Fuel system for a power plant
AssigneePhinia Delphi Luxembourg Sarl
InventorsDiego Guerrato, Neil Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel system for supplying gaseous fuel to an onboard power plant of a vehicle, the fuel system comprising at least a first tank configured to receive pressurised gaseous fuel for supply to the power plant, in use; a source of auxiliary control fluid for supply to the first tank; and a valve arrangement which is operable to control the supply of auxiliary control fluid to the first tank so as to control the discharge of the gaseous fuel from the first tank; wherein the first tank includes a movable separation element for separating the auxiliary control fluid from the gaseous fuel within the first tank.
Claims7
An onboard fuel system for supplying gaseous fuel to an onboard power plant of a vehicle, the fuel system comprising:
- at least a first tank onboard the vehicle and configured to receive pressurized gaseous fuel for supply to the power plant, in use;
- a source of auxiliary control fluid for supply to the first tank;
- and
- a valve arrangement which is operable to control the supply of auxiliary control fluid to the first tank so as to control the discharge of the gaseous fuel from the first tank;
- wherein the first tank includes a movable separation element for separating the auxiliary control fluid from the gaseous fuel within the first tank and at least the first tank is provided with a biasing means which acts on the separation element to oppose movement thereof during a filling phase of the fuel system so as to store energy within the biasing means for use during a discharge phase of gas from the first tank;
- further comprising an auxiliary control fluid supply line between the source of auxiliary control fluid and at least the first tank, and wherein the auxiliary control fluid supply line is provided with a pressurizing means to pressurize the supply of auxiliary fluid to at least the first tank.
A method of delivering hydrogen gas from an onboard tank array to an onboard power plant of a vehicle, the tank array comprising
- at least a first tank onboard the vehicle and containing pressurized gaseous fuel, the method comprising controlling
- a valve arrangement to control the supply of auxiliary control fluid to the first tank so as to cause discharge of the gaseous fuel from the first tank whilst maintaining separation between the auxiliary fluid and the gaseous fuel within the first tank by means of a movable separation element,
- wherein at least the first tank is provided with a biasing means which acts on the separation element to oppose movement thereof during a filling phase of the fuel system so as to store energy within the biasing means for use during a discharge phase of gas from the first tank;
- further comprising an auxiliary control fluid supply line between the source of auxiliary control fluid and at least the first tank, and wherein the auxiliary control fluid supply line is provided with a pressurizing means to pressurize the supply of auxiliary fluid to at least the first tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.