System and method for storing and dispensing fuel and ballast fluid
First Claim
1. A system for storing and dispensing a fuel and a ballast fluid comprising:
- a chamber for storing the fuel;
a chamber for storing the ballast fluid; and
a heat transfer system including a first heat exchanger, disposed exterior the fuel chamber and exterior the ballast fluid chamber, between the fuel chamber and a fuel outlet and between the ballast fluid chamber and a ballast fluid inlet so that fuel exterior the fuel chamber is used as a refrigerant for ballast fluid exterior the ballast fluid chamber wherein (a) fuel, exterior the fuel chamber, dispensed from the fuel chamber is used exterior the fuel chamber as a refrigerant for ballast fluid, exterior the ballast fluid chamber, received for storage in the ballast fluid chamber and (b) ballast fluid, exterior the ballast fluid chamber and exterior the fuel chamber, dispensed from the ballast fluid chamber is used as a refrigerant exterior the fuel chamber for fuel, exterior the fuel chamber, received for storage in the fuel chamber.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for storing and dispensing fuel and a ballast fluid is disclosed. The system may be employed in a vehicle or facility having a power plant. Fuel and ballast fluid may be stored cryogenically in a liquid phase and dispensed to the vapor phase. The system may employ a thermal and volumetric compensatory arrangement wherein fuel dispensed from storage for use in a power plant is used as a heat exchange medium (refrigerant) for ballast fluid received for storage; during refueling, ballast fluid stored in the vehicle or facility may be dispensed and used as a refrigerant for fuel being stored in the vehicle in space made available by the dispensed ballast fluid. The fuel may be natural gas with a main component of methane; the ballast fluid may be a fluid obtainable from ambient environmental air, such as nitrogen or oxygen. The fuel and ballast fluid may be conditioned so that the respective boiling points are approximately equal. The system may employ a heat transfer system with a microchannel heat exchanger.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A system for storing and dispensing a fuel and a ballast fluid comprising:
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a chamber for storing the fuel; a chamber for storing the ballast fluid; and
a heat transfer system including a first heat exchanger, disposed exterior the fuel chamber and exterior the ballast fluid chamber, between the fuel chamber and a fuel outlet and between the ballast fluid chamber and a ballast fluid inlet so that fuel exterior the fuel chamber is used as a refrigerant for ballast fluid exterior the ballast fluid chamber wherein (a) fuel, exterior the fuel chamber, dispensed from the fuel chamber is used exterior the fuel chamber as a refrigerant for ballast fluid, exterior the ballast fluid chamber, received for storage in the ballast fluid chamber and (b) ballast fluid, exterior the ballast fluid chamber and exterior the fuel chamber, dispensed from the ballast fluid chamber is used as a refrigerant exterior the fuel chamber for fuel, exterior the fuel chamber, received for storage in the fuel chamber. - 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, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification