# US 2014/0190588 A1 · Vortex fill > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190588 A1 - Document ID: US20140190588A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/150,126 - Filed: 2014-01-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: Agility Fuel Systems LLC - Applicants: Agility Fuel Systems, Inc. - Inventors: Todd F. SLOAN; Chris FORSBERG; Christopher E. CANNON - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190588A1 ## CPC - B67D 7/04: for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants - F17C 1/00: Pressure vessels, e.g. gas cylinder, gas tank, replaceable cartridge (pressurised apparatus for purposes other than storage, see the relevant subclasses such as A62C, B05B; associated with vehicles, see the appropriate subclass of classes B60 - B64; pressure vessels in general F16J12/00 {; autoclaves B01J3/04; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons for carrying fluent materials B61D5/00; accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04; liquefied gas stoves F24C3/00}) - 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 13/002: {for vessels under pressure (F17C13/008 and F17C13/02 - F17C13/12 take precedence)} - B60K 15/03006: {Gas tanks (B60K15/07 takes precedence)} - B60K 2015/03019: {Filling of gas tanks} - F17C 2201/0104: cylindrical - F17C 2201/056: Small (<1 m3) - F17C 2205/0352: Pipes - F17C 2205/0391: inside the pressure vessel - F17C 2221/033: Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG - F17C 2221/035: Propane butane, e.g. LPG, GPL - F17C 2223/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC - F17C 2223/0153: Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL - F17C 2223/0161: cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG - F17C 2223/033: Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas - F17C 2223/035: High pressure (>10 bar) - F17C 2223/036: Very high pressure (>80 bar) - F17C 2227/0339: using the same fluid - F17C 2227/0388: separate - F17C 2260/021: Avoiding over pressurising - F17C 2260/023: Avoiding overheating - F17C 2265/065: for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks - F17C 2270/0168: by vehicles - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) - 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) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES ## Abstract Improved methods, systems, and devices for filling fuel tanks, particularly compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel tanks, are provided. Such methods, systems, and devices lower the heat of compression when the fuel tank is being filled to a temperature lower than that if such methods, systems, and devices were not used. Pressure sensor logic on a fuel station will be less prone to error, enabling the tank to be filled more accurately and fully. To lower heat of compression, an insert is placed within the tank. The insert changes the flow characteristics of the fuel that is being delivered into the tank. Typically, the delivered fuel will be released into the interior of the tank in a vortex fashion to fill the tank. Other flow modification devices are also provided including an externally coupled Ranque-Hilsh vortex tube and a flow modification chamber built within a fuel tank. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of filling a fuel tank, the method comprising: providing a fuel tank comprising a fuel inlet and defining a hollow interior for fuel storage; and delivering fuel past the fuel inlet, through a flow modification element, and into the hollow interior of the fuel tank to fill the fuel tank, wherein the flow modification element causes the fuel tank to be filled such that heat of compression while filling with the flow modification element is less than heat of compression while filling without the flow modification element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flow modification element is adapted to direct the delivered fuel to flow in a vortex manner within the fuel tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flow modification element is integral with the fuel tank. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the flow modification element comprises a channel configured to direct the channeled fuel to flow in a vortex manner within the fuel tank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the channel is at least partially helical. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flow modification element comprises an insert to be placed within the hollow interior of the fuel tank. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the insert comprises a fuel inlet end adapted to couple to the fuel inlet of the fuel tank. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the insert comprises a fuel outlet for releasing fuel into the hollow interior of the fuel tank to fill the fuel tank. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the insert comprises at least one of a straight tube, a helical tube, a twisted tape, and a helical vane. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flow modification element comprises a Ranque-Hilsh vortex tube adapted to be coupled to the fuel inlet of the fuel tank. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel tank comprises a compressed natural gas (CNG) tank. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the channeled fuel comprises compressed natural gas (CNG). ### Claim 13 A system for storing fuel, the system comprising: a fuel tank comprising a fuel inlet and defining a hollow interior for fuel storage; and a flow modification element adapted to be coupled to the fuel tank, wherein when the fuel tank is filled, the flow modification element causes the fuel tank to be filled such that heat of compression while filling with the flow modification element coupled to the fuel tank is less than heat of compression while filling without the insert. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the flow modification element comprises an insert adapted to be placed within the fuel tank, the insert comprising a fuel inlet end adapted to couple to the fuel inlet of the fuel tank and a fuel outlet end for releasing fuel into the interior of the fuel tank to fill the fuel tank. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, the insert comprises at least one of a straight tube, a helical tube, a twisted tape, and a helical vane. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the flow modification element comprises a Ranque-Hilsh vortex tube adapted to be coupled to the fuel inlet of the fuel tank. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the fuel tank comprises a compressed natural gas (CNG) tank. ### Claim 18 A fuel tank comprising: a fuel inlet; a fuel storage chamber; and a flow modification element disposed within the fuel tank and between the fuel inlet and the fuel storage chamber, wherein when the fuel tank is filled, the flow modification element causes the fuel tank to be filled such that heat of compression while filling with the flow modification element is less than heat of compression while filling without the flow modification element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the flow modification element is integral with the fuel tank. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the flow modification element comprises a channel configured to direct the channeled fuel to flow in a vortex manner within the fuel tank. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the channel is at least partially helical. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the fuel tank comprises a compressed natural gas (CNG) tank.