# US 11,897,438 B2 · Fuel cell vehicle to refuel another vehicle

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- Number: US 11,897,438 B2
- Document ID: US11897438B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/478,577
- Filed: 2021-09-17
- Published: 2023-03-23
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2021-09-17
- Assignees: Cummins Inc.
- Applicants: Cummins Inc.
- Inventors: Archit N. Koti; Jean-Baptiste Gallo; Joseph P. Chandraraj
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897438B2

## CPC

- B60S 5/02: Supplying fuel to vehicles; General disposition of plant in filling stations (apparatus for transferring measured quantities of petrol, oil, or the like from storage space to vehicles B67D)
- 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 13/04: Arrangement or mounting of valves (valves per se F16K {; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00})
- H01M 8/04089: of gaseous reactants
- H01M 8/04201: {Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes}
- H01M 8/04208: {Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs}
- H01M 8/04425: {at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformers, compressors, burners}
- H01M 8/04686: {of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors}
- H01M 8/04753: {of fuel cell reactants}
- H01M 8/04776: {at auxiliary devices, e.g. reformer, compressor, burner}
- B60L 50/70: using power supplied by fuel cells (in combination with batteries B60L50/75)
- F17C 2205/0323: Valves
- F17C 2205/0338: Pressure regulators
- F17C 2221/012: Hydrogen
- F17C 2221/033: Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
- F17C 2250/0626: Pressure
- F17C 2260/036: Avoiding leaks
- F17C 2265/065: for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks
- F17C 2270/0168: by vehicles
- H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
- B60S: SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A system for a fuel cell vehicle includes a providing fuel cell fuel port, a fuel cell fuel storage tank, a fuel cell fuel flowmeter, and a pressure regulator. The fuel cell fuel storage tank is fluidically coupled to the providing fuel cell fuel port. The fuel cell fuel flowmeter is coupled between the fuel cell fuel port and the fuel cell fuel storage tank and is configured to measure flow of fuel cell fuel from the fuel cell fuel storage tank to the providing fuel cell fuel port. The pressure regulator is coupled between the fuel cell fuel flowmeter and the fuel cell fuel storage tank and is configured to control pressure of fuel cell fuel flowing from the fuel cell fuel storage tank to the providing fuel cell fuel port.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for a fuel cell vehicle, the system comprising:
a providing fuel branch configured to transfer a fuel cell fuel from the fuel cell vehicle to a receiving fuel cell vehicle;
a providing fuel cell fuel port;
a refueling nozzle;
a fuel cell fuel storage tank fluidically coupled to the providing fuel cell fuel port;
a refueling branch configured to transfer the fuel cell fuel to the fuel cell fuel storage tank of the fuel cell vehicle from an external source to refill the fuel cell fuel storage tank, the refueling branch being separate from the providing fuel branch;
a shutoff valve included in the providing fuel branch and coupled between the providing fuel cell fuel port and the fuel cell fuel storage tank;
a fuel cell fuel flowmeter included in the providing fuel branch and coupled between the shutoff valve and the fuel cell fuel storage tank, the fuel cell fuel flowmeter being configured to measure flow of the fuel cell fuel from the fuel cell fuel storage tank to the providing fuel cell fuel port;
a pressure regulator included in the providing fuel branch and coupled between the fuel cell fuel flowmeter and the fuel cell fuel storage tank, the pressure regular being configured to control pressure of the fuel cell fuel flowing from the fuel cell fuel storage tank to the providing fuel cell fuel port;
a first relief valve coupled to a first end of the fuel cell fuel storage tank and a second relief valve coupled to a second end of the fuel cell fuel storage tank, the second end of the fuel cell fuel storage tank being opposite the first end of the fuel cell fuel storage tank, and the first relief valve and the second relief valve being configured to selectively open or close to release at least a portion of the fuel cell fuel from the fuel cell fuel storage tank to decrease a pressure within the fuel cell fuel storage tank; and
a fuel cell fuel system controller communicatively coupled to the shutoff valve, the fuel cell fuel flowmeter, and the pressure regulator, the fuel system controller being configured to:
in response to the refueling nozzle being connected to the providing fuel cell fuel port, set a pressure of the pressure regulator and command the shutoff valve to open to initiate transfer of the fuel cell fuel from the fuel cell fuel storage tank to the providing fuel cell fuel port, and
in response to the refueling nozzle being disconnected from the providing fuel cell fuel port, command the shutoff valve to close to prevent transfer of the fuel cell fuel from the fuel cell fuel storage tank to the providing fuel cell fuel port.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the refueling nozzle is connected to the providing fuel cell fuel port about a first end, wherein the refueling nozzle is connected to the receiving fuel cell vehicle about a second end, and wherein the fuel cell fuel system controller sets the pressure of the pressure regulator based on a pressure of a fuel cell fuel storage tank of the receiving fuel cell vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell fuel system controller is configured to determine a difference between a first pressure of the fuel cell fuel leaving the fuel cell vehicle and a second pressure of the fuel cell fuel arriving at the receiving fuel cell vehicle, and wherein, in response to the difference being greater than a threshold, the fuel cell fuel system controller is configured to identify a leak and command the shutoff valve to close to prevent transfer of the fuel cell fuel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell fuel system controller is configured to disable a driveline of the fuel cell vehicle prior to initiating transfer of the fuel cell fuel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the fuel cell fuel system controller is configured to set the shutoff valve to a pilot supply state following disabling of the driveline and prior to commanding the shutoff valve to open.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the fuel cell fuel system controller is configured to set the shutoff valve to the pilot supply state in response to receiving a user input indicative of a request to initiate refueling.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the refueling branch includes a refueling gauge configured to measure an amount of the fuel cell fuel transferred into the fuel cell fuel storage tank of the fuel cell vehicle during a refueling event.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the refueling branch includes a refueling connector receptacle configured to receive a refueling connector to transfer the fuel cell fuel therethrough and toward the fuel cell fuel storage tank of the fuel cell vehicle, and a check valve fluidically coupled between the refueling connector receptacle and the fuel cell fuel storage tank, wherein the check valve is configured to prevent backflow of the fuel cell fuel toward the refueling connector receptacle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the refueling branch includes a fill valve disposed between and fluidically coupled to the check valve and the refueling connector receptacle, and wherein the refueling branch includes a particulate filter disposed between and fluidically coupled to the fill valve and the refueling connector receptacle to prevent foreign material from entering the fuel cell vehicle, the refueling gauge being disposed between the particulate filter and the refueling connector receptacle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the fill valve is configured to close to stop fuel cell fuel flow into the fuel cell fuel storage tank in response to a signal from the fuel cell fuel system controller indicating that a level of the fuel cell fuel in the fuel cell fuel storage tank is greater than a predefined level.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a filter included in the providing fuel branch coupled between the fuel cell fuel storage tank and the pressure regulator and configured to filter the fuel cell fuel being transferred from the fuel cell fuel storage tank, through the providing fuel cell fuel port, and to the receiving fuel cell vehicle to remove moisture, debris, or particulates from the fuel cell fuel.