Self-contained mobile fueling station

• US 7,178,565 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Cohen, Joseph Perry, Farese, David John, Colwell, Richard Layton, Eichelberger, Donald Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US10/925,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20050103400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/2, 141/4, 141/5, 141/11, 141/21, 141/39, 141/47, 141 94- 96, 141/83, 141/231, 137/552, 137/554
• US Class Current: 141/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/02 Supplying fuel to vehicles; General disposition of plant in filling stations apparatus for transferring measured quantities of petrol, oil, or the like from storage space to vehicles B67D
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 1/00 Pressure vessels, e.g. gas cylinder, gas tank, replaceable cartridge pressurised apparatus for purposes other than storage, see the relevant subclasses such as A62C, B05B; associated with vehicles, see the appropriate subclass of classes B60 - B64; pressure vessels in general F16J12/00 ; autoclaves B01J3/04; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons for carrying fluent materials B61D5/00; accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04; liquefied gas stoves F24C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/035 with substantially horizontal main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/054 medium (>1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/056 Small (<1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0341 Perlite
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/035 Glass wool
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0663 in form of fibers or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0107 Frames
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/013 Two or more vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0142 bundled in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0161 with wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0317 fusing or melting
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0326 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0329 manually actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0332 Safety valves or pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0335 Check-valves or non-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0338 Pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/037 Quick connecting means, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 : Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0123 : gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• 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 2227/043 : by pressure cascade
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/032 : using computers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/034 : using wireless transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/043 : Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0434 : Pressure difference
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0439 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0626 : Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0636 : Flow or movement of content
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0694 : with calculations
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/072 : Action when predefined value is reached
• 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 2260/042 : Reducing risk of explosion
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/061 : for supply of supplying vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/065 : for refueling vehicle fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0105 : Ships
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0168 : by vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0184 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 5/06 : for filling with compressed gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage

Abstract

A mobile self-contained self-powered station having a plurality of vessels delivers a pressurized fluid to a receiving tank (e.g., a fuel tank of a hydrogen-powered vehicle) without using mechanical compression, external electric power, or other external utilities. The station includes first and second vessels, a conduit in fluid communication with the receiving tank and each of the first and second vessels, means for transferring at least a portion of a quantity of the pressurized fluid from the first vessel to the receiving tank, means for measuring continuously a pressure differential between the increasing pressure in the receiving tank and the decreasing pressure in the first vessel, means for discontinuing the transfer from the first vessel when a predetermined limit value is reached, and means for transferring at least a portion of a quantity of the pressurized fluid from the second vessel to the receiving tank.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a rate of delivery of a pressurized fluid from a storage vessel to a receiving tank through a conduit in fluid communication with the storage vessel and the receiving tank, comprising:

means for establishing a predetermined rate of pressure rise to be maintained during a predetermined time period for filling of the receiving tank with the pressurized fluid; and

means for maintaining the predetermined rate of pressure rise during filling of the receiving tank with the pressurized fluid during the predetermined time period, said means for maintaining the predetermined rate of pressure rise comprising a pressure control device in communication with the conduit or another conduit through which the pressurized fluid flows at an actual pressure before entering the receiving tank, the pressure control device adapted to increase or decrease the actual pressure of the pressurized fluid.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the means for establishing a predetermined rate of pressure rise comprises:

a computer/controller for generating an electrical signal convertible to a low pressure gas signal; and

a regulator for amplifying the low pressure gas signal and controlling a fill pressure in the receiving tank.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the means for maintaining the predetermined rate of pressure rise further comprises:

means for calculating periodically a rate of pressure rise over time; and

means for commanding the pressure control device to decrease the actual pressure when the rate of pressure rise is greater than the established predetermined rate of pressure rise, and to increase the actual pressure when the rate of pressure rise is less than the established predetermined rate of pressure rise.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the rate of delivery is controlled as a function of either a percentage of a designated target pressure already achieved or a percentage of a designated target pressure yet to be achieved during a remaining portion of the predetermined time period.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the function is linear.

6. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the function is geometric.

7. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the receiving tank has an instantaneous thermodynamic state and wherein the function varies over time with any changes in the instantaneous thermodynamic state to provide an optimal rate of fill.

8. A method for controlling a rate of delivery of a pressurized fluid from a storage vessel to a receiving tank through a conduit in fluid communication with the storage vessel and the receiving tank, comprising the steps of:

establishing a predetermined rate of pressure rise to be maintained during a predetermined time period for filling of the receiving tank with the pressurized fluid; and

maintaining the predetermined rate of pressure rise during filling of the receiving tank with the pressurized fluid during the predetermined time period,

wherein the step of maintaining the predetermined rate of pressure rise comprises the sub-steps of;

providing a pressure control device in communication with the conduit or another conduit through which the pressurized fluid flows at an actual pressure before entering the receiving tank, the pressure control device adapted to increase or decrease the actual pressure of the pressurized fluid;

calculating periodically a rate of pressure rise over time; and

commanding the pressure control device to decrease the actual pressure when the rate of pressure rise is greater than the established predetermined rate of pressure rise, and to increase the actual pressure when the rate of pressure rise is less than the established predetermined rate of pressure rise.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the step of establishing a predetermined rate of pressure rise comprises the sub-steps of:

generating an electric signal convertible to a low pressure gas signal;

amplifying the low pressure gas signal; and

controlling a fill pressure in the receiving tank.

10. A method as in claim 8, wherein the rate of delivery is controlled as a function of either a percentage of a designated target pressure already achieved or a percentage of a designated target pressure yet to be achieved during a remaining portion of the predetermined time period.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein the function is linear.

12. A method as in claim 10, wherein the function is geometric.

13. A method as in claim 10, wherein the receiving tank has an instantaneous thermodynamic state and wherein the function varies over time with any changes in the instantaneous thermodynamic state to provide an optimal rate of fill.