Hydrogen Refueling Station with Integrated Backup Power and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydrogen refueling systems for vehicles face challenges in providing backup power and cooling capacity efficiently, with significant hydrogen boil-off losses and limited cooling capabilities, especially in data center applications.
Innovation Solution
A hydrogen refueling station system that integrates a cryotank, submerged liquid pump, heat exchanger, dispenser, refrigeration unit, and backup power unit, which converts liquefied hydrogen into gaseous fuel for vehicle refueling while providing cooling and backup power to facilities like data centers, utilizing excess cooling duty effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hydrogen is stored in a cryotank for refueling, then refueling capability is provided, but hydrogen boil-off losses occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures the boil-off hydrogen gas that would otherwise be lost and redirects it to the backup power unit for electricity generation. This converts the harmful waste product (boil-off losses) into a beneficial resource (backup power), simultaneously solving the substance loss problem while providing additional functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a hydrogen refueling system is designed, then refueling function is achieved, but backup power and cooling capabilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into a single hydrogen refueling station system: refueling vehicles, generating backup power, and providing cooling capacity. The heat exchanger and backup power unit serve dual purposes - managing thermal loads during refueling while simultaneously providing power and cooling services to external facilities, thereby increasing system versatility without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the refueling system with backup power generation and cooling systems by integrating the heat exchanger and backup power unit into the existing cryotank infrastructure. This consolidation allows the system to share common components (cryotank, heat exchanger, control systems) across multiple functions, reducing overall complexity compared to separate standalone systems.
3Temperature
If cooling capacity is provided to facilities, then cooling demand is met, but excess cooling duty from heat exchanger is underutilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures and utilizes the excess cooling duty from the heat exchanger that would otherwise be wasted. By directing this excess cooling capacity to external facilities needing cooling (such as data centers), the system converts energy that would be lost into a useful service, simultaneously reducing energy loss and meeting external cooling demands.
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
The system reduces hydrogen boil-off losses, enhances cooling capabilities, and provides efficient backup power, improving the operational efficiency of data centers by productively using excess cooling duty and integrating hydrogen refueling with power generation.
Implementation Method 1
The heat exchanger is coupled with the pump and configured to convert at least a portion of the first stream of the liquefied fuel in the liquid phase to a gaseous fuel
Implementation Method 2
The refrigeration unit is configured to provide cooling capacity to a facility or environment where cooling is needed
Implementation Method 3
The backup power unit is configured to receive a second stream of the liquefied fuel in the vapor phase or in the liquid phase or both from the cryotank and generate electrical power
Implementation Method 4
The combustion engine generates electricity using a thermal cycle
Data Source
AI summary
A system such as a hydrogen refueling station and a method are provided. The system includes a cryotank for storing a liquefied fuel having liquid and vapor phases, a pump for providing a first stream of the liquefied fuel in the liquid phase from the cryotank, a heat exchanger for converting at least a portion of the first stream to a gaseous fuel, a dispenser for dispensing at least a portion of the gaseous fuel to a receiving fuel tank, a refrigeration unit integrated with the heat exchanger, and a backup power unit. The refrigeration unit and the heat exchanger exchange heat with each other, and the refrigeration unit provides cooling capacity to a facility of environment where cooling is needed. The backup power unit generate electric power by using a second stream of the liquefied fuel in the vapor phase or in the liquid phase or both.