Study on Sealing Characteristics of Solenoid Valve for Fuel Cells

Key Words: Fuel Cell(연료전지), BOP(Balance of Plants,주변기계장치), Solenoid Valve(솔레노이드밸브),Sealing(실링), Fluoro Elastomers(FKM, 불소탄성중합체)초록: 연료전지내의작동유체는폭발성을가지고있기때문에솔레노이드밸브의실링특성은일반적인시스템에비해매우중요하다할수있다. 하지만, 이시스템의경우작동온도가일반적인경우에비해비교적높으며, 작동유체의화학적특성때문에실링에사용되는재질은내화학성이뛰어나면서도연료전지시스템에서요구하는수명을보장해야하는어려움이있다. 본연구에서는연료전지내에서사용가능한솔레노이드밸브의실링특성을확인하기위하여, 내화학성이뛰어난실링용링의재질인불소고무에대한수명을아레니우스(Arrhenius) 관계식을이용하여예측하였다. 또한, 수상치환법을이용하여실제제작된연료전지용솔레노이드밸브가제품으로써충분히사용가능함을확인하였다.Abstract: The solenoid valve used in fuel cell system need to have good sealing performance because thework fluid can explode in the system. Moreover, the temperature of the work fluid is extremely high inorder to maintain the properties of the rubber ring that seals the solenoid valve. This study deals with therubber ring which is made from a fluoro-elastomer. The life cycle of the rubber ring was estimated by therelational expression of Arrhenius, and the solenoid valve was tested to confirm the sealing characteristics.