Method and apparatus for fueling vehicles with liquefied cryogenic fuel

• US 5,771,946 A
• Filed: 06/17/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (Mcdermott International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Chicago Bridge & Iron Technical Services Company
• Inventors: Kooy, Richard John, Sudduth, Jack Wayne, Conrad, Mervyn Ladd, Korzonas, Raymond, Forgash, David John, Neuhalfen, Bryan Patrick, Rhoades, George D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US08/664,570
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 141/4.2, 141/5, 141/11, 141/2, 141/18, 141/82, 141/197, 62/50.1, 62/50.2, 62/50.3, 62/50.4, 62/45.1, 128/201.21, 222/146.1, 222/146.2, 123/525, 123/527
• US Class Current: 141/82
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/032 with substantially vertical main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/054 medium (>1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0326 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0338 Pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0364 flexible or articulated, e.g. a hose
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/037 Quick connecting means, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/033 Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0161 cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/033 Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/0169 subcooled
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/045 with a dip tube
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0121 by gravity
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0135 Pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0157 Compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/01 Intermediate tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0443 Flow or movement of content
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0631 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/065 for refueling vehicle fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0139 : Fuel stations
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0168 : by vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0176 : Buses
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 6/00 : Methods and apparatus for filling vessels not under pressure with liquefied or solidified gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage

Abstract

Apparatus for, and a method of, withdrawing liquefied cryogenic fuel stored in a primary insulated storage tank at a relatively low pressure and temperature; increasing the pressure of the withdrawn liquefied cryogenic fuel through a heat exchanger to warm the liquefied cryogenic fuel to a subcooled or near saturated liquid condition; and feeding the warmed and pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel to an insulated tank on a vehicle at a refueling facility, said vehicle using liquefied cryogenic fuel as its fuel and the insulated vehicle fuel tank being adapted to safely contain and store the liquefied cryogenic fuel in liquid form, at an approximate saturated condition.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

withdrawing liquefied cryogenic fuel stored in a primary insulated storage tank at a relatively low pressure and temperature;

increasing the pressure of the withdrawn liquefied cryogenic fuel and then feeding the pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel through a heat exchanger to warm the liquefied cryogenic fuel to subcooled or near saturated liquid condition; and

feeding the warmed and pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel to an insulated tank on a vehicle at a refueling facility, said vehicle using liquefied cryogenic fuel as its fuel and the insulated vehicle fuel tank being adapted to safely contain and store the said liquefied cryogenic fuel in liquid form.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which:

cryogenic fuel vapor accumulates in the primary insulated storage tank; and

cryogenic fuel vapor is withdrawn from the primary insulated storage tank and is combined with the liquefied cryogenic fuel withdrawn from the primary insulated storage tank, after the pressure on the withdrawn liquefied cryogenic fuel has been increased, to form a combined stream which is fed through the heat exchanger.

3. A method according to claim 1 in which:

some of the liquid cryogenic fuel withdrawn from the primary storage tank and then increased in pressure is mixed with the warmed and pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel exiting the heat exchanger and the resulting mixture is fed to the vehicle tank.

4. A method according to claim 1 in which the liquefied cryogenic fuel in the primary insulated storage tank is selected from a group consisting of natural gas, methane, ethane, ethylene, hydrogen, and combinations thereof.

5. A method according to claim 1 in which:

the heat exchanger is a direct contact heat exchanger and the pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel is warmed therein by direct contact with vapor withdrawn from the primary insulated storage tank.

6. A method comprising:

withdrawing liquefied cryogenic fuel stored in a primary insulated storage tank at a relatively low pressure temperature;

increasing the pressure of the withdrawn liquefied cryogenic fuel and the feeding the pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel through a heat exchanger to warm the liquefied cryogenic fuel to near saturated liquid condition;

feeding the warmed and pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel from the heat exchanger to a stationary insulated cryogenic fuel dispensing tank located at a vehicle liquefied fueling facility and storing the liquefied cryogenic fuel in the dispensing tank in a approximate saturated condition; and

upon arrival of a vehicle at the refueling facility, said vehicle using liquefied cryogenic fuel as its fuel and being equipped with an insulated vehicle tank adapted to safely contain and store liquefied cryogenic fuel in liquid form, transferring liquefied cryogenic fuel from the dispensing tank to the vehicle fuel tank so that the liquefied cryogenic fuel is in an approximate saturated condition.

7. A method according to claim 6 in which:

the liquefied cryogenic fuel is delivered to the vehicle tank without a substantial change in temperature and pressure from that at which it is stored in the dispensing tank.

8. A method according to claim 6 in which:

cryogenic fuel vapor accumulates in the primary insulated storage tank; and

cryogenic fuel vapor is withdrawn from the primary insulated storage tank and is combined with the liquefied cryogenic fuel withdrawn from the primary insulated storage tank, after the pressure on the withdrawn liquefied cryogenic fuel has been increased, to form a combined stream which is fed through the heat exchanger.

9. A method according to claim 6 in which:

vapor forms in the dispensing tank and the vapor is returned to the primary insulated storage tank.

10. A method according to claim 6 in which:

some of the liquefied cryogenic fuel withdrawn from the primary storage tank and then increased in pressure is fed into admixture with liquefied cryogenic fuel withdrawn from the dispensing tank to form a blended mixture having a controlled temperature and pressure which is fed to the vehicle tank.

11. A method according to claim 6 in which:

some of the liquefied cryogenic fuel withdrawn from the primary storage tank and then increased in pressure is fed into admixture with the warmed and pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel from the heat exchanger, and then the resulting blended admixture is fed to the dispensing tank.

12. A method according to claim 6 in which the liquefied cryogenic fuel in the primary insulated storage tank is selected from a group consisting of natural gas, methane, ethane, ethylene, hydrogen, and combinations thereof.

13. Apparatus comprising:

a primary insulated storage tank containing liquefied cryogenic fuel at a relatively low pressure and temperature;

a heat exchanger;

a first conduit communicating with the liquefied cryogenic fuel in the primary tank and with the heat exchanger, said conduit including a pump, for withdrawing liquefied cryogenic fuel from the primary tank, increasing the pressure of the withdrawn liquefied cryogenic fuel and feeding it to the heat exchanger wherein the pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel is warmed to a subcooled or near saturated liquid condition; and

a second conduit communicating with the heat exchanger and having means for communicating with a vehicle fuel tank, the second conduit for receiving the warmed and pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel from the heat exchanger and feeding it to a vehicle fuel tank for storage as a liquid therein.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which:

the primary storage tank has a cryogenic fuel vapor space; and

a cryogenic fuel vapor withdrawal conduit communicates with the primary tank vapor space and with the first conduit communicating with the primary tank and with the heat exchanger.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13 comprising:

a third conduit communicating with the first conduit and the second conduit for admixing streams of liquefied cryogenic fuel to be fed through the first and second conduits to the third conduit to form an admixed stream and for delivery the admixed stream to the vehicle fuel tank.

16. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which:

the heat exchanger is a direct contact heat exchanger and the pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel is warmed therein by direct contact with vapor withdrawn from the primary insulated storage tank.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13 in which the cryogenic fuel is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, methane, ethane, ethylene, hydrogen, and combinations thereof.

18. Apparatus comprising:

a primary insulated storage tank containing liquefied cryogenic fuel at a relatively low pressure and temperature;

a heat exchanger;

a first conduit communicating with the liquefied cryogenic fuel in the primary tank and with the heat exchanger, said conduit including a pump, for withdrawing liquefied cryogenic fuel from the primary tank, increasing the pressure of the withdrawn liquefied cryogenic fuel and feeding it to the heat exchanger wherein the pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel is warmed to a subcooled or near saturated liquid condition;

a stationary insulated cryogenic fuel dispensing tank located at a vehicle liquefied cryogenic fuel refueling facility; and

a second conduit for feeding the warmed and pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel from the heat exchanger to the stationary insulated cryogenic fuel dispensing tank for storage in the said dispensing tank at an approximate saturated condition.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 in which:

the primary storage tank has a cryogenic fuel vapor space; and

a third conduit communicates with the primary tank vapor space and with the first conduit communicating with the liquefied cryogenic fuel in the primary tank and with the heat exchanger for combining the vapor with the liquefied cryogenic fuel.

20. Apparatus according to claim 18 including:

a fourth conduit communicating with the first conduit and the third conduit for feeding pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel into admixture with warm liquefied cryogenic fuel withdrawn from the dispensing tank to thereby form a blended stream of liquefied cryogenic fuel to feed to the vehicle tank.

21. Apparatus according to claim 18 including:

conduit means for withdrawing cryogenic fuel vapor from the dispensing tank and returning it to the primary storage tank.

22. Apparatus according to claim 18 comprising:

a fourth conduit communicating with the first conduit and with the second conduit for feeding pressurized liquefied cryogenic fuel into admixture with warm liquefied cryogenic fuel withdrawn from the heat exchanger to thereby form a blended stream of liquefied cryogenic fuel to feed to the dispensing tank.

23. The apparatus according to claim 18 in which the cryogenic fuel is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, methane, ethane, ethylene, hydrogen, and combinations thereof.