# US 9,434,598 B2 · Mobile fueling vehicle and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,598 B2 - Document ID: US9434598B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/829,674 - Filed: 2013-03-14 - Published: 2013-09-19 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-15 - Assignees: Ultimate CNG, LLC - Applicants: Ultimate CNG, LLC - Inventors: Dennis A. Pick; Brian P. Fimian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434598B2 ## CPC - B67D 7/04: for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants - B60K 15/00: Arrangement in connection with fuel supply of combustion engines {or other fuel consuming energy converters, e.g. fuel cells}; Mounting or construction of fuel tanks - F17C 5/007: {for individual gas tanks or containers, e.g. in vehicles (filling with liquid fuel not under pressure, B60S5/02, B67D7/00)} - F17C 5/06: for filling with compressed gases - F17C 7/00: Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass - F17C 2201/0104: cylindrical - F17C 2201/035: with substantially horizontal main axis - F17C 2201/054: medium (>1 m3) - F17C 2205/0111: Boxes - F17C 2205/0142: bundled in parallel - F17C 2205/0157: for transport - F17C 2221/033: Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG - F17C 2223/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC - F17C 2223/0161: cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG - F17C 2223/033: Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas - F17C 2223/036: Very high pressure (>80 bar) - F17C 2225/0123: gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC - F17C 2225/0161: cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG - F17C 2225/033: Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas - F17C 2225/036: Very high pressure, i.e. above 80 bars - F17C 2227/0157: Compressors - F17C 2227/043: by pressure cascade - F17C 2250/01: Intermediate tanks - F17C 2250/032: using computers - F17C 2250/043: Pressure - F17C 2250/0439: Temperature - F17C 2265/065: for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks - F17C 2265/066: for feeding engines for propulsion - F17C 2270/0139: Fuel stations - F17C 2270/0171: Trucks - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25) ## Abstract Vehicles, systems, and methods for delivering natural gas and providing mobile fueling services are disclosed. A method of delivering natural gas includes: delivering a source vehicle to a receiving tank for receiving natural gas at a remote refueling location, the source vehicle having a natural gas engine for driving the vehicle and a source tank disposed onboard the source vehicle for storing the natural gas; and transferring natural gas from the source vehicle to the receiving tank using pressure equalization between the source tank and the receiving tank and using a compressor disposed onboard the source vehicle. The onboard compressor is operatively connected to and powered by the source vehicle engine. The source tank is adapted to store a volume greater than or equal to about 200 DGE of natural gas and supplies natural gas to power the source vehicle engine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of delivering natural gas, comprising: delivering a source vehicle to a receiving tank for receiving natural gas at a remote refueling location, the source vehicle having a natural gas engine for driving the vehicle and a source tank disposed onboard the source vehicle for storing the natural gas; and transferring natural gas from the source vehicle to the receiving tank using pressure equalization between the source tank and the receiving tank and using a compressor disposed onboard the source vehicle, wherein the source tank comprises a composite material, is configured to store greater than about 200 DGE of natural gas at about 3600 psi and at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and is configured to supply natural gas to power the source vehicle engine. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the onboard compressor is operatively connected to and powered by the source vehicle engine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving tank is part of a customer vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the source tank comprises a plurality of tanks for storing natural gas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring natural gas from the source vehicle to the receiving tank uses tank equalization between the source tank and the receiving tank before using compression provided by the compressor disposed onboard the source vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring natural gas occurs at a rate of about 8 DGE/min to a pressure in the receiving tank of about 3600 psi. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring natural gas occurs at a rate of about 9 DGE/min to a pressure in the receiving tank of about 3600 psi. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring natural gas occurs at a rate of about 10 DGE/min to a pressure in the receiving tank of about 3600 psi. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring natural gas occurs at a rate of about 11 DGE/min to a pressure in the receiving tank of about 3600 psi. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the source tank is adapted to configured to store greater than about 300 DGE of natural gas. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the source tank is configured to store greater than about 600 DOE of natural gas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the source tank is configured to store about 700 DGE of natural gas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the source tank is configured to store about 1500 DOE of natural gas. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the source tank comprises either a Type 3 NGV2 tank or a Type 4 NGV2 tank. ### Claim 15 A natural gas fueling vehicle, comprising: a source tank disposed onboard the vehicle, comprising a composite material, configured to store greater than about 200 DGE of natural gas at about 3600 psi and at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and configured to provide the natural gas to a discrete receiving tank; an engine operatively connected to the source tank for receiving natural gas from the source tank to power the engine; and a first compressor operatively connected to and powered by the natural gas engine for compressing natural gas delivered from the source tank to the discrete receiving tank. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the source tank comprises a plurality of tanks. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a transfer case operatively connected between the natural gas engine and the first compressor for transferring power from the engine to the first compressor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the receiving tank is part of a vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a second compressor removably disposed on the vehicle, the second compressor to configured to be connected between the source tank and a natural gas source. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a location monitoring device for monitoring the location of the source vehicle. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The vehicle of claim 20, wherein the location monitoring device comprises a GPS receiver. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a fuel level sensor for monitoring the volume of natural gas in the source tank. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of outlets for connecting to the discrete receiving tank, wherein each outlet is operatively connected to the source tank, and wherein the plurality of outlets are disposed at one or more of: the right front portion of the vehicle, the right rear portion of the vehicle, the left front portion of the vehicle, and the left rear portion of the vehicle. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the source tank is configured to store about 100 M BTUs of natural gas. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the source tank comprises either a Type 3 NGV2 tank or a Type 4 NGV2 tank. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the source tank is configured to store greater than about 600 DOE of natural gas.