Liquid Hydrogen Storage and Distribution With Vapor Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for storing and distributing hydrogen face challenges in efficiently filling tanks to high pressures without complex and expensive components, such as high-pressure liquid compressors, and managing rapid pressure increases due to vaporization of liquid hydrogen.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a liquid transfer unit and a vapour compressor to transform liquid hydrogen into pressurized gaseous hydrogen, with a control device managing valve operations to distribute hydrogen vapors across multiple tanks, eliminating the need for a liquid compressor and achieving pressures up to 1900 bar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If liquid hydrogen is injected into an expansion tank, then hydrogen vaporizes instantly and pressure increases rapidly, but this makes liquid filling difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the filling process into two distinct phases: first transferring liquid hydrogen to the expansion tank, then separately managing the vaporization and compression processes. This segmentation allows control over the rapid pressure increase by decoupling the liquid transfer from the vaporization event.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary cooling of the expansion tank before liquid hydrogen injection, and pre-arranges the vapor compression infrastructure. By preparing the tank temperature and having the vapor compressor ready, the system mitigates the harmful effects of rapid vaporization and makes the filling process manageable.
2Stress or pressure
If multiple compression stages are used to fill pressure tanks, then tanks can be filled to high pressure, but the installation becomes complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the compression function from a complex multi-stage compression system and consolidates it into a single vapor compressor that operates on hydrogen vapor rather than liquid. This extraction simplifies the overall system while achieving the same high pressure filling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state parameter of hydrogen from liquid to vapor before compression. By compressing vapor rather than liquid, a single compressor stage can achieve the necessary pressure increase, eliminating the need for multiple compression stages and reducing system complexity.
3Stress or pressure
If a high pressure liquid compressor is used, then hydrogen can be compressed to high pressure, but the component becomes complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of compressing liquid hydrogen directly to high pressure, the system inverts the approach by first allowing liquid hydrogen to vaporize naturally, then compressing the resulting vapor. This inversion eliminates the need for complex high-pressure liquid compressors while achieving the same outcome.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical complexity of high-pressure liquid compression with a simpler vapor compression system. By utilizing the natural vaporization process and then applying mechanical compression to the vapor phase, the system achieves high pressure with a less complex component configuration.
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 efficiently fills tanks to high pressures with simplified components, reducing costs and complexity while ensuring stable pressure management, allowing for cost-effective distribution of pressurized gaseous hydrogen.
Implementation Method 1
each tank being arranged to transform the liquid hydrogen into pressurised gaseous hydrogen by heating the liquid hydrogen
Implementation Method 2
said vapour compressor being arranged so as to transfer hydrogen vapours created during the filling of any tank with liquid hydrogen to each of the other tanks in succession, as a function of the opening and/or closing of the valves, by compressing said vapours to a pressure greater than the pressure of gaseous hydrogen in the tank during filling with liquid hydrogen
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a system for storing liquid hydrogen and for distributing gaseous hydrogen, comprising a source of liquid hydrogen (20), at least two gaseous hydrogen tanks (31-35) to be filled and a transfer device comprising: a transfer unit (25) configured to transfer liquid hydrogen from the hydrogen source (20) to any of the tanks, a vapour compressor (10) having a first upstream end and a second downstream end fluidly connected to each of the tanks, a set of valves (51-55), a control device configured to issue a command to transfer the liquid hydrogen and to open and/or close one or more valves (51-55), the compressor (10) being arranged so as to transfer vapours created during filling from any tank to each of the other tanks in succession, by compressing the vapors to a pressure greater than the pressure in the tank during filling.