Fueling Station Wait-Time Estimation for Hydrogen Refueling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydrogen-fueled vehicles face challenges with limited refueling infrastructure, long wait times, and insufficient real-time information for consumers, limiting their adoption.
Innovation Solution
A fuel queue management system that integrates data from fueling stations, ego vehicles, and other vehicles to provide real-time estimates of refueling times, including travel, wait, and fill times, using sensors, navigation, and processors to optimize refueling decisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydrogen fueling stations are established, then refueling capability is provided, but wait times become excessive due to limited supply and demand
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-chilling hydrogen fuel and pre-pressurizing tanks before actual dispensing. The fuel is cooled to approximately -40°C in advance, and tank pressure is adjusted to match vehicle requirements beforehand, significantly reducing the time required during the actual refueling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts fuel dispensing rates based on real-time conditions including vehicle tank specifications, current fuel station inventory levels, and demand patterns. The dispensing rate is optimized to prevent overheating of plastic-lined tanks while maximizing refueling speed, adapting continuously to changing operational parameters.
2Loss of information
If real-time fueling information is provided to consumers, then refueling decision quality improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fueling station control system performs multiple functions: it manages fuel storage, dispensing, pre-chilling, communicates with vehicles, provides real-time information to consumers, and optimizes operational parameters. This multi-functional approach consolidates complexity into a single universal system rather than requiring separate systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where consumer information queries trigger real-time calculations of wait times and fuel availability. The system continuously monitors fuel inventory, vehicle tank status, and dispensing rates, using this feedback to dynamically adjust operations and provide accurate real-time information to consumers about refueling conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided for estimating the time required for a vehicle to visit a fueling station. The system includes a fueling station server associated with the fueling station and configured to transmit, over a network, a plurality of fueling station parameters. The system also includes sensors within the vehicle; a navigation system configured to provide navigation data; and a non-transitory memory storing fuel tank parameters for the vehicle. The system also includes a processor within the vehicle configured to: based on the navigation data, determine a travel time required for the vehicle to reach the fueling station; based on the fueling station parameters, sensor data, and the fuel tank parameters, compute a fueling time required for the fueling station to fill the fuel tank; and compute a total time requirement, including the travel time and the fueling time.