US 4,292,062 AGranted

Cryogenic fuel tank

OwnerHoria A. Dinulescu, Nicholas A. Sandersinventors

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Abstract

A fuel tank is provided for the automotive transport of a cryogenic liquid fuel which in the course of transport is being consumed by an engine or the like. The fuel tank consists essentially of two containers, one for the cryogenic fuel and the other for a secondary cryogenic liquid which is used to cool the fuel during storage when no fuel is being consumed. By the method of the invention the build up of fuel vapor pressure during storage is avoided and the vapor pressure maintained at a predetermined level. The fuel tank described herein was two distinct modes of operation, namely, the fuel storage mode and the fuel supply mode. In the fuel storage mode the cryogenic fuel is being stored for later use while the secondary fluid is being used as a heat sink for the heat absorbed by the tank from the environment. In the fuel supply mode fuel is being supplied by the tank for consumption both as a liquid and as a gas while the secondary fluid is being restored to its initial state of lower temperature by the use of a refrigerator which employs the fuel as a heat sink. The two containers are thermally insulated from the outside environment as well as from each other. The fuel container and the secondary fluid container are connected by a heat transfer bridge which permits heat flow from the fuel to the secondary fluid only during the storage mode of operation. The fuel container has two fuel discharge connections, one carrying the liquid fuel the other carrying gaseous fuel which is vaporized within the fuel container. The pressure in the fuel container is maintained at an adequate level for the fuel supply to proceed without the need for a fuel pump.

A cryogenic fuel tank for use with an engine which when operating consumes the cryogenic fuel, the fuel tank comprising:

a fluid-tight cryogenic fuel container having first and second ends and containing a quantity of cryogenic fuel,
a fluid-tight secondary cryogenic fluid container having first and second ends and containing a quantity of secondary cryogenic fluid,
a refrigeration system comprising a high temperature heat exchanger, a low temperature heat exchanger, a compressor, an expander and refrigeration working fluid,
said high temperature heat exchanger being located in said cryogenic fuel container and being part of said refrigeration system,
said low temperature heat exchanger being located in said secondary cryogenic fluid container and being part of said refrigeration system,
said refrigeration system periodically transferring heat from said secondary cryogenic fluid to said cryogenic fuel when said engine is consuming said cryogenic fuel,
a heat exchange bridge passing through said cryogenic fuel container and being connected to said secondary cryogenic fluid container,
said heat exchange bridge periodically transferring heat from said cryogenic fuel to said secondary cryogenic fluid when said engine is not consuming said cryogenic fuel,
a fluid-tight outside shell having first and second ends and enclosing said cryogenic fuel container and said secondary cryogenic fluid container,
a means of supporting said cryogenic fuel container and said secondary cryogenic fluid container within said outside shell,
a means for filling said cryogenic fuel container with said cryogenic fuel,
a means for extracting said cryogenic fuel from said cryogenic fuel container,
a means for filling said secondary cryogenic fluid container with said secondary cryogenic fluid,
a means for venting said cryogenic fuel from said cryogenic fuel container,
a means for venting said secondary cryogenic fluid from said secondary cryogenic fluid container,
a means for thermally insulating said cryogenic fuel container and said secondary cryogenic fluid container and said refrigeration system.

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Abstract

Claims34