System and method for gaseous hydrogen recovery in a hydrogen fueling station

Abstract

The invention relates to an integrated hydrogen fueling station for fueling of vehicle tanks with hydrogen characterized in that it comprises an electrochemical compressing unit in which secondary hydrogen originating from leakage, boiling-off or venting of hydrogen-containing gas in one or more of the fueling station’s operative units is compressed wherein the secondary hydrogen contains hydrogen and further gaseous components, and to a method for operating such a hydrogen fueling station.

Claims

An integrated hydrogen fueling station for fueling of vehicle tanks with hydrogen comprising an electrochemical compressing unit (3) in which secondary hydrogen originating from leakage, boiling-off or venting of hydrogen-containing gas in one or more of the fueling station operative units is compressed, wherein the secondary hydrogen contains hydrogen and further gaseous components, characterized by comprising one or more mechanical hydrogen compressing units (1) producing secondary hydrogen which is collected and transferred to the electrochemical compressing unit (3).The hydrogen fueling station of claim 1 comprising one or more hydrogen dispensing units producing secondary hydrogen which is collected and transferred to the electrochemical compressing unit (3).The hydrogen fueling station of claim 1 comprising one or more hydrogen transport lines producing secondary hydrogen which is collected and transferred to the electrochemical compressing unit (3).The hydrogen fueling station of claim 1 wherein the secondary hydrogen contains hydrogen in an amount of from 25 % to 90 % by mass, or wherein nitrogen makes up 50 % by mass or more of the further gaseous components contained in the secondary hydrogen.The hydrogen fueling station of claim 1 wherein the impurity level of hydrogen in the pressurized hydrogen obtained after compression in the electrochemical compressing unit (3) is 300 ppm or lower.The hydrogen fueling station of claim 1 comprising a secondary hydrogen collecting system which collects the secondary hydrogen produced by one or more of the hydrogen fueling station operation units and which is connected to the electrochemical compressing unit (3).The hydrogen fueling station of claim 6 wherein the secondary hydrogen collecting system comprises a secondary hydrogen buffer tank.The hydrogen fueling station of claim 1 wherein the compressed hydrogen obtained from the electrochemical compressing unit (3) is transferred to an intermediate hydrogen storage volume or is combined with high-pressure primary hydrogen.A method for operating a hydrogen fueling station for fueling of vehicle tanks with hydrogen wherein secondary hydrogen originating from leakage, boiling-off or venting of hydrogen-containing gas in one or more of the fueling station operative units is compressed in an electrochemical compressing unit (3), and wherein the secondary hydrogen contains hydrogen and further gaseous components, characterized by comprising collecting secondary hydrogen produced by one or more mechanical hydrogen compressing units (1) or one or more hydrogen dispensing units and transferring it to the electrochemical compressing unit (3).The method of claim 9 comprising collecting secondary hydrogen produced by one or more hydrogen dispensing units and transferring it to the electrochemical compressing unit (3), or comprising collecting secondary hydrogen produced by one or more hydrogen transport lines and transferring it to the electrochemical compressing unit (3). The method of claim 9 wherein the secondary hydrogen contains hydrogen in an amount of from 25 % to 90 % by mass, or wherein nitrogen makes up 50 % by mass or more of the further gaseous components contained in the secondary hydrogen, or wherein the impurity level of hydrogen in the pressurized hydrogen obtained after compression in the electrochemical compressing unit (3) is 300 ppm or lower.The method of claim 9 wherein secondary hydrogen produced by one or more of the hydrogen fueling station operation units is collected by a secondary hydrogen collecting system and is transferred to the electrochemical compressing unit (3)The method of claim 12 wherein the secondary hydrogen collecting system comprises a secondary hydrogen buffer tank.The method of claim 9 comprising purging of secondary hydrogen from the inlet of the electrochemical compressing unit (3). The method of claim 9 wherein the compressed hydrogen obtained from the electrochemical compressing unit (3) is transferred to an intermediate hydrogen storage volume or is combined with high-pressure primary hydrogen.

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