# US 12,760,845 B2 · Methods and apparatus for pressure control systems in pressure vessels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,760,845 B2 - Document ID: US12760845B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/364,299 - Filed: 2023-08-02 - Published: 2025-02-06 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-08-02 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Constantinos Minas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760845B2 ## CPC - F17C 13/025: {having the pressure as the parameter} - F17C 13/04: Arrangement or mounting of valves (valves per se F16K {; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00}) - F17C 2205/0326: electrically actuated - F17C 2223/0161: cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG - F17C 2250/043: Pressure - F17C 2250/0439: Temperature - F17C 2250/0626: Pressure - F17C 2250/072: Action when predefined value is reached - 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 Methods and apparatus for pressure control systems in pressure vessels include an example apparatus including a cryogenic tank, a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank, machine readable instructions, and programmable circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to determine, based on a temperature of the cryogenic tank and a property of the cryogenic tank, a threshold pressure of the cryogenic tank, compare a pressure of the cryogenic tank to the threshold pressure, and after determining the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure, actuate the valve until the pressure satisfies the threshold pressure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a cryogenic tank; a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank; machine readable instructions; and programmable circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to: determine, based on a temperature of the cryogenic tank and a property of the cryogenic tank, a threshold pressure of the cryogenic tank; determine a threshold rate of change of pressure of the cryogenic tank; compare a current pressure of the cryogenic tank to the threshold pressure; and after determining that one of (a) the current pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure or (b) a current rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold rate of change, actuate the valve until the current pressure satisfies the threshold pressure and the current rate of change satisfies the threshold rate of change. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programmable circuitry is further to detect a transient operation of the cryogenic tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the threshold rate of change is a first threshold rate of change, the valve is a first valve, and further including a second valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank, and wherein the programmable circuitry is further to: determine a second threshold rate of change of the pressure; and in response to determining (1) the current rate of change of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change and (2) the first valve is open, open the second valve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second threshold rate of change corresponds to a rate of pressure reduction of the cryogenic tank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the threshold rate of change of pressure is a first threshold rate of change, (1) the valve is a modulated valve having a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, (2) the programmable circuitry is to, in response to determining that the current rate of change does not satisfy the first threshold rate of change, open the modulated valve by moving the modulated valve to the first open position from the closed position, and (3) the programmable circuitry is further to: determine a second threshold rate of change of the pressure; and after determining that the current rate of change does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change, move the modulated valve from the first open position to the second open position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic tank is a hydrogen tank. ### Claim 7 A non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause programmable circuitry to at least: determine, based on a temperature of a cryogenic tank and a property of the cryogenic tank, a threshold pressure of the cryogenic tank; determine a threshold rate of change of pressure of the cryogenic tank; compare a current pressure of the cryogenic tank to the threshold pressure; and after determining that one of (a) the current pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure or (b) a current rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold rate of change, actuate a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank until the current pressure satisfies the threshold pressure and the current rate of change satisfies the threshold rate of change. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions cause the programmable circuitry to detect a transient operation of the cryogenic tank. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the valve is a first valve, the threshold rate of change is a first threshold rate of change, and wherein the instructions cause the programmable circuitry to: determine a second threshold rate of change of the pressure; and in response to determining (1) the current rate of change does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change and (2) the first valve is open, open a second valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the second threshold rate of change corresponds to a rate of pressure reduction of the cryogenic tank. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the threshold rate of change of pressure is a first threshold rate of change, (1) the valve is a modulated valve having a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, (2) the instructions cause the programmable circuitry is to, in response to determining that the current rate of change of the pressure does not satisfy the first threshold rate of change, open the modulated valve by moving the modulated valve to the first open position from the closed position, and (3) the instructions cause the programmable circuitry to: determine a second threshold rate of change of the pressure; and after determining that the current rate of change does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change, move the modulated valve from the first open position to the second open position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the cryogenic tank is a hydrogen tank. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: determining, based on a temperature of a cryogenic tank and a property of the cryogenic tank, a threshold pressure of the cryogenic tank; determining a threshold rate of change of pressure of the cryogenic tank; comparing a current pressure of the cryogenic tank to the threshold pressure; and after determining that one of (a) the current pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure or (b) a current rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold rate of change, actuating a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank until the current pressure satisfies the threshold pressure and the current rate of change satisfies the threshold rate of change. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further including detecting a transient operation of the cryogenic tank. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the threshold rate of change is a first threshold rate of change, the valve is a first valve, and further including: determining a second threshold rate of change of the pressure; and in response to determining (1) the current rate of change does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change and (2) the first valve is open, opening a second valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the second threshold rate of change corresponds to a rate of pressure reduction of the cryogenic tank. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the threshold rate of change of pressure is a first threshold rate of change, (1) the valve is a modulated valve having a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position and (2) the opening actuating of the modulated valve in response to determining that the current rate of change does not satisfy the first threshold rate of change includes moving the modulated valve to the first open position from the closed position, and further including: determining a second threshold rate of change of the pressure; and after determining that the current rate of change does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change, moving the modulated valve from the first open position to the second open position.