Gaseous hydrocarbon fuel storage system and power plant for vehicles
First Claim
1. A low-pressure gaseous hydrocarbon fuel powered vehicle comprising:
- means for storing a self-contained supply of a gaseous hydrocarbon fuel, said storing means containing a predetermined sorbent material for reducing the pressure at which a given amount of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel is stored, said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel being stored at a maximum pressure less than approximately 500 psig (3450 kPa);
a prime mover having means for combining said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel with air to produce the mechanical energy therefrom necessary to move said vehicle;
means for conveying said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel to said storing means from a stationary source of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel and for conveying said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from said storing means to said combining means of said prime mover;
sorbent filter means associated with said conveying means for sorptively removing at least a portion of predetermined constituents from the flow of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel to said storing means and for desorptively re-introducing at least a portion of said predetermined constituents to the flow of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from said storing means to said combining means of said prime mover; and
means associated with said conveying means for controlling the flow of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from said storing means to said combining means of said prime mover.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low pressure gaseous hydrocarbon fuel storage system and power plant is described, which generally comprises means for storing a self-contained supply of a gaseous hydrocarbon fuel, a prime mover, means for conveying the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel to and from the storing means, and means for controlling the flow of the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from the storing means to the prime mover. The storing means, which may include one or more vessels or cylinders, contains a predetermined sorbent material for reducing the pressure at which a given amount of the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel is stored. The prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine, has means for combining the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel with air to produce the mechanical energy therefrom necessary to move the vehicle. The conveying means is adapted to convey the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel to the storing means from a stationary source of the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel, and also to convey the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from the storing means to the combining means of the prime mover during the operation of the vehicle. In the preferred embodiment, the maximum pressure at which the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel is stored in the storing means is in the range of approximately 100 psig (689 kPa) to approximately 400 psig (2760 kPa).
87 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A low-pressure gaseous hydrocarbon fuel powered vehicle comprising:
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means for storing a self-contained supply of a gaseous hydrocarbon fuel, said storing means containing a predetermined sorbent material for reducing the pressure at which a given amount of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel is stored, said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel being stored at a maximum pressure less than approximately 500 psig (3450 kPa); a prime mover having means for combining said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel with air to produce the mechanical energy therefrom necessary to move said vehicle; means for conveying said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel to said storing means from a stationary source of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel and for conveying said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from said storing means to said combining means of said prime mover; sorbent filter means associated with said conveying means for sorptively removing at least a portion of predetermined constituents from the flow of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel to said storing means and for desorptively re-introducing at least a portion of said predetermined constituents to the flow of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from said storing means to said combining means of said prime mover; and means associated with said conveying means for controlling the flow of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from said storing means to said combining means of said prime mover. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. In a vehicle, a low-pressure gaseous hydrocarbon fuel power plant, comprising:
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means for storing a self-contained supply of a gaseous hydrocarbon fuel, said storing means containing a predetermined sorbent material for reducing the pressure at which a given amount of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel is stored; a prime mover having means for combining said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel with air to produce the mechanical energy therefrom necessary to move said vehicle; means for conveying said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel to said storing means from a stationary source of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel and for conveying said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from said storing means to said combining means of said prime mover; means associated with said conveying means for sorptively filtering the flow of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel to said storing means; and means associated with said conveying means for controlling said flow of said gaseous hydrocarbon fuel from said storing means to said combining means of said prime mover. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 44, 45)
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41. A low-pressure natural gas powered vehicle comprising:
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means for storing a self-contained supply of gaseous natural gas at a maximum pressure less than approximately 500 psig (3450 kPa) said storing means including a plurality of pressure vessels, each of said vessels containing a predetermined adsorbent material in order to reduce the pressure at which a given amount of said gaseous natural gas is stored, a plurality of said pressure vessels being contained within an enclosed chamber, the interior of said chamber being vented to the exterior of said vehicle; each of said pressure vessels including an inlet/outlet port for allowing said gaseous natural gas to flow into and out of said vessel, a filter associated with each of said vessels for filtering said gaseous natural gas flowing into and out of said vessel, a gas permeable element interposed between each of said filters and said adsorbent material; an internal combustion engine having carburetion means for combining said gaseous natural gas with air to produce mechanical energy therefrom in order to move said vehicle; means for conveying said gaseous natural gas to said storing means from a stationary source of said gaseous natural gas and for conveying said gaseous natural gas from said storing means to said carburetion means of said engine; said conveying means incuding manifold means for distributing said gaseous natural gas received from said stationary source to each of said plurality of pressure vessels and for collecting said gaseous natural gas stored in each of said plurality of pressure vessels in order to convey said gaseous natural gas stored in said plurality of pressure vessels to said carburetion means, said manifold means including an inlet port for receiving said gaseous natural gas from said stationary source, a bi-directional port for conveying said gaseous natural gas to and from said plurality of pressure vessels and an outlet port for conveying said gaseous natural gas in said pressure vessels to said carburetion means; means associated with said conveying means for controlling the flow of said gaseous natural gas from said storing means to said carburetion means of said engine; adsorbent filter means for adsorptively removing at least a portion of predetermined constitutents of said gaseous natural gas from the flow of said gaseous natural gas to said storing means, said adsorbent filter means being associated with said conveying means such that the flow of said gaseous natural gas from said storing means to said carburetion means also passes through said adsorbent filter means, said adsorbent filtering means desorptively re-introducing at least a portion of said predetermined constituents to the flow of said gaseous natural gas from said storing means to said carburetion means; and means for increasing the temperature of said adsorbent filter means when said gaseous natural gas is conveyed from said storing means to said carburetion means. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43)
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Specification