Liquid Gas Fuel Tank Refueling Pressure Control to Prevent Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid gas fuel storage systems in vehicles face challenges with pressure increase due to boil-off, leading to automatic ventilation, which is problematic for transport, pollution, and safety reasons.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a control unit to monitor historical automatic ventilation events and adjust the refueling pressure set point to prevent pressure from exceeding the ventilation threshold, thereby avoiding automatic ventilation by reducing the refueling pressure set point after detected events and increasing it if no events occur for a period.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pressure release valve automatically opens when pressure exceeds the ventilation set point, then the storage pressure is reduced to safe levels, but gas is vented to the external environment causing transport economy loss, pollution, and safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit determines a refueling pressure set point based on historical ventilation event data before refueling occurs. This preliminary action sets a proactive pressure threshold that prevents the storage from reaching conditions that would trigger automatic ventilation, thereby avoiding gas release while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses historical data from automatic ventilation events as feedback to dynamically adjust the refueling pressure set point. By analyzing past ventilation occurrences, the control unit learns optimal pressure thresholds that prevent future ventilation events, creating a closed-loop control system that eliminates harmful gas release while maintaining safety
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the refueling pressure set point is reduced to prevent automatic ventilation events, then gas emissions are reduced, but the storage volume utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors whether ventilation events occur and uses this feedback to adjust the refueling pressure set point. If ventilation events are prevented, the system can gradually increase the pressure set point to maximize storage utilization. This adaptive feedback mechanism optimizes both emission reduction and storage efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the refueling pressure set point parameter based on historical ventilation data and operational conditions. By adjusting this critical parameter, the system achieves optimal balance between preventing gas emissions and maximizing fuel storage capacity
3Object-generated harmful factors
If historical data is analyzed to determine optimal refueling pressure set point, then automatic ventilation events are prevented, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit autonomously analyzes historical ventilation data and self-adjusts the refueling pressure set point without requiring external intervention or complex external systems. This self-service capability prevents ventilation events while keeping the added system complexity minimal and contained within the existing control unit
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
This method proactively prevents the automatic opening of the pressure release valve, optimizing fuel refueling operations to maintain safe pressure levels without increasing refueling frequency, thus enhancing transport efficiency and reducing gas emissions.
Implementation Method 1
the liquid gas on the surface captures heat energy from the surroundings
Implementation Method 2
boils into gas form
Implementation Method 3
the gas transitions from liquid form to gas form
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for controlling pressure release in a liquid gas fuel volume in a vehicle, the liquid gas fuel volume being arranged with a control unit and a pressure release valve configured to automatically ventilate gas to an external environment when a pressure in the liquid gas fuel volume exceeds a predetermined ventilation set point. The method comprises obtaining by the control unit data, determining by the control unit a refueling pressure set point for the liquid gas fuel volume based on the obtained data, and at a subsequent refueling operation, communicating the refueling pressure set point as a maximum pressure threshold to be used when refueling the liquid gas fuel volume. A control unit to control pressure release according to the method, a computer program, a computer-readable medium, a liquid fuel gas volume arranged with the control unit, and a vehicle comprising the liquid fuel gas volume.