Hydrogen Filling Apparatus Pressure Control for Fuel Cell Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hydrogen filling apparatuses face challenges in maintaining consistent pressure during hydrogen filling for fuel cell vehicles, leading to a significant drop in required pressure immediately after starting, which can cause a large load on the rear facility.

Innovation Solution

The filling apparatus incorporates a control unit that determines whether communication filling is established and adjusts the initial required pressure accordingly. If communication filling is established, the pressure is set higher than the tank pressure by a predetermined value. If not, the pressure is set to 30 to 60% of the maximum value. Additionally, the control unit can increase the pressure if the flow rate is below a certain threshold and set the pressure higher than the tank pressure after initial measurement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the initial required pressure is set to the maximum value (e.g., 80 MPa) to ensure sufficient filling pressure, then the filling capability is improved, but a large load is applied to the rear facility and the pressure drops significantly after starting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling capabilityVSAvoidload on rear facility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the required pressure adjustable and time-dependent. The control unit dynamically changes the required pressure from an initial value (30-60% of maximum) to a final value (maximum or higher than tank pressure) during the filling process. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain sufficient filling capability while reducing the initial load on the rear facility, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and force.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Force

If the initial required pressure is set to the communicated tank pressure to avoid excessive load, then the load on rear facility is reduced, but hydrogen cannot be filled if the actual tank pressure is higher than the communicated value

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload on rear facilityVSAvoidfilling reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by setting the initial required pressure to a value higher than the communicated tank pressure by a predetermined margin (e.g., 5 MPa). This preliminary over-pressure setting ensures that even if the actual tank pressure is higher than communicated, the filling can still proceed reliably. At the same time, the initial pressure is capped at 30-60% of maximum to prevent excessive load on the rear facility, thus resolving the contradiction between filling reliability and load reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If communication filling is not established or pressure data is inaccurate, then the system cannot rely on communicated pressure values, but setting a fixed high initial pressure causes significant pressure drop and excessive load

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to communication statusVSAvoidload on rear facility
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the initial required pressure parameter based on the communication status and flow rate conditions. When communication filling is not established or flow rate is low, the system sets the initial required pressure to 30-60% of the maximum value rather than a fixed high value. This parameter adjustment allows the system to adapt to different communication scenarios while preventing excessive load on the rear facility, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and force.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3875834B1Filling apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.06.04 TOKYO TATSUNO CO LTD
  • EP3875834B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3875834B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3875834B1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~3(B)

AI summary

[OBJECT] To provide a filling apparatus that does not significantly reduce a required pressure immediately after a start of hydrogen filling, and can reliably fill fuel cell vehicles and the like. [SOLUTION] The filling apparatus (100) of the present invention includes a control unit (10), and the control unit (10) has a function of boosting pressure required from a hydrogen filling apparatus (100) to a rear facility (200) until initial pressure measurement is completed. The control unit (10) may have a function of determining whether or not communication filling is established, and when communication filling is established, setting a pressure higher than an internal pressure of a tank received from a vehicle side by a predetermined pressure (for example, 5 MPa) as a pressure required for the rear facility (200) at an initial stage of filling.