Modular Hydrogen Fuel Assembly With Two-Stage Pressure Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel systems for hydrogen-powered vehicles face challenges in reliability and safety due to complex installations and high risks of incorrect fitting and leakage when reducing high-pressure hydrogen from tanks to lower pressures required for gas engines or fuel cells, especially with numerous connections and testing requirements.
Innovation Solution
A fuel system with a two-stage pressure reducer, integrated self-supporting unit, and additional safety components like vent valves, gas filters, and sensors, allowing preassembly and testing for safety and quality, reducing the number of connections and simplifying installation by integrating components into a self-contained assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate pressure tanks are connected in parallel with individual components and screw arrangements, then the fuel system can handle high-pressure hydrogen storage, but the installation complexity increases and leakage risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple pressure tank connections, pressure reducers, gas filters, shut-off valves, vent valves, and overpressure safety valves into a single integrated fuel system assembly. This merging of previously separate components into one unified structure reduces the number of external screw connections and interfaces, thereby lowering installation complexity and potential leakage points while maintaining the ability to handle multiple high-pressure hydrogen tanks.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel system is designed as a self-contained modular assembly that can be installed as a single unit. This segmentation allows the complex internal components to be pre-assembled and tested separately, then installed together, reducing on-site installation complexity while maintaining high reliability through pre-validated internal connections.
2Reliability
If numerous connections and components are used for pressure reduction and safety, then the system can function properly, but the risk of incorrect fitting and leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating pressure reducers, gas filters, shut-off valves, vent valves, and overpressure safety valves into a single assembled unit with internal connections, the patent eliminates numerous external screw connections. This reduces the risk of incorrect fitting and leakage during installation while preserving all necessary safety and functional components within the sealed assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel system components are pre-assembled and internally connected in a controlled manufacturing environment before installation. This preliminary assembly allows for quality control and leak testing to be performed on all connections before the unit is installed in the vehicle, ensuring correct fitting and reducing leakage risks during actual operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If a single-stage pressure reducer is used, then the system is simpler, but the pressure control precision is insufficient for fuel cell requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure reduction process is divided into two separate stages within the integrated assembly. The first pressure reducer reduces hydrogen pressure from high pressure (e.g., 200-700 bar) to intermediate pressure (e.g., 10-50 bar), and the second pressure reducer further reduces it to the precise low pressure (e.g., 3-30 bar) required by fuel cells. This segmentation enables precise pressure control that cannot be achieved with a single stage, while the internal integration minimizes the space and complexity added by having two stages.
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 solution enhances the reliability and safety of hydrogen fuel systems by allowing preassembly and testing, reducing installation complexity, and ensuring high-purity hydrogen delivery, thus improving the operational efficiency and service life of fuel cells.
Implementation Method 1
the pressure reducer is designed such that it can reduce the pressure of the hydrogen from the high pressure level from the pressure tank to a medium pressure level of between 3 bar and 30 bar
Implementation Method 2
a gas filter, which keeps relatively small impurities out of the pressure tank and thus ensures high-purity hydrogen
Implementation Method 3
a pressure sensor for measuring the state of the hydrogen gas
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel system for installation in a hydrogen-powered vehicle and for one or more hydrogen pressure tanks configured for a high pressure level of at least 200 bar, includes connections for input and output lines and at least the following internal components: a pressure reducer, a gas filter, a shut-off valve, a vent valve, an overpressure safety valve and a pressure sensor. The pressure reducer is a two-stage pressure reducer which reduces the pressure of the hydrogen from the high pressure level from the pressure tank to a medium pressure level between 3 bar and 30 bar. The first stage reduces the pressure from the pressure tank to an intermediate level between 40 and 80 bar and the second stage further reduces the pressure to the medium pressure level. The internal components and gas lines interconnecting these internal components are disposed in an integral and self-supporting modular unit.