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US 2022/0170597 A1Published application
Hydrogen fuel storage and delivery system
AssigneeGreen Grid Inc.
InventorsChinmoy Prosun SAHA, Jeffrey Scott PICKLES
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel delivery and storage system is provided. A further aspect employs a remote central controller and/or software instructions which receive sensor data from stationary and bulk fuel storage tanks, portable distribution tanks, and end use tanks. Another aspect of the present system senses and transmits tank or hydrogen fuel characteristics including temperature, pressure, filled volume, contaminants, refilling cycle life and environmental hazards. Still another aspect includes a group of hydrogen fuel tanks which is pre-assembled with sensor, valve, microprocessor and transmitter components, at least some of which are within an insulator.
Claims52
A fuel storage and delivery system comprising:
- (a) stationary and bulk storage tanks operably storing some pressurized fuel;
- (b) distribution vehicles including portable distribution storage tanks to store some of the pressurized fuel;
- (c) stationary end use tanks containing some of the pressurized fuel;
- (d) sensors and a communications transmitter being connected to each of the distribution and end use tanks;
- (e) at least one central and remotely located controller being configured to:
- i. receive sensed data from each of the transmitters;
- ii. automatically determine a filled quantity of the fuel within each of the distribution and end use tanks;
- iii. automatically compare the determined filled quantity with a desired filled quantity threshold;
- iv. automatically cause at least one of the distribution vehicles to be refilled from at least one of the bulk storage tanks;
- v. automatically cause at least one of the distribution vehicles to refill at least one of the end use tanks;
- vi. receive tank pressure data from at least one of the sensors;
- vii. receive tank temperature data from at least one of the sensors;
- viii. receive environmental or flame hazard data from at least one of the sensors;
- and
- ix. automatically change a characteristic associated with the tank or the fuel therein based on at least some of the sensor data received.
12 more elements
A fuel storage and delivery system comprising:
- (a) stationary and bulk storage tanks operably storing some pressurized fuel;
- (b) distribution vehicles including portable distribution storage tanks to store some of the pressurized fuel;
- (c) stationary end use tanks containing some of the pressurized fuel;
- (d) portable end use tanks containing some of the pressurized fuel;
- (e) sensors, a processor, a power supply and a communications transmitter being connected to each of the tanks;
- (f) at least one central and remotely located controller being configured to:
- i. wirelessly receive sensed data from each of the tanks;
- ii. automatically determine a filled quantity of the fuel within each of the tanks;
- iii. automatically compare the determined filled quantity with a desired filled quantity threshold;
- iv. automatically cause at least one of the distribution vehicles to be refilled from at least one of the bulk storage tanks;
- v. automatically cause at least one of the distribution vehicles to refill at least one of the end use tanks;
- vi. automatically storing actual fuel consumption and tank refill data, and subsequently predictively causing refilling of the bulk storage tanks and the distribution storage tanks based at least in part on the stored consumption and refill data;
- (g) at least one of the:
- tank-connected processors or remotely located controller,
- i. receiving signals from at least one of the sensors;
- ii. automatically comparing a sensed tank pressure to a desired threshold;
- iii. automatically determining acceptability of the pressure of the associated tank;
- iv. automatically changing a characteristic associated with the tank or the fuel therein based on the pressure determination;
- v. automatically comparing a sensed tank or fuel temperature to a desired threshold;
- vi. automatically determining acceptability of the temperature of the associated tank;
- vii. automatically changing a characteristic associated with the tank or the fuel therein based on the temperature determination;
- viii. automatically comparing a sensed tank or fuel hazard to a desired threshold;
- ix. automatically determining acceptability of the hazard of the associated tank;
- and
- x. automatically changing a characteristic associated with the tank or the fuel therein based on the hazard determination.
22 more elements
A fuel storage and delivery system comprising:
- (a) stationary and bulk storage tanks operably storing some pressurized hydrogen;
- (b) distribution vehicles including portable distribution storage tanks to store some of the pressurized hydrogen;
- (c) end use tanks containing some of the pressurized hydrogen;
- (d) sensors and a communications transmitter being connected to each of the distribution and end use tanks;
- (e) at least one central and remotely located controller being configured to:
- i. receive sensed data from each of the transmitters;
- ii. determine actual hydrogen consumption and tank refill trends based at least in part on the sensed data;
- iii. predictively model new distribution depot locations for the distribution vehicles;
- iv. predictively model new locations for at least some of the bulk storage or end use tanks;
- and
- v. visually display results of the predictive models.
8 more elements
A fuel storage and delivery system comprising:
- (a) stationary and bulk storage tanks operably storing some pressurized hydrogen;
- (b) an unmanned autonomous aircraft or watercraft including a portable distribution storage tank to store some of the pressurized hydrogen;
- (c) end use tanks containing some of the pressurized hydrogen;
- (d) sensors and a communications transmitter connected to each of the distribution and end use tanks, and a location identifier coupled to and moveable with the aircraft or watercraft;
- and
- (e) at least one central and remotely located controller receiving sensed data from each of the transmitters, and the central controller receiving a location signal from the location identifier.
3 more elements
-48. (canceled)
A method of distributing hydrogen fuel comprising:
- (a) automatically sensing tank, fuel and environmental characteristics from stationary bulk hydrogen storage tanks;
- (b) automatically sensing tank, fuel and positioning characteristics from autonomously driven vehicles carrying portable distribution hydrogen storage tanks;
- (c) automatically sensing tank, fuel and environmental characteristics from stationary end use hydrogen storage tanks;
- (d) automatically sending a signal to a remote communicator if an environmental hazard is sensed;
- and
- (e) automatically changing a fuel characteristic associated with at least one of the storage tanks based on at least some of the sensed characteristics.
3 more elements
A fuel storage and delivery system comprising:
- (a) stationary hydrogen storage tanks;
- (b) distribution vehicles including portable hydrogen distribution storage tanks;
- (c) stationary end use hydrogen tanks;
- (d) sensors and a communications transmitter being connected to each of the distribution and end use tanks;
- (e) at least one remotely located controller including software, stored in non-transient memory, the software comprising:
- i. instructions receiving sensed data from each of the transmitters;
- ii. instructions determining a hydrogen filled quantity within each of the distribution and end use tanks;
- iii. instructions comparing the determined filled quantity with a desired filled quantity threshold;
- iv. instructions causing at least one of the distribution vehicles to be refilled from at least one of the bulk storage tanks;
- v. instructions causing at least one of the distribution vehicles to refill at least one of the end use tanks;
- vi. instructions receiving tank pressure data from at least one of the sensors;
- vii. instructions receiving tank temperature data from at least one of the sensors;
- and
- viii. instructions automatically changing a characteristic associated with the tank based on at least some of the sensor data received.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.