Device for overheat protection for a type 4 compressed gas container

A pressure container for storing compressed hydrogen gas, said container comprising:

• an outer structural wall;
• a gas tight inner liner positioned adjacent to the outer structural wall, said inner liner defining a container chamber therein;
• an adapter extending through the outer wall and the liner and being sealed thereto, said adapter allowing a hydrogen fill gas to fill the container chamber under pressure;
• and
• a fill vessel positioned within the container chamber and being sealed and thermally coupled to the adapter, said fill vessel including a wall defining a fill chamber within the fill vessel and a gap between the fill vessel wall and the liner, said fill vessel including an opening through the fill vessel wall opposite to the adapter so that the gap and the fill chamber are in fluid communication, wherein the hydrogen fill gas is caused to flow through the adapter into the gap between a fill vessel and a liner so that gas within the container chamber is forced into the fill chamber.

A method of filling a pressure container with compressed gas, comprising:

• providing an outer structural wall;
• providing a gas tight liner defining a container chamber therein;
• providing an adapter extending through the outer wall and the liner;
• providing a fill vessel within the container chamber that is sealed and thermally coupled to the adapter, where the fill vessel includes a wall defining a fill chamber within the fill vessel and a gap between the fill vessel wall and the liner;
• and
• forcing a fill gas through the adapter and into the gap so that fill gas forces contained gas within the container chamber through an opening in the fill vessel and into the fill chamber.

A pressure container comprising:

• an outer wall system defining a container chamber therein;
• an adapter positioned in the wall system for allowing a fill gas to fill the container chamber under pressure;
• a fill vessel positioned within the container chamber, said fill vessel including a wall defining a fill chamber within the fill vessel and a gap between the fill vessel wall and the wall system, said fill vessel including an opening through the fill vessel wall so that the gap and the fill chamber are in fluid communication, wherein the fill gas is caused to flow through the adapter into the gap between the fill vessel and the wall system so that gas within the container chamber is forced into the fill chamber;
• and
• a support device, said support device being mounted to the fill vessel and the wall system opposite to the adapter to stabilize the fill vessel within the container chamber.

A pressure container comprising:

• an outer wall system defining a container chamber therein;
• an adapter positioned in the wall system for allowing a fill gas to fill the container chamber under pressure;
• and
• a fill vessel positioned within the container chamber, said fill vessel including a wall defining a fill chamber within the fill vessel and a gap between the fill vessel wall and the wall system, said fill vessel including an opening through the fill vessel wall so that the gap and the fill chamber are in fluid communication, wherein the fill gas is caused to flow through the adapter into the gap between the fill vessel and the wall system so that gas within the container chamber is forced into the fill chamber, and wherein the fill gas is hydrogen gas for a fuel cell.

A pressure container comprising:

• an outer wall system defining a container chamber therein;
• an adapter positioned in the wall system for allowing a fill gas to fill the container chamber under pressure;
• and
• a fill vessel positioned within the container chamber, said fill vessel including a wall defining a fill chamber within the fill vessel and a gap between the fill vessel wall and the wall system, said fill vessel including an opening through the fill vessel wall so that the gap and the fill chamber are in fluid communication, wherein the fill gas is caused to flow through the adapter into the gap between the fill vessel and the wall system so that gas within the container chamber is forced into the fill chamber, and wherein the fill vessel is directly sealed and thermally coupled to the adaptor.