Method and system for temperature-controlled gas dispensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9279541-B2
Application number	US-201313867208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2013
Priority date	Apr 22, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A system and method for dispensing a compressed gas into a receiving vessel wherein a target temperature profile for the receiving vessel during dispensing is provided, and the flow rate of compressed gas into the receiving vessel is controlled to conform the temperature profile for the receiving vessel during dispensing to the target temperature profile.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method for dispensing a compressed gas into a receiving vessel employing a supply of compressed gas, a fluid conveyance operatively connecting the supply to the receiving vessel, a flow control device capable of varying the flow rate of compressed gas through the fluid conveyance, and a flow controller for controlling the flow control device, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) passing compressed gas from the supply through the fluid conveyance into the receiving vessel;
(b) providing a target temperature from a target temperature profile for the receiving vessel, the target temperature profile for the receiving vessel providing target temperatures during dispensing;
(c) determining an apparent temperature which is representative for an instantaneous temperature of the receiving vessel;
(d) determining a deviation between the apparent temperature and the target temperature from the target temperature profile; and
(e) varying the flow rate of compressed gas during dispensing by means of the flow control device to conform a temperature profile that the receiving vessel undergoes during dispensing to the target temperature profile; and
(f) repeating steps (b), (c), (d), and (e) during the dispensing process,
(g) wherein the flow rate of compressed gas is varied in step (e) in response to the deviation to conform an apparent temperature profile of the receiving vessel to the target temperature profile, wherein the apparent temperature profile is produced from the apparent temperatures.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target temperature is provided as a function of a pressure which is representative for the instantaneous pressure of the compressed gas in the receiving vessel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes determining an apparent pressure which is representative for the instantaneous pressure of the compressed gas in the receiving vessel and determining the target temperature by generating the target temperature as a function of the apparent pressure.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of determining an initial apparent pressure representative for an initial pressure of the compressed gas in the receiving vessel before passing compressed gas into the receiving vessel, wherein the target temperature profile is determined depending on the initial apparent pressure.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of determining an initial apparent temperature representative for an initial temperature of the receiving vessel before passing compressed gas into the receiving vessel, wherein the target temperature profile is determined depending on the initial apparent temperature.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a maximum temperature representative for a maximum allowable temperature of the receiving vessel, wherein the target temperature profile is determined depending on the maximum temperature.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compressed gas is dispensed into the receiving vessel at a rate of pressure rise, and the rate of pressure rise is varied to conform the temperature profile of the receiving vessel to the target temperature profile.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compressed gas is dispensed into the receiving vessel at a rate of pressure rise, and the rate of pressure rise is varied to decrease the deviation between the apparent temperatures and the target temperatures.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target temperature profile is predetermined, and linear or based on a model of receiving vessel heating.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target temperature profile is provided as a temperature path as a function of an apparent pressure which is representative for the instantaneous pressure of compressed gas in the receiving vessel and/or elapsed dispensing time.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target temperature profile is determined depending upon at least one of a desired final target temperature and a desired final target pressure of the compressed gas in the receiving vessel at end of dispensing.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target temperature profile is provided as a function, T target =T target (P 110 , T max , P 0 , T 0 , T target final , P target final ), wherein
P 110 is an apparent pressure representative for the instantaneous pressure of the gas in the receiving vessel,
Tmax is a maximum temperature representative for a maximum allowable temperature of the receiving vessel,
P o is an initial apparent pressure representative for an initial pressure of the compressed gas in the receiving vessel before passing compressed gas into the receiving vessel,
T o is an initial apparent temperature representative for an initial temperature of the receiving vessel before passing compressed gas into the receiving vessel,
T target, final is a desired final target temperature when dispensing is concluded, and
P target, final is a desired final target pressure when dispensing is concluded.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target temperature profile is provided as a function of an apparent pressure of the compressed gas in the receiving vessel as follows:
T target =T target ( p 110 )= T max −X*p 110 Y ,

wherein
p 110 is the apparent pressure representative for the instantaneous pressure of the gas in the receiving vessel,
T max is a maximum temperature representative for a maximum allowable temperature of the receiving vessel, and
X, Y are coefficients calculated from the maximum temperature, an initial apparent pressure in the receiving vessel representative for an initial pressure of the compressed gas in the receiving vessel before passing compressed gas into the receiving vessel, an initial apparent temperature representative for an initial temperature of the receiving vessel before passing compressed gas into the receiving vessel, a desired final target temperature when dispensing is concluded, and a desired final pressure when dispensing is concluded.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of monitoring an apparent temperature which is representative for the instantaneous temperature of the receiving vessel, and creating an alarm and/or terminating the filling operation if the apparent temperature fails to rise or does not change as expected as dispensing proceeds.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of monitoring (i) an apparent temperature which is representative for the instantaneous temperature of the receiving vessel, and (ii) an apparent pressure representative for the instantaneous pressure of the gas in the receiving vessel, and creating an alarm and/or terminating the filling operation if the apparent temperature fails to rise or does not change as expected as the actual pressure rises.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of
(i) determining a target difference between a first target temperature provided in a first time interval and a second target temperature provided in a second time interval of the dispensing process, the second time interval following the first time interval,
(ii) determining a first apparent temperature in the first time interval and a second apparent temperature in the second time interval, the first apparent temperature and the second apparent temperature each being representative for an instantaneous temperature of the receiving vessel,
(iii) determining an apparent difference between the first apparent temperature and the second apparent temperature,
(iv) comparing the apparent difference with the tar

Assignees

• Air Prod & Chem

Inventors

• Cohen Joseph Perry

Classifications

• F17C2260/023

  Avoiding overheating · CPC title

• F17C2250/0689

  Methods for controlling or regulating · CPC title

• F17C5/06 Primary

  for filling with compressed gases · CPC title

• F17C2227/0388

  separate · CPC title

• F17C2265/065

  for refuelling vehicle fuel tanks · CPC title