Method for filling tanks of hydrogen-fueled vehicles
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorVincent Fairy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydrogen refilling station for filling tanks of fuel cell electric vehicles includes a liquid hydrogen tank that feeds liquid hydrogen to an upstream end of a filling circuit that also includes a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger exchanges heat between the liquid hydrogen and heat transfer fluid flows to thereby cool the heat transfer fluid and vaporize the liquid hydrogen to provide a supply of high pressure hydrogen gas for filling hydrogen-fueled vehicle tanks at a downstream end of the circuit. Because the liquid hydrogen is surrounded by the heat transfer fluid inside the heat exchanger, little if any fogging occurs.
Claims18
A method of filling a tank of a fuel cell electric vehicle with pressurized hydrogen, comprising the steps of:
- feeding liquid hydrogen from a source of liquid hydrogen to a filling circuit whose downstream end is removably connected to the tank, the filling circuit having a first heat exchanger is disposed therein, the first heat exchanger having a liquid hydrogen inlet, a gaseous hydrogen outlet, a heat transfer fluid inlet, and a heat transfer fluid outlet;
- pumping a heat transfer fluid with a heat transfer pump through a heat transfer circuit looping from and to the first heat exchanger, the heat transfer circuit comprising, in flow order from the heat transfer fluid outlet to the heat transfer fluid inlet, a second heat exchanger and the heat transfer fluid pump;
- exchanging heat, with the first heat exchanger, between the heat transfer fluid flowing through the heat transfer fluid circuit and the liquid hydrogen fed to the filling circuit from the source, thereby vaporizing the fed liquid hydrogen and cooling the heat transfer fluid, wherein the fed liquid hydrogen inside the first heat exchanger is surrounded by the heat transfer fluid;
- heating, with the second heat exchanger, the cooled heat transfer fluid received from the first heat exchanger;
- and
- filling a tank of a hydrogen-fueled vehicle with pressurized, gaseous hydrogen from the downstream end of the filling circuit.
A method of filling a tank of a fuel cell electric vehicle with pressurized hydrogen, comprising the steps of:
- feeding liquid hydrogen from a source of liquid hydrogen to a filling circuit whose downstream end is removably connected to a tank of a hydrogen-fueled vehicle, the filling circuit having a first heat exchanger is disposed therein, the first heat exchanger having a liquid hydrogen inlet, a gaseous hydrogen outlet, a heat transfer fluid inlet, and a heat transfer fluid outlet;
- pumping a heat transfer fluid with a heat transfer pump through a heat transfer circuit looping from and to the first heat exchanger, the heat transfer circuit comprising, in flow order from the heat transfer fluid outlet to the heat transfer fluid inlet, a second heat exchanger and the heat transfer fluid pump;
- exchanging heat, with the first heat exchanger, between the heat transfer fluid flowing through the heat transfer fluid circuit and the liquid hydrogen fed to the filling circuit from the source, thereby vaporizing the fed liquid hydrogen and cooling the heat transfer fluid, wherein the fed liquid hydrogen inside the first heat exchanger is surrounded by the heat transfer fluid;
- heating, with the second heat exchanger, the cooled heat transfer fluid received from the first heat exchanger;
- directing the vaporized liquid hydrogen into one or more buffer container;
- and
- filling a tank of a hydrogen-fueled vehicle with pressurized, gaseous hydrogen from the one or more buffer containers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.