Fuel Dispensing Line Pre-Cooling for Rapid Low-Venting Refueling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fueling systems that utilize liquid fuel for gaseous delivery to vehicle tanks face slow start-up times due to cooling of supply lines and compressor pre-cooling, leading to fuel loss and increased operational and capital costs, especially with multiple supply lines and long lines.
Innovation Solution
A fuel dispensing process that uses the stored fuel as a pre-cooling fluid, bypasses heat transfer fluids, and sequentially opens supply lines to accommodate pressure drops, facilitating rapid fueling with reduced fuel usage and minimal venting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional pre-cooling systems with heat transfer fluids are used, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and capital cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the heat transfer fluid circuit from the pre-cooling system, using only the process fuel itself as the cooling medium. This removes the complex cooling circuit infrastructure while maintaining pre-cooling functionality through direct fuel circulation through heat exchangers.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel serves dual functions: as the product to be dispensed and as the cooling medium for pre-cooling supply lines and equipment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate heat transfer fluids and their associated cooling circuits, reducing device complexity while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
2Productivity
If multiple supply lines are used for rapid fueling, then fueling speed is improved, but fuel loss increases due to extended pre-cooling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary pre-cooling of all supply lines using the fuel itself before fueling operations begin. By utilizing the fuel's own cold energy and implementing sequential or parallel line cooling, the system prepares multiple supply lines in advance, enabling rapid fueling without excessive fuel loss.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of venting and losing cold fuel during pre-cooling, the system recovers and utilizes this cold fuel as the cooling medium itself. The cold fuel circulates through heat exchangers to cool supply lines, then is retained and used for fueling, eliminating waste while supporting multiple supply lines for rapid dispensing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If long supply lines are used, then dispenser flexibility is improved, but pre-cooling time and fuel loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces heat exchangers as intermediaries that enable efficient heat transfer between the cold fuel and the supply lines. This allows rapid pre-cooling of long supply lines without requiring excessive cooling time or fuel loss, maintaining dispenser flexibility while reducing pre-cooling duration.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold fuel serves itself as the cooling medium for long supply lines. By circulating the fuel through heat exchangers that contact the supply lines, the system achieves self-cooling, eliminating the need for external cooling sources and reducing both pre-cooling time and fuel loss while maintaining long line configurations for dispenser versatility.
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
Reduces fuel venting by up to 90% and achieves quick fueling within 5-30 seconds, minimizing fuel loss and equipment costs while supporting long supply lines and multiple lines configurations.
Implementation Method 1
fluid from the fuel storage tank is passable to the compression system while the compression system is deactivated to cool the compression system
Implementation Method 2
A fueling heat exchanger positioned between the compression system and one or more supply lines to vaporize the fuel output from the compression system
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for fuel dispensing and a process for fuel dispensing can be configured to facilitate rapid fueling. In some embodiments, at least one compressor can be cooled down via sequential adjustment for venting to facilitate improved compressor and supply line cool down that can utilize less vented gas and also help improve the speed at which a sufficient cool down can be provided. Some embodiments can alternatively (or also) utilize a sequential supply line utilization scheme for feeding fuel from a cooled down and operational compressor to a dispenser for feeding to a fuel tank. A control system can be configured to oversee operation and control adjustment of how supply lines are utilized based on at least one pre-determined control scheme for venting and/or fueling via the supply line(s) as well.