Distributed hydrogen refueling cascade method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077871-B2
Application number	US-201414291760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2014
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a compressed fuel dispensing station having a compressor configured to compress a fuel source, a plurality of fuel dispensing units, at least one low pressure compressed fuel reservoir fluidly connected to the fuel compressor and the plurality of fuel dispensing units, and a plurality of high pressure compressed fuel reservoirs, wherein each high pressure compressed fuel reservoir is fluidly connected to the fuel compressor and at least one fuel dispensing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compressed fuel dispensing station comprising:
a compressor configured to compress a fuel source;
a low pressure compressed fuel reservoir configured to receive compressed fuel from the compressor;
a medium pressure compressed fuel reservoir configured to receive compressed fuel from the compressor;
a plurality of high pressure compressed fuel reservoirs configured to receive compressed fuel from the compressor; and
a plurality of fuel dispensing units;
wherein each of the low pressure compressed fuel reservoir and the medium pressure compressed fuel reservoir is fluidly configured to supply compressed fuel to the plurality of fuel dispensing units; and
wherein each of the plurality of fuel dispensing units is fluidly configured to receive compressed fuel from one of the plurality of high pressure compressed fuel reservoirs, which is dedicated to that individual fuel dispensing unit.

2. The fuel dispensing station of claim 1 , further comprising a second compressor in fluid communication with the low pressure compressed fuel reservoir and the medium pressure compressed fuel reservoir, wherein the second compressor is configured to scavenge fuel from the low pressure compressed fuel reservoir and compress and discharge the fuel into the medium pressure compressed fuel reservoir.

3. The fuel dispensing station of claim 1 , further comprising a second compressor in fluid communication with the low pressure compressed fuel reservoir and the plurality of high pressure compressed fuel reservoirs, wherein the second compressor is configured to scavenge fuel from the low pressure compressed fuel reservoir and compress and discharge the fuel into the plurality of high pressure compressed fuel reservoirs.

4. The fuel dispensing station of claim 1 , further comprising a second compressor in fluid communication with the medium pressure compressed fuel reservoir and the plurality of high pressure compressed fuel reservoirs, wherein the second compressor is configured to scavenge fuel from the medium pressure compressed fuel reservoir and compress and discharge the fuel into the plurality of high pressure compressed fuel reservoirs.

5. The fuel dispensing station of claim 1 , further comprising a second compressor configured to scavenge fuel from one of the compressed fuel reservoirs and compress and discharge the fuel to one of the compressed fuel reservoirs of higher pressure.

6. The fuel dispensing station of any of claim 5 , wherein the second compressor is an electrochemical compressor.

7. The fuel dispensing station of claim 1 , wherein the fuel source includes at least one of hydrogen, natural gas, and propane.

8. The fuel dispensing station of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is an electrochemical hydrogen compressor.

9. The fuel dispensing station of claim 1 , wherein each high pressure compressed fuel reservoir has less volume capacity than the low pressure compressed fuel reservoir.

10. The fuel dispensing station of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is configured to prioritize supplying fuel to a specific high pressure compressed fuel reservoir.

Assignees

• Nuvera Fuel Cells Inc
• Nuvera Fuel Cells Llc

Inventors

• Blanchet Scott

Classifications

• F17C2221/033

  Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG · CPC title

• F17C2227/0164

  with specified compressor type, e.g. piston or impulsive type · CPC title

• F17C2205/0335

  Check-valves or non-return valves · CPC title

• Y02P90/45

  Hydrogen technologies in production processes · CPC title

• F17C2223/0153

  Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL · CPC title