Portable fuel gas system, computer implemented method, program, and storage medium

Abstract

To provide a method for transferring gaseous fuel to gaseous fuel driving type transportation.SOLUTION: A portable fuel gas system 100 includes a portable enclosure, a fuel gas supply manifold 158, a pressure control valve 122 that is in a fluid communication state with the fuel gas supply manifold, the fuel gas supply manifold having a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone separated from each other by the pressure control valve, and fuel gas shutoff valves 106, 130, 138a, 180a that are in a fluid communication state with the fuel gas supply manifold and are operable to control the flow of fuel gas within the fuel gas supply manifold. When the fuel supply system is deactivated after a fill, a processor is adapted to be capable of controlling the plurality of valves to selectively fluidly connect a purge gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit, respectively, of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 163,215, filed on March 19, 2021, and entitled "Gaseous Fueling System", and of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 051,240, filed on July 13, 2020, and entitled "Hydrogen Fuel Cell - boat", and all of those applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into this document.

Background Art

[0002] Fuel cells can provide low emission power (power, energy, or energy sources with low waste emissions, low emission energy, or energy sources, etc.) or zero emission power (power, energy, or energy sources with almost zero waste emissions, zero emission energy, or energy sources, etc.) for various applications. A fuel cell system may convert a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon such as methane, propane, natural gas, or the like, into electric power and exhaust products, which may be, for example, water vapor, and in the case of using a hydrocarbon-based fuel, carbon dioxide. However, since gaseous fuels are compressible and can escape into the atmosphere, transferring gaseous fuels from, for example, a filling station or a delivery vehicle to a vehicle powered by a fuel cell is more complex than delivering a liquid fuel such as gasoline. An improved method for transferring gaseous fuels to vehicles powered by such fuels is desired. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A computer-implemented method of supplying fuel gas to a fuel supply system (such as a computer-implemented method, a method executed by a computer, a method using a computer, etc.) is disclosed. A processor is configured to control a plurality of valves in the fuel supply system to allow (such as allow, open, etc.) or restrict (such as restrict, throttle, etc.) a gas flow so as to execute a plurality of processes. The plurality of processes includes a process of inactivating the fuel supply system before filling. Here, the processor controls the plurality of valves to supply purge gas to the fuel gas supply manifold by selectively fluidly connecting a purge gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold of the fuel supply system, and performs selective fluid communication of selectively fluidly connecting the fuel gas supply manifold to a vent manifold. The plurality of processes includes a process of performing a leak check on the fuel supply system. When performing a leak check on the fuel supply system, the processor controls the plurality of valves to supply the fuel gas to the fuel gas supply manifold by selectively fluidly connecting a fuel gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold. This method has a process of charging (such as stuffing, introducing, etc.) a pilot subsystem in the fuel supply system with the fuel gas. When charging the pilot subsystem with the fuel gas, the processor controls the plurality of valves to selectively fluidly connect the fuel gas supply manifold to the pilot subsystem. This method has a process of filling (such as filling, filling up, etc.) the fuel supply system with the fuel gas. When filling the fuel supply system with the fuel gas, the processor controls the plurality of valves to selectively fluidly connect the fuel gas supply manifold to one or more fuel gas storage containers, thereby controlling the fuel gas to flow from the fuel gas source through the fuel supply system to the one or more fuel gas storage containers.This method has a process of inactivating the fuel supply system after filling. When inactivating the fuel supply system after filling, the processor controls the plurality of valves to selectively fluidly communicate the purge gas source with the fuel gas supply manifold.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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[0012] The disclosure of this document relates to a method of using a fueling system to transfer fuel gas from a fuel supply (a fuel source) to a vehicle (a vehicle, a moving body, a moving medium for transportation, a medium that has its own power source and moves independently, a self - contained moving medium, a vehicle, etc.) powered by the fuel gas. In one exemplary embodiment, some of the methods disclosed herein may be used to transfer fuel from a fuel gas supply source to an onboard fuel gas storage system in a boat (a boat, a ship, etc.). Some of the methods disclosed herein may further be used with various fuel gas supplies, including tube trailers (trucks that transport fuel gas such as hydrogen gas using tubes), ground - based pressurized storage, and the like. Some of the methods disclosed herein may be used to transfer fuel from a fuel gas supply source to a fuel gas storage (a storage facility, a storage tank, etc.). In some embodiments, some of the methods disclosed herein may be used to transfer fuel from a fuel gas supply (for example, a gas generator such as a pressurized vessel (a high - pressure vessel, a high - pressure source vessel), a compressor, an electrolyzer (an electrolysis device, an electrolysis cell, etc.) or a reformer (a reformer, a reforming reactor, etc.) or the like) to a vehicle. In some embodiments, some of the methods disclosed herein may be used to transfer fuel from a vehicle to a fuel gas supply source.

[0013] In many embodiments, the fuel gas storage unit (storage, storage facility, reservoir, storage, etc.) may be associated with or installed in a transportation vehicle (vehicle, vehicle), such as a boat (boat, ship, etc.), automobile, motorcycle, aircraft or other transportation vehicle. In some other specific examples, the fuel gas storage unit may be associated with a stationary storage facility, such as a fuel supply station for a transportation vehicle. In some specific examples, a stationary power system and / or gas appliances may have an on-site or integral fuel storage unit. In many specific examples, a fueling system may have one or more conduits suitable for containing the fuel gas. In many specific examples, the fuel gas is pressurized to a pressure higher than the ambient pressure (ambient pressure, atmospheric pressure, surrounding pressure, environmental pressure, etc.). The one or more conduits may be distributed into one or more pressure zones, such as a high pressure zone, a medium pressure zone and a low pressure zone, which are in fluid communication with each other. The fuel supply system may have a pressure reducing device between the plurality of zones. For example, the fuel supply system may have a pressure reducing valve between the high pressure zone and the medium pressure zone to reduce the pressure of the fuel gas when the fuel gas flows from the high pressure zone to the medium pressure zone. Similarly, a pressure reducing valve may be disposed between the medium pressure zone and the low pressure zone to reduce the pressure of the fuel gas when the fuel gas flows from the medium pressure zone to the low pressure zone.

[0014] One or more of the several pressure zones may be in fluid communication with one or more fuel gas storage vessels that receive fuel gas from the fuel gas supply source via the fuel gas supply manifold (such as the fuel gas supply manifold, the manifold for the fuel gas supply source, the passage-forming member used when dividing the fluid flow, the branch pipe, the manifold, etc.). For example, the fuel gas storage vessel may receive fuel gas from the medium pressure zone. One or more of the several pressure zones may be in fluid communication with a fuel gas end use device, such as a fuel cell, a motor, an engine, a reformer (such as a reformer, a reforming reactor, etc.), a burner, or the like. For example, the low pressure zone may be in fluid communication with the fuel gas end use device so as to supply the fuel gas to the end use device at an appropriate pressure and flow volume. In some embodiments, the fuel cell system may convert the fuel gas in the fueling system into electrical energy to provide power to a propulsion system for a boat.

[0015] Figure 1 shows a specific example of a fuel supply system 100 that is used in some of the methods disclosed in this document. The fuel supply system 100 may be configured to be fluidly connected to a gas supply 102, for example, one or more pressurized vessels, in a releasable manner. In the specific example shown, the gas supply 102 is a tube trailer that is delivered, for example, to a site for supplying fuel to a transportation vehicle via the fuel supply system 100. In some specific examples, the gas supply 102 may have a fuel gas generator, for example, a reformer or an electrolyzer. In some specific examples, the gas supply may have a compressor. The fuel supply system 100 may have various process devices, for example, some valves, some sensors, some filters, some conduits, and the like, which will be described in detail later.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel supply system 100 may be controlled by a processing element, such as a controller 200, which may be, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a device that performs control by a computer executing a program. FIG. 2 shows a simplified block diagram of the various devices described above in the controller 200. As shown, the controller 200 may include one or more processing elements 202, an optional display 204, one or more memory components 206, a network interface 208, a power supply 210, and an optional input / output I / O interface 212. Here, the various components may be directly connected to each other, or indirectly connected to each other via, for example, one or more system buses, contact traces, electrical wiring, or wireless mechanisms.

[0017] One or more processing elements 202 may be substantially any electronic device that can process (process, execute, and / or perform) instructions, receive, and / or transmit. For example, the processing element 202 may be a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a graphics processing unit, or the like. Further, it should be noted that the processing element 202 may have one or more processing elements or one or more processing modules, which may or may not be connected to each other. For example, a first processing element may control a first set of components (a set consisting of a part of the plurality of components constituting the computing device, etc.) of the computing device (the computing device, the aforementioned controller 200, etc.), and a second processing element may control a second set of components (a set consisting of another part of the plurality of components, etc.) of the computing device (the computing device, the aforementioned controller 200, etc.), where the first and second processing elements may or may not be connected to each other. In this regard, the several processing elements are configured to execute one or more instructions (instructions, programming instructions, statements, etc.) locally (in one place) and in parallel with each other and / or across a network, for example, using some cloud computing resources.

[0018] The display 204 is optional and provides an input / output mechanism for some of the devices in the controller 200, for the purpose of, for example, displaying visual information (such as images, graphical user interfaces, videos, notifications, and the like) to the user. Also, in some specific examples, the display 204 may further act to receive user input (such as via a touch screen or the like). The display may be an LCD screen, a plasma screen, an LED screen, an organic LED screen, or the like. The type and number of some displays may vary according to the type of some devices (such as smartphones versus desktop computers, versus PLCs).

[0019] Some memory components 206 may store electronic data that may be used by the fuel supply system 100, such as audio files, document files, programming instructions, and the like. Some memory components 206 may be, for example, non-volatile storage, magnetic recording media, optical recording media, magneto-optical recording media, ROM (read-only memory), RAM (read-write memory), write-eraseable memory, flash memory, or a combination of one or more types of memory components. The some memory components may optionally be linked to each other via a cloud network or the like (connected to each other and / or connected to other aforementioned computing devices, etc.), via the network interface 208 in that case.

[0020] The network interface 208 transmits and receives data to and from the network, and in turn, transmits and receives that data to and from the various devices in the fuel supply system 100. The network interface 208 may directly or indirectly send (transmit) and transmit data to the plurality of devices in the fuel supply system 100. For example, the networking / communication interface (such as the aforementioned network interface 208) may transmit and receive data to and from some other computing devices via a network, such as RS-232, DH-485, CANBUS, MODBUS, Ethernet®, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, Bluetooth®, ZigBee or other suitable wired or wireless networks. In some embodiments, the network interface may further have an application program interface (API) that interfaces (mediates) and translates (converts) various modules, such as some requests (commands, etc.) on the network.

[0021] The controller 200 may have a power source 210. The power source 210 supplies power to various components of the controller 200 and, optionally, also to some of the aforementioned components of the fuel supply system 100. The power source 210 may have one or more rechargeable hardware resources, disposable hardware resources, or hardwire sources, such as batteries, power cords, AC / DC inverters, DC / DC converters, fuel cells, or the like. Further, the power source 210 may have one or more types of connectors or components that supply different types of power to various devices of the fuel supply system 100 or the controller 200. In some specific examples, the power source 210 may have a connector (e.g., a Universal Serial Bus), which supplies power to the computer or a battery within the computer, and further transmits and receives data to and from the device (a device among the fuel supply system 100), and thus transmits and receives the data to and from some other devices (other devices among the fuel supply system 100).

[0022] The aforementioned optional input / output interface (I / O interface) 212 enables the controller 200 to receive input from the user and provide output to the user. For example, the I / O interface 212 may have a capacitive touch screen, a keyboard, a mouse, a stylus, or the like. The types of devices that exchange information (interact) via the input / output interface 212 may vary according to requirements.

[0023] Returning to FIG. 1, the fuel supply system 100 may have one or more breakaway couplings (breakaway coupling, emergency release coupling, emergency disconnect device, a device that closes or blocks at the location where the pipe is unexpectedly detached or cut to automatically prevent fluid leakage, a connector, a connector, a joint, etc.), for example, breakaway coupling 104 and / or breakaway coupling 114. The breakaway coupling 104 and / or breakaway coupling 114 may be suitable for stopping the flow of gas in the conduit in the event that the conduit ruptures under pressure or is otherwise accidentally disconnected.

[0024] The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more check valves (check valves, non-return valves, reflux valves), for example, fuel gas check valve 120, fuel gas check valve 134, purge gas (purge gas, another gas sent in to displace the residual gas to expel or remove the residual gas, purification gas, etc.) check valve 112 or something similar thereto. The check valve may act to permit gas to flow in one direction within itself but substantially prevent gas from flowing in the reverse direction within itself.

[0025] The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more on / off valves (valves that switch between a fully closed position and a fully open position, valves that open and close the valve, etc.), i.e., shutoff valves (valves that switch between a two-way flow blocking position and a two-way free flow permitting position, etc.). The shutoff valve may be manually operated or, in many specific examples, may be automatically driven by an actuator. The shutoff valve permits gas to flow through itself when it is open and substantially prevents gas from flowing through itself when it is closed. The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more manually operated on / off shutoff valves, such as a fuel gas supply shutoff valve 106, a fuel gas shutoff valve 130, a block valve (shutoff valve, etc.) 138a, and a fuel gas storage isolation valve 180a. The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more automatically driven shutoff valves, such as a fuel gas shutoff valve 132a, a purge gas vent valve 108a, a purge gas supply valve 110a, a pilot subsystem shutoff valve 146a, a fuel storage container shutoff valve 176a, and a purge gas shutoff valve 148a.

[0026] Some of the above shut-off valves may each have an actuator, for example, a fuel gas shut-off valve actuator 132b, a purge gas vent valve actuator 108b, a purge gas supply valve actuator 110b, a pilot subsystem shut-off valve actuator 146b, a fuel storage container shut-off valve actuator 176b, a block valve actuator 138b, a fuel gas storage isolation valve actuator 180b and / or a purge gas shut-off valve actuator 148b. In many specific examples, some of the above actuators are fluid pressure devices (e.g., driven by compressed gas such as air, nitrogen or the like), and in the operating state, they may open or close the respective valves corresponding to each actuator. In some other specific examples, the actuator may be fluidly driven, electrically driven or the like. Whichever actuator it is, it may have or be associated with a position indicator indicating the position of the valve driven by each actuator. In some embodiments, the position indicator is a limit switch, a proximity switch or the like, and is in electrical communication with a processing element (such as the aforementioned processing element 202) of the controller 200 and acts to indicate the valve position to the processing element.In some embodiments, the position indicator may indicate the valve position to a user of the fuel supply system 100, for example, by using a flag (state display, label, etc.) or other visual indicator that visually indicates the valve position. Any valve described herein may be an automatic valve driven by an actuator controlled by a processing element. The position of any valve described herein may be indicated by a position indicator, which may be associated with (linked to, interlocked with) an actuator (an actuator that drives the valve whose operating position is indicated by the position indicator, any actuator used in the fuel supply system 100, etc.), or may be a device independent of the actuator.

[0027] The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more pressure control valves (such as pressure control valves, pressure regulating valves, regulators, pressure reducing valves, etc.). The pressure control valve may be configured to regulate the pressure of the fuel gas upstream or downstream of itself (regulate, adjust the pressure to be within an error range with respect to a target value or set value (set point), etc.). For example, the fuel supply system 100 may have some pressure control valves in the form of a purge gas forward pressure regulator 142, a fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122, and / or a fuel gas regulator (second stage) 140. These regulators may be forward pressure regulators that adjust the pressure of the fuel gas at their outlets, i.e., downstream of themselves. In some specific examples, the pressure control valve may be a backpressure regulator that adjusts the pressure of the fuel gas at its upstream side, i.e., inlet. Any of the pressure control valves described in this document may be set manually or automatically (set, a target value is set). For example, the pressure control valve may be a current-pressure (I / P, current / pressure conversion type) controller, a voltage-pressure (V / P, voltage / pressure conversion type) controller, or a controller similar to them, which receives an electrical input signal from a processing element (such as the aforementioned processing element 202) and controls the pressure upstream or downstream of the pressure control valve. In some embodiments, some pressure control valves may be set manually (set, a target value is set) through a bias spring or a pilot regulator (a valve for pre-controlling another original valve, a pilot valve, a guide valve, etc.).

[0028] The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more fuel gas storage vessels (vessels). Each fuel gas storage vessel 166 may be any suitable container (container, receptacle, etc.) that contains (contains, encloses) the fuel gas at a desired pressure. In some embodiments, one or more of the several fuel gas storage vessels 166 are pressure vessels made of metal (usually steel or aluminum, but other metals and / or alloys may also be used), generally referred to as Type I containers. In some embodiments, one or more of the several fuel gas storage vessels 166 are those in which a metal pressure vessel (e.g., made of aluminum) is wrapped (wrapped) by a fiber reinforced composite (e.g., one in which glass fibers, aramid fibers, or carbon fibers are held within the matrix), such as a Type II container. In some embodiments, one or more of the several fuel gas storage vessels 166 may be those in which a metal liner (liner, inner lining) (e.g., made of aluminum or steel) is surrounded by a fiber reinforced composite, such as a Type III container. In some embodiments, one or more of the several fuel gas storage vessels 166 may be those in which a polymer liner (e.g., thermoplastic) is surrounded by a fiber reinforced composite, such as a Type IV container. In various specific examples, the several fuel gas storage vessels 166 may be suitable for containing the fuel gas at a nominal pressure of 250 bar, 350 bar, 500 bar, or 700 bar. The fuel gas may be added to or removed from the several fuel gas storage vessels 166 as needed.In some embodiments, the fuel gas storage containers 166 and the pilot subsystem (a subsystem that forms part of the fuel supply system 100) may be optional. For example, the fuel supply system 100 may be used to supply the fuel gas from the fuel gas source 102 to a fuel consumption device without storing the fuel gas.

[0029] In some examples, the fuel gas storage container 166 may be suitable for containing a solid storage medium such as a metal hydride. The solid storage medium may reversibly store a fuel gas such as hydrogen in a non-flammable and low-pressure state (e.g., about 70 - about 100 bar), and may have some specific advantages over some of the aforementioned conventional pressure vessels. For example, due to the generally low pressure as described above, the wall thickness of the container containing the solid storage medium may be thinner and less costly than that of a conventional pressure vessel. Further, the container containing the solid storage medium may be made to be more flexible or more adaptable to others in terms of shape, relative to a conventional pressure vessel that is generally cylindrical or spherical due to the stress applied to its walls by the high-pressure gas contained within itself. Some exemplary solid storage media capable of containing a fuel gas such as hydrogen are destabilized hydraides (e.g., LiBH 4 / MgF 2 (LiBH 4 and MgF 2 mixtures, etc.), anionic materials (Mg(BH 4 ) 2 ), amide / imide (a mixture of amide and imide, etc.) materials (e.g., 2LiNH 2+ MgH 2 ), and alane (aluminum hydride). Other solid storage materials are described in L. Klebanoff & J. Keller, Final Report for the DOE Metal Hydride Center of Excellence (Sandia National Laboratories, SAND2012-0786, Feb. 2012), which is incorporated herein by reference for any purpose.

[0030] The fuel supply system 100 is configured to determine the physical properties of the fuel gas, the ambient conditions, The The fuel supply system 100 may include one or more sensors that detect the condition of the environment surrounding the fuel supply system 100 and / or the condition of the aforementioned components of the fuel supply system 100. Some sensors may detect a property such as pressure or temperature. For example, the fuel supply system 100 may include one or more transmitters, such as a fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 116, a fuel gas first stage pressure transmitter 136, a fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 118, and / or a storage pressure transmitter 174. Similarly, the fuel supply system 100 may include one or more temperature transmitters, such as a fuel gas storage temperature transmitter 178.

[0031] Some sensors (such as sensors, transmitters, transducers, etc.) may convert the detected physical characteristics into electrical signals suitable for being received by the controller 200 or other appropriate control systems. For example, the sensor may convert the detected physical characteristics into an analog signal such as a current signal (e.g., a signal representing a current value within the range of 4 mA to 20 mA or something similar) or a voltage signal (e.g., a voltage value within the range of 0 V to 5 V, a voltage value within the range of 0 V to 10 V or something similar). In some specific examples, the sensor may convert the detected physical characteristics into a digital signal such as a digital signal having the form of RS-232, DH-485, CANBUS, MODBUS, Ethernet (registered trademark) or other appropriate forms. Either the digital signal or the analog signal may be transmitted either wired or wirelessly.

[0032] The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more filters, for example, the filter 124. The filter may be any device that permits the fuel gas to pass through itself but blocks or captures particulate or liquid matter. The fuel supply system 100 may optionally have some other filters.

[0033] The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more pressure safety valves (a device in which the valve body automatically opens for ensuring the safety of a pressure vessel, a safety relief valve, etc.). The pressure safety valve may be any device that relieves the fuel gas from a conduit or a container when the pressure of the fuel gas exceeds a set point pressure level (set pressure value, relief pressure, upper limit pressure, etc.). The relieved fuel gas is vented to the atmosphere. In some specific examples, the pressure safety valve may be one that releases the fuel gas when the pressure and temperature of the fuel gas respectively exceed their respective threshold values. For example, the fuel supply system 100 may have a purge gas pressure safety valve 150 and / or a fuel gas pressure safety valve 128.

[0034] The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more temperature-pressure relief devices, such as a temperature pressure relief device (a safety device that automatically releases fluid when the pressure or temperature exceeds their respective safety levels, an overheat and overpressure prevention safety device, a temperature-pressure relief device, a pressure control valve that releases a part of the fluid to the return side to maintain the pressure at a set value, a temperature / pressure sensitive relief device that is sensitive to at least one of temperature and pressure, a temperature-pressure sensitive relief device, etc.) 188. The temperature-pressure relief device 188 may also vent an unsafe buildup of pressure within the fuel gas storage container 166 when the temperature of the fuel gas storage container 166 also exceeds a threshold value. For example, the fuel gas storage container 166 may vent at a temperature of about 90°C, about 100°C, about 110°C, about 120°C, or about 130°C. In some other examples, the fuel gas storage container 166 may vent at a temperature that is higher or lower than that. This kind of situation may occur when the fuel gas storage container 166 is surrounded by fire or otherwise exposed to fire, thereby causing the pressure of the fuel gas within the fuel gas storage container 166 to rise to a dangerous level.

[0035] The temperature and pressure relief device 188 may be controlled by some of the devices in the pilot subsystem 182. In some specific examples, the pilot subsystem 182 may be an optional device when the system (such as the fuel supply system 100) has a temperature and pressure relief device 188 that does not use the pilot subsystem 182. The pilot subsystem 182 may have some devices that control the pressure in the fuel gas storage container 166 by opening the temperature and pressure relief device 188 when an unexpected increase in the pressure of the fuel gas storage container 166 occurs. The pilot subsystem 182 may be the pilot subsystem shut-off valve 146a and the pilot subsystem shut-off valve actuator 146b, which may allow the pilot subsystem 182 to be charged (filled, loaded, etc.) with high-pressure fuel gas. The flow of gas towards the pilot subsystem 182 may be restricted by an isenthalpic throttle (a throttle where a fluid process occurs such that the enthalpy is constant along the flow path), and the throttle may be, for example, the pilot gas throttle 184, which may be an orifice. A conduit may be fluidly connected to a position within the pilot subsystem 182 that is upstream of the pilot gas throttle 184, for example via a check valve 198, to a shuttle valve (a valve having two or more inlets and a common outlet, and the outlet is automatically connected to one of the inlets by the action of the inlet pressure, etc.) 186. The check valve 198 may provide the advantage of reducing or preventing reverse flow through the pilot subsystem shut-off valve 146a during the execution of an event such as when the fuel gas storage container 166 vents.The pilot subsystem 182 may have a shuttle valve 186. The shuttle valve 186 and / or the temperature pressure relief device 188 may vent the gas to a pilot zone vent manifold 154c, which may vent the gas to a vent mast (a passage for venting the vented fluid to the atmosphere, a vent pipe, etc.) as indicated by arrow 190.

[0036] The plurality of components of the fuel supply system 100 may be interconnected by one or more conduits suitable for containing the fuel gas and a purge gas that may be used to clear the fuel gas from the fuel supply system 100. In many specific examples, the conduit may be a hollow tube. The hollow tube may have a rigidity comparable to that of a pipe, or the hollow tube may be flexible like a hose. The conduit may be made of any suitable material. In many embodiments, some conduits may be formed of 300 series stainless steel (e.g., AISI 316 / 316L steel). In many embodiments, the pressure of the fuel gas may have a nominal pressure of 250 bar, 350 bar, 500 bar, 750 bar, 900 bar or higher. The pressure of the fuel gas may vary within a range of about + / - 25% for some representative values. A typical conduit adaptively configured to accommodate higher pressures may have a thicker wall and / or a smaller diameter than a conduit adaptively configured to accommodate lower pressures.

[0037] The fuel supply system 100 may be selectively (selectively, when convenient, as needed, etc.) fluidly connectable to the gas supply source 102 by the fuel gas supply conduit 152a. In many embodiments, the fuel gas supply conduit 152a may be a flexible hose. The flexible hose may have the advantage of allowing for positional variations of the gas supply source 102 mounted on a transport vehicle (e.g., a tube trailer), which is the case when the fuel supply system 100 is mounted on or associated with a transport vehicle as a movable body (e.g., the fuel supply system 100 may be located on a boat that moves up and down in the water due to waves or floats up and down relative to a dock due to the tide).

[0038] The fuel supply system 100 may have a fuel gas supply manifold 158 formed by one or more conduits. Similarly, the fuel supply system 100 may have a purge gas supply manifold 156 connected to both the purge gas supply source 144 and the fuel gas supply manifold 158. The purge gas supply source 144 may be associated with (linked to, coordinated with) the fuel gas supply source 102 (for example, it may be provided on a trailer having the fuel gas supply source 102). In some embodiments, the purge gas supply source 144 may be associated with (linked to, coordinated with) the fuel supply system 100. The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more vent manifolds, such as a purge gas vent manifold 154a, a fuel gas vent manifold 154b, and / or a pilot zone vent manifold 154c. Those vent manifolds 154a, 154b, and 154c may be in fluid communication with their respective vent masts, as indicated by arrows 160, 162, and 190. In some embodiments, those vent manifolds 154a, 154b, and 154c may be in fluid communication with a common vent mast (such as one common vent mast for those vent manifolds 154a, 154b, and 154c).

[0039] The fuel supply system 100 may have one or more pressure zones, such as, for example, a high-pressure zone 170, a medium-pressure zone 168, and / or a low-pressure zone 172. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the high-pressure zone 170 has a breakaway coupling 104, a fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106, a fuel gas supply conduit 152a, a breakaway coupling 114, a purge gas check valve 112, a fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 116, a fuel gas check valve 120, and a fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122. The high-pressure zone 170 may have a filter such as filter 124. In some embodiments, the fuel gas may flow from the gas supply source 102 through the breakaway coupling 104 to the fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106. The flow of the fuel gas may be controlled by the fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106. The fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106 may be driven manually or automatically. Providing the high-pressure zone 170 (e.g., having the pressure level of the fuel gas supply source 102) and the medium-pressure zone 168 (e.g., via the fuel gas regulator (first stage)) may have some particular advantages. It may be more efficient to transport the fuel gas at a higher pressure than at a lower pressure. For example, when the fuel gas is supplied by a tube trailer, the higher the pressure in some of its tubes, the more fuel can be included in a given shipment for a very small cost increment in the cost of the fuel (e.g., diesel for the tractor towing the trailer). However, higher transport pressures may not be compatible with the fuel gas storage system (i.e., may exceed the rating for the pressure of the pressure vessel or conduit).Containers with low-pressure ratings are generally less expensive than those with high-pressure ratings and may be used in fuel gas storage systems (e.g., stationary fuel gas storage units (storage, depot, storage)) where size or weight is not a critical consideration. Thus, reducing the pressure of the fuel gas at a location between the high-pressure zone and the medium-pressure zone may enable efficient delivery at high pressure at low cost and the use of a system that stores at a lower pressure.

[0040] When gas supply source 102 is connected to breakaway coupling 104 and fuel gas supply shutoff valve 106 is open, fuel gas flows from gas supply source 102 to fuel supply system 100 via fuel gas supply conduit 152a. That fuel gas supply conduit 152a may be connected to fuel supply system 100 via breakaway coupling 114. The fuel gas may flow via fuel gas check valve 120 toward fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122. The advantage of placing fuel gas check valve 120 upstream of fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 may be seen in the event of a sudden or unplanned loss or disconnection of fuel gas supply conduit 152a, where the fuel gas will be prevented from being discharged from fuel supply system 100 and flowing back into the atmosphere. Generally, it is desirable to contain fuel gas within a proper system because fuel gas can ignite or explode if it leaks. Fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 116 may be placed at any suitable location within fuel gas supply manifold 158 such that it can detect the pressure in high-pressure zone 170. That fuel gas supply manifold 158 may have a conduit that fluidly connects high-pressure zone 170 to purge gas supply manifold 156 such that purge gas is used in accordance with the methods disclosed herein to purge fuel gas from fuel gas supply manifold 158.

[0041] The high-pressure zone 170 may be connected to the medium-pressure zone 168 at the position of the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122. The fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 may reduce the pressure of the fuel gas at a position between the high-pressure zone 170 and the medium-pressure zone 168. For example, the gas supply source 102 may supply the fuel gas at a pressure of, for example, 500 bar (500 - bar). The fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 may reduce the pressure of the fuel gas when supplied by the gas supply source 102 from 500 bar (500 - bar) to a lower pressure, for example, 100 bar (100 - bar), 200 bar (200 - bar), 350 bar (350 - bar), 400 bar (400 - bar) or the like. In some examples, the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 may reduce the fuel pressure to a pressure suitable for a solid storage system such as a metal hydride. For example, the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 may reduce the pressure to about 10 - about 40 bar.

[0042] Fuel gas may flow from the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 into the medium pressure zone 168. The fuel gas may flow from the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 to the filter 124 to capture or separate particulate matter or liquids therefrom. The fuel gas flows from the filter 124 to the fuel gas shut-off valve 130 and then may flow to the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a. The fuel gas shut-off valve 130 may be used to manually shut off (shut off, close) the fuel flow. In some embodiments, either valve 130 or 132a may be optional. For example, the system may have a manual shuttle valve 130 but not have an actuated (automatic) valve 132a, or vice versa. The fuel gas shut-off valve 132a may be opened or closed by the fuel gas shut-off valve actuator 132b, respectively, to permit or stop the flow of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold 158. The fuel gas first stage pressure transmitter 136 may be disposed at any suitable location within the fuel gas supply manifold 158 so as to be able to detect the pressure in the medium pressure zone 168. The block valve 138a may be provided to isolate the fuel gas first stage pressure transmitter 136 from the medium pressure zone 168, for purposes such as maintenance. The fuel gas may flow from the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a to the fuel gas check valve 134. The fuel gas check valve 134 may prevent backflow of the fuel gas to some portions upstream of the fuel gas check valve 134 in the medium pressure zone 168. The medium pressure zone 168 may have a branch that is selectively in fluid communication with the vent manifold 154a, for example via valve 189a. The branch may be disposed at a downstream side of the check valve 134 or at some other suitable location within the fuel gas manifold 158.The valve 189a may be selectively actuated (e.g., opened or closed) by an actuator 189b. The branch may be used to vent and / or deactivate some other parts of the fuel gas storage container 166 and / or the fuel supply system 100.

[0043] The fuel gas supply manifold 158 may have or be connected to a branch or tee 194 within the medium pressure zone 168. The tee 194 may be in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold 158 by connection to a flexible hose. One leg of the branch may flow fuel gas through the fuel gas regulator (second stage) 140 to the low pressure zone 172. A shuttle valve 197 may be provided upstream of the regulator 140. The shuttle valve 197 may provide the advantage of providing a positive shutoff of the fuel gas to the regulator 140. The low pressure zone 172 is in fluid communication with and may supply fuel to one or more fuel consuming devices, such as one or more fuel cells, engines, or the like, as indicated by arrow 164. Similar to the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122, the fuel gas regulator (second stage) 140 may be a forward pressure regulator that reduces the pressure from the medium pressure zone 168 to the low pressure used in the low pressure zone 172. For example, the fuel gas regulator (second stage) 140 may reduce the pressure of the fuel gas from 350 bar to a pressure appropriate for an end-use device such as a fuel cell. For example, the fuel gas regulator (second stage) 140 may reduce the pressure of the fuel gas to 10 bar.In some examples, the fuel gas regulator (second stage) 140 may reduce the pressure of the fuel gas from the pressure in the fuel gas storage container 166, for example, about 900 bar (900 - bar), to a pressure appropriate for supplying fuel to the transportation engine, for example, about 500 bar (500 - bar), about 625 bar (625 - bar), about 700 bar (700 - bar) and / or about 875 bar (875 - bar). Another branch (The other branch, another branch passage, another leg, another branch passage extending from the T - piece 194, etc.) may be a storage container supply branch (branch, branch passage, leg, etc.) 187 that supplies the fuel gas to the pilot subsystem 182 and / or one or more fuel gas storage containers 166, for example, via the fuel gas storage isolation valve 180a. The fuel gas may be supplied from the storage container supply branch 187 to the pilot subsystem 182 by a branch (branch, branch passage, leg, etc.) 193 that is in fluid communication with the branch 187 and the pilot subsystem 182. In some specific examples, the fuel supply system 100 may optionally have a pilot supply branch (branch, branch passage, leg, etc.) 191 that is separate from the storage container supply branch 187 for supplying the fuel gas to the pilot subsystem 182. The pilot supply branch 191 may be capable of being selectively closed by a shut - off valve 192. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the pilot supply branch 191 extends from a portion between the fuel gas pressure safety valve 128 and the shut - off valve 130 in the fuel gas supply manifold 158. In some other specific examples, the pilot supply branch may extend from any suitable position in the fuel gas supply manifold 158.Providing another pilot supply branch 191 may have the advantage of enabling the pilot subsystem 182 to be filled without using the storage container supply branch 187, for example, for the purpose of filling the pilot subsystem 182 at a pressure higher than that of the fuel gas storage container 166. In some examples, the fuel gas storage container 166 may have a check valve that permits fuel gas to flow into the vessel (pressure vessel 166, fuel gas storage container 166, etc.) when the manifold pressure (the pressure of the aforementioned fuel gas supply manifold 158, etc.) is higher than the tank pressure (the pressure of the aforementioned fuel gas storage container 166, etc.).

[0044] Fuel gas may flow through the pilot subsystem shutoff valve 146a when, for example, the pilot subsystem shutoff valve 146a is opened by the pilot subsystem shutoff valve actuator 146b. The pilot subsystem 182 may be configured to maintain the pressure of the fuel gas (such as the pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas storage container 166) and keep the shutoff valve 186 closed. If an excessive temperature is detected by the temperature pressure relief device 188 (e.g., a fire is detected), the temperature pressure relief device 188 may vent the fuel gas within the pilot subsystem 182, for example, via the pilot zone vent manifold 154c, to reduce its pressure. When the pressure within the pilot subsystem 182 decreases, the shuttle valve 186 may open to vent the fuel gas from the fuel gas storage container 166. The flow rate of the fuel gas passing through the shuttle valve 186 and / or the temperature pressure relief device 188 (such as flow rate, flow rate, volumetric flow rate, mass flow rate, etc.) may be greater than the flow through the pilot gas throttle 184 so that the pressure within the pilot zone may be maintained and the fuel gas storage container 166 may be vented during a fire.

[0045] The fuel supply system 100 may have an additive supply container 195. The additive may be a solid, liquid or gas and may be added to the fuel gas or the purge gas to introduce new or improved properties into their respective gas streams. In one example, the additive may be an odorant, and the additive supply container is used as an odorant supply container 195. The odorant supply container 195 may be in a state of being selectively fluidly connected to the fuel gas manifold 158, for example, via a control valve 196. An odorant (e.g., methyl mercaptan) having a characteristic putrid odor is added (doped) to many fuel gases. This type of dopant may alert nearby users to the leakage of the fuel gas. Some fuel gases, such as hydrogen, may be delivered without using such an odorant. For example, a fuel cell system that converts hydrogen to electricity may be damaged by an element such as sulfur present in methyl mercaptan even at a low concentration. It may be advantageous to add a harmless odorant to the fuel gas. Some examples of odorants suitable for use in fuel cell systems contain ethyl acrylate, methyl acrylate, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, acrylic acid esters, acetophenone, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, or some mixture thereof.

[0046] The odorant supply container 195 may supply the odorant to the fuel gas using its wick when the odorant enters and evaporates into the fuel gas from the wick. This odorant supply container 195 may supply the odorant to the fuel gas using a drip system in which the odorant is supplied to the combustion gas at a determined rate of drops of a liquid. This odorant supply container 195 may supply the odorant to the fuel gas using an injection system in which the odorant is compressed and released through a valve (e.g., via the control valve 196).

[0047] In some specific examples, the fuel system (the fuel supply system described above) 100 may be portable, such as by packing a plurality of components of the system within an enclosure. In one specific example of a portable system 100, the system includes a fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106, a fuel gas supply conduit 152a, a breakaway coupling 114, a fuel gas supply manifold 158, a fuel gas check valve 120, a fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122, a fuel gas pressure safety valve 128, a shut-off valve 130, a fuel gas shut-off valve 132a, a fuel gas check valve 134, a block valve 138a, a block valve actuator 138b, a purge gas forward pressure regulator 142, a purge gas shut-off valve 148a, an actuator 148b, a purge gas pressure safety valve 150, a purge gas vent valve 108a, a purge gas supply valve 110a, a pressure transmitter 118, a fuel gas vent valve 126a, a shut-off valve 197, a T-tube 194, and optionally, a regulator 140 and / or a fuel gas storage shut-off valve 180a and an actuator 180b through which the fuel gas flows.

[0048] Figures 3-8 illustrate several methods of operating a fuel supply system such as the fuel supply system 100. Figure 3 shows an example of a setup method 300 for preparing the fuel supply system 100 to receive fuel gas. Figure 4 shows an example of an inerting / purifying method 400 for purging air and / or remnants of fuel gas from the fuel supply system 100 prior to filling. Figure 5 shows an example of a leak check method 500 for verifying the integrity of the fuel supply system 100. Figure 6 shows an example of a pilot subsystem charge method 600 for charging the pilot subsystem 182. Figure 7 shows an example of a fill method 700 for filling fuel gas into one or more fuel gas storage containers 166 of the fuel supply system 100. Figure 8 shows an example of a post fill inerting method 800 for purging remnants of fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold 158 of the fuel supply system 100. A plurality of operations of several methods described in this document may be executed in an order different from that shown, and in some cases, a plurality of operations may be executed substantially simultaneously. In some embodiments, some of the plurality of operations may be optional and may also be omitted.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3, the setup method 300 may be started in process 302, and electrical power is supplied to the fuel supply system 100. The power may be supplied by any suitable power source, for example, a fuel cell, a generator, a battery, an engine, or other power sources all mounted on a transport vehicle. When the fuel supply system 100 is associated with a boat, shore power may be supplied. Power, such as electrical power, may be automatically supplied by a processing element, for example, a PLC, via a relay or other power control device.

[0050] The setup method 300 proceeds to process 304, and the fuel gas supply source is connected to the fuel supply system 100. The fuel gas supply conduit 152a may connect between the fuel gas supply source 102 and the fuel supply system 100.

[0051] The setup method 300 proceeds to process 306, and the configuration of the plurality of valves in the fuel supply system 100 may be checked. For example, any of the plurality of sensors in the fuel supply system 100 (such as some of the aforementioned transmitters) may be selectively fluidly blocked from the fuel supply system 100. For example, the block valve 138a may be located between the fuel gas first stage pressure transmitter 136 and the fuel gas supply manifold 158. This block valve 138a may have an actuator, for example, a block valve actuator 138b that acts to open and close the block valve 138a. The position of the fuel gas storage shutoff valve 180a may be verified as open, for example, by using a position indicator associated with the fuel gas storage shutoff valve actuator 180b (associated with, linked to, interlocked with). The position of the pilot zone vent valve (such as the shuttle valve 186) and / or the defueling valve associated with the fuel gas storage container 166 may be verified as closed, for example, by a position indicator.

[0052] The setup method 300 proceeds to process 308, and purge gas is supplied to the purge gas supply manifold 156. For example, a shut-off valve on a purge gas source, such as purge gas supply source 144, may be opened. The downstream pressure of the purge gas upstream pressure regulator 142 may be adjusted to about 5 - about 15 bar. The purge gas may be any suitable gas capable of displacing air, oxygen, and / or fuel gas from the fuel supply system 100. In many embodiments, the purge gas may be nitrogen, although other suitable non-flammable and / or non-oxidizing gases, such as argon, xenon, krypton, carbon dioxide, or the like, may be used.

[0053] Figure 4 shows an inactivation / purifying method 400 suitable for removing air, purge gas, and / or fuel gas from the fuel supply system 100. This inactivation / purifying method 400 may be suitable for inactivating or purifying the fuel supply system 100, for example, before filling the fueling system 100 in the fill method 700 (pre-fill, before filling). Inactivating the fuel supply system 100 prior to the supply of fuel gas is important from the perspective of safety. If a part of the fuel supply system 100 has air that has entered into the fuel supply system 100, adding fuel gas without first inactivating the fuel supply system 100 may cause a combustible mixture consisting of fuel and air to be formed. It may be advantageous to remove air from the fuel supply system 100 to prevent contamination of the fuel gas. Purifying the fuel supply system 100 may have the advantage of removing contaminants, for example, the purge gas, if the requirements for the purification of the system are stringent (for example, a purity of 99.99%). In some examples, this method 400 may be used to inactivate / purify the fuel gas supply manifold 158. In some examples, this method 400 may be used to inactivate / purify the fuel gas storage container 166.

[0054] This method 400 may proceed to process 402, and a gas (a purge gas and / or a fuel gas) is supplied to the fuel supply system 100. The method 400 may be used as an inactivation method performed by supplying a purge gas. The method 400 may be used as a purification method performed by supplying a fuel gas. When used as an inactivation method, the method 400 may be initiated at process 402, and the purge gas supply valve 110a and the purge gas shut-off valve 148a are each opened by corresponding purge gas supply actuators 110b and purge gas shut-off valve actuators 148b, which are controlled by the controller 200. The controller 200 may monitor the pressure of the purge gas within the purge gas supply manifold 156 and / or the fuel gas supply manifold 158. When used as a purification method, process 402 may proceed to open the fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106 to supply fuel gas to the fuel supply system 100. The controller 200 monitors the pressure reported by the fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 116. The method may pause without proceeding to other processes until the pressure of the gas stabilizes. The stability of the pressure may be measured by the rate of change of the pressure over time (rate, rate of change, gradient, amount of change, rate of change, etc.). For example, when the amount of change in the pressure is less than about 50 - about 100 millibars per minute. The controller 200 may record the value of the pressure when the system stabilizes in the memory component 206, for example, for subsequent use during the execution of this method.

[0055] The inactivation / purification method 400 proceeds to process 404, and the controller 200 holds the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 for a predetermined period of time. In many embodiments, the pressure may be held for about 10 seconds, but it may be held for a shorter time (e.g., 1 second, 5 seconds or the like) or a longer time (e.g., 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute or longer).

[0056] The inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds to process 406, and the controller 200 monitors the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 while the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 is maintained as in process 404. When the pressure drops below the threshold value, the inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds to process 408, issues an alarm and / or takes other appropriate actions. This process 408 will be detailed later. The threshold value may be measured as a relative change amount (a change, difference) with respect to the pressure recorded in the memory component 206 in process 402. For example, when the pressure drops by an amount greater than about 350 millibars (350 - millibar) from the aforementioned stable pressure (the maintained pressure), the inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds to process 408. Some other appropriate pressure drop amounts, such as about 30 millibars (30 - millibar), about 70 millibars (70 - millibar), about 700 millibars (700 - millibar), about 1.5 bars (1.5 - bar), about 3.4 bars (3.4 - bar), about 7 bars (7 - bar) or higher pressure values are measured, and as a result, an alarm may be issued by process 408. In some embodiments, the pressure drop amount may be measured as a ratio of the pressure measured in process 402. For example, when the pressure drops by about 1%, about 2%, about 5%, about 10% or more of the pressure measured in process 402, an alarm may be issued. In some embodiments, the inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds to process 408 when the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 drops below a value within a certain absolute value range, for example, from about 1 bar to about 10 bars. For example, the inactivation / high-purity method 400 may proceed to process 408 when the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 drops below about 5.5 bars (5.5 - bar). When the predetermined time has elapsed in process 404 and the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 has not dropped below the threshold value, the inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds to process 410.

[0057] In process 410, the controller 200 may vent (ventilate, discharge) the fuel gas supply manifold 158, the fuel gas supply source 102, and / or the fuel gas storage container 166. For example, the controller 200 may open the fuel gas vent valve 126a by means of the fuel gas vent valve actuator 126b and / or open the valve 189a. For example, the valve 189a may be used to vent the fuel gas storage container 166 via the fuel storage container shut-off valve 176a. The purge gas and / or the fuel gas may escape (escape, release, dissipate) from the fuel supply system 100 through the fuel gas vent manifold 154b to the vent mast indicated by arrow 162.

[0058] Process 410 may be used independently of method 400, for example, for the purpose of venting the fuel gas supply source 102 and / or the fuel gas storage container 166 in the event of an emergency. For example, the fuel gas supply source 102 may be vented by opening the valve 126a. The fuel gas storage container 166 may be vented by opening the valve 189a. This type of venting (ventilation, discharge) may be used to vent the fuel gas supply source 102 and / or the fuel gas storage container 166 at a remote location away from the respective containers, for example, by using a flexible hose connection method (a configuration for connecting elements using a flexible hose, a flexible hose piping system). The inactivation / high-purity method 400 may be used to inactivate the fuel gas supply source 102 and / or the fuel gas storage container 166. This type of venting (ventilation, discharge) will be advantageous if either the fuel gas supply source 102 and / or the fuel gas storage container 166 is compromised.

[0059] The inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds to processes 414 and 416, and the controller 200 monitors the pressure of the fuel supply system 100 by, for example, the fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 116 (for measuring the pressure in the high-pressure zone 170, for example) and / or the fuel gas first stage pressure transmitter 136 (for measuring the pressure in the medium-pressure zone 168, for example). In process 416, the controller 200 compares the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold 158 with a threshold value to determine whether the fuel gas supply manifold 158 is sufficiently vented. The controller 200 may monitor either or both of the high-pressure zone 170 and / or the medium-pressure zone 168. If the pressure is not less than the threshold value, the inactivation / high-purity method 400 may return to process 414 and continue to monitor the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold 158. The threshold value may be close to the ambient pressure, for example, about 30 millibars, about 70 millibars, about 700 millibars, about 1.5 bars, about 3.4 bars, about 7 bars. Other suitable pressures lower or higher than these may be used. When the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold 158 drops below the threshold value, the inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds to process 418.

[0060] In process 418, the inactivation / high-purity method 400 may increment a counter (such as a counter, counter device, etc.). The value of the counter may be stored in the memory component 206. The counter may be an integer value representing the number of times (such as the number of cycles) the inactivation / high-purity method 400 has executed processes 402 - 416.

[0061] The inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds to process 420, and the inactivation / high-purity method 400 compares the counter with the threshold value. If the counter does not exceed the threshold value, the inactivation / high-purity method 400 may return to process 402. If the counter matches or exceeds the threshold value, the inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds to process 412. The counter threshold value may be set or determined to ensure that the concentration of air or other contaminants (such as contaminants, impurities, pollutants, admixtures, etc.) in the fuel supply system 100 has decreased to a satisfactory level. The cycle threshold value may be based on the target purity of the fuel gas in the fuel gas storage container 166. For example, the cycle threshold value may be based on the volume and pressure of the fuel gas source (the aforementioned fuel gas supply source) 102, the volume of the fuel gas storage container 166, the pressure setting value of the purge gas regulator 142, and the number of purge cycles that will achieve the target purity (e.g., 9.99% or higher) in the fuel gas storage container 166.

[0062] In many embodiments, the counter threshold value may be 3. Several other threshold values may be used as needed. For example, the counter threshold value may be 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, or may be the number 10. Each time a cycle is performed, the concentration of contaminants (e.g., air) and / or residual fuel gas (e.g., hydrogen) is relatively reduced with respect to the concentration of the purge gas. In process 412, the controller 200 may shut off the purge gas source 144 and / or the fuel gas source 102. For example, the controller 200 may close the purge gas shut-off valve 148a by the purge gas shut-off valve actuator 148b, or may close the fuel gas shut-off valve 106. The purge gas vent valve 108a may be opened by the purge gas vent valve actuator 108b for a short time (e.g., about 2 seconds) and then closed. The purge gas vent valve 108a may remain open at any time when the valve 110a is closed, which, for example, constitutes a block and bleed arrangement (such as a configuration for reliably blocking fluid using a shut-off valve and a release valve). This type of configuration may improve the safety of the fuel supply system 100 when the check valve 112 fails and the valve 110a cannot stop backflow (such as the flow of gas from the manifold 158 to the manifold 156) during the supply of high-pressure fuel gas. The fuel gas vent valve 126a, the purge gas shut-off valve 148a, the purge gas vent valve 108a, and the purge gas supply valve 110a may all be closed by the controller 200 by their respective actuators.

[0063] In process 408, the controller 200 may close the purge gas shut-off valve 148a, and the controller 200 may also open the purge gas vent valve 108a and the fuel gas vent valve 126a to vent the fuel supply system 100. The controller 200 may issue an alert or alarm to notify the user that there is a leak in the fuel supply system 100. The alarm may be a visual alarm, such as an indication on the display 204, a beacon, or something similar. The alarm may be, in addition to or instead of, an auditory alarm, such as a bell, buzzer, or something similar. The alarm may further be an electronic message, such as an email, text message, or other suitable message sent to the user via the network interface 208. The inactivation / high-purity method 400 proceeds from process 408 to process 412.

[0064] In some embodiments, in method 400, the manifold 158 may be connected to a vacuum source, and a substantial portion of the gas in the manifold may be removed from the manifold. In some embodiments of this type, in process 410, gas (e.g., purge gas or fuel gas) may be introduced into the manifold 158. Method 400 may be performed in a manner different from that described herein, for example, by monitoring appropriate pressure thresholds in processes 406 and 416, or by repeating the method one or more times.

[0065] In some embodiments, the inactivation / purification method 400 may be suitable for activating a solid storage medium, such as a hydride (e.g., hydrogen hydride, hydrogen compound, etc.). For some hydrides, during fabrication, an oxide layer is formed on some of the reactive materials of the metal hydride. However, the hydride cannot be used until the oxide layer is removed. Removing the oxide layer is accomplished, for example, by exposing the hydride to hydrogen at a pressure of about 70 bar and a temperature of about 80 °C, thereby exposing the hydride to a reducing environment. This process is often referred to as activation. Once activated, the hydride can be used for hydrogen storage, for example, within the fuel gas storage container 166. For example, in process 402, the inactivation / purification method 400 may be used with the aforementioned purge gas to purge air from the hydride. The inactivation / purification method 400 may be adaptively configured and used to supply the fuel gas (i.e., hydrogen) in process 403 after inactivation. In process 404, the hydrogen pressure and / or flow rate may be monitored to initiate the absorption of hydrogen within the hydride. The hydrogen pressure and / or flow rate may be adjusted based on the temperature of the hydride, for the purpose of, for example, preventing the temperature of the hydride from exceeding a threshold value. The pressure of the hydrogen within the fuel gas storage container 166 may be increased until the pressure stabilizes at a certain level (e.g., about 70 bar (70 - bar)). The fuel gas storage container 166 may be vented, as described above, such as in processes 410, 414, 416, and 418.The fuel gas storage container 166 may be exposed to hydrogen charge cycles (hydrogen filling cycles, repetitive operations for filling the fuel gas storage container 166 with hydrogen) a certain number of times (e.g., 3, 4 or more times) until the counter threshold is exceeded in process 420.

[0066] FIG. 5 shows an example of a leak check method 500 that is suitable for checking the fuel supply system 100 for leaks. In some embodiments, this leak check method 500 may be used instead of the inactivation / purification method 400 such that contaminants (impurities, pollutants, contaminants, etc.) are purged from the system by the leak check method 500. In some embodiments, the leak check method 500 may be omitted. Advantageously, the fuel supply system 100 may be leak checked by first using the purge gas as described with respect to processes 404 - 408 and then again using the fuel gas as described in this leak check method 500. The fuel gas may have leak or diffusion characteristics different from those of the purge gas, and the leak check using the fuel gas may detect leaks that may not be detected by the leak check using the purge gas. For example, if the purge gas is nitrogen and the fuel gas is hydrogen, hydrogen may leak through fittings (fittings, joints, connections, etc.), seals (seals, tight joints), pipe couplings (pipe couplings, pipe connectors, etc.), threads (threads, screw joints) or the like that nitrogen may not leak through. Hydrogen (H 2) is a molecule much smaller than nitrogen (N2) and can escape from the containment in a manner that might not allow nitrogen to escape from the containment. Further, the fuel gas may be supplied at a pressure much higher than the pressure of the purge gas. For example, the purge gas may be supplied at about 5 - about 15 bar, but the purge gas may also be supplied at a height of a typical pressure (nominal pressure) with an upper limit of about 700 bar (700 - bar). A higher - pressure gas has a stronger tendency to leak from the fuel supply system 100 than a lower - pressure gas.

[0067] The leak check method 500 may be started in process 502, and the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel supply system 100. The fuel gas may be supplied at the height of the pressure of the gas supply source 102. For example, the fuel gas may be supplied at 1 bar (1 - bar), 10 bar (10 - bar), 100 bar (100 - bar), 200 bar (200 - bar), 300 bar (300 - bar), 350 bar (350 - bar), 400 bar (400 - bar), 500 bar (500 - bar), 700 bar (700 - bar) or a pressure higher than them. The controller 200 may open the fuel gas supply shut - off valve 106.

[0068] The leakage check method 500 proceeds to processes 504 and 506. In process 504, the controller 200 may monitor the pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold 158. For example, the controller 200 may monitor the pressure reported by the fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 116. The leakage check method 500 proceeds to process 506, and the controller 200 compares the pressure in the fuel supply system 100 with a threshold value. If the pressure is unstable (e.g., exhibits a time rate of change higher than the threshold value), the leakage check method 500 may return to process 504, and the controller 200 continues to monitor the pressure of the fuel supply system 100. The stability of the pressure may be measured by the time rate of change of the pressure and / or the achievement of a certain value for the absolute pressure. The controller 200 may record the value of the pressure when the system stabilizes in the memory component 206, for example, for subsequent use during the execution of the method. For example, if the amount of pressure change is less than a threshold value of about 1 - about 5 bar per minute, the leakage check method 500 proceeds to process 508.

[0069] In process 508, the controller 200 shuts off the fuel gas supply source 102. The controller 200 may close the fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106.

[0070] The leakage check method 500 proceeds to process 510, and the controller 200 holds the pressure in the fuel supply system 100 for a predetermined time while monitoring the pressure. In many embodiments, the pressure may be held for about 10 seconds, but the pressure may be held for a shorter time (e.g., 1 second, 5 seconds or similar times) or a longer time (e.g., 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute or longer).

[0071] The leak check method 500 proceeds to process 512, and the controller 200 monitors the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 while the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 is maintained as in process 510. The controller 200 may monitor either or both of the high pressure zone and / or the medium pressure zone 168. If the pressure drops below a threshold value, the leak check method 500 proceeds to process 514 and issues an alarm and / or takes other appropriate actions. This process 514 will be described in detail later. The threshold value may be measured as a relative change amount with respect to the pressure recorded in the memory component 206 in process 506. For example, if the pressure drops by an amount greater than the threshold value below the stable pressure, the leak check method 500 proceeds to process 514. Some exemplary threshold values may be similar to those described with respect to process 406, but for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated. In some embodiments, the leak check method 500 proceeds to process 514 when the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 drops below a certain absolute value. If the predetermined time has elapsed in process 510 and the pressure within the fuel supply system 100 has not yet dropped below the threshold value, the leak check method 500 proceeds to the pilot subsystem charge method 600 as indicated by arrow 518. Optionally, for example, if the pilot subsystem 182 is not used, method 600 may proceed to the fill method 700.

[0072] In some embodiments, processes 510 and 512 may monitor the pressure of the fuel supply system downstream of the closed valve and further determine whether the pressure rises above a threshold value. This type of pressure rise may indicate a leak through the valve. For example, the fuel gas may flow into the high-pressure zone 170 and be reduced to a lower pressure by, for example, the fuel gas regulator 122 and then flow into the medium-pressure zone 168. The flow of the fuel gas may be stopped, for example, by closing the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a by the actuator 132b. The pressure downstream of the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a may be monitored, for example, by the fuel gas first-stage pressure transmitter 136. The rise in the pressure of the fuel gas detected by the pressure transmitter 136 in the closed state of the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a may indicate that there is a leak in the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a. When this type of leak is detected, an alarm may be issued.

[0073] Process 514 may issue an alarm, for example, as described for process 408. The plurality of characteristics of the alarm issued by process 514 may be different from those issued by process 408. For example, the above-described plurality of methods may issue several alarms together with different error messages, visual indicators, audio indicators, or the like. After issuing an alarm in process 514, the leak check method 500 transitions to the post-fill inactivation method 800 as indicated by the arrow 516 to inactivate the fuel supply system 100 with the purge gas. Inactivating the system is advantageous to enable safe repair of the system 100 in the absence of fuel gas.

[0074] FIG. 6 shows an example of a pilot - subsystem - charging method 600. As described above, the pilot - subsystem 182 may operate to safely vent the fuel - gas storage container 166 in case of a fire. Venting the fuel gas from the fuel - gas storage container 166 in case of a fire may have some specific advantages regarding safety. For example, when a fire is detected, the fuel gas in the fuel - gas storage container 166 may be directed to leave the fuel - gas storage container 166 and go towards a vent stack (gas - dispersion tower, ventilation duct) away from the fire site or other remote location. This is generally more desirable than confining the fuel gas within the fuel - gas storage container 166, as in case the fuel - gas storage container 166 ruptures or leaks and the fuel gas escapes, there is a risk that the fire may damage the fuel - gas storage container 166 and eventually lead to an explosion, which is more likely to occur than if the fuel gas is vented away.

[0075] The pilot - subsystem - charging method 600 may be initiated in process 602, and the controller 200 connects the pilot - subsystem 182 to the fuel - gas supply manifold 158. For example, the controller 200 may open the pilot - subsystem shut - off valve 146a by means of the pilot - subsystem shut - off valve actuator 146b. When the pilot - subsystem shut - off valve 146a is open, the fuel gas may flow through the valve and may also be throttled by the pilot - gas throttle 184.

[0076] The pilot subsystem charging method 600 proceeds to process 604, and fuel gas is supplied to the fuel supply system 100. For example, the controller 200 may open the fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106, thereby enabling fuel gas to flow from the gas supply source 102 to the fuel supply system 100. The fuel gas shut-off valve 132a, the fuel gas storage shut-off valve 180a, and the pilot subsystem shut-off valve 146a may be opened by the controller 200, thereby enabling the fuel gas to flow into the pilot subsystem 182.

[0077] The pilot subsystem charging method 600 proceeds to processes 606 and 608. In process 606, the controller 200 may monitor the pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold 158 and / or the pilot subsystem 182. The controller 200 may monitor either or both of the high-pressure zone 170 and / or the medium-pressure zone 168. For example, the controller 200 may monitor the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold 158, which is reported by the fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 116, the fuel gas first-stage pressure transmitter 136, and / or the storage pressure transmitter 174. The controller 200 may monitor the pressure in the pilot subsystem 182 by means of the fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 118.

[0078] The pilot subsystem charging method 600 proceeds to process 608, and the controller 200 compares the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold 158 with the pressure in the gas supply source 102. In process 608, the controller 200 compares the pressure in the pilot subsystem 182 with the set point of the fuel gas regulator, first stage 122 (fuel gas regulator, first stage 122, fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122). The set point of the fuel gas regulator, first stage 122 (fuel gas regulator, first stage 122, fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122) may be set by the controller 200, for example, in the case where the fuel gas regulator, first stage 122 (fuel gas regulator, first stage 122, fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122) is a valve that automatically controls the pressure (e.g., and I / P (I / P, current / pressure conversion type, etc.)). In some embodiments, the set point of the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 may be a predetermined value stored in the memory component 206. If the pressure (the pressure, each pressure, etc.) is unstable in either the fuel gas supply manifold 158 and / or the pilot subsystem 182 (e.g., exhibits a time change rate higher than the threshold value), the pilot subsystem charging method 600 may return to process 606, and the controller 200 continues to monitor the pressures in the fuel gas supply manifold 158 and the pilot subsystem 182. The stability of the pressure may be measured by the time change rate of the pressure, the difference between the pressure of the gas supply source 102 and the pressure of the fuel gas supply manifold 158, the difference between the set point of the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 and the pressure of the pilot subsystem 182, and / or the achievement of a certain value for the absolute pressure.When the system stabilizes, the controller 200 may record the pressure value for subsequent use during the execution of this method, for example, in the memory component 206. For example, when the difference between the pressure of the gas supply source 102 and the fuel gas supply manifold 158, and / or the difference between the set point of the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122 and the pressure of the pilot subsystem 182 is less than about 1 bar, the pilot subsystem charge method 600 proceeds to process 610.

[0079] In process 610, the controller 200 shuts off the pilot subsystem 182. For example, the controller 200 may close the pilot subsystem shut-off valve 146a by means of the pilot subsystem shut-off valve actuator 146b.

[0080] Figure 7 shows an example of a filling method 700. This filling method 700 may be initiated at process 702, and the controller 200 receives a fill type to be executed. For example, the I / O interface 212 of the controller 200 may prompt the user to select whether the fill is a final fill pressure type of fill (a fill where the final fill pressure reaches a predetermined value without considering temperature) or a temperature-compensated fill (a fill where the final fill pressure reaches a predetermined value considering temperature). In some examples, the user may be prompted to input information about the fuel gas supply source 102, such as volume, pressure, and / or the type of fuel gas. In the final fill pressure type of fill, a target fill pressure for the one or more fuel gas storage containers 166 may be received (received from the user, input by the user, etc.). In the temperature-compensated fill, the controller 200 may monitor the temperature of the one or more fuel gas storage containers 166, for example, by the fuel gas storage temperature transmitter 178.When the system further monitors the pressure of the pilot subsystem 182 (e.g., by transmitter 118) and the pressure (it, the pressure measured by transmitter 118, the aforementioned pilot pressure, etc.) is lower than the target pressure (the target pressure, the aforementioned target fill pressure, etc.), the set point (the set point, the set point of the fuel gas regulator (first stage) 122, the relief pressure or upper limit pressure of the fuel gas storage container 166, etc.) may be decreased to the pressure measured by transmitter 118.

[0081] The filling method 700 proceeds to process 704, and the controller 200 determines the fill pressure set point (the fill pressure set value, the filling pressure set value, the set value of the filling pressure of the fuel gas storage container 166, the set pressure value at the end of filling and at low temperature of the fuel gas storage container 166, etc.). In the final fill pressure method filling, the fill pressure set point may be received from the I / O interface 212 (received, received from the user, input by the user, etc.) and / or retrieved from the memory component 206 (retrieved, as a recorded value of the user input value, etc.). In temperature-compensated filling, the fill pressure set point may be determined based on one or more initial pressures and / or initial temperatures in the fuel gas storage container 166 (e.g., measured by the storage pressure transmitter 174 and / or the fuel gas storage temperature transmitter 178), the pressure of the gas supply source 102 (pressure, actual pressure, etc.), and / or a desired fill pressure (a desired fill pressure, the above-mentioned target fill pressure, appropriate fill pressure, etc.). In some specific examples, the fill pressure set point may be determined based on the ambient temperature, for example, the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the pressure vessel (the pressure vessel, the aforementioned fuel gas storage container 166, high-pressure container, etc.). In one example, the fill pressure set point may be determined based on an equation that associates the fill pressure set point with the initial (before beginning the filling process, before filling) pressure and the initial (initial, before filling) ambient temperature (ambient temperature, environmental temperature, external temperature, etc.) in the pressure vessel (the pressure vessel, the aforementioned fuel gas storage container 166, etc.). An example of this type of equation is shown in Equation 1 below. (1) P 2 =a + b*T + c*P 1 + d*T*P1 Here, P 2 is the fill pressure set point, and P 1 is the initial pressure in the pressure vessel, T is the initial ambient temperature, and a, b, c, and d are a plurality of constants.

[0082] In one example, the plurality of constants are a = 3764.337, b = 1.666, c = -0.152, d = 0.00114.

[0083] The filling method 700 proceeds to process 706, and the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel gas storage container 166. For example, the controller 200 may open the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a.

[0084] The filling method 700 proceeds to process 714 and process 708 substantially simultaneously, that is, process 714 and process 708, and several processes following them, may be executed in parallel with each other, or may be executed serially and at high speed with each other regardless of the order.

[0085] In process 714, the controller 200 monitors the temperature in the fuel gas storage container 166 via the fuel gas storage temperature transmitter 178. The filling method 700 proceeds to process 716 and compares the temperature with a first threshold. In many embodiments, the first threshold may be about 75 °C. The filling method 700 may proceed to process 720, and the temperature of the fuel gas storage container 166 is compared with a second threshold. In many embodiments, the second threshold may be about 85 °C. Either the first or the second threshold may be based on the type (filling method, filling pressure setting point determination method, target filling pressure determination method, etc.) used for the fuel gas storage container 166. For example, some of the above-mentioned thresholds of about 75 °C and about 85 °C may be suitable for a type IV tank having a polymer liner, while some higher thresholds may be suitable for a type III tank having a metal liner or a type I metal tank without a composite enclosure and having generally better heat transfer characteristics than type III or type IV tanks.

[0086] In process 716, if the temperature exceeds the first threshold, the filling method 700 proceeds to process 718, and the controller 200 may issue an alarm as described above with respect to process 408 and / or process 514. This filling method 700 may return to process 714 and continue to monitor the temperature.

[0087] In process 720, if the temperature exceeds the second threshold, the filling method 700 may proceed to process 722 to terminate the filling method 700. In process 722, the controller 200 may issue an alarm as described above with respect to process 408, process 514, and / or process 718. In process 722, the controller 200 may take several additional actions, such as closing the fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106, the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a, the fuel gas storage isolation valve 180a, and / or the fuel storage container shut-off valve 176a. The controller 200 may also not re-enable the execution of the filling method 700 until the temperature returns to a level below either the first or the second threshold.

[0088] In process 708, the controller 200 monitors the pressure in the fuel gas storage container 166 by means of a pressure transmitter, for example, the storage pressure transmitter 174. The filling method 700 proceeds to process 710, and the controller 200 compares the pressure in the fuel gas storage container 166 with the fill set point (such as the aforementioned fill pressure set point) determined in process 704. When the pressure in the fuel gas storage container 166 reaches the set point (such as the aforementioned fill pressure set point), optionally within a reasonable deadband of + / - about 5%, the filling method 700 proceeds to process 712 to shut off the fuel gas. When a plurality of fuel gas storage containers are used, each container may be equipped with a sensor (such as a pressure sensor (pressure sensor, the aforementioned storage pressure transmitter) 174). In this type of embodiment, the plurality of different fuel gas storage containers may be filled unevenly (e.g., due to differences in initial pressure between the containers, differences in pressure loss amounts between the plurality of conduits reaching the containers, etc.). Further, when any one of the plurality of fuel gas storage containers described above reaches the set point (such as the aforementioned fill pressure set point), the filling method 700 proceeds to process 712, whereby no storage container exceeds the set point (such as the aforementioned fill pressure set point).

[0089] In process 712, the controller 200 may close the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a, and may also close the fuel gas storage shut-off valve 180a, the fuel storage container shut-off valve 176a, and / or the fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106.

[0090] FIG. 8 shows a post-fill inactivation method 800 suitable for purging fuel gas from the fuel supply system 100, for example, after the execution of the filling method 700. This post-fill inactivation method 800 may also be suitable for inactivating the fuel supply system 100 after filling the fuel supply system 100, for example, during the execution of the filling method 700. This post-fill inactivation method 800 may be initiated in process 802. In this process 802, the gas supply source 102 is shut off from the fuel supply system 100. For example, the controller 200 may close the fuel gas shut-off valve 132a, the fuel gas storage shut-off valve 180a, the fuel storage container shut-off valve 176a and / or the fuel gas supply shut-off valve 106.

[0091] The post-fill inactivation method 800 may proceed to process 804, and the controller 200 vents the fuel gas supply manifold (such as the fuel gas manifold). In this process 804, the controller 200 may open the fuel gas vent valve 126a, for example, by the fuel gas vent valve actuator 126b, and / or open the purge gas supply valve 110a, for example, by the actuator 110b.

[0092] The post-fill inactivation method 800 may proceed to processes 806 and 808, which may be substantially similar to the aforementioned processes 414 and 416, and for the sake of brevity, further description thereof is omitted.

[0093] The post-fill inactivation method 800 proceeds to process 810, and the purge gas is supplied to the fuel supply system 100. Process 810 may be substantially similar to the aforementioned process 402, and for the sake of brevity, further description thereof is omitted.

[0094] The post-fill inactivation method 800 proceeds to processes 812 and 814. In process 812, the controller 200 may monitor the pressure of the purge gas within the fuel gas supply manifold 158. For example, the controller 200 may monitor the pressure reported by the fuel gas supply pressure transmitter 116. The post-fill inactivation method 800 proceeds to process 814, and the controller 200 compares the pressure within the fuel gas supply manifold 158 to a threshold value. If the pressure is unstable (e.g., exhibits a rate of change over time that exceeds the threshold value), the post-fill inactivation method 800 returns to process 812, and the controller 200 continues to monitor the pressure of the fuel gas supply manifold 158. The stability of the pressure may be measured by the rate of change of the pressure over time and / or the attainment of an absolute pressure value. The controller 200 may record the value of the pressure when the system stabilizes in the memory component 206, for example, in preparation for subsequent use during the execution of the post-fill inactivation method 800. For example, if the amount of pressure change is less than a threshold value of about 50 - about 100 millibars per minute, the post-fill inactivation method 800 proceeds to process 816, and the fuel gas supply manifold 158 is vented.

[0095] Process 816 may be substantially similar to process 804 described above, and for the sake of brevity, further description thereof is omitted.

[0096] The post-fill inactivation method 800 may proceed to processes 818 and 820, which are substantially similar to processes 414 and 416 described above and / or processes 806 and 808 described above. For the sake of brevity, further description thereof is omitted. Differences in the gas composition within the fuel gas supply manifold 158 may occur between the execution of processes 806 / 808 and the execution of processes 818 / 820. In processes 806 / 808, the fuel gas supply manifold 158 may initially contain fuel gas confined at a high pressure, e.g., the fill pressure set point determined in process 704 of method 700. In processes 818 / 820, the gas composition within the fuel gas supply manifold 158 may be a mixture of residual fuel gas and purge gas having a low pressure (e.g., 5 - 15 bar).

[0097] The post-fill inactivation method 800 proceeds to process 820 when the pressure within the fuel gas supply manifold 158 drops below the aforementioned threshold, and the controller 200 increments the counters in processes 822 and 824. Processes 822 and 824 may each be substantially similar to processes 418 and 420 described above. For the sake of brevity, further description thereof is omitted. The post-fill inactivation method 800 may repeatedly iterate a plurality of processes from process 810 to process 824 in order to sufficiently purge the residual fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold 158.

[0098] The post-fill inactivation method 800 proceeds to process 826 after purge cycles (such as the plurality of processes from process 810 to process 824 described above) are performed a sufficient number of times to reduce the concentration of fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold 158 below the limit at which the fuel gas would be flammable if it leaked into the atmosphere (i.e., below the lower flammability limit). In this process 826, as described above with respect to process 816, the fuel gas supply manifold 158 is vented. Venting the fuel gas manifold (such as the fuel gas supply manifold 158 described above) enables the fuel gas supply conduit 152a to be disconnected with the fuel gas at a low pressure (preferably, a pressure close to atmospheric pressure) and a minimum concentration (preferably, a concentration below the lower flammability limit), thereby having the advantage of reducing the risk of fire or explosion.

[0099] The descriptions of some specific examples included in this document are, in essence, merely illustrative and are never intended to limit the scope of the disclosed matters or the scope of the application examples or usage examples of those matters. In the detailed descriptions of some specific examples of the systems and methods for the present invention included in this document, several attached drawings forming a part of them are referred to, and they are illustrated as exemplary illustrations specific to some specific examples in which the described systems and methods may be implemented. Those specific examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement the systems and methods disclosed in this document. It should also be understood that several other specific examples may be used, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the gist and scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, when it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the detailed descriptions of some specific features will not obscure the descriptions of some specific examples of this disclosure, they will not be discussed. Therefore, the detailed descriptions included in this document should not be adopted in the sense of imposing limitations, and the scope of this disclosure is defined only by the multiple appended claims.

[0100] It is understood from the foregoing that although some specific examples of the present invention are described in this document for illustrative purposes, various modifications may be made without departing from the gist and scope of the present invention.

[0101] Some of the details shown in this document exist for purposes of illustration only, and for the purpose of providing an exemplary discussion of some of the foregoing desirable specific examples of the present invention, and are believed to provide the most useful and easily understood explanations of the principles and conceptual aspects of the various specific examples of the present invention. In this regard, not attempting to show the structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary to fundamentally understand the present invention, having the description interpreted in light of the drawings, and / or showing some examples in which the manner in which some forms of the present invention are embodied in practice will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0102] As used in this document and unless otherwise noted to the contrary, each of the terms "a", "an" and "a number of" is to be construed to mean "one", "at least one" or "one or more". Unless the context requires otherwise, terms expressed in the singular in this document shall include the plural, and terms expressed in the plural shall include the singular.

[0103] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the terms "comprise", "comprising" and the like shall be construed in a non-exclusive sense, i.e., in the sense of "including, but not limited to". Words using the singular or plural number shall each include words using the plural number and words using the singular number. Further, the words "this document", "above" and "below" and words having similar meanings, when used in this application, mean the entire application and not just a particular part of the application.

[0104] Of course, it should be understood that any of several examples, specific examples or methods described in this document may be combined with one or more other examples, specific examples and / or methods, or some examples, specific examples or methods described in this document may be separated (separated into multiple parts) according to the systems, devices and methods disclosed in this document, and / or may be implemented according to the systems, devices and methods disclosed in this document among multiple devices (devices, whole devices, finished products, etc.) or device portions (partial devices, semi-finished products, etc.) separated from each other.

[0105] Finally, the above discussion is intended to merely exemplarily illustrate the systems described in this document, and the above discussion should not be construed as limiting the appended claims to a specific example or to a group consisting of multiple specific examples. Therefore, although the systems disclosed in this document are described in particular detail with reference to several typical specific examples, it should be further understood that many modifications and other specific examples may be devised by those skilled in the art for the systems disclosed in this document without departing from the intended spirit and scope as described in the subsequent appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings should be considered to be in an exemplary manner and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.

[0106] According to the present invention, the following several aspects can be obtained. (Aspect 1) A computer-implemented method executed by a computer to supply fuel gas to a fuel supply system, wherein a processor is configured to control a plurality of valves in the fuel supply system to permit or restrict the flow of gas so as to execute a plurality of processes. The plurality of processes include: A pre-fill inactivation process for inactivating the fuel supply system before filling, wherein the processor controls the plurality of valves to supply purge gas to the fuel gas supply manifold by a selective fluid connection that selectively fluidly connects a purge gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold of the fuel supply system, and to perform a selective fluid connection that selectively fluidly connects the fuel gas supply manifold to a vent manifold. A leak check process for performing a leak check on the fuel supply system, wherein the processor controls the plurality of valves to supply the fuel gas to the fuel gas supply manifold by a selective fluid connection that selectively fluidly connects a fuel gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold. A pilot subsystem charge process for charging a pilot subsystem in the fuel supply system with the fuel gas, wherein the processor controls the plurality of valves to selectively fluidly connect the fuel gas supply manifold to the pilot subsystem. A fuel supply system fill process for filling the fuel supply system with the fuel gas, wherein the processor controls the plurality of valves to selectively fluidly connect the fuel gas supply manifold to one or more fuel gas storage containers, thereby causing the fuel gas to flow from the fuel gas source through the fuel supply system to the one or more fuel gas storage containers. A post-fill inactivation process for inactivating the fuel supply system after filling, wherein the processor controls the plurality of valves to perform a selective fluid connection that selectively fluidly connects the purge gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold A method comprising the steps of: (Aspect 2) The pre-fill inactivation process includes: monitoring, by a sensor electrically conductive with the processor, a first pressure of the purge gas in the fuel gas supply manifold; issuing an alarm in response to the first pressure of the purge gas dropping below a first threshold; venting the fuel supply system by a selective fluid connection of the fuel gas supply manifold to the vent manifold; monitoring, by the sensor, a second pressure of the purge gas in the fuel gas supply manifold; incrementing, by the processor, a counter in response to the second pressure dropping below a second threshold; A computer-implemented method according to aspect 1, comprising the steps of: (Aspect 3) The leak check process includes: monitoring, at a first time point, by a sensor electrically conductive with the processor, a first pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold; shutting off the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold in response to the first pressure having a temporal rate of change below a threshold; monitoring, by the sensor, a second pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold at a second time point later than the first time point; issuing an alarm in response to the second pressure of the fuel gas dropping below a second threshold; A computer-implemented method according to aspect 1, comprising the steps of: (Aspect 4) Furthermore, The computer-implemented method according to any of the preceding aspects, including venting the fuel supply system by selectively fluidly connecting the fuel gas supply manifold to the vent manifold. (Aspect 5) Furthermore, The computer-implemented method according to any of the preceding aspects, including deactivating the fuel gas supply manifold in response to the second pressure of the fuel gas dropping below a second threshold value. (Aspect 6) The fuel supply system includes a fuel gas storage container, The pilot subsystem, A pilot subsystem shut-off valve in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply source, A shuttle valve that acts to confine the fuel gas within the fuel gas storage container in response to the pressure of the fuel gas within the pilot subsystem, A temperature-pressure relief device that acts to vent the pressure of the fuel gas within the pilot subsystem in response to detection of a temperature rise of the fuel gas within the fuel gas storage container Including, The shuttle valve is configured to vent the fuel gas from the fuel gas storage container in response to the venting of the pressure of the fuel gas within the pilot subsystem that is performed using the temperature-pressure relief device, The pilot subsystem charging process, The step of opening the pilot subsystem shut-off valve by the processor, Monitoring the first pressure of the fuel gas within the pilot subsystem by a sensor electrically conductive with the processor, In response to the first pressure having a time rate of change below a threshold value, the step of closing the pilot subsystem shut-off valve by the processor The computer-implemented method according to embodiment 1 including (Embodiment 7) The computer-implemented method according to any one of embodiments 1-3 or 6, wherein the pilot subsystem further has a pilot gas throttle in fluid communication with the pilot subsystem shut-off valve and capable of acting to throttle the flow of the fuel gas into the pilot subsystem. (Embodiment 8) The fuel supply system includes a fuel gas storage container, The processor controls the plurality of valves to perform a selective fluid connection that selectively fluidly connects the fuel gas storage container to the fuel gas supply manifold, The fuel supply system fill process includes: A fill pressure set point determination step of determining a fill pressure set point by the processor; A step of supplying the fuel gas to the fuel gas storage container via the fuel gas supply manifold by the selective fluid connection of the fuel gas supply source to the fuel gas supply manifold; A step of monitoring the temperature of the fuel gas storage container by a temperature sensor electrically connected to the processor; A step of issuing an alarm in response to the monitoring of the temperature; A step of monitoring the pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas storage container by a pressure sensor electrically connected to the processor; A step of shutting off the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold by the processor in response to the pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas storage container reaching the fill pressure set point; The computer-implemented method according to embodiment 1 including (Embodiment 9) The fuel pressure set point determination step is performed based on the initial pressure or initial temperature of the fuel gas in the fuel gas storage container, respectively, measured by the pressure sensor or the temperature sensor, according to any one of modes 1-3, 6 or 8 of the computer-implemented method described. (Mode 10) The fuel pressure set point is determined from the initial pressure and the initial ambient temperature in the fuel gas storage container, according to the computer-implemented method described in mode 9. (Mode 11) The post-fill inactivation treatment includes the steps of blocking the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold by selectively fluidly connecting the purge gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold; venting the fuel gas supply manifold by selectively fluidly connecting the fuel gas supply manifold to the vent manifold; monitoring the first pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold by a sensor in electrical communication with the processor; in response to the first pressure of the fuel gas dropping below a first pressure threshold, supplying the purge gas to the fuel gas supply manifold; monitoring the first pressure of the purge gas in the fuel gas supply manifold by the sensor; in response to the first pressure of the purge gas having a time rate of change below a rate of change threshold, venting the fuel gas supply manifold by selectively fluidly connecting the fuel gas supply manifold to the vent manifold; monitoring a second pressure of the purge gas in the fuel gas supply manifold by the sensor; in response to the second pressure dropping below a second pressure threshold, incrementing a counter by the processor and is included in the computer-implemented method described in mode 1. (Mode 12) The fuel gas supply manifold includes a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone, wherein the first pressure zone has a height of a first zone pressure that is higher than or equal to the second zone pressure of the second pressure zone, and one of the first zone pressure or the second zone pressure includes the pressure of the fuel gas in the first pressure zone or the second pressure zone, respectively (such as one of the first zone pressure or the second zone pressure includes the pressure of the fuel gas in the first pressure zone or the second pressure zone, respectively; the first zone pressure and the second zone pressure each include the pressure of the fuel gas in the first pressure zone and the second pressure zone), the computer-implemented method according to aspect 3. (Aspect 13) The sensor includes a first sensor in fluid communication with the first pressure zone, and a second sensor in fluid communication with the second pressure zone and, wherein the leak check process includes monitoring one of the first or second pressures by the first sensor, and monitoring one of the first or second pressures by the second sensor and, the computer-implemented method according to aspect 10. (Aspect 14) The sensor includes a first sensor in fluid communication with the first pressure zone, and a second sensor in fluid communication with the second pressure zone and, wherein the leak check process includes flowing the fuel gas into the first pressure zone, and flowing the fuel gas into the second pressure zone, The step of stopping the flow of the fuel gas to a certain part of the second pressure zone by a fuel gas shut-off valve; The step of monitoring the third pressure of the fuel gas in the said part of the second pressure zone on the downstream side of the fuel gas shut-off valve; The step of issuing an alarm in response to the third pressure of the fuel gas exceeding a third threshold value The computer-implemented method according to aspect 10 including the above. (Aspect 15) The fuel gas supply manifold includes a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone, The first zone pressure of the fuel gas in the first pressure zone is higher than or equal to the second zone pressure of the fuel gas in the second pressure zone, The fuel supply system filling process is, The step of supplying the fuel gas to the first pressure zone at the height of the first zone pressure; The step of reducing the pressure of the fuel gas in the first pressure zone from the first zone pressure to the second zone pressure; The step of supplying the fuel gas to the second pressure zone at the height of the second zone pressure; The step of supplying the fuel gas to the fuel gas storage container via the second pressure zone and at the height of the second zone pressure The computer-implemented method according to any one of aspects 1-3, 6 or 8 including the above. (Aspect 16) The fuel gas supply manifold includes a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone, The first zone pressure of the fuel gas in the first pressure zone is higher than or equal to the second zone pressure of the fuel gas in the second pressure zone, The selective fluid connection of the fuel gas supply manifold to the vent manifold includes the selective fluid connection of the first pressure zone to the vent manifold and the selective fluid connection of the second pressure zone to the vent manifold, The post-fill inactivation process is the computer-implemented method according to aspect 9, including the step of venting each of the first and second pressure zones to the vent manifold by selective fluid connection of each of the first and second pressure zones to the vent manifold. (Aspect 17) The fuel gas is hydrogen in the computer-implemented method according to any one of aspects 1-3, 6, 8, or 11. (Aspect 18) The fuel supply system includes a fuel gas storage container in the computer-implemented method according to any one of aspects 1-3, 6, 8, or 11. (Aspect 19) The fuel gas storage container is any one of type I, type II, type III, type IV, or metal hydride containers in the computer-implemented method according to aspect 5. (Aspect 20) The fuel supply system is associated with a transportation vehicle in the computer-implemented method according to any one of aspects 1-3, 6, 8, or 11. (Aspect 21) The transportation vehicle includes a fuel cell system capable of acting to convert the fuel gas into electrical energy in the computer-implemented method according to aspect 18. (Aspect 22) The fuel cell system supplies power to a propulsion system of the transportation vehicle in the computer-implemented method according to aspect 19. (Aspect 23) The fuel gas is supplied to the boat by a fuel gas source in the computer-implemented method according to aspect 18. (Aspect 24) The fuel gas source includes a high-pressure container capable of acting to be selectively connected to the fuel supply system by a fuel gas supply conduit in the computer-implemented method according to aspect 21. (Aspect 25) The fuel gas supply conduit includes a flexible hose, a computer-implemented method according to aspect 22. (Aspect 26) Furthermore, it includes a purification process for purifying the fuel supply system, The purification process is monitoring the first pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold by a sensor electrically connected to the processor; responding to the first pressure of the fuel gas dropping below a first threshold value and issuing an alarm; venting the fuel supply system by selectively fluidly connecting the fuel gas supply manifold to the vent manifold; monitoring, by the sensor, a second pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold; responding to the second pressure dropping below a second threshold value and incrementing a counter by the processor and a computer-implemented method according to any of aspects 1-3, 6, 8 or 11.

[0107] (Aspect 101) portable fuel gas system comprising a portable enclosure, a processor, a touch screen electrically connected to the processor, a fuel gas supply manifold, a gas flow restrictor in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold, the fuel gas supply manifold having a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone separated from each other by the gas flow restrictor, a fuel gas shut-off valve within the first pressure zone, electrically connected to the processor and operable to control the flow of fuel gas within the fuel gas supply manifold, a vent valve in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and electrically connected to the processor, a pressure transmitter in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and electrically connected to the processor wherein the fuel gas supply manifold, the gas flow restrictor, the vent valve, the pressure transmitter and the fuel gas shut-off valve are disposed within the portable enclosure, the processor is configured to receive user input from the touch screen and perform a purification process on the fuel gas supply manifold, the purification process comprising supplying a first portion of the fuel gas from a fuel gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the fuel gas shut-off valve, subsequent to supplying the first portion of the fuel gas, monitoring at least one of a first elapsed time since opening of the fuel gas shut-off valve and the pressure within the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter, closing the fuel gas shut-off valve based on at least one of the first elapsed time and the pressure reaching a first threshold, subsequent to closing the fuel gas shut-off valve, monitoring a second elapsed time since closing of the fuel gas shut-off valve Based on the second elapsed time reaching a second threshold value, by opening the vent valve, venting at least a part of the first portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold; Subsequent to opening the vent valve, monitoring at least one of the third elapsed time since the opening of the vent valve and monitoring the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; Based on at least one of the third elapsed time and the pressure reaching a third threshold value, closing the vent valve; including; The processor is further configured to perform a leak check on the fuel gas supply manifold, The leak check includes: By opening the fuel gas shut-off valve, supplying a second portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply source to the fuel gas supply manifold; Subsequent to supplying the second portion of the fuel gas, monitoring at least one of the fourth elapsed time since the opening of the fuel gas shut-off valve and monitoring the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; Based on at least one of the fourth elapsed time and the pressure reaching a fourth threshold value, closing the fuel gas shut-off valve; Monitoring the change in the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; Based on the change in the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold, either issuing an alarm via the touch screen or supplying a third portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the fuel gas storage container; A portable fuel gas system including. (Aspect 102) A portable fuel gas system according to Aspect 101, wherein the fuel gas is a portable fuel gas system containing hydrogen. (Aspect 103) A portable fuel gas system according to Aspect 101, wherein the vent valve includes a first fuel gas vent valve configured to be in fluid communication with the first pressure zone and selectively vent the fuel gas from the first pressure zone. (Aspect 104) A portable fuel gas system according to aspect 103, wherein the vent valve includes a second fuel gas vent valve that is in fluid communication with the second pressure zone and is configured to selectively vent the fuel gas from the second pressure zone. (Aspect 105) A portable fuel gas system according to aspect 101, wherein the gas flow restrictor includes an isentropic throttle. (Aspect 106) A portable fuel gas system according to aspect 101, wherein the second pressure zone is in fluid communication with the fuel gas storage container and is operable to supply the third portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the fuel gas storage container. (Aspect 107) A portable fuel gas system according to aspect 101, wherein the second pressure zone is in fluid communication with the pilot system and is operable to supply a part of the third portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the pilot system. (Aspect 108) A computer-implemented method executed by a computer to supply fuel gas to a fuel gas storage container using a portable fuel gas system, wherein the portable fuel gas system includes a portable enclosure, a processor, a touch screen electrically connected to the processor, a fuel gas supply manifold, a gas flow restrictor in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold, the fuel gas supply manifold having a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone separated from each other by the gas flow restrictor, a fuel gas shut-off valve in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and operable to control the flow of fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold, a vent valve in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and electrically connected to the processor, a pressure transmitter in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and electrically connected to the processor. A non-volatile computer-readable recording medium and comprising, the fuel gas supply manifold, the gas flow restrictor, the vent valve, the pressure transmitter, and the fuel gas shut-off valve are disposed within the portable enclosure, the computer-readable recording medium includes one or more instructions, and when the one or more instructions are executed by the processor, the processor performs a purification process on the fuel gas supply manifold, the purification process includes, a step of supplying a first portion of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply source to the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the fuel gas shut-off valve, subsequent to supplying the first portion of the fuel gas, at least one of monitoring a first elapsed time from the opening of the fuel gas shut-off valve and monitoring the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter, a step of closing the fuel gas shut-off valve based on at least one of the first elapsed time and the pressure reaching a first threshold value, subsequent to closing the fuel gas shut-off valve, a step of monitoring a second elapsed time from the closing of the fuel gas shut-off valve, a step of venting at least a part of the first portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the vent valve based on the second elapsed time reaching a second threshold value, subsequent to opening the vent valve, at least one of monitoring a third elapsed time from the opening of the vent valve and monitoring the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter, a step of closing the vent valve based on at least one of the third elapsed time and the pressure reaching a third threshold value, and including, the processor is further configured to perform a leak check on the fuel gas supply manifold, the leak check includes, a step of supplying a second portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply source to the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the fuel gas shut-off valve, Subsequent to supplying the second portion of the fuel gas, performing at least one of monitoring a fourth elapsed time from the opening of the fuel gas shut-off valve and monitoring the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; Closing the fuel gas shut-off valve based on at least one of the fourth elapsed time and the pressure reaching a fourth threshold; Monitoring a change in the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; Based on the change in the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold, either issuing an alarm via the touch screen or supplying a third portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the fuel gas storage container A computer-implemented method including. (Aspect 109) A computer-implemented method according to aspect 108, The vent valve includes a first fuel gas vent valve configured to be in fluid communication with the first pressure zone and selectively vent the fuel gas from the first pressure zone. (Aspect 110) A computer-implemented method according to aspect 109, The vent valve includes a second fuel gas vent valve configured to be in fluid communication with the second pressure zone and selectively vent the fuel gas from the second pressure zone. (Aspect 111) A computer-implemented method according to aspect 108, The gas flow restrictor includes an isenthalpic throttle. (Aspect 112) A computer-implemented method according to aspect 108, The second pressure zone is in fluid communication with the fuel gas storage container and is operable to supply the third portion of the fuel gas to the fuel gas storage container. (Aspect 113) A computer-implemented method according to aspect 108, The second pressure zone is a computer-implemented method that is in fluid communication with a pilot system and is operable to supply a portion of the third part of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the pilot system. (Aspect 114) A portable hydrogen gas delivery system, including a portable enclosure, wherein the portable enclosure comprises a processor, a touch screen electrically connected to the processor, a fuel gas supply manifold configured to receive the hydrogen gas, a gas flow restrictor in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold, the fuel gas supply manifold having a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone separated from each other by the gas flow restrictor, a fuel gas shut-off valve within the first pressure zone, electrically connected to the processor and operable to control the flow of the hydrogen gas within the fuel gas supply manifold, a vent valve in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and electrically connected to the processor, and a pressure transmitter in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and electrically connected to the processor and includes, wherein the fuel gas supply manifold, the gas flow restrictor, the vent valve, the pressure transmitter, and the fuel gas shut-off valve are disposed within the portable enclosure, the processor is configured to perform a purification process on the fuel gas supply manifold, the purification process includes supplying a first portion of the hydrogen gas from a fuel gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the fuel gas shut-off valve, subsequent to supplying the first portion of the hydrogen gas, performing at least one of monitoring a first elapsed time from the opening of the fuel gas shut-off valve and monitoring the pressure within the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter, and closing the fuel gas shut-off valve based on at least one of the first elapsed time and the pressure reaching a first threshold. Subsequent to closing the fuel gas shut-off valve, a step of monitoring a second elapsed time from the closing of the fuel gas shut-off valve; Based on the second elapsed time reaching a second threshold value, a step of venting at least a part of the first portion of the hydrogen gas by opening the vent valve; Subsequent to opening the vent valve, a step of performing at least one of monitoring a third elapsed time from the opening of the vent valve and monitoring the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; Based on at least one of the third elapsed time and the pressure reaching a third threshold value, a step of closing the vent valve comprising; The processor is further configured to perform a leak check on the fuel gas supply manifold, The leak check is A step of supplying a second portion of the hydrogen gas from the fuel gas source to the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the fuel gas shut-off valve; Subsequent to supplying the second portion of the hydrogen gas, a step of performing at least one of monitoring a fourth elapsed time from the opening of the fuel gas shut-off valve and monitoring the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; Based on at least one of the fourth elapsed time and the pressure reaching a fourth threshold value, a step of closing the fuel gas shut-off valve; A step of monitoring a change in the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; Based on the change in the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold, a step of issuing an alarm via the touch screen or a step of supplying a third portion of the hydrogen gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the fuel gas storage container A portable hydrogen gas delivery system comprising. (Aspect 115) A portable fuel gas system according to Aspect 101, further comprising A mobile user device in a state of performing wireless communication with the processor The portable fuel gas system, wherein the user input includes a first user input received from the touch screen or a second user input received from the mobile user device via the wireless communication. (Aspect 116) The portable fuel gas system according to aspect 101, further comprising a vent mast in fluid communication with the vent valve. (Aspect 117) The portable fuel gas system according to aspect 101, further comprising a battery electrically connected to the processor and one or more of the touch screen, the fuel gas shut-off valve, the vent valve, or the pressure transmitter. (Aspect 118) A program executed by a computer to implement the computer-implemented method according to aspect 108. (Aspect 119) A recording medium having the program according to aspect 118 recorded thereon in a computer-readable manner.

Claims

1. 1. A portable fuel gas system comprising: A portable enclosure; A processor; a fuel gas supply manifold; a gas flow restrictor in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold, the fuel gas supply manifold having a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone separated from each other by the gas flow restrictor; a fuel gas shutoff valve in electrical communication with the processor and operable to control the flow of fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold; a vent valve in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and in electrical communication with the processor; a pressure transmitter in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and in electrical communication with the processor; Including, the fuel gas supply manifold, the gas flow restrictor, the vent valve, the pressure transmitter and the fuel gas shutoff valve are disposed within the portable enclosure; the processor is configured to receive user input and perform a purification process on the fuel gas supply manifold; The high purification process is supplying a first portion of fuel gas from a fuel gas supply to the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the fuel gas shutoff valve; at least one of monitoring a first elapsed time since the fuel gas shutoff valve was opened and monitoring pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; closing the fuel gas shutoff valve based on at least one of the first elapsed time and the pressure reaching a first threshold value; monitoring a second elapsed time from closing of the fuel gas shutoff valve; venting at least a portion of the first portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the vent valve based on the second elapsed time reaching a second threshold; at least one of monitoring a third elapsed time from opening of the vent valve and monitoring pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; closing the vent valve based on at least one of the third elapsed time and the pressure reaching a third threshold value. A portable fuel gas system including:

2. 1. A portable fuel gas system comprising: A portable enclosure; A processor; a fuel gas supply manifold; a gas flow restrictor in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold, the fuel gas supply manifold having a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone separated from each other by the gas flow restrictor; a fuel gas shutoff valve in electrical communication with the processor and operable to control the flow of fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold; a vent valve in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and in electrical communication with the processor; a pressure transmitter in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and in electrical communication with the processor; Including, the fuel gas supply manifold, the gas flow restrictor, the vent valve, the pressure transmitter and the fuel gas shutoff valve are disposed within the portable enclosure; the processor is configured to receive user input and perform a leak check on the fuel gas supply manifold; The leak check is supplying a first portion of fuel gas from a fuel gas supply to the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the fuel gas shutoff valve; at least one of monitoring an elapsed time since the fuel gas shutoff valve was opened and monitoring a pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; closing the fuel gas shutoff valve based on at least one of the elapsed time and the pressure reaching a threshold value; monitoring the change in pressure within the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; issuing an alarm or supplying a second portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to a fuel gas storage vessel based on the change in the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold; A portable fuel gas system including:

3. 2. The portable fuel gas system of claim 1, A portable fuel gas system, wherein the fuel gas comprises hydrogen.

4. 2. The portable fuel gas system of claim 1, The portable fuel gas system, wherein the vent valve includes a first fuel gas vent valve in fluid communication with the first pressure zone and configured to selectively vent the fuel gas from the first pressure zone.

5. 5. The portable fuel gas system of claim 4, comprising: The vent valve includes a second fuel gas vent valve in fluid communication with the second pressure zone and configured to selectively vent the fuel gas from the second pressure zone.

6. 2. The portable fuel gas system of claim 1, The portable fuel gas system, wherein the gas flow restrictor comprises an isenthalpic throttle.

7. 3. The portable fuel gas system of claim 2, comprising: A portable fuel gas system, wherein the second pressure zone is in fluid communication with the fuel gas storage vessel and is operable to supply the second portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the fuel gas storage vessel.

8. 3. The portable fuel gas system of claim 2, comprising: A portable fuel gas system, wherein the second pressure zone is in fluid communication with a pilot system and is operable to supply a portion of the second portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the pilot system.

9. 10. The portable fuel gas system of claim 1, further comprising: a mobile user device in wireless communication with the processor; The user input includes a first user input received from the mobile user device via the wireless communication.

10. 10. The portable fuel gas system of claim 1, further comprising: A portable fuel gas system including a vent mast in fluid communication with the vent valve.

11. 10. The portable fuel gas system of claim 1, further comprising: A portable fuel gas system including a battery in electrical communication with said processor, said fuel gas shutoff valve, said vent valve, or said pressure transmitter.

12. 2. The portable fuel gas system of claim 1, the processor is configured to supply the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold to a fuel gas storage vessel by opening the fuel gas shutoff valve; The portable fuel gas system, wherein the processor is further configured to stop the supply of the fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold to the fuel gas storage vessel by closing the fuel gas shutoff valve.

13. 13. The portable fuel gas system of claim 12, comprising: The portable fuel gas system, wherein the processor is configured to stop supplying the fuel gas to the fuel gas storage vessel based on a value derived from an initial pressure in the fuel gas storage vessel and an initial ambient temperature.

14. 14. The portable fuel gas system of claim 13, comprising: A portable fuel gas system, wherein the value is determined based on the sum of a first constant, a product of a second constant and the initial ambient temperature, a product of a third constant and the initial pressure in the fuel gas storage vessel, and a product of a fourth constant, the initial ambient temperature and the initial pressure in the fuel gas storage vessel.

15. 1. A computer-implemented method executed by a computer for supplying fuel gas to a fuel gas storage vessel using a portable fuel gas system, comprising: The portable fuel gas system comprises: A portable enclosure; A processor; a fuel gas supply manifold; a gas flow restrictor in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold, the fuel gas supply manifold having a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone separated from each other by the gas flow restrictor; a fuel gas shutoff valve in electrical communication with the processor and operable to control the flow of fuel gas in the fuel gas supply manifold; a vent valve in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and in electrical communication with the processor; a pressure transmitter in fluid communication with the fuel gas supply manifold and in electrical communication with the processor, the fuel gas supply manifold, the gas flow restrictor, the vent valve, the pressure transmitter and the fuel gas shutoff valve being disposed within the portable enclosure; A non-volatile computer-readable recording medium; Including, The computer-readable medium includes one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a purification process on the fuel gas supply manifold; The high purification process is supplying a first portion of fuel gas from a fuel gas supply to the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the fuel gas shutoff valve; at least one of monitoring a first elapsed time since the fuel gas shutoff valve was opened and monitoring pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; closing the fuel gas shutoff valve based on at least one of the first elapsed time and the pressure reaching a first threshold value; monitoring a second elapsed time from closing of the fuel gas shutoff valve; venting at least a portion of the first portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold by opening the vent valve based on the second elapsed time reaching a second threshold; at least one of monitoring a third elapsed time from opening the vent valve and monitoring the pressure in the fuel gas supply manifold via the pressure transmitter; A computer-implemented method comprising:

16. 16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, comprising: The computer-implemented method, wherein the vent valve includes a first fuel gas vent valve in fluid communication with the first pressure zone and configured to selectively vent the fuel gas from the first pressure zone.

17. 17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, comprising: The computer-implemented method, wherein the vent valve includes a second fuel gas vent valve in fluid communication with the second pressure zone and configured to selectively vent the fuel gas from the second pressure zone.

18. 16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, comprising: A computer-implemented method, wherein the gas flow restrictor comprises an isenthalpic throttle.

19. 16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, comprising: A computer-implemented method, comprising: a second pressure zone in fluid communication with the fuel gas storage vessel and operable to supply the first portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the fuel gas storage vessel.

20. 16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, comprising: A computer-implemented method, wherein the second pressure zone is in fluid communication with a pilot system and is operable to supply a portion of the first portion of the fuel gas from the fuel gas supply manifold to the pilot system.

21. 16. A program executed by a computer to perform the computer-implemented method of claim 15.

22. A recording medium on which the program according to claim 21 is recorded so as to be readable by a computer.

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