Hydrogen Gas Filling Device with Dynamic Pressure-Rate Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fuel gas filling systems face challenges where the filling of multiple tanks can result in prolonged completion times or incomplete filling due to pressure imbalances between tanks, particularly when filling from a shared accumulator.

Innovation Solution

A gas filling device with separate supply paths and a control device that adjusts the pressure rise rate for each tank based on the pressure difference between tanks, ensuring balanced filling by switching accumulators to maintain pressure differentials.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple tanks are filled in parallel from a shared accumulator, then filling efficiency is improved, but pressure imbalance causes filling time to increase or filling to end halfway

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling efficiencyVSAvoidfilling completion reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device dynamically adjusts the pressure rise rate for each filling path based on real-time pressure conditions. When one tank reaches a higher pressure than others, the system automatically lowers its pressure rise rate to maintain balanced filling across all tanks, preventing filling completion issues while maintaining parallel operation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operating parameters (pressure rise rate) of individual filling paths based on the pressure state of each tank. By monitoring and adjusting pressure rise rates dynamically, the system ensures that all tanks reach their target pressure simultaneously, preventing incomplete filling while maintaining high productivity through parallel operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If pressure rise rate is increased to reduce filling time, then productivity is improved, but pressure imbalance between tanks worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling speedVSAvoidpressure balance between tanks
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs dynamic control where the pressure rise rate for each tank is continuously adjusted based on real-time pressure measurements. This allows the system to maintain high overall filling speed while automatically compensating for pressure imbalances, ensuring all tanks remain synchronized throughout the filling process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control device implements feedback control by monitoring the pressure in each tank and using this information to adjust the pressure rise rate of individual filling paths. This closed-loop control ensures that pressure balance is maintained while achieving high filling productivity through coordinated parallel operation of multiple tanks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4303480B1Gas filling device
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 ENEOS CORP
  • EP4303480B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4303480B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4303480B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A gas filling device (1) is provided with a first gas supply pipeline (7), a second gas supply pipeline (8), and an integrated control panel (9). The first gas supply pipeline (7) supplies hydrogen gas from a multistage accumulator (2) to a first filled tank (53) mounted on a first vehicle (51). The second gas supply pipeline (8) supplies hydrogen gas from the multistage accumulator (2) to a second filled tank (54) mounted on a second vehicle (52) different from the first vehicle (51). At the time of filling the hydrogen gas into both of the first filled tank (53) and the second filled tank (54) from the multistage accumulator (2), the integrated control panel (9) sets a pressure rise rate of the first filled tank (53) or a pressure rise rate of the second filled tank (54) to be lower than a reference pressure rise rate in accordance with a difference in pressure between the first filled tank (53) and the second filled tank (54).