Apparatus and process for rapidly filling with hydrogen

An apparatus for rapidly filling a hydrogen tank with a hydrogen gas comprising:

• a hydrogen source;
• a hydrogen tank;
• a passage which connects said hydrogen source and said hydrogen tank;
• and
• a mechanism for varying the hydrogen-filling rate depending on the pressure within the hydrogen tank, wherein the mechanism allows the hydrogen gas to be introduced into said hydrogen tank at a first hydrogen-filling rate when the pressure within the hydrogen tank is lower than a predetermined pressure, and wherein the hydrogen gas is introduced into said hydrogen tank at a second hydrogen-filling rate which is higher than said first hydrogen-filling rate when the pressure within the hydrogen tank is not lower than the predetermined pressure.

An apparatus for rapidly filling a hydrogen tank with a hydrogen gas comprising:

• a hydrogen source;
• a hydrogen tank;
• a passage which connects said hydrogen source and said hydrogen tank;
• and
• a mechanism comprising a filling rate variable valve for varying the hydrogen-filling rate depending upon the pressure within said hydrogen tank at the time of hydrogen-filling, and for introducing the hydrogen gas into the hydrogen tank at a high filling rate when the pressure in the hydrogen tank is increased,
• wherein the filling rate variable valve includes a valve seat and a valve element that is moveable in response to the pressure within the hydrogen tank to allow the hydrogen gas to be introduced for flowing through a passage formed between said valve element and valve seat, wherein said passage formed between the valve element and the valve seat is widened to increase the hydrogen-filling rate when the pressure within the tank is increased.