# US 11,892,123 B2 · Strategies for safe fast-fill of compressed gas tanks

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- Number: US 11,892,123 B2
- Document ID: US11892123B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/623,442
- Filed: 2020-06-29
- Published: 2022-11-03
- Granted: 2024-02-06
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-28
- Assignees: Linamar Corporation
- Applicants: Linamar Corporation
- Inventors: Maria Elizabeth Saade Saade; Jason Wexler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11892123B2

## CPC

- F17C 1/06: built-up from wound-on bands or filamentary material, e.g. wires
- F17C 2201/0138: tubular
- F17C 2201/035: with substantially horizontal main axis
- F17C 2201/056: Small (<1 m3)
- F17C 2203/0604: Liners
- F17C 2203/0619: with two layers
- F17C 2203/066: Plastics
- F17C 2203/0663: in form of fibers or filaments
- F17C 2203/0675: with details of composition
- F17C 2205/0138: bundled in series
- F17C 2205/0305: Bosses, e.g. boss collars
- F17C 2205/0326: electrically actuated
- F17C 2205/0332: Safety valves or pressure relief valves
- F17C 2205/0335: Check-valves or non-return valves
- F17C 2205/0341: Filters
- F17C 2205/0397: on both sides of the pressure vessel
- F17C 2221/011: Oxygen
- F17C 2221/012: Hydrogen
- F17C 2221/014: Nitrogen
- F17C 2221/016: Noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe)
- F17C 2221/017: Helium
- F17C 2221/033: Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
- F17C 2221/035: Propane butane, e.g. LPG, GPL
- F17C 2223/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2223/036: Very high pressure (>80 bar)
- F17C 2225/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2225/036: Very high pressure, i.e. above 80 bars
- F17C 2227/0114: with vacuum injectors, e.g. venturi
- F17C 2227/0339: using the same fluid
- F17C 2227/0344: Air cooling
- F17C 2227/04: Methods for emptying or filling
- F17C 2250/043: Pressure
- F17C 2250/0439: Temperature
- F17C 2250/0491: Parameters measured at or inside the vessel
- F17C 2260/023: Avoiding overheating
- F17C 2265/022: identical fluid
- F17C 2265/065: for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks
- F17C 2265/066: for feeding engines for propulsion
- F17C 2270/0168: by vehicles
- 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

A type IV conformable pressure vessel is provided comprising an elongated folded tank and a valve assembly configured to pass fluid into and out of an interior of the tank through first and second filling couplers directly connected to a respective first and second end of the tank. The tank has at least two chambers for the storage of fluid. The valve assembly receives fluid from an external source, selectively provides the external fluid through a Venturi nozzle into a mixing chamber, recirculates fluid from the second end of the tank into the mixing chamber, and delivers the mixture of the recirculated fluid and the external fluid to the first end of the tank.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pressure vessel comprising:
an elongated folded tank having an interior for storage of fluid, said tank including a polymeric liner defined by an elongated cylindrical wall extending between a first tank end and a second tank end, said liner having a plurality of chambers for storage of fluid, said plurality of chambers including at least a first chamber adjacent said first tank end and a last chamber adjacent said second tank end, said liner surrounded by an outer composite shell of resin and fiber, and said elongated folded tank folded into a predetermined stacking architecture such that said first tank end is adjacent said second tank end; and
a valve assembly coupled to said elongated folded tank, said valve assembly comprising:
a first filling coupler operatively coupled to said first tank end;
a second filling coupler operatively coupled to said second tank end;
a mixing chamber, said mixing chamber communicating with said first filling coupler to introduce fluid to said first tank end and into said interior of said tank;
at least one Venturi nozzle configured to introduce a first flow of fluid from an external fluid source to said mixing chamber;
a suction line communicating with said second filling coupler and coupled to said mixing chamber such that when a second flow of fluid originates from said second end of said tank, said second flow of fluid flows into said mixing chamber and is mixed with said first flow of fluid within said mixing chamber;
a third filling coupler for selectively coupling said valve assembly to an external fluid source for receiving said first flow of fluid from said external fluid source, said third filling coupler selectively coupled to said Venturi nozzle; and
said valve assembly includes a fourth filling coupler for selectively coupling said valve assembly to a temperature pressure relief device (TPRD) vent.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
said plurality of chambers in said predetermined stacking architecture includes at least an upper layer of chambers and a lower layer of chambers; and
an average temperature rise of fluid within said upper layer of chambers is less than an average temperature rise of fluid within said lower layer of chambers during a fill process.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 2, wherein:
said valve assembly includes a first valve, said first valve selectively fluidically coupling said third filling coupler to said Venturi nozzle, said first valve having an open condition and a closed condition;
when said first valve is in said open condition, said first flow of fluid from said external fluid source received by said third filling coupler is provided to said Venturi nozzle; and
when said first valve is in said closed condition, said first flow of fluid from said external fluid source received by said third filling coupler is fluidically decoupled from said Venturi nozzle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 3, wherein:
said first filling coupler including a passageway for passing fluid between said mixing chamber and said interior of said first chamber of said tank; and
said second filling coupler including a passageway for passing fluid between said suction line and said interior of said last chamber of said tank.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 4, wherein:
said valve assembly including a first temperature sensor thermally coupled to said mixing chamber, said first temperature sensor configured to provide a first temperature signal indicative of a temperature of fluid entering said mixing chamber from said Venturi nozzle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 5, wherein:
said valve assembly includes a second temperature sensor thermally coupled to an interior space of said suction line, said second temperature sensor configured to provide a second temperature signal indicative of a temperature of fluid passing through said suction line.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 6, wherein:
said valve assembly includes a first solenoid operatively connected to said first valve, said first solenoid configured to selectively reposition said first valve between said open condition and said closed condition.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 7, wherein:
said valve assembly is configured to selectively provide fluid from said interior of said tank to at least one of said third filling coupler and/or said fourth filling coupler when said valve assembly is fluidically coupled to an external fuel cell supply line.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 8, wherein:
said valve assembly includes a first high pressure line fluidically coupling said mixing chamber to said first filling coupler.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 9, wherein:
said suction line comprises a second high pressure line having a first end fluidically coupled to said mixing chamber and a second end fluidically coupled to said second filling coupler such that said second flow of fluid originating from said second end of said tank passes through said second high pressure line and into said mixing chamber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 10, wherein:
said valve assembly comprising an outer housing, said first filling coupler and said second filling coupler fixedly coupled to said outer housing; and
said first high pressure line and said second high pressure line being fully contained within said outer housing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 11, wherein:
said first tank end arranged adjacent said second tank end such that said valve assembly can directly couple to both said first and second ends of said tank.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 12, wherein:
said valve assembly being fixedly coupled to said first and second ends of said tank such that said first and second high pressure lines fluidically coupling said first and second ends of said tank are fully enclosed within said valve assembly.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 13, wherein:
said polymeric liner comprises a plurality of elongated rigid tubing portions having a first diameter, a plurality of connector portions having a second diameter that is smaller than said first diameter, and taper portions disposed between and coupling successive elongated rigid tubing portions and connector portions, each of said plurality of elongated rigid tubing portions defining one of said plurality of chambers for storage of fluid;
said polymeric liner surrounded by id outer composite shell to form s elongated tank; and
said elongated tank being folded into said predetermined stacking architecture prior to curing resin in said outer composite shell.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The pressure vessel as set forth in claim 14, wherein:
said last chamber of said pressure vessel being positioned lower within said stacking architecture than a position of said first chamber within said stacking architecture; and
a relative difference between air temperature surrounding an exterior surface of said first chamber and air temperature surrounding an exterior of said last chamber during a fill process results in convection of heat through said stacking architecture.