Low-Pressure Liquid Hydrogen Storage With Two-Stage Pressure Building
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrogen storage and delivery systems for vehicles face challenges in maintaining low pressure for storage while meeting high pressure requirements of power systems, leading to inefficiencies and reliability issues such as cavitation and vapor lock, and are bulky and heavy, limiting the range and economy of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A multi-stage pressure building system with a hydrogen storage tank having a first portion for vapor and a second portion for liquid, using a first pump submerged in the liquid to boost pressure, a second pump outside the tank to achieve high pressure, and a heat exchanger to manage pressure and temperature, reducing heat leakage and system size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a single high-pressure pump is used to deliver hydrogen from storage to power systems, then high pressure delivery is achieved, but cavitation and vapor lock occur due to pressure fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The single high-pressure pump is divided into two separate pumps: a first pump that delivers hydrogen from storage to an intermediate pressure, and a second pump that delivers from intermediate pressure to the final high pressure required by power systems. This segmentation prevents cavitation and vapor lock by distributing the pressure increase across two stages, each operating within reliable parameters.
2Quantity of substance
If liquid hydrogen is stored at high pressure, then sufficient hydrogen levels are maintained for long-term operation, but the system becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the pressure parameter of stored liquid hydrogen from high pressure to low pressure (near atmospheric pressure). This parameter change allows for a smaller, lighter storage tank while maintaining sufficient hydrogen storage capacity through the two-stage pressure building system that delivers hydrogen at required high pressures to power systems.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a thermal device is added to maintain storage tank pressure, then pressure stability is improved, but heat leakage into the liquid hydrogen increases
Solution Approach 1:
A thermal device is introduced as an intermediary element positioned within the vapor space of the storage tank, thermally coupled to the tank wall but isolated from direct contact with liquid hydrogen. This intermediary approach allows the thermal device to heat vapor and maintain pressure stability while preventing direct heat transfer to the liquid hydrogen, thereby reducing energy loss and boil-off.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system optimizes efficiency, reduces size and weight, enhances operational range, and prevents cavitation and vapor lock, enabling reliable high-pressure hydrogen delivery to power systems while maintaining low pressure storage.
Implementation Method 1
The first pump is to receive liquid hydrogen from the second portion of the inner volume when liquid hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage tank and to pump the liquid hydrogen out of the hydrogen storage tank to produce a low pressure flow of liquid hydrogen
Implementation Method 2
The second pump is to receive the low pressure flow of liquid hydrogen from the first pump and to produce a high pressure flow of liquid hydrogen
Implementation Method 3
The heat exchanger is to receive the high pressure flow of liquid hydrogen from the second pump and to provide a flow of hydrogen gas to a hydrogen-powered energy producing system
Implementation Method 4
The thermal device can be to produce thermal energy operable to heat gaseous hydrogen contained in the first portion of the inner volume of the hydrogen storage tank to maintain a pressure within the inner volume above a predetermined pressure value
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for hydrogen storage, and delivery. The system includes a hydrogen storage tank, a first pump disposed within the hydrogen storage tank, and a second pump disposed outside of the hydrogen storage tank. The hydrogen storage tank is to store gaseous hydrogen and liquid hydrogen. The first pump is to pump out liquid hydrogen out of the storage tank, producing a low pressure flow. The second pump is to receive this low pressure flow and produces a high pressure flow of liquid hydrogen. The system can also include a thermal device disposed within the hydrogen storage tank to heat gaseous hydrogen when a pressure within the hydrogen storage tank drops below a predetermined minimum pressure. The system can also include a heat exchanger to receive the high pressure flow of liquid hydrogen from the second pump.