Installation for estimating the mass of hydrogen contained in one or more pressurized containers

Abstract

The invention relates to an installation (1) for estimating the mass of hydrogen contained in one or more pressurized containers (4), the installation (1) comprising at least one pipe (5) intended to be fluidically connected to each pressurized container, an electronic member (8) configured to measure the pressure in the pipe (5) and an isolation valve (6) configured to allow the pressure isolation of the pipe (5) with respect to atmospheric pressure, the member (8) being configured to transmit by radio communication data relating to the measured pressure, in particular to a remote server. Abstract figure: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Installation for estimating the mass of hydrogen contained in one or more pressurized containers

[0001] The present invention relates to an installation for estimating the mass of hydrogen contained in one or more pressurized containers.

[0002] The present invention proposes an installation for estimating the mass of hydrogen contained in one or more pressurized containers, the installation comprising at least one pipe intended to be fluidically connected to each pressurized container, an electronic member configured to measure the pressure in the pipe and an isolation valve configured to allow the pressure isolation of the pipe with respect to atmospheric pressure, the member being configured to transmit by radio communication data relating to the measured pressure, in particular to a remote server.

[0003] Thus, the invention solves the problem of estimating in real time the mass of hydrogen in one or more pressurized containers transported by a vehicle such as a truck or a trailer, and of transmitting this estimate remotely.

[0004] The invention will be better understood by reading the following description and examining the figure. This figure is given only as an illustration but in no way limits the invention.

[0005] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] is a schematic representation of an installation according to the invention.

[0006] [Fig. 1] represents an assembly 1 for estimating the mass of hydrogen contained in one or more pressurized containers 4. The installation 1 comprises at least one pipe 5 intended to be fluidically connected to each pressurized container 4. The installation 1 further comprises an electronic member 8 configured to measure the pressure in the pipe 5. The installation 1 further comprises an isolation valve 6 configured to allow the pressure isolation of the pipe 5 with respect to atmospheric pressure. The isolation valve 6 is connected by one of its ends to the pipe 5 and by another of its ends to a filling or unloading connector 7.

[0007] The member 8 is configured to transmit by radio communication data relating to the measured pressure, in particular to a remote server.

[0008] The assembly 1 can be loaded onto a vehicle 100 such as a truck, a trailer towed by a truck or a train. The vehicle is a vehicle for transporting gas such as hydrogen. The gas is stored in the containers 4 under pressure.

[0009] Upstream of the isolation valve 6, it is considered, at least in static mode, that any pressure measurement on the pipes 5 gives the pressure in any container 4 of gas in the set 1.

[0010] The member 8 is configured to measure at least one pressure value in the pipe 5, and optionally a value of the ambient temperature or the temperature of the gas in the pipe 5.

[0011] The member 8 is configured to establish a communication to a remote telecommunications network to transmit and possibly receive data from it.

[0012] The organ 8 can be placed in an instrumentation box integral with the vehicle 100, which ensures its protection against external attacks, but also its confinement in the event of internal malfunction or accident.

[0013] The member 8 comprises an envelope or a shell which houses all or part of an electronic card connected to a pressure sensor or integrates such a pressure sensor. In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic card comprises: - a microprocessor or a microcontroller; - a device for acquiring or sampling the pressure sensor signals, which may or may not be an integral part of the microcontroller, connected to the microcontroller; - at least one radio modem and at least one radio antenna which may or may not be an integral part of the microcontroller, connected to the microcontroller; - a persistent memory connected to the microcontroller; - a temperature sensor connected to the microcontroller via a sampling or signal acquisition device, or integral part of the microcontroller; - a module to geo-locate the vehicle 100 in order to better optimize its route, for example a GPS-type module.

[0014] The pressure sensor measures the gas pressure in the pipe 5. The temperature sensor can measure, depending on its nature, the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the casing, the temperature of the gas in the pipe 5, the temperature at the heart of the microcontroller which can be an image of the ambient temperature.

[0015] The pressure sensor can measure the pressure of a gas, in particular hydrogen, over an absolute pressure range ranging for example from 0 to 500 bar, or advantageously from 0 to 700 bar, or even more advantageously from 0 to 1000 bar. Its measurement accuracy can be for example 1% of its full scale, more advantageously 0.5% of its full scale.

[0016] A possible temperature sensor can measure a temperature for example from -20°C to 40°C, and more advantageously cover a range from -40°C to 60°C, with an accuracy for example of 1°C, or advantageously of 0.5°C, or more advantageously of 0.1°C.

[0017] The member 8 is supplied with energy by an energy source, which is preferably a battery, but which can also be a combination of an accumulator and an ambient energy recovery device, for example solar or vibratory, or even an adapter making it possible to use the electrical network specific to the vehicle 100.

[0018] The battery may have an energy capacity of, for example, 2000 mAh and 10,000 mAh, giving the member 8 an energy autonomy of, for example, between 3 and 6 years.

[0019] The microcontroller governs the operation of the organ 8, for example according to a periodic cycle: - Acquisition of raw values ​​measured by the sensors - Data processing - Persistent storage - Radio transmission of either raw data, processed data, or both

[0020] The processing of the raw data to obtain processed data may, for example, consist, given knowledge of the geometry of the pressurized containers 4, in calculating a quantity of gas contained in the containers 4 by combining the pressure measurement obtained by the pressure sensor and a temperature measurement obtained by a temperature sensor, for example according to the real gas law. Indeed, the gas is under fairly high pressure (several tens of bar) in the containers 4. It behaves according to the real gas law which can be written in the form: PV = (m / M) RZ T.

[0021] Where P is the pressure of the gas in the container 4 (which may be a tube), V the internal volume of the container 4, m the mass of the gas contained in the volume concerned, M the molar mass of the gas which is constant for a given gas, R is the universal constant of ideal gases, Z is the compressibility coefficient of the gas which depends on the nature of the gas and is tabulated as a function of the pressure and temperature thereof and T the average volume temperature of the gas in the container 4.

[0022] By measuring the pressure and temperature of the gas, the mass of the remaining gas can be deduced from the real gas law according to: m = (PVM) / (RZT).

[0023] The measurement of the average temperature of the gas in the containers 4 can be carried out on the outlet pipe 5 of these containers 4 by placing a temperature sensor such as for example a thermocouple in the center of the pipe 5.

[0024] The temperature sensor measures a value which approaches the temperature of the outgoing gas from the moment when sufficient gas has circulated immediately (of the order of a minute) through the pipe 5.

[0025] In the case where a temperature sensor is not installed in the pipe 5 of gas outlet, a model can calculate the average temperature of the gas in the containers 4. This model is based on the mass and energy balances applied to the gas and the wall of the container 4 and on the knowledge of the geometric characteristics and the thermophysical properties of the walls of a container 4 as well as on the measurement of pressure in the containers 4 and the ambient temperature.

[0026] Concerning the mode of operation of the transmission and measurement system, the periodic cycle is executed by the microcontroller with a periodicity chosen to optimize the use made of the energy source, in particular when the latter is limited as in the case of a battery. For example, the cycle is executed every hour.

[0027] The microcontroller may include a time reference which makes it possible to suspend the execution of the operating cycle during periods when the quantity of gas contained in the containers 4 is not expected to vary (for example outside of delivery round hours).

[0028] The member 8 is configured to operate without risk in an atmosphere made potentially explosive by the presence of hydrogen, at least in cases of containment failure, advantageously in specific and controlled cases, even more advantageously in the case of a permanent presence of hydrogen. For example, the member 8 is configured to comply with the regulations applicable in Atex Zone 2, advantageously in Atex Zone 1 and even more advantageously in Atex Zone 0.

[0029] The telecommunications technologies used by the modem are preferably chosen to be energy-efficient, adapted to the quantity and rate of data to be transmitted. A native limitation of transmission power (imposed by the electronic components implemented or by a standard or protocol for implementing the technology) may also be a selection criterion, for example so as not to exceed a radiated radio power of 200 mW in a potentially explosive atmosphere surrounding the member 8.

[0030] In these respects, technologies such as LoRa, Sigfox, and to a lesser extent cellular technologies such as 4G LTE-catMl may be preferred.

[0031] By way of example, the electronic card of the member 8 comprises: - A spacing of at least 0.4 mm between the battery connection pins - A spacing of at least 0.4 mm between the conductive tracks of the card electronics upstream of the fuse - Use of a Huba brand MUAB520.943S077501-ATEX sensor - A power supply provided by a LiMnO2 LM17500 battery from the Saft brand or two LiMnO2 LM17500 batteries in series from the Saft brand.

[0032] Subject to use in Atex zone 2 or less severe, the temperature use will be within a range of -40°C to 85°C.

[0033] According to another embodiment, it is desired to limit the power or energy used by the member 8 for its telecommunications. For example, to limit the use of the battery, or to limit the power dissipated in an explosive atmosphere zone such as may develop for example in the vicinity of the loading or delivery point 7 and its valve 6.

[0034] In this embodiment, the member 8 communicates (via an uplink and possibly a downlink) with a relay. The relay also communicates, via the uplink and the possible downlink, with the telecommunications network.

[0035] The relay can relay without change the data coming from the device 8 to the network, and possibly the data from the network to the device 8.

[0036] The relay may also apply processing to the data received from the member 8 before communicating this data and / or the result of the processing to the network. For example, the member 8 may send to the relay a raw pressure and raw temperature measurement, and the relay combines them to produce an estimate of the quantity of gas in the containers 4, which is then sent to the network.

[0037] The relay is preferably placed outside potentially explosive atmosphere zones. For example, the relay is placed at the front of the vehicle 100, for example in or on the cabin of the vehicle 100. In this case, the relay can also be constituted by a mobile phone or an electronic tablet.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment, the relay comprises an electronic card carrying a microcontroller or a microprocessor, and a radio modem, as well as an antenna. The modem and the antenna may be an integral part of the microcontroller.

[0039] The relay may advantageously include a second modem and a second antenna, which makes it possible to use different telecommunications technologies for local links and for longer-range links.

[0040] Technologies such as Bluetooth, in particular Bluetooth Low Energy, as well as LoRa, Zigbee, Ant, can be advantageously chosen for local links. Technologies such as LoRa, Sigfox, and cellular technologies such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE-M, 4G LTE-cat Ml, 5G can be advantageously chosen for long-range links.

[0041] According to a variant, the set of containers 4 is broken down into a plurality of groups of containers connected in parallel but independent in the sense that their pressures may differ, for example because they are isolated from each other by valves.

[0042] The invention will then preferably comprise as many members 8 as there are groups of independent containers, each member 8 measuring the gas pressure of a container of a container group.

[0043] The vehicle 100 comprises as many members 8 as there are independent gas pressures to be measured.

[0044] In the case where the vehicle 100 comprises several components 8, several topologies can be implemented to ensure telecommunications.

[0045] Several members 8 can each establish their own uplink and possibly a downlink with a remote receiver which can be a telecommunications network or a relay on board the vehicle 100.

[0046] Alternatively, several units 8 communicate with each other according to a so-called “mesh” or multi-hop strategy. Each unit 8 transmits or receives data from another unit 8, and one of the units 8 plays the role of main node through which all the data transmitted or received by the units 8 pass. The main node ensures the uplink and possibly downlink transmissions on behalf of all the units 8 with a remote receiver which may be a telecommunications network or a relay on board the vehicle 100.

[0047] Alternatively, several units 8 communicate with each other according to a star topology. With the exception of one unit 8 which acts as the main node, all the other units 8 communicate only with the main node. The main node ensures the uplink and possibly downlink transmissions on behalf of all the units 8 with a remote receiver which may be a telecommunications network or a relay on board the vehicle 100.

[0048] In the embodiments of the invention according to which there is a main node among several organs 8, this main node can be assigned to different organs 8 over time (for example cyclically or randomly), in particular in order to balance over the long term the energy consumption of each of the organs 8 linked to their telecommunications.

[0049] A body 8 playing the role of main node can also apply processing to the data received before retransmission to a remote receiver or before redistribution within the local network of bodies 8.

Claims

Claims

1. Installation (1) for estimating the mass of hydrogen contained in one or more pressurized containers (4), the installation (1) comprising a pipe (5) intended to be fluidically connected to each pressurized container, an electronic member (8) configured to measure the pressure in the pipe (5) and an isolation valve (6) configured to allow the pressure isolation of the pipe (5) relative to atmospheric pressure, the member (8) being configured to transmit by radio communication data relating to the measured pressure, in particular to a remote server.

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