Method for controlling pressure release in a liquid gas fuel volume, a liquid gas fuel volume, and a vehicle comprising the liquid gas fuel volume

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024152166-A1
Application number	US-202318496038-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2023
Priority date	Nov 7, 2022
Publication date	May 9, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for controlling pressure release in a liquid gas fuel volume in a vehicle, the liquid gas fuel volume being arranged with a control unit and a pressure release valve configured to automatically ventilate gas to an external environment when a pressure in the liquid gas fuel volume exceeds a predetermined ventilation set point. The method comprises obtaining by the control unit data, determining by the control unit a refueling pressure set point for the liquid gas fuel volume based on the obtained data, and at a subsequent refueling operation, communicating the refueling pressure set point as a maximum pressure threshold to be used when refueling the liquid gas fuel volume. A control unit to control pressure release according to the method, a computer program, a computer-readable medium, a liquid fuel gas volume arranged with the control unit, and a vehicle comprising the liquid fuel gas volume.

First claim

1 . A computer-implemented method for controlling pressure release in a liquid gas fuel volume in a vehicle, the liquid gas fuel volume being arranged with a control unit and a pressure release valve configured to automatically ventilate gas to an external environment when a pressure in the liquid gas fuel volume exceeds a predetermined ventilation set point, the method comprising:
obtaining, by the control unit, data which pertains to historical automatic ventilation events of the liquid gas fuel volume; determining, by the control unit, a refueling pressure set point for the liquid gas fuel volume based on the obtained data; and at a subsequent refueling operation, communicating, by the control unit, the refueling pressure set point to be used as a maximum pressure threshold when refueling the liquid gas fuel volume.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the refueling pressure set point is determined by modifying a previous refueling pressure set point by a predetermined amount based on the obtained data.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a volume of gas ventilated from the liquid gas fuel volume during historical automatic ventilation events.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the refueling pressure set point is set based on the determined volume of gas ventilated during historical automatic ventilation events.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the volume of gas ventilated from the liquid gas fuel volume is based on ambient measurements, such as ambient temperature and ambient pressure.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein setting the refueling pressure set point is based on theoretical formulas describing physical relationships relating to volume, pressure, and/or temperature of the liquid gas fuel volume and/or its ambient surroundings.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtained data further pertains to operation of the vehicle and wherein the method further comprises:
analyzing, by the control unit, the data on the operation of the vehicle and the data on historical automatic ventilation events; and determining, by the control unit, a pattern between the operation of the vehicle and the historical automatic ventilation events prior to determining the refueling pressure set point for the liquid gas fuel volume.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting of the refueling pressure set point is limited to at least a minimum refueling pressure.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating the refueling pressure set point to a refueling station.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating the refueling pressure set point to a driver of the vehicle.

11 . A control unit configured to control pressure release in a liquid gas fuel volume according to the method of claim 1 .

12 . The control unit of claim 11 , further comprising a sensor unit configured to detect properties of the liquid gas fuel volume.

13 . The control unit of claim 11 , further comprising a communications unit configured to communicate the refueling pressure set point.

14 . A computer program product comprising program code for performing the method of claim 1 when executed by the control unit.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by the control unit of claim 12 , causes the control unit to perform a method for controlling pressure release in a liquid gas fuel volume in a vehicle, the liquid gas fuel volume being arranged with a control unit and a pressure release valve configured to automatically ventilate gas to an external environment when a pressure in the liquid gas fuel volume exceeds a predetermined ventilation set point, comprising:
obtaining, by the control unit, data which pertains to historical automatic ventilation events of the liquid gas fuel volume; determining, by the control unit, a refueling pressure set point for the liquid gas fuel volume based on the obtained data; and at a subsequent refueling operation, communicating, by the control unit, the refueling pressure set point to be used as a maximum pressure threshold when refueling the liquid gas fuel volume.

16 . A liquid gas fuel volume arranged with the control unit of claim 11 and a pressure release valve configured to automatically ventilate gas to an external environment when a pressure in the liquid gas fuel volume exceeds a predetermined ventilation set point.

17 . A vehicle powered by liquid gas fuel, such as liquid hydrogen or liquid natural gas, the vehicle comprising the liquid gas fuel volume of claim 16 .

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Wilhelmsson Martin
• Stjernberg Oscar

Classifications

• G05D16/2013 Primary

  using throttling means as controlling means · CPC title

• B60K15/035 Primary

  characterised by venting means · CPC title

• B60K2015/03585

  by gas pressure · CPC title