# US 2014/0196814 A1 · Hydrogen station

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0196814 A1
- Document ID: US20140196814A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/111,681
- Filed: 2012-04-24
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-26
- Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
- Inventors: Kenji Nagura; Hitoshi Takagi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196814A1

## CPC

- F17C 5/06: for filling with compressed gases
- 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 13/026: {having the temperature as the parameter}
- F17C 2205/0326: electrically actuated
- F17C 2205/0338: Pressure regulators
- F17C 2221/012: Hydrogen
- F17C 2223/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2223/033: Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
- F17C 2225/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2225/036: Very high pressure, i.e. above 80 bars
- F17C 2227/0164: with specified compressor type, e.g. piston or impulsive type
- F17C 2227/0185: comprising several pumps or compressors
- F17C 2227/0337: by cooling
- F17C 2227/0388: separate
- F17C 2250/01: Intermediate tanks
- F17C 2250/032: using computers
- F17C 2250/043: Pressure
- F17C 2250/0439: Temperature
- F17C 2250/0443: Flow or movement of content
- F17C 2260/023: Avoiding overheating
- F17C 2265/065: for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks
- F17C 2270/0139: Fuel stations
- Y02E 60/32: Hydrogen storage
- Y02P 90/45: Hydrogen technologies in production processes
- 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)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Provided is a hydrogen station that supplies hydrogen to an external hydrogen tank, the hydrogen station including: a reciprocating compressor that is driven by a driver of which revolution is controllable; a cooling device that is capable of cooling hydrogen supplied from the reciprocating compressor to the hydrogen tank; a temperature sensor that detects an internal temperature of the hydrogen tank or a temperature of the hydrogen supplied to the hydrogen tank; and a control unit that controls the revolution of the driver based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hydrogen station for supplying hydrogen to an external hydrogen tank, the hydrogen station comprising:
a reciprocating compressor driven by a driver of which revolution is controllable;
a cooling device for cooling hydrogen supplied from the reciprocating compressor to the external hydrogen tank;
a temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature of the external hydrogen tank or a temperature of the hydrogen supplied to the external hydrogen tank; and
a control unit for controlling the revolution of the driver based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The hydrogen station according to claim 1,
wherein the control unit decreases the revolution of the driver when the temperature is higher than a reference temperature set based on an upper-limit temperature allowed in the external hydrogen tank, and
the control unit also increases the revolution of the driver when the temperature is lower than the reference temperature.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The hydrogen station according to claim 2,
wherein the control unit controls the revolution of the driver so that a decrease ratio of the revolution of the driver or an increase ratio of the revolution of the driver becomes constant.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The hydrogen station according to claim 2,
wherein when the temperature is higher than the reference temperature, the control unit increases a decrease ratio of the revolution of the driver as a difference in temperature between a detected temperature and the reference temperature increases.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The hydrogen station according to claim 1, further comprising:
a flywheel attached to a drive shaft connecting the reciprocating compressor to the driver.

### Claim 6

A hydrogen station for supplying hydrogen to an external hydrogen tank, the hydrogen station comprising:
a reciprocating compressor driven by a driver;
a cooling device for cooling the hydrogen supplied from the reciprocating compressor to the external hydrogen tank;
a return passage comprising an adjustment valve and causing a discharge side of the reciprocating compressor at an upstream side of the cooling device to communicate with a suction side of the reciprocating compressor;
a temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature of the external hydrogen tank or a temperature of the hydrogen supplied to the external hydrogen tank; and
a control unit for adjusting an opening degree of the adjustment valve based on the temperature.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The hydrogen station according to claim 6,
wherein the control unit increases an opening degree of the adjustment valve when the temperature is higher than a reference temperature set based on an upper-limit temperature allowed in the external hydrogen tank, and
the control unit decreases the opening degree of the adjustment valve when the temperature is lower than the reference temperature.

### Claim 8

A hydrogen station for supplying hydrogen to an external hydrogen tank, the hydrogen station comprising:
a first reciprocating compressor driven by a driver of which revolution is controllable;
an intermediate passage through which hydrogen compressed by the first reciprocating compressor flows;
a second reciprocating compressor connected to the first reciprocating compressor through the intermediate passage;
a cooling device for cooling the hydrogen supplied from the second reciprocating compressor to the external hydrogen tank;
a pressure sensor for detecting an internal pressure of the intermediate passage; and
a control unit for controlling the revolution of the driver driving the first reciprocating compressor based on the internal pressure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The hydrogen station according to claim 8, further comprising:
an intermediate pressure accumulator provided in a course of the intermediate passage and of for storing the hydrogen flowing through the intermediate passage,
wherein the pressure sensor detects an internal pressure of the intermediate pressure accumulator as an internal pressure of the intermediate passage.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The hydrogen station according to claim 8,
wherein the control unit increases the revolution of the driver when the internal pressure is lower than a lower-limit threshold pressure in a pressure range set based on an allowable range of a suction pressure in the second reciprocating compressor, and
the control unit decreases the revolution of the driver when the internal pressure is higher than an upper-limit threshold pressure in the pressure range.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The hydrogen station according to claim 10, further comprising:
a bypass passage comprising an adjustment valve and causing a suction side of the first reciprocating compressor to communicate with an upstream portion relative to an intermediate pressure accumulator in the intermediate passage,
wherein when the internal pressure detected by the pressure sensor is continuously higher than the upper-limit threshold pressure and the revolution of the driver reaches a predetermined lower limit value, the control unit opens the adjustment valve while maintaining the revolution at the predetermined lower limit value.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The hydrogen station according to claim 11,
wherein the adjustment valve is able to adjust an opening degree thereof, and
wherein when the internal pressure is continuously higher than the upper-limit threshold pressure even when the adjustment valve is opened so that the opening degree thereof becomes a predetermined opening degree, the control unit increases the opening degree of the adjustment valve as an elapse time from the opening of the adjustment valve becomes longer or a difference between the internal pressure and the upper-limit threshold pressure becomes larger.