High-pressure hydrogen test fixture
View Patent ↗A high-pressure hydrogen test fixture includes a main body having a test cavity, a flange covering the test cavity when attached to the main body to thereby form a test chamber, a plurality of flange bolts and corresponding nuts to attach the flange to the main body, a flange seal arranged in a seal groove of the main body, an inlet channel between the test chamber and an inlet port, a vent channel between the test chamber and a vent port, and a sample carrier. The flange seal forms a seal between a sealing surface of the flange and the seal groove of the main body. The sample carrier has at least one of a face seal groove and a radial seal groove for receiving a test article. A seal formed by the test article and the test fixture is arranged between the inlet channel and the vent channel.
1 . A high-pressure hydrogen test fixture comprising:
a main body comprising a test cavity;
a flange that covers the test cavity of the main body when the flange is attached to the main body to form a test chamber;
a plurality of flange bolts extending through at least one of the flange and the main body for securing the flange to the main body via a plurality of corresponding nuts;
a flange seal arranged in a seal groove of the main body, wherein the flange seal forms a seal between a sealing surface of the flange and the seal groove of the main body when the flange is attached to the main body;
an inlet channel in fluid communication with the test chamber and an inlet port;
a vent channel in fluid communication with the test chamber and a vent port;
a sample carrier comprising at least one of a face seal groove and a radial seal groove for receiving a test article;
wherein when the sample carrier is inserted in the test chamber, the test article forms a seal between the sample carrier and at least one of the flange and the main body;
wherein the seal formed by the test article is arranged between the inlet channel and the vent channel;
wherein the inlet port and the inlet channel are configured to supply pressurized hydrogen to the test chamber during a test operation; and
wherein the pressurized hydrogen pressurizes the test article to test the seal formed by the test article such that at least a portion of the pressurized hydrogen exits the test chamber, flows through the vent channel, and exits the vent port if the test article fails during the test operation.
2 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the face seal groove or the radial seal groove are shaped to receive an O-ring and the test article is the O-ring.
3 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the face seal groove or the radial seal groove are shaped to receive a metal spring energized seal and the test article is the metal spring energized seal.
4 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein the flange bolts are fixedly attached to the main body and extend through bolt holes formed in the flange.
5 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein the flange bolts are fixedly attached to the flange and extend through bolt holes formed in the main body.
6 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein the sample carrier comprises a center channel and a bottom channel.
7 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein the sealing surface of the flange comprises a protrusion that extends into the test cavity when the flange is attached to the main body.
8 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein the test cavity comprises a shoulder that supports a flange of the sample carrier.
9 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein the flange bolts extend through bolt holes formed in the main body and in the flange.
10 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein the inlet port and the inlet channel are formed in the flange.
11 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , wherein the vent port and the vent channel are formed in the main body.
12 . The high-pressure hydrogen test fixture of claim 1 , further comprising two or more vent channels and vent ports.
13 . A method of testing a polymer seal in a high-pressure hydrogen test fixture, the method comprising:
assembling a test article to a least one of a face seal groove and a radial seal groove of a sample carrier;
placing the sample carrier into a test cavity of the test fixture and closing the test fixture to form a test chamber by sealing the test article against the test fixture;
filling the test chamber with hydrogen gas pressurized to a predetermined test pressure during a test operation, wherein the hydrogen gas pressurizes the test article to test the polymer seal formed by the test article;
capturing at least a portion of the hydrogen gas that leaks past the polymer seal formed by the test article if the test article fails during the test operation; and
depressurizing the test chamber and opening the test fixture to enable removal of the sample carrier.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the portion of the hydrogen gas that leaks past the polymer seal formed by the test article exits the test chamber, flows through a vent channel, and exits a vent port if the test article fails during the test operation.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the vent channel is formed between the test cavity and a vent seal.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the test chamber is pressurized with the hydrogen gas through an inlet channel that is fluidly connected to the test chamber and to an inlet port.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the sample carrier comprises at least one of a face seal groove or a radial seal groove.
18 . The method of any of claim 13 , wherein the test cavity comprises a shoulder that supports a flange of the sample carrier.
19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the test fixture comprises a flange and a main body that are connected by a plurality of flange bolts that extend through bolt holes formed in at least one of the flange and the main body.
20 . A high-pressure hydrogen test fixture comprising:
a main body comprising a test cavity;
a flange that covers the test cavity of the main body when the flange is attached to the main body to form a test chamber;
securing means for securing the flange to the main body;
sealing means for forming a seal between a sealing surface of the flange and a seal groove of the main body when the flange is attached to the main body, where the sealing means is arranged in a seal groove of the main body;
an inlet channel in fluid communication with the test chamber and an inlet port;
a vent channel in fluid communication with the test chamber and a vent port;
a sample carrier comprising at least one of a face seal groove and a radial seal groove for receiving a test article;
wherein when the sample carrier is inserted in the test chamber, the test article forms a seal between the sample carrier and at least one of the flange and the main body;
wherein the seal formed by the test article is arranged between the inlet channel and the vent channel;
wherein the inlet port and the inlet channel are configured to supply pressurized hydrogen to the test chamber during a test operation; and
wherein the pressurized hydrogen pressurizes the test article to test the seal formed by the test article such that at least a portion of the pressurized hydrogen exits the test chamber, flows through the vent channel, and exits the vent port if the test article fails during the test operation.