# US 11,079,067 B2 · Hydrogen refueling system

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- Number: US 11,079,067 B2
- Document ID: US11079067B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/466,162
- Filed: 2016-12-06
- Published: 2020-03-05
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-06
- Assignees: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
- Applicants: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
- Inventors: Etienne Werlen; Thierry Ott
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079067B2

## CPC

- F17C 5/007: {for individual gas tanks or containers, e.g. in vehicles (filling with liquid fuel not under pressure, B60S5/02, B67D7/00)}
- F17C 13/025: {having the pressure as the parameter}
- F17C 2205/0326: electrically actuated
- F17C 2221/012: Hydrogen
- F17C 2223/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2223/036: Very high pressure (>80 bar)
- F17C 2227/0309: using another fluid
- F17C 2227/0323: in a closed loop
- F17C 2250/03: Control means
- F17C 2250/032: using computers
- F17C 2250/043: Pressure
- F17C 2250/0439: Temperature
- F17C 2250/0478: Position or presence
- F17C 2250/0694: with calculations
- F17C 2265/065: for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks
- F17C 2270/0139: Fuel stations
- F17C 2270/0184: Fuel cells
- Y02E 60/32: Hydrogen storage
- F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

The present invention is to provide a hydrogen refueling system capable to cool down the H2 pre-cooling heat exchanger fast enough when a FCV enters the HRS, so that there is no or very minimal waiting time for the customer before starting refueling. A hydrogen refueling system including a cryogenic fluid tank that stores a cryogenic fluid, a dispenser that supplies H2 to a vehicle, including a heat exchanger that cools H2 with the cold and/or cryogenic fluid provided from the cryogenic fluid tank, an inlet line that sends the cold and/or cryogenic fluid to the heat exchanger from the cryogenic fluid tank, an outlet line that collects the cryogenic fluid fed from the heat exchanger, and an injection valve that is provided in the inlet line.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for H2 refueling to vehicles comprising:
(a) providing a hydrogen refueling system that comprises a cryogenic fluid tank that stores a cryogenic fluid, a dispenser that supplies H2 to a vehicle, a heat exchanger that cools H2 with the cryogenic fluid provided from the cryogenic fluid tank, an inlet line that sends the cryogenic fluid to the heat exchanger from the cryogenic fluid tank, an outlet line that collects the cryogenic fluid fed from the heat exchanger, and an injection valve that is provided in the inlet line;
(b) detecting that a first vehicle to be refueled with H2 is entering said hydrogen refueling station;
(c) opening said injection valve;
(d) feeding the cryogenic fluid to said heat exchanger from said cryogenic fluid tank;
(e) controlling a temperature of the heat exchanger to ensure the heat exchanger temperature is within a predetermined temperature range with the cryogenic fluid, a nominal operating temperature of the heat exchanger being within the predetermined temperature range;
(f) refueling cold H2 cooled down by the heat exchanger to the first vehicle while maintaining the temperature of the heat exchanger within the predetermined temperature range;
(g) after completion of said refueling, allowing the first vehicle to leave the hydrogen refueling station;
(h) detecting that no vehicle to be refueled with H2 is entering the hydrogen refueling station and closing the injection valve based upon said lack of detection;
(i) allowing the heat exchanger temperature to rise at least 7° C. above the nominal operating temperature; and
(j) after said rise in temperature of heat exchanger to at least 7° C. above the nominal operating temperature, detecting that a second vehicle to be refueled with H2 is entering the hydrogen refueling station and performing the following steps, in order: said injection valve is opened, the cryogenic fluid is fed to said heat exchanger from said cryogenic fluid tank, the heat exchanger temperature of is controlled to ensure the heat exchanger temperature is within the predetermined temperature range with the fed cryogenic fluid, and the second vehicle is refueled with cold H2 cooled down by the heat exchanger while the temperature of the heat exchanger is maintained within the predetermined temperature range.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
measuring a temperature (t1) of the heat exchanger;
outputting a ready-to-fill signal from a controller when said controller determines that the measured temperature (t1) is within the predetermined temperature range; and
releasing a corresponding interlock condition on a H2 control valve and allowing performance of said step (e).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said step of detecting that a vehicle to be refueled with H2 is entering a hydrogen refueling station and said step of detecting that no vehicle to be refueled with H2 is entering a hydrogen refueling station are performed using a vehicle detection system that detects whether a vehicle to be refueled with H2 is entering a hydrogen refueling station (HRS).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said controller controls a flow of H2 to the vehicle during step (f).