US 11,079,071 B2Granted

Hydrogen station operation method and hydrogen station

AssigneeKobe Steel, Ltd.

InventorsKenji Nagura, Tomohiro Ootsuka

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Abstract

A hydrogen station operation method capable of adjusting pressure in a reservoir to the pressure suitable for liquid hydrogen replenishment while cutting hydrogen waste is for replenishing liquid hydrogen into the reservoir in a hydrogen station including: a gasification path partially gasifying liquid hydrogen out of the reservoir and returning it; and a gas delivery path delivering gasified hydrogen in the reservoir into a path between a vaporizer and a compressor or the vaporizer, when the remainder of liquid hydrogen in the reservoir becomes a first threshold or less, by reducing the liquid hydrogen amount flowing through the gasification path by a valve therein, reducing the gasification amount of liquid hydrogen in the reservoir, and increasing the hydrogen gas amount delivered through the gas delivery path from the reservoir by a valve therein, pressure in the reservoir is reduced, thereby performing operation where suction pressure of the compressor is reduced.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A hydrogen station operation method for replenishing liquid hydrogen into a storage tank, the method comprising:

providing a hydrogen station which includes the storage tank which stores the liquid hydrogen;
a vaporizer which gasifies the liquid hydrogen supplied from the storage tank;
a compressor which increases the pressure of the hydrogen gasified in the vaporizer to a predetermined pressure;
a gasification path which gasifies at least a part of the liquid hydrogen flowed out of the storage tank and returns it to the storage tank;
a gas delivery path for delivering the gasified hydrogen in the storage tank to a path between the vaporizer and the compressor, or into the vaporizer;
and an accumulator which stores the hydrogen gas increased in pressure in the compressor, for filling a tank loading device with the hydrogen gas stored in the accumulator via a dispenser;
determining that the remaining amount of the liquid hydrogen in the storage tank is equal to or less than a first threshold;
and
after determining that the remaining amount of the liquid hydrogen in the storage tank is equal to or less than the first threshold, reducing the pressure in the storage tank to a pressure suitable for replenishing the liquid hydrogen into the storage tank and reducing a suction pressure of the compressor, by:
reducing the amount of the liquid hydrogen flowing through the gasification path by a valve arranged in the gasification path,
reducing the gasification amount of the liquid hydrogen in the storage tank, and
further increasing the amount of hydrogen gas delivered through the gas delivery path from the storage tank by a valve arranged in the gas delivery path.

9 more elements

A hydrogen station comprising:

a storage tank which stores liquid hydrogen;
a vaporizer which gasifies the liquid hydrogen supplied from the storage tank;
a compressor which increases the pressure of the hydrogen gasified in the vaporizer to a predetermined pressure;
a gasification path which gasifies at least a part of the liquid hydrogen flowed out of the storage tank and returns it to the storage tank;
a gasification valve which is arranged in the gasification path and adjusts the amount of the liquid hydrogen flowing through the gasification path;
a gas delivery path for delivering the gasified hydrogen in the storage tank to a path between the vaporizer and the compressor, or into the vaporizer;
an accumulator which stores the hydrogen gas increased in pressure in the compressor;
a level sensor which detects the remaining amount of the liquid hydrogen in the storage tank;
and
a control unit which, when the remaining amount of the liquid hydrogen in the storage tank detected by the liquid amount detection unit becomes equal to or less than a first threshold, reduces the pressure in the storage tank to a pressure suitable for replenishing the liquid hydrogen into the storage tank by controlling the gasification valve so as to reduce the amount of the liquid hydrogen flowing through the gasification path and reduce the gasification amount of the liquid hydrogen in the storage tank, and further controlling a valve arranged in the gas delivery path so as to increase the amount of hydrogen gas delivered through the gas delivery path from the storage tank.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/586,055Filed 27 Sep 2019
Priority: JP JP2018-2298657 Dec 2018
Published: US 2020/0182408 A111 Jun 2020
Granted: 3 Aug 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification39 codes

F17C 7/04
Discharging liquefied gases: with change of state, e.g. vaporisation
B67D 7/048
Constructional features or components: vapour flow control means, e.g. valves, pumps
B67D 7/0492
Constructional features or components: vapour storing means, e.g. dedicated ullage spaces, separate tanks
B67D 7/78
Details or accessories: arrangements of storage tanks, reservoirs or pipe-lines

Family

US 2020/0182408 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Jun 2020
US 11,079,071 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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