Hydrogen filling method and station

• US 8,291,944 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Original Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude (L'Air Liquide SA)
• Inventors: Allidieres, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): REIS, RYAN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US12/515,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20100212772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/59, 141/60, 141/61, 141/82, 137/334, 137/565.01, 137/565.11, 137/565.16, 137/565.36, 137/625.2, 62/481, 62/491, 62/492, 62/501, 62/506, 62/507, 62/521, 62/531, 62/541
• US Class Current: 141/60
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/021 having the height as the parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/025 having the pressure as the parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• 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 2223/046 in the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/0161 cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/035 High pressure, i.e. between 10 and 80 bars
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/046 in the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0135 Pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0408 Level of content in the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/043 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/046 Enhancing energy recovery
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/031 by discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/036 with heating
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0139 Fuel stations
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0184 Fuel cells
• 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 5/02 for filling with liquefied gases
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 9/00 Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied or solidified gases from vessels not under pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2931 : Diverse fluid containing pressure systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6416 : With heating or cooling of the system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85978 : With pump
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86027 : Electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86574 : Supply and exhaust

Abstract

Hydrogen filling station, in particular, for refilling vehicle tanks with hydrogen gas, comprising a source reservoir designed to hold liquid hydrogen (LH2), a pipe for withdrawing liquid hydrogen from the source reservoir to at least one user station, an electric cryogenic pump arranged within the withdrawing pipe and an electric power supply connected to the cryogenic pump to supply the same with electricity, characterized in that the electric energy supply comprises at least one fuel cell.

Claims

1. A hydrogen filling station comprising:

a source tank intended to contain liquefied hydrogen (LH2);

a withdrawing pipe for withdrawing the liquefied hydrogen from the source tank to at least one user station;

a cryogenic pump positioned in the withdrawing pipe;

an electric power source connected to the cryogenic pump, the electric power source operable to supply the cryogenic pump with electricity, the electric power source comprising at least one fuel cell, wherein the fuel cell comprises a fuel supply inlet; and

a degassing tank in fluid communication with the cryogenic pump via a degassing line such that the degassing tank is operable to recover a portion of the hydrogen that evaporates within the cryogenic pump, wherein the degassing tank comprises a gas withdrawal outlet, wherein the degassing tank is in fluid communication with the fuel cell via a supply pipe connecting the fuel supply inlet with the gas withdrawal outlet.

2. The filling station of claim 1, wherein the supply pipe comprises a heat exchanger intended to heat the gas from the degassing tank, and a control valve for controlling the gas admitted to the fuel supply inlet of the fuel cell.

3. The filling station of claim 1, wherein the supply pipe comprises a dump valve that discharges the gas to the atmosphere in the event of a set overpressure in the supply pipe.

4. The filling station of claim 1, wherein the withdrawing pipe for withdrawing liquefied hydrogen from the source tank comprises:

a heat exchanger operable to heat the withdrawn liquefied hydrogen, the heat exchanger positioned downstream of the cryogenic pump; and

a regulating valve positioned downstream of the cryogenic pump.

5. The filling station of claim 1, wherein the filling station further comprises a switching and regulating member for switching and regulating the electric supply power delivered to the cryogenic pump, the switching and regulating member being in electric communication with, an electric power output of the fuel cell and the electric supply input of the cryogenic pump, wherein the electric power source further comprises an electricity distributing network in communication with the switching and regulating member, said switching and regulating member operable to selectively provide power to the cryogenic pump using the electricity distributing network, the fuel cell or combinations thereof, wherein said switching and regulating member is also operable to send at least a portion of power produced by the fuel cell to a load, wherein the load is selected from the group consisting of the electricity distributing network, the cryogenic pump, and combinations thereof.

6. The filling station of claim 1, wherein the filling station further comprises a measurement and control member for measuring and controlling the pressure within the source tank such that the filling station is operable to adjust the pressure within the source tank.

7. The filling station of claim 6, wherein the supply pipe of the filling station comprises a dump valve operable to discharge the gas to the atmosphere in the event of a set overpressure in the supply pipe.

8. The filling station of claim 7, wherein the filling station further comprises a device for measuring the level of liquid in the degassing tank, this device being connected to the member that measures and controls the pressure within the source tank, said member for measuring and controlling the pressure within the source tank also being connected to the valve that controls the gas admitted to the fuel cell, so as to control the opening/closure of this valve according to the measured level of liquid in the degassing tank.

9. The filling station of claim 7, wherein the withdrawing pipe for withdrawing liquefied hydrogen from the source tank of the filling station comprises, a heat exchanger and a regulating valve, wherein the heat exchanger is operable to heat up the withdrawn liquefied hydrogen, wherein the heat exchanger and the regulating valve are positioned downstream of the cryogenic pump.

10. A hydrogen refueling method, using a filling station comprising a source tank intended to contain liquefied hydrogen (LH2), a withdrawing pipe for withdrawing liquefied hydrogen from the source tank to at least one user station, an electric cryogenic pump positioned in the withdrawing pipe, wherein the method comprises a step in which the cryogenic pump is electrically powered via a fuel cell and a step in which hydrogen gas vaporized by the cryogenic pump is recirculated to supply the fuel cell with fuel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the hydrogen gas vaporized by the cryogenic pump passes through and is stored in a buffer degassing tank situated between the cryogenic pump and the fuel cell, and in that the method further compromises the steps of

measuring the level of liquid in the degassing tank, and

controlling the amount of gas admitted to supply the fuel cell according to the level of liquid measured in the degassing tank.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the liquid level measured in the degassing tank is above a first threshold level, the amount of gas admitted to supply the fuel cell is decreased, and when the liquid level measured in the degassing tank is below a second threshold level, the amount of gas admitted to supply the fuel cell is increased.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of measuring the liquid level in the degassing tank and controlling the intake pressure of the cryogenic pump so as to maintain a set level of liquid in the degassing tank.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises the steps of increasing the intake pressure of the cryogenic pump when the liquid level measured in the degassing tank is below a first set datum level and decreasing the intake pressure of the cryogenic pump when the liquid level measured in the degassing tank is below a second set datum level different from or equal to the first datum level.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises the steps of measuring the liquid level in the degassing tank and controlling the intake pressure of the cryogenic pump so as to maintain a set level of liquid in the degassing tank.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises the steps of increasing the intake pressure of the cryogenic pump when the liquid level measured in the degassing tank is below a first set datum level and a step of decreasing the intake pressure of the cryogenic pump when the liquid level measured in the degassing tank is below a second set datum level different from or equal to the first datum level.

17. A gas filling station comprising:

a source tank operable to contain liquefied hydrogen (LH₂);

a withdrawing pipe operable to transfer the LH₂ from the source tank to a user station;

a cryogenic pump in fluid communication with the withdrawing pipe, wherein the cryogenic pump is operable to pump LH₂ from the source tank to the user station; and

a power source operable to provide power to the cryogenic pump, the power source comprising a fuel cell, the fuel cell operable to receive hydrogen vaporized from the cryogenic pump.

18. The gas filling station of claim 17, further comprising a degassing tank in fluid communication with the cryogenic pump such that the degassing tank is operable to receive a portion of the hydrogen that evaporates from the cryogenic pump, wherein the degassing tank is in fluid communication with the fuel cell, wherein the degassing tank is downstream the cryogenic pump, and wherein the fuel cell is downstream the degassing tank.

19. The gas filling station of claim 18, further comprising a device for measuring the level of liquid in the degassing tank, said device being in communication with a member that measures and controls the pressure within the source tank, said member for measuring and controlling the pressure within the source tank also being in communication with a valve that controls the gas admitted to the fuel cell, so as to control the opening/closure of said valve according to the measured level of liquid in the degassing tank.

20. The gas filling station of claim 17, further comprising:

a switching and regulating member operable to switch and regulate the power provided to the cryogenic pump from the power source,

wherein the power source further comprises an electricity distributing network, such that the electricity distributing network is operable to provide power to the cryogenic pump, wherein said switching and regulating member is operable to selectively power the cryogenic pump using at least one of the electricity distributing network and the fuel cell.

21. The gas filling station of claim 17, further comprising:

a switching and regulating member operable to switch and regulate the power delivered to the cryogenic pump from the power source,

wherein said switching and regulating member is operable to send at least a portion of power produced by the fuel cell to a load, wherein the load is selected from the group consisting of an electricity distributing network, the cryogenic pump, and combinations thereof.