# US 12,000,540 B2 · Valve recovery control apparatus for hydrogen tank > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,540 B2 - Document ID: US12000540B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/679,558 - Filed: 2022-02-24 - Published: 2022-09-29 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-25 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation - Inventors: Seok Hyeon Park - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000540B2 ## CPC - F17C 13/04: Arrangement or mounting of valves (valves per se F16K {; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00}) - F17C 7/00: Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass - F17C 2205/0332: Safety valves or pressure relief valves - F17C 2221/012: Hydrogen - F17C 2250/043: Pressure - F17C 2250/0636: Flow or movement of content - F17C 2260/021: Avoiding over pressurising - F17C 2270/0168: by vehicles - F17C 2270/0184: Fuel cells - 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) ## Abstract A valve recovery control apparatus for a hydrogen tank, may recover an excess flow valve to an original state upon operation of the excess flow valve mounted on the hydrogen tank, securing stability of hydrogen supply to the fuel cell. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A valve recovery control apparatus for a hydrogen tank, the apparatus comprising: an excess flow valve mounted on an outlet of a hydrogen tank; a hydrogen supply line connected to the excess flow valve, and configured to supply hydrogen stored in the hydrogen tank to a fuel cell connected to the hydrogen supply line; and a control unit configured to determine whether the excess flow valve is closed based on an amount of hydrogen consumed in the fuel cell and a pressure reduction rate in the hydrogen supply line when a pressure of the hydrogen tank is greater than a pressure of the hydrogen supply line, and to suspend an operation of the fuel cell until the excess flow valve recovers to an opened state when the controller concludes that the excess flow valve is in a closed state and then to restart the fuel cell when the excess flow valve recovers to the opened state from the closed state, wherein the control unit is configured to operate a vehicle in an electric vehicle mode until the excess flow valve recovers to the opened state when the excess flow valve is in the closed state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The valve recovery control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit concludes that the excess flow valve is in the closed state, when the amount of hydrogen consumed per unit time in the fuel cell is a predetermined minimum amount of consumption or greater than the predetermined minimum amount and the pressure reduction rate of the hydrogen supply line is greater than a predetermined first pressure reduction rate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The valve recovery control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit concludes that the excess flow valve is in the opened state, when the amount of hydrogen consumed per unit time in the fuel cell is a predetermined minimum amount of consumption or greater than the predetermined minimum amount and the pressure reduction rate in the hydrogen supply line is a predetermined first pressure reduction rate or less than the predetermined first pressure reduction rate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The valve recovery control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the predetermined minimum amount of consumption is set as a value of a minimum amount of hydrogen consumed in the fuel cell causing a reduction in the pressure of the hydrogen supply line when the excess flow valve is in the closed state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The valve recovery control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first pressure reduction rate is set as a value of a maximum pressure reduction rate of the hydrogen supply line generatable when the excess flow valve is in the opened state. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The valve recovery control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the excess flow valve includes: a housing provided with a valve inlet and a valve outlet; a poppet slidably assembled in the housing; a spring mounted in the housing to elastically support the poppet toward the valve inlet; and a pin hole configured to supply the hydrogen of the hydrogen tank to the hydrogen supply line when the poppet closes the valve outlet while compressing the spring. ### Claim 7 A method of controlling a valve recovery control apparatus for a hydrogen tank in which the valve recovery control apparatus includes an excess flow valve mounted on an outlet of the hydrogen tank and a hydrogen supply line connected to the excess flow valve, and configured to supply hydrogen stored in the hydrogen tank to a fuel cell connected to the hydrogen supply line, the method comprising: determining, by a controller, whether the excess flow valve is closed based on an amount of hydrogen consumed in the fuel cell and a pressure reduction rate in the hydrogen supply line when a pressure of the hydrogen tank is greater than a pressure of the hydrogen supply line; and suspending, by the controller, an operation of the fuel cell until the excess flow valve recovers to an opened state when the controller concludes that the excess flow valve is in a closed state and then restarting the fuel cell when the excess flow valve recovers to the opened state from the closed state, wherein the controller is configured to operate a vehicle in an electric vehicle mode until the excess flow valve recovers to the opened state when the excess flow valve is in the closed state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the control unit concludes that the excess flow valve is in the closed state, when the amount of hydrogen consumed per unit time in the fuel cell is a predetermined minimum amount of consumption or greater than the predetermined minimum amount and the pressure reduction rate of the hydrogen supply line is greater than a predetermined first pressure reduction rate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the control unit concludes that the excess flow valve is in the opened state, when the amount of hydrogen consumed per unit time in the fuel cell is a predetermined minimum amount of consumption or greater than the predetermined minimum amount and the pressure reduction rate in the hydrogen supply line is a predetermined first pressure reduction rate or less than the predetermined first pressure reduction rate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined minimum amount of consumption is set as a value of a minimum amount of hydrogen consumed in the fuel cell causing a reduction in the pressure of the hydrogen supply line when the excess flow valve is in the closed state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first pressure reduction rate is set as a value of a maximum pressure reduction rate of the hydrogen supply line generatable when the excess flow valve is in the opened state. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which a program for performing the method of claim 7 is recorded.