A heated O-ring that has particular application for providing sealing in the connector region of a compressed hydrogen storage tank in a fuel cell system. In one embodiment, an electrical heating wire is wound through the O-ring so that resistive heating is provide by applying an electrical potential to the wire so that the temperature of the O-ring does not decrease below a predetermined temperature. In another embodiment, electrical heating elements are provided adjacent to and in contact with the O-ring, where an electrical potential applied to the heating elements causes the heating elements to maintain the temperature of the O-ring.
1. An O-ring assembly comprising:
a first structure;
a second structure positioned adjacent to the first structure and defining a sealing area therebetween;
an O-ring positioned in the sealing area between the first structure and the second structure; and
at least one heating element positioned relative to the O-ring in the seating area, wherein the at least one heating element is a wire wound internal to the O-ring, said at least one heating element receiving an electrical potential for heating the O-ring.
2. The O-ring assembly according to claim 1 further comprising wires extending through the first structure and electrically connected to the heating element.
3. The O-ring assembly according to claim 2 further comprising a glass connector formed around the wires in the first structure.
4. The O-ring assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first structure is an adapter and the second structure is a liner associated with a compressed gas storage tank.
5. The O-ring assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first structure is an adapter and the second structure is a connector associated with a compressed gas storage tank.
6. The O-ring assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second structures are part of a compressed gas tank.
7. The O-ring assembly according to claim 6 wherein the compressed gas tank is a hydrogen storage tank for a fuel cell system.
8. The O-ring assembly according to claim 7 wherein the fuel cell system is on a vehicle.
9. An O-ring assembly for a compressed gas tank, said assembly comprising:
a first structure;
a second structure positioned adjacent to the first structure and defining a sealing area therebetween;
an O-ring positioned in the sealing area between the first structure and the second structure;
at least one heating element positioned relative to the O-ring in the sealing area, wherein the at least one heating element is a heating element positioned between the O-ring and the first structure; and
at least one wire extending through the first structure and electrically connected to the heating element, said at least one wire receiving an electrical potential for heating the O-ring.
10. The O-ring assembly according to claim 9 wherein the at least one heating element is two separate heating elements positioned between the O-ring and the first structure.
11. The O-ring assembly according to claim 9 further comprising a glass connector formed around the wires in the first structure.
12. The O-ring assembly according to claim 9 wherein the first structure is an adapter and the second structure is a liner associated with the compressed gas storage tank.
13. The O-ring assembly according to claim 9 wherein the first structure is an adapter and the second structure is a connector associated with the compressed gas storage tank.
14. The O-ring assembly according to claim 9 wherein the compressed gas tank is a hydrogen storage tank for a fuel cell system.
15. The O-ring assembly according to claim 14 wherein the fuel cell system is on a vehicle.
16. An O-ring assembly comprising:
a first structure;
a second structure positioned adjacent to the first structure and defining a sealing area therebetween;
an O-ring positioned in the sealing area between the first structure and the second structure;
at least one heating element positioned relative to the O-ring in the sealing area, said at least one heating element receiving an electrical potential for heating the O-ring, wherein the at least one heating element is a heating element positioned between the O-ring and the first structure; and
wires extending through the first structure and electrically connected to the heating element and a glass connector formed around the wires in the first structure.
17. The O-ring assembly according to claim 16 wherein the at least one heating element is a wire wound internal to the O-ring.
18. The O-ring assembly according to claim 16 wherein the at least one heating element is two separate heating elements positioned between the O-ring and the first structure.
19. The O-ring assembly according to claim 16 wherein the first and second structures are part of a compressed gas tank.