Vehicle inflation system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle refueling system. The vehicle refueling system comprises a refueling connector comprising a supply nozzle, a refueling pipe and a receiving nozzle, the supply nozzle being connected to a refueling port of a supply vehicle comprising a hydrogen tank and supplying hydrogen; the refueling pipe being connected at its first end to the supply nozzle; the receiving nozzle being connected to a second end of the refueling pipe and being connected to a refueling port of a receiving vehicle receiving hydrogen from the supply vehicle.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0029015, filed on March 4, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a vehicle inflation system, and more specifically, to a vehicle inflation system for supplying hydrogen from a supply vehicle to a receiving vehicle. Background Technology

[0004] Generally, for fuel cell vehicles that primarily use hydrogen as fuel, the construction of hydrogen refueling station infrastructure is essential. However, compared to the prevalence of fuel cell vehicles, the construction of hydrogen refueling station infrastructure is insufficient. Meanwhile, for electric vehicles, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging technology has been developed as an example of a charging method. V2V technology refers to charging the battery of one vehicle using the battery of another vehicle.

[0005] When vehicle-to-vehicle charging technology is applied to fuel cell vehicles, it could help address the shortage of hydrogen refueling station infrastructure. However, unlike electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles use hydrogen. Therefore, in the case of fuel cell vehicles, additional technologies are needed to ensure the safety of hydrogen refueling and to ensure driving performance by controlling the hydrogen concentration that affects driving performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention aims to address the aforementioned problems in the prior art while fully retaining the advantages achieved by the prior art. One aspect of this invention provides a vehicle inflation system for supplying hydrogen from a supply vehicle to a receiving vehicle, ensuring safety and driving performance.

[0007] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those described above. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand from the following description any other technical problems not mentioned herein.

[0008] According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle inflation system may include an inflation connector, which may include a supply nozzle, an inflation tube, and a receiving nozzle. The supply nozzle is connected to an inflation port of a supply vehicle that includes a hydrogen tank and supplies hydrogen. The inflation tube is connected to the supply nozzle at a first end. The receiving nozzle is connected to a second end of the inflation tube and to an inflation port of a receiving vehicle that receives hydrogen from the supply vehicle.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, the inflation connector may further include a connector valve that couples to the inflation tube and opens / closes a fluid passage in the inflation tube. The inflation connector may further include a first receiver that couples to the inflation tube and acquires at least one of information regarding the amount of hydrogen being injected into the supply vehicle and information regarding the temperature of the tank in the supply vehicle.

[0010] Furthermore, the inflation connector may include a second receiver, which is coupled to the inflation tube and acquires at least one of information regarding the amount of hydrogen injected into the receiving vehicle and information regarding the temperature of the tank in the receiving vehicle. The inflation connector may further include a hydrogen concentration sensor, which is coupled to the inflation tube and acquires information regarding the hydrogen concentration in the inflation tube.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, when the direction in which hydrogen released from the supply vehicle flows into the receiving vehicle through the filling connector is a reference direction, the connector valve is located downstream of the hydrogen concentration sensor relative to the reference direction. The vehicle filling system may further include a controller configured to open the connector valve when the hydrogen concentration in the filling tube, as obtained by the hydrogen concentration sensor, is greater than or equal to the reference concentration.

[0012] The vehicle inflation system may further include a controller electrically connected to and configured to operate the supply vehicle, the receiving vehicle, and the inflation connector. In one exemplary embodiment, when the inflation connector engages with the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle to connect the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle, the controller is configured to perform a hydrogen supply step of operating the supply vehicle to open the tank of the supply vehicle and supplying hydrogen from the supply vehicle to the inflation connector.

[0013] When the series of processes involving the introduction of hydrogen from a supply vehicle into a receiving vehicle via a filling connector, and the filling of the receiving vehicle with hydrogen, is referred to as a hydrogen filling process, the controller is configured to determine whether to initiate the hydrogen filling process based on the amount of hydrogen filled into the supply vehicle before the hydrogen supply step. The controller may be configured to operate the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle to perform a hydrogen release step before the hydrogen supply step, which involves closing the tank of the supply vehicle, releasing hydrogen from the inner pipe of the supply vehicle to the outside, closing the tank of the receiving vehicle, and releasing hydrogen from the inner pipe of the receiving vehicle to the outside.

[0014] The controller can be configured to operate the filling connector to perform a hydrogen inflow step, which involves opening the filling connector and introducing hydrogen from the filling connector into the receiving vehicle, when the hydrogen concentration in the filling connector is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference concentration. In one exemplary embodiment, the controller can be configured to operate the supply vehicle, the receiving vehicle, and the filling connector to terminate the hydrogen inflow step when a target amount of hydrogen has been supplied from the supply vehicle to the receiving vehicle, a predetermined time has elapsed since there was no difference between the hydrogen pressure in the supply vehicle and the hydrogen pressure in the receiving vehicle, or the temperature in the tank of the receiving vehicle is greater than or equal to a reference temperature.

[0015] In response to determining the end of the hydrogen inflow step, the controller can be configured to operate the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle to close their tanks and release hydrogen from their inner pipes to the outside. The controller can also be configured to, after the hydrogen supply step, when the hydrogen concentration in the filling connector is less than a predetermined reference concentration, operate the supply vehicle to perform a purification step of closing its tank, releasing hydrogen from its inner pipe to the outside, and opening the tank. In one exemplary embodiment, when the supply nozzle is connected to the filling port of the supply vehicle, the supply nozzle can open the check valve of the filling port of the supply vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a conceptual illustration of a vehicle inflation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram conceptually illustrating the inflation connector of a vehicle inflation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram that conceptually illustrates an example of a supply nozzle and an air inlet for a supply vehicle;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a connection between a supply nozzle and the air inlet of a supply vehicle; and

[0021] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of injecting hydrogen from a supply vehicle to a receiving vehicle using a vehicle filling system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "of a vehicle" or other similar terms as used herein generally includes motor vehicles, such as passenger vehicles including SUVs, buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, vessels including various boats and ships, aircraft, etc., and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other vehicles powered by alternative fuels (e.g., fuels derived from non-fossil energy sources). As mentioned herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle with two or more power sources, such as both gasoline and electric power.

[0023] While the exemplary embodiments are described as using multiple units to perform the exemplary process, it should be understood that the exemplary process can also be performed by one or more modules. Furthermore, it should be understood that the term controller / control unit refers to a hardware device that includes a memory and a processor and is specifically programmed to perform the processes described herein. The memory is configured to store modules, and the processor is specifically configured to run said modules to perform one or more processes further described below.

[0024] Furthermore, the control logic of the present invention can be implemented as a non-transient computer-readable medium on a computer-readable medium, which contains executable program instructions that are executed by a processor, controller / control unit, etc. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, optical disc (CD)-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash drive, smart card, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium can also be distributed across a network-connected computer system, such that the computer-readable medium is stored and executed in a distributed manner, for example, via a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).

[0025] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when the terms “comprising” and / or “including” are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of the stated feature, value, step, operation, element, component, and / or group thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, values, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0026] Unless otherwise stated or obvious from the context, the term "about" as used herein is understood to mean within the normal tolerance range in the field, such as within the standard deviation of two means. "Approximately" can be understood as within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the specified value. All numerical values ​​provided herein are modified using the term "approximately" unless clearly understood from the context.

[0027] The following description will detail some embodiments of the invention with reference to the exemplary accompanying drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that even if the same or equivalent components are shown in other drawings, they are represented by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, in describing exemplary embodiments of the invention, detailed descriptions of well-known features or functions will be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the spirit of the invention.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a conceptual illustration of a vehicle inflation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The dashed lines in the diagram represent electrical connections. Electrical connections can include both wired and wireless connections.

[0029] The vehicle inflation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is an inflation system capable of supplying fuel (which is the fuel of the supply vehicle 1) from a supply vehicle 1 to a receiving vehicle 2. In an exemplary embodiment, the fuel may be hydrogen. Hereinafter, the description will be based on the example of hydrogen as the fuel. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and the fuel may be changed within a range that is easily replaceable by those skilled in the art. Before describing the vehicle inflation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an example of a supply vehicle 1 and a receiving vehicle 2 to which the vehicle inflation system can be applied will be described below.

[0030] The supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 may each include tanks 3 and 3' for storing high-pressure hydrogen. Tanks 3 and 3' may be equipped with tank valves 4 and 4' for hydrogen inlet / outlet. For example, tank valves 4 and 4' may be, but are not limited to, solenoid valves capable of being opened and closed by electromagnetic signals. Simultaneously, tank valves 4 and 4' may be equipped with temperature sensors and may be configured to measure the temperature within tanks 3 and 3'.

[0031] The supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 may include inlet ports 7 and 7' as channels for introducing or releasing hydrogen. Inlet ports 7 and 7' may include a check valve 12. Figure 3This is to prevent internal hydrogen backflow. Hydrogen injected through filling ports 7 and 7' can be distributed to tanks 3 and 3' via manifolds 5 and 5' connected to tanks 3 and 3', and can be stored in tanks 3 and 3'. Manifolds 5 and 5' can be equipped with pressure sensors 6 and 6' for measuring the pressure in tanks 3 and 3'. Subsequently, when supplying hydrogen to the vehicle, hydrogen can be supplied from tanks 3 and 3' to the vehicle via manifolds 5 and 5' and hydrogen supply lines 8 and 8'. Hydrogen supply lines 8 and 8' can be connected to the fuel cell stack in the vehicle.

[0032] Furthermore, hydrogen supply pipes 8 and 8' can be fluidly connected to the outside of the vehicle. More specifically, hydrogen supply pipes 8 and 8' can be fluidly connected to the outside of the vehicle via the fuel cell stack. Hydrogen released from tanks 3 and 3' can be sequentially released to the outside of the vehicle via hydrogen supply pipes 8 and 8', hydrogen shut-off valve, hydrogen supply valve, exhaust valve, and purge valve. The hydrogen shut-off valve, hydrogen supply valve, exhaust valve, and purge valve are components typically found in fuel cell vehicles. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0033] Supply vehicle 1 and receiving vehicle 2 may include inner tubes 11 and 11' designed to withstand high pressure. Furthermore, the aforementioned components may be mounted on the inner tubes 11 and 11'. Supply vehicle 1 and receiving vehicle 2 may include IR transmitters 9 and 9' and hydrogen storage system manage units (HMUs) 10 and 10'. IR transmitters 9 and 9' may be configured to transmit information such as the amount of hydrogen filled in supply vehicle 1 and receiving vehicle 2, and the temperatures of tanks 3 and 3', to the outside of supply vehicle 1 and receiving vehicle 2.

[0034] HMUs 10 and 10' can be electrically connected to tank valves 4 and 4' and can be configured to control the opening / closing of tank valves 4 and 4'. Furthermore, HMUs 10 and 10' can be configured to calculate the amount of hydrogen charged into supply vehicle 1 and receiving vehicle 2 based on the temperatures of tanks 3 and 3' measured by temperature sensors via tank valves 4 and 4' and the pressures in tanks 3 and 3' measured by pressure sensors 6 and 6', and can be configured to transmit information to the outside of supply vehicle 1 and receiving vehicle 2 via IR transmitters 9 and 9'. For example, when controller 200, described below, operates supply vehicle 1 and receiving vehicle 2 to open or close tank valves 4 and 4', it can be understood that controller 200 sends signals to HMUs 10 and 10' of supply vehicle 1 and receiving vehicle 2, thereby causing HMUs 10 and 10' of supply vehicle 1 and receiving vehicle 2 to open or close tank valves 4 and 4'.

[0035] The detailed structure of the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 is the same as that of a typical fuel cell vehicle. Therefore, its specific details will be omitted. Below, based on the above, a vehicle charging system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0036] Inflatable connector 100

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an inflation connector for a vehicle inflation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 The dashed lines in the diagram can represent electrical connections. Electrical connections can include wired connections and wireless connections. A vehicle inflation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can include an inflation connector 100. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the inflation connector 100 may include a supply nozzle 101, an inflation tube 103, and a receiving nozzle 102.

[0038] The supply nozzle 101 can be configured to connect to the air inlet 7 of the supply vehicle 1. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a supply nozzle and an air inlet of a supply vehicle. When the supply nozzle 101 is connected to the air inlet 7 of the supply vehicle 1, the supply nozzle 101 can open the check valve 12 of the air inlet 7 of the supply vehicle 1. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a supply nozzle connected to the inflation port of a supply vehicle. For example, the check valve 12 of the supply vehicle 1 may include a valve disc 13 and a resilient member 14, the valve disc 13 being compressed only in one direction (e.g., a first direction) to allow hydrogen to be introduced from the outside and to prevent hydrogen from being released to the outside; the resilient member 14 presses the valve disc 13 against the valve disc 13. The resilient member 14 may be a coil spring.

[0039] about Figure 3 and Figure 4 One of the directions can be to the right. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the supply nozzle 101 can be inserted into the air inlet 7 of the supply vehicle 1, and can push the valve disc 13 in a direction opposite to the first direction (e.g., a second direction), that is, regarding Figure 3 and Figure 4 Push the valve disc 13 to the left to open the check valve 12. More specifically, when the tip 101' of the supply nozzle 101 pushes the valve disc 13 in a direction opposite to the first direction, the check valve 12 can be opened and hydrogen can be released from the check valve 12.

[0040] At the same time, such as Figure 4As shown, the open check valve 12 can be fluidly connected to the supply nozzle 101, so that hydrogen from the supply vehicle 1 can be released into the supply nozzle 101. A first end of the filling pipe 103 can be connected to the supply nozzle 101. The opposite end or second end of the filling pipe 103 can be connected to the receiving nozzle 102. Furthermore, the receiving nozzle 102 can be configured to connect to the receiving vehicle 2 (…). Figure 1 ) inflation port 7' ( Figure 1 )connect.

[0041] According to the present invention, hydrogen from the supply vehicle 1 can be supplied to the receiving vehicle 2 via a filling connector 100 connecting the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2. Therefore, when the receiving vehicle 2 is short of hydrogen, the receiving vehicle 2 can be configured to receive hydrogen from the supply vehicle 1, thereby solving problems such as vehicle stoppage due to lack of fuel even if there is no hydrogen refueling station nearby.

[0042] Connector valve 104

[0043] The inflation connector 100 may also include a connector valve 104. The connector valve 104 may be connected to the inflation tube 103 and may be configured to open / close a fluid passage in the inflation tube 103. For example, when the connector valve 104 is closed, the fluid passage in the inflation tube 103 may be closed; when the connector valve 104 is open, the fluid passage in the inflation tube 103 may be opened. The opening / closing of the connector valve 104 may be determined based on various conditions, which will be described in detail below.

[0044] Controller 200

[0045] The vehicle inflation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include a controller 200. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the controller 200 can be electrically connected to the supply vehicle 1, the receiving vehicle 2 and the inflation connector 100, and can be configured to operate the supply vehicle 1, the receiving vehicle 2 and the inflation connector 100.

[0046] For example, controller 200 may be connected to connector valve 104 and configured to operate connector valve 104 to adjust the opening / closing state of fluid passages in inflation tube 103. Controller 200 may include a processor and memory. The processor may include a microprocessor such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), central processing unit (CPU), etc. The memory may be configured to store control instructions based on which the processor generates instructions for determining whether to open / close connector valve 104. The memory may be a data storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), volatile media, non-volatile media, etc.

[0047] For example, controller 200 can be implemented as an application installed on a mobile device such as a smartphone. Alternatively, controller 200 can be a standalone terminal. In this case, controller 200 must be located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle. In another scenario, controller 200 can be a terminal equipped in one of the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2.

[0048] When the inflation connector 100 is engaged with the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 to connect the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2, the controller 200 can be configured to operate the supply vehicle 1 to open the tank 3 of the supply vehicle 1 and supply hydrogen from the supply vehicle 1 to the inflation connector 100. When the inflation connector 100 is engaged with the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 to connect the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2, the supply nozzle 101 ( Figure 2 ) can be supplied with vehicle 1 ( Figure 1 ) air inlet 7 ( Figure 1 ) connect, and receive nozzle 102 ( Figure 2 ) can be connected with receiving vehicle 2 ( Figure 1 ) inflation port 7' ( Figure 1 )connect.

[0049] First receiver 105

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, the inflation connector 100 may further include a first receiver 105. The first receiver 105 may engage with the inflation tube 103 and may be configured to obtain information about the supply vehicle 1 (…). Figure 1 Information on the amount of hydrogen supplied to the supply vehicle 1 and information on the temperature of the tank 3 in the supply vehicle 1. More specifically, the first receiver 105 may be configured to receive information from the supply vehicle 1 ( Figure 1 The IR transmitter 9 acquires at least one of information regarding the amount of hydrogen supplied to the supply vehicle 1 and the temperature of the tank 3 in the supply vehicle 1. The first receiver 105 may be configured to send the acquired information to the controller 200.

[0051] Controller 200 can be configured to, according to the supply vehicle 1 ( Figure 1 Information on the amount of hydrogen filled into the tank and information on the temperature in the tank 3 supplying vehicle 1, at least one of which determines whether to operate connector valve 104. Figure 2 This is used to open / close the fluid passage in the inflation pipe 103. In another example, the controller 200 can be configured to open / close the fluid passage in the inflation pipe 103 from the supply vehicle 1. Figure 1 The IR transmitter 9 acquires at least one of the following: information about the amount of hydrogen supplied to the supply vehicle 1 and information about the temperature in the tank 3 of the supply vehicle 1. In this case, the first receiver 105 may not be included in the filling connector 100.

[0052] Second receiver 106

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, the inflation connector 100 may further include a second receiver 106. The second receiver 106 may engage with the inflation tube 103 and may be configured to acquire information about the receiving vehicle 2. Figure 1 The second receiver 106 may be configured to receive at least one of the following: information on the amount of hydrogen filled into the receiving vehicle 2 and information on the temperature of the tank 3' in the receiving vehicle 2. More specifically, the second receiver 106 may be configured to receive hydrogen from the receiving vehicle 2. Figure 1 The IR transmitter 9' of the receiving vehicle 2 acquires at least one of information about the amount of hydrogen supplied to the receiving vehicle 2 and information about the temperature in the tank 3' of the receiving vehicle 2. The second receiver 106 can be configured to send the acquired information to the controller 200.

[0054] Furthermore, the controller 200 can be configured to, based on information regarding the receiving vehicle 2 ( Figure 1 The system determines whether to activate connector valve 104 by using at least one of the following: information on the amount of hydrogen filled into the tank and information on the temperature in the tank 3' of receiving vehicle 2. Figure 2 This is used to open / close the fluid passage in the inflation tube 103. In another example, the controller 200 can be configured to receive fluid from vehicle 2 ( Figure 1 The IR transmitter 9' of the receiving vehicle 2 acquires at least one of the following: information about the amount of hydrogen filled into the receiving vehicle 2 and information about the temperature in the tank 3' of the receiving vehicle 2. In this case, the second receiver 106 may not be included in the filling connector 100.

[0055] Hydrogen concentration sensor 107

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, the inflation connector 100 may also include a hydrogen concentration sensor 107. The hydrogen concentration sensor 107 may be coupled to the inflation tube 103 and may be configured to acquire information about the hydrogen concentration in the inflation tube 103.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, relative to reference direction D, connector valve 104 can be located downstream of hydrogen concentration sensor 107. Reference direction D can be from supply vehicle 1 ( Figure 1The released hydrogen flows into the receiving vehicle 2 through the filling connector 100. For example, the hydrogen concentration sensor 107 can be configured to acquire information about the hydrogen concentration, and the controller 200 can be configured to determine, based on the acquired information, whether to open / close the fluid passage in the filling pipe 103 by operating the connector valve 104. More specifically, the controller 200 can be configured to open the connector valve 104 when the hydrogen concentration in the filling pipe 103 acquired by the hydrogen concentration sensor 107 is greater than or equal to a reference concentration. For example, the reference concentration could be approximately 99.97%.

[0058] When the inflation connector 100 is engaged with the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 to connect them, a mixture of hydrogen and air may be present in the inflation pipe 103. In this case, when the connector valve 104 is open, a low concentration of hydrogen may be introduced into the receiving vehicle 2, which could lead to deterioration of driving performance. In the vehicle inflation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the hydrogen concentration is high, the connector valve 104 can be opened. Therefore, a high concentration of hydrogen can be supplied to the receiving vehicle 2, thereby ensuring the driving performance of the receiving vehicle 2.

[0059] inflation process

[0060] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of injecting hydrogen from a supply vehicle to a receiving vehicle using a vehicle filling system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the process of injecting hydrogen from a supply vehicle 1 (…) using a vehicle filling system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Figure 1 ) Injection into receiving vehicle 2 ( Figure 1 The process. For a better understanding, please refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 .

[0061] First, the charging mode of the supply vehicle 1 can be activated to initiate the hydrogen charging process (S201). When the charging mode is activated, the initiation of the supply vehicle 1 can be terminated. Furthermore, when the charging mode is activated, the hydrogen shut-off valve connected to the fuel cell stack can be closed. At this time, the controller 200 can be configured to identify the amount of hydrogen charged into the supply vehicle 1 and, based on the amount of hydrogen charged into the supply vehicle 1, execute step S202 to determine whether to initiate the hydrogen charging process. For example, when the amount of hydrogen charged into the supply vehicle 1 is greater than or equal to a reference amount, the controller 200 can be configured to determine to initiate the hydrogen charging process. In this case, the reference amount can be approximately 30% of the maximum amount of hydrogen that can be charged into the supply vehicle 1.

[0062] Simultaneously, the controller 200 can be configured to identify the amount of hydrogen supplied to the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2, and perform step S202, determining whether to initiate the hydrogen refueling process, based on the amount of hydrogen supplied to the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2. The reference amount can be the amount of hydrogen that the supply vehicle 1 can travel a predetermined distance after supplying the maximum amount of hydrogen to the receiving vehicle 2. The predetermined distance can be approximately 100 km. However, the predetermined distance is not limited to 100 km and can be an example of the distance to a hydrogen refueling station.

[0063] In response to determining that the amount of hydrogen supplied to vehicle 1 is less than a reference amount, controller 200 can be configured to determine that the hydrogen supply to vehicle 1 is insufficient and can send a message to the user that the hydrogen refueling process cannot be started. The hydrogen refueling process can be started when another condition for starting the process is met: that is, when the amount of hydrogen supplied to vehicle 1 is greater than the amount of hydrogen supplied to vehicle 2. When the amount of hydrogen supplied to vehicle 1 is less than the amount supplied to vehicle 2, hydrogen from vehicle 1 cannot be introduced into vehicle 2 due to the pressure difference. Therefore, in response to determining that the amount of hydrogen supplied to vehicle 1 is less than the amount supplied to vehicle 2, controller 200 can be configured to send a message to the user that the hydrogen refueling process cannot be started.

[0064] The following example illustrates the start-up of the hydrogen refueling process. For ease of description, it can be assumed that the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 have the same tank capacity. For example, it can be assumed that the tank 3 of the supply vehicle 1 is filled with enough hydrogen for a 250km driving range, and the tank 3' of the receiving vehicle 2 is filled with enough hydrogen for a 50km driving range.

[0065] In this scenario, since the tank 3 of supply vehicle 1 is filled with enough hydrogen for approximately 250 km of travel, and the amount of hydrogen supplied to supply vehicle 1 is greater than the amount supplied to receiving vehicle 2, the hydrogen refueling process can be initiated. Specifically, when supply vehicle 1 supplies hydrogen to receiving vehicle 2 to its maximum capacity, both tank 3 of supply vehicle 1 and tank 3' of receiving vehicle 2 can be filled with enough hydrogen for approximately 150 km of travel. Therefore, after supply vehicle 1 supplies hydrogen to receiving vehicle 2 to its maximum capacity, supply vehicle 1 can travel approximately 100 km or more.

[0066] Second, the controller 200 can be configured to operate the supply vehicle 1 ( Figure 1 ) and receiving vehicle 2 ( Figure 1The hydrogen release steps S203 and S204 are performed. The hydrogen release steps S203 and S204 may be the steps of closing the tanks 3 and 3' of the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 (S203) and releasing the hydrogen in the inner pipe 11 of the supply vehicle 1 and the inner pipe 11' of the receiving vehicle 2 to the outside (S204). More specifically, the controller 200 may be configured to close the tank valves 4 and 4' of the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 and release the hydrogen to the outside through the hydrogen supply pipes 8 and 8'.

[0067] The hydrogen release steps S203 and S204 can be understood as the process of releasing the high pressure formed in the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2. In the inner pipes 11 and 11' of a typical fuel cell vehicle, the hydrogen pressure can be very high. Therefore, opening the fuel cell vehicle's charging ports 7 and 7' without releasing the high pressure could be dangerous. The high pressure in the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 can be released through the hydrogen release steps S203 and S204. According to the present invention, the charging connector 100 can be connected only after ensuring safety, thereby ensuring safety during the hydrogen charging process.

[0068] Third, the supply nozzle 101 of the inflation connector 100 is connected to the inflation port 7 of the supply vehicle 1, and the receiving nozzle 102 is connected to the inflation port 7' of the receiving vehicle 2 (S205). Fourth, the controller 200 can be configured to operate the supply vehicle 1 to perform the hydrogen supply step S206. The hydrogen supply step S206 can be the step of operating the supply vehicle 1 to open the tank 3 of the supply vehicle 1 and supplying hydrogen from the supply vehicle 1 to the inflation connector 100. However, at this time, because the fluid passage in the inflation pipe 103 is blocked by the connector valve 104 of the inflation connector 100, the hydrogen supplied from the supply vehicle 1 is not introduced into the receiving vehicle 2.

[0069] Fifth, the controller 200 can be configured to operate the filling connector 100 to perform the hydrogen inflow step S208. The hydrogen inflow step S208 can be a step of determining whether the hydrogen concentration in the filling connector 100 is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference concentration (S207), and when the hydrogen concentration is greater than or equal to the predetermined reference concentration, opening the filling connector 100 and introducing the hydrogen from the filling connector 100 into the receiving vehicle 2. At this time, the reference concentration can be approximately 99.97%.

[0070] The hydrogen concentration may be lower than the reference concentration. In this case, the controller 200 can be configured to operate the supply vehicle 1 to perform purification steps S214, S215, and S216. Purification steps S214, S215, and S216 can be performed after the hydrogen supply step S206, when the hydrogen concentration in the filling connector 100 is lower than the reference concentration, by closing the tank 3 of the supply vehicle 1 (S214), releasing the hydrogen in the inner pipe 11 of the supply vehicle 1 to the outside (S215), and opening the tank 3 of the supply vehicle 1 (S216). Releasing hydrogen to the outside can be performed through the same process as the hydrogen release steps S203 and S204 described above. Through this process, the hydrogen concentration in the inner pipe 11 of the supply vehicle 1 can be increased.

[0071] Sixth, the controller 200 can be configured to determine, during the hydrogen inflow step S208, whether the target hydrogen supply amount has been reached, whether a predetermined time has elapsed since there was no hydrogen pressure difference between the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2, or whether the temperature in the tank 3' of the receiving vehicle 2 is greater than or equal to a reference temperature (S209). When a predetermined time has elapsed since there was no hydrogen pressure difference between the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2, or when the temperature in the tank 3' of the receiving vehicle 2 is greater than or equal to the reference temperature, the controller 200 can be configured to operate the supply vehicle 1, the receiving vehicle 2, and the filling connector 100 to terminate the hydrogen inflow step S208. In other words, the controller 200 can be configured to determine whether the conditions for terminating the hydrogen inflow step S208 have been met, and based on the determination, can be configured to determine whether to terminate the hydrogen inflow step S208.

[0072] More specifically, when the target amount of hydrogen is moved from the supply vehicle 1 to the receiving vehicle 2, the controller 200 can be configured to operate the supply vehicle 1, the receiving vehicle 2, and the filling connector 100 to terminate the hydrogen inflow step S208. The target amount of hydrogen can be set by the user. However, the target amount of hydrogen must be less than the difference between the total amount of hydrogen filled in the supply vehicle 1 and the reference amount, and can be less than or equal to the average of the total amount of hydrogen filled in the supply vehicle 1 and the total amount of hydrogen filled in the receiving vehicle 2.

[0073] Alternatively, when a predetermined time has elapsed since there is no difference between the hydrogen pressure of supply vehicle 1 measured by pressure sensor 6 of supply vehicle 1 and the hydrogen pressure of receiving vehicle 2 measured by pressure sensor 6' of receiving vehicle 2, controller 200 can be configured to operate supply vehicle 1, receiving vehicle 2, and filling connector 100 to terminate hydrogen inflow step S208. The predetermined time can be approximately 20 seconds. However, this is an exemplary value and the predetermined time can be changed as needed.

[0074] When the temperature inside the tank 3 of the supply vehicle 1, measured by valve 4 of the supply vehicle 1, is approximately -40°C or lower, or the temperature inside the tank 3' of the receiving vehicle 2, measured by valve 4' of the receiving vehicle 2, is approximately 85°C or higher, the controller 200 can be configured to operate the supply vehicle 1, the receiving vehicle 2, and the filling connector 100 to terminate the hydrogen inflow step S208. However, the above temperatures are exemplary values ​​and can be changed as needed. The reference pressure and reference temperature can be set based on filling efficiency and system protection.

[0075] Seventh, when the hydrogen inflow is terminated in step S208, the controller 200 can be configured to operate the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 to close the tanks 3 and 3' of the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 (S210), and release the hydrogen in the inner pipes 11 and 11' of the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 to the outside (S211). This process can be understood as ensuring safety by releasing the high pressure in the inner pipes 11 and 11' of the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 before separating the supply nozzle 101 and the receiving nozzle 102 from the filling ports 7 and 7' of the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2. This process can be understood as similar to the hydrogen release steps S203 and S204 described above. Finally, the supply nozzle 101 and the receiving nozzle 102 can be separated from the supply vehicle 1 and the receiving vehicle 2 (S212), and the activated filling mode can be terminated (S213). When the filling mode ends, the vehicle can be restarted.

[0076] According to the present invention, hydrogen from the supply vehicle can be supplied to the receiving vehicle via a filling connector connecting the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle. Furthermore, according to the present invention, when the hydrogen concentration is high, the connector valve can be opened. Therefore, high-concentration hydrogen can be supplied to the receiving vehicle, thereby ensuring the driving performance of the receiving vehicle. Moreover, according to the present invention, the filling connector can be connected after ensuring the safety of both the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle for high-pressure hydrogen. Therefore, safety during the filling process can be ensured.

[0077] While the invention has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings, it is not limited thereto. Various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims. Therefore, exemplary embodiments of the invention are provided not to limit the spirit and scope of the invention, but rather to explain it; thus, the spirit and scope of the invention are not limited by the embodiments. The scope of protection of the invention should be interpreted based on the appended claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of the claims' equivalents should be included within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle inflation system, comprising: Inflatable connector, The inflatable connector includes: A supply nozzle configured to be detachably connected to an inlet of a supply vehicle configured to supply hydrogen, wherein the supply vehicle includes a hydrogen tank; An inflation tube, the first end of which is connected to a supply nozzle; A receiving nozzle, connected to the second end of an inflation tube and detachably connected to an inflation port of a receiving vehicle configured to receive hydrogen from a supply vehicle; and A controller that is electrically connected to the supply vehicle, the receiving vehicle, and the inflation connector, and is configured to operate the supply vehicle, the receiving vehicle, and the inflation connector; When the inflation connector is engaged with the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle to connect the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle, the controller is configured to perform a hydrogen supply step, in which the supply vehicle is operated to open the tank of the supply vehicle and supply hydrogen in the supply vehicle to the inflation connector. The controller is configured to: after the hydrogen supply step, in response to determining that the hydrogen concentration in the filling connector is less than a predetermined reference concentration, operate the supply vehicle to perform a purification step, in which the tank of the supply vehicle is closed, the hydrogen in the inner pipe of the supply vehicle is released to the outside, and then the tank of the supply vehicle is opened.

2. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 1, wherein, The inflation connector further includes a connector valve that engages with the inflation tube and is configured to open / close a fluid passage in the inflation tube.

3. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 2, wherein, The inflation connector further includes a first receiver that engages with the inflation tube and is configured to acquire at least one of information regarding the amount of hydrogen being injected into the supply vehicle and information regarding the temperature of the tank in the supply vehicle.

4. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 2, wherein, The inflation connector further includes a second receiver, which engages with the inflation tube and is configured to acquire at least one of the following: information about the amount of hydrogen being injected into the receiving vehicle or information about the temperature of the tank in the receiving vehicle.

5. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 2, wherein, The inflation connector further includes a hydrogen concentration sensor that is coupled to the inflation tube and configured to acquire information about the hydrogen concentration in the inflation tube.

6. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 5, wherein, When the direction in which hydrogen released from the supply vehicle flows into the receiving vehicle through the filling connector is taken as the reference direction, the connector valve is located downstream of the hydrogen concentration sensor relative to the reference direction.

7. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is configured to open the connector valve in response to determining that the hydrogen concentration in the filling tube, as obtained by the hydrogen concentration sensor, is greater than or equal to a reference concentration.

8. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 1, wherein, When a series of processes, including introducing hydrogen from a supply vehicle into a receiving vehicle via a filling connector and filling the receiving vehicle with hydrogen, together constitute a hydrogen filling process, the controller is configured to determine whether to initiate the hydrogen filling process based on the amount of hydrogen filled into the supply vehicle before the hydrogen supply step.

9. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to operate the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle to perform a hydrogen release step prior to the hydrogen supply step, in which the supply vehicle's tank is closed and hydrogen in the supply vehicle's inner pipe is released to the outside, the receiving vehicle's tank is closed and hydrogen in the receiving vehicle's inner pipe is released to the outside.

10. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to operate the inflation connector to perform a hydrogen inflow step in response to determining that the hydrogen concentration in the inflation connector is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference concentration, in which the inflation connector is opened and hydrogen in the inflation connector is introduced into the receiving vehicle.

11. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 10, wherein, The controller is configured to operate the supply vehicle, the receiving vehicle, and the filling connector to terminate the hydrogen inflow step when the target amount of hydrogen has been supplied from the supply vehicle to the receiving vehicle during the hydrogen inflow step, a predetermined time has elapsed since there was no difference between the hydrogen pressure in the supply vehicle and the hydrogen pressure in the receiving vehicle, or the temperature in the tank of the receiving vehicle is greater than or equal to a reference temperature.

12. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 11, wherein, When the hydrogen inflow step is determined to be terminated, the controller is configured to operate the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle to close the tanks of the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle and release the hydrogen in the inner pipes of the supply vehicle and the receiving vehicle to the outside.

13. The vehicle inflation system according to claim 1, wherein, When the supply nozzle is connected to the air inlet of the supply vehicle, the supply nozzle opens the check valve of the air inlet of the supply vehicle.

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