# US 12,222,073 B1 · Interrogation of temperature sensitive coatings on fuel tank exterior

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- Number: US 12,222,073 B1
- Document ID: US12222073B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/641,243
- Filed: 2024-04-19
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2024-04-19
- Assignees: ZeroAvia, Inc.
- Applicants: ZeroAvia, Inc.
- Inventors: Parker Bryant; Arnab Chatterjee; Aritra Dalal
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222073B1

## CPC

- 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 5/06: for filling with compressed gases
- G01K 11/125: using changes in reflectance
- F17C 2221/012: Hydrogen
- F17C 2223/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2250/03: Control means
- F17C 2250/0404: Parameters indicated or measured
- F17C 2250/0636: Flow or movement of content
- F17C 2265/065: for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks
- F17C 2270/0171: Trucks
- F17C 2270/0189: Planes
- 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)
- G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a system for controlling gaseous hydrogen (GH2) refueling of a GH2 vehicle, wherein a vehicle fuel tank is refilled with GH2 from an external supply tank. The system includes a target patch or a cell of a temperature-dependent reflectivity material on an exterior of the vehicle fuel tank, and a sensor package including an electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitter and a radiation detection system positioned remote from the vehicle tank being filled. The sensor package is located on or adjacent an external refueling device with a line of sight to the target patch or cell.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for controlling gaseous hydrogen (GH2) refueling of a GH2 vehicle, wherein a vehicle fuel tank is refilled with GH2 from an external supply tank, said system comprising an unpowered temperature sensor comprising a patch or a cell of a temperature-dependent reflectivity material on an exterior of the vehicle fuel tank, and a sensor package comprising an electromagnetic radiation emitting system and a radiation detection system positioned remote from the vehicle tank being filled, wherein the sensor package is located on or adjacent an external refueling device with a line of sight to the unpowered temperature sensor patch or cell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the radiation emitting system, and the radiation detection system is configured to emit and detect radiofrequency (RF) radiation, infrared radiation (IR) or electromagnetic (EM) radiation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature-dependent reflectivity material comprises a thermochromic material or a mechanochromic material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature-dependent reflectivity coating material exhibits reflective changes at temperatures between 0° C. and 65° C.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control delivery of said GH2 in response to detected changes in reflection of said temperature-dependent reflectivity material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a motor vehicle or an aircraft.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature-dependent reflectivity material is applied to a plurality of unpowered temperature sensor patches or cells.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the temperature-dependent reflectivity material applied to individual unpowered temperature sensor patches or cells of said plurality of unpowered temperature sensor patches or cells have different transition temperatures.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An article of manufacture comprising computer readable storage medium storing instructions to cause gaseous hydrogen (GH2) refueling system for a vehicle to:
collect data regarding a surface temperature of a fuel tank carried by the vehicle by remotely interrogating the fuel tank using the system of claim 1;
compare said data to a target temperature; and
controlling delivery of GH2 to the vehicle on the comparison.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The article of manufacture of claim 9, the vehicle comprises a motor vehicle or an aircraft.

### Claim 11

A method for controlling refueling of a hydrogen (H2) fuel-cell-powered vehicle, said vehicle having a fuel tank configured to hold a quantity of compressed GH2 from an external filling device, said method comprising providing on an exterior of the vehicle fuel tank an unpowered temperature sensor comprising a patch or cell of a temperature-dependent reflectivity material, interrogating the unpowered temperature sensor patch or cell with a radiation emitting system and radiation detector system positioned remote from the vehicle tank with a line of sight to the unpowered temperature sensor, and controlling delivery of said GH2 in response to detected changes in reflection of said temperature-dependent reflectivity material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the temperature-dependent reflectivity material comprises a thermochromic material or a mechanochromic material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the temperature-dependent reflectivity material is applied as a plurality of unpowered temperature sensor patches or cells.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein individual unpowered temperature sensor patches or cells of said plurality of unpowered temperature sensor patches or cells have different transition temperatures.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the radiation emitting and radiation detecting system is configured to emit and detect RF radiation, IR radiation or electromagnetic (EM) radiation and including the step of directing said RF radiation, IR radiation or electromagnetic (EM) radiation at the unpowered temperature sensor and detecting a reflection of said radiation off said unpowered temperature sensor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the temperature-dependent reflectivity coating material exhibits a transition temperature between 0° C. and 65° C.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 including a step of retarding a rate of refueling in the event a detected change in reflection of said temperature-dependent reflectivity material exceeds a target.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 including a step of cutting off delivery of GH2 in the event a detected change in reflection of said temperature-dependent reflectivity material exceeds a target.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 including a step of increasing a rate of refueling in the event a detected change in reflection of said temperature-dependent reflectivity material falls below a target.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle or an aircraft.