Apparatus and method for cryogenic pump cooldown

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12092093-B2
Application number	US-202217689377-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2022
Priority date	Mar 8, 2022
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus and process for cooling down a liquid hydrogen or other cryogenic fluid pump can be configured to allow for a quick startup that also helps minimize hydrogen losses. Some embodiments can utilize a blow-by circuit configured and arranged to support the cryogenic cooldown operation for the pump that can minimize hydrogen loss while allowing substantially improved pump startup times. Some embodiments can utilize at least one temperature sensor to monitor temperature and an adjustable control valve that can facilitate the flow of the fluid utilized to perform the cooldown of the pump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for hydrogen storage and distribution, comprising:
a pump positioned to receive hydrogen from at least one storage tank;
the pump having a pump discharge outlet for a pump discharge conduit through which liquid is passable out of the pump;
the pump also having a compression cavity and a moveable piston moveable within the compression cavity, the pump also having piston rings positioned adjacent the compression cavity and the moveable piston;
the piston rings and the compression cavity positioned and configured so that hydrogen gas is passable into the compression cavity while the piston is stationary and is passable from the compression cavity through the piston rings to a cooling flow outlet configured to be in fluid communication with a cooldown discharge conduit for venting the hydrogen gas to atmosphere;
the at least one storage tank; and
a hydrogen feed conduit arrangement comprising at least one of a liquid feed conduit connected between the at least one storage tank and a feed inlet of the pump to supply liquid hydrogen from the at least one storage tank to the pump and a hydrogen gas supply conduit connected between the at least one storage tank and a feed inlet of the pump to supply hydrogen gas from the at least one storage tank to the pump; and
the cooldown discharge conduit connected to the pump so hydrogen gas passed through the cooling flow outlet is passable out of the pump and through the cooldown discharge conduit for being vented during a cooldown operation of the pump;
the cooldown discharge conduit having an adjustable valve that is adjustable to an open position for venting the hydrogen during the cooldown operation of the pump while the pump is deactivated;
a first temperature sensor connected to the pump to measure a temperature of hydrogen being fed from the at least one storage tank to the pump and/or a second temperature sensor connected to the cooldown discharge conduit to monitor a temperature of the hydrogen output from the pump for passing through the cooldown discharge conduit;
a controller communicatively connected to the first temperature sensor and/or the second temperature sensor to determine a difference between the temperature of the hydrogen being fed from the at least one storage tank to the pump and the temperature of the hydrogen output from the pump and passing through the cooldown discharge conduit; and
the controller configured to determine that the pump is at a temperature within a pre-selected operational temperature range and determine that the pump is activateable to feed hydrogen toward a dispenser in response to determining that the difference is within a pre-selected pump operational temperature threshold.

2. The apparatus for hydrogen storage and distribution of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust valves of the hydrogen feed conduit arrangement and communicate with a pump drive motor to turn the pump on in response to determining that the pump is at the temperature within the pre-selected pump operational temperature threshold and that the difference is within a pre-selected pump operational temperature threshold.

3. The apparatus for hydrogen storage and distribution of claim 1 , wherein the pump includes an internal cooling channel positioned to pass a portion of hydrogen gas to internal pump components after the hydrogen gas has passed the piston while moving along a cooling flow path toward the cooling flow outlet.

4. The apparatus for hydrogen storage and distribution of claim 1 , wherein the pump includes an internal cooling channel positioned to pass a portion of hydrogen gas to internal pump components after the hydrogen gas has passed the piston while moving along a cooling flow path toward the cooling flow outlet.

5. The hydrogen storage and distribution of claim 4 , wherein the cooling channel is defined within a cylinder of the pump.

6. A method of performing a pump cooldown operation, comprising:
opening a valve of a cooldown discharge conduit connected to a pump that is in fluid communication with a storage tank so that hydrogen within the storage tank is passable into a compression cavity of the pump while the pump is deactivated;
passing the hydrogen from the storage tank and into the pump while a piston of the pump is stationary so that hydrogen gas passed into the compression cavity while the piston is stationary is passed from the compression cavity and through piston rings positioned adjacent the compression cavity and the piston;
passing the hydrogen gas from the piston rings to the cooldown discharge conduit for being vented;
monitoring a temperature of the hydrogen passing through a portion of the pump to measure a temperature of hydrogen being fed from the storage tank to the pump, wherein a first temperature sensor connected to the pump measures the temperature of the hydrogen passing through the portion of the pump;
monitoring a temperature of the hydrogen output from the pump for passing through the cooldown discharge conduit, wherein a second temperature sensor connected to the cooldown discharge conduit measures the temperature of the hydrogen output from the pump for passing through the cooldown discharge conduit;
a controller communicatively connected to the first temperature sensor and/or the second temperature sensor determining whether the pump is at or below a pre-selected pump operational temperature threshold; and
in response to determining that the pump is at or below the pre-selected pump operational temperature threshold, the controller sending communications for closing the valve of the cooldown discharge conduit to cease venting of the hydrogen gas.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining that the pump is cooled to a temperature that is within a pre-selected operational pump temperature range; and
in response to determining that the pump is at the temperature that is within the pre-selected operational pump temperature range and also the controller determining that there is a demand for liquid hydrogen at a dispenser fluidly connected to the pump for fueling a vehicle, closing the valve of a cooldown discharge conduit to cease venting of the hydrogen gas and turning on a pump drive motor to turn the pump on for moving the piston of the pump within the compression cavity for feeding liquid hydrogen from the storage tank toward the dispenser.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a difference between the temperature of the hydrogen passing through the pump and the temperature of the hydrogen output from the pump and passed through the cooldown discharge conduit; and
in response to determining that (i) the difference is within the pre-selected pump operational temperature threshold, (ii) that the temperature of the hydrogen passing through the pump is within a pre-selected pump operational temperature range, and (iii) also that there is a demand for liquid hydrogen at a dispenser fluidly connected to the pump for fueling a vehicle, closing the valve of the cooldown discharge conduit to cease venting of the hydrogen and turning on a pump drive motor to turn the pump on for moving the piston of the pump within the compression cavity for feeding liquid hydrogen from the storage tank toward the dispenser.

9. The method of claim 6 , comprising:
in response to determining that the temperature within the pump is within a pre-selected operational temperature range, closing the valve of the cooldown discharge conduit to cease venting of the hydrogen gas and turning on a pump drive motor to turn the pump on for moving the piston of the pump within the compression cavity for feeding liquid hydrogen from the storage tank toward the dispenser.

Assignees

• Air Prod & Chem

Inventors

• Hoffman Steven W
• Chalk David Jonathan
• Cohen Joseph P

Classifications

• F04B15/08 Primary

  the liquids having low boiling points · CPC title

• F04B39/06 Primary

  Cooling; Heating; Prevention of freezing · CPC title

• F04B2205/11

  Outlet temperature · CPC title

• F04B2205/10

  Inlet temperature · CPC title

• F04B53/06

  Venting · CPC title