Apparatus and method for filling fuel

A fuel filling apparatus for filling a hydrogen gas into a fuel tank of an automobile that uses the hydrogen gas as a fuel, comprising:

• a flow modulating valve, for modulating a supply amount of hydrogen gas,
• a cooling means using a liquid inert gas as a refrigerant, for cooling the hydrogen gas passing through the flow modulating valve, wherein the liquid inert gas does not mix with the hydrogen gas, and
• a control means for controlling the supply amount of the hydrogen gas, wherein the control means further comprises a memory unit for storing a temperature history data base and a control unit for controlling the supply amount of the hydrogen gas by modulating an aperture of the flow modulating valve according to data stored in the temperature history data base, and
• wherein the temperature history data base comprises data showing a relationship between a temperature in the fuel tank before filling, a temperature of the hydrogen gas fill to the fuel tank, the aperture of the flow modulating valve, and a temperature in the fuel tank when filling the hydrogen gas.

A fuel filling method using a fuel filling apparatus to fill a hydrogen gas into a fuel tank of an automobile that uses the hydrogen gas as a fuel, comprising:

• cooling the hydrogen gas passing through the flow modulating valve by using a cooling means of the fuel filling apparatus;
• and
• filling the cooled hydrogen gas into the fuel tank,
• wherein the fuel filling apparatus comprises:
• a flow modulating valve for modulating a supply amount of the hydrogen gas;
• the cooling means using a liquid inert gas as a refrigerant for cooling the hydrogen gas, the liquid inert gas not being mixed with the hydrogen gas;
• and
• a control means for controlling the supply amount of the hydrogen gas,
• wherein the control means for controlling the supply amount of the hydrogen gas comprises a memory unit for storing a temperature history data base and a control unit for controlling the supply amount of the hydrogen gas by modulating an aperture of the flow modulating valve according to data stored in the temperature history data base, and
• the temperature history data base comprises data showing a relationship between a temperature in the fuel tank before filling, a temperature of the hydrogen gas fill to the fuel tank, the aperture of the flow modulating valve, and a temperature in the fuel tank when filling the hydrogen gas.