Compressed Gas Dispensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017336028-A1
Application number	US-201715465723-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2017
Priority date	May 23, 2016
Publication date	Nov 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Compressed gas dispensing methods using cascade dispensing from a first plurality of storage vessels and a second plurality of storage vessels. A compressor is used to provide very high pressure compressed gas for the second plurality of pressure storage vessels. Various methods are described for different sources of the compressed gas. The methods are particularly suitable for dispensing hydrogen into storage vessels in vehicles.

First claim

1 . A method for dispensing a gas to a receiving vessel, the method comprising:
transferring a first quantity of the gas from at least one of a first plurality of storage vessels or a gas source to at least one storage vessel of a second plurality of storage vessels via a compressor; transferring a second quantity of the gas from the gas source to a first storage vessel of the first plurality of storage vessels using a pressure difference between the gas in the gas source and the gas in the first storage vessel to transfer the second quantity of the gas while simultaneously transferring a third quantity of the gas from the gas source to the receiving vessel using a respective pressure difference between the gas of the gas source and the gas in the receiving vessel to transfer the third quantity of the gas; and transferring a fourth quantity of the gas from the at least one storage vessel of the second plurality of storage vessels to the receiving vessel using a respective pressure difference between the gas in the at least one storage vessel of the second plurality of storage vessels and the gas in the receiving vessel to transfer the fourth quantity of the gas, wherein the fourth quantity of the gas comprises at least a portion of the first quantity of the gas.

2 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the first quantity of the gas is transferred from the gas source to the at least one storage vessel of the second plurality of storage vessels simultaneous with the transfer of the second quantity of the gas from the gas source to the first storage vessel of the first plurality of storage vessels and the transfer of the third quantity of the gas from the gas source to the receiving vessel.

3 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
transferring a fifth quantity of the gas from a second storage vessel of the first plurality of storage vessels to the receiving vessel using a respective pressure difference between the gas in the second storage vessel of the first plurality of storage vessels and the gas in the receiving vessel.

4 . The method according to claim 3 further comprising:
transferring a sixth quantity of the gas from the second storage vessel of the first plurality of storage vessels to the receiving vessel via the compressor simultaneous with the transfer of the fourth quantity of the gas from the at least one storage vessel of the second plurality of storage vessels to the receiving vessel by the respective pressure difference.

5 . The method according to claim 4 further comprising:
transferring a seventh quantity of the gas from the first storage vessel of the first plurality of storage vessels to the receiving vessel using a pressure difference between the gas in the first storage vessel of the first plurality of storage vessels and the gas in the receiving vessel.

6 . The method according to claim 5 wherein the seventh quantity of the gas is transferred from the first storage vessel of the first plurality of storage vessels to the receiving vessel while simultaneously transferring an eighth quantity of the gas from the gas source to the receiving vessel using a respective pressure difference between the gas of the gas source and the gas in the receiving vessel to transfer the eighth quantity of the gas.

7 . The method according to claim 6 further comprising:
transferring a quantity of the gas from the gas source to the receiving vessel via the compressor simultaneous with the transfer of one of
the fourth quantity of the gas from the at least one storage vessel of the second plurality of storage vessels to the receiving vessel and
a tenth quantity of the gas from at least one of the storage vessels of the second plurality of storage vessels to the receiving vessel using a respective pressure difference between the gas in the at least one storage vessel of the second plurality of storage vessels and the gas in the receiving vessel to transfer the tenth quantity of the gas, wherein the tenth quantity of the gas comprises at least a portion of the first quantity of the gas.

8 . A dispensing station for dispensing gas to a receiving vessel, the dispensing station comprising:
a mobile compressed gas storage device comprising a plurality of storage vessels, each of the plurality of storage vessels having a control valve associated therewith for dispensing the gas from each respective storage vessel to the receiving vessel using a respective pressure difference between the gas in the respective storage vessel and the gas in the receiving vessel; and fixed dispensing station components comprising: a compressing means operatively disposed to receive gas from each of the plurality of storage vessels of the mobile compressed gas storage device; and one or more fixed storage vessels operatively disposed to receive gas from the compressor and operatively disposed to dispense gas to the receiving vessel.

9 . The dispensing station according to claim 8 wherein all of the control valves associated with the plurality of storage vessels for dispensing to the receiving vessel are fixed on the mobile compressed gas storage device and wherein all of the control valves associated with the plurality of storage vessels for dispensing to the receiving vessel are operatively disposed to feed a common connector connecting the mobile compressed gas storage device to the fixed dispensing station components.

10 . The dispensing station according to claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of storage vessels have a control valve associated therewith for transferring gas from each respective storage vessel to the compressing means;
wherein all of the control valves associated with the plurality of storage vessels for transferring gas to the compressing means are fixed on the mobile compressed gas storage device.

11 . The dispensing station according to claim 10 wherein all of the control valves associated with the plurality of storage vessels for transferring gas to the compressing means are operatively disposed to feed a second common connector connecting the mobile compressed gas storage device to the fixed dispensing station components.

12 . A method for dispensing a gas to a plurality of receiving vessels, the method comprising:
transferring a first quantity of the gas from a first storage vessel of a plurality of storage vessels on a first mobile compressed gas storage device to a receiving vessel using a pressure difference between the gas in the first storage vessel and the gas in the receiving vessel to transfer the first quantity of gas; transferring a second quantity of the gas from a second storage vessel of the plurality of storage vessels on the first mobile compressed gas storage device to the receiving vessel using a pressure difference between the gas in the second storage vessel and the gas in the receiving vessel to transfer the second quantity of gas; transferring a third quantity of the gas from at least one of the plurality of storage vessels on the first mobile compressed gas storage device to one or more fixed compressed gas storage vessels via a compressor; transferring a fourth quantity of the gas from at least one of the one or more fixed compressed gas storage vessels to the receiving vessel using a pressure difference between the gas in the at least one of the one or more fixed compressed gas storage vessels and the gas in the receiving vessel to transfer the fourth quantity of gas, wherein the fourth quantity of gas comprises at least a portion of the third quantity of gas; transporting the first mobile compressed gas storage device to a refilling station after the first mobile compressed gas storage device has been depleted to

Assignees

• Air Prod & Chem

Inventors

• Cohen Joseph Perry
• Farese David John
• Thompson Donald Earl
• Carlson Todd Eric
• Bruneau Erwan Louis Joseph
• Schnitzeler Franciscus Joannes Marcel
• Ramos Torres Kelly Daniela

Classifications

• F17C2223/036

  Very high pressure (>80 bar) · CPC title

• F17C5/007

  for individual gas tanks or containers, e.g. in vehicles (filling with liquid fuel not under pressure, B60S5/02, B67D7/00) · CPC title

• F17C2270/0139

  Fuel stations · CPC title

• F17C2223/0123

  gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC · CPC title

• F17C2227/0157

  Compressors · CPC title