Method and apparatus for a pressure control system in a pressure vessel

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for a pressure control system in a pressure vessel are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a cryogenic tank, a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank, machine-readable instructions, and programmable circuitry that at least one of instantiates or executes the machine-readable instructions to determine a threshold pressure of the cryogenic tank based on a temperature of the cryogenic tank and a characteristic of the cryogenic tank, the pressure of the cryogenic tank is compared to a threshold pressure, and after determining that the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not meet the threshold pressure, the valve is actuated until the pressure meets the threshold pressure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to gas and liquid storage systems and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for pressure control systems in pressure vessels. Background Art

[0002] Hydrogen storage systems include pressurized and / or cooled hydrogen in liquid or gaseous form. Hydrogen storage systems typically include a number of components that contain the hydrogen and move it to other components of the system. Hydrogen storage systems can be used for power generation, chemical manufacturing, and other applications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example environment including a system implemented according to the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0004] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 0026] A block diagram of an example implementation of a pressure control circuit.

[0005] Figure 3 is an indication that can be performed, instantiated and / or performed by an example programmable circuit to implement Figure 2 A flow chart of example machine readable instructions and / or example operations of the pressure control circuit 102 is provided.

[0006] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an example environment including another system implemented according to the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 5 Can be combined Figure 1 and / or Figure 4 Schematic diagram of an example recapture system used in the system.

[0008] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an example processing platform including programmable circuitry configured to execute, instantiate and / or perform example machine-readable instructions and / or perform Figure 3 Example operations to implement Figure 2 The pressure control circuit 102.

[0009] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A block diagram of an example implementation of a programmable circuit.

[0010] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 A block diagram of another example implementation of a programmable circuit.

[0011] In general, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts.The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The design geometry (e.g., thickness, etc.) of a cryogenic pressure vessel is generally determined by the conditions that the cryogenic vessel experiences during transient operation (e.g., during heating, during cooling, etc.). That is, the cryogenic pressure vessel is designed to operate at the maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) under all conditions. The MAWP of a cryogenic vessel is based on the material thickness, the geometry of the pressure vessel, the material properties of the pressure vessel (e.g., elastic modulus, yield strength, ultimate strength, etc.) under the most severe expected operating conditions, and the safety factor of the pressure vessel. The maximum operating pressure (MOP) of a pressure vessel of a cryogenic vessel is based on the characteristics of the pressure vessel, including the material thickness, the geometry of the pressure vessel, the material properties of the pressure vessel (e.g., elastic modulus, yield strength, ultimate strength, etc.) at the current temperature of the vessel, and the safety factor of the pressure vessel. Because most materials become stronger at lower temperatures, the MAWP of a pressure vessel is generally determined by the material strength of the pressure vessel at the highest expected operating temperature (e.g., ambient temperature, etc.). At lower temperatures, the material strength of the cryogenic vessel increases, which results in a higher MOP at lower temperatures than at higher temperatures. Existing pressure vessels have a thickness based on the strength of the pressure vessel during the higher temperatures of transient conditions. Thus, under steady-state cryogenic conditions, existing pressure vessels operate significantly below the MOP of the pressure vessel. Examples disclosed herein include pressure vessels having a thickness designed to operate near the MOP of the pressure vessel under steady-state conditions. Examples disclosed herein include a control system that determines the MOP based on temperature. Examples disclosed herein include one or more control valves that exhaust hydrogen during transient operation to ensure that the pressure vessel remains at a dynamic MOP based on temperature.

[0013] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, connection references (e.g., attachment, coupling, connection, and engagement) may include intermediate members between elements referenced by the connection reference and / or relative movement between those elements. Thus, a connection reference does not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and / or have a fixed relationship to each other. As used herein, a statement that any part is "in contact" with another part is defined to mean that there is no intermediate part between the two parts.

[0014] Unless otherwise specifically stated, descriptors used herein (such as "first," "second," "third," etc.) do not confer or otherwise indicate any meaning of priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, and / or ordering in any manner, but are merely used as labels and / or arbitrary names to distinguish elements to facilitate understanding of the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor "first" may be used to refer to an element in the detailed description, while a different descriptor (e.g., "second" or "third") may be used in the claims to refer to the same element. In such cases, it should be understood that such descriptors are only used to clearly identify those elements in the context of discussion (e.g., in the claims), where the elements might, for example, otherwise share the same name.

[0015] As used herein, the phrase "communication," including variations thereof, encompasses direct communication and / or indirect communication through one or more intermediate components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and / or continuous communication, but additionally includes selective communication at periodic intervals, predetermined intervals, non-periodic intervals, and / or one-time events.

[0016] As used herein, "programmable circuit" is defined to include (i) one or more special purpose circuits (e.g., application specific circuits (ASICs)) structured to perform specific operations and including one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors), and / or (ii) one or more general-purpose semiconductor-based circuits that can be programmed with instructions to perform specific functions and / or operations and include one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors). Examples of programmable circuits include a programmable microprocessor (such as a central processing unit (CPU)) that can execute a first instruction to perform one or more operations and / or functions, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed with a second instruction so that the configuration and / or structure of the FPGA instantiates one or more operations and / or functions corresponding to the first instruction, a graphics processor unit (GPU) that can execute a first instruction to perform one or more operations and / or functions, a digital signal processor (DSP) that can execute a first instruction to perform one or more operations and / or functions, an XPU, a network processing unit (NPU), one or more microcontrollers that can execute a first instruction to perform one or more operations and / or functions, and / or an integrated circuit (such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). For example, the XPU may be implemented by a heterogeneous computing system including multiple types of programmable circuits (e.g., one or more FPGAs, one or more CPUs, one or more GPUs, one or more NPUs, one or more DSPs, etc., and / or any combination thereof) and orchestration technology (e.g., an application programming interface (API)) that may assign computing tasks to any of the multiple types of programmable circuits that are suitable and available to perform the computing tasks.

[0017] As used herein, an integrated circuit / circuit is defined as one or more semiconductor packages containing one or more circuit elements, such as transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, current paths, diodes, etc. For example, an integrated circuit may be implemented as one or more of an ASIC, an FPGA, a chip, a microchip, a programmable circuit, a semiconductor substrate coupling multiple circuit elements, a system on a chip (SoC), etc.

[0018] "Include" and "comprising" (and all their forms and tenses) are used herein as open-ended terms. Thus, whenever a claim adopts any form of "include" or "comprising" (e.g., includes, comprises, has, etc.) as a preamble or in any type of claim statement, it should be understood that additional elements, terms, etc. may be present without exceeding the scope of the corresponding claim or statement. As used herein, when the phrase "at least" is used as a transitional term, such as in the preamble of a claim, it is open-ended in the same manner as the terms "include" and "comprising" are open-ended. The term "and / or" when used, for example, in a form such as A, B, and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of A, B, C, such as (1) A alone, (2) B alone, (3) C alone, (4) A and B, (5) A and C, (6) B and C, or (7) A and B and C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to embodiments that include any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to embodiments that include any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and / or steps, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to embodiments that include any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and / or steps, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to embodiments that include any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0019] As used herein, singular references (e.g., "a", "a", "first", "second", etc.) do not exclude the plural. As used herein, the term "a" or "an" object refers to one or more of the object. The terms "a" (or "a"), "one or more", and "at least one" are used interchangeably herein. In addition, although listed separately, multiple devices, elements, or actions can be implemented by, for example, the same entity or object. In addition, although individual features may be included in different examples or claims, these may be combined, and the inclusion in different examples or claims does not mean that the combination of features is not feasible and / or disadvantageous.

[0020] Cryogenic pressure vessels, such as liquid (LH2) cryogenic containers, have a maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP), which is a static value that controls the allowable pressure of the substances stored therein. The MAWP of a cryogenic pressure vessel is based on industry and / or regulatory standards (e.g., American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standards, etc.), and is typically associated with the maximum expected operating temperature of the cryogenic pressure vessel (e.g., ambient temperature, etc.). In some examples, the MAWP of a pressure vessel is based on the strength of the material at the maximum expected operating temperature of the pressure vessel, the geometry of the pressure vessel, the substances contained therein, and the safety factor of the vessel. For example, some LH2 tank cryogenic containers have a MAWP of 12 Bar (174 pounds per square inch (psi)). Cryogenic pressure vessels typically include a pressure safety valve (PSV) that is configured to release some substances from the container if the operating pressure of the pressure vessel exceeds a predetermined pressure (i.e., MAWP, pressure below MAWP, etc.).

[0021] The pressure control system is designed to operate the pressure vessel at MAWP during transient and steady-state operation. As used herein, steady-state operation refers to the operation of the pressure vessel at low temperatures (e.g., ~20K, etc.), and transient operation refers to the operation of the pressure vessel at temperatures above low temperatures (e.g., above 20K, etc.), and typically occurs when hydrogen is added or removed from the pressure vessel and / or when the temperature of the tank is changed. During transient operations (e.g., filling the vessel, cooling the vessel, heating the vessel, etc.), the vessel is often subjected to higher temperatures (e.g., above 20K, etc.) than during steady-state operations. Because the strength of materials at low temperatures (e.g., 20K, etc.) is typically increased, the geometry of the cryogenic pressure vessel (e.g., material thickness, etc.) is typically determined based on the strength of the pressure vessel during transient operations. Therefore, existing pressure vessels are typically operated substantially below their actual strength (e.g., 50% below, 25% below, etc.) during steady-state conditions.

[0022] The example pressure vessel control system disclosed herein enables the pressure vessel to achieve a lighter vessel geometry than the existing pressure control system. The example pressure control system disclosed herein determines the maximum operating pressure (MOP) of the pressure vessel based on the current temperature of the pressure vessel, the geometry of the pressure vessel (e.g., spherical, cylindrical, conical, etc.) and the material of the pressure vessel (e.g., aluminum, ceramic, etc.). In some examples disclosed herein, the MOP of the pressure vessel is less than or equal to the MAWP of the pressure vessel at a steady-state low temperature and decreases at a higher temperature. The examples disclosed herein include a plurality of valves that can be opened continuously to keep the operating pressure of the substance in the pressure vessel below the MOP during transient operation. In other examples disclosed herein, the pressure control system includes a regulating valve that can be adjusted between different positions to adjust the discharge rate of the substance in the pressure vessel. In some examples disclosed herein, a recapture system can be used to capture, process and store the discharged material. In some examples disclosed herein, a lookup table related to the current temperature and MOP can be analytically determined and stored by the pressure control system. The examples disclosed herein make the pressure vessel lighter while ensuring that the pressure vessel operates within the industrial safety factor under all operating conditions.

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example pressure control system 100 including an example pressure vessel 101 implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure. Figure 1 In the example shown, the flow of hydrogen into and out of the pressure vessel 101 is controlled by an example pressure control circuit 102. Figure 1 In the example shown, the pressure vessel 101 is a cryogenic hydrogen tank (eg, a hydrogen tank, a cryogenic tank, etc.). In other examples, the pressure vessel 101 may contain any other suitable substance. Figure 1 A system for storing hydrogen is shown, but it should be understood that the storage system implemented according to the teachings of the present disclosure can be used in conjunction with pressure vessels for storing other cryogenic substances / materials (e.g., air, nitrogen, helium, neon, oxygen, fluorine, argon, methane, etc.).

[0024] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, the pressure vessel 101 is a double-walled pressure vessel including an example housing 103 and an example vacuum vessel 104. Figure 1 In the example shown, the housing 103 includes an example first composite overwrap 106A and an example metal liner 108A. Figure 1 In the example shown, the vacuum container 104 includes an example second composite outer packaging 106B and / or an example second metal liner 108B. Figure 1 In the example shown, the vacuum vessel 104 includes a first portion 110 containing gaseous hydrogen (GH2) and a second portion 112 including liquid hydrogen (LH2).

[0025] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, an example LH2 fill tube 114 (e.g., a tube, etc.) may be used to fill the pressure vessel 101 with LH2. Figure 1 In the example shown, an example GH2 extraction tube 116 may be used to extract and / or discharge GH2 from the pressure vessel 101, and an example LH2 extraction tube 118 may be used to extract LH2 from the pressure vessel 101. Figure 1 In the example shown, the second portion 112 of the pressure vessel 101 includes an example baffle 120 for preventing sloshing of the liquid in the pressure vessel 101. Figure 1 In the example shown, the baffle 120 is vertically positioned to reduce strong shaking of the liquid. In other examples, the baffle 120 can have any other orientation. Figure 1 In the example shown, the vacuum vessel 104 includes multi-layer insulation (MLI) 122. For example, the MLI 122 can provide the desired thermal performance as long as such insulation can minimize heat transfer.

[0026] In some examples, the pressure vessel 101 has a steady-state operating temperature within a low temperature range (e.g., between 25K and 30K, etc.). During transient operation, the pressure vessel 101 may have other operating temperatures (e.g., above 30K, etc.). The properties of the materials of the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., the properties of the first composite overpack 106A, the first metal liner 108A, the second composite overpack 106B and / or the second metal liner 108B, etc.) depend on the temperature of the pressure vessel 101. For example, at low temperatures (~20K), the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of aluminum is about 30% higher than the UTS of aluminum at room temperature (~300K). Similarly, the Young's modulus of aluminum is also larger at low temperatures. The strength and Young's modulus of most materials (e.g., most metals, most ceramics, etc.) also increase at lower temperatures. Although the examples described herein are described with reference to the pressure vessel 101, it should be understood that the teachings of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. Instead, the embodiments described herein can be used in conjunction with any pressure vessel system containing any suitable substance.

[0027] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, the pressure control system 100 includes an example first valve 124, an example second valve 126, an example third valve 128, an example first sensor 130, and an example second sensor 132. Figure 1 In the example shown, the pressure control circuit 102 controls operation of the first valve 124 , the second valve 126 , and / or the third valve 128 and receives sensor data from the first sensor 130 and the second sensor 132 .

[0028] The first valve 124 and the second valve 126 are automatic control valves (ACVs) that control flow through the example first pipeline 134 and the example second pipeline 136, respectively. The third valve 128 controls flow through the example third pipeline 138. Figure 1 In the example shown, the first valve 124, the second valve 126, and the third valve 128 discharge GH2 into the surrounding environment of the pressure control system 100 (e.g., to the atmosphere, etc.). In some examples, one or more of the pipelines 134, 136, 138 can discharge GH2 to a hydrogen recapture system that captures, reprocesses, and stores hydrogen exhausted from the pressure vessel 101. Figure 5 An example hydrogen recapture system is described that may be used in conjunction with the pressure control systems disclosed herein.

[0029] In some examples, valves 124, 126 are shutoff valves (e.g., on / off valves, etc.). In some such examples, valves 124, 126 are capable of finely and robustly controlling the flow of gaseous hydrogen through pipelines 134, 136, respectively, at low temperatures (e.g., controlling the position of some regulating valves at low temperatures may be inaccurate and / or imprecise, etc.). In some such examples, pressure control circuit 102 may set the position of valves 124, 126 to an open position (e.g., a fully open position) and a closed position (e.g., a fully closed position, etc.). In some such examples, one or both of valves 124, 126 may be implemented by a ball valve, a straight-through diaphragm valve, a gate valve, and / or another type of shutoff valve.

[0030] In other examples, one or both of the valves 124, 126 may be a regulating valve. For example, one or both of the valves 124, 126 may be implemented by a butterfly valve, a ball valve, a weir valve, a needle valve, and / or another type of regulating valve. In some such examples, the second valve 126 may not be present, and the first valve 124 may be a regulating control valve. For example, the first valve 124 may have a plurality of open positions (e.g., a first open position such as a partially open position, a second open position such as a fully open position, etc.) and a closed position (e.g., a fully closed position, etc.). In some such examples, the pressure control circuit 102 may control the position of the first valve 124 to regulate the flow of gaseous hydrogen through the first pipeline 134.

[0031] The third valve 128 is a pressure safety valve (PSV) that discharges hydrogen from the pressure vessel 101 when a threshold pressure (e.g., MAWP of the pressure vessel, 12 bar, 90% of MAWP, etc.) is reached in the pressure vessel 101. In some examples, the threshold pressure of the third valve 128 may be the MAWP. In some examples, the third valve 128 may be implemented by a passive valve that is not controlled by the pressure control circuit 102. For example, the third valve 128 may be implemented by a spring-loaded pressure relief valve, a balanced bellows valve, and / or a balanced piston valve. In some such examples, the third valve 128 may include one or more mechanical elements (e.g., one or more springs, one or more pressurized pistons, etc.) that exert a force that holds the third valve 128 in a closed position. In some such examples, when the pressure in the pressure vessel 101 overcomes the force exerted by the mechanical element, the third valve 128 opens and releases pressure from the pressure vessel 101 until the current pressure of the pressure vessel 101 drops below the threshold pressure. In other examples, the third valve 128 may be implemented by a control valve. In some such examples, operation of third valve 128 may be controlled by pressure control circuit 102 .

[0032] The first sensor 130 measures and outputs the temperature of the pressure vessel 101 and / or the temperature of the hydrogen stored therein. For example, the first sensor 130 may output a signal indicating that the hydrogen stored in the pressure vessel is close to a low temperature (e.g., ~20K, etc.) and / or close to an ambient temperature (e.g., 290K, 300K, etc.). In some examples, the first sensor 130 may include one or more thermocouples, one or more resistance temperature detectors, one or more thermistors, one or more infrared optical sensors, and / or one or more semiconductor-based sensors. In some examples, the first sensor 130 may be implemented by a plurality of temperature sensors distributed throughout the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., inside the pressure vessel 101, outside the pressure vessel 101, etc.) and / or in one or both of the pipelines 134, 136.

[0033] The second sensor 132 measures and outputs the pressure of hydrogen within the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., 12 bar, 9.5 bar, 7.5 bar, etc.). In some examples, the second sensor 132 may be implemented via one or more piezoresistive sensors, one or more piezoelectric sensors, one or more strain gauges, one or more capacitive sensors, one or more electromagnetic sensors, one or more optical sensors, one or more heat-based pressure sensors, one or more resonance-based pressure sensors, and / or combinations thereof. In some examples, the second sensor 132 may be implemented by pressure sensors distributed throughout the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., inside the pressure vessel 101, outside the pressure vessel 101, etc.) and / or in one or both of the pipelines 134, 136.

[0034] The MAWP of a pressure vessel is a static parameter that represents the maximum pressure that the pressure vessel is intended to accommodate during operation. The MAWP of a pressure vessel is based on the geometry of the pressure vessel (e.g., the shape, size, and thickness of the pressure vessel, etc.), the material properties of the material of the pressure vessel, and a safety factor (e.g., 2, etc.). Existing storage tanks are designed to operate at a single operating pressure under all conditions. As described above, because the strength of the material increases at low temperatures, the actual strength of existing pressure vessels is generally close to the MAWP during transient operations (e.g., when the tank is not at low temperatures, etc.). Existing pressure vessels generally operate substantially below (e.g., 50% below, 25% below, etc.) the actual strength of the pressure vessel during low temperature operations (e.g., steady state operations, etc.).

[0035] As used herein, the maximum operating pressure (MOP) of a pressure vessel refers to the maximum operating pressure of the pressure vessel (e.g., a threshold pressure, etc.) allowed by the actual strength of the pressure vessel at the current temperature. Because the material strength of the pressure vessel is temperature-dependent, the MOP of the pressure vessel is also temperature-dependent. Unlike existing tanks and systems, in some examples, the thickness of the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., the thickness of the first composite outer package 106A, the thickness of the second composite outer package 106B, the thickness of the first metal liner 108A, the thickness of the second metal liner 108B, etc.) is designed based on the MOP under steady-state low-temperature conditions rather than the MOP during hotter transient operations (e.g., when the MOP is approximately equal to the MAWP, etc.). That is, the pressure vessel 101 is designed to operate near the MOP of the pressure vessel 101 under steady-state low-temperature conditions. The pressure control circuit 102 operates one or more of the valves 124, 126, 128 to selectively discharge hydrogen and keep the pressure vessel 101 within the MOP during transient operations (e.g., when the pressure vessel 101 approaches low temperatures, etc.). Thus, the pressure control circuit 102 and valves 124, 126, 128 allow the pressure vessel 101 to be substantially thinner and lighter than existing storage tanks. In this way, the pressure vessel 101 provides improved functionality in weight and / or material sensitive applications (e.g., aviation applications, etc.). For example, an existing aluminum spherical pressure vessel configured to maintain cryogenic hydrogen at 12 bar would have a wall thickness of 3.5 mm, and an equivalent pressure vessel implemented according to the teachings of the present disclosure could have a wall thickness of 2.2 mm and be 37% lighter than existing tanks.

[0036] The pressure control circuit 102 controls the operation of one or more valves 124, 126, 128. For example, the pressure control circuit 102 can actuate (e.g., move, etc.) the first valve 124 and / or the second valve 126 from a closed position to an open position and / or from an open position to a closed position. In some examples, the pressure control circuit 102 accesses sensor data from sensors 130, 132. In some examples, the pressure control circuit 102 can determine the MOP of the pressure vessel 101 at the current temperature of the pressure vessel 101 based on the temperature data received from the first sensor 130. In some such examples, the pressure control circuit 102 can determine the MOP using a preloaded lookup table and / or relationship curve. In some such examples, the preloaded lookup table and / or relationship curve can be generated by the characteristics of the pressure vessel. In other examples, the pressure control circuit 102 can determine the MOP of the pressure vessel 101 via the characteristics and analysis of the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., via geometric principles, material properties and / or mathematics, etc.).

[0037] In some examples, after determining the MOP of the pressure vessel 101 at the current temperature, the pressure control circuit 102 may compare the current operating pressure of the pressure vessel 101 with the MOP. In some examples, if the current pressure exceeds the MOP, the pressure control circuit 102 may open the first valve 124. Additionally or alternatively, the pressure control circuit 102 may determine the rate of change of the pressure of the pressure vessel 101 and compare the determined rate of change with a first rate of change threshold. In some such examples, if the rate of change exceeds the rate of change threshold, the pressure control circuit 102 may open the first valve 124. In some examples, after opening the first valve 124, the pressure control circuit 102 may compare the rate of change of the pressure with a second rate of change threshold. In some examples, the second rate of change threshold may correspond to a minimum discharge rate (e.g., a minimum allowable pressure reduction rate within the pressure vessel 101, etc.). In some such examples, if the pressure control circuit 102 determines that the rate of change of the pressure does not meet the second rate of change threshold, the pressure control circuit 102 may open the second valve 126. In other examples, if the second valve 126 is not present and the first valve 124 is a regulating valve, the pressure control circuit 102 may actuate (e.g., move, etc.) the first valve 124 to a second open position (e.g., a position more open than the first open position, a fully open position, etc.). In some examples, the pressure control circuit 102 may be implemented at a control center associated with the pressure control system 100. In other examples, the pressure control circuit 102 may be implemented locally at the pressure vessel 101.

[0038] Figure 2 It is used to adjust Figure 1 The pressure and discharge rate of the pressure vessel 101 Figure 1A block diagram of an example implementation of the pressure control circuit 102 is shown. Figure 2 In the example shown, the pressure control circuit 102 includes an example sensor interface circuit 202 , an example vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 , an example pressure rate determiner circuit 206 , an example pressure comparator circuit 208 , and an example system interface circuit 210 . Figure 2 The pressure control circuit 102 may be instantiated (e.g., created as an instance, generated for any length of time, materialized, implemented, etc.) by a programmable circuit such as a central processing unit (CPU) executing a first instruction. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 2 The pressure control circuit 102 may be instantiated (e.g., created, generated for any length of time, materialized, implemented, etc.) by (i) an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and / or (ii) a field programmable gate array (FPGA) constructed and / or configured to perform operations corresponding to the first instruction in response to executing the second instruction. It should be understood that Figure 2 Some or all of the circuits of may thus be instantiated at the same or different times. Figure 2 Some or all of the circuits of may be instantiated in one or more threads that execute concurrently on hardware and / or serially on hardware. Furthermore, in some examples, Figure 2 Some or all of the circuits may be implemented by microprocessor circuits executing instructions and / or FPGA circuits performing operations to implement one or more virtual machines and / or containers.

[0039] The sensor interface circuit 202 accesses sensor data related to the properties of the pressure vessel 101 and / or the substances stored therein. For example, the sensor interface circuit 202 receives sensor data (e.g., sensor output, etc.) from the sensors 130, 132 of the pressure vessel 101 and / or the pressure control system 100. In some examples, the sensor interface circuit 202 can transform the received sensor data from a machine-readable format (e.g., voltage, current, etc.) into a human-readable format (e.g., string, floating point number, integer, etc.). In some examples, the sensor interface circuit 202 is instantiated by a programmable circuit that executes sensor interface instructions and / or is configured to perform functions such as Figure 3 The operations represented by the flowchart.

[0040] In some examples, the pressure control circuit 102 includes means for interfacing with a sensor. For example, the means for interfacing with a sensor can be implemented by a sensor interface circuit 202. In some examples, the sensor interface circuit 202 can be implemented by a programmable circuit (e.g., Figure 6 For example, the sensor interface circuit 202 may be implemented by executing machine executable instructions. Figure 7exemplified by the example microprocessor 700 of FIG. 1 , the machine executable instructions are, for example, composed of at least Figure 3 In some examples, the sensor interface circuit 202 may be instantiated by hardware logic circuitry, which may be an ASIC, XPU, or other processor configured and / or constructed to perform operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions. Figure 8 800 of the FPGA circuit 800. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor interface circuit 202 can be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software and / or firmware. For example, the sensor interface circuit 202 can be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuits, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.), at least one or more hardware circuits are configured and / or constructed to execute some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without executing software or firmware, but other structures are also suitable.

[0041] The vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 determines the MOP of the pressure vessel 101 based on the sensor data accessed by the sensor interface circuit 202. For example, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine the MOP of the pressure vessel 101 through a lookup table and / or a relationship curve. In some such examples, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may access a lookup table and a relationship curve that are analytically pre-generated by an operator of the pressure control system 100, which relates the MOP to the temperature of the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., MOP at 20K is 11 bar, MOP at 77K is 8.5 bar, MOP at 200K is 7, MOP at 293K is 6.5, etc.). For example, the MOP may be determined based on one or more properties of the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., the geometry of the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., the thickness of the layers of the pressure vessel 101, the shape of the pressure vessel 101, etc.), material properties of the material of the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., the ultimate tensile strength of the material of the pressure vessel 101, the Young's modulus of the material of the pressure vessel 101, etc.), etc.) and / or a safety factor (e.g., 1.5, 2, 3, etc.).

[0042] In some examples, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine a range of allowable rates of change of pressure of the pressure vessel 101. For example, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine a maximum pressure gradient limit (MPL) (e.g., a maximum allowable rate of change of pressure in the pressure vessel 101, an upper threshold rate of change, a first threshold rate of change, etc.) and a lower pressure gradient limit (LPL) (e.g., a minimum allowable rate of change of pressure in the pressure vessel 101, a lower threshold rate of change, a second threshold rate of change, etc.). In some examples, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine the MPL and / or LPL based on the determined MOP (e.g., as a percentage of the MOP, as a percentage of the MAWP, etc.). In some examples, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine the MPL and / or LPL based on sensor data received by the sensor interface circuit 202 via a lookup table and / or a relationship curve. Additionally or alternatively, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine the MPL and / or LPL based on a user command and / or by receiving the MPL and / or LPL from a memory associated with the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204. In some examples, container parameter determiner circuit 204 is instantiated by programmable circuitry that executes container parameter determiner instructions and / or is configured to perform operations such as by Figure 3 The operations represented by the flowchart.

[0043] In some examples, the pressure control circuit 102 includes a device for determining a parameter of the pressure vessel. For example, the device for determining a parameter of the pressure vessel can be implemented by a vessel parameter determiner circuit 204. In some examples, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 can be implemented by a programmable circuit (e.g., Figure 6 For example, the container parameter determiner circuit 204 may be implemented by executing machine executable instructions. Figure 7 exemplified by the example microprocessor 700, the machine executable instructions are, for example, Figure 3 In some examples, the container parameter determiner circuit 204 may be instantiated by hardware logic circuitry, which may be implemented by an ASIC, XPU, or other processor configured and / or constructed to perform operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions. Figure 8800. Additionally or alternatively, the container parameter determiner circuit 204 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the container parameter determiner circuit 204 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuits, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.), at least one or more hardware circuits configured and / or constructed to execute some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without executing software or firmware, but other structures are also suitable.

[0044] The pressure rate determiner circuit 206 determines the rate of change of the pressure of the pressure vessel 101. For example, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 can use the sensor data received by the sensor interface circuit 202 to determine the rate of change of the pressure. In some examples, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 can fit a curve (e.g., a linear curve, a polynomial curve, a logarithmic curve, etc.) to the discrete pressure values ​​accessed by the sensor interface circuit 202. In other examples, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 can determine the rate of change of the pressure of the pressure vessel 101 by any other analytical method. In some examples, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 is instantiated by a programmable circuit that executes pressure rate determiner instructions and / or is configured to perform such as Figure 3 The operations represented by the flowchart.

[0045] In some examples, the pressure control circuit 102 includes means for determining a rate of change of the pressure. For example, the means for determining a rate of change of the pressure can be implemented by the pressure rate determiner circuit 206. In some examples, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 can be implemented by a programmable circuit (e.g., Figure 6 For example, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may be instantiated by a programmable circuit 612 that executes machine executable instructions. Figure 7 exemplified by the example microprocessor 700, the machine executable instructions are, for example, Figure 3 In some examples, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may be instantiated by hardware logic circuitry, which may be implemented by an ASIC, XPU, or other processor configured and / or constructed to perform operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions. Figure 8The pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may be implemented by an FPGA circuit 800 of the embodiment of the present invention. Additionally or alternatively, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuits, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.), at least one or more hardware circuits being configured and / or constructed to execute some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without executing software or firmware, although other structures are equally suitable.

[0046] The pressure comparator circuit 208 compares the current pressure of the pressure vessel 101 and / or the rate of change of the pressure to the parameters determined by the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 and / or the pressure rate determiner circuit 206. For example, the pressure comparator circuit 208 can determine whether the pressure of the pressure vessel 101 exceeds the MOP of the tank at the current temperature. In some examples, the pressure comparator circuit 208 can determine whether the rate of change of the pressure is increasing above the MPL of the tank and / or is not decreasing faster than the LPL. In some examples, the pressure comparator circuit 208 is instantiated by a programmable circuit that executes pressure comparator instructions and / or is configured to perform such as Figure 3 The operations represented by the flowchart.

[0047] In some examples, the pressure control circuit 102 includes a device for comparing pressures. For example, the device for comparing pressures can be implemented by a pressure comparator circuit 208. In some examples, the pressure comparator circuit 208 can be implemented by a programmable circuit (e.g., Figure 6 For example, the pressure comparator circuit 208 may be instantiated by an example programmable circuit 612 of the ... Figure 7 exemplified by the example microprocessor 700, the machine executable instructions are, for example, Figure 3 In some examples, the pressure comparator circuit 208 may be instantiated by hardware logic circuits, which may be implemented by an ASIC, XPU, or other processor configured and / or constructed to perform operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions. Figure 8The pressure comparator circuit 208 may be implemented by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. In addition or alternatively, the pressure comparator circuit 208 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the pressure comparator circuit 208 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuits, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.), at least one or more hardware circuits are configured and / or constructed to execute some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without executing software or firmware, but other structures are also suitable.

[0048] The system interface circuit 210 interfaces with the first valve 124, the second valve 126, and / or the third valve 128 of the pressure control system 100. For example, the system interface circuit 210 can send a command to one or more of the valves 124, 126, 128 to change position (e.g., move / actuate from a closed position to an open position, move / actuate from an open position to a closed position, etc.). In some examples, the system interface circuit 210 can communicate with one or more of the valves 124, 126, 128 via electrical signals (e.g., wired connections, wireless connections, etc.), pneumatic signals, and / or hydraulic signals. In some examples, the system interface circuit 210 can determine whether the pressure control system 100 is experiencing transient operation.

[0049] For example, the system interface circuit 210 can determine that the pressure control system 100 is experiencing a transient operation based on detecting a user command (e.g., a command to fill the pressure vessel 101, a command to empty the pressure vessel 101, a command to change the temperature of the pressure vessel 101, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the system interface circuit 210 can detect a transient operation based on a change in sensor output, based on a predetermined transient operation, etc. For example, the system interface circuit 210 can detect a change in temperature (e.g., an increase in temperature above a low temperature, etc.) via sensor data. In some examples, the system interface circuit 210 is instantiated by a programmable circuit that executes system interface instructions and / or is configured to execute commands such as those executed by Figure 3 The operations represented by the flowchart.

[0050] In some examples, the pressure control circuit 102 includes a device for interfacing with a system. For example, the device for interfacing with a system can be implemented by a system interface circuit 210. In some examples, the system interface circuit 210 can be implemented by a system interface circuit such as Figure 6 The system interface circuit 210 may be instantiated by a programmable circuit of the example programmable circuit 612 of FIG. For example, the system interface circuit 210 may be implemented by a programmable circuit that executes machine executable instructions. Figure 7 exemplified by the example microprocessor 700, the machine executable instructions are, for example, Figure 3In some examples, the system interface circuit 210 may be instantiated by hardware logic circuits, which may be implemented by an ASIC, XPU, or other processor configured and / or constructed to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Figure 8 The system interface circuit 210 may be implemented by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. Additionally or alternatively, the system interface circuit 210 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the system interface circuit 210 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuits, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.), at least one or more hardware circuits being configured and / or constructed to execute some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without executing software or firmware, but other structures are also suitable.

[0051] Although Figure 2 The implementation is shown in Figure 1 The pressure control circuit 102 is an example of a Figure 2 One or more of the elements, processes, and / or devices shown in the drawings may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, eliminated, and / or implemented in any other manner. In addition, the sensor interface circuit 202, the container parameter determiner circuit 204, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206, the pressure comparator circuit 208, the system interface circuit 210, and / or more generally, Figure 2 The example pressure control circuit 102 may be implemented by hardware alone or by hardware in combination with software and / or firmware. Thus, for example, any of the sensor interface circuit 202, the container parameter determiner circuit 204, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206, the pressure comparator circuit 208, the system interface circuit 210, and / or more generally, the example pressure control circuit 102 may be implemented by programmable circuitry in combination with machine-readable instructions (e.g., firmware or software), processor circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, logic circuitry, a programmable processor, a programmable microcontroller, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a programmable logic device (PLD), and / or a field programmable logic device (FPLD) (such as an FPGA). In addition, Figure 2 An example pressure control circuit 102 may include, in addition to Figure 2 In addition to or in place of the components, processes and / or devices shown in Figure 2 One or more of the elements, processes and / or devices shown in the drawings and / or may include more than one of any or all of the elements, processes and devices shown.

[0052] Figure 3 The flowcharts representing example machine-readable instructions and / or representing example operations are shown in Figure 2 The pressure control circuit 102, example operations may be performed by a programmable circuit to implement and / or instantiate Figure 2 The machine-readable instructions may be provided by a programmable circuit (such as the following in combination with Figure 6 One or more executable programs or portions of one or more executable programs (also referred to herein as machine executable instructions) executed by the programmable circuit 612 shown in the example programmable circuit platform 600 discussed above, and / or may be to be executed by the following in combination Figure 7 and / or Figure 8 The example discussed herein is one or more functions or portions of functions performed by programmable circuits (e.g., FPGAs). In some examples, machine-readable instructions cause operations, tasks, etc. to be performed and / or performed in an automated manner in the real world. As used herein, "automated" refers to situations where there is no human involvement.

[0053] The program may be embodied in instructions (e.g., software and / or firmware) stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable storage media (such as cache memory, magnetic storage devices or disks (e.g., floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical storage devices or disks (e.g., Blu-ray disks, compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc.), redundant arrays of independent disks (RAIDs), registers, ROMs, solid-state drives (SSDs), SSD memories, non-volatile memories (e.g., electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), flash memories, etc.), volatile memories (e.g., any type of random access memories (RAMs), etc.), and / or any other storage devices or storage disks). The instructions of the non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media may program and / or be executed by programmable circuits located in one or more hardware devices, but the entire program and / or portions thereof may alternatively be executed and / or instantiated by one or more hardware devices other than programmable circuits, and / or embodied in dedicated hardware. The machine-readable instructions may be distributed across multiple hardware devices and / or executed by two or more hardware devices (e.g., a server and a client hardware device). For example, a client hardware device may be implemented by an endpoint client hardware device (e.g., a hardware device associated with a human and / or machine user) or an intermediate client hardware device gateway (e.g., a radio access network (RAN)) that may facilitate communication between a server and an endpoint client hardware device. Similarly, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may include one or more media. In addition, although the example programs are referenced Figure 3, but many other methods of implementing the example pressure control circuit 102 may be used instead. For example, the execution order of the blocks of the flowchart may be changed, and / or some of the blocks described may be changed, eliminated, or combined. Additionally or alternatively, any or all of the blocks of the flowchart may be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuits, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.) that are structured to perform corresponding operations without executing software or firmware. The programmable circuits may be distributed in different network locations and / or located locally in one or more hardware devices (e.g., single-core processors (e.g., single-core CPUs), multi-core processors (e.g., multi-core CPUs, XPUs, etc.). For example, the programmable circuit may be a CPU and / or FPGA located in the same package (e.g., the same integrated circuit (IC) package or in two or more separate housings), one or more processors in a single machine, multiple processors distributed on multiple servers in a server rack, multiple processors distributed on one or more server racks, etc., and / or any combination thereof.

[0054] The machine-readable instructions described herein may be stored in one or more of a compressed format, an encrypted format, a segmented format, a compiled format, an executable format, a packaged format, etc. The machine-readable instructions as described herein may be stored as data (e.g., computer-readable data, machine-readable data, one or more bits (e.g., one or more computer-readable bits, one or more machine-readable bits, etc.), a bit stream (e.g., a computer-readable bit stream, a machine-readable bit stream, etc.), etc.) or a data structure (e.g., as part of an instruction, a code, a representation of a code, etc.) that can be used to create, manufacture, and / or generate machine-executable instructions. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be segmented and stored on one or more storage devices, disks, and / or computing devices (e.g., servers) located in the same or different locations (e.g., in the cloud, an edge device, etc.) of a network or a collection of networks. The machine-readable instructions may need to be installed, modified, adapted, updated, combined, supplemented, constructed, decrypted, decompressed, unpacked, distributed, redistributed, compiled, etc., so that they can be directly read, interpreted, and / or executed by a computing device and / or other machine. For example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in multiple portions that are separately compressed, encrypted, and / or stored on separate computing devices, where the portions, when decrypted, decompressed, and / or combined, form a set of computer-executable and / or machine-executable instructions that implement one or more functions and / or operations that may together form a program such as described herein.

[0055] In another example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in a state where they can be read by programmable circuits, but require the addition of a library (e.g., a dynamic link library (DLL)), a software development kit (SDK), an application programming interface (API), etc., in order to execute the machine-readable instructions on a particular computing device or other device. In another example, it may be necessary to construct the machine-readable instructions (e.g., stored settings, data inputs, recorded network addresses, etc.) before the machine-readable instructions and / or corresponding programs can be executed in whole or in part. Therefore, as used herein, machine-readable, computer-readable and / or machine-readable media may include instructions and / or programs regardless of the specific format or state of the machine-readable instructions and / or programs.

[0056] The machine-readable instructions described herein may be represented by any past, present, or future instruction language, scripting language, programming language, etc. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be represented using any of the following languages: C, C++, Java, C#, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Structured Query Language (SQL), Swift, etc.

[0057] As mentioned above, Figure 3The example operations of can be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer-readable and / or machine-readable instructions) stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms non-transitory computer-readable medium, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, non-transitory machine-readable medium, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium are expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk, and exclude propagation signals and exclude transmission media. Examples of such non-transitory computer-readable media, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, non-transitory machine-readable media, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage media include optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, HDDs, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), CDs, DVDs, caches, any type of RAM, registers, and / or any other storage device or storage disk that stores information for any duration (e.g., an extended period of time, permanent, transient instances, temporary buffering, and / or cached information). As used herein, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable storage device" and "non-transitory machine-readable storage device" are defined to include any physical (mechanical, magnetic and / or electrical) hardware that retains information over a period of time, but excludes propagating signals and excludes transmission media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage devices and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage devices include any type of random access memory, any type of read-only memory, solid-state memory, flash memory, optical disks, magnetic disks, disk drives, and / or redundant array of independent disks (RAID) systems. As used herein, the term "device" refers to a physical structure (such as a mechanical and / or electrical device, hardware, and / or circuit) that may or may not be constructed from computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc., and / or manufactured to perform computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc.

[0058] Figure 3 is a flow chart representing example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 300 that may be executed by a programmable circuit (eg, Figure 2 The pressure control circuit 102) executes, instantiates and / or performs to adjust Figure 1 The pressure and discharge rate of the pressure vessel 101. Figure 3The example machine readable instructions and / or example operations 300 of the embodiment begin at block 302, where the system interface circuit 210 detects that the pressure vessel 101 is undergoing a transient tank operation. For example, the system interface circuit 210 determines that the pressure vessel 101 is undergoing a transient operation. For example, the system interface circuit 210 may determine whether the pressure vessel 101 is undergoing a warm-up operation, a cool-down operation, a filling operation (e.g., receiving H2 via the LH2 filling pipe 114, etc.), and / or an extraction operation (e.g., extracting H2 via the GH2 extraction pipe 116 and / or the LH2 extraction pipe 118, etc.). In some examples, the system interface circuit 210 may detect via sensor information received by the sensor interface circuit 202 (e.g., whether the temperature of the pressure vessel 101 is above the cryogenic temperature, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the system interface circuit 210 may determine that the pressure vessel 101 is undergoing a transient operation by detecting a user command to operate the pressure control system 100 (e.g., an operator of the pressure control system 100, etc.).

[0059] At block 304, the sensor interface circuit 202 accesses sensor data related to the tank temperature and the tank pressure. For example, the sensor interface circuit 202 receives sensor data (e.g., sensor output, etc.) from the sensors 130, 132 of the pressure vessel 101 and / or the pressure control system 100. In some examples, the sensor interface circuit 202 may convert the received sensor data from a machine-readable format (e.g., voltage, current, etc.) into a human-readable format (e.g., string, floating point number, integer, etc.).

[0060] At block 306, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 determines the MOP of the pressure vessel 101 based on the tank temperature. For example, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine the MOP of the pressure vessel 101 via a lookup table and / or relationship curve stored in a memory associated with the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 (e.g., Figure 6 Local storage 613, Figure 6 The volatile memory 614, Figure 6 The non-volatile memory 616, Figure 6The MOP may be determined analytically by the pressure vessel 101 and / or the pressure vessel 101 parameters. The MOP may be determined analytically by the pressure vessel 101 and / or the pressure vessel 101 parameters. The MOP may be determined analytically by the pressure vessel 101 and / or the pressure vessel 101 parameters. The MOP may be determined analytically by the pressure vessel 101 and / or the pressure vessel 101 parameters. The MOP may be determined analytically by the pressure vessel 101 and / or the pressure vessel 101 parameters. The MOP may be determined analytically by the pressure vessel 101 and / or the pressure vessel 101 parameters. The MOP may be determined analytically by the pressure vessel 101 and / or the pressure vessel 101 parameters.

[0061] At block 308, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 determines a range of allowable rates of change of pressure based on the tank temperature. For example, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine a maximum pressure gradient limit (MPL) (e.g., a maximum allowable rate of change of pressure in the pressure vessel 101, an upper threshold of the range, etc.) and a minimum pressure gradient limit (LPL) (e.g., a minimum allowable rate of change of pressure in the pressure vessel 101, a lower threshold of the range, etc.). In some examples, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine the MPL and / or LPL based on the MOP determined during block 306 (e.g., as a percentage of the MOP, as a percentage of the MAWP, etc.). In some examples, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine the MPL and / or LPL based on sensor data received by the sensor interface circuit 202 during execution of block 302 via a lookup table and / or relationship curve. Additionally or alternatively, the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 may determine the MPL and / or LPL based on user commands and / or by retrieving data from a memory associated with the vessel parameter determiner circuit 204 (e.g., Figure 6 Local storage 613, Figure 6 The volatile memory 614, Figure 6 The non-volatile memory 616, Figure 6 A large capacity storage device 628, etc.) receives the MPL and / or LPL to determine the MPL and / or LPL.

[0062] At block 310, the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines whether the current tank pressure exceeds the allowed tank pressure. For example, the pressure comparator circuit 208 may compare the current tank pressure to the allowed tank pressure to determine whether the current tank pressure is greater than the allowed tank pressure determined during execution of block 306. If the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines that the current pressure exceeds the allowed tank pressure, the operation 300 proceeds to block 316. If the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines that the current pressure does not exceed the allowed tank pressure, the operation 300 proceeds to block 312.

[0063] At block 312, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 determines the current rate of change of the tank pressure. For example, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may determine the rate of change of the pressure using sensor data received by the sensor interface circuit 202. In some examples, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may fit a curve (e.g., a linear curve, a polynomial curve, a logarithmic curve, etc.) to the discrete pressure values ​​accessed by the sensor interface circuit 202. In other examples, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may determine the rate of change of the pressure of the pressure vessel 101 by any other analytical method.

[0064] At block 314, the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines whether the current rate of change of the tank pressure exceeds an upper threshold of a range of allowable rates of change of pressure. For example, the pressure comparator circuit 208 may compare the current rate of change of the tank pressure to the range of allowable rates of change of the tank pressure to determine whether the current rate of change of the tank pressure is greater than an upper or maximum threshold rate of change of the range of rates of change determined during execution of block 308. If the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines that the current rate of change of pressure exceeds the range of allowable rates of change of pressure, the operation 300 proceeds to block 316. If the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines that the current rate of change of pressure does not exceed the range of allowable rates of change of pressure, the operation 300 proceeds to block 328.

[0065] At block 316, the system interface circuit 210 opens the first valve 124. For example, the system interface circuit 210 may send a command (e.g., a pneumatic command, an electrical command, a hydraulic command, etc.) to operate the first valve 124. Additionally or alternatively, the system interface circuit 210 may generate an alert from an operator of the pressure control system 100 to open the first valve 124 (e.g., manually operate the first valve 124, generate a command to operate the first valve 124, etc.). In some examples, the system interface circuit 210 may send a command to move the first valve 124 from a closed position to an open position (e.g., a fully open position, etc.). In some examples, if the first valve 124 is a regulating valve, the system interface circuit 210 may send a command to move the first valve 124 from a closed position to a partially open position (e.g., a first open position, etc.).

[0066] At block 318, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 determines the rate of change of the tank pressure. For example, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may determine the rate of change of the pressure using the sensor data received by the sensor interface circuit 202. In some examples, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may fit a curve (e.g., a linear curve, a polynomial curve, a logarithmic curve, etc.) to the discrete pressure values ​​accessed by the sensor interface circuit 202. In other examples, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206 may determine the rate of change of the pressure of the pressure vessel 101 by any other analytical method.

[0067] At block 320, the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines whether the current rate of change of the tank pressure satisfies a lower threshold of the range of allowable rates of change of pressure. For example, the pressure comparator circuit 208 may determine whether the current rate of change of the tank pressure is less than a minimum threshold rate of change (e.g., a minimum rate of decrease, etc.) of the range of rates of change determined during execution of block 308. If the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines that the current rate of change of pressure satisfies the range of allowable rates of change of pressure, the operation 300 proceeds to block 324. If the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines that the current rate of change of pressure does not satisfy the range of allowable rates of change of pressure, the operation 300 proceeds to block 322.

[0068] At block 322, the system interface circuit 210 opens the second valve 126 and / or further opens the first valve 124. For example, the system interface circuit 210 may send a command (e.g., a pneumatic command, an electrical command, a hydraulic command, etc.) to operate the first valve 124 and / or the second valve 126. Additionally or alternatively, the system interface circuit 210 may generate an alert from an operator of the pressure control system 100 to open the first valve 124 and / or the second valve 126 (e.g., manually operate one or both of the valves 124, 126, generate a command to operate one or both of the valves 124, 126, etc.). In some examples, the system interface circuit 210 may send a command to move the second valve 126 from a closed position to an open position (e.g., a fully open position, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, if the first valve 124 is a regulating valve, the system interface circuit 210 can send a command to move the first valve 124 from a first open position (e.g., the position set during execution of box 316, etc.) to a second open position (e.g., a fully open position, another partially open position that is more open than the first open position, etc.).

[0069] At block 324, the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines whether the current tank pressure exceeds the allowable tank pressure. For example, the pressure comparator circuit 208 may compare the current tank pressure to the allowable tank pressure to determine whether the current tank pressure is greater than the allowable tank pressure determined during execution of block 306. In some examples, the pressure comparator circuit 208 may determine whether the opening of one or both of the first valve 124 and / or the second valve 126 has reduced the pressure below the allowable tank pressure. If the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines that the current pressure exceeds the allowable tank pressure, the operation 300 repeats execution of block 324 to allow more time for the pressure to dissipate by opening one or both of the first valve 124 and / or the second valve 126. If the pressure comparator circuit 208 determines that the current pressure does not exceed the allowable tank pressure, the operation 300 proceeds to block 326.

[0070] At block 326, the system interface circuit 210 closes the open valves. For example, the system interface circuit 210 may send a command (e.g., a pneumatic command, an electrical command, a hydraulic command, etc.) to couple the first valve 124 and / or the second valve 126 (e.g., if the second valve 126 is open, etc.) to a closed position (e.g., a fully closed position, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the system interface circuit 210 may generate an alert from an operator of the pressure control system 100 to close the first valve 124 and / or the second valve 126 (e.g., manually operate one or both of the valves 124, 126, generate a command to operate one or both of the valves 124, 126, etc.).

[0071] At block 328, the system interface circuit 210 determines whether the transient operation of the pressure vessel 101 has ended. For example, the system interface circuit 210 may determine whether the pressure vessel 101 has reached a steady-state condition via sensor information received by the sensor interface circuit 202 (e.g., whether the temperature of the pressure vessel 101 has reached a cryogenic temperature, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the system interface circuit 210 may detect that hydrogen is no longer being added to and / or removed from the pressure vessel 101 (e.g., via the LH2 fill tube 114, via the GH2 extraction tube 116, via the LH2 extraction tube 118, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the system interface circuit 210 may determine whether the transient operation of the pressure vessel 101 has ended by another device (e.g., via a user command, via a timer, etc.). If the system interface circuit 210 has determined that the transient operation of the pressure vessel 101 has ended, the operation 300 ends. If the system interface circuit 210 has determined that transient operation of the pressure vessel 101 has not ended, the operation 300 returns to block 306 .

[0072] Figure 4 Another example pressure control system 400 implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4In the example shown, the pressure control system 400 includes an example pressure vessel 401. The pressure vessel 401 is similar to Figure 1 The pressure vessel 101 is shown in FIG. 1 , except that the pressure vessel 401 is fluidly connected to an example first valve 402, an example second valve 404, and an example third valve 406. The valves 402, 404, 406 control the flow of hydrogen from the pressure vessel 401 through an example first pipeline 408, an example second pipeline 410, and an example third pipeline 412, respectively. Figure 1 Unlike the pressure control system 100 of FIG. 4 , the pressure control system 400 is a passive control system that does not include controller circuitry and / or control logic to control the operation of the valves 402, 404, 406. In some examples, some or all of the valves 402, 404, 406 may include localized control circuits that are preprogrammed to engage upon detection of one or more preset conditions (e.g., a threshold temperature, a threshold pressure, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the valves 402, 404, 406 may include a mechanical control system (e.g., a spring, a diaphragm, etc.).

[0073] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, valves 402, 404, 406 are closed automatic control valves that discharge hydrogen from pressure vessel 401 if a corresponding threshold is reached within pressure vessel 401. In some examples, some or all of valves 402, 404, 406 may be temperature safety valves (TSVs) that automatically open (e.g., without a command from an external control circuit, etc.) when one or more target temperatures are exceeded. For example, first valve 402 may have a first threshold temperature (e.g., room temperature (~290K), 273K, 250K, 100K, etc.), and second valve 404 may have a second threshold temperature (e.g., 100K, 50K, 25K, 20K, etc.), which is less than the first threshold temperature and greater than and / or equal to the steady-state operating temperature of pressure vessel 401. It should be understood that the temperature thresholds associated with valves 402, 404, 406 correspond to specific temperature-based MOPs of pressure vessel 401. In some examples, third valve 406 is a pressure safety valve (e.g., having a threshold value based on pressure, etc.), and first valve 402 and second valve 404 are temperature safety valves (e.g., having a threshold value based on temperature, etc.). In some such examples, the MAWP of pressure vessel 401 may be a pressure threshold value associated with third valve 406.

[0074] Additionally or alternatively, some or all of the first valve 402, the second valve 404, and / or the third valve 406 may be pressure relief valves having corresponding threshold pressures. For example, the first valve 402 may have a first threshold pressure, the second valve 404 may have a second threshold pressure different from the first threshold pressure, and the third threshold pressure is different from the first threshold pressure and the second threshold pressure.

[0075] Different from existing tanks and systems and Figure 1 Similar to the pressure vessel 101, the thickness of the pressure vessel 401 is designed based on the MOP during steady-state conditions (e.g., the actual strength of the pressure vessel 401 at cryogenic temperatures, etc.) rather than the MOP during transient operation. During transient operation, the pressure vessel 401 operates at a temperature above cryogenic temperatures, which reduces the MOP of the pressure vessel 401. The example valves 402, 404, 406 are configured to maintain the pressure of the pressure vessel 401 below the MOP during transient operation. For example, if the pressure vessel 401 reaches cryogenic temperatures starting from room temperature, the valves 402, 404 open due to the temperature of the pressure vessel 401, which allows some hydrogen to leave the pressure vessel 401 via lines 408, 410, which maintains the pressure of the pressure vessel 401 below the MOP associated with the threshold temperature of the first valve 402. As the temperature of the pressure vessel 401 decreases and the MOP of the pressure vessel 401 increases, the first valve 402 closes, which reduces the rate of hydrogen discharge from the pressure vessel 401 and maintains the pressure of the pressure vessel 401 below the MOP associated with the threshold temperature of the second valve 404. As the temperature of the pressure vessel 401 further decreases and the MOP of the pressure vessel 401 further increases, the second valve 404 closes, which further reduces the rate of hydrogen discharge from the pressure vessel 401 and maintains the pressure of the pressure vessel 401 below the threshold pressure of the third valve 406 (e.g., the MAWP of the pressure vessel 401, etc.). Therefore, the valves 402, 404, 406 enable the pressure vessel 401 to be substantially thinner and lighter (e.g., 30% lighter, 40% lighter, 50% lighter, etc.) than existing storage tanks. In this way, the pressure vessel 401 provides improved functionality in weight and / or material sensitive applications (e.g., aviation applications, etc.).

[0076] although Figure 4 The pressure control system 400 is depicted as including three valves (e.g., valves 402, 404, 406, etc.), but it should be understood that other systems implemented according to the teachings of the present disclosure may include a different number of valves (e.g., two valves, four valves, ten valves, etc.). In some such examples, adding a valve similar to Figure 4 The number of valves in the passive system of the pressure control system 400 enables more accurate discharge of hydrogen based on temperature, which reduces hydrogen losses from the pressure control system 400 and / or reduces the required thickness of the pressure vessel 401 .

[0077] Figure 5 Can be combined Figure 1 The pressure control system 100 and / or Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an example hydrogen recapture system 500 for use with the pressure control system 400 of FIG. Figure 5 In the example shown, the hydrogen recapture system 500 includes an example junction 501 , an example heat exchanger 502 , an example H 2 buffer tank 504 , an example compressor 506 , and an example gas storage tank 508 .

[0078] In the example shown, Figure 1 The example pipelines 134, 136, 138 are coupled to the junction 501, which flows into the heat exchanger 502. That is, the junction 501 receives the exhausted hydrogen from the first valve 124, the second valve 126, and the third valve 128, respectively.

[0079] Heat exchanger 502 heats hydrogen exhausted via lines 134, 136, 138. For example, heat exchanger 502 can heat hydrogen to a temperature compatible with compressor 506. H2 buffer tank 504 stores heated hydrogen received from heat exchanger 502. In some such examples, when a suitable volume and / or threshold pressure is reached in H2 buffer tank 504, compressor 506 starts and draws hydrogen from H2 buffer tank 504. Compressor 506 pressurizes the gas exiting H2 buffer tank 504 and directs the pressurized gas to gas storage tank 508. By Figure 1 The pressure control system 100 and / or Figure 4 By using the pressure control system 400, the pressurized gas in the gas storage tank 508 can be converted back into a cryogenic fluid and used as a cryogenic fuel at a later time.

[0080] In some examples, use of the hydrogen recapture system 500 may reduce the rate of hydrogen loss of the pressure control system 100, 400, which may have a greater loss rate than existing systems due to anticipated operation of valves during transient operation of the pressure control system 100, 400. Figure 5 A system for recapture of hydrogen is shown, but it should be understood that a recapture system implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure may be used in conjunction with pressure vessels storing other cryogenic gases (e.g., air, nitrogen, helium, neon, oxygen, fluorine, argon, methane, etc.).

[0081] Figure 6 is constructed to execute and / or instantiate Figure 3 Example machine readable instructions and / or example operations to implement Figure 21 is a block diagram of an example programmable circuit platform 600 for pressure control circuit 102. Programmable circuit platform 600 can be, for example, a server, a personal computer, a workstation, a self-learning machine (e.g., a neural network), a mobile device (e.g., a cellular phone, a smart phone, a tablet such as an iPad™), an Internet appliance, a headset (e.g., an augmented reality (AR) headset, a virtual reality (VR) headset, etc.) or other wearable device, or any other type of computing and / or electronic device.

[0082] The programmable circuit platform 600 of the illustrated example includes a programmable circuit 612. The programmable circuit 612 of the illustrated example is hardware. For example, the programmable circuit 612 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, FPGAs, microprocessors, CPUs, GPUs, DSPs, and / or microcontrollers from any desired series or manufacturer. The programmable circuit 612 can be implemented by one or more semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) devices. In this example, the programmable circuit 612 implements the sensor interface circuit 202, the container parameter determiner circuit 204, the pressure rate determiner circuit 206, the pressure comparator circuit 208, and the system interface circuit 210.

[0083] The programmable circuit 612 of the illustrated example includes a local memory 613 (e.g., cache, registers, etc.). The programmable circuit 612 of the illustrated example communicates with a volatile memory 614 and a non-volatile memory 616 (collectively referred to herein as a main memory) via a bus 618. The volatile memory 614 may be comprised of a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory The non-volatile memory 616 may be implemented by flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memory 614, 616 of the illustrated example is controlled by a memory controller 617. In some examples, the memory controller 617 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microcontrollers, or any other type of circuitry from any desired family or manufacturer to manage the flow of data to and from the main memory 614, 616.

[0084] The programmable circuit platform 600 of the illustrated example also includes an interface circuit 620. The interface circuit 620 may be configured according to any type of interface standard (such as an Ethernet interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, interface, a near field communication (NFC) interface, a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) interface, and / or a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface) are implemented by hardware.

[0085] In the example shown, one or more input devices 622 are connected to the interface circuit 620. The input devices 622 allow a user (e.g., a human user, a machine user, etc.) to input data and / or commands into the programmable circuit 612. The input devices 622 may be implemented by, for example, an audio sensor, a microphone, a camera (still or video), a keyboard, buttons, a mouse, a touch screen, a trackpad, a trackball, an isopoint device, and / or a voice recognition system.

[0086] One or more output devices 624 are also connected to the interface circuit 620 of the illustrated example. The output device 624 may be implemented, for example, by a display device (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, an in-place switching (IPS) display, a touch screen, etc.), a tactile output device, a printer, and / or a speaker. Therefore, the interface circuit 620 of the illustrated example typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and / or a graphics processor circuit, such as a GPU.

[0087] The interface circuitry 620 of the illustrated example also includes a communication device (such as a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, modem, residential gateway, wireless access point, and / or network interface) to facilitate data exchange with an external machine (e.g., any kind of computing device) over a network 626. Communication may be through, for example, an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, a telephone line connection, a coaxial cable system, a satellite system, a line-of-sight wireless system, a line-of-sight wireless system, a cellular telephone system, an optical connection, etc.

[0088] The programmable circuit platform 600 of the illustrated example also includes one or more mass storage disks or devices 628 for storing firmware, software, and / or data. Examples of such mass storage disks or devices 628 include magnetic storage devices (e.g., floppy disks, drives, HDDs, etc.), optical storage devices (e.g., Blu-ray disks, CDs, DVDs, etc.), RAID systems, and / or solid-state storage disks or devices, such as flash memory devices and / or SSDs.

[0089] Machine readable instructions 632 may be provided by Figure 3 The machine-readable instructions of the computer program product are implemented and stored in the mass storage device 628, the volatile memory 614, the non-volatile memory 616, and / or on at least one removable non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (such as a CD or DVD).

[0090] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 612. In this example, Figure 6The programmable circuit 612 is implemented by the microprocessor 700. For example, the microprocessor 700 may be a general-purpose microprocessor (eg, a general-purpose microprocessor circuit). The microprocessor 700 executes Figure 3 Some or all of the machine-readable instructions of the flowchart, thereby effectively Figure 2 The circuits are instantiated as logic circuits to perform operations corresponding to those machine-readable instructions. In some such examples, Figure 2 The circuit is instantiated by the hardware circuit of the microprocessor 700 in combination with the machine-readable instructions. For example, the microprocessor 700 can be implemented by a multi-core hardware circuit (such as a CPU, DSP, GPU, XPU, etc.). Although it can include any number of example cores 702 (for example, 1 core), the microprocessor 700 of this example is a multi-core semiconductor device including N cores. The cores 702 of the microprocessor 700 can operate independently or can cooperate to execute machine-readable instructions. For example, the machine code corresponding to a firmware program, an embedded software program, or a software program can be executed by one of the cores 702, or can be executed by multiple cores in the cores 702 at the same or different times. In some examples, the machine code corresponding to the firmware program, the embedded software program, or the software program is divided into threads and executed in parallel by two or more of the cores 702. The software program may correspond to a thread executed by Figure 3 A flowchart may represent a portion or all of machine-readable instructions and / or operations.

[0091] The core 702 can communicate via a first example bus 704. In some examples, the first bus 704 can be implemented by a communication bus to enable communications associated with one or more of the cores 702. For example, the first bus 704 can be implemented by at least one of an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) bus, a serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus, a PCI bus, or a PCIe bus. Additionally or alternatively, the first bus 704 can be implemented by any other type of computing or electrical bus. The core 702 can obtain data, instructions, and / or signals from one or more external devices via an example interface circuit 706. The core 702 can output data, instructions, and / or signals to one or more external devices via the interface circuit 706. Although the core 702 of this example includes an example local memory 720 (e.g., a level 1 (L1) cache that can be divided into an L1 data cache and an L1 instruction cache), the microprocessor 700 also includes an example shared memory 710 that can be shared by the core (e.g., a level 2 (L2 cache)) for high-speed access to data and / or instructions. Data and / or instructions may be transferred (eg, shared) by writing to and / or reading from the shared memory 710. The local memory 720 of each of the cores 702 and the shared memory 710 may be a memory including multiple levels of cache memory and main memory (eg, Figure 6Cache memory is part of a hierarchy of storage devices (main memory 614, 616). Generally, higher level memory in the hierarchy exhibits shorter access times and has smaller storage capacity than lower level memory. Changes to various levels of the cache hierarchy are managed (e.g., coordinated) by a cache coherence policy.

[0092] Each core 702 may be referred to as a CPU, DSP, GPU, etc., or any other type of hardware circuit. Each core 702 includes a control unit circuit 714, an arithmetic and logic (AL) circuit (sometimes referred to as an ALU) 716, a plurality of registers 718, a local memory 720, and a second example bus 722. Other structures may exist. For example, each core 702 may include a vector unit circuit, a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) unit circuit, a load / store unit (LSU) circuit, a branch / jump unit circuit, a floating point unit (FPU) circuit, etc. The control unit circuit 714 includes a semiconductor-based circuit structured to control (e.g., coordinate) data movement within the corresponding core 702. The AL circuit 716 includes a semiconductor-based circuit structured to perform one or more mathematical and / or logical operations on the data within the corresponding core 702. The AL circuit 716 of some examples performs integer-based operations. In other examples, the AL circuit 716 also performs floating-point operations. In yet another example, the AL circuit 716 may include a first AL circuit that performs integer-based operations and a second AL circuit that performs floating-point operations. In some examples, AL circuit 716 may be referred to as an arithmetic logic unit (ALU).

[0093] Registers 718 are semiconductor-based structures for storing data and / or instructions, such as the results of one or more operations performed by the AL circuit 716 of the corresponding core 702. For example, registers 718 may include vector registers, SIMD registers, general registers, flag registers, segment registers, machine-specific registers, instruction pointer registers, control registers, debug registers, memory management registers, machine check registers, etc. Registers 718 may be as follows: Figure 7 The arrangement is shown in a library. Alternatively, the registers 718 may be organized in any other arrangement, format or structure, such as by being distributed throughout the core 702 to reduce access time. The second bus 722 may be implemented by at least one of an I2C bus, an SPI bus, a PCI bus or a PCIe bus.

[0094] Each core 702, and / or more generally, the microprocessor 700, may include additional and / or alternative structures to those shown and described above. For example, there may be one or more clock circuits, one or more power supplies, one or more power gates, one or more cache master agents (CHA), one or more aggregation / common grid stops (CMS), one or more shifters (e.g., barrel shifters), and / or other circuits. The microprocessor 700 is a semiconductor device fabricated to include many transistors that are interconnected to implement the above structures in one or more integrated circuits (ICs) contained in one or more packages.

[0095] The microprocessor 700 may include one or more accelerators (e.g., acceleration circuits, hardware accelerators, etc.) and / or collaborate with one or more accelerators. In some examples, the accelerator is implemented by a logic circuit to perform certain tasks faster and / or more efficiently than a general-purpose processor. Examples of accelerators include ASICs and FPGAs, such as those discussed herein. GPUs, DSPs, and / or other programmable devices may also be accelerators. The accelerator may be on the microprocessor 700, in the same chip package as the microprocessor 700, and / or in one or more packages separate from the microprocessor 700.

[0096] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 800. For example, the FPGA circuit 800 can be implemented by an FPGA. For example, the FPGA circuit 800 can be used to perform operations that can otherwise be performed by executing corresponding machine-readable instructions. Figure 7 However, once configured, FPGA circuit 800 instantiates operations and / or functions corresponding to machine-readable instructions in hardware, and thus can typically perform operations / functions faster than can be performed by a general-purpose microprocessor executing corresponding software.

[0097] More specifically, Figure 7 The microprocessor 700 (which can be programmed to execute Figure 3 Compared to a general-purpose device in which a flowchart represents all or some of the machine-readable instructions, but whose interconnections and logic circuits are fixed once manufactured, Figure 8 The example FPGA circuit 800 includes interconnects and logic circuits that can be configured, structured, programmed, and / or interconnected in different ways after fabrication to instantiate, for example, Figure 3The FPGA circuit 800 may be thought of as an array of logic gates, interconnects, and switches. The switches may be programmed to change how the logic gates are interconnected by the interconnects, effectively forming one or more dedicated logic circuits (unless and until the FPGA circuit 800 is reprogrammed). The configured logic circuits enable the logic gates to work together in different ways, thereby performing different operations on the data received by the input circuits. Those operations may correspond to the operations performed by the FPGA circuits. Figure 3 Thus, FPGA circuit 800 may be configured and / or structured to effectively communicate with Figure 3 Some or all of the operations / functions corresponding to the machine-readable instructions of the flowchart are instantiated into dedicated logic circuits, thereby performing the operations / functions corresponding to those software instructions in a dedicated manner similar to an ASIC. Therefore, the FPGA circuit 800 can perform the operations / functions corresponding to those software instructions faster than a general-purpose microprocessor can perform the same operations / functions. Figure 3 Some or all of the operations / functions of the machine-readable instructions.

[0098] exist Figure 8 In some examples, the FPGA circuit 800 is configured and / or structured in response to being programmed (and / or reprogrammed one or more times) based on a binary file. In some examples, a binary file can be compiled and / or generated based on instructions in a hardware description language (HDL) such as Lucid, Very High Speed ​​Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Description Language (VHDL), or Verilog. For example, a user (e.g., a human user, a machine user, etc.) can write code or a program corresponding to one or more operations / functions in the HDL; the code / program can be translated into a low-level language as needed; and the code / program (e.g., code / program in a low-level language) can be converted (e.g., by a compiler, a software application, etc.) into a binary file. In some examples, Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 can access and / or load a binary file to enable Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 is configured and / or structured to perform one or more operations / functions. For example, a binary file may be generated by Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 can be accessed by a bit stream (e.g., one or more computer-readable bits, one or more machine-readable bits, etc.), data (e.g., computer-readable data, machine-readable data, etc.), and / or machine-readable instructions to cause Figure 8 Configuration and / or structuring of FPGA circuit 800 or a portion thereof.

[0099] In some examples, the binary file is compiled, generated, converted, and / or otherwise output from a unified software platform for programming the FPGA. For example, the unified software platform can translate a first instruction (e.g., code or program) corresponding to one or more operations / functions in a high-level language (e.g., C, C++, Python, etc.) into a second instruction in HDL corresponding to one or more operations / functions. In some such examples, the binary file is compiled, generated, and / or otherwise output from the unified software platform based on the second instruction. In some examples, Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 can access and / or load a binary file to enable Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 is configured and / or structured to perform one or more operations / functions. For example, a binary file may be generated by Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 can be accessed by a bit stream (e.g., one or more computer-readable bits, one or more machine-readable bits, etc.), data (e.g., computer-readable data, machine-readable data, etc.), and / or machine-readable instructions to cause Figure 8 Configuration and / or structuring of FPGA circuit 800 or a portion thereof.

[0100] Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 includes an example input / output (I / O) circuit 802 to obtain data from and / or output data to an example configuration circuit 804 and / or external hardware 806. For example, the configuration circuit 804 can be implemented by an interface circuit that can obtain a binary file to configure the FPGA circuit 800 or a portion thereof, and the binary file can be implemented by a bitstream, data, and / or machine-readable instructions. In some such examples, the configuration circuit 804 can obtain the binary file from a user, a machine (e.g., a hardware circuit (e.g., a programmable or dedicated circuit) that can implement an artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) model to generate a binary file), etc., and / or any combination thereof. In some examples, the external hardware 806 can be implemented by an external hardware circuit. For example, the external hardware 806 can be implemented by Figure 7 The present invention is implemented by the microprocessor 700.

[0101] FPGA circuit 800 also includes an array of example logic gate circuits 808, a plurality of example configurable interconnects 810, and example storage circuits 812. Logic gate circuits 808 and configurable interconnects 810 may be configured to instantiate Figure 3 One or more operations / functions of at least some of the machine-readable instructions and / or other desired operations. Figure 8The logic gate circuit 808 shown in is manufactured in the form of blocks or groups. Each block includes a semiconductor-based electrical structure that can be configured into a logic circuit. In some examples, the electrical structure includes a logic gate (e.g., an AND gate, an OR gate, a NOR gate, etc.) that provides a basic building block for the logic circuit. An electrically controllable switch (e.g., a transistor) is present in each logic gate circuit 808 so that the electrical structure and / or the logic gate can be configured to form a circuit that performs the desired operation / function. The logic gate circuit 808 may include other electrical structures, such as a lookup table (LUT), a register (e.g., a flip-flop or a latch), a multiplexer, etc.

[0102] The configurable interconnect 810 of the illustrated example is a conductive path, trace, via, etc. that may include an electrically controllable switch (e.g., a transistor), the state of which may be changed by programming (e.g., using an HDL instruction language) to activate or deactivate one or more connections between one or more of the logic gate circuits 808, thereby programming the desired logic circuit.

[0103] The storage circuit 812 of the illustrated example is structured to store the results of one or more operations performed by corresponding logic gates. The storage circuit 812 may be implemented by registers, etc. In the illustrated example, the storage circuit 812 is distributed in the logic gate circuit 808 to facilitate access and increase execution speed.

[0104] Figure 8 The example FPGA circuit 800 also includes an example special-purpose operation circuit 814. In this example, the special-purpose operation circuit 814 includes a special-purpose circuit 816, which can be called to implement common functions to avoid the need to program these functions on site. Examples of such special-purpose circuits 816 include memory (e.g., DRAM) controller circuits, PCIe controller circuits, clock circuits, transceiver circuits, memories, and multiplier accumulator circuits. There may be other types of special-purpose circuits. In some examples, the FPGA circuit 800 may also include an example general-purpose programmable circuit 818, such as an example CPU 820 and / or an example DSP 822. Other general-purpose programmable circuits 818 may be present in addition or alternatively, such as GPUs, XPUs, etc. that can be programmed to perform other operations.

[0105] although Figure 7 and Figure 8 Shows Figure 6 These are two example implementations of the programmable circuit 612, but many other approaches are contemplated. For example, an FPGA circuit may include an onboard CPU, such as Figure 7 One or more of the example CPUs 820. Thus, Figure 6 The programmable circuit 612 may additionally be configured by at least combining Figure 7An example microprocessor 700 and Figure 8 In some such hybrid examples, Figure 7 One or more cores 702 may execute Figure 3 The flowchart represents a first portion of machine-readable instructions to perform a first operation / function, Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 may be configured and / or structured to perform the same as that Figure 3 The second operation / function corresponding to the second portion of the machine-readable instructions represented by the flowchart, and / or the ASIC may be configured and / or structured to perform the same as that represented by Figure 3 The flowchart represents a third portion of the machine-readable instructions corresponding to a third operation / function.

[0106] It should be understood that Figure 2 Some or all of the circuits of may thus be instantiated at the same or different times. Figure 7 The same and / or different portions of microprocessor 700 may be programmed to execute portions of machine-readable instructions at the same and / or different times. In some examples, Figure 8 The same and / or different portions of FPGA circuit 800 may be configured and / or structured to perform operations / functions corresponding to portions of the machine-readable instructions at the same and / or different times.

[0107] In some examples, Figure 2 Some or all of the circuits of may be instantiated, for example, in one or more threads that execute concurrently and / or serially. Figure 7 The microprocessor 700 can execute machine-readable instructions in one or more threads of execution concurrently and / or serially. In some examples, Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 can be configured and / or structured to perform operations / functions concurrently and / or serially. In addition, in some examples, Figure 2 Some or all of the circuitry may be in Figure 7 The microprocessor 700 is implemented within one or more virtual machines and / or containers.

[0108] In some examples, Figure 6 The programmable circuit 612 may be in one or more packages. For example, Figure 7 The microprocessor 700 and / or Figure 8 The FPGA circuit 800 can be in one or more packages. In some examples, the XPU can be composed of Figure 6 The XPU may be implemented by programmable circuitry 612, which may be in one or more packages. For example, the XPU may include a CPU in one package (e.g., Figure 7 Microprocessor 700, Figure 8820, etc.), a DSP in another package (e.g., Figure 8 DSP822 in another package), a GPU in yet another package, and an FPGA in yet another package (e.g., Figure 8 FPGA circuit 800).

[0109] As can be appreciated from the foregoing, example systems, apparatus, articles, and methods have been disclosed that enable pressure vessels to implement pressure control systems that facilitate lighter vessel geometries. The example pressure control systems disclosed herein dynamically determine the MOP of the pressure vessel as a function of temperature. The examples disclosed herein enable pressure vessels to be lighter and thinner while ensuring that the pressure vessels are structurally sound and operate within industrial safety factors under all operating conditions. The examples disclosed herein are suitable for applications, such as aviation, where pressure vessel weight is an important design consideration. The reduced material thickness of the pressure vessels disclosed herein also reduces the cost of the pressure vessels disclosed herein.

[0110] Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for a pressure control system in a pressure vessel. Further aspects are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0111] An apparatus comprising: a cryogenic tank; a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank; machine-readable instructions; and a programmable circuit that instantiates the machine-readable instructions or executes at least one of the machine-readable instructions to: determine a threshold pressure of the cryogenic tank based on a temperature of the cryogenic tank and a property of the cryogenic tank; compare the pressure of the cryogenic tank to the threshold pressure; and after determining that the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure, actuate the valve until the pressure satisfies the threshold pressure.

[0112] The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the programmable circuit further detects transient operation of the cryogenic tank.

[0113] An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein the programmable circuit further: determines a first threshold rate of change of the pressure; and in response to determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the first threshold rate of change of the pressure, actuates the valve until the rate of change of the pressure satisfies the first threshold rate of change.

[0114] An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein the valve is a first valve and further includes a second valve fluidly connected to the cryogenic tank, and wherein the programmable circuit further: determines a second threshold rate of change of pressure; and in response to determining that (1) the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change, and (2) the first valve is open, opens the second valve.

[0115] An apparatus as in any preceding clause, wherein the second threshold rate of change corresponds to a rate of decrease in pressure of the cryogenic tank.

[0116] An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein (1) the valve is a regulating valve having a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, (2) the programmable circuit opens the valve by moving the regulating valve from the closed position to the first open position in response to determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not meet the threshold pressure, and (3) the programmable circuit further: determines a second threshold rate of change of pressure; and after determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not meet the second threshold rate of change, moves the regulating valve from the first open position to the second open position.

[0117] Apparatus according to any preceding clause, wherein the cryogenic tank is a hydrogen tank.

[0118] A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause a programmable circuit to at least: determine a threshold pressure of a cryogenic tank based on a temperature of the cryogenic tank and a property of the cryogenic tank; compare the pressure of the cryogenic tank to the threshold pressure; and after determining that the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure, actuate a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank until the pressure satisfies the threshold pressure.

[0119] The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of any preceding clause, wherein the instructions cause the programmable circuit to detect transient operation of the cryogenic tank.

[0120] A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as described in any of the preceding clauses, wherein the instructions cause the programmable circuit to: determine a first threshold rate of change of pressure; and in response to determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the first threshold rate of change of pressure, actuate the valve until the rate of change of the pressure satisfies the first threshold rate of change.

[0121] A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as described in any preceding clause, wherein the valve is a first valve, and wherein the instructions cause the programmable circuit to: determine a second threshold rate of change of pressure; and in response to determining that (1) the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change, and (2) the first valve is open, open a second valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank.

[0122] The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of any preceding clause, wherein the second threshold rate of change corresponds to a rate of decrease in pressure of the cryogenic tank.

[0123] A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as described in any of the preceding clauses, wherein (1) the valve is a regulating valve having a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, (2) the instructions cause the programmable circuit to open the valve by moving the regulating valve from the closed position to the first open position in response to determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure, and (3) the instructions cause the programmable circuit to: determine a second threshold rate of change of pressure; and after determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change, move the regulating valve from the first open position to the second open position.

[0124] The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of any preceding clause, wherein the cryogenic tank is a hydrogen tank.

[0125] A method includes: determining a threshold pressure of a cryogenic tank based on a temperature of the cryogenic tank and a property of the cryogenic tank; comparing a pressure of the cryogenic tank to the threshold pressure; and after determining that the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure, actuating a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank until the pressure satisfies the threshold pressure.

[0126] A method as in any preceding clause, further comprising detecting transient operation of the cryogenic tank.

[0127] The method according to any of the preceding clauses further includes: determining a first threshold rate of change of the pressure; and in response to determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not meet the first threshold rate of change of the pressure, actuating the valve until the rate of change of the pressure meets the first threshold rate of change.

[0128] A method according to any preceding clause, wherein the valve is a first valve and further comprising: determining a second threshold rate of change of pressure; and in response to determining that (1) the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change, and (2) the first valve is open, opening a second valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank.

[0129] A method as in any preceding clause, wherein the second threshold rate of change corresponds to a rate of decrease in pressure of the cryogenic tank.

[0130] A method according to any preceding clause, wherein (1) the valve is a regulating valve having a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, and (2) opening the valve in response to determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not meet the threshold pressure includes moving the regulating valve from the closed position to the first open position, and further includes: determining a second threshold rate of change of pressure; and after determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not meet the second threshold rate of change, moving the regulating valve from the first open position to the second open position.

[0131] The following claims are incorporated by reference into this detailed description. Although certain example systems, devices, articles, and methods have been disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. On the contrary, the present disclosure covers all systems, devices, articles, and methods that fully fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A device, characterized in that: include: Cryogenic tanks; a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank; machine-readable instructions; and a programmable circuit that at least one of instantiates the machine-readable instructions or executes the machine-readable instructions to: determining a threshold pressure of the cryogenic tank based on a temperature of the cryogenic tank and a property of the cryogenic tank; comparing the pressure of the cryogenic tank to the threshold pressure; and After determining that the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure, the valve is actuated until the pressure satisfies the threshold pressure.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The programmable circuit further detects transient operation of the cryogenic tank.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the programmable circuit further: determining a first threshold rate of change of the pressure; and In response to determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the first threshold rate of change of the pressure, actuating the valve until the rate of change of the pressure satisfies the first threshold rate of change.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the valve is a first valve, and further comprises a second valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank, and wherein the programmable circuit further: determining a second threshold rate of change of pressure; and In response to determining that (1) the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change, and (2) the first valve is open, the second valve is opened.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that The second threshold change rate corresponds to a pressure drop rate of the cryogenic tank.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein (1) the valve is a regulating valve having a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, (2) the programmable circuit opens the valve by moving the regulating valve from the closed position to the first open position in response to determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure, and (3) the programmable circuit further: determining a second threshold rate of change of pressure; and The regulating valve is moved from the first open position to the second open position after determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the second threshold rate of change.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The cryogenic tank is a hydrogen tank.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions, characterized in that: The instructions cause the programmable circuit to at least: determining a threshold pressure of the cryogenic tank based on a temperature of the cryogenic tank and properties of the cryogenic tank; comparing the pressure of the cryogenic tank to the threshold pressure; and After determining that the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the threshold pressure, a valve fluidly coupled to the cryogenic tank is actuated until the pressure satisfies the threshold pressure.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein: The instructions cause the programmable circuit to detect transient operation of the cryogenic tank.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein: wherein the instructions cause the programmable circuit to: determining a first threshold rate of change of pressure; and In response to determining that the rate of change of the pressure of the cryogenic tank does not satisfy the first threshold rate of change of the pressure, actuating the valve until the rate of change of the pressure satisfies the first threshold rate of change.

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