Method for replacing gas tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025290605-A1
Application number	US-202418976734-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2024
Priority date	Mar 12, 2024
Publication date	Sep 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The method comprises: a first step of supplying the gas in the first tank body to the gas consuming device through the first gas supply pipe by bringing the first gas tank into the first state; a second step of bringing the first gas tank from the first state to the second state after the first step has been followed by a reduction in the amount of the gas in the first tank body to less than a predetermined reference amount; and a third step of bringing the first gas tank from the second state to the third state after the gas in the first gas supply pipe has been consumed by the gas consuming device and the pressure of the gas in the first gas supply pipe has been reduced to less than the predetermined reference pressure after the second step.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for replacing a gas tank, the gas tank being replaced in a gas supply device that includes a plurality of gas tanks connected to a plurality of gas supply pipes and is configured to supply gas to a gas consuming device from the gas tanks through the gas supply pipes,
a first gas tank that is one of the plurality of gas tanks being configured to supply the gas to the gas consuming device through a first gas supply pipe that is one of the plurality of gas supply pipes, the first gas tank including a first tank body that stores the gas to be supplied to the gas consuming device in a high-pressure state, and a first on-off valve that is configured to open or close a gas supply port of the first tank body and is connected to the first gas supply pipe, the first gas tank being configured to make transition to: a first state in which the gas in the first tank body is supplied to the gas consuming device through the first gas supply pipe by opening the first on-off valve with the first on-off valve connected to the first gas supply pipe; a second state in which the gas in the first tank body is not supplied to the gas consuming device by closing the first on-off valve with the first on-off valve connected to the first gas supply pipe; and a third state in which the first on-off valve is disconnected from the first gas supply pipe with the first on-off valve closed, the method comprising: supplying the gas in the first tank body to the gas consuming device through the first gas supply pipe by bringing the first gas tank to the first state; bringing the first gas tank from the first state to the second state after an amount of the gas in the first tank body decreases to an amount less than a predetermined reference amount after the supplying of the gas; and bringing the first gas tank from the second state to the third state after the gas in the first gas supply pipe is consumed by the gas consuming device and a pressure of the gas in the first gas supply pipe decreases to a pressure lower than a predetermined reference pressure after the bringing of the first gas tank from the first state to the second state.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the gas consuming device is a fuel cell configured to generate electric power by consuming the gas, and is configured to supply the generated electric power to a power consuming device; the power consuming device is configured to consume the electric power supplied from the fuel cell and electric power supplied from a storage battery different from the fuel cell; and the method includes supplying the electric power from the storage battery to the power consuming device without supplying the electric power from the fuel cell to the power consuming device when the first gas tank is in the second state after the bringing of the first gas tank from the first state to the second state.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the gas supply device includes a movement device configured to move the first gas tank; and the movement device is configured to cause the first gas tank to make transition to the first state, the second state, or the third state by moving the first gas tank.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
a second gas tank that is one of the plurality of gas tanks is configured to supply the gas to the gas consuming device through a second gas supply pipe that is one of the plurality of gas supply pipes; the second gas tank includes a second tank body that stores the gas to be supplied to the gas consuming device in a high-pressure state, and a second on-off valve that is configured to open or close a gas supply port of the second tank body and is connected to the second gas supply pipe; the second gas tank is configured to make transition to a first state in which the gas in the second tank body is supplied to the gas consuming device through the second gas supply pipe by opening the second on-off valve with the second on-off valve connected to the second gas supply pipe; and the method further includes bringing the second gas tank to the first state after the gas in the first gas supply pipe is consumed by the gas consuming device and the pressure of the gas in the first gas supply pipe decreases to a pressure lower than the reference pressure after the bringing of the first gas tank from the first state to the second state.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein:
the first gas supply pipe is provided with a first check valve; the second gas supply pipe is provided with a second check valve; and the first gas supply pipe on a downstream side of the first check valve and the second gas supply pipe on a downstream side of the second check valve merge with each other.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tomi Naoki
• Fujimura Yoshikatsu
• Kaneko Keiichi
• Tonosako Tetsuya
• Kato Kei
• NAKASHIMA Tomoki
• Sugiura Koji

Classifications

• F17C2223/0123

  gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC · CPC title

• F17C2270/0763

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• F17D3/01

  for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product · CPC title

• F17D1/04

  for distribution of gas · CPC title

• F17C13/00

  Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels · CPC title