System and method for hydrogen refueling with multimode dispensing

Abstract

A system such as a refueling station capable of multi-mode dispensing is provided. The refueling station is configured to dispense a fuel such as hydrogen to vehicles in different modes, for example, in a form selected from liquid hydrogen, cryo-compressed hydrogen, and compressed hydrogen gases under different nominal pressures such as 35 MPa and 70 MPa. A method of making the same and a method of using are also provided.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HYDROGEN REFUELING WITH MULTIMODEDISPENSINGPRIORITY CLAIM AND CROSS-REFERENCE

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 655,442, filed June 3, 2024, which application is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The disclosure relates to systems and methods for storing, dispensing, and using a liquefied gas generally. More particularly, the disclosed subject matter relates to a system such as a refueling station and a method for dispensing and using liquefied gas such as hydrogen for transportation applications.BACKGROUND

[0003] Many motor vehicles are currently powered by internal combustion engines with fossil fuels. Due to limited supply and adverse environmental effects associated with burning petroleum-derived fuels, vehicles are now being developed that are powered by alternative environmentally friendly fuels like hydrogen. Fuel cells can be used to produce electric power for motor vehicles by electrochemically reacting hydrogen fuel with an oxidant such as air. Other hydrogen-powered vehicles can be powered by combustion of hydrogen. Fueling or refueling hydrogen to fuel cell vehicles (FCV) and other hydrogen- powered vehicles presents different challenges from adding petroleum-based fuels like gasoline into a vehicle.

[0004] Hydrogen refueling stations for fuel cell vehicles can store fuel as a gas or a liquid before it is dispensed to vehicles. Liquefied gases or fuels such as liquid hydrogen (LH2) can be stored in a cryogenic tank, which is thermally insulated from the environment. However, heat leak into a tank causes liquefied gas to vaporize to generate “boil-off’ vapor as the liquid absorbs the heat leak from the environment. Pressure inside the tank increases as the vapor continues to build up in it. Excess vapor must be vented through a relief valve to the environment to keep the tank under the pressure limit, causing loss of some liquefied fuel or gas.

[0005] Tens to hundreds of kilograms of liquid hydrogen are vented during the delivery and refill of a customer storage vessel, also known as a cryotank, by an industrial gas company (IGC) delivery tanker, representing a significant financial loss to the customer and negative impact to the environment. Between the IGC refills or offloading processes as the delivery and refill process is also known in the industry, the liquid hydrogen storage tank would discharge for intended operation such as filling fuel cell electric vehicles and stay idle between discharge operations, all the while collecting heat due to static heat leak or dynamic heat leak from discharge operations. The cryotank pressure could rise and eventually would require venting to stay within safe pressure limits. There is a need to reduce or eliminate such vent losses.

[0006] Different types of hydrogen storage and dispensing exist and have different pressure requirements. A system and a method that have different modes and can be used universally for refueling hydrogen to different vehicles are highly desirable.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present disclosure provides a system and a method for dispensing and using liquefied gas such as hydrogen, for transportation applications. In accordance with some embodiments, a system such as a refueling station capable of multi-mode dispensing is provided. The refueling station is configured to dispense a fuel such as hydrogen to vehicles in different modes, for example, in a form selected from liquid hydrogen, cryo-compressed hydrogen, and compressed hydrogen gases under different pressures such as 35 MPa and 70 MPa. A method of making the same and a method of using are also provided.

[0008] In accordance with some embodiments, a refueling station capable of multimode dispensing comprises a cryotank, a first pump, a first control valve, a second pump, and a second control valve. A cryotank is stationary in some embodiments. The cryotank is configured to store a liquefied fuel therein and having a liquid space and a vapor space. The liquefied fuel comprises a liquid phase in the liquid space and a vapor phase in the vapor space.

[0009] The first pump is configured to be fluidly connected with the liquid space via the first control valve so as to provide a first discharge in a form of the liquid phase of the liquefied fuel for fueling a first vehicle with a liquid onboard storage system though a first nozzle. The second pump is configured to be fluidly connected with the first pump via the second control valve to accept the first discharge from the first pump so as to provide asecond discharge in a cryo-compressed form for fueling a second vehicle with a cryocompressed fuel onboard storage system through a second nozzle.

[0010] The refueling station also comprises at least one gas conditioning device, which may comprise either or both of a vaporizer and a heat exchanger. The gas conditioning device is configured to convert the second discharge from the second pump, or the liquefied fuel from the cryotank to the second pump, into a third discharge in a compressed gas form for fueling at least one vehicle with a compressed gas fuel onboard storage system.

[0011] In some embodiments, the liquefied fuel comprises or is liquid hydrogen.

[0012] The cryo-compressed (cc) fuel onboard storage system is configured to accept ccH2 (cryocompressed hydrogen). The compressed gas fuel onboard storage system is configured to accept either of H35 and H70 compressed hydrogen. The at least one vehicle with a compressed gas fuel onboard storage system comprises a third vehicle with a H35 fuel onboard storage system, and a fourth vehicle with a H70 fuel onboard storage system. The refueling station is configured to convert and dispense the third discharge to the third vehicle through a third nozzle and to the fourth vehicle through a fourth nozzle, the third nozzle and fourth nozzle may be the same nozzle or separate nozzles.

[0013] In some embodiments, the refueling station further comprises one or more pressure relief valves, for example, a first pressure relief valve coupled with the first nozzle, a second pressure relief valve coupled with the second nozzle, a third pressure relief valve coupled with the third nozzle, and a fourth pressure relief valve coupled with the fourth nozzle.

[0014] In some embodiments, the at least one gas conditioning device comprises both the vaporizer and the heat exchanger. The vaporizer may be an ambient vaporizer.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first pump is a low-pressure, high flow reciprocating piston pump. The first pump has a maximum discharge pressure of 25 bar(g), and a flow rate up to 150 gpm (0.568 m3 / min, or 40 kg / min liquid hydrogen nominally).

[0016] In some embodiments, the second pump is a high-pressure, low flow reciprocating piston pump. The second pump has a maximum pressure of 1000 bar(g) and a flow rate up to 10 kg / min, preferably 960 bar(g) and 4 kg / min.

[0017] The first pump may be a single acting or a double acting pump. The second pump may be a single acting or a double acting pump.

[0018] In some embodiments, the refueling station further comprises a controller connected electronically with and configured to individually control the first control valve,the second control valve, and each dispensing route. The electronic connection may be made through wire or wirelessly, and may be controllable through cloud operations.

[0019] In some embodiments, the refueling station further comprises a liquid delivery vessel fluidly connected to the cryotank for product offloading through a first pump via a first control valve or a second control valve to a third control valve to the vapor space in the cryotank, or to a fourth control valve to the liquid space in the cryotank. The cryotank pressure is maintained within a desired range by alternating a vapor space delivery and a liquid space delivery.

[0020] In accordance with some embodiments, a system such as a refueling station capable of multi-mode dispensing comprises a cryotank, a pump, and a control valve. The pump and the control valve are the second pump and the second control valve as described above.

[0021] The cryotank is configured to store a liquefied fuel therein and having a liquid space and a vapor space. The liquefied fuel comprises a liquid phase in the liquid space and a vapor phase in the vapor space.

[0022] The pump is configured to be fluidly connected with the pump via the control valve to so as to provide a discharge in a cryo-compressed form for fueling a first vehicle with a cryo-compressed fuel onboard storage system through a first nozzle.

[0023] The refueling station further comprises at least one gas conditioning device, which comprises either or both of a vaporizer and a heat exchanger, is configured to convert the discharge from the pump into a compressed gas form for fueling at least one vehicle with a compressed gas fuel onboard storage system.

[0024] In some embodiments, the liquefied fuel comprises or is liquid hydrogen. The cryo-compressed form is ccH2. The compressed gas fuel onboard storage system is configured to accept either of H35 and H70 compressed hydrogen. The at least one vehicle with a compressed gas fuel onboard storage system comprises a second vehicle with a H35 fuel onboard storage system and a third vehicle a H70 fuel onboard storage system.

[0025] In some embodiments, the at least one gas conditioning device comprises both the vaporizer and the heat exchanger. The vaporizer is an ambient vaporizer.

[0026] In some embodiments, the pump (i.e., the second pump as described herein) is a high-pressure, low flow reciprocating piston pump. The pump has a maximum pressure of 1,000 bar(g) and a flow rate up to 10 kg / min, preferably 960 bar(g) and 4 kg / min. The pump is a single acting or a double acting pump.

[0027] In some embodiments, the refueling station further comprises a liquid delivery vessel fluidly connected to the cryotank for product offloading through a second pump via a second control valve to a third control valve to the vapor space in the cryotank, or to a fourth control valve to the liquid space in the cryotank. The cryotank pressure is maintained within a desired range by alternating a vapor space delivery and a liquid space delivery.

[0028] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of making the refueling stations (or systems) as described herein. Such a method comprises steps of providing the components as described herein, and assembling the components together to provide a refueling station (or system) as described herein.

[0029] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of the refueling stations (or systems). Such a method comprises determining a type of fuel onboard storage system of a vehicle coming to the station. The type of fuel onboard fuel storage system is selected from at least two different types of fuel onboard storage systems. The method further comprises fueling a type of fuel corresponding to the type of fuel onboard storage system to the vehicle. The method also includes the steps of controlling corresponding control valves by the controller as described herein.

[0030] In some embodiments, the type of fuel onboard storage system is selected from a liquid hydrogen onboard storage system, a cryo-compressed H2 system, a H35 fuel onboard storage system, and a H70 fuel onboard storage system.

[0031] In accordance with some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a hydrogen refueling station capable of dispensing hydrogen as a fuel to support multiple onboard storage systems. By activating appropriate control valves, the refueling station uses minimum equipment to support vehicles with liquid onboard, ccH2, H35 and H70 storage systems. The pump used for liquid onboard fueling can also be used as a booster pump to support high pressure fueling, and as a transfer pump to unload liquid hydrogen delivery tanker truck in a zero-loss transfer operation.

[0032] Other features of the system and the methods as described herein.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawings are not necessarily to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded orreduced for clarity. Like reference numerals denote like features throughout specification and drawings.

[0034] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system, which is in a cryotank refilling mode, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates the exemplary system of FIG. 1 in an operation mode of liquid onboard vehicle fueling in accordance with some embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 3 illustrates the exemplary system of FIG. 1 for fueling hydrogen for cryo-compressed hydrogen (ccEE), H70, and H35, with a booster pump, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0037] FIG. 4 illustrates the exemplary system of FIG. 1 for fueling hydrogen for ccH2, H70, and H35, without a booster pump, in accordance with some embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”, “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

[0039] For purposes of the description hereinafter, it is to be understood that the embodiments described below may assume alternative variations and embodiments. It is also to be understood that the specific articles, compositions, and / or processes described herein are exemplary and should not be considered as limiting.

[0040] In the present disclosure the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. When values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particularvalue forms another embodiment. As used herein, “about X” (where X is a numerical value) preferably refers to ±10% of the recited value, inclusive. For example, the phrase “about 8” preferably refers to a value of 7.2 to 8.8, inclusive. Where present, all ranges are inclusive and combinable. For example, when a range of “1 to 5” is recited, the recited range should be construed as including ranges “1 to 4”, “1 to 3”, “1-2”, “1-2 & 4-5”, “1-3 & 5”, “2-5”, and the like. In addition, when a list of alternatives is positively provided, such listing can be interpreted to mean that any of the alternatives may be excluded, e.g., by a negative limitation in the claims. For example, when a range of “1 to 5” is recited, the recited range may be construed as including situations whereby any of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 are negatively excluded; thus, a recitation of “1 to 5” may be construed as “1 and 3-5, but not 2”, or simply “wherein 2 is not included.” It is intended that any component, element, attribute, or step that is positively recited herein may be explicitly excluded in the claims, whether such components, elements, attributes, or steps are listed as alternatives or whether they are recited in isolation.

[0041] The word “tank” or “cryotank” or “vessel” may be used interchangeably.

[0042] Unless expressly stated otherwise, the components in the exemplary systems as described herein are fluidly connected or coupled with each other. The connections may be turned off by one or more control valves. The components such as the pumps described herein also include a respective inlet and outlet. The components are fluidly connected through pipes.

[0043] Hydrogen storage includes at least four types of storages including cryogenic hydrogen storage (liquid hydrogen storage), subcooled liquid hydrogen (SLH2), cryocompressed hydrogen (CCH2) storage, and compressed hydrogen storage. These might be in a rough order of increasing pressure. The term “cryogenic hydrogen storage” refers to liquid hydrogen being stored at a cryogenic temperature and a low pressure. One of disadvantages of cryogenic hydrogen storage is the inevitable boil-off losses. The term “subcooled liquid hydrogen (SLH2)” refers to liquid hydrogen stored at a higher pressure, for example, in a range of from 1 MPa to 2 MPa (e.g., 1.6 MPa). The term “compressed hydrogen storage” refers to compressed hydrogen gas stored under ambient temperature but at a high pressure, for example, between 300 bar (30 MPa) and 1,000 bar (100 MPa). The term “cryocompressed hydrogen (ccH2) storage” refers to hydrogen being stored at a lower pressure, for example, between 300 bar (30 MPa) and 500 bar (50 MPa), but at low, cryogenic temperatures. The term “cryo-compressed hydrogen (ccH2)” used herein refers to hydrogen stored or dispensed at a pressure equal to or less than 450 bar (45 MPa).

[0044] Hydrogen dispensing described herein includes at least four types including sLH2, CCH2, H35, and H70. The term “H35” means that hydrogen is dispensed in compressed gas at a nominal pressure of 350 bar(g) (35 MPa). The term “H70” means that hydrogen is dispensed in compressed gas at a nominal pressure of 700 bar(g) (70 MPa). Hydrogen may be dispensed at any other pressure coded as “Hn,” where n refers to the pressure in MPa.

[0045] In FIGS. 1-4, like items are indicated by like reference numerals, and for brevity, descriptions of the structure, provided above with reference to preceding figures, are not repeated. The methods described herein are described with reference to the exemplary structure described in FIGS. 1-4.

[0046] Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be used as a fuel for transportation. In transportation, hydrogen can be used to power vehicles with fuel cell drive systems or internal combustion engines that run on hydrogen. Options for storing the fuel on-board include: (1) as a compressed gas at 35 or 70 MPa; (2) as a cryocompressed fluid at certain pressure; or (3) as liquid hydrogen. The storage pressure for such a cryocompressed fluid is between 300 to 500 bar (30-50 MPa), and temperature between 30 to 80 K. In all three cases, the storage and delivery of hydrogen in liquid form at the station can offer advantages in vehicle refueling. For compressed gas, the use of LH2facilitates pressurization and precooling of the gas so as to reduce energy demand of the fueling station equipment, allow for faster refueling, and allow for extended vehicle throughput (back-to-back fueling). For cryocompressed and LH2onboard storage modes, the use of LH2simplifies the refueling equipment, and allows rapid vehicle refueling.

[0047] Hydrogen fuel cell for heavy duty vehicles (HDV) has proven to be a superior choice over battery electrical propulsion because of its faster fueling time, longer singlefueling range, and lower weight (heavier payload capability). The range of the heavy-duty vehicle depends on how the hydrogen fuel is stored onboard. In North America, HDVs use either 350 bar(g) (35 MPa) for transit buses and 700 bar(g) (70 MPa) compressed gas for other HDVs. In Europe, Daimler and Linde are leading an industry consortium to explore liquid onboard storage known as subcooled liquid hydrogen (sLH2). In China, the industry is positioned to go either way. Furthermore, cryo-compressed hydrogen (ccH2) is being actively pursued as yet another method of onboard storage where the maximum pressure is approximately 400 bar(g) (40 MPa) but at temperatures ranging from the critical temperature of hydrogen of 33K to 233K (-40°C), thus the storage system needs to withstand pressuressimilar to the H35 storage system and that the storage vessel also needs to be vacuum- insulated.

[0048] At present, each of these modes of on-vehicle storage is served by a different refueling system. A first approach uses a combination of gas compressors, cascade storage, and refrigeration to pressurize gaseous hydrogen and condition it for dispensing. This could work for stations for the 350 bar(g) (35 MPa) and 700 bar(g) (70 MPa) on-board storage, but the 700 bar (70 MPa) systems is technically more challenging. This type of system using gaseous hydrogen would not be able to support cryo-compressed fills or liquid onboard fills because the source fluid is non-cryogenic. The ability to deliver large, fast fills to multiple vehicles in a continuous (back-to-back) use profile would require increasing equipment in terms of compressors, cascade / intermediate storage, and refrigeration as the requirement for continuous operation (number of back-to-back fills) increases.

[0049] A second approach is to use stored liquid hydrogen. The liquid hydrogen could be vaporized and then used with a gas compressor, cascade storage, and refrigeration system, as above. Alternately, a pump can be used to pressurize the liquid hydrogen to appropriate pressures for fueling at 350 bar (g) (35 MPa) or 700 bar(g) (70 MPa). The high- pressure cold gas could then be heated to appropriate temperatures for storage in cascade tubes and subsequently refrigerated, or directly delivered to the vehicle fueling system for fueling. A liquid pump could be used in a ccH2 dispensing system. The liquid would be compressed to about 400 bar(g) and delivered with minimal heating to a ccH2 system. Finally, a liquid pump can be used to transfer LH2 from storage at the station to liquid onboard storage.

[0050] In the present disclosure, it is conceivable that multiple onboard storage technologies will coexist, and the industry needs to have refueling stations that can support such vehicles. Regardless of approach and specific details within each approach, the refueling stations require compressor or pump equipment with different specifications to deliver refueling capability across the different modes of operation.

[0051] Therefore, the ability to refuel a fleet of vehicles with more than one mode of on-board storage would require different stations be built to accommodate any diversity in vehicles with different storage modes. Moreover, a shift in fleet composition from vehicles with one mode of onboard storage to vehicles with another mode of onboard storage would also necessitate the building of different refueling infrastructure.

[0052] Given that future hydrogen powered vehicle fleets could simultaneously have vehicles that use different onboard hydrogen storage modes or could switch from vehicleswith one type of onboard storage to vehicles with another type, a refueling station with multimode dispensing capability is desired.

[0053] One of the objectives in the present disclosure is to provide a method and a system to allow a refueling station to provide multiple dispensing modes with minimum station equipment. The system provided in the present disclosure uses a high-flow low- pressure pump that can be used for multiple roles, including as a transfer pump for zero-loss transfer, as a liquid onboard fueling pump, and as a booster pump for higher pressure fueling such as H35, H70 and CCH2 operation. Such a pump such as liquid hydrogen pump with a direct drive linear motor was disclosed in a co-pending patent application filed by the inventors, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 655,337, filed June 3, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference. By operating switching valves, the low-pressure pump can be used for different roles, thus simplifying refueling station design and saving significant capital. An exemplary multi-role pump is also described in a co-pending patent application filed by the inventors, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 655,389, filed June 3, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0054] Vent loss during liquid hydrogen transfer or offloading from a delivery tanker truck to a stationary cryotank can be substantial, up to 20% of the delivered product amount, with the state-of-the-art pressure transfer method. International Application No. PCT / US2023 / 027245 discloses a method for zero boil-off operation in liquefied gas applications, and is incorporated herein by reference. In such applications, a high flow pump, approximately 100 gallons per minute (gpm) of liquid, at discharge pressures up to 25 bar(g) is required as a transfer pump to provide the motive force for liquid transfer. Such a flow rate is desirable because the transfer operation is ideally completed in less than two hours. For a typical stationary cryotank of 18,000 gallons with starting liquid level of 30% and final fill liquid level of 90%, a 100 gpm pump would finish transfer in the desired time window.

[0055] For liquid onboard storages, a high-flow low-discharge-pressure pump, similar to a transfer pump, is desirable. However, for ccH2, a much higher-pressure pump is required. One approach is to use a high-pressure pump with lower flow rate to stay within reasonable power demand. Such single stage pumping operation is vulnerable to suction side cavitation. Alternatively, a two-stage compression strategy has emerged as a preferred solution where a low-pressure pump serves as the first stage booster pump to supply the suction flow to the high-pressure pump to guarantee minimum net positive suction head (NPSH). The high-pressure pump can fuel ccH2, H35 and H70 onboard storage systems asdesired. A high-flow low-pressure pump is an ideal candidate for such a booster pump in the first stage.

[0056] Liquid offloading operation and vehicle fueling with different onboard storage methods are time-shifted and do not always occur simultaneously. Thus, providing dedicated equipment for each role would complicate the refueling station design and increase station capital and maintenance cost. The system and method disclosed herein, together with the exemplary multi-role pump and the method described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 655,389, filed June 3, 2024, provide a solution to minimize station equipment and support multimode fueling as required.

[0057] The system and the method provided in the present disclosure provide many benefits.

[0058] For example, the exemplary refueling station capable of multimode dispensing supports vehicles with different onboard storage systems as the industry explores the best storage solution globally. The exemplary method and system minimize station equipment, thus reducing capital cost. The simplified design also reduces maintenance costs and improves reliability. Both cost and reliability are key metrics for better refueling stations, leading to lower cost at the dispenser for the customer and better economic outcome for the station owner. Specifically, the evident technical benefits include ability to fuel vehicles with multiple types of onboard storage, ability to transition from a fleet with vehicles with one type of onboard storage to vehicles with another type of onboard storage without rebuilding refueling infrastructure, and ability to perform multiple station operations simultaneously. For example, a cryotank is refilled while vehicles are refueled.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 1, one exemplary system 110 in accordance with some embodiments is illustrated. The exemplary system 110 is a refueling station capable of multimode dispersing in some embodiment. The exemplary system 110 comprises the components as shown in the drawings and as described herein.

[0060] A cryotank 10, which may be a stationary cryotank, is configured to store liquefied fuel such as liquid hydrogen, and has a vapor space 12 and a liquid space 11 therein. The liquid space 11 comprises hydrogen in liquid phase, and the vapor space 12 comprises hydrogen in vapor phase. The liquid space 11 is configured to supply liquid to pump 420 via valve 410 and directly fills a liquid onboard vehicle 400. A pressure relief valve 401 is set at the correct pressure to guarantee safe operation. The pump 420 is referred as the first pump, and the valve 410 is referred as the first control valve. The pump 420 is configured to be fluidly connect with the liquid space 11 via the valve 410. The valve 410 is disposed inbetween the cryotank 10 and the pump 420. The liquid hydrogen out of the pump 420 is referred as the first discharge. The first discharge in the form of liquid hydrogen may be ed for fueling a first vehicle 400 with a liquid onboard storage system through a first nozzle. For illustration only, the line end with an arrow configured to be connected with the vehicle 400 represent the first nozzle. The details of the nozzles such as the first nozzle are not shown.

[0061] Alternatively, the discharge from the pump 420 may supply the suction fluid to pump 20 through valve 450. The discharge from pump 20 is configured to refuel and fill vehicles 300 with cryo-compressed hydrogen (ccH2) on board storage system, vehicles 200 with H35 onboard storage systems, and vehicles 100 with H70 onboard storage systems, respectively. These refueling processes may be performed at different times or simultaneously. Respective pressure relief valves 301, 201, and 101 are set to the desired pressure for safe operation.

[0062] The pump 20 is referred as the second pump. The valve 450 is referred as the second control valve. The pump 20 (i.e., the second pump) is configured to be fluidly connected with the pump 420 (i.e., the first pump) via the valve 450 (i.e., the second control valve) to accept the first discharge from the first pump 420 so as to provide a second discharge in a cryo-compressed form for fueling a second vehicle with a cryo-compressed fuel onboard storage system through a second nozzle. For illustration only, the vehicle 300 is the second vehicle with cryo-compressed fuel onboard storage system. The cryo-compressed fuel such as ccH2 from the pump 20 to vehicle 300 is referred as the second discharge. For illustration only, the line end with an arrow configured to be connected with the vehicle 300 represent the second nozzle. The details of such a nozzle are not shown.

[0063] An added bonus is to use pump 420 as a transfer pump in liquid transfer or offloading operation. In some embodiments, pump 420 is configured to take liquid hydrogen from a liquid hydrogen delivery tanker truck 500 via valve 510. The discharge from pump 420 through valve 520 feeds the diffuser 550 in the vapor space 12 in the stationary cryotank 10 via valve 530 as a top-fill, or to the liquid space 11 at the bottom of the cryotank 10 via valve 540 as a bottom-fill. The fills may be in a manner required to achieve the desired zeroloss transfer operation as disclosed in International Application No. PCT / US2023 / 027245.

[0064] As depicted in FIG. 1, blacked-out valves indicate closed position in this zeroloss liquid transfer operation. Valves 530 and 540 are both open as indicated to show the zero-loss transfer process requires switching between top-fill and bottom-fill to achieve the desired cryotank 10 pressure, for example, as disclosed in International Application No. PCT / US2023 / 027245.

[0065] As described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 655,389, filed June 3, 2024, in some embodiments, the pump 420 is a multi-role low-pressure pump, whereas pump 20 is a high-pressure pump. As an exemplary design for the low-pressure pump 420, a single-acting reciprocating pump with piston diameter of 103 mm, stroke length 250 mm, operating at 200 cycles per minute (cpm), would provide 100 gpm (~25 kg / min at liquid density of 65 kg / m3) flow rate at a maximum discharge pressure of 25 bar(g). Such a pump would draw on average 15.8 kW power. For a typical design for a high-pressure pump to support H70 fueling, a single-acting reciprocating pump with piston diameter of 31 mm, stroke length 250 mm, operating at 200 cpm, would provide 2.2 kg / min flow at a liquid density of 65 kg / m3 and a maximum discharge pressure of 960 bar(g). Such a pump would draw on average 54.3 kW power. A double acting design where both the extend and retract strokes discharge fluid may be used to increase flow rate and provide smoother output flow.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 2, the exemplary system 110 is in a liquid onboard fueling mode. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid delivery tanker truck may be no longer present, and the transfer connection 560 is capped. Liquid from the liquid space 11 in the cryotank 10 enters pump 420 via open valve 410 and discharges liquid fuel such as liquid hydrogen to onboard vehicle storage system 400 via pressure relief valve 401. All other flow paths are closed.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 3, in accordance with some embodiments, the exemplary system 110 is in three high-pressure hydrogen fueling modes using pump 420 as a booster pump. The liquid delivery tanker truck is no longer present, and the transfer connection 560 is capped. Liquid from the liquid space 11 in the cryotank 10 enters pump 420 via open valve 410 and discharges to the suction side of high-pressure pump 20 via open valve 450. The high-pressure pump 20 fuels a vehicle 300 with the ccH2 storage system via pressure relief valve 301, or a vehicle 200 with H35 compressed gas onboard storage system via pressure relief valve 201, or a vehicle 100 with H70 compressed gas onboard storage system via pressure relief valve 101, when needed and appropriate.

[0068] A gas conditioning system including an ambient vaporizer 30 and a trim heat exchanger 40 may be used to control the final delivery temperature to vehicles 200 and 100. A bypass 35 around the ambient vaporizer 30 provides a gross level temperature control while the trim heat exchanger 40 provides a final polishing control. All other flow paths are closed.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 4, in accordance with some embodiments, the exemplary system 110 is in three high-pressure hydrogen fueling modes using pump 20 as a single stage pump without a booster. The liquid delivery tanker truck may be no longer present, and thetransfer connection 560 is capped. Liquid from the liquid space 11 in the cryotank 10 enters pump 20 via open valve 15 directly. The high-pressure pump 20 fuels a vehicle 300 with ccH2 storage system via pressure relief valve 301, or a vehicle 200 with H35 compressed gas onboard storage system via pressure relief valve 201, or a vehicle 100 with H70 compressed gas onboard storage system via pressure relief valve 101, when needed and appropriate.

[0070] A gas conditioning system including an ambient vaporizer 30 and a trim heat exchanger 40 may be used to control the final delivery temperature to vehicle 200 and vehicle 100. A bypass 35 around the ambient vaporizer 30 provides a gross level temperature control while the trim heat exchanger 40 provides a final polishing control. All other flow paths are closed.

[0071] Either or both of the vaporizer 30 and the heat exchanger 40 are referred as at least one gas conditioning device, which is configured to convert the second discharge from the second pump, or the liquefied fuel from the cryotank to the second pump, a fuel in a compressed gas form for fueling at least one vehicle 100 or 200 with a compressed gas fuel onboard storage system. The fuel in such a compressed gas form is referred as the third discharge, which can be supplied to vehicle 100 or vehicle 200.

[0072] The tanker truck 500 as shown in FIG. 1 is one example of a liquid delivery vessel, which is configured to be fluidly connected to the cryotank 10 for product offloading through pump 420 (i.e., the first pump) via valve 410 (i.e., the first control valve) or valve 450 (the second control valve) to valve 530 (i.e., the third control valve) to the vapor space in the cryotank 10, or to valve 540 (i.e., the fourth control valve) to the liquid space in the cryotank 10. In the cryotank, a cryotank pressure is maintained within a desired range by alternating a vapor space delivery and a liquid space delivery.

[0073] FIGS. 1-4 and related descriptions are for illustration only. In these figures, compound lines indicated vacuum jacketed piping, whereas single lines indicate uninsulated piping. Those with ordinary skills in the art also recognize that pump 420 and pump 20 could each be a single pump or multiple pumps plumbed appropriately for higher output flows, and that valves, equipment, instruments that are not essential to the description of this invention are not shown for clarity.

[0074] The current state of the art is to support different onboard storage modes with different refueling infrastructure, which is costly to build, costly to maintain, and prone to breakdowns due to complexity. By using the multi-role pump and by rearranging subcomponents to deliver the full range of refueling requirements through innovative switching and controls, the refueling station disclosed herein is capable of supporting allmodes of onboard storage, thus future-proofing technology requirements. In addition, the same equipment can be used to do liquid offloading in a zero-loss liquid transfer which reduces hydrogen loss substantially, improving station economics and minimizing negative impact to the environment.

[0075] The refueling stations or system may further comprise one or more controllers, which are electronically connected with one or more of the components as described. The connections can be wireless or through wires. Although the controller is not shown in FIGS. 1-4 for simplicity, the system in FIGS. 1-4 also includes one or more controllers.

[0076] The controller is used for controlling the steps of the method including selection of the device and the amount of the material flow in each step or going through each component. The control unit(s) may be electronically connected with the related components in the system. The control unit may comprise one or more processors and at least one tangible, non-transitory machine readable medium encoded with one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors. The control unit is configured to coordinate with each component so as to control the operation for selecting top fill and bottom fills, discharging liquid to refuel fuel cell electric vehicles, monitoring safety, and so on.

[0077] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of making the refueling stations (or systems) as described herein. Such a method comprises steps of providing the components as described herein, and assembling the components together to provide a refueling station (or system) as described herein.

[0078] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of the refueling stations (or systems). Such a method comprises determining a type of fuel onboard storage system of a vehicle coming to the station. The type of fuel onboard fuel storage system is selected from at least two different types of fuel onboard storage systems. The method further comprises fueling a type of fuel corresponding to the type of fuel onboard storage system to the vehicle. The method also includes the steps of controlling corresponding control valves by the controller as described herein.

[0079] In some embodiments, the type of fuel onboard storage system is selected from a liquid hydrogen onboard storage system, a cryo-compressed H2 system, a H35 fuel onboard storage system, and a H70 fuel onboard storage system.

[0080] The methods and system described herein may be at least partially embodied in the form of computer-implemented processes and apparatus for practicing those processes. The disclosed methods may also be at least partially embodied in the form of tangible, nontransient machine-readable storage media encoded with computer program code. The mediamay include, for example, RAMs, ROMs, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, BD-ROMs, hard disk drives, flash memories, or any other non-transient machine-readable storage medium, or any combination of these mediums, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the method. The methods may also be at least partially embodied in the form of a computer into which computer program code is loaded and / or executed, such that the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the methods. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the computer program code segments configure the processor to create specific logic circuits. The methods may alternatively be at least partially embodied in a digital signal processor formed of application specific integrated circuits for performing the methods. The methods may partially or fully be performed through cloud operations as well.

[0081] Although the subject matter has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments, which may be made by those skilled in the art.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A refueling station capable of multi-mode dispensing, comprising a cryotank configured to store a liquefied fuel therein and having a liquid space and a vapor space, the liquefied fuel comprising a liquid phase in the liquid space and a vapor phase in the vapor space; a first pump and a first control valve, the first pump configured to be fluidly connected with the liquid space via the first control valve so as to provide a first discharge in a form of the liquid phase of the liquefied fuel for fueling a first vehicle with a liquid onboard storage system though a first nozzle; a second pump and a second control valve, the second pump configured to be fluidly connected with the first pump via the second control valve to accept the first discharge from the first pump so as to provide a second discharge in a cryo-compressed form for fueling a second vehicle with a cryo-compressed fuel onboard storage system through a second nozzle; and at least one gas conditioning device comprising either or both of a vaporizer and a heat exchanger, and configured to convert the second discharge from the second pump or the liquefied fuel from the cryotank to the second pump into a third discharge in a compressed gas form for fueling at least one vehicle with a compressed gas fuel onboard storage system; and wherein a liquid delivery vessel is configured to be fluidly connected to the cryotank for product offloading through a first pump via a first control valve or a second control valve to a third control valve to the vapor space in the cryotank, or to a fourth control valve to the liquid space in the cryotank, wherein a cryotank pressure is maintained within a desired range by alternating a vapor space delivery and a liquid space delivery.

2. The refueling station of claim 1, wherein the liquefied fuel comprises or is liquid hydrogen.

3. The refueling station of claim 2, wherein the cryo-compressed (cc) fuel onboard storage system is configured to accept ccH2, the compressed gas fuel onboard storage system is configured to accept either of H35 and H70 compressed hydrogen.

4. The refueling station of claim 3, wherein the at least one vehicle with a compressed gas fuel onboard storage system comprises a third vehicle with a H35 fuel onboard storage system and a fourth vehicle with a H70 fuel onboard storage system, and the refueling station is configured to convert and dispense the third discharge to the third vehicle through a third nozzle and to the fourth vehicle through a fourth nozzle, the third nozzle and fourth nozzle may be the same nozzle or separate nozzles.

5. The refueling station of claim 4, further comprising: a first pressure relief valve coupled with the first nozzle; a second pressure relief valve coupled with the second nozzle; a third pressure relief valve coupled with the third nozzle; and a fourth pressure relief valve coupled with the fourth nozzle.

6. The refueling station of claim 1, wherein the at least one gas conditioning device comprises both the vaporizer and the heat exchanger, wherein the vaporizer is an ambient vaporizer.

7. The refueling station of claim 1, wherein the first pump is a low-pressure, high flow reciprocating piston pump.

8. The refueling station of claim 1, wherein the first pump has a maximum discharge pressure of 25 bar(g), and a flow rate up to 150 gpm.

9. The refueling station of claim 1, wherein the second pump is a high-pressure, low flow reciprocating piston pump.

10. The refueling station of claim 1, wherein the second pump has a maximum pressure of 1000 bar(g) and a flow rate up to 10 kg / min, preferably 960 bar(g) and 4 kg / min.

11. The refueling station of claim 1, wherein the first pump is a single acting or a double acting pump.

12. The refueling station of claim 1, wherein the second pump is a single acting or a double acting pump.13 The refueling station of claim 1, further comprising a controller connected electronically with and configured to individually control the first control valve, the second control valve, and each dispensing route.

14. A refueling station capable of multi-mode dispensing, comprising a cryotank configured to store a liquefied fuel therein and having a liquid space and a vapor space, the liquefied fuel comprising a liquid phase in the liquid space and a vapor phase in the vapor space; a pump and a control valve, the pump configured to be fluidly connected with the pump via the control valve to so as to provide a discharge in a cryo-compressed form for fueling a first vehicle with a cryo-compressed fuel onboard storage system through a first nozzle; and at least one gas conditioning device comprising either or both of a vaporizer and a heat exchanger, and configured to convert the discharge from the pump into a compressed gas form for fueling at least one vehicle with a compressed gas fuel onboard storage system; wherein a liquid delivery vessel is configured to be fluidly connected to the cryotank for product offloading through a second pump via a second control valve to a third control valve to the vapor space in the cryotank, or to a fourth control valve to the liquid space in the cryotank, wherein a cryotank pressure is maintained within a desired range by alternating a vapor space delivery and a liquid space delivery.

15. The refueling station of claim 14, wherein the liquefied fuel comprises or is liquid hydrogen.

16. The refueling station of claim 15, wherein the cryo-compressed form is ccH2, the compressed gas fuel onboard storage system is configured to accept either of H35 and H70 compressed hydrogen.

17. The refueling station of claim 16, wherein the at least one vehicle with a compressed gas fuel onboard storage system comprises a second vehicle with a H35 fuel onboard storage system and a third vehicle a H70 fuel onboard storage system.

18. The refueling station of claim 14, wherein the at least one gas conditioning device comprises both the vaporizer and the heat exchanger, wherein the vaporizer is an ambient vaporizer.

19. The refueling station of claim 14, wherein the pump is a high-pressure, low flow reciprocating piston pump.

20. The refueling station of claim 14, wherein the pump has a maximum pressure of 1,000 bar(g) and a flow rate up to 10 kg / min, preferably 960 bar(g) and 4 kg / min.

21. The refueling station of claim 14, wherein the pump is a single acting or a double acting pump.

22. A method of making the refueling station of any of the preceding claims, comprising: providing components; and assembling the components together to provide the refueling station.

23. A method of using the refueling station of any of the preceding claims, comprising: determining a type of fuel onboard storage system of a vehicle, the type of fuel onboard fuel storage system selected from at least two different types of fuel onboard storage systems;fueling a type of fuel corresponding to the type of fuel onboard storage system to the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 24, wherein the type of fuel onboard storage system is selected from a liquid hydrogen onboard storage system, a cryo-compressed H2 system, a H35 fuel onboard storage system, and a H70 fuel onboard storage system.

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