Hydrogen Buffer Container Impurity Monitoring and Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydrogen filling station methods fail to ensure the required purity of hydrogen for fuel cells without significant additional cost, often resulting in costly purification steps or energy wastage due to impurities in the hydrogen supply.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines the current concentration of impurities in the hydrogen buffer container during filling and compares it to a threshold, stopping the filling process when the concentration reaches the threshold, allowing for real-time monitoring and switching to another buffer container to maintain purity and reduce waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If expensive purification steps (cryogenic adsorbent bed or palladium membranes) are added upstream of filling stations, then hydrogen purity meets fuel cell specifications, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive mechanical/chemical purification systems (cryogenic adsorbent beds, palladium membranes) with a sensor-based monitoring and control system that detects impurity concentrations and automatically manages buffer containers to maintain purity without physical purification steps
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses real-time impurity concentration measurements to automatically control the filling process and buffer container selection, allowing the filling station to self-regulate hydrogen purity without external purification infrastructure
2Reliability
If liquid hydrogen or cryogenic purification is used to ensure purity, then hydrogen quality meets specifications, but cost increases by 40% to 100%
Solution Approach 1:
The invention substitutes complex cryogenic purification infrastructure and liquid hydrogen storage systems with an electronic monitoring and control system that uses sensors and automated buffer management to achieve the same purity guarantee at minimal cost
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the control parameter from physical state manipulation (cryogenic temperatures, phase changes) to real-time concentration monitoring and process control, maintaining purity through information-based control rather than energy-intensive physical treatment
3Measurement precision
If gas analyzer is installed upstream of compressors to validate purity, then impurity detection is achieved, but compressor shutdown and energy wastage occur when impurity threshold is exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary impurity detection and takes preventive action by selecting appropriate buffer containers before contamination occurs, avoiding the need to shut down the compressor or vent hydrogen to atmosphere
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses real-time impurity concentration feedback from sensors to dynamically control buffer container selection and filling operations, continuously adapting to maintain purity without interrupting compressor operation or wasting energy
4Reliability
If compressor is shut down manually when impurity threshold is exceeded, then hydrogen purity is maintained, but operational time is lost and station operates in degraded mode
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-fills multiple buffer containers with pure hydrogen before impurity accumulation occurs, so when purification is needed, the compressor can continue operating using pre-stored pure hydrogen from buffers, maintaining both purity and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system ensures continuous compressor operation by using buffer containers as intermediaries that decouple the compressor from the purification process, allowing the compressor to run continuously while buffer containers are selectively used or refilled, eliminating downtime and maintaining full productivity
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
A method for filling at least one buffer container (1, 2, 3) of a hydrogen filling station (100), the station (100) comprising a fluid circuit (11, 12, 13, 4, 5, 6) linked to said at least one buffer container (1, 2, 3), the circuit of the filling station (100) comprising a first end linked to at least one source of hydrogen gas (14, 15), the circuit (11, 12, 13, 4, 5, 6) comprising a second end provided with a transfer conduit (6) intended to be removably connected to a tank (8), the method being characterised in that it comprises a step (9, 10) of determining the current concentration of at least one impurity in the hydrogen in the buffer container (1, 2, 3) during the filling of same, a step of comparing said current concentration of the impurity relative to a predefined threshold concentration and, when the current concentration of the at least one impurity reaches said threshold concentration, stopping the filling of said buffer container (1, 2, 3).