# US 11,079,072 B2 · Gas supply system, vehicle, and hydrogen supply facility

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- Number: US 11,079,072 B2
- Document ID: US11079072B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/346,020
- Filed: 2017-09-14
- Published: 2019-08-29
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-07
- Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
- Applicants: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
- Inventors: Akitoshi Fujisawa; Yukinobu Taniguchi; Kento Ogata; Hiroo Hangai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079072B2

## CPC

- B01D 1/28: with vapour compression
- F17C 11/005: {for hydrogen}
- B01D 5/006: {with evaporation or distillation}
- B01D 17/0211: {with baffles}
- B01D 17/042: {by changing the temperature}
- F17C 5/06: for filling with compressed gases
- F17C 11/00: Use of gas-solvents or gas-sorbents in vessels {(absorbing compositions for acetylene C10L3/04; absorbing compositions for hydrogen C01B3/0005)}
- F17C 13/00: Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels
- F17C 13/002: {for vessels under pressure (F17C13/008 and F17C13/02 - F17C13/12 take precedence)}
- F17C 13/025: {having the pressure as the parameter}
- H01M 8/04: Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M 8/04208: {Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs}
- H01M 8/0606: with means for production of gaseous reactants
- H01M 8/04216: {characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent}
- Y02E 60/32: Hydrogen storage
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- 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)
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Provided is a gas supply system for supplying hydrogen to a vehicle, the vehicle including: a tank loaded with a hydrogen storage alloy, storing and releasing hydrogen; and a thermal medium distribution unit attached to the tank and configured such that a thermal medium for heating or cooling the hydrogen storage alloy is distributable from outside, includes: a reservoir reserving hydrogen at a pressure of 0.2 MPa or greater and less than 3.0 MPa; a hydrogen flow path connectable to the vehicle for supplying hydrogen from the reservoir to the tank; a cooling medium reservoir reserving the thermal medium for cooling; and a thermal medium flow path connectable to the vehicle for distributing the thermal medium to the thermal medium distribution unit in the vehicle, in which the hydrogen flow path and the thermal medium flow path are combined at least at an end portion connectable to the vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas supply system for use in supplying hydrogen to a vehicle, the vehicle comprising: a tank that is loaded with a hydrogen storage alloy, stores and releases hydrogen; and a thermal medium distribution unit that is attached to the tank and is configured such that a thermal medium for heating for the purpose of heating the hydrogen storage alloy or a thermal medium for cooling for the purpose of cooling the hydrogen storage alloy is distributable from an external space, the gas supply system comprising:
a reservoir that reserves hydrogen at a pressure of greater than or equal to 0.2 MPa and less than 3.0 MPa;
a hydrogen flow path that is connectable to the vehicle for supplying hydrogen from the reservoir to the tank in the vehicle at a pressure of greater than or equal to 0.2 MPa and less than 3.0 MPa;
a cooling medium reservoir that reserves the thermal medium for cooling in a cooled state;
a thermal medium flow path that is connectable to the vehicle for selectively distributing the thermal medium for heating or the thermal medium for cooling to the thermal medium distribution unit in the vehicle;
a pump that delivers the thermal medium for heating to the thermal medium distribution unit in the vehicle;
an other pump that delivers the thermal medium for cooling to the thermal medium distribution unit in the vehicle; and
a switching valve that allows the thermal medium flow path to selectively connect between the thermal medium for cooling and the thermal medium for heating, wherein
the hydrogen flow path and the thermal medium flow path are combined at least at an end portion connectable to the vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gas supply system according to claim 1, further comprising
a coupler that is connectable to the vehicle in a detachable manner, wherein
the hydrogen flow path and the thermal medium flow path are combined in the coupler.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein
the thermal medium for cooling at a temperature of greater than or equal to −40° C. and less than or equal to 0° C. is distributed in the thermal medium distribution unit in the vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The gas supply system according to claim 1, wherein
the pump is an air pump.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The gas supply system according to claim 4, further comprising
a coupler that is connectable to the vehicle in a detachable manner, wherein
the hydrogen flow path and the thermal medium flow path are combined in the coupler.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The gas supply system according to claim 4, wherein
the thermal medium for cooling at a temperature of greater than or equal to −40° C. and less than or equal to 0° C. is distributed in the thermal medium distribution unit in the vehicle.