# US 10,370,238 B2 · Refueling systems and methods for mixed liquid and gaseous fuel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,370,238 B2 - Document ID: US10370238B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/299,287 - Filed: 2016-10-20 - Published: 2017-02-09 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-10 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Thomas G. Leone; Mark Allen Dearth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370238B2 ## CPC - B67D 7/04: for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants - B60K 15/03006: {Gas tanks (B60K15/07 takes precedence)} - B67D 7/0478: {constructional features or components (vapour recovery nozzles B67D7/54)} - B67D 7/78: Arrangements of storage tanks, reservoirs or pipe-lines - F02B 43/10: Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen - F02B 43/12: Methods of operating - B60K 2015/03019: {Filling of gas tanks} - B60K 2015/03026: {comprising a valve} - F02B 2043/103: {Natural gas, e.g. methane or LNG used as a fuel} - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) ## Abstract A fuel tank system, comprising: a fuel tank configured to store a liquid fuel and a pressurized gaseous fuel capable of partially dissolving in the liquid fuel; a refueling conduit coupled to the fuel tank via a tank access valve; a first high pressure refueling port coupled to the refueling conduit; a low pressure refueling port coupled to the refueling conduit via a check valve. In this way, pressurized gaseous fuel or a pre-pressurized mix of fuels may be added to the fuel tank without active control any time the fuel pressure in the fuel tank is below a maximum allowable pressure, and liquid fuel may be added to the fuel tank with active control whenever the fuel pressure and liquid fuel level in the fuel tank are below threshold levels. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for refueling a fuel tank of a vehicle, comprising: responsive to a first condition, pumping gaseous fuel from the fuel tank into a secondary vapor tank, while storing a liquid fuel and a distinct pressurized gaseous fuel only partially dissolved in the liquid fuel in the fuel tank, wherein during the pumping the secondary vapor tank is fluidically isolated from atmosphere, and wherein the gaseous fuel comprises a first fuel type and the liquid fuel comprises a second fuel type different from the first fuel type. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the first condition includes: a detection of a liquid refueling request; and a fuel tank pressure that is less than a first threshold, but greater than a second threshold, the second threshold less than the first threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: responsive to a second condition, ceasing pumping of gaseous fuel from the fuel tank into the secondary vapor tank; fluidically isolating the secondary vapor tank from the fuel tank; and enabling addition of liquid fuel to the fuel tank. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, where the second condition includes a fuel tank pressure that is less than the second threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising, during both the first and the second condition, storing the liquid fuel in the fuel tank until the fuel tank pressure is higher than the first threshold or a fuel tank liquid level reaches a threshold level. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the liquid refueling request is a direct request from an operator received via an interface or via operator opening of a refueling door. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the liquid refueling request is an indirect request including detection of proximity of a vehicle to a refueling station by GPS or by direct communication between the vehicle and the refueling station. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the second threshold is based on a volume of the secondary vapor tank and an amount of gaseous fuel that can be added to the secondary vapor tank. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the pumping includes activating a fuel pump, included in a gaseous fuel line upstream of the secondary vapor tank, to pump the gaseous fuel to the secondary vapor tank, wherein during the pumping the secondary fuel vapor tank comprises only a single inlet and no outlets, wherein the single inlet comprises the gaseous fuel line. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein enabling addition of liquid fuel to the fuel tank includes opening a refueling lock and receiving the liquid fuel in the fuel tank via a low pressure refueling port of a refueling conduit. ### Claim 11 A method, comprising: storing a liquid fuel and a pressurized gaseous fuel, only partially dissolved in the liquid fuel, in a fuel tank; and responsive to a liquid refueling request, pumping gaseous fuel from the fuel tank into a secondary tank via a pump positioned upstream from the secondary tank before enabling addition of liquid fuel into the fuel tank when the fuel tank pressure is above a threshold, the threshold based on a volume of the secondary tank, and wherein during the pumping the secondary tank is fluidically isolated from atmosphere, and wherein the gaseous fuel comprises a first fuel type and the liquid fuel comprises a second fuel type chemically distinct from the first fuel type. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: enabling addition of liquid fuel into the fuel tank without prior pumping of the gaseous fuel from the fuel tank into the secondary tank when fuel tank pressure is below the threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising ceasing the pumping of gaseous fuel when the fuel tank pressure is below the threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the liquid fuel is received in the fuel tank via a low pressure refueling port of a refueling conduit, the low pressure refueling port distinct from a high pressure refueling port of the refueling conduit for receiving both pressurized gaseous fuel and a pre-pressurized mixture of the liquid fuel and gaseous fuel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein enabling addition of the liquid fuel includes opening a refueling lock of the low pressure refueling port. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the pump is coupled in a gaseous fuel line between the fuel tank and the secondary tank. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold is further based on an amount of gaseous fuel that can be added to the secondary tank.