Method and system for filling tanks of hydrogen-fueled vehicles
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsVincent Fairy, Anh Thao Thieu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Heat is transferred from a flow of liquid hydrogen to a flow of a heat transfer fluid at a first heat exchanger to produce a warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen and a cooled flow of heat transfer fluid. Heat is also transferred at a second heat exchanger, to the cooled flow of heat transfer fluid, from a flow of pressurized hydrogen that is derived from one or more buffer vessels filled by the warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen and/or the warmed flow of pressurized hydrogen from the first exchanger to produce a cooled flow of pressurized hydrogen that is used to fill tanks of fuel cell electric vehicles.
Claims13
A system for filling tanks of fuel cell electric vehicles with pressurized hydrogen, comprising:
- a liquid hydrogen storage vessel;
- a liquid hydrogen pump;
- a main HTF surge vessel;
- a main heat transfer fluid pump;
- first and second heat exchangers;
- at least one buffer vessel;
- and a filling circuit, wherein:
- said liquid hydrogen pump is in downstream flow communication from said storage vessel and is adapted and configured to receive a stream of liquid hydrogen from said storage vessel and pump and pressurize said liquid hydrogen stream to produce a stream of pressurized hydrogen;
- said at least one buffer vessel is adapted and configured to receive the stream of pressurized hydrogen produced by said liquid hydrogen pump and store pressurized hydrogen until a vehicle tank fill is requested;
- said filling circuit is in parallel downstream flow communication from said at least one buffer vessel, said filling circuit comprising at least one filling dispenser that is adapted and configured to engage with a fuel cell electric vehicle so as to allow a tank thereof be filled with pressurized hydrogen;
- a heat exchange circuit is formed by, in flow order, said surge vessel, said main heat transfer fluid pump, said first heat exchanger, and said second heat exchanger, said first heat exchanger circuit being adapted and configured to circulate a main stream of a HTF from said surge vessel, through a cooling circuit of said first heat exchanger, through a warming circuit of said second heat exchanger, and back to said surge vessel;
- said first heat exchanger is adapted and configured to heat, in a first warming circuit thereof, a pressurized stream of hydrogen from said liquid hydrogen pump and cool, in a cooling circuit thereof, the main HTF stream;
- said second heat exchanger is adapted and configured to cool, in a cooling circuit thereof, a pressurized stream of hydrogen from said at least one buffer vessel, and heat, in a heating circuit thereof, the main HTF stream;
- and
- a boil-off gas venting circuit in flow communication between a headspace of said storage vessel and an ambient atmosphere of said system, said boil off gas venting circuit comprising a first end that is in downstream flow communication with said headspace, a second end that is selectively open to the ambient atmosphere, and a second warming circuit of said first heat exchanger in between said first and second ends, said boil off gas vent circuit being adapted and configured to receive boil off gas from said headspace, warm the received boil off gas in the second warming circuit through heat exchange with a mass of said first heat exchanger, and vent the warmed boil off gas to the ambient atmosphere via said second end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.