Liquid hydrogen storage tank with reduced tanking losses
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorRainer Pechtold
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid hydrogen storage system having minimized tanking losses. Hydrogen is discharged from a liquid hydrogen tank through connector piping of a filling connector to a discharge pipe and then to an external device, such as a fuel cell. As such, the connector piping is maintained at a cryogenic temperature substantially that of liquid hydrogen. During refilling of the tank through the already cryogenically cold connector piping there is substantially reduced evaporation of the liquid hydrogen provided by a liquid hydrogen tank station.
Claims3
A method for operating a liquid hydrogen storage tank system, comprising the steps of:
- providing a liquid hydrogen storage tank having a filling connector connected thereto;
- filling the tank with liquid hydrogen;
- delivering hydrogen from the storage tank to an external device by passing the hydrogen through connector piping of the filling connector and then to the external device;
- and
- refilling the tank by passing liquid hydrogen through the connector piping of the filling connector and then to the tank;
- wherein, said step of delivering precools the connector piping of the filling connector for said step of refilling.
In a liquid hydrogen storage system comprising:
- a liquid hydrogen storage tank having tank piping for passing liquid and gaseous hydrogen into and out of the tank;
- a filling connector having connector piping for connecting a liquid hydrogen tank station to the tank piping during filling of the tank with liquid hydrogen;
- and a discharge pipe selectively connectable to said tank piping for delivering hydrogen from the tank to an external device;
- an improvement thereto comprising:
- said discharge pipe being connected to said connector piping;
- and
- means for selectively connecting said connector piping to said tank piping so that discharge of hydrogen from the tank passes through said connector piping to said discharge pipe and so that liquid hydrogen for refilling said tank passes through said connector piping.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.