Device and method for filling a pressurized gas tank

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for filling a pressurized gas tank, comprising a distributor (2) intended to supply a tank (3) with pressurized gas from a fluid source (4), and a refrigeration system (IA) for cooling the gas flow from the distributor (2), the refrigeration system (IA) comprising a circuit (5) for a coolant, for example brine, comprising the following elements arranged in series in the stated order: a coolant reservoir (6) comprising an upper part (61) adapted to accommodate a hot mass of coolant and a lower part (62) adapted to accommodate a cold mass of coolant, at least one first heat exchanger (7) having an inlet connected by a first duct (51) to an outlet of the lower part (62) of the reservoir (6), the at least one first heat exchanger (7) being adapted to exchange heat between the coolant and a cold source (8), The present invention relates to a device (1) comprising a circuit (5) including a second heat exchanger (9) having an inlet connected to a first heat exchanger (7) by a second duct (52) of the coolant circuit (5) and an outlet connected to an inlet in an upper part (61) of the storage (6) by a third duct (53) of the coolant circuit (5), the second heat exchanger (9) being configured to exchange heat between the coolant and a gas flow from the filling device (1), wherein the circuit (5) includes a first bypass section (10) connecting the second duct (52) to the lower part (62) of the storage (6) to allow the coolant to be transferred either from the at least one first heat exchanger (7) to the lower part (62) of the storage (6) or from the lower part (62) of the storage (6) to the second heat exchanger (9) without passing through the at least one first heat exchanger (7).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and method for filling a pressurized gas tank.

[0002] The invention more particularly relates to a device for filling a pressurized gas tank, comprising a distributor intended to supply the tank with pressurized gas from a fluid source, and a refrigeration system for cooling the gas flow in the distributor, the refrigeration system comprising a circuit of a coolant, for example brine, the coolant circuit comprising the following elements arranged in series in the following order: a coolant reservoir including an upper portion configured to accommodate a hot mass of coolant and a lower portion configured to accommodate a cold mass of coolant; - at least one first heat exchanger having an inlet connected to an outlet at the bottom of the reserve by a first duct, the at least one first heat exchanger being configured to exchange heat between a coolant and a cold source; a second heat exchanger having an inlet connected to the at least one first heat exchanger by a second duct of the coolant circuit and an outlet connected to the inlet at the top of the reserve by a third duct of the coolant circuit, the second heat exchanger being configured to exchange heat between the coolant and the gas flow in the distributor; Including, relating to a device. [Background technology]

[0003] In the above-described charging device, the intermediate position of at least one first heat exchanger between the reserve and the second heat exchanger ensures a lower temperature at the inlet of the second exchanger for a given temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the reserve. Furthermore, this intermediate position of the first heat exchanger makes it possible to increase the coefficient of performance of the refrigeration unit associated with the charging device.

[0004] However, in the above-described devices, the temperature of the coolant at the reserve and at the outlet of the reserve remains difficult to control, and as a result, the temperature of the coolant at the inlet and outlet of the at least one first heat exchanger also remains difficult to control. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One object of the present invention is to overcome all or some of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] For this purpose, a device according to the first aspect of the invention, which generally corresponds to the general definition given in the preamble above, is essentially characterized in that the coolant circuit comprises a first bypass portion connecting the second duct to the lower part of the reserve in order to allow selective transfer of coolant from the at least one first heat exchanger to the lower part of the reserve or from the lower part of the reserve to the second heat exchanger without passing through the at least one first heat exchanger.

[0007] By providing a first bypass section connecting the second duct to the lower part of the reserve, the device according to this first aspect of the invention allows at least a portion of the coolant flow that has passed through at least one first heat exchanger to be returned to the lower part of the reserve. Returning the coolant to the lower part of the reserve allows for storing cold energy therein and at least partially (re)constituting the cold mass of coolant independently of the cold energy requirements in the distributor. The device according to this first aspect of the invention therefore facilitates and / or enables a separation in the reserve between the cold mass of coolant located at the bottom and the hot mass of coolant located at the top.

[0008] Furthermore, partially returning the coolant from the at least one first heat exchanger to the bottom of the reserve has the effect of restricting the flow of coolant transferred from said at least one first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger. The device according to this first aspect of the invention therefore makes it possible to control (reduce) the cooling power supplied from the at least one first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.

[0009] Furthermore, by providing a first bypass section connecting the second duct to the lower part of the reserve, the device according to this first aspect of the invention makes it possible to supply the second heat exchanger with a cold mass flow coming directly from the lower part of the reserve. This cold mass flow coming directly from the lower part of the reserve and heading to the second heat exchanger can be in addition to or instead of the coolant flow that passes through at least one first heat exchanger and is cooled after heading to the second heat exchanger. In the event that at least one first heat exchanger stops, the cold mass flow coming directly from the lower part of the reserve and heading to the second heat exchanger therefore ensures the continued operation of the filling device.

[0010] It should be noted that due to the two cold mass streams available at the inlet of the second heat exchanger, namely the first stream coming directly from the bottom of the reserve and the second stream passing through at least one first heat exchanger, the device according to this first aspect of the invention offers greater freedom in controlling the temperature of the coolant at said inlet.

[0011] Typically, a device according to the second aspect of the invention, which corresponds to the general definition given in the preamble above, is essentially characterized in that the coolant circuit comprises a fourth duct connecting the upper part of the outlet of the reserve to the inlet of at least one first heat exchanger.

[0012] By providing a fourth duct in addition to the first duct for connecting the at least one first heat exchanger to the reserve, the device according to this second aspect of the invention offers greater freedom to control / adjust the amount of hot and cold mass contained in the reserve.Similarly, the device according to this second aspect of the invention offers greater freedom to control / adjust the temperature of the coolant at the inlet and / or outlet of the at least one first heat exchanger due to the different possible mixing between the hot mass stream leaving the upper part of the reserve and the cold mass stream leaving the lower part of the reserve.

[0013] Furthermore, embodiments of the device according to the first and / or second aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features: - the first duct, the second duct and the third duct of the coolant circuit define a first refrigeration loop of the device; - the fourth duct, the second duct and the third duct of the coolant circuit define a second refrigeration loop of the device; - the first refrigeration loop and the second refrigeration loop are configured to be operated simultaneously or sequentially; - a first bypass section connecting the first duct to the second duct; the reservoir includes at least one perforated transverse plate configured to separate upper and lower portions of the reservoir to limit coolant movement between the upper hot mass and the lower cold mass; the coolant circuit includes a second bypass portion connecting the second duct to the third duct to allow all or part of the coolant at the outlet of the at least one first heat exchanger to return to the reserve without passing through the second heat exchanger; - the coolant circuit includes a third bypass portion connecting the third duct to the second duct to allow all or part of the coolant at the outlet of the second heat exchanger to return to said second heat exchanger without passing through the reserve or the at least one first heat exchanger; the coolant circuit comprises at least one element for circulating the coolant in the coolant circuit and / or at least one element for controlling the temperature of the coolant; - the coolant circuit includes at least one set of valves configured to control flow in the circuit, for example one or more three-way valves positioned at junctions between two or more of the ducts and / or bypass portions; The first bypass portion and the second bypass portion are connected to the second duct by a single set of valves, for example three-way valves.

[0014] The present invention also relates to a method for filling a pressurized gas tank by means of a device according to the first aspect above and any one of the above and below features, wherein the coolant flow is selectively transferred through a first bypass portion from the at least one first heat exchanger to a lower part of the reserve or from a lower part of the reserve to a second heat exchanger without passing through the at least one first heat exchanger.

[0015] According to a possible particular feature, the coolant flow transferred from the lower part of the reserve to the second heat exchanger without passing through the at least one first heat exchanger is in addition to or instead of the coolant flow transferred from the at least one first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.

[0016] According to a possible particular feature, the method comprises a step of circulating a hot mass flow and a cold mass flow of the coolant from the reserve through the first duct and the fourth duct, respectively, to the at least one first heat exchanger in order to adjust the temperature of the coolant at the inlet and / or outlet of the at least one first heat exchanger.

[0017] Finally, the invention relates to a method for filling a pressurized gas tank by means of a device according to the second aspect above and according to any one of the above and below characteristics, comprising the step of circulating a hot mass flow and a cold mass flow of coolant from a reserve through the first duct and the fourth duct, respectively, to at least one first heat exchanger in order to adjust the temperature of the coolant at the inlet and / or at the outlet of the at least one first heat exchanger.

[0018] The invention may also relate to any alternative device or method including any combination of the above or below features within the scope of the claims.

[0019] Further particular features and advantages may become apparent from reading the following description, which is provided with reference to the following figures. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic partial view illustrating one possible example of the structure and operation of a device of the invention according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a schematic partial view illustrating one possible example of the structure and operation of a device of the invention according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The illustrated device 1 for filling pressurized gas tanks is, for example, a station for filling pressurized hydrogen tanks. This device 1 comprises a distributor 2 (e.g., a hose with a nozzle) intended to supply pressurized gas from a fluid source 4 (storage unit and / or compressor and / or other) to a tank 3. The device 1 also comprises a refrigeration system 1A for cooling the gas flow in the distributor 2.

[0022] In particular, the refrigeration system 1A includes a circuit 5 of a coolant, for example brine, which includes a coolant reserve 6, at least one first heat exchanger 7 exchanging heat between the coolant and a cold source 8, and at least one second heat exchanger 9 exchanging heat between the coolant flow and a gas flow in the distributor 2. The reserve 6, the at least one first heat exchanger 7, and the at least one second heat exchanger 9 are positioned in series in a closed loop and determine, in this order, the direction of circulation of the coolant inside the loop.

[0023] The reservoir 6 includes an upper portion 61 configured to accommodate a relatively hot mass of coolant and a lower portion 62 configured to accommodate a relatively cold mass of coolant, the hot mass having a higher average temperature than the cold mass.

[0024] The upper and lower portions 61, 62 of the reserve 6 each have at least one opening that allows coolant to flow through the reserve 6. In the example shown, the upper portion 61 has separate inlets and outlets for the flow of the hot mass of coolant through the reserve 6. The lower portion 62 has an inlet and outlet formed by a single opening for the flow of the cold mass of coolant through the reserve 6.

[0025] Additionally, the reservoir 6 may include at least one perforated transverse plate within its volume configured to separate the upper and lower portions 61, 62 of the reservoir 6 to limit the movement of coolant between the hot mass located in the upper portion 61 and the cold mass located in the lower portion 62. Such a plate promotes temperature stratification of the coolant in the reservoir 6.

[0026] In the example shown, the reserve 6 comprises two perforated plates defining between them an intermediate portion 63 located between an upper portion 61 and a lower portion 62. The coolant located in the intermediate portion 63 has an average temperature between the temperatures of the cold mass and the hot mass.

[0027] The at least one first heat exchanger 7 comprises an inlet connected to a lower part 62 of the outlet of the reserve 6 by a first duct 51 of the refrigerant circuit 5. Advantageously, the at least one first heat exchanger 7 is an evaporator.

[0028] Without limitation, the cold source 8 associated with the at least one first heat exchanger 7 may include a circuit for the refrigerant (not shown) including, in a loop, a pump, an evaporator, a refrigerant reserve and then a passage in the at least one first heat exchanger 7. This passage is configured to cool the refrigerant (here brine) circulating in the refrigerant circuit 5.

[0029] The second heat exchanger 9 has an inlet connected to the outlet of the first heat exchanger 7 by a second duct 52 of the coolant circuit 5. Furthermore, the second heat exchanger 9 has an outlet connected to the inlet of the upper part 61 of the reserve 6 by a third duct 53 of the coolant circuit 5.

[0030] It should be noted that the second heat exchanger 9 may comprise a heat-conductive mass that may be pre-cooled by the coolant in order to increase the thermal inertia of the cooling (and to provide cooling even in the absence of simultaneous passage of the coolant, if desired).

[0031] The first duct 51 , the second duct 52 and the third duct 53 form a first refrigeration loop of the coolant circuit 5 .

[0032] According to a first aspect of the invention, the coolant circuit 5 comprises a first bypass portion 10 connecting the second duct 52 to the lower part 62 of the reserve 6. The first bypass portion 10 therefore allows selective transfer of coolant from the first heat exchanger 7 to the lower part 62 of the reserve 6 or from the lower part 62 of the reserve 6 to the second heat exchanger 9 without passing through the first heat exchanger 7.

[0033] By providing a first bypass portion 10 connecting the second duct 52 to the lower part 62 of the reserve 6, the device 1 according to this first aspect of the invention makes it possible to return at least a portion of the coolant flow that has passed through the at least one first heat exchanger 7 to the lower part 62 of the reserve 6.

[0034] Returning the coolant to the lower part 62 of the reserve 6 allows storing cold energy therein and at least partially (re)constituting the cold mass of coolant independently of the cold energy requirements in the distributor 2. The upper part 61 of the reserve 6 is only slightly affected by this return of coolant.

[0035] The device 1 according to this first aspect of the invention therefore makes it possible to promote and / or maintain a separation in the reserve 6 between a cold mass of coolant located in the lower part 62 and a hot mass of coolant located in the upper part 61.

[0036] Furthermore, returning the coolant to the lower part 62 of the reserve 6 has the effect of restricting the flow of coolant transferred from the first heat exchanger 7 to the second heat exchanger 9. The device 1 according to this first aspect of the invention therefore makes it possible to control (reduce) the cooling power supplied from the first heat exchanger 7 to the second heat exchanger 9 without losing cold energy.

[0037] Furthermore, by providing a first bypass section 10 connecting the second duct 52 to the lower part 62 of the reserve 6, the device 1 according to this first aspect of the invention makes it possible to supply the second heat exchanger 9 with a cold mass flow coming directly from the lower part 62 of the reserve 6. This cold mass flow coming directly from the lower part 62 of the reserve 6 and heading to the second heat exchanger 9 can be in addition to or instead of the flow of coolant that passes through the first heat exchanger 7 and is cooled after heading to the second heat exchanger 9. In the event that the first heat exchanger 7 stops, the cold mass flow coming directly from the lower part 62 of the reserve 6 and heading to the second heat exchanger 9 therefore ensures the continued operation of the filling device 1.

[0038] It should be noted that if two cold mass streams are available at the inlet of the second heat exchanger 9, a first stream coming directly from the lower part 62 of the reserve 6 and a second stream passing through the first heat exchanger 7, the device 1 according to this first aspect of the invention offers more freedom in controlling the temperature of the coolant at said inlet, since the two cold mass streams can be at different temperatures and by mixing them in a carefully selected proportion it becomes possible to obtain an intermediate temperature at the inlet of the second heat exchanger 9.

[0039] Advantageously, the first bypass section 10 connects the first duct 51 to the second duct 52. This configuration makes it possible to divide the cold mass flow at the lower part 62 of the outlet of the reserve 6 between these two ducts 51, 52.

[0040] According to a second aspect of the invention, either in combination with the first aspect described above or alone, the refrigeration circuit 5 comprises a fourth duct 54 connecting the outlet of the upper part 61 of the reserve 6 to the inlet of the first heat exchanger 7. According to this second aspect of the invention, the coolant circuit 5 therefore comprises two ducts 51, 54 connecting the inlet of the first heat exchanger 7 to the outlet of the lower part 62 of the reserve 6 and to the outlet of the upper part 61 of the reserve 6, respectively.

[0041] By providing a fourth duct 54 to the first duct 51 for connecting the first heat exchanger 7 to the reserve 6, the device 1 according to this second aspect of the invention offers greater freedom for controlling / adjusting the amount of hot and cold mass contained in the reserve 6. Likewise, the device 1 according to this second aspect of the invention offers greater freedom for controlling / adjusting the temperature of the coolant at the inlet and / or outlet of the first heat exchanger 7 due to the different possible mixing between the hot mass flow leaving the upper part 61 of the reserve 6 and the cold mass flow leaving the lower part 62 of the reserve 6.

[0042] Advantageously, the fourth duct 54 is connected to the first duct 51. The two ducts 51, 54 have a common segment 55 connected to the inlet of the first heat exchanger 7. Mixing of the cold mass flow passing through the first duct 51 and the hot mass flow passing through the fourth duct 54 occurs in the common segment 55.

[0043] The fourth duct 54 forms a second refrigeration loop together with the second duct 52 and the third duct 53. The coolant circuit 5 according to this second aspect of the invention therefore comprises two refrigeration loops interacting with each other.

[0044] It should be noted that the above refrigeration loops may be selectively operated, each of which may therefore be associated with a first bypass duct 10 to form a filling device according to the meaning of the first aspect of the invention.

[0045] Advantageously, the coolant circuit 5 may include a second bypass portion 11 connecting the second duct 52 to the third duct 53. This second bypass portion 11 is configured to allow all or part of the coolant at the outlet of the first heat exchanger 7 to return to the reserve 6 without passing through the second heat exchanger 9, in particular in the event of its failure. More specifically, the coolant returns to the upper portion 61 of the reserve 6 and forms a hot mass. This returning coolant does not reach the lower portion 62 of the reserve 6, thus making it possible to maintain a separation between the hot and cold masses therein.

[0046] Advantageously, the coolant circuit 5 may include a third bypass portion 12 connecting the third duct 53 to the second duct 52. This third bypass portion 12 is configured to allow all or part of the coolant at the outlet of the second heat exchanger 9 to return to said second heat exchanger 9 without passing through the reserve 6 or the first heat exchanger 7.

[0047] Advantageously, the coolant circuit 5 preferably comprises at least one member 13, 14 for circulating the coolant in the coolant circuit 5 and / or at least one member 15, 16 for controlling the temperature of the coolant. The at least one member 13, 14 for circulating the coolant in the circuit 5 may, for example, be a pump. In the example shown, the first circulation member 13 and the first temperature control member 15 are positioned in a segment 55 common to the ducts 51, 54.

[0048] Advantageously, the coolant circuit 5 preferably includes at least one set of valves 17, 18, 19 configured to control the flow in the circuit 5. The at least one set of valves 17, 18, 19 may for example consist of one or more three-way valves positioned at the junction between two or more of the ducts 51, 52, 53, 54 and / or the bypass portions 10, 11, 12.

[0049] In the example shown, a first set of valves 17, e.g., three-way valves, connect the first duct 51, the fourth duct 54 and their common segment 55. A second set of valves 18, e.g., three-way valves, connect the first bypass portion 10 and the second bypass portion 11 to the second duct 52.

[0050] In one embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the device 1 may include a plurality of distributors (here two distributors 2a, 2b) intended to simultaneously or otherwise supply separate tanks 3a, 3b. To this end, the device 1 includes a plurality of second heat exchangers (here two heat exchangers 9a, 9b) associated with the distributors 2a, 2b, respectively. The second heat exchangers are positioned in parallel in the circuit 5. In the example shown, the device 1 may also include a plurality of first heat exchangers 7a, 7b positioned in parallel in the circuit 5.

[0051] To incorporate different first heat exchangers 7a, 7b into the circuit 5, the common segment 55 has a first set of parallel branches that pass through the different first heat exchangers 7a, 7b, respectively.

[0052] Furthermore, in order to incorporate a different second heat exchanger 9a, 9b into the circuit 5, the second duct 52 has a second set of parallel branches (here two branches) connecting the inlets of the second heat exchangers 9a, 9b to the outlets of the set formed by the first heat exchangers 7a, 7b, respectively. Similarly, the third duct 53 has a third set of parallel branches (here two branches) connecting the outlets of the second heat exchangers 9a, 9b to the inlet of the reserve 6, respectively.

[0053] In other words, in this second embodiment, the second duct 52 and the third duct 53 together form a series of pairs of parallel branches passing through the second heat exchangers 9a, 9b, respectively, each pair of this series comprising a branch belonging to the second duct 52 and a branch belonging to the third duct 53.

[0054] The device 1 may include a bypass section 12a, 12b between the branch of the second duct 52 passing through a given second exchanger 9a, 9b and the branch of the third duct 53. This bypass section 12a, 12b is configured to allow all or part of the refrigerant at the outlet of the given second exchanger 9 to return to said second exchanger without passing through the reserve 6 or the pair formed by the first heat exchangers 7a, 7b. Alternatively, this bypass section 12a, 12b may be configured to allow all or part of the refrigerant at the outlet of the pair formed by the first heat exchangers 7a, 7b to return to the reserve 6 without passing through the given second exchanger 9.

[0055] As in the first embodiment, here too the circuit 5 comprises a set of members 14a, 14b for circulating the fluid and a set of valves 19a, 19b configured to control the flow in the circuit 5. In particular, one or more splitter valves (not shown) may be provided to control the flow of coolant towards the different second heat exchangers 9a, 9b.

Claims

1. A device (1) for filling pressurized gas tanks, comprising a distributor (2) intended to supply a tank (3) with pressurized gas from a fluid source (4), and a refrigeration system (1A) for cooling the gas flow in said distributor (2), said refrigeration system (1A) comprising a circuit (5) of a coolant, for example brine, said circuit (5) comprising the following elements arranged in series in this order: a coolant reservoir (6) comprising an upper part (61) adapted to accommodate a hot mass of said coolant and a lower part (62) adapted to accommodate a cold mass of said coolant; at least one first heat exchanger (7) having an inlet connected by a first duct (51) to an outlet in the lower part (62) of the reservoir (6), the at least one first heat exchanger (7) being configured to exchange heat between the coolant and a cold source (8); a second heat exchanger (9) having an inlet connected to the first heat exchanger (7) by a second duct (52) of the coolant circuit (5) and an outlet connected to an inlet of the upper part (61) of the reserve (6) by a third duct (53) of the coolant circuit (5), the second heat exchanger (9) being adapted to exchange heat between the coolant and the gas flow in the distributor (2); wherein the circuit (5) comprises a first bypass portion (10) connecting the second duct (52) to the lower portion (62) of the reserve (6) to allow selective transfer of refrigerant from the at least one first heat exchanger (7) to the lower portion (62) of the reserve (6) or from the lower portion (62) of the reserve (6) to the second heat exchanger (9) without passing through the at least one first heat exchanger (7).

2. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inlet of the at least one first heat exchanger (7) is also connected to the outlet of the upper part (61) of the reserve (6) by a fourth duct (54) of the coolant circuit (5).

3. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first duct (51), the second duct (52) and the third duct (53) of the coolant circuit (5) define a first refrigeration loop of the device.

4. 4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the fourth duct (54), the second duct (52) and the third duct (53) of the coolant circuit (5) define a second refrigeration loop of the device.

5. 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first refrigeration loop and the second refrigeration loop are configured to operate simultaneously or sequentially.

6. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first bypass section (10) connects the first duct (51) to the second duct (52).

7. 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir (6) comprises at least one perforated transverse plate configured to separate the upper and lower parts (61, 62) of the reservoir (6) in order to limit the movement of coolant between the hot mass located in the upper part (61) and the cold mass located in the lower part (62).

8. 8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the coolant circuit (5) comprises a second bypass section (11) connecting the second duct (52) to the third duct (53) to allow all or part of the coolant at the outlet of the at least one first heat exchanger (7) to return to the reserve (6) without passing through the second heat exchanger (9).

9. 9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the coolant circuit (5) comprises a third bypass section (12) connecting the third duct (53) to the second duct (52) to allow all or part of the coolant at the outlet of the second heat exchanger (9) to return to the second exchanger (9) without passing through the reserve (6) or the at least one first heat exchanger (7).

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the coolant circuit (5) preferably comprises at least one element (13, 14) for circulating the coolant in the coolant circuit (5) and / or at least one element (15, 16) for controlling the temperature of the coolant.

11. 11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the coolant circuit (5) comprises at least one set of valves (17, 18, 19) configured to control the flow in the circuit (5), for example one or more three-way valves positioned at junctions between two or more of the ducts (51, 52, 53, 54) and / or bypass portions (10, 11, 12).

12. 12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the first bypass portion (10) and the second bypass portion (11) are connected to the second duct (52) by a single set of valves (18), for example three-way valves.

13. 13. A method for filling a pressurized gas tank by means of a device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a flow of coolant is selectively transferred through the first bypass portion (10) from the at least one first heat exchanger (7) to the lower part (62) of the reserve (6) or from the lower part (62) of the reserve (6) to the second heat exchanger (9) without passing through the at least one first heat exchanger (7).

14. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the coolant flow transferred from the lower part (62) of the reserve (6) to the second heat exchanger (9) without passing through the at least one first heat exchanger (7) is in addition to or instead of the coolant flow transferred from the at least one first heat exchanger (7) to the second heat exchanger (9).

15. 15. The method according to claim 14, comprising circulating a hot mass flow and a cold mass flow of the coolant from the reserve (6) through the first duct (51) and the fourth duct (54), respectively, to the at least one first heat exchanger (7) to adjust the temperature of the coolant at the inlet and / or the outlet of the at least one first heat exchanger (7).

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