealing properties are difficult to provide.
Consequently, there is a need for better feedthroughs for pressure vessel applications.
In accordance with embodiments a feedthrough that can be used in pressure vessels is presented. A feedthrough according to some embodiments includes a body that includes a base portion configured to be attached to a pressure vessel, a barrel portion coupled to the base portion, a through-hole formed through the base portion and the barrel portion, and threads formed on the inner portion of the through-hole, the threads having a rounded or a square thread; and an insulator that includes a top portion, a barrel portion coupled to the top portion, a through-hole formed through the top portion and the barrel portion, and threads formed on the outer portion of the barrel portion; and wherein the insulator is screwed into the body to form the feedthrough.
In some embodiments, a method of operating a feedthrough attached to a pressure vessel includes screwing an insulator into a body, the body being attached to the pressure vessel, wherein the insulator and the body both include threads that are rounded or square to form a seal between the threads of the body and the threads of the insulator; inserting a component through a through-hole in the insulator; compressing the body to form seals between the component and the through-hole in the insulator and the threads of the insulator and the body; and removing the first pipe and the second pipe.
In some embodiments, a method of operating a feedthrough attached to a pressure vessel includes screwing an insulator into a body, the body being attached to the pressure vessel, wherein the insulator and the body both include threads; inserting a component through a through-hole in the insulator such that an interference seal is formed between the component and the insulator; using a fill structure formed in the insulator, the fill structure including a first pipe extending from the insulator and communicating with a fill through-hole in the insulator and a second pipe angularly extending from the insulator and communicating with the fill through-hole in the insulator, wherein the first pipe includes a barrier; inserting a plug through the barrier in the first pipe and into the fill through-hole; compressing the body to form seals between the component and the through-hole in the insulator, the plug and the fill through-hole in the insulator, and the threads of the insulator and the body; and removing the first pipe and the second pipe.
In some embodiments, a feedthrough includes a body, the body including a base portion configured to be attached to a pressure vessel, a barrel portion coupled to the base portion, a through-hole formed through the base portion and the barrel portion, and threads formed on the inner portion of the through-hole; and an insulator, the insulator including a top portion, a barrel portion coupled to the top portion, a through-hole formed through the top portion and the barrel portion, threads formed on the outer portion of the barrel portion, a bottom thread of the threads being tapered, and one or more additional through-holes formed in the top portion and the barrel portion of the insulator; and wherein the insulator is screwed into the body to form the feedthrough.
These and other embodiments are discussed below with respect to the following figures.
An understanding of the features and advantages of the technology described in this disclosure will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative aspects with reference to the following figures.
These figures are further discussed below.
In the following description, specific details are set forth describing some aspects of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that some embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. The specific embodiments disclosed herein are meant to be illustrative but not limiting. One skilled in the art may realize other elements that, although not specifically described here, are within the scope and the spirit of this disclosure. Such modifications may include substitution of known equivalents for any aspect of the disclosure in order to achieve the same result in substantially the same way.
Consequently, this description illustrates inventive aspects and embodiments that should not be taken as limiting--the claims define the protected invention. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this description and the claims. In some instances, well-known structures and techniques have not been shown or described in detail in order not to obscure the invention.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the present specification and claims, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.” Recitation of numeric ranges of values throughout the specification is intended to serve as a shorthand notation of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range inclusive of the values defining the range, and each separate value is incorporated in the specification as it were individually recited herein. Further, individual values provided for particular components are for example only and are not considered to be limiting. Specific dimensional values for various components are there to provide a specific example only and one skilled in the art will recognize that the aspects of this disclosure can be provided with any dimensions. Additionally, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may be in some instances. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
In the figures, relative sizes of components are not meaningful unless stated otherwise and should not be considered limiting. Components are sized in the figures to better describe various features and structures without consideration of the displayed sizes with respect to other components. Further, although specific dimensions to describe one example of a feedthrough, those specific dimensions are provided as an example only and are not limiting. Feedthroughs according to aspects of the following disclosure can be formed having any dimensions with components having any relative dimensions. Actual dimensions depend on particular application of feedthrough according to some embodiments.
Feedthrough according to some embodiments of the present disclosure include a body portion and an insulator portion. The body portion is formed of a material that can be attached to a pressure vessel. For example, the body portion may be formed of stainless steal and be welded to a wall of the pressure vessel so that the feedthrough provides access to the interior of the pressure vessel. In some embodiments of feedthrough according to some embodiments, threads formed in a through-hole of the body portion that mate with threads formed on the insulator portion have a rounded or square shape to provide for increased sealing with those threads. In some embodiments, bottom threads of the insulator portion are tapered to provide further increases of the seal when the threads are engaged. In general, the insulator includes a through-hole that receives a component such as a feedthrough terminal that provides access to the interior of the pressure vessel. In some further embodiments, the insulator further includes additional through-holes in addition to the through-hole that receives the terminal. In some embodiments, the additional through-holes form a fill structure that provides access to exchange gas and liquid with the interior of the pressure vessel. In some embodiments, the additional through-holes accommodate additional conductors to provide electrical access to the interior of the pressure vessel.
As is further illustrated, insulator portion 204 includes a top portion 222 and an insulator barrel 224. A through hole 220 passes through insulator 204. The outside of insulator barrel 224 includes threads 226 that mate with threads 212 of body 202, and therefore are also triangularly shaped comment pipe threads. Insulator 204 can be formed from any insulating material capable of deforming to form seals, for example a plastic material, that insulates component 106 from body portion 104 and therefore pressure vessel 102.
During operation, after body portion 206 is attached to pressure vessel 102, insulator portion 204 can be screwed into body 202. The threads 212 of body 202 and threads 226 can be Whitworth threads so that a seal is formed between threads 212 and 216. The through-hole 220 in insulator 204 receives the component 106 as illustrated in
However, there are several deficiencies in the conventional arrangement illustrated in
Some embodiments of feedthrough 104 according to the present disclosure include threads that are rounded or square shaped to provide for improved sealing. Some embodiments can accommodate multiple components. Such multiple components can include combinations of one or more of fill tubes, conductors such as control wires or terminals, and other devices that facilitate access to the interior of the pressure vessel 102.
As is illustrated in
Embodiments of body 300 can have conventional threads as described above. However, some embodiments of body 300 can include threads 318 that are formed in a fashion that facilitates better sealing at threads 318 when an insulator is screwed into body 304. In these embodiments, threads 318, instead of being conventional threads as discussed above, have teeth 320 that are square or rounded shapes that form better seals with similarly shaped threads in the insulator. For example, thread 318 can be “knuckle threads,” which are unusually rounded thread forms with large spaces between the rounded crests and valleys. One standard of “knuckle threads” is the DIN 405 standard, which refer to knuckle threads with a flat thirty (30)-degree flank thread angle. For example, threads 318 can have the thread designation ThB.
Embodiments of the present disclosure can include conventional threads or can include the “knuckle threads” as described above. Further, in some embodiments, threads 318 can be tapered in the bottom threads 322 of threads 318 by gradually descreasing the pitch diameter towards the bottom of body 300.
A particular example of body 300 that may be used, for example, in a metal-hydrogen battery can have the particular dimensions: LB1=46.0 mm; LB2=40.0 mm; LB3=12.0 mm; LB4=6.0 mm; LB5=4.0 mm; LB6=7.0 mm; LB7=1.0 mm; WB1=48.0 mm; WB2=28.4 mm; WB3=28.4 mm; WB4=34.0 mm; WB5=36.0 mm; and ThB=DIN 405 RD 28×⅛ threads. These dimensions are provided as a particular example only and are not considered to be limiting. The particular dimensions of body 300 can be determined any particular application of the invention.
In operation, insulator 400 is screwed into body 300. Consequently, threads 414 of insulator 400 engage with threads 318 of body 300. As such, in some embodiments, where teeth 320 of threads 318 are round or square, then teeth 418 of threads 414 are also rounded or square to match, for example threads 414 can be knuckle threads with thread designation ThI1 that matches with threads 318. In some embodiments, the bottom thread 416 of thread 414 can be angled up at an angle θI1, which provides for more pressure between threads 414 and threads 318 that further enhances the seal between threads 318, especially bottom threads 322, and threads 414.
In a particular example of insulator 400 according to some embodiments, insulator 400 can have the following dimensions: LI1=42.0 mm; LI2=40.0 mm; LI3=38.0 mm; LI4=2.0 mm; WI1=24.4 mm; WI2=34.0 mm; DI1=10.1 mm; θI1=118°; and ThI1=DIN 405 RD 28×⅛. Insulator 400 is formed of an insulator, for example polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) plastic. This particular example is provided as an example only and is not intended to be limiting. Insulator 400 can have any dimensions that are consistent with integration with body 300.
As illustrated in
In operation, insulator 500 is screwed into body 300 to form a feedthrough 546 as illustrated in
As is further illustrated in
As illustrated in
Through-hole 530 may include a barrier 528 at a position that blocks through-hole 530 but allows access to through-hole 524 by through-hole 526 of pipe 522. In operation, once the pressure vessel has been charged through pipe 522, a plug may be inserted through through-hole 530 (breaking blockage 528) and into through-hole 524. As illustrated in
A specific example of insulator 500 can have the following dimensions: LI5=42.0 mm; LI6=40.0 mm; LI7=38.0 mm; LI8=2.0 mm; LI9=16.0 mm; LI10=0.5 mm; WI3=24.4 mm; WI4=34.0 mm; DI2=10.1 mm; DI3=6.0 mm; DI4=4.0 mm; DI5=6.0 mm; DI6=4.0 mm; θI2=118°; θI3=60°; and ThI2=DIN 405 RD 28×⅛. Insulator 500 may be formed of an insulating material, for example polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) plastic. This particular example is provided as an example only and is not intended to be limiting. Insulator 500 can have any dimensions that are consistent with integration with body 300.
In step 604, component 542 is inserted through through-hole 512.
Once the seals between threads 318 and threads 514 is formed and the interference seal between component 542 and insulator 500 in through-hole 512 is formed in steps 602 and 604, method 600 proceeds to step 606 where structure 500 is used as needed according to the use of the pressure vessel that feedthrough 546 is attached. As is discussed, pipe 522 can be used to add or remove liquid or gas while pipe 532 is sealed by barrier 528. Consequently 522 can be used to pressurize the pressure vessel, or used to pull a vacuum on the pressure vessel, as is illustrated in
Once the appropriate conditions (i.e. addition of liquid and/or gas or evacuation) have been achieved using pipe 522, then method 600 proceeds to step 608. In step 608, as is illustrated in
In step 612, pipes 522 and 532 of structure 540 can be removed from insulator 500 as is illustrated in
As discussed above, body 300 is mated with an insulator that can take multiple forms and provide multiple access through-holes. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the insulator can include a fill tube structure in addition to a through-hole that receive a component such as a feedthrough terminal. In some embodiments, the insulator can provide through-holes for receipt of one or more electrical conductors in addition to the component, and in some further embodiments in combination with a fill structure as described with insulator 500.
Embodiments of the present disclosure can exhibit one or more of the following aspects:
Aspect 1. A feedthrough, comprising: a body, the body including a base portion configured to be attached to a pressure vessel, a barrel portion coupled to the base portion, a through-hole formed through the base portion and the barrel portion, and threads formed on the inner portion of the through-hole, the threads having a rounded or a square thread; and an insulator, the insulator including a top portion, a barrel portion coupled to the top portion, a through-hole formed through the top portion and the barrel portion, and threads formed on the outer portion of the barrel portion; and wherein the insulator is screwed into the body to form the feedthrough.
Aspect 2. The feedthrough of Aspect 1, wherein the threads of the body and the threads of the insulator are each DIN 405 rounded threads.
Aspect 3. The feedthrough of any of Aspects 1-2, wherein bottom threads of the body are tapered.
Aspect 4. The feedthrough of any of Aspects 1-3, wherein a bottom thread of the insulator is angled upward.
Aspect 5. The feedthrough of any of Aspects 1-4, wherein the through-hole of the insulator accommodates a terminal.
Aspect 6. The feedthrough of any of Aspects 1-5, wherein the insulator further includes a fill structure.
Aspect 7. The feedthrough of any of Aspects 1-6, wherein the fill structure includes a fill through-hole formed through the top portion and the barrel portion of the insulator; a first pipe with an inner diameter aligned with the fill through-hole, the first pipe including a barrier; a second pipe with an inner diameter, the second pipe angled from the first pipe such that the inner diameter of the second pipe intersects the fill through-hole below the barrier.
Aspect 8. The feedthrough of any of Aspects 1-7, further including a plug designed to push through the barrier in the first pipe and into the fill through-hole.
Aspect 9. The feedthrough of any of Aspects 1-8, wherein the insulator includes one or more through-holes to accommodate conductors.
Aspect 10. A method of operating a feedthrough attached to a pressure vessel, comprising: screwing an insulator into a body, the body being attached to the pressure vessel, wherein the insulator and the body both include threads that are rounded or square to form a seal between the threads of the body and the threads of the insulator; inserting a component through a through-hole in the insulator; compressing the body to form seals between the component and the through-hole in the insulator and the threads of the insulator and the body; and removing the first pipe and the second pipe.
Aspect 11. The method of Aspect 10, wherein the threads of the body and the threads of the insulator are each DIN 405 rounded threads.
Aspect 12. The method of any of Aspects 10-11, wherein the threads of the body are tapered.
Aspect 13. The method of any of Aspects 10-12, wherein a bottom thread of the insulator is angled upward.
Aspect 14. A method of operating a feedthrough attached to a pressure vessel, comprising: screwing an insulator into a body, the body being attached to the pressure vessel, wherein the insulator and the body both include threads; inserting a component through a through-hole in the insulator such that an interference seal is formed between the component and the insulator; using a fill structure formed in the insulator, the fill structure including a first pipe extending from the insulator and communicating with a fill through-hole in the insulator and a second pipe angularly extending from the insulator and communicating with the fill through-hole in the insulator, wherein the first pipe includes a barrier; inserting a plug through the barrier in the first pipe and into the fill through-hole; compressing the body to form seals between the component and the through-hole in the insulator, the plug and the fill through-hole in the insulator, and the threads of the insulator and the body; and removing the first pipe and the second pipe.
Aspect 15. The method of Aspect 14, where using the fill structure includes pulling a vacuum on the pressure vessel; adding electrolyte to the pressure vessel; draining access electrolyte from the pressure vessel; and adding a gas to the pressure vessel.
Aspect 16. The method of any of Aspects 14-15, wherein using the fill structure includes pressurizing the pressure vessel.
Aspect 17. The method of any of Aspects 14-16, wherein the threads of the body and the threads of the insulator are rounded or square to form a seal between the threads of the body and the threads of the insulator.
Aspect 18. The method of any of Aspects 14-17, wherein the threads of the body and the threads of the insulator are each DIN 405 rounded threads.
Aspect 19. The method of Aspects 14-18, wherein the threads of the body are tapered.
Aspect 20. The method of Aspects 14-19, wherein the threads of the insulator is angled upward.
Aspect 21. A feedthrough, comprising: a body, the body including a base portion configured to be attached to a pressure vessel, a barrel portion coupled to the base portion, a through-hole formed through the base portion and the barrel portion, and threads formed on the inner portion of the through-hole; and an insulator, the insulator including a top portion, a barrel portion coupled to the top portion, a through-hole formed through the top portion and the barrel portion, threads formed on the outer portion of the barrel portion, a bottom thread of the threads being tapered, and one or more additional through-holes formed in the top portion and the barrel portion of the insulator; and wherein the insulator is screwed into the body to form the feedthrough.
Aspect 22. The feedthrough of Aspect 21, wherein the threads of the body and the threads of the insulator are each DIN 405 rounded threads.
Aspect 23. The feedthrough of Aspects 21-22, wherein the threads of the body are tapered.
Aspect 24. The feedthrough of Aspects 21-23, wherein the bottom thread of the insulator is tapered by being angled upward.
Aspect 25. The feedthrough of Aspects 21-24, wherein the through-hole of the insulator accommodates a terminal.
Aspect 26. The feedthrough of Aspects 21-25, wherein the one or more additional feedthroughs includes a fill structure.
Aspect 27. The feedthrough of Aspects 21-26, wherein the fill structure includes a fill through-hole formed through the insulator; a first pipe with an inner diameter aligned with the fill through-hole, the first pipe including a barrier; and a second pipe with an inner diameter, the second pipe angled from the first pipe such that the inner diameter of the second pipe intersects the fill through-hole below the barrier.
Aspect 28. The feedthrough of Aspects 21-27, further including a plug designed to push through the barrier in the first pipe and into the fill through-hole.
Aspect 29. The feedthrough of Aspects 21-28, wherein the one or more additional through-holes includes one or more through-holes to accommodate one or more conductors.
Embodiments of the invention described herein are not intended to be limiting of the invention. One skilled in the art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications within the scope of the present invention are possible. Consequently, the present invention is set forth in the following claims.
