Back to results
US 10,315,512 B2Granted
Fuel gas storage tank and method of filling the same
AssigneeAlternative Fuel Containers, LLC
InventorJoong-Kyu Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel gas storage tank is disclosed that can store fuel gas, such as natural gas or hydrogen, in a solid state. The fuel gas storage tank includes a shell having a tank interior, a fuel gas storage material housed within the tank interior, one or more fuel gas injecting tubes, and one or more fuel gas collecting tubes. Each of the fuel gas injecting tube(s) and the fuel gas collecting tube(s) is permeable to fuel gas and is disposed in the tank interior and surrounded by the fuel gas storage material. And, within the tank interior, the one or more fuel gas injecting tubes and the one or more fuel gas collecting tubes are not directly connected to one another.
Claims18
A fuel gas storage tank comprising:
- a shell that defines a tank interior;
- a fuel gas storage material housed within the tank interior, the fuel gas storage material being able to reversibly store fuel gas in a solid state;
- one or more fuel gas injecting tubes disposed in the tank interior, each of the one or more fuel gas injecting tubes being permeable to fuel gas and fluidly communicating with a fuel gas feed line;
- and
- one or more fuel gas collecting tubes disposed in the tank interior, each of the one or more fuel gas collecting tubes being permeable to fuel gas and fluidly communicating with a fuel gas extraction line, wherein the one or more fuel gas injecting tubes and the one or more fuel gas collecting tubes are not directly connected to each other within the tank interior thereby allowing fuel gas to be exchanged between the one or more fuel gas injecting tubes and the one or more fuel gas collecting tubes only by diffusing through the tank interior while being exposed to the fuel gas storage material;
- wherein the one or more fuel gas injecting tubes, the one or more fuel gas collecting tubes, or both, comprise a filter tube that defines an internal flow passage extending between a first end and a second end, the filter tube being constructed to permit fuel gas to diffuse between the internal flow passage and the tank interior, and wherein the first end and the second end of the filter tube are hermetically coupled to opposed portions of the shell to counteract outwardly-directed forces acting on the shell from the tank interior.
3 more elements
A fuel gas storage tank comprising:
- a shell that defines a tank interior;
- a fuel gas storage material housed within the tank interior, the fuel gas storage material being able to reversibly store natural gas or hydrogen gas in a solid state;
- a fuel gas injecting tube fluidly communicating with a fuel gas feed line, the fuel gas injecting tube comprising a filter tube that defines an internal flow passage extending between a first end and a second end of the filter tube, the first end of the filter tube being hermetically coupled to one portion of the shell and the second end of the filter tube being hermetically coupled to another portion of the shell, and wherein the filter tube that functions as the fuel gas injecting tube is permeable to fuel gas;
- and
- a fuel gas collecting tube fluidly communicating with a fuel gas extraction line, the fuel gas collecting tube comprising a filter tube that defines a flow passage extending between a first end and a second end of the filter tube that functions as the fuel gas collecting tube, the first end of the filter tube that functions as the fuel gas collecting tube being hermetically coupled to one portion of the shell and the second end of the filter tube that functions as the fuel gas collecting tube being hermetically coupled to another portion of the shell, and wherein the filter tube that functions as the fuel gas collecting tube is permeable to fuel gas;
- wherein the internal flow passage of the filter tube that functions as the fuel gas injecting tube and the internal flow passage of the filter tube that functions the fuel gas collecting tube are not directly connected to each other within the tank interior.
3 more elements
A method of filling a fuel gas storage tank with fuel gas for storage of the fuel gas in a solid state, the method comprising:
- providing a fuel gas storage tank that comprises a shell, which defines a tank interior, and a fuel gas storage material housed within the tank interior that is able to reversibly store fuel gas in a solid state;
- delivering fuel gas to at least one fuel gas injecting tube disposed within a tank interior, the fuel gas injecting tube being permeable to fuel gas such that fuel gas delivered into the fuel gas injecting tube diffuses into the tank interior, and wherein the fuel gas injecting tube defines a flow passage extending from a first end to a second end, the first and second ends of the fuel gas injecting tube being hermetically coupled to opposed portions of the shell;
- and
- removing fuel gas from the tank interior and into at least one fuel gas collecting tube disposed within the tank interior, the fuel gas collecting tube being permeable to fuel gas such that fuel gas in the tank interior diffuses into the fuel gas collecting tube and is removed from the tank interior, wherein the fuel gas collecting tube defines a flow passage extending from a first end to a second end, the first and second ends of the fuel gas collecting tube being hermetically coupled to opposed portions of the shell, wherein the fuel gas collecting tube and the fuel gas injecting tube are not directly connected within the tank interior thereby allowing fuel gas to be passed from the fuel gas injecting tube to the fuel gas collecting tube only by diffusing through the tank interior while being exposed to the fuel gas storage material.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.