Portable Hydrogen Refueling Station for Crawler Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refuelling systems for hydrogen-powered crawler vehicles are expensive, large, and pose safety risks due to the high-pressure hydrogen storage requirements, limiting their availability at work sites.
Innovation Solution
A portable refuelling station comprising a compressor unit and an injection nozzle, which can be transported to the work site to directly compress and deliver hydrogen to the crawler vehicle's accumulator, eliminating the need for an intermediate high-pressure storage tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a high-pressure storage tank is used for hydrogen refuelling, then hydrogen can be stored and transferred at high pressure, but the system becomes expensive, large in size, and poses safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the high-pressure storage tank from the refuelling system, eliminating the need for intermediate high-pressure hydrogen storage. The compressor unit compresses hydrogen directly into the vehicle's accumulator, removing the complex and dangerous high-pressure storage infrastructure while maintaining high-pressure refuelling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a compressor unit as an intermediary device between the hydrogen source and the vehicle accumulator. This mediator compresses hydrogen on-demand without requiring large high-pressure storage tanks, thereby simplifying the system while maintaining refuelling functionality.
2Reliability
If a high-pressure storage tank is used for hydrogen refuelling, then refuelling can be performed, but the system becomes expensive and large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heavy high-pressure storage tank from the stationary refuelling system, significantly reducing the weight and size of the infrastructure while preserving the essential refuelling capability through direct compression.
3Productivity
If a high-pressure storage tank is used for hydrogen refuelling, then refuelling can be performed, but the number of refuelling systems available at the work site is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the bulky and expensive high-pressure storage tank, the patent enables deployment of multiple lighter, simpler refuelling stations across the work site, thereby increasing overall refuelling productivity and availability.
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
This solution enhances safety by reducing the risks associated with high-pressure hydrogen storage, allows for a more compact and cost-effective refuelling system, and enables multiple refuelling stations to be placed strategically across the work site.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor unit configured to receive hydrogen, as an input, from a hydrogen source and/or from a hydrogen distribution network and to compress the received hydrogen
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A refuelling station to refuel a crawler vehicle with hydrogen at a work site is configured to be transported to the work site and has a compressor unit (18) configured to receive, as an input, hydrogen from a hydrogen source (14) and/or from a hydrogen distribution network (17) and to compress the received hydrogen; and an injection nozzle (19), which is connected to the compressor unit (18) and is configured to be coupled to a hydrogen accumulator (8) of the crawler vehicle (2) so as to dispense the compressed hydrogen into said hydrogen accumulator (8).