# US 2021/0278045 A1 · Filling apparatus

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- Number: US 2021/0278045 A1
- Document ID: US20210278045A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/188,832
- Filed: 2021-03-01
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-03
- Assignees: Tatsuno Corporation
- Applicants: Tatsuno Corporation
- Inventors: Yuichi Yoshida
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210278045A1

## CPC

- 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 5/06: for filling with compressed gases
- F17C 13/025: {having the pressure as the parameter}
- F17C 2205/0326: electrically actuated
- F17C 2205/0364: flexible or articulated, e.g. a hose
- F17C 2221/012: Hydrogen
- F17C 2223/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2223/035: High pressure (>10 bar)
- F17C 2223/036: Very high pressure (>80 bar)
- F17C 2225/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
- F17C 2225/036: Very high pressure, i.e. above 80 bars
- F17C 2227/0157: Compressors
- F17C 2227/0337: by cooling
- F17C 2227/04: Methods for emptying or filling
- F17C 2250/032: using computers
- F17C 2250/034: using wireless transmissions
- F17C 2250/043: Pressure
- F17C 2250/0439: Temperature
- F17C 2250/0443: Flow or movement of content
- F17C 2250/0626: Pressure
- F17C 2250/0636: Flow or movement of content
- F17C 2260/02: Improving properties related to fluid or fluid transfer
- F17C 2260/021: Avoiding over pressurising
- F17C 2265/065: for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks
- F17C 2270/0139: Fuel stations
- F17C 2270/0168: by vehicles
- F17C 2270/0184: Fuel cells
- Y02E 60/32: Hydrogen storage
- 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

## Abstract

A filling apparatus that does not significantly reduce a required pressure immediately after a start of hydrogen filling, and can reliably fill fuel cell vehicles and the like. The filling apparatus (100) of the present invention includes a control unit (10), and the control unit (10) has a function of boosting pressure required from a hydrogen filling apparatus (100) to a rear facility (200) until initial pressure measurement is completed. The control unit (10) may have a function of determining whether or not communication filling is established, and when communication filling is established, setting a pressure higher than an internal pressure of a tank received from a vehicle side by a predetermined pressure (for example, 5 MPa) as a pressure required for the rear facility (200) at an initial stage of filling.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A filling apparatus comprising a control unit, wherein said control unit has a function of boosting pressure required from a hydrogen filling apparatus to a rear facility until initial pressure measurement is completed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit has a function of determining whether or not communication filling is established, and when the communication filling is established, setting a pressure higher than an internal pressure of a tank received from a vehicle side by a predetermined pressure as a pressure required for the rear facility at an initial stage of filling.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit has a function of determining whether or not communication filling is established, and when communication filling is not established, setting a pressure of 30 to 60% of a maximum value as a pressure required to the rear facility at an initial stage of filling.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit has a function of increasing the pressure required to the rear facility from the filling apparatus when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The filling apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit has a function of setting a pressure required to the rear facility higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the initial pressure measurement is completed.

### Claim 6

A filling method comprising the steps of determining whether or not initial pressure measurement is completed, and boosting pressure required from a hydrogen filling apparatus to a rear facility until initial pressure measurement is completed.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The filling method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the steps of determining whether or not communication filling is established, and setting a pressure higher than an internal pressure of a tank received from a vehicle side by a predetermined pressure as a pressure required to a rear facility at an initial stage of filling when the communication filling is established.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The filling method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the steps of determining whether or not communication filling is established, and setting a pressure of 30 to 60% of a maximum value is set as a pressure required to the rear facility at an initial stage of filling when the communication filling is not established,

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The filling method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said pressure required from the filling apparatus to the rear facility is increased when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The filling method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said pressure required to the rear facility is set higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the initial pressure measurement is completed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control unit has a function of increasing the pressure required to the rear facility from the filling apparatus when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

The filling apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said control unit has a function of increasing the pressure required to the rear facility from the filling apparatus when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The filling apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein said control unit has a function of setting a pressure required to the rear facility higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the initial pressure measurement is completed.

### Claim 14 (depends on 3)

The filling apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein said control unit has a function of setting a pressure required to the rear facility higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the initial pressure measurement is completed.

### Claim 15 (depends on 4)

The filling apparatus claimed in claim 4, wherein said control unit has a function of setting a pressure required to the rear facility higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the initial pressure measurement is completed.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The filling method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said pressure required from the filling apparatus to the rear facility is increased when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.

### Claim 17 (depends on 8)

The filling method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said pressure required from the filling apparatus to the rear facility is increased when flow rate of a gas to be filled is less than a predetermined value.

### Claim 18 (depends on 7)

The filling method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said pressure required to the rear facility is set higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the initial pressure measurement is completed.

### Claim 19 (depends on 8)

The filling method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said pressure required to the rear facility is set higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the initial pressure measurement is completed.

### Claim 20 (depends on 9)

The filling method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said pressure required to the rear facility is set higher than a measured internal pressure of a vehicle-side tank by a constant pressure after the initial pressure measurement is completed.