Method and system for tank refilling using active fueling speed control

• US 9,605,804 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mathison, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Maust, Timothy L
• Application Number:
  US14/725,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20150308621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/054 medium (>1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0604 Liners
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0619 with two layers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0624 with four or more layers
• 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 2223/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0153 Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0161 cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/036 Very high pressure (>80 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/036 Very high pressure, i.e. above 80 bars
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/043 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0439 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0443 Flow or movement of content
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0491 Parameters measured at or inside the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0495 the indicated parameter is a converted measured parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0631 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0694 with calculations
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/022 : Avoiding overfilling
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/023 : Avoiding overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/025 : Reducing transfer time
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/026 : by calculation
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/065 : for refuelling 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 5/007 : for individual gas tanks or containers, e.g. in vehicles filling with liquid fuel not under pressure, B60S5/02, B67D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 5/06 : for filling with compressed gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage

Abstract

In one or more embodiments, a system and method for filling a compress gas tank or fuel tank is provided, including determining a fill time (t_final) predicted to produce a gas final temperature (T_final) based on one or more coefficients selected from a lookup table, mass average dispenser gas temperature for control (MATC), and alpha, determining a pressure ramp rate (RR), delivering gas to the compressed gas tank at a control pressure based on the pressure RR during a first portion of filling the compressed gas tank, determining a mass average enthalpy (MAE) and density, and delivering gas to the compressed gas tank at a target ending fueling pressure based on the density and the gas final temperature during a second portion of filling the compressed gas tank.

Claims

1. A method of filling a compressed gas tank, comprising:

determining a fill time (t_final) predicted to produce a gas final temperature (T_final) based on one or more coefficients selected from a lookup table, mass average dispenser gas temperature for control (MATC), and alpha;

determining a pressure ramp rate (RR);

delivering gas to the compressed gas tank at a control pressure based on the pressure ramp rate (RR) during a first portion of filling the compressed gas tank;

determining a mass average enthalpy (MAE) and density; and

delivering gas to the compressed gas tank at a target ending fueling pressure based on the density and the gas final temperature during a second portion of filling the compressed gas tank.

2. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 1, comprising:

measuring an ambient temperature (T_amb) and an initial pressure in the gas tank (P_init); and

setting an expected end of fill mass average dispenser gas temperature (MAT_expected).

3. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 2, wherein one or more of the coefficients are selected from the lookup table based on the ambient temperature (T_amb) and the initial pressure in the gas tank (P_init).

4. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 2, wherein one or more of the coefficients are selected from the lookup table using T_amb(above) and T_amb(below) values which are directly above and below a corresponding T_amb value in the lookup table.

5. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 4, wherein t_final is calculated by interpolating between different t_final values calculated using T_amb(above) and T_amb(below).

6. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 1, wherein the lookup table is selected based on a tank category for the compressed gas tank.

7. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 1, wherein MATC is calculated based on a time interval, an expected end of fill mass average dispenser gas temperature (MAT_expected), mass average temperature measured from t=0 (MAT_M0), mass average temperature measured from t=30 (MAT_M30), or a weighted average of MAT_M30 and MAT_M0.

8. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 1, wherein the mass average enthalpy (MAE) is calculated as a function of pressure and temperature at a dispenser filling the compressed gas tank.

9. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 1, wherein the density is calculated based on the mass average enthalpy (MAE).

10. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 1, comprising a process check, including monitoring for one or more stop conditions.

11. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 10, wherein one or more of the stop conditions is based on pressure at the dispenser or temperature at the dispenser.

12. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 1, comprising determining a second fill time (t_final) based on one or more coefficients selected from a second lookup table, wherein

the lookup table associated with the fill time corresponds to a first tank category, and

the second lookup table associated with the second fill time corresponds to a second tank category.

13. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 12, comprising selecting the larger of the fill time and the second fill time as the fill time (t_final).

14. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 1, wherein the pressure ramp rate (RR) is determined based on the fill time (t_final).

15. The method of filling the compressed gas tank of claim 1, wherein the pressure ramp rate (RR) is determined based on the equation:

16. A system for filling a compressed gas tank, comprising:

a controller for;

determining a fill time (t_final) predicted to produce a gas final temperature (T_final) based on one or more coefficients selected from a lookup table of one or more lookup tables, mass average dispenser gas temperature for control (MATC), and alpha;

determining a pressure ramp rate (RR); and

determining a mass average enthalpy (MAE) and density; and

a dispenser having a flow regulator for;

delivering gas to the compressed gas tank at a control pressure based on the pressure ramp rate (RR) during a first portion of filling the compressed gas tank; and

delivering gas to the compressed gas tank at a target ending fueling pressure based on the density and the gas final temperature during a second portion of filling the compressed gas tank.

17. The system of claim 16, comprising:

an ambient temperature sensor for measuring an ambient temperature (T_amb); and

a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure in the gas tank (P_init).

18. The system of claim 16, comprising a database component having one or more of the lookup tables, each table comprising one or more of the coefficients, wherein respective lookup tables are indicative of one or more tank categories associated with one or more conditions.

19. The system of claim 16, comprising a mass flow meter for measuring a flow rate of the delivered gas.